Plutonian

Chapter 14

"Just girl stuff?" Lucian tilts his head to the side and eyes me suspiciously. "Just girl's stuff and you're barely able to fight let alone do ten push ups? Come on Aria, it's either you take me for a fool or I over estimated your willpower."

"I don't know if it's my place to say anything," I reply cautiously.

"And why is that?" Lucian says patiently.

"It's about Lazarus IX." I bite down on my lip hard when I notice Lucian's face darkens considerably. He looks almost mad, like I just insulted him.

"What about him?" He asks a little too quickly. "Did he approach you again?" 

"No, it's not about me. It's my friend, Cassandra. I saw her today with bruises all over her neck and I was told that she is his paramour," I almost cry as I say the words out loud. I can't imagine the things she must be going through and what Sergeant Atmos said about Lazarus plays in my head like a broken tape recorder. 

Lucian's face lights up in surprise at this piece of news and I am slightly shocked that he didn't already know about this. Weren't the Trinity supposed to be close to each other?

"Is he going to kill her?" I finally ask after waiting for him to respond. 

"He has killed his paramours before." Lucian strokes his chin as he speaks and my hearts drops to my stomach at his words. 

All I want to do at this moment is grab Cassandra and escape this horrible place but right now the chances of failure are too great. Everything seems so hopeless and my body slumps in exhaustion and pain. I just want to squeeze my eyes shut and waste away in a dreamless slumber. Maybe that is the only escape I will ever have.

"He won't kill her," Lucian says and I am interrupted from my self pity. "He won't kill her because she isn't his paramour. Trust me."

"Wha- how do you know?" It's a stupid question considering he is a part of the Trinity but Stela seemed so convinced when she told me about Lazarus just now. She was so heart broken and jealous unlike her usual smug self. I know her well enough to know she wasn't lying.

"He would never be stupid enough to get another paramour when he and Luna are to be married by next year," Lucian explains. "He has planned to marry her since we were six. Once they do, he will be in the position of highest power with the entire Plutonian army at his command."

"He is going to be the sole leader of the entire army?" My eyes widen in dismay. "What about you and Luna?"

"Luna's never been interested in war. She'd much rather stay here and watch over the city," Lucian smiles to himself as he speaks of her but his smile disappears when he admits that he will become second in command. 

"Why would she marry him?" I can't help but ask. He is by far the most vile Plutonian I have met and it makes me wonder if she is just as horrible. 

"She has loved him since we were kids," Lucian's eyes glaze over as he talks about her with a palpable sadness in his voice. "I will never understand why because she is nothing like him. She's always been kind and gentle. It is what makes her an easy target during our missions. Lazarus has never hurt her and I don't think he ever will, not if he wants to keep his rank and position."

"You don't think he loves her?" 

"I honestly can't say. Lazarus has never been the type of person who falls in love but with Luna he is different, so I'm not sure," Lucian replies skeptically.

"I hope he does for her sake," I say quietly. I don't know Luna but I am now thoroughly relieved that Cassandra has nothing to do with him. 

"So you're certain she's not his paramour?" I ask again just to be sure.

"Positive. The only human he has shown interest in recently was you. He could not stop raving about how he enjoyed your match so thoroughly but I doubt he would have made you his paramour now that Luna is his betrothed."

My face scrunches up in disgust as I remember Lazarus's hand on my back and his lips on my ear.

Lucian notices and immediately bursts out laughing. "Ahh, there's the expression that made my day. I can't tell you how happy I was to see someone treat him the way you did. He always gets away with what he does because everyone allows him to."

"I never thanked you for saving me that night," I hold my neck and smile at him gratefully. 

"So I guess that makes us even?" He puts his hands up and stares at me innocently. 

I laugh in response and nod my head. "For last night, yes. For tonight, I'm not sure."

"Oh yes, about that." He gets up and walks to the large cabinet by his bed. He pulls out a drawer that looks big enough to be a coffin and takes out a tiny syringe. 

The bright yellow liquid swishes inside as he walks over and holds it out for me to take. 

"If I attack you tonight I want you to inject me with this sedative," He says.

"This will knock you unconscious?" I ask in surprise.

I hesitantly wrap my hands around it's thin body as I feel the weight of its contents in my palm. It probably weighs less than a cream roll but it's potential strikes me like a bolt of lightning. 

I remain deep in thought, staring at the bright yellow liquid. I look up at the white skin below the sleeve of Lucian's shirt and then my eyes shift to the library at the end of the room.

Heyyy hope you liked the update! Are you guys relieved that Cassandra is not with Lazarus?