top of page
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • TikTok
  • Discord
DOD - Centered (1).png

Day Ten-
Cassius

The Pyre Lighting

January 8, 2025 Newsletter

“Raaayner!”

 

 

The singsong voice of Tula is what woke him. He shifted, his back aching. They really needed to make other arrangements for the den if they were going to continue to drink and smoke mugweed and then proceed to sleep in here. Waking up on the floor the next morning caused instant regret. Not that they did this often. Only for special occasions.

 

 

“Rayner! Wake up!” Tula said again, closer this time.

 

 

“Fuck me. Make it stop,” Cyrus moaned, burying his face deeper into Cassius’s chest. There was a gasp, but before Tula could say anything, Cyrus said, “I know, I know. No cookies. You can have them all, Tula.”

 

 

“We do need to get up and get going,” Cassius cut in. “The Pyre Lighting is in an hour.”

 

 

“Ugh,” Scarlett groaned from Cassius’s other side. “Anala does not give a single fu— Does not care if we light that godsdamn pyre.”

 

 

“It’s tradition,” came Rayner’s deep voice from across the room.

 

 

“I’m the Prince’s wife and a high queen. I have the power to change the Pyre Lighting time to…not the first light of dawn, right?”

 

 

“I’m all for that,” Cyrus said, still not moving his head. He only lifted an arm, extending it over the top of Cyrus so Scarlett could slap his palm in a high five.

 

 

“The two of you will be the death of me,” Cassius muttered.

 

 

“You’re not really going to do that, are you, Scarlett?” came a voice that sounded on the verge of tears. Scarlett went still, and Cassius could feel Cyrus’s silent laughter where he was still pressed into his side. Then Scarlett sighed.

 

 

“Of course not, Tula. I was only jesting,” she said, rolling away from them and sitting up. 

 

 

“Oh, good,” Tula said, clapping her hands and trace of impending tears gone. “If you moved it to later in the day, we’d have to wait so much longer for the sweets.”

 

 

“I’m stealing everyone’s candied pears,” Scarlett grumbled, getting to her feet. 

 

 

“But the children,” Cassius gasped in mock horror, to which Scarlett turned and flipped him her middle finger, hiding the gesture from Tula.

 

 

“What time did Sorin even leave?” Scarlett asked, working her fingers to unwind her hair from a plait and looking around the space. “And where are Eliza and Razik?”

 

 

“Eliza and Razik left in the middle of the night, after everyone fell asleep. Sorin went to meet Briar and Ashtine before the festivities begin,” Rayner said. “Azrael and Talwyn will also be arriving soon, so…”

 

 

The Ash Rider trailed off, pointedly looking Scarlett up and down.

 

 

“What, exactly, are you saying, Rayner?” she demanded, her eyes narrowing.

 

 

“That you look like you were up all night drinking and smoking mugweed,” he said plainly. “While also loudly proclaiming you’d be ready in plenty of time for today’s activities.” At that very moment, the bells tolled, and the smallest of smirks lifted on the Ash Rider’s lips. “Looks like you’re late, your Majesty.”

 

 

“I hate all of you,” she grumbled, stalking out of the room, tendrils of shadows trailing after her.

 

 

Truth be told, Cassius loved the Pyre Lighting. It was always ten days after Winter Solstice and ushered in new beginnings. Some made wishes or declared vows of change as they offered their fire to the pyre. Others wrote out things they wanted to leave behind, sending the oaths and desires up to Anala in burnt offerings. 

 

 

Each of the Fae Courts celebrated a season. Earth Court held its spring festivals with offerings to Silas for good growing seasons. Water, of course, had summer with grand galas on the beaches, and Wind took fall, with bonfires and feasts to celebrate the end of harvests. It did, however, amuse him to no end that Scarlett married into the Fire Court and their winter festivities for as much as she hated the cold. But it also made the most sense with the Fire Fae keeping everyone warm during the celebrations.

 

 

“Let’s go, Rayner,” Tula said, tugging on the Ash Rider’s hand and pulling him towards the door. “You promised that special strawberry sauce for my pancakes this morning.”

 

 

“I did, didn’t I?” Rayner sighed, swiping a hand down his face.

 

 

For all the grief he gave Scarlett, he appeared just as tired. He just hid it better due to the fact he was raising a child while the rest of them in the Fire Court were…not. Cassius was pretty sure that wouldn’t be changing any time soon. 

 

 

“Mhmm,” Tula hummed, none the wiser and already chattering away. “You also said Wilder could join me and Eva when we go to watch the Pyre Games this afternoon.”

 

 

“I do not recall agreeing to that,” Rayner said, his features darkening. Anyone else would have feared the change in demeanor.

 

 

Anyone but his adopted daughter.

 

 

Tula just giggled, as though he was teasing her. “You did too, Rayner. After dinner and before I went with Amabel for the night…”

 

 

Their voices faded away, and Cyrus huffed a laugh while shoving at Cassius when he tried to sit up.

 

 

“One of the few nights Rayner lets loose, and his daughter has already figured out how to take full advantage,” he mused, propping himself on an elbow to look down at Cass.

 

 

“She’s eight years,” Cassius said. “I doubt she’s learned how to play him quite yet. She’s too innocent for that.”

 

 

Cyrus laughed again, “The gods help you if you ever have a child.”

 

 

They both went quiet as the words hung in the air between them.

 

 

“Do you ever think about that?” Cassius finally asked, watching him carefully. Cyrus was centuries older than him. Not only that, he’d once had a female twin flame.

 

 

“From time to time,” Cyrus answered. “Never when I was young. I was too busy simply trying to survive. Too lost to my own darkness. Then Thia…” He blew out a breath. “Yeah, we talked about it, but neither of us were in any hurry.”

 

 

“And now?” Cass pressed.

 

 

“You’re young, Cass,” he said. “Scarcely past your Staying. We have time to live, and if down the road that’s something we want, we’ll figure out a way.” He lifted his head from his fist. “Unless it’s something you’ve been thinking about?”

 

 

Cassius shook his head. “No. I just didn’t want to be the one standing in the way of something you want. You’re deserving of a family. If that’s something you want.”

 

 

“We,” Cyrus said, shifting again and sliding on top of him, straddling his waist. “If that is something we want, and we have plenty of time to decide. And if we decide those are new memories we want to make, we will. But for now…”

 

 

The familiar glint of mischief entered his amber eyes as he bent down, pressing his lips to Cass’s, and Cassius smiled against him, immediately sliding a hand around the back of his neck to keep him close. Yeah, Rayner could keep the father status all to himself for a while. There was no tiny being to interrupt this and drag them away for breakfast.

 

 

“Absolutely not!” Scarlett cried a second before two throw pillows slammed into them, one right after the other. “If I have to go do this, so do the two of you.”

 

 

“Hey, Darling?” Cyrus called, pulling back just enough to speak. 

 

 

“What?” she snapped, and Cassius didn’t have to look to know her hands were on her hips.

 

 

“Fuck off,” Cyrus replied, bringing his lips back to Cass’s.

 

 

Cassius laughed, his chest vibrating against Cyrus’s as the male actively ignored the colorful language spilling from Scarlett’s mouth, slipping his tongue between Cassius’s lips. This was more than enough to keep him content for quite some time.

©️Melissa K. Roehrich 2024

bottom of page