When the angel finally woke up from his restless slumber, his back ached from the uncomfortable position he had put himself in on the couch. Bleary eyed and blinking, he watched Nancy flip over a page of the book she was reading, perched on the armchair adjacent to their old couch. They weren't a matching set, the couch being a muted green while the armchair was a hideous floral pattern he knew Nick definitely wasn't most fond of.
At the sound of him stirring, Nancy folded over the page as a marker to where she had stopped reading, before pointing at the full mug of steaming coffee that was sat on the stained, wooden coffee table in the middle of the room. It barely fit, their furniture was crammed into a tiny space that he knew they weren't keen on living in forever.
Sitting up, he winced at the shooting pain that went down his spine, rolling his neck to ease the muscle pain there as well. His hands grasped the hot, ceramic mug, thankful for the fix of caffeine she had given him.
"Thanks," He mumbled quietly, aware of her judgmental gaze on his being. Nancy's brown eyes narrowed, obviously curious as to why her fiance was unable to inform her of the reason they were offering their friend refuge. They sat in an uncomfortable silence, the only sounds in the air Sam's sipping, amplified by the tension between them.
Loudly, his stomach grumbled and he looked down at it quickly as if telling it to be quiet. With a roll of her eyes, Nancy stood from her seat and set the book she was reading aside. He wondered how long she had been sitting there, watching him as he slept, wondering what trouble her friend had gotten into.
She returned moments later with a small plate, two pieces of toast stacked one on top of the other, butter spread finely and evenly across each slice. Immediately he took a bite, starving since he never got to eat his dinner the night before. Instead he had to ingest the fear of two vampires invading their home, afterwards stomaching that he had killed them both.
Her eyes scanned him warily, looking at the bruises that covered his pale skin, the cuts that were still healing, the dark circles under his eyes. The way that the marks on his body were visible under his white t-shirt, like someone had beaten him so badly that they wanted to leave them there for everyone to see.
"What happened?" She asked hoarsely after he'd devoured both slices of toast. Nancy was inclined to get her friend more, but she wanted answers first. He didn't look good, not at all. And she wondered if the reason Nick had failed to question him was because he already knew, or was scared to find out the answers. Recently he had been so distant, so hard for Nick to even reach him that they all wondered whether there was a problem. And looking at the state of him, his disheveled appearance and marked body, she knew they were right to be concerned.
However when he finally met her gaze, his blue eyes boring into her own, she could tell there was something different about him. Though his body was adorned with scrapes, bashes and bruises, his physique was far less frail. The skinniness of his arms had been built upon by muscle, his slender face more filled out, more in proportion. Though he had always been beautiful, always been a sight for sore eyes.
Sam didn't know what lie to tell her, what would sound convincing but not completely concerning. What would deflect her attention from his appearance? What would nullify the feeling of worry, the feeling of fear?
But he couldn't think of anything, a reasonable explanation for his appearance or presence.
"I..." He trailed off, words caught in his throat as she looked at him expectantly. I'm a murderer, was what he wanted to say. He killed people last night. He speared their hearts with sunlight arrows, the weight of their deaths on his back almost as heavy as his feathered wings that allowed him to soar through the sky. "I..."
"Did someone hurt you?" Nancy probed, tentatively sitting beside him. The couch dipped, and she felt the lingering warmth of where his body had lay the night before. He hadn't considered what he may have looked like when he turned up at their door, seeking refuge and shelter like a lost puppy. Hadn't considered that he was both black and blue after the fight. His face had been left untouched, but his muscles ached and bruises were sore after using his strength in the fight to protect himself.
Yes, somebody hurt him. Tried to kill him.
He shook his head, finally managing to string a sentence together, "I had an argument with my Dad. The bruises are from boxing." The explanation was lousy, he was well aware, and he could tell that she didn't believe him. The sympathetic smile she gave him didn't meet her eyes, them subtly glancing at the dark patches of bruised skin on his arms, the exposed area of his chest.
"Boxing?" She repeated in a questioning tone, raising a curious eyebrow. It was a stretch, that lie. He hated any kind of physical sport or activity that could possibly be strenuous.
He nodded unconvincingly, thankful that a knock sounded distantly at her door. Sighing deeply, she reluctantly left to answer it. For some reason she thought he would tell her the truth, especially since it was just the two of them, with Nick being gone. Perhaps he didn't tell his best friend because of the risk of making himself vulnerable, exposing himself to masculine judgement.
"Theo?" Sam heard Nancy say, his head snapping to the front door where indeed the wizard lingered, clad in a brightly coloured button up shirt made from a swirly patterned fabric. Immediately the angel knew he had been sent by Cassius, as the vampire would not dare turn up at Nick's apartment himself. Vampire hunters covered the city, each one stationed on a different block.
"Is Nick here? He said I could come by and pick up some lecture notes I missed," He explained, peering into the mundane apartment curiously. The angel suspected this place looked like a box compared to where he lived in Midnight City. Of course, Sam had never visited the wizard's home, or Cassius' for that matter, but if it was anything like he suspected, it was nothing far from spectacular.
Nancy shook her head, eyes flickering between Sam on the couch and Theo in the doorway, letting in the cool winter draft from the hallway. Reluctantly, she invited him inside and offered him a drink, saying he could wait while her fiance returned. His class had just finished, so she assumed that he would be home soon anyway.
Furrowing his brows, Sam scrambled to find his phone among his strewn belongings, cringing at the dangerously low battery on the device's screen. The time was noon on the dot. Had he really slept that long?
The angel and wizard shared a knowing look after Nancy closed the front door, hearing the familiar click of the latch that echoed throughout the room. Tension was high, the air thick, both of them remembering the last time they were in the same room together. The way Sam had just walked out, offended at the wizard's harsh comments, both of them stubborn and argumentative. So much so that Sam couldn't take it, the judgement, the harsh stares, the way his heart thudded in his chest at the thought of himself and the vampire getting caught.
"You remember Theo, right?" Nancy said as she sauntered over to where the wizard had taken it upon himself to sit on the floral armchair. From where she was stood, she was unable to see the way Sam's sapphire eyes narrowed in his direction, nails digging into his palms to contain the anger and irritation he felt in his presence.
He knew if he said anything he would just stumble over his words, or something harsh and unexpected would tumble from his lips. Which was why he was thankful when Theo said as a fake reminder, "I was at your birthday party."
"With Cassius," Sam muttered, hearing Nancy gulp beside him.
A wave of realisation washed over her, eyes suddenly full of sorrow and sympathy. "I'm so sorry for your loss." She offered her deepest condolences, despite his 'death' being months ago now. But the wizard just bowed his head slightly, lips pursed into a thin line.
Little did she know they hadn't lost anything. Cassius was alive- as alive as he could be- and asked Theo for help that he refused to give. Selfish bastard, Sam thought as he stared at him menacingly.
"I'll get you a drink," Nancy told him quietly, retreating to the kitchen. She wasn't sure whether Theo had actually said yes to the drink she had offered him earlier, but anything to step away from the weirdness between the two boys in her living room.
"What the fuck do you want?" Sam harshly whispered, unable to keep completely calm, despite his friend being in their presence. Something burned deep inside him, thinking about the book in the library and how Theo accused him of plotting Cassius' assassination.
"I'm here to take you to Celeste's. I have agreed to translate the book for you two," Theo explained with quiet calm, a tone that the angel couldn't quite pinpoint. In those hazel eyes of his, something was underlying in them, fear perhaps, guilt maybe.
"You have?" What persuaded him? Sam wondered, eyes questioning, fingers tapping rhythmically on the fabric of the couch. If he was to enter the magic realm, he had to know Theo was genuine. Though he had his weapon to protect him, he didn't want to use it. Already he felt burdened by the two kills he had made, he didn't want to add anymore creatures to the list, even if they were bloodsucking 'monsters'.
But Cassius wasn't a monster. He was anything but.
"I have," Theo decidedly said, as though he had only made the final decision then and there, on that very armchair. "But we have to leave soon."
"Soon?"
"Time is of the essence," He whispered quickly, plastering on a grateful smile as Nancy finally returned with a mug of coffee. The mug was black, with 'World's Best Boyfriend' stuck on the side of the ceramic surface. The wizard didn't question it, he assumed Nick probably was the world's best boyfriend in Nancy's eyes. The tacky mug was probably given as a gift before their engagement, and all Theo could think was how very human of them. No shop in the magic realm sold trinkets such as those, magnets with names of places as souvenirs, mugs with bold, cringe-worthy statements on them.
Sam disagreed with the mug's statement. That boy could be a pain in his ass if he really wanted to, but he was kind and thoughtful nonetheless. And had always been there for Sam. Last night proving his point. No questions asked when he let Sam stay, only quiet concern as the angel came to him for help.
They sat silently for another ten minutes, but Nick never showed. Instead, his fiance received a text saying he was studying at the library for a few hours.
"Sorry, he's not going to be home for at least a few hours," Nancy told Theo who just shrugged in response, thanking her anyway. He stood up, telling her he should head off as he too had work that he needed to complete. They were in the same class, after all. She didn't even think to question why they weren't in class together, too preoccupied with worrying about Sam who was packing his bag as they spoke.
"I might head off as well," Sam told her, watching her brows furrow in confusion and worry.
"But Sam-" She argued, looking at the couch he had stayed on the night before.
"Tell Nick I'll be back," He requested, hauling his heavy bag over his shoulder. He didn't know how long he'd be gone. Perhaps he would return later that night, or perhaps he'd return in a day or two. Honestly he didn't know with the magic realm, with Cassius.
"Okay," was all she could respond with, wary eyes following him down the hall.
As the two boys descended down the stairwell, Sam didn't even look in Theo's direction, afraid that now they were alone he would use the combat skills he had been taught by Uriel.
"Are you gonna say anything?" Theo asked, tone clearly frustrated as they finally reached the bottom floor. Hands clammy, Sam rubbed them on his jeans that were stained- thankfully Nancy failed to notice. Black smudges adorned the denim, remnants of vampire-ash on the rough fabric, a reminder of the disgusting act he committed last night.
"I have nothing to say to you," Sam snarled, shocked at how nasty he truly sounded. He hadn't realised he had this much pent up anger towards the wizard. However, he felt insulted by what Theo had said to him, and just because he had agreed to help him didn't mean he had changed his mind entirely. This was likely a favor to Cassius, not Sam who he was clearly still wary of.
"I apologise if I offended you," Theo finally said, but it lacked sincerity. He led them underneath the stairwell, and the angel didn't even question him as he zapped a portal into existence. Magic sparked from its edges, clouds of purple mist filling its center.
"Offended me?" Sam laughed incredulously, ignoring the firm grip Theo's hand had on his arm, but unable to help the wince that escaped his lips as he brushed against a sensitive bruise. "You accused me of plotting the death of the Vampire Prince."
They stepped through the portal, blackness blurring his vision, images of stars and lights flashing in his eyes before finally it was clear again. As their feet planted onto the ground again, he stumbled a little and rubbed his temples, becoming aware of his new surroundings. They were in an ally, but as he glanced up at the beautiful, star-filled sky above them, he knew they were in Midnight City.
"What am I supposed to think? You're angel. Your kind are born and bred to kill his species," Theo argued, watching the angel rustle through his bag to retrieve an item. Swallowing the growing lump in throat, he watched as the angel slung his bow over his chest, his arrows in a container on the belt he strapped on.
Behind him, his white, feathered wings were fanned and open, fluttering as he adjusted to the magic floating through the fresh air. And his skin... His skin was glowing, rays of light emitting from every part of his body.
"Wow," Theo muttered, examining his wings closely. He had never seen angel wings up close, how tiny and delicate the feathers were, how large and intimidating the wings were as they moved instinctively behind him.
Admittedly, the angel had done that to make a point, that this was who he was and there was no changing that. That he was not to be messed with, not to be insulted. Not to be accused of wanting to harm anyone, especially Cassius.
"Something tells me you're going to need to be a little more... discreet," Theo warned him, but he was shot a menacing glare in response. In this realm Sam looked ethereal, his eyes a deeper shade of blue, cheekbones as sharp as the arrows in his belt.
"I'm not putting these away until I'm somewhere safe, somewhere less exposed," The angel argued, and Theo didn't know if he meant his wings or his arrows. But it was understood. Midnight City was still unknown territory, and therefore the angel's guard was up. He suspected that after the incident Cassius informed him about- once he'd calmed down from the rage that caused him to pin Theo to the wall by his neck- he would forever have his guard up.
Further evidenced by the bruises on Sam's flesh, which he suspected Nancy and Nick would be questioning him about sooner rather than later.
"Celeste's apartment is close," Theo promised, beginning to walk ahead through the ally. This was the back of her building. They couldn't risk Sam going in through the front, afraid of someone spotting him and reporting him to the King. He was wanted in the magic realm, precisely why he was so reluctant in agreeing to Cassius' plea to bring the angel here. Harboring a fugitive wasn't exactly on his to do list, but for Cassius he would.
For the Prince, he had to. By order, he had to. And from the way Sam's fist clenched tightly around the string of his bow, he could tell that the wizard didn't have a choice. As though he was afraid he would suddenly be hit by some wicked spell that would require the angel to defend himself by wielding a weapon used to hunt vampires.
As they neared a fire escape, Theo pulled down the ladder, mustering all of his strength to do so, before beginning to ascend. Each step was careful, and the angel held in a laugh at the way the wizard's throat bobbed as he looked at the cold, hard concrete below him. Obviously he wasn't a fan of heights, or ladders, or perhaps both.
The angel waited until he could determine which floor the apartment was on, seeing Theo stop on level three of four levels, just outside a closed window. Then he flapped his feathery wings, gracefully flying into the air before landing firmly on the metal platform that held their weight. Rolling his eyes at Sam's subtle gloat, Theo lightly tapped on the window with his knuckles, waiting for someone inside to let them in.
It was Celeste that came to the window, opening it with ease as she rose an eyebrow at Sam's spread wings. However she didn't question him, just watched as he tucked them in tightly behind him to fit through the window. It was a squeeze, but he managed and shut the window behind him as Theo entered first.
He wasn't sure what Celeste did for a living, but her place was beautiful. Long, lacy maroon curtains adorned the windows that were shut and drawn; on the walls were rich, dark oak bookshelves, lined with books with spines most likely older than all of their ages combined; the settee was also a deep crimson, with a woolen blanket draped across the back for more comfort, and the coffee table was the same wood texture and colour as her bookshelves. A large, wooden archway, engraved with detailed swirling patterns in the darker wood led to what Sam could see as the kitchen. However the room he was stood in was clearly just the living area, as he could already tell Celeste had many more rooms to offer.
The walls were painted a light shade purple, lilac almost, with hand-painted flowers decorating what would once have been a plain expanse, but was now an intricate masterpiece to admire, either for guests or just herself when she perhaps read one of those many books.
And in the center of the room stood Cassius, eyes locking with Sam the moment he climbed through the arched window.
"You're here," Cassius breathed out, opening his arms for Sam to walk into. The boy obliged to his silent request, walking into those awaiting arms, feeling his heartbeat slow to a steady rate as they embraced each other. Uncaring of the eyes that were clearly on them. The vampire was careful of Sam's delicate wings behind him, breathing in his sweet scent, one he would recognise anywhere. "I'm so sorry about my Dad."
Sam pulled away, putting away his wings entirely, dropping his weapon and arsenal to ensure he meant peace. As soon as he did, both Cassius and Celeste released a breath they didn't know that they were holding in.
"We have something to show you," Celeste told him, motioning with a nod of her head for not just Sam, but all three of the boys to follow her.
Celeste's long, pink hair was half-up, some of it in a pretty braid with decorative flowers placed neatly and precisely along the plait, while the rest fell down her back in long, effortless waves. Her skin was golden and tanned, pink blusher dusting her cheeks and glitter brushed over her eyelids. Small, silver jewels adored her cheekbones, glimmering under the lights as she smiled prettily, warmly, at Sam.
She led them to a room behind a wooden paneled door- one that Sam would have assumed was just a cupboard- that was actually what looked to be a study. Unlike her living room, the walls were a deep emerald, with landscape paintings, mountains and rocks and sunsets and sea and sand and great expanses of green land and hills and life.
It took a moment for Sam to take it in, before he felt Cassius beside him, their hands brushing before retreating back to their sides.
On a large, circular table right in the center of the study, was the book.
"Theo and I spent hours last night translating. My Latin is a little rusty, but with our combined efforts we managed to get through the whole book," Celeste explained, looking up to lock eyes with Sam. Her eyes were a vibrant violet, her features young and playful, but behind those eyes she was older, wiser.
He wondered how old she was. But Sam didn't dare ask.
"The whole book? In one night?" Sam questioned.
"I helped too," Cassius butted in eagerly, wanting to feel helpful. Though he knew that he really did nothing save from seethe in the corner as he tried not to rip Theo's throat out. However, after a few hours of solely seething, he did get bored and started asking Celeste countless questions about the book.
"Not the entire book," Celeste answered, trying not to be too stunned by the angel's beauty, however he was glowing so brightly, his presence overwhelming even without the giant wings behind him. She understood Cassius' initial infatuation. She continued, "The legend, which you now know, reads as normal... to a point." Her voice was wary, her and Theo shared a knowing look between them that the angel was unable to decipher the meaning of.
An audible gulp could be heard from Theo, trying- but failing- not to sound blunt as he said, "Cassius, you know your Mother died."
The vampire's breath hitched. Nobody ever mentioned it, as Cassius was merely a baby, tiny and in need of his mother's arms. Both of them were, himself and Claudia. Yes, they were immortal, but at that age nothing but helpless. And the King... the King had two young children to deal with, as well the mourning of his wife, of his Queen.
"What does that have to do with anything?" He spat harshly, eyes glowing orange with fury. His nails dug into his palm as he clenched his fists tightly by his sides, fangs protruding from his gums. It had been a long night, and he was already biting back the urge to just jump Theo and rip his head from his neck.
But he felt a comforting touch, a caress of his cheek, and suddenly he was staring into an ocean, a pool of deep, dark blue. Sam.
"Hey, hey," Sam whispered, rubbing soothing circles with his thumb. "Hear him out."
Cassius took a deep breath, feeling Sam step away from him. He nodded, looking at his feet instead of at the wizards. Himself and Sam stood on one side of the table, while Celeste and Theodore stood on the other, as though they were two separate alliances, not one.
"Do you know who killed her, Cass?" Celeste asked softly, so gentle you could almost not hear her. But he had vampire hearing, so every word was as clear as the Midnight City. starry sky.
He didn't answer.
"Cass?" Celeste repeated tentatively, watching as he leaned against the table, knuckles turned white as they gripped the wood. She placed a soft hand over his, and he looked up, meeting her kind, familiar gaze.
A pang of jealousy could be felt in Sam's gut, eyes narrowing to slits at the sight of their hands touching. Theo noticed, but didn't comment.
"Cassius, do you know?" She asked again, watching as he nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Sam's eyes widened, heart suddenly aching at the thought. Cassius knew who murdered his mother, who killed her in cold blood. He was a baby, but he knew, meaning someone told him. He wondered how long he had known, and if he ever thought about them, about wanting to kill them too. Wanting to hurt them for the pain they had caused his family, the loss they must have suffered.
Sam knew how it felt, to grow up without a Mother.
"Who?" Celeste probed, eyes flickering between Cassius and the book.
The vampire stood tall, back straight as he turned to Sam.
He whispered ever so softly, as though the answer would break the angel too, "Micah."
-
His reflection in the mirror wasn't him, but a completely different person. The son of someone he didn't want to know, be associated with, the son of not just a vampire killer, but the son of the Vampire Queen's murderer.
Cassius banged on the bathroom door. "Sam, let me in."
He obliged, slowly letting it creak open.
After finding out the truth, the angel quietly dismissed himself before disappearing to the bathroom, breaking out into broken sobs. He wasn't sure how much more deceit he could handle from his father, how many more lies, how many more times he was going to be convinced that Cassius was the enemy.
"I'm so sorry, Cass," Sam choked out, pulling the vampire into his arms.
"No," Cassius replied softly. "I was a baby. I was a small baby, and I... I never knew her." He pressed a kiss to the top of Sam's head, running his hands through his auburn hair before holding his face with his hands.
"How long?" Sam asked, voice a mere whisper. How could Cassius bare to look at him? How could Cassius dare to be around him when he was Micah's son? "How long have you known?"
"As long as I can remember," He admitted, suddenly unable to meet the angel's eyes.
Hastily, the angel released himself from Cassius' grip, afraid that just them touching meant more loss, more death, more chaos. More pain and suffering during this war.
But he reached out again in an attempt to soften the blow of news, nullify the pain, the guilt that the angel was feeling.
"How can you bare to look at me? How can you dare to speak- to speak to me knowing what my Father did to your Mother?" Sam was yelling, voice reverberating through the apartment, echoing and bouncing off the walls. He knew that Celeste and Theo could hear them, but he didn't care. His mind was a messy haze, as though he was stuck in a misty portal that he had stepped through, but was unable to come out the other side. As if the Midnight City stars had fallen from the sky, leaving nothing but a sheet of blackness above him.
"I can dare to look at you because it wasn't you!" Cassius shouted. "I can dare to look at you, dare to touch you, dare to crave you every second of every day, because it's all I yearn for!" His chest was heaving up and down, fangs sharp and out in the open from his parted lips. Eyes glowing, mind whirling, head spinning.
"The moment I laid my eyes on you that was it. That was it for me." Cassius shook him, hands planted firmly on the angel's shoulders. Sam was still glowing, still radiating light and power and purity. Still staring at Cassius like he meant everything, like the news meant he now lost him, now lost his prince.
"I can't be it," Sam argued, voice wavering. "My Dad is a monster. I-I'm a monster."
"No," Cassius disputed. "I've killed. I've killed too. Those vampires that attacked you-you were defending yourself. You had to stop them. And I-" He stopped himself, carefully contemplating his next words. Sam was breaking, hands shaking as he reached up with one of them to brush a hand over his face. "I'm no better. You're not a monster, you're an angel."
An angel.
It made him feel sick.
The whole time. The whole time Cassius knew and didn't say anything. He could have left Sam alone once he found out who his father was, but the boy stayed. The boy believed he was good, that he was worth it. Believed that not all angels were bad, just as Sam believed that Cassius was good. Was worthy of love.
"Sam," Someone else caught his attention.
Celeste.
"You and Cassius," She began.
He gave her his full attention, trying not to look so distraught, so ashamed of who he was and where he came from. From the corner of his eye, he could see Cassius staring at him as if he was the whole world. As though he was the only star in the night sky, the light he needed to follow.
"You can stop this war," She finished.
-
They stood around the large, circular table once again. It's wooden legs were engraved with the same intricate carvings as the kitchen archway, and lacy curtains blew slightly in the breeze that came in from the now open window. It had been decided they all needed some air, as it was previously thick with tension.
This time around, Sam kept his distance from Cassius, much to his dismay. His skin longed for the angel's touch, but all Sam wanted was for his own skin to stop this glow that drew everyone's attention to him. But no matter how hard he tried, how many times he willed himself to stop, he was unable to do so. Unable to yield the power inside of him that wanted to be unleashed, his wings that wanted to expand and flutter freely. But he couldn't. Wouldn't. Not when he knew he would be judged. Not when they just reminded him of who he was. What he was.
"How? How can we stop this war? Why Sam and I?" Cassius asked impatiently.
"I-I need to finish the book," Celeste told him. They weren't sure if that was lie- if she was too hesitant to tell them the truth, knowing it would hurt him.
"The book mentions everybody by name," Theo explained calmly, no emotion, getting to the point. He didn't look anyone in the eye. "It looks to be a prophecy, a prediction, beginning with Sam's Father killing the Queen."
Sam's breath hitched, knowing Cassius heard him. The vampire just gulped and urged Theo to continue, simultaneously afraid and intrigued.
"My guess is that we should treat this book as an instruction guide. We should take this seriously, as this mentions both of you by name. I'm sorry I shut you down, Cassius. This book was made for you. For both of you," Theo stated, finally looking up to meet both of their intense gazes. Sam's eyebrows furrowed deeply in thought, the first sign of emotion he'd shown since returning to this room.
"Soulmates," Celeste whispered.
Cassius looked at Sam longingly, at the boy who didn't dare to look in his direction.
"Pages of the book are missing," Celeste finally told them, trying not to sigh sadly at the sight she beheld. At the sight of a vampire longing the touch of his angel. Did Sam want Cassius the same way he wanted him? Would they get through this together? Would they put up a united front?
"How many?" Sam asked, straight faced and serious. Cassius just frowned, finally turning his attention to the open book. The pages were worn and torn, covered in dusty fingerprints and marks from those who had previously touched it. It shimmered under the light though, radiating a type of magic that Cassius had likely never seen or heard of, the jumbled letters not making sense as he tried to read them. It's ink was smudged, a magnifying glass on the side so the wizards could actually make out the tiny, cursive lettering.
"Two."
"We need to find them," Cassius immediately said.
"Good luck with that," Sam mumbled.
Cassius scowled, head whipping round to Sam quickly. Theo and Celeste cringed, almost as if they knew what was coming.
"I already told you I don't blame you for my Mother's death. If I can move past it so can you," Cassius snapped. "But this-" He pointed to the book. "This explains everything I have been feeling for months. Explains the bond between us. Explains everything, and I need to know if you're on board, Sam, because I'm afraid I'm going to lose you, to them. To the other side. To your Father, or my Father, who wants to kill you," Cassius reminded him harshly.
Sam stared back at him blankly.
"Sam," Cassius repeated, voice hard as nails. It felt like he was hammering those nails into him, into a rock solid surface that just didn't want to be broken. A wall. A wall the angel had put up to guard himself, from enemies, from Cassius.
"I can track the pages using magic. But only if they're hidden in the magic realm," Celeste explained.
"If they're in the mortal realm, I'm afraid we're powerless," Theo added.
Cassius was still trying to gain a reaction, an emotion from Sam. Empty eyes, empty expression. Just emptiness.
And suddenly Sam was stepping back. "Find those fucking pages," Sam finally choked out. "I don't want to kill anyone. I don't want to be a fucking vampire hunter!" He yelled at no one in particular.
There was silence save from Cassius' gulp.
Until Sam finally said, "Find the pages, so I can decide whether it's worth sparing that piece of shit's life."
They all knew who he was talking about. They didn't need to say it, and the look in the angel's eyes was scaring Cassius. But the vampire just grabbed the angel's hands, kissing his knuckles on each one. "We'll find them. Take a deep breath."
The angel unleashed his wings, feeling them flutter behind him.
Killing those vampires had definitely changed Sam.
But Cassius didn't know if it was for the better.
A/N: I don't know how to feel about this chapter. In my plan I was supposed to write more of my plot points, but it ended up being far too long. It's an extra 1800 more words than usual, and I have no idea why. This was difficult to write. I hope you still enjoyed it.
Thank you for reading- Sian <3
Questions:
- Thoughts on Celeste and Theo translating the book?
- Thoughts on Cassius revealing who killed his mother?
- And finally thoughts on Sam lashing out in the end?
Socials:
IG: Sian_dickson
Twitter: Sianedickson