Page 32 of Twisted Souls (Twisted Souls #1)

Zara

When I woke, Xavier was already gone, and I couldn’t help but feel relieved. I wasn’t sure I could handle another encounter like the one last night. The mere memory made my stomach tighten and heat. How had that even happened? Did it happen? Or was it all just a dream?

The door swung open, and I jolted upright in bed.

“Dedra is awake,” Xavier announced, before turning sharply and striding down the hallway. He was fully clothed, his boots scuffing the floor as he turned, and I scrambled out of bed. Heart pounding, I hurried after him down the hall.

In the next room, Dedra was propped up in bed, pale but conscious. Jaxon lounged beside her, one leg stretched across the mattress, the other dangling lazily to the floor. As I entered, Xavier stood on the opposite side of her, his expression unreadable.

Dedra’s eyes met mine and grinned—she grinned .

I couldn’t help but laugh as I moved to the foot of the bed, still staring at her. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you grin before,” I teased, and Dedra rolled her eyes, the corners of her mouth twitching upward again.

“Well, don’t get used to it,” she shot back, though a softer smile lingered. The bruises on her face had nearly faded, leaving only faint yellow traces behind.

“How are you feeling?” I asked, a nervous edge creeping into my voice.

“I imagine a lot better than you. Did you really encounter a Fate and a Vorrak?!” Her tone shifted, eyes sharpening with curiosity.

Xavier’s head snapped down toward her, a low disapproving growl escaping his throat, but Dedra paid him no mind.

“Apparently.” I sighed, casting a quick glance at Xavier before meeting Dedra’s gaze again.

Dedra caught the movement, her gaze flicking between us before her lips curved into a slow, knowing grin. Whatever she was about to say was cut off when Jaxon nudged her ribs with his elbow.

“We’ll have plenty of time to catch up on the road,” Jaxon remarked smoothly. “We’ve only got two weeks before the meeting with the witches.”

Xavier flinched, and I felt my breath hitch. “You’ve heard from her?” I asked, my voice tight.

Dedra smacked Xavier’s leg from her spot on the bed. “You didn’t tell her about the letter?” she hissed, narrowing her eyes at him in accusation.

“There were… other things on my mind,” Xavier muttered, his voice a low rumble as his piercing emerald eyes met mine. A hint of a smile played on his lips, and my stomach flipped at the sight. “That witch who kidnapped you brought a message from Morgana. She’s agreed to meet in two weeks at the realm’s entrance,” Xavier continued.

My mouth went dry. “Do we even have enough time to get to Gunnar and back?” I asked, a tightness forming in my chest.

“As long as Gunnar has no issue fixing our magic and lends us his carriages, we’ll have time to return to Mirronian and prepare,” Jaxon replied, shifting uncomfortably on the bed. His eyes flicked between Xavier and me, and my cheeks burned.

Did he know what happened between Xavier and me last night? The thought hit me hard. Can he… smell him on me? The way Xavier could smell Jaxon when I first arrived?

Panic crept up my throat, and I glanced at Xavier. He furrowed his brows, as if piecing together my thoughts.

“I’ll ready the horses,” Xavier bit out, his voice tight as he brushed past me and stormed out the door.

Dedra sighed, her eyes sympathetic as they found mine. “You should get ready, Zara. Knowing him, he’ll drag you out of here, ready or not.”

I nodded and stepped into the hall, my mind spinning as I made my way back to my room.

“Zara.” Jaxon’s voice stopped me in my tracks, and I turned to face him in the empty hallway. For the first time, his golden eyes held mine without darting away, and the steady intensity made my chest tighten.

He extended a small parcel toward me, and my brows knitted in confusion. Hesitantly, I took it, our hands brushing for a fleeting second before he jerked back as if my touch had stung him.

“It’s why I left when we got to the village the other day,” Jaxon murmured with a shrug. The motion was stiff, his shoulders barely lifting before dropping back down. His fingers twitched at his sides nervously.

Carefully, I peeled back the wrapping, my fingers trembling. My breath hitched. Nestled within was a wooden carving of an owl, its wings unfurled as though frozen mid-flight. The intricate patterns of its feathers seemed to ripple with motion. Its details were so delicately carved that I half expected it to move in my hand. I traced the edges of the carving with my fingertips, marveling at the care that had gone into each line, each curve.

“It’s beautiful,” I whispered, my voice trembling as I looked up at him, eyes misting with tears. “Thank you.”

He shifted awkwardly. “It was supposed to be a peace offering,” he huffed, rubbing the back of his neck. He held my gaze. “I don’t want this mess between us, Zara. I care about you.”

The words hit like a punch to the gut. My chest constricted, my hands gripping the fragile carving more tightly. I was overcome by a wave of guilt, fear, and sadness, all crashing down on me simultaneously. He must’ve sensed it—seen it—because he reached out, gripping my arms gently, grounding me.

“What’s wrong?” Jaxon’s voice was laced with worry, his brows furrowing as his eyes searched mine. He cared about me… and I’d kissed his brother. My stomach churned, twisting itself into knots as the memory of Xavier’s kiss burned hot and unforgiving in my mind.

His eyes flickered, a storm of emotions swirling in them as well as a flash of understanding. Slowly, a crooked smile tugged at his lips, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Zara, it’s okay,” he murmured, his voice low.

Before I could respond, he pulled me into his arms, his embrace firm, and it felt like he was saying goodbye. That thought only made me ache further. I clutched the carved owl against my chest, leaning into his familiar embrace. I Inhaled deeply, his stormy scent filling my lungs. It washed over me, making me feel safe, like I was home.

“It’s okay,” he repeated, the words softer now, as if saying them out loud might make them true. “I’m not upset.”

Jaxon stroked my back, holding me close as a tear slipped down my cheek. He rested his chin gently atop my head. “You might not understand now, Princess, but you will.”

Why did they keep saying that to me?

He pulled back, his hand gentle as he lifted my chin, tilting my face toward his. His thumb brushed over my jaw, lingering for a moment before he tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. The sadness in his gaze was undeniable, and though he tried to smile, to hide it, the pain still lingered in his eyes.

“You deserve to be happy,” he whispered, his thumb grazing my jaw again, before stepping away.

With a quick turn, he retreated, his shoulders tense. The flicker of raw emotion in his eyes was the last thing I saw before the door to his room clicked shut, leaving me standing there, clutching the carved owl against my chest.

*

I felt utter and absolute confusion. Xavier was now avoiding me instead of Jaxon. From the moment we mounted our horses, Xavier kept himself at the front of the line, barely sparing me a glance. Whenever I tried to approach him, thinking I might catch him alone, he’d come up with some excuse to be somewhere else or quietly disappear before I could say a word.

By the end of the first day, I stopped trying.

We were now on day three, nearing the Niverrian coast where Lord Gunnar resided. He acted as Niverrian’s governing lord unless matters demanded Xavier’s direct involvement.

Dedra had recovered most of her strength, but she wasn’t back to her full self yet. Each day, she grew stronger, and she hardly left my side. I couldn’t tell if it was because she wanted to stay close or if Xavier had quietly ordered her to keep an eye on me.

She slept with me near the fire each night while Jaxon and Xavier took shifts on watch. We had both argued to take a shift, but it quickly became a moot point.

Daka had prowled at night in the surrounding forest, but they seemed to stay away for the most part. One tried to attack Xavier the first night, but it quickly ran off when Xavier started to fight it. Since then, they only seemed to circle our camp at night, like they were waiting for something but never attacking.

Last night, Jaxon decided it was time for me to start training again. Until my magic was whole, I wasn’t comfortable taking off the charm that blocked my magic, but I could do hand-to-hand training.

It felt like old times back on the sparring mat in Velra, but this time, we had two very opinionated warriors shouting their observations from the sidelines. Dedra and Xavier took turns sparring with me, but Xavier was particularly infuriating. He barely laid a finger on me, yet somehow managed to send me sprawling onto the ground repeatedly. A smug smile on his lips as he did.

Jaxon and Dedra provided relentless feedback, their voices overlapping with tips and techniques, making my bones ache and my head spin.

Today, every muscle in my body ached, and I knew it would only intensify as we continued. But I had to be ready. The people here were faster and stronger than anyone back home, and I needed to learn how to defend myself against their kind.

What I really needed was to learn how to control my magic andfight and defend with it, but I was too afraid to try. I was scared it would take me back to Morgana, to my death. I knew that made me seem weak, but the others hadn’t pushed or even mentioned it since we left the castle.

Xavier rode within my line of sight, and I stole a glance at him. As if sensing my gaze, he turned, the intensity of his stare making my cheeks flush. Damn him.

With a playful wink, Xavier spurred his horse into a gallop, the others quickly following suit. I urged my mare forward, racing to catch up with Dedra, who wore a broad smile ahead of me. I glanced over at Jaxon, and he mirrored her expression, a lightness in the air that felt contagious.

As we crested a hill, the back of Xavier's head came into view, and suddenly, our horses came to a halt at the edge of a cliff. I moved to Xavier’s right, my eyes fixed ahead.

I could feel his gaze on me as I absorbed the view, and when I turned to look at him, his broad smile nearly took my breath away.

“Welcome to Niverrian.”

Waves crashed against the rugged cliffs far below, their thunderous roars echoing up to where we perched at its edge. Distant seabirds, their feathers iridescent with hues I'd never seen before, wheeled and dipped in the salty, warm breeze, their calls mingling with the sound of the waves crashing against the rock.

To my left and right, a series of jagged cliffs jutted out into the sea, each one more imposing than the last. Tufts of hardy green shrubs and wildflowers clung effortlessly to their narrow ledges, their petals glimmering with a faint glow in the sun.

Nestled within the cliffs were the villages, and I inhaled deeply, the scent of the sea filling my lungs as I took in the whitewashed houses and shops woven seamlessly into the rocky landscape. Narrow, winding pathways and steep staircases connected the buildings, zigzagging precariously up and down the cliffs like veins of the earth itself.

Villagers could be seen below, their laughter and song carried to us on the breeze. Large naval ships floated on the water below, their sails billowing gently. Massive docks stretched from the shore, where tiny boats bobbed and swayed on the soft tide.

A long bridge arched gracefully between two cliffs, its structure stretching far down into the churning sea. Beyond the bridge, a grand stone castle loomed, its massive frame casting a shadow over the villages. The castle's towers reached skyward, dark clouds forming overhead.

A storm was coming.