Page 78 of To Ashes and Dust
It would explain everything—Marcus’ irrational behavior, why he blamed me for Vivienne’s death. Guilt sank into the pit of my stomach as sorrow washed over me. How badly had he suffered all this time, alone? Over two hundred years trapped in that misery, and Eris had tried to do the same to Cassie.
Zephyr hesitated, but asked, “Do you think he was aware of it all?”
Gods, I prayed he wasn’t. I could only imagine the horrors he’d suffered if he’d been fully aware of his actions but unable to do anything about it. We still didn’t know the extent of the things he’d done, if he’d had a hand in the disappearances, how long he’d worked side by side with his mate’s murderers. Had Eris done it intentionally? Was this just another one of her games, like she used to play on mortals? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. The goddess rarely seemed rational.
“He... thanked Cas when she killed him. She only just told me after Eris attacked her.” I hated that she’d kept that information to herself, but she’d likely felt guilty, probably tried to save me from that painful knowledge.
“Fuck,” Zephyr breathed, running his hand over his face.
Would Eris return? Would she target Cassie again?
“You don’t think...” I feared I knew what Zephyr was going to ask next. “You don’t think Cole might also be...”
I couldn’t let myself give into the hope that Cole hadn’t betrayed us of his own volition, that he hadn’t truly helped Marcus. I pushed off the wall, leaving him without a response. We still weren’t entirely sure how long Cole had been working with Marcus. Whether or not the possibility of corruption, the Cole we’d interrogated didn’t feel like the Cole I knew. The Cole I’d seen in Cassie’s memories hadn’t either. Or… did I ever truly know him at all?
“How is she looking?” I asked as I approached Johnson.
“I don’t think she broke anything, thankfully. No signs of a concussion.” Johnson glanced back at Cassie. “You’re lucky, I’ll give you that.”
She forced a weak smile, but her eyes slid away from him. I wondered just how badly she was affected by all this, could only imagine what was really going on in her head. Her frantic heartbeat reached my ears, and I had to shut it out.Fuck. I couldn’t fight the heightened senses, the instincts pushing to the surface, and that meant one thing: I’d crossed into dangerous territory. I couldn’t deny Zephyr was right. I wasn’t good, and it was a struggle to remain firm on my own two feet.
Johnson returned to his desk and set his folder aside. Cassie glanced at me, her delicate eyebrows scrunching. I suddenly became very aware of her, of her breathing, her scent, the pumping of her blood. My fangs throbbed, slipping free, and I clamped my mouth shut. No, not now. She’d been injured, could still harbor wounds we weren’t aware of. The last thing she needed was for me to feed from her.
She slid off the bed, head tilting as her eyes danced across my face. “Mea sol?”
I forced a closed lipped smile. “You ready to go home?”
She nodded, and I could see the hesitation in her eyes. I took her hand before turning for the nearest dark corner.
“Damien,” Zephyr started.
I glanced back at him, and the look he gave me irritated me to no end. “I’m fine, Zephyr.”
His eyes wavered before drifting to Cassie. “Just try to get some rest, Cas. We’ll skip training tomorrow and Thalia will work with you on Sunday and Monday.”
“Actually, I’m going to visit my mom on Monday. I completely forgot to tell you.”
She hadn’t told me she was going to see her mom, but I was relieved she would be visiting her family. She’d been so busy with training, she’d had little time to visit with her parents. I didn’t want her to miss out on them or her old life simply because of us.
“That works for me,” Zephyr responded with a shrug.
“I’ll see you on patrol tomorrow night,” she added.
I stiffened. “Cas, I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“I actually feel really good, for the first time in a while. Honest,mea sol.” Her smile warmed my heart, and I pressed a kiss to her forehead before I drew from the dark void inside me. The shadows shifted from the corner toward us. They twitched and nearly receded back, but I pulled harder, and they gave in, rising around us.
29
CASSIE
Cold air whirled around us, my curls dancing over my shoulders. Then, the dark mist dispersed, revealing our dimly lit room. Damien’s body sagged as the shadows receded, and I grasped his arm, helping to stabilize him.
“Damien?”
He braced himself against the dresser, and when he turned his face to me, I saw them, just beneath his parted lips. The low light of the lamp reflected off the glimpse of his exposed fangs. My breath hitched, heart skipping a beat at the sight of them. He needed to feed. I’d noticed that he’d seemed off at The Complex, and the way Zephyr acted before we left had me suspicious.
Taking me to Selene’s realm without the Propylaea must have taken a heavier toll than I imagined. His olive skin had paled a bit, pupils expanding and contracting in the low light with each movement, the crystalline veins almost glowing in his irises.
