2026-11-05 12:09:02
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Chapter 15
By midnight, the estate had settled into a heavy, watchful silence. The injured men were locked away in secure holding, the courtyard had been thoroughly swept, and additional patrols now ringed the perimeter of the manor. Xena had finally retreated to her quarters, though not before issuing a blistering series of orders regarding the morning's investigation.Darian, however, had no intention of resting.He stood alone near the eastern balcony when a low, discreet chime sounded from his communication device.“Your transport is ready, Sovereign,” Bastian reported quietly through the earpiece.“I'll be there shortly.”Darian cast one last look toward the dark silhouette of the manor before slipping away through the private stone passages.Minutes later, a sleek black transport detached itself from the shadows of the estate and vanished into the night. It cut through the residential sectors before climbing steeply toward the hidden access point of Heavenly City.Bastian was waiting the m
Chapter 14
Darian's expression gave nothing away. “Then the Cross family sent them?”“I didn't say that.” She swiped through the database again. “There are other prominent households with motifs that share similar elements. Crossed blades and crowns aren't entirely unique. It could belong to another rival house trying to muddy the waters.”She stared at the screen for another moment before rising to her feet and handing the blade to a nearby guard.“Have this examined thoroughly,” she instructed. “I want high-resolution photographs, identification marks, and a full log of every scratch. Do not let anyone touch it without my direct authorization.”“Yes, Commander.” The guard took the weapon and hurried away.Xena looked out toward the entrance, her mind racing. “Whoever sent these men knew our security rotations well enough to bypass the outer sensors.”“And they were prepared for resistance,” Darian added.“Extremely prepared.” She turned back to face him. “They weren't common thugs. Their coord
Chapter 13
“Who are you?”Darian held her gaze for a beat. The question carried far more than mere curiosity. Xena was trying to reconcile the unassuming man standing before her with the soldier she had married—the man who had quietly absorbed insults, endured humiliation, and drifted through life with seemingly zero ambition. Yet, moments ago, she had watched him execute a maneuver that defied every law of physics and logic.He glanced once at the fallen assassin sprawled on the stones before meeting her eyes again.“I'm your husband.”She stared at him, her jaw tight. “Don't play with me, Darian.”“I'm not.”“You expect me to believe what I just saw was ordinary?”He gave a slight, dismissive shrug. “You were distracted by the chaos of the fight. Perhaps it looked more impressive than it was.”Xena looked past him at the massive man lying motionless several feet away, then back at Darian. “Impressive?”He said nothing.Slowly, she straightened herself, though the movement triggered a sharp, pu
Chapter 12
Darian caught the assassin's wrist just before the blade could descend. With a sharp twist, he forced the man to drop the weapon and struck him across the face, sending him tumbling backward onto the stones.Xena had zero margin to check on him. Her own attacker surged forward again, and she sidestepped the rush, driving her elbow hard into his back. As he stumbled around, she hooked his arm and pulled him completely off balance, crashing him onto the stone pathway before following up with a solid kick to his side. He didn't get back up.Two men were down now. Three remained, and their desperation was turning them reckless and aggressive.Xena wiped sweat from her forehead, her breathing ragged. Her arms ached from the heavy, repeated impacts. Darian noticed the fatigue dragging at her. He was still trying to cap his strength to the limits of an ordinary soldier, but the longer this dragged on, the harder it was to keep that restraint without letting the attackers slip past to hurt he
Chapter 11
The bushes had stayed still just a moment too long.Xena kept her eyes locked on the darkness beyond the stone wall, her muscles coiled tightly. beside her, Darian shifted his gaze between the surrounding trees and the shadowed paths, tracking every slight shift in the gloom.A shadow detached itself from behind the bushes. Another emerged from the opposite tree line. Within seconds, three more men appeared, fanning out with practiced precision until all five had surrounded them in a tight circle.They wore black attire, their faces hidden behind dark masks. Each carried a weapon, moving with a deliberate, cold discipline that instantly signaled they were no accidental trespassers.Xena’s jaw set into a hard line. Darian scanned the group, taking in their stances and the heavy steel in their hands.“Who sent you?” Darian asked.Silence was his only answer.He took a measured step forward, shielding Xena slightly. “I suggest you answer before this becomes more difficult than it needs t
Chapter 10
The courtyard was quiet beneath the fading light of evening, shadows stretching lazily across manicured lawns as the day surrendered to the estate's heavy stillness. Leaves stirred softly in the breeze, brushing against weathered stone pathways, while the distant, rhythmic footfalls of guards marked the changing of the watch near the outer walls.Xena sat beneath the old oak at the far edge of the grounds, her gaze fixed entirely on the darkening expanse of the sky.This sanctuary had belonged to her since childhood, a refuge found long before the crushing weight of leadership claimed her shoulders. Here, far removed from the stifling air of the council chambers and the endless demands of the district, she could finally let go of the burden that thousands of lives depended on her choices. In this quiet corner, she was not the commander whom soldiers feared and lords debated.She was simply Xena.A faint crunch of gravel broke the stillness behind her.She did not turn her head. Her in
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