“Satisfied with your morsel of gossip?” Devil asked with a wicked grin.
“This isn’t a morsel, Devil, it’s an entire damn meal!” I hissed. “I don’t understand how this happened! I don’t even understandwhat—” I covered my face with shadow-encased hands and shook my head.
“Well, since I don’t make a habit of following Jon around the forest every day, I’ll hazard a guess,” Devil said, dropping beside me. “Your darling Will kept coming back, begging for that antidote. Jon, being the consummate gentleman, took it upon himself to keep a watchful eye on this terribly handsome young human.”
“I-I did ask him to…keep an eye on Will for me…”
“Well, there we are. I’m sure your imagination can fill in the rest.”
“But…but…Will isn’t…I mean, he doesn’t…he’s never…”
“Jon can be quite…persuasive,” said Devil casually, and I looked at him in alarm. “Oh, for pity’s sake, May. I only mean Jon has a way of helping people see things about themselves they never would have seen otherwise. Understand?”
I was silent, staring blank-eyed into the brambles, my mind churning right over the edge along with the waterfall.
“Why didn’t Will ever tell me?” I muttered. “We told each other…everything.”
“He probably didn’t even know it himself.” Devil’s tone was gentler now. “You humans have found so many ways of keeping each other trapped inside these ridiculous boxes. You think it’s easier, but it only causes pain and confusion when you outgrow a box that someone else decided you belonged in.” We exchanged a meaningful look, and I knew he was not only talking about Will.
“Should I go talk to him?”
“And interrupt a secret, intimate moment? Where are your manners?”
“Do you think they’re…in love?”
Devil rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. “I have known Jon a long time, and he could certainly have his pick of the Arden’s young men, but…he seems quite enamored of Mister Scarlett.”
“I don’t want Will to be in danger,” I murmured. “Not from Jon, but…others…”
“There are few in the Arden who would tangle with Jon,” Devil said gently, “and I will not let anything happen to him, Mayhem. I know how much he means to you.”
I gave him a faint smile, but continued twisting shadows between my fingers as I thought. Will looked so happy, and that was all I’d ever wanted for him, but this added another layer of complications to my own life in the Arden. Another person for me to protect from both the Rot and from Titania. I could only assume the antidote had worked on Helena, since she had not followed Will back into the forest, but we still did not know who had placed the love spell, or why. The vague, nebulous threat still hovered over me, over all of us, and I would not feel secure until it had been dealt with.
“What will you do now?” I asked. “Help Antenor with his investigation?”
“You seem to have that task well in hand,” Devil said, eyes dancing merrily.
I set my jaw and glared at him. “Is thereevera time you are not watching me?”
“Do not ask if you do not wish to hear the answer,” he said, standing and putting his hand out. I continued to glare and he gave an exasperated sigh. “I have something for you, if you’d deign to trust me for a moment.”
“Only a moment,” I muttered.
“Back to my home oak, if you please,” he said, gently taking hold of my wrist and pulling me up to face him. I fought the urge to peer over the brambles again as I sifted through the various threads of magyk inside me. When I found the one that allowed me to travel, I grabbed his wrist in return and tugged.
Chapter thirty-four
Doubt & Differences
With my emotions andmy magyk so worn down, I stumbled as soon as we arrived at the big oak tree. Devil caught me, however, and we sank down onto what felt like a blanket. When the dizziness wore off and I opened my eyes, I realized he had to have planned this all ahead of time, because the blanket was laid with a modest picnic. But I eyed the basket of apples and plate of cheese-stuffed flatbreads warily.
“What is this?”
“I know Ceres is a better cook,” he said, “but I hoped you might humor my feeble attempt at an apology.”
“An apology for what?”
“For leaving you the night of the party. It was a cowardly, prideful thing to do.” He did not look me in the eye, clearly unaccustomed to apologizing.
