Chapter 19 Cas
CAS
Isaw Silver dressed in the form-fitting black getup most protectors favored. I saw her in a pretty dress the day of her ceremony. My personal favorite was the outfit she walked out of her bathroom wearing Thursday morning, hands down.
“What?” she grumbled defensively, looking down at herself when I stared a bit too long.
She wore gray leggings and a long tunic, with a big knit scarf rolled around her throat. Casual, comfortable, she managed a degree of elegance that shouldn’t be permitted in what could be construed as socially acceptable nightwear.
“We’re going to travel most of the day, I might as well be comfy. Besides, we’re supposed to look like regular tourists.”
“I was not complaining,” I pointed out. “Sit. I made waffles.”
“You know no one’s actually making you cook breakfast for me every day,” she grumbled, nonetheless taking the seat in front of the plate I set up on her breakfast bar.
“I’m doing myself a favor. You’re considerably easier to deal with when you’re well fed and caffeinated. Drink.”
She did as she was told. After a sip, she noted, “Blood again.”
“Ichor,” I corrected.
“That’s only slightly less creepy.” She drank it all the same.
In truth, I was glad she made no real attempt to keep me out.
I’d woken up far earlier than planned which meant that I had to fill my time, and I was getting used to my little routine.
I got up, went for a jog, a shower, annoyed Silver.
Headed to work, annoyed Silver some more.
Dinner out, either at my chatty new neighbor’s, or with Silver’s circle of friends in order to annoy her some more.
Then I tried to fall asleep, and ended up tossing a ball to the snake who seemed to enjoy playing catch until it was time to repeat the whole process.
I was ideally placed to fulfil my directives, and if I had to admit it to myself, I was having a decent enough time here. Certainly better than on Olympus, surrounded by foes, traps and threats.
I only had one friend in the immortal land of the gods, and it was for her sake that I couldn’t show my hand yet.
The fates had been clear. So long as I remained here, there would come a time when I’d be able to act.
I had to trust that the three meddlers knew what they were talking about, though I couldn’t see how the balance of power could change in Olympus in mere years.
Everything had been the same for the hundred and twenty-odd years where it had been my home.
What was going to happen in Highvale that might affect that?
And how were we supposed to enter a completely different age soon, in just weeks, months?
I had many questions that only time had the answer to. Meanwhile, my job was to remain and ensure one small, irrelevant woman remained alive.
Silver ate in silence, before clearing her throat. "I have something for you.”
I watched her hop off the stool and return with a flat white box, intrigued and somehow taken aback.
My mind tried to remember the last time I was given a present. I could only remember one.
People across the mortal worlds no longer worshipped the gods as they used to—not even in places like Highvale.
Our temples were taken care of, priestesses ensured they were clean and filled with songs, love, and energy in order to avoid pissing off immortal tossers who had historically destroyed entire civilizations after being slightly neglected.
They left flowers, oats, the occasional bloody steak at our altars, but not presents.
I could remember a time when lavish offerings were sacrificed to the gods; but they’d worshipped another version of me. My own memories didn’t stretch that far back.
I was born a hundred and fifty years ago. My family had been poor, and rendered poorer yet by the war that took my father while I was a child and my brother, an infant. Then, a virulent plague started to take out mortals by the dozens.
When I was the only one spared, my mother coughed out a confession that changed everything.
The reason I wasn’t sick, the reason I was broad, strong, and faster than anyone else, was because I wasn’t my father’s son.
She’d been taken by Zeus. Our world wasn’t protected like Earth, and the eternal prick still occasionally came down to take comely mortals when he could get away with it—generally when his wife was busy elsewhere.
I wanted nothing from the man who’d raped my mother. I hadn’t entered the godly games held in his name for glory or recognition. I just needed the cash prize in order to pay for the medicine my family needed.
I visited the altar of the Fates before entering the competition, like all participants. The others, they blessed with a single nod, a smile if they were lucky, but when I approached, they stared at each other.
“Today will bring you greatness,” one said.
“Today will bring you sorrow,” the other echoed.
“And we will meet again, friend.”
I won. I won everything I entered—more than half of the games, earning ten golds each time. That was more money than I made in months. Enough to hire a doctor, to pay for medicine, food, to not worry about being thrown in the street for a while.
I was told to present myself in the arena again after collecting my winnings. A special prize would be offered to me.
I stood before the imperial box with gold and purple drapes, where Hera waved and Zeus smiled down at me.
“For your exceptional skills, I offer you more than gold,” he’d boomed as he laid his trap.
My gift had been the energy of a god. The moment it entered me, I could tell I was in for another battle—one I’d likely lose. And then, I’d die. Zeus had wanted to erase me, and awaken one of his lost gods instead.
I won another battle that day, enraging the vile monster, who destroyed my world for my offense. He killed them casually, with a lightning bolt.
I was sure my parents gave me presents as a child, but the memory had long faded. The only one that I recalled—the only one that mattered—was the one I got from the king of the gods. Death. The death of my family. The death of the mortal I used to be.
Words like “present” were a trigger for me. I didn’t believe in gifts without strings or tricks.
I opened the box slowly, half expecting it to explode.
Inside, there was a leather jacket and a bunch of plain black T-shirts.
“I wasn’t sure if you owned any tops,” Silver said. “And we are going to Paris in the middle of November. You can’t walk around half naked if we’re to be inconspicuous.”
I tried the jacket on. It felt was a little tight, as I was used to wearing a himation or an exomis. They were still in fashion in most immortal lands, though Demeter liked denim dungarees and Aphrodite had discovered Lycra.
“That’s thoughtful.” She had a point about standing out.
The two of us would draw the eye no matter what we wore, but it was logical to wear weather-appropriate clothing in the mortal world.
“I like it.” It was a far sight superior to my last gift, for sure. “Thank you, doll.”
“Whatever,” she grumbled, flushing. “Ready to go in a couple of hours? I need to drop Amavi at Kleos’s, but I booked the shopper for ten in the arena.”
She’d already told me so yesterday, which meant she was steering the subject away from her gift.
I let her, uncharacteristically just as awkward as she was.
I had the memory of the old god who used to receive offerings, but Silver wasn’t a worshipper.
We were equals. I was certain my family had celebrated my birthdays, though the details were blurry, but that was different too.
A gift from her left me unsettled. I immediately regretted not having anything to offer in exchange.
This imbalance needed to be rectified promptly.
“Who’s looking after the snake, by the way?”
I shrugged. “It’s a great big snake. He can look after himself.”
“Ugh—let me rephrase. Who’s ensuring he’s not eating the cats from your neighborhood?”
She had a point.
I headed back to my apartment to find the snake curled up on the balcony, enjoying the rare winter sunshine.
“Do you want to hang out at Eris’s or Gideon’s?” I asked it.
The reptile opened one eye, tongue peeking out.
“Stupid question,” I agreed. “Fine, I’ll drop you off on the way.”
Eris happily agreed to look after the ten-foot-long reptile, promising to bake for him. I opted not to mention I wasn’t certain cupcakes were part of his diet.
The Highvale Guard provided me with European identification in record time for the trip.
“When governments need our help with supernatural threats, we step up—for a nice paycheck—so, we have an agreement with several countries when we need papers,” Gideon explained.
My passport identified me as Cas Highvale, which was as good a name as any, and strangely close to the one I’d been born with, which Gideon couldn’t have known.
Charles Harvey. The name of a dead man, with dead parents and a dead little brother. Plus, I never liked Charles. Far too pompous for me.
Half an hour later, Silver and I were hopping in the back of a chopper, piloted by an old fae, who dropped us off at one of the train stations at the foot of the mountain.
From Highvale, we could alight in small towns in Italy, Austria, or Switzerland depending on our heading. We chose Switzerland, traveling to the south of France, before taking a TGV to Paris—a trip that only took three hours, so we were in the city of love by dinner time.
Just in time, too.
“I’m starved,” I announced.
“Let’s check into the hotel first. There’s a restaurant there.”
Silver was visibly familiar with the city’s metro, guiding us from the garre de Lyon to the hotel with the confidence of someone who’d been there often.
At the front door, I stated, “No.”
She frowned. “What?”
I pointed to the vibrant sign of the dingy chain hotel she was trying to herd us toward. “I’m not staying there. Have you seen the name? It says Luxury on it. That alone means bedbugs.”
Silver snorted. “I’ve stayed here many times. It’s just fine.”
“I would rather sleep under the stars,” I replied.
She rolled her eyes. “Suit yourself. I’m going to check in.”
She took a step, so I had no other choice than to grab her wrist, tug her to me, and pull her up to my shoulder from under the knees.
Silver screamed, punching my back. “Let me go, you heathen!”
“That’s not very inconspicuous now, is it?” I admonished her, crossing the street as I spotted what I was looking for.
The elegant building’s metallic sign simply stated L’Hotel.
That was more like it.
I let the little fury back down to her feet. “The Guard is so not going to pay for this place,” she huffed.
I shrugged. “Good thing we’re wealthy, isn’t it?”