No More Lines to Cross

Chapter Twenty-Five: No More Lines to Cross

The silence between them was deafening.

Vexaria's breath came fast, her pulse racing as she held Xypheron against the wall, her fingers still curled in his tunic. She had flipped the game on him, but somehow, it didn't feel like a victory.

Not when his smirk hadn't faded.

Not when his hands still gripped her waist like he had been waiting for this moment all along.

"You think you've won?" he murmured, his voice thick with amusement.

Vexaria clenched her jaw, refusing to let him see the chaos unraveling inside her. "I think I've stopped pretending."

Xypheron's expression shifted, the teasing edge giving way to something darker. "Then what are you going to do about it?"

That was the question, wasn't it? She had spent so long running, fighting, resisting. But now, there was nowhere left to run. No more lies to tell herself.

She had crossed the line.

And gods help her—she didn't regret it.

Xypheron's grip tightened, pulling her flush against him. "Say it," he demanded, his breath warm against her lips. "Say what you really want."

Her fingers trembled against his chest, the steady thrum of his heartbeat matching her own. "I—"

The door slammed open.

Vexaria wrenched herself away, turning just as a guard rushed in, his face pale with urgency. "Your Highness—there's been an attack."

Xypheron's entire demeanor shifted in an instant. The heat between them vanished, replaced by cold, sharp focus.

"Where?" he demanded.

"The eastern border. The rebellion has moved."

Vexaria took a step back, her mind racing. The rebellion. The same one she had once been a part of—the one she had tried to leave behind.

But it looked like the past wasn't finished with her yet.

Xypheron met her gaze, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. "Looks like our game will have to wait."

Vexaria's throat tightened