Page 4 of Nidev and Lyric

She slowly leaned forward, face cast down as she offered him a tiny smile. “Thank you, Mr. Nidev, for always caring about me. Not one single nice thing you’ve done for me has ever gone unnoticed and unappreciated. And I would be so thrilled to take on extra work during these crazy times—”

“Ask me, Lyric.”

She paused and released a breath. “What are the odds that we could bring my brother here to live with me? I have savings—”

“Yes. We can and will get your brother. Are your parents okay with this?”

She nodded, making her shiny black curls bounce while more shadows loomed. “I told them that I would send them money and like I said, I have savings I’ll use, and you know I’m a hard worker, I’m happy to take extra—”

Her words froze when he silenced her with a hand. “You are still a student at this academy and my responsibility.”

Her face softened as she pled, “With all due respect Mr. Nidev, I’m twenty-five years old. I can be an asset to the academy.”

“Age is irrelevant, you know this. And you already are a great asset to this institution.”

She stared at him, her eyes softening more with a small smile. “Alright, Mr. Nidev. You’re the boss. Whatever you decide, I will happily respect.”

“We will ensure your parents are taken care of as long as it’s within our power to do that. Anything else you fear bringing to me?”

Again, she covered her face, but this time with a laugh before lowering them. “What I would give to have your gifts.”

“You do have a great deal of my gifts with your voice.”

She gave a small shrug of her shoulder. “Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to havenovoice at all.” Her wide-eyed confession caught him off guard.

“Why?” It was the standard mentor thing to ask but he genuinely wanted to hear her speak the answer.

She watched herself lace and unlace her fingers. “It gets tiring.”

The new, vulnerable emotion interested him. “How so?”

“Maybe…” She looked off to the right. “I don’t like always causing things in people.” She brought a sweet smile back to him. “Maybe I wonder if I would just… stop existing in people’s minds if I didn’t have that stupid power.”

Hehighlydoubted that. “Then learn hownotto use it.”

She stilled in utter surprise before the hint of a smile threatened. “Mr. Lore would have your head on a platter if he heard you say that.”

He allowed a grin. “That’s why I’m your mentor and not your teacher. I’m here to help you solve real world problems.”

She gave a snort and eye roll. “It’s not exactlyreal-worldproblems.”

“They areyourproblems, and they are real, and you are in the world, and you are important. Real important world problems.”

She sobered and lowered her gaze when tears filled them. “Sorry, I…” She wiped them quickly and the sight of her in weakness became an instant turn on. “I never cry!” Her tears continued and he watched in aroused fascination as she attempted to gather herself and fail. “My God what is wrong with me, I’m so sorry,” she gasped, a sob escaping.

Nidev struggled between the right thing to say and studying the affects her odd behavior had on this lust disease. “Crying is healthy,” he defaulted. “And a sign of inner strength.”

“Oh really,” she doubted. “You cry?”

“No,” he said, smiling at the laugh she belted out.

“That’s what I thought.”

“For a woman it’s…” Hmmm. Normal was no longer accurate. More like… “Beautiful.”

Again, she froze, her glittery shocked eyes aimed at him before she filled the air with another laugh. “If that came from any other mouth, it wouldn’t be so dang funny,” she said, those earlier lingering shadows returning.

“You still have things to say to me.”

---