CHAPTER 91: [91] TWO STEPS FORWARD

October 7, 5:47am

Disgusting. This corner store worker has trash taste.

Xavier scowled at the energy drink in his hand, the lurid green liquid sloshing inside its plastic container. The label promised "XTREME KIWI BLAST," but delivered something closer to liquefied candy with a chemical aftertaste. Still, caffeine was caffeine, and after a sleepless night, he needed whatever he could get.

He leaned against the ferry rail, salt spray occasionally misting his face as the boat cut through the early morning waters. The sunglasses Ashley had given him—high-end Maison Crystalline with subtle pink-tinted lenses—proved their worth against the rising sun. The horizon glowed orange and pink, painting the waters between Nexus Point and the mainland in shifting colors.

Most of Class 1-D had scattered across the ferry, finding places to doze or stare zombie-like at their phones. Nobody looked happy about the 4:30 AM assembly time for their field trip to the controlled gate environment near San Francisco. Professor Valdez and Fox had been ruthlessly cheerful about it, though.

Footsteps approached from his right. He didn’t need to turn to know who it was. Ashley Martin’s perfume reached him first. She settled against the railing beside him, her shoulder almost but not quite touching his.

Xavier glanced over. Ashley wore hiking boots beneath fitted thermal leggings and a cream-colored parka. Her blonde hair was pulled into a messy bun, with stray strands framing her face in a way that looked elegant. Those unusual pink-purple eyes of hers surveyed the horizon with the same intensity she brought to everything.

They stood in comfortable silence for several minutes, watching the sunrise together. Ashley Martin was undeniably beautiful, but there was something else about her—a carefully maintained distance, a wall between herself and others that felt oddly familiar to him.

"You look like hell," Ashley finally said, not turning from the view.

Xavier snorted. "Good morning to you too."

"Those glasses look good on you, though." A hint of satisfaction colored her voice. "I have excellent taste."

"Better than whoever made this." Xavier held up his energy drink. "Tastes like someone dissolved a glow stick in sugar water."

"And yet you’re still drinking it."

"Desperate times." He took another swig and winced.

Ashley turned to face the water again. "Excited about the field trip?"

"Thrilled," Xavier deadpanned. "Nothing I love more than hiking through woods at dawn to find artificial danger. Hopefully the Primal Exhibition is more illuminating."

"Your tone might change when you find out who else will be there."

Xavier frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Dimitri Korzhakov will be in the suite. His father owns the box next to ours."

Xavier felt his face scrunch up involuntarily. "You should have mentioned that before you wasted your money on the tickets."

"Having second thoughts?"

"About spending an evening with that dickhead? Absolutely."

Ashley shrugged one shoulder. "The benefits of the suite outweigh one annoying person. Private bathroom, exclusive viewing angle, gourmet food..."

"Still." Xavier tapped his fingers against the rail. "I should pay you back for the tickets. And these." He tapped the frame of his sunglasses.

"That’s not necessary."

"I insist." He took another sip of his terrible drink. "Name your price."

Ashley turned to look at him fully, something calculating in her gaze. "Well, dealing with Dimitri, my father, and talking to Adrian is payment for the suite tickets and the benefits. As for the sunglasses..." She paused. "I do have some clothes at home that I need a second opinion on."

Xavier raised an eyebrow. "You want me to be your fashion consultant again?"

"You have good taste. Better than any of the boys here." Her eyes flicked over his outfit—dark cargo pants, charcoal thermal shirt, and a black jacket. "Simple, but it works."

"I can do that," Xavier said. "To pay you back, of course."

He hesitated, already hating the question he needed to ask. "Can Calypso come as well?"

The change in Ashley was immediate and subtle—a slight stiffening of her shoulders, a cooling in her eyes. The moment of connection between them vanished.

"Sure," she said, her voice flat. "Bring your cousin."

They lapsed into awkward silence, both staring out at the water again. Xavier mentally kicked himself. He’d been making progress with Ashley, potentially building a Soul Bond that could enhance his abilities, and he’d ruined it with one question.

Two steps forward, one step back with her.

"Do you two do everything together?" Ashley asked after a long pause.

Xavier chose his words carefully. "We’re... close. It’s complicated."

"Family often is."

"You have no idea," Xavier muttered.

Ashley pushed herself away from the railing. "Well, I should take a power nap. We still have a few hours until we reach San Francisco."

"Ashley," Xavier said before she could leave. "Thanks again. For the glasses."

She studied him for a moment. "Get some rest, Valentine. You look like you need it."

He watched her walk away, joining Margaret and Selena who had claimed a corner of the ferry’s covered seating area. As she settled in, Ashley glanced back at him once, her expression unreadable.

Xavier turned back to the water, finishing his disgusting energy drink in one long swallow. The caffeine was finally hitting his system, making his thoughts sharper but no less jumbled. Ashley Martin remained a puzzle—wealthy, beautiful, and guarded. The kind of person who noticed details others missed, who maintained careful distance while occasionally letting someone approach.

Xavier closed his eyes behind his sunglasses, letting the gentle rocking of the ferry and the sound of the waves fill his senses. He hadn’t slept all night, his body curled protectively around Calypso as she dreamed. Something about this field trip had set him on edge before it even began. A nagging feeling of wrongness he couldn’t shake.

Just paranoia, he told himself. Old habits from a previous life.

Still, as the ferry carried them toward San Francisco and whatever waited for them at the controlled gate site, Xavier couldn’t quite convince himself that everything would be fine. He’d learned long ago to trust his instincts.

And right now, they were screaming.