“You can go ahead and try,” Xavier said, his gaze steady and arms folded across his broad chest. He glanced at the door and then back at me, a smirk on his lips. “It’s locked, but knock yourself out.”
I marched over to the door stubbornly, cursing him as I went. My hand reached for the handle but met an invisible barrier that resisted my touch. I shot a furious look back at him, only to freeze at the sight.
Xavier had discarded his robe and was sliding back into bed. He lifted the sheet to his stomach as he settled against his pillows. His arm draped casually behind his head as he turned to look at me, his gaze both challenging and indifferent.
“Julian reinstated the wards. I suggest you get some sleep. We can talk more in the morning,” he said, his voice dropping to a dismissive murmur as he closed his eyes.
He couldn’t possibly think I would sleep in the same bed as him, especially with him naked?!
“I am not sleeping in the same bed as you,” I barked, trying to keep my voice steady.
Xavier’s lips curved into a mocking smile, his eyes remaining shut. “You had no problem before,” he purred, flashing his teeth. “You’re welcome to sleep on the floor if you prefer,” he said, casually tossing one of his pillows onto the ground beside the bed.
“Why can’t I have a room of my own? You must have some sort of guest accommodations,” I demanded, my hands going to my hips.
“I do, but you aren’t a guest; you’re my prisoner,” he grumbled, lifting one eye open to regard me coolly. “And I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
My mouth fell open at his blunt declaration. Before I could respond, he added, “Good night,” and with a snap of his fingers, the room was plunged into darkness.
You’ve got to be kidding me. I lunged forward, found the edge of the bed, then threw myself onto it. Just as I was about to lift my fist and strike where I remembered his face had been, I collided with an invisible barrier. The force of the impact flung me backward, and I landed on my ass on the floor, the discarded pillow cushioning my fall.
Xavier’s chuckle echoed around the room, infuriatingly amused.
I glowered in his direction, seething. “Ass,” I muttered under my breath, flexing my now sore hand.
After a prolonged internal struggle, exhaustion finally overpowered my frustration. I grudgingly curled up at the very edge of the bed, determined to stay as far away as possible from the insufferably smug man on the other side. The only thing that made the situation bearable was knowing the invisible barrier was in place between us.
My thoughts swirled uncomfortably. I wondered if Jaxon knew where I had gone and how long it would take for anyone other than him to realize I was missing. The thoughtchurned my stomach.
How would I explain my absence?I’m sorry. I was magically transported to another realm and held prisoner, but don’t worry—I’m back.
A small, humorless laugh escaped my lips, and I heard Xavier shift on the bed beside me. My mother was somehow entangled in all this, or at least her necklace. How had she come to possess it? Why was their mother in my castle when I was a child? And where was she now?
Endless questions swirled in my mind until the thoughts made me dizzy. I closed my eyes, feeling a tear slip down my cheek as I rolled over and curled into a tight ball. I needed to convince Xavier to release me so I could tell Jaxon about the necklace.
My brows knitted together. Hadn’t Jaxon told me he couldn’t see my mother’s necklace when I pointed it out at the ball? Had he truly not seen it? The thought made me ache to talk to Jaxon, and I turned over again, feeling restless.
After what felt like hours, exhaustion finally claimed me, and I drifted into a restless sleep.
I woke abruptly, a rough hand clamped around one of my own. My eyes flew open to find a massive, bare chest beneath my head. Xavier's hand was firmly wrapped over mine, and he looked down at me with an eyebrow arched in bemused surprise.
“Get off me!” I shrieked, my voice breaking with panic as I scrambled to move away from him. My leg tangled with his as I pushed myself free, the sudden absence of his warmth leaving a jarring chill on my skin. The spots where our bodies had touched seemed to tingle uncomfortably, and I shuddered at the thought of how many places we had been in contact.
Xavier lounged in the same position from last night, his arm draped casually over his head, a smirk playing on his lips. How had I ended up so close to him? Did he pull me to him in the night, or had I somehow moved closer to him myself?
“I think I should be saying that to you, little stalker. I woke up to find you clinging to me as if your life depended on it.” His smirk widened, and I threw my pillow at him in a frustratedhuff before scrambling off the bed. I angrily tried to smooth the wrinkles in my tunic, and I heard him rise from the bed.
I resisted the urge to glance his way, painfully aware of the fact that he had been naked when I woke up—snuggling him. My heart pounded erratically, the embarrassment of the morning crashing over me in waves. How had this happened? I had been at the edge of the bed; there was no way I could have crossed his massive bed and navigated through his magic barrier in my sleep… or could I have? I shook my head, trying to dispel the confusion.
Despite my best efforts to avoid looking at him, curiosity got the better of me. I turned and was met with the sight of Xavier, now dressed in his robe. The cocky smile on his face only fueled my hatred for him further as he rummaged through his room.
I opened my mouth, but Xavier spoke first before I could voice my irritation. “You can go wash up; the bathing chamber is just through there,” he said, and with a casual wave of his hand, a door materialized next to the fireplace. I stared dumbfounded at the casual magic, leaving me momentarily speechless. “I’ll have Julian bring you some clean clothes.” His gaze lingered on me, his eyes briefly scanning my disheveled state. “You’ll find everything you need in there.” Without another word, he strode toward the bedroom door and left.
He just left? I uttered an annoyed grunt and stomped to the door he had just exited. That invisible barrier was back, blocking my way, and I glared at the door.
I turned and stormed for the bathing chamber, swinging open the door and coming to an abrupt stop as I took in the new space.
Sunlight filtered through stained-glass windows, casting a kaleidoscope of colors across a polished obsidian floor. A grand marble tub, large enough to comfortably accommodate several people, sat at the heart of the chamber. Soft bubbles surfaced from an underlying current, creating a gentle, soothing rippleacross the water’s surface. Shelves flanked the tub, laden with fragrant oils, scented soaps, and fluffy towels. The mingling scents of lavender, citrus, and cedar filled the air around me, and it was unlike anything I had ever seen. Even my parents' bathing room paled in comparison.
