Chapter 28
I spent the rest of the day in my room, only leaving when it was time to help with dinner.
As usual, I lean against the wall waiting to be called on by Carina.
Xandros doesn’t touch his food, instead stares vacantly at the wall, as if deep in thought.
His parents try to rouse conversation out of him, it only gets them short answers.
“Do you have any plans tomorrow, Carina? I am planning to go into the city to find my dress for the wedding.” Queen Adina states, taking a bite of her dessert.
“Actually, tomorrow I am leaving. My father wants me to go home for my mother’s birthday. I’ll be gone a week,” she answers, which grabs Xandros attention.
“You didn’t tell me you were leaving.”
“My father called this morning. I’ll only be gone a week,” she shrugs.
“Well, you should take Xandros with you, it would be good to get away from all the drama here,” his mother says, her eyes flicking to me.
Carina’s face lights up as she looks at Xandros like a deer caught in the headlights.
I swallow at the thought, it is painful enough with Xandros being across the other side of the castle, let alone gone an entire week.
“Hm, Father would like that?” Carina answers, staring at Xandros who clenches his jaw.
“I can watch your maid, no need for her to tarnish your time away,” Adina states, and his father clears his throat awkwardly, earning a glare from his wife. “Well, then glad that is sorted, you can both go away for the week, tell your mother I said happy birthday.”
“I never said I was going, Mother,” Xandros growls.
“Nonsense, it would be rude not to,” his mother snaps, shooting him a glare. A small, hollow laugh escapes Adina’s lips. Xandros bites back a growl.
Carina’s breathing increases, her eyes dart from face to face around the table as his mother stares at Xandros expectantly.
“No,” Xandros states without looking away from his plate, his face expressionless and unreadable.
“Come on, it would be such a nice trip for you both,” she pleads with him.
He finally looks up at her, and I can feel my heart thumping faster in my chest as our eyes meet.
His gaze is intense as he turns his attention to his mother.
He stares at her for a few seconds before sighing heavily and agreeing to go along with it.
The rest of dinner goes by slowly as I think about what this means for me and Xandros. I wonder how painful it will be with him gone. When it is time for us to retire, I race back to my room.
Once back in my room, I call Toby. My fingers are still shaking as I punch in his number, the fresh memory of the night’s events playing out like a horror film in my mind. It’s late, and the fear that’s humming in my veins has effectively stripped away any desire to sleep.
The line connects, and Toby picks up on the third ring. His voice is thick with sleep, “Sienna, what’s wrong?”
“We need to move our plans forward,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady.
Silence from the other end, then a low curse, “Shit, what happened?” Toby asks, worry lacing his voice.
“Later,” I say, glancing nervously at the door. “Did you speak with the seekers?”
Toby lets out a soft sigh, “One of them has agreed to help us get out of the city next week. I’ve been thinking about how to get you out, and I think the best option would be to hide you in the laundry run.
Tyra has been placed on that detail, and she can smuggle you out in the crates,” he tells me and I lean against the mini bar.
“When?” I ask.
“I was going to call you tomorrow; the seeker I spoke with said another week before he is placed on the tunnel post.” I curse under my breath, why couldn’t it be this week, this week would be perfect since Xandros will be away.
“Can’t do it any sooner?” I plead.
“Not until next week, why?”
My heart pounds in my chest at the thought of escaping, the raw fear consuming me.
“Okay, but we need to be careful, this week, I might not be able to call you. I’m being left with Adina, Xandros is leaving for a week with Carina…” I whisper.
“He’s what? He’s marked you, mates can’t be separated, it could force you into heat, or worse make you ill. I can’t believe he agreed to such a thing,” Toby snarls.
“Well, it will be good practice when with you, I guess.”
“You’ll have me, a few hours won’t hurt, however, a week, that is going to be hell for you, Sienna, maybe not him since you haven’t marked him. I’ve heard being separated for long lengths causes pain that has driven Lycans insane.” His words make bile rise in my throat.
“This is bad,” Toby’s voice is grim, the fear for me clear in his tone.
I’m about to respond, to assure him I’ll try to remain in contact during the week, when the sound of my door handle twisting sends my heart into overdrive.
In a panic, I hang up the phone quickly, shoving it back on the hook before jamming the phone number back in its hiding spot.
I rush to close the bar doors, spinning around just in time to see Xandros walking into the room.
His gaze is icy and hard as it locks onto me.
“Who were you talking to?” His question is cold and demanding, carrying an implicit threat.
The familiar fear claws its way up my throat, and I wonder how much of our conversation he overheard.
“No one,” I answer cautiously as he steps into the room.
His eyes track me as I make my way to the fireplace, and stoke the dying embers.