Casimir, until the only things that existed were the wrist between his teeth and the hot liquid trickling down his throat. He had the faint sensation of a fist being driven into his shoulder, over and over, but it wasn't enough to make him stop.
A pair of hands wrapped around Casimir's throat, cutting off his air and dragging him away from the precious source of life, throwing him to sit against the opposite wall. He blindly grabbed his attacker by the shirt, but the frantic bloodlust was waning, and he could see that it was Mikki holding him.
"I'm all right," he grated through his strained windpipe. "You can let me go."
"Holy shit," Treven said, clutching his wrist. Blood was still seeping between his fingers.
"I'm sorry." With a hand on the wall, Casimir pulled himself to stand, his entire body trembling. "Here, I can close that," he said, reaching for Treven.
He jerked away, hiding his arm behind his back. "No, get the fuck away from me. Don't ever come find me again!" Keeping his back to the wall, Treven inched away from them both.
The smell of blood was still a sickening temptation, but Casimir could control himself now. "At least wrap it up so you don't bleed out. And eat something!"
After Treven slid around the end of the alley, Mikki said, "You would've killed him if I hadn't dragged you off."
The new blood in Casimir's veins turned to ice. "I… probably would have," he said, swallowing hard. "Thank you. Thank you for stopping me."
"Like I was going to watch you kill that guy in front of me," Mikki snorted. He took a hard look at Casimir, and his eyebrows rose. "Your shoulder looks better. Kinda. You got enough blood now?"
"No, but I don't feel like I'm dying." He licked his lips clean, then smiled at Mikki. "You know, you're really a good guy. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
"No one'd believe you anyway." Mikki rolled his eyes. "But thanks. I wanna get back to the restaurant and take that food before looters do. Well, other looters, I guess."
"I'll help you." He wasn't sure how much he could carry with his shoulder like it was, but that was the least he could do for Mikki.
Chapter Eleven
Casimir's shoulder was still a raw mass of pain by the time he returned to the inn. Pulling his shirt off, he looked at his shoulder and winced. The missing muscle had grown back, but it was exposed, the flesh still not healed. This one was going to take a few days. Groaning, he lay back on the bed.
He had to find a new place to stay tomorrow. Mikki and the people working at the Jewel Box were innocent; if Jared was feeling vindictive, they'd get hurt in the crossfire. He would leave as soon as possible. The day after tomorrow, maybe, if he could shoulder his bag again.
It was a shame. He liked Mikki, and the kind heart under his rough exterior. Casimir felt like he was just getting to see it, and now he had to leave. Maybe he could come back someday, but as long as Jared's group was here, he couldn't be in Brightgate. Sighing, Casimir lay back against the pillows.
It seemed like he had just closed his eyes when he woke up to someone pounding on the bedroom door. Groaning, he rolled onto his uninjured arm to sit up. "Who is it?" When he got no response, he forced himself to get off of the bed and crossed to the door.
Lilin was on the other side, two unfamiliar men behind her. "Aren't you going to invite me in?" she asked.
"I'm not that much of an idiot," Casimir replied. She couldn't step foot inside of his home, even a temporary one, without his word. "Are you here to fight me again?"
"If you could call that a fight," she snorted. "It depends on you. Jared invited you to dinner."
"I'm going to have to decline." He took a step back when she grabbed at him.
Lilin's exquisite face twisted with ugly anger. "You have three choices: come with me willingly, have us burn you out, or I'll find that little fucker that helped you and have him be dinner. Pick one."
Casimir licked his lips. He didn't want anyone getting
A pair of hands wrapped around Casimir's throat, cutting off his air and dragging him away from the precious source of life, throwing him to sit against the opposite wall. He blindly grabbed his attacker by the shirt, but the frantic bloodlust was waning, and he could see that it was Mikki holding him.
"I'm all right," he grated through his strained windpipe. "You can let me go."
"Holy shit," Treven said, clutching his wrist. Blood was still seeping between his fingers.
"I'm sorry." With a hand on the wall, Casimir pulled himself to stand, his entire body trembling. "Here, I can close that," he said, reaching for Treven.
He jerked away, hiding his arm behind his back. "No, get the fuck away from me. Don't ever come find me again!" Keeping his back to the wall, Treven inched away from them both.
The smell of blood was still a sickening temptation, but Casimir could control himself now. "At least wrap it up so you don't bleed out. And eat something!"
After Treven slid around the end of the alley, Mikki said, "You would've killed him if I hadn't dragged you off."
The new blood in Casimir's veins turned to ice. "I… probably would have," he said, swallowing hard. "Thank you. Thank you for stopping me."
"Like I was going to watch you kill that guy in front of me," Mikki snorted. He took a hard look at Casimir, and his eyebrows rose. "Your shoulder looks better. Kinda. You got enough blood now?"
"No, but I don't feel like I'm dying." He licked his lips clean, then smiled at Mikki. "You know, you're really a good guy. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
"No one'd believe you anyway." Mikki rolled his eyes. "But thanks. I wanna get back to the restaurant and take that food before looters do. Well, other looters, I guess."
"I'll help you." He wasn't sure how much he could carry with his shoulder like it was, but that was the least he could do for Mikki.
Chapter Eleven
Casimir's shoulder was still a raw mass of pain by the time he returned to the inn. Pulling his shirt off, he looked at his shoulder and winced. The missing muscle had grown back, but it was exposed, the flesh still not healed. This one was going to take a few days. Groaning, he lay back on the bed.
He had to find a new place to stay tomorrow. Mikki and the people working at the Jewel Box were innocent; if Jared was feeling vindictive, they'd get hurt in the crossfire. He would leave as soon as possible. The day after tomorrow, maybe, if he could shoulder his bag again.
It was a shame. He liked Mikki, and the kind heart under his rough exterior. Casimir felt like he was just getting to see it, and now he had to leave. Maybe he could come back someday, but as long as Jared's group was here, he couldn't be in Brightgate. Sighing, Casimir lay back against the pillows.
It seemed like he had just closed his eyes when he woke up to someone pounding on the bedroom door. Groaning, he rolled onto his uninjured arm to sit up. "Who is it?" When he got no response, he forced himself to get off of the bed and crossed to the door.
Lilin was on the other side, two unfamiliar men behind her. "Aren't you going to invite me in?" she asked.
"I'm not that much of an idiot," Casimir replied. She couldn't step foot inside of his home, even a temporary one, without his word. "Are you here to fight me again?"
"If you could call that a fight," she snorted. "It depends on you. Jared invited you to dinner."
"I'm going to have to decline." He took a step back when she grabbed at him.
Lilin's exquisite face twisted with ugly anger. "You have three choices: come with me willingly, have us burn you out, or I'll find that little fucker that helped you and have him be dinner. Pick one."
Casimir licked his lips. He didn't want anyone getting
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