22. Friend of Cash
Chapter 22
Friend of Cash
I t wasn’t very long after abandoning our hellbox home before the surreal luminosity of the richest purple captured my gaze from a figure looming out ahead, waiting for us.
Here we go…
Cassius was leaned up against a tree, dark marks exactly how I remembered them on the cowardly Dark Fae. To be fair, those markings would be impossible to forget, seeing how they were my first introduction to the guy who abandoned my parents to their fate.
Cassius’s gorgeous golden-hued flesh beamed in a weird-looking tunic over glossy black, body-tight pants. I didn’t really know much about fashion, but the outfit looked weird enough to be ridiculously expensive. Which was the very reason I’d never understand fashion. Silver-blonde hair with hidden pockets of lavender fell over a face that was annoyingly beautiful for someone who’d been a real thorn in our side.
His appearance would definitely claim the heart of every girl I went to school with. It just screamed the next member of BTS, and Kate would literally lose her fucking mind over him. I could just hear her now, shaking me bodily by the shoulders, trying to impart the intensity of her love, and scream-whispering something along the lines of “That’s my future husband! ”
Despite it being Cash we talked about, it still made me smile against my will to think about Kate’s energy running over the Dark Fae and taking him hostage until death do they part. I mean, I’d never let it get that far, but it was plenty funny to think about terrifying the supernatural Fae with the strong power of the very human Kate when I let her at him.
Just a little.
Just to make him squirm for a second.
I sensed the absence of the air’s movement around the overly casual Dark Fae, whose eyes moved over my body with overt curiosity as if seeing me for the very first time, and I instantly recognized he had some sort of protective barrier around his body.
“Hmm,” the tall and lithe Fae suddenly vocalized, taking a few steps my direction. His purple eyes darted over to Phillip, clearly expecting my partner to intervene, but when the Austrian didn’t, Cash’s visible interest radiated in his cat eyes. “It’s definitely noticeable to any magic-user she might cross that she’s something else entirely. The energy she puts into the air is unmistakably strong and dangerous.”
The Fae’s seductive purple eyes traveled over my body in a way that made me want to smack him down with a punishing blow. “And she is right here, so talk to me, Dark Fae, not to Phillip.”
The bastard had the gall to look over at the other Hunter for confirmation, and I quietly seethed.
As a woman and a Hunter, I was well-acquainted with misogyny and how to effectively deal with it, both human and supernatural versions, but I wasn’t in any position to punish it today. The upwards slide of Phillip’s lips told me he knew it all, and he was definitely enjoying himself over it.
Jerk .
But after declaring our mutual love, it almost appeared as if the Austrian was constantly covered in a glow. It took all of my training not to drool and stare at him every second I was permitted to. If we were a normal couple, this was about the time when I’d fall into his arms, tell him he was hot, and kiss the smirking bastard for all he was worth.
Today, he was still all sparkly and shit, but we’d reverted back to the usual poke-and-prod banter he and I were prone to using with each other. I’d finally landed me a Grade-A criminal hottie, and I couldn’t even brag about it to anyone. So much for romance. We barely classified as a couple most days.
“She’s the boss,” the Austrian commented sarcastically.
I flipped a dagger in my hand, eyeing my partner. “You’re a real asshole, Phillip.”
Cash watched the exchange, his eyes flicking from Phil to me with growing interest.
Landing the final verbal blow, Phillip bowed, arms out like an absolute bastard and his ethereal eyes capturing mine with an emotion I’d know anywhere. “If you say so, lass.”
I clicked my tongue and looked away, putting on a show for a one-person audience.
Despite the annoyance, our bickering was done on purpose. Of course, Phillip being true to his craft found great ways to rouse the true teenage rage from me. He was nothing if not an obnoxiously all-in sort of dude when it came to a mission. Every little remark, every snip and complaint, was meant to disarm Cash and make him believe we were already at each other’s throats. Last thing we wanted was to make our relationship seem like it was all smooth sailing .
Although, that’d never be true of us. Phillip lived for getting under my skin, and I lived for punishing him for it.
Even should the Dark Fae pick up on the sexual tension between us, he’d never believe that the love allergic Austrian would ever fall in love with some sassy teenager, and that worked in our favor.
It was also pretty damn hard not to give into the desire to continuously berate the pale-haired Fae, but I was given a mission, and I’d do it the way I had any other—with the skills I’d cultivated over the years. First, I’d be a little prickly. Then, I’d let the Dark Fae think I was warming up to him on some level. And finally, when he was effectively convinced I didn’t totally hate his guts—which was the real obstacle here—I’d convince him to take me to the Fae cross-over spot under the cover of night to “seal my power.”
The true challenge was to give the man a reason to believe I hadn’t any control over my powers and that I worried I’d hurt someone I cared about. Granted, that wasn’t a far-off worry of mine, but I trusted my gut. It’d gotten me this far in life. It told me I had more control than what everyone believed.
Still, we’d need to find a way to give the impression it was out of control. That meant fighting something in Cassius’s presence. Of course, Phillip already had a plan in place for that very occasion. Not far from here was a known vampire coven, a pretty powerful one seeing how it hadn’t been dealt with yet. Two birds, one stone. We’d take out the problem coven while pretending my powers had become uncontrollable.
By burning the entire fucking place to the ground.
I barely contained my glee picturing Cassius’s face when I went vampire loco with hellfire and Phillip’s lame-named sword. It almost made it worth all the cozying up I’d be forced to do with a man who was planning to offer me on a silver platter to that bastard, Eros.
In our theatrical play of a woman scorned after a fight with her criminally sexy but very domineering partner, it would become painfully clear to Cash that there was trouble in paradise. From what Phillip said about Cassius, the coward capitalized on a woman in distress.
But really, don’t they all?
To get back at Phillip for all the shit he’d put him through and to steal away his prize before hand-delivering it to the very bad, seriously psychotic Dark Fae, Eros, Cash would need to coax me to trust him and follow his lead. Being the innocent and vulnerable young woman I was, I’d hum and haw for a day or two before giving into his suggestion, all for the sake of the ones I loved. Then after taking a stroll through the woods with the sneaky bastard, Phillip would set the trap.
Apparently, all the new knick-knacks Phillip spent the last two weeks making were for that very event. And he was confident this would be the final hurrah for the vicious reign of the Dark Fae, Eros.
Well, that was the gist of it, anyway. I’d taken creative liberty to describe the numerous steps in our plan, but I preferred my dramatic version.
“Let’s get moving,” I demanded loudly, flicking skeptical eyes over to Cash. “We’re sitting ducks out here, and I’d personally like to get out of this dark and depressing forest, thanks.”
Cassius’s pretty eyes glinted and his lips slid up. “Ladies first,” he gestured politely.
I sensed the movement of his magic and glared spitefully at him. “Keep your magic to yourself. Unless you want me to cut something off you value in exchange, Dark Fae. ”
The slits in Cash’s eyes thinned and the purple irises shined for a half-beat before he nodded. “Very powerful, indeed.”
“And one to keep her word,” Phillip added, smirking. “So I’d be careful not to test her patience. Take it from someone who’s been on the unfortunate end of it a time or two.”
Cassius chuckled lightly, clearly having fun with the idea, and then we started on our trek back to civilization.
To say I was surprised we hadn’t encountered some kind of assassin hired to take me out would be putting it lightly, but I imagined that Eros was keeping a close eye on our trio from somewhere nearby.
With what I knew about the elusive and terrifyingly strong Dark Fae, he wouldn’t want some assassin Lux hired to ruin his trap. Eros knew perfectly well how powerful the two of us were together, so he’d likely wait until he could get me alone before doing whatever it was he planned to do.
I eyed the sword strapped to Phillip’s back, remembering its weight in my hand as I sliced through two people I’d made the mistake of trusting.
It wasn’t that I regretted killing them—they hadn’t given me much choice in the matter—but the sword and their deaths were a reminder to never forget what I’d lose by getting too comfortable with my own limited view of the world and the people in it. So, I’d never underestimate what Cassius or Eros might do. I’d be ready at all times. But I’d move the way I’d been told to until there wasn’t any other choice but to improvise.
Cassius always seemed to find a reason to look over his shoulder as we headed for town, finally finding a road to walk adjacent to in the forest, but he was quick to pretend he hadn’t. Neither Phillip nor I reacted or made any mention of it, but we both noticed it was far too often even for a man on the run like he was.
Seeing how he was a crafty devil with escape, I seriously doubted it was because Cash thought he might get caught at any moment. No, it was the actions of a man fully aware he was being watched—and closely.
“So how many is it?” I asked out of nowhere, and both men comically stared at me in outright confusion. I sighed loudly and tapped my face, insinuating the marks on Cassius’s. “How many did you kill to get all of those?”
Phillip tried unsuccessfully not to grin, and if Kate had been here, she’d admonish me in a mockingly sweet voice, “Oh my god, V, you can’t just ask someone how many people they’ve killed!” Well, you know, if she wasn’t totally oblivious to the world of supernatural fuckery literally at her doorstep every day, that is.
Cash absently touched his face, and then his eyes found mine. “More than I care to admit, little one.”
Phillip made a sound in his throat, knowing I was about to lay the man out for treating me like a child. But I couldn’t choose violence today. Instead, I’d opt for sass.
“That’s not an answer, old man,” I quipped.
The crestfallen face Cassius offered me immediately after the comment was reward enough for choosing the physical high ground and deep-diving into my teenage ridicule.
The Dark Fae self-consciously rubbed his face and fixed his clothes as if he worried I could see it all right there on his face and outfit, his age. Lucky for him, he still looked like a twenty-something boyband idol rather than the several-century-old supernatural creature he truly was.
But I’d never tell him so.
Phillip strolled a bit closer to me before wrapping an arm around my shoulders and leaning his much-too-gorgeous face in close. “Everyone is old compared to you, lass.”
“Shut the fuck up before I give you the knee, grandpa,” I threatened, the side of my mouth lifting.
Cassius took a moment to revel in Phillip’s blatant chastisement, and when the Dark Fae covered his face, laughing and turning his head away, Phillip brazenly stole a kiss and nearly sent me face-planting into the dirt floor in shock.
I stumbled, catching the wink the saucy Austrian sent me before he put space between us and fingered through his hair like he hadn’t done a goddamn thing. Even our flirting pissed me off, but it’d be a lie to say I wasn’t having fun with it. Grumbling, I looked down to hide the smile on my lips.
Ugh, why am I so in love with this bastard?!
The hitch in the other Hunter’s step suggested that Phillip was having the most fun right now, and I quietly plotted my revenge while tapping my face again and prying harder at the Dark Fae. “Come on. Cough it up. How many?”
Cash sighed, defeated. “Maybe fifty…”
My partner cleared his throat, throwing the Fae a look. “Do you seriously believe I’d stand here while you boldly lie to my partner, Cash?”
The Dark Fae hesitated as I stared expectantly at him. “Maybe two hundred? ”
“As in two hundred completely innocent people? Wow, you’re a fucking piece of work,” I remarked, not caring that it didn’t exactly sell the compassionate side of me.
Cassius was quick to retort. “I’m not making excuses, Hunter, but I didn’t really have a choice in a lot of those deaths. He used enchanted items I made with my magic, and so I was cursed by proxy.”
A convenient excuse, but just who is this ‘he’ person?
It was interesting to think they’d be marked as a substitute if it was their magic. That hadn’t been mentioned previously, and it intrigued me.
Phillip grunted, clearly not in agreement. “We all make choices, and you knew exactly who and what Eros was.”
Eros?
My partner stared at Cash, emphasizing his next comment. “Two hundred times over.”
Mad burn, Mr. Smith.
It never occurred to me that Cash might’ve worked with Eros. Though, his present predicament made more sense if that was the case—crossing paths with Phillip, becoming his informant, and being the first person the Austrian interrogated in regards to Eros’s return—it was all starting to make sense now. The reason Phillip didn’t believe Cash when he said he didn’t know Eros returned was because, likely, the purple-eyed Fae still worked for that serial killer bastard, acting like a sort of spy for Phillip.
What a clever asshole my partner was.
I was a little curious what the Dark Fae could tell me about the dude who’d nearly killed me and the people I cared about, but I saw an opportunity to cozy up to the cowardly Fae and decided to take it.
Act sweet. Act compassionate. Don’t laugh .
“Wait a second…so you didn’t even kill half the people you’re marked for? Then those are more Eros’s marks than yours. Dude, that’s pretty fucked,” I said, softening my tone.
My genius Hunter partner seemed to pick up on the direction I’d taken and sneered openly, falling perfectly into his usual character as an asshole who didn’t give anyone a pass. As emotionally deficient as the man had been over the course of our relationship, it always came as a surprise when the Austrian cleverly reacted exactly how I needed him to on a mission.
Of course, he’d never needed to be smart in love relationships—seeing how Giselle was his first and last until me—so I conveniently blamed that and gave the gorgeous bastard a pass.
Cassius’s lips twitched and his ethereal eyes jerked over to me, almost as if he couldn’t believe I was giving him the benefit of the doubt. “You might not believe it, but I’ve tried many times to get out from under Eros’s thumb. There’s a way to remove these marks, but I can’t do it until after I’m free of him. Unfortunately, he’s a very powerful man and I value my life, Hunter.”
A way to remove the marks?
“Clearly,” I countered. “But I get it. We all do what we can to survive. I’m sure I’ve done things for the Organization that puts me in that category, too.”
Phillip cut in gruffly, “You’re nothing like him. He chose to keep aiding and abetting that psychopath. He’s only here because he’s afraid of what I’ll do to him, maus.”
Cash’s mouth fell, and something about the Dark Fae’s expression hit me in the chest. It reminded me of Nigel when he tried unsuccessfully to convince me that he was sorry for what he did. But I tried to remind myself that Phillip urged me not to trust Cassius, so I repeated it in my head until his expression no longer panged in my chest.
“It might not mean much now, but I am truly sorry about what happened to your parents, V,” Cassius added, and my throat tightened with emotion.
Don’t be swayed, V. He’s playing you.
I took a solemn breath and nodded at the Dark Fae. “I don’t blame you, I blame them , so we’ll just leave it at that.”
For the first time, the pale-haired Fae smiled so gently I nearly face-planted for the second time that day. “You really are too kind and I don’t deserve it, but thank you for hearing out my apology, V.”
Phillip’s eyes caught mine, and I could hear his voice in my head saying “ Don’t trust anyone. Especially not Cash .” But my gut was telling me something was off. I didn’t detect a single lie in what he said, not in the entire time we’d spoken.
What if Phillip had it wrong? What if Cash wasn’t the person my partner claimed he was?