Page 70 of Obsidian and Frost

“I allowed it just before he shoved me into my bedroom.”

“In case it was the Guardian Movement coming to arrest you for violating the terms of your punishment?”

He grinned. “My, my, have you been stalking me, Dark Beauty?”

“Researching. Especially after you made your interest in my power known. That’s not something I can just overlook.” Not with my history. I went on, “I’ve contacted Nyx and Ariana will reach out to her family and have these vampires who tracked you here arrested without it impacting you, Sylas. I pretended itwas just me coming to this house, that I left campus to follow your magical signature after I became intrigued with your power—and after having a freakout and needing a breather from the busy campus. So long as the two of you leave here within the next half hour, that falsity will stand. And you need to get back anyway and stay on campus until this whole thing with the fight last night dies down.”

“Hold on,” Lazriel said. “You said vampires? Plural.” He gestured at the fallen vampire. “Not just this guy?”

“There were two more deeper in the woods who were watching, scouting the area. I knocked them out with a blast of magic. I used my shadow magic so they didn’t see me coming. They must be retaliation for the fight with Derek—most likely those older vampires he brought along with him. They were connected to these. We’re talking two-hundred-year-old vampires.” I looked at Sylas. “Now you intervened and you’re connected to Lazriel, they tried to use you to get to him. So, yeah, stay on campus, for both your sakes. And no vigilante retribution—these guys are now on the Guardian Movement’s radar, so if you pursue this they’ll know of your involvement. You need to do a scent-wipe right before you leave here, so when they’re interrogated, them claiming the two of you were actually here will read as false. All the Guardian Movement will find out is that the two of you were involved in that fight—but you were set upon, the victims, so you’ll be fine.”

Sylas nodded along, looking impressed, while also deeply concerned about the overall situation at hand.

And Lazriel stared at me, mouth agape. “You did all of that for us?”

“You’re my friend. I care about you.”

“I just didn’t expect this after last night.”

“I’m sorry how that ended. But it did need to end. I’m clearly not ready after all.” I stepped up to him. “ButI also don’t wantto regress majorly. I… can we further our friendship? Still be around each other—a lot? Spend time, have fun? That sort of thing?”

“Just friends?” he said, like he was trying it out on his tongue.

“Notjustfriends. I don’t make friends easily and neither do you, so it’s actually a big deal, something to be cherished. I like being around you, Lazriel. But… the sexual aspect, and the pressure of a relationship… it’s too much for right now.” I reached into the back pocket of my pants and pulled out the bracelet I’d spent the last few hours making for him. “Here.”

“What’s this?” he asked, taking it tentatively.

“I made it for you.”

“Made it for me? Why?”

“Kind of like a symbol that I’m here from that friendship perspective. That I won’t run or leave you hanging. So long as we can keep it to that, I know it will be okay. It’s what’s best right now.” I swallowed hard. “I mean, if you can accept that.”

I watched him draw in a steadying breath.

And then his eyes shone at me as he slipped the bracelet on his left wrist, then told me with a clear of his throat, “Yeah, of course I can accept it.”

Relief flooded me, the knots in my stomach finally loosening.

But then Sylas cut in, “Is that what you truly want, Velra? To be relegated to friends? There is clearly more than that between you.”

“It’s the way it has to be. At least for now.” I looked between them both. “So, I’ll see you around campus, then? Not just in classes?”

“I’ll text you to make plans,” Lazriel assured me.

“Perfect.”

He chuckled at my use of that word. It had become one of our things.

“All right.” I went to turn on my heel, to head back.

“Wait,” Lazriel called.

I stilled and arched an eyebrow.

And then he was there throwing his arms around me, wrapping me up tightly in him, in all that warmth and his heady minty scent.

Just the feel of him right up against me, the way he held me, threatened to undo myjust friendsthing right off the bat.