Page 88 of The Bound Blood
“You don’t have to walk me there,” I say gently.
“Yes,” Raiden replies, and his tone is quiet but firm. “I do. We walk in pairs outside the gates.”
I don’t argue. Something about tonight makes the world feel thin around the edges, as if something on the other side of the Veil is listening.
We reach the archway just as Dorian steps forward from the shadows beneath it. He stands with that effortless stillness of his, hands clasped behind his back, silver hair catching everyscrap of moonlight. He gives me a warm, slow smile that feels far too practiced.
“You’re early,” Dorian says. His gaze drifts briefly to Raiden, taking measure of him without a hint of subtlety. “And escorted.”
Raiden stiffens. “Just making sure she gets where she’s supposed to be.”
“Admirable,” Dorian replies, voice smooth but amused. “Protective instinct suits you.”
Raiden’s jaw tightens. “It’s not instinct.”
“Of course,” Dorian says in a tone that implies he doesn’t believe a single word. “It must be… something else.”
He studies Raiden for a long, deliberate second. The air between them fills with tension. Raiden shifts closer to me, barely an inch, but Dorian notices. I’m positive he notices everything.
I clear my throat. “So… patrol.”
“Patrol,” Dorian echoes, turning his attention back to me. “Are you ready?”
I shrug. “As ready as anyone can be for walking the perimeter of a school after dark.”
His smile widens. “Excellent. That means you’re not ready at all.”
Raiden steps forward before I can respond. “If anything happens?—”
Dorian lifts a hand, silencing him with an almost gentle gesture. “Nothing she doesn’t want to happen to her will happen while I’m with her.”
“That’s not comforting,” Raiden mutters.
“It wasn’t meant to be,” Dorian replies lightly. Then he tilts his head. “You’re welcome to keep pace with us until you’re satisfied she’s safe in my company. Though I warn you, that may take all night.”
Raiden’s glare could ignite a building, but I place a hand on his forearm. “I’ll be fine. I’ll be back in an hour.”
He looks down at my hand, then at me, worry softening the hard line of his features. “If anything feels off, come straight back.”
“I will.”
Reluctantly, Raiden steps back, though he keeps his eyes on Dorian until the last possible second. Finally, with a frustrated sigh, he turns and heads back toward the courtyard.
Once he’s out of earshot, Dorian watches him disappear, then gives a low whistle.
“He is… devoted,” Dorian says. “Fascinating.”
“He’s protective,” I correct.
“That too.”
Dorian offers his arm—not expecting me to take it, but amused at the idea.
“Shall we begin?”
I nod, heart thudding as we step into the darkness beyond the wardline together.
Dorian leads us along the outer edge of the wardline, boots silent against the frost-crusted stone. The lanterns hum faintly overhead, steady in their glow, but the Veil feels too close here. My skin tingles with it.
