Cassandra's Challenge (55 page)

“I can do that.” Stretching up she gives him a
soft kiss. “I missed you today.”

“I won’t be long.” Nodding she heads up the
stairs. William waits until she enters the suite then goes to find
Leander.

“Cassandra’s in our suite. She needs to speak
with you.” The Admiral enters the room they had converted into
their ready room. He sees Leander’s eyes flash.

“I’ll talk to her when we’re done here.”

“You’ll go now.” The Admiral’s voice is icy.
Making Leander realize he’d not only questioned an order from the
Admiral but from the future Queen.

“Yes sir.” He leaves the room.

“Problem?” Quinn asks.

“I don’t know. What have you got?” The Admiral
looks at the plans on the table.

Knocking on the suite’s door, Leander waits,
fuming that he’s been summoned for what he considers a private
matter. Cassandra opens the door, stepping back she allows Leander
to enter.

“Look Cassandra,” He turns as she shuts the
door. “I know you and Javiera are friends but this is none of your
business.”

“The test is for me.” She gets straight to the
point.

“What?!?” Cassandra stays silent Leander’s
stunned.

“The test is for you?” He runs a shaky hand
threw his hair. “Why didn’t she just tell me?”

“Maybe you should have
trusted
her.”
Cassandra’s voice is as hard as the Admiral’s had been cold.

“I need to talk to her.” He heads to the
door.

“You need to
apologize
to her.” Leander
stops, turning to look at her.

“Does the Admiral know?”

“That’s none of your business.” Cassandra shoots
back to him. Staring at her Leander realizes he has more than one
bridge to mend, but his wife comes first.

Cassandra walks out of the bedroom as William
enters the private area. Seeing him she walks into his arms,
resting her head on his chest.

“I told Hutu to send third meal up.” William
says into her hair, feeling her nod. “Is everything okay?”

“I think so.” She looks up at him. “Who’d have
thought standing still could be so tiring.”

“You were gone a long time.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I hadn’t realized it was so
late. At least we got it all done. The rest of the clothes should
be here sometime tomorrow.”

“For all of you?” William hadn’t thought that
had been possible.

“Yeah, Victoria is going to be thrilled. Thank
you.” Stretching up giving him a gentle kiss.

“Don’t thank me. I should have realized it when
you first got on the Retribution.” Knowing this would be an issue
they’d never agree on she lets it go.

“So what happened around here today?” Before he
can answer third meal arrives while Hutu is checking the plates
William pulls out a chair for Cassandra.

“Eat.” William says sitting next to her. He
needs to tell her about Victoria but not until she eats.

Eating in a comfortable silence Cassandra thinks
back over the day. They’d accomplished a lot in a short amount of
time, now comes the hard part, catching the traitors. William is
risking everything for her, for her to try and find some justice
for her planet. Then there’s the assassination attempts on Tibullus
his keeping it from his friend and King. So many things could go
wrong if they don’t work together. Now Javiera and Leander….because
of her….she needs to confirm she’s conceived so she can tell
William. He has the right to know.

William watches as her thoughts cross her face,
knowing she’s only this open with him. “Serious thoughts.” Worry
and fatigue are in the eyes she turns to him. The fatigue seems to
be happening more often, he’d have to look into lightening her
load.

“Just thinking.” She pushes her plate aside. “So
what do I need to know?”

“About?”

“Today, you never answered me, than told me to
eat.” He raises an eyebrow at her. “Which means there’s something
that I need to know and I’m not going to like it. I’ve eaten so….”
Both turn as Lucas and Victoria enter the room.

“Uh, hi Aunt Cassie.” Cassandra raises an
eyebrow at her niece’s lack of enthusiasm.

“Hi.” Her eyes flicker from Lucas to William
then back to Victoria. Something is definitely up.

“Did the Admiral tell you?” She looks at her
with nervous eyes.

“No, why don’t you.” She so knows she’s really
not going to like this.

“It’s not like I really did anything
wrong.
”

“Victoria, tell your Aunt.” The Admiral’s voice
brook no argument.

“I sort of ran away from Lucas.” Victoria looks
at her feet.

“You what?” Cassandra’s voice is quiet.

“I saw the Admiral in the corridor.” Victoria
pleads her case. “I wanted to tell him about all the clothes, so I
ran down to him. It isn’t like I was running
away
from Lucas
I was running
to
the Admiral.”

“Tell her the rest Tori.”

“There’s more?” Cassandra sees William nod.

“I uh…sort of…uh…”

“Victoria Lynn! Spit it out!” Her sharp tone has
Tori’s eyes shooting to hers.

“I had to get through the King’s guards to get
to the Admiral.”

“You were with the King Jotham?” Cassandra eyes
shoot to William.

“Yes.”

“You broke through the King’s security?” She
looks back to her niece.

“They were in my way.” Victoria tells her
defiantly.

“Go to your room Victoria.” The total lack of
emotion in Cassandra’s voice has Victoria looking uncertain. She’d
expected her Aunt to be angry. She isn’t sure what this is.

“But…”

“Victoria Lynn Chamberlain now!” While she
doesn’t raise her voice, Cassandra’s eyes harden as she looks at
her niece.

Seeing she isn’t going to get any help from
Lucas or the Admiral, Victoria goes into her room, shutting the
door.

With the door closed Cassandra launches herself
out of her chair. Running a hand through her hair she turns to
Lucas.

“What happened?”

“We came in an entrance further away from the
Royal Wing so the guard could get back quicker. We’d just turned a
corner I was saying something to Leander, the girls in between us,
when suddenly Tori starts running. The next thing you know she puts
a move on Deffand and is standing in front of dad.”

“Deffand?” Her eyes widen. “Captain of the
King’s security Deffand?”

“Yes.” William answers her.

“Great.”

“She apologized, all on her own when we were
leaving.”

“Well that makes all okay then doesn’t!” She
fires at Lucas, her eyes starting to blaze. “She’s lucky she wasn’t
hurt! That one of the guards didn’t fire at her! Damn it!” William
is up pulling her into his arms as her voice breaks.

“But they didn’t. She’s okay. Cassandra,”
feeling her tremble he tips her face up to his. “She’s safe.”
Seeing the strength in William’s eyes she calms.

Lucas knew that his father and Cassandra were
life mates, that they had a strong bond. But he’d never witnessed
just how strong until now. Seeing how they responded to each other
made him feel like he was intruding on a private moment.

“How did the King react?”

“She charmed him.” William can’t help but smile
at the memory. “She thanked him for her room then told him he
looked like Tibullus.”

“Tibullus? When did she meet Tibullus?”

“On the Retribution.” Cassandra looks at Lucas
as he speaks. “He came to see me after Falco attacked you, Victoria
was with me.”

Cassandra gives William a concerned look. “He
was nice to her?” He realizes she’s worried Jotham had treated Tori
like he’d treated her.

“The King was fine. Valerian was the ass.” Lucas
informs her.

“Valerian…” Her hands clench on William’s
chest.

“He never got near her.” William reassures her,
his eyes flashing at Lucas. “He never touched her.”

“Why are you worried about the High Admiral?”
Lucas demands. “He wants to catch the traitor as much as we do.”
Cassandra leaves William’s arms, she needs to think.

“Dad…”

“He wants the traitor.” William watches
Cassandra. “He just doesn’t care who he has to sacrifice to get
him.”

“What are you saying?” Lucas’ stomach sinks.

“He’d use Victoria as bait with no regards to
her safety, if it gets him his traitor.”

“This can’t happen again Lucas.” Cassandra turns
facing him, her eyes serious. “If it does I’ll put Marat in charge
of Victoria.”

“You can’t do that!”

“I can and will.” She stares him down. “If this
had happened with Marat in charge you would have been enraged.”

“I…” Lucas finds he can’t argue with her she’s
right.

“She needs protected at all times Lucas.”
William pulls his son’s look. “We don’t know who this traitor is,
where he is, or who else is involved. Everyone is suspect.”

“King Jotham?”

“No not Jotham, but everyone else, and I mean
everyone Lucas. If you truly want to protect Victoria, you have to
suspect everyone outside this House.”

“This House?”

“The one Cassandra’s building her House as
Queen.”

Looking from his father to Cassandra Lucas
suddenly realizes that’s exactly what was happening. Cassandra is
choosing those she trusts, keeping them close, creating her own
House. He also realizes she’s giving him a second chance. To
protect not only his life mate but the only family she has
left.

“She’ll be protected, even from herself.”
Hearing his own words out of his son’s mouth, William knows his son
has finally realized what it means to protect a life mate, the
weight of it.

“Alright then.” Cassandra hears it too and knows
he’s still the best protection for Victoria. The ringing of
William’s portable comm ends the conversation.

“Zafar.”

“Admiral, there is a transmission for you from
the Captain of the Judgment. Would you like me to transfer it to
your portable?”

“No. I will come to you. Tell Huerta two
minutes.” The Admiral disconnects.

“Go.”

“I won’t be long.” Cassandra gives him a soft
smile.

“You’ll be as long as you need.” Stretching up
she gives him a quick kiss goodbye.

“Lucas, with me.” The Admiral heads for the
door.

Entering Victoria’s room Cassandra finds the
little girl lying face down on her bed.

“Victoria.” Moving to the far side of the bed
she sits. “Come on Victoria, we need to talk.”

“You’re mad at me.” Victoria rolls over
revealing red rimmed eyes.

“Upset, I’m upset at you. I have every right to
be.”

“I just wanted to see the Admiral.”

“What did we talk about yesterday? About you
always being with someone.”

“But I was.”

“Who?”

“Well…”

“Victoria, if I can’t trust you then we might as
well stop all this right now.”

“But we have to catch the Glitter Man!”

“How? How can I do that if I have to worry about
you all the time?”

“You said I get to help.”

“And you will. Victoria, you’re the only one who
knows what the Glitter Man looks like. What do you think he’ll do
if he sees you first? If he finds you alone?”

“He’ll take me again.” Victoria whispers.

“That’s right.” Cassandra knows she’s scaring
her, but she has to make her understand. “He’d take you again.
That’s why you can’t run away from Lucas.”

“Are we safe here?” Victoria crawls into her
Aunt’s lap.

“Yes, we’re safe here.” Cassandra hugs her.
“Victoria, I want you to understand, the Admiral is protecting us,
he’s very good at it. But he can’t do it by himself, we have to
help him.”

“How?”

“By listening to him, not going where he says we
can’t. By staying with our guards. They’re there to protect
us.”

“Just like King Jotham’s.”

“Yes just like King Jotham’s. They keep him
safe.” Her eyes capture her niece’s. “You could have been hurt
today.”

“But I wasn’t trying to hurt the King.”

“They didn’t know that, their job is to protect
first, ask questions later. You’re lucky the Admiral was
there.”

“I’m sorry Aunt Cassie.” Victoria’s eyes are
earnest.

“I know you are baby. Do you understand now why
when you’re out of this Wing you have to stay with your
guards?”

“Yes. I’ll stay with Lucas, no matter what.”

“Good.”

“Are you still upset with me?” Cassandra decides
she needs to be honest with Tori.

“A little, you scared me.”

“I didn’t mean too.”

“I know, and I’ll get over it, as long as you
don’t do it again. Promise me.”

“I promise.” Victoria gives her a big huge.

“That’s good enough for me.” She hugs her back.
“Now let’s get you ready for bed.”

Sitting in a window seat Cassandra looks out at
the moonlit garden. Sighing she rests her head against the wall.
The gardens were beautiful, full of flowers she’d never seen
before.

There were so many beautiful things here. Would
she ever get to simply enjoy them without worrying about the
danger? Would she ever get to sit on that cliff with William and
watch the suns set?

Everything changes tomorrow. She’ll no longer be
just Cassandra Chamberlain, in love with William Zafar, Aunt to
Victoria. She’ll be the Queen’s Challenger, a true threat to
someone, no longer just a possibility. Will that make the Glitter
Man disappear or become bolder? Can she find justice for the people
of Earth?

Picking up his headset the Admiral opens the
secure line.

“Zafar.”

“Admiral, Captain Huerta.”

“Captain.”

“I have someone who would like to speak with
you.”

“Are your communications secured!”

“Yes Admiral.”

“Put him on.”

“Admiral, what the FUCK is going on?!? I’m
pulled off my ship, put on a communications block, with no
explanation!”