Chapter 8

Cain returned the following week and Cassian, reluctantly, donned a dress, heeding Mary's advice.

Not much later, Cain was called away again. Eagerly, Cassian changed out of the dress.

"You really don't like dressing in drag, don't you?"

"Not one bit," Cassian snapped, sitting down in the library, "If I didn't have to dress like a girl when your brother's home, I gladly wouldn't."

"Sadly, if he knew you were actually a boy, you'd be thrown out before you could say, 'goodbye.'"

"Not funny."

"I wasn't trying to be funny," Mary stated, setting her pen down and looking at Cassian. "Especially if he knew that you once worked with the doctor."

"Good point," Cassian said, crossing his arms. With only two more poisons left to document, I could be out of here before the week's over…all I have to do is choose a poison after reviewing—though arsenic might be best, it's overused and would be easily recognized if an autopsy is done, so that's already out.

Cassian stood and looked out the window. It was a clear, sunny day. He looked back at Mary. If he asked, she'd readily go with him into town. Even if it was just to escape her piles of homework.

However, she's already in enough trouble for skipping out so much…

Cassian closed the curtains and left the library.

"Don't tell Mary I'm heading out," he told a servant.

"Yes Sir."

Cassian grabbed his coat and walked out the door. He turned right, then another right…left.

He continued the pattern until he had found his way back to the flower shop.

"What in the world are you doing?"

Cassian turned to look at Jizabel.

"Getting my sister flowers?"

"What of it?!"

"Wouldn't you normally have gone out with her?"

"She's behind on her studies," Cassian snapped. "And if your implying that I'm getting her flowers because I like her your—"

"Absolutely right," Jizabel snapped.

Cassian glared.

"It's true you haven't lost focus on your main goal. You're so close to the finish line, you decide to take a moment to do something sweet for a little girl whom you've grown attached to. If anything, you don't seem to be as at ease as you used to be when I mention killing Cain. You seem to tense up a little, but even then, you never falter."

"If you have a point, then make it."

"Fine," Jizabel said. "You're crazy about Mary. So blatantly mad about her that you don't want to hurt her. Killing Cain, which is your job, would hurt her terribly. But even though you know this, you're still going to pull through with it. That's my point."

"It doesn't matter what I feel for your sister. She's a child. The Earl will die. She'll move on."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Jizabel said, playing a few locks of his hair. "If Mary knew what you're really doing…I'd say that'd hurt her more than you think."

"Why do you care so much?"

"She's still my sister," Jizabel answered.

So I'm being threatened?! Hell! What does this guy want?! On one hand, he wants me to help him kill his brother. On the other, he's threatening me about what he'd do to me if I hurt Mary. Either way, I'm either going to get in trouble…

Wait…

"You're saying there's another option, aren't you?"

Jizabel shrugged and walked away. "Who knows? Just so you know, if you hurt Mary, I'll have to kill you. Have fun!"

He left. Cassian stared after him, glowering. He sighed after a moment and entered the shop.

"Oh? What can I do for you, dear?" the florist asked.

"I'd like some Forget-Me-Nots," Cassian said.

The florist walked over to a stand and pulled out a bouquet and handed it to Cassian. Cassian handed her the payment and left.

Another hour passed before he stepped into the estate again.

"Welcome back," a servant greeted. "Miss Mary is still busy in the library, but you're welcome to go and see her."

Cassian nodded. "Is there a spare vase?"

The maid nodded and went to get one. She returned a minute later with a clear vase and a pitcher of water. Cassian handed her the flowers. "I'm not sure how to do this, so please just have it set up in Mary's room, if you would."

The maid nodded her head, "Of course." She walked upstairs to Mary's room. Cassian headed to his own room.

Just two more!

He opened the drawer, smirking.

His smirk vanished. I'm sure I put them in here.

He closed the drawer and checked the one below it. It wasn't there either.

No. Oh God, no.

Cassian checked the bed. It wasn't there. He looked in the desk. Not there either.

This is impossible! How did—

Cassian turned back toward the door and stormed out of the room.

Two days ago, Mary came into my room to because it had been a clear enough night for stargazing. I was finishing up the third to last poison when she entered. Did she see it then? Or was it later and she was curious what I was writing and checked it when I was gone?

Cassian opened the library door. Mary was kneeled at the fireplace.

"Mary?" Cassian asked, trying to keep calm. "Did you—"

"You didn't run away from Delilah," she stated. "You're still working for them. That's why you came here. I don't know how, but you saw my brother's collection and started to make a list."

"What evidence do you have?"

"It's burning. I've yet to put this back in Cain's study," she said, standing. She didn't look at Cassian as she walked over to the table and picked up the poison encyclopedia. "What were you going to do after you poisoned my brother?"

"Mary—"

"Were you going to kill me next?"

Cassian's hands shook. "Would you rather I say yes?" he growled.

Mary tensed and looked at him. Her eyes were cold and tears were trailing down her cheeks.

Cassian walked over to the fireplace. "No, I wasn't going to kill you."

"Then what?!" Mary shouted. "You were using me to get close to my brother!"

"That…was a small part of the plan," Cassian said, pulling out a dagger from his back pocket, "To get close enough to the Earl and kill him. You're brother is in Delilah's way."

"Delilah?"

"The organization the Doctor and I come from," Cassian said, glaring at her, "Mary do you have any fathom or sense of what you have just done?"

"What?" she muttered. "I just saved my brother from a liar and a murderer. You can't blame me for that. Cain's all I have left, Cassian."

"Is that really true?" Cassian asked. "Is the Earl really all you have left?"

"My mother was murdered, Cassian," Mary muttered. "I told you that before! I know I have! Cain's the only family I have left!! If you're going to kill him, you'll have to kill me to—"

"Damn it, Mary!" Cassian shouted. "I'm not going to kill you! I love you!"

"Then why is a dagger in your hand?" Mary asked, backing away. "How do you even expect me to believe anything you say?! All you've ever done since you came here is lie! How do I know you're not lying now?!"

Cassian's grip tightened on the hilt briefly. He took a breath and threw the knife. It embedded itself in the wall. "You're right. I lied to you. I lied to your brother. But I'm not lying about how I feel, Mary. I do love you with all my heart."

Mary shook her head. "I think you have no heart," she snapped. "And I had a mind once to give you mine."

Cassian shoved his hands into his pockets. "True. After you found out I was a boy, you couldn't seem to leave me alone, could you? You dragged me off to carnival after carnival, park after park. You even wanted to introduce me to your uncle." As he spoke, he walked to the wall and took the knife out, pocketing it again. "You loved me back."

Mary closed her eyes and faced downward.

"Don't worry," Cassian said, opening a window. Mary looked up. "We won't see each other again." He climbed out, ready to jump and return to the headquarters to report his failure.

Before he jumped out, Mary grabbed his coat.

"I'm not going to kill myself," Cassian snapped. "Let me go, Mary."

Mary shook her head. Cassian scowled and slapped her hands away before jumping out. He landed with ease on the ground and climbed over the wall.

Cassian walked back to Delilah's headquarters at first. With each step, he quickened his pace until he was running.

When he arrived at the headquarters, he slammed the doors open and slowed down to long, quick strides. He opened the door to his own room and closed it harshly.

"Cassian?" Ida said, knocking. "Cassian, what happened?"

It's just like then, he thought, I knew this would only cause disaster. Even White Owl and Jizabel—jokingly—predicted it.

Cassian locked the door and refused to come out.

AN: Oh my goodness! The last I checked this was a comedy! Daijobuu. Jiz and White Owl might make it all better…

Jiz/WO: don't make that decision on your own!

Me: *sly look*

Jiz: Oh crap…

WO: She's up to something…

Me: *sly look grows*

Jiz/WO: run away!! *they attempt to run.*