Cassandra chews on her bottom lip, which makes me hard all over again and I dig my hands in my pockets to conceal it. She looks worried, though. Like she sees something I don't about the whole thing.
"What do you want going in there, anyway?” she asks. “You have a nice place here."
The fae makes a face I can't quite read, like he holds more secrets than we could ever hope to understand. He puts the glass of wine down and walks back to the balcony, close to me. I step away and closer to Cassandra, and Oreo wakes up to follow me. He keeps his distance from the fae, with good reason.
"You say this because you've never been there. The rules are different. Someone like the Collector would never be able to hold his position like this. Neither would that vampire lord. No one cares about favors, just real power."
Cassandra shudders next to me, shooting me a cautious glance. I read her just fine. The Cursed Realm sounds like something primal, where you're either born in power, or you make your name through violence. You either eat or are eaten. I don't think I'd like it there, and I don't think Cassandra would like it too.
"What is the Rift, anyway?" Cassandra asks after the fae spends several minutes longingly staring into the distance. "I don't think I've ever seen a fog this thick."
He whirls around and cracks up. "So many funny things you say in the same sentence. The fog is just a small part of the spell. The barrier itself is pure, wild magic. So strong, it cut the ground in some spots. It reached into the very core of the Underworld." He pauses for a moment. “After you open it, we’ll have access into the Twilight Realm, and then we’ll make it home.”
The shock on Cassandra's face must be reflected on my own. I thought we were just going to cross the fog and get to the goal, so Cassandra could do what the fae wants and we'd just leave. That's the Twilight Realm? We’ll still have to travel longer with him? For how long?
"Remember, the Twilight Realm itself is a protection. Our goal is on the other side," the fae says, approaching again. I step closer to Cassandra.
"How are we going to walk across the Twilight Realm unharmed?" she breathes out, closing her hands in fists. I feel the same frustration. Things are getting harder than I thought they would be.
"We won't have to walk across." The fae winks at her, and acid boils in my stomach. That's it. I don't want her spending another second in the same room with him.
"You should rest," I blurt out, touching her elbow. "And you should eat something."
Oreo barks and I know he agrees with me. Cassandra looks down at him before she smiles. "Maybe I will. Would you mind, Mr. Prince?"
Prince. What a crappy name for a centuries-old fae. Cassandra said it's not his real name, but I would have chosen a better fake name than that. It's dull, the same way he's dull.
The fae sighs, then shrugs. "I've been craving some lunch, anyway." He then makes his way back to his desk, where he picks up a leather-bound book and offers it to Cassandra. "This is your rest activity. I want it done by tomorrow."
She arches an eyebrow as I gape in shock between the two. "It's an encyclopedia," I spit at him. "She won't get it done in time. You want her to exhaust herself to death?"
Cassandra chuckles, but it’s an empty, fragile sound. "It's alright, Tristan. This one isn't so big." She flips it to read the cover, but there's nothing on it. "What's it about?"
"The basics on working with barrier spells."
Her brows rise. "This sounds useful. Thanks, Prince."
And I'm about to tell her she doesn't need to thank him — he's clearly in this because he has his agenda, but Cassandra hooks an arm through mine and guides me out of the office, Oreo tagging along. I shoot one last threatening look at the fae. Even when he clearly has his own egoistical motives, I still think there's even more beneath the surface.
"You sure like to antagonize him," she says once we're far enough. I look down, thinking she might be scolding me, but she just smiles. "He's hiding shit from us. I don't like him either."
I nod, my chest rising with pride. "He's using you. We should run away."
She sighs, her shoulders slumping. "I wish, but he said there are loads of wards and I don't even know where we are." Cassandra raises her hand, glimpsing at the tips of her fingers, dark like ink to the first knuckle. "There's so much I don't know, and he looks like he has some answers. Every time I use my powers, my fingers get darker. This can't be good, can it?"
I shake my head, bringing her closer. "Why don't you stop it?"
Another sigh and she lets her hand drop, the bracelet around her wrist clinking. "I need to defend myself. There's no other way." And her expression is so heavy and so tired, I can't bear talking about this with her anymore.
I stop and squat, sliding an arm around her back and under her knees and bringing her up against my chest. Cassandra yelps, then chuckles when Oreo barks in surprise. Her beautiful dark eyes meet mine, making my heart skip a beat.
"For the next hour, let's pretend you have no powers. What do you want me to do?"
Cassandra grins. "I want a massage. My back's been killing me with all this standing around."
I nod at her. This I can do. "Then I'll massage any part of you you desire."
CHAPTER 12