"Guilty, as charged." And yet there was nothing about Xander that seemed even remotely remorseful. He tucked a wayward lock of blonde hair behind Ashley's ear and then trailed his fingertip down her smooth, warm cheek. It was his desire to ease the burden of knowledge that was currently weighing on her, and even the smallest of smiles was reward. It had been a difficult day for her. The regret he felt was for the rift caused by her family's secrets, and to a lesser extent, his own. The doors had been thrust open on a brave new world for her, and the glare of truth could often be blinding.
"I think you'll be fine," Xander agreed with a light chuckle. "I could give you the full semester course, but there would be a final exam at the end. You'll most likely be better off taking the leisure class. All of the highlights, none of the boring details." It wasn't likely that Ashley would ever need to know the full history of the Faerie realm, but he looked forward to sharing some of his favorite aspects with her. Eventually. Tonight wasn't the right time. Again, Xander let himself pick up on threads of her thoughts, and he had to grin at her assessment of his means. "Xander Kingston, Millionaire?" he echoed, even though she hadn't said it aloud. He realized he was probably courting danger by letting her know he'd read her mind, but she'd asked what else he could do, and in his experience, it was better to make that ability known as soon as possible.
His manner remained easy as she teased him about first impressions, even though something within her subconscious had begun to nudge his. Not for the first time, Xander regret that he knew what was coming before the blonde managed to work up the courage to ask him. He watched the path of her slender fingers as she smoothed his collar. Ashley Crane was a woman who dressed herself in the armor of necessity. Her tongue was barbed and her temper was hot, but beneath it all, there was a fragile innocence within her. That wasn't what had drawn him to her, but he found himself wanting to protect that part of her.
He couldn't protect her from the truth. He didn't tense as she worked up to her ultimate question, but when she rested her hand on his chest, she very well might have felt his heart speed up a few beats. There was a part of him that thought perhaps he should put some distance between them, if only to give her space to deal with the weight of his answer. Instead, he placed one hand atop hers on his chest and he wrapped his other arm more securely around her. If she needed space, he'd let her make that call.
"Yes. Your grandparents did ask a favor of me." A favor put them in his debt. Leaving this explanation for him to handle wasn't what he would consider repayment. "In the wake of what happened, your mother was not well. Your father came from a long line of warlocks who valued power over everything else. Your grandparents...feared for you. They feared what might happen to you, and they feared what you might become if you fell prey to the Crane influence." This was never supposed to be his story to tell. The set of his jaw was tight and there was a hint of sadness in his gaze, but Xander continued. "When Georgina and Vernon came to me, they asked me to bind your powers for your protection. It was never supposed to last this long. They were instructed to contact me when you reached an age they believed you would be able to cope with the truth and take control of your own abilities. I cannot tell you why they did not, but I can assure you that what I read from them that day was that you and your safety were their number one priority."
He took a short breath, but instead of weight being lifted from him now that the truth was out, his expression grew even more serious. "You should also know that they asked me to alter your memories of that time, to lessen the trauma...and to ensure that you would have no recollection of your family's heritage. If you hadn't been the foremost concern in their minds, I would not have agreed, but...they believed they were doing what was best for you. And they were willing to barter a favor with a Faerie to do so. In the end, I can only say that I believed them too."