Page 104 of Lady of Starfire

Cassius wasn’t here now, though. Neither were Sorin or Scarlett or Rayner. One of them was always here. Now they weren’t even in the sitting room. He was completely alone. At first he had been relieved, but now… Alone meant his thoughts went places he knew they shouldn’t.

Setting the glass aside, he slipped on boots and headed out of the room. Pausing, he looked at Cassius’s door for a moment. He toyed with the idea of checking to see if he was in there, but he was obviously doing something important. He didn’t need to bother him.

Cyrus made his way down the various halls and stairwells until he found himself outside a decent-sized den, much like their own back in Solembra. There were two billiard tables off to one side, and with nothing better to do, he grabbed a cue and racked the balls.

He was sinking the last two balls when he heard footsteps approaching. He didn’t need to look up to know who was leaning in the doorway across the room.

“What?” Cyrus said, setting his cue aside and beginning to collect the balls from the pockets of the table.

“I’ve been looking for you,” Cass replied.

“For what?”

“You left your rooms.”

“Glad to see all that assassin training made you such a keen observer,” Cyrus replied, rolling a few more balls down the green felt.

“I did not mean to be gone when you woke.”

“As I have repeatedly told all of you busybodies, I do not need to be watched,” he replied, gathering the balls to rack them.

“Are you going to look at me? Or just speak to the table?”

Cyrus stilled, breathing suddenly difficult. He raised his eyes, connecting with two glowing amber-red ones, pupils vertical slits.

“Why are your eyes shifted?” he asked quietly.

“I was flying,” Cass answered, moving into the room. “With Razik back, I wanted to get in some training in the sky before he leaves again.”

“Is he leaving again?”

Cassius swiped up the rack that was set off to the side and began placing the various balls inside it. “He hasn’t said anything, but with Eliza across the sea, I’m sure he will.”

Right. Because Eliza was Razik’s Source. Cyrus hadn’t been able to ask if Cassius had taken one. That had been his plan before he’d gone to the Southern Islands. Not that it really mattered anymore. He’d need a Source before they went to fight.

Cassius finished racking the balls in silence, then held the cue out to Cyrus. He took it, watching while Cass went to grab another.

“Where is everyone else?” Cyrus asked.

“Scarlett and Sorin have been gone for quite some time. Rayner is trying to track them down.”

“We don’t know where they are?”

Cassius shrugged, but Cyrus could see the tension in his limbs he was trying to downplay. “They’ll turn up. She always does,” Cassius muttered. He gestured to the balls on the table. “You break. We’ll clean it up together.”

Cyrus held his stare for a brief moment before he pushed past him and lined up his shot. The crack of the balls was loud in the silence that had engulfed them. Neither of them spoke through the first game or the second. Razik appeared in the middle of the third. It was the first Cyrus had seen any of the Avonleyan since returning.

“How’s Eliza?” Cyrus asked when the dragon shifter stalked into the room.

“Infuriating,” Razik grumbled, crossing his arms and watching Cassius take his shot.

Cyrus snickered. “Is that all? She’s infuriating on a good day.” He watched as Cassius sank ball after ball. “When is she coming back?”

He saw Cass glance at Razik, his lips pressing into a thin line, before he went back to lining up his next shot.

“She is likely not,” Razik answered tightly. “You will meet up with her across the sea at some point I assume.”

“And after this is said and done?” Cyrus asked while Cassius proceeded to clear the table. Gods, he swore billiards was part of their training at the Fellowship. Cass and Scarlett always won. So much so, the others didn’t allow them to be on the same team anymore.

---