Page 101 of Serpent and Shadow

They’d never let him forget, because she’d never forget it. He’d taken her kid brother out of the Sanctum Occulus, and put him directly in harm’s way.

He’d endangered his life. He’d likely be responsible for his death.

Other realities began to filter into his mind, now that he could think clearly.

In all likelihood, Malefic told Sirena to take Caelum and the kid to the dungeon together and then put on a show to terrify the kid. Malefic would want that: terrify him, traumatize him, fuck with his head. He’d want to fuck with both of their heads, by forcing Caelum to think about what the kid had seen. He’d want Caelum to understand exactly what the situation was now, and the price he’d pay for any whisper of defiance.

There was nothing he could tell the kid to explain.

He wouldn’t have tried, even if he had the words.

“You’re thinking again,” Arcturus remarked. He motioned vaguely with a hand around Caelum’s face. “I can see it. You’re thinking about something that’s upsetting you.” He paused, his eyes sharp as he seemed to be staring at something just out of Caelum’s range of sight. “What is it?” he asked. “What are you thinking about like that? Is it the woman?”

Caelum exhaled.

He reached up without thinking, and fingered the cold, metal collar around his neck.

After another few seconds of silence, he realized he wasn’t going to sleep.

Clearly, lying on his back and feigning sleep wasn’t going to work with this kid. These fucking Obeah were irritating. They could see too much.

He pulled himself up to a seated position, and leaned against the wall.

Closing his eyes, he fought to think about what he could say, if there was anything he could do to reassure the kid that wouldn’t be a full-blown lie.

“I know your sister,” he said finally.

He immediately regretted saying it.

“You do?” the kid asked eagerly. “How? Are you friends? You and Leda?”

“No,” he said.

Caelum cracked his lids at the silence this produced, and saw the kid staring at him, his mouth pursed, his eyes holding a warier look.

The kid was protective of his sister.

That probably wouldn’t bode well for him here, either.

Before he’d really thought through his reaction, Caelum scowled.

“You’ve got to learn to hide your feelings better than not at all,” he growled. He went back to closing his eyes when he saw the kid flinch. “You’ve got the advantage of being able to see things other Magicals can’t. Ordinary Magicals can’t see you at all, or read your thoughts, or manipulate you through your magic, because of what you are.”

He raised his head to glare at the kid, motioning towards his face with a hand.

“…And here you are, completely fucking wasting every element of that advantage by wearing every gods-damned thought and emotion on your face like a blaring sign.”

His scowl hardened when the kid blanched.

“Can’t you control your facial expressions at all?” Caelum barked, hating himself for how much like his father he sounded. “Don’t they teach you anything at that fucking school? Or is your entire defense supposed to be hiding underground like a rabbit?”

“You’re in pain.” The kid stared at him, like a light bulb had just gone off. “That’s why you’re being such a dick. Part of it, anyway. You’re scared, too.” He frowned. “What are you afraid of? Is it that woman who was down here? Because you’re really strong.”

The kid shivered, his lips twisted into a grimace.

“She was horrible,” he muttered. “I could see how much you hated it. It was all over your magic. Revulsion. Anger.” He shuddered again. “That stuff she said to you was really gross. I mean, she’s pretty, but I wouldn’t want her touching me, either. I’m not even sure what she was doing, other than––”

“You know,” Caelum snapped in annoyance, cutting him off. “You can notice something about someone without telling them.” At the kid’s silence, he raised his voice. “You know you’re not in a safe place, right? You’d have to be a fucking moron not to know, and your sister assures me you’re not that, or anything close to that.”