41 – Cassian/Iris
I felt my heart stop as she flashed me her smile. Wide, carefree and lovely. I blinked, trying to clear my vision of the haze that suddenly fell over me. But it did nothing, not when she was looking at me as she was. Without fear, without trepidation. She looked at me like the way flowers looked up at
the sun.
When was the last time someone looked at me like that? Like I was not some creature of the night, like I was not cursed to kill all that I touched. She in turn took my hand in hers, her stunning smile still in place. “What happened?” she asked suddenly, probably because of my silence and I hope must have been gaping at me.
I was tongue–tied, my mind suddenly emptied of any thoughts. I could not answer as she looked up at me expectantly. Panic washed over me as her wonderful smile started to fade from worry. I had to keep her smiling, it was too much of a beautiful sight to lose.
“I don’t have any Irises,” I suddenly blurted.
Confusion took over her face. “Irises?” she asked.
“Like the flower that you are named after,” I blurted again. “I don’t have any Irises.”
She blinked up at me as though she could not believe what she was hearing. A heartbeat went by before she burst into laughter, a sound so genuine and melodic that it filled the garden like the sweetest music. Her laughter was infectious, and despite myself, I found a chuckle escaping my lips. The absurdity of my statement hit me, and soon I was laughing too, both of us caught in this beautiful, bizarre moment.
For the first time in what felt like an eternity, I felt something within me shift. As I watched Iris laugh, her eyes sparkling with joy, I realized that I wanted more of this. More of her laughter, more of her smiles, more moments that felt like a balm to my weary soul. I didn’t just want to protect her; I wanted to make her happy. I wanted to be the reason she smiled, the reason her eyes lit up with joy.
She suddenly leaned into me, her laughter slowly subsiding, and looked up at me with a warmth that made my chest tighten. “You’re quite something, Cassian,” she said, still giggling. She spoke to me as though we were almost… friends. Like a lover who knew me more than I knew myself.
I smiled down at her, feeling an unfamiliar warmth spread through me. “So are you, Iris.” I didn’t understand why I was saying these bizarre things,
but it was worth the oddness when she smiled wider at me.
Again, she squeezed my hand gently, her touch sending a pleasant shiver down my spine. “Thank you,” she whispered, her eyes reflecting a depth of emotion that I couldn’t quite decipher. One that I could not fully read.
“For what?” I asked, genuinely curious.
“For this,” she said simply, gesturing around the garden. “For making me laugh, for being here with me.” She said it like she meant it. Like I had not trapped her within these castle walls for my own needs.
Yet, my heart swelled at her words. At that moment, I knew that I would do anything to keep her safe, to see her smile. The weight of my responsibilities didn’t seem as heavy, and the darkness that usually lingered at the edges of my mind was momentarily dispelled by her light. Was this what the stories had meant? Or maybe it was the mate bond messing with my rationality. But at that moment I didn’t really want answers. I just
wanted this.
We sat there, surrounded by the beauty of the garden. I found myself making a silent vow to myself. It was not only me, but even my dreadful wolf was in support. For once in its existence, it didn’t want blood, and we were on the same page. I would find a way to create more moments like this. To bring more joy into her life. Because seeing Iris happy, seeing her smile–it was worth everything all of a sudden. It would also get her ready for what was to come. For what I would have to do to her. I would have to make it easier for her.
Iris POV
My heart had known no rest since I left the garden. When it dawned on me how I had acted there, I was suddenly wracked with nerves. The moment had felt so surreal, so out of place in the midst of everything that was happening. Yet, it was one of the most beautiful experiences I had ever had.
As I walked through the castle, my mind kept replaying the scene in the garden. Cassian’s laugh, a sound I had never heard before, echoed in my ears. It had been rich, genuine, and filled with a warmth that contrasted sharply with his usual stern demeanor. His smile had been equally unexpected, softening his features in a way that made him look almost boyish. The thought of it made my heart race, but not entirely out of fear.
Some part of me wanted to see it again.
But now, away from the magical garden, reality began to seep back in. I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly had happened. How the mode has changed too quickly. How had I gone from wanting to vomit at the prospect of whipping Zahila to giggling with Cassian? It was so puzzling.
I reached my room and closed the door behind me, leaning against it for support. The weight of everything I had experienced today pressed down on me. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. I needed to focus, to understand what was happening to me and why Cassian’s actions affected me so deeply. It was not the first time that he had made me feel…
The day I had helped him bandage his wounds and other little moments that seemed to build up to what had happened in the garden. I had blamed it all on the mate bond, but this felt different. It felt far more tangible than a bond. It felt so real.
The memory of his touch lingered on my skin, as though he was still with me. Was it the mate bond that made everything so intense? Or was there something more, something deeper that I could not comprehend? Or something that I prefer not to investigate too much else I hate myself because of what I find.
A soft knock slashed through my thoughts and braced myself before I went ahead to open it. At the other end was the last person I thought would
Setting
21:03
41 Cassian/Iris
knock on my door.
“Ione…” I stammered. It took a full half minute before I realized that I was just gaping at her in surprise. I moved out of the way and invited her.
Without a word, she entered.
After I closed the door, I offered her a seat.
“My visit will be brief,” she declined.
I tried not to look too disappointed.
“I will be your new teacher,” she informed me. “Now that lessons with Zahila did not go all too well.”
Relief washed over me like warm water on a winter morning. “That will be great,” I said with open enthusiasm, unable to hide my gladness. Ione only continued to regard me warily. I still had not been able to grow accustomed to the cold woman who had replaced the warm person she used to be. But it was not like I did not deserve the treatment.
“You look well,” I said, trying to fill in the awkward air. Indeed, compared to how skinny she had looked before, her body was filled in a little and colour had returned to her skin.
She simply shrugged at my attempt. “How is your back?” She asked.
I was a bit taken aback at the question, but I recovered. “It’s better,” I replied.
She regarded me intently again, as though she did not believe me. “I did not only come here to inform you that I would be your teacher.”
I said nothing, giving her room to express herself.
“It’s about my brother.”
I stood up a bit straighter. “What about him?” I asked, anxiety clutching my heart.
“What do you feel towards him?” She asked.
I lost my tongue for a few minutes before I finally spoke. “Feel towards him?” I asked, my heart racing.
“Do you fear him? Do you hate him? Do you feel anything? Do you feel nothing?”
I almost expected her to give a fifth option. “Do you love him?” A question that my mind could not muster, but my heart had a ready reply. But she had not asked me the question. “I respect him and his judgment,” I answered quickly.
It might have been my imagination, but I could have sworn that her shoulders fell at my reply. “why?” I wondered.
She abruptly turned away. “I will be taking my leave,” She said as she reached for the knob. Just then, the door is opened suddenly and in runs Abel.
“Bi–big sis–sis–ter…” He said, then he stopped dead in his tracks as he finally noticed Ione. He stared at her, looking up at her with a child–like awe. Like a child looking up at the stars.
“Yo–you a–a–are soooo pre–pretty,” Abel gushed.
Ione looked taken aback at first, until her face broke into a broad smile. One that I had not seen on her face since the incident. Her severe expression softened instantly into one that was reminiscent of how it used to be before. I almost could not believe my eyes.
She crouched down to Abel’s level, her pleasant, beautiful expression still very intact. “And who is this handsome young man?”
At her compliment, Abel looked like he wanted to burst with joy. “A–a–abel. M–m–my na–name is A–abel. Wha–what’s yours?” He asked.
“Ione,” she replied, her eyes twinkling like polished obsidian gemstones. “Nice to meet you,” She got back on her feet, but Abel’s eyes did not leave her. He continued to gaze up at her.
Suddenly, Ione spread her arms out. Abel took a step before he looked at me. I nodded in approval and with that he moved towards her, and she picked him up.
2103 D
42 – Iris
