The Poison Season(69)

But here, in the real world, she was going to be late.

When she slipped through the front door, the house was quiet, the sun not yet risen. She breathed as quietly as she could, tiptoeing up the stairs to her bedroom. She was nearly there when she heard a creak from downstairs. She turned to find Ketty sitting in one of the armchairs, watching her.

“Aunt Ketty,” Leelo said, her blood turning to ice. “What are you doing up so early?”

Ketty didn’t say a word. She was waiting for Leelo to come back down. Reluctantly, Leelo descended the stairs, her still-racing heart stuttering for a different reason now. “I’m sorry. I was just—”

“Don’t lie to me, girl.” Ketty was in her nightgown and robe, her long auburn braid hanging over her shoulder. But she looked like she’d been awake for hours, waiting in the dark for Leelo to return.

Leelo’s eyes dropped to the floor. She bit her lip to keep from attempting another excuse. There was too great a chance she’d inadvertently give something away. Better to wait for her punishment in silence.

“Who were you with?” Ketty asked. “I know it wasn’t Matias, so choose your words carefully.”

Who could she name without implicating someone innocent? There was no one, and she would sooner die than give up Jaren.

Ketty waited with growing impatience, her nostrils flaring. “You’re not going to answer me?”

Leelo gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head. “No.”

Ketty released her breath through her nose. “Very well. Don’t tell me. But until you do, you are not to leave this house for any reason other than Watcher duty, and you won’t go anywhere without Sage. Do you understand me? We have rules for a reason, Leelo. I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but if you end up pregnant before you’re even married—”

Leelo’s eyes shot up to her aunt’s. “That is none of your concern.”

“Oh, isn’t it? Who do you think would care for a baby? You’re certainly not capable. You can’t even take care of yourself.”

“I’m not your responsibility,” Leelo ground out.

Ketty laughed dryly. “No? Whose, then? Don’t forget that without me, there would be no food on the table. Without your cousin’s marriage prospects and with no men around to help out, we could all be starving by next winter.”

Perhaps it was the lack of sleep that made Leelo reckless. “There would be men around here if it weren’t for you.”

“I know you aren’t referring to Tate. Even you aren’t so foolish as to blame me for that.”

Leelo wasn’t sure who she meant. Hugo and Kellan had died in an accident. But Leelo couldn’t help remembering what her mother had said, how Ketty had sacrificed everything for the family. And then Isola, with her strange reaction about the cottage. There were secrets in this house, all right. But they weren’t all hers.

Leelo let her gaze fall again. Arguing with Ketty wasn’t going to get her anywhere. And as long as she was under her aunt’s watchful eye, she’d never be able to see Jaren. The thought made her feel hollow inside. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I didn’t mean that.”

Ketty snickered. “Of course you did. You’re as naive as my sister, and twice as ungrateful. I suppose I can’t blame you. You are your parents’ daughter.” She strode forward, stopping when her toes were nearly touching Leelo’s. Gripping her chin between her fingers, she tilted Leelo’s face from side to side roughly.

“Whoever he is, I hope he’s worth it,” she said, dropping Leelo’s head and pushing past her. “Get dressed. Your Watcher duty starts in half an hour.”



Chapter Forty-One


Jaren had decided it was time to act. He’d allowed himself to grow weak and pale in the hovel, counting on Leelo to provide for him and keep him safe. But he was never going to be able to get off the island in his current state. Day by day, he ventured a little farther from the cottage, strengthening his legs and learning the geography of the island in the process. Inside, he did crunches and push-ups to get some muscle back into his arms and torso. He made sure to bathe every other day because he found it gave him a schedule, something to look forward to even if Leelo couldn’t come.

As the days began to get shorter, Jaren’s plans took on a new urgency. He’d been gone for weeks now, and he could only imagine what his family was thinking. Surviving, and then being with Leelo, had been overwhelming at the beginning. But now, in the afterglow, he could think more clearly. He had to get back to the mainland.

And he was going to take Leelo with him.

He hadn’t mentioned this new plan to her yet. He knew there was a very good chance she wouldn’t want to go, which was why he’d spent the past few days telling her about how wonderful life on the mainland could be. Leelo loved to listen to his stories, her head on his chest, her fingers drawing circles on his skin. She wanted to know everything about his sisters, what it was like to travel from Tindervale to Bricklebury, and she was fascinated by the idea of a forest that didn’t require anything from its inhabitants but respect for nature.

“If you didn’t have to give half your kills to the Forest, wouldn’t your lives be easier?” he asked her, genuinely curious. It was several days since she’d come to see him in the middle of the night, and their visit had to be kept short, since Leelo’s family was now suspicious of where she’d been disappearing to. Jaren felt terrible that she’d been caught sneaking back into the house and wished they hadn’t fallen asleep, but he wouldn’t change anything else about it. That night had been the best of his entire life.