Chapter 322: Fine, I admit it! I’m a coward
Cass felt good. Really, really good, and that alarmed him.
He shouldn’t feel this good after what just happened. It was...anxiety inducing.
He still had 4, no 3 days left of this nightmare week, and he didn’t feel like he was dying. He felt good. That felt like a warning of some kind. He didn’t feel comfortable. He felt like the other shoe would drop at any moment, and he wasn’t prepared for what that would mean for him.
Cass lay in bed on his back, a Lucian on one side of him and an Edgar on the other side of him. Both men were angled towards him, with Lucian’s arm slung over Cass’ chest. He barely remembered making it to bed. After kissing Edgar, tiredness had overcome him so quickly that Lucian had to take over bathing him.
Lucian had said something about how this was similar to the first time, and Cass had mumbled some kind of complaint that made Edgar and Lucian laugh. Cass should have felt embarrassed, but he passed out almost immediately after that.
He woke up clean, refreshed, in soft pajamas with two men wrapped around him.
Edgar was snoring softly, and Lucian looked like he was chasing something in a dream. Both men seemed exhausted, the exact opposite of how Cass felt, and coming face to face with why they were exhausted made Cass’ face explode with colour.
They were exhausted because of him.
Cass slowly raised his hands and spread his fingers over his face. He took a shaky breath in, lying on his back, his heart racing in his chest. He was the reason that they both looked drained. Coming face to face with what Lucian had said to Edgar earlier was not something he appreciated. He also felt that he’d been...okay.
Cass groaned lowly. Whatever the hell that meant in this context! He remembered, or had memories of when he’d been with Lucian alone the first time. He’d been...harder to deal with, in his opinion. The second time Cass had been...reasonable. He could be reasoned with.
The follow up question was were they going to be okay to help him out for whatever came after this? He hated even having these kinds of thoughts. Why the hell was he lying in his own damn bed wondering if two men could keep up with him?
This was absurd. This was insane.
Cass just knew that if he was back in his world, his sister would be laughing at him.
That small dose of reality had him taking another deep, shaky breath to steady himself as he did a little scan of his body. He could tell from how he was feeling that it wasn’t over. How? Because the simmering heat was still in his gut. He could still feel the push and pull of magic that was above what was normal for him outside of a dungeon, and when he looked at the sleeping faces of the men next to him, he felt himself harden.
He needed to get out of the bed. For their safety, and his sanity.
Cass carefully moved Lucian’s arm off of him, trying to let the man rest as he then attempted to scoot down the bed without waking either of them. It was a painstaking process, and when he was done, he took a moment to examine them. They both seemed...peaceful. Considering what he put both of them through-
Cass cut off that line of thought and headed for the door, barefoot, and probably the colour of a tomato.
When he opened his bedroom door, he was not surprised to find Sam there. Nor was he surprised to find one of the knights he’d hired, but he was surprised to see that Byron wasn’t around. Sam looked relieved to see him and he watched as the other man scanned him from head to toe.
The knight for the day was Ser Hune, which only made this feel more awkward. She was smirking at him, a knowing look in her eyes that told Cass he’d had a constant knight by his door the whole time. A knight who had good hearing.
Cass’ face burned.
"How are you feeling, my Lord?" Sam’s soft voice asked and Cass cleared his throat.
"Better. Not fully okay, but better." Cass told him, not wanting to lie. Sam looked a little disappointed to hear that.
"Do you think that means that it’s going to resurface again?" Sam asked and Cass nodded. He had his hand on the door and he squeezed it tightly.
"Yes. It is. I think it’s quelled for now, but high or stressful emotions make it...come back. Maybe? This is still so fucking confusing." Cass muttered and Ser Hune’s expression shifted from playful teasing to sympathy.
"It’s alright, my Lord. You have us, and we’ll make sure that you survive." She said with confidence and Cass let out a chuckle.
"I appreciate that I’m at least getting out alive, Ser Hune." Cass told her and she snorted.
"Don’t get sarcastic with me. I’m trying to be sincere. Sam here was damn near worried to death. Are you okay to eat or is it not going to work again?" She asked, clearly knowing that that was the next thing Sam was going to ask. Cass made a face.
"Uh...human food isn’t really making the cut right now." Cass admitted and Sam’s eyes looked terribly upset. Ser Hune let out a grunt.
"Maybe you should go see the nursery tree. They might be able to give you some fairy food, and you might not reject it." She said thoughtfully and Cass felt his body reject that immediately.
"I’ve already hurt the three, I don’t-" Ser Hune waved a dismissive hand.
"How you hurt the tree was over several years, my Lord. Not in a day, and they knew what they were doing. This is nothing. Like watering a plant in their eyes. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work, but I think it’s something you should try. Plus, the ball is tonight. You’ll need your energy." Ser Hune said, dropping the bomb.
Tonight.
He’d been rolling around in the sheets with them long enough that the ball had snuck up on him. Cass’ gut twisted, anxiety now gnawing away at him. Ser Hune and Sam sensed an immediate change in his demeanor, but Cass pulled himself together quickly.
"Right. I was going to ask what day it was." Cass muttered, more to himself than to them. He gave himself a little shake, squeezing the door once more, before he finally stepped out into the hallway. Barefoot, not a care in the world, Cass straightened the collar on his pajamas with a soft sigh. "How are Fiona and Lady Ava? Where is Lord Ridgewood?" Cass asked, and Sam snapped from his concerned mode, to the aid of Lord Blackburn.
"Lady Fiona has been asking for you, and the others, but I told her that they were assisting you." Sam said, hesitating until Cass gave a nod of approval. That was a good way to put it. "Lady Ava is doing better. She’s still worried, and in Lady Fiona’s words ’a little weepy’ but she’s holding up. Duke Vespertine let us know that he had Lord Ridgewood in his possession, and he has agreed to anything that you would like to do. He has also agreed to show a united front against the others, since Duke Vespertine let him know what the King and the other nobles had planned." Sam’s hand clenched tightly at that.
"I see." Cass said, contemplative. Should he get Lord Ridgewood to sign something to make sure that he really, truly didn’t do something to harm them at the party? Did he have enough time to get something like that ready? "Ser Hune, can you go find Fiona and ask her to meet me by the nursery tree? I’ll attempt to get something to eat from the tree, speak to her, and then draft up a tentative agreement between Lord Ridgewood and I during the party." Cass said and Ser Hune nodded, before she glanced at the door.
"If I may, my Lord? You should let your bed friends know where you are going first. I do not think you would like it if the house exploded." Cass blinked, before he sucked in loudly at the way Ser Hune so casually called them that. Cass felt his eyes shoot wide open and even Sam had to look away from him as Ser Hune stared at him. She wasn’t teasing him either.
"A-Also, my Lord, Duke Vespertine already wrote out a contract and had him sign it. He sent it over and said you could sign it in the carriage on the way to the ball." Sam said quietly and Cass shook.
"Fine. You tell them, Ser Hune. Then go get Fiona." Cass ordered and Ser Hune nodded quickly before she opened the door to his bedroom. She gave him a soft smile as Cass hurried towards the steps.
He had energy, his body felt...not weak for the first time in a long time, and he wanted to not be anywhere near when Ser Hune woke them up. It was because he was embarrassed, and he didn’t want to face the emotions he was feeling. He was afraid of it.
So what if Cass was a coward? He was allowed to be scared of some things! He hadn’t even been scared of dying, he could be afraid of a fucking seven foot tall dragon man with a beard who had nice pecs and a talented tongue. He could also be afraid of a pretty man with big blue eyes, fangs and a habit of nipping and sucking Cass’ soul out of his body all while saying sweet words to him.
Those were scary things! Terrifying, really. Cass didn’t know how Fiona dealt with them all at the same time. Cass was feeling overwhelmed, and he’d barely had any experience in this life.
Cass stomped down the steps, glancing at Sam as he did so.
"Where’s Byron?" He asked and Sam halted for a second before he continued following after Cass.
"He went to the Duke’s estate to keep an eye on Lord Ridgewood. After he’d heard what had happened, he decided that was the best use of his body and time since we already have Lord Draken with us here." It seemed from Sam’s tense response that he didn’t fully agree.
"Did you suggest it or did he?" Cass asked carefully and watched as Sam’s lips twisted.
"I suggested it." He said and Cass blinked, before a familiar feeling settled into his gut. Ah. Someone else’s drama. He could get behind this. What a fun way to distract himself from his own issues.