Heart and Soul

Henrik shook his head while I walked toward him. Cassius sighed before finding something interesting with a warped floorboard. I shrugged and ran my hand through my hair. “What did you do,” Cassius whispered.

“You heard the whole conversation, Cass.” I looked into his curious eyes. “Don’t pretend like you didn’t.”

“But you told her…”

Shaking my head, I interrupted, “yes, I told her. She has the right to know. Besides, we all know how it worked out the last time he played mind games with…” I stopped to make the air quote motion, “…his witch.”

“Am I missing something,” Henrik butted into the conversation. I laughed. Cass nodded.

“No, not missing something.” I turned to him. “You’re missing everything, my friend.”

“Nick?”

“Henrik, just tell him you did your best, and she agreed to think about helping.” He nodded before walking away.

“She’s strong, Cass.” I turned toward him again. “I can feel her energy coursing through my veins. Remember, I was starving before I went into that room.”

“Why did you tell her that,” Cass watched me.

“I told her about…” I gulped hard, “…Sora, because…”

“No! Why did you tell her your help shouldn’t mean anything to her?”

“Because it shouldn’t.” I started to walk away from him, but he grabbed my shoulder and shoved me into the wall.

“Be honest, Nicholai.” Power rushed over me.

Instinct told me to do as I was told, but instinct can shove it; I’m tired of doing as I’m told. I shoved Cassius back. “She deserves a chance.”

“That’s a lie!” Cassius knocked my jaw out of place. I returned the punch, but missed his face and hit his shoulder. It hurt my hand more than it hurt him.

“What do you want to hear?” I growled before Cassius punched me hard in the stomach, causing me to double over, before kneeing me in the nose and pushed me on the ground. Blood trickled down my lips. I cringed before I wiped it away and looked at him.

“I want to hear the truth. We’re supposed to be friends, so you owe me that much.”

“Are you looking for my death wish, Cass? Huh?” I watched him take a step back. “I haven’t been the same since he killed her; you know that!” I growled while pushing myself off the floor. “Boss wants me to help this one, but she’s just like Sora. I can feel it. She’s going to die too.”

“Not if you help her…” Cass watched me closely. His eyes trained on me as if I was a venomous snake about to take his life.

“I can’t help her.” I did the best I could. She has options now; she knows the consequences. Death still awaits her. “You think he won’t kill her as soon as he gets what he wants?”

“Nick?”

“Do you know, Cass?” I watched his features twist into something resembling sadness, regret.

“I know more than you think,” he sighed.

“You have ears that could best the smartest animals the humans have; hell, you have better hearing that he ever thought about having! Of course, you know everything.” I glared at him as it donned on me. “My heart? Her Soul? You know, don’t you?”

“I’m late,” Cassius backed away from me.

“No! You owe me answers, Cass!”

He turned his back and then he was gone. My world crumbled around me at once. They all held me prisoner—even those I worked with, the ones I considered friends. I couldn’t breathe, and thinking wasn’t an option at this point.

I ran down the stairs toward the door. Guards protected it. They wouldn’t let me out. Beating hearts filled my ears. I couldn’t tell if any of them belonged to me or if they belonged to the others he kept. Did he let them keep their hearts?

I grabbed a piece of the decorative armor, the gauntlet, and shoved it through one of the guards’ stomachs before stealing his sword. The second guard moved aside leaving the door open. I’d come back. Boss knew that. As long as he had that witch, he’d see me again. There was another important fact he knew; I would die before I’d let him keep her… Sora.

“I’ll set you free, I promise,” I whispered before I walked out of the main house of the compound. There was only one place calling my name; our favorite bar. The Willow.