Page 53 of Castor
“This war is bigger than me and my brothers. It’s bigger than you and your island of Nephilim. Life as we know it is in jeopardy. I understand that you don’t know me. I’m nothing but a stranger who helped destroy your father and everyone like him who followed Lucifer all those years ago. But I wasn’t wrong then, and I’m not wrong now.”
“You sound arrogant as always,” Baxter responded, though something in his expression told me that he was at least considering the other male’s words.
“As Castor said, our fathers committed atrocious acts,” Alastair continued, leaning against the column and crossing his arms. “We don’t need to follow in their footsteps. Instead, we need to make a new path. Not only for humanity, but for us as well. Because do you really think the demons will stop after enslaving the humans and setting fire to the world? Asa is power hungry just like his father. He will never be satisfied with conquering one species. He’ll want to control all supernatural beings. Vampires, werewolves, faeries, and Nephilim alike.”
“How can you be so sure of his intentions?”
“Because that’s what Lucifer planned to do before we threw him into a goddamn cage and slammed the door. He would’ve stabbed every one of his followers in the back if it meant he’d get what he wanted. My father was Azazel, Lucifer’s right-hand man. Before Lazarus took me away, I was around Lucifer every single day. I dined with him every night. Lived with him. And what’s scary? I loved him more than I loved my own father.”
Holy shit.
If Lazarus hadn’t taken Alastair away when he had, would Alastair have grown to be just as cruel as the man he’d looked up to?
“My in-depth knowledge of him helped us defeat him in the end, for I knew his mind.” Alastair glowered at Baxter. “And no, that’s not just my Pride talking.”
“Permission to speak?” a voice came from behind us.
Titan stepped out onto the terrace, his large body nearly taking up the whole doorway. An orange V-neck shirt stretched across his wide, tanned chest, and it looked like a dusting of flour was in his short black hair. Who would’ve thought a mouthy brute like him would know his way around a kitchen?
“Of course,” Baxter responded to him. “You always have permission, my friend.”
“My father was one of the last angels to fall,” Titan said. “He followed Lucifer to Earth, but he didn’t partake in his conquering of the land. He met my mother, fell in love, and settled down with her on an island just like this one. When the war broke out between Lucifer and the celestial realm, my father told me that he understood why Lucifer was angry, understood why he rebelled against his own kind and fled the heavens. But he said Lucifer had taken it too far. My father chose to fight for humanity and was killed by Lucifer in the battle. I wish to honor his sacrifice… his memory… by joining the cursed sons and defeating Asa and his demonic army.”
Well, that was a surprise I definitely hadn’t seen coming.
Baxter nodded to him. “If that’s what you wish, then I won’t stop you.” He then looked at Alastair. “You said I didn’t know you, and you’re right. I don’t. But I trust Titan with my life. If he thinks you’re worthy of our help, I’m open to an alliance.”
“What about the Nephilim who don’t want to fight?” Alastair asked, sitting back down in the seat beside him.
“I will never force any of my people to fight against their will, but I will speak to them again. I’m sure we can come to some kind of agreement. As for now, let’s finish breakfast.”
The tension in the air lifted, if only slightly, as everyone around the table continued eating.
“Join us,” Baxter told Titan. “You should enjoy the meal you prepared.”
“You’re an amazing baker,” Raiden said to Titan before shoving a sixth pastry into his mouth. Jam was at the edge of his lips. “I could eat this all freakin’ day.”
“Thanks.” Titan averted his gaze to the empty cup in front of him and filled it with coffee.
Was he embarrassed? Crazy how different he was when he wasn’t aiming a sword at our throats or threatening to decapitate us.
I chanced a peek at Castor. He’d been awfully still since we’d sat down. I was surprised to find his green eyes were on me too, as if some unseen force had made us look at each other at the same time. We held eye contact for a second, maybe two, before he broke it.
I hated this. I hated how weird things were between us.
“Trouble in paradise?” Bellamy whispered from the other side of me.
“Something like that.”
“You’re so goddamn cruel, Kyo.”
Castor’s words from last night slashed at my chest.
As I sat beside him, neither of us touching the food in front of us, I knew I had, without a doubt, fucked up royally. And there might not be any way to fix it.
Chapter Eleven
Castor
