Page 144 of Cursed Heirs

I shoved my hand through my hair and breathed, “Okay.”

She stared at me in my sweats. “Don’t let that monster snuff out your light. Don’t let him win.”

I nodded slowly and she smiled back at me.

And then a violent gust of wind whipped around us.

Smoke filled my nostrils.

Then Xavier was suddenly there between us, right in front of me.

“What happened?” I asked, taking in his charred skin and burned hair, his clothes even half burned off.

Purple smoke filled the space and then Orpheus and Talon materialized.

“After I read them Isabella’s message, this maniac wouldn’t wait a second and hightailed it out in the middle of the fucking daylight, sun be damned,” Orpheus groused.

“Jeez,” Isabella breathed.

Xavier shook it off, looking me over frantically. “Are you all right? Alena? Are you okay?”

I held up my hand. “Fine. I’ll be fine.”

“You had an episode?” Orpheus asked.

“Yeah. Just some flashes. They’re gone now. It’s fine.”

“Why did you take off?” Talon asked. “We could’ve been there for you.”

“I wanted to bring you guys breakfast from the cafeteria.”

That pulled them up short.

“Aww,” Talon uttered, beaming at me.

“Noaww,” Orpheus said. “No walkabouts without one of us with you right now.”

“Or your army watching my every move?”

“That too.”

The old me would have told him he’s not my keeper and to back off, but the current me knew he was right, which moments ago had just been proven.

At least for now. Until I was back on firm ground, back to myself.

So, I nodded.

Xavier went to reach out to me, but pulled up short, grimacing that he couldn’t make contact.

Guilt slashed through me.

Thankfully, Orpheus cut through it, telling Isabella, “I appreciate your help. We’ll take it from here.”

She nodded, then took off, smiling at me again as she did.

As she disappeared into the crowded corridors, I asked the guys, “Why is she suddenly on my side?”

“Oh, right, we forgot to tell you with everything else,” Talon said. “Apparently, she came to X and Ore and apologized for the way she’s been to you.”

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