LUCIUS' POV
I held her fondly in my arms, and she opened her eyes slowly.
She gasped when she saw me and hugged me tightly.
"Are you okay? Your neck. I tried strangling Cassandra," I asked, and she shook her head.
"I know. You didn't know anything done to her was done to me," she said, and I looked into her eyes.
"Did she hurt herself to let you know that?" I asked, and she sighed.
"I didn't believe her, that when she was hurt, I'd be too. So she decided to show me. When she starved herself, I was starved. When she was full, I was full. And when she cut herself, I was cut too. That's how I knew," she said, and I hugged her once again.
"Do you think you can fight?" I asked, and she shook her head.
"I'm the weakest I can possibly be every dawn. I don't think I can fight her," she said, and I tried to think fast.
"What if I take you out, and we let her be?" I suggested, but she shook her head.
"She said the both of us can't coexist. That's why I was locked up here in the first place. I know I have to fight. She's told me before, but I'm just too weak to do anything," she said, and I held her hands.
"You might be weak now, but not forever. You're always weak at Dawn, but Dawn's the only time we can bring you out, and is the only time you must fight. You can't stay in here forever; I won't allow that," I said, and she looked troubled.
"Can I? Can I take her on?" She asked me, and I nodded.
"She's not like us wolves, so she can't heal fast. If she comes at you, stand firm, slash her legs or something, do something to catch her off guard, make her think she has you, then strike," I said, and she moistened her lips.
"Help me up, please," she said, and I helped her stand.
She staggered, but made her way slowly to the mirror.
We stepped out of the mirror, jumped down from the sink, and faced everyone.
Cassandra stepped forward slowly.
"Tell the men to move back," she said, and I signaled to my men.
They took several steps back.
"First rule, Nobody's to interfere. Second rule, No one must interfere. Third rule. Nobody can interfere," she said, and I stepped back, watching Dusk in worry.
Cassandra didn't waste time; she lunged for Dusk and hit her in the chest with her fist. Dusk staggered and fell to the floor, coughing.
Cassandra pounced at her, and as she hit Dusk in the face, Dusk's claws came up, and she plunged it deep into Cassandra's back, making her skin.
The fight was a hard one. Dusk wasn't ready to die, and Cassandra wasn't ready to relent.
So many times, I had tried to interfere, but Marcus held me back.
"She's strong. She has to know it. She's already doing it, Alpha," he said, and I watched as Dusk slashed Cassandra blindly as the latter tried to squeeze her neck.
Then Dusk's claws slashed across Cassandra's neck, and blood gushed out.
Cassandra stepped back and touched her neck.
It was Dusk's chance to give a final strike. A strike to end Cassandra, but she shook her head.
"This is too far. I'm not a murderer," she whispered, and I almost screamed at her that it was a matter of life and death.
Cassandra still couldn't believe her eyes, and as she looked at Dusk, there was a kind of fear in them.
Then she screamed.
Her clothes were muddied with blood, and she ran to the edge of the toilet, took a stick, raised her leg, and broke the stick into two.
"Dusk, be careful, she..." I was saying, but Cassandra did the unpredictable.
She drove the sharp and jagged edge of the stick into her tummy, and blood poured from her mouth.
"Oh my God!" Dusk exclaimed and tried to go to her, but I stopped her.
"Leave her," I said, holding on to Dusk.
"I'd rather die by my own hands than die by the hands of someone like you. If you, a lowly creature, killed me, then Master would be so disappointed. But this way, it's a lot better," she said, and fell to the floor. Her face contorted in pain, and tears came to her eyes.
She was always so sympathetic, and I wondered if having all that goodness deep in her heart wouldn't cause problems for her.
We watched as Cassandra took her last breath, staring at Dusk, and slowly, she turned into water.
Then I went to hug Dusk.
"You're alive," I said, and she cried.
~ Seline and Dusk hugged so many times as we all sat in my study.
"She didn't even pretend. The moment I pointed her out, she admitted it and caught me off guard," Seline said, and I caught Ariadne staring at both of them with a bitter look.
I just hoped she wouldn't be a problem later in the future because I knew her to be a power-hungry and driven woman.
"I think we should all get some rest. It's a new day, and we all have things to do. It's best we catch some sleep before the day breaks completely," I said to them, and they nodded.
We dispersed, and as Dusk moved to go to her quarters, I took her hand.
"You're staying with me tonight. I think I'll sleep better knowing I can see you," I said, and she nodded.
She also didn't want to stay alone, not after what happened.
We went to my room and laid underneath the covers. I held her in my arms, and while I slept, I dreamt.
My door opened, and Naomi walked in.
She was fuming in anger.
"You killed Cassandra! You took another life! You will pay!" She raged at me, and I sat up.
"It was a fair fight," I said, and she smirked.
"A fair fight... Know this... I don't accept defeat," she said, and I woke up.
I looked at Dusk, who was next to me, and as I was about to dismiss the dream, a circle appeared on her forehead and gleamed white. Still with her eyes closed, she smirked.