The Blade Wielders: The Provectus Wielder

Chapter 23: The Remnants of His Soul

"Hear me out."

Layla shakes her head. "I don't like it, Castor. Not one bit."

They are in Layla's room while she throws some essentials into a backpack for the journey to Thenla. She can only hope that they get to Nina in time. Until then, Jens reassured them that Rak has contacts in the city that can protect her from Hellstrider temporarily, but they will have to make a swift journey in order to offer them assistance. There is only so long they can allow Thenla citizens to endanger themselves for Nina's sake, and Nina would agree with that wholeheartedly.

Cas watches Layla, leaning against her door, arms folded. "It'll work. It will. We need information."

Layla brandishes a water bottle in his direction, shaking it like she would shake her index finger to scold a particularly difficult child. "Have you forgotten the part where we practically put blood, sweat and tears into locking this man away?"

"No, but - "

Layla turns away and throws a clean tank top into her backpack. "No, didn't think so. What about the part where he stabbed Lewis? Lied about Umah?" She clicks her fingers. "Oh, what about when he threatened me? That was so much fun. Or, or," Layla continues, sarcasm overflowing, but really Castor asked for this, "When he worked with the woman who emotionally and mentally abused you for weeks and my uncle for years? Who killed my parents?"

At this, Cas at least has the decency to look ashamed and a surge of success shoots through Layla. She nods firmly, believing the conversation to be over. Good. Really? Breaking Nycto March out of his cell? Saving him from execution? Definitely not one of her uncle's better ideas. She's all for solidarity between Cas and Jens, too, after everything that happened. But not like this.

Castor looks at her with those big eyes of his and bites his lip, considering something. Then... "There's something I didn't tell you."

Layla freezes. Her hands on her backpack halt. "What?"

Castor looks like he'd rather be doing anything else than talking about this. He allows his head to hit against the door with a dull thud, eyes shut. "When I visited my uncle in his cell," he begins softly, "He not only talked about the earthquake, but he mentioned Lewis' Provectus Wielder abilities. Said he could be a danger to himself and others if he didn't learn to control them." Castor opens his eyes and meets Layla's own. "I can't let that happen, Layla. I won't."

"Cas..." she sighs. Of course everything always leads back to this. Castor's crazy attempts to shield Lewis from every danger known to mankind. To stop him from suffering the same fate Castor did, a danger to himself and others because of Lani's control. "Lewis is safe."

A shudder passes through Castor at the words. "Funnily enough, those are the words I repeated to myself over and over again. The words I used to convince myself everything is going to be okay."

"And it will be!" Layla shouts, and he jumps. "Don't you see that? It'll all be alright if you just leave this alone."

Castor's eyes fall to the floor. "I can't. Don't... Don't tell me you haven't seen a change in Lewis lately. He's... Different."

Layla grabs his hands and drags him away from the door, settling them both on her bed. "We're all different, Castor. Me. You. Jens." She looks at him. "Lewis."

"This isn't that" Castor argues. "Nycto was right. What if Lewis is changing and becoming dangerous?"

"Can you hear yourself, Cas?" Layla asks incredulously. "This is Lewis. He's good. He's the best of all of us."

"Good people can fall," Castor says. "I know that better than anyone." The angry look in Castor's eyes is replaced with a faraway sadness that Layla knows he will carry with him for the rest of his life. The same sadness Jens carries.