Page 19 of The Throne Seeker

Xavier’s grin widened. “Youhavegrown up.” He took a menacing step towards her.

She was tempted to retreat, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. So she stood her ground, steadying her feet in the sand.

“Look at you with your hair down and shoes off,” he appraised her. “You’re so much more attractive, wild, like this.”

He was taunting her now. “Excuse me, I think I’m going to go back inside.” She tried to sidestep around him.

He blocked her path with one step. “So feisty. I like this Rose.”

Now sheknewhe was just trying to get on her nerves. “Stop it.”

“I’m just pointing out the obvious. I see why Tristan’s so smitten with you.”

The look in his eye unsettled her. It was as if a stranger stood there—different from the change with Roman. “What’s gotten into you?”

“This is how I am now. Haven’t you heard? Surelysomeonehas told you what a disappointment I’ve turned out to be.” He took another swig of his drink.

She sent a hostile look at the bottle, wishing she could rip it from his hands. “Don’t do that; don’t pretend you don’t care. You may have everyone else here fooled, but you’ll have to try harder with me.”

“That’s just it,Rosy.” He used her old nickname to antagonize her. “Idon’tcare. Not anymore.”

“Tristan told me what happened in Corrin. Is that supposed to be you not caring?”

Xavier grew deathly still, proving she’d struck a chord. He leaned in closer, the stench of alcohol reeking on his breath. “What did he tell you?”

She lifted her chin. “Enough.”

“Oh, I doubt that.”

Her brows knitted together. She had just opened her mouth to speak when she caught him staring at her lips, then back up to her eyes. The gesture reminded her eerily of Tristan.

“Don’t.” She knew what he was thinking. She stepped back. “Don’t do that.”

“Do what? You’ll have to be more specific,” he coaxed, stepping forward.

She refused to play into his distraction. “Don’t let them take the crown from you.”

Xavier’s gaze ripped from her lips back to her eyes.

No more coddling. She was going to drag him up from whatever hole he’d dug for himself. A year ago, he would’ve done the same for her.

“That’s exactly what they’re going to do. But you already know that, don’t you? They’re on the verge of excluding you from your succession. I don’t know what happened, but the boy I knew wanted nothing but to be king. Don’t give them an excuse to take that from you.”

Xavier remained deadly still, pinning her under his icy eyes as the wind blew her hair across her brow. “You know, you’re the first one to say it. Everyone walks on eggshells, and you’ve been here all but twelve hours, and you just… come out and say it.” He paused as if deep in thought. “But you should know I’ve already lost.”

“That’s not true. You have the crown, your family, this home. Talk to your father. Let him see?—”

“You don’t understand!” He slammed the empty bottle against the large rock next to him, breaking the bottom half as she recoiled. “I don’t want to see burned corpses. I don’t want to find ships full of good men at the bottom of the sea. I don’t want to look down and be covered in the blood of my best friend. And what’s more, I have no desire to be a part of this family.” He came closer.

She rooted her feet to the sand, fully aware he’d had more than enough to drink, the scenario too reminiscent of her past. A stronger breeze blew over her, enough to sweep her hair back over her shoulder.

“I hate my brother, I hate my father, and I wish nothing but misery for both of them,” Xavier fumed, the broken bottle still dangling in his hand by his side. He lowered his voice. “If you’dstayed away, perhaps Tristan would finally know what it’s like to lose something.”

She sucked in a nervous breath, looking at the bottle, then back to him. “You don’t mean that.”

His eyes grew hooded as he leaned in, drawing his lips closer. A long-forgotten ache surfaced—something her teenage heart had once dreamed of. He knew that. And now he played with that knowledge to get back at Tristan. A fire grew in her belly and spread through her limbs.

Before his lips could meet hers, her palm struck his cheek. Hard enough that his head whipped to the side from the force.