She swallowed. So much for being inconspicuous.
Shaking his head, he rubbed a hand over his face. He stalked over to her table, stopping in front of her.
‘Goodgod, Bisma.’ He was angry, one of his eyes twitching. ‘This is why I say you should stay away from this poison business. You shouldn’t be getting involved with people like this! Making enemies!’
How dare he scold her!
‘Someone asked me for help!’ she said hotly, scowling. ‘I wouldn’t refuse them, and anyway, it’s my business.’
‘You can do business in other things!’ he exclaimed, refusing to back down.
‘I am a garden-witch! I make poisons!’
‘You don’t have to! You could make perfectly reasonable and harmless potions.’
She scoffed. ‘You know full well that is not an option, not as long as your family’s apothecary stands—as long as you continue to create in bulk and sell at lower prices. Why would anyone buy from me? But poisons are different.’
‘If you worked at the Apothecary, like I suggested, you wouldn’t have to worry about that.’
Her eye was twitching by then, as well. The gall of him! She glared at him and he shrank back a little.
‘Or you could work with me,’ he continued, his voice gentler. ‘We could be partners.’
She scoffed louder this time; she had a mind to stomp on his foot for even suggesting it!
‘You can’t just go around poisoning people, Bis!’ He was back to lecturing, waving his hands about dramatically. Indignation flared through her. His face was splotchy, his hair a mess. ‘See how it’s hurting you to seeyourloved ones poisoned, how do you think others feel?’
‘Howdareyou? He abused her; he deserved it!’ she snapped, her heart beating furiously fast. ‘Are you saying Deeba or Luna or Mei deserve to be poisoned? They’ve done nothing wrong! I’m not entirely heartless—I don’t just poison people for no reason, or sell to anyone with coin. Each client always explains their predicament to me and I refuse cases that I feel like are based purely on malice—but why am I explaining myself to you? You’ve clearly already made up your mind.’
Who was he to her that she needed his approval? His good opinion? He didn’t matter. She was wasting her breath, she knew she was, but, even so, it hurt that he thought so little of her.
She could bear everyone else thinking she was a monster, but not him.
It was just because they were working together, she told herself. They needed to be civil with one another.
But deep down she knew it was more than that.
‘I didn’t know all that,’ Xander said, sheepish now.
‘As much as you like to think so, Alexander, you don’t know everything.’ She turned her back to him, focusing back on her work. She heard him walking over to his table, and she stewed silently, itching for a fight.
If only he would yell at her, she could argue with him, but he said nothing. Even his last words had been calm. It gave her nowhere to direct this energy.
She took deep breaths, sinking her hands into the soil, making different herbs and plants for them to use in their research. Though she felt him watching her, she ignored him.
After a little while, when the worst of her emotions were gone, he finally spoke.
‘I’m sorry, Bis,’ he said, his voice gentle. ‘I judged you harshly. I shouldn’t have.’
‘Yes, you shouldn’t have,’ she said, not looking up.
‘I really am sorry,’ he said, coming to stand in beside her. She refused to look at him. ‘Bis,’ he said.
‘What?’ she snapped, finally turning to him.
‘I know you’re doing the best you can to take care of your sisters,’ he said. ‘I see now that you use your magic for good, to help people.’
His sincerity doused her anger like water over a flame. She hated how his validation made her feel, but she couldn’t ignore it.
