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Nyx caught my eye and grimaced.

“That almost sounds like you’re actually concerned for me,” I told her, trying to deflect.

Something flickered in her eyes that seemed to indicate that she did actually care.

But then it was gone in the next second, and she answered in a closed off tone, “I’m about to enlist your help, so if you’re not well it is a concern.”

Ice, ice, lover.

Knowing how much I actually wanted to help her, to insert myself further into her life, beyond just the physical, Nyx ended up revealing, “He’s holding a spell to take the edge off for me, one that blocks my allure from everyone on campus for the entirety of the day.”

Fuck.

I glared at him.

“You hate people thinking you’re weak in any way, so I figured it was better to tell her the deal here,” he said. “Plus, I know you want to be a part of this… whatever it is.”

Ariana stared at me, incredulous. “You’re really doing that for him?”

“Like he said, he needed to take the edge off. Especially after the Cafeteria debacle.”

“That’s… wow. It’s really thoughtful.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” The last thing I needed, especially at this dicey stage, was her—or Vorzyr—thinking that I was soft.

She looked at Nyx. “How does it feel, cutie pie?”

“Like I can relax for once.” He reached out and stroked my shoulder. “It feels amazing.”

“You can control it better than you think, you know? You just had a setback. Don’t let it tar the big picture of it for you,” she told him. “Besides, everyone else knows that you’d never intentionally do anything to influence or harm, that you’re very mindful of that. The students here, most of them who aren’t outright assholes like Sorin, know that you try so very hard to reel in your abilities around them. That’s not in question, okay?”

“Thank you for saying that.”

“It’s just the truth. Don’t let that bastard get in your head.”

I saw an understanding pass between them. She didn’t want him ending up like her, somebody who had internalized people’s negative thoughts and reactions to her over the years so fucking much.

“Here,” she said, stepping up to me and holding out her hand.

Nyx, Vorzyr and I exchanged a look.

“In front of them, sweetheart? Are you sure? I mean, I’m definitely down for it, I’m just not sureyou’reready for such a thing.”

“I know you’re down for it. I saw the three of you embracing agroup dynamicthe other night.”

“You saw us?” Vorzyr rumbled.

“Damn, that was some hot shit. I’ve relived it in my dreams since,” Nyx said with a faraway look in his eyes.

Ariana shook her head at me in dismay. “Because of your recentinterestin me, I had to take precautions.”

“You put asensorspell on me?”

She nodded. “I know where you are at all times now even if you’re cloaked. So I knew you were there before I teleported out. Given that you didn’t show yourself tome, I realized you’d come to talk to Vorzyr. So once I’d left, I checked in on what was going on via aholoscreen.And that was when I saw what was happening—well, the beginnings of it, before I turned the screen off.”

“You should have said something and come back out. I would have loved to have had your thighs wrapped around my head while I shoved my tongue deep into your cunt, as Nyx was swallowing my cock to the root.”

“This isn’t about sex,” she gritted out at me, as she grabbed my hand forcefully.