“You killed him!” someone screamed behind her, and Thalia twisted just as two other figures appeared in the doorway of the house.
Thalia managed to scramble out of the way as Francesca stumbled into the home, Julian at her heels.
Cassius said nothing as he withdrew the stake, his gaze harsh. Tears ran down Francesca’s cheeks, but she faltered as Cassius faced her, his features holding nothing but lethal rage.
“How long?” Cassius got out.
Francesca swallowed, paling, but she said nothing.
“Don’t make me ask again,” Cassius snarled.
Julian came up to Francesca’s side. “Near two weeks.”
Cassius let out a dark chuckle, one Thalia had never heard before. “Do you know what you risked? What you allowed by keeping him alive?”
“We were hoping to find a cure.” Francesca’s voice trembled.
“Theprince,” Julian spat, disgust evident in his tone, “is taking too long.”
Cassius’s eyes darkened as he stepped near them, his face an unbreakable mask of granite. Francesca shook and Julian stiffened, but Cassius brushed past them. Thalia was still sprawled on the ground, and Cassius sank onto his heels at her side.
“Did he bite you?” Again there was that lethal voice.
Thalia shook her head no.
Cassius stood, turning his back to the two Vampyrs. “What you have done is treason. You have endangered the life of not only the prince’s bride—and through her risked the treaty with the humans— but also you have put every single Vampyr in this city at risk. Get out of here. And if you ever step foot in Vaccarium again, your lives will be forfeit.”
Chapter Fifteen
Cassius pulled her into their bathing chamber.
He shut the door, his back to her, dirty fingers splayed out against the surface. Blood crusted under his nails.
Thalia didn’t want to look in the mirror to see how she fared.
Cassius jerked his chin to the tub, an indication for her to sit. She did as he asked.
He grabbed a rag, wetting it before coming before her. He knelt, his face harsh, and took her hands in his. Thalia swallowed as he began to clean the blood and dirt from her fingers.
“What was that thing?” Thalia croaked, breaking the silence that’d fallen. Cassius didn’t look up, swiping the rag over her palms. “Cassius?”
Maybe it was the slight plea in her tone that had his gaze meeting hers. “A sick Vampyr.”
Thalia stared at him. “What do you mean, sick?”
“Vampyrs get sick just as humans do.”
Thalia couldn’t interpret his words. “That doesn’t make sense. That—that thing was insane.”
Cassius shook his head, his dark hair sliding with the movement. He broke her gaze, his attention returning to her hands. He began to dig out the slivers of splinters from her flesh as he said quietly but not weakly, “There’s a sickness that’s been spreading. But we’ve kept it contained.”
“Have you?” She hissed in pain as he dug out a particularly large sliver.
Cassius paused his ministrations, and Thalia glanced at him. “The sickness spreads easily amongst our kind. Which is why those who are found sick are removed from society until they are better. This sickness is not one that concerns you.”
“It should concern me considering that thing nearly killed me!”
He didn’t answer, just wrapped a strip of bandage around her palms, quickly and efficiently.
