Cloud Piercer

Twenty Three

"Where is he now? The traitor."

"He got what he deserved."

"And the councillor?"

"Dead." Casimir meets my gaze. "Killian brought the Portson councillor's head to Trina when he first arrived. He suffered for all the lives he was responsible for."

I wrap my arms across my chest and look out the window, the thought chilling me. Deep down, a seed of guilt sprouts as I think of Killian. I'd been so awful to him when he'd arrived. How long had it been since he'd lost his family? Since he'd endured such a terrible experience? But I certainly wasn't the only one to do so.

"Why don't you like Killian?" I ask.

He wrinkles his nose. "He's fine." I splutter a laugh. "Ok, fine. You're right, I don't like him."

"Why not?"

"Well, if it weren't for him finding out who you are, you never would've been dragged into any of this."

"Perhaps I should be thanking him, then."

He frowns at me but sighs. "I don't know. He's good at what he does but ever since he showed up..." he trails off. "Everyone is enamoured by him. He has all these new ideas and experiences from Portson. You should've seen the look on Trina's face when he brought her the councillor from Portson."

"So what's the problem?" I ask, examining his expression. "Are you jealous of him?"

"No." Casimir is reasonable and all logic, he's never been a jealous person, and from his expression, I'm not so sure even he understands what he's feeling. "Maybe. Sometimes... it feels like Trina wishes I was more like him." He frowns. "I've never expected anything from her as a mother, hell, she never acted like much of one, but it never bothered me until I saw the way she treated him."

"I'm sorry, Cas. That she was like that."

He looks at me, his gaze softening. "We've all made sacrifices for the cause."

I reach over to grab his hand. "I don't care what the cause is. Nothing justifies leaving your child in an unfamiliar place and not contacting them for two years."

There's an ache in his gaze I see beneath his soft smile, and I want to destroy Trina for ever causing him pain.

"He's not so bad, you know," I say, thinking of the way he looked at me in the forest, after he'd saved my life. "Killian, I mean."

"I know," he sighs. "But even so, I don't like the way he's so willing to put you in harm's way. He's as obsessed as Trina in bringing down the shifters. You're expendable to him. It's a miracle you're still alive after last night."

I bite the edge of my lip. Once, I thought the same. But after last night, I'm not so sure. "Cas, I didn't kill Tetterman's son."

"What?"

"I tried, and I almost did, but something in me... I let the shifter go, and Killian saw."

He furrows his brows. "He didn't tell the others?"

"I was going to come clean. I thought it was over, but before I could say anything, Killian lied for me."

"Why would he do that?"

"I don't know. But it makes me feel a lot better about my life being placed in his hands."

Casimir looks out the window. I wish I could read his mind, understand what he's thinking, but I assume he's just as thrown as I was by the cover-up. After a few moments, he rises to his feet. "I should get going," he says, "I'm expected at the fields."