“Cody,” I acknowledged. I had a sneaking suspicion I knew what this visit was about. “It’s good to see you again. It’s been too long. I hope you’ve been well.”
He tucked his hands into his coat pockets, and I knew he felt uncomfortable. I felt bad enough that he’d been busy with a task I’d given him, one I knew he didn’t want to do.
“How’s Kat doing?” I asked.
“She’s well.” He gave a nervous laugh. “She’s been in bed all day, complained when she thought she might have to miss school and work on Monday. I swear, she’s a workaholic. I don’t know how she keeps up with it all.”
It was a relief to hear she’d settled in at home after everything that happened. I’d found Cas texting her intermittently throughout the day, checking in on her. I knew she was worried. “I’m glad to hear that.”
James held out a manilla folder. “Thought Ah’d gi’ ye these. Let ye decide whit tae do wi’ them.”
I took it the folder. “So, this visit isn’t about the patrols? There’s been no appearances of the Varyos?”
James shook his head and the tension in my shoulders eased at that bit of good news as I opened the folder to find numerous photographs and documents on Kat. Nestled behind the photographs were countless documents, every detail that could possibly be found: who her parents were, which schools she’d attended, her job, everything. I glanced at Cody, whose eyes drifted from me, and I noted how he chewed his lip.
“Barrett told meh aboot whit happened—'at she wis attacked last night. Wisn’t sure if ye wanted us tae continue keepin’ tabs oan ‘er,” James explained before glancing at Cody.
A heavy sigh slipped from my lips. I’d instructed James to dig into Kat’s background ever since we’d found Cassie, just to be safe. Never knew when a human might be a darkling, and I wanted to be sure Kat wasn’t. I could barely believe it when James had informed me that she was seeing an immortal. She didn’t know it, was still unaware of what Cody was, but it wasn’t unusual for immortals to have relationships with mortals. I couldn’t help but wonder if it were the Gods-damned Fates at work again. If I hadn’t bumped into Cassie at the Galleria, I likely would have met her through Cody when he brought Kat into our world, if their relationship ever became serious. I wouldn’t have been able to stay away even if I’d wanted to, even if I’d erased her memories, the threads of fate carefully entangling and webbing their way into our lives, forcing us to find one another.
“Thank you for calling me last night, Lord Damien,” Cody said, an all too familiar fear creeping across his eyes.
I’d spoken with Cody after leaving Cassie and Kat at the hospital. He’d been distraught over the phone, and it had taken a lot to calm him down. I hated making the call, but he had to be made aware. He needed to know she was safe.
Guilt twisted my gut; not just because I’d given him this task, but because I’d kept it from Cassie all this time. She had enough to deal with, and I didn’t want to put any more on her shoulders, didn’t want to fill her head with doubt. I’d rather she be angry with me than be in danger. “I’m sorry I had to ask you to keep tabs on her, Cody. I truly am.”
His onyx eyes shifted back to me. Cody wasn’t a warrior, wasn’t even a fighter, never had been. He was among the civilians who attended the college we checked in on from time to time. He was only in his early twenties, a few years past the settling, when an immortal reaches their prime and stops aging, when the need to feed springs to life.
Cody gave a half smile. “To be honest, I wasn’t thrilled about it, but I understand why. I heard the darklings have been targeting Moira’s reincarnation. I just… when you told me the possibility, I couldn’t imagine her being one of them, didn’t want to think it could be true.”
I nodded, flipping through the documents. I could only imagine how uncomfortable he must’ve felt, reporting on the one who held his affection. “You swear you haven’t seen anything odd?”
“I haven’t,” Cody assured. “Her schedule is so full. I don’t know how she keeps up with it. She works a lot. College during the day, work in the afternoon, then she’s usually stuck in her room late into the night studying and completing assignments.”
I closed the file and tucked it under my arm. “Thank you, Cody. Truly.”
He dipped his head. “Of course, Lord Damien. I’m honored to help in any way I can. I’m relieved she isn’t a darkling.”
“You can stop reporting on her. When I saw the darklings attack her—” His body stiffened, and I reconsidered my words. “I think it’s safe to say she isn’t one.”
The silence stretched on for a moment, and he parted his lips as if to ask something, but stopped himself.
I raised a brow. “Speak your mind, Cody. What is it?”
“I... I’m hoping to tell her—maybe in the next few months—what I am, what we are. When things start to get… bad, will I be able to get her to safety somewhere?” Kat was mortal, and while there were relationships between mortals and immortals, they always walked a fine line before things fell into place. How things ended always hinged on how the mortal reacted when they learned of their lover’s identity. Rejections did happen, and the mess left in its wake had to be cleaned up quickly, the mortal’s memories erased. It wasn’t pretty, and I hated when it happened, hated it for the immortal who had to carry that sorrow with them.
Even more, I feared how it might affect Cassie if it didn’t go well.
“Cas and I are working on securing a safe place for Kat. I’ll let you know when we figure it out,” I assured him.
He smiled. “I can’t thank you enough, Lord Damien.”
“No. Thankyou,for helping me ensure our queen’s safety.”
36
CASSIE
Ghastly shrieks pierced my ears as my feet slammed into grass and dirt. The field erupted in chaos around me as countless darklings clashed with immortal warriors, claws and teeth meeting steel and flesh. Fire erupted in the distance as Stoicheion users on the frontlines collectively mowed down another wave of darklings threatening to descend on us, and I cringed as a flame sputtered before going out entirely. One of them had fallen.
