Sashkia looked at him for a moment before her lips turned upwards. "She?" The single word escaped her with clear amusement. "So the individual in question is a woman."

Cassian leaned back in his chair, clearly recognising how badly Sashkia wanted to say something he had no interest in. Yet, the subtle displeasure in his eyes was unmistakable. He disliked how much that one revelation exposed.

At an inopportune moment, his phone notified him of a new message with a single tone. Once again, the name Lousy Kisser lit up on his locked screen. And Sashkia certainly noticed it.

"Lousy Kisser." A broad smile spread across her face as her eyebrows rose twice, questioning him. "Were you referring to the lousy kisser?.... Who makes you feel more human?"

It irritated him that Sashkia caught the name, but the damage was already done. "Yeah." He provided a simple, one-word response.

One reason Cassian kept Cixi away from him as much as possible was precisely this. He could have allowed her to remain under the same roof. He could have made things simpler by keeping her close, where he could monitor the foolish choices she made. But that would place him in even greater danger because of her.

Because she quickened his heartbeat, made him bleed, rendering him utterly vulnerable...

Sashkia observed him in silence long enough for the truth to weigh heavily between them. Then, a hint of playful warmth emerged in her expression. "Now that’s intriguing."

"It’s inconvenient."

"That too." She clasped one hand over the other and tilted her head. "Who is she? Where did you meet her? What does she look like?"

Cassian’s gaze briefly wandered to the array of bottles behind the bar. "An exhausting one."

Sashkia chuckled lightly. "That isn’t a description. That’s a grievance."

"It’s both."

Her grin grew broader. "And does this tiring woman realise she puts you at risk?"

"No."

"But you do."

"I know enough."

"Enough to maintain your distance from her. You disconnected her call, and now she has sent you a message. I am sure it’s an angry one...?"

Cassian remained silent.

And Sashkia caught him again. "Why do you call her Lousy Kisser? Have you two already shared a kiss?" She couldn’t resist teasing him. A person who can make him vulnerable, and let’s not forget he gave her a nickname, which he never did.

"I don’t recall ever inquiring about your personal experiences with Raynor."

"No," her voice was smooth and confident. "You never did. But whenever I asked you about the women you were spending a week with, you didn’t mind at all, and now, when I ask you a simple question, you are attacking me. Are you comparing your Lousy Kisser to my husband?" And she laughed quietly. "I wonder if the King is aware of this."

Hearing the mention of the King made Cassian’s mood darken. "I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s behind using her against me."

"Hence, you should meet him." Suggested Sashkia once more.

"If I speak about her with him. He will surely plan something inconvenient for me." Cassian rejected a second meeting with the King.

"You or her?" She questioned. "Who is she to you?"

Cassian let out the faintest breath. "A nuisance."

Cassian picked up the phone at last, and he unlocked it to read her message.

"I don’t trust you... especially when it comes to a woman." For a moment, he kept staring at the message and then looked to his right at the wall where a huge mirror was used as decoration. Then he calmly set the phone down far more carefully than before.

Sashkia noticed that as well. "She doesn’t sound irrelevant."

"She can be dramatic as well."

"You changed the way you put the phone down." Her voice warmed with amusement. "That isn’t how men handle irrelevance."

Cassian ignored that and finished the remainder of his whisky.

Sashkia let the silence stretch before speaking again. "Does she know you are with me?"

"She is not my wife... that I should inform her of everything. And why are we talking nonsense? When I want to hear what is happening to me."

"Provide me with her name." Sashkia chose to assist Cassian.

"Cixi McLore."

Sashkia shut her eyes, and then in the air, she traced a geographical design. Her eyes stayed closed, yet they began to move rapidly from side to side.

When she opened her eyes, her vision had nearly transformed from white to red, as if some citrus had splashed in her eyes, causing irritation. Tears brimmed in her eyes. "She is carrying Death, Cassian."

Cassian was caught off guard. "What do you mean?"

She shut her eyes again due to the discomfort she was experiencing. "Death is near her."

Cassian’s eyes began changing from black to a lighter shade. "What is that supposed to signify?"

Noticing the shift in his eye colour, Sashkia replied immediately, "All I can see is death, darkness and cold surrounding her. I am uncertain of its meaning, but it feels foreboding. I need more time. I need her date of birth and the place of her birth. Once I return to the Palace, I will perform a ritual to uncover more. But Cassian, if you ask me, keep your distance from her for now."

Cassian did not respond to that. "Is she safe?"

"I can’t say."

After a moment, he spoke again. "Could you come to Demond City?" His tone remained even, but the question carried purpose. "If you were there in person, you might find something I missed, and also you could read her more."

Sashkia did not answer at once, blinking her eyes and then lifted her glass, took a slow sip, and then placed it back down with care. "I need to speak with Raymond first and see what sits in my schedule. After that, I can tell you when I am able to visit Demond." Then she tilted her head slightly, watching him with a look that held more than one meaning. "But I can tell you one thing now. Even the most powerful among us are not beyond weakness. Lord Lucian Valtham himself, the man many called invincible, became vulnerable the moment he met his fate."

Cassian’s face changed immediately, and his eyes hardened even more.

"I am not Lucian Valtham." The correction came low and firm, not insulting, but final.

"Of course you are not." Sashkia’s mouth curved faintly, though she did not mock him. "Look at him, he lies in a coffin now, and he did so for centuries after losing the love of his life... Love can be tricky."

Cassian shut his eyes the moment the word reached him.

Love.

The very sound of it seemed to grate on him.

When he opened them again, his expression had gone colder, and his eyes remained light brown for now. "Now, why would you speak of a curse word right in front of me?"

"Then don’t care about that woman for now."