Page 97 of A Wayward Movement

Chapter

Twenty-Two

Alina had barely made it across the street when she heard the inn’s front door fly open.

“Alina!”

She didn’t glance back, continuing to walk forward with purpose. Xavier caught her once she’d rounded another corner, his hand closing imperatively around her arm.

“Alina, this is out of the question.” He tugged on her, pulling her further along the narrow street until a large stack of crates hid them from passersby. “You’re not doing this.”

“I am,” she insisted. “You can’t undo it, Xavier.”

“But I can prevent you from wandering around alone in the dark, trying to get kidnapped,” he said angrily.

“Only if you want Benji to die, or become a slave, or whatever other horrible fate has happened to all the people who’ve been taken,” Alina said hotly. “Do you have a better plan, Xavier? Because persisting with what you were doing won’t work quickly enough to save Benji.”

He hesitated, frustration crossing his features in the dubious light spilling from an upstairs window.

“I don’t have a solution,” he admitted. “But we’ll find one. And this isn’t it.”

Alina shook her head. Of course he didn’t have a plan. He wasn’t used to having to take responsibility, having to just accept circumstances that were less than ideal, over which he had no control. It was easy enough for him to say no to her solution when he could simply hand responsibility to someone else to think of a different plan in a hazy future.

“I’m determined,” she told him calmly. “I don’t like it either, but there’s nothing else on the table, and it’s a solid plan.” She tried to pry his hand from her wrist, but he held tight.

“I can’t believe Captain Mitchell approved this,” Xavier growled.

“That reminds me,” Alina said sharply, stilling her efforts. “Be careful of him, Xavier. Something isn’t right.”

He frowned into her eyes, but she didn’t give him a chance to ask questions.

“He seems to have a grudge against me. He’s always watching me like I’m his enemy. And I don’t know for sure, but I think he might have sabotaged Benji’s chances at the guild because of it.”

Xavier gave his head an impatient little shake. “I’ve already told you I’m going to fix it between Benji and the guild. And I know Captain Mitchell’s reasons for being suspicious of you. I’ve noticed his manner toward you as well, and I confronted him after we got back from the capital. His reasons are unfair, and sometime I’ll explain it to you. But right now, I have more immediate problems. Alina, I won’t let you do this. I can’t bear for you to put yourself at risk.”

His declaration was passionate enough to push Alina’s questions about the captain into the background.

“Why are you so angry?” she challenged him. “Wasn’t this the plan all along? For someone to get taken on purpose?”

“A trained member of the royal guard,” Xavier protested. “Not a civilian. Not you, Alina!”

His features were shadowed in the low light, his hair tousled from his journey. Alina’s eyes roamed over his face, taking in every detail. He really was glorious, this grown up version of the boy she’d loved. In spite of everything, it was worth a great deal, getting to experience who he’d become.

“Strong emotion looks good on you,” she told him softly. “You should let it show more often.”

“What?” He was impatient, confused.

“This.” She ran the tips of her fingers lightly down one side of his face, indicating his tense expression. She felt reckless. Like she had nothing to lose. For all she knew, she’d never see him again. “It’s attractive.”

“Alina.” Xavier’s voice was steel. With his hand still closed around her wrist, he pulled her closer. “I’m not going to yield on this.”

They were almost as close as they’d been in the corridor of the castle. Her skirt had swished around his legs when he tugged her, and it would take very little movement for her to be pressed against his chest. She turned her face up to his, feeling her inhibitions slip away.

“I know,” she murmured.

Her awareness flared with the movement all around her, the leaves rustling on a nearby tree, the scurry of a mouse across the alley. Harnessing the Dust as easily as if taking a breath, she sent it to fan Xavier’s traveling cloak out, causing the fabric to wrap around her and encompass her.

“I’m the one ready to yield.”