Kazimir rose to his feet. “That’s all I have.”
“You’re dismissed.” Baikal waved him off and he lowered into a bow and then followed Chesh out of the room.
Berga got up and stretched, his crystal horns shining in the harsh light of the massive chandelier hanging directly over the center of the long wooden table. “I would very much appreciate being dismissed as well.”
“He has a test in the morning,” Flix informed them, grabbing his jacket from the chair before making his way toward the door. “Can we go?”
“You’re already leaving,” Baikal drawled, but then he lifted a hand.
They both grinned, bowed, and left without another word.
Alone at last, Rabbit slumped into his seat.
Baikal chuckled and placed his other hand on his shoulder, starting to knead his achy muscles as he spoke. “They’re a lot, but they’ll grow on you.”
“Like a fungus?”
Baikal paused and Rabbit laughed.
“I was joking,” he said.
“Don’t call other people the same things you call me,” Baikal told him.
Rabbit rolled his eyes. “You have serious jealousy issues.”
“Yes, I do,” he agreed. “Keep that in mind, Possessio.”
The title reminded him of everything they’d been through in the past forty-eight hours and any semblance of a good mood vanished.
“Would you like me to refrain from calling you that after all?” Baikal asked, noting his change in demeanor.
Rabbit thought it over, but he honestly wasn’t sure. He ended up shrugging noncommittally then changed the subject.
“How are you doing?” They’d spoken briefly about Void’s father, but with everything else going on, had yet to have an in-depth discussion about it or how it was affecting him. “You know I’m here for you, right?”
“You just murdered someone for the first time,” Baikal stated. “I think out of the two of us, you’re the one who needs comforting the most.”
He pursed his lips. “Is that fair?”
“You aren’t being selfish if that’s what you mean,” he replied. “And even if you were, you’re allowed to be.”
Rabbit shifted in his chair, forcing Baikal to stop giving him a massage. He tipped his head back and stared up at him, wanting to see him to get a grasp on things fully. “How so?”
“Your well-being comes first,” he told him matter-of-factly.
“Even above yours?”
“Yes,” Baikal didn’t hesitate.
“Why?”
“Because I said so,” he patted his head, “and I’m the Dominus. And because you’re due a little selfishness, Rabbit. I won’t hold it against you.”
“You were going to let Oli go.” Rabbit was still a bit surprised by that fact, but more than that, he was moved by it.
“There’s no cure for what happened to him,” Baikal said. “You saw the scans from the hospital. Even if we had brought him in, they wouldn’t have been able to return him to the person you used to know. He was dangerous.”
“I saw.” Thinking about it brought back that spark of fury Rabbit had felt in the auditorium. He’d never felt anything like that before either. Another first. Another one brought on by the man at his side. “He almost hurt you.”
