The Warlock (BxB)

Chapter 17

By the time they left Cordea, the sun was already starting to set. Casimir yawned, but he could keep going. He watched Logain follow the path to their destination, determination in his eyes. After witnessing the horrors in that basement, Logain wanted to find the girl more than ever. He didn't know where they would take her, but anywhere was better than the prison she was stuck in before.

Convincing her to drop her curse would be another challenge. After what she went through, she might not be willing to assist them. She might have wanted revenge, or she lost control of her magic because it was suppressed for so long. Either way, Logain doubted they would have an easy time getting through to her. He also wasn't entirely convinced that she was the root cause.

Logain glanced over at Casimir, who seemed to be struggling with keeping up and keeping his eyes open. The warlock felt bad. He should have allowed the prince some time to rest instead of selfishly leaving the port city. He was just angry at the time and needed to get away. However, he knew that it wasn't Casimir's fault that this happened. Not all mortals were bad. The prince was one of the few Logain had met that seemed like a decent person. In fact, all of the royals Logain had met from Ambria were good people. He had to remember that they faced injustice as well when it came to the church. While Logain usually lived his days in peace, Casimir was constantly watched by the church.

The prince caught Logain looking at him and shot him a smirk. "Am I so good looking that you can't tear your eyes away from me?"

Logain couldn't suppress his eye roll, but he also couldn't deny that the prince was attractive. He humored him by saying, "Yes, you're so damn hot. It's hard to look away from you."

Casimir was a bit surprised by Logain's response. He never thought Logain would admit it, even if he wasn't being serious. He smiled to himself and didn't want this banter to end. "You're quite adorable yourself. If I'm being honest, you might be one of the cutest men I've ever met."

"That can't be true . . ." Logain blushed. He didn't believe Casimir's words. In his opinion, he was anything but cute. This was the first time Logain was ever flirted with like this. No one ever took an interest in him before, despite being alive for over two hundred years.

"I'm not lying. You really are cute, Logain. Your red hair and green eyes are a good match, and I'm a sucker for petite men. In fact, you're the perfect size to fit in my arms." Casimir put an arm around Logain's shoulder and pulled him close. He looked down at the warlock with a sly smirk.

Logain's face was on fire. "S-stop. If you keep sweet-talking me, I might start to fall for you."

"Would that really be so bad, though? I think we would make a cute couple," Casimir said as he squeezed Logain's shoulder. "Once we get back to Ambria, why don't we go on a date? It doesn't have to be a romantic date, but I think it would be nice if we could spend some time together. And if you end up liking me, I will gladly court you in the future."

"Casimir . . . I think you might have forgotten what I am. I'm a warlock, which means I'll end up living much longer than you. I'm not seeking a romantic relationship with a mortal. You will die, while I will live forever. Why would I put myself through that heartache? Plus, I'm a man. It won't look good on your reputation if the crown prince of Ambria decides to court a man." Logain didn't sugarcoat it. Why should he? Whether they ended up liking each other or not, it didn't matter. Nothing would change, and Logain didn't feel like being heartbroken over a mortal's death. This was part of the reason why he chose to keep his distance from everyone.

The prince wasn't sure what to say. Logain brought up some valid points. Even if Casimir wanted to continue seeing Logain after this, a relationship wouldn't be possible. Casimir didn't want to be the cause of the warlock's pain. It made sense why Logain chose to keep his distance from humans. When they died, there was only the pain that came afterward.

As for Casimir being the crown prince, he didn't care about what people thought of him. He was tired of hiding this side of him, anyway. If people didn't accept him, then that was their problem. Once returning home, Casimir considered giving up his position as crown prince. If he had to continue following everyone's expectations of him, then he wasn't fit for this title. He would figure out how to handle the church along the way. They were another obstacle.

Despite Logain rejecting Casimir, the warlock didn't move away. They continued down the path with Casimir's arm still wrapped around his shoulder. Logain couldn't have forgotten that Casimir was holding him.

"Even after everything you said, I'm surprised you're not trying to get away from me. You must like it when I hold you like this," the prince teased.

After his jest, Logain was quick to put some distance between them. He could feel his heart racing. Logain was aware of Casimir's presence and having the prince hold him was comforting. He felt silly for indulging in this feeling when he shouldn't have. If he continued to let Casimir get close to him like this, then the prince would get the wrong idea.

If he tried to deny it, then Logain would be lying. Instead of responding, Logain picked up the pace. Casimir chuckled as he watched Logain try to get away from him. The warlock wasn't doing a very good job masking his expression. Casimir could tell that he was embarrassed, which the prince found adorable. It only made the prince want to tease him some more, but he would spare him for now.

As they walked down the path and followed the light trail, Logain looked back at the prince. He blushed once more, then said, "I will consider the date with you"

Shocked, Casimir asked, "What made you change your mind?"

"I never denied you in the first place. I simply stated how I feel about getting close to a human, but I didn't reject you. I-if you're not going to accept me now, then you can forget about the date in the future." Logain quickly looked away, embarrassed to accept Casimir's proposal for a date.

The prince wouldn't pass up this opportunity. He once again reached down and took Logain's hand. "No, I accept. I want to go on that date with you."

Logain's heart began to race once more, but he didn't add anything to the conversation, nor did he take back what he said. He knew it was a bad idea to go on a date with the crown prince, but maybe it wouldn't be that bad.

Besides, it was only a date. Logain tried to convince himself that it was nothing more as he continued to follow the path to their destination.