A Dragon's Treasure

5. What Kills a Dragon

CASSIAN

Combined with the absence of music and the general desolate nature of the house, the silence screamed at Cassian. He sat at Iris's desk, flipping through papers, and moving around books he pulled previously. Then, out of nowhere, he'd remember the miserable look on Luke's face, and he'd forget himself. With a curse, Cassian stood. He had already lost the skeleton key Luke found in a tomb the other day.

Out of all the house plans, some being fake and some being real, Cassian believed he figured out the destination of a secret passage into the basement. He would ask Astrid about it, but she ran from him like he planned to swallow her whole if she got too close.

The door opened and Cassian without realizing it was a relief to think Luke there. However, it wasn't Luke at all. Some older gentlemen walked inside with a surprised look and a twirly mustache better fit for cartoons. "Oh, my apologies. Ernest Gellar." The stranger pointed to himself with a jolly smile. "Luke let me in. I used to work with Iris—"

Cassian withheld an eye roll, leaning back in the desk chair. "So did everyone apparently. What do you want?"

"Astrid, actually. Have you seen her?"

Cassian's brow narrowed. "No."

The man stared back, unblinking. After a beat, he asked, "You wouldn't happen to have a single clue where she might—"

"No."

"Right, well thanks so much for your help. Might come back around. Just to warn you."

This time Cassian just stared, waiting for the man to get out already. He was too busy glaring at Ernest's aura. Bubbling from Ernest's chest was a dark green, almost black color. Greedy. Nasty. His edges were sparking purple. A witch. The greedy witch nodded and finally left.

This aura wasn't odd for Cassian to see in man. He'd seen it time and time again. Settling back in his chair, Cassian moved papers thoughtlessly. Something tugged at the back of his head. Between embarrassing Luke and a stranger in the Whitlock home, Cassian couldn't sit still.

Standing, Cassian swept the room and carefully opened the door to avoid making any extra sound. Luke's piano had stopped. No sound of Astrid's voice or the pattering of her feet. Cassian focused more. Somewhere, someone in the house was making a mess. Cassian knew it to be a mess based on the clattering, the banging, and the harsh tone of voice.

Trudging through the house, Cassian followed the commotion, pushing the door open to the full library, a thing of abundance with two stories full of books and a huge stained-glass door towards a sunroom. In the center, Ernest Gellar was bent at the bottom of one of the green pillars, having opened a secret door. Boxes were scattered across the black and white checkered floor. "It's not here. It's not here."

"You're lying, aren't you?" Ernest snapped at Astrid at his feet.

"I-I'm not! I swear it was there!" She jumped, quivering with her hands up.

"Oh, shut up." Rolling his eyes, Ernest backhanded Astrid across the cheek, sending her to the floor. Enraged, Cassian threw the door open and burst into the room.

"Well, damn," Ernest said with that damn sunny smile again. "I thought I fooled you."

"Then you're the fool," Cassian said and flexed out his hands. The scales just below his mortal skin were flickering out, simmering to the surface like bubbles in boiling water. "Astrid, go find Luke. He might need help."

Whimpering, Astrid nodded and scrambled to her feet. She dashed past him for the exit.

Ernest stood to his full height, reaching for a small knife in his pocket that made Cassian smirk. Ernest explained, "I had heard about your outburst during the reception, but I just couldn't believe a dragon would stoop to living in anything less than a palace. Who's protecting your horde, Lord Alwyn?"