House of Royale (Secret Keepers #4)(69)

“Put me down with her,” I said, needing to be even closer.

Xander didn’t argue, and Lexen followed suit, placing Emma down as well. Daniel shifted to the side from where he had been holding her, allowing us to crawl through the blood and soot and wrap our arms around her. I don’t know when Maya joined us, but there was a new thrum of energy from our bond when she arrived.

It took a long time, but eventually Callie’s sobs died off. Her body still shook, but I held her tightly, kept her together as best I could. There were voices all around us, but I never heard any of it. Later they’d tell us that the stone was back in the hands of the humans and the council. The bond between us and the stone was gone, but somehow we didn’t lose the bond between the four of us. Colita said it was soul deep, that nothing could break it.

We took a helicopter to a private field, a plane to somewhere else, and then another helicopter to take us right to Daelight Crescent. I barely remembered any of it. The guys let the four of us stay close while a healer fixed up our physical injuries.

It wasn’t until we landed back in Astoria that I was able to focus enough to listen to the conversations around me. “Gonzo is gone,” one of the military men at my right was telling Lexen. “We managed to take out a large percentage of their numbers. The rest fled. We’re ferreting them out as we speak.”

“They placed too much of their trust and manpower in Laous,” Chase said quietly. “It was their greatest mistake.”

It was a silver lining from a really shitty day. Daniel still hadn’t spoken a word, he was simply holding Callie’s hand like it was a lifeline. She lay across his lap.

When the chopper finally touched down in Daelight Crescent, Callie, wearing a haunted look on her face, stepped out first. She seemed to need the space, running as soon as her feet hit the ground. She headed toward one of the mansions on the street and Daniel followed right after her.

“That’s their home,” Xander told me. He swept me close and I let myself rest against his strength, needing this one moment before reality returned. Some of my hair spilled across us; it was almost black. “I really need a shower,” I whispered, a morose chuckle escaping me. I was covered in death, literally.

One side of his lips quirked up; he brushed my hair back. “I’m going to take you to my home here. I’ll have to come back and debrief with the overlords and council for a short time though. Are you okay to be alone?”

I nodded, even though I really just wanted to hide away with Xander for a few hours. He had responsibilities, and I had to respect them. “I won’t be gone long,” he promised. “I need to be with you, and only you, right now.”

“I need to be with you as well,” I told him.

He swept me into his arms, and I protested. “I can walk now. I’m fine.”

“I know. This is for me. I need to hold you while I can.”

“While I can” was not a phrase I wanted to hear from him, but I was not worrying about the future in this moment. The present was already too raw and painful.

When Xander stopped at a massive metal and wood gate, I just stared up at the impressive and intimidating structure. “Trying to keep the riffraff out?” I joked.

He laughed, and it was a beautiful sound. “My mother likes to make sure everyone is suitably intimidated whenever she does something.”

“I’m starting to see that,” I returned, as we waited for the gates to open.

When he stepped inside, I gasped. The house was set quite far back on the massive property, all white and glass, stunningly pretty. But the part that was my favorite, by a million, was the pool. It basically filled the rest of the land, water as far as I could see, even drifting in and out of the lower levels of the house.

“Bedrooms are on the next level up,” Xander said, pointing toward a row of windows beside pearlescent pillars. “The pool is filled with legreto from home.”

I struggled down and he let me go. Before I could dive into the pool, he captured my face in his hands. Holding me tightly, he pulled me closer. “I love you, Avalon,” he said, his tone soft but sure. “You’re my mate. I will have no other.”

Then his lips were on mine and I couldn’t think anymore. I just felt.

When he pulled back, I fought the urge to drag him into the water with me. “Come back to me,” I said, stepping away, even though it was painful.

He nodded, unsaid emotions filling his face. Then he turned and walked away.

I stood there for a long time, then sucked in a deep breath and fell backwards into the water. My shoes were still in another country. I hadn’t slept or eaten for days. And I might have just said goodbye to the love of my life while he went off to be betrothed to another woman. I was still scared that Lettie would win the battle. So, kicking my legs as hard as I could, I swam and swam until I couldn’t breathe, until I felt like I would pass out and had no choice but to rise to the surface. Closing my eyes, I floated around, letting the water soothe me just as it had done my entire life.

Only it wasn’t working. I felt restless; my energy was spent but I couldn’t stay still. My skin felt two sizes too small, and my insides were trying to stretch their way out. I was so caught up in my own head, I never even heard Xander enter the water. It wasn’t until his arms wrapped around me and I let out a shriek that I realized I wasn’t alone.