"Are you...using your powers right now?" Cass asked Byron quietly, and watched as Byron jerked, before a small smile touched his lips.
"Of course I am. I can’t be your guard if everyone is noticing me. Especially since I stick out just like Lucian does." Byron placed his hand on Cass’ shoulder, turning him slightly to the left in a different direction than where Cass was headed. Cass glanced back at him as Byron dropped his hand and moved so that he was walking beside Cass, instead of behind.
Sam would lose his mind, but there was no other way. Byron needed to guide Cass to where Lord Ridgewood was, and Cass didn’t really know this space all that well. Neither did Lord Blackburn, from the memories that Cass did have of this space.
Cass could tell that they were moving to the more...discrete meeting places of the ballroom. They were headed past the raised platform that the King and Queen were sitting on. There were two archways on either side of the raised area, supporting the stairs up to the balconies above. Under the stairs were two open doorways, which was why Byron had grabbed Cass and steered him in a different direction.
Cass thought he was going towards the left, down that hallway, but Byron had turned him so that he continued straight through. Cass could tell that everyone was watching him, watching them, and Cass couldn’t help but agree with Byron’s words.
"Well, I can’t say that you would stick out like Lucian, but yes, you would stand out." Cass admitted and Byron snorted.
"I’m the same height as him." Byron said and Cass snapped his head in his direction, his eyes widened. No, that couldn’t be true! Cass would have made note of that!
He scanned Byron, his mind racing as he realised that yes, Byron was as tall as Lucian, and Cass had just...forgotten that, or pushed it under the rug.
"You...You weren’t that tall when you came back from being with Lucian, were you?" Cass asked carefully, and Byron grinned, his black eyes curling up at the corners.
"I grew a little bit more. Settled into my new body." Cass placed a hand against his chest, relieved. Holy shit, he could have gone down a damn spiral about his own perception. "I just wanted to tease you, to see if you realised it. Didn’t realise that you would be going through...so much when you called us up to help out." Byron said with a shrug.
Cass shook his head at the ease with which the man was speaking. He certainly wasn’t afraid of Cass anymore, and he couldn’t tell if that was because he was getting what he wanted with Sam, or because of how comfortable he was now in his new, adult dragon body.
It could have been both, honestly, but Cass just shook his head. Cass hesitated as he got to the end of the hallway, and was given two options. Left or right, and Byron tugged Cass gently in the right direction and Cass followed him.
"Well, I’m glad I don’t have to add going crazy to the list of things I’m going through right now." Cass muttered and Byron stifled a laugh.
Cass scanned the area, taking in the opulence, the hand painted paintings practically framed by the molding on the walls, the lights that were made with magic, but looked like live, glittering crystals. He wondered how much each of those cost, and how much it cost to light them. He also had a feeling he’d faint at the numbers that he’d see if he actually asked.
Byron sniffed, loudly, and then gestured to a door two doors in on the left hand side. That made sense, since there were no doors on the right side of the hallway. There probably wasn’t room considering that the ballroom was on the other side of the wall.
Cass could tell that there was magic in the air, and he increased his speed. He didn’t think that Lord Ridgewood was the kind of man who let himself get bullied by others, but given the set up that Cass was seeing formulate in real time?
Yeah, this felt like a bullying situation. It would also make sense given the novel genre. The man who is on the outside of the group getting bullied as soon as he loses the protection of the rest of the group? Cliche, but...
Cass would just have to see it with his own eyes.
Byron was the one who opened the door without knocking.
"Forgive me, I’m new to this. Is Lord Ridgewood here?" Byron asked loudly as Cass halted in his steps as he took in what was happening.
Apparently, he’d guessed wrong. Lord Ridgewood was the kind of man that would let himself get bullied. Not by just anyone, but by a man who looked like he was Lord Ridgewood, but twice the size.
The room was simple. A couch, a table, a desk with a few bookshelves. It was clearly just a meeting place for more privacy, but still. Certain expectations had to be kept.
That meant that it wasn’t that big, and especially not big enough to host the five people who were inside and crowding around Lord Ridgewood. His clothes were torn, the cufflinks that Cass had given him strewn across the floor, shattered. Lord Ridgewood was being held up against the wall by the man who looked like him, and Cass had a suspicious feeling that that was who Edgar had warned about.
Or, at the very least, one of them that Edgar had warned him about.
Cass could feel his rage boil inside of him and he had to take a steadying breath.
"What is going on here?" Cass asked calmly, forcing his face to remain calm. Lord Ridgewood looked shocked to see him. Cass could tell that his lip was busted, and that he couldn’t really open one of his eyes. Cass clenched his hands as he took in the carnage.
At the very least, he hadn’t gone down quietly. The furniture was fucked up. Toppled over, torn, ripped, the chair at the desk was snapped in half. The table was crushed, but the men looked...fine. Cass realised why.
One of them was a fucking priest. Figures.
The man who was Lord Ridgewood’s brother, older or younger, snarled at Cass.
"This doesn’t concern you, Lord Blackburn." The vile way that he said Cass’ title had Byron startling. Cass held out a hand, gently touching his chest. Byron halted, but he was ready at any second to attack. Cass didn’t want Byron to do that.
Oh no, Cass wanted to get his hands dirty. He was feeling a little...antsy, and he was a bit stronger when he was well fed.
"I would beg to differ." Cass said calmly as he stepped into the room, crunching his own foot down on the cufflinks that represented his family. "After all, the Ridgewood family gave up on Gideon, didn’t they? When he couldn’t complete the little...mission they’d given him?" Cass asked carefully and watched as the man holding Lord Ridgewood up by his throat flinched. He snarled at Cass.
Well well well. He was about as scary as a guard dog. Too bad Cass was great with animals.
"I have no idea what you’re talking about." He replied tartly, and Cass slid his gaze to the other men in the room. He raised an eyebrow at the priest, who looked ill.
"Aren’t you in the wrong area, lost lamb?" Cass asked softly, and the Priest turned white. He was about to leave when bro slammed his arm out to prevent him from leaving.
"He’s allowed to be here. What? Are all priests tied to the temple?" He snarled and Cass laughed.
"Yes, actually. Unless you’re suddenly telling me he’s a demon worshiper? Then, I’m going to have to have a few words with him." Questions, honestly. If Cass suddenly came across a demon king worshiper? That would be a gift from some kind of a god. He had a lot of fucking questions, and that was probably the easiest way to get them.
The Priest was shaking his head, clearly insulted and upset at Cass’ words. Cass gave a light smile, before his face dropped back down into his flat, Lord Blackburn expression and he raised a hand.
"Byron, step aside." Cass warned and Byron moved. Then, Cass waved his hand and the men who were not involved found themselves suddenly floating and being flung out into the hallway. They didn’t get hurt, Cass wasn’t going to let that rumour spread, but he did kick them out. Lord Ridgewood gasped, as well as the bro Ridgewood, before Cass slammed the doors closed and turned to the two brothers.
Cass smiled tightly, his hands going behind his back so he could squeeze the flesh there. Lord Ridgewood had a complicated look on his face as people began to slam themselves against the door but it wasn’t going to budge.
Not with Cass in control, and especially not right now.
"What are you planning? This doesn’t concern you." The bro asked, no, demanded and Cass looked hurt. He turned to look at Lord Ridgewood, pretending to pout.
"Is that what you told him? I’m hurt, Gideon. I thought we had a closer relationship than that." Cass stepped forward and watched how his brother flinched. It was clear that the man was weary of him, as he should be.
He was right, after all, but not in the way that the Ridgewood family thought. Cass was part demon, but he had no intention to work against the temple. It wouldn’t do him any good if he did, since he would die.
Cass didn’t really want to do that for a second time. He had a feeling that this time would hurt. A lot.
The brother stared at him, hesitating for a second before he glanced between Lord Ridgewood and then Cass, then a light went off behind his eyes. He grew even more disgusted.
"Did you tempt him? Did you...ruin him? I should have known. The easiest way to corrupt someone is through their desires." Cass froze, Lord Ridgewood froze, before Cass tossed his head back and laughed.
Cass? Seducing him? Where the fuck did he get that idea?