Chapter 16

  The thing Casca Saint Maximin feared most had come to pass.

  The last thing she wanted was for Freya to learn the wiles of humans.

  From the day Casca set foot on the island, she knew: if this jellyfish demon became human or absorbed human social tactics, it’d be a disaster.

  Freya had the potential to be a siren, a viper queen, a cunning vixen who could enchant any man with magic-like charm, not sparing even priests.

  Casca had seen women like this before, but what made Freya more terrifying was her elite-level tenacity.

  Crush her, she rises.

  Grind her down, she returns.

  Impossible to kill—Fury forbade it.

  Though Casca had fought countless wars, becoming humanity’s mightiest hero, she admitted openly: something that falls, rises, falls, rises, falls, and rises again—it scared her.

  Something that refused to yield, no matter how long the fight, fearless of death, relentless in its battle against her.

  Freya fit that perfectly.

  Casca respected steadfast love.

  She admired those who loved singularly, unwaveringly, unconditionally, even if their beloved was taken, knowing full well.

  But when that love targeted her future husband? That was another story.

  “Screech!!!”

  “I knew it!!!”

  Casca yanked Zeedee’s hair, dragging her off the bed. Zeedee screamed, clutching her scalp.

  “Playing theatrics, huh?! Theatrics?!”

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “You crazy bitch!!!”

  Casca hauled Zeedee down, slapping her bare-handed.

  Smack! Smack!

  “Screeeeeam!!!”

  Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!

  “Casca?!”

  It was a pitiful sight.

  Two women brawling, tearing at each other’s clothes until they were shredded—a scene straight out of a viral drama clip of a wife beating a mistress. Especially with Zeedee topless, it was chaos.

  Casca’s cloak slipped, her white shirt tore. Zeedee fought back, landing a slap.

  Smack!

  “Stupid hag!!! Dried-up old gorilla who thinks she’s still got it!!!”

  “Stealing someone’s husband and daring to fight back?! Bring it!!!”

  Thud thud.

  Grabbing a fire poker.

  “You’re dead, Skank!!!”

  Swing!

  Clang!!!

  “!”

  Dan threw himself in the way.

  He stepped between Casca and Zeedee’s mindless fight, blocking the poker with his arm to protect Freya… bruising himself purple in the process.

  That snapped both women back to reality.

  “Fury!”

  “Your Majesty!”

  10:03 PM

  Zeedee knelt in the middle of the cabin, head bowed in remorse, now clothed.

  Dan sat on the bed’s edge, a cold cloth on his bruise. Casca stood beside him, face uneasy for accidentally striking her husband.

  “That was low, Freya… I never thought you’d stoop to tricking me like that…”

  Dan glared at his guard, his expression fierce.

  “What’s it called, Casca?”

  “Feminine wiles.”

  Casca said.

  “Using tears to soften hearts… You’ve never seen it, so it’s no surprise you fell for it.”

  “And it worked damn well.”

  If Casca hadn’t interrupted, it would’ve been over.

  “Do humans do this often, Casca?”

  “All the time. But I’ve never done it to you. I’m sincere, no deceit.”

  “I wasn’t deceiving!!!”

  Zeedee looked up, protesting.

  “You little—”

  Casca raised her hand to slap. Zeedee flinched, eyes shut tight.

  “Fury, it’s time. This is the last straw. Send her back.”

  Casca’s gaze fell on the figure on the floor—smoother skin, fuller curves, plumper lips, a more alluring body, younger… Compared to a battle-worn, retired 30-year-old warrior, Casca was outmatched.

  “She’s just a burden.”

  “No!!! I’m not going back!!!”

  Zeedee roared.

  “My purpose is following the prince! Without him, what’s the point of living?!”

  “Lying again.”

  “I’m not lying!!! What I said—if you heard it—it’s all true!!! I just used a new way to persuade you, Your Majesty!”

  “Bullshit!”

  “Shut up, you old hag! I’m not talking to you!!!”

  “Who’re you calling old?!”

  “Casca’s right… You’ve done this too many times, Freya. I don’t know what to believe anymore.”

  “!!!”

  Zeedee paled.

  “Your Majesty!”

  She clawed at the floor, crawling toward him, breathing heavily.

  “Wait, wait! I’ve never lied to you!!!”

  The last thing Freya wanted was to lose the prince’s trust—a fate worse than death.

  “Your Majesty, I’m sorry!!!”

  She clung to Dan’s legs, refusing to let go.

  “Hey, hey! Don’t touch him, you filthy harpy!”

  Casca kicked at her, but Zeedee held tight.

  “Your Majesty, I’ve never lied! You have to believe me!”

  “I’m looking at this objectively. You may not have lied, but you’ve pulled these roundabout stunts too often. How can I trust you?”

  “I won’t do it again! I swear! Please, don’t send me back!!!”

  “Let go of his legs, you rotten thing!”

  Grab.

  “…Casca…”

  “?”

  “I’m at fault too…”

  Dan turned to his wife, gripping her arm tightly, looking at her with earnest eyes.

  “I’ve learned my lesson… It won’t happen again, I promise.”

  “It’s fine, you didn’t know…”

  “I don’t want to hurt you again.”

  “I’m not hurt!”

  Casca leaned down, hands on Dan’s shoulders, meeting his gaze and pulling him into a hug.

  “I’m… glad you’re trying this hard for me.”

  “From now on, Freya will never strip in front of me again. That’s an order, got it, Freya?”

  Her face twitched, eyes wide… Zeedee looked like her world had crumbled.

  “Fury… oh, my little piglet.”

  Casca nuzzled Dan, who hugged her back. They slowly pulled apart.

  “But you owe me one thing.”

  “What?”

  “This.”

  Whoosh!

  Dan/Zeedee: “!?”

  Casca pulled Dan’s face close and kissed him, mirroring Zeedee’s move but deeper—a passionate Luminus-style French kiss.

  Dan froze, shocked. When Casca pulled back, she shot Zeedee a victor’s glance.

  “Casca… what was that…?”

  “It’s another kind of kiss. Deeper.”

  Casca wiped her lips with her thumb, smirking at Zeedee.

  “If you’re gonna steal a kiss, make it spicy like this.”

  “!”

  Zeedee shot up.

  Casca/Dan: “Hey, hey!?”

  “Your Majesty!!!”

  “Wait! Did nothing I said sink in?!”

  Jellyfish have no attention span.

  “Didn’t you see? She challenged me!”

  “She’s my wife! She can do what she wants!”

  “Then I should’ve been your wife too!”

  “You were! Past tense!”

  “Then make me your wife now!”

  Casca: “Who’d agree to that?!”

  “I’m not asking you!”

  Casca: “You don’t have to! I’m involved, and I say no!!!”

  “I’ll take him!”

  “You little—Get out!!! GET OUT!!!”

  Dan clutched his head.

  “Okay!!! Okay!!! Everyone, listen!!!”

  Casca and Zeedee froze mid-brawl, each gripping the other’s shirt like squabbling mothers.

  “We’re settling this today. Once and for all!”