He shoved his hand through his hair. “I don’t want this for you.”
“I know, big brother. But it’s my choice. And it’s about time I treated it that way, too.”
Winter eyed Lazriel. “Pops, I know if we do this—”
“You want this, we’ll back you. No matter what. We know how it’s hurt you to have to back off after you made such a deep connection to her.” His eyes flicked to Zayn, who jolted against me. “Like you did with him.”
My chest squeezed at his words, as that hurt it had caused Winter was put out there. I’d shoved it down deep myself. But being around him again through us both attending Loxley Academy—and all this now—had made that harder and harder to maintain.
“You’re sure?” Winter asked, worried for his family.
“Yeah. No question.” Lazriel eyed Vorzyr. “You with me?”
“Upturning Dracoryn Realm politics… if that’s not my thing, I don’t know what is.” He told Torvek, “If any of this comes back on you, I’m here.”
“It won’t,” I cut in. “I’ll see to it.”
“Evi—” Torvek went to protest.
“I. Will. See. To. It,” I ground out. “There’s nothing more to say on the matter. Go home now.”
“You’ll message me?”
Yeah, he knew I was pissed at him.
Not for him wanting to protect me. But the way he’d gone about it. And not coming to me first. I wasn’t a damsel in distress. I had agency, rights, and my own formidable power.
And it was about fucking time I embodied that.
And others saw me embodying that.
“In a few days,” I told him.
He looked away, murmuring, “I get it. Okay.”
“Come on,” Vorzyr said, wrapping his arm around him. “We’ll hang atSolumirafor a bit before you head back.”
I sucked in a breath as he teleported out with Torvek.
“I’m good now too, Pops,” Winter told Lazriel.
Lazriel looked between all three of us. “Were you three on a date?”
“Pretty much,” Zayn said.
“Huh. Where’s the Basilisk Lord?”
How did he—why did I even ask? These parents of ours were never that far away in some way or another.
“Working on an assignment,” Winter told him. “He and I might hang out later though.”
“Why not all four of you if that’s what this is building to anyway?”
“Pops. I’ve got this. We’ve got this.”
Lazriel held up his hands. “If you say so.” He eyed Zayn. “Nice having you back.”
“Thanks,” Zayn said, smiling out at him.
