35.

The silence in my quarters felt suffocating, pressing down on me with the weight of my decisions. It had been a week since I sent Xander to Earth to retrieve Liam, and regret clawed at my chest like a feral beast. Every second that passed without news deepened my fears, twisting my thoughts into dark, unrelenting spirals.

What if Ace found out about Liam? What if Xander failed? What if my carefully constructed facade came crumbling down?

The ifs churned in my stomach, threatening to unnerve me completely. I couldn’t let that happen. I had already risked too much.

The doors to my quarters hissed open, and I turned sharply, my heart leaping into my throat. Ace stood in the doorway, his golden aura faintly crackling, a clear sign of his anger.

“I traced Xander,” he said, his voice low and cutting. His glowing amber eyes locked onto mine, piercing through me with unrelenting intensity.

“He’s on Earth. Care to explain why?”

My breath hitched, but I forced myself to keep my expression neutral. “Earth?” I repeated, feigning ignorance.

“Why would Xander go there?”

Ace’s lips curled into a sneer, and he stepped closer, his towering presence filling the room.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Zephyr. You know exactly why he’s there.”

“I don’t,” I said, keeping my tone calm despite the panic clawing at my insides.

“Whatever Xander is doing, it has nothing to do with me.”

Ace’s aura flared briefly, a golden burst of energy that sent a chill down my spine. “Lies,” he spat, his voice dripping with disdain.

“You sent him. Don’t deny it.”

“I didn’t send him,” I snapped, my frustration boiling over.

“Xander makes his own decisions. I don’t control him.”

Ace’s glare sharpened, his power humming dangerously in the air.

“If I find out you’ve been hiding something from me—if one hair on my brother’s head is harmed—you won’t live to see another day.” He stormed out of the room.

Before I could respond, the ship jolted violently, throwing me off balance. I stumbled, gripping the edge of the table as the lights flickered.

The air shimmered in front of me, rippling like a pond disturbed by a stone. My heart pounded as a portal crackled to life, its energy filling the room.

And then, Xander stepped through.

Relief washed over me at the sight of him, but it was short-lived. My eyes immediately locked onto the small figure in his arms. Liam.

“Liam!” I breathed, rushing forward.

The moment his feet touched the ground, Liam bolted toward me, his small arms wrapping tightly around my waist. I knelt down, holding him close, my heart breaking at the way he clung to me.

“Mom,” he whispered, his voice trembling.

“You’re safe,” I murmured, brushing a hand through his hair. “You’re safe now.”

But my relief was fleeting. The sound of heavy footsteps made my blood run cold, and I turned just in time to see Ace storming back into the room.

“What’s going on here?” he demanded, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene.

My heart raced as I pushed Liam behind me, shielding him from Ace’s view. “Nothing,” I said quickly, forcing my voice to remain steady.

Ace’s gaze shifted to Xander, his expression hardening. “Where were you?”

Xander met his gaze evenly, his face a mask of indifference. “Xalaria,” he lied without missing a beat.

Ace took a step closer, his aura flaring again. “Don’t lie to me. You were on Earth. Why?”

Xander hesitated, glancing at me briefly before answering. “I wanted to see the place she came from,” he said, his tone measured. “She’s human, after all. We can’t trust her.”

My stomach twisted at his words, but I forced myself to remain silent, knowing he was trying to protect me.

Ace studied him for a long moment, his gaze sharp and unyielding. “Is that so?”

Xander nodded. “That’s all it was.”

After what felt like an eternity, Ace finally stepped back, though the suspicion in his eyes remained. “Fine. But this isn’t over. You’ll answer for this later.”

He turned and left, the tension in the room lingering like a storm cloud.

As soon as the doors hissed shut, I rounded on Xander.

“What were you thinking?” I hissed, keeping my voice low to avoid alarming Liam. “Thank you for bringing him here amd how could you be here like this? Are you trying to get us all killed?”

Xander raised an eyebrow, his smirk infuriatingly casual. “You’re welcome, by the way. I risked my life to save your son.”

“Thanks!” I snapped, my anger bubbling over. “But, Ace is already suspicious. Do you think he won’t figure it out?”

“I handled it,” Xander said dismissively, leaning against the wall.

“You don’t understand,” I said, my voice trembling. “If Ace finds out about Liam—”

“He won’t,” Xander interrupted, his tone firm. “I won’t let him.”

His confidence did little to reassure me. I turned to Liam, crouching down to meet his frightened gaze.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” I asked gently, brushing a strand of hair from his face.

Liam nodded, though his small hands clung tightly to mine. “I was scared, Mom,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Tears pricked at my eyes, but I blinked them away, pulling him into a protective embrace. “You’re safe now,” I whispered. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

But as I held him close, I couldn’t shake the looming dread that Ace would eventually uncover the truth. For now, all I could do was protect Liam—and pray that the fragile secret I’d fought so hard to keep would remain hidden.

I stood, keeping Liam behind me, my back a solid barrier between him and the door. My mind raced. Every second Ace spent on this ship put us in greater danger.

Xander watched me, his arms crossed, his smirk long gone. "You need to calm down, Zephyr. Panicking won’t help."

"Calm down?" I hissed, my voice sharp but quiet. "Do you have any idea what Ace will do if he finds out about Liam? He won’t ask questions. He’ll destroy him—destroy us—without a second thought!"

Xander’s expression softened, his usual bravado giving way to something more genuine. “He’s not going to find out. I’ll make sure of it.”

I shook my head, barely able to process his words. “You don’t get it, Xander. You don’t understand what Ace is capable of. He sees everything as a threat, especially something he doesn’t control. Liam… he’s—”

I stopped myself, my throat tightening. I couldn’t say it aloud. I couldn’t admit to the truth that Liam’s existence was a direct challenge to Ace’s claim to power.