Page 67 of Kingdom Of Veil And Vow

I scoff, rubbing the soap over my body, preparing to retort that my fox is unreliable. That I am more vulnerable, especially to him, than he realizes. But I keep it all bottled in, continuing to wash as quiet falls around us once more. I move to my hair next, rinsing everything off before stepping out of the tub and drying off. The air grows thick as I layer on my undergarments and then my clothing, until I’m sure I must be the only one feeling this pull between us.

Needing anything else to think about, I blurt the first question that comes to mind as I pad towards him, cursing myself for forgetting my boots in the cell. “I assume you brought something to eat?”

Xander halts the sharpening of his dagger, sliding it into the sheath at his thigh before returning the whetstone to his pocket. “Are you decent?”

My breath catches at the roughness in his voice. It’s subtle but there all the same. “I am.”

He turns, his gaze lifting to meet mine before he stands and walks to the makeshift table, pulling his satchel from his shoulder. Drying my hair with the towel, I take a seat, pretending I can’t feel his eyes on me before he begins rifling through his bag.

“I’m sorry that it took so long for me to come back again.”

I drop the towel and begin braiding my hair as he sets the table between us. “Is everything alright?” Once I’m finished, I reach for the parchment-wrapped item in front of me, the scent telling me it’s another sandwich.

“Since I know you’re asking for yourself—”

“And for her,” I cut in, taking a bite much more harshly than I mean to.

Xander holds his hands out placatingly in front of him. “Of course. On both accounts, yes, I believe things are fine. But the king has been working on something that he’s keeping close to the chest, and I haven’t been able to get him to tell me yet what it is.”

“You don’t think it’s related to getting her back?” I ask, taking another bite to keep fear from making my lip tremble.

“It could be, but he’s been very vocal about his ideas for forcing Rhea to come back to this kingdom. He was convinced that the present he sent her would do the trick.” Anger surges in place of the fear, and I set the sandwich down. Why? Why won’t he just leave her be?

“I will kill him.” Xander merely nods, as if he understands my rage inherently. I suppose he does. My next question comes out as a whisper. “When?” When will it be our last time together?

“Soon. The last piece of the plan is nearly in place. Once we have that, I will be able to get you on a ship, and the king will never suspect anything beyond an inexperienced guard getting bested by a fierce female.”

I can’t help but grin at his words, my stomach clenching when his dark eyes drop to look at my mouth. The sweet moment is suspended in time, but then it is ruined when his words echo back to me in my mind. The king is planning something. “He cannot have her again.”

“I know,” he rushes out, hands clasping together over the table. “He won’t. He can’t cross the Spell. He can’t make anyone turn her over from the Mage Kingdom. As long as she stays there, she will be safe.” His gaze traces over my face and down my neck, spurring heat to gather low in my stomach. Clearing his throat, he leans back and forces his eyes instead to the table. “We’ll have to go back soon.”

My heart sinks. It isn’t enough time. It never is. But I nod anyway, eating the rest of my food in silence. All except for some nuts and an apple, which I slip into the pocket of my pants when I stand. “Thank you.”

Xander lingers as he looks up at me from where he is still seated, his lips parting like he wants to say something before he thinks better of it. A shaky breath looses from him before he offers me a thin smile. “It won’t be much longer; I give you my word. For whatever that’s worth.”

I tilt my head and extend my hand out to him, waiting until his eyes lift from my hand to meet mine. “It is worth more now than before,” I tell him softly.

Chapter Forty-One: Siyala

Rhea’s screams stab into me as I hide beneath the bed, the jolting of her heart matching what I know are the timing of the king’s fists until there is a loud smack. A body falls to the ground, and I force the growl that begs to be unleashed back down my throat. She wouldn’t want me to be discovered, I remind myself. But it isn’t right. It isn’t fair. He has beat her again, and listening to her suffer is worse than being found out by the king.

Deciding I’d rather sink my teeth into his leg than hide for another second under this bed, I carefully inch out, ears perked to listen to the men gathered below.

Their armor glints of gold, the Trusted guards blocking the exit to the tower as they look at where King Dolian stands over Rhea, her crumpled form lifeless on the floor. I search their riotous heartbeats for hers, panic pushing me closer to the stairs.

The king squats low, his hand dragging down the sides of her face and then over her collarbone. Monster. My lips peel back in a silent snarl.

“Soon, my darling, you will know what it is to be queen. This is all in preparation. All so that you might earn your title.” He leans over and kisses her forehead before walking from the tower as if leaving a woman unconscious is a normal thing.

The door to the tower shuts before I can sprint down the curving stairs from the loft, and then I’m skidding to a stop, nails scraping against wood as I look at Rhea. It isn’t the first time I’ve seen her glow, but it never stops being a magnificent thing to watch. White, shimmering and opalescent, glows from the center of her chest and then down her body, the scent of jasmine filling the air as if the entire tower is covered in the flower. It lasts only a few seconds as I carefully move closer, waiting until the glowing stops before lying down next to her, my nose pressing gently on her cheek.

Wake up, I want to scream. I am here, I want to add. But in this form, I am silent. So, instead, I nuzzle into her, ready to be here when she wakes up. The princess of the tower and her fox.

I wake with a start, blinking the sleepiness from my eyes as I drag a hand down my face. Magic thrums beneath my skin, the muscles of my neck flexing as I swing my legs over the edge of the cot and reach for the waterskin set nearby on the ground. I swallow the cold liquid down, the thudding of my heart loud in my ears and— Wait. That isn’t my heart. Jolting to a stand, I move towards the cell door just as Xander comes into view. His eyes are focused, his mouth set in a thin line. But his chest heaves as he reaches back for the keys on his belt loop, a slight tremor in his hand.

“What’s going on?” When he doesn’t answer, my brows draw together, watching as he pulls the door open and then strides inside.

“It’s time to go.”