Page 263 of The Throne Seeker
He leaned his forehead down to hers, nothing but pure love radiating through him. “And you are mine,” he whispered back.
Without warning, he was ripped from her arms. His eyes stayed locked on to hers until he was forced through the iron doors.
Rose faced Xavier, whose eyes were heavily fortified by a thick wall of ice. She walked right up to that high wall as she placed a hand on his chest, and watched it melt under her fingertips. Past it, she could feel his fear, his anger, his regret all at once.
“Rose,” Xavier whispered, defeated.
Rose wrapped her arms around him, feeling the spike in his blood pressure. “You should’ve never come back,” she whispered.
“No, I should have never left. I should have told you the truth about how I felt about you. I should’ve let you in. I should’ve protected you. You were right—I was a coward. There were so many things I wish I would’ve done… I love you, smart-ass, and I always will.”
Rose’s eyes shifted between his. She parted her mouth to say something, but no sound escaped. It felt as though an invisible hand wrapped itself around her throat, stopping her.
He kissed her softly on the forehead, pouring the last of his soul into hers. The guards were at his side within moments.
“Get out while you still can,” Xavier said, repeating Roman’s words. “Now.”
Before Rose could get another word out, he was gone.
The rest of the guards closed in around Rose and Evelyn, herding them toward the door.
“What are we going to do?” her mother whispered, eyeing the guards anxiously.
“I’m not running,” Rose stated before her mother could dissuade her. “I don’t care how dangerous it is. I won’t leave them.”
To Rose’s utter surprise, a strong wave of willpower poured out of her mother’s resilient hazel eyes. “I know,” her mother agreed. “We have to save them, but how?”
“I think I have an idea,” Rose said.
“No more talking,” the guard ordered, grabbing her roughly by the arm.
The guards hauled them from the dungeons back to the main corridor. However, unlike Roman and Xavier, who had been led away by two guards, they were escorted by five.
Apparently, Tristan wanted to be absolutely certain she made it back to her quarters.
As they walked silently, Rose tried to make eye contact with the guards, but they avoided her gaze as if knowing if they looked into her eyes she could reach into their minds like she had with Moretti. Her siren smirked inwardly. She had to admit, she was flattered by their effort.
Her mother threw her an uneasy glance, questioning her with her eyes as if to say,Now what do we do?
Carefully, Rose scanned each guard for her sword. She found it attached to the guard five steps ahead on her right, hooked onto his belt. She strained her ears for the jingle of keys. Her heightened senses led her gaze to the guard on her left. The keys dangled from his hip, secured under his red cloak.
She prayed to the lost city above that this would work.
She opened her mouth and sang.
Starry skies casts illusions of hope,
soft winds press against white sails.
Salty air fills a sailor’s tired lungs,
a helm rests under steady palms.
Little do they know, the danger lurking below.
Rose could feel the men’s auras begin to soften, some more quickly than others. The guard leading them swerved back to her.
“No singing,” he scolded, his eyes meeting hers.
