Covin went to organise his officers and Lepius went to bed. He wanted to be bright enough to deal with whatever was going to go down tomorrow. He stopped at the door, not surprised to see Conom had dozed off in the chair. The maid had been kicked out. However, he had left the door open to let them know he meant nothing by staying at her side. He was at least being honourable with her.
Lepius looked at Cassie in the shadows and thought how innocent she looked, just like a child. What did a man like him ever see in such innocence? It was all too hard to imagine. He walked back into his room and left his door open just in case she needed help in the night, then threw himself on the bed fully clothed. How have I ended up getting mixed up with a bloody kidnapping with one of Zoren’s team members? I must be crazy. He mumbled silently into the night before drifting off to sleep.
Lepius woke to the sound of quiet sobs. He jumped up and walked quickly into Cassie’s room. Conom was sitting in the chair and she had wrapped herself around his neck, sobbing so sadly that it even broke Lepius’s heart. Conom looked at her helplessly, his eyes glazed with emotions.
Lepius knelt down. ‘Cassie, are you in pain? Do you need some more painkillers?’
She looked up, tears running down her face and nodded.
He went and grabbed his bag and gave her another needle, this time only with a pain reliever, not something to knock her out. She calmed within minutes. ‘Feel better, sugar?’ he asked and she wiped her face, giving a slight grin and nodded.
Even I’m doing it! She’s been here all of five minutes and she has me wrapped around her little finger . Even so, he felt so much better now that she did. The little bitch has me under her spell as well as Conom. He leaned up against the wall, understanding now. ‘I think I get it. You’re linked to her somehow. I feel it too,’ Lepius commented.
Conom shrugged. ‘I can’t stand the thought of her being hurt or sad and yet when she’s happy she brings everyone around her alive, me included. I can’t explain it.’ He pulled her hair back off her eyes.
She smiled at him as he gently touched her.
‘She joked that she had a machine and it sucks out all the mean stuff from our hearts and she jumps in there and takes its place. You’re a little stealer of hearts, aren’t you, little one?’ he chuckled. She kissed his cheek and hugged him.
She was delightful to watch now she was happy, and all his questions were just answered in that single moment. ‘Well, little stealer of hearts, do you feel like a bath and then some breakfast?’ he asked, ruffling her hair.
She seemed shy. ‘I’ll need help,’ she said, touching her arm and moving it a little.
‘Give me a minute to organise a couple of maids to come up and help you. Us two can shower in here and you can have my room. The bath is all ready to go. But Cassie, absolutely no use of that arm today and no getting it wet, okay? Doctor’s orders,’ he said firmly.
She nodded and stood a little shaky, walking gingerly to his room with the help of both the suckers that she’d pulled into her game. Conom can’t see it, yet it is as plain as day to me. I am part of her plan as well. Maybe it was to let her stay there, yet she needn’t have worried. He wouldn’t have let Conom take her anywhere else anyway.
‘Your bath!’ she said, delighted. ‘Unreal! You just walk down into it. That’s no bath. You have a swimming pool with petals in the middle of your bedroom. This is so cool.’
They watched her face and both grinned at her reaction. Yes, I am now a part of whatever has hold of Conom. He shook his head at how easily she could make him feel so much joy. Now I also want to protect her and keep her from harm. This girl had powers so far beyond anything he’d ever seen in his lifetime and he wondered when she left, if he would miss her dreadfully or if the spell would be broken.
Two maids arrived and they left them to it. Conom paced and finally only had a shower because Lepius told him he stank and that she wouldn’t want to be anywhere near him.
‘What if they hurt her?’ he growled.
‘Then I would say that the way you’re connected to her, you’ll feel it and then you can panic. Until then, chill and wash that bloody cigar and booze odour off yourself,’ Lepius insisted. Reluctantly he went in and cleaned up.
After breakfast they both sat out on the patio. He noticed that not once did she ask why they were still here or ask for Kayden. Instead, Cassie ran her hand down Conom’s face and took his hand, gently stroking his fingers to relax him, telling him a story of a little princess who had special powers. Her wicked stepfather locked her up and then like Cinderella, it was many years before the princess met her prince. She fell asleep while telling him and he put her back in bed allowing her to rest more comfortably.