Xavier started to cough on his drink, seeming to choke on the liquid as Julian stood normally again. “What was that?” Xavier laughed, his tone light, almost teasing.
Julian looked flustered. “Well, I don’t know. There’s an unknown woman in your room who smells confusing, and I’m panicking,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. He shot a concerned glance at Xavier. “Do I need to get the twins?”
“No, but I’m sure you’re going to tell them about this anyway.” Xavier sighed, running a hand through his inky black hair. “Julian, this is Zara. Zara, this is Julian, my apparently flustered advisor.”
Xavier stood, and I followed, causing him to pause. I narrowed my eyes, lifted my chin, and walked over to the slender man, whose eyes widened further as I approached. I extended my hand in greeting. “Nice to make your acquaintance.”
Julian eyed the chain around my arm, and the tension in his shoulders seemed to ease as he took my hand, shaking it briefly before letting go. “The pleasure is all mine, Lady Zara,” he said, flashing me a wolfish grin.
Xavier moved to my side, his hand brushing mine briefly as he did. He quickly jerked his hand away, and a muscle ticked in his jaw.
Julian noted the movement, and something flickered in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak again, but Xavier cut him off, holding his hand out for the parchment. “I'll find you later, Julian,” Xavier said and Julian's mouth closed abruptly as he looked between us, questions lingering in his gaze.
I didn’t blame him.
Julian handed the parchment to Xavier and slowly backed toward the door. “I’ll just go and wait for that conversation, then,” he said, flashing another nervous smile before closing the door behind him.
A muffled curse escaped through the closed door, and I couldn’t help but smile at the strange encounter. I turned back to Xavier, who was already watching me with a peculiar expression.
I quickly replaced my smile with a scowl. “What?” I barked, wishing Julian had stayed and hadn’t left me alone with this brute.
“Nothing,” Xavier grumbled, crossing to the desk on the other side of the fireplace. He tucked the piece of parchment into a drawer, and I noted the drawer’s location as I let my eyes wander over the room.
“Are Daka attacks a frequent occurrence here?” I asked, my curiosity piqued by Julian’s report. Xavier leaned against his desk, facing me as he took another sip of his drink.
“Yes,” Xavier admitted begrudgingly, a reminder of his usual reluctance to share information.
“They are horrible creatures,” I said, shivering at the memory of the beast that had attacked me.
Xavier straightened, his tone turning icy. “You’ve encountered one?”
I flinched at my slip of information and reluctantly recounted what had happened in the castle. Xavier’s anger built as I spoke, and when I was done, he hurled his glass across the room. It shattered against the stone wall, causing me to flinch once more.
“It wasn’t his fault,” I retorted sharply, trying to protect Jaxon.
Xavier’s gaze shifted, and shadows seemed to coil around him, darkening his presence. “You protect him?” he spat, his voice laced with a bitter edge. “After he almost got you killed?” He scoffed, his face twisting into a mask of contempt.
“Yes,” I snapped back, my irritation spiking. “You wouldn’t even let him explain that day. If you had, maybe—”
“—maybe what?” Xavier’s laugh was harsh. “I know what he did, I know—”
“But you don’t know why,” I interrupted, my voice low and fierce. His anger only fueled mine as I stepped closer, narrowing the space between us. His towering form loomed over me, and his emerald eyes blazed with challenge.
“Why don’t you enlighten me then?” he hissed.
Xavier raised his hand and snapped his fingers. I saw movement from the corner of my eye, and I turned in time to see the shattered glass from mere moments ago reassemble and sit intact on the floor. Xavier tore his fiery gaze from mine and picked it up off the ground, striding to the other side of the room.
The silence stretched as he poured more of that dark navy liquid, the sound filling the glass the only thing breaking the tension.
I watched as he moved across the room, my gaze drifting, catching on something above the fireplace. A large painting of a family dominated the wall, its golden, ornate frame gleaming in the firelight.
In the center stood a striking man, his presence exuding undeniable authority. His ink-black hair was slicked back, and he had a shimmering black crown atop his head. He protectively held a petite, dark-haired woman in his arm, her flowing white gown contrasting with his dark, regal uniform. Beside them, a taller boy with matching inky locks stared out with a stern, determined expression, dressed in attire that mirrored his father’s. The woman’s delicate hand rested gently on the shoulder of a younger boy; his tousled blonde hair was messy, and he stared out of the frame with innocent golden eyes.
I walked across the room to get a better look, and my heart pounded in my chest as I got closer.
Xavier watched me, a curious expression on his face.
“Who is that woman?” I asked, my throat tight, the question barely escaping past the dryness in my mouth.
