Chapter 174
Elowen's POV
"Cassian will beg me to court her," Raven said. His voice was so smooth. So sure. "Your daughter will be mine, and he'll help me make it happen."
"You're lying." The words burst out of me. Hot and fierce.
I felt Casper's shock through our bond. His amber eyes went wide. We both knew Cassian. He would never beg a demon to pursue our child. Never.
I looked at Casper. His face was pale. But his eyes burned with hatred as he stared at Raven. I felt something savage rising in him through our connection. Something protective and raw.
He's about to do something stupid, Juno warned in my mind.
I stepped forward. Away from Cassian's limp body on the wall. My bare feet were silent on the cold stone floor.
"Why?" Casper's voice cut through the tension. He was breathing hard. Blood still dripped from where the wall held him. "What do you get from this? What do you get from playing with people's lives?"
"You sick freak," Casper added. His voice shook with rage.
But he stayed where he was. Supporting Cassian's weight. His twin's head rested against his shoulder. I wanted to run to them. To touch them both. To make sure they were okay.
But I needed Raven's attention on me. Not on them.
Raven laughed. That sound made my skin crawl. "A beautiful and powerful mate by my side forever. I thought that was obvious."
His red eyes moved between us. Back and forth. Like he was measuring our reactions.
I threw my hands up. "Enough. I can't even... deal with you right now!"
My voice came out louder than I meant. Sharper. "Release Cassian. Right now!"
I glared at him. My heart pounded against my ribs. But I didn't look away.
"You don't get to make demands of me..." Raven started.
"I'm serious," I cut him off. My arms crossed over my chest. I knew I looked like a spoiled child. But I didn't care anymore. "Remove whatever evil hold you have on Cassian. Heal him. Now!"
My whole body trembled. Not from fear. From anger. From weeks of being pushed around. Manipulated. Lied to.
"We've been puppets in other people's games long enough," I said. The words felt good coming out. True. "This needs to stop. You need me way more than I need you. Remember that. Do what I said!"
Through our bond, I felt Casper's pride. His surprise. It made me stand taller.
"Is that so?" Raven asked. His tone was light. Amused.
"Yes," I shot back. "You need me to agree to this plan. Because you need our daughter."
I paused. Let that sink in.
"But why would we agree to any of this?" My voice dropped lower. Harder. "You haven't given me a single reason to trust you. Not even with a paper bag, let alone with my child."
Raven's smile faltered. Just for a second.
"You freak," I added. I ignored the way he pretended to look offended.
"Why would we let our child—our daughter—be chained by destiny to you?" I raised an eyebrow. Waiting.
"I'm not that bad..." Raven said. He gestured toward Cassian. "I did expose your father's schemes."
"After you killed my father!" Casper's voice rang out. Rough with pain and fury.
Raven's eyes widened. His mouth opened and closed. "Yes, yes, but that was to fulfill a deal. And I knew he wasn't really dead... dead!"
For the first time, Raven looked flustered. Panicked even.
I saw shock flash across both my mates' faces. My blood turned cold. Then hot.
"Really?" I asked. My voice was too calm. Too quiet. "But Luna Ella didn't know that when she was grieving her mate's death, did she?"
Raven's voice rose. "I went to see your Luna. I took her pain away—"
I shook my head. Hard. "What about Casper?"
I took another step forward. My fists clenched at my sides.
"When he was living through hell? When he was suffering unspeakable pain? When he thought he was responsible for his father's death?" My voice cracked. "He didn't know about your plan!"
The anger in my blood was boiling now. It pushed away the cold that Raven's presence left behind.
"I needed him to—" Raven tried.
"So you could deceive him?" I interrupted.
Through our bond, I felt Casper begging me to stop. His eyes pleaded with me. Told me not to anger the beast holding us prisoner.
But I couldn't stop. Not now.
"Just like I said," I continued. "You haven't given us any reason to trust you."
"Enough, Elowen." Casper's voice was sharp. Angry. "This isn't helping!"
But Casper couldn't see Raven's face. Couldn't see the panic there. The fear. I'd hit something. Some truth he didn't want exposed.
I had to keep going.
"I revealed your mother's deception," Raven repeated. His voice was defensive now.
I scoffed. "We already knew about that."
I shook my head again. "And from what you're saying, you were part of that deception too. Looks to me like you want to have your cake and eat it too."
"Careful, girl!" Raven's voice turned cold. Hard.
His anger showed. The dim light in the cathedral faded. Disappeared. The shadows on the walls started moving. Twisting. Like they were feeding off his rage.
The whole cathedral was bathed in an eerie glow now. My heart raced. But I didn't back down.
"I'm just stating facts," I said. My voice stayed steady. Calm.
Through our bond, I felt Casper's fear for me. His desperate wish that I would stop talking. That I would be quiet and safe.
But Raven was unraveling. I could see it. His perfect control was cracking.
"You say you helped us," I continued. "But every 'help' came with pain. With suffering. With lies."
The shadows danced faster now. Darker. They seemed to reach toward me. But I stood my ground.
"Small wonder we don't trust you," I finished.