“Is there anyone else I know that is going to choose to come back from the dead today?” Kalen asked as he regarded Casian. Casian who had die ten years ago.
Casian shrugged, acting like it was no big deal. “Not that I know of.”
“How?”
Casian scratched his head. “I’m not exactly sure how to explain this…”
“Try?”
Mallory moved closer. “How many supposedly dead people do you know?” her voice was taking on a somewhat hysterical edge.
“Correction, I was actually dead. I don’t know about this other person,” Casian said, his voice still light.
“How?” Kalen asked again, his eyes wide.
“How much time do you have?”
“Enough.”
Casian gestured at the chairs. “Sit?”
“Do I need to be here for this?”
Kalen was about to answer when Casian cut him off. “No,” he told her, flashing her a look of annoyance.
Her eyes widened and Kalen had the sudden suspicion that she wasn’t used to being dismissed so easily. “She can stay, though, right?”
Casian shrugged. “Her presence isn’t required, and I’d prefer to talk to you alone, but if you insist that she stays, I’ll allow it.” His eyes scanned Mallory. “But she doesn’t seem to be in the mood to deal with another one of your friends resurfacing… makes me wonder who the first one was.”
Kalen scratched his head awkwardly Mallory’s expression turned offended. “I reunited with a friend of mine who I thought had died earlier this week,” Kalen provided, but didn’t add more. He wasn’t sure what to tell Casian about Lana. What was he and Lana now? She felt betrayed by his actions at James’ manor, and while it hadn’t felt like he was betraying her at the time, he could understand how she could perceive it that way. In a way, he had taken Mallory’s side over Lana’s and he wasn’t quite sure what drove that. Perhaps he thought he would have a better future with Mallory on his side than Lana.
“A friend? This friend didn’t happen to be a girl, did she? Because if so, I think your lady friend here might be jealous,” Casian said as he took a seat, an air of nonchalance about him.
“Me, jealous? What makes you think that?” Mallory asked, her eyes thin slits as she regarded Casian.
Casian turned to her, clearly bored with the conversation already. Kalen remembered in that moment that he and Casian had never really been friends, and his attitude was the reason. His arrogance almost put Andreas’ to shame. “For starters, your attitude right now. Obviously there is a part of you that is attracted to Kalen, and this ‘friend’ of his threatens your chances.
Kalen gaped at him. Casian thought there was something going on between him and Mallory; he wasn’t sure whether to feel glad or warmed by that. He did like Mallory, but in that way? If he did, everything Lana accused him of would’ve been correct. Mallory balled her hands into fists, but didn’t respond to Casian’s observation. “I’m going to leave or else I might hurt your friend,” she said through clenched teeth,
“You don’t have to go…” Kalen said.
“Bye-bye!” Casian said with a big smile and gave her a small wave.
Mallory stormed out of the inn leaving the two old friends alone. Kalen glared at Casian. “I now remember why you were always Andreas’ friend and never mine.”
Casian shrugged. “I grew up with Andreas, side by side, and we were born in the same month. So yeah, no stretched of the imagination why he and I were friends and you and I were not.”
“If we’re not friends, than why are we having this discussion?”
“Well, I just got reborn yesterday and you have been the first familiar face I’ve seen and I thought that perhaps we could try to be friends, but if that’s going to be too difficult for you, I won’t even bother,” Casian said, leaning back in his chair.
Kalen let out a heavy sigh. “Fine. Start by telling me how you are alive.”
Casian smirked. “Magic.”
Kalen’s eyebrows raised. “No sorcerer I know has the power to raise the dead.”
“You assume that that’s the only kind of magic in the world. Man, you are naïve.”
“If one more person calls me naïve—“
“You’ll go ahead and reinforce their statement? Kalen, I don’t mean to offend you when I say this, but there are still so many things you don’t know or understand – wisdom you still need to gain,” Casian said, his eyes actually sincere. Perhaps this Casian was different from the one he used to know.
“I know I’m not wise yet, but I am still younger than you.”
“Fair point.”
“Anyway… this other magic, what is it?”
Casian inclined his head to the side and frowned. “I’m not quite sure what its origins are, just that it brought me back to life by bonding my life to that of a dragon.”
Kalen’s eyes widened in shock. “A dragon?”
“Yeah, I’m a dragon lord apparently. And before you ask, no, I don’t quite know what that means yet,” Casian replied with a heavy sigh. Kalen could tell that he was more shaken up by these events than Kalen was. Kalen understood it perfectly. It was difficult to come to terms with such life changing information.
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out. But hey, you’re alive! I bet Andreas is thrilled.” Kalen tried to sound enthusiastic, but it sounded false to his own ears.
“Maybe. Anyway… fill me in on what I’ve missed?” Casian asked.
“Uh… how much time do you have, because quite a lot happened since you’ve died?”
“Like what?”
“Like I discovered I’m king of this kingdom.” Kalen’s breath was shaking. James had been right. He wasn’t ready for that king of information. It was too soon and too many expectations came with it. Especially from Mallory. She hadn’t been in a bad mood because she was jealous, but rather because Kalen was unwilling to do anything immediately about reclaiming the throne.
Casian nodded, not seeming surprised.
“You don’t seem surprised.”
“I was dead, remember? Got to talk to a lot of dead people. I may had heard it through the grapevine, but I wasn’t sure if you knew yet.”
“Did everyone know before I did?”
“Nope.”
“I don’t know what to do… it’s too much pressure.”
“That is something I understand. But don’t worry, we’ll get you an army and take this kingdom back from the current queen. We just have vie our time.”
Kalen’s eyes widened again. “You are going to help me?”
“Of course, you are going to need expert advice.”
Kale wanted to be annoyed with him for that comment, but instead he was grateful. Casian, while infuriating, understood the need for patience, something Mallory lacked. Kalen was determined to find out why, but it had to wait for the time being. He didn’t like Casian much, but realized that he’d rather go to war with him, than against him.
YOU ARE READING
Haunting Shadows (Book 2)
Fantasy"What if my sins are all I've become? Will you still love me if the Andreas you once knew is too far gone to ever get back?" Lana had survived burning on the stake, but at what cost? Every time she closes her eyes, she revisits the horror of burning...
