The Academy - Book III

Chapter Forty Five

Chapter Forty Five

Silver Lights District - Ward Residence

*This chapter is dedicated to TaureanDelight!  Thank you so much for giving me your honest opinion about this chapter!  If it weren't for your words of encouragement I would have deleted this whole chapter.*

Sebastian glanced at Xara from the corner of his eye to see that she had once again stopped reading and was staring at the wall.  He placed the charcoal drawing he'd been working on the floor and stood up with a perplexed frown.

"Shilling for your thought," smiled Sebastian as he sat down next to her on her bed.

Xara shook her head as she picked at a frayed thread on her the burgundy and gold bedspread.  Xara forced a smile, "I'm not thinking of anything."

"Really," asked Sebastian skeptically.  He pointed toward her hand, "From the way you are picking at your comforter, I'm going to go out on a limb and say there's something wrong."

Xara stared down at her bedspread and gasped when she saw the snags she'd created while she'd picked at her covers.  "Oh no," Xara immediately stopped and smoothed her hand over the ruined fabric.  "Kaelen just gave this to me a few days ago."

Sebastian stared at the rare vicuna wool bedding and frowned, "Why would he give you something so expensive to sleep under."

"According to Bethany he gives me such things," Xara hand swept toward all the expensive things Kaelen had given her over the past few weeks since Ruby had moved in, "because I am doing a good job."

"Really," frowned Sebastian as he hopped off the bed. Slowly he walked over to stare at a leather bound book that sat within a crystal container.  "So he gave you this book because you are doing a good job."

Xara missed the note of sarcasm in Sebastian's voice as he admired the book, "That book is a work of art. It is a handcrafted book made by Omash monks."  Xara unfolded her legs from beneath her and walked over to stare down at the tan rawhide book.  She traced the gold psi symbol on the book with a small smile.  "It took eight monks twenty years to inscribe the words and drawings in this book."

“Can you even read it,” mumbled Sebastian.  When Xara continued to admire and trace the symbol through the crystal he shook his head and moved over to her armoire, "If you are doing such a good job where are your silks, satins and jewels."

Xara turned and stared at her modest wardrobe and empty jewelry box, "Kaelen hasn't given me any of those things.  I think it’s because he’s afraid I'd use them as collateral to get away from him."

"And you can't use that book," asked Sebastian skeptical. "Maybe he's not giving you those things because he's too busy showering them on that fiancé of his."

"I wouldn't know and I really don't care," replied Xara with a shrug.  "She will be his wife soon and I-."

Sebastian sighed in frustration, "Why didn't I see what was happening."  At Xara's confused look he continued angrily, "If I would have been paying more attention instead of gallivanting around the universe killing people in the name of the resistance I would have saw what they were doing to you."

Xara shook her head, "Sebastian I'm your older cousin.  I should be looking after you."  Xara smiled, “And plus there wasn’t anything you could really do, we were both in situations that we couldn’t easily escape.”

Sebastian knocked away the hand Xara had brought up to place on his shoulder, "Stop always being so damn forgiving."  Sebastian screamed his frustration as walked around Xara and went back to the picture he was drawing.  "It's just like when you saw Mark or Dion! Whatever he wants to be called!  You forgave him for all the horrible things he'd done!"