Chapter 622: Don’t go

"Why do you need multiple?" Caius couldn’t help but ask.

"Why not?" Athenodora asked.

"You can fly," Caius said, "You can move just as fast without it."

That might have been an exaggeration but not by much. Because the speed of Sky-Carriages is determined by the Mana quality of the pilot, they often move only slightly faster than the pilot could move without the carriage. This is why Carriages are mostly only needed to move a group at the same pace, especially when one or all the passengers are slower than the driver/pilot.

Caius knew for a fact that anyone faster than Athenodora—rare enough as that was already—would not reduce themselves to be her pilot and would rather be seen as an equal or superior. So, surely she’d be frustrated if piloted by someone slower than her. So why a Sky-Carriage then?

Athenodora let out a wistful sigh.

"I love freedom. So naturally, once I could, I loved flying. Eventually, flying became mundane— too normal to be special. It even replaced walking for me for a while.

But then, I wondered, where else could I take my love of freedom? Flying seemed like the height of it and if that was no longer special, what else?"

"Sky-Carriages," Caius said in understanding.

Athenodora nodded.

"Got my first one a few decades after I turned 200. And I’ve been a little obsessed with them since. I lost count of how many I had at one hundred and that was about three centuries ago. I’ve of course gotten more since."

’Calling it an obsession seems like it might be underselling it,’ Caius thought.

"And did it help?" Caius asked, "Did it help make flying special again, I mean?"

"It did," Athenodora said.

"How?" Caius asked, trying to understand.

"I think it’s a mental thing. It felt different enough from how I fly normally and so long as I don’t fly Sky-Carriages as much as I fly normally, the Novelty doesn’t wear off. At least, it hasn’t so far."

"A matter of moderation then," Caius said.

"Exactly," Athenodora answered, "Have you ever been in a Sky-Carriage, Caius?"

"No," Caius answered.

He hadn’t even ever traveled on a plane in his old world.

"It’s exhilarating," Athenodora said, "You’ll see."

"I look forward to it," Caius said and then gestured at the door as he said, "I should probably go get ready as well."

"Your father must have a Sky-Carriage," Athenodora called out before Caius could even turn toward the door.

"No, I don’t think he does," Caius answered after a short pause.

Caius’s uncle, the Von Helsing Duke certainly had one but Lucian, Caius’s father, had left that behind to make a life for himself at the capital, and getting a Sky-Carriage probably never appealed to his nature. He probably thought Land carriages were enough.

"And what of your companions?" Athenodora asked.

"They must have one," Caius admitted.

The Leopolds were far too wealthy and vain to not have a Sky-Carriage.

"Why didn’t you use it to get here quicker?" Athenodora asked.

Caius shrugged.

"It never came to mind. I wanted something that could be inconspicuous," he said.

"What’s more inconspicuous than being in the clouds?"

Athenodora asked with a gleam in her eyes.

"You make a good point. Still, if we ever did need to come down, we would have drawn attention."

"And you didn’t want that," Athenodora said slowly.

"No, we did not," Caius said.

He expected Athenodora to ask a follow-up question but she didn’t. She just kept her smile. Athenodora hadn’t questioned Caius about the Leopolds even though they had been here for over a week now. She even gave Roxanne tips on her Formation etching and layering skills and never questioned her. Maybe she already deduced it. After all, even though the Leopolds always stayed shifted, their blond hair—which they all shared—was still very distinctive.

Or maybe she hadn’t and she was fine with it being left a mystery.

"I’ll see you tomorrow morning," Caius said.

"You will," Athenodora said and Caius left the lounge.

•••

Caius was walking through the Halls when he passed a door leading out onto the Palace balcony and saw there was someone there. The long blond hair told him it was Leopold and while he may not have gotten to know her as intimately as Roxanne and Meline, Caius could still recognize Nadine easily from behind.

Nadine turned her head.

"My Lord," she greeted.

"Nadine," Caius greeted in turn as he walked and placed his hands on the railing, taking a deep breath.

Nadine did the same but Caius had a feeling she had been enjoying the air here long before he arrived. The two stayed as they were, in silence, for minutes.

"You should speak your mind," Caius said.

Nadine blinked.

"What?"

"I try my best not to access your minds. I do not need to be rooting around in there and it takes out a lot of mystery. There already isn’t that much anyway with the vow that binds you all to my service.

But while I stay out of your heads and let your thoughts remain yours, I can’t help but sense your emotions. And I’m currently sensing enough to know you’re... troubled."

Nadine gripped the railing a bit harder.

"Permit me to speak my mind?" she asked gently.

"You never need to ask. But yes," Caius said, "You’re permitted."

"I’m sorry, but I don’t think you should go on this journey alone, My Lord," Nadine said.

Caius laughed.

"Yes, that’s an opinion that’s been going around a lot. Roxanne and Meline have been very... enthusiastic trying to convince me," he said.

"Yes, the entire Palace has heard their attempts," Nadine said with a slight flush.

Caius just shook his head. They hadn’t changed his mind but it had been fun letting them try.

"But since I haven’t been blessed with your favor as they have—" Nadine started and Caius cut in with a laugh.

"Favor?" He said.

"Well, yes. You’ve chosen them because they’re the more obviously comely of us," Nadine said matter-of-factly.

"It’s not like that," Caius said quickly.

"So you don’t go for the best-looking?" Nadine asked and she sounded hopeful.

"No, I mean I don’t go about picking only the choicest because that’s a silly and archaic practice.

And if I did, how would I choose anyway; I have yet to meet a Leopold woman who isn’t beautiful," Caius said.

"So you didn’t pick Roxanne and Meline because they were the most beautiful?" Nadine asked, more hopeful still.

"No, I didn’t pick them. Not in that way, at least. They liked me, I liked them and things progressed from there. You know, how things normally progress.

I’m not some overlord picking prize women for his trophies. I hope you all haven’t been having that impression of me," Caius said, suddenly realizing the terrible misconception that was likely going around.

Nadine looked sheepish.

"We plead your pardon, my Lord," She said.

Caius sighed.

’Awful shame,’ he thought.

Sure, he had been a little selective when he chose to sit next to Kaya on the first day at Lochxen but that had been because he knew her potential and wished to get close to her. Sure, it might still have been problematic considering he hoped to make her a partner he could feed on but he really wouldn’t go as far as that extreme. That sort of thing just didn’t appeal to him.

Caius suddenly had a visual of a fat Lord with a protruding belly, surrounded by yes-men, watching a parade of virgins so he could pick his choice. He blinked the visual away and shivered with distaste.

Yeah, it didn’t appeal to him one bit.

Eventually, he let out a sigh.

"Just correct the misconception. Speak to Roxanne and Meline. Let them tell you how things happened with us and maybe spread the news, will you?" Caius said, half jesting and half serious.

Nadine caught his tone and couldn’t help but chuckle.

"I’ll do my best to spread the word, My Lord," she said.

"And do include that no one should look down on themselves based on who I happen to be spending my time with," Caius said.

"I will," Nadine curtsied with a smile before her expression turned downcast,

"I used to have a brother, My Lord."

"Used to?"

"Yes. His name was Jared. He died before we could be turned by Kerwin," Nadine said.

"How did he die?" Caius asked and though he empathized, he couldn’t help but wonder how the topic had shifted so suddenly to this.

"He loved to hunt. Hunting is usually very safe since Beast Habitats are properly managed and divided by their difficulty so if one knows what they’re doing, everything goes well.

And everything had always gone well... until then.

An Umbral Fox got through its enclosure. Jared didn’t have a chance. He didn’t even see it coming, I bet. It was too fast and could hide in Shadow..."

Nadine shut her eyes, as if reminiscing about it still hurt this many centuries later.

"I’m sorry," Caius said and grabbed one of her hands to console her.

Nadine took a shaky breath.

"The morning of that day, I told him not to go. I told him I had a bad feeling and that something would go wrong. He told me not to worry. That he’d hunted a dozen times. That he’d be fine.

But he wasn’t."

"Nadine—" Caius started as he could now tell where she was heading.

Nadine turned to look at him, her vampire red eyes bloodshot with sincere intensity.

"I have that same feeling now, my Lord. A feeling that something will go wrong.

Please, don’t be like Jared," she said and grabbed Caius’s hand with both of hers,

"Don’t go."