Aire almost ignored the knock entirely.

The door opened carefully.

She looked up automatically, and froze faintly.

Xander stood there holding several thick books against his chest. He lifted one of the books slightly.

"I brought these."

Aire blinked slowly. Her gaze dropped toward the books with old leather covers, fae markings, and ancient text.

Aire stared at them silently before looking back at him.

Xander stepped fully inside afterward before closing the door quietly behind him.

Unlike everyone else who just left, he did not look at her with fear.

"You went to the fae archives?" Aire asked quietly.

Xander shrugged faintly. "I mostly threatened people until they opened restricted sections for me."

Aire stared at him.

Despite herself, the smallest breath of amusement escaped her.

His shoulders relaxed slightly at the sight.

"I found anything related to abilities tied to visions, emotional surges, fae bloodlines, and unstable manifestations."

Aire’s eyes lowered slowly toward the books again.

There were many. Too many. She knew they existed, but she never dreamt of getting her hands on one of them.

"You did all this... for me?"

Xander looked genuinely confused by the question. "As I should. We terrified you without understanding your abilities."

Aire’s throat tightened unexpectedly.

Xander crossed the room slowly before stopping in front of her.

Up close, he looked exhausted too.

His eyes were darker than usual. He might not have slept properly in days.

Aire suddenly remembered how she had shut him out of the dungeon when he had just come to help.

Xander carefully held one of the books toward her.

Aire stared at it for a second before slowly standing from the bed.

The room suddenly felt strangely emotional around them.

Xander remained still while she approached him.

Aire reached for the book carefully. Their fingers brushed briefly. She felt the spark she had felt with Alaric.

The spark was faint and weak, but it was there.

Aire swallowed faintly before looking up at him again. "I’ll read them," she promised softly. "I really will. Thank you so much."

Xander’s expression shifted immediately afterward. His expression softened and deepened.

He shook his head gently.

"No," he said quietly. "We are doing this together."

Aire blinked.

Xander adjusted the remaining books in his arms before continuing.

"We’ll read them together." His voice stayed calm and steady. "Whatever understanding I gather from them, we’ll make sure it helps you."

Aire stared at him silently.

Xander looked at her carefully afterward. "You shouldn’t have had to figure all this out alone."

Aire’s eyes burned faintly at the words. She immediately looked down before he noticed.

Too late.

Xander noticed it.

His expression softened painfully. His heart beat quickened. "Aire."

She shook her head quickly once. "I’m fine."

"You’re not."

Aire tightened her grip slightly around the book in her hands. The faes were sworn enemies to the wolf, but they decide to stand with her.

Even without the prophecy, being a fae could get her killed.

Xander slowly placed the remaining books onto the nearby table afterward.

"There’s one section mentioning emotional anchoring during power surges," he explained quietly. "Another speaks about vision stabilization."

Aire looked up again immediately. "Really?" she smiled, her eyes gleaming with hope and curiosity.

"Yes."

Xander looked relieved himself when he saw the hope in her eyes.

"We’ll figure it out." He promised, with his eyes fixed on her.

Aire stared at him quietly for another second. Her lashes fluttered softly. "Why are you being so kind to me?"

Xander looked genuinely startled by it.

Aire immediately regretted asking, but the words kept coming anyway.

"Everyone else looks at me like I’m becoming something terrible." Her voice lowered slightly. "Even when they try not to."

Xander’s expression changed instantly. "Aire." He stepped closer slowly. "That’s because I know you."

Aire shook her head faintly. "You barely do."

"I know enough."

The room went quiet again.

Xander looked at her like he wanted to say more. He did. "You are not frightening to me."

Aire’s breath caught softly.

Xander continued carefully.

"You’re overwhelmed, hurt, and confused." His jaw tightened faintly afterward. "And everyone around you keeps reacting to fear instead of helping you carry any of it."

Aire looked away quickly before her expression betrayed too much.

Xander noticed the way her fingers tightened around the book.

His voice gentled further. "You don’t need to be afraid around me, or Nate, or Alaric. We’ll make this right."

Xander reached toward the table afterward before opening one of the books carefully. "Come here."

Aire hesitated slightly before moving closer beside him.

The pages were old and fragile when he opened it. One was covered in faded symbols and handwritten translations.

Xander leaned slightly closer while turning one of the pages carefully. "This section speaks about fae-born abilities reacting to emotional extremes."

Aire leaned closer unconsciously to read whatever was written there.

Their shoulders brushed lightly, and neither moved away.

Xander pointed quietly toward one line. "Power responds strongest to fear." He showed it to her, and also read it out loud.

Aire frowned slightly. "That sounds exactly like what keeps happening."

"Yes." Xanden chuckled softly.

She looked toward him immediately. "Can it be controlled?" she asked expectantly.

Xander met her gaze steadily. "It can be learned."

Aire looked back toward the pages slowly. She blinked at the possibility.

Xander quietly pulled another chair closer beside her. "Sit."

Aire obeyed this time without hesitation.

The moment she sat beside him properly, Xander relaxed slightly too. Being near her settled everything restless inside him.

He opened another page carefully, and pointed. "This one discusses grounding techniques."

Aire leaned closer again. "What’s grounding?" she questioned, having an idea but still wanting it to be clear.

"Methods to stop emotional surges before they spiral."

Aire listened carefully now.

Xander explained the page patiently, and slowly. He never once made her feel foolish for asking questions.

The room stopped feeling so cold.

At one point, Aire looked sideways toward him quietly. "You really stayed up searching for all these?"

Xander looked down at one of the pages. "I couldn’t sleep."

Aire’s chest tightened faintly. She knew why.

Xander finally looked back at her afterward. "I kept thinking about you down there."

Silence settled softly between them.

"I should have stopped it."

Aire looked at him carefully. She lowered her gaze toward the pages again.

"You spent more time being angry." She said lightly.

"I was."

"At me?"

Xander’s expression sharpened instantly. "Never at you."

The answer came too quickly to be fake.

Aire’s throat tightened faintly again.

Xander leaned back slightly afterward, studying her carefully. "You’re still afraid."

Aire let out a quiet breath. She looked at him, and Xander’s eyes softened slightly.

"I don’t want to become what they think I am."

Xander stared at her for a long second. Then very carefully, he assured her. "You won’t."

Aire looked at him again. "How do you know?"

Xander’s jaw tightened faintly before answering. He let out a soft sigh. "Monsters don’t cry over frightening people."

Aire’s eyes immediately burned again.

She looked away too quickly.

Xander pretended not to notice this time. Instead, he turned another page calmly.

"Now," he said gently, "let’s figure out why your powers react before your thoughts do."

A/N: What do writers do to earn a magic castle from readers? Please share your opinion, let me do it. (Sad tears).