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Castian looked away from him, his expression turning pensive. When he’d been sitting in the Bowels he’d thought of his family, and he’d dreamed of when he’d discover the person behind his downfall. When the demon’s voice grew too loud he used daydreams to lull himself to sleep.
So many days he’d spent thinking of revenge. It was only now that he remembered all the friends he’d left behind.
Arwin and he were close in age and their fathers had worked well together. Because of this the two of them naturally spent a lot of time together. Exploring each other’s estates and avoiding the endless lessons they were forced to suffer through as the heirs of their families.
He’d forgotten the man who’d been like a brother to him.
“Why did your father agree to allow Raven to marry him?” He suddenly asked, remembering the times when Arwin had teased him about them eventually becoming brothers.
“My father had little choice in the matter. Tillon demanded filial rights, apparently he’d already ran through his own inheritance and for some reason he had no access to the other Napier accounts.” He shrugged, taking another sip of his drink. “You know how tricky warlock wills can be. Castro, Lance’s father, will still designated Lance as his full inheritor, and it was signed in blood. I guess he figured marrying my cousin would provide him the funds he needed.”
“He truly is a bastard,” Castian blurted.
“Indeed, he is but I would rather talk about anything else other than him. Tell me about Oye instead,” Arwin said as he cleared his throat.
Hearing the name of the woman he was struggling to not think about Castian kept his expression bland. “What about her?”
“How long do you intend to keep her around? I assume you’ll treat her like the others, and after this party go your separate ways.”
“What makes you think that?” Castian asked, giving his old friend his full attention.
“C’mon, old boy, you never stay with them after the anniversary. I know you; you use them as a shield against Tabitha after Jake warned you off all those years ago. I can’t believe you’re still so scared of him.”
“So, you think I’ll let Oye go because of this,” Castian confirmed.
Arwin gave him a short nod.
Castian carefully thought over his next words, turning his eyes to the dark liquid in his cup. Did he have any right to dictate whether Arwin pursued Oye or not. He’d already told her the two of them would never be. With the way things were going he didn’t think he had a right to keep Arwin away from her. Oye was a shade witch. She was more than capable of taking care of herself.
“I only wish to talk to her.”
“Fine, I won’t stop you. Castian acceded, hating the way his mouth turned bitter. He took a deep drink to wash it away.
Arwin patted him on the shoulder. “You’re a good sport.”
Castian had to fight everything in him from grabbing his old friends’ hand and breaking it. He turned his eyes to his brother, who’d moved to the corner with Robert and Jake. The three of them were whispering as they shot looks around the room. They clearly were still feeling jumpy after last night.
He wondered how he could use this to his advantage, maybe send a golem with the key to the underground and use that chance to enter the private library. Finishing off his drink, he felt his golem move beneath his feet and the weight of the key disappear from his pocket. Not ten minutes later, he watched as Tillon stiffened before he suddenly ran from the room alone.
Smiling cruelly, he set his cup down and walked across the room and out of a side door. Walking through the back garden he removed his disguise. His image rippled as he returned to his former appearance. His entire body faded from view as he walked through the shadows.
He reappeared on the seventh floor. Hearing someone coming down the hall, he quickly hid around the corner. Glancing around it he spotted a female servant carrying a stack of linen. She muttered to herself as she walked in his direction. Castian let the shadows reabsorb him to camouflage himself. He waited for her to pass him. Once she did, he quietly but swiftly made his way down the hall. Spotting a painting of the three wise men he stopped. His father had always had a dark sense of humor.
He waved a hand over the wall awaiting the shine of anti-magic stones but there were none. It was clear his brother didn’t see the library as important as the underground vault. This place had been left alone for so long that dust had started to coat the painting itself.
Pulling a thin piece of metal from his pocket, he pressed the tip against the star that hovered above. “Open and See.”
The star flashed a bright white light as a line sliced down the center of it. The thin white line widened until the wall behind opened and revealed itself to be a doorway. Castian walked in without looking back.
FALLEN ANGEL
CASTIAN
Once he entered he found himself surrounded by the scent of old parchment. The library hadn’t been touched in what looked like years. The walls were made of one-way glass. Not that anyone could see it from outside the mansion.
As he walked further inside the large clock that hung down in the center of the library released a loud gong sound. He lifted a hand up sharply as a blast of cold wind rushed through the large library. The sound of tinkling glass emanated around him as pieces of jeweled colored glass gathered together in front of him. They moved like a school of fish, the light bouncing off of them until they took on the shape of a man about his height.
The faceless being bowed.“Lord Napier, it has been many moons since you’ve come.”
