Shadow Market

Chapter Fourteen

Boiling Point:

 "We need to figure out what Cassius is planning. If he's been hiding something, we can't afford any surprise." Dante fumed.

"He's been acting strange, but I never thought... I mean, he's been helping us this whole time. Why would he turn on us now?"I asked.

"I don't know but I intend on finding out one way or another."

We reached a quieter corner of the market, away from the main throngs of people. I paused, leaning against a stone wall, "We need a plan. If Cassius has been using us, we can't just confront him without knowing what he's capable of."

Dante nodded, his eyes scanning the crowd for any sign of trouble. "Agreed. But we also can't wait too long. Viktor's not going to sit back and do nothing. He's probably planning his next move as we speak."

Dante led us back to the workshop, stitching to the shadows and voiding the main thoroughfares.

We entered cautiously, the door creaking softly behind them. Cassius didn't even bother to look up from his books. Cassius," My voice cut through the silence, firm and unwavering. "We need to talk."

Cassius looked up, his expression momentarily inscrutable. He straightened, wiping his hands on a cloth. "What's wrong?"

Dante stepped forward, "We know you've been hiding something from us. What's your plan, Cassius? What are you really after?"

Cassius's eyes flickered with something akin to panic. He took a deep breath, and his shoulders slumped slightly. "I didn't mean for any of this to come out like this," he began, his voice laced with frustration. "I had hoped to deal with Viktor myself without involving you."

My heart sank. I had hoped we were wrong. "Deal with Viktor? How?"

Cassius hesitated before speaking, his voice barely more than a whisper. "The dagger and the souls—they're not just for breaking the curse. They're part of a ritual I've been working on. I wanted to use them to exact revenge on Viktor for my mother's death. I thought if I could harness their power, I could..."

His voice trailed off, and the weight of his words hung heavily in the air.  "You wanted to use us as pawns in your revenge scheme?" I was shocked, I thought of him as a friend.

Cassius's face was a mix of guilt and defiance. "I didn't want to hurt anyone. But Viktor is a powerful enemy. I thought I could use the souls to level the playing field. I never meant for any of this to go so wrong."

Dante's eyes blazed with anger as he lunged forward. Murder etched on his face. I knew that look and knew what was about to happen. Without thinking, I jumped in front of him. "Dante, stop!" I shouted.

Cassius looked pale as he took several steps back, putting as much space between him and the clear threat. Dante's fists were clenched at his sides, his breath coming in ragged bursts.

Cassius raised his hands in a placating gesture, his eyes wide. "I understand why you're angry. But we need to focus on the bigger threat right now."

"Focus?" Dante's voice was a low growl. "You've made everything worse!"

I placed a hand on Dante's shoulder, trying to keep him calm. Cassius's expression softened slightly, though guilt still lingered in his eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't think it through. I should have been honest with you from the start. But Viktor's plans... they're dangerous. If we don't stop him.."

Dante took a deep breath, visibly struggling to regain his composure. "Fine. But this is your last chance, Cassius. If you try to pull anything else, I WILL KILL YOU. Understand?"

Cassius nodded, "Understood.

Let's figure out what Viktor's planning," I said, trying to sound as steady as possible. "Cassius, tell us everything you know."

Cassius nodded and began to explain what he had uncovered about Viktor's plans, his voice steady despite the tension in the room. As he spoke, I could see the strain on his face, the internal struggle between his desire for vengeance and the need to help us stop Viktor.

Dante and I listened intently, piecing together the information with the urgency of a ticking clock. As Cassius revealed more details, a plan began to take shape. Despite the mistrust and past deceptions, we had a common enemy, and that was enough to bind us together, at least for now.