Invasive Species

by Cassandra Chandler

  The place looked so innocent. Powder blue stucco—chipped in a few places—and flower boxes in every window, bursting with colorful plants. Palmetto fronds hung above the driveway, as if personally shielding whoever came to this oasis from the oppressive afternoon heat. The house itself was tucked back into a canopy of white pines and oaks.

  A bug flew in through the open window. Lily shooed it away.

  “Why did she have to build her house on the edge of the Everglades?” Lily mumbled.

  A small wisp of a woman stepped out into the shade surrounding her house, her white hair fluffed out around her head like a cloud. Her eyes were as blue as the sky above—just like Lily’s.

  “Lily? Is that you?” The woman stretched out her arms and made grabby hands. “Come on over here, sweet pea!”

  Lily slid from her seat, dragging her purse with her. By the time her feet hit the ground, she was being pulled into a huge hug.

  “Nana Lillian,” she said. “How are you?”

  “I’m just fine.” Nana laughed, then pulled back and squeezed Lily’s arms. “Let me look at you.”

  “It’s only been a month.”

  “I used to see you every week.”

  Lily pushed down a huge pang of guilt. Tried to, anyway.

  “I know,” she said. “Things at the warehouse have been so busy. Helping mom has taken up—”

  “Quit fussing, I didn’t mean anything by it.” Nana waved a hand at Lily, then hooked her arm into Lily’s elbow and headed for the house. “You take things so seriously. I just wanted you to know I missed you, that’s all. I have plenty of company out here.”

  As if summoned by her words, a glaring of cats raced out from the house’s open door.

  Drat.

  The cat treats Lily had brought along for them were still in the glove box. She’d get them later.

  Lily was pretty sure she’d learned every word for a group of cats since Nana retired. Clowder, clutter, pounce, glaring. Nana’s house seemed to spawn the things.

  Meows and purrs greeted them as the cats wove around their feet. Lily nearly tripped a few times, but Nana kept her upright.

  “You’re not doing your yoga, I see,” Nana said. “Skipping your practice isn’t good for your balance—on many levels.”

  “For someone who isn’t trying to guilt me, you sure are hitting my weak spots.”

  “Oh, honey.” Nana leaned into Lily’s side. “You know I’m here to help. Just…way out here.” She moved her free hand in an arc, accenting her words. “Do you like living in the old loft?”

  “I do. But you didn’t have to give it to me.”

  “Pshaw. I can do what I want with what’s mine. And now it’s yours.”

  They stepped into Nana’s kitchen, a cooler breeze wafting through the open doorway. Lily wasn’t sure how Nana managed to keep her house so cool, but she wasn’t about to complain. She really needed to get the AC in the truck fixed.

  Nana poured iced tea into two glasses from a sweating jar. She wiped the condensation on her neck when she was done and let out a little sigh, then handed a glass to Lily.

  “Let’s sit on the back porch,” Nana said. There was a gleam in her eye that Lily only saw when Nana was onto a very special find. Treasure hunts, she called them.

  Dread curled in Lily’s stomach. Was this where the ambush would happen?

  Nana had said she wanted to introduce Lily to someone, and wouldn’t say more—aside from reassuring Lily that she wasn’t trying to hook her up with anyone. A lifetime of experiences pushed back against the promises.

  The last time Nana had tried to “introduce” Lily to someone, she’d said, “You don’t have to marry him, just have a little fun!”

  Nana and Lily’s mom were both free spirits when it came to…pretty much anything. Lily wished she had half their confidence and spontaneity.

  Neither woman shied away from going after what they wanted, whether it was in the boardroom or the bedroom. Lily was the weirdo who always thought things through and had to have a million contingency plans before venturing into something new.

  She followed Nana to the porch, a weird mix of relieved and disappointed to find all four wicker chairs empty. Well, except for the cats.

  “Shoo. Shoo.” Nana cleared two of the chairs of cats for them. Once they were settled, she said, “Is your mom handling things okay with the business?”

  “Of course. Everything’s fine.”

  “Then why are you having to help her so much?”

  “I get it. I’ll try to make it out here more often.” Guilt aside, Lily really did miss their visits.

  “Honey, you’ve got to loosen up a little. Yes, I love spending time with you, but I’m more concerned that you’re focusing on the business too much. Is that really what you want to do with your life?”

  “How can you even ask? You built that company from nothing. I’m going to take it over eventually, and—”

  “Who says you’re going to take it over? I built it because it’s what I wanted to do. Your mom took over because it’s what she wanted. That doesn’t mean you have to.”

  Lily felt her heart skip at the thought. She’d spent her childhood playing among the boxes of rare goods her Nana somehow managed to trade for, buy, or dig up herself. It was like growing up in a museum where Lily could play with the exhibits—as long as they hadn’t been sold yet.

  But she wanted to make a difference. To help people. She was already brainstorming ideas of how to use the family’s contacts and resources for altruistic pursuits when the company passed to her.

  “I do want to learn the business,” Lily said. “And I’ll make it my own when it’s time.”

  “Of that, I have no doubt. But the universe is much more vast and interesting than even I ever imagined. Life on Earth is short, and I want you to enjoy it.”

  Life on Earth?

  That was…weird. Lily wrote it off as something Nana had picked up from one of the books she was constantly reading. They both took big drinks of their tea, then set down their glasses on the wrought iron table between them, moving at the same time. Sharing a look, they laughed at the synchronicity they so often enjoyed when they were together.

  Insects droned loudly from the surrounding woods. With the shade of the trees and the porch roof, it was much cooler than the drive out had been. A cat jumped onto Lily’s lap, but she immediately evicted it. Even with the shade, she couldn’t stand the extra heat it was putting off.

  “They miss Cyan.” Nana chuckled.

  “Who’s Cyan?”

  “She’s who I asked you out here to meet. Actually, she should have arrived by now.” Nana stood and shouted, “Cyan?”

  Lily let out a nervous laugh. Cyan must be a new cat. Although, Lily couldn’t guess why Nana wanted to arrange a special introduction for this one. Maybe it was super feral, and Nana needed help taming it. Lily was pretty good with animals.

  “Cyan!” Nana called again.

  “I’m sure she’ll come around when she’s hungry,” Lily said.

  “Hungry? Is that a vegan joke?” Nana slapped her thigh. “Oh wait. You don’t know where she’s from yet.”

  “Who does know where they all come from. I swear these cats are growing on the trees out here.”

  Nana laughed. “Cyan’s not a cat. She’s my yoga partner. That’s her mat over there.”

  She pointed at the corner of the living room that was visible from where they were sitting. A couple of yoga mats were rolled up and propped against the wall, including a new one that looked like a child’s mat. Maybe somebody with kids had built a house nearby?

  Nana would be a great influence on any child’s life. Lily really did miss coming out for visits. As much of a pain as it was to make the long drive, the conversations always left Lily with plenty to think about, and doing yoga under the evergreens was an amazing experience.

  “We meet out here every day around this time and I give her lessons,” Nana said. “Her tail gets in the way so
metimes, but we work around it.”

  “Her tail?”

  Oh no.

  The lovely image of Nana mentoring a little girl evaporated in a slew of memories that set Lily’s teeth on edge. What the heck was Nana messing with this time?

  Once, Nana had saved one of her cats from an anaconda that someone had released into the woods. It had scared Lily within an inch of her life to see the pictures Nana took with the Rangers who came to pick up the snake and relocate it to a nearby sanctuary. The thing was enormous.

  Nana had insisted it not be put down. She’d said it was only following its nature. Then she’d found a sanctuary that had an outreach program to teach people about the dangers of introducing invasive species into new ecosystems. The sizeable donation she’d made had no doubt helped their decision to take in another snake.

  “Cyan is such a sweetie,” Nana said. “You’re going to love her. Maybe she’s nervous.”

  “Nana, what is Cyan, exactly?”

  “She’s a Vegan.”

  “A ‘vaygun’?”

  Nana walked a few paces toward the trees, shouting, “It’s okay, dear. I just invited my granddaughter to meet you.”

  “A vaygun?” Lily repeated.

  “Yup.” Nana laughed. “It’s the funniest thing. You remember Sarah over at the Old Oak restaurant?”

  “Of course,” Lily said.

  Sarah wasn’t someone Lily would easily forget. She had built her business around a treehouse in a huge oak tree. Sarah lived in the loft at the top of the treehouse, and ran a health food restaurant out of the lower level. There was a deck below, with picnic tables that could easily be moved around for community events and outdoor exercise classes.

  Lily had been trying to work up the nerve to ask Sarah for help with the changes Lily wanted to make to her family’s business. Sarah had incredible business acumen, and seemed closer in temperament to Lily than Lily’s mom and Nana were. Plus, Sarah knew a ton about health and wellness. Lily had already imagined the two of them brainstorming alternatives if a group of people needed medicines that weren’t available.

  Yeah… Lily really thought things through too much. She needed to work on that.

  “Well, Sarah advertised that she was expanding her menu to include vegan options,” Nana said. “But she capitalized it on the sign, making it ‘Vegan’.”

  What the heck is a vaygun?

  “Okay… So, Cyan is a vegan?” Lily exaggerated the “vee” sound when she said the word.

  “No, a Vegan.” Nana mimicked Lily’s emphasis, but stuck with her mispronunciation.

  “I’ve never heard that word before,” Lily said.

  “I don’t doubt it. There aren’t many Vegans running around on Earth yet. But there will be.” She gave Lily a quick wink before turning back to the forest.

  Lily’s nerves pulled tighter. “Nana, what are you talking about?”

  “My friend Cyan. She’s a little lizard person from the Vega system.”

  The ground seemed to tilt beneath Lily’s feet.

  “You’re going to love her,” Nana went on. “We’ve been having the best conversations. This world is so new to her, and she’s curious about everything. It makes you appreciate things in a way you’d never expect.”

  Lily’s throat was so tight, it was hard to speak. “Nana…”

  “She must be invisible,” Nana said. She cupped her hands around her mouth. “You can drop your cloaking field, dear. I promise, Lily is a friend.”

  How suddenly could dementia come on? Nana was in her seventies, but her mind had always been sharp as a tack. She was healthier than most people Lily’s age. She took care of herself.

  The guilt Lily had been barely fighting off finally won, falling on her in crushing waves. It had been a month since she’d visited. That must have been enough time for Nana to lose her mind.

  Nana loved her independence—and living out in the country. But there was no way Lily could leave her out here by herself anymore.

  Lily walked over to the woman she’d idolized for as long as she could remember, and gently rested her hand on Nana’s arm.

  “Nana, we need to talk.”

  —

  You can order Export Duty now! I’d love to keep in touch. Join my newsletter to hear about all the adventures happening in Cassland and be sure to check out my reader group. And if you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review at your favorite book review site. I’d really appreciate it—reviews help readers and authors alike!

  Thank you for reading Invasive Species!

  Cassandra Chandler

  About the Author

  Cassandra Chandler uses her vivid imagination to make the world more interesting, spawning the ideas she turns into her whimsical Science Fiction romcoms and darkly evocative Paranormal and Urban Fantasy Romances. Fast-paced and funny, lighthearted or dark, her stories will introduce you to characters you want to be friends with and worlds where you’d like to build a vacation home.

  Look for More Titles by Cassandra Chandler

  The Blades of Janus

  PACK

  PROGENITOR

  The Department of Homeworld Security (novellas)

  Gray Card

  Resident Alien

  Business or Pleasure

  Tied up in Customs

  Entry Visa

  Duration of Stay

  Duel Citizenship

  Invasive Species

  Export Duty

  The Department of Homeworld Security (novels)

  COALITION RECKONING

  The Forbidden Knights

  FORBIDDEN INSTINCT

  The Summer Park Psychics

  WANDERING SOUL

  WHISPERING HEARTS

  LINGERING TOUCH

  Other Works

  CRAFTING A WRITER’S LIFE: Building a Foundation

  Seconds (short stories)

  “Second Sight”

  “Second Skin”

  Coming Soon

  The Blades of Janus

  PERIHELION