by Debbie Behan
A load cheer brought her attention back to the new members of the team as she attempted to shake off how neglected she felt. First she studied Ethan as he stood with his arm around Jason, chatting. He had similar features to Jason. Both were blond-haired, blue-eyed, model-type men. Ethan had more tattoos and he was not clean-shaven. He had a five o’clock shadow going on that was quite trendy yet his expression was a lot more serious.
Conor, although bald and clean-shaven, had a cheeky grin. He had tattoos down both arms like sleeves as well as one that curled a little up his neck that looked very sexy. His eyes were hazel and almost as bright and happy-looking as Kayden’s but his build was short and stocky. Yet in saying that, he would still have been around six foot; he just looked shorter because the others were all closer to Kayden’s height which had to be around six foot five or maybe a bit more. All she knew was that they all towered over her and made her feel pint-sized. Jeez, what am I doing here with these people? She was nowhere near their league.
Woody laughed and attracted her attention. He leaned on Kayden and had to be at least a couple inches taller than he was. Christ, the guy is a giant, she thought. And yet there was a delicate sweetness about him. Maybe it was the red curly hair and bright green eyes. His creamy-smooth skin was sprinkled with cute freckles; across his nose they made him look distinguished. Whatever she saw in him it drew her like a moth to a flame and in that instant he made her feel like she could trust him with her life.
Yes, they were all smoking-hot men, she concluded as she looked down and drew circles in the dirt with her foot. They must have girls swarming around them. She would pale to the likes of the women these men normally hung with or dated. No wonder she was getting the cold shoulder suddenly. If the ground could have swallowed her daggy self up she would have been happy. She glanced back at Kayden who was joking and enjoying his mates. A flittered glance in his direction had her compelled to compare him to the others. He was drop-dead gorgeous. Out of all of them, he was definitely the pretty boy. Christ, no wonder he is ignoring frump-girl.
They all started to walk over to the stable and she was asked to follow. Inside the horse stable the bales of hay that she normally sat on were pushed out of the way. They all stood on a platform that was lowered into an underground room. Cassie’s nerves were rattled and she wished Kayden would hold her as he normally did when she was doing something new. She decided to be brave and just suck it up.
The room was full of wall-to-wall computerised screens that showed every angle of the sky. By the looks of it there were eighty-eight modern constellations showing at any one time and the computers and satellites tracked all activities. However, tonight the focus was apparently on the Milky Way.
One of the satellites had picked it up in the southern hemisphere. Cassie recalled looking at the night sky and seeing dark patches or cloud-like shapes within the Milky Way. These were referred to by astrologists as the Emu in the sky yet here, with the equipment used, this Emu in the sky was real and was in charge of the stars that made up the Milky Way.
Cassie eventually stopped being gob-smacked and concentrated on the topic of conversation. At the sound of Kayden’s voice, she drifted back to the conversation and focused. She was glad Kayden had said this was to be just a trial run for her. When this mission was over there would not be another for her. Kayden, as their commander, was acting as he did when they first met: superior and bossy. If this was the way he was going to act during working hours she wanted no part of him or the job.
Kayden, for Cassie’s sake, explained the controversy a little more thoroughly as he knew she’d be unaware of the rulers or of the long-running dispute. He had already told his men to prepare for a longer meet. However, he would try to hurry it along so they could eat before heading out.
With a pause, he eyed Cassie, ‘Aldebaran and Conom have sent a loyalist called Teyar to a Wolf-Rayet star. This is a massive, hot star omitting huge amounts of helium, nitrogen, carbon and oxygen and will easily overpower the Emu in the sky. Consequently they would be able to take charge of the huge group of stars within. This would give Aldebaran and Conom a big advantage in their war against Orion if the loyalist Teyar succeeds. They would surely overpower Orion’s Belt with that many stars in their army. This would give the sky’s most evil wizard far too much control in the galaxy so the mission is to intercept and talk down or destroy the Wolf-Rayet star advancing on the Milky Way.’
‘Why does this Aldebaran and his friend Conom want to take over Orion’s Belt from Orion?’ Cassie asked.
Kayden glanced at her the way a teacher would look at a student who had just interrupted his class. ‘Many centuries ago, Aurus the ruler of Taurus, gave his old friend Aldebaran his own star and named it after him. Aldebaran is an evil wizard and has for many years detested Orion for hunting with his two dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor on Taurus for cattle without permission.’
Cassie had researched the mythology of the Taurus star sign some years back for a home schooling project. She recalled learning that if a princess wandered into the bull’s sight Aurus would capture her. She also knew of the legendary two dogs but the tales she had thought were just myths. She figured if it were true then Aurus the ruler of Taurus must be centuries old. Immortal, she pondered. For a few seconds her eyes glanced around the room at the faces before her. Could they be immortal too? Is that why they seemed so young yet their eyes told her so much more? To her, they had that same old soul deep within them and the eyes of ancient warriors. The mind boggles; she shook the thoughts from her mind and refocused back on the meeting.
Kayden continued. ‘Conom is a warlord and the supreme sovereign of the star constellation Monoceros. Conom used to be good friends with Orion. They would go hunting together on Taurus with Orion’s two dogs, sneaking into the constellation without permission. However, a dispute broke out over equal shares. Conom turned on him, angry when Orion would not distribute the kill evenly, causing a massive argument and an eventual falling-out between the two. Aldebaran saw the opportunity to get rid of Orion by teaming up with Conom so he befriended the warlord and now they fight against Orion to take over his bounded region. If they succeed, they intend to split Orion’s constellation between them and restructure the stars. Orion is now constantly under threat and he fights to keep his kingdom in the sky.’
Kayden glanced at Cassie with a strained look and then back to the boys. ‘The universal change would only affect a couple of planets and do very little damage to the star system so Aldebaran is moving ahead with his plan as planets are nothing to him. He sees them as nuisances, always rotating and getting in his way. Not only is he dangerous with his powers but his armies alone have caused massive devastation to the ones who have opposed him. Zoren wants this war stopped and is counting on us to get some intel from the renegade star Teyar once we capture him.’
Cassie understood now. The Cloud Riders’ job tonight was to seek out and find the star Wolf-Rayet and capture or extinguish it before it had time to do any real damage to the Milky Way. She was trying to digest this new way of life. She felt like they had dumped her into another world. Kayden’s coolness towards her was not helping Cassie handle what she knew would be ahead. She was feeling very scared, vulnerable and in way over her head.
After they finished working on strategies, Woody wanted to see what Cassie could do. They all went outside and Kayden selected a few tree stumps that she could use to show off her skills. She had been trying to practice and hoped she didn’t make a fool out of herself since it was the first time she had their attention. Her hands shook as she put them up at Kayden’s command but nothing really happened, there was just a slight light force.
Kayden’s voice cut the air. ‘Cassie, focus and stop mucking around,’ he growled in a grumpy, impatient tone.
She closed her eyes, willing herself not to zap him instead! When she opened her eyes she threw up her hand at the stump instead of him. As they all f
ocused back on the trees, their mouths opened wide as not just one but all three of the stumps blew to smithereens. All that remained was a grey powder that swirled up and into the sky above.
‘Yahoo! You go, girl!’ she heard the men say as they high-fived each other.
Woody whistled and put his arm around Cassie. ‘I’ll be making sure I don’t get you angry, little lady,’ he chuckled.
Kayden shrugged. ‘Told you she was powerful,’ he barked as he spun around and walked inside with the team following closely behind him.
Woody kept his arm around Cassie as they walked in with the others and pulled out a chair so she could sit with him at the table. He was attentive and likable, sort of the way she had expected Kayden to be treating her. ‘Where did they find you? K and Jase must have had a bit of trouble trying to capture you with those powers.’
Cassie’s smile was a little fake as she tried to keep her unhappy thoughts in check. She felt bitter and confused at the way Kayden had spoken to her and then stormed off even though she did what he had asked. She thought about lying and then a prickly heat ran over her skull as she watched Kayden still ignoring her.
Maybe this will get his attention, she thought. ‘They ran into me with their truck and then threw me in the shed, dirty, hungry and thirsty, rendering me helpless until I gave in.’
Woody burst out laughing and Kayden threw her a petulant look for saying it but at that point she didn’t care and ignored the frown he gave her.
Woody turned to Jason, who also looked a bit guilty. ‘Tell me the truth, where did you find her?’ He seemed insistent.
Cassie was surprised that they all knew nothing about her. When she’d made the statement, she thought they all knew at least some of it so she hadn’t been expecting Woody’s reaction. She thought that they may have been able to joke about it and she could show Kayden she was able to have fun with the past, but it was going terribly wrong. She did not want Jason to feel bad again. He didn’t deserve her stupid attack. After all it was Kayden she was really mad at.
Jason put his head down. ‘Like she said, man. But we had no idea at the time just who she was.’
Woody was angry. His face reddened and his eyebrows furrowed together, making his eyes look dangerously red. ‘You two have no idea how to treat a lady.’ He put his arm around Cassie protectively. ‘You’re coming home with me when we get back so you can see that some of us are actually civilised and humane.’
Cassie looked over at Kayden’s grumpy face and seethed, then smiled sweetly up at Woody. ‘I might just take you up on that offer.’
Kayden slammed out of the house and Jason went after him. She felt bad she had turned it into a tit-for-tat fight and excused herself, going to her room. She stayed there until the meal was ready and only came out because Woody insisted she did or he would carry her out. He was still all smiles, so obviously not scared of the monster Kayden.
Kayden and Jason were sitting at the table, talking and laughing when Cassie came out, obviously over their bad moods. Woody was attentive and chatted to Cassie non-stop, ignoring the electrifying tension every time Kayden and Cassie locked eyes. She was getting more and more upset and as soon as she could, she excused herself and walked out for some fresh air. It was dark now and with all the might she could muster, she fled into the night. Running like the devil was after her, she didn’t once look back. She figured it would take Kayden a while to react as he would think she had run to the horses and would be thinking he would pick her up on the way. It seemed likely they had to go into the paddock to get to the portal anyway.
As Cassie pushed her legs to get her further away she contemplated how crazy she was to get involved with a man who had two heads. She would get over him and this would all become a nightmare that one day she would forget. She had no idea where she was going. This was where the cars came from and she hoped it would be the way out and onto a highway. The opposite direction took her straight to the horses so unless she wanted to be found, that was not the direction to be going.
She ran, walked, and then ran for many hours before exhaustion got the better of her. She found a tree to curl up against and slept. She knew they would be on their mission and no one would be looking for her now so she could rest here for a while.
Cassie woke hours later and cried for the man she had fallen in love with who had obviously bedded her without remorse and with the intention of using her powers for his strange cause. Cassie reflected on the shows she had watched and the many novels she had read about such behaviour. She was young and green and thought it was love he shared with her but it must have just been lust and greed.
She awkwardly stood and pushed on, her mind and body numb from being so stupid and thinking he cared about her. She heard trickling water and looked around. The vegetation was a little greener and as she pushed through the scrub she found a river. The sun was high in the sky now; she knew it was at least mid-morning. It shone on the water making it sparkle and inviting. Cassie took off her clothes and went for a refreshing swim that rejuvenated her aching legs.
When she emerged from the water and dressed, gone were the tears and sour mood. She had replaced them with a more positive and determined attitude. She would go and find a life for herself, one that didn’t involve conniving men. She had a plan—sort of—and to accomplish it included pushing every sad feeling she had deep inside. That definitely meant no more feelings of such raw passion. Cassie slipped on her shoes with determination as she built a wall inside her heart that would keep the last nineteen years of her life from escaping. Today is the first day of the rest of my life and I’ll be damned if I will take that frightened, broken child with me.
She scowled, then strode off with purpose. She followed the river that eventually thinned out to a trickle before leading her straight onto a road. Cassie understood how dangerous it was to hitchhike. Young women like her disappeared, more often than not turning up dead or worse: drugged and shipped overseas and sold off as slaves. She shrugged, knowing exactly what that was like. She knew that things like that could happen even from your own bed.
Chapter Eight
Lessons in Life
Squaring her shoulders and holding her head up, she put out her hand and began to beg for a lift as car after car drove straight past her. She was only walking now and she had lost all motivation when she heard a car slow down. She stopped and looked inside the window, finding a kindly elderly couple inside.
They introduced themselves as Ruby and Jim. Both seemed very sweet and told Cassie they were on their way to the city of Perth, right where she wanted to be. Jumping in, she pushed the last of her past behind her. Cassie confided that she had come to Western Australia for a holiday and even though thugs had mugged her of all belongings, she loved this part of the country and had decided to stay. She was on her way to Perth to get a job and make a better life for herself.
Her story moved Ruby and Jim. They felt sorry for the young woman they had befriended and offered her lodging in their home.
Ruby was a grandma. The silvery-grey hair that she had pulled firmly back into a bun highlighted a weathered face, imprinted from a hard-working life. Yet there was a kindness in her eyes. It was new to Cassie and it drew her in, making her feel very special. Jim was a jovial gentleman who opened the door for Ruby and always held her arm when they moved anywhere. They were the perfect couple who told Cassie they were up for their fortieth wedding anniversary. Cassie pushed the thought away that they could have been Kayden and her, many years from now. She reminded herself that love—his love—was something she had left at the river with that terrified girl she had once been.
Ruby and Jim lived in a suburb called Belmont within walking distance of a shopping centre. The next day Cassie headed off, determined to get work in one of the many stores. To her surprise the first shop she walked into had a vacancy and she began full time work in a stylish dress shop. It was okay, althou
gh there was always a constant nagging inside her that she should be somewhere else. Where though, she didn’t know.
Ruby and Jim had a grandson named Alex who came to the house quite regularly. Ruby told Cassie she thought he had a thing for her but no man was ever going to enter her heart again so she kept her distance. Alex was your tall, dark and handsome stereotypical male who probably had women swarming all over him and as far as Cassie was concerned, they could have him.
One night after dinner he asked Cassie if she was interested in a job where he worked. Alex was the floor manager at the casino and an opening had come up that he felt would suit her. She smiled politely and asked him for details. She figured anything would be better than watching people dress all day while telling them how great they looked, hoping to snag a sale. She shuddered at the thought of doing it too much longer. Alex told Cassie they were looking for a games manager. All she had to do was organise the staff on the gaming tables and sometimes help the events manager with the casino entertainment.
‘You seem to have a flair for enjoyment,’ he said. ‘You’re always so bright and cheery that it would be refreshing to have someone happy around the office. The job is yours if you want it but no pressure. I’ll give you a couple of days to think about it.’
She chuckled. ‘I hardly need a couple of days to think about getting out of that dress shop. Washing dishes would be more exciting than turning up there every day. When do I start?’ Cassie asked, flattered he had thought to offer it to her.
Chapter Nine
Fate Meeting
Cassie had been working at the casino for a few months and had a good rapport with her work mates and the regulars, even knowing them all by name. Towards the end of the shift her instincts alerted her that she was being watched, yet detected nobody unusual as she glanced around the noisy crowd. Being used to overzealous drunks perving on her, she shrugged it off and continued with her walk of the floor.