Cass was tense sitting in one of the luxury vehicles that belonged to his master; the sleek black car drew envious gazes as they passed through thin streets. Most couldn’t afford the electric vehicles, Kamai’s population relying on public transportation; railcars suspended on tracks winding above the crowded buildings, allowing those who traveled on foot to pass without incident. Sitting next to Syrus in the backseat, Cass tried to ignore the glares from the driver as he held a slim device tightly in his hand.

The tablet’s screen displayed the blueprints of the health center Cas had suggested; he had been studying them intently as the car traveled through the quicker streets reserved for personal vehicles. It had only been twenty minutes, and he couldn’t help feeling unprepared as the car came to slow stop at the mouth of an alley.

Cass hesitated, his throat tight as Syrus got out of the car first. Sucking in a breath to steady himself, he slid out of the luxurious vehicle to stand next to his partner at the back of the car. Syrus rifled through the trunk, retrieving a slim silver bracelet that he placed on Cass’s outstretched wrist. It blinked a soft yellow light for a moment before turning solid green, the tracker activated- a failsafe, the signal constructed to relay past even the most complicated jamming devices.

Pulling out a thick, lush black cloak, Syrus laid it over Cass’s shoulders, his long fingers quickly tying the laces over the man’s throat. Cass pulled the hood up to hide his ashen hair, distinctive in a city filled with citizens who carried vibrant colors to their skin and eyes. Head down, he waited patiently until Syrus was similarly prepared, his green eyes sharp under the dark hood.

A hand gently wrapped around Cass’s arm, Syrus pulled him into the alley as the car pulled away. “We walk from here,” he reminded him softly.

Cass nodded, anxious as he followed close behind Syrus. His heart raced as Cass heard the soft, subtle sounds of Syrus loading a weapon as they walked; the gun in his hands had a thin barrel, built for the needles attached to thin tubes of black fluid. He knew what was contained in the vials- a concentrated poison that could kill in mere seconds, the needle so thin it wouldn’t be noticed before the life had faded from a victim. Cass quickly averted his gaze from it, his stomach twisting as he tried to swallow the bitter taste of bile in his throat.

Syrus held his arm out to pause Cass just before the mouth of an alley. Looking up, Cass’s heart sank as he realized they had reached their destination. The health center towered over the other building, the spotlights on the roof making it stand out clearly against the dark sky. Those lights flooded the surrounding area, showing humans moving busily in small groups across a massive, well-manicured lawn. Sector 8’s health center was shockingly nicer than even the one in Sector 1- and Cass was sure it terribly offended the rich, overbearing Lady Demetria who ruled that section of the city.

Cass shrank back as a group of humans passed only feet from the alley, giggling to each other as they spoke in loud, cheerful voices. Jealousy stirred in his chest, a feeling Cass quickly smothered. There was no point in envying these humans; their freedom came with heavy risks, and he knew he was much safer in his master’s care than he would have been on the streets. 

“Stay here,” Syrus’s sharp command startled Cass, his gaze darting back to his partner. Pinned by his pale green gaze, Cass nodded his understanding. Syrus pushed his hood back, brushing his hair to ensure it covered the scars on his face before stepping into the harsh lighting of the courtyard.

Bitterness filled Cass as he saw how easily Syrus blended in; he knew he wouldn’t have been capable of it. All he could remember was his life with Emrys- but Syrus had grown up on the streets, and Cass was sure there was a part of him that felt at ease in the city more than in Emrys’s cold mansion. Gritting his teeth, Cass put his back against the wall, crossing his arms as he waited for Syrus to return.

When he did, his low voice was accompanied by one pitched high with concern. “Where is he?” the strange voice asked, hurried steps approaching the alley.

“Just over here. He collapsed so suddenly- I didn’t know what to do.” The threat of tears made Syrus’s voice tremble. Cass bit his tongue against a scoff; Syrus truly was a good actor. “He needs help, please, I can’t lose him.”

That struck a chord in Cass, his heart strained as his gaze rose to see Syrus following a frantic woman into the alley. Wide blue eyes behind thick glasses searched the alley- narrowing with confusion when they spotted Cass, leaning casually against the wall, clearly healthy. Annoyance in her gaze, she turned to face Syrus. “What kind of prank-”

The words cut to silence as Syrus drew his weapon, his aim deft and true as the needle pierced the woman’s neck. Her reflexes were quick, and she grabbed for the needle- but her fingers quickly lost strength, slipping from the slick surface of the vial as her legs gave out. Syrus caught her, sinking to the ground with her; the woman’s breathing had stilled by the time Syrus gently lowered her head to the pavement.

Cass forced himself to watch as Syrus searched the pockets of the woman’s white coat; she must have been an employee of the center, a name badge attached to her chest. He couldn’t bring himself to read it, to learn her name. When Syrus leaned back, satisfied that there was nothing to be concerned about, Cass’s muscles tightened under the heavy expectation in Syrus’s gaze.

“She’ll be able to walk about without suspicion,” he said, reaching under his cloak. When he offered his hand to Cass, another vial glistened against his palm; the fluid striking red, the top carefully sealed, a biohazard warning wrapped around the tube. Cass’s fingers trembled as he took it- Syrus nearly snatched his hand back as soon as he could be sure the vial wouldn’t drop.

Cass clenched the glass tube in his hand, his pulse racing as he knelt before the prone form of the woman Syrus had lured to him. “Get out of range,” he said, his voice thin as he pushed the hood of his cloak back.

Syrus hesitated, fingers digging into Cass’s shoulder as he said, “I’ll keep an eye on your tracker- you won’t be truly alone, even for a moment. And you know how to reach me if there’s any trouble.”

“I know,” Cass replied, tapping the vial against the silver bracelet on his opposite wrist; the sound made Syrus wince, staring with quiet fear at the glass tube. “Now go- I don’t want you caught in this.”

Nodding, Syrus turned away to head down the alley- the way they had come, back into the streets of the city. It left Cass alone, sitting in front of a corpse, sick to his stomach as he looked at the vial in his hand. Taking a shuddering breath, he removed the cover over the sharp point of the thick needle, and cracked the protective seal which kept the liquid from escaping. A bead of red liquid formed at the tip of the needle, Cass hardly able to breathe as it dripped to the ground at his knees.

Gritting his teeth, Cass positioned his hands over the corpse, gripping the vial tightly before he slammed the needle into the woman’s motionless chest. The liquid quickly drained, and already Cass could smell the ever so faint scent of rot- indistinguishable to most, but a sickly sweet smell to the man as he stashed the empty vial in an inner pocket hidden among the folds of his cloak.

Sitting back, Cass crossed his legs, his hands placed on his knees as he took in slow breaths of air. Focusing on the energy inside him, the power he despised, Cass urged it to grow and rise. It dragged through him, cold fingers of sharp anguish seeming to tear into his very soul. His breath misted in the air, tinted with a faint blue glow. His fingers clenched in the fabric of his pants as he directed that power outward, concentrated on the corpse before him.

And just before Cass closed his eyes, submitting himself to the icy hold of his power… he saw the corpse’s fingers twitch with the first sign of unnatural life.