Leave me alone!

Xander didn't argue with her and stepped aside as she commanded.

"A few more steps back," Zelda told him and he again complied without argument, but then she recalled that with his vampire hearing, he would be able to hear everything said between both her and Alia from any distance in the roofless warehouse, so she told him to go outside where the wind was much stronger and noisier.

However, to her annoyance, this time, Xander argued. "You wish to keep your conversation secret from me?" he started with a question. "If you have no ill-wishes toward me or any intention of offending Lady Anna, you'll speak in my presence."

Zelda's face twisted in annoyance as she gritted her teeth. "I'm doing this with Alia's comfort in mind," she started. "As I said before, it's in a shaman's nature to hate vampires; she won't feel comfortable speaking in your presence."