Sticks and Stones

Chapter Fourteen

At times, it felt like the walls were closing in around them. Luckily, Sofia wasn't claustrophobic. It was lucky Caspian wasn't either since his body took up most of the hallway they walked down.

Each wall looked like the same wall as the one before, except each had a different display of pornographic hieroglyphics. She wasn't sure how many more she could take before she'd rip her own hair out. With the space still lit by Caspian, she squinted to see the details.

"How many layers did you say there's meant to be in this stupid place?"

"Four," Cas answered, not missing a beat. "Why, you sick of it already?"

"It just feels like walking and walking and more walking. If I wanted to walk this much, I'd have got a treadmill."

She wasn't averse to exercise or anything—but this was downright boring. She'd take the snakes over this.

Cas turned, wiggling his eyebrows at her. "I can carry you if you'd like."

She huffed, picking up her pace. "Do you know what the worst part of that offer is? I know you're joking, but if a single part of me wanted to be carried you'd lift me up in a heartbeat."

"How is that a bad thing?"

"I don't know. It just is."

It didn't sit right. Only she didn't know why. Was it a problem she had with him or herself?

Cas blew some hair out of his face and scoffed. "Women are complicated."

"We're not. You just have to know how to understand us."

Even as she said it, she understood how stupid that sounded.

Women got women, but teaching a man to understand some women was like teaching a whale to ride a bike. Nigh impossible.

"Yeah, complicated," He summarised. "You got a handbook or something I can borrow?"

"Please. I don't get the impression you offend women often."

She fought to keep any bitterness out of her voice. She didn't care about Caspian. So why that bitterness kept sifting in was completely beyond her.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that."

I don't believe that.

"Those demonesses were fawning over you."

Oh Caspian, hold my hand—

Oh Caspian, watch my back—

Oh Caspian, wipe my ass—

"Wait till you meet Ruby," Cas said, with some sort of chuckle that was meant to comfort her. "Then you'll really see what loving me looks like." A woman who hated Caspian? Not possible. "You didn't see that one coming, did you?" She bit her lip, trying not to give away the fact she'd thought about this. Caspian and other women. "There are women in my life that I'm pretty sure can't stand me."

"Tell me about them." Gah—too fast. She tried to slow it down, lest he get to thinking she cared. Because she didn't. Not at all. Not in the slightest. "It's not like we've got anything else to do."

"Ruby's like me," Cas said, thinking it through for a moment. "She's a fire demon. She's in the castle a lot- always has been, so I have to deal with her." He said it like it was a chore. That made her feel better. "She's Claudio's assistant. She'd marry him at the drop of a hat." And that made her feel better too. Knowing this woman wasn't remotely interested in Cas. "Poor girl's been in love with him for some time. But she can't stand me."