Cas blinked in surprise when Iris blamed their situation on the moment he’d rescued her in the woods. [color=#b97703][i]Does she seriously think I’d be better off if she’d died?[/i][/color] He thought in disbelief. He’d known that she had been feeling bad about what she’d done, but he hadn’t realized just how deeply her pain had cut her. To hear her say that it would have been better for her to have lost her life in the woods broke his heart, and he bit his lip, fighting the urge to hold her. As much as he wanted to, he was afraid of opening the door too wide and getting too close to her again. He knew himself well enough to predict that if he let himself be anything more than an acquaintance to her, he was going to fall just like he had when they’d first met.

[color=#b97703]“Don’t say that,”[/color] he murmured, leaving his hand placed on her arm. [color=#b97703]“Neither of us knows what would have happened if I hadn’t helped you. Something tells me your dad would have found a way to get what he wanted whether it was you who did the dirty work or someone else.”[/color] He shuddered, certain that it was true. There were plenty of other rebels around who would have been more than happy to kill him in Iris’s place. Her kind heart was the only reason why he hadn’t been assassinated while he was still in the capital. [color=#b97703]“In a way, I think it was a good thing you were involved, because you’re the only one who would have realized that what he was doing was wrong and helped me get away. I owe you my life just like you owed me yours.”[/color]

At the sound of Maisie’s voice, he looked up, relieved to see that the other woman had returned. He desperately wanted to console Iris, but it wasn’t his place to do so when they already had a history that they needed to forget. Her friend would be a better resource for her to rely on right now, so he didn’t inadvertently pour salt on fresh wounds.

[color=#b97703]“Good idea,”[/color] he agreed with a yawn when she said they should get some sleep even though it was early. Honestly, he’d lost track of the time long, long ago. All he knew was that he was so exhausted, he was starting to develop a tremor. He had so little energy left that he could barely hold himself upright, and the thought of getting a full night of sleep was enticing.

When she mentioned her idea to get them past Ethan, he listened with interest, happy to know that she was still going to help them sneak through the gate even after they left. [color=#b97703]“I say that I’m willing to try anything at this point,”[/color] he expressed with a sigh and a shake of his head. [color=#b97703]“If you think that might work, then we should do it.”[/color] Turning back to Iris, he frowned concernedly and squeezed her arm. [color=#b97703]“Come on. You should get some sleep. You need it just as much as I do,”[/color] he coaxed her, hoping she would actually sleep when she went with her friend. They probably had a long and hard journey ahead of them tomorrow, and that meant they needed to build up the strength to handle it.