“Like Jay can or?”
“No. My power most certainly doesn’t almost give people orgasms. It’s not comforting at all, which is why the healers are doing what they can first to get those injured comfortable.”
She wants to ask more questions. The desire to do that is obvious in her now brighter eyes, but she holds herself back.
I want to tell her to push him.
Don’t allow him to continue hiding who he is.
She doesn’t, though.
“A little pain won’t kill them if it means saving their lives.”
He grunts and without another word, leaves my office. Kyzen’s sigh draws her attention, but he covers it with a smile.
“Well, you all have certainly sucked the fun out of this morning, so I’m going to head to the meadows and check on Verlet and Seismet. Find myself something to get into. Be bad, little burden.” He tips my stack of books over toward her, laughing as he starshoots away.
“Motherfucker,” she shrieks as she uses her whole body as a block to keep my books from hitting the ground. “I’m going to castrate him.”
I internally cringe as I wrap my arms around her and the books. His antics are a nuisance, but castration may be a little too harsh of a punishment.
“I’m not sure the positive personality changes castration would bring would outweigh the negative. Some increased agreeableness in him would be nice, but the dramatic shift in his levels of aggression, further mental issues, and reduced libido may—”
“Amick, I’d never really castrate him. I was exaggerating.”
She’s shaking her head slightly as though I was supposed to know that wasn’t a real consideration.
“It’s good you clarified that then. I’m sure that would be the last way in which he wanted you to touch him.”
“I’m not touching—you know what, never mind. What do you have planned for Yemi and me today?”
“Plenty.”
I place my hands on her hips to move her over a step so I can get to my list I’ve made for them. Her body relaxes into mine and I find I can’t move her. I can’t let her go.
Not just in a physical sense but also a mental one.
Her shirt has slid up enough that the pads of two of my fingers touch her bare skin. It’s warm. Soft. Like every other part of her body I’ve had the pleasure of caressing, but there’s something about this intimate position.
The more than comfortable way she’s molding into me has a protectiveness I’ve never experienced in my life surging through me. The woman I’m tenderly holding could make men weep with a glare, yet she’s softening under my touch.
As though I make her feel safe enough to lower her walls of armor.
I’ve never experienced that level of comfort, yet I’m providing it for someone else. For her.
“Amick.” Kyzen clears his throat, and I blink repeatedly.
I glance down to find Thayla already looking at me. How it’s possible, I’m not sure, but there’s a smile in her eyes.
“You okay there, Candyman?”
“Perfectly fine.”
I shake off the strange sensation that has taken ahold of my clarity and finally move her over. The slip of parchment with the list of six texts is still lying where I left it.
“These are for the two of you to gather. I’m confident you know where to locate these within the Athenaeum, correct?”
She scans my list skeptically. “Absolutely confident. We’ll be back in no time at all.”
