Chapter 11 — Inconvenient Reincarnation

Mathias:

“What do you have?” I ask Gadriel with a grim frown. I’m sure that everyone in the room can hear my teeth grinding as my rage escalates. Gabriel nods his head and reaches into his pocket, presenting me with an old, weathered page. “We were unable to find Lukan. However, we did find this in one of his houses. We had a few witches review the sheet in hopes that they’d know what it means. They all agree that the symbols on the page refer to Lazarus’ tears. The theory right now is that Lukan did, in fact, actually die. From what we gleaned, he somehow found a vial Lazarus tears and was resurrected.”

I’m stunned by the news. I had heard about Lazarus' tears, but I didn’t believe they were real. If this is the case, this changes everything, and I can see that everyone else is coming to the same realization. However, I can’t focus on that. Right now, all we can do is damage control.

“So, Lukan was resurrected by one of his minions. Why is he showing up at the college? He never showed any interest in Cassia before.”

Her head snaps up at the mention of her name. Gadriel looks at Cassia with a nod. “Well, it looks like Ms. Garron is very important to Lukan now because she has something he needs.”

Cassia’s eyes become hooded with strain as she waits for Gadriel to explain.

“You see, Lazarus tears can resuscitate you, but only for a short while. There’s a sacrifice required for Lukan if he wants to remain alive, and the only way he can do that is if Ms. Garron offers him her wings. It has to be a blood relative, and she’s the only one he has. Her life for his.” Cassia pales and gasps with horror. “W-what?” She stutters grimly.

Giving her a pitying look, Gadriel nods. “We’re going to have to place Ms. Garron under guard until we find him. Right now, he’s not as dangerous because he’s on borrowed time, but if he gets his immortality back permanently, he can cause a great deal of destruction.”

Frustrated, I turn to Mikhail and Neveah. “You two need to watch your back when you leave here. Perhaps you should stay somewhere Lukan cannot find you. I suggest you talk to Azazel.” Mikhail tightens his hand around Nevaeh’s with a grim nod.

Turning to Cassia, I rub the back of my neck and say. “I think it’s best if you stay with me.” I can tell by the obstinate look on her face that she’s about to argue, but I turn away before she can.

Rising from my seat, I face Gadriel. “I need you to monitor the school campus and her sorority house. As soon as you see a suspicious supernatural, call me.”

The men nod their heads and step out; I turn to Mikhail. “Call Azazel now and see if he has somewhere you two can stay.” Mikhail understands the reason for his dismissal and ushers Nevaeh out of the room.

Tired of being ignored, Cassia snaps up. “I’m not staying with you, Mathias. I’ll call my mom to take me home.”

Placing my palm against the door, I halt her progress and cage her between my arms. “This is serious, Cassia. You’re Lukan’s main target, and he will do anything he can to get to you.”

It’s not often that I’m taken aback by a woman. Just when I think she’s going to give in, Cassia crosses her arms in front of her chest and arches a sardonic brow. row. “Gadriel also said that I have to offer him my wings. I don’t plan on offering anything to Lukan─ever. So this conversation is absurd.”

“Cassia, you’re being ridiculous,” I explain vehemently. “Do you really think Lukan would ask for permission?”

Cassia shakes her head, but I continue. “The answer is no. He won’t. He’ll find some way to take them from you and get back his immortality. Lukan’s a known killer, Cassia. He won’t hesitate to hurt you or anyone you love to get what he wants.

Cassia shakes her head angrily. “I’m being ridiculous, Mathias? Do you really think I want to be anywhere near you after the way you treated me?”

At her words, my mouth tightens, and my jaw ticks with frustration. “Look, Cassia, I know you hate me right now, but you can’t ignore the fact that this a dangerous situation that might put your mother in danger. Do you really want your mother to be hurt because of your stubbornness? Please, let me do this for you, please.”

Her fists tighten as she looks around in hopes of finding another way. Resignation quickly replaces her anger as she weighs her options. “Fine. I’ll go, but I have to pick up some things at my house.” I breathe a sigh of relief. “Okay, I’ll take you.”

Her sorority house seems to be active at this time of night. Nevaeh goes into her room while I wait out in the car. After a few minutes, she comes out with a bag. A few girls stop her and talk before they move on. But my gaze is focused on the boy who walks up to her and wraps his arms around her. My eyes instantly begin to glow as I observe their interaction. It’s so bad that I have to grasp the steering wheel tightly to stop myself from ripping his arms from his body. I almost rushed out of the car when the boy takes out his cell phone and hands it to her. Unaware of my rage, Cassia laughs, takes the phone, and enters something into it. It has to be her number. Damn it! Once the boy is gone, she comes back to the car, sits in the front seat, and buckles up without a word.

For the rest of the drive, she ignores my presence. A small part of me feels irate that she can disregard me so easily. However, I know that this is how it’s supposed to be. I just don’t know why I hate it.

Thankfully, we make it to my apartment without any issues. I give her a tense smile as we walk in and can’t help but wonder what she thinks of my apartment. The ceilings are high with wall-to-wall windows, wooden columns, and beams, with an open concept living room and kitchen. The kitchen is a chef’s dream with a long marble island and drops downlights. The utilities are high-end stainless steel too. Without saying a word, Cassia stiffly sits down on the leather couch and begins to sort through her cell phone. She hasn’t looked at me once. She’s definitely determined to ignore me.

Not knowing what to do, I walk towards a window and stare out into the city. Feeling Cassia’s presence behind me, I close my eyes and lean on the window sill. “Maybe you should get some sleep. You can sleep in my room. I’ll take the couch.”

Cassia shakes her head. “I’m fine. You take the bed, and I’ll sleep on the couch.”

I don’t know if it’s because of how harrowing my day I’ve had, but her stubbornness sparks my irritation instantly. Moving closer, I pull her into my arms. “Look, Cassia, I know this is not a happy situation, but I wouldn’t be comfortable letting you sleep on my couch.”

Cassia pulls her arm away from mine, agitated. “No offense, Mathias, but I’d rather not sleep in your bed. To you, it might not matter, but to me, it symbolizes something. So if you don’t mind, I’ll just lay on the couch.”

Not inviting further argument, she removes her shoes and lays her head on the pillow. I want to argue but quickly tamp down the urge. It’s just not worth arguing, and maybe she’s right─sleeping in my bed might be a little too personal.

Puffing out a breath, I go into my room, grab a pillow and blanket, and step back out of the room. Cassia’s gazing blankly ahead, her eyes looking distant. Clearing my throat, I place the items over the armrest. “Here you go. If you want to change into something clean, the bathroom is over there.” I point to a closed door near the kitchen.

“There is only one shower in this apartment, and it’s in my bedroom. You’re welcome to use it.” Cassia nods her head and stiffly whispers, “Thanks.”

On my way to the bedroom, I turn several times to look at her stiff back. She looks angry and uncomfortable, which stirs something inside of me. I’m restless for the whole night. All I can think about is Cassia lying on my couch, her beautiful golden hair spread across the pillow, and her lips open with her sighs. At the thought, my body stirs with need. Shit, this is not good. She’s all I can think about. I must have fallen asleep at some point because suddenly, I’m awakened by the sound of Cassia’s cries.

Shooting up from the pillow, with sweat running down my face, I rush out of the room. Cassia is in the throes of a nightmare. Her arms are flailing as she cries out fearfully. Her chest strains against her thin camisole, and her brow is furrowed with distress.

Kneeling near the head of the couch, I shake her softly. Suddenly, she rises up, gives me a startled look, and wipes her hand over her forehead. “What do you want?” She mutters huskily.

“I heard you crying. You were having a nightmare.” Frowning, Cassia slides the sheet high on her waist and hides behind the curtain of her hair. “As you can see, I’m fine. Sorry to have bothered you.”

My jaw tightens at her response. She sounds lost and unsure. Placing my hand over hers, I caress her fingertips. “Cassia. I’m the one that’s sorry.”

Biting her luscious bottom lip, she moves her hands away from mine and places them under the blanket. “I don’t need your pity Mathias so you can save it.”

My heart stutters at her resigned words. I feel like such a bastard for putting her through this. She doesn’t deserve any of this. Yet, I can’t be what she wants, even if a part of me feels that giving her up would be a mistake. Giving her a regretful look, I swallow hard and mumble, “It’s not pity, Cassia. I saw your painting. It was very beautiful.” She laughs sardonically. “Yeah, that painting. Don’t worry, I painted that before we met.”

I take a deep breath as if searching for words. But she really doesn’t want to hear any more. “Look, Mathias, you don’t need to say anything more. I get it. You can go.” She mumbles as she dejectedly rises from the couch and moves to the window.

I’m entranced as I watch her stand near the window. The moon’s light shining through her worn camisole dress gives me a breathless glimpse of her pert breasts and firm stomach. Licking my lips, I run my gaze appraisingly across her stunning figure.

As if sensing my perusal, she turns around and faces me. She must also notice that I’m half-dressed because her beautiful eyes roam over me caressingly. Unable to resist her, I move closer and lean my arm near her head. “I’m sorry that I’m not what you expected, Cassia,” I whisper pensively.

Cassia shrugs her shoulders with a sigh of indifference. We remain that way for a few minutes before the spell is broken by Cassia. “I’m tired. I’m going back to sleep.” She mutters before she lies down on the sectional and turns her back to me. Without another word, I go back to my room and fall asleep.