Cassandra's Challenge

by Michelle Eidem

  “Where have you been Lucas? I haven’t seen you in forever!”

  “I’ve been busy, on patrol.” He tells her walking into William’s private chambers. “What have you been up too?” She proceeds tell him all about school and Amina.

  Following she finds William coming towards her, the look in his eyes telling her she’s about to be kissed. Her nerves leave as she gives him a half smile reaching up for him as his mouth swoops down capturing hers. It is a through kiss leaving them both breathless.

  The buzzing at the hatch separates them. “It’s Hutu with third meal. I want you to meet him.” Several men enter the room carrying covered trays.

  “Take them to the table in back.” A large golden skinned man with golden eyes directs them. “We’ll out of here in a few minutes Admiral.”

  “That’s fine. Hutu I’d like you to meet Cassandra. Cassandra this is Hutu, he’s been my personal cook for five cycles now. If there’s something you want just ask him, he can probably make it. He’s a genius in the kitchen.”

  “Thank you Admiral. Out you two get out!” He tells his staff. “It’s nice to meet you mam.” He holds out his hand. Not sure if she’ll take it. Cassandra shakes the man’s hand firmly and without hesitation. Hutu is impressed. Victoria steps into the room.

  “And this,” the Admiral says motioning Victoria forward, ‘is Victoria, Cassandra’s niece.”

  Hutu leans down to the child, again holding out his hand. Again Victoria puts her much smaller one in his and shakes. “Nice to meet you.” She says, melting the large man’s heart.

  “You too.” He straightens.

  “Anything else Admiral?’

  “No thanks Hutu.”

  “Goodnight then.” Hutu nods to Lucas who has entered the room.

  “Goodnight.” As Hutu leaves William walks over securing the door.

  Lucas raises an eyebrow, “So are we going to eat or what?”

  Entering the private chamber Cassandra discovers the missing table with two chairs on each side of it, the trays of food sitting on it. A sit down family meal, her breath catches in her throat stopping her in her tracks.

  William puts his hands on her waist, leaning down to whisper, “It’s alright?”

  “Better then alright.” She whispers back putting a hand over one of his squeezing. She walks to the table.

  Lucas witnessing the exchange looks from his father to Cassandra then back. William meets his son’s gaze straight on.

  “Lucas,” Victoria says grabbing his hand, “Where are you going to sit?”

  Lucas looks down at her, “Why next to you of course.” Victoria grins, choosing her seat, Lucas waits until Cassandra sits then the two Zafar men pull the covers off the plates and join them. Cassandra and Victoria look at their plates. Three of them are the same, one different, the one in front of William.

  “Here,” He says, “This one is for you Victoria. It’s called cnaipini sicin Hutu says all the children on the ship like it.”

  “Okay.” She says in a brave voice.

  “So what are we having?” Cassandra asks trying to draw attention away from her.

  “It’s called Rhea. You liked the Zebu, you’ll like this.”

  “You had Zebu?” Lucas demanded looking at his father.

  “Last night,” William grins at him, “Hutu cooked it perfectly.”

  “And you didn’t invite me?” He demands.

  “No I had someone much prettier to share it with.” William looks at Cassandra who feels her face get warm. Thankfully it all went over Victoria’s head as she bravely tries her first bite. Slowly chewing her face lights up.

  “Aunt Cassie! It’s Chicken Nuggets!” Cassandra grins at her as she quickly takes another bite.

  “Awesome, what do you say?”

  “Thanks Admiral!” Her mouth full, a large grin on her face.

  “Victoria Lynn!” Cassandra scolds.

  “Sorry,” Victoria covers her mouth, eyes still grinning. “But it’s the best ‘surprise’ we’ve had since we got here.”

  “Surprise?” Lucas asks starting to eat.

  “It’s just what we call meals on the Retribution.” Cassandra watches to see how to eat what’s in front of her.”

  “Why?” He persists, missing his father’s look.

  Looking to see Victoria is engrossed in her meal, she answers. “It’s just, unfamiliar is all.”

  “Patrol went well?” William asks already knowing the answer. Looking at his father Lucas lets the matter drop.

  “Went fine.”

  Cassandra chews her food. “Your right William, I like this.” Immediately she realizes she’s addressed him by his first name in front of Lucas.

  “Of course I right.” He jokes, trying to put her at ease. Lucas eats saying nothing.

  “Lucas do you ever go to the play area?”

  “The what?” He gives Tori a confused look.

  “The play area it’s really fun!”

  “Deck F.” Cassandra tells him. “Open area for kids to run.”

  “Oh. No Victoria, I don’t really get down there much.”

  “Oh.”

  Cassandra knows William wants to talk about what happened last night, but she can’t with Victoria listening. As they finish their meals he catches Lucas’ eye.

  “Victoria, Lucas and I need to do some work in my ready room. Can you and Cassandra put the dishes over there?”

  “Guy talk?” Both men just look at Victoria.

  “Daddy and Granpa Jacob used to do that a lot. Mommy always said they did it when they thought it would upset her.” Her look is older than her years.

  “Or it could just be work.” Cassandra interjects. “Let’s clear the table and we’ll get started on homework.” Victoria just shrugs.

  “Ok.”

  William shuts the adjoining door they enter his ready room. Once Lucas gets to his father’s desk he turns demanding to know.

  “What the fuck is going on? You secure your outer door? You and Cassandra have obviously been intimate. She calls you William. You’re having private dinners. Who the fuck is taking care of Victoria?”

  William stands toe to toe with his son. “Don’t you dare question her commitment to that child! She hung upside down out of a Raptor, flames all around her! She’s been there every night since dealing with the nightmares!” William turns taking a deep breath.

  Lucas is amazed by his father’s emotion. He’s normally very reserved except for family.

  “Dad, what’s going on between you and Cassandra? Don’t bite my head off!” He says quickly as is father turns. “I think I have the right to know.”

  William isn’t sure how to explain to his son that his mother wasn’t his life mate so he decides to just say it.

  “She’s my life mate.” Lucas’ jaw drops.

  “What? How? You’re sure? You have no doubts? It hasn’t been long enough.” Lucas stutters. William just looks at him.

  “I know the difference. I’m sorry.”

  “For what?”

  “That is wasn’t your mother.”

  “Dad, it was perfectly clear that you and mom weren’t life mates.” William’s surprised at this comment.

  “If you tell me she’s your life mate then I believe you. I know she’s committed to Victoria. But what the hell is going on. What nightmares? Dad….” Lucas hesitates.

  “What son?’

  “Victoria…” He looks at his father. “She’s my life mate.” Lucas lets it stand.

  William doesn’t say anything at first. Assessing his son. “You’re sure?”

  “As you are.” Lucas replies.

  “You have a long road ahead of you then.”

  “I know. What nightmares?” At William’s hesitation Lucas continues. “She’s mine to protect, whether she’s nine or nineteen. I can’t do that if I don’t know what’s going on!”

  William walks to sit behind his desk.

  “Last night Victoria was having a sleep over at Amina’
s. I’d convinced Cassandra to stay with me. Leander called saying Victoria had a nightmare, we went to get her.” He looks at Lucas judging what he thinks he can handle then realizes that that isn’t up to him. His son has found his life mate he couldn’t interfere in that by withholding information.

  “I’ve never seen a child so distraught.” William tells his son. “She was petrified but trying to control it. She dreamed she was trapped in the fire.”

  “Shit!”

  “There’s more.” Lucas looks at him. “She told Cassandra the Glitter Man was there.” Lucas is confused.

  “I don’t know everything yet. Cassandra wouldn’t talk about it with Victoria in the room. But this Glitter Man did something to Victoria. He’s real and she’s dreaming he’s trying to find her, can find her, anywhere.” Lucas goes pale as he sits.

  “What are we going to do?”

  “We find out the truth and protect our life mates.”

  Back in private quarters Cassandra is wondering what’s going on in the other room.

  “Aunt Cassie?”

  “Yeah baby?”

  “I’m tired, can I lie down?” Cassandra looks sharply at her.

  “You’re feeling okay?”

  “Yeah, just tired.” She gets up and takes a pillow and blanket off the bed.

  “Here you go, lay down on the couch.”

  “Will you tell Lucas goodnight for me?”

  “Yes,” In minutes she’s is asleep.

  The men look up as Cassandra enters the room, quietly closing the connecting door.

  “She’s asleep.” Crossing the room she sits back in a chair, suddenly as tired as Victoria.

  “Is she normally asleep this early?” Lucas asks.

  “No.”

  “Cassandra, I’ve decided that Lucas needs to know what’s going on with Victoria.”

  “You’ve decided?” Cassandra’s voice is sharp as she sits up, tiredness forgotten. “That’s not your decision to make Admiral. She’s my niece!”

  “It concerns the safety of my ship and crew. That makes it my decision!” William’s tone is one his crew fears. It has no effect on her.

  “That’s bull shit!” Cassandra starts, cutting herself off when Lucas starts to chuckle.

  He’s been following the heated exchange with great interest. When his father told him this small woman is his life mate he’d been concerned she would be unable to handle the demands of a Carinian male. Seeing her go toe to toe with the Admiral his doubts fade away.

  “What’s so funny!” She demands, pinning Lucas to his chair with angry blue eyes.

  He holds up his hands in a universal sign of surrender. “Just glad to see there’s someone not afraid to stand up to the old man.” Still chuckling he looks at his father. “Should keep things interesting.”

  “What?” Shocked eyes turn to William.

  “Lucas that’s enough.” William watches her.

  “I’m just saying that as unusual as it is, the two of you seem to work…” Lucas trails off at his father’s furious look. Looking at Cassandra he finally realizes his blunder.

  Cassandra pales. William’s told his son about their intimacy. Just like at MIT. What else has he told him? Has she made a mistake, being with William?

  “Cassandra,” William watches her eyes take on that shuttered look he is coming to hate.

  “You need to know about Victoria’s kidnapping.” Her voice is brisk, flat. Unable to sit she walks across the room, staring at the painting of setting suns.

  “When Victoria was two, she, her mother and my grandmother took a trip to meet me in Kayseri. I was finishing up my doctrine on ancient Sumerian, I was eighteen. Dad thought it would be a perfect girl’s trip, so he stayed behind, Peter was ‘gone’. I’d rented a two bedroom house, with a private courtyard, once I knew they were coming. Victoria and I were sharing a room. That morning I left earlier than normal I had to present my dissertation. She was in bed sleeping when I left.” She turns away from the picture looking at the avidly listening men but not moving towards them.

  “I’d barely been gone thirty minutes when Cyndy calls, frantic. They can’t find her. The doors were all locked but she wasn’t there. Her robe and slippers weren’t in the bedroom. We searched again, we found one of her slippers in a bush, the other was on the roof, the fucking roof! We called the police but they didn’t have any more to go on then we did.”

  “We couldn’t find her, no one had seen anything, God what a helpless feeling. My grandmother just kept saying it was them, it was them. Eighteen hours after she was taken she was back. She was lying in the courtyard crying. A house full of people trying to help find her and she was just there.” Cassandra runs a hand through her hair.

  “We couldn’t get her to stop crying, she was terrified. We took her to a doctor but one look at him and she went crazy. It took four of us to hold her down her down so they could give her a sedative. While she was out we had the doctor examine her,” Cassandra finally meets William’s eyes sees he understands.

  “She wasn’t sexually assaulted.” William releases the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “There wasn’t a mark on her. Not a hair, not a fiber, not a piece of dust.” She sits back down watching William.

  “Nothing?” William asks, Cassandra shakes her head.

  “She wasn’t physically hurt.” Lucas demands of Cassandra.

  Cassandra looks at him totally confused by what she’s seeing on his face. It’s like he’d been sucker punched but his eyes were raging.

  “We couldn’t find anything physically wrong with her, but she couldn’t remember anything, not even getting out of bed, only what she called the Glitter Man. She said he was really big and his eyes seemed to ‘glitter’ at her. Until last night, that’s all she’s ever remembered.”

  “What did your grandmother mean?” William asks replaying what she’d said in his mind.

  “Back when my grandmother was a young girl, she lived in Kayseri, she was abducted, her word. She was gone a week, when she was returned, again her word. The man she was supposed to marry refused her, he believed she’d been with another. No one believed her, except my grandfather. They married leaving the ‘homeland’ as they called it behind. This was the only time my grandmother went back. It’s amazing though,” She looks at William. “She described the Regulians perfectly.”

  “You believe the Regulians abducted your grandmother cycles ago.”

  “I believe my grandmother. I believe Victoria. That’s it,” She stands. ”That’s what I know.”

  “The nightmares.” Lucas asks. Cassandra looks at him.

  “Every night for the first year, then they tapered off. I think it’d been close to a year before the Regulians attacked. After we got here she been having them every night but only about being trapped in the fire, it was getting better until last night. It’s the first time the Glitter Man has shown back up. Hopefully the last, I need to check on Tori.”

  “I will.” Lucas is on his way to the door before Cassandra can say anything. There was something there that needs explaining.

  Lucas needs to make sure Victoria is okay. Cassandra’s story of what she’d been through has shaken him. She’d been unprotected. That wouldn’t happen again. She looks at William.

  “He’ll make sure she’s alright.” Walking around the desk he leans against it watching her. “Are you?”

  “Am I what?”

  “Alright.”

  “I’m fine I need to get Tori back.” William grabs her, pulling her into his arms for a blazing kiss that melts any defenses she thought to build in her anger with him. When she finally responds some of the fear loosens in him. Fear she would shut him out. Breaking off the kiss he rests his forehead against hers.

  “I didn’t tell Lucas anything about what is happening between us.” Cassandra snaps out of the haze William’s kiss had put her into. Her eyes shoot to his. “I didn’t have too, all he had to do was see us together. My son knows me Cassandra. He know
s I don’t do this on a tour.”

  “What exactly is the ‘this’ you’re talking about?” Before he can answer there is a scream from the other room.

  “NO! NO! GO AWAY!” Victoria screams as Lucas tries to comfort her. Cassandra races to her side.

  “MOVE!” She tells Lucas but he won’t budge.

  “Lucas!” William grips his son’s arm, pulling him away. “Let Cassandra handle this, your scaring her.”

  “Victoria! It’s Aunt Cassie!” Her voice is firm pulling the struggling child into her arms. “You’re safe!”

  “He’s here! The Glitter Man is here!!!” She cries.

  “No! No he’s not! William get the lights on!” she orders. William immediately turns the lights up.

  “Look baby, look it’s just you, me, Lucas and William! No Glitter Man!”

  Lucas gets his first look at Victoria’s face. He’d thought he’d understood, between what his father had said and Cassandra. But nothing prepared him for the terror he sees in Victoria’s eyes. It rips his guts out knowing he’s scared her, that he couldn’t comfort her, his life mate.

  William still has his arm. “Easy Lucas, this isn’t about you, don’t take it that way.”

  “How am I supposed to take it?”

  “As a nine cycle girl, who’s had a nightmare.”

  Victoria’s eyes start to clear, she looks at Cassandra, then turns her head seeing William and Lucas.

  “He found me Aunt Cassie.” She whispers urgently as she rubs her right arm. “He found me.”

  “No baby, no.”

  “Set Alert Status One throughout the ship! Repeat Alert Status ONE! Regulian ships approaching, two minutes to contact!”

  “Fuck!” The men say in unison.

  “Stay here!” The Admiral orders. “It’s the safest place on the ship.” He and Lucas head for the door. In the corridor William grabs his son’s arm.

  “Get your head on straight, you’re no help to her,” the Admiral gestures back Victoria, “if you’re dead!” Lucas nods both men head in different directions.

  “It’s the Glitter Man, he’s trying to get me.” Tori cries in Cassandra’s arms.