Late Night Talks (1)

We stayed in town for a few weeks as my father restored order.

There were some things I needed to take care of, but the fact was that I was still exhausted from what had occurred in that cave, and I still needed time to recover.

"Mr. Wolf." I began while we were sitting around a table. "I want you to stay in this town and keep an eye on that cave."

"Of course, master. What should I do if someone does come near the cave?" He asked after a moment

"Kill them, and make sure they are never discovered." I paused before adding, "There is only one person you can't kill, and that's the heir of House Whiteguard. Also, keep an ear to the ground and let me know if you hear anyone mention anything about dark magic."

Watching Mr. Wolf nod, I turned toward Axton and Lucia.

"I hope my father didn't give you too much trouble while I was gone."

"He did try to order us around, but once we told him that you are the one paying us, he gave up and left us alone." Axton replied for both of them.

"Good. Don't worry. My father shouldn't bother us anymore." I calmly stated and nearly drooled when the staff started to bring out the food.

We all ate and laughed for the rest of the night.

Later that night, as I was getting ready to sleep, I heard a soft knock at my door.

"Enter." I softly said

My heart skipped a beat when I saw Cas enter, but when I saw her worried face, I instantly became alert.

"What's wrong, Cas?" I asked, sitting up in bed

"That's my question to you, Ci." She said as she closed the door, "Ever since you left that cave, you've been different. What happened in that cave? The truth, not what you told everyone else." She demanded

Damn, I thought, she is perceptive. When I left the cave, I told everyone that I had consumed the mythic seed and spent the last two weeks in a coma-like state as my body processed the seed. I had everyone fooled, or at least I thought I did.

"Keke. You are too smart, Cas, which is one of the reasons why I love you." I calmly stated as I patted the bed next to me.

Watching her turn ridged and seeing her ears twitch was the best thing in the world for me, and I couldn't help but laugh.

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(Callista's POV)

"….Why I love you."

When she heard those words come from his lips, she froze and couldn't think of anything else, and then when she heard him laughing, she lowered her head in embarrassment and slowly walked over to sit down next to him.

She was confused and worried that whatever happened in that cave affected him more than he told anyone.

"Things are becoming more complicated than they already were." CI said after a moment

"What do you mean?" She asked

"Someone knew I would be in that cave, and I was given a power that was not mine." He said as he lay down

"Given a power?" She asked as she also lay down

"I feel as though I am a puppet being pulled by the strings," He said, ignoring her question.

Confusion filled her mind as she wondered what happened in that cave, but one thing was clear to her, her Ci was lost. Whatever happened in that cave affected him so much that when she looked at him, she could see the slight trembling in his eyes. He was scared!

Without thinking or caring about the consequences, she grabbed him and hugged him tightly. After a moment, she felt him put his arms around her, and she could feel his whole body trembling.

"It's okay." She softly whispered into his ear, "It's simple. Cut the strings and free yourself if you feel you are a puppet." She added after a moment

"What if it's the gods that hold the string? Came the muffled question from her chest

"Then, ill help you cut it." Was her simple answer

After a moment, the boy in her arms stopped shaking and looked at her with red eyes.

"Such a simple answer from someone so smart." He said with a sad smile, "You would be willing to go against the gods and fate just to help me" He asked

"If it means standing beside you, then yes." She answered

"What if I'm branded as the biggest villain or even the next demon king?" He asked

"It's rumored that the demon king has multiple lovers. I'm okay with that if it means I get to be with you." She calmly replied as if she was talking about the weather

The look on his face when she said that brought her great joy, and when he smiled, her heart melted, and when his eyes stopped wavering and became firm once more, she breathed a sigh of relief. This was her Ci, and he was back once again.

After a moment, she watched as his eyes turned cold once more, and he looked at the door.

"What about you, Liz?" He asked toward the door

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(Elizabeth's POV)

Liz was worried about Ciaran after the events in the cave. Ever since he had left the cave, he had been acting differently. It seemed whatever happened there caused him to lose faith in himself, and tonight she would talk to him about it. After everyone went to their rooms, she waited an hour before creeping her way to his room.

Only stopping when she saw Callista entering first.

This bitch! She thought to herself as she silently opened the door just a crack to get a peak of what was happening in there…..

"What about you, Liz?" Ciaran asked as he looked at her

After listening to everything they had talked about, Liz was shocked, and when he called her out, she nearly died of fright.

After recollecting herself, she entered the room and saw Ciaran and Callista sitting next. Seeing their affection for each other tore her apart, but she needed to steel herself for what was to come.

"So, this is the true path you wished to walk?" She asked, looking him in the eyes.