Chapter 15
830 Words
“Freya! Open this door!”
Xavier’s voice thundered through the corridor.
I couldn’t move.
My eyes remained fixed on the letter lying at my feet, on the name written beneath the warning.
Xavier Blackthorn.
The silver symbol on my wrist pulsed painfully.
The last heir of the First Luna must die before the next full moon.
I pressed my other hand against my mouth, fighting the urge to scream.
Why would someone send me this?
And why had they written Xavier’s name?
“Freya, if you can hear me, step away from the door.”
His voice sounded different now. Less commanding. More urgent.
I stumbled backward.
The door swung open a second later.
Xavier entered with two guards behind him, his golden eyes immediately finding me. His gaze swept over my face, then dropped to the glowing symbol on my wrist.
“What happened?”
I pointed at the floor.
He followed my gesture.
The moment he saw the black envelope, something cold settled over his expression.
“Everyone out.”
The guards hesitated.
“Your Majesty—”
“Now.”
They left without another word.
Xavier closed the door behind them and approached the letter. He didn’t touch it.
“Did you open this yourself?”
“Yes.”
“Did anyone enter your room?”
“Not that I know of.”
He crouched to examine the envelope, his face unreadable.
“What does it say?”
I swallowed.
“Someone knows about my bloodline. They say you can’t protect me.”
His jaw tightened.
“And?”
I hesitated.
He looked up.
“Freya. Tell me.”
I hated how frightened I sounded when I finally spoke.
“They said I have to die before the next full moon.”
For a moment, he didn’t move.
Then he rose slowly to his full height.
“And my name?”
I stared at him.
“You already know?”
“No.” His eyes narrowed. “But you looked at me as though the letter had accused me of something.”
My fingers curled into my palms.
“Your name was written at the bottom.”
The silence that followed was unbearable.
I searched his face for anger, denial, anything that might tell me what he was thinking.
Instead, he looked almost disappointed.
Not in me.
In himself.
“Do you believe I sent this?” he asked quietly.
“No.”
The answer came too quickly.
I wasn’t sure whether it was trust or desperation that made me say it.
Xavier studied me for another moment.
“Good.”
“That’s all you have to say?”
“No. I have considerably more to say, but most of it would be inappropriate in front of a frightened woman who has had an extraordinarily unpleasant evening.”
Despite myself, I let out a shaky breath.
He glanced down at the letter again.
“This was designed to frighten you and make you question me. Whoever sent it knows enough about the ancient symbols to make the threat convincing.”
“Or enough to know you’re involved.”
His gaze returned to mine.
“Those are two very different things.”
“How can you be sure?”
“I’m not.”
The honesty surprised me.
He stepped closer, stopping before he entered my personal space.
“But I will find out who sent it. And until I do, you will not be alone in this mansion.”
My shoulders stiffened.
“Are you assigning guards to follow me everywhere?”
“Yes.”
“Xavier.”
“Freya.”
“I don’t want to feel like a prisoner.”
“And I don’t want to find you dead because someone slipped a letter beneath your bedroom door.”
His voice remained controlled, but the words carried an intensity I hadn’t heard from him before.
For a second, neither of us spoke.
Then he exhaled.
“You may choose your guards. They will remain outside your rooms unless you request otherwise. You may walk through the mansion freely, and no one will prevent you from leaving if you decide to go.”
I looked at him carefully.
“You’d let me leave?”
“I won’t force you to stay.”
Even now, with a threat against my life lying between us, he refused to treat me like something he owned.
I wished that didn’t matter to me as much as it did.
“Fine,” I whispered. “But I want answers.”
“So do I.”
He held out his hand.
“Come with me.”
I glanced at it.
“Where?”
“To the person who may be able to tell us whether this letter contains a genuine threat or an elaborate lie.”
I took his hand.
This time, neither of our marks glowed.
Somehow, that disappointed me.
I immediately told myself it was because I wanted answers.
Nothing more.
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