Chapter 26
Xavier
A heavy, warm weight lingered on my chest, and I sighed in relief as I began to wake.
I felt rested, content for the first time in weeks.
It was the first night in a long time that I actually slept through the entire night.
The first night I hadn’t been woken up in a heated sweat from a nightmare or a memory.
After what happened in Territan, with my uncle…
it was the only good thing to happen to me in a while.
I went to turn over, but something stopped me.
The heavy weight I felt on my chest shifted, and soft breathing filled the air.
My fist began to clench, and my fingers curled onto soft, silky skin.
My right arm tingled, and I cursed under my breath as I inhaled Zara’s wintery scent.
My senses focused, and I could feel her head resting on my chest, her arm draped over my body, and I didn’t dare open my eyes.
I knew what I would see, and a part of me wanted to stay like this.
My grip tightened around her body as I pulled her closer, and I sighed deeply, warring with myself, knowing I should shadow her back to the dungeon before she woke, before someone saw her here.
Slowly I opened my eyes, and her pale face came into view. She was stunning, and I held my breath as my gaze ran over her face.
My door slammed open—fuck.
Throwing Zara off me in a panic, her eyes flew open in surprise as she let out a small shriek. My gaze cut directly to Julian, who now stood frozen at my door, mouth parted.
Zara shot to a seated position, and I did the same.
“What am I doing here?” Zara hissed, and her icy blue eyes narrowed up at me.
“You tell me,” I snarled, already knowing.
The spot on my chest burned still with her warmth, and I wanted to brand it on my skin.
Julian cleared his throat, and my attention snapped back toward him, as I felt Zara stiffen beside me. Fear and guilt permeated the air, and I saw her turn slowly, her chin raising high as she faced him.
I let out a disapproving growl, scowling at her from the corner of my eye.
Julian’s usual carefree smile and warm eyes were now icy and detached.
His chest was exposed, a red shirt draped around his shoulders.
His bandages were on full display. The gauze wrapped tightly around his entire arm and mid-section, blood still seeping through where Zara had sliced through it with her blade, a blade that had been imbued with fucking poison.
Julian didn’t dare look at her, his fiery intensity solely on me as I watched his jaw clench. I could hear his scolding, even though his mouth was clamped shut.
“What is it, Julian?” I pressed, as I could see the tension in his posture wasn’t just due to Zara being in my bed. It was early. The funeral was still hours away. He wouldn’t have woken me if it weren’t important.
“Jaxon,” Julian said through gritted teeth.
“I was on my way to the village and I found him near your uncle's cabin unconscious.” His eyes briefly darted to Zara.
“That witch with the scars was also unconscious next to him.” Zara sat up straighter, but she held her tongue.
“I am unable to go near them. It's like there is some sort of magic preventing me from disturbing them.”
Zara scrambled out of the bed. “Take me to her, now.” Her voice was panicked, and I winced at her command. She meant it for me, I could sense it, but she had been looking at Julian.
Julian squared his shoulders at her, his dark scowl and gaze making Zara flinch.
“The only place I am taking you is back to the dungeons where you belong.”
Zara turned wide pleading eyes back to me in a panic, probably sensing the debate going on in my mind whether to bring her or not.
Grumbling, I threw off the covers and stood, watching as Zara’s cheeks turned bright red.
A flash of desire and embarrassment flashed through our bond, and her gaze dipped to my very naked lower half.
I smirked as I pulled on a pair of pants, slamming that damn barrier between us back into place.
I grabbed a shirt hanging on the back of my chair and threw it on, not bothering with the buttons.
Julian’s attention was on her, intent, ready.
As if he expected her to attack. I sighed, hating how wounded he looked.
Shadows erupted around us all and I transported us onto the field near my uncle's cabin.
Julian cursed and murmured something about Zara being here, but I ignored him as I scanned the field—there.
We ran forward, and Julian stopped suddenly as if pushed by some invisible barrier, but not Zara and me.
Julian’s face twisted in confusion, but I had no time to explain.
I crouched over my brother, scanning him for injuries, Zara doing the same to Lana.
My suspicion was confirmed as my gut twisted, and my gaze landed on my uncle's pendant.
“What is that?” Zara said tensely beside me and she reached for it. My hand snapped out and stopped her, and an electrifying buzz ran up my arm at the contact. Zara felt it too, her arms breaking out in raised bumps as she quickly withdrew her arm from my hold.
I leaned forward and picked up the pendant, placing it back into its leather holder that it had been peeking out of.
“What is that, Xavier?” Zara pressed again, her voice commanding, and I pressed my lips together in irritation.
“They will be fine,” I breathed, not meeting her gaze, which I felt burning on the side of my face. “They should wake soon.”
“Xavier,” Zara spat and I dragged my gaze to hers.
“They are fine,” I spat and whipped my head downward as Jaxon’s hand twitched, tears falling down his cheeks as he stirred.
Lana took a large intake of breath, shooting up into a seated position. Horror lined her expression. She knew. She knew her fate now. The reason she was born, kept alive. Nothing more than a crude copy of a vessel for Morgana to use, to survive.
A ripple of awareness at the fact that Caelan probably knew this was going to happen ran through me and I cursed under my breath.
“Lana!” Zara cried, reaching out to her sister.
Jaxon’s eyes opened, and he rolled onto his back fully looking up at me through blurry vision. I only nodded down at him, my mouth pressed into a thin line. Lana scrambled backwards, finally realizing who was surrounding her.
“Get away from me.”
It hadn’t been sharp or ugly like I normally heard her speak. It was raw, wounded. She got to her feet, backing away like a scared animal, tripping over debris in the grass and righting herself. It happened a few times before she took a breath, took a pause.
Jaxon sat up in the grass, turning and facing Lana with an equal pitying expression, matching my own. She was about twenty paces away now and Zara stood with her hands up in front of her, taking small steps in her direction.
“Lana, it's okay, it’s me. You are alright, we can—” Lana was shaking her head almost violently, and she kept shaking it, tears falling down her cheeks.
Zara whipped her head toward me, her gaze pleading, confusion pinching her brows.
Lana bolted for the forest, and no one moved, except Zara, who started running forward.
My shadows reached out gently, pulling on her shoulders to stop her, and she thrashed in my hold.
“Let go of me!” she snarled and spun around to face me. She glanced over her shoulder, watching Lana disappear and growled as she stalked back toward us. “What was that about? What was that pendant?”
Jaxon stood, stepping in front of me to stop Zara approaching, and she glared up at him.
“What happened, Jaxon?” she said, violently pushing his chest. Jaxon stumbled back, and I caught him as a snarl tore past his lips.
“Enough,” I breathed, shaking my head. I let go of my brother and stepped to his side. Zara’s hair was wild, knotted and dirty, and I frowned again at Julian for not cleaning her up after healing her. Cool, silky energy left me and water coated her skin, her hair.
Zara scowled. “I didn’t ask for a fucking bath, I asked what the hell was going on!” she yelled again and I stalked toward her, towering over her as I shoved the leather pouch into her palm. She looked at it and then me in surprise and Jaxon hissed from behind me.
“Xavier.”
“You asked why I brought you here,” I said ignoring my brother. Zara eyed me nervously, but she held her tongue. Confusion dancing in those large blue eyes, and I stared into them pityingly.
“This is why.” I pointed at the pouch, at the pendant necklace, the necklace that held Morgana’s fractured souls.
It was risky handing this to her, and I was surprised Lana didn’t try to grab it, take it after learning the truth.
“Morgana is not who she says she is and it's time you knew the whole truth.”
She glanced nervously at the pouch in her hands again and I sighed. Shadows swirled around her, and she cursed, glaring as I willed her away, back to the dungeons.
“Xavier!” Jaxon shouted again in a panic and I locked eyes with him.
“I’ll retrieve it before she wakes,” I said somberly, and I slid my gaze to Julian who was looking at us all like we were crazy.
“Anything I should know?” Julian scowled, annoyance and hurt rippling off him in waves.
“Yes, but unfortunately you won't remember even if I told you.”
Jaxon looked at Julian, his face white, eyes rimmed red. Julian’s brows pinched, but he didn’t comment, only nodded and turned away to stalk toward the village.
“Brother—”
“Don’t.”
“Xavier—”
“I said don’t, Jaxon. Not now.”
*
The last time I spoke to Flynn, I had been angry.
And now forever our last interaction would be of that.
Of us fighting. Of me scolding him. The look in his eyes when he died, I saw the apologies, the sorrow, and the love in his eyes when he died.
But that didn’t change what happened. How I felt, how I was feeling. And I had to keep it together.