Don't be afraid, darling ✔[COMPLETED]

Chapter 38: He's fighting

Cassian's POV:

I don't know for how long I had been despairing and howling, but I didn't think that I would ever regain control over my own body ever again. Nathaniel was too strong. Too crafty. He knew exactly what to do to overpower me and anyone who stood in his way. 

I had given up all hope. All was lost. Everyone was... dead. 

"That's rather morbid, don't you think?"

My head snapped up in shock as I swivelled around trying to locate the owner of the painfully familiar voice. 

And sure enough, there he was.

Like a lighthouse in the middle of dark and stormy sea, my father stood in front of me, smiling down at me kindly. He looked so much like he did over a hundred years ago, when I had played the piano for the first time at a party and he had told me that he was proud of me. 

That same kind smile, the same crinkly warm brown eyes and hands in his pockets. Like nothing had changed.

Overcome with emotion, I rushed towards him and hugged him as hard as I could.

He hugged me back and chuckled deeply, "Well, son, it is nice to see you too. Its been so many years, hasn't it?"

I tried to engrave him into my mind forever. His voice, his smell, his face, his hug... his everything. I had missed him so much that it didn't even occur to me to wonder how he was appearing in front of me. 

"Father.... how?" I couldn't finish my sentence because I was afraid that he would tell me that he would need to leave after giving me advice. I didn't want him to leave me. Not again.

He held me away and looked into my eyes  meaningfully, "Son, you know what you need to do, don't you?"

I shook my head vigourously, "No, I don't. If that includes you leaving, then I don't know anything that I need to do."

"Cassian... you know it is forbidden for the dead to contact the living without a possessor. But I managed to appear to you when your're not in your physical state. You can't give up, son. You need to prove everyone wrong and save the people you care about." He sighed, as though remembering something unpleasant. 

"But what's the use of that? I am everything people expect me to be. They wanted a monster and I gave them the monster."

Father chuckled again, "People never wanted anything, Cassian. Nor did they ever expect anything of you. Nathaniel warped your mind enough to see humans as nothing but pawns to control and exploit. But without the Ungifted humans, do you think the Gifted ones would have been exceptional? No, they would all have been the same sheep in the herd. You are special because there are others to compare yourself with. You are different because the people around you, are not like you. They can't help being Ungifted just like you can't help being Gifted.

"Zorraine needs your help, my boy. He may have done you wrong before, but he has always loved you unconditionally. Why else would he have killed Nathaniel when he came to know that Nathaniel had tried to kill you?"

I shot him a dirty look, "You don't know what you are talking about, Father. Zorraine tried to kill me and felt guilty. That's why he killed Nathaniel and helped me kill Jacquelyne." 

Father surprised me yet again by smiling, "What is the one thing Nathaniel excels at, apart from manipulating and lying?"

I wracked my brains but found the answer immediately. Nathaniel was doing the exact same thing right now. "Possessing," I whispered numbly. That meant, Zorraine was possessed? And he didn't try to kill me?

Father nodded sadly, "Yes, son. The poor boy had no idea that his body had been possessed. And the guilt had eaten away at him ever since. But now, you can help him. Stop Nathaniel from killing him. And a certain young lady you happen to care about is in danger as well."

Despite the graveness of his words, his eyes twinkled. Ah, so he knew about Kiara. 

I looked away defeatedly, "Its of no use. I can't help her in this state. The House will keep her safe from Nathaniel." That was the only consolation I could offer myself. 

"Nathaniel took her to th Underworld, Cassian." My heart leapt into my mouth. Kiara, in the Underworld? She was a celeste, a creature of the heavens and the most divine person on this planet. Nathaniel had the gall to drag her down there?

I didn't notice that I had clenched my jaw so hard that it was in the danger of breaking. Father placed his hands around my shoulders and soothed me, "I knew you would go ballistic after knowing that. She is a brave girl, but a mortal can only survive so long under Nathaniel's torture. Son, you have to fight. You need to."

He started to shake me hard as though trying to shake sense into me, "I know you will do the right thing, son. Know that I will always love you and I am always watching over you. I didn't die so you could stop fighting and give up. Its okay to feel vulnerable, but its important to get back up and fight. Now listen to your sister and WAKE UP!" 

At the last two words, I felt a hand grab a fistful of my hair and tug on it hard enough to lift me off my feet. I must've blacked out for a few seconds because Father's kind face faded away and a lot of fiery red, curly hair obscured my vision.

I rubbed my eyes, trying to get used to the light, "Ally?"

She turned around and looked at me nervously, "Hi Cass." She fidgted restlessly and constantly avoided eye contact.

I managed to stop the smile tugging at my lips, "Hi"

A few awkward moments passed. I took in my surroundings: a library. Floor to ceiling shelves lined with books, tall windows letting in watery sunlight and a few couches and tables dotted around the floor. I recognized it as the library in the Mantzari mansion, where we had grown up.

Ally finally broke the silence, "Did you see Father?"

I stared at her in surprise, "How did you know that?"

"You were mumbling Father, don't go a lot while I was bringing you here. Your physical body is in the Underworld, of course, with Kiara, Jacquelyne and Zorraine. I brought your mind away from that infernal place Nathaniel had sent it," she half mumbled, looking at the carpeted floor.

"I see," the silence reigned on. 

Probably not being able to bear the awkwardness anymore, Ally burst into tears and threw her arms around me. The action was so sudden, that I stumbled backwards a few steps before being able to steady myself, "Ally!"

"I'm sorry, Cass! I didn't mean to keep her away from you! I was just afraid you would hurt everyone around you in your anger. I'm so sorry... I should never have been afraid of you."

I held her as she cried into my chest and stroked her back to calm her, "You stupid thing. I would never dream of hurting you or Kiara. And I'm not angry."

"I'm sor- wait, what?" she stopped mid sniffle and looked up at me through watery eyes, "You're not.. angry?"

I smiled and shook my head. For the first time in a long while, I felt fresh. My mind felt clear. I cupped her face and brushed her tears away with the pads of my thumbs, "I love you, little sister and I've realized that you being afraid of me was the worst curse of my life. And now, you need to help me regain control over my body and kick some evil grandpa sorceror ass."

She gave a shaky laugh and stood straight, beaming widely, "You mean, you...."

"I will make sure whoever dared to harm the love of my life and my brother, faces the worst fate possible in this universe."

________________________________________________________________________________Author's note

Whoo! We've come a long way since January, when Kiara first moved to Oakwood. Now only a few chapters left and I've made it my goal to finish this book by this year itself.An entire book in a single year! Might be the greatest achievement of my life. *winks*

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Lots of hugs,

Ananya :)