Cassandra's Challenge (35 page)

“Everyone.”

“It might have been right for
you
. But it
was wrong for Tori, wrong for me. We have the right to decide
what’s right for us. As for you and me there’s no us. How can there
be when you’ve decided
my
future?” She pushes against his
bare chest. “If you wanted one without me in it, all you had to do
was say so.”

“How can you think that!” William demands giving
her a hard shake, his voice low and urgent.

“Because it’s what you’ve done.” Her voice
breaking she looks away. “Let go, before Tori comes back….please.”
Slowly releasing her, she walks into the ready room, wiping her
eyes.

Returning she’s followed by Hutu with first
meal. Tori’s out of her room, the Admiral dressed. Hutu checks the
plates, giving Tori a smile.

“Thank you, Hutu.” The Admiral dismisses
him.

“You’re welcome sir. Do you want second meal at
the regular time mam?” Hutu turns to Cassandra. Knowing she didn’t
eat her meal the night before.

“That would be fine Hutu. Thank you.”

Smiling at her he leaves the Admiral’s quarters.
Cassandra’s finding it hard to eat as she sits next to William.
Smiling at Victoria she forces herself to take a bite of the
loblolly Hutu had brought her. William notices her lack of
appetite, she should be starving after not eating the night before.
When Victoria finishes she quickly picks up her plate and her own
barely touched bowl.

“Why don’t you go wash up and we’ll head to
class.”

With Victoria out of the room William walks up
behind Cassandra, trapping her against the counter.

“You didn’t eat.” Saying nothing she grips the
counter, unable to turn and face him. The day is just starting and
already she is struggling. William leans in kissing her neck.

“Please…. Don’t…” Cassandra begs her voice
wobbly.

“I’m done Aunt Cassie.” William steps away as
Tori comes out of the bathroom. Taking a deep breath Cassandra
pastes a smile on her face.

“Okay, grab your bag, and we’re out of
here.”

“Bye Admiral.”

“Bye Tori, have a good day at class.” Watching
them leave he realizes that in a few days it would be forever. What
he planned, what he put in motion, would cause that. Walking to his
desk he sits down. Is it really the only way?

Thinking back to the dream he’d had, Kayden had
said he couldn’t protect his life mate if he wasn’t there. Why
hadn’t he realized that? Why would he trust it to anyone else?
Quinn is right, Cassandra would worry about everyone except
herself, someone has to worry about
her
, and
he
would
be that person.

Plans need to be redrawn, strategies reworked.
Cassandra needs to be included, in every step. He has a lot of work
to do, repairing the damage he’s caused. Getting on the comm he
contacts Quinn and Lucas for a meeting in his ready room.

Hugging Victoria goodbye Cassandra turns to
Javiera. She’d spent a lot of time the night before looking at
angles, trying to figure out different scenarios. But the one thing
she kept coming back to is that she can’t do this alone, even if
she and William where together, they’d need help. Help from people
they could trust. For Cassandra that meant Javiera and Leander. But
they need to know what they were getting into.

“I need to talk to you, to you and Leander.”
Javiera looks at her friend, seeing the seriousness in her
eyes.

“Leander was in quarters when we left, if we
lucky we can still catch him.” The two women walk in silence to the
Michelakakis’ quarters. Just as they round the corner they see
Leander.

“Well, what do we have here? Hi Cassandra.”
Leander’s smile fades as he looks at them.

“Can I talk to you, both of you, in
quarters?”

“Yeah, sure….” Turning he leads the way
unlocking the hatch. As they all enter, he secures it.

“So what’s wrong?” Cassandra isn’t sure where to
start, how to start.

“Cassandra, what’s wrong?” Javiera asks. “I told
you, you can ask me anything”

“I know, but this isn’t so much asking you
something, but telling you, both of you. You might want to sit.” As
they do she starts.

“What do you know about the attack on
Earth?”

“Know? That the Regulians attacked and destroyed
it.”

“But why?”

“Why?” Javiera looks at her husband. “Who knows
with the Regulians?”

“They had a reason.” Cassandra looks at Leander
who’s been quiet so far.

“What reason?” He isn’t sure he wants to
know.

“They believe the missing princess of the House
of Knowledge was there.”

“What?” Both are stunned. “How would they know?
Why would they care? Why destroy the planet?

“I don’t think they did for the long time. I
also don’t think they would have cared one way or the other except
someone on Carina found out and
they
care, they care very
much.”

“What are you saying?” Leander voice is low and
quiet.

“I’m saying that there is a traitor on Carina,
one that’s working with the Regulians because they care very much
about the missing princess.”

“Cassandra, that’s ridiculous. That legend is
over 2000 cycles old…no one believes it’s possible.” Javiera is
relieved this isn’t something serious. Leander looks at
Cassandra.

“The Admiral believes this?”

“Yes.”

“What? Leander this is crazy.” Javiera’s eyes
become a little frantic.

“Is it? There was no reason for them to destroy
the planet Javiera. All they had to do was run, that’s what they’ve
always done. So why not this time?”

“I…”

“The poisoning of Tori…the bombing of your
quarters….is Falco apart of this?”

“No, that had nothing to do with Earth, we
thought it did at first, it fit but….” Cassandra trails off.

“But what?”

“Falco has nothing to do with the Regulians.
Both her attacks were directed at me, Tori got the poison by
mistake. That’s why we thought it was the Regulians.”

“Why Tori?” Javiera whispers.

“Seven cycles ago Tori was kidnapped, it was the
Regulians. They implanted a thread in her arm. The Admiral
discovered it after the second attack. Bliant removed it. The
Regulians were tracking her. That’s how they found the fleet.”

“But why do they care?”

“Someone on Carina has made a deal with them
Javiera. To either bring them the ‘Light’ as they call it or
destroy it.”

“Leander?” Javiera looks to her husband.

“The Admiral knows all this?”

“Yes, that’s why he asked for the Dioscuri to
replace the Retribution, to get back to Carina. Find the
traitor.”

“It would have to be someone high up, someone
powerful.”

“Who has a lot to lose.”

“You’re talking a royal.” Leander’s eyes clash
with hers.

“Yes.”

“Fuck Cassandra, you’re talking the House of
Knowledge.”

“Yes.” Watching her two friends struggle with
the information, she begins to wonder if she’d doing the right
thing.

“Look maybe I’ve made a mistake telling you
this, but all I know is that in three days we’ll be in Carina. The
Assembly is going to be called to challenge Queen Yakira. And
somewhere in that Assembly will be the person responsible for the
death of seven billion people, including my family. They need to be
held responsible.” Leander has been watching Cassandra tell them
what is going to happen, and what he sees stuns him. How had he
missed it?

“It’s you…” Cassandra says nothing.

“What? Leander what are you talking about?”

“Cassandra, Cassandra’s the returning Queen.
You’re going to challenge Yakira.”

“Yes.”

“Why are you telling us this?”

“Because we can’t do it alone, we’re going to
need help.
I’m
going to need help, from people I know and
trust but I need you to really think about it.” Cassandra looks
from Javiera to Leander. “It’s going to be dangerous, Leander, and
there’s no guarantee it will work. It’ll put your whole family at
risk.”

“Cassandra…” Javiera looks at Leander.

“I need you two to discuss it with each other,
to decide what’s best for your family. We have three days before we
reach Carina, I’ll need to know what you decided by then. If you
don’t feel you can I’ll understand. It’s a lot to ask.” She looks
at both of them not realizing she’s looking like a Queen.

“And Leander, the Admiral doesn’t know I’m
talking to you. I want you to know that this has nothing to do with
the Coalition. There’s no orders, no ramifications to your career
if you decide you can’t do this. It’ll remain between us.”

“Like there will be with the Admiral’s.”

“Yes.” Cassandra whispers.

“He really didn’t tell you what it would mean
did he.”

“No he didn’t. Look, I know I don’t need to say
this but I have to anyway. You can’t tell anyone what I’ve just
told you. Not even Amina. Victoria doesn’t even know
everything.”

“We won’t tell anyone Cassandra, whatever we
decide.”

“Okay, I need to get back…I still have a lot of
things to learn before we reach Carina. I’ll see you later.”

Leaving Cassandra knows she’s done the right
thing trusting the Michelakakis’, she just isn’t sure it’s going to
be enough. She needs to start assembling her House. Surround
herself and Victoria with people she can trust and depend on. Why
hadn’t she thought of this sooner? Heading back to quarters she has
a plan to implement and a new possibility to look into. Time is
running out.

Entering the ready room she finds Lucas, Quinn
and the Admiral leaning over a table looking at plans. All three
heads turn as she enters. Straightening William walks over to
her.

“We’re reworking some of the security
procedures. We need your input.” Putting a light hand at her lower
back he guides her to the table. Standing so he brushes against
her, the Admiral points, explaining what’s been planned so far.
Listening, Cassandra struggles to ignore him, unable to move
away.

“When it comes to Victoria, we’ll have a
protection detail with her at all times. They will report directly
to Marat.”

“No. They’ll report directly to Lucas.” She sees
the surprise in Lucas’ eyes. “You’ll report to me.”

“Are you sure that’s what you want?” William’s
eyes reveal nothing. “Lucas hasn’t had as much security training as
Marat.”

“Marat can be in charge of the guards but he
clears everything through Lucas regarding Victoria, you have the
final word.” Cassandra watches Lucas. “Do you have a problem being
in charge of Victoria’s protection?”

“No. No problem at all.” He knows the trust
she'd just given him….the responsibility. Looking at his father he
knows he realizes it too.

“What else is there?”

“That should do it for now. Quinn I’ll be on the
bridge shortly.”

“Yes Admiral.” With the meeting breaking up,
Cassandra turns escaping William’s touch, only to be stopped by
Lucas as she’s entering the private chambers.

“Cassandra…thank you, Marat’s good, really good
but….”

“You need to be there. I get that Lucas, but
don’t thank me.” Looking to see that William is still talking to
Quinn she continues. “Because if this all goes wrong, and you know
as well as I do that it could, you have only one priority.” Lucas
recognizing her look, he’s seen it before, from the Admiral, only
this time it’s from a Queen. An order is about to be given.

“You get Victoria out! I don’t care how, I don’t
want to know. You don’t concern yourself with anyone else, is that
understood? If you can’t do that then I’ll find someone who
can.”

Lucas understands what she’s telling him, he’s
not to worry about her, his father or his brother, only Tori. The
thought of not helping them in unthinkable, but the thought of not
protecting Victoria is worse. Sometimes you have to make hard
decisions his father had taught him that.

“I can do that, I won’t like it but I’ll do it.”
Turning Lucas stops her once again.

“He loves you Cassandra.” The eyes that meet his
flash with pain before going blank. “Never doubt it.”

“I never have Lucas, which only makes it
worse.”

Finally escaping Cassandra heads directly into
the bathroom hoping for some privacy. She just needs a few minutes
alone, away from William, his scent, his touch. Away from the
demands, demands she was going to have to learn to handle on her
own. She only needs a few minutes then she’ll start again.

Looking in the mirror, she sees she’s starting
to pale, lack of sleep catching up with her, but there is still so
much to do, to figure out. But she can’t present an exhausted Queen
to the Assembly, another problem she’ll have to deal with.

Finding William sitting on the couch, head in
his hands is the last thing she expects. He pulls his hands away as
she appears but doesn’t stand.

“Are you ever going to talk to me again?” His
voice tortured.

“I talk to you.”

“No. You talk at me, not too me.”

“I don’t know what else you want.”

“I want what we had before.”

“Why?” She’s worn out. “It doesn’t matter. It
was never anything but a dream, it’s time to wake up.” Starting
across the room, she finds her way blocked. She’d forgotten how
fast he could move.

“It matters! Damn it Cassandra! I know this is
my fault…”

“No it’s mine, I should have realized when you
promised….but then you didn’t, did you. I just took it that way. I
should have realized you were just distracting me, not wanting me
to ask questions. You’re able to do that to me, but soon that won’t
be a problem.”

“What promise did I break?” William asks
urgently, his mind racing.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“No!
” He grips her shoulders, pulling her
on to her toes. “Tell me!”