Page 17 of Secrets & Curses of Crimson

"Who?"

I took a few more steps forward until I heard a third man speak behind me, and something about his voice made me look back. My mind practically ached as if something was trying to break free, but it couldn’t. The man’s black uniform stretched across his broad shoulders. Gods, he was taller than any fae I had seen. Even though I could not see his face, something about him drew me in. I could not stop watching him.

“Cassius,” the men spoke as they bowed.

This was Cassius. My eyes widened as I watched him closely. I took a hesitant step toward him. This was theman the guards insisted might come for me, so they kept guard outside my bedroom. The fae my father wanted me to stay away from, but he didn’t actually warn me against him. That darkness inside of me swarmed feverishly inside of me at the sight of him. It was happy to see him.

“Don’t fucking bow at me,” he huffed. His voice soothed me like a warm hug. I could listen to him speak all day. I couldn’t see anything about him but his dark hair. His shadows swarmed around him like an angry cloud. “Training is two hours earlier tomorrow.”

“For fuck’s sake,” they both groaned.

He laughed softly. I swallowed hard as I stared at Cassius’ back. My eyes locked in on him, hoping he would turn so I could see his face. Show me your face.

“I can’t sleep, so no one will. Not until we find...”

One of my men yanked my arm, so I couldn’t hear what he said. I glared at him. The darkness inside of me wanted me to slit his throat for interrupting what Cassius was going to say.

“There are more guards coming; we should retreat.”

I nodded and glanced over my shoulder, but the three of them were gone. My chest squeezed with emotion, but I didn’t understand why. Haden and Zade had seemed familiar, but they were Crimson soldiers. How could I possibly know them? Perhaps I met them in battlebefore. The whole way back to Cerithia, I just thought of their faces and the man with shadows. Cassius. My father had talked about him briefly at dinner, like he and Jesper would talk, but that made no sense if he was an enemy. The man who followed me made sure I saw him. Cassius was important, but I didn't know why.

“Did anything look odd to you?” one of the men had asked me. I found his question strange as we dismounted our horses when we were back in Cerithia the following night.

“Just that they didn’t have guards at the border. They aren’t expecting an attack. We got extremely close to their city. I suppose that is odd.”

The guard nodded. I watched him carefully as we were ushered to see my father almost immediately. The king stood in the throne room as we went in, but his eyes drifted to the soldier who had asked me the question. The soldier gave him a subtle nod as if to say no.

“So how was it?”

I want to hear my father’s thoughts.

Please don’t make this difficult.

“Fine, their forces are not waiting around for an attack. It’s like they don’t realize war is coming,” I said. “Are they? Or areyoudeclaring war?”

“It depends on if Cassius decides to attack before we plan to in a week's time,” my father answered without looking at me. “You must be exhausted. You are dismissed.”

It depends on what you do.

I didn’t know what he meant by that. I nodded and started to leave but paused when the guards didn’t follow.

“Are you guys coming?” I asked.

“I have to get them their wages for going with you. We’ll see you tomorrow.” My father stared at me intently.

Get the fuck out.

“Alright.”

The four guards that accompanied me stayed behind. Once I was out the door, I waited to hear them talking.

“She didn’t seem to know anything,” one of them spoke. “We even saw Cassius.”

“Interesting,” he said. “She didn’t remember him?”

Remember Cassius? I knew Cassius, and my father seemed worried about it. I slipped that nugget of information away for later.

“No.”

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