The captain — or rather, Xander, as I should probably call him from now on — released my hand and stood tall again. That air of careless arrogance returned in full force. He noticed the suspicion in my eyes and smirked at it, leaving it to dangle unanswered like bait in still water.
He brushed a hand along the table before dropping into the chair behind him, elbow resting on the armrest, legs crossed in that signature relaxed defiance. He waited for me to take the seat beside him.
I sat down slowly, caution folded into every movement. Xander chuckled, amused.
"No need to be that stiff, princess. I won't lay a finger on you, at least not until I hand you over to the King of Verelen."
Easy for him to say. Try being in my shoes, see how calm he'd be.
I forced a smile, keeping my voice polite while my words sliced with practiced precision.
"I'm already headed to Verelen. Was it really necessary to use such dirty tricks to kidnap me?"
