12. ~Nyx~ #2
“Nothing to see here!” I called out when the silence remained, everyone still looking.
My call worked, and then the talking and noise resumed, people returning to their conversations and lunch.
“Thanks,” I told Ariana. “That was really something.”
“I couldn’t just walk on by and allow them to continue threatening you. Or worse. Nobody deserves that, especially not for something that can’t be helped.”
She knew about that. About being reacted negatively to for things she couldn’t control.
She shifted her weight. “It wasn’t a selfless act, though, so save your thanks.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “What was it then?”
“I came in here because I need your help with something.” She glanced over at Kai and then pinched the bridge of her nose, forcing the next words past her lips and clearly hating the taste, “And his.”
“Sure. Come on over and we’ll discuss it.”
She nodded and followed me over, dragging her feet a little as she did.
While Kai settled into his seat, Vorzyr rounded the table and pulled out the chair opposite him for her, then gestured for her to have a seat.
Kai grinned at his chivalrous gesture, amusement dancing in his eyes.
Ariana murmured her thanks and took a seat. As Vorzyr went to push her chair in, she waved him away, then settled in herself.
He sat back down next to Kai and I placed one of my plates down, the one with the éclair on it that I’d gotten for Kai. Then I slid the other with the dark chocolate croissant for myself. Vorzyr still had a plate with three steak sandwiches on it to get through yet.
As I settled onto my chair, Kai told Ariana, “Bold display back there.”
“It was barely anything,” she said, dismissively.
“I meant that it was for you.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Can you tone down the bullshit? Just for a few minutes. That should be possible, right?”
Vorzyr whistled and sank back in his chair like he was settling in to watch a show.
I guess he was.
Kai smirked at her. “Give me a reason.”
“She said she needs our help,” I cut in, before more barbs zinged back and forth.
Kai arched an eyebrow. “And here I thought I was already helping you, sweetheart?”
“I’m not talking about your dick,” she bit at him.
“I was actually thinking my mouth this time.”
Jeez.
“Kai,” Vorzyr rumbled. “She came here to ask for our assistance. Keep that in mind.”
As they exchanged a knowing look, Ariana caught it and said, “Ah, yes, something else for you to use to manipulate me with. That’s what you’re thinking, right?”
“Manipulate you with?” Vorzyr asked.
“Please. You think I put down what happened between us that night to a mere coincidence? Once you started spouting all that stuff about me owning my power, I knew you were really there on Kai’s behalf after all.”
“That’s not—”
“Was the kiss a part of that? Let me guess… to have me lowering my defenses, right?”
“That had nothing to do with me,” Kai told her. “It was all him.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “And you.”
“That’s why you haven’t said a word to me in the halls, or even when we saw each other on our dorm floor,” Vorzyr surmised. “You thought I was playing you?”
“The two of you are definitely working together.” She waved her hand. “Whatever. People wanting something from me is par for the course. Doesn’t mean you’re going to get it.”
“The only thing I want is to get to know you, to be around you,” Vorzyr told her.
“Me too. Well, including your delectable body in that, of course,” Kai said.
“Dammit, Kai,” I uttered.
He sighed and sat forward, telling Ariana, “V is interested in you just like I am. I gave him some pointers. That’s all.
Everything that happened between you was real.
I didn’t script any of it. Hell, I didn’t even know he was going to prepare a whole fucking picnic to romance you.
I certainly didn’t direct him to kiss you.
I’d rather have shared that experience. Although, I wouldn’t have kept it to a kiss.
You would’ve been on your knees for me, sweetheart.
And loving every fucking moment of it as your talented tongue pleasured my cock and you reveled in tasting me and making me moan for you.
Mmm, I can’t wait to paint you with my cum again.
Maybe I’ll spread it all over your exquisite breasts and have you wear it there this time, hmm? ”
“Oh, damn,” I groaned at his dirty words.
Vorzyr shook his head to himself.
And Ariana shifted on the chair, clearly affected by it as well.
He leaned closer to her. “And while I’m doing that, how would you take to V filling your cunt with his delectable cock?
Will you bounce like a good girl for him?
Maybe Nyx will join us and have your shuddering in bliss as his talented tongue slicks every inch of your skin?
Can you picture that? Are you dripping at the thought of it?
How about I have the boys here scent you and find out for ourselves?
Or, I could reach up that sexy little skirt and feel up your pretty cunt to discover the answer that way?
” He reached out to play with some stray strands of her hair.
“Will you soak my hand, my dirty little slut?”
She batted his hand away, making him grunt with the force that she used. “Fuck you.”
“Mmm, that’s what I’m saying, sweetheart.”
He scooped out some cream from his éclair and made a show of spreading it over his bottom lip, then licking it off in the most erotic way possible while keeping his heated gaze fixed on her.
Holy… damn. I had to avert my eyes, and Vorzyr even did the same, shifting his weight.
Without looking at Kai, I zoned in on him and the tension radiating off him. He wasn’t just fucking with her, it was a cover. He was hurt. Hurt by her.
Because she hadn’t come to him in days.
So, that was why he hadn’t actively sought her out, and why he’d even given Vorzyr the go-ahead instead. He’d wanted to see if she’d seek him out, if she’d want to, if she’d want him.
And he thought that she hadn’t.
But in his upset he was missing something. Something major.
I grasped his hand. “She’s come to you now for your help,” I said, flashing my eyes at him.
He flinched and I saw his realization that I’d read him. As much as he didn’t like me doing that, I also saw him recognizing that it had actually helped him in this case.
He gave a nod, then addressed a currently seething Ariana—because of all the sexual shit he’d been spouting off at her since she’d sat down at our table, “What do you need?”
She started at his sudden business tone after all the dirty talk.
“Here to serve,” Vorzyr said.
She held her hand up to him. “Not you.”
“What?” he asked. “Look, gorgeous, I wasn’t trying to—”
“I heard you, and it’s not about that. You’re new here and you told me you’re here basically as a sort of punishment, to enforce control over you. What I need could get you in some deep shit and you’re already in enough as it is, right?”
“I don’t shy away from trouble.”
“No,” she told him.
“What about Nyx?” he asked. “You’re going to risk him? I mean, Kai is fair game as far as I’m concerned, but Nyx is a sweetheart.”
Kai slapped his hand to his heart. “You wound me, dragon.”
Ariana ignored him and told Vorzyr, “You’re not fully aware of Nyx’s skills yet, clearly. He won’t get caught.” She gestured at Kai. “And as for him, he can talk his way out of anything. He’s talented at creating falsehoods.”
Kai made a show of exaggerated shock. “Did you just compliment me?”
She rolled her eyes.
“What do you need us to do?” I asked, curious, especially with her clearly referencing my other special set of skills that most overlooked because of the allure and feelings-reading aspects.
“We’ll discuss it after class.” She gestured at the Cafeteria and the many people around. “Without witnesses.”
“This is serious then,” Vorzyr worried.
“All the more reason for you to stay out of it.”
“You mean, stay away from you, because you’re upset with me?”
“ No. I don’t need you to stay away from me. We can hang out. The other night was fun. Besides, Kai admitted that he didn’t influence as much as I thought he did. And he wouldn’t lie about that. He likes taking credit for his puppet mastery.”
“No doubt,” Kai agreed. He winked at Vorzyr. “You’re welcome.”
“Us connecting is what’s caused issues in the first place,” Vorzyr pointed out.
Kai waved his hand. “Back to the matter at hand. If I’m going to do you a favor, I want something in return.”
“Of course you do.” She screwed up her face. “I’m not giving you sex for payment.”
Kai was the one looking disgusted then. “I’d hope not. You’re not a hooker.”
She frowned. “What is it then?”
“During the class we have together next, we all need to partner up in pairs. I want you to partner with Vorzyr.”
“What? Why?”
“It’s just what I want.”
“And that’s it?” she asked, skeptically.
“That’s it.”
“Fine,” she agreed. “So, don’t teleport out of class right away once it’s over like you usually do.
Stay behind and then we’ll discuss what I need your help with.
” She eyed me. “You too, cutie pie.” With that, she rose to her feet, then strode on out of the Cafeteria, her little black skirt swaying with her hip movements, and her thick heels clacking on the floor.
“She called me cutie pie,” I told the guys. “She likes me best.”
Kai gave me a withering look.
“Well, that couldn’t have gone worse,” Vorzyr grumbled. “I thought she was taking time to process what had happened between us. Apparently, I couldn’t have been more wrong. She thinks I was just using her the entire time.”
“Not to worry. Things will turn around sooner than you think.”
“How? She just cut me out.”
“And I pulled you back in. Class today, remember?”
“Pairing us up, yeah. What was that all about?”
“Just let it play out. If I explain it, you’ll get all up in your head, when your reactions need to be natural.”
As Vorzyr frowned at him, trying to figure it out despite what Kai was saying, Kai took a bite of his éclair, then asked me, “So, how about we discuss how you’d like me to punish Sorin and his acolytes?”
“It’s been dealt with. It’s fine.”
“I strongly disagree.”
“As do I,” Vorzyr said. “They came at you. That can’t stand.”
“Ariana took care of it.”
“She took care of it nicely,” Vorzyr countered.
“Far too nicely,” Kai added.
Yeah, the two of them together was definitely a whole thing.
I just wasn’t sure whether that was going to be proven to be a good thing or a really fucking bad thing.