The air seems to be sucked from the room in a sudden vacuum that makes my ears pop. He steps forward, and my gaze sweeps over his ethereal appearance.
Copper skin shimmers in the faint moonlight, reflecting it in a scattered spectrum that dances across the walls like captured starlight. Hair like spun gold cascades over his shoulders in fat, gleaming spirals, framing horns thicker than my wrists. They curl back and around his ears like a ram, ending in points beside the hinge of his jaw.
When he opens his mouth, small fangs flash beneath his lip.
I hook my arm around Xeni’s waist and pull him against me protectively. The monster stares for a long, unblinking moment, golden eyes moving over each of us in turn, and no one dares to breathe louder than necessary.
Finally, he tilts his head, the motion regal.
“You may call me Sovran.”
He offers nothing else, and I glance at the others to find them as frozen as me. Sovran doesn’t appear to be an immediate danger, though. He returns to the door to listen, completely ignoring us.
“Are you alright?” I whisper in Xeni’s ear, smoothing his hair back as his head thunks onto my shoulder.
He twists to look at me, and I swipe the blood from his face. Exhaustion carves dark rings above his cheeks, and his body is heavy even as he sets his jaw.
“I’m fine,” he insists.
“Liar.”
He offers me a fluttering smile as I clean him, keeping most of my attention on the stranger at the door.
“You’ve never controlled that many at once, have you?” I ask.
He glances away and pulls his lips tight. “No. Father could handle a crowd with little effort, but I… I’m not as strong as him.”
“Don’t you even think about apologizing, and never compare yourself to him. You’re the only reason we’re standing here right now. You’re better than him by leagues.”
“Your mate is right, you know.”
Both our heads snap up to watch Sovran approach, and I hug Xeni a little tighter.
Sovran chuckles, deep and melodic. “Do not worry, human. I am no threat to you.”
“You knew my father?” Xeni asks.
“Indeed,” Sovran says, but doesn’t expand on his answer.
Xeni is cautious as he stands tall, and I keep my hand on his hip as he steadies himself. “That doesn’t exactly give me confidence in your intentions.”
Sovran’s face remains somber as he dips his chin in acknowledgment. “Trust me when I say Zadeus was no friend of mine. A common enemy, as it turns out.”
“He’s not an enemy anymore,” Xeni counters.
A flicker of something that looks like sadness crosses Sovran’s expression, but a determined hum leaves the back of his throat. “That he isn’t. By the Fates’ will.”
“Bymywill,” Xeni retorts with a touch of anger. “If the Fates wanted him dead, he would’ve been ash in the wind long ago.”
“Perhaps,” Sovran concedes.
I take Xeni’s hand as his temper grows. Now isn’t the time for arguments, especially with the person who just saved us. He glances over his shoulder at me, faint ruby streaks still painted over his skin.
I pass him a water bottle to drink and use another to wet my hands. Xeni scowls as I clean him, no better than a spoiled child who doesn’t want his bath.
“Are you done being a mother hen?” he demands, though his tone is soft.
“For now.” I swipe my thumb over his cheek again.
