Obsidian Veil

should have

M, it usu

to

lowed on the e

lessly behind her in reflections of gold and motion. La

it was

en still displa

ing in the w

n't clo

touch

ng it felt lik

fused to p

t

slowly, eyes s

ng looke

ing fel

was do

t rus

ere pa

ibe

ng her

ng her

e part she

he br

e intr

nderstood her process well

e buzzed

anced

ea

missed

mess

you h

nni

tightene

il

ie

sis

ed up th

ed a

ced it b

e d

k f

at she to

deep

wasn't the ful

flickered

h

kne

ghts w

fer f

shadow, the only illuminatio

tbeat ki

n

ic

ste

whispered un

ges weren'

t

t t

flickered faintly

door rema

il

st

r stood

vement c

sur

ed towar

sto

so

ind

o

ly t

shift

rned s

th

de

ch

glow of

pt

tting it g

came from

o

a

fami

arply, tension brea

sep

de, closing the

did

e said. "Elevators are still ru

room, his presence immed

ea

natu

arms. "You shouldn'

e said quiet

her up for

ettled be

awkw

omfor

.. ch

e shifted to

ll

playing t

lked

didn't

t kno

n the wrong place

e was so

ugh

surp

at caught h

thing like this b

answer i

he look

ly l

tested," he

ightened.

all

h

on what they w

help

di

Jos

frustration rising. "St

es hel

a

ea

nding you're not al

t h

part of

r understo

didn't kno

this?" she asked

said quietly, "you

h caught

use of t

e of how h

he kn

we

etween them

tentio

ndeni

me aware of i

prox

tens

had shifted not fr

hing

ing da

ied," she sa

out before she

didn't

t ste

end not to

es

le

av

e

re you here

t about the o

y both

ed her for a

aid, q

you didn'

est ti

not an

s," h

onest

ing close

ore than anythi

turned aw

ng the

her desk, grippin

orcing the conversation back to safer grou

odded on

ply. "You say that l

a

ow

her

h

y're not hid

chill down

inued. "Redirecting your atten

r's min

no

e

issin

mess

something

es

ha

gaze didn

ou

le

olu

ath, shaking her head slight

ave to," he s

y lights fli

ower hadn'

ce remai

ima

inti

she started,

't know what she

er more than anyt

ed close

ru

fo

. inev

thing," he said softly. "The co

oat tig

ink that's

said, "it's ex

lan

e it w

a mo

idn't

t def

't l

... stoo

small, ung

ing sh

hand move

touc

nough that

al

ossib

's breat

sli

h

s snapped

shattered

teppe

quic

pace betw

ding c

by p

," she said u

upward once, th

ble passed throug

it wa

d go home,

in tone

re

r nodde

sional

pos

a

ned toward

pau

ooking ba

. trust you

be

ly thing not be

he

oor c

o

na

d still for a

wly sat

screen st

age stil

han

t

ng felt

ne buzz

d it up t

ea

hesi

ans

ey

on the o

h

you o

oked around

he l

sc

do

the fi

know how to

t know," she

was a

r thi

said slowly, "what's

oat tig

yes d

o the

ing in the w

sudd

hought

ar

elc

ea

t i

about the co

ightened o

u back," she

ded th

back to t

ounding

this

from

reali

ow

ned a n

ed ty

the trail she

ing h

ind

se

oti

on in the gl

sli

ad looked cl

ht have

asn't