The Name on His Lips

ELOWEN'S POV

“Don't let go of him.”

I said this to the steward as we struggled to carry Cassian up the staircase, his arms slung over our shoulders.

The ballroom was in chaos. Glasses clinked, people shouted, and someone tried to calm the guests, but nobody seemed to listen. I had folded the note and slipped it into my purse before anyone could see it. My mind was racing with questions.

Who had written those words? Why did Cassian need to stay away from Vesper? And why had someone waited until tonight to warn him?

I had called Alistair from the dance floor, but the noise made it difficult to hear. I had to cover one ear with my free hand, and shout into the phone. He did not ask any question but instructed me to take Cassian to his private suite and keep him there until the doctor arrived.

Now, we were climbing up the stairs. Cassian's feet dragged on each step. His head rested heavily on my shoulder, and every few seconds, he mumbled words I couldn't make out.By the time we got to the top, my arms were aching, and my silver skirt had twisted around my legs.

The steward gave me a worried look and hurried back downstairs to attend to the guests.

Cassian's suite was dark and quiet. I switched on a lamp and helped him to the bed. He collapsed onto the mattress. I knelt down, removed his shoes, and loosened his collar to help him breathe. His mask had slipped up onto his forehead, so I gently took it off and placed it on the nightstand.

Without the mask, he looked younger. His hair had fallen across his forehead, and I had to fight the urge to brush it away.

Then his hand reached for mine. “Don't go.”

His voice was hoarse and unclear. I looked down at our joined hands. His palm was hot and damp, yet his fingers held mine tightly.

“I'm here, Cassian.”

He pulled my hand to his chest, his forehead creasing in discomfort.

“Vesper…”

Her name cut through me like a sharp piece of glass. Even in his current state, when he could barely speak or keep his eyes open, Vesper was the one he wanted? I told myself it didn't matter. Perhaps the drug had confused him, and he didn't even know what he was saying. But none of that made the pain go away.

I tried to free my hand. “Cassian, you need to rest.”

His grip loosened. He mumbled something else and turned to face the pillow. I dragged a chair closer to the bed and sat down to wait. The room was so quiet that I could hear the clock ticking on the wall. In that silence, memories came flooding back. I remembered the boy who had stood up to a bully at school when I was being picked on. He had squared his shoulders and faced the other boy, even though he was barely fourteen himself. I recalled the day I was sick and could hardly swallow anything. He had brought a tray with a bowl of salty soup to my room and stayed until I finished every spoonful. I also recalled how he always noticed when I was unhappy, even when I insisted I was fine and how he had remembered my graduation when my own mother couldn't be bothered to attend.

I had taken note of these small acts of kindness, love and affection. Now, on what might be my last night in this house, I wanted him to open his eyes and choose me, this once.

I lowered my head, and tears slipped down my cheeks. “Why couldn't it be me?” I whispered.

The sheets rustled. “Don't leave…”

My breath caught in my throat. I looked up at him. “Do you mean me?”

He didn't answer. His eyes remained closed, and his lips were parted.

The temptation to believe that his broken word held a meaning was more than I could bear. I wanted to believe he was asking me to stay. I wanted it so badly that my chest hurt. But I couldn't ignore the truth. He wasn't himself. He was unwell and confused. If I had asked him whether he loved me, he wouldn't have been in any condition to give me a clear answer.

I wouldn't take advantage of his helplessness and mistake it for love. If Cassian ever chose me, I wanted him to be awake and fully aware of what he was saying.

I wiped my cheeks with my wrists, stood up, and picked up my phone. The doctor's number rang twice.

“Please hurry,” I said. “Something is seriously wrong with him.”

“I'm on my way, Miss Vale. Keep him lying on his side.”

I ended the call and gently rolled Cassian onto his side. Then I placed a pillow at his back just as I had seen a nurse do.

Next, I tried calling Vesper. The phone rang repeatedly until the call went to voicemail. I sent her a message, my fingers stiff as I typed the words.

Do you know what happened to Cassian?

The message was delivered, but she didn't reply. I placed my phone on the nightstand. That was when Cassian's phone lit up. Its screen glowed on the dark wood, showing a new message. The sender's name was Vesper.

“Did you give him the drink? We need him out of the way before midnight.”

I froze. A cold feeling spread from my fingertips to my arms. I read the message again, hoping I had misunderstood it but the words were the same. Before I could do anything else, the screen dimmed and went dark.

I didn't want to touch his phone. I wasn't sure what I would find if I started going through it. Instead, I picked up my own phone and brought it close to his screen. With a slight brush against the table, I managed to wake the display again. I quickly took a picture of the message before the screen went black.

My heart was pounding. I wanted there to be an innocent explanation. Perhaps it was a joke, a mistake, or a message meant for someone else. But the note, the missing waiter, the man with the silver cuff link, and now this message were beginning to form a clear picture.

This had been planned and Cassian had been their target from the beginning. A knock sounded at the door.

“Who's there?”

No one answered. My pulse quickened as I crossed the room. I peeped through the hole in the door. The corridor was dim and empty. I glanced at the wall, but there was no one in sight.

Then a voice came from just outside the door. “Is he asleep?”

My stomach tightened. I knew that voice. It was smooth, sweet, and impossible to mistake.

Vesper.

I looked back at the bed. Cassian lay motionless on the pillows, one hand resting open on the sheet. I could open the door, show her the picture, and demand an explanation. I could watch her face as she tried to deny what she had done.

But what if she was dangerous? What if someone else was waiting outside with her?

I didn't open the door. I called the doctor again. This time, I didn't even wait for him to greet me.

“Where are you?”

“I'm two minutes away. Stay with him.”

I ended the call and quickly typed a message to Alistair. My thumbs trembled as I struggled to enter the words.

“Please come upstairs immediately. I think someone is trying to hurt Cassian.”

I sent the message, then stood with my back to the locked door, keeping my eyes on the man lying in bed.

Suddenly, the door handle began to turn. It rattled on the lock once, then again. I held my breath. A woman's voice came through the door, calm and close, almost gentle.

“Elowen, I know you're in there. Open the door, or you'll regret what happens next.”