(BL) The Villain wants a Divorce!

Lucian knew the moment that something had gone terribly wrong. He knew that this wasn’t going to be an easy conversation. Cass had looked like a deer catching the line of sight with a predator only a few paces away. He did not want to speak to Sam about what could be happening.

Lucian understood that. Unearthing traitors, hell, even schemers next to you always hurt. Lucian was familiar with it. He’d had to do that a lot during the first war. The second? Dragons remembered from the first war what he’d done to the dragons who’d plotted to harm him from his side.

So Lucian could understand that Cass was going to be in pain, emotional. He was not, however, prepared for the pain that seared through his gut like a knife. Lucian folded in half while he was beside the other two men, gasping for breath. Edgar let out a shot, worried immediately that something had happened. Lucian even checked his gut to see if he was bleeding.

It was nice to know that even if they were arguing, Edgar still had his back.

Byron was the only one who didn’t move, at least not towards Lucian. His gaze was trained on the doors and that was when they heard a noise. Byron’s dark gaze narrowed, his nostrils flared and the only thing that stopped him from moving was Lucian’s arm latching onto his own.

”Don’t.” Lucian growled, the warning loud and clear. Byron growled in response.

”How can I leave them alone? You’re a clear sign things are not going well.” While Byron’s point was a good one, there was nothing that Lucian could do. This pain was cutting him in literal half. It was also killing him to know that Cass was feeling this over what he’d found out about Sam.

He’d been a good dragon. While Byron wanted to remain nearby, within hearing range so that he could react if something bad happened, Lucian had refused. They’d actually got into an argument about it.

Honestly, they’d gotten into a few arguments.

That was just a dragon thing though, especially since both dragons had someone close to them. It was going to be messy for them to meet because the people they cared about were so close to each other. Did Lucian want to get along better with Byron? Of course.

He was his close friend’s kid. There was no way that Lucian didn’t want that. But it wasn’t going to happen. Not until this shitty situation was fixed. Gods, it felt like his stomach was literally going to rip out and fall onto the ground. He was having a hard time breathing. Was Cass okay?

”We...let this drag on too long. It’s our fault. We have to suffer the consequences.” Lucian rasped around the pain in his gut. Edgar looked horrified at what he was seeing.

”I think we’ve done the wrong thing.” Edgar whispered and in that moment, Lucian couldn’t disagree. He had wanted to know the truth, he had wanted to make sure that Cass was safe, but was he?

Lucian knew who Sam was. He was a man who called him by his last name even after his Lord had started calling him by his first name. Normally, that would be a sign of respect, but Sam made it very clear that it was not. Whenever Cass wasn’t aware of it, Sam glared daggers at Lucian. He made it very clear that Sam did not forget, and certainly didn’t forgive. He only put up with Lucian and the others because his Lord cared for them.

Sam would toss them out with the wash water if he could.

Lucian felt a shiver run down his spine as the pain didn’t shift, even as the door to the bedroom opened.

Edgar and Byron were there in a heartbeat, but Lucian had to compose himself. He couldn’t let Cass know he was-

”Take Sam and lock him in his room. I can’t even look at him right now.” Something inside of Lucian paused and then shuddered.

Something was terribly, horribly wrong, and Lucian had a feeling that he was part of the reason things were not okay. Cass had never spoken like that about people he cared about. He wasn’t even sure he had spoken like that when it came to the shitty nobles of this world.

Hell, he’d never heard him speak like that even about his fucking grandfather.

When Lucian looked up at Cass’ face, his stomach dropped.

Nothing. There was nothing there.

The Cass that he knew was gone. Replaced with a doll. Not even the old Cass was back. There was nothing there. He had completely shut down and Lucian realised that while Cass was feeling this pain, this tearing, rending pain inside of him, his mind wasn’t letting him actually feel it.

Lucian had fucked up.

When he glanced at Edgar, the man looked stricken. Cass looked right through him and didn’t even see him as he closed the door behind him. Edgar’s shoulders slumped, his head dipping and Lucian swore he saw them shake like he was crying.

Sam was crying. Actively. He looked like his world was crumbling and Byron had to attempt to hold him up but Sam was damn near inconsolable.

”I hurt him. I hurt him.” Sam repeated through his tears, so distraught that it was hard to witness. Lucian closed his eyes, the pain in his gut mixing with his own. A damn fool. He should have left well enough alone. He should have just questioned Sam on his own without alerting Cass. Without worrying him.

Now look what hell he’d stirred up?

Lucian had a habit of doing bullshit stupid things like this. Always putting his damn foot in his mouth, and he doubted that Cass blamed him for any of it anymore. He was sure that Cass forgot that he was the one who egged this on. Especially since the man had looked through everyone like this didn’t exist.

”Eddie,” Lucian rasped. ”Look after Sam and Byron, okay? I won’t leave.” Lucian said and watched as Edgar turned, his expression fallen and tears were falling from his pretty blue eyes. Shit.

Everyone was upset. When Lucian glanced at Byron it was to find that he was almost in tears too. This was terrible.

”He’s going to kick him out, isn’t he?” Byron said, his grip tightening on Sam. ”I don’t want to leave the Lord’s side.” Byron told him and Lucian had no response to that.

He had no fucking clue what Cass was going to do. He clearly wasn’t himself right now. He wasn’t taking logical steps, but Lucian also didn’t know what he could do to help him at the moment. Sam sobbed harder.

”I know what I did was wrong, but what else could I do? I couldn’t be by his side otherwise!” Sam wailed before breaking down in more sobs. Lucian’s jaw tightened at his words.

”Did you poison him, Sam?” Lucian asked softly and Sam shook his head violently, his brown eyes flashing with something that Lucian couldn’t quite catch, but felt familiar. He was sure he’d seen that before...but where?

”I would never. I am incapable of doing something so horrid to my Lord. He’s my Lord. I would never do anything to harm him in such a way, obvious or otherwise.” Sam’s passionate declaration was enough for Lucian. He knew that was true, but it was clear that Sam had upset Cass a lot with something else.

”Why is Cass so upset then? I’m assuming you told him that?” Lucian asked and watched as Sam collapsed again.

”I assumed he was asking about something else and revealed another secret. That...That he didn’t take well.” Sam’s voice cracked. He looked like he was in pain, and Lucian could tell that both men were in great pain over the discovery.

Cass hadn’t stopped being in this pain in the time that they had begun to have this conversation. It appeared as if he’d closed the door and went directly to the bed and hadn’t moved since. No changing his clothes, nothing. Without knowing how he was feeling inside, those actions alone would have been concerning to Lucian.

”Sam...can I ask what that secret was?” Lucian asked, before he let out a huff, smoke curling from his nose. Fuck. He was not angry, just stressed. Sam clearly didn’t see it that way, his brown eyes going round. ”Not upset.” Lucian rasped. ”Just emotional.” Sam nodded, but didn’t look convinced. Edgar was pressed against the hallway wall, watching everything as he silently cried. Dramatic, as always. Ava would have come by it naturally if they were actually blood siblings.

Sam struggled for a long moment, his throat closed from his own emotions before he was able to speak. Even Byron seemed shocked by what came out of his mouth as Lucian’s whole body went on high alert as soon as he spoke.

”I...I’m a spy for the demon king.” Sam whispered, sounding like a broken man. ”I was hired to find information on him but I’ve only told them useless things, like how he takes his tea. I’m a demon under a blood contract. I can’t defy the most powerful being above me, but I don’t have to be specific about what I tell him.” Sam hiccupped, losing his words entirely as Lucian stared at the man, no, demon before him.

He had never known that Sam was a demon. There was no hint in the slightest. Lucian glanced at Edgar who also looked surprised.

”Ava...never said a thing about it.” Edgar seemed to be able to read where Lucian’s train of thought was going. Byron growled, his arm sliding around Sam’s shoulders, protective.

”Don’t even fucking think about it.” Byron warned and Lucian growled in return.

”Doing a fucking check won’t hurt him. Fuck. He’s already being confined, do you want enough information to save him from being fired, or fucking not?” Lucian demanded and watched as Byron deflated slightly, but kept his arm where it was. Good. Lucian gained more respect for the dragon. ”Let’s go now. The sooner we get there, the sooner we don’t interrupt things.” Lucian said before looking at Sam. ”Sam? When was the last time you were asked to tell something to the demon king about Cass?” He asked and Sam swallowed, looking guilty.

”The night you went to the ball.” Sam said and Lucian nodded. So they were still actively asking him things. Great. Sam hadn’t been caught yet. Shit, that might even be information that they want. Lucian didn’t know much about demons, after all.