Page 117 of Obsidian and Frost
I reached out and took his hand. “Once you’ve properly recovered from tonight, I’ll help you, okay?”
“You don’t need to feel pressured just because you saw me in a bad way once. I don’t want that for you.”
“I don’t feel pressured. I want to help you. My hesitancy was because I didn’t know where your interest was coming from.”
“You were concerned there was some nefarious intent buried in there somewhere?”
“I have to be certain with these sorts of things.”
“Makes sense after all you’ve endured.”
“Yeah,” I muttered. “My survival mode approach, the thing screwing everything over.”
His fingers tightened around mine. “It’s not screwing everything over. It’s keeping you alive. And I’d rather have you cautious than destroyed.”
I glanced down at our joined hands, then back at him. “Still… I’m trying to learn the difference between protection and isolation.”
“You’re already doing the work there now. Don’t discount that. It’s a hell of a feat.” He smiled sadly. “I guess we have that in common, hmm?”
I nodded and a heavy silence passed between us.
Weighty, yes, but comfortable.
Then he raised our joined hands and brushed his lips over my knuckles. “Thank you. For your offer. And for what you did tonight. I don’t take that lightly.”
“You’re not just talking about my magic, are you? You mean, people helping you. Period.”
“I do, yes.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?”
“That your life has been like this. So alone. Nowhere to turn. No one to truly trust. At least until recently, right?”
He smiled. “Until recently, yes.”
“It’s time we both stopped kidding ourselves that we favor isolation.”
“That it’s easier.”
“And safer.”
“That too.”
Because in the end, it justhurt.
I reached out and stroked his cheek. He leaned in slightly, watching me carefully.
And then I took it the rest of the way, pressing my lips to his.
A soft groan spilled from him and he stroked my hair as we kissed softly and serenely.
A shock went through me, making me pull back with a gasp.
Off Sylas’ look of surprise, I told him, “That’s the alert I embedded into Lazriel’s bracelet. He’s at Graverun.”
Sylas started and tried to push out of bed again, but his body just wasn’t having it, and he slumped back down with a disgruntled curse. “In the state he’s currently in, he could be endangering himself. Or others.”
