I'm With You

Chapter Eighteen: Ximena

Chapter Sixteen: Ximena

A beat of air whooshes over my face and with a groan I bat away at the disturbance. I might not know what time it is but considering the sunlight has yet to pester me awake, I know it's far to early to do anything other than roll back over.

Another beat of air assaults my face, but this time it's followed in quick succession by claws scraping over my cheek.

I jerk fully awake and screech very un-queenly as Keir beats his mighty wings mere inches from my face.

Seeing his talons glint menacingly, I bring a hand up to feel the cheek he just barely grazed. I know it would take hardly any effort for him to reduce my face to shreds.

Seeing that I've finally awoken, Keir swoops back and perches on the baseboard of my bed. His glassy black eyes seem to spark with his agitation as he ruffles his feathers once.

Sitting up, I can't help the glare that I direct the falcon's way. I guess neither of us are morning people.

"Keir, what are you-" the words die on my tongue as I notice the piece of parchment secured safely in the little tube attached to his leg.

It all comes to me then. Of course, he's here with a message from Red. But he's never swooped in my room to deliver such a message. No matter how much pride or impatience the bird seems to have, he's always respectfully waited for me to come to him.

This is no love note he's carrying.

Thoughts of Marci and worries over the yellow-marked alfar flit through my head as I throw my covers aside and walk to the base of my bed.

I even ignore Keir snapping his beak at my fingers as I remove the message from the carrier.

I hardly have to unroll the note as it's so brief the paper hardly spans half my palm. The hurried way this was written sends a sick sense of worry for Red through me followed quickly by a spark of anger.

If any Salvion assassin touched my fiancé they will lose their fingers one by one with excruciating slowness. And when I am done with them, I'll hand them over to Red to do with as he sees fit.

Quickly scanning the contents of the letter, I feel a hand come up to clutch my throat. My heartbeat thrums under my fingertips.

X-

Meet me at the border of Vane and Levain. Salvion attack on low-born alfar you sent. I can't leave until this is settled, and you need to see. Bring Narah. Leave immediately.

~R

I don't give myself time to wonder about what his brief letter means. I don't think about who was hurt, who was killed. I don't think about what he means about my needing to see what Salvion has done to my people. The people I sent merely two days before to earn a new start.

I merely stride to my door and fling it open to meet Baxter's unflinching gaze.

It barely flits through my mind that I'm merely dressed in a silky, almost sheer nightgown Red had gifted upon me before he left a few days previous. But Baxter's gaze never once wavers from my eyes.

He seems to stand almost impossibly straighter.

"I need my lady's maid. Tell her she's to wake Captain Narah and show her this note," I hand Baxter Red's letter. "We are to leave immediately for Vane within the hour. Avilina, Captain Narah, you, and any other guards the Captain sees fit will travel with us."