Whipping my head toward Xavier, I watched as he sank into the chair he just threw me from, a grin plastered across his smug face.
“Fucker,” I murmured, getting to my feet. The room was filled with muffled snickering, but I ignored them, my gaze landing on Soren, who was now unscrolling a large parchment in front of Xavier. Soren began to mark the page, and I walked over curiously to see what he was doing.
Xavier’s brows were pinched, and I frowned as I looked down at the parchment. They were the battle plans Randy, Theo and I had worked on, but as I kept glancing over them, they looked different.
“What is this?” I demanded. The plans I marked, the formations and strategies we had prepared were all gone. Replaced by something completely new. My eyes scanned over the parchment, and I tried to suppress the anger rising in myblood. “This doesn’t make sense,” I hissed, glaring up at Soren.
Randy was walking over, the others following as they leaned over to see what Soren had been drawing. Soren looked up at me, his eyes flashing a bright glowing blue and, in my mind, an ancient familiar voice boomed. “It will.”
Chapter 29
Zara
I didn’t have to open my eyes to know I was back in the dungeons. Back in my cell. Xavier must have shadowed me back here while I slept. The lumpy cot under me was nothing compared to the lush silken feathers I had been on just hours ago. Or was it only minutes? There were no windows down here, so how would I know?
I took a deep breath, his scent filling my lungs. It clung to the shirt I was wearing, his shirt, and I smiled faintly. The rough blanket scratched my arm, and I tried to drift back to sleep, struggling to ignore the damp chill of the cell I'd been tossed back into. I let my thoughts drift to last night. The throne room, Xavier’s cock deep inside me, the feel of his hands, his lips.
The ache between my thighs was evidence that I hadn’t dreamt it. It had been real.
I turned onto my back, sighing deeply. I wish I could turn back time and experience it all over again. The ache of him,the need for him still heavy. My hand moved to my stomach, my fingers slipping toward my waistband.
“Finally. You sleep like the dead.”
I screamed, rolling and jumping to my feet, my eyes shooting open and landing on a figure on the other side of the bars in the cell next to mine.
My eyes focused and widened as they landed on Cynthia. Her flowing red hair was neatly curled and rested over her shoulder. Her freckles floated across her cheeks like stars as she grinned in my direction.She was safe. She was here!
Cynthia was gripping onto the cell bars, beaming at me. “I’ve been trying to wake you up for hours!” she shouted and then she wrinkled her nose at me. “You know, you kind of smell like sex.”
I felt blood rush to my cheeks and Cynthia’s eyes widened. “You guys didn’t!” She blinked, and I straightened the black silken shirt Xavier had given me to wear. “You did!”
“Shh, keep your voice down!”
Cynthia laughed, jumping onto her cot that was next to her and folding her legs underneath her. “Go on, tell me,” she said eagerly, and I shook my head at her, rolling my eyes.
She was alive, safe.
“No,” I said sharply, but I couldn’t help but huff a laugh and found myself at the bars, an arm outstretched toward her. She blinked, and I pulled my arm back abruptly, but she already caught it before I could get out of reach.
“Were you worried about me?” she taunted, and then pulled me hard and fast toward her, my body smashing against the icy bars. My eyes flew wide but the anticipated sting of the barbed metal never came. Cynthia wrapped her arms around me as best she could, and I stood frozen, unsure what to do.She laughed again, and it was a loud rich sound that had me relaxing into her touch. “I missed you too, Zara.”
I awkwardly patted her on the back, and Cynthia released me frowning. “We need to work on your hugs. They're not good.”
That had me grinning, and I stepped back, Cynthia’s arms falling away.
I looked at the bars again and frowned. The barbed metal was gone, replaced with smooth black. I glanced at the cell door where my skin had been cut open and saw that the cell doors no longer had the sharp, twisting metal either. I shook my head and turned my attention back to Cynthia.
“What are you doing here? How?” I started to ask. I had so many questions. The biggest of all was why she was in a cell? How did she get here? Where was she this whole time?
“That’s a very complicated and long story.” She sighed and fell back onto the cot, a sharp yelp sounding as she rubbed at her ass. I smirked and sat back on my cot as well, facing my friend.
“Well, it looks like we have time,” I suggested, my hand waving to the cells we were currently trapped in. Cynthia rolled her eyes, reaching into her pocket and pulling out—for fates sake—was that cheese?
“Want some?” she offered, and I watched as she took a few pieces from her pocket, passing them to me through the bars. I accepted them, shaking my head. That girl really loved cheese. I sat back onto the cot, placing the slices onto my thigh.
Something Xavier said came to the forefront of my mind.As for your friend, it was how I was able to get in and out ofthe damn ward in the first place.In my panic, I hadn't been listening, but now I understood.
I looked at Cynthia and sighed. “So, you are a rebel, then? Like Lana?”
