Warlock Ch 180. You're Carving Your Own Path
Damian stopped pacing, his back still turned. He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "You think I don't know that? But it doesn't change the fact that I'm stuck cleaning up his ss."
Cassius stood, crossing the room to stand beside him. "You're not cleaning up anyone's ss, Damian. You're carving your own path, even if it overlaps with Kaelan's."
Damian glanced at him, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "You're annoyingly good at these pep talks, you know that?"
Cassius arched an eyebrow, his smirk returning. "It's a skill. Now sit down and eat. We'll talk later. Victoria will be here soon."
Damian sighed but relented, returning to the table and finishing his al.
By the ti Damian finished eating, Cassius' shadow servant appeared, bowing slightly before speaking. "Master, Mrs. Bloodrose has arrived."
Cassius nodded, standing with a calm air of authority. "Bring her to the living room. We'll be there shortly."
The servant disappeared, leaving Damian and Cassius alone for a brief mont. Cassius turned to him, his expression unreadable. "Rember, you're still my apprentice. Act the part."
Damian rolled his eyes but nodded. "Yeah, yeah. 'Master.' Got it."
The two made their way to the living room. Victoria was seated gracefully on the plush armchair, her poise as impeccable as ever. Her sharp eyes scanned the room as they entered, but they quickly landed on Damian—and his tattered cloak.
"Interesting choice of attire," she remarked, her tone cool but laced with curiosity. "It's not every day one sees a warlock in sothing so… worn."
Damian felt a flicker of annoyance but kept his expression neutral, lowering his head slightly in deference. "Apologies, Lady Victoria. It was my favorite cloak, but my recent training session with Master Cassius was... rigorous."
Victoria's gaze flicked to Cassius, her lips curving into a faint smirk. "Rigorous, indeed. Your apprentice appears to have survived, at least."
Cassius returned her look with an air of nonchalance, folding his arms. "Barely. But he'll be stronger for it."
Damian inwardly rolled his eyes at the exchange but kept his composure. "Master is thorough," he added, forcing a tone of respect into his voice.
Victoria chuckled softly, leaning back in her chair. "I see. Well, I appreciate you making the ti to et with despite your… taxing schedule."
Cassius gestured for Damian to take a seat before settling into one himself. "We've discussed your proposal, Victoria. We have decided to accept the mission."
Her expression didn't shift, but Damian caught the faintest flicker of sothing in her eyes—approval? Amusent? It was hard to tell.
"Good," she said simply. "It's not a task I entrust lightly, but I believe you are… capable. Especially your apprentice."
Damian suppressed a snort at the word "apprentice" but managed to keep his face impassive. "I'll do my best to et your expectations, Lady Victoria," he said, his tone asured.
"See that you do," she replied, her gaze sharp. "Varak Bloodshade is not a foe to be taken lightly. His ambition and power have made him a formidable threat. I assu Cassius has prepared you adequately?"
Damian glanced at Cassius, who gave the faintest nod. "Master has ensured I'm ready," he said, the words rolling off his tongue with practiced ease.
Victoria's gaze lingered on him for a mont, as if assessing the truth of his statent. Then she nodded, rising gracefully from her seat. "Very well. I expect you to begin tomorrow morning. Ti is not on our side."
Damian stood as well, bowing slightly. "Understood."
Cassius remained seated, his sharp gaze following Victoria as she moved toward the door. "We'll be in touch."
Once the door closed behind her, the room fell into silence. Damian let out a long exhale, running a hand through his hair. "Well, that was... sothing."
Cassius chuckled softly, standing and clapping a hand on Damian's shoulder. "You handled it well. Now cos the hard part."
Damian smirked faintly. "Yeah. What else is new?"
Cassius leaned against the armchair, his arms crossed and his sharp gaze fixed on Damian. "Speaking of which, don't forget to tell Evelyn about the mission."
Damian rolled his eyes, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, yeah, I'll tell her. You should probably get yourself ready too."
Cassius arched an eyebrow, the faintest smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "I've been ready since before you were reborn, genius. You're the one who needs to prepare."
"Touché," Damian muttered. "So, are we done here, or are you about to drop another surprise on ?"
Cassius straightened, his smirk widening. "You're free to go ho, but don't forget—tomorrow is when the real work begins."
Damian frowned, crossing his arms. "Wait. No books? No howork? You're letting off the hook just like that?"
Cassius' expression darkened, his glare sharp enough to pierce steel. "Do you seriously want to give you howork? Because I can find plenty of advanced grimoires for you to decipher."
Damian raised his hands in mock surrender, a grin spreading across his face. "No, no, it's fine. I'm good. Really. See you tomorrow, Cas!"
He turned to leave, his tattered cloak billowing slightly behind him as he made his way toward the door. Just as his hand touched the doorknob, Cassius spoke again.
"Damian."
He stopped, glancing over his shoulder. "What now?"
Cassius gestured toward the cloak, his tone dry. "Take that thing off before you leave."
Damian frowned, clutching the edges of his cloak protectively. "What? Why?"
"Because," Cassius said, his voice laced with exasperation, "if people see you walking around looking like you've just survived an explosion, they'll start asking questions. And I'd rather not have anyone poking their noses into my training thods."
Damian hesitated, glancing down at the tattered fabric. He sighed dramatically, shrugging it off and folding it neatly over his arm. "Fine. Happy now?"
Cassius smirked, nodding once. "Ecstatic. Now get out of here."
Damian rolled his eyes but couldn't suppress a small grin as he opened the door. "See you tomorrow, Cas. Try not to miss too much."
Cassius didn't respond, but Damian caught the faintest chuckle as the door closed behind him. Stepping into the crisp evening air, Damian exhaled. His thoughts turned to Evelyn—how she'd react to the mission, and whether she'd support his decision.
Reviews
All reviews (0)