“We won’t if you don’t want to,” I tell her, and that I will defend to the end. If she doesn’t want to go, then she won’t. If she does, I will follow her. Simple as that.
Cassandra smiles at me as if she can read my mind. Maybe she can. Sometimes I feel like I’m an open book to her. Like she just gets me.
“Grab as many books from the protected shelves as possible,” she says. “They’re our best chance.”
I do as she says, placing books into the sac until it grows heavy. Cassandra brings others with her, things on Shadow Mages and politics, magic and the kind. Things she can use to improve her abilities, to protect herself.
“Alright.” She brushes her hands down her thighs, even though the books were perfectly clean. I bet the fae had a spell for keeping them pristine. He didn’t look like the kind of person who would care to dust his belongings. “Now, the stones.”
I keep picking up books and she goes to the desk, the one that reminds me so much of the place I grew up in. I avoid looking at it. Cassandra opens and closes drawers, going through the contents with haste. Once I’m happy with the books in the sac, I turn back to the papyrus, fitting them wherever available.
Cassandra gives up on the drawers with a defeated sigh, but she doesn’t stop searching. She kneels and presses the sides of the desk and under it, I don’t know why. The sound of something breaking comes too close.
“We have to go,” I tell her. Things are getting worse behind us. If the others had managed to put every fae down, they would be here. Why aren’t they here? What stopped them?
Or who?
“I know,” she mutters, going through the drawers again and throwing their contents out. “But they have to be here…”
I rush to her. We should go, but we need these stones. They’re the entire reason we came here. I swallow hard, looking out of the door, waiting, waiting for someone to show up… Resting the sac on the ground, I pull my shoulders back. If someone comes in, I must be ready to take them on. To do anything to stop them from reaching Cassandra.
“Aha!” she cries out, and I turn to look at her. She found a fake bottom to one of the drawers and pulls it out. A smile stretches on her lips. “I’ve seen these in some casinos.”
She pulls a couple of green velvet bags from the inside, small things, but big enough to fit some stones. Cassandra opens one of them to check inside, then grins up at me and I know it’s them.
“Let’s go back,” I tell her, and she nods. Shoving the bags into her shirt, she starts out of the door. I gape for another moment as she adjusts her bra, the bags peeking out from her cleavage. My pants grow tight, and I swallow hard again. This is not the time, but I’m completely incapable of not feeling lust for her.
I follow Cassandra out of the door, hauling the sac up and behind me. The books are heavier than they look, and I’m lucky I’m a big man. Not sure any of the others would have been able to carry this.
No fae on our way, not until we meet the others. Donatello and Apollo are now back to back, fighting fae and… No. Not all of them are fae. Some look very human. They’re also fast, dodging attacks and launch their offensive. Who are these people?
Oreo barks in Cassandra’s direction in greeting and the others turn to look at us for the briefest of moments. It’s enough for the fight to become even fiercer. Magic flies out, fire and earth, and there are shots. I keep Cassandra close between my body and the wall, protected against any attack.
“Run!” Cassandra cries out, and everyone makes for the exit. Or try to.
A man stands there, a butler behind him, holding an umbrella. The man smiles to reveal sharp teeth.
CHAPTER21
CASSANDRA
The sight of Kayn standing there is what makes my blood freeze. I gasp, then swallow, and it feels like my entire body has stopped working. Sweat breaks out in the back of my neck, on my forehead, and even when I beg my body to move, to run, to attack, it does nothing.
How did he know we’d be here?
Shit. The bracelets, of course. I have to get them out. I thought that, maybe, if we were fast enough, just get in and out, he wouldn’t have time to come after me. Turns out I was wrong. Again. Surprise surprise.
“Curious place to find you,” Kayn says, stepping into the cathedral. His butler stays outside, covered in the umbrella, keeping the sun off. “So near the Rift. Was it to make it easier for me?” He grins. “So generous of you.”
I shoot a look at Donatello. His body is taut, poised for attack, eyes on Kayn, but he doesn’t move. He doesn’t look like he’s about to turn on me again, which is good. I don’t know how I would take another betrayal like that.
“I have no intentions of going with you,” I shoot back at him, curling my fingers into a fist and calling the darkness around. If it wasn’t for Donatello, maybe I could suck all the shadows in and burn Kayn to a crisp. I can’t risk killing Don, though. Not when I’m not even sure it would work.
“That’s not much of an option, is it?”
“No…” I roar at him, stepping closer. “No, nothing is ever an option with you. You killed my parents. They didn’t even have a choice.”
Kayn’s brows furrow, then his face changes. It clears in understanding, and there’s something else there… I can’t accept it’s pity. He changes his weight between his feet, a hand going to the shirt buttons on his wrist. Kayn stops, and the fight around us resumes.