21

But Xerxes is not intimidated by this. He just shakes his head and takes a step toward the cell. "You won't die that soon." The threat in the words resonates despite Xerxe's calm voice. But again, Zaret doesn't seem to care. He just makes a disparaging tone and bows his head slightly At least I have a chance to improve my spells."

I swallow hard. I would love to say something. anything. But I can't think of anything. That's not even due to the situation per se, but because Platura's eyes are still on me. This keeps me busy maintaining as much blankness as I can.

"You really shouldn't bet on that." As Xerxes speaks, he brushes his fingers across the rust-covered bars. Scratches off some of the bronze and looks almost with interest at the paint on his fingers. "I doubt your condition will improve." And now Xerxes looks up. It's almost interesting how bright the green eyes are. That even the darkness doesn't seem to be able to counter that.

And while I'm contracting, Zaret's isn't stirring. It looks like he's set in stone and completely incapable of showing emotion. But he doesn't need that either. His presence grows. With every damn second.

"Okay, I guess we'll see each other again tomorrow then," Xerxes adds, then turns to me. Roughly grabs my arm and pulls me along. Nevertheless, I hear Zaret's reply: "I can't wait, Your Majesty." The voice's thunder rumbles down the hall, but Xerxes ignores it. Doesn't even falter as he drags me down the dungeon. And this time I hardly notice my surroundings. The cells blur and the walls dripping with dirt pass me by. Only Zaret is on my mind. How could they catch him? I would have thought he would have fled into the forest immediately, but that can't be. They have never looked there for anyone. I would love to ask Xerxes, but that would be too obvious. It would probably be better

And so I say nothing as we pass the jailer. I also climb the stairs this time without a murmur. Not a sound shows the pain that fills me. However, I hardly notice this myself. Everything inside me is screaming that I need to get Zaret out of there. Everything except a voice that whispers sweetly to me that I should be reasonable. Zaret is dangerous. Most times on my skin from him. And yet everything in me pulls together at the thought. I can never let Zaret perish here. And he will. I know Xerxes Keller. Know the darkness in him. Zaret will suffer if I do nothing.

I exhale heavily when we reach the last step and shake my head. I should probably be sleeping right now. Recharge your batteries and just let everything sink in. And by that I really mean everything. Xerxes Narrative. Zaret's thrashing attack. his capture. All of this makes it harder and harder to breathe. It feels like there's a huge boulder on my chest. Someone who wants to hurt me. And the worst thing is that there really is a huge burden on me. Zaret's life is now in my hands.

And even as I take the first step into the hallway, Xerxes spins me around. I gasp as I hit the wall hard and just as I want to push off again, Xerxes presses against me. "We're staying," Xerxes mutters, his gaze seeming to eat into me. What I said doesn't apply to me. Platura is standing next to us. I only see him out of the corner of my eye and normally I would look at Platura, but I can't. The green of eyes captures me and for a moment time seems to stand still. Xerxes' eyes are glowing. And I don't know why that is. Excitement or anger?

"Of course, Your Majesty." Platura curtseys, but he might as well not have See the deepest corner of my soul I have no power to shut him out No power to adjust the mask.

"And, Kalota? Do you want to tell me something?" Xerxes' upper body vibrates with every word and by now my heart is racing completely. It's beating hard against my bruised ribs and Xerxes has to show more than clearly how nervous I am. And even if everything inside me is screaming that he knows about me and Zaret, I will not beg him for mercy, at least not yet.

"I don't know what to say." My voice carries the uncertainty far too clearly. The low volume alone must show Xerxes that his question pulls the rug out from under my feet.

Xerxes smiles and leans down a little further. Tilts his head slightly and still looks at me openly. "You really can't think of anything to say right now?" As he speaks, he runs his fingers down the cloak until it touches the bare skin of my neck. And while Xerxes may not mean it, he wears this feathery one Touching so much menace within itself that words could scarcely.

"Xerxes, I'd like to go to sleep first. I'm... I'm not feeling well." Yes, a very bad excuse, but what can I do? I'm finding it incredibly difficult to think. And this time it's not the fault of what I've experienced that day, it's the fault of the man who still holding me against the wall, slowly running his finger up my neck, his gaze still unfathomable.

"Sleep?" Xerxes snorts a laugh and now pushes my chin up. He applies pressure slowly, but it's enough to make me give in, so I tilt my head back, just enough for us to look at each other That Xerxes can bend down closer to me and his lips hover in front of mine.

"Well, sleeping is the last thing on my mind right now," he growls, and by now my heart should really be bursting my chest. It's pounding painfully and seems to be causing flames in my upper body. But I can't get my burgeoning panic under control This statement leaves too much room for interpretation. Anything is possible. Torture. Beatings. Sex. None of that would be far-fetched with Xerxes. "What do you feel like?" The breath leaves my mouth, only trembling, bounces down on Xerxes and shows him only more clearly what he is doing to me.

Immediately his lips twist into a grin and he takes a deep breath. "I can show you," he whispers, his mouth brushing mine with every word, creating a whirlwind in me that just tears everything down. Still, I feel Xerxe's hand slowly wandering down. How he put some distance between us creates so that he can open the cloak a bit more.And that makes it clear what Xerxes wants.Sex.

Just to confirm this assumption, he looks down at me and a small smile forms on his face. "Don't think the conversation is over." He gently runs his fingers over my skin and I have no idea what's wrong with me, but goosebumps form on my skin. Very slowly, this spreads to the touched areas and so takes up my entire body. But I can still hear the words of Xerxes. I can still answer. "But?"

The smirk turns into a grin and Xerxes wrinkled his nose slightly. This is how he manages to look young again. It's almost paradoxical that he can project such a boyish aura despite the crow's feet on his eyes. "We'll just postpone it." He says it like it's the most normal thing in the world. It's not. But right now Xerxes is making all my worries fall away. With one sentence. With the damn lightheartedness in his green eyes he manages to make me want to believe him and forget all the caution. "Okay."

He hums contentedly and now pushes the coat aside a little more. This exposes my chest and now it's obvious that my body is responding to his touch. My nipple is erect. Xerxes also seems to see it and the corners of his mouth twitch slightly. It is fascinating to see this gesture from him. Like he's happy to trigger that reaction in me. But maybe that's the case? Before I can elaborate on this question, however, Xerxes leans forward. And this time it's not a game. No stopping the kiss. He immediately presses his lips to mine, light as a feather, and just as I want to reach out to him to create even more closeness, an outraged scream shrills through the hallway.

"Xer! That can't be true in God's name!" I know the voice. Something is ringing in my head, but I can't really place it. But Xerxes doesn't break away from me immediately. He presses a little closer to me and feels with his tongue mine.

"Xer!" Shrillly the word echoes through the hallway and now Xerxes seems to give up. He makes an annoyed sound and bites my bottom lip again. Gives it a light tug before pulling back a bit. But his lips still hover over mine. "Today isn't my lucky day," he grumbles, now fully straightening with a sigh. He gives me another smile before turning to face the pounding footsteps echoing toward us.

"Magda." And now I know who's disturbing us. Although disturbing is the wrong word. Caught would probably be more appropriate. After all, she's the wife and I'm just the prostitute as Magda approaches us, I wrap my cloak around me. While it's pretty obvious what Xerxes and I just did, it doesn't have to be that Magda sees that I'm wearing nothing but his coat.

"I don't need to start? We weren't done with this one..." Magda gives me a disapproving look and I automatically shrink a little. I want to hide behind Xerxes to avoid her disgust. But that probably wouldn't make a difference the mood between the two defused.

"... to talk to this woman. What is she doing here?" If poison darts came out of her eyes to come down on me, it wouldn't scare me much. Magda is clearly angry. And apparently mostly at me.

But Xerxes doesn't seem to notice Magda's mood. He rubs his face and grumbles softly. This shows only too clearly how much Magda's interruption bothers him. "She lives here now."

That makes me falter. But not only me. Everything falls out of Magda's face, too, and for a brief moment she doesn't seem able to answer. I can relate to her. I live here now? This can only be a bad joke. I wouldn't even be asked?!

"You can't do that," Magda hisses and I would like to nod in agreement. But since Magda would probably only react negatively to my support, I leave it at a grim expression in Xerxes' direction.

Xerxes laughs softly and brushes his hair back from his forehead. "Who's going to stop me?" The fact that he doesn't even consider looking at me and seeing what I think about it makes me snort in indignation. And now the corner of Xerxes's mouth twitches up a little once. But that shows more than clearly that he probably knows very well what's going on in my head right now. I'm glad for him that my bewilderment amuses him. Really. As if that day wasn't crazy enough.

But with that Xerxes seems to have taken the wind out of Magda's sails. She stands petrified and while her body exudes absolute tension, a grin is on her lips. "Good." She looks at me and straightens up a bit more. It's almost like she's trying to appear a little taller than me. "You should take care of yourself, girl. He may be being nice to you right now, but Xerxes will have you into its abyss and never let out again."

And that statement is exactly what I fear. Xerxes tormented me. Told me about his past and won't let me go. He says he wants to improve. But don't act on it. First he chose me as a victim. Now Zaret.

Magda smiles once more at Xerxes and then turns around. And I have no idea how she managed it. But Magda just dominated the conversation. Xerxes seems to see it that way too. He grumbles angrily to himself.

"I should work this out with her," he murmurs, taking a deep breath before gesturing down the hallway. "Your room is down the hall. The door is still open." Xerxes looks me over again and seems to be pondering something. I just can't understand what it is about me that makes him think. So I follow the gaze. But can't find anything conspicuous.

"You can keep the coat for now. Maybe it will be useful for you." And with that, Xerxes turns and walks in the direction Magda went. And me? I can only furrow my eyebrows and look after Xerxes in amazement. What is he trying to tell me? What should his coat be useful for? But since the heaviness of my eyelids is increasing more and more, I leave it at a sigh and want to make my way to my room. The door to the basement appears in my field of vision. And that reminds me of what Xerxes might have meant. Zaret.