Xander.Somehow that fact registered in my brain even when nothing else did. I wanted to throw his hand away, to move away from him, but I couldn’t. This literally felt like life or death to me, and I was holding on with everything I had.
“It’s okay, Avalon,” I heard him whisper. “All Royales react badly to flying. Something to do with our dependency on the water. But you’re going to be fine. You will make it through this. I promise.”
For the first time since I met him, there was no tone in his voice. It was just soothing. Caring. For a second I pretended he did care, that he wasn’t just trying to prevent a situation where I freaked out at the start of a six-hour flight. More warmth wrapped around me and I sank into it, my head going fuzzy as the adrenaline started to wane and my body crashed. We were definitely in the air, the plane smoothly gliding skyward. My eyes were still tightly closed, but the static in my head was easing.
As my breathing evened out, I pressed my face closer to the softness of Xander’s shirt. He smelled of the ocean. That briny, fresh, perfect scent of home. Damn him for smelling like home.
The captain’s voice sounded over the loudspeaker again, advising everyone it was fine to remove seat belts and move about the cabin.
“Is she okay?” I heard Chase ask, his voice close by.
Xander shifted, pulling me closer to him. I was half sprawled across his body now, but I couldn’t seem to move away. I needed my ocean.
“She’s dealing,” Xander said bluntly. “She’s a lot more Royale than I expected. We’re prepared for this when we travel on aircraft for the first time, but I didn’t think Avalon would have the same issues.”
“Whatever you’re doing appears to be helping,” Callie said, sounding exhausted. “Thank you for helping her.”
I loved that there was so much concern in their voices. No judgement. Just worry for me. There went those warm fuzzy feelings again. Knowing I needed to stop relying on Xander, who was no doubt hating every second he had to “deal” with my situation, I wiggled my hands up to his hard chest, preparing to push myself away.
He didn’t let me go though, not even when I applied more pressure in an attempt to move back. I literally didn’t shift at all. “Give yourself a few more minutes.” His low voice sounded near my ear. “It’s a long flight, and I know you need my energy right now to deal. So … stop fighting me.”
Moisture pricked my eyes and I was glad that my face was still hidden in his chest. “You’ve been fighting me since I first saw you,” I murmured back. “I’m not going to be a burden for you.”
I was a burden for my parents. It eventually caused them to resent me. I’d made myself a promise I would never be that for anyone else, ever again.
Xander paused, and when he spoke again his voice was rougher. “You’re not a burden. In another life….”
He trailed off, and even though I was desperate to hear the rest of that sentence, I didn’t ask. But I did quit fighting him, relaxing against him again. By the time I was calm enough to function on my own again, the flight was half over. Xander didn’t say anything more as he left my seat, returning to where he’d originally been sitting. But I did feel his eyes on me.
A middle-aged man dressed in a suit paused at my side. “Would you like anything to eat or drink?” He rattled off an entire selection of food and my stomach rumbled in response.
I decided to order a few things, hoping it would be a good distraction. When the steward hurried off, I leaned back and reached for the headphones, which were wrapped around the armrest. A television popped up with the press of a button and I flipped through the millions of movies. I wasn’t one to watch television much; I couldn’t remember the last time I even went to the theaters, but … maybe there’d be something here.
“That one is great!” Emma said, walking back from the bathroom. She dropped into the chair next to mine, picking up a second set of headphones.
“Callie and Daniel are in one of the bedrooms,” she explained. “Maya and Chase have another. They’ll try and sleep for a few hours. I’m too amped to sleep right now, so let’s watch a movie.”
“Okay,” I said, excited. “You think this one?”
She laughed. “Oh yeah, the remake is better than the original. I laughed so hard.”
Funny sounded like the exact remedy for what I needed.
The next few hours were killed watching movies and eating food. Emma was one of the easiest people I’d ever talked with, and when Maya joined us, it was just as relaxed.
“Do you think Callie is okay?” I asked, feeling the loss of one member. “She’s slept almost the entire flight.”
We’d checked on her a few times. Daniel had assured us she was just asleep. But the look on his face wasn’t as reassuring.
“We’re due to land in forty minutes,” Lexen said. He had Emma in his lap, his arms wrapped tightly around her. Both of them looked content. “She’ll make it to House of Imperial, no worry.”
“We’re about to start our descent. Please return to your seats.”
The pilot’s voice spurred us all into action, and as I slipped back into my squishy chair, I tried really hard not to think about landing. It had to be better than taking off, right? Ocean washed across my senses and I turned as Xander dropped into the seat next to mine. Our eyes met, and I expected embarrassment to hit me, but there was none.
“Thank you for before,” I said, wanting to express my gratitude. “I really appreciate your help. I’m not sure what would have happened if you weren’t here.”
Xander shrugged. “You seem like a strong, independent sort of person. I have no doubt you’d have managed it on your own. But … just in case, I’m here if you need me.”
