Things That Should Stay Buried - Casey L. Bond Page 0,76

well for them. If Xavier can persuade them to think this through carefully and not to do something foolish, then if they still decide to go through with it, I won’t feel guilty. I will have done my part to warn them, at least.”

He turned his head to look at me. “You aren’t the least bit concerned about Aries?”

Truthfully, I was. More than I wanted to admit.

I was afraid.

For him, his people, my brother, and Helena and the other Guardians. Everything had a weakness. Xavier warned me that that anything could be killed, and he was right.

The only thing more resilient than a Zodia’s life was the will of people hungry for freedom.

Kes gave me a look that told me to be careful… again. I knew he was looking out for my feelings, but something made me think it was more than that. I didn’t want to think of what it could possibly be, so I was glad when we reached Xavier’s room. I took a breath and knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

I eased the door open and found him sitting in the corner of his sparsely-decorated room in an arm chair. Beyond that chair, there was a bedroll and clothing in the closet that consisted of tunics and pants. He was dressed like Kes, but his tunic was dark blue and plain without a pattern sewn into it.

“Hey!” He stood up and ran a hand through his bleached hair, offering a genuine smile.

I answered his smile with one of my own. “Good morning.” I hitched a thumb over my shoulder toward the door. “Do you want to find breakfast and then go for a walk?”

Xavier smiled. “Yes to both.” He quickly tugged on his shoes and gestured for me to lead the way.

Was he as claustrophobic as I felt sometimes?

Kes followed us to the kitchens where we grabbed a couple rolls of fresh bread before making our way outside. Kes kept his distance, though I knew he could hear us and could reach us in an instant.

At first, our conversation was stilted and inane as we wound through the columns. We talked about innocent things like how we’d slept and how good the bread tasted. He told me I looked beautiful, but for some reason, the hair at the back of my neck stood up. His eyes looked strange. Where before they were playful and kind, now they were closed off and darted around as if he was afraid.

He probably was.

I wanted to walk into the village, but Kes told me that was absolutely not going to happen. So we walked the rings, starting with the largest circumference and working our way in toward the castle.

“Can I see the mark?” Xavier suddenly asked, a hopeful but shy smile on his face.

Did I imagine the blush on his cheeks?

“I mean, if you feel uncomfortable, don’t worry about it,” he added quickly.

Kes appeared in front of me in a flash. “I don’t think that’s something you should reveal. Especially not here, out in the open.”

I didn’t tell Kes I wasn’t about to show him anyway, but then, Xavier pushed…

“Later, then?” Xavier suggested. “Privately.”

Kes gritted his teeth so hard, they scraped together. The sound was loud enough to make Xavier think twice about pushing any further. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure why he cared. I supposed if our roles were reversed and he told me he’d taken a Zodia’s blood under his skin, I’d be curious. Still, we were friends before this, but certainly not that close.

A short while later, Aries showed up to relieve Kes, sending him off on an errand. He was quiet as he trailed along behind us, his hands folded behind his back. He never said a word, never interjected as Xavier and I talked, but the longer Aries was our chaperone, the more uncomfortable Xavier became.

“I think I’d like to go and rest for a while. Do you mind if we head back?” he finally asked.

“Sure,” I agreed, wondering why he’d clammed up.

Maybe Aries scared him, or else he was worried Kes had told Aries about the plan being hatched by his own people. If Aries and Kes shared memories each night, then he likely knew. Still, he was polite and quiet and kept his distance. It was hard to concentrate with him walking behind me, and difficult to talk to Xavier in Aries’s presence. Even about simple, unimportant things.

When we reached the castle, Xavier excused himself to his room and I headed to the balcony to spend