Chapter 204: We would what?
Cass could tell that he wasn’t the only one nervous. Lady Ava was wiping her hands on her skirts when he joined them, her expression tight, her eyes downcast. She looked like she had barely gotten any sleep the night before.
Fiona had pulled up some things to sit on, and a light dangled in the air so that they were able to see each other’s faces clearly. Cass had barely sat down when Lady Ava exploded.
"I am so sorry!" She practically shouted. "I wasn’t-this wasn’t-I had no idea!" She said, and tears began to pour from her eyes. "I had no idea that you weren’t-that this was going to be the outcome. I just spoke from my knowledge. I didn’t know. I had no idea. I had no idea that the things I was doing were hurting you." Tears poured from her eyes and she glanced up at Cass, true regret on her face. "You’ve been nothing but kind in the face of everything I’ve done to you. I’m so sorry." Kind? Cass?
Cass blinked slowly.
"Lady Ava, I’m not kind." Cass told her and she shook her head.
"You are. You accommodated all of my requests, all of the things I’ve done. You even-you even told me off in ways that would make me think, consider what I was doing instead of tearing me down. You just..." Lady Ava covered her face with her hands, sobbing. It took her a minute to gather herself. Cass took that moment to look at Fiona, to see what she was thinking of this whole situation.
Fiona’s face was soft, tender as she looked at the sobbing woman. Cass felt a pang, a light go off as he realised that they might have...rekindled things. When Fiona turned her gaze to Cass, she let out a sigh.
"Lady Ava was the one who declared first, before even I or Lucian could say anything, that we weren’t telling anyone about your blood." Fiona said, her voice soft. "There’s no need to tell people who don’t matter. You matter to us, Cass, and if that means we find out things about you that the public can’t know, then that’s what we do. It’s time that we both keep this secret for you. We all keep this secret for you. No doubt you’ve been keeping secrets for us this whole time." She said, her smile warm, her expression light.
Cass felt his jaw drop. He didn’t know what to say. Truly. Lady Ava uncovered her face, her eyes red from crying as she tried to wipe her face.
"I wasn’t doing it because I wanted to gain something from you. I won’t tell the temple. No one has to know. I don’t care. You’ve spoken to the gods, so I know your allegiance and the gods wouldn’t speak to someone, give them the power that they gave you if they thought you were going to use it for evil. I can’t see you doing that." Lady Ava spoke with a conviction that made Cass want to wince.
Well, Cass might not, but Lord Blackburn? He’d turned against them.