The instant Caspian turned his head toward Ethan and Iris was the same second the gun went off. All color fled from his skin as the world seemed to stop turning for a moment. Unable to see if someone had gotten hurt in the skirmish, he staggered dizzily, silently pleading with whatever god might listen to him that she hadn’t been shot. He wished he could have been strong enough to fight off Thomas so that he could have helped her. He knew she wouldn’t be able to overpower Ethan, and yet he’d been powerless to come to her aid. If she had gotten wounded grappling for the weapon, he didn’t think he could forgive himself.

However, his panic only lasted for a few seconds before Ethan reacted. Apparently, he was the one who had been shot, not Iris. Cas felt weak with relief, his dark eyes locating the spot on the rebel’s leg where the bullet had grazed him. Spurred by the hope that swelled inside of him, he resumed struggling against Thomas’s grip, trying to get to her before her ex-boyfriend could retaliate.

His efforts weren’t enough yet again though, as he watched Ethan wrestle her to the ground and lock his hands around her throat. Wide-eyed, he felt his heart begin to stumble as the rebel choked her. The look in his eyes was frightening. By all appearances, it seemed like he was actually going to suffocate her to death. [color=#b97703][i]No,[/i][/color] he thought urgently, managing to wrench one arm free in his desperation to save her. Taking advantage of the useful limb, he spun around and rammed his fist into Thomas’s face, hearing a crack as his knuckle broke the other man’s nose.

The rebel screamed and let him go—but only for a moment. Before Cas had a chance to run to Iris, he felt his breath leave him as Thomas tackled him to the ground. His head hit the asphalt hard, and he laid still, delirious from the impact. Craning his neck, he could just see Iris and Ethan, the latter’s hands still wrapped coldly around her throat. He could also see that the color was draining from Iris’s face.

[color=#b97703]“You’re killing her!”[/color] he called out in a strangled cry, writhing beneath Thomas’s weight. The rebel had him pinned once again with his knees pressed painfully into his lower back and his hands bearing down on his arms, so he couldn’t get up. Nevertheless, he fought in vain, terrified that he was going to end up watching Ethan murder Iris right before his eyes. [color=#b97703]“Let her go! You want me, so take me. Leave her out of this!”[/color]

When the other man eased up on her, a stunned expression took over the prince’s features. He hadn’t taken Ethan to be a rational man. A second surge of relief pulsed through him, and he continued to watch as the rebel gave her a final warning and turned his attention onto him. Cas’s eyes flicked to the gun aimed at Iris’s head and then back to her assailant’s face. Knowing now that his first impression had been wrong, he didn’t trust either of them to let her off easily. She was their enemy now too, since she’d taken his side. He swallowed apprehensively, his mouth still tasting of blood. He didn’t want to go with them if it meant that both he and Iris would be at the rebellion’s mercy, but they weren’t giving him any other choice.

[color=#b97703][i]At least this way, she won’t be killed right away,[/i][/color] he reasoned, trying to find a sliver of hope to grasp onto in an otherwise hopeless situation. Once he stopped struggling, he felt Thomas’s weight lift from his back, giving him the option to follow Ethan’s order to get in the waiting vehicle. For a moment, he laid still, keeping his gaze fixed on Ethan and his gun, before he reluctantly sat up on his knees. [color=#b97703]“Fine,”[/color] he growled, demonstrating by the tone of his voice that he wasn’t rolling over to them like a submissive animal.

With a wistful glance at Iris, he climbed shakily to his feet and allowed Thomas to usher him over to the backseat of the car. The rebel grabbed him by the hair, and he winced as he was forced to duck inside like a criminal who had just been arrested. He just hoped he was making the right decision by giving them what they wanted. As long as Iris made it out with her life, that was all that mattered to him. [color=#b97703][i]I’m probably not going to get out of this one alive,[/i][/color] he thought nervously, sliding over to the far side of the car and staring dully out the window.