The Poison Season(67)

Sage laughed around the strawberry. “No, she doesn’t.”

Leelo glanced at her mother, who was averting her gaze, having realized her mistake too late. If Leelo hadn’t told Sage about the boy she liked, then Leelo was clearly trying to keep this a secret, and Fiona had just outed her.

Leelo wasn’t sure what to do. If she denied it, either Mama would appear to be a liar or Leelo would. But if she told them the truth, she would arouse Sage’s curiosity, and that would make it even harder to get time to herself.

“It’s Matias,” she blurted, choosing the name of a boy roughly their age out of thin air. “Matias Johnson. I haven’t told anyone about it because he doesn’t know I exist.” That part, at least, was true. Matias was another Watcher, but he lived on the far side of the island. Leelo knew nothing about him, other than that he had two older brothers and that his mother was a potter. She instantly wished she’d chosen another name, someone more credible, but it was too late now.

Sage screwed up her nose in disbelief. “What?”

Leelo blushed under her family’s scrutiny. “I know, it’s a little unexpected. But I think he’s nice and attractive. We danced at the summer solstice festival.” Lies, lies, and more lies. Leelo hadn’t danced with anyone that night, and she didn’t think Matias was attractive. He wasn’t unattractive; Leelo simply had never thought of him that way.

Fiona was watching Leelo from the corner of her eye, clearly not persuaded by her fabrication. She couldn’t have chosen a blander way to describe a boy she supposedly liked.

Ketty glanced away finally. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Matias is as good as engaged himself. His mother told me at the most recent council meeting. He and Reddy Wells have been promised to each other for ages now. I’m surprised you didn’t know.”

Leelo flushed further, which at least seemed like an appropriate reaction to the news that her love interest was spoken for. “Oh.”

Ketty nodded smugly. “If you liked him, you should have made yourself known a long time ago.”

“It’s new,” Leelo said. “I didn’t know about Reddy.” She glanced at her mother and Sage, who were watching this exchange with completely different expressions that both said the same thing: they didn’t believe Leelo in the slightest.

Fortunately, Fiona was willing to accept the lie from her daughter. She tucked Leelo under her arm and kissed the top of her head. “I’m so sorry, my dear. But not to worry. There are other boys on the island. I’m sure we’ll find someone for you.”

Leelo allowed herself to be comforted, but on the way home, Sage was still staring at her with those narrowed, suspicious eyes.

“So. Matias,” she said when their mothers had fallen behind. “It’s funny. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you mention him before.”

“Really? I’m sure I have.” Inside, Leelo was cringing at her own terrible lie. She wished she’d mentioned someone else, but she’d panicked. She should have known this would come up eventually, especially now that Sage was engaged. But she’d been so focused on Jaren that she hadn’t thought to come up with another lie.

“He’s a strange choice for you.”

“He is?”

“His father is a butcher.”

Leelo’s stomach twisted as she suddenly remembered that Matias often had bloodstains on his clothing from helping his father work. “Oh, that’s right. I’d forgotten.”

“Well, I suppose it’s for the best that he’s marrying Reddy. Otherwise you’d have to learn how to butcher meat, and I’m not sure you’d be able to stomach it.”

Leelo managed a watery smile. “Probably not.”

“Don’t worry, Lo. I’ll find someone for you. We’ll have you engaged by the end of the year, too.” She slung her arm over Leelo’s shoulder, gripping her a little too tight.

Whether Sage thought Leelo was lying about the boy or about liking someone at all, one thing was clear: Leelo hadn’t fooled her cousin for one second.

Leelo had a secret, and Sage wasn’t going to rest until she discovered what it was.



Chapter Thirty-Nine


Jaren was sound asleep when he heard a tap on the door of the cottage. He opened his eyes, blinking in the darkness. He had waited for Leelo all day, knowing she had the afternoon free, and had fallen asleep thinking of her. For a moment, he was convinced he was having a lucid dream. Saints knew he’d imagined Leelo’s presence enough times lately. But then he felt a pain in his hip from sleeping on the hard ground, and he blinked fully awake, worried it was Isola. Or worse, someone else.

The door creaked open, but it was Leelo’s familiar silhouette in the moonlight, and the tension in Jaren’s muscles was replaced with a different kind of anticipation.

She crept in quietly and crawled over to where he was lying, and without really thinking about it, he closed his eyes again and pretended to be asleep.

There was a long silence, and then he felt a slight tug on the blanket as she lay next to him, curling her slender body around his carefully so as not to wake him. It was a warm night and he was sleeping shirtless, the blanket down around his waist, and every nerve in his body came alive when she slipped her arm over his torso.

He inhaled and rolled toward her a little. “Leelo.”