Clandestine

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Six

All too quick, Xander shoves me behind him. The throne room seeming bigger than I remember. My heart slams against my chest, threatening to explode. My breathing too loud in my ears.

This can't be happening again.

Xander takes off across the room, reaching Felix in seconds. He throws his body into Felix, tackling him to the ground.

The king falls forward. His hands reaching the floor first, protecting his face. Coughs rush past his lips as he turns his head to watch his son.

"How long have you waited to do that?" Felix laughs once he's out of Xanders grasps. Felix gets to his feet, stumbling back a few steps. An annoying smirk pulling on his lips as a trail of blood trickles down his chin.

The king coughs. "Son..."

I'm too stunned to move. I know I should do something but my feet won't move-

Screams snap my attention to the back of the room.

My best friend sat tied up behind the thrown. Arms behind her back and knees together, pulled up to her chest. A piece of duck tape pressed across her lips, muffling her. Tears, snot and... Blood ran down her cheek.

Blood rolls down from her temple, where there seems to be a round wound, as if they used a dagger to knock her out and drag her here.

Sam...

 Arms circle my waist, pulling my body back against them. I tense, watching Sam's eyes widen before another muffled scream fills the room. I throw an elbow back but a firm hand grasps it. A chuckle following against my ear.

I slam my head back into the chest, causing him no pain.  Glancing up, I'm meet with those ice blue eyes.

"Hey princess." Cyrus smirks, yanking me back a step.

"Let her go." I hear Xander say, followed by a thump. I couldn't look at him, his voice carrying on, my attention only stuck on the blue eyes above me.

"One step and she's dead." Cyrus says, pulling a dagger from his side before he's pressing it to my throat.

Xanders eyes widen, almost falling out his head before an expression I never want to see takes over. One that only wants to kill. I see the flinch- the twitch of his foot, ready to tear Cyrus to pieces-

"Please don't." I silently beg.

He didn't listen though.

Ice slices across my neck, followed by flames.

I can't breath.

~~~

I'm being squeezed.

Tighter. Tighter.Tighter.

My eyes snap open, gasping as air attempts to rush into my lungs. But I'm being restricted.

A quick glance down has me sighing with relief. Xander's arm is hugging me close to him. A little tight but I'm not dying.

I'm alive.

My hand presses to my throat and I don't  bother hiding another sigh of relief when I feel that there's no open wounds.

A sniffle in my ear has me freezing up.

I take in my surroundings. It's dark in here but I'm still in Xander's bed, his arm hugging me, tightening by the second.

He sniffles again and I shake his arm softly. "Hey..." I turn my head around as much as I could. His face lay on the pillow just behind my head, scrunched up almost in pain, while tears soak the pillow and my shirt.