CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
I'd read a lot of front pages and I just kept packing them to myself, the thrill of such a vast amount of knowledge driving me crazy.
“You're gonna read all of that?” Theresa asked as I added a vampire fantasy novel to my pile of books.
“I don't know which to leave! So many classics!” I gushed in excitement.
I was taking them out of the library because I wanted to read them with my dad, well, not all of them. The scenes I saw in one of the pages I randomly opened gave me a coughing fit.
He's finally getting his surgery done and I couldn't wait to see him walk again. My mom has been looking so alive since the whole incident of me getting injected with a venom that tied me to a stranger danger.
Well, at least we'll count the blessings while enduring the curses.
Think about the devil and he might appear because Xavier opened the Library doors and peeked his head in.
I still haven't gotten over how much he rattled me during breakfast today and I had to abandon my delicious food because I couldn't trust myself around him.
Now he's sticking his head in rooms where I'm in. Stalker much?
“You need anything?” I asked, trying to sound rude but coming off completely normal.
I guess I'm losing my touch, might do something about that later.
“I’m about to head to town, I have some meetings to attend to and I'll be sending the fashion designers your way. I just wanted to let you know you can dress for an active evening for our date so you don't feel awkward wearing dresses in the wrong place,” he said all at once and somehow, it felt like he was nervous.
“I'm not interested in your feeble attempts to pacify yourself about what you did, Xavier. I never wanted to be chained to you and that won't change in the nearest future so best stop trying. Can I go back to my books? They're quite interesting,” I snapped, successfully closing the door I'd opened earlier in the morning.
I saw the look on his face and I had to physically walk farther into the room to stop myself from reaching out and hugging him.
“I'm sorry if you feel I'm trying to force your hand. I just felt you've been cooped up in the mansion for a while and would appreciate seeing the world a little bit,” he explained.
“Then that would be Corbin's job, after all, he knows the world better than you do,” I spoke and this time, I made sure I wasn't looking at him and that was a mistake on my part because the next moment, I felt a hand grab my neck and I shrieked in shock.
“Ah!” My voice, hitting high octaves.
“Your highness, please you're hurting her!” Theresa screamed and the beast actually reduced the pressure on my throat.
He was pissed and I was scared, a wild range of emotions clouding the huge library.
“Don't you dare mention another man's name ever again!” He snapped at me, his tone leaving no room for arguments.
I nodded like an obedient little lamb but something made the butterflies in my stomach drunk in adrenaline.
He didn't use his powers on me.
He dropped his arm awkwardly, his features gradually changing back to the Xavier that was finding it difficult to talk to me a few minutes ago.
“Um, I'm really sorry about that, he is quite jealous,” he explained, rubbing his neck awkwardly.
But I was dumbfounded and couldn't get my throat to work and not just because moments ago, it was in the hands of a beastly alien.
He reached out to touch me but I flinched, hard.
“Shit. I don't know how that happened but I'm really sorry, I find it hard to control him around you but I swear I'll do a better job, I promise but please don't mention my cousin again. He's the only competition to us and the thought makes me tense too,” he said and I nodded.
He then decided to leave and I finally found the usefulness of oxygen.
Theresa rushed to me, helping me sit down.
“Breathe, Tess. He's gone.” She encouraged and my survival instincts kicked in enough for me to begin breathing again, the shock still gripping me hard
I was a cacophony of emotions, fear, confusion, gratitude that I didn't just get my neck snapped and whatever the heck my stomach was doing because he kept his promise even when he lost control.
So yea, I was going crazy.
“Please, don't ever do that again. A Luminari is a sacred bond and if anyone else comes between you both, it snaps. Nothing can ever bring you back together again and it's a known fact among us. That's why he reacted that way, out of fear,” Theresa said to me as she gave me a glass of water. I didn't even notice when she was gone.
“What do you mean when anyone comes between us?” I asked but my voice sounded weird.
“If you end up going all the way with someone, the bond snaps,”
“Oh. He needs to protect his newfound powers I guess,”
“The Prince already got his powers from you so he really doesn't need to keep you around but from the way he's been acting recently, I believe he actually does like you, maybe even loves you so it's not about that. Look, you don't have to love him right away but I think you should stop chasing him away completely.”
“Theresa, you won't understand. You've been on this side of this invisible war forever and you don't get it so I don't see the point of this conversation. I'm sure he asked you to talk to me,”
“Look, I know that's how this looks but I'm simply talking to you as a friend. You're literally stuck with him for life and he's a hundred times better than his father so what have you got to lose?” She reasoned but everything was pissing me off and I lashed out at her.
“I've already lost it, Theresa! My brother, Brendan. I lost him because your almighty highness needed a few extra hands. Tell me, how do I betray his memory like that? Give my heart to the one that made his own to stop beating? And you're not my friend, my friend is somewhere in this world and I can't even reach out to her. She's probably in a worse situation than I am considering she's black and your wonderful Prince and his father have created a system that stigmatizes them, yet I can't find her to help her so stop telling me what to do and just do your damn job!” I yelled and began walking away.
Then I remembered my books and walked back but she'd already carried them.
“It's my job to carry it, Ma'am. I'll drop it on your desk,” she replied in a tone that showed how much I've ruined our growing friendship.
Great! Now I've pissed off two people.
“Look, I'm sorry about all of that. I don't really know how to process all of these new emotions and they just keep coming out in the wrongest of ways. And you're right, I'm stuck with him so living the rest of my life miserable isn't the best option and I doubt he won't kill me if I intentionally go and cheat on him so as to break the bond but I just can't get over the chasm that's between us, Theresa,” I complained, my eyes tearing up a bit.
“I can't lie and say that I understand you, Tessa but I do know that he loves you and if you want to help these situations you always complain about, you'd best start changing your thought process. Prince Xavier is yours even though he has your mind. You have his ears,” and then she came closer, near whispering. “Use your influence to give your people a better life, they've suffered enough,” she said and then carried the books away while I stood there with my scattered thoughts.
***
It was evening and I'd finally finished the vampire novel, saving the other books for when my Dad got here so I ran downstairs to Theresa's room, my mind made up
“Theresa?” I called out to her, slightly opening her door.
“Yes Ma'am?”
“Drop that nonsense. I said I'm sorry,”
“Okay. I just didn't want to offend you again,”
“No you are not going to. Now come and help me prepare for whatever it is his Majesty was talking about,” I told her and her eyes widened in excitement.
“Yes! I'm finally going to use my skills for something other than seductive clothes,” she screeched and I shook my head walking back upstairs with her on my trail.
I wonder how he would react when he finds out I changed my mind.
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