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High up in a tower in Aretia, Xaden looks at Brennan and takes a deep breath. He knows he has to come clean now. There’s not many opportunities to talk to Brennan alone, and this is definitely something Xaden does not want an audience for. ‘So, there’s something you should know.’ He says with as much confidence he can.
Brennan looks up from the map he was studying.
He has to know, Xaden tries to convince himself. There’s no way I’m walking away alive if he finds out by someone else.
Or god forbid, if he walks in on me and his little sister.
‘Yes?’ Said Brennan laconically when the silence stretched for too long.
‘I- I want to tell you that… Before I bring her here…’ Brennan keeps looking at him unflinchingly, making Xander freeze for a second. Deep breath. Brendan is one of my best friends. He won’t kill me outright. Right?
Brennan, feeling the awkwardness, breaks the tension with a joke ‘You look like you’re about to ask me for my daughter's hand in marriage, Riorson.’
A telling pause and shifted eyes are his answer.
‘I don’t have a daughter, Riorson.’ Brennan says slowly, working out the possibilities in his head. ‘Are you fucking my sister?’ He asks light and deadly.
Another pause. Shit, Xander thinks, Brennan is too smart for his own good. He used to be the smartest person Xander knew, but that was before meeting his youngest sister. The Sorrengail children are terrifying.
Brennan looks at him, almost amused. ‘Mira, seriously?’
Brennan pauses at the guilty look on Xander’s face and he suddenly turns murderous. ‘Violet?! You’re fucking Violet?’
Annnnd there was the knife at his throat he was expecting, Xaden thinks a little hysterically.
When he fails to answer, Brennan pins him harder to the wall, something pointy and sharp now also digging at his inner thigh.
‘It’s not just fucking.’ Xaden answers in a rush. He can feel his cheeks heating in embarrassment at the sentiment. He looks up at the ceiling before adding ‘Though gods know why I like her so much, with the amount of trouble she gives me.’ He adds ruefully.
‘As she should.’ Said Brennan decisively, backing up an inch to stare hard at Xaden.
Xander sighs, figuring if he can talk to anyone about how completely fucked he is over a girl, her supposedly deceased, overprotective older brother might be a good choice. Especially if he wants to live another day.
Xander lowers his gaze from the ceiling and straight into Brennan’s eyes. ‘I’m absolutely, completely fucked, B.’
Brennan laughs, blades disappearing in a flick of hands. ‘You owe me so many fucking drinks for this, Riorson. Come on, let’s go steal a bottle of wine so you can tell me all about it while I decide if I need to kill you or not.’
Well that went as expected, thought Xaden.
‘At least you’re not dead.’ Says Sgaeyl in his mind.
‘You don’t think I could take him?’ A sks Xaden, offended.
Sgaeyl laughs mockingly in his mind and doesn’t answer.