Page 78 of Castian

All balls ended, and all love withered.

CASTIAN

He watched her go, her back straighter and her smile gone.

He’d wanted to make it clear he wasn’t expecting this thing between them to end. But it was obvious Oye didn’t share his thinking. He stared after her, knowing that he’d have to work hard to convince her that they weren’t going to end, ever. He had finally regained most of the things he’d hungered for when he sat in the dark, and he’d be damned if he lost them ever again and that included Oye.

He followed her but as soon as he arrived at the deck, he found his path blocked by Arwin who glared at him.

He sighed; he’d avoided the other man at breakfast, but it looked like he couldn’t do that here.

“If it isn’t the liar,” Arwin snarked, as he lurched forward. Castian quickly caught him, frowning at the smell of booze that was coming off him.

Arwin squinted up at him. “Why? Why didn’t you tell me what you were planning, huh?” He wrapped an arm around Castian shoulders as he complained. “You used me. You swooped in like an avenging little thief, and stole that.” He jerked Castian along with him, when he turned squinting as he searched the crowd, before his eyes widened, “That beautiful woman from me.”

“I shouldn’t have ever promised you a chance with her to begin with,” Castian muttered as he tried to remove the man’s arm from his person.

“How? How could you do that to me?” Arwin demanded, his voice changing, sharpening when he whispered. “Huh, Lance.”

Castian stiffened and he slowly pulled away from Arwin. The other man didn’t look away from him. He felt the edge of his staff in his hand.

“How?” Castian asked in a deathly whisper. He didn’t want to hurt his old friend, but if he had to, he would do what he must.

Taking astep forward, Arwin placed a hand onto Castians right shoulder. “You should relax. It’s not important right now how I know, but that I do," he said, giving him a soft look, he straightened abruptly pulling on his coat he turned away from him suddenly sober. “But I can tell you more later, after you’ve dealt with your brother.”

With that the mysterious male walked into the thick crowd. Castian instinct said he could trust Arwin. But for Castian it was hard to do, he hadn’t trusted many people over the last years.

Hardening his resolve, he decided to trust Arwin.

Castian picked a drink off a passing server and took a quick sip. He’d wait and watch, the sooner they acted on their plan the faster he’d be able to convince Oye that they were perfect for each other.

To that he’d get them a Happily Ever After first.

OYE

“Are you not going to dance?”

She looked away from the water that lapped against the boat below to find Raven standing beside her. The woman looked different in her dark red sweetheart gown. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes held an excited light.

She crossed her arms, leaning them onto the railing she stared at Raven for a beat, suddenly she thought ‘fuck it’. “You don’t love Tillon, you like someone else.” She turned and looked around the crowd, spotting a male who’d kept to Tabitha’s side. “That guy, right?”

Raven looked at her surprised, “H-how?”’

Oye shrugged, turning around she leaned back against the railing. “He came with Tabitha, but he’s danced with you six times since we got here. And he keeps looking your way.”

Raven looked back at Jarvix before she lowered her eyes to her feet. “I guess it’s obvious.”

Oye observed her from the corner of her eye. “How do you know it will last?”

“I don’t.” Raven said, with a small life. “But with him, I feel like I’m home.”

“Home, huh?” Oye repeated thoughtfully.

Oye had only felt home in two places, though technically it was more the places where she felt safe. She felt safe with her cousins and at the orphanage, but she’d never felt safe with someone. Even with her cousins, she felt the edge of the possibility of everything falling apart. Hell, Sabina’s marriage had fallen apart just as she’d expected to even though she’d wanted her cousin to truly have her happily ever after.

“What about you and Torick?” Raven’s voice cut into her thoughts. “You two seem to never stop touching.”

“Lust? Passion? It could all end tomorrow.” Oye hated the twinge of pains he felt in her stomach at her words. She shifted from one foot to the other feeling uncomfortable.

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