Endgame

Endgame (Pt. 2, Lucifer)

{XII:XXXIII AM}

"-As fast as you can."

The world is quiet, except for the sound of footsteps echoing off the walls and a familiar voice barking out commands. Someone is holding me against their chest, and I can hear their heartbeat.  I realize my legs dangle in the air. I am being carried in someone's arms. "Fetch me a cleaning-" The voice continues hurriedly, and I recognize their authoritative tone, his deep voice.

It's Cassius.

I do not dare to open my eyes yet. I am afraid of what I see, and the guilt that will ensue it. He wounded me. No, that isn't what happened. Vincent had never even cut me, even if he tried. Why did he do that? Why didn't he just at least wound me and escape?

That's because I shot at him.

I open my eyes to see Cassius's face staring straight ahead, the walls moved around me as we both wall down a hallway. We are alone.

"You are supposed to be dead," I blurt out, weakly tugging at his tie. As usual, Cassius is dressed in servant's attire- A traditional black and white suit.

The widening of his eyes tell me he's shocked that I even spoke. The relief that floods his face, however, warms me.

"Your Grace," Cassius gives a lopsided bow, grinning happily at me. He pushes a windowed door open, in which I realize is our Ward. "The past hour's disturbance and intruder- I apologize not being able to subdue them,"

I stare warily at the set of bandages and instruments that line the walls as Cassius sets me down on a counter.

"Do not apologize." I say, crossing my arms and raising my gaze to his pale face. I bite my lip when the older boy looked away in shame. "It was something you could not control. As a servant of the Gorgons, you should know better than to apologize so profusely," I recite the lines that were taught to me by my tutor, words each and every noble should know. "Yet..." I rub my hands over the white walls of the Ward while Cassius patiently stands at my side. He's been with me for as long as I could remember. “Do better next time.”

He bows. “May I?” He points to me.

I’m about to point out the rudeness of pointing- But I then realize he wishes to inspect my body for any damage.  Shaking my head, I say,

“He never hurt me. My body was left unharmed, Cassius.”

Cassius looks at me dubiously.

“I do not question you, master. But perhaps it is necessary-” By the time Cassius turns to reach for bandages, I interrupt him. I am both annoyed and pleased by his concern and stubbornness.

“If you do not question me, then leave me be.” I try not to snap, but exhaustion leaves the misty feeling of rage in my stomach. “I just want you to find him.”

Cassius steadies me as I jump of the counter, offering a hand which I graciously take. I feel the urge to vomit at how dizzy I feel- How long was I out?

“Find whom?” I know Cassius is smart enough to acknowledge I am talking about Vincent.

“Whoever attacked and intruded this very household..” I am careful to leave Vincent’s identity closely guarded. The cameras that line the hallways I walk past give me a sense of suspicion. It would not be too much work for Vincent to sever our power grid.

Vincent knows far too much for a being of his class. It is a thought that haunts me as I stop at the door of my quarters.

Cassius never misses a beat, and follows me like a shadow. “I’m beginning to think I may have passed out from sheer terror,” I comment light-heartedly, fitting the key into the lock. “What do you think, Cassius?”

Inside my room, the air is antiseptic. The blood stain that was once in the middle of my rug is gone without a trace. My shotgun is undoubtedly placed back in it’s hiding spot, and my bed is redone.

Everything just as it was.

“Of course, sir. He was a stranger-” Oh, how ironic. “-And anyone would have been shocked at the sight of an armed intruder entering their room at midnight. We found and disarmed rather peculiar inventions and traps after he left.”

Dust stains my fingers as I run my hands along the windowsill. It is locked. When I look outside, no severed rope dangles in the air.

“Wise words, Cassius.” Silence. I sigh and rub my eyes, feel the dark circles of restless nights. Ever since I had received a dead, branded body, I had anticipated and planned for Vincent’s visit. I never told Cassius. The next day I had disposed of the body on my own terms, ordered Cassius and his divisions to take the day off-duty.

“Sir, I will fetch you a cup of tea if needed.”

“Thank you. But I would rather you stay with me,” Heat warms my face, and I pull myself in bed. “Just sit at my bedside until I fall asleep. Only then you are dismissed.” Cassius is only a few years older than me-Yet he was suddenly my caretaker the day my parents had vanished. Suddenly the burden of ensuring my safety was placed onto his shoulders. It is wrong to trouble him in such ways...

...He is a faithful servant of mine. He must follow all of my orders.

If Cassius masks his true feelings at my order, then he is exceptional at doing so. He smiled crookedly and sits on my bedside.

“A bedtime story, Your Grace? Or have you outgrown that ritual?” He whispers. I close my eyes, and names of tales I had once been told filter into my mind. I mutter the tale that had intrigued me the most. The tale that swallowed my heart in sympathy and knowing of the hero’s fate. I sigh and turn onto my side, and Cassius pulls the sheets over my shoulders.

“The Tragedy of Doctor Faustus.”

“At once, Your Grace.”

Cassius begins to describe a foolish man who had wished for happiness and knowledge to fill his life, being bored by his usual troubles.

“His name was Dr. Faust,” He continues. “And in exchange for such luxuries, he had sold his soul to the Devil willingly. The Devil was contracted to serve him until Faust had achieved true happiness, and would take his soul after the contract was complete.”

My eyes begin to close.

“There are different versions of the story’s ending. Some say Faust’s soul was taken, and he was condemned to hell. But some say that through God’s grace he was saved for his innocence....”

Right before sleep’s black tide steals me over, I catch eye of Cassius’s dagger sheathe-

-Only to find that it is empty.