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Brennan
The door flies open and Xaden strides in quickly, his ominous temper marked by the shadows that swirl at his feet, sharpening his features as he schools back an expression on his face I am not used to seeing.
He looks… absolutely terrified.
“Trouble in paradise?” I offer, a way in without prodding.
The shadows swirl in a frenzy as an answer before he does, then his shoulders fall visibly, “If it was paradise we wouldn’t be here” he grumbles back. The shadows beneath his feet closing the door behind him, turning the thick handle, a large brass knob shaped as a gryphon head with a click.
“I don’t know about that," I drawl out, feigning curiosity, "this place is breathtaking, it has a real peculiar charm-"
“It’s a total fuckshow" he responds without missing a beat, "It's meant to entrance people to never leave,” each word is enunciated with a jab. He then turns away from me, taking his leather jacket off and then proceeds to peel off the shirt underneath it, tossing them on the large bed decorated with a pyramid of gold-frilled pillows- enough to supply an entire drift. The bedroom itself is a stark contrast from his bedroom in Aretia. The cream-colored walls are lined with golden tiles that lead to four towering pillars on each corner of the room. The floor pristine white marble, that's almost reflective and the dome shaped ceiling is painted with some strange dream-like scene. The images of nude figures dancing around a pale, bare-breasted woman. I shake my head, Riorson walked away from all of this. Willingly.
“What did my sister say that’s got you all-" I wave at him up and down, turning only to reach for a shirt from far end of the emerald-clad armoire, behind the bed, next to a running fountain with floating crystal orbs.
“You shouldn’t have brought her here, Brennan. You should have told me." He says pointedly in his Wingleader tone while crossing his arms. Deflecting my question with an obvious look of betrayal across his face.
“You were wrong earlier, Riorson" I say sharply in a tone I normally use with Violet and Mira growing up, "I outrank you in two ways” I say holding up two fingers to him, “I’ve known Violet my whole life. So, I think I know what I should be doing when it comes to my baby sister.”
He looks up at me now, his dark eyes rounded. Total. Lost. Puppy. It’s absolutely not the Xaden Riorson I’m used to. I let out a deep exhale and concede, watching his head duck down as he turns away from me, hiding his despair by rummaging through the emerald-clad armoire, his shadows pulling at each shirt sleeve as if to trying to gain his attention, before he selects the first one in the line without a second glance. Total. Lost. Fucking. Puppy.
“Look, if you’re afraid she’s going to get hurt, then that’s fair given your track record." I say buttoning up my shirt. Xaden winces at my words then bends down to untie his boots to remove his flight leathers. “But you need to trust her, and trust that you’ll be there for her when she needs it- we all will” I reassure, “I mean, you are here, aren’t you?” I say lifting my brow at him while exacting him with a pointed look. Their bond allowed him to find her within minutes, alert the guards and land before we did. Impressive, but not unexpected given the nature of their bond.
“I don’t want her here” he says, straightening back up, running an exasperated hand through his tousled hair. “I don’t want her in Cordyn, I don’t want her alone in a room with Cat, and I sure as hell don’t want her near Tecarus”
I nod, “it’s understandable, given your history. But Mira is in the room with her.” Reminding him that he's not Violet's sole protector. "There’s a reason Mira has the reputation she does, if my nose is anything to show for it…"
Xaden scowls, before pulling on his fitted black trousers. I still remember the night Xaden called it off- the engagement- betrothal- alliance- whatever. Everyone who genuinely cared for him was relieved and the rest-all assembly members included-were furious and excited to let him know he was letting his father down. Xaden had locked himself away from the assembly for three whole days, refusing every single one of their summons.
"I've literally done everything, literaly everything in my power that I can to protect her from this and yet here we fucking are" he gestures grandly, and when I don't react, he continues seething, "I don’t want her to think-"
I stop him cold, “you do not get to control or decide what she thinks. She’s smart and she can process things, but you can’t keep her in the dark because you’re afraid you’ll lose her if she hears the truth” I snap.
He bites down on his lip and genuinely seems to be processing that information “But, I don’t want to lose her…" He says, it's more to himself, almost a whisper.
“God, Xaden, sometimes I forget you’re just a kid” I say, walking over the pristine marble tile to him, “you’re leading a rebellion, you've taken half of Basgiath's illustrious riders along with four of its prized faculty members from under leaderships nose, an entire hidden kingdom awaits your orders, you have bonded of the most powerful dragons in the last century, but damn too little experience when it comes to being in love” I can't help but grin.
“Fuck you” Xaden snaps back. “I’m almost twenty-four.”
I snort. "Oh, right. I am sorry" I say, putting my hands up in defense. But, I can't stop myself from thinking at almost twenty-four, Xaden is practically a child, but he hasn't been a child for a long time, not for a moment since the rebellion began. The weight of his responsibilities and souls he took responsibility for after the apostacy robbed him of it. And it's too damn easy for all those who rely on him, including the elders of the assembly, to forget that he has always been so much younger than to bear the responsibilities expected of him. And while he carries the weight of an invisible crown with exceptional ease, his cold, calm demeanor hardly ever slipping in the last six years with few exceptions. Hardly, except, it would seem, when it came to Violet. Baby Violet. Who was now a lightening-wielding, bonded to All powerful Tarin, not-so-baby, rider Violet.
“She said I'm being like Dain” Xaden says softly, his voice interrupts my thoughts, and he looks up at me, dark eyes rounded with hurt, fear, and shame. Ah, Violet. Always knows how to hit her mark.
I exhale deeply, shaking my head as I close the distance between us, “Come here” I say pulling him into a hug. It’s not often that we have these moments, but over the past six years I’ve been many things and sometimes that means being an older brother to the pain in my ass revolutionary leader in front of me.
“You’re going to apologize to her for being an asshole and move on from this so we can secure this damn luminary, and all get the hell out of here in a timely manner” I instruct. He nods, a new solemn determination now eclipsing his features shadows swirl about his feet. That's more like it.
"Alright, Let's get the luminary" I say, rolling up the cuffs on my sleeves.
"Let's get the fucking luminary" He agrees adjusting the buttons at the top of his collar. We both walk out, dressed head to toe in black suits, tailored to perfection. What could possibly go wrong?