The first smuggler swung a short sword at Luceris's head.
Luceris ducked.
Cassian's blade flashed over his shoulder.
The smuggler's sword flew from his hand and struck the wall with a sharp clang.
Luceris straightened.
"That was close."
Cassian stepped past him.
"You were standing in the way."
"I was fighting."
"Really? I didn't see that."
"Why don't you go see if your eyes work well?."
"Saying the person who was about to kill me."
"Did you die?"
Cassian gave him a look that suggested he had already reconsidered working with this man.
Then three more men rushed into the passage.
There wasn't enough room for a proper fight.
That turned out to be their problem.
Luceris lifted one hand.
Water burst from the cracks between the stones.
It wrapped around the first man's ankle and yanked.
The smuggler went down face-first.
The second tried to step over him.
Cassian's boot caught his knee.
He folded.
The third stopped.
He looked at Luceris.
Then at Cassian.
Then at his two unconscious companions.
"...I'm going back upstairs."
Luceris pointed at him.
"Good decision."
The man turned.
Cassian's sword appeared in front of his face.
"Bad decision."
The smuggler slowly raised both hands.
"Right."
He sat down.
Luceris stared at him.
"That was surprisingly easy."
Cassian lowered his sword.
"People become reasonable when given examples."
"I usually use explosions."
"I noticed."
They moved deeper into the passage.
The voices of the remaining smugglers echoed somewhere above them.
Then a bell rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Cassian stopped.
Luceris nearly walked into him.
"What?"
"Alarm."
"Really? Where?"
Luceris listened.
Boots thundered overhead.
Dozens.
His expression changed.
"That's a lot of people."
Cassian glanced toward the narrow passage behind them.
"More than we can comfortably fight here."
Luceris wanted to joke but then thought this guy was human and he should respect humans now.
"Do you have a plan?"
"Yes."
"Wonderful." Luceris yawned a bit.
Cassian pointed upward.
"We leave."
Luceris blinked.
"...That's the plan?"
"Yes."
"I was expecting something more impressive."
Cassian looked at him.
"We're underground, surrounded by armed criminals, in a passage barely wide enough for one person."
A beat.
"Would you prefer a speech?"
Luceris considered it. Well...he could, but he shouldn't say this right?
"...No."
"Good."
Cassian sheathed his sword.
Then he seized Luceris by the wrist.
Luceris looked down at their hands.
Then up at him.
"...You know, most people buy me dinner first."
Cassian didn't even slow down. Where did he get involved with this guy?
"Walk."
"I'm walking."
"Faster."
"I have short legs."
Cassian stopped.
He looked down.
Then, very deliberately, at Luceris.
"You are not short."
Luceris smiled.
"I knew you'd notice."
Cassian released his wrist.
"I regret saying anything."
"Too late."
They reached a vertical shaft.
Cassian looked up.
Luceris looked up.
A faint glow came from somewhere above.
"That's our exit," Cassian said.
"How do we get there?"
Cassian glanced at him.
Luceris smiled innocently.
"Don't say it."
"What?"
"Don't say that you can climb."
"I can climb."
"I knew it."
Cassian grabbed the edge of the shaft and pulled himself upward.
Luceris watched.
Then sighed.
"Show-off."
"Are you coming?"
"Of course."
Luceris jumped.
His hand caught Cassian's.
For a moment, neither moved.
Cassian's grip tightened automatically.
Luceris looked at their joined hands.
Cassian looked down.
"...You can let go."
"You'll fall."
"I have magic."
"You'll still fall."
Luceris raised an eyebrow.
"You're worried about me?"
"No. I am worried about some ghost clinging to me."
"Then why are you still holding me?"
Cassian was silent.
Luceris's smile widened.
"...Interesting."
Cassian pulled him upward.
"Stop talking."
"You blush easily."
"I don't."
"You do."
"I don't."
"Your ears are red."
Cassian immediately released him.
Luceris landed on the ledge with a soft thump.
"I knew it."
Cassian climbed out after him.
Cassian stared at him for several seconds.
"...You are remarkably confident."
"I have evidence."
"What evidence?"
Luceris gestured toward his own face.
Cassian actually paused.
Then looked away.
"Unfortunate."
Luceris laughed.
Before he could say anything else, the warehouse doors exploded inward.
Not metaphorically.
Actually exploded.
Wood flew across the room.
A formation of armored soldiers rushed inside.
"ROYAL INVESTIGATION UNIT!"
The smugglers froze.
One dropped his weapon.
Another tried to run.
A soldier tackled him before he made it three steps.
"By order of the Imperial Crown, everyone is under arrest!"
The warehouse erupted into chaos.
Men shouted.
Chains rattled.
Several smugglers tried to hide behind crates.
None succeeded.
Cassian stepped out from the passage.
The soldiers immediately straightened.
"Your Grace."
Cassian nodded once.
"Secure the building."
"Yes, Your Grace!"
The commander glanced at Luceris.
His expression became confused.
"Who is this?"
"An ally," Cassian said.
Luceris smiled.
"An exceptionally important ally."
Cassian looked at him.
"...Temporary."
Luceris's smile remained.
"Still important."
The commander wisely decided not to ask.
They found Rex and Ria in the lower rooms.
The door was reinforced iron.
Cassian's soldiers broke the lock.
Luceris stepped inside before anyone else.
"Rex."
No answer.
His stomach tightened.
"Ria?"
A small movement came from the corner.
"Your Majesty Father?"
Luceris crossed the room immediately.
Ria rushed toward him.
For half a second she stopped, as though afraid she was dreaming.
Then she collided with him.
Luceris caught her.
Her hands clutched the back of his coat.
"I'm sorry..."
Her voice trembled.
"I couldn't..."
"Hey."
Luceris lowered his voice.
"You don't have to apologize."
She buried her face against his chest.
Behind her, Rex was already trying to stand.
His legs shook.
Luceris looked over.
"Don't."
Rex frowned.
"I'm fine."
"You're obviously not."
"I can walk."
"You can also fall."
Rex opened his mouth.
Luceris pointed at him.
"That was not a challenge."
Rex reluctantly sat back down.
Cassian entered the room.
His gaze swept over the collars.
"Can they be removed?"
Luceris crouched beside Rex.
"Not normally."
He touched the collar.
His expression became focused.
Mana circulated through his fingertips.
The runes resisted.
"Interesting."
Cassian watched him.
"What?"
"It's designed to suppress elemental abilities."
"Can you remove it?"
Luceris smiled.
"Of course."
He placed two fingers against the rune.
Water seeped through the collar's magic circuit.
Not forcefully.
Carefully.
One rune dimmed.
Then another.
The collar opened.
Rex sucked in a breath.
A faint breeze immediately stirred his white hair.
Ria's collar came next.
The moment it opened, pale leaves and tiny motes of green light drifted around her.
Her eyes widened.
"I can feel it again."
Luceris smiled.
"Good."
Ria looked at him. Then, she smiled as if relieved.
"You came. um..Dad."
"Obviously."
"You came yourself...Dad."
Luceris's expression softened.
"Of course I did."
Rex lowered his head.
"...Thank you, Dad."
Luceris ruffled his hair.
Rex froze.
His eyes widened.
"Your--Dad..."
"What?"
"...My hair."
"Yes."
"You touched it."
"Yes."
"..."
Luceris smiled.
"Would you prefer I pat your head instead?"
"No."
"Good."
Ria giggled.
Rex looked betrayed.
"You're enjoying this."
"Very much."
A soldier approached.
"Your Grace."
Cassian turned.
"The remaining captives are safe. We've located fourteen in total."
"Fourteen?"
Cassian's expression hardened.
"Fourteen children and young adults from several races."
Luceris's smile disappeared.
"Take them somewhere safe."
"They'll be transported to the capital's protective ward."
"Good."
Ria's fingers quietly curled around Luceris's sleeve.
He noticed.
He didn't comment.
Instead, he took off his cloak and placed it over her shoulders.
She looked down at it.
"It smells like rain."
Luceris blinked.
"...I don't know if that's good."
"I like it."
"Oh."
He looked strangely pleased.
Cassian glanced at this weird family, with a young father and almost same age as their father children...sigh.
The warehouse gradually emptied.
Smugglers were chained and escorted outside.
Documents were carried away.
Boxes were opened.
Inside were forged identity papers, collars, maps, ledgers, and lists of names.
Luceris stood beside Cassian near one of the tables.
His fingers moved through the papers.
"These aren't amateurs."
"No."
"They have routes."
Cassian picked up a ledger.
"Three ports."
"Four."
Luceris pointed.
"Here."
Cassian leaned closer.
Their shoulders nearly touched.
Neither noticed at first.
Then Luceris did.
He looked sideways.
Cassian was already reading.
"...You smell like cedar."
Cassian stopped.
"What?"
Luceris immediately regretted speaking; ouch, this cold face.
"Nothing."
"You said something."
"No."
"You did."
"Must have been the building."
Cassian slowly looked at him.
"The building smells like cedar?"
"Yes."
A pause.
"...Very strongly."
Cassian stared.
Luceris looked back.
Then Cassian's mouth moved.
Barely.
It was almost a smile.
"You are terrible at lying."
Luceris felt inexplicably victorious.
"You noticed."
"I notice everything."
"That's impressive."
"Thanks."
Their eyes met.
For one quiet moment, the noise around them seemed to fade.
Then--
"Dad!"
Rex's voice broke the moment.
Luceris turned.
Rex stood several meters away holding a crystal phone.
"The camera works again!"
Luceris brightened.
"Excellent!"
He hurried over.
Cassian watched him go.
Ria was beside Rex, smiling as she showed Luceris the screen.
A photograph.
All three elves were standing beneath the warehouse's broken window.
Ria looked happy.
Rex looked embarrassed.
Luceris looked absurdly proud.
Cassian looked at the picture for a moment.
Then looked away.
"...Children."
One of the soldiers nearby glanced at him.
"Your Grace?"
"Nothing."
Outside, the captives were gathered beneath the protection of the Imperial soldiers.
An elderly beastkin woman clutched a young boy.
A dwarf embraced his daughter.
Two elves who had been separated from their village cried when they saw one another.
Luceris stood quietly among them.
He didn't make a speech.
He simply watched.
Enia had been right.
This wasn't a small operation.
The warehouse was only one piece.
There were names in those ledgers.
Families.
Routes.
Payments.
People who had been disappearing for years.
Luceris looked toward Cassian.
The Grand Duke was already giving orders.
"Search every warehouse connected to these records."
"Yes, Your Grace."
"Notify the city magistrate."
"Yes."
"Send messengers to the border posts."
"Immediately."
"And find the families."
The commander hesitated.
"Your Grace?"
"Every missing person listed in those documents."
Cassian's voice remained level.
"Find them."
The commander bowed.
"Yes, Your Grace."
Cassian turned toward the soldiers.
"No one involved in this operation leaves the city until we know how far the network extends."
Luceris watched him.
This wasn't the cold nobleman he'd expected.
There was no grand declaration.
No performance.
He simply gave orders and expected them followed.
Luceris liked that.
More than he intended to. This guy was quite likeable.
Rex and Ria approached.
Ria held the phone against her chest.
"Your Majesty Father."
Luceris turned.
"Yes?"
"We should go back."
"You're right."
They walked towards Cassian to inform him.
Rex bowed toward Cassian.
"Thank you, Your Grace."
Cassian nodded.
"You were fortunate."
Rex glanced at Luceris.
"We were."
Luceris placed a hand on his head.
Rex sighed.
"I told you not to do that."
"I forgot."
"You did it again."
"I'll probably forget again."
Ria laughed.
Luceris looked toward Cassian.
"I should thank you."
"You already did."
"No, I mean properly."
Cassian waited.
Luceris stepped closer.
"Thank you for helping my children."
Cassian looked at him.
Then at Rex and Ria.
"They're your children?"
Luceris hesitated.
"They are now."
Something in Cassian's expression softened.
Only slightly.
"Then you're welcome."
Luceris smiled.
"That was almost warm."
"It wasn't."
"It sounded warm."
"You imagined it."
"I'll remember it that way."
Cassian shook his head.
Luceris turned toward the teleportation formation being prepared by his guards.
Then stopped.
He looked back.
"Grand Duke."
Cassian raised an eyebrow.
"Yes?"
"You owe me dinner."
"...I do?"
"You grabbed my wrist."
"I was preventing you from falling."
"Exactly."
Cassian stared at him.
"You consider that a debt?"
"Absolutely."
"Why?"
Luceris smiled and winked.
"Because I decided it is."
For the first time, Cassian actually laughed.
It was quiet.
Brief.
But unmistakable.
Luceris's eyes widened.
"...You can laugh."
Cassian's expression immediately returned to normal.
"No."
"You just did."
"No."
"I heard it."
"You imagined it."
Luceris pointed at him.
"You're stealing my excuse."
"It was useful."
Luceris laughed.
Ria tugged gently on his sleeve.
"Dad..."
"Yes?"
"Are we leaving?"
"Oh."
Luceris turned toward the formation.
"Right."
He took two steps.
Then looked back again.
Cassian was still standing there.
Their eyes met across the warehouse entrance.
Neither spoke.
The moment lasted only a second.
Then Luceris stepped into the teleportation circle.
Light swallowed him, Rex, and Ria.
The warehouse became strangely quiet.
Cassian watched the last traces of blue light disappear.
One of his officers approached.
"Your Grace?"
Cassian turned.
"Yes."
"The investigation?"
Cassian looked down at the ledger in his hand.
His expression hardened again.
"Begin with the names."
The officer nodded.
"And the man who organized all this?"
Cassian closed the ledger.
"Find him."
"Alive?"
A pause.
Cassian's eyes turned toward the empty space where Luceris had disappeared.
"Alive."
The officer waited.
Cassian added quietly,
"Until I decide otherwise."
He walked deeper into the warehouse.
There were fourteen rescued captives tonight.
But the ledger contained hundreds of names.
And somewhere beyond the eastern border, someone had built an entire business around making people disappear.
Cassian intended to dismantle every part of it.
He didn't know yet that the strange, beautiful man who had walked out of the warehouse with two adopted elves would soon become involved in far more than this investigation.
For now, however, there was only one thought he allowed himself.
That man's laughter had been irritating.
Cassian paused.
Then, after a moment's consideration, amended the thought.
He frowned at himself.
That was somehow worse.