Cass suppressed his smile, but his eyes gleamed. He suspected the contract did just that: enthralling the signee to the contract holder, likely coupled with a terrible penalty should it be broken. Maybe a combination of the two. He hoped against hope that it may hold a key to overcoming part of his curse…Henry's questionable comment aside.
Henry burst out laughing. "What's with that serious look, man!? Relax. If I knew something like that, I wouldn't be livin' like this."
He took a long drink of beer. "Get some idiot noble to sign and hand over his wealth…maybe throw in a daughter or two, and I'd be set for life!"
"What a plan. I guess a spell like that would require a ton of mana and the control to use it."
"Hell yeah it would."
Cass looked around. "Do you know how they form the fibers into muscles?"
"Muscles? First I've heard of it. I got no idea what they do with the stuff. So long as I get paid, they can use it for dental floss for all I care. Maybe sew it into some rich girl's panties! Eh?" He nudged Cass.
"That'd be something." Cass tried to force out a smile but failed.
"Hot damn! I'm limbered up! Can't let this go to waste."
He shot off the couch and resumed his ridiculous gyrations under the spell of the zyme. Cass slouched down and focused, taking in every detail he could. The sorcery he showed did little more than delight his drug-addled mind; however, his control over mana was leagues ahead of Cass.
"Still, I paid for this—and damn it, I'm gonna get my money's worth!"
Once Cass returned home, he practiced well into the early morning, falling asleep and waking up midday on the floor. He wobbled over to the Doxy, still half asleep. Daniella was in the back lot, hunched over a desiccated husk she called a shrub.
"What are you doing out here?"
"Watering the flowers. It hasn't rained for a spell so it's thirsty."
"Thirsty? I don't think dead things need to drink."
Then again, Cass needed to drink. At least he thought he did; he hadn't tested it. Given his experience in the trial, he was in no hurry to find out.
Daniella sighed. "No one's interested in maintaining the few traces of life we have left in this city."
Cass was surprised by her tone.
"Between the smog from the mana processing plants and the toxic rain…Having a little touch of beauty really is too much to ask, huh?"
"I didn't realize it was that important to you. I thought it was just to kill time."
She jumped to her feet. "Gah! This is why living with you is such a pain! And why you don't have a girlfriend! You're totally clueless about women's feelings!"
"Where'd that come from?"
"What the hell? Who said I wanted one? And look who's talking. Always asking about Rudy, sending him letters, smiling at him, and who knows what else. But when he comes looking for you-"
Her arms shot down at her side. "I don't want him to see me here!"
She recoiled slightly and composed herself. Cass hadn't meant to throw his name out like that, but ever since the night he ran into Rudy in the hall, he couldn't get it out of his mind.
"Why didn't you talk to Rudy when he came over to see you the other night?"
"I'm not trying to play with his feelings."
"Little late for that."
"Just…not here. Not like this."
"I don't think he's coming around as a customer. He just wants to see you."
"No. I'd rather…"
She trailed off. Cass ran his hand through his hair. He regretted commenting on the dismal shrub.
"Aren't you looking down on the other girls a little bit?"
Her brow furrowed. "I do not!"
"You think you're too good for the work and yet you expect them to pick up your slack. Good enough for thee but not for me."
"They get extra work out of it! I don't take their money nor do I expect them to give it to me."
"You intentionally make yourself unappealing to clients. Clearly you can hold a conversation. You can even be affectionate and sweet talk, like with Rudy."
Her face soured further.
"On top of all that, you choose to make yourself unattractive with makeup. Or attempt to."
Her eyes widened and mouth slid open, but she caught herself and returned to her previous face in a split second.
"What? You didn't think I noticed? We've lived together for several weeks now. You've let your makeup slip, and as much as it pains me to say…you're actually quite beautiful."
She gritted her teeth.
"I heard you don't talk much with the other girls, so you may not know, but you get the most requests from new clients. Must be a nice boost to that ego of yours."
At this point, Cass was letting the frustration of the past few weeks bubble over; and not just the frustration of sharing a space with his pontifical roommate.
She huffed and smirked "I KNEW you were sleeping with them!"
Cass froze.
"Damn! She knocked me off guard that easily!? That smug expression is infuriating."
"Such a good little white knight…Sorry! Dog, maybe? I'm sure they'll throw you a little treat for your hard work."
"You're talking nonsense. I've never done that."
Her eyes narrowed. "From what I hear, most of the past guards have tried to 'run the gauntlet'…sample all the flavors."
Cass shrugged with a nonchalant look. "Not very surprising is it? I'm sure some of the girls get excited when they rescue them."
"Yes, they're quite smitten with you. A lot of the girls think it's sweet how chivalrous you are: being so loyal to your sweetheart."
Cass looked down and rubbed his neck. "She's an amazing woman. I'd be crazy to let her go."
He had been busy these past weeks, but Misha never left his mind. She was the first person he thought of in the morning and the last when he drifted off to sleep at night.
Daniella crossed her arms. "I don't buy it."
"What?"
"Your chivalry. I think it's nonsense. I think it's something else."
Cass raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? What's that?"
"After all your lecturing, I think you view them as beneath you. Not worth your time and effort."
Cass blinked a couple of times then laughed. "How pessimistic of you. I think staying with me has gone to your head and you're starting to project a little. Feeling a bit like nobility? My hospitality service is 2nd to none, so I can't really blame you."
He brushed his hair down with his hand.
"No, I don't think I am." Her eyes were fixed on him. "If that demon girl you're obsessed with was here, what then? Would you be so quick to turn down her advances?"
Cass had trouble meeting her gaze. "What're you talking about?"
"The one you've been 'researching'. She's very beautiful."
"Snooping through my stuff?"
"You left the books out on the table. Am I not allowed to read them? You never said I wasn't. And I told you to tidy up."
His eyes meandered around the back lot. "Having a healthy interest in history is hardly an obsession."
"Every book with her in it is bookmarked and highlighted pretty thoroughly. So would you? If she were here, would you still be so loyal?"
Cass shifted his weight. "What a ridiculous question."
"She's dead, you fool."
She had died 5 years before Cass had even entered the Fog. In the back of his mind, he'd never considered meeting the real Ariayah and what that'd mean. Was she serious about taking him back to her castle and being her personal servant? Or was it just a demonic trick? What if she did throw herself at him…This line of thinking is dangerous!
"Why don't you put some of that expert analysis of yours to work on the clock? Prove me wrong. You might actually get a customer for once." He snapped.
Her eye twitched, then her smug grin returned. "I do, in fact."
She flung the back door to the Doxy open. "And it's exceedingly effective!"
She slammed it shut, locking the door behind her.
"What the hell? How did we go from a shrub to here?"
Tindra wasn't any more talkative today, so Cass returned home and continued with sorcery. Even in the wee morning hours, Daniella was nowhere to be seen. Cass flopped on the couch and turned on the TV. It felt weird to use his bed, even though it was unoccupied at the time. Not that he was worried about her and hoped she'd show up or anything.
"Blasted woman!"
Right as he was drifting off to sleep, a surge of hatred brought him back, wide awake. Cadeyrn's ridiculously handsome face was filling the tv screen.