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“Oh, wow, you’re a little flirtatious tonight.”
“Flirting?”Flirting? Really?“I meant more so that we’d be closer to finding you…”
“Well, that’s hurtful.”
“I’m sorry.”Strangely enough, I feel guilty when I feel how I’ve upset him.
“Ano—”
“Shut up,”the man hisses, and I flinch.“Not you, little love. Just that fool.”
“You’re hiding something from me,”I say, feeling his shock, and I know I’m correct.“It’s fine, I get it, we barely know each other. But you’re stopping that other person from speaking so that I don’t learn anything, aren’t you?”
“You’re smart, Elzora.”
“That’s why we hide in corners,”I add.
“I wish I could mean my apology, Zoe, but I wouldn’t. We all have secrets we need to protect. My secrets are for more than just myself.”
“I understand.”And I truly mean that. I’m not going to push him, not when I know I’ve got no right to.“Are you safe? You offered me help not too long ago…”
“I appreciate it,”he says.“And yes, I am safe. But I do need to go. I’ve got a pesky little annoyance who is trying to get my attention.”
“Um… have fun?”
And then he’s gone. Eirik cuddles me in closer, not having woken up as I was on my nightly adventures, and I close my eyes. For the first time ever, I manage to get back to sleep straight away. It seems pure exhaustion does that to you.
18
ELZORA
“Okay, we’re going to try this properly,” Ryes says, sternly wagging his pointer finger back and forth. We’re currently laying on my bed in the dorm, as we prepare to dreamscape. This has been the lesson plan since my schedule change and this is the first time Ryes and I are attempting it. “Eirik’s here to assist if we need pulled out, but I think I’ll manage to help you.”
“I hope so.”
“Ye of such little faith,” Ryes teases, and I giggle. “Now, lay down, close your eyes, and we can give this a good try.”
I nod and do exactly as he asks. I place my glasses on the side table, adjust my hair so it’s not tangled underneath me, and close my eyes.
I take calming deep breaths, and try to will myself to go to sleep.
It doesn’t work, though, and instead I burst into giggles. Ryes groans.
“Seriously, ZoZo? We’ve got important shit to do.” His chastisement is lost on me since he’s holding back his own laughter, and I know if my eyes were open, I’d see a giant grin on his face.
“You’re meant to be sleeping,” Eirik calls from the doorway. My eyes fly open, seeing him leisurely standing there in his school uniform. The blazer is undone, and he’s barefoot, but that only adds to his appeal.
“I’m trying,” I say.
“Little liar,” Ryes teases. “You’re sitting here giggling and stoppingmefrom going to sleep.”
“I see,” Eirik says, stalking forward with a predatory look on his face. It’s a fake sternness, but his icy blue eyes betray him by twinkling. “That’s not the kind of behaviour I’d expect from you, darling.”
I gape at him, my brain struggling to correlate the teasing lilt to his words with the serious expression on his face.
Ryes rolls to his side, and I meet his pale blue eyes with a touch of apprehension. They’re full of…desire.
Eirik comes to my other side, gesturing for me to scoot over on the bed so he can lay down too. My breathing picks up, and it takes me a moment of indecision before I move over.
