“He’s trying to keep her locked up in her room, but she’s been sneaking out through the secret passageways and going to the barn,” Vanessa said.
When all eyes turned to Daniel, he wasn’t sure what to say; he’d promised Cassie he wouldn’t expose her spying, but Vanessa seemed to know what she’d been up to. “She’s come by a few times,” he finally said, knowing it was only half a lie.
Charlie looked at him suspiciously. “I still don’t know if we can trust her.”
Vanessa spoke up again, “I don’t think she’s a threat; she just a kid who's been sheltered her entire life and is tired of it. She confided in me out of desperation I think. If you want my opinion, she’s just another one of Deacon’s victims; he keeps her locked up here in the castle like she’s a prisoner and I haven’t seen any signs of this illness she supposedly has.”
Charlie considered her words. “I still think we go slowly with her until we’re sure. Vanessa, you’re in the best position to keep an eye on her.”
“Deacon hasn’t told me anything about my mother so far, he keeps avoiding the subject, trying to distract me with stories about his family. So far, I don’t believe a thing he’s told me. I’m going to put Melody on it and see what she can dig up. I think the history Deacon’s created for himself is nothing but lies, and I want the truth.”
“Is he still asking for the talisman?” Daniel asked.
“He hasn’t said a word about it, but I can feel him probing it, looking for a way past the enchantment. If he wasn’t so weak, I’d be worried, but he’s weak and getting weaker, and he’s not getting any help from me,” Charlie said, her voice steely.
Steven had been silent while Charlie spoke, but Daniel could tell that he was unhappy. “I think he’s trying to find a way to get control of the talisman; he’s had meetings off and on since we got here and today, he announced that he’d be leaving for a few days. I want to know where he’s going and who he’s meeting,” he said.
“Penny and Quinten have that handled,” Charlie said, putting her hand on Steven’s arm again.
“I bet he’s meeting Demetri somewhere; we can’t forget that he’s a part of this and has been for a long time. He’s the one who hid you, Charlie,” Daniel said.
“I haven’t forgotten, but he wouldn’t tell me anything, seemed afraid to even talk about it. I think he’s scared of Deacon,” Charlie said, putting her hand on Daniel’s arm.
“The sooner we figure out what they’re hiding, the sooner we can get out of here,” Daniel said, getting to his feet. “But it’s getting late, and Magnus put me on night duty, so I’d better go.”
“I’ll go back with you,” Vanessa said, jumping to her feet.
Daniel shrugged, “That’s fine, but you do know that I walked.”
Vanessa flashed him a big smile. “After that meal, a walk would do me good, and it’s a nice night.”
They walked in silence for a little while and then Vanessa threaded her arm through his and got closer as they walked. He could feel her breast pressing up against the back of his arm, but to his surprise, he wasn’t the least bit interested. Instead, he found himself thinking about Cassie and what it might feel like to have her hold his arm that way.
When they got back on the castle grounds, he headed directly for the castle. “I’ll walk you to the kitchen, then I’d better get to the barn before Magnus sends out a search party.”
Vanessa looked disappointed. “Oh, okay. I was hoping you might have a few minutes before you had to go.”
“Not tonight,” he said, then wished he hadn’t when her face lit up.
“Maybe tomorrow night,” she said, smiling coyly up at him.
Daniel’s heart sank; he’d hoped to avoid this. “As tempting as the offer is, I think we’d better keep this professional,” he said.
They reached the kitchen door, and Daniel didn’t plan to go any further, so he stopped. Vanessa stopped too and looked up at him. “Are you sure about that?” she asked, then stood on her tip-toes and kissed him.
When he felt absolutely nothing, he knew that he was in trouble, that somehow Cassie had captured him. “I’m sure, Vanessa,” he said, stepping back from her.
She looked disappointed for a second, then looked up at him again and said, “Oh, well, it was worth a try; it could have been a lot of fun for both of us. See you later.”
He watched her disappear through the door, then smiled. That had been much easier than he’d anticipated, but he hoped she wasn’t going to be mad when she discovered that the reason he wasn’t interested in her was because he wanted Cassie.
***Cassie***
Cassie checked her reflection in the mirror once more and wondered why she’d never stopped dressing like a little girl. There was nothing different about the dress she had on, it was like many in her closet, but tonight she could see just how much it made her look like a little girl.
She’d never minded before, but now that her eyes had been opened to what it meant to be an adult, she wanted to start acting and dressing like one. A knock on her door reminded her that she couldn’t do anything about it tonight, so she straightened her shoulders and pushed her chest out, hoping that might help.
Realizing she looked ridiculous, she relaxed, resigned to the fact that she was built like a boy. “I’m coming,” she shouted and hurried to put on her shoes.
When she opened the door, she was surprised to find her father waiting there instead of Vanessa. “Oh, I didn’t expect you,” she said, smiling at him, truly happy to see him.
He smiled back at her. “I thought I’d come get you in case you’d forgotten your way around,” he teased.
“That was kind of you,” she said, relieved to have the father she remembered back.
When they got to the dining room and he’d helped her sit down, he said, “You look like you’re feeling well; you even have a blush in your cheeks.”
Cassie basked in his praise for a second, then said, “I have been feeling well.”
Her father kept staring at her, “I was worried that you might be suffering up there in your room all alone. What have you been doing to keep yourself busy?”
Cassie had been so lost in her thoughts about Daniel that she hadn’t prepared a suitable lie, so she said the first thing that came to her mind. “I’ve been doing yoga with Vanessa.”
“Hmm,” he father made a sound in his throat, a sound she knew meant he was considering her answer carefully, checking it for lies. Finally, he said, “Well, I guess that’s okay, as long as you’re not pushing yourself too hard.”
Cassie beamed at him, “Oh, I’m being careful,” she said, so relieved he’d bought her lie that the happiness was real.
It wasn’t until dessert was served that Cassie found out the real purpose for their dinner together. Even though they’d enjoyed their meal, made enough small talk to cover the silence, she could feel a tension in her father she’d never felt before. Finally, he set down his fork and looked directly at her.
“I’ve heard a rumor that there’s a girl dressed like a boy running around the castle grounds,” he said, picking up his fork again.
Cassie thought of Vanessa but realized that if she’d talked, he’d have known for sure that she’d been out of her room; instead, it felt like he was fishing. “Really? I hadn’t heard that,” she said, trying to keep her voice light.
Her father set his fork down again, then made a big production of getting a cup of coffee and fixing it perfectly. “I know it’s been hard for you cooped up in your room, and I blame your sister for that,” he said, a scowl on his face. “It embarrasses me to admit it but she’s stronger than I am, and I think she’s trying to figure out how to take over my business.”
Her father suddenly seemed vulnerable, a side of him she’d never seen, and her heart went out to him. “I need you to know that you’re safe, that she can’t get to you. She may look like a nice person, but inside she’s evil, just like her mother was. I’m afraid she’ll do something to
you, try to get rid of you, and she’s got that shifter with her,” he said, a worried look on his face. “Will you promise me that you’ll stay in your room? I don’t know what I would do if I lost you.”
Cassie felt tears spring to her eyes; this was the man she’d always known, the father that cared about her more than anything in the world. “I promise,” she said, smiling at him.
“I’m glad, and when this is all over, I promise that I’ll take you away from here for a while,” her father said, making her heart leap with joy.
“That would be wonderful, and I’ve been feeling so good lately maybe we can go soon,” she said, taking a big bite of her dessert.
Her father smiled at her. “I hope so too; it’s been a long time since we’ve spent any time together.”
Later that night as she got ready for bed, Cassie couldn’t help but smile at her father’s concern for her. It had been a while since he’d worried about her and it felt nice. Going over his words again to savor the feeling, she realized that though the words had been correct, something in them hadn’t rung true.
She didn’t know why she felt that way, but the thought wouldn’t leave her mind, so she pushed it away and thought about Daniel instead. Thought about how it had felt when he kissed her, wondered what it would be like if he touched her in all the places she’d only been touched in her dreams.
When she fell asleep that night, Daniel was on her mind, but deep in the recesses of her consciousness, there was something bothering her. Something about her conversation with her father was bothering her, but she couldn’t quite figure out what it was.
That night her dreams were filled with Daniel, and it was him, not the faceless man who gave her pleasure. But when she woke in the morning, the feelings still with her, there was a feeling of doubt clouding those emotions, and her heart sank. She didn’t know how she knew it, but she knew that something wasn’t right, and she was going to have to figure out what that was.
Chapter Ten
***Daniel***
Daniel waited anxiously the next morning for Cassie to show up, but she still hadn’t come through the back door when Charlie and his brother showed up for their morning ride. He’d been enjoying the rides they took together each day, but today he could only think about Cassie and the kiss they’d shared the day before.
She was nothing like the women he was usually attracted to, but she made him feel things he’d never felt before. He knew that he had to be careful, guard against some of those feelings; it had been weeks since he’d shifted and as physical as his job was, it still couldn’t replace the release of shifting.
It wasn’t the first time in his life he’d faced this problem; they’d all had to learn to live without shifting at college. But this felt different, felt like more than just his body’s reaction to having too much power swimming through his veins. It felt like the real thing, and that made him feel warm all over.
He was so lost in his thoughts about Cassie, he didn’t hear Charlie talking to him, so she walked around and stood in front of him. “Daniel, are you in there?” she asked, snapping her fingers in front of his face, then stepping back.
“Sorry,” he said. “I was lost in my thoughts.”
“Those must have been some thoughts,” she said, then asked, “Are we ready to go?”
Daniel looked up to the loft, hoping that Cassie was there when they got back. “Yep, let’s hit the trail.”
They’d only been riding a few minutes when Steven said, “Deacon’s leaving this afternoon for a few days. I was thinking about giving the servants some time off, so we won’t have them underfoot.”
“That sounds like an excellent idea,” Daniel said, relieved. “It’s been weeks since I shifted and it’s starting to get to me.”
Charlie looked over at him. “Steven’s about to go crazy,” she said.
“I’ll tell them as soon as Deacon leaves. I’m sure there will be a few that won’t leave the castle, but we should be able to work around them if we stay outside the castle,” Steven said, a big grin on his face.
“But you won’t leave the grounds?” Charlie asked, but it sounded more like a statement to Daniel.
“No, we won’t,” Steven said, smiling at her. “At least not yet.”
Charlie sighed. “Fair enough,” she said, then laughed. “The things I have to put up with.”
“You love me, and you know it,” Steven said, blowing her a kiss.
Daniel watched the two of them, feeling a rush of jealousy that surprised him. He’d never wanted what they had; he wanted to travel, to be free. But since he’d met Cassie, that had changed, and suddenly he realized that having someone to love and care for might not be that bad.
When they got back to the barn, he rushed his brother and Charlie out the door, using the excuse that he had some work to do before lunch. He climbed the ladder, hoping to find Cassie there, but wasn’t surprised when he didn’t see her hiding in the hay, just disappointed and a little bit worried.
Anxiously he did a few chores, hoping that she’d show up before lunch, but the rest of the morning passed with no sign of her. Hoping to talk to Vanessa at lunch, he headed for the castle kitchen as soon as he could, but she wasn’t there. He’d nearly finished his lunch when she finally walked through the door, looking exhausted and harried.
When she started filling a plate with food, he jumped up and joined her, hoping they wouldn’t be overheard. “Have you seen Cassie today?” he asked in a whisper.
“I took her breakfast, but I haven’t even picked up the tray. Deacon has us running around, packing for him and closing off his rooms. He’s leaving for a few days and gets weird when he does I guess,” Vanessa said, clearly unhappy.
“She didn’t come down to the barn this morning,” he said, concern on his face. “She said she would.”
Vanessa studied him for a second. “Are you falling for her? She’s just a baby, Daniel; don’t start something you can’t finish,” she advised.
Daniel stared at her for a second, then said, “I’m not, I’m just worried about her.”
Vanessa sighed, picked up her sandwich, and wrapped it in a napkin. “I’ll put together a tray and take it up to her room, but most days she has the door locked, and I just leave it in the hall.”
When Vanessa came back a few minutes later, he didn’t like the look on her face, so he followed her to the sink where she put down the breakfast tray. “I knocked, but she didn’t answer, so I tried the door; it was unlocked, so I went in. She’s not there, Daniel; the panel in her closet that leads to the passageways was open just a little bit like she left in a hurry.”
Daniel’s heart sank. “I know she wasn’t in the barn this morning. What if she’s hurt in one of the passageways? No one will ever find her unless we go look.”
Vanessa put her hand on his arm. “I’ll go search the passageways, you go back to the barn; maybe I just missed her, and she’s on her way there now. Text me if you find her.”
***Cassie***
Cassie scooted back farther into the hay, trying to stop crying, but the tears just wouldn’t stop. What had started out as a pretty good day had gone downhill fast thanks to her curiosity, and now all she wanted was to unhear all that she’d just heard. But that wasn’t possible, and she was going to have to find a way to deal with the knowledge that her father wasn’t who she thought he was.
But she was scared, scared for herself and scared for her sister, a feeling she’d never had before. She felt paralyzed, unsure what to do, but sure that she had to do something, had to tell someone but she didn’t know who to trust. Just then, she heard Daniel calling her name and relief washed over her; Daniel would know what to do.
“I’m up here,” she managed to say before a big sob made it impossible to talk.
He found her huddled in the hay and immediately sank next to her. “What’s wrong, Cassie? What happened?” he asked, his face full of concern.
Cassie threw herself into his arms and sobbed. “It�
�s everything,” she finally managed to say. “It’s my father, he’s... and Charlie... he’s going to… oh, I can’t tell you all this. You shouldn’t get involved.”
Daniel wrapped his arms around her, and instantly she felt better. He stroked her back and rocked her for a few minutes, then pulled back and looked down at her. “Come on; let’s go someplace more comfortable and talk about this,” he said, getting up and pulling her to her feet.
She followed him through the loft and into the back of the barn, down a hallway to an open door. Daniel pulled her inside. “This is my room. I don’t think anyone will bother us here,” he said, closing the door.
Cassie looked around her; the room was simply furnished but looked lived in, and it smelled like Daniel. She sat down carefully on the bed, then waited for him to sit next to her. He handed her a tissue, then waited while she blew her nose.
“Okay, let’s start over and go a little bit slower this time,” he said, taking her hand in his.
Cassie didn’t know where to begin; everything was still jumbled in her mind, and she hadn’t quite gotten control of her breathing. Finally, she managed a deep, shuddering breath and said, “I’ve been sneaking around in the secret passageways behind the castle walls; that’s how I’ve been coming here.”
“Did you dad catch you?” Daniel asked, a horrified look on his face.
Cassie shook her head. “No, he didn’t catch me, but I used the passageways to eavesdrop on him this morning, and he said some terrible things about Charlie and about me,” she said, a sob escaping before she could stop it.
Daniel put his arm around her and pulled her close. “Wait, who was he talking to? You lost me a little bit. Take a deep breath,” Daniel said, waiting a few seconds while she calmed down a little more. “It’s going to be okay; I promise.”
Cassie took a deep breath, feeling stronger again with Daniel’s arm around her. “He was talking to a man named Demetri; he’s my father’s partner,” she said shivering. “I don’t like him; I always feel weird when I’m around him.”
Daniel (Fairplay Shifters Series Book 6) Page 6