The Warlock (BxB)

Chapter 53

Logain kept walking, not willing to stop until he was away from the castle. If Casimir weren't beside him, Logain would have used his magic to disappear. Now that the idea of death was presented in front of him, he was scared. He knew he wasn't invincible, but death always seemed so far away. Logain lived a simple and quiet life. He didn't expect it to come crumbling down.

But that wasn't his biggest worry. Once away from the castle, Logain finally came to a halt and turned to face the prince. Casimir looked worried, and the prince reached out to take his hand. Logain accepted it. Even though he was afraid of what the future now held for him, it was hard to deny Casimir's affection. The prince was a constant source of comfort for Logain, even in his darkest times.

"Logain, talk to me, love. I will do everything within my power to protect you. Meredith won't get what she wants." Casimir was confident in his abilities, but that didn't mean he wasn't scared as well. Hearing that Logain could die shook him.

The warlock looked at him sadly. "Death scares me now that I have you. Honestly, before, I wouldn't have cared so much. It might have been welcome news considering how long I've lived. But . . . now that we're together, I don't want to die. This is the first time in my life that I have something important to me. And I don't want you to get hurt because of me. If I die, you'll be heartbroken. You've been through enough, and I don't want to be the cause of your grief."

Casimir pulled him in an embrace. "Nothing is going to happen to you. I won't allow it. If she tries to touch you, then we'll run away together. I don't care how long and how far we have to run. If it means protecting you, then I am willing to do anything."

He returned the hug, feeling comforted and safe in Casimir's arms. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when he caught sight of a man with white hair approaching them. He glared and tightened his grip on the prince. After the bad news he received, the warlock wasn't in the mood to deal with the clergyman.

Amaris stopped in front of them, dressed in casual attire once more instead of his robes. He scoffed and crossed his arms, unwilling to look at the men. Logain had to bite his tongue. If he didn't, he would end up saying something smart to the clergyman. After everything he learned, Logain was more cautious of the church than ever before. He knew Amaris didn't like him, so the clergyman could turn him in to Meredith if he wanted to. Logain was positive that Amaris hadn't said anything yet because of his lingering feelings for Casimir. He still cared about him and didn't want Casimir to suffer.

"I was looking for you, Logain. I hope you didn't forget about our discussion with Tristan," Amaris said, still refusing to look at the men.

After everything that had been happening, Logain almost forgot about his agreement with the men. They promised to meet each other after the ball, but Logain didn't expect it to be this soon.

"Who's Tristan?" Casimir questioned with an eyebrow raised.

Logain never had the chance to tell the prince about him before. He told Selene and Sebastian, but not his betrothed. He answered, "I met him a few days ago. He said he has a plan to take down Meredith, and I told him that I want to help."

Whatever Tristan's plan was, Logain hoped this would help him against the High Priestess. She might not have known it yet, but she was a major threat to his life. If they were successful in getting rid of her, then Logain wouldn't have to be afraid anymore. He could live out his life with Casimir by his side. He was skeptical about helping before, but now, Logain was more on board than ever before.

Casimir seemed surprised that Logain was willing to help someone without him being present. With a smile, he praised him, "I'm proud of you, Logain. And if it involves Meredith, then I want to help as well. This could be our chance to end things."

The prince then glanced at Amaris and addressed him, "But I am surprised you want to do something about the High Priestess. I thought you were loyal to her."

Amaris shrugged. "Unlike what you might believe, I've grown tired of her abuse. Meredith ruined my life and my chance of being happy. You're the only person who ever treated me right, and she took that away from me. So, since she took my happiness away, it's about time I returned the favor. I'm not the loyal lapdog everyone believes me to be."

Hearing his words made Logain feel bad for him for a moment. He knew Amaris was tortured because of the High Priestess, but he believed that the clergyman was on her side. Perhaps his praises for her before were all an act to keep up appearances. Since Meredith had eyes and ears all over the place, she might have been keeping an eye on Amaris as well. After all, she was still trying to use and manipulate him to get close to the prince.

The clergyman sighed. "Anyway, if you're on board, then let's get going. We shouldn't keep Tristan waiting for long."

He turned, not bothering to wait to see if the men were following him or not. Since Casimir and Logain were both desperate to deal with the High Priestess, they didn't hesitate to go after him. Even though Logain felt bad for Amaris and the things he went through in his past, he didn't think he could ever get along with him. They would always clash because of their feelings for Casimir. It would be beneficial for both of them if the clergyman could move on. Maybe he would one day meet someone else, and his wounds from his past relationship could heal.

Amaris led them to the noble district and into one of the large homes at the end of the road. Logain didn't know where they would meet, but he wasn't expecting this. Since they were planning to take down an important figure, he thought they might meet somewhere shady. Perhaps he had been reading too many novels. The inside of the home was just as pleasant as it was on the outside. It was tidy, without a single trace of dust. Whoever owned this place took care of it.

Eventually, the men entered the parlor, where Tristan was waiting for them. However, he wasn't the only person in the room. Sitting beside him was a young man with dark skin, long black hair, and blue eyes. The man wore a white button-down shirt, simple trousers, and boots, and he had a choker around his neck. The men were speaking amongst each other, and judging by how close they were, Logain had a feeling that there was something more to their relationship than just being friends or colleagues. Their legs brushed up against each other, but neither man moved away from the other. Logain glanced away. He felt awkward catching them in such an intimate moment.

When Tristan noticed them entering the room, he was the first to stand up to greet them. "I'm glad that you decided to join us after all. When you didn't show up at the meeting place, I was worried you changed your mind." He gave Logain a friendly smile. When he noticed Casimir beside him, he offered his hand for him to shake. "I'm Tristan. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The prince took his hand. "Casimir, crown prince of Ambria. I heard that you have a plan to take care of Meredith. I want to help."

"Great! We're happy to have as many people on our side as we can get." Tristan gestured to the man still sitting on the couch. "This is Varys. This is his home, and he offered to let us discuss our plans here."

Varys gave them a gentle smile, and Logain was amazed by his beauty. The warlock lived long and saw many beautiful people in his life, but none of them matched Varys. He would stand out among a crowd, and Logain was sure he had many admirers. After the introductions, Tristan was quick to sit beside him once more. The men might not have touched each other this time, but Logain could tell how much they cared about each other by the expressions they wore when looking at the other. It was obvious to anyone who witnessed them together.

Amaris seemed to notice as well as he tsked and rolled his eyes. The clergyman might have tried to act tough, but Logain sensed that he felt left out. He was the only one in the room without a significant other. Regardless of Logain's feelings towards the man, he hoped that Amaris found someone who made him truly happy.

The rest of the group found a spot to sit down as well. Once everyone was seated, Tristan said, "Well, I guess it's about time we got started. First, I'll explain everything to you. Starting with my curse."