Raneese pursed her lips and shook her head, clearly fighting the smile still lingering.
“Daemon!” Xander shouted from the deck. “Let’s go!”
“Impatient bastard,” Daemon laughed.
Raneese’s laugh filled the air. “No more thanyou. Go on. I’ve got the ship and the crew handled.”
“You always do.” Daemon smirked, pushed away from the railing, and shadow-walked to where Xander was waiting.
They made their way down the gangplank in silence and into the bustling port where sailors and merchants scurried about, none bothering to cast them a second glance.
When they reached the end of the harbor, Daemon asked, “You want to get there the fast way or go the long way?”
“The fast way, obviously. What kind of quest—” Xander’s eyes widened, his head whipping toward Daemon. “Oh,fuckno. I saw whatthatdid to Piper; I’m not about to let that happen to me when we’re short on time.”
Daemon couldn’t help the laugh that tumbled from his throat. “You said you wanted the fast way. And as you said, we’re short on time, so…”
“Fuck. No.” Xander enunciated each word.
Shrugging, Daemon took a step back. “Suit yourself. I guess I’ll see you there.”
“Wait.” Xander let out an aggravated sigh and scrubbed both hands down his face with a groan before tilting his head to bothsides. “I don’t have tohold youlike my sister does, do I?” His lips pulled down into a sneer, and Daemon chuckled.
“No, that’s purely because I like the feeling of her in my arms.”
“Goddess,” Xander mumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Closing the distance he’d placed between them, Daemon quirked a brow and shrugged nonchalantly. “You asked. Now, are you ready?”
“Fuck,” Xander said on a groan. “Yeah, I guess.”
Daemon placed his hand on Xander’s shoulder, and despite the limited amount of time they had and the anxiety over what was to come, he couldn’t keep the laugh from his tone as he said, “Just remember to breathe.”
“Wha—”
Xander’s words were cut off as his shadows wrapped around them. When they dissipated, Xander staggered a step but maintained his footing as he pressed two fingers into both temples.
“You alright?” Daemon asked, his brows raised as he watched Xander work through the effects of shadow-walking for the first time.
“How in the goddess does Auraelia put up with that?” Xander groaned, dropping his hands to his knees as he drew in long, steady breaths.
Chuckling, Daemon slapped him on the back. “Deep breaths, Xander. We’re here.”
Standing upright once more, Xander’s cheeks puffed out as he expelled a stream of air through pursed lips. “Let’s go.”
Guards stood like statues on either side of the arch, which served as the only entrance and exit into the Court of Opal’s military compound. They nodded toward Daemon, acknowledging his presence and letting him know they could enter with a simple drop of their chins.
As they stepped under the arch, Xander’s sharp intake of breath was audible, and Daemon cut him a glance out of the corner of his eye. “Never been here before?”
“No. Not once.” His eyes were wide as he took in the sights around him, and it reminded Daemon of the first time he’d seen the home of the greatest warriors in Ixora.
The Court of Opal wasn’t like the other courts. They didn’t have grand manors or extravagant castles. They built the home for the head of their court in the center of their training facility. It was like a city within a city; the only thing separating it from the rest of the population was the barely six-foot-tall wall erected around it.
Buildings of all shapes and sizes were lined in neat rows, each of them set apart by the personal touches added by their inhabitants. Canopies of the richest purples and brightest blues extended out over doorways, and plants dotted a few of the windowsills. Towering trees created little, shaded oases amidst the copper-colored sand that coated the ground. Lush green grass sprouted around their trunks but didn’t dare to grow beyond the shade the tree provided.
As they made their way through the compound, the sound of warriors training reached Daemon’s ears. Mixed in with the sound of swords crashing together was the distinct sound of flesh hitting flesh. And as the training field came into view—which was more sand than it was field—Xander halted in his tracks, eyes roving over the sight in front of them.
“I knew they were well trained, but I never expectedthis.” Xander gestured to the scene in front of them and let out a low whistle. “If his skills were solely the byproduct of being a member of the academy here, it’s no wonder my mother wanted Ser Aeron to train Auraelia and me.”
