Chapter 22 #2
His grip on me was painful, but the sparks of pain were nothing compared to the heat radiating from him, the rush, the sensation of his touch, his lips as they pressed onto mine.
Emotions rose, the feel of him—the taste of him—the wild hunger and confusion consuming me entirely until my mind went blank.
Xavier pressed harder, the stone biting into my spine. Yet even through the ache, I couldn’t stop the way my body leaned into his, craving more. It left me trembling, burning, undone beneath the force of his kiss.
That barrier between us burst open and anger and grief swallowed all other emotions, dousing that spark between us to ash as Xavier tore his mouth off mine.
Panting he growled and shoved away from me.
“Fuck Zara. Just fuck.”
His words sliced through me, his emotions crashing over me in a suffocating relenting way that it had me sucking in a breath. The grief, jealousy he was experiencing, the anger. It was wild and untamed.
“Jaxon? Did you really think that would work?” he spat, then sat on the chair Jaxon had left, putting his head into his palms.
I blinked at him, my back still pressed against the cold dungeon wall. The cuts on my arms burned as blood trickled down my arms and sides. I tried to summon my magic, but flinched as it was snuffed out. I would have to sit with these injuries until Julian or Gunnar could come down and mend them.
That thought made my stomach sour… at the possibility of having to face Julian. I almost killed him. He must hate me, should hate me. I chopped off his fucking arm. Guilt washed over me again, making me dizzy, and although I attempted to suppress and hide it, I knew Xavier could sense it.
He lifted his head and glared at me, annoyance and rage rippling off him in waves.
“Stop reading my emotions,” I snarled, finally stepping away from the wall.
“Stop letting me.” His tone was just as deadly as mine.
“I don’t know how.” Annoyance pulsed through me, my heart still thundering in my chest. Xavier chuckled lightly, but it wasn’t nice.
“Good.”
“How did you even know about Jaxon? You weren’t even here yet,” I snapped, folding my arms across my chest.
Xavier leaned up bracing his palms on his knees. “I already told you. Our bond lets me see it like a fucking vision. Maybe I should punish you by doing the same,” he hissed angrily and the idea of it had my skin crawling.
“Fuck whoever you want, Xavier. I told you. This bond means nothing to me.”
Spinning, I put my back to him, but his rough laugh surrounded me as he said, “Keep telling yourself that, love.”
A shiver ran down my spine at how near his voice was, and I spun back around to find him in front of me again, his scent filling my lungs. I gasped, taking a step back, my gaze locking with his.
“Why did you take me Xavier? She will come for me. Come for you. This will only make her move up her plans and march into your lands sooner.”
“After what I have just done, I’m sure she will,” he breathed, and my eyes drifted to his burned clothing, his smoky scent.
“What did you do?”
“Let's just say Territan is no longer standing.”
The blood drained from my face. My thoughts spearing towards Lana, to Cynthia—where was Cynthia?
“My sister,” I hissed. “Cynthia…” I shook my head, panic rising.
“Your sister wasn’t there,” Xavier said blandly, but I didn’t hear him.
“She was there, she was—”
“Gone. Probably fled. Trust me, I searched,” Xavier said, growling down at me. “As for your friend, it was how I was able to get in and out of the damn ward in the first place.”
“What are you talking about?” My mind whirled, and I started to think the worst. “If you touched a single fucking hair on her head—”
“You would do what?” Xavier spat, raising a brow. “Kill my uncle? Maim Julian? Invade my kingdom, kill my people?” I flinched, his words slamming into me, guilt and rage rising in my blood. “Tell me. What exactly would you do Zara that you haven’t done already?”
“Is she unharmed, Xavier?” I begged, and a touch of desperation bled into my words. I hated doing it, but Cynthia… no one knew where she was, and I couldn’t lie to myself any longer. She was the only person from my past that knew my mother. knew me. The real me.
“Xavier, please.” I hated begging, it felt like acid burning in my throat.
Xavier's eyes flashed with surprise, and he took a step toward me, our bodies nearly touching. “Admit that you care and I’ll answer your question.”
Indignation thrummed through me and I glared up at him. “I care about the girl. There. Now tell me.”
Xavier shook his head, the white strand swaying over his brow. “Tell me you care about me, Zara. Not her.”
I blinked. He can’t be serious?
“I’ll know if you lie.”
I swallowed back my retort. My denials. Though I wanted to voice them. This was a game to him. He was using Cynthia to force this from me, and I wouldn’t take the bait. I won’t.
“So stubborn,” he breathed, his gaze lowering to my lips.
They parted as if on instinct, and I quickly pressed them together into a thin line.
“After everything you have done, love, I don’t owe you anything,” Xavier practically spat, and I could feel his pain, his grief over his uncle course through me.
“Then why did you take me, Xavier?”
He was quiet, the air between us charging as his eyes slid over my face, my body, making me shiver. Xavier exhaled sharply, shaking his head.
“I'll send someone to heal you.”
Fear of possibly seeing Julian crashed over me again, but Xavier added coldly, “I'm not doing this for your benefit.”
My brows pinched, and I wanted to ask what he meant, but his hands shot out, his palm landing across my nose, the other on the back of my head. That awful stench filled my nostrils again, and the world blurred as my limbs went weak.
Muscular arms caught me as I fell unconscious… again.