Sticks and Stones

Chapter Thirty-Three

Caspian found a sad kind of peace walking the empty halls of Claudio's castle alone at night. It had been a year and a half since he'd seen his mate yet she still plagued him in moments like this. In the moments where he walked alone and thought he saw her face in the shadows. In the moments where he felt her soft touch against his arm, or her laugh, or some kind of evil comment she'd always been so prone to make.

In these moments, he'd lift his chin up and swat the feeling away like swatting a fly. It was for the best. It was the only way to survive.

Walking these lonely shadows, he saw the doors to a balcony open and sighed. He'd seen her on his way up. A picture of solitude and misery and self-loathing that spoke to him.

He willed his legs to walk away but they wouldn't do it.

He found himself nearing his least favourite person in the world sitting all by her lonesome outside.

She didn't look up to see him. Ruby would know it was him. No one else would disturb her when she so desperately needed the time alone.

"I thought I'd be seeing you around here sometime soon," Ruby muttered. "I hoped it wasn't true. I suppose there's no fighting it."

"I'm not staying in the castle."

Claudio had offered repeatedly. Each time Cas had said no.

"Oh thank God."

"I've got my own place out in the woods." Just like he'd always wanted. It was big and open with a river running just behind it. Cas liked to sit out on the deck sometimes and contemplate life. Contemplate what he was doing with it. Contemplate where he was going. "It's been a long time coming. I've been trying to escape settling down."

Ruby scoffed. "Explains the bachelor pad you had with Luis. I heard about it going up in flames." She paused, ducking her head to the scenery below them. "I'm sorry."

Cas huffed, dropping to the ground beside her. His legs dangled through the protective bars.

"Don't be. I burnt it to the ground myself."

She managed a dry chuckle. "Good joke."

"It would be if it weren't true."

A second ticked by. Then—

"You burnt your own home down. Why would you do that?"

Cas shrugged.

He didn't like to think about it.

"To forget."

"Forget what?"

"The memories. And they still fucking haunt me."

She stared at him carefully, trying to figure him out. This was a side to Caspian she'd never seen. A side to Caspian no one had ever seen and hopefully never would again.

"What memories are you running from Caspian?"

"A woman."

A tale as old as time.

"I take it she came back with a vengeance," Ruby said. Because she'd assume that. Assume that Cas had done something wrong. "Understandable. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

"You assume too easily." Cas had done nothing wrong. He'd put his heart in her hand. It was she who chose to drop it. "Why are you sat out here on your own? I saw you from the maze. You look like a loser."

She scoffed lazily. "Good to know you'll always give it to me straight."

"I always thought hell would have to freeze over before I'd see you without your clipboard."