Heir of the Gods

Ch. 36: A Gift

"You're Viloria," she repeated faintly. A sense of horror washed over her as the realization sank in.

Corax raised a brow and stared at her for a long moment. Then, to her surprise, he threw his head back and laughed. The older man pursed his lips in disapproval, but Corax simply waved him away.

"Felix," he said around a laugh. "And Julius." He sobered, his voice suddenly stern. "Tell them to sink the body. Properly this time. It does no good if it just washes ashore."

Cassia blinked at the callousness of his order, her gaze falling to the body at his feet. The corpse's blank eyes met hers, ruby blood pooling on the faded floorboards. Cassia gasped and her knees buckled as a terrible sensation of familiarity swept over her. She placed a hand on the wall to steady herself, the knife slipping from her suddenly nerveless fingers.

The sound as it hit the floor echoed strangely in her ears and her vision tunneled. She could see nothing but the dead man.

I've seen this before.

The thought drifted lazily through her mind before her legs gave completely and she slid to the floor, her neck suddenly boneless as her head lolled to the side. Distantly, she could hear words being spoken and she was vaguely aware of movement.

Her vision darkened as a black shadow passed over her, filling her with a sense of dread.

A rough palm scraped against her cheek and the world immediately righted itself. She jerked herself backwards, nearly falling over as she met a curious blue-green gaze. Corax was frowning, a small crease between his eyebrows appearing as she stood up. Her legs wobbled slightly, but Cassia locked her knees as Corax rose from a crouch.

His mouth flattened into a thin line as he looked at her. Her stomach was still churning, the nausea made worse by her hunger. Glancing around, she realized the other man had left. It was only her and Corax—Viloria—now.

She kept her attention riveted firmly on him, taking in the neat cut of his dark brown hair, the scars he carried. A knife hilt peeked out from the shaft of his boot, another was at his belt along with his sword. He moved with the well-muscled grace of a fighter—a soldier.

She should have known from the start. A man like him didn't play the guard dog. Not when he could be the wolf, instead. 

With a sigh, Corax leaned against the edge of the table, his hand resting lightly on its chipped surface. He studied her carefully, obviously considering something. He let out another sigh before he gave her a rueful smile. 

"Eyes like gold, he said," Corax began. "And more clever than what's good for her." He rubbed at his mouth, looking less than pleased. "That's how he said I'd know you."

Cassia swallowed against her dry throat. "He told me to ask for Caius Viloria. That he would be able to secure passage north."

With a mocking little bow, he said, "Well here you have him." He looked up, eyes narrowed to a wary expression. "How did you guess?"

"I'm more clever than what's good for me," she said, managing to keep her voice steady and dry.

That earned her a crooked grin as he pushed away from the table. Cassia turned her head away as he towered over her. Then he leaned down, picking up the knife she had dropped. He flipped the thin blade across his knuckles once before extending it hilt-first to her. Cassia hesitated for a moment before reaching for the weapon.

As soon as she took the knife, Corax's fingers latched around her wrist, dragging her forward, somehow managing not to impale himself. Cassia froze, her breath stopping as his lips touched her ear. She had very little doubt that—if she made so much as one wrong move—he could have the dagger out of her hand and in her heart in the time it took her to blink.