“Bye, Cattya.”
Sol suppressed a smile as the woman scoffed and stomped back to her spot. “Interesting choice in women,” she muttered.
Cas only sighed through his nose.
The carriages came into view moments later, four of them, pulled by pairs of majestically massive horses, bigger than the ones they had traveled to Rimemere on. For a slight second, Sol missed the beasts.
“I didn’t take you to be this reckless, Princess,” Cas whispered, a gust of wind rustling his hair.
She peered up at him. “Your bad judge of character is a trend, then?”
“You shouldn't have joined this mess.” He angled himself closer, ignoring her remark. “You only made things more difficult.”
“In my defense, I didn’t know you would be a part of this.”
He huffed a harsh laugh. “Well, that makes two of us.” After a beat of silence, he straightened. “We must stick together. It’s the only way for you to survive.”
Sol bit the inside of her cheek to keep from groaning. “I can take care of myself. I’m not some helpless maiden.”
Cas gave her an exasperated look, a muscle in his jaw ticking.
“These people will kill you if given the chance.”
“Again, I can take care of myself.”
“How, exactly? You have no magic. Do you have some hidden ability you haven’t shared?”
Shrugging, Sol returned her attention to the gate and the carriages emerging through it. “Now why would I tell you such a valuable secret?”
The rattle of his chains gave away his growing impatience. “Well, weapons are banned at the Gods’ Villa. So, if that was your plan, you might as well find a new one. Only magic is allowed, which you don't have yet.”
The prospects around them feigned ignorance, suddenly examining the walls behind them, or listening intently to the pounding of hooves against cobblestone.
Cas pulled Sol to the side, his shackles clanking against each other. “We have to kill them before they have the opportunityto kill us.”
Sol glared at him. Wasthathis plan? The exact opposite of hers? She held her chin high. “I am not killing anyone, and neither are you.”
“Sol—”
“Not a single soul, Cas.” She pointed a finger at him. “I joined this to make a difference. We will not feed into the brutality.”
He narrowed his eyes. “If it's you and me in the end, then what?”
Sol stared at him for a long moment. No, she had not thought of logistics. She’d joined the Vows prior to Cas's big reveal. She had not anticipated having to—removesomeone she might not want permanently removed.
Finally, she shrugged. “I guess if that happens, we’ll see.”
His expression switched through a flutter of emotions, all too quick and subtle for Sol to fully decipher. Then, all at once, they all melted into a mask of indifference. He turned to face the carriages. “Fine.”
The carriages came to a stop in front of the castle. Fin stepped off the one in the front, his boots sending dust adrift around them. “Three prospects per carriage.” He jerked his head at them. “Move.”
Kingsmen filed out of the crimson and black carriages, each ushering the prospects forward. Finigan made to grab Sol, but Cas pulled her behind him. “Remove my shackles.”
Finigan laughed. “Not until we get to the Gods’ Villa, Xanthos.”
“No one else is shackled. It puts me at a disadvantage.”
Cas and Finigan glared at each other, neither man willing to move. Around them, the prospects filed into the transports, leaving only Sol, Cas, and another man standing protectively in front of the small boy who had torn Sol’s heart to pieces when everything was announced the day before.
