[color=#b97703]“Oh,”[/color] Cas said as casually as he could to hide his relief. He hated that even after everything he’d been through, he still couldn’t stop himself from looking at Iris like more than a friend. Or even a friend for that matter. Over the past few days, it had been easier for him to keep his distance from her because he’d been preoccupied with trying to escape and he’d thought she had been on board with the other rebels’ plan to kill him. Now that he’d gotten away from Regis, and she’d been the one to sneak him out, it was much harder for him to keep his mind from wandering to places he didn’t want it to go anymore. Even if she was helping him, she was still part of the Scourge, and that meant they couldn’t be more than allies for a short time before he returned to the capital. He continued to remind himself of that as she led the way to meet her friend who most definitely was not a man.

After nearly running into Ethan, the prince was on high alert for other rebels in the area. He didn’t know most of their identities, but at the very least, he could keep watch for Iris’s father. Regis was probably furious that he’d escaped, and he dreaded to think what would happen if the rebel leader caught him again. The older man had a propensity for torturing his prisoners—the ache in his arm and abdominals was an incessant reminder of that—and that was before he’d actually managed to get out of the basement. If he ended up there again, he was sure he would suffer from far worse than just a stab wound and bad bruises. So, he continued to keep his head down while they walked, hoping that they wouldn’t encounter any more of Regis’s henchmen before they made it to Maisie.

Luckily, the trip was uneventful. When they reached the complex, he glanced up from beneath his hood and frowned at the sight of the closed door that barred their way. In the capital, every apartment building was secured with a coded access, and no one could get inside unless they had been registered as residents with the landlord. The only exceptions were members of the royal family and high-ranking soldiers, who all had access to every building in the city. So, when Iris opened the door without entering any information or swiping a card, he stared at her in surprise. A broken lock was a major security issue, and it astounded him that no one had come along to fix the faulty wiring. Anyone could get inside and conduct all sorts of criminal activity without the local law enforcement ever knowing. It was good news for them, since they were technically breaking and entering, but he still found it shocking that security was so lax.

Getting tired from the long walk, Cas had some trouble keeping up with Iris as they headed inside and marched up three flights of stairs. He wrinkled his nose at the mildew odor that permeated the building. Everything around them was clearly old, and he hoped there wasn’t asbestos in the walls. Even though there were full proof treatments for cancer, it was still an inconvenient disease to contract. He already knew he was going to have to pay a visit to Dr. Emett to be treated for his surface injuries, and he didn’t want to have to take preventative measures against lung cancer because he was exposed to carcinogenic material as well.

Paranoid about the possibility, he breathed shallower than usual and ended up out of breath by the time they reached the top of the stairs.

Trailing along behind Iris, he looked over the doors that lined the hallway. Chipping paint and peeling carpets were the aesthetic in this building. He felt his stomach twist as he wondered again if the rest of Aspiria really was this poor. It was hard to believe, but at the same time, he was standing in a crumbling apartment, surrounded by hard evidence that their people were being neglected. Uncomfortable with the revelation, he turned to watch Iris as she knocked on one of the doors and a girl around her own age appeared and threw her arms around her in an embrace.

While they spoke, he shifted his weight, suddenly acutely aware of the state he was in. His father had drilled into him from a young age that first impressions were everything, and right now, he looked more like a homeless person than the kingdom’s crown prince. Rationally, he knew it was acceptable given everything he’d been through, but he still hung back somewhat awkwardly, embarrassed by his bedraggled appearance when he was supposed to look like someone the Aspirian people could respect.