Stepping outside alone still felt like a lethal rebellion as Cass pulled the hood of his cloak up over his pale hair. Every stop was both terrifying and exhilarating as he slipped into the crowd of panicked servants. It was easy to blend in as he followed them, his eyes wide as Cass looked at the eastern wing of the mansion; the flames had spread up the walls, covering the roof. Their green and yellow hues were the only light as Cass stepped into the courtyard.

His racing pulse surged, his breath catching, as he saw the foreign thrall still standing still- waiting, so patiently he wondered how certain they were that they could tempt him away from his master. Their eyes met over the scampering servants; Cass froze for a moment, fear and excitement rising in equal measure. The thrall gave him a slight smile, the crystals in their braid shimmering in the firelight, and turned away.

Cass stepped forward, a hand raised in a silent plea of ‘Wait’. When the thrall continued walking, he had to make another decision; after a quick glance back at the mansion, Cass rushed to follow the thrall. He couldn’t catch up, constantly a few steps behind the other thrall as they rounded corners- until they were at the outer wall, Cass stepping around a wall to find tight hands grabbing his shoulders and dragging him against the stone.

His eyes wide, Cass’s mouth opened to protest, only to find one of those hands covering his mouth; the foreign thrall’s pale blue gaze burning into his own. Faintly, past the rushing of his pulse in his ears, Cass heard heavy footsteps. Loud voices arguing about the logistics of protecting the manor while the fire raged passed them, Cass flinching as two shadowed figures crossed the cobblestone path where he had just been standing. If he hadn’t been yanked aside, he would have been caught.

The thrall leaned into him, waiting until the voices had faded into the rest of the chaos, before they finally drew their hand back. Cass gasped in air, pressing himself back against the brick as he looked up at the intriguing stranger who had tempted him out of his master’s home. When he caught his breath, he murmured the question which had chased him outside: “Why?”

“Why did I keep you from being captured?” the thrall raised an eyebrow, stepping back. “Or why did I track you down?”

Cass swallowed, his fingers clenching, nails digging into his palms. “Why are you here? Why attack the lord of Kamai?”

“For you, of course,” they answered, seeming surprised that Cass would even question it. Their arms crossed over their chest, blue eyes narrowing slightly in vague contempt. 

Taking in a slow breath, Cass forced his hands to relax. “If you want to punish me for my actions, you don’t need to concern yourself with-”

“Those were not your actions.” The thrall’s tone was suddenly frigid, their eyes burning with a simmering fury which made Cass flinch. Wincing, the thrall looked away for a moment; they were calmer when they gazed at the young man again, though their fingers dug into their arms. “We are well aware you were sent on Emrys’s orders, and my master casts no blame on you. I’m not here to harm you.”

“Then why?” Cass’s voice broke over the words, confusion edging toward panic. He couldn’t make sense of it- why somebody would seek him out without motive. His teeth on edge, he pressed, “Who are you? What do you want from me?”

“I was beginning to think you’d never ask,” the thrall said, their voice lighter as their posture relaxed. “My name is Arius Layzel, and I live in service to the master of Sector 8. It’s under his orders that I’ve come here tonight.”

Cassius flinched again, his heart stirring at the mention of the vampire lord. “Raielle Ascelin sent you?” The words trembled from his lips, his confusion growing. “And you still claim you mean me no harm? I released the Blight in his Sector! If he doesn’t want me dead-”

“Quiet,” Arius hissed, their hands up in warning against Cass’s rising voice. The young man snapped his mouth shut, but the venom to his ethereal gaze had the thrall slowly lowering their hands- something instinctive telling them it was better not to anger him. “I told you I have no intention of hurting you. I’m here to help you.”

“Help me?” Cass repeated on a scoff. “By setting my master’s mansion alight? What do I stand to gain from this?”

“Freedom,” Arius answered, their sky blue eyes shining with earnesty.

The word hung in the air between them, Cass’s heart slamming against his chest. It was a forbidden concept, one which had never existed in a life spent in servitude to his lord. He shook his head, inching away along the wall, as if the mere offer would be enough to merit a death sentence. “That’s not possible,” he said, his tone flat.

The foreign thrall stepped forward to match him, their hands held out in a wordless plea. “I swear to you, my master’s offer is genuine. We can free you from your bond to your master.”

“For what?” Cassius snapped, his eyes blazing. “So I can serve another master? Be abused by another vampire? I have no desire to enter a different circle of hell!”

Arius blinked at him, their face full of shock. “I… that’s not what I meant-”

“There is no such thing as freedom for humans- and certainly not for one like me,” Cassius said bitterly, turning his face away.

Bolting forward, Arius caught his wrist before Cass could put himself in view of any servants who might pass by. “Listen to me, please,” they said, flinching at the cold glare they received. “Raielle is different. I know that may be hard for you to believe, as you serve the worst of them, but Emrys has lied to you- there is much you haven’t been told. We can tell you- we can help you- but you have to come with me.”

“And if I do?” His words were soft, but the foreign thrall’s face lit up at the faltering question. “You haven’t answered me- what do you want with me? What will you gain from my ‘freedom’?”

Arius gritted their teeth over sharp words, reminding themself they weren’t speaking to a subordinate of Sector 8- but to a thrall of the city’s lord, a slave of Sector 1. “I can’t answer all of your questions, but I can tell you this: Raielle will never force your hand. He will ask to speak with you once we are free of this place, but he will not hold you against your will. Lend him your ear, and if you wish to leave after that… we will not stop you.”

Cass turned to face them slowly, his mouth pressed into a thin line of doubt- but Arius saw the flicker of hope burning deep behind that ghostly blue gaze. “And how do you expect to get me out of Sector 1? My master won’t surrender me easily- he’ll track me until the moment your master breaks my bond.”

“Raielle isn’t the one with that power. Did you think he sent me merely to coax you from your cage?” Arius shook their head, his fingers brushing the sparkling crystals laced through their braid. Their fingertips settled on a brilliant red stone at the end, nimble fingers quickly freeing it so the glistening jewel lay in their palm. They offered it to Cass, their tone entreating as they said, “I can free you now, where you stand- I can break you from your master’s hold. It’s our hope that you will come with me; I can get you to Sector 8, where Emrys won’t easily be able to reach you. But I won’t drag you there by force. The choice, the freedom, is yours… your right, which was stolen from you.”

After a moment of silence, Cass’s throat painfully tight and his heart hammering against his ribs, he slowly reached out his hand. The crystal was warm to the touch, and the same instinct which yearned for the life of another filled him with a bitter longing as his fingers closed around the stone. He took in a sharp breath, his gaze flashing up to Arius. “What do I have to do?”

“Nothing- just try not to scream,” they responded, as they touched their fingers to the back of Cass’s fist.

He opened his mouth to question it, but the words were shattered by a strangled cry of anguish; Arius’s hand quickly covered his mouth as the young thrall went rigid with agony. The magic contained within the crystal lanced through his palm like flames, burning a path through his veins. Cass trembled against the overwhelming heat coursing through him; closing his eyes, panting breaths through his nose, his hands grasped Arius’s shirt as he tried to bear through the pain.

The magic tore through him, the boiling power slowly stripping away his master’s claim- as if burning away every drop of his master’s blood in his veins. Cass shuddered, his breath an ethereal blue mist in the air as his own power surged in response to the foreign magic, fueling the flames as his head throbbed. A gasp was torn from his throat as he felt the connection burn down to the final threads- and with it, the consuming pressure of his master’s fury. The feeling remained for a moment, the dying whisper of their bond, before the magic faded to leave Cass vulnerable and trembling.

He forced himself to look up, tears swimming in his gaze as he met Arius’s wide, questioning gaze. “We have to run,” Cass rasped, dread and fear twisting as he said, “Emrys knows… and he’s coming for us.”