Cassandra's Challenge (77 page)

“Do I show Victoria?” She turns troubled eyes to
him. “She’s been doing so much better.”

“You promised her she could help.” He reminds
her.

“I know.” He hears the indecision in her
voice.

“Cassandra,” William caresses her cheek. “How
would you feel, if after I promised you we’d do this your way, I
changed my mind and settled it without you?” Her eyes flare.

“I would be
very
upset.” Closing her eyes
she sighs. “I know, I get it, I just want to protect her.” She
looks into his eyes, knowing that’s what he wants to do to her.
“It’s two totally different things.”

“Yes it is. She’s always protected, you…you like
to ‘irritate’ the man you believe responsible for the destruction
of your planet…you go alone into a dark kitchen for a piece of
torta and discover a spy.”

“I have you.” Cassandra rests a hand over his
heart. “You understand me, allow me to be me, tell me when I’m
wrong, protect me, love me. I couldn’t do any of this without
you.”

“And Victoria has
us
. She needs to be
part of this, to know she has some control.”

“And if the nightmares return?”

“Then we’ll help her through them.” Cassandra
looks at him and nods.

“Okay, but when? When do we show her Audric?”
William just looks at her.

“Now?” He sees the fear in her eyes.

“The sooner it’s done the better you’ll feel.”
Knowing he’s right she nods, he leans down pushing a button on the
comm.

“Zafar.”

“Lucas, bring Victoria over to our suite.” He
disconnects before Lucas can question.

Minutes later Lucas and Victoria enter the
private area, Victoria chattering away. Looking at her Aunt she
quiets.

“What’s wrong Aunt Cassie?” She moves closer to
Lucas, seeking support.

“There’s nothing wrong Victoria.” William tells
her. “We want you to look at something on the screen.” He holds out
his hand.

“On the screen?” Victoria walks to take his
hand, trusting him.

Lucas looks first at his father then Cassandra,
Cassandra’s concerned. His stomach tightens.

Cassandra sits down in the chair. She needs to
be strong. “Yeah baby, come sit in my lap.” Once she in her arms
she turns her to the screen. To Audric.

Immediately Victoria stiffens. Lucas sees her
pale.

“No….No….No…He’s found me….”

“No baby, no. It’s just a picture. He isn’t
here.”

“It’s the Glitter Man!” Cassandra closes her
eyes.

“Are you sure Victoria?” William demands. The
frantic, fear filled eyes that shoot to him break his heart.

“Yes.” She whispers.

“What the
fuck
is going on.” Lucas rushes
towards Victoria, William blocks him.

“It’s alright baby.” Cassandra coos to her as
she buries her face in her neck, her little body quivering. “I’m
here. You’re safe. I promise.”

“Why would you do that?!?” Lucas demands of his
father, his face furious.

“Calm down.” William pulls him away from the
comm.

“Don’t tell me to calm down! That wasn’t
necessary! Since when do you get off on scaring little girls!”

“Enough!” There was no doubting the authority or
the anger in his father’s voice.

“Stop it! Both of you!” Cassandra’s voice is
commanding her eyes hard as she looks at them. They soften as she
looks into her niece’s eyes, seeing the fear, the shock, and the
trust. “We promised you that when the time came you could help.
That you were the only one who’d every seen the Glitter Man, would
ever recognize him. Is that him?”

“Yes.” She whispers.

“Okay than.” She takes a deep breath. “Now we
know. Now we move on.” She looks at the Zafar men, seeing that both
have calmed down. Leaning down she whispers in Victoria’s ear.

“I think Lucas could use a hug.” The eyes the
meet Cassandra’s are older than her nine years.

Victoria slides out of her Aunt’s arms to walk
over to Lucas. Lifting her arms she waits for him to lift her up so
she can wrap her arms around his neck.

“I’m okay Lucas. I helped.”

“You did.” He holds her tightly.

“Aunt Cassie?” Victoria looks at her. “Who is
he?”

“Prince Audric, husband to Queen Yakira.”

“He’s a bad man.”

“Yes he is, and now we can stop him.” She walks
over to William slipping her arms around him. “Victoria, you can’t
tell anyone, not yet, not even Amina.”

“Why?”

“Tori, you’ve done your part, now you have to
let us do ours.” The Admiral tells her.

“How long?” She demands.

“Not very.” Victoria looks from the Admiral to
her Aunt.

“Okay.” Suddenly there is a large boom from
outside, causing both women to jump.

“Hey it’s just tuono.” William’s arms tighten
around her.

“What?” Cassandra raises slightly shaken eyes to
him.

“Thunder Aunt Cassie.”

“Thunder?” Cassandra looks to the darkened
windows, it was only 1600. “A storm?”

“Stoirme.” William corrects her.

“Stoirme.” She repeats as she walks over to the
window. This time she notices the dark rolling clouds, heavy with
moisture. “A tuono stoirme and this is baisteach.” Cassandra’s
finger follows the trail of water on the outside of the window.

“Yes.” William watches her take in the
information.

“Do you have lightning too?” She looks to
William, seeing his confusion, looks to Victoria.

“I don’t know? I never asked Amina.” Victoria
says.

“It sounds like your learning a lot about
Carina.” Cassandra smiles at her.

“Yeah, Javiera been letting us use the screen,
Amina’s showing me
lots
of stuff.” Victoria smiles back.

“That’s good. Soon you’ll be teaching me.”
Victoria laughs rolling her eyes.

“Like that would ever happen.” It’s good to hear
her laugh. There was a flash of very bright light outside, two
heads turn to William.

“Tintreach.” He tells them. “It can be deadly.
You don’t want it to hit you.”

“Just like lightning. Same rule Tori.” She looks
to make sure she understands.

“Got it. Can I go back to Amina’s until third
meal?”

“If you want….” She gives her a considering
look.

“I’m okay Aunt Cassie.” Victoria’s look is
steady.

“Alright then I’ll see you at third meal.”

As Lucas and Victoria leave Cassandra turns to
William. “What now?”

“Now.” William walks over to rub her arms. “We
wait. Nothing can be done until they resume the Challenge.”

The storm continues during third meal.

“Does it usually baisteach this much?”

“It can especially during this part of the
cycle.”

“It’s like this where the House of Knowledge
is?”

“In Kisurri? No, it’s quite a bit drier there,
hotter.”

“It’s has a lot of deserts Aunt Cassie.”

“Really? So it’s like Kayseri on Earth.”

“Yeah.”

Cassandra chews her food, thinking of Sabah.
“Has it always been called Kisurri?”

“I don’t know, Kyle would, why?” William
asks.

“The city where Kayden and Sabah’s palace was
used to be called Kaisaria, now it is…was called Kayseri. It would
make sense that arriving on Earth, they would chose a place with a
climate was similar to what they knew. At least Sabah would.”

“It wouldn’t have been that different for
Kayden, there are areas in the House of Protection’s realm that are
similar to Kisurri.”

“Aunt Cassie….” Victoria whispers looking over
Cassandra’s shoulder. Cassandra freezes, the bite she’s about to
take forgotten. Her eyes fly to William.

“What?”

“Look….” Victoria points out the window.

Turning Cassandra looks out the window, William
sees her jaw drop.

“Cassandra? What is it?” He looks out the window
seeing nothing strange.

“The rain…baisteach…its different colors.”

“Yeah….” He looks from Victoria’s amazed eyes to
Cassandra’s. “I take it wasn’t like this on Earth.”

“No.” There’s awe in Cassandra’s voice.

“Aunt Cassie….can we go outside?” Cassandra
looks to Victoria, finding she wants to too.

“William?” He sees the desire in her eyes.

“It’s safe.” As soon as the words are out of his
mouth both women are out of their chairs, heading for the stairs.
“Careful!” William holds his breath as the two fly down them, his
tone bringing people running. He holds up his hand to Marat.

Kyle and Lucas come running from the guest
suite. “Dad?” Kyle watches the two.

“The baisteach, its different then on
Earth.”

“Different how?” Kyle wants to know.

“I don’t know.” Heading down the steps, they
following them into the garden.

Cassandra is looking up watching jewels fall
from the sky while Victoria is trying to catch them in her hand.
William smiles remembering when Lucas and Kyle used to try.

“It’s…” Cassandra looks at William,
“amazing.”

“What was it like on Earth?” Kyle asks.

“Clear, always clear.”

“Really?” He’s astounded.

When Cassandra looks to William he sees the
wonder in her eyes. Walking over he wraps his arms around her.
“Happy?” He whispers so only she can hear.

“Yes. It’s like watching jewels falling from the
sky. It has something to do with the suns, doesn’t it?”

“Stop thinking, enjoy it.” He doesn’t know if
he’d ever seen this much wonder before in someone’s eyes. Little
things, he needs to remember it’s the little things that
matter.

“Aunt Cassie, they go clear when you catch
them.”

“The story goes that the Loki drop their
treasures from the sky to watch them sparkle, if you can catch them
before they disappear you will be allowed to keep them, if not they
return to them. It’s also believed it happens when the ancestors
are welcoming someone home.”

“Dadrian…”

“Yes, it will help Jotham.”

“I’m glad.” Cassandra watches as the skies clear
and the ‘jewels’ disappear.

“Aunt Cassie, there’s no rainbow.” Victoria
gives her a confused look.

“There wasn’t always one on Earth.”

“I know but I thought there would be…”

“What’s a rainbow?”

“After a storm… stoirme…when the sun would break
through we’d sometimes get a rainbow in the sky. It’s an arch in
the sky,” Cassandra motions with her hand. “That has ribbons of
color in it. The same colors as your baisteach.”

“If you reach the end of the rainbow before it
disappears there’s a pot of gold, and you’re rich.” Victoria
informs the Admiral.

“Really?” Victoria nods.

“It’s was also believed by many to be a promise,
a promise that the Earth would survive any storm. I always liked to
believe it was my mom, watching out for me.”

“Similar beliefs for similar things.” Kyle
frowns slightly as he comments.

“Beliefs brought by Kayden and Sabah? That
survived this long? It’s possible.”

“Admiral.” Marat steps out. “You have a
call.”

“I’ll be right there. Lucas.” William looks at
him see he understands he wants him to stay with Cassandra and
Victoria. “I’ll see you later.” He looks down at Cassandra.

“Okay.” Smiling she steps out of his arms.

“What do you think Victoria? Should we go in and
get you dry?”

“Yeah I suppose….” Victoria hedges.

“What?”

“Can I take a bath?” Her eyes are hopeful.
Cassandra knows she loves that tub.

“Sure, but then you get ready for bed.”

“Alright.”

Later with the bathroom put back in order
Cassandra runs a brush through Tori’s damp hair.

“Aunt Cassie….”

“What?” Victoria turns around to look at her.
“What?” She can tell there’s something on her mind. “Is it Prince
Audric?”

“No.”

“Then what?”

“I saw the test.” Victoria watches her Aunt’s
eyes widen.

“What?”

“When you were in the bathroom, the day of the
ball, you had a test like mom did when she was pregnant.”

“I….” Cassandra knows what Victoria is talking
about she just doesn’t know what to say. She’s made a point of
trying to be honest with Victoria.

“So are you?”

“Yes.” She watches Victoria closely worried it
would make her sad. Instead Victoria gives her a big grin.

“That’s
awesome
!”

“You think?”

“Yeah,” Victoria gives her a questioning look.
“The Admiral knows doesn’t he?”

“Yes Victoria, William knows.” She smiles at
her.

“What about Lucas and Kyle?” Tori frowns at the
thought.

“No, they don’t know. We haven’t told
anyone
. We’ve been getting used to the idea ourselves
first.”

“So I know something they don’t!” Her eyes
sparkle mischievously.

“Victoria Lynn….you will
not
say
anything. It’s for the Admiral to tell them. When he’s ready.”

“But why are you waiting?”

“Victoria… you and I…we’ve had a lot of changes
to deal with lately. A lot to adjust too. It hasn’t been easy. Has
it?” She sees the sparkle go out of her niece’s eyes.

“No.”

“We aren’t the only ones adjusting, the Admiral,
Lucas, Kyle, the Michelakakis’ they’ve all had to adjust too. We’re
just waiting until things calm down a bit, let everyone get used to
the changes before there’s another one. Can you understand
that?”

“I guess…but it’s such good news. It’s like I’m
still getting a baby brother…or sister…it will be like that won’t
it?”

“Yeah baby it will. You’ll be a
great
big
sister.” Cassandra rubs her cheek.

“So I have to keep the secret, even from Amina?”
Victoria doesn’t like that thought, she tells Amina
everything
!

“For awhile, think how you’d feel if Amina told
you about it because she’d heard it from Lucas or Kyle.”

“I’d be upset.

“So Kyle and Lucas need to hear it from their
father, when
he’s
ready to tell them, not from you.”