“You don’t like it?”
“I…” He sighed again, heavier. “It means, if I leave Saldrea to be with you… and she comes after me, sheisgoing to find out about it. I’ll have to protect youandhim.”
I hadn’t thought of that.
“Oh.”
“I’ve done what I can to hide it, even from Saldrea’s sylph friend. I left campus last night and took the Sigil Point into Yrensil. I got a sylph there to block the memories. You’re safe.”
“But if you leave Saldrea…” I followed that thought to its conclusion. “She might get all pouty and vindictive and dig into my life even more.” Definitely not what we wanted.
“Exactly,” he said. “She’s already getting desperate. Before she left just now she demanded I get some secrets from you. She wanted me to console you and find out why you were so happy after your room had been destroyed. She knows something’s up.”
I didn’t much like the idea of a desperate Saldrea. She’d already torched my room, what would be next?
“I won’t tell her anything, though,” Vyns said resolute, his tone filled with the grim determination of someone facing down the gallows.
“But what happensto youwhen you don’t give her what she wants?” Nothing good.
“She’ll just fire me,” he said, voice somber. “After she beats me up a little to vent her frustration.”
I didn’t have to ask if she’d do that, as crazy as it seemed to me. She would.
Fucking Hell.
“And I’ll have few prospects after that,” Vyns added softly.
Yeah, right. Piss off a princess and few others would hire you for fear of garnering her rage as well.
“And as much as my family never really cared about me and I shouldn’t care what happens to them, they’ll lose their standing and be hard pressed as well.”
Because Saldrea wouldn’t stop at just him, his family would have to pay for his actions. Yikes!
“I see.” I shrugged. “We could give her something… something meaningless or false.”
Vyns sighed. “That would only piss her off more when it came out as untrue. Better to just… get it over with and get away from her now.”
“And after?” I asked. “Could you… stay here?”
He blew out a long breath. “Don’t know. Probably not. Might need to lay low for a while.”
Oh… wow.
“And you’d still do all of that… for me?” I asked, voice small. All my insecurities welled up. They’d already been close to the surface after agonizing all morning about Rook and Myel.
Vyns stopped us, shifting in front of me, hands on my shoulders, gaze intent on mine. We’d made it to the relatively deserted north end of campus, by the dominion pitch.
“I’ve always said I’m all in with you.” He hesitated only an instant before adding, “My spirit needs your spirit. It’s as simple as that. I’ll do anything for you.”
Oh.
But the way he said it…
“Is this like a mate bond?” I asked.
The contorted look on his face said yes, but he didn’t want to admit it, though I didn’t know why.
“It’sa thingamong seraphim,” he said softly. “When you meet the one you’re meant to be with, both of your spirits will sing with the truth of it.” He pursed his lips, looking away. “But you’re not a seraph, and honestly I have no clue how it will work with you. I’ve never heard of a seraph feeling this way for a non-seraph.” His gaze dragged itself back to mine. “And I’m guessing your spirit isn’t… singing?”
