22 : Heat

Cassius woke up first.

Ah! What a peaceful sleep!

He had a wonderful night and he was no way in hell going to sleep on that stupid couch again.

That couch was just another form of a death trap.

Cassius looked around - after rubbing his eyes - and when his eyes landed on the sleeping beauty beside him, he was spellbound by her beauty.

Her nightgown had moved a little and showed the swell of her bust - damn - and her soft baby skin looked delicious. That pebbled nipple was standing proud under her satin dress.

His eyes slid down her body, her leg had healed pretty well.

"Ah! God damn it!" Cassius muttered when his jaw suddenly started to hurt and he jumped out of bed and rushed to the bathroom.

Xena woke up immediately after the bathroom door was shut close. She adjusted her dress and looked around.

What did the hell happen?  Was there an earthquake?

Shaking her head, she was about to sleep again when the door of the room was knocked and she jumped off the bed, only to come face to face with Stephen.

"You are early," Xena muttered with a small yawn and let him in.

He stepped into the room and took a seat in an armchair. Meanwhile Xena had dragged sheets up to her chest.

Cassius came out of the bathroom in a disheveled state and without an article of clothing covering his bare chest.

Cassius stretched his arms high up in the air, his muscles flexing - fully aware of Xena ogling him - Xena immediately looked away.

"Today, we are taking a trip to her uncle," Stephen stated and Cassius nodded.

"Um . . . He doesn't live here, he is in another state. It will take us a week to reach there." Xena explained and both men gawked at her.

They had not expected it to be that far away.

"And we cannot fly there since Cassius cannot carry both of us," Xena added before Cassius could say anything. She then later added,

"We will have to book us a chariot to go there." Cassius groaned and kicked the wall lightly.

He hated waiting.

"Fuck." Cassius cursed loudly and Xena winced. He will never stop cursing . . . Will he?

"We will leave tonight." Cassius after five minutes stated and Stephen nodded. Xena was worried . . . What was she going to tell her father?

That she was going on a hunt to kill her uncle with the vile creatures who would not wait for a second to rip into him?

"I-I don't thi-" Xena started but Cassius had already sensed her backing off and so he decided to threaten her.

"If you back of now, I swear I will blasted drag you out myself!" Cassius was no gentlemen Prince but he was a demanding King.

A mean one at that.

He hadn't eaten meat for a few hours and he was growing angrier by the second.

"Cassius!" His brother snapped but Cassius did not reply and kept glaring straight in Xena's eyes, daring her to back off.

Xena gulped and immediately changed her words because she knew that Cassius will drag her if he wants to.

"I wasn't backing off! I was just saying that I didn't know where to book a Carriage from." Xena was happy from her answer but she didn't know that there was another snap coming from Cassius,

"I didn't ask you to book a Carriage, did I? Keep your mouth shut, and anyway, aren't you a Princess? Your father must have countless carriages." Cassius was getting even ruder by the passing second. He had a good reason though.

He didn't want his brother to know that he cared for this particular human, or Stephen would definitely question his revenge. Also, he was damn hungry, and looking at the plump and ravishing women in front of him made him hungry even more.

It seems as if the world is against me! Cassius thought.

"I will get the things done, you just pay the bills," Cassius muttered to Xena and flew away from the window after expanding his glorious white wings.

Stephen watched his brother in awe. How he wished he would get his wings back and now that he had hope, he wasn't sad anymore. Maybe he will and then he can lick the clouds as well and swim in the wind.

Stephen smiled at Xena who was just staring at the position Cassius stood awhile ago.

Why was he so rude to me? She thought. She tried everything in her power to help him but he still treats her like dirt.

Xena calloused her delicate finger around the pendant of the necklace that Cassius gave her.

The same gorgeous wings were now caged in her palm. How easily she could capture these wings but not those who gave her these wings in the first place.

Night came around, the sun hid completely and the moon took over its throne. Stars decorated the sky, stretching to no ends.

Xena had told her father that she was going on a trip and will need some gold coins to which the King agreed and gave her two whole pouches of gold coins.

"Farewell father." She mumbled to the King and walked out where Stephen was waiting for her.

"Is he back yet?" Xena asked Stephen, she got her answer with a swift nod.

Xena looked ahead to see Cassius without his shirt - again - leaning against a big chariot that had two horses tied to it in the front. Her luggage was already loaded on it - probably Cassius put it there.

"How did he get that?" Xena finally questioned out aloud and Stephen answered,

"Probably ate the owner or scared him away." Xena made a pained expression but walked closer to the chariot nevertheless.

Thankfully, the chariot was big enough for all three of them.

"Let's go, we are already late," Cassius muttered blankly. He was feeling quite good now that he had devoured to more men and a baby whose flesh was really soft and satisfying.

At least now he won't pounce on Xena out of anger. Cassius wondered, how did his brother go so long without eating meat . . . Oh yeah, he was practically a human now.

And with that thought, once again, Cassius's mood deflated.

"Fuck." Cassius muttered lowly and sat in the back followed by Xena and Stephen. Cassius clenched his jaw when Stephen helped Xena up.

Reluctantly, Cassius took Xena's hand who was still in the process of climbing the high chariot and pulled her with a force that ended in her being on his lap.

Cassius slowly let her down beside him and muttered,

"You were too slow." While looking anywhere but Xena.

Xena only watched Cassius wide-eyed. Why is my heart beating so fast!

"Who is going to drive this thing?" Stephen asked once he was seated as well and Cassius replied,

"There is a guy to drive. You have money?" Xena nodded.

"Let's go." Cassius slammed his palm against the wall of the chariot to give the driver the signal to start driving.

And with a jerk, the chariot moved forward and the open windows allowed the cool air of the night enter.

Cassius didn't want Xena's guards to drive and he liked to rile up the town men so he kidnapped one of the drivers from there and the carriage from the castle.

It was easy.

Cassius looked out in the window and Xena watched him, his hair moving around with the air. Cassius was a very beautiful specimen.

Little did they know, Stephen watched both of them curiously.

Xena shivered when cold air reached her, licking her skin and she looked around, searching for a blanket or even any piece of cloth she could find but she couldn't.

All the luggage was on the outside, with the rider who was moving this chariot.

Xena finally looked at Cassius and his back. No wings either.

What could she possibly do?

She just kept her mouth shut and tried to lean closer to Cassius, trying to make it less noticeable as to what she was trying to do but what she didn't know was that that creature was already watching her from the corner of his eyes.

He wanted her to ask him for what she wanted because if he would make a move first, his brother would notice and he didn't want that.

Ask Xena, just ask. Cassius thought but Xena didn't ask and he couldn't do anything.

As the night stretched and the cold started to increase, Xena drifted to sleep, leaning against Cassius' arm and he stiffened.

Cassius glanced at his brother who had his eyes closed as well and then looked back at the woman beside him. A small smile lifted at the corner of his lips as he noticed her face flushed from the cold.

She looked so gorgeous, even in her sleep.

And then, without another thought spared to the surroundings, Cassius pulled her head on his chest and pulled her up in his arms.

He then cocooned her in his large wings, immediately giving heat off to her shivering body. When the heat touched Xena's body, she snuggled deeper into his chest.

Cassius tightened his grip around her and then drifted to his thoughts of the future again.

...

What do you think? Well, let me tell you, a lot is yet to come and a big adventure is ahead. Can you keep up?
If any questions then ask up. Love you all! Also, suggest me some books. Thank you.
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