Free Web NovelChapter 43: 43 Eclipse of the Moon
Elian was led into a quiet, warm, private dining space, the warm candles exuding sweet scents into the air, making him feel instantly relaxed.
The room was simple: a round table at the center, a few chairs around it, and the white curtains neatly pulled to the side to let sunlight into the beautiful dining space.
"This is my dining room. Sit, food will be served soon," Cassian gently pulled out a chair for Elian, nodding at him.
Elian could not suddenly refuse; he had already followed him in there.
"Thank you," he said as he lowered himself into the chair.
"You’re welcome," Cassian replied, moving toward the door as someone knocked from the outside.
"Thank you, Patricia," Cassian said to the young woman as he took the tray of food from her.
He turned, carefully walking back to the table to place the food tray in front of Elian.
Elian gulped as he stared at the warm breakfast laid out in front of him—golden eggs sprinkled with herbs, thick slices of smoked ham, freshly baked bread still steaming from the oven, honey, butter, a bowl overflowing with berries, and a mug of hot cinnamon tea.
"Eat," Cassian said, taking out the cup to push it closer to Elian. "Drink that before anything else," Cassian instructed. "You look half-frozen."
Elian blinked, touched and surprised. How did Cassian know he was frozen to death by their journey?
"This is for me?" Elian asked softly.
"Unless you see another starving man in the room," Cassian replied calmly.
Elian couldn’t believe it. Contrary to how he thought he would be treated in the King’s palace, Cassian was treating him with an unexpected, protective gentleness.
"Drink," Cassian said, moving over to stare out of the window.
Elian only contemplated once before he picked the mug up and gulped down the hot cinnamon tea. He sighed as his body instantly warmed up, his insides relaxing for once.
He took his time to eat, selecting from berries to pastries, then fruits. He ate to his fullest, and for a second, he almost let himself feel at home.
But this wasn’t home... this was never home.
He slowly sipped his water, placing the fork down.
"Enjoy the meal?" Cassian finally returned from the window.
He had sensed that Elian was uncomfortable to eat in his presence, so he had excused himself, returning only when he was sure Elian was done.
Elian gently dropped the cup, clearing his throat. "Yes, I did. Thank you for the food, Lord—"
"Cassian," Cassian corrected, placing a hand behind Elian’s chair.
Elian shook his head. "I’m sorry. I don’t think it’s right to call you by your name. I barely know you," he murmured.
Cassian walked around and pulled a chair in front of Elian. "What would you like to know about me? I’ll tell you anything," he said as he sat down in front of Elian.
Elian shifted uncomfortably, hoping he hadn’t unconsciously hypnotized Cassian. If not, why was he willing to tell him everything? Humans never tell everything; there was always something to hide.
"You don’t need to tell me anything, please," Elian replied quietly.
Cassian nodded. "I understand," he said, leaning his elbows above his knees. "How long are you here for?" he questioned.
Elian tapped his feet quietly as he thought. "I don’t know. A few days, maybe."
"Perhaps you’d stay," Cassian murmured, standing and offering Elian his hand.
Elian took Cassian’s hand, allowing himself to be treated like a human for the moment. He heard Cassian’s words, but he dared not delve into that.
Stay?
In the palace?
Whatever for?
Firstly, he didn’t want to be among royals. Secondly, he didn’t belong here. Thirdly, Cassian would never say that if he knew who Elian truly was, and most importantly, Lucien would never allow such a thing to happen.
"You don’t want to leave?" Cassian asked as Elian suddenly stopped moving.
Elian blinked rapidly, realizing he’d gotten lost in his thoughts. "I’m sorry, what did you say?" He tried to sound oriented, even though he was suddenly feeling disoriented.
Cassian sighed. "Do I make you uncomfortable?"
Elian tried to act normal, but the absurdity of it all got to him. "Why?" he asked, taking a step back from Cassian. "Why are you being nice to me? Do you want to kill me?" he questioned directly.
What was there to fear? In the end, death was death.
Cassian frowned, taking in Elian’s scared form for a moment. "No," he spoke calmly. "I do not want to kill you, Elian. I promise," he assured.
Elian didn’t seem to believe him; he kept his distance, eyeing Cassian with suspicion. "Then why are you being so nice to me? You barely know me."
Cassian sighed, taking slow steps forward. "Honestly? I do not know. But that’s what I’m trying to figure out." He paused right in front of Elian, smiling softly. "My journey with you was supposed to end in front of the palace. I could have assigned one of my men to take you to the waiting room and guard the door until the Duke is done speaking to His Majesty. But I chose to take you..." He paused, looking at Elian’s face.
"Why?" Elian asked, afraid of the answer Cassian might give.
"Because, Elian, you interest me. Your beauty, your voice, your aura... they’re things I’ve never experienced. I almost feel like I’m speaking with an angel. I mean it," Cassian confessed.
Elian froze, his pulse spiking slowly.
An angel? More like a traitor.
"I’m no angel—"
"To me, you are," Cassian countered softly.
Elian shook his head. "You..." He sighed, shaking his head again.
"I what, Elian?" Cassian encouraged.
"You shouldn’t be drawn to me. You do not know me or what I can do, or what I’ve done. I’m really no angel, Cassian," Elian murmured.
Cassian smiled widely. "You said my name; that bridge is crossed. Perhaps I can spend the next few days making you see exactly what an angel you are. Maybe you might stay," he said, taking Elian’s hand in his.
Elian sighed; there was no need to convince Cassian. He would just let him do whatever he wanted; in the end, Cassian would realize that Elian was never meant to stay, and he was definitely not an angel.
Cassian took another step closer, staring closely at Elian’s tired face. "Do you want to sleep? I can take you to—"
The heavy doors swung open, and the air instantly chilled and thickened.
Elian could feel the hyper-possessiveness before he even saw Lucien.
Lucien stood at the door like a reaper, his dark green gaze turning dead and murderous when he saw Cassian standing entirely too close to his property.
"Your Grace," Cassian gently let go of Elian’s hand to greet Lucien, who had strode into the room with his dark shadow consuming the entire space.
"Lord Cassian," Lucien briefly shook hands with Cassian, his gaze never falling from Elian.
"I did not realize your talk with your father-in-law would be a brief one today," Cassian mentioned.
"Only the basics. We all had a long, tiring journey. We need to rest," Lucien spoke coldly, his green eyes sweeping over Elian like he was making sure no harm was done to him.
Elian felt suffocated. One man felt like the light, cold winter, while the other felt like the dark, brooding storm. He wanted to escape both, to hide in his own safety, away from men who only thought of ways to keep him for themselves.
No one ever cared what he wanted. No one ever cared for the life he lived before all this. He was tired of being told what to do, what to believe, and what to think.
He didn’t want to be defined by a man; he wanted to be his own person, not someone’s property.
"Then allow me to lead you to your room, Your Grace," Cassian said and turned to Elian. "You too, Moon. You look like you need a soft mattress and a warm bath." He offered Elian his hand, smiling softly.
Lucien’s face darkened at the mention of that pet name.
Moon?
It had been what? Just twenty minutes away from Elian and someone else was already giving him some stupid pet name?
He said nothing, but his eyes said everything. He stared at Elian, silently daring him to take Cassian’s hand in his presence; there would be a lot to pay for later.
Perhaps he hadn’t made his claim known well enough. Elian would need a solid reminder of whom he belonged to, one that would never be forgotten.
Cassian narrowed his eyes, sensing the shift in Elian’s stance. He was a captain for a reason, and he did not need to be told before he concluded that Lucien’s arrival seemed to have a great, negative impact on Elian’s behavior.
He also noticed that they wore the same type of leather gloves, but he read nothing into it; it could simply be for the cold weather.
"Then please follow me, Your Grace," Cassian said and calmly walked toward the door.
Lucien didn’t move; he stood there, watching Elian walk around the table to follow Cassian out.
He clenched his fists, anger blooming within him.
If Elian thought he could run away from him because they weren’t in his stonewall mansion, then he had a very big surprise for him.
No one runs away from Lucien, especially not the person he had set out to own and dominate by all means possible.
