Page 73 of Veil of Death and Shadow

After two minutes of arguing the point and a glare from the overworked cashier, I bit my tongue and let him fork over the cash.

He pulled me under a lamppost, the yellow glow illuminating a swarm of insects flying above our heads.

With gentle hands, he got to work cleaning the wound.

I only flinched once, which I was proud of.

He placed the bag of peas over my hand and my body relaxed with relief. “Keep this on.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled, glancing up at him.

He grinned. “No problem. Can I walk you home?”

I shook my head. “No, I’ll be okay.”

“For my peace, not yours.” He shrugged, sending that teasing smirk into his eyes again. “I get very few opportunities to be chivalrous. Please don’t take this from me.” His lip twitched as he watched me. “It’s the least you can do, to repay me for saving your life and all.”

“Oh please.” It took everything I had not to roll my eyes, so there was no restraint left to bite back my grin. “Fine. But then we’re even.”

“Deal.”

It wasn’t a ridiculously long walk by most standards—just twenty or thirty minutes—and I’d make sure to ditch him a block or two before I got to the apartment. There was no reason he needed to know my exact address.

If anything, after tonight, I was doubling down on my trust no one rule.

“I can teach you how to fight,” he said, a few minutes into our walk. We’d both been silent, lost in our thoughts. “If you want, I mean.”

I arched my brow. “Yeah? And what exactly would you get out of that?”

Levi was nice and had so far proven not to be an axe murderer, but there was an edge to him that made it clear that nice didn’t mean he wasn’t dangerous. And he definitely didn’t seem like the sort of person who went about his day with altruism as his north star.

“Does it have to be transactional?” he asked.

“Everything is transactional.”

“Then,” the corner of his lips curved before flattening again, “I guess I just want more exposure to that prickly personality of yours.”

“I’m not prickly,” I snapped back.

He let out a bark of a laugh.

“I’m . . . guarded.” My cheeks flamed. “And for good reason. In fact, if I’d been more guarded tonight,” I held up my hand and the pitifully wet bag of peas attached to it, “maybe this would have never happened.”

A fresh wave of shame, coated in a healthy helping of anger, surged through me. Why was it always like that? The one night I actually tried to just go with the flow for once, to have fun, this shit happened. I was actually enjoying myself, too. Not Ace specifically of course, but the bar, the music, the students. I’d even been almost happy to see Levi standing there, all broody and mysterious on the perimeter.

It was like the universe was scolding me for letting loose, letting my armor down.

“Fair enough. He shrugged, the shadow of a smirk flattening into something sadder. “It can be a trade then.”

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. “I’m not sleeping with you.”

“That’s not—I’m not—” He made a weird sound in the back of his throat. “That’s not what I’m suggesting. I don’t really know anyone around here. And it looks like I’ll be stuck working near town for a bit. It would be nice to see a—” he paused, searching for a word, then smiled when he found it, “friendly face.”

I grunted at his choice.

“And,” he continued, “I meant what I said that day. I enjoyed hanging out with you and Sora, getting to see a small sliver into your world. It’s rare, you know—having someone like that who looks out for you, who you look out for?”

“I’m not in the market for more friends.”

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