Page 51 of Dragon My Crazy

“I’m not sure.” I wasn’t sure who I trusted anymore. “But I do want to know what he has to say.”

We covered our food with bird-proof domes—because any uncovered food was fair game for Nugget, and Tansy had stressed several times that the avocado in our food was toxic to birds—and headed out to the rooftop patio. Cassian floated about four feet from the railing, unable to get any closer.

“Cassian, what are you doing here?” I asked.

“Emmett sent me to ask the two ifrits the real reason why you left. And I thought since I’m technically free now and can do whatever the fuck I want, I’d just come ask you directly.”

“What do you mean by technically free now?” Tansy asked.

Cassian eyed her. “You must be Elana’s sister!”

“She’s my daughter,” I corrected.

“Ah! I always knew you were a MILF.”

I rolled my eyes. “Quit it with the flattery, it won’t work.”

“Fine. I’ll just ask. Can you, by any chance, let me in? I promise I won’t be trouble. And I think it’s best to talk somewhere more private.”

By now, Grayson, Shelby’s mate, was already here. “Let him in,” he said. “If he causes trouble, we can kick him out again.”

Tansy shrugged. “Cassian, was it?”

“Affirmative.”

“Cassian the demon, you are invited in, for this one single instance.”

Cassian reached tentatively toward the railing as if testing the waters, his face in a preemptive wince. When nothing happened, he relaxed and floated over the railing to land on the patio.

“Okay, now explain,” Tansy demanded. “What do you mean by technically free now?”

Cassian explained that Emmett had let him out of his contract early and forced Leroy to remove any and all spells cast on him. “You should’ve seen the asshole’s face when he tried to lie about it, and Sena’s old spell caught him. He’s pissed. Which is why I decided to come here and ask you directly and save me sometime. I need to get back to make sure the asshole doesn’t fuck with Emmett.”

I frowned. This didn’t sound like something Emmett would do if he’d been planning to trap me and give my magic to Leroy.

“Now, Elana,” he focused on me. “What exactly made you leave? Were you not feeling safe?”

I shook my head, then decided I might as well tell him. Why? Because if Emmett really was going to be an ass, I was already out of his grasp. And something, call it intuition, told me that this was my chance to find out the truth.

I told him what I’d overheard by Emmett’s office. “It’s not like I can just go up to him and ask. If he really did plan on handing my magic over, I’d never have been able to leave the castle. So we decided to get me somewhere safe first, while Dizzi sussed out the truth.”

“So Dizzi does know! I asked her first, and she wouldn’t say anything to me except that she was disappointed in him. No wonder, if that’s what she thinks.” The demon was pacing now.

“And what do you think?” I asked.

He looked pensive and stilled for a moment. “I think that he might have considered it at first, before I finally got my warning out to him, and before he actually spent time with you.”

“Your warning?” I asked.

“That Leroy was the one to murder Sena. I saw it with my own eyes, but wasn’t able to say anything because that asshole wizard spelled me into silence. I was finally able to tell Flame because he wasn’t part of the spell. I couldn’t prove anything, but I think Emmett believed me. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have forced Leroy to sever all the spells.”

“Why did he have spells on you to begin with?” Tansy asked, clearly disgusted.

Cassian eyed Eadie, who was currently bright red and had little horns, showing her half-demon ancestry. “I owed him a debt. And I had not been trustworthy enough in my youth to repay that debt on my own,” he admitted. “But I don’t think Emmett would trick you just to use your magic. I know one thing for certain, you leaving really has him worked up. He cares about you more than anyone else I’ve seen him care about. And you’re good for him. The whole castle thinks so.” He hesitated.

“There’s a but,” I said. “I can sense it. Spit it out.”

“I swear, that dodgy wizard is up to something. I don’t have proof, but I know it. Emmett is being careful while he investigates lest Leroy sabotage everything. He has a lot of control over the castle wards, so we have to be careful. But you heard what you heard, and so did Dizzi.” He looked pensive. “I will question him. In the meantime, I agree that it is safer for you to be here. Not because I think Emmett would betray you, but because it keeps you away from Leroy. And the castle may not be safe for long if my hunches are correct.”