Xander’s POV:
I guided her forward, our footsteps echoing softly. “Somewhere we won’t be overheard.”
“Hmmm,” she replied, dragging the word out, a world of curiosity packed into the sound. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she looked up at me, her arm still firmly laced through mine as we moved down the vast, empty hallway.
I could feel the weight of her stare, but I didn’t look back at her. I kept my gaze forward, a smirk playing on my own lips, letting the anticipation build.
We pushed through a heavy set of oak doors and stepped out into the night. The castle walls gave way to the open sky, and a cold breeze immediately swept in, cutting through the evening’s stillness.
I felt it the same instant she did. Thalia’s grip on my arm tightened, her fingers pressing into my bic
