"Arrgghh!" Isander yelled as he raised a boulder and threw it into the sea. Nola and Cato just watched him. Everything he had worked for had been destroyed under few minutes...by the man he had underestimated...his brother, and his wife had bit his hand, giving him another scar.
"You doing that will not bring you Cassian's head" Cato said matter-of-factly and Isander stretched out his hand to Cato and he flew into his palm. "Were you not supposed to help me get his head?" "That was not the initial agreement. We had a symbiotic relationship and you got sidetracked and now everything I have worked for is---".
Isander stretched out his hand to Cato and Cato flew into his palm, "Are you aware that I can crush your windpipe?" Isander smirked as he gave Cato's neck a tight squeeze. Cato laughed, "You will not kill me" "Overconfidence cost me everything I had worked for...it can cost you your life" "I am certain that you will not kill me because you need me and my memories to bring back Andra".
Isander's grip faltered and Cato smiled smugly, "Kill me and then you will never see her again". Isander's eyes darkened and he squeezed Cato's throat roughly, stopping the air flow in his trachea.
Water trickled out of Cato's turning-red eyes and he smirked, "Y...You were...never mature enough...for this plan" he managed to say before he lost consciousness.
Suddenly, Isander felt a cold blade at his throat, "Drop him!" Nola said through gritted teeth and Isander looked at her, "Is Cato the one giving you so much leverage to disrespect me?" he chuckled and Nola looked at Cato who had passed out in Isander's hand, and then at Isander, "Cato was right. You never do things according to plan. You act on your emotions, that was why you did not know Cassian was the one playing you and not the reverse. He will always be a step ahead you because you are just a man child who is playing god" she glared at him as she pressed her sword more to his neck, his blood trickled down to her sword, "Do not make me repeat myself".
Isander let out a bitter and angry laugh then he dropped Cato on the ground. Nola kept her sword back in her sheath and picked up Cato, "When you are done throwing your little tantrum, come find us" she said and walked away.
Isander touched his neck and felt something liquid. He looked at his hand and saw blood. His own blood. Shed by a dead woman. And what was it that she had said? Cassian would always be a step ahead of him? Man child playing god?
Isander raised his hands and millions of stones flew into the lake as he yelled out.
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Cassian opened his eyes slightly and saw brown eyes staring at him with so much worry, "Cassian" Zemira said breathlessly. Cassian closed his eyes and opened them widely this time.
When he did, he saw light green eyes and a masculine face staring at him, "Cassian!" Soteria whispered happily, "Cassian!" he shouted and the doctor quickly came over to Cassian's side.
Cassian tried to sit up, but the pain in his abdomen made him stay still till Soteria helped him to sit up.
The doctor rolled up Cassian's sleeve and checked his pulse, "His heartbeat is normal..." he widened Cassian's right eye with his hand and Cassian's pupil remained normal. The doctor did the same thing to Cassian's other eye.
"I thought you were not going to wake up" Azrael smirked as he entered the tent. The doctor finished with his examinations and then got up, he took a bow and then left.
Cassian studied Azrael's wounds, bolt wound in his arm and thigh. But they seemed to be getting better. He looked at his own wound and remembered small, slender fingers applying pressure to it to stop the bleeding. Zemira? She was in the base camp, right? And she had come to save him? It was not just a hallucination caused by his loss of blood. So where was she?
Cassian looked up at Soteria who was about to poke Azrael's wound but Azrael slapped his hand away. "Where is Zemira? She is in the camp, right?" he asked and Soteria looked away. Cassian's eyes widened in fear and horror, "Where is she?!" he shrieked.
"Last night, she...she..." Soteria could not place the words. Azrael held his shoulder, "She is safe, do not worry, Cassian" he said and Cassian let out a sigh of relief. What would he have done if he had lost her?
"Then where is she?" he asked and Soteria looked at him, "She tended to you for the days you were unconscious" "How long was I unconscious?" Cassian asked. "Three days" Azrael answered.
"Zemira was always by your bedside with a towel on your head. She kept you warm at night when it was cold and she always changed your clothes" Soteria said. "So where is she?" Cassian asked and Soteria sighed, "Last night, it seemed you were having a nightmare because you were sweating and squirming in your sleep. Zemira grabbed your hand and was telling you that it was just a dream and that she is with you...but..." Soteria paused.
"But what?!" Cassian asked impatiently, "You called Nola's name and it hurt her, so she left..." Soteria completed. Azrael turned to Soteria, "I thought she was dead. I do recall seeing her with Isander" he said as Soteria tried to tell him to keep shut with his eyes.
Cassian threw the covers off himself and sprung up, clutching his abdomen. Azrael grabbed him, "You are not yet strong enough to move arou---" Cassian pushed him off and ran out of the tent.
Azrael turned to Soteria, "You would not do anything?" he asked and Soteria shrugged, "He made a mistake...he has to rectify it" he said and sat on the bed, "This bed is pretty comfortable" he patted it and Azrael rolled his eyes.
Cassian ran around,looking for the tent Zemira was in. He had bumped into many soldiers and they had given him negative answers concerning Zemira's whereabouts.
He was about to lose his mind. Where was she? Had she left him? How was he going to live without seeing her? How could he live without seeing her hands clenching her skirt and running towards him? How could he live without seeing those alluring brown eyes? How was he going to live without her?
His head and abdomen hurt so much. Had she really left him? Tears trickled down his face as he looked left and right for those familiar long black curls.
"Cassian?" he stopped in his tracks and his eyes widened. There she was...few steps in front of him, in a coffee brown gown. She had not left him.
Zemira's eyes widened as she saw Cassian running towards her. He was still convalescent, he could faint.
Out of fear of him collapsing, she ran towards him. Cassian threw his arms around her as he got to her. Her arms went limp as he hugged her.
"I am glad" he breathed into her neck. She gasped when she felt his lips on her neck. She was about to put her arms around him, but she felt a heavier weight on herself.
"Cassian?" he was about to fall but she held him and fell to the ground, his head on her thighs.
Cassian's eyes were closed and that made Zemira panic, "Cassian! Cassian! Cassian!" she shook him as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Do not shake me too much" Cassian whispered and she looked at him, "You son of a gun!" she cursed as she hit his shoulder. He held his shoulder, "Lady Monterey, do not hit me either" he chuckled.
"You deserve to be beaten! Do you know how you scared me? What were you even doing out of bed? You are still recovering" she said and he grinned, "I was looking for you". "You could have sent for me" she started picking the curls in his hair.
"You would not have come even if I had sent for you...would you?" he asked and she stopped playing with his black, cotton-like hair. Still with his eyes closed, he knew she had looked away, "And I know I am at fault for that" he sighed.
His hand moved to hers, "I wanted you to be the first person I would see when I woke up...but it was His Majesty" he laughed and Zemira gave a small giggle.
"Can I just pretend that I had not seen His Majesty and when I open my eyes, your face will be the first thing I will see" he said. Zemira's hand caressed Cassian's face and she nodded.
"Lady Monterey, I can not see right now, can you please give me a yes or no?" he chuckled. "Yes!" she smiled.
Cassian slowly opened his eyes and saw those brown eyes he loved. He touched her hair which was gently caressing his face and he sat up, his hand already cupping her face. He slowly leaned in and pressed his lips on hers.
She closed her eyes and kissed him back, her hand caressing his other hand which was on her thigh.
He slightly pulled away and rested his forehead on hers, his hand still holding her face, "I am so sorry for longing for another woman in my slumber" he whispered and a sigh escaped her mouth, "Cassian, I am scared" she admitted.
Cassian kissed her nose, "What are you scared of?" he asked and tears trickled down her face, "Nola is alive and healthy...I am scared that you will leave me and go to her...you still love her and---" "Zemy" he breathed and held her face with both hands, then he slowly wiped her tears.
"I can not deny the fact that I do not love Nola, she was my first love...but I still love you. She is my past...you are my present" Cassian said and Zemira looked at him, "She is supposed to be dead...if circumstances arise and she has to die again, would you kill her?"
Cassian's face went pale. That question had been bothering him since Nola had stabbed him. Was he going to send the dead back to where they belonged?
Zemira saw the confusion and pain on Cassian's face, so she smiled and moved back, "There is no need to get all serious" she said as she got up and helped him up. "When that time comes, I am sure you will make a good decision" she grinned and squeezed his hand, "For now, let us get you to bed!" she giggled and pulled him with her.
When that time comes...Cassian may decide to let Nola live or kill her. Either decision was going to hurt both her and Cassian respectively. If Cassian kills Nola, it would break him...and if he lets Nola live, he had to let go of Zemira...and she was not sure she could live after that.
Cassian gasped as he felt Zemira squeeze his hand. She was scared of his decision. He was also scared of his decision.
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"Let us review what we know" Cassian said as he placed his palms on the table. "Isander has an army of dead people, which can be killed fortunately" Soteria said.
"But with the help of Cato, more people like Isander can come into this world" Cassian said. "Who is Cato?" Azrael asked and Cassian looked at him, "He is the scientist helping Isander bring dead people to life. The only question is why had Isander left Cato alive" "Perhaps Isander needs his help to rule the world?" Soteria suggested and Cassian shook his head, "Isander is after revenge...not to rule the world".
"The old woman and her son are safe in the camp" Soteria said and Cassian nodded. "Old lady?" Zemira asked and Cassian looked at her, "Gertrude was informing Isander about what I did and what happened in our home".
Zemira's face heated up when he had said "Our home" and Cassian had smirked. "Why would Gertrude do something so terrible?" Zemira asked as she turned away from Cassian.
"Since Brother Caius was there, Isander had probably blackmailed her with him" Cassian said and Soteria smiled, "Motherly love" "How could he do that to someone who almost died for him?" Cassian whispered under his breath.
Isander's threats to Gertrude were not jokes. When he had told her he was going to bring her her son's fingers, he had actually cut off two...and he had enjoyed Caius screaming in pain. His only regret was that he had given the fingers to Gertrude. Oh how he had longed for the horrified expression on her face!
"Oh right, what about Stern?" Azrael asked suddenly and everyone looked at him, "What about Stern?" Soteria asked and Azrael rolled his eyes, "Who is in his body?" "Ohhhh!" Soteria said and looked at Cassian, "Did you find out?"
"Only a crazy man like Isander would do such a thing. He had transferred part of his subconsciousness into Stern and was using him to watch us" "That explains why he had not gotten injured at war" Soteria stroked his chin. "Also why he had a different aura around him" Azrael stroked his chin. "Also why he had not recognized me" Zemira stroked her hairless chin. "Also why he could fight so well" Cassian stroked his stubble.
"Oh well! Since we defeated Isander, Stern should be back to his usual self" Azrael said and everyone nodded. "So now, our final plan to get rid of Isan---"
The tent flap was flung open and someone stepped in. Black boots covered in mud, armour covered in mud, green eyes, light brown curly hair with a tad of mud stuck at the side.
Everyone's eyes widened in surprise. What was he doing here?
He bowed, "Forgive me general, I had heard about your safe return from the enemies' camp, but I have come late to greet you because I got lost in the woods".
Why was he not shouting at Cassian and throwing a tantrum about how he had gotten to the battlefield? Why was his head bowed and why was he still addressing Cassian as general?
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Nola gulped down her beer and dropped the tankard with a thud, on the table. Cato puffed out smoke from his mouth and smiled at Isander who had a smirk on his face. This war was not yet over.