Alexis was practically kicked out of the room by the short, round woman to whom he’d entrusted Sarah’s care.

The sound of the door closing on his back was like the raising of a tall wall that forcibly kept him away from her, and for a split second he almost kicked it down. Instead, and clenching his fists tight to control his own instinct, he leaned against it and took a deep breath.

With an ironic smile he couldn’t avoid admitting he was a complete mess, and not only physically. His emotions were a chaos that grew closer to madness by the minute. His mind unable to take the right course of action.

Feeling tired he allowed his eyes to close, imposing an internal silence, searching for his more rational voice.

Images of Sarah filled him immediately, memories of the different moments he’d watched her without even noticing what he was doing. Sarah smiling. Sarah angry. Sarah looking suspiciously at him. Sarah frightened. Sarah crying … He had to bite hard the interior of his mouth to be able to control the fury that immediately took over him, and in that precise moment he clearly knew what had to be done.

He’d fulfill the promise he’d made her. He’d destroy all those who had hurt her and make sure she’d be able to return to her everyday life. It was the least he could do, after having dragged her to the dark world he lived in.

In decided, quick steps, he went to the last door in the corridor. Inside, over a huge desk, rested his cell phone, exactly where he’d left it when he’d left home three weeks ago. Picking it up and pressing the number one, he waited for the small object to automatically dial the remaining numbers. The rhythmic calling sound made him press the phone against one ear as he waited someone to answer it.

“Damn, Alex!! Where tha hell have you been?” The angry tone that greeted him as soon as the intermittent sound broke off left a light smile on his lips. Because Aaran never got angry. In fact, Aaran couldn’t feel anything at all.

“Morning, Aaran.”

“What do you mean ‘morning’?! Do you have any idea of what I’ve been through these last few days? As if I hadn’t enough problems to worry about! Where have you been?” he demanded once more and Alexis took a deep breath before answering.

“Captured. Farran,” he simply convened and the brief silence that followed told him that Aaran was quickly going over all the possible implications of that statement.

“He let you go?” He went back to the calm and indifferent tone Alexis was used to hear in his voice. “Because I can hardly believe he was careless enough to let you run away after going to the trouble of capturing you … He’s in Italy, did you know? I sent a few of ours in search of clues to his real whereabouts. I thought you’d decided to hunt him down once and for all.”

“No, the hunted one was me, really,” he corrected unable to hide the auto-reprimand from his voice. “And that’s why I’m calling,” he announced and waited through another brief silence.

“Speak.”

“I’ve done something I know I shouldn’t have done. And that’s already done, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. The problem is what I’m about to do from here on.”

“Something you shouldn’t have done?” Aaran sounded doubtful. “That’s hardly like you at all …”

“Exactly. That’s why I thought I should warn you, you being who you are, and having the responsibilities you have. It’s my duty, after all. Just like it’s probably your duty to stop me.”

“Alex … I really don’t like where you’re going with this.”

Alexis smiled gently at Aaran’s severe voice. He had never used that tone with him. And then he noticed he was scratching his itching, burning cheek once again.

“I have no other choice, my King.”