****
Xavier rode back quietly, retracing the path they had followed. Princess Katrina watched him with uneasy eyes, fear creeping into her expression. She thought he might be planning to abandon them or allow danger to come their way. But she was wrong. He only needed to get away from them so he could become the man they were expecting to meet.
At a nearby junction, Devine stood waiting. Xavier climbed down from the horse and handed over the reins. He stepped back, whispering a few words under his breath. A soft glow wrapped around him, and within moments, the younger Xavier was gone. In his place stood the old man they all remembered.
"I hate this body," Xavier muttered bitterly, staring at the hands that now looked wrinkled and weak. This wasn't who he truly was. He missed his real body—his strength, his youth.
