Witch Fall(90)

Doranna pointed a shaking finger at Pescal. “This man is trying to take advantage of an apprentice.”

Pescal tenderly touched his temple, which was already swelling. “She hit me! That wastrel hit me!” There was no denying the hatred now.

They all turned to Lilette, whose emotions were so strong they made her shake. She wrapped her arms around herself to stop herself from stepping towards Pescal. “I–I think I’m going to be sick.” Her eyes locked with Doranna’s. “I need him,” she whispered. “Why do I need him?”

“Creators’ mercy,” Doranna gasped. She gave Pescal a look that could flay the spines off a sea urchin.

One of the guardians strode to Pescal and gripped the collar of his shirt. “You think you can get away with drugging a witch, boy?”

He said nothing.

Lilette was quaking with the urge to be touched. Licking her lips, she stepped toward the guardian. “Drugging me?”

The guardian took a step back, dragging Pescal with him. “Can you get her home? I’d send some of my guardians with you, but . . .”

Doranna gave a curt nod. “I’ll take care of her.”

“Drugged me how?” Lilette asked. “What did he do to me?”

Doranna took a firm grip on Lilette’s elbow and herded her toward the pavilion. “You were warned never to accept food or drink you hadn’t seen prepared.” Her words were soft, but they stung anyway. “You live among witches, child. Potions are easy to find—even the dangerous ones.”

Tears pricked Lilette’s eyes. “It was Pescal—I trusted him.”

“Come on. I have something that will help,” Doranna said. They left the gardens, passing a pair of guardians restricting those who could go in. Lilette found herself drifting toward the closest one.

Doranna held firm to her arm. “Keep your gaze down—it will help.”

Lilette stared at the ground. “I thought you couldn’t come into the gardens.”

“Only if we’re called for.”

“But I didn’t call for you.”

Doranna didn’t respond.

Inside the pavilion, only a scattering of food remained. Beyond, the crowd had thinned from a solid mass to clusters of witches who were far outnumbered by the wastrels still hard at work gathering pollen.

“Where’d everybody go?”

“Home, mostly. It’s after midnight, and the festivities continue tomorrow. The gates will be closed soon, and the rest will have to leave as well.”

Even with her eyes downcast, Lilette knew where the men were. Not going to them was physically painful. She tried to concentrate on the discarded leaf plates crushing under her feet and giving off the smell of sap, which mixed with the honey smell of the chesli flowers. “Doranna, I—” She pulled free and bolted toward an older man, not caring about the woman on his arm.

Doranna grabbed her arm and dug her heels in. “Han is waiting for us at Sash’s tree. He’s the one who sent me inside the gardens.”

Lilette fixed her gaze on the path and started marching down it, not caring whom she passed. Han stood up from the table when she shoved the door open. She shot into his arms.

He stumbled back, surprised. “What—”

“Hold her,” Doranna said.

Lilette buried her face in his chest and the pain ebbed away, but the desire flared up stronger than ever. She tried to stop her hands from tracing the bulk of his muscles. Tried and failed.

He trapped her hands against his chest. “Lilette?” He pushed her back to look at her face. “What’s wrong with her?”

Doranna was busy searching through the shelves and didn’t bother to answer.

His gaze locked with Lilette’s, and his eyes widened. “Her pupils are solid black!”

Lilette didn’t care. She tipped forward, brushing Han’s earlobe with the tip of her nose. Creators’ mercy, he smelled so good. “I want to taste you,” she whispered before licking his neck.

He froze. “What did he give her?” His voice was deadly and cold.

Doranna set down a half dozen clinking bottles. “A love potion.”

“So she’s in love with him now!” Han roared.

“She’s in love with the nearest man,” Doranna corrected as she poured ingredients into the bowl.

“I’m going to kill him.” Han pulled away from Lilette just as her lips found his collarbones. She cried out and moved to follow him, her hands outstretched.

“You leave and she’ll be out searching for someone else! I barely got her here.” Doranna added dried leaves and ground something in a pestle. “You can kill him later.”