Chapter 42: That is a privilege for Sam alone
Silence filled the air as Sam stared at Cass in that silence until even Cass found it awkward. Sam was the one who ended up breaking it, clearing his throat.
"D-Did Lord Draken just...steal Byron?" Sam asked carefully and Cass groaned. He leaned back, staring up at the mural that had to have haunted Lord Blackburn’s dreams.
"I believe so." Cass muttered. Sam stared at him, fiddling with the buttons on his sleeves.
"Could you...have stopped him?" Sam asked and Cass chuckled darkly.
"I don’t think he was really going to listen to me if I said no, Sam. Let’s just pray that he comes back in one piece." Cass glanced at Sam, hesitant. Well, here goes nothing. "Aren’t you...more concerned about what Lord Draken said?" Cass asked and Sam blinked several times before his cheeks flushed.
"O-Oh. You mean...about Byron being like him. Uh, I mean, I guess I am surprised in a way. I just..." Sam swallowed. "There are just so many strong and strange people here, it didn’t surprise me?" Sam suggested and Cass resisted the urge to smile. It was just so...Sam. He was so normal, but at the same time, he took everything in stride.
Cass wasn’t sure if Sam was a regular human since he had no idea what the healing tonic test meant, but Sam had passed it. In front of Cass as well. So, whatever he was, he was...friendly to Cass.
"So, if you realised that Lord Draken wasn’t human, or at the very least, not fully human, what do you think he is?" Cass asked, curious, and Sam looked uncomfortable. He continued to fiddle with the buttons on his shirt.
"I don’t know, my Lord. What do you think?" Cass laughed.
"Well, what if I give you a couple of hints? You aren’t stupid, Sam, you are actually very intelligent." Cass told him and Sam swallowed.
"Y-You want me to guess?" Cass nodded.
"I mean, he didn’t actually tell me, but dropped several hints. First, we are part of his family because of the bond he forced on me, and we are in his clan. He’s the de facto leader of the clan, and I think that’s because there aren’t any others of his kind in the group. He called Byron a fledgling, he has elongated pupils, orange eyes, and can use magic. Speaks as if he’s been alive a lot longer than he looks. Any suggestions?" Cass asked and watched Sam who looked very concentrated.
"Hmm. Some of those things do sound familiar..." He muttered. Cass smacked his palm with his hand.
"Oh! And he called this," Cass gestured to his rooms "my den." Cass told him and Sam scrunched up his face as he thought. Cass couldn’t help but stare at him, amusement filling his body as he watched him actively think.
It took him several moments, but Sam slowly came to some ideas.
"Um, I’m not a scholar, my Lord, but maybe...he’s a shapeshifter? Something along those lines? I rarely hear humans say others are part of their clan, or refer to where they live as a den." Cass chuckled, amused by Sam’s words.
"I think I’ve rested enough. Can you help me to my office, Sam?" Sam looked horrified by Cass’ suggestion.
"You are heavily wounded, my Lord! You should be resting more." He told him and Cass shook his head.
"I’ve been in bed for long enough. Besides, I’ll just be sitting while I’m there. I need to get work done, and I’ve already drunk two of the healing tonics. It’ll keep my mind off of the pain, Sam." Cass wasn’t against making Sam feel bad to get what he wanted. From the face that Sam made, it was clear that Sam did feel bad for him. It was fine.
Cass would allow Sam to pity him. Especially if it got him what he wanted.
Sam sighed heavily, running his hands over his face before he met Cass’ smiling gaze.
"I don’t know why, my Lord, but it feels like you got craftier after you fell." Cass laughed.
"Oh? Was I not crafty before?" Sam frowned and didn’t say anything. That told Cass that yes, Lord Blackburn had been crafty, but Cass was craftier. A good thing to note.
Sam did help Cass out of the bed, and it took them a few moments of waiting to see if Cass could support his own weight while dealing with the pain in his midsection. He could, but they both decided that having Sam assist him with his arm around his shoulder was the best outcome.
Sam kept his thoughts to himself, even if they were written all over his face. He wanted Cass to rest, but Cass wasn’t going to. He had so much he needed to catch up on. He wanted all of the Duke shit out of the way so he could focus on his own plans. Maybe it was a foolish thought on his part, but he was making quite the dent in it.
His school background helped him quite a bit. He was good with numbers, and plans. He, of course, didn’t have anyone to consult about certain topics, but he had the book in his head that he was able to get references from. Even if it wasn’t a full picture, some things could be inferred from it.
Plus, add in his world’s common sense rules, Cass was sure he was making good progress. He hadn’t been confronted by the aid that his Grandfather had sent to keep an eye on him, so he must be doing something right.
When Cass and Sam entered his office, Cass let out a deep breath. This room would always be a reprieve compared to the rest of his rooms. He had failed to ask Lady Fiona for her consent to modify his rooms, but at this point, he didn’t care.
He was just going to do it. It was too much for him at this point. He felt ill in his rooms outside of his office. If Lady Fiona had a problem with it, she could confront him. He doubted she had any issues with that.
It happened just as Cass was settling into his chair behind his desk. Sam was to his left, helping him by moving a stack of papers closer so that he didn’t strain himself reaching for them.
The doors burst open to his office, and Cass stared blankly at the man who was still covered in Cass’ blood. Draken looked excited, his eyes glowing, a feral grin on his face and his hair billowing behind him.
He froze as soon as he saw Cass behind his desk.
"Oh fuck." He said before spinning, heading for the doors again and slamming them closed. Then, a firm knock sounded on the door. Cass put his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking.
What the fuck was that?
Cass composed himself before he allowed Draken to enter.
"Yes?" He called, and the doors swung open again. Draken surged towards him, stopping only at the edge of his desk. He scanned Cass before he grunted.
"Good. You seem better. I forgot to say something." Draken slid his eyes to Sam, and so did Cass. Sam bowed, before making a speedy exit and when the door closed, Draken continued. "I wanted to offer that I could teach you magic. I doubt that any of the books you have in here could help you. You don’t have anything for people who’ve lost their magic before, and as uh, a beast, I have a better knowledge on that kind of thing." He seemed nervous at the end, and Cass could understand why.
Most mages were pretty touchy about this kind of thing. Cass could recall from the book a time when Lord Blackburn had lost his shit on Lord Vespertine for something he had suggested about a magic circle he had drawn. That was only a magic circle.
Cass could only imagine how Lord Blackburn would have reacted to what Draken had said. But Cass wasn’t Lord Blackburn, he was a regular human from Earth which didn’t have magic to begin with. He was a newbie to all of this.
Honestly, Cass was more surprised that Draken had even offered. He had no idea what Draken would gain from this. It was a damn mystery to him.
"Okay. What’s the catch?" Cass asked and Draken’s eyes widened.
"The catch? What does that mean?" He asked and Cass stared at the other man before he leaned on his hand, staring at him some more.
"These offers always come with something attached to them. You want something for this. What is it?" Cass asked and Draken grew flustered.
"I don’t want anything! I just wanted to offer you some help!" Draken’s words were nice and all, but the way his gaze was darting around, and how he looked like he was sweating didn’t give him a good clearance. The man definitely wanted something.
"Just offer some help, huh? I can’t seem to believe you, Draken." Cass told him and he swore that Draken pouted.
"It wasn’t anything nefarious." He muttered and Cass raised an eyebrow.
"I think I get to be the judge of that when you’re the one who knows so many of my secrets that I would rather keep hidden." Cass told him and he watched as Draken shoved his hands into his pockets.
"But I’m going to train that fledgling you have. It’s not a bad deal. We get to hang out, maybe spar...maybe something more. I dunno. I just thought that I don’t spend much time with you, and I would like to correct that. Especially since we are bonded currently." Cass was suspicious of the ’something more’, but he also didn’t want to ask about it.
If he didn’t know what Draken wanted from him, he could pretend that it was something normal. Like maybe...he wanted to go on a picnic or something. It was one of the few times where Cass was sure he didn’t want to know.
He also had a feeling that Draken would make his intentions known. He hadn’t exactly been quiet about them this whole time, especially when he hadn’t liked Cass. Or Lord Blackburn.
"While that is nice and all, I never asked you to. That was something you offered on your own, of your own free will. Or am I wrong to assume that, Draken?"