“So Boris finally passed away, eh?” the man asked.
Cassian’s digging paused, but his stoic expression never changed. “A few months back, yes. We all miss him dearly,” he said, withdrawing a key.
“What a shame. He was one of the good ones.”
Cassian clutched the key in his fist beneath the counter. “One of the good ones?”
“Of the mages. I don’t trust ‘em. Buncha weirdos,” the old man said. Cassian froze. I scowled at the man, not believing his outward hatred toward a group of people he clearly knew Cassian cared for. “You’re not one of ‘em, are you?” the old man asked.
Cassian glanced at me but said nothing.
“That isn’t any of your business,” I said, trying to help him out.
The old man ignored me. “Just give me my damn key,” he said, flapping his hand at Cassian. “I don’t want to know. It’s better you all stay quiet about that magic nonsense.”
Cassian moved to give him the key, but he hesitated. “Boris was my grandfather. I don’t appreciate you talking about mages that way.”
The old man scoffed. “So you take after him.”
“I didn’t say that,” Cassian said.
The old man raised his bushy eyebrows. “Obviously, only a mage freak would wear that prissy shit. I’d hoped this place would go to someone with some sense, but maybe someone will reunite you with your granddad soon.”
The way Cassian’s face cracked with genuine hurt made me furious. I couldn’t believe anyone would speak to someone as kind and generous as Cassian with such malice.
I stepped toward the man. “Get out,” I said. Maybe it wasn’t my place, but I couldn’t stand another second of listening to him belittle Cassian.
The man laughed. “Who are you? His boyfriend?”
“Get out. You’re not welcome here,” I repeated, taking him by the arm. “I’m an officer of the Force, and I take threats toward mages very seriously.”
“I didn’t threaten him!” the man insisted.
“Sounded like a threat to me,” I said, dragging the man toward the door as discreetly as I could, but eyes all around the busy lobby followed us until I pulled open the door and shoved him into the snow.
“Where am I supposed to sleep tonight?” the old man demanded.
“Not my problem,” I said, slamming the door. When I turned around, everyone hastily returned to whatever they had been doing before, pretending they hadn’t been watching. Everyone but Cassian.
Cassian watched me on the verge of tears, so I returned to him.
“Are you all right?” I asked.
Cassian cleared his throat before speaking. “He could freeze to death out there.”
Of course he was worried about the man. Cassian was kinder than he deserved. “Would you feel safe knowing he was sleeping here tonight?” I asked.
Cassian’s gaze fell to the key still in his hand. “I’m not—” He swallowed and looked away, returning the brass key to its drawer. “Thank you,” he breathed.
“He’ll figure something out. Plenty of people pass through without stopping for the night,” I said.
Cassian rose from his stool. “Let’s go see Griffin. Maybe he’s not too busy to chat.”
“If you need to take a minute, I’ll gladly wait,” I said.
Cassian wouldn’t look me in the eye. “I’m fine.”
I didn’t believe him.
