Page 97 of Obsidian and Frost

Velra smiled one of her dazzling smiles. “I know what it’s like to fear your own power. Not my Dark Fae side like you do, but thatissomething I can help you with. If I can make a difference to somebody and ensure they don’t have to go through something like that alone like I did, I’m on board.”

“Oh my God, thank you.”

“No worries. See you in class.”

“Yeah. I will,” she said, brightly.

As she headed off out of the Dining Hall, Velra returned to eating like nothing had happened.

“Seriously?” Lazriel grunted.

“She needs help,” Velra told him.

“So, she’s suddenly no longer being an utter fucking cunt, and now she gets to use you for her own benefit?”

Fuck.“Take it down,” I warned.

He ripped his hand from mine. “No.”

Velra shifted on her seat to face him. “I know you’re stressed with news of this unknown threat, and not knowing what’s going on with your mom’s sudden return to supernatural politics, but Kelsana isn’t the threat you’re making her out to be. You know that. You and I have both lacked help with our hybrid natures, and although she’s pure Dark Fae, she needs that kind of guidance with her power. She feels out of control, lost. She came to me just now and swallowed down her pride and displayed a lot of vulnerability. Do you think that was easy for her to do? She’s obviously trying to change, to better herself. How can we begrudge her that? How can we begrudge anyone that, Lazriel?”

He ground his jaw.

Then he looked out at me, a mixture of restrained frustration and adoration for her sweet and compassionate words flickering in his eyes.

He sighed, then told her, “Well, if you’re gonna be all mature and reasonable about it, what leg do I have to stand on, huh?”

She smiled and laid her hand on his thigh. “You’re not all wrong. You have strong instincts. And I love how much you care about me and Sylas, how this reaction is coming from a safeguarding place. But it can prevent you from seeing the good sometimes too.” She winced. “Just like me with not bringing the fun very often and getting bogged down in the negative and the fear.”

“Wow, when you put it like that, we’ve got a whole lot of messiness between us, don’t we?”

“Anyone who’s learning to grow and better themselves, make connections, does,” I assured him.

“Yeah, I guess. But thank goodness we found each other. Really fucking lucky there, weren’t we?”

I chuckled.

Velra laughed too and patted his thigh, before eyeing the clock high up on the wall over the food service stations. “We better get to our classes.”

As Lazriel rose to his feet, I grasped his hand, my red magic flaming briefly. He jolted from the sudden warmth it would have caused him.

“What was that?”

“A scent-muting spell.” I gestured at his now empty whiskey glass. “To mask that before we get to class.”

“This professor is meant to be a chill, down-to-earth guy. I doubt he’d care.”

“He’s a Guest Lecturer from the Unity Council.”

Dropping your guard around anybody connected to the higher echelons of supernatural governance was never a good idea. Case in point being yours truly.

“All right, yeah. Well, thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” I responded, letting the clipped way he’d said that slide.

For now.

Velra and I cleared away our dishes with our magic, returning our trays to the service station area, and then the three of us made our way out, Velra and Lazriel slinging their messenger bags over their shoulders as they went.