The Apathetic Mage Loves Cats

Chapter 16: Secrets

After glancing around his semi-messy room, I walked over to him, my hands bundled up in the pockets beneath my robe. I listened to my boots slapped harshly on the ground as I made my way over and stood to his left, leaning against the left side of the frame, facing him, to stare out at the woods. I could lightly hear a party coming from the Voutia Kingdom, which was probably why Caiden stood out here.

After I came to a stop beside Caiden, a light chuckle came from his lips.

"You wouldn't be able to go hunting with feet like that," he murmured. I frowned at the comment and looked down at my boots.

"Well, I don't particularly have a liking to any meat, so that's fine with me." Caiden looked over at me at this, his head cocked in curiosity.

"I didn't know you were a vegetarian?" Thoughts of my past on Earth came flashing back to me; of my parents forcing me to eat raw and moldy meat as a way to show their dominance.

"Yeah, for a while now," I murmured back, blinking to get rid of those thoughts and shrugging in response. "Just not my taste." Caiden watched me for a while before nodding, turning back to look out at the forest. The lights from the stars twinkling in his eyes. And that's where we stood for a long time, scanning the forest and listening to the nightlife come alive. Then, Caiden opened his mouth:

"You know, I have trouble trusting people." I shifted my head from the forest to look at him. His own eyes were unfocused as he stared out at something beyond the scenery before him. "Which is why I don't like having maids or knights around they have..." he sighed and turned his head to look at the ground, wiggling his toes in response. "I just have bad memories from my past about them." His voice was a soft, a whisper that was lightly carried in the night air. He cleared his throat and turned to look just over my shoulder as if he couldn't quite make eye contact with me. "I don't want to pry in your information, but I have difficulties with people who keep things from me. Since you are my... bodyguard of sorts, I just thought that you should... I don't know. I guess I just thought that you shouldn't keep secrets from me." I opened my mouth, but Caiden shook his head in response to keep talking. "I know you are your own person, and it's none of my business what you want to tell me or what you don't want to tell me, I just... don't want to worry about my life like I've had to in the past." The last sentence was so soft, it was barely carried to my ears. Though I did hear it, and it caused my heart to go into a flutter, my lips and brains trying to form a sentence in response.

I was speechless.

Enough so, that I just opted to stand to the side with him, both of us lost in our own little worlds. Comprehending and trying to understand the other person who struggled with communication.

I know how hard it can be to trust someone who isn't completely honest with you, but I also know that not everything should be or can be said. The only reason I didn't want to tell this man what Romand told me was because I didn't want him to start to fret over something that shouldn't be his concern. On the other hand, why did it matter, and would he even care all that much about this problem?

But ultimately, why was I thinking so hard about it?

"Romand and I talked about the idea that... there is a traitor within the mage community." Caiden blinked his eyes twice before turning to me, a slightly shocked expression on his face. He opened his mouth to speak, then looked around us, as if someone else would be there. Then he ushered me inside hastily, shutting the balcony doors and standing there for a moment, trying to catch his thoughts. Then he spun around quickly, his face now incredulous as he stared at me.

"Should you even tell someone who isn't a mage that problem?" he asked harshly, running a hand through his hair. I frowned and furrowed my brows.

"You said you don't like secrets."

"Well of course –no one does! But shouldn't that be something you keep to yourself?" I shook my head and let out a slightly harsh sigh.

"You're confusing." He also sighed and ran a hand through his hair once more, causing it to stick up at a slightly different angle. Another moment passed as I watched him struggle to cope with the new piece of information. He then sighed once more, his index finger and thumb coming up to squeeze at his lips as he turned to make his way to his bed. He then made a gesture, indicating that I was to join him. I hesitated a moment before making my way over to him. I watched as he climbed the three steps and went straight to the left side of the bed. In one swoop, he sat down and flopped back against the pillows, his hands coming to rest on his stomach and a breath leaving slowly through his mouth. I walked up the three steps and went to the right side of the bed, gently sitting down and facing him. His eyes were closed as he waved his left hand.

"Lay down, just stay here tonight." I frowned.

"I'd rather not–" he turned his head and opened his eyes to glare at me, causing me to sigh and lean down to take off my shoes. Once off, I mirrored his position, laying down on my back, my hands folded across my stomach, and my eyes counting the number of black speckles that decorated his otherwise white ceiling.

Caiden yawned beside me before speaking. "Do you guys have any idea who it is?" I shrugged, then remembered he probably wasn't watching me and opened my mouth.

"We don't have a single clue," I admitted. He let out a slight laugh.

"Well, luckily for you, I may have an idea for what we can do to figure this person out."

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Hello everyone! Saph here! Thank you for your patience in this upload and I hope you have enjoyed the read! I wonder what Caiden has in store for us next?? 

As always, I hope you have enjoyed the story, and please don't hesitate to tell me what I should fix or how you are enjoying the story. Otherwise, I'll see you next time. Bye-bye!