Chapter 30
?rim
He was just about to finish his lessons and leave to collect Cassie from the training grounds when S’samph made an appearance in the back of his classroom. The normally lively younglings all went silent at his presence. ?rim started to worry something was terribly wrong.
The long moments it took for the class to finish the last calculations in the sequence began to drive frustration through his core.
He didn’t want to wait and be pleasant while the younglings worked through their equations.
He wanted to know what had happened to bring S’samph to his classroom.
Finally, with the last one completed, incorrectly, ?rim steeled himself for whatever news the latil’e brought to his door.
“Let’s finish there today, class. Your assigned exercises should already be preloaded to your datapads.
I’ll see you tomorrow.” The normal level of chatter resumed as the younglings were dismissed.
S’samph stood clear of the doorway while the students exited.
Some of them glanced upward at his flattened frill while others rushed past, avoiding him.
“K’kaen is with Cassie,” S’samph said by way of introduction.
“If K’kaen is with Cassie, then why are you here?” ?rim asked. “I was on my way to collect her. Was she injured during training again?”
“Injured during training?” His tail stilled behind him. “When has Cassie been injured during training? Is that what she told you? She is running in a circle, gossiping with Wreeta. There is no opportunity for injury.”
?rim’s grip on his wrist nodes tightened. The explanation hadn’t made sense when she’d said it, but now he had confirmation. “That is what she told me.”
“Then you should have that conversation with her.” S’samph’s frill was pressed flat against his spine. “But I’m here to discuss something else. I have news from the IA.”
“What kind of news?”
“Two passeri have been found dead. I just finished a holocall with Agent Yina.”
Silence settled between them before ?rim finally spoke. “Do you remember the names?”
“Sparrow and Myna. I don’t believe they were Cassie’s friends.”
The names weren’t familiar, but it didn’t mean Cassie hadn’t known them anyway. “What does this mean for Cassie?”
“It means we increase our security protocols.” S’samph’s tail swished. “Unless she’s in your home, she should be with someone with combat training.”
“Not me then.”
“Correct. You can’t protect her against an assailant. I’ve assigned K’kaen to shadow her for the time being. I’ll alternate with him.”
“No.” ?rim tapped his elbow nodes together. “It’s obviously not safe here for Cassie anymore. I’ve been offered a position on Brasnia Prime. I’ll simply take her with me.”
“Is that what Cassie wants?”
“I haven’t talked to her about it yet.” It might be the fundamental flaw in his plan. He couldn’t leave Cassie, but if she refused to go with him, he would be stuck here.
“It seems like there are many conversations you’re neglecting to have with Cassie.”
“I don’t think that’s true. I will obviously talk to her about this as soon as I can.”
“The fact remains; Cassie is still unprotected until you decide what to do next. I will put K’kaen on her tail for now.”
It was so matter of fact, the way S’samph said it, the way he laid bare ?rim’s inadequacies as a mate.
Because even if they hadn’t discussed it explicitly, she was his, and he couldn’t adequately stand between her and a threat.
He wasn’t physically imposing or skilled with a weapon.
It had never mattered before. The emotion was ugly, realizing there were ways he couldn’t protect Cassie even though he wanted to.
But he also couldn’t disagree with S’samph’s assessment of the situation.
“Is Cassie still at the training grounds?”
“She is. Should I have K’kaen bring her here?”
“That would be helpful.”
S’samph’s frill flattened, but he didn’t say anything else before exiting the schoolhouse.
Once he had left, ?rim sat at his desk, mulling over the conversations he needed to have with Cassie.
He needed to know what had happened if she didn’t injure herself during training.
He pulled up his datapad and started researching strange marks on human skin.
Most of his results were medical. Rashes.
Animal bites. Genetic skin conditions. But there was one that nagged in the back of his mind.
Self-injury. It seemed unlikely. Cassie was never alone for very long. But he couldn’t shake the idea.