Aria seemed to huff and shot Xavier a sharp look before turning her gaze back to me. She gave me a once-over before turning, lifting her chin, and going to Dedra’s side. Dedra smiled wickedly at her and embraced her before linking arms and striding away into the castle.
“Oh, and tell your men that Agatha tends to bite,” Aria said, winking in our direction. Aria’s griffin, Agatha, snapped its beak at the air as if echoing its rider’s warning before Xavier waved his hand, shadowing them all away.
“She was intense,” I whispered, not knowing what to think about that interaction.
“Yes, well, she and my brother used to date,” Xavier said, his voice tinged with frustration. “She can be very jealous of those who are close to him. I’m sure she can still smell his lingering scent on you and isn’t pleased about it.”
My stomach twisted, and I instinctively hunched my shoulders at that knowledge. Jaxon and her? I suddenly felt infinitely insignificant as heavy rain began to pour around us.
We hurried back into the entryway to escape the downpour.
Julian descended the staircase and walked over to Xavier’s side. “The maids just informed me that Soren snuck in this morning. He’s already in his room.” Julian scowled, glancing at the stack of papers in his hand and scratching at some notes I couldn’t see.
“Of course he did.” Xavier sighed, turning to me. “That’s everyone for now, then.”
“Who is Lord Soren?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.
“Soren is the steward of our villages in Mirronian,” Xavier said, searching for the right words. “He’s… well, you’ll see when you meet him.”
“You don’t get along with Lord Soren?” I asked, catching the subtle strain in his tone.
“He has a habit of taking things into his own hands,” Xavier said, with a hint of exasperation. “We don’t see eye to eye, but he does his job.” He paused before adding, “I would exercise caution around him and keep anything you wish to remain private to yourself.”
With that, Xavier turned his attention back to Julian. “How much time do we have until our other guests arrive?”
“You have some time if you want to show Zara around, but don’t wander too far. They won’t be too long getting settled,” Julian called after us as Xavier took my hand and guided me down a hallway.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked, flustered as I looked at his hand holding mine.
“I want to show you something,” he replied, leading me around a corner and up a flight of stairs. We came to an oval door at the end of a hallway, and he led us into it without hesitation.
“And what room is this?” I asked, my eyes scanning the space. It felt like stepping into a cozy library. Shelves lined with books covered every inch of the walls, and a sturdy wooden desk dominated the center of the room. Two chairs sat before it, and a large white oval rug lay beneath.
“This is my study,” Xavier replied, dropping my hand and moving around the desk. He pulled out a sizable rolled-up parchment and unrolled it, smoothing it on the desk and weighingthe corners with random objects. I followed him around the desk and peered down at the piece of parchment.
“This is Nexia,” Xavier said, his gaze fixed on me as he gestured to the map.
“It’s beautiful,” I said, my eyes roaming the map’s intricate details. The land stretched out in a pattern that mirrored Velra, but instead of one vast territory, it was divided into three distinct regions—Mirronian, Territan, and Niverrian. A barren area hinted at a possible fourth territory. The map seemed unnervingly sparse, and a nagging feeling told me that was no accident.
“Why are you showing me this?” I asked, my gaze lingering on the map’s various mountains, lakes, and borders.
Xavier leaned closer, his finger tracing a large lake marked Mirror Lake along the Mirronian northwestern border. “See this lake here?” he said, his voice low and steady. The lake was isolated, its edges hemmed in by rugged mountains on one side and a dense, encroaching forest on the other.
“Yes,” I replied, my voice tinged with curiosity.
“That’s the way into your realm,” Xavier said, finally lifting his gaze to meet mine.
“A lake?” I breathed, my eyes widening as I stared at the map. “I thought it was a door?”
“It is a door,” he explained. “It functions like a portal, leading to a place in your realm that mirrors this one.”
I absorbed his words, my gaze lingering on the map. I glanced at him. “Why are you showing me this?”
“So that if anything happens, you’ll know how to get home,” Xavier said, his white strand of hair falling over his eyes as he spoke. “You mentioned your magic is unpredictable. If something goes wrong, you need to be familiar with yoursurroundings.” He shrugged, brushing the strand back with a casual sweep of his hand before refocusing on the map.
“Do you think something is going to happen?” I asked, folding my arms across my chest and leaning against the desk with my hip. The white strand of hair fell over his eyes again, and I resisted the urge to reach out and brush it away.
“I don’t know what is going to happen next,” he admitted, and his eyes dimmed, but his usual stony expression returned before I could decipher it.
