Claus

Fifty One (Cassian's POV)

"I confronted Klaus."

At Cassian's statement, the Leprechaun whirled away from the floor-length mirror to face him, her clover wreath half pinned. "What?"

Cassian leaned against the wall. "You saw the bruises."

Clíodhna bit her lip, letting her hands fall from her wreath, a pin clutched between two fingers. "I may have been imagining stabbing him in the hand since I saw them."

"So why did you just sound horrified?"

"Because you didn't include me." She turned back to the mirror and slipped the pin between the wreath of clovers and her reddish-brown hair. Cassian drummed his fingers against the wall. "Is there something else you wanted to say?" she asked.

"How long are you staying?"

"In the Frozen City or with Faryn?"

"Faryn."

Clíodhna's lips turned down. "Arlo doesn't need me. Really I can stay until I annoy her."

"You're not going with Peter?"

She shrugged, the gold on her dress rippling. "He hasn't asked. And frankly I don't think he will. I assume you have to leave."

Cassian dipped his head.

"Does Faryn know?"

"I'm about to go tell her."

"I don't have to give you the whole speech about not hurting her, do I?"

Cassian rolled his eyes. "Just because I'm a Fata doesn't mean I'm going to hurt her."

Clíodhna shook her head. "Not that. I know you wouldn't. I mean her feelings."

Cassian scoffed. "If anyone is in danger of having their feelings shattered, it's me."

"You don't think she likes you?"

"What I think is that she's afraid of me."

Smiling, the Leprechaun sat down in a frosted chair. "Perhaps and yet I think she really does care for you, even if she hasn't realized it yet. Just be patient with her."

How much patience could he afford to have when he didn't know when he'd see her again? If Faryn didn't want him, surely, he could find some way to deal with that, to move on, forget her. They'd only been in each other's lives for such a short time, it shouldn't be too difficult.

Who was he fooling? He wanted her. And he wasn't going to be satisfied until he had her.

But tomorrow he'd be back in Eiraccia, at his mother's beck and call and who knew where Faryn would find herself. Hopefully already back in Oxford. Home. Surrounded by those she'd known almost her whole life. And yet, where were they when Faryn was accused of Nick's kidnapping. It was those friends of hers who shared that video in the first place that got Faryn dragged into this mess.

How was he supposed to focus on his training when Faryn would be surrounded by traitors?

"Will you go back to Oxford with her?" he asked.

"If that's what she wishes." She hiked up the skirt of her dress, revealing a brown garter, and slid a knife between the elastic, lacy material. "But if I go to Oxford, I'll be needing a place to stay, and I hear the Etend family has money."