“He should be the one here, working tirelessly to break this cursed ward. He should be assisting me, not punishing me for trying. I'm doing everything—anything—I can to stop them. To reclaim what's mine.” Aria snapped the words like a whip, and my brows shot up. She couldn’t be serious? I pushed up slowly, settling into a seated position on the cot, my arms resting on my knees.
“It’s not yours, Aria,” I hissed. “It’shis. And all you're doing is hurting your people more with these reckless stunts. Why do you think I’m even here? Because Xavier just sensed what you were up to?”
I let the silence drag a beat before continuing.
“Your soldiers went over your head.Theyreached out to him. Because they were afraid of you. Afraidyouwill be the reason their kingdom gets invaded further. That you will be the reason they fail him, their families, their neighbors.You.”
She winced at my words, attempting to conceal it, but I'd already seen. I hated the flicker of pain that rippled across her expression.
“Gunnar and Julian have been working nonstop on the wards. That’stheirjob, not yours. Yours is to protect this kingdom, to make sure we’re ready when they come back. But your people? They’re too exhausted to fight. And you are the reason there’s weakness in our ranks. You’re giving the enemy the crack they need to break through.” My voice rose with the last words, and I stood, every muscle taut with frustration.
“He is mated to our enemy!” Aria shouted. “How can we trust him or put our faith in him now?” Her voice cracked as she reached for reasons to justify her actions.
I only shook my head.
“He is your king. Aria, you grew up with him, trained with him, and you know exactly the kind of male he is,” I snarled. “He has no control over who he is mated to or who our mother is. Only the fates know why this is happening.”
Aria scoffed, lips parting as if she had a retort ready, but I didn’t give her the chance. I stalked forward, forcing her to tilt her chin up as I loomed over her.
“I’m sorry about your home,” I said, low and tight. “But this—this is more than anything our kingdom has ever faced. This isn’t training. It’s not a skirmish with a rogue witch or a handful of daka. This is war. A real one. And they’re coming for us with an army that rivals our own.”
My breath came fast, sharp, and her eyes shimmered, rimmed red with the tears she refused to let fall.
“Noneof this is his fault.”
“Get away from me.”
Aria shoved me in the chest with both hands, trying to push me away, but I caught her wrists tightly in my grasp before she could.
Her touch scorched my hands, and the fabric of my shirt sizzled. The heat from her palms pressing against my chest carried the faint scent of burning cloth and flesh. I didn’t flinch or step back, but held my position before her, letting my own magic rise to the surface. It met with hers, absorbing it, and causing her to flinch back in response.
“You are supposed to be a leader,” I murmured darkly. “Your men and women look to you. If you are spiraling, they will spiral. They won't have the courage to fight. They won't follow you if you don’t have control.”
I shoved her away from me. “They will not fight for someone who is fighting against them, and that is what you're doing, Aria.”
Aria snarled, and I cursed internally at her. She was too stubborn for her own good.
“Get out of my tent, Jaxon.”
“Not until you tell me,you will stop.”
Her eyes were still swirling with fire. “I'm allowed to be upset—”
“—then direct it at me. You have had no problem doing it for centuries. What does it matter anymore if you add yet another thing to that list.”
She slapped me across my face so hard my head turned with the action.
“You know I have every right to be mad at you for what happened.”
“Do I? Because you still won't tell me what happened.” Grief washed over me, but I steeled my emotions. “We don’t have centuries for you to figure out your damn emotions.”
Aria went to slap me again, but I caught her wrist. She threw her other hand, and I caught that too, but I couldn’t stop her knee going into my groin. Crying out, my hips pitched, and fighting through the pain, I used my momentum to shove her to the ground, falling on top of her.
She was the most infuriating woman I had ever met.
My body encompassed her petite form on the ground, but I knew not to underestimate her as she thrashed like a wild animal underneath me.
“Fuck you, Jaxon,” Aria cried, and I laughed darkly, pinning her wrists above her head and leaning down until my lips brushed the shell of her ear.
