Claus

Twenty

Faryn would get to do her convincing at dinner that night. But she still had a few hours before that endeavor would start. She frowned, staring up at the ceiling in the hall of mirrors, all of which were trimmed in gold or white gold. The oil paintings that lined the ceiling did not share a similar theme. Some were of Fae, Elves, or Fair Folk feasting in meadows, others were more serious, depicting the various Court members gathered throughout the palace. The one above her head though was dark, a sea of black fog rolling across the scene of grassy green hills. Acurials with sharply pointed ears fled from the black mass. She couldn't tell if they were Leprechauns, Clurichauns, Elves or Fae, and it unnerved her if they were the latter two, that without being able to smell them, she couldn't tell them apart.

         "You know about what Krampus did?" Cassian stood beside her. She'd smelled when he entered the hall minutes ago, but this was the first time either had acknowledged the other.

         "The previous Krampus, you mean." Not her Aurelius. She immediately hated she had thought of him as hers.

         Cassian stopped beside her, not quite close enough for his arm to brush hers on accident. "You do know then."

         She studied the painting closer. She should have realized what it depicted. The war waged by Gryla, Leppaludi, and Krampus on the Fair Folk. "Do you think that's why Aurelius's information was outdated? Because Midas must hold a grudge against his family?"

         Cassian nodded. "It would appear so." He hesitated. "I'm sorry Ziva was not here."

         "It's not your fault."

         "I—" He faced her. "I wanted to warn you that Arlo will try to sleep with you tonight after dinner."

         Faryn's brow furrowed as she tried to process that information. "And you don't think I should, I take it."

         His eyes narrowed. "Do you think you should?"

         She shrugged, though she had no intention of getting that close with Arlo. "I don't see how it would matter." She turned, planning to continue underneath the next painting, but Cassian's hand wrapped around her arm and drew her back to him. His hand was warm against her skin though goosebumps prickled over her arm.

         He took on single step forward, pressing his body into the back of hers. She could feel the hardness of his muscles even through his clothes. He would win in a fight, even without magic. As a future court member, Cassian's physical training would have been far more intense than hers.

         "Don't."

         Faryn's mouth went dry at that one word, at what sounded like a threat buried deep within it. "I thought you liked Arlo."

         "Exactly. I'd rather not have to cut off his dick." With that, he released her, but when Faryn spun around, Cassian was already walking back up the hall, his reflection caught within each mirror he passed. He didn't look back, not even when he pulled the door open.

         "Cas—"

         "I'll see you at dinner." He shut the door firmly behind him.

         Faryn slunk back, pressing a hand to her forehead. Ata, what was that? Her reflection in the mirrors looked frazzled, and she hated it, hated seeing that Cassian had left her uneasy, but she couldn't avoid the sight, not if she wished to continue looking at the paintings.

         So, she lowered her hand and squared her shoulders. Cassian Etend would pay for doing whatever the hell this was that he'd done to her.

*****