“Okay,” she finally sighed, her eyes returning to a dark brown. “You look after her, and I want to be kept updated to make sure she is safe. She meanseverythingto me. If anything else happens to her, if you hurt her again, then I swear I will kill you myself, Duran.”
Xander bowed his head to her. “And I would gladly let you.” He turned to Edward and Nicolai, noticing the latter had not stopped staring at Cassandra the entire time. “Take Cassandra back to London, then come back for Deion and Kadeem. Bring back anyone else who needs help, too. I’m sure Katie will already be making plans for our next steps, so be sure to support her in my absence. I will return when I can.”
Edward nodded, smiling sympathetically at Adriana sleeping in Xander’s arms.
“I take it you want me to send you somewhere else?” Nicolai asked, raising his hand to open a portal gate.
“Yes,” Xander nodded. “Send us home.”
Chapter twenty-two
Let It Out
Adriana
Adriana stretched against the soft sheets, smiling at the smell of freshly cut grass wafting in through an open window. She could hear the birds singing outside along with the sound of soft ripples of calm water, and the sunlight warmed her bare arms. She savoured the relaxing feeling for a few more moments, not wanting to open her eyes just yet and face the day.
As she rolled onto her side she noticed the pillow she had clung to in the night had such a familiar smell, one that calmed and yet set her body ablaze all at once. She inhaled the musky scent, a mix of sandalwood, amber and something else. It reminded her of long walks in the damp forest and nights spent cuddling under the stars. It was the smell of Xander’s skin, his hair, his breath.
She had tried for so long to remove him from her memory, but his unmistakable scent called to her. She remembered the way Xander used to hold her in his arms, the way he kissed her, all the ways he made love to her. And then she remembered the way he broke her bones, the way he tore her flesh, the way he killed her.
Adriana’s eyes flew open as she woke up fully, staring at the pillow in her hands. This wasn’t her bed, nor was this her room.
“I used to love watching you dream,” a deep voice softly spoke.
She slowly turned her head to see Xander sitting in a large wicker chair in the corner of the room, his hands clasped in front of him as he rested his arms on his knees. He stared intently at her, his eyes swimming with emotions she couldn’t quite decipher while his face remained tense. The only sign that he was nervous was the constant shaking of his right leg.
“I always loved watching whatever passed through your mind as you slept,” he continued. “I’d sometimes join you in your thoughts so I could experience them with you. I loved the dreams you would have of us. Now, I am the one to plague your nightmares.”
Adriana sat up in the bed, pulling the covers over herself. She was still in the same clothes as she had been when she and Cass had gone to the train station, minus the coat and boots. But she hated that the brands on her arms were exposed, especially to him.
She watched him warily, noticing his dishevelled appearance. His dark brown hair was a mess, as though he’d been running his hands through and tugging on it like she knew he did when he was stressed. His dark shirt was still tucked into his black trousers, but the sleeves had been rolled up uncaringly and the top buttons were undone. His stubble was longer than she’d ever seen, his usual light golden complexion seemed paler, and his eyes were sunken. It was odd to see him so scruffy.
He looked tired, as if he had been awake for hours, maybe days. She realised then that she had no idea how long she had been asleep for, how long she had been gone for, or if Cass was okay.
“You’ve been out for a couple of days,” he answered her racing thoughts. “Cassandra is with my brothers at the Courts headquarters in London, she’s safe.”
“Get out of my head,” she quietly said through gritted teeth as she threw up the barriers to her mind, cursing herself for letting them down around him.
He blinked a few times before lowering his eyes, giving her a slight nod. Adriana eyed his fidgeting hands, noticing the plain silver band on his ring finger of his left hand. He quickly covered it, his eyes widening as if he had been caught red handed.
“Would you punch me?”
Adriana gawked at him. “What?”
“Punch me,” Xander stated, as if it were obvious as to why. “As hard as you like. Or kick me or slap me. You can even stab me, if you prefer.”
“What are you talking about?” Adriana huffed in annoyance.
“I need to know if this is real, that I am not asleep,” Xander whispered, his shoulders dropping in exhaustion as he continued wringing his hands. “It feels like I am awake but you are here, and I only ever see you in my dreams. Every time I have woken each morning I have wanted to hit my head against a wall to put myself under again, or to get blindingly drunk so that I can sleep once more, so that I can dream and find you there.”
Adriana shifted uncomfortably, staring at the bedsheets with a sour expression on her face as his words sunk in. She could not believe the audacity of him to say such things.
“I’ve even called out to Edward’s beloved Superus Quies on occasion," Xander continued. That got Adriana’s attention, knowing he had never been one to waste his time on the gods,especially one so trivial as the god of dreams. “I begged him to let me live in his world permanently, but my prayers went unanswered.”
“Likely because you are not worthy of a response,” Adriana spat out, her words as sharp as the glare she struck him with.
Xander raised his eyebrows and nodded. “Less worthy men than me have been granted far greater miracles.”
