Chapter Twenty-Six
REXTON
CASSIA IS INSECURE.
She’s insecure, jealous, and angry. She’s also mean, argumentative, and a fucking nightmare to work with.
I’m trying to remain polite, but she doesn’t make it easy.
I managed to win over Mammon, for fuck’s sake.
The queen was paranoid after Luca’s death, terrified to the point of shutting down her borders and locking herself inside her estate.
She used up most of Greed’s resources having teleportation shut down within her borders, and she spent the entirety of her family wealth to have extra protections placed on herself.
I won her over, though. I convinced her to marry me into her family, and I slit her throat less than twenty-four hours later.
Earning Cassia’s forgiveness shouldn’t be nearly as challenging as that was.
I’m going out of my way to appease her, to prove that I’m not trying to steal her kingdom or take Wrath’s loyalties away from her. I’m thriving in my role, and I’m actively holding myself back so she doesn’t feel intimidated.
It hasn’t helped, and the few successes I’ve had have only further fueled her hatred for me.
If anything, you’d think she’d be grateful that I murdered Mammon.
Cassia had no knowledge of the protective magic that Mammon coated herself in.
Cassia wouldn’t have been able to kill the demon queen, and she would’ve died trying.
She knows this, I shared the details immediately upon returning to Wrath, but Cassia is refusing to acknowledge it. She’s ignoring the blatant truth, and it’s infuriating. I’m not looking for her to thank me, but not hating me would be nice. It was her brother I avenged, for fuck’s sake.
And she had the audacity to suggest Luca was an affair child I conceived with Charlie.
The mere accusation, especially coming from her lips, is enough to have me killed.
Aziel seems to like me well enough, as do Charlie’s other males, but if they thought for even a second that I was looking at their mate the wrong way…
I don’t want to imagine what they’d do to me. Aziel and Silas are the only ones strong enough to kill me, but Gray sure would make my life miserable. Cassia doesn’t care about that.
No. The princess only cares about herself.
I storm the length of my apartment, tracking mud across the hardwood floors.
The meeting with the generals earlier today couldn’t have gone worse. Cassia is upset that I won’t agree to her desired location, and she’s being exceptionally petty about it. In good faith, I still suggested a location change to the generals.
They vehemently disagree, as they do not see a need to change our plans. I don’t, either. Cassia’s ideal location doesn’t change much. Yes, Greed’s troops are more likely to cross at the thinner part of the mountain range, but Wrath’s soldiers are strong.
They can teleport the distance with ease.
I’m suggesting the change for her, though.
I’m doing it in the name of goodwill. Does Cassia appreciate that?
No. Of course not. She let me take the heat from the generals.
She didn’t participate in their sudden barrage of questions, but she sure didn’t jump in to offer support, either.
I looked like a fool, and she clearly loved every second of it.
I drag my hands through my hair.
Cassia is exhausting, but I’m trying. Behind her crazy eyes and anger is an admittedly intelligent woman. She’s phenomenal at her job when she tries, and she seems to have good instincts.
When she learns to control her emotions, she’ll make an exceptional leader. She puts her kingdom first, and I suspect she’s willing to do whatever it takes to protect it. I grudgingly admire that about her.
I enjoy watching her lead meetings. She’s outspoken, and she’s confident in her decisions. If she weren’t so fucking exhausting, I imagine I’d find myself drawn to her in an admittedly dangerous way—a way I’ve been trying hard not to think about.
I shake my head, annoyed with myself as I continue pacing my living room. I don’t want to fuck Cassia. She’s nothing more than a thorn in my side, and her fathers are protective. Aziel would demand my head on a platter.
I want Cassia out of my life.
There’s a ripple in the air, and Silas and Charlie appear in the center of the room a heartbeat later. How do they know where I live?
Charlie brushes Silas away the second they materialize, her anger toward the fate practically palpable.
I’ve heard whispers of tension between Silas and his mates, and I suspect I’m responsible for it.
Silas knew where I was. He helped me enter Greed, and he gave me a considerable amount of money to get started.
I sent him updates when I could, at least one or two every year.
“Charlie.” I’m not sure what else to say.
She ignores me, turning toward Silas. “Come get me in an hour.”
“Of course,” Silas says. He hesitates, then brushes his thumb across Charlie’s cheekbone. He does it too quickly for her to notice and react, which screams desperation. He’s desperate to touch her, and he vanishes before she has the opportunity to push him away once more.
I clasp my hands behind my back, mentally preparing for Charlie’s anger.
“Rock,” she says after a moment. “Rexton, I suppose. I hear that’s the name you’re going by now.”
She looks me up and down, scanning every inch of my frame. We haven’t seen one another in over twenty years, which is absurd to think about. I’ve been meaning to visit her, to apologize and beg for forgiveness, but I haven’t yet found the courage.
“Rexton is my birth name,” I say.
“I’m aware.”
I gesture to my dining room, then to my couch. I’m not sure where to do this. “Would you like to sit? I have food. Are you thirsty?”
“No.” She sits on the edge of my couch, appearing just as uncomfortable as I feel. “You look stressed. Is that why you’ve been avoiding me?” I swallow, guilt rendering me speechless. Charlie continues. “Or is it because you and Silas lied to me for over twenty years? I thought you were dead.”
I open my mouth, but no sound emerges. What do I say? She lost a child, and I let her believe she lost me, too. She was hurting in ways I can’t even fathom, and I added to her pain.
I made a choice, and now I’m ashamed to face her.
“I’m sorry,” I eventually say.
Charlie raises a brow. Things fall silent.
They remain that way for several minutes.
“Thank you for killing Mammon,” Charlie eventually says. “The fates will punish you for it.”
I’m aware. They punished Charlie after she murdered Gray’s father, and they’ll do the same to me. I’m not concerned. I knew the consequences of my actions, and I chose to do them, anyway.
There’s always a possibility that the fates supported my decision, but I’m not counting on that. Silas orchestrated everything, but there’s no way of knowing whether he did it out of his desire for revenge or because the fates told him to. He’ll never tell me, either.
It’s why fates are so hated. They know everything, and they share nothing.
“I hear you’re having issues with Cassia,” Charlie says.
I shrug and shake my head at the same time, unsure how truthful I should be.
Cassia has become my living, waking nightmare.
Maybe she’s my punishment. The fates are cruel, and forcing me to work with my best friend’s tyrannical daughter feels quite fitting.
It’s driving me into insanity, one day at a time.
I never thought I’d miss the days of being a shadow within Aziel’s household. I managed the grounds, and I was ecstatic to be put in charge of Charlie’s education. It was a dream come true, but I had no idea what it would lead to. I was fooled.
Charlie chuckles. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it? To see a woman confident enough to be such a challenge. I’m proud of her.”
I sit in the chair opposite the couch. Despite my complaints, it is remarkable. Charlie spent her formative years in hiding, terrified of discovery and abuse. I can’t imagine how it must feel to watch her daughter grow up in a world so unlike her own, how magical it must seem.
“She’s been challenging,” I say, repeating Charlie’s description.
It’s a light way of describing it, and I wonder if Aziel has shared what happened between Cassia and me in his office.
Judging by Charlie’s expression, I doubt it.
That’s good. Cassia instigated the fight, but I’m not interested in gloating about my victory.
Cassia was devastated, and I don’t wish to dig the knife in further.
Maybe I should. I hear she’s prone to running away and hiding whenever she feels embarrassed, and I’m just desperate enough to consider trying it. I’d do just about anything to have Cassia out of my life. I suspect she feels the same way about me.
Charlie places a hand over her mouth, hiding her laughter. She finds my struggle entertaining, but none of this is humorous. It’s stressful and aggravating.
“I came here to yell at you,” Charlie says. “But I’m too full of pity to do so. My daughter is destroying you. Has it been like this the entire time?”
I clamp my mouth shut, then give a jerky nod.
“Has she already tried to kill you?”
Another nod.
Charlie’s smile grows. “What a woman.”
I disagree. Strongly. I’m not going to complain to Charlie about her daughter, though.
It’s the last thing I want to discuss with her.
I want to know everything I’ve missed while I’ve been gone.
Charlie has always been a remarkable woman, and I can only imagine the adventures she’s dragged her males on in my absence.
“How’s your mother?” I ask.
Charlie smacks her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “She’s still living in the fae realm with Niven. I see them every couple of weeks. How is…” Charlie pauses, grimacing. “Do you have anybody in your life right now?”
I shake my head. “No.”
I had a busy social agenda in the few years between the end of the war and Luca’s death. I was helping Gray manage Lust, and I enjoyed the benefits that came with that. Women were eager, and I took advantage. My relationships were never serious, but there were many.
It was exciting at the time, but I’ve lost interest. Excluding my wedding night with Princess Amelia, I can’t remember the last time I was with a woman. It’s been several years.
I was interested in Luna before I knew her as Cassia, which I now regret. The woman is attractive, but she’s too dangerous. Not to mention she loathes my very existence. She’d sleep with me if only for the opportunity to slit my throat.
Charlie frowns. “Are you lonely?”
“Charlie,” I say, my tone scolding. My face heats. “No. I’m fine.”
“You look lonely.”
I level her a blank look. “No, I don’t.”
Work keeps me busy, and my little free time is spent agonizing about Cassia. The woman drives me insane. She’s turned me into a paranoid, anxious mess. I can’t stop thinking about her.
Maybe I should find somebody. A distraction could be good.
“Do you know anybody?” I give in and ask.
“I hear Cassia’s single.”
I blink. “That’s not funny.”
Charlie cocks her head to the side, her smile growing. “Why don’t you pay Lust a visit? I hear they’ve been missing you over there.”
“I’m avoiding Lust.”
“Why?”
“I’m not interested in meaningless sex.” Fuck. That makes me sound painfully melodramatic, but it’s true. The thought of random, nameless sex isn’t nearly as enticing as it once was. I’d rather be celibate than deal with its dramatics. “I wouldn’t mind a real relationship.”
Charlie’s jaw drops. She looks gobsmacked, which I take great offense to.
“I’ve grown these past years,” I say, eager to defend myself. “Stop looking at me like that.”
Charlie shakes her head, still evidently in disbelief. “Clearly.”
I lean back in my chair and cross my arms over my chest. I missed Charlie. I missed our easy banter and her incessant teasing.
“I’m sorry I haven’t come to see you,” I say. “I just… I don’t—”
“It’s okay,” Charlie interrupts. “I understand.” Her voice grows shaky. I hate to hear it. “I’m just happy Mammon’s finally dead, and I’m pleased it was done by the hands of a Wrath who knew Luca. I appreciate what you’ve done for us, Rexton. I really, truly do.”
I turn away, avoiding eye contact. I don’t want to talk about this, not really. It brings up too many painful memories, and I’m ready to move past it. I’m desperate to.