But he didn’t call me on it.
In fact, his lips quirked.
What was—
“Enjoy your evening,” he said. “We’ll be in touch.”
“In touch? You mean, with this sort of thing? Requital operations?”
“If you want.”
“I… really?”
“You did well tonight and showed a lot of potential. Once Winter has completed his pre-apprenticeship assignments, I’ll need to direct a lot of time into that next-stage training with him. But at the rate he’s going, several weeks are on the table. In the meantime, I can work with you on this myself if you like.”
Rather than a stranger doing it. And because he knew it was his way of doing this sort of thing that appealed to me, that I really liked.
Wait. What?What about an apprenticeship Win was supposed to be doing with Sylas?
But Win’s magic… I’d seen some issues with his necromantic side. Him staggering, blinking, looking ill at ease after casting.
I hadn’t said anything because we were barely speaking.
Wouldn’t Sylas—what was going on?
Oh, dammit, Win.Sylas didn’t know.
“Everything all right?”
I blinked. “Yeah. Just… taking it all in. And… thanks, Sylas. Just know that I get it. All of it.”
He smiled. “I see it.”
Relief flooded me.
I sucked in a breath, then called my power and teleported out, hoping like hell that I didn’t already have another fuck-up on my hands with being late to my date with Evira.
After how much things had shifted lately in me, I couldn’t have that.
I wouldn’t.
I’d fix it.
13
~Evira~
Zayn was late.
To this wonderful place that he’d chosen for our date.
It was a little fusion bar that sold non-alcoholic magical drinks and special pastries.
Vantiqewas its name according to the gold-accented sign with the curling script outside where there was a patio of cream and pink tables and wrought iron chairs with rainbow-colored cushions.
I’d found a spot inside close to one of the exits by a frosted glass window and I was sitting in a plush lavender booth.
The whole place was full of soft chairs and booths like this one, all in pastel colors like blush-punk, baby-blue, and cream. Fairy lights were strung throughout the place that reflected off the cream floors with the rose-colored shag rugs, and also served to highlight the whimsical murals on the walls of mythical creatures drinking and eating pastries.
