The Warlock (BxB)

Chapter 18

Casimir was struggling to stay awake. He held onto Logain's hand as they walked down the path, but barely. He didn't know how much longer he could go on like this. He was exhausted. This was the longest he'd gone without sleep in a while. The only other times he stayed up this late was when he snuck out of the palace to hook up with someone.

The warlock could tell that this was starting to become too much for Casimir. If the prince kept going on like this, then he might pass out right there on the road. Logain couldn't allow that to happen. He wanted to get the prince back home safely and without a scratch. Logain wouldn't be strong enough to carry the prince the rest of the way if he passed out.

"Do you want to rest for the night? According to the light trail, I can sense that we still have a long way to go. In fact, Maira seems to be on the move right now. It'll take us a while before we're able to catch up with her," Logain said. He didn't want to push the prince to keep going if he couldn't.

Though their target was on the move, they could always catch up to her later. When Logain first cast the spell to find her, Maira wasn't moving. She seemed to only leave wherever she was hiding when darkness fell. That was the safest option for warlocks and witches who were being hunted. Logain knew too well what that was like. He hoped that if he could relate to the young witch, then maybe they could come to an agreement. All he needed was for her to remove the spell that was stopping them from crossing the sea. After that, he would let her go. Logain had no intention of returning her to Cordea. Hell, if he could help her grow accustomed to her powers, then she could go wherever she'd like. She could leave this hellhole and find somewhere safer to live.

Casimir smiled despite being exhausted. He chuckled, then teased, "A kiss would help me keep going."

Logain wasn't sure what else he was expecting. It was hard to take Casimir seriously when he joked around like this. Or maybe it wasn't a joke. It was difficult to tell with the prince. After almost kissing the prince before, Casimir stopped him before he went through with it. The prince admitted to wanting to kiss Logain, but he wouldn't take advantage of him like that. Logain didn't even know why he was considering it in the first place.

The warlock rolled his eyes. "You always joke about kissing, but I doubt it'll ever happen. If you really wanted to kiss me, then you would have by now."

After his words, Casimir came to a stop, making Logain halt beside him. The prince commented, "You don't seem opposed to the idea."

Logain quickly glanced away. He didn't know what to say. He had never been kissed before, but he was curious about what it would feel like. However, he wanted to save his first kiss for someone special. He wanted to save it for the person who made his heart soar, and for the person who cared about him. Casimir wasn't that man. While the prince made his heart race, he knew Casimir didn't have feelings for him.

He was taken aback when Casimir put an arm around his waist and then pulled him close. With one hand, he clutched the teddy bear, and with the other, he placed it against the prince's chest to keep some distance between them. When he looked into Casimir's eyes, it felt like his heart would burst out of his chest. Why did the prince have to be so attractive? It made Logain feel weak. If he wasn't careful, he might give in to his desires.

Casimir leaned in, but he didn't commit to kissing Logain right away. Instead of sealing the deal, Casimir asked permission first. "Logain, may I kiss you?"

It was hard for Logain to just say no. The word was on the tip of his tongue, but it wouldn't come out. It was hard to deny him when Logain wanted it so badly. Casimir might not have been his first choice, but the prince certainly made his heart race.

"Y-you may . . ." Logain answered, surprised by the words that slipped out.

Agreeing was against everything Logain believed in. Despite living for a long time and never meeting someone, Logain still believed in true love. He should only kiss the person he loved, so why was he willing to give up on his beliefs for this prince? He had already accepted a date with a mortal, and now he was about to accept a kiss.

When the prince leaned in once more, Logain thought their lips would finally touch. He closed his eyes and waited for the moment of impact, but it never came. Instead of their lips meeting, the warlock was only disappointed when he felt Casimir kiss his cheek. He felt silly for expecting more than this, but he couldn't help glaring at him when he opened his eyes again. He must have been right in thinking that the prince didn't want to actually kiss him.

"You're such a tease. It's annoying." Logain pushed Casimir away from him, irritated by the results. He crossed his arms and refused to look at the prince. This was for the best, but Logain couldn't help feeling disappointed. He didn't know why he wanted more than this when he knew the consequences if they got close.

Casimir simply smiled at him. "If I'm going to get you to like me, then I'm going to do it properly. By the time we're done with this adventure, you'll be begging to stay by my side."

The warlock blushed. "I-is this normally how you operate? I was under the impression that you liked to hump and then dump."

"Normally, yes. In Ambria, I stopped looking for commitment when it was always taken away from me. There was no point in getting close to someone when I wasn't allowed to be in a relationship with them." Casimir shrugged as he thought about the past. He couldn't change what happened back then. "However, we're not in Ambria right now. We're away from my kingdom, in a place where no one knows me. I can be myself, and I can like you without someone trying to stop me."

"Oh . . . I see your point, but there's no way that you like me already. We met a few days ago . . ." Logain mentioned. It was too early for the prince to start liking him. He didn't think it was even possible for a person to fall for someone like him.

"I like you as a person, Logain, even if you have a short temper. And maybe I am infatuated with you because you're a new and different experience for me. You took me on an adventure that I needed, though it was unplanned. Regardless, I am glad I tried to save you that day." The prince reached out and gently stroked the side of Logain's face.

For a moment, Logain touched Casimir's hand and held it in place against his cheek. The warmth of Casimir's hand was soothing, but when Logain realized what he was doing, he swatted the prince's hand away. He shouldn't have indulged in the feeling. Everything was wrong. Logain needed to put some distance between him and Casimir before they ended up hurt. A relationship between a human and an immortal could never work out.

Logain opened his mouth to voice his concerns and to reject the prince, but before he had the chance to, he felt the energy in the air shift. The light trail he created to find Maira turned red.

"Shit. Maira's in danger. We need to hurry." Logain turned away from the prince and didn't wait for him as he quickly followed the trail. They needed to get to the girl before something terrible happened to her, but Logain could sense that they were still far away. He didn't know if they would make it in time. He prayed that she would be able to hold out for as long as possible.

The prince didn't hesitate to follow after the warlock. They couldn't waste any more time.