Chapter 78 The Man With No Feelings Of His Own
Beloved. The kiss. The show of power over him.
She was no longer even trying to pretend anymore.
Isabella Montague was trying to get a rise out of him.
“All of you.” Cassian’s smile dropped, the softness he displayed when she was here was gone, replaced with the same hostility he usually bore when things didn’t go his way. “Except you, Adrian. Stay. The rest, get out of my sight.”
They did not move. Not instantly. Their eyes moved to Adrian— and it was only a second, only a flash of it before Cassian was right in front of them, his butter knife deep in a guard’s throat with his hand on the back of their head as he whispered, “I give the order here. You obey.”
The soldier— a young man, barely older than Cassian— made a wet, choking sound, his hands rising uselessly toward his throat.
Cassian pulled out the knife and held the choking man to his chest, his bloodied hands wrapping around him gently as he hushed at him softly before turning his attention to the rest, his eyes glowing red slightly, “Now.”
They did.
Adrian’s eyes stayed on Cassian who now suddenly had fangs coming out of his canines— then he dug it into the dead man’s neck and ripped out the flesh there— a pleased look flashing over his face as he let the rest of the body drop as he looked at his uncle, a small smile coming to his face. “She took my pen. I wonder why. Do you know why, Uncle?”
Adrian’s face stayed impassive as he said, “It is probably not for a good reason.”
“Mhmmmm.” Cassian had blood dripping from his chin onto his uniform— an act that he noticed and made a disgusted face as he began to walk back to his table. “I could not ask you questions about your trip with my husband because you went on a sabbatical… I’m assuming with the Queen after her return, but now, even when you return, you pay me not a single visit but her… to warn her not to wed me. One might think you are trying to protect her from me.”
Adrian had been the first to be alerted about Cassian’s… proclivities as a child by the maids.
It had been after Eldoria had returned with him. He had been so skinny. And anxious. He spent his days hiding from everyone, staying locked in his room and then one night, the scream of a maid echoed through the halls of the palace.
Adrian hurried, his instinct ready to protect the child at all cost— but it was not Cassian that seemed to have been hurt, but the maid. She stood, screaming as blood dripped from the missing fingers on her hand while Cassian sat in a corner, a faraway look on his face and blood stained over his mouth.
He had tried to alert the Queen but all she had said was, ‘Then keep him away from everyone else. Lock him in if you must.’
It had only made it worse.
“Are you?” Cassian was smiling again, his eyes crinkling. “Because I know you do not like her. I’d rather you do not. Might make me competitive.”
“During our travels, I found out that Lady Montague only cares for what she can take from others.” Adrian continued, his voice low. “She is selfish. And far more manipulative than you think. She will do anything to get what she wants, and if you are in her way, she might—”
“Kill me?” Cassian laughed. He looked different then, like a small boy to Adrian. He had grown exponentially different from what everyone expected. He had learned manners, learned how to… be somehow, making everyone else forget what he was. The danger he presented being alive. “Please, do not make it seem like it would not please you immensely if I died.”
“Cassian—”
“Do not lie.” His voice came out like a hiss, whipping through the afternoon. He looked like he’d lunge again, like he was barely restraining himself from attacking him. “You could not do it because of all your… self righteous pathetic guilt all those years ago. You have never had a thought of your own, never had a feeling that was not an extension of my mother but now when I wish for something of my own, you have… opinions?”
The words dripped out like poison from Cassian’s lips, and Adrian… Adrian felt like something in him was breaking, something he could not exactly point out, but he was an expert at hiding his expressions.
And it infuriated Cassian.
The prince’s eyes glowed red again, only for a second before he was suddenly in front of Adrian, a wide grin on his face with his sword charging at his uncle who on instinct took out his own sword and blocked it.
It only drove the fire in Cassian to burn more as he pressed his sword “Unlike you, dear Uncle, Isabella has never lied to me. She has never pretended that I was something she could stand. She finds me disgusting. She hates me, but here she is. She has found a use for me. She does not ignore me as foolishly as you have. SHE LOOKS AT ME.”
Cassian's voice rose to a near-shout, and with it came the full weight of his blade, forcing Adrian back a step, then another as attack on attack flashed at him.
Adrian parried, deflected— but did not strike back. He could end this in seconds… he did not. “That is not enough.”
“Not by your standards, I am certain,” Cassian hissed, pressing forward, his grin splitting wider, more feral. “Considering how she does not stand at my door at night listening to me scream and then walk away because Mother said so.”
“It does not mean you deserve to die, Cassian!” The words tore from Adrian’s throat as he stuck back, this time shoving his nephew down to the floor. But he did not stop. “You were a child! You had no power over the family you had then and we all made a mistake.”
Cassian’s eyes stayed wide as he stared at his uncle who had barely ever spoken more than ten words to him, talk less of yelling as he continued, “I cannot turn back time. I cannot… make everything better, but I will not let anything happen to you.”
“Adrian.” Cassian’s face had turned empty, and for a second, Adrian saw Eldoria staring back at him as he said emotionless, “What makes you think I will let you come in the way of me and my husband?”
Adrian's chest heaved. His sword was still raised, still pointed at Cassian, and for one horrible moment he did not know if he was going to lower it or drive it forward.
Cassian lay on the floor where Adrian had shoved him, blood from the dead soldier smearing across his uniform, his hair falling into his face. He did not move to rise. He did not reach for his sword, which had skittered across the marble and come to rest against the leg of the dining table.
He just stared up at his uncle with those empty, Eldoria eyes.
Then ever so slowly, he rose from the floor, his voice soft, “You will do as you have always done, Duke Valecourt. Watch. And say nothing. You did not protect me then, and I will not let you protect me, or her now. Do you understand?”
Adrian did not. But he knew the conversation was over so instead, he bowed even though it killed him to. “Yes, your highness,”