Claus

Forty-Two

Hello! I'm so sorry for the mix up on this chapter! The problem should now be fixed, but if you have trouble being able to read this chapter, please let me know!

Faryn managed to get a few hours of sleep before her half-brother arrived.

He was shown into the cell, dressed for the ball, Cipriano and another Spirit Court member, Endri, known as Morpheus, flanking him. He was the one Faryn had been blaming for all her difficulties falling asleep. If any of them caused problems, Endri was probably here to brush sand into their eyes and send them into sleep.

If Faryn made a bolt for the door, she'd be put under in a blink of an eye.

As if he could read her thoughts, sand appeared, climbing his arms in spirals.

Both Spirit Court members were dressed for the ball as well. Cipriano had what looked like finger bones in place of buttons on his black jacket, and a circlet of white smooth bone rested on his head.

Endri wore deep purple robes the color of a smashed plum.

"Mother." Klaus's jaw twitched. "Grandfather."

Standing, Clora pulled herself to her full height. She was a few inches taller than him, and it forced him to look up at her.

"Have you come to have us released?"

Klaus bristled. "Where's Dad?"

He never even acknowledged Faryn's presence.

"You're truly convinced then that I would do such a thing?"

"I don't know what I think anymore." He ran a hand through his hair, messing up how it had been perfectly styled. "I only know my father is missing and I can't find him."

"Then you'd be better off questioning Flozzie. Or even her son."

"I was questioning her son, until he and Faryn ran off to join you." He turned to her. There was a bruise forming along his eyebrow. "Where is he?"

"I'm tucked inside a cell. How would I know?"

"Faryn."

"You were going to let him leave with his mother's ambassador."

"You don't know what I was going to do."

Faryn kept her face perfectly blank.

"Peter? The Leprechaun?"

If Klaus had been in that car that had crashed, he'd want to find Clíodhna.

"Again, I'm in a cell. I'm a bit out of the loop. Is Peter now officially a wanted man?"

"To Winter he is." Which meant he wasn't wanted by any other Courts. If they caught him, they'd have Narcissus at their throats. "Grandfather, if you can tell me anything, now is the time. Are you so ready to step down from the title of Father Winter?"

"I still fail to see what I've done wrong. This will all be resolved."

"And if it isn't?"

Her grandfather shrugged. And Klaus, he looked helpless like he didn't actually expect for his family to be this difficult.

He started for the door, and Endri and Cipriano followed. "I'll be back later. I hope we all can be more amiable."

The iron door closed behind them with a clang. They'd be off to the ball, and Faryn had no way out of this cell. If she didn't get to Nick within the next two days, she'd be too late.

Faryn clenched her hands into fists against her thighs. "You said you wanted a life with me and my father but what about with Klaus?"

Her mother's shoulders fell. "I love your brother. But he will remain loyal to Nicholas."

"Where is my father?"

Clora tensed.

"Does he even want to be with us?"

She came towards her and crouched down. "Yes, of course he does. He's—"

The cell door opened, and Faryn was hit with the scent of toasted sugar and freshly cut pine.

Dressed in a guard's uniform and standing in the doorway was Cassian. His eyes found hers, and her heart stuttered to a stop. He came. Instead of white, his hair was black and tied back into a short ponytail at the nape of his neck. A wig then if it was long.

"Faryn Morozko." She hadn't realized she'd been wanting to hear her name roll of his tongue. But she wanted to hear it again. She'd never liked the sound of her last name so much. "You're wanted for questioning."

Her grandfather's eyes on her felt like he had the ability to freeze her with her stare. Would he knock her out again before she could leave the room? If anything happened to Clora, if Faryn was free, he'd come after her. Of that Faryn had no doubt.

Cassian grabbed Faryn's arm and some of the tension seeped out of her, even as he hoisted her to her feet. For the benefit of the eyes on her, she tried pulling away, but Cassian yanked her forward.

Before Cassian dragged her out of the cell, she gave her grandfather a subtle nod, hoping he could see the fear she was trying to project into her eyes.

A guard outside the cell, shut the door and locked it. More guards stood at attention along the walls between other doors that opened into cells. None of them stopped or questioned Cassian as he pulled Faryn along.

She had so many questions for him. Not that she could ask any of them now. Was Peter here too? Clíodhna? How did he break in? How were they going to get out?

She trusted him enough to know he would have a plan.

Cassian ground to a stop before a door and the guard that stood beside it. The guard's eyes shifted to Faryn.

"She's wanted for questioning."

Something flickered in the guard's eyes, and he proceeded to open the door. Faryn dragged her heels, and Cassian tugged her forward and through the door. Even if she had really been trying, he would have still managed to pull her anyway.

The door led them out of the cave and instead into a place where the walls were actual walls and were painted gray. They curved over them as if whoever built it wanted them to believe they still were in a cave.

Once they were out of sight of the prison door, Cassian found another door and pushed to open it before pulling her inside.

Whirling, she faced him as he bolted the door and shoved a chair under the handle.

"How?"

He placed a finger to his lips and walked to a small cupboard that only came to her hips. From inside he pulled out blackish-gray tulle and tossed it to her. "Change."

You might have noticed that Claus is marked as a Paid story. It's not one! It's because I've added in a Story Branch chapter that branches off during Chapter 6. It was originally in the wrong spot, but it should all be fixed now. Wattpad asked me to try out adding bonus chapters where they function as paid chapters. The one I posted is about Cipriano, the Headless Horseman, visiting Sleepy Hollow after meeting Faryn. It doesn't include information important to the storyline of Claus. The chapter is just a way for you to get to see more of the world and characters.

Is anyone going to Wattcon next week? I posted a TikTok about what I'll be bringing.