Chapter 137: One secret revealed to protect another
Vespertine attempted to compose himself, using magic to pull the liquid out of the couch and his coat, putting it into the empty teacup before him before he cleared his throat. He glanced at Cass, who sat back, relaxed, and his own shoulders tensed before he sighed.
"I’ll get right to the point. It’s about Ava. She’s behaving erratically, but especially involving you. She keeps...muttering about a secret. A secret between you, that you told her. I’m trying to get her to tell me, not because I want to know, but because at this point I can’t trust her with personal information. I’ll keep it to myself, and I know it’s not any of my business-"
"You’re right. It is none of your business." Cass interrupted, a smile on his face as he sat back, his hand swirling the glass of mixed liquid in his hand. Vespertine’s grin tightened.
"Cassian, please don’t be like this. I mean it when I say I have no use for the secret." Vespertine said and Cass tsked.
"You might not have the same thought if Ava told you, which is probably why she isn’t. I bet she thinks you are trying to get everything out of her to kick her out of the party. She’s a paranoid mess, Vespertine. Anyone can see it. She’s spiraling. She needs support, not to be stripped of everything and thrown away." Vespertine sighed. He leaned back against the couch, running a hand over his handsome face, through his blonde hair.
"How the hell would you know? Do you know what kind of hell I’ve been dealing with? I found out she’d been preaching this shit to others, Cassian. It’s against every temple doctrine I’ve taught her, and I-" He cut off. He took several deep breaths and Cass chuckled. He put down his own glass, held between his two hands, before he leaned forward and gave a nudge to a similar glass that Vespertine had.
"Take a few sips. Hell, drain the glass. You look like you need it about as much as I do." Vespertine’s bright, monstrous gaze glanced at Cass, before he glanced at the goblet, then his gaze slid to the bottle. Cass, noticing it, slid it towards him.
Without a second more of hesitation, Vespertine reached for the bottle and placed it against his lips. Cass watched as the other man drank, his throat pulling from the bottle long, deep mouthfuls that had Cass freezing.
Fuck.
Vespertine finished the bottle, gasping as he came up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. It was far too erotic for a normal person to witness. Cass felt like he shouldn’t be here, and shifted awkwardly as Vespertine’s gaze dimmed, and he licked his lips, before he licked the back of his hand.
Holy shit dude. Stop. it. Fiona wasn’t here. There was no one you needed to seduce here.