11. Eshe
Eshe
Casimir’s thick, wavy hair brushed his forehead, and his eyes, traced with gold, flickered in reflection of the fire growing bright behind me.
He could have been an angel in another lifetime.
“I know you’re not here to let me go, so out with it. What do you want?” My voice came out quieter and softer than I would have liked, but here I was.
Casimir uncrossed his arms from his chest. “Despite what you think, I’m not the one keeping you here.”
“I beg to differ.” So Casimir didn’t know I escaped for the moment. “Your body is currently the only thing keeping me from walking out of this chamber.”
Maybe I couldn’t take Ezra down, but I could probably with Casimir.
My eyes grazed over him. He had a slightly smaller frame than Ezra, but that could mean he was faster.
And why was Ezra so big? Why did he have to be a fighter—like a low-paying warrior?
It made no sense. Ezra should look like Casimir.
Built, but not that built. Sophisticated and…
pleasant to look at. Not like a complete savage.
Casimir wasn’t a threat, but… I shook my head slightly. He wasn’t the one who killed my family. I knew that. It was impossible for Casimir to do that. I didn’t want to waste my time and energy on him.
“You haven’t changed a bit.” He chuckled.
He was wrong. I had changed so much. I barely knew who I was at my core. But I wouldn’t waste my breath arguing with him on things he didn’t need to know.
I frowned. “What do you want?”
“I’m just checking in on my beloved.”
My heart beat a little faster. I remained calm and cool. “Stop calling me that. I am not your beloved or your betrothed, and we’re not getting married. You and your family made sure of that.”
Casimir’s head fell back, and he let out a full belly laugh. “It was always easy to ruffle your feathers.” He winked as he leaned against the doorframe. “God, I missed you.”
Heat flushed into my cheeks. I couldn’t feel the skin my nails dug into anymore.
“I’m here because I’m tired of war, Eshe. We thought we had moved past this eight years ago. What changed?”
“You mean before my family died?” My brow furrowed deeper. What drugs was he on? The rumors in Urnaz said Casimir was a party animal—a flirt, but this level of stupidity didn’t add up.
“No, after—with your brother.” Casimir’s brows crossed as well. He looked at me as if I were losing my mind. Maybe in the same way I was looking at him.
My brother? My brothers had died.
My heart now pounded against my ribcage, and I snapped, “What do you mean with my brother, Casimir? No more playing games!”
“I’m not playing games! Your brother, Kavid!” His chin jutted forward. “The current Qahl of Zyriah? We talked about this already! We decided it was best to move forward.”
The dark orange rug beneath me nearly swept me off my feet. The walls began to squeeze closer to me, threatening to pull every ounce of air from my lungs.
I felt the heat from my cheeks fall.
Casimir’s eyes grew wider. “Eshe, are you all right?” He took a step forward, almost in comfort, but I stepped back. “You knew that he’s alive, right?”
I was sucked into a different world. A world where I’d been gone for so long, focused only on revenge, that I had no idea what had happened back home. How could I not have known? How could Salazar not have known?
Maybe he did know. Maybe he was the reason why I didn’t know my brother was alive.
My God, Salazar was heading there right now. What would he make of all this?
Casimir now stood in front of me, catching me. I hadn’t realized I had been falling forward. His arms were warm and steady around me. I was so confused. What was happening?
“How did he survive?”
Casimir sat me down and filled me in on how Kavid had survived the attack after several days of people searching through ash and flesh that had finally fallen on the palace.
Kavid was taken until it was deemed safe for him to show the people he was alive and that he was the new successor.
When Kavid became Qahl, he went by another name for his safety.
By that time, Salazar had taken me far away into safety.
“Where have you been this entire time? Under a rock?” We chose to sit on the two gold-threaded ottomans near the fireplace while he shared the news.
“Sarcasm doesn’t suit you, Cas.” The childhood nickname just slipped out of my mouth, and I bit the inside of my cheek. Slowly, I forced myself to look up and see his reaction.
Though we were mostly enemies growing up, there were moments when it didn’t feel like it.
He became a friend to me when our families were together.
When we were younger, we’d all play—except for Ezra.
He was too much of a rule-stickler to join in.
Ezra wouldn’t hesitate to remind Casimir who we were and keep his distance.
As we grew older, Casimir and I talked about philosophy, world history, liberation, music, dance, and so much more.
I had given him a nickname, teasing him that saying ‘Casimir’ was a tongue twister.
His eyes softened, and though he was sitting next to me, he seemed to be far away.
“I’m sorry if it’s the only way I can cope with the fact that my betrothed came back from the dead to kill me—for no reason.”
My mouth curved slightly.
“It wasn’t for no reason. I saw you and Ezra.
Though I believe you weren’t part of it, I do wholeheartedly believe Ezra was.
You both snuck off right before the explosion.
I heard what you both said, and why is it that I’m not the only one who thinks your family had something to do with it?
Why do half of the countries around here believe that your family is involved in my family’s deaths?
I mean, why wouldn’t they be? We’ve been enemies for generations!
I’m not the only one, and I’m not crazy! ”
“I’m not saying you’re crazy—you’re just wrong.
We spoke with Kavid already and settled everything.
He knows my family and I weren’t part of this, and we can’t help the rumors, however disturbing they may be.
” Casimir was quiet for a moment and then said, “And we didn’t sneak off for the explosion. ”
“Then explain it to me and stop going around in circles. It’s driving me crazy!”
“You just said you’re not crazy.” His voice turned flat.
“I’m going to kill you, Casimir—I mean it this time!”
Casimir laughed, and I couldn’t help breaking into a chuckle beside him, too.
“All right, all right! Relax, woman.” He took another moment, staring into the fire. “Ezra and I had been fooling around with some—actually, I don’t need to explain myself to you!”
I rolled my eyes.
“With what? With women, really, Casimir? My God, I knew you were such a flirt, but at our engagement celebration?”
“No! That was not what I was going to say! You put words in my mouth. You always have.” Casimir shook his head, though he was amused.
“Back then, Ezra did more things with me. We would party together, do drugs—reckless behaviors for young princes, mostly because I had a way of persuading him, and we’d even visit places we shouldn’t have been visiting. ”
He looked distant again, but I didn’t interrupt him.
“Anyway, that night. We were experimenting with smoking some new toxin a friend had given me. We couldn’t resist trying it, and we had snuck off to the back to smoke it right when everything exploded, and that’s why we weren’t harmed by it.”
Everything was quiet except for the crackling sound of the firewood.
I didn’t believe it for one moment. He was saving Ezra’s story because he would follow his brother through anything.
“We thought you were dead,” he said, and the column of his throat moved. “I never thought I’d see you again.”
I stared at my open palms.
“After everything, we were all so lost. Some had blamed us. Some mourned with us. They were dark times, and I don’t think anyone knew how to navigate it all. We searched and searched for you—everywhere.” His eyes went distant. “There was not a place we did not look.”
My heart grew heavy, wondering if everything he said was real or not.
Clearing my throat, I whispered, “Cas, if what you say is true, then give me my freedom. It’s that simple.”
There was a moment of silence, and I could feel his gaze heavy on me.
“Although I have good standing that my brother loves me—possibly the only person he loves—and would do just about anything for me, even he would kill me if I let you go.”
The blood in my veins warmed.
“Will you go to him and ask for some of my freedom at the very least? This prison chamber is an insult, and you know it.”
And I didn’t feel like sneaking out of this chamber every time I wanted to leave.
Casimir looked hesitant, biting his inner cheek. “I’ll talk to him tomorrow, but I won’t promise anything. My brother… he’s difficult. It’s hard to change his mind.”