Black Sapphire | Xaden Riorson | S/H

XVIII

・・・　・・・　・・・

     The hallway is dim and eerily blue like the moon, the magelights glowing a pale arctic to signify it was still within curfew.
     "Where are we going?" I grumble as he tugs me along.
     "Keeping talking that loud and we'll never know," Xaden murmurs back with an irritated lilt to his voice.
     "C'mon, shadow-wielder, I'm sure you can figure something out," I joke with my voice as quiet as his.
     "Because a giant black cloud moving down the hallway is less suspicious than a couple sneaking around." He glances over and slightly back at me with a pointed stare and I pinch my lips. We're not a couple. But I certainly wouldn't mind scaling him like the Gauntlet or mounting-
     I scrunch my nose and shake my head to fling whatever the hell that thought was out of my head.
     We turn as the hallway opens into the grandeur antechamber of the main corridor that intersects the dorm's. Now is not the time for thoughts like that. I don't even know where that came from. I've never had thoughts like that, hardly even a crush, and that was on the youngest prince, so wildly unrealistic in the best of circumstances. And especially not after he just murdered 4 people.
     I mean, it was justified, and unfortunately, kind of hot as a rescue, but nontheless.

     We begin down the stairwell that leads to storage across from the sparring gym. I huff out breaths as I try to bounce down the steps at his unreasonable speed. He stops suddenly and I nearly fly into his back as he runs his right hand across the wall. He still has his swords strapped to him.
     He pulls his hand back and snaps, erupting a tiny click. He pushes on the wall again and this time it swings open.
     "Holy shit," I murmur as he walks through the door.
     "Hope you're not scared of the dark." I begin to hope I'm not scared of the dark either. It's nearly as suffocating as Oren's grip—terrifying but shockingly not dangerous. "But if you are," Xaden says, now at full volume. Another snaps rings and a magelight spawns above our heads. It trails us as we walk the hallway into nothingness, only illuminating passing stone arches supporting the roof and a strangely well-worn, smooth floor. It smells like earth in the way a cropfield might mid-season, before the flowers bloom, not dry but not humid, not sweet or dusty, just raw and... brown, I suppose.
     "Thanks." His grip lightens and then slips away as he takes an extra long stride forward.
     "Keep up." I pout from behind his back and send a small sneer his way that he'll never know about it, but it makes me feel better. I close my eyes, trusting the passage is as straight as it seems and manage my breaths with my first two fingers jabbed harsh into my chest. I can feel my heart with a steady, heavy beat just underneath my skin. Gods, it must be so easy to stab.

     It's silent other than our footsteps. There's a notable difference that gives away his semi-royal heritage. Seems to be my type, apparently. His steps are harsh and loud. They echo off the stone with an easy rhythm I could clap to. A perfectly timed one for a grand occasion, I'm sure. But I can hardly hear my own footsteps, especially as they drown in the intensity of his, with my toes pressing gently into the stone first. Sometimes, I don't even make it to my heel before picking it back up again. It's the ideal strut to stay silent on untrustworthy ground.
     "So..." I hum lightly as I trail behind him. He doesn't glance back, but his head ticks just slightly toward me. "Remind me again where the hell we're going?"
     "We're going to ask Tairn what just happened." I cock an eyebrow before pulling them in.
     "I can't imagine what you're confused about. I got jumped in the middle of the night. You killed them all. That's about it." He shakes his head calmly as he continues marching. "He's bringing me to you," I tell Tairn.
     "I know."
     "I have a lot of questions," Xaden tells me.
     "Do you know what's going on? What does he want?" I question.
     "I'd tell you if I knew."
     "Wait," I hum as I glance around. "This goes to the flight field?"
     "Yes." I follow the curve of the hallway, glad I've opened my eyes because I don't trust that he would've stopped me from walking into that wall. Well, actually, maybe he would've. But I wouldn't count on it. "It's not exactly common knowledge. I'm gonna have to ask you to tuck this little tunnel away into the file of secrets you keep on my behalf." I nod, even though he can't see me.