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The sound of horse hooves running at a fast pace stopped any more thoughts from forming. Guardsmen were in a dead trot towards me and the woods. I smothered my flame, doubtful that they had seen me, but the Wisp still floated by me. Would they see her? No one had seemed to notice her before, so I doubted it. Cassius was hard to miss as he led them in my direction. Even in the darkness his shadows surrounded him and made it impossibly dark.
My feet froze where I was as they halted in front of me. Cassius’s horse was so large and black that it was hard to tell where he stopped and Cassius began.
“Where have you been?” He snapped with so much venom that I took a step away from him.
“Out,” I retorted. “I wasn’t aware we had a curfew.” The Wisp swirled around Cassius as if she were happy to see the smug bastard. Her color shifted in front of my eyes from dark blue to a vibrant dark green.
His face pressed into a concerned look before looking behind him.
“Is there someone out here with you?”
His eyes narrowed on me when I shook my head no. “Then what are you looking at?”
My eyes shifted from the Wisp to Cassius, and I didn’t look at her again.
When I went to walk around him his shadows wrapped me in a vice and held me in place. Using his shadows, he plucked me off the ground, setting me on his horse with him.
“Put me down,” I demanded.
Ignoring my demand, he settled me on the saddle with my back pressed to his front. His shadows held me tightly so I couldn’t jump off.
“Am I a prisoner now?”
Still, he ignored me. His arms wrapped in front of me as he grabbed the reins. The horse took off in a dead sprint for the castle. I struggled in the death grip of his shadows before giving in and relaxing, but Cassius remained tense against me. More than likely with anger. I wasn’t sure why he would be angry besides that maybe he was angry with how I talked to his friend earlier.
I refused to apologize for my behavior when he should be the one to apologize. The warmth from his chest seeped into me, and I shivered at the contrast from the cool night air. He pulled me in closer to him and wrapped me in his cloak. Night and rain and forest were all I could smell.
As we got closer to the castle, I was the one who tensed. Cassius and I were so close that I became hyper-aware of my every movement. My ass was practically in his lap. Had I ever been this close to a man before? I grew increasingly tense with every bump and jerk the horse made. If anything, he didn't seem to notice how I bounced on his lap, or he found me atrocious enough that it didn't affect him. His grip tightened around me, holding me flush against him. The position only made the friction more intense.
Cassius leaned forward enough that his lips brushed my ear so he could whisper, “You're killing me, Little Viper. Relax."
Hearing him utter that nickname had me forgetting about our bodies moving together.
“What did you just call me?”
Turning my head as far back as I could without snapping my own neck, I glared. Our mouths were almost touching as he stared at me with his angry black eyes.
“Little Viper.” Cassius’s eyes drifted slowly to my mouth.
“Why did you call me that?”
“It fits you.” He shrugged. “You carry the viper-handled dagger everywhere.” His eyes moved from my mouth to looking past me to the castle we were next to.
Little Viper is what dream Cassius calls me, not real Cassius. Maybe he did remember me from dreams. Why would he lie about it though?
“I can walk from here.” I struggled as his shadows still held me hostage. The horse stopped abruptly, and he dismounted before grabbing me and setting me on my feet. His eyes held unspoken words as he released me from his shadows, disappearing toward the castle without a glance back.
The guards parted as I stormed through the castle. That man was frustrating beyond words. How dare he manhandle me and be in a bad mood towards me.
When I got to my room, I locked the door and stared out the window to the gardens. The Wisp was there dancing around the fountains in her dark green form. I ignored her. Why was she so damn happy?
Chapter 10
The shadows moved under the crack of my door and up to my lock. It made the softest clicking noise as Cassius unlocked it. I pretended to be sleeping when he opened the door. The night had passed without dreams or visits from Cassius just as he warned me. Even in the silence of the room, his footsteps weren't heard. If I had been sleeping, I wouldn’t have noticed he walked close to my bed.
“Good morning.”
Sighing, I opened my eyes and met his golden eyes as they stared down at me. Without another word, he turned away from me and sat in the small chair near the corner watching me like I was in trouble.
