Cassandra's Dilemma (11 page)

“Lee was a cross-dresser and kept an entire boudoir in a secret panic room in his house.”

“Urban legend.”

“Wealthy and successful shouldn’t equal eccentric and fruity,” Billy sparred. It was an old argument. Billy favored a far more conventional line of thinking, but he was extremely organized and always thought five steps ahead of everyone else. He may not understand the clients, he may not like the clients, but he definitely understood how to give the clients what they wanted before they even knew they wanted it.

“Well, Mrs. Danae isn’t mad, eccentric, or fruity.”

“If you say so.”

“Billy!” Cassie looked at the slim gold band on her wrist. Five minutes. These clients were insanely prompt.

“I’m sorry, Cassie.” Billy apologized with a faint air of the boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “She gives me the creeps.”

“Well, another good reason for you to sit out the meeting. Go meet your girlfriend…”

“Ex-girlfriend. From college,” Billy emphasized.

“Shoo. You might even get a booty call out of it.”

It was Billy’s turn to look at her askance. “Booty call?”

“Yes, Billy.” Cassie locked her desk and took his elbow to walk him to the door. “I have indeed heard of sex before.”

They laughed together.

“I’m glad to see you’re all right, Special Agent—”

“Jacob.” He interrupted her, sparing only a fraction of a glance for Helcyon. The Elf stepped forward, grimly meeting Jacob’s look by inserting himself between them. The tension in the air rose palpably.

“Jacob…” She looked up at Helcyon’s broad back and sighed. He now completely blocked her from the Homeland Security agent. “Hels, he’s hardly going to eat me.”

“You really want to do this here, Elf?” His voice was soft and dangerous. Something in his tone indicated he very much craved the potential violence.

“Don’t test me, Wizard,” Helcyon fired back, but the muscles under his shirt tensed. The air buzzed around them, like the static energy generated by dragging feet across carpet.

Cassie circled around Helcyon and put a hand on each man’s chest. The spark that leaped from one to the other through her hands shook her, but she stood firm. “That’s enough. We have enough problems without you two trying to kill each other.”

The power pulsed between the two, alternating between blazingly hot and ice cold. Cassie’s skin prickled when they transferred their fierce gazes from each other to her.

The air wavered around them, flashing at the corners of her eyes. A dazzling array of colors, shimmering in glitter-filled rain. Her head swam with the wash of energy. Each man sought to catch her as her knees buckled, increasing the sensation of vertigo.

The world spun on its axis, twirling, and Cassie saw the sky spinning in lazy blue above. She floated in an ocean of calm, the water muffled the sounds around her, but she could feel the power of the water lapping at her sides. A finger brushed along the sides of her awareness, gently at first but growing in insistence.

“Cassie…” The husky warmth of the smooth voice beckoned to her from some distant shore. Cassie turned away from it, too many seductive and attractive men in her life right now.

“Cassandra,” Helcyon’s voice overrode first, coaxing her. “Let go, and come back to us.”

“Hmm?”

“Cassie, you’re going to drown.” Exasperation colored Jacob’s voice, demanding her attention. “Just let go, and we’ll bring you back.”

“God, you’re pushy.” Cassie rolled over in the water and started swimming for the shore, powerful strokes cleaving the water. A hand seized her ankle, yanking her down and back. Cassie sputtered as water filled her mouth, burning her nose and stinging her throat.

The water. Always the water called to her, offered succor, and empowered her. Strength poured into her, buoying her spirits. She was at home in the water. Even this strange, metaphysical ocean.

Spinning around, she was pressed up hard against a wall of muscle. Thick cords of sinewy muscle marred by white scars and matted with a fine sprinkle of dark hair. Cassie gazed up into Book’s livid glare and smiled. “Pushy and demanding.”

“Hardheaded. Stubborn. Dangerously bordering on the stupid.” He spit out each epithet with venom. Pressing his forehead to hers, he began to chant in a soft undertone. Cassie struggled, breaking his concentration and earning another livid glare.

“Stop trying to push me around. Stop forcing me to be what you want me to be…”

“Cassandra, listen to the Wizard.” Helcyon sighed with exasperation. The water no longer buoyed them, pooling only around their ankles now, the tide inexorably being drawn back out to sea. Cassie stared down at the foamy water coating her feet. The blue-green reminded her of a postcard.

“What’s wrong with the water?”

“Cassie, follow the sound of my voice. Now.” Book’s voice, implacable in determination, drew her along. The impatient tug of his hand on her arm jerked her forward.

“Ouch.” Cassie rubbed her head as she sat on the hard wooden bench. Helcyon and Book both took a step away from her, watching her warily.

“What the hell was that?” Why did her head hurt? Her mouth felt dry, tasted rancid, and an odd odor clung to her nose and throat.

“I did not think it was possible.” Book looked at Helcyon, frowning fiercely, as though Helcyon were responsible for all the ills in the world.

“It is unusual. The gift skips many within the Fae. I had no idea she possessed it.”

“We’re going to have to be a lot more careful.” Book rubbed his hands together, cracking his knuckles before rolling his neck around to ease the tension.

“Careful about what?” Cassie demanded. She attempted to stand, but her aching head pushed needles of pain through her eyes and the world continued to sway around her.

“She is my responsibility, Wizard. Absent yourself and the danger will be passed.” Damn, didn’t Helcyon sound smug?

Cassie shot a look at Book. She didn’t want him to leave. Her stomach twisted up at the thought of it. She reached out a hand to implore him only to be rebuffed as he all but flinched away from her.

“I’m not leaving her alone with you. Not until I’m sure.” But Book no longer looked at Helcyon. His grim expression softened for her. “Ms. Belle?”

“I thought you were calling me Cassie.” Petulance more befitting a six-year-old colored her words, but she didn’t care. She despised being talked over as though she was a child.

“Cassie.” He grinned, and she couldn’t help but respond.

She tried to wipe the smile away. She was angry with him, but the gentleness softening his eyes, the stubble shadowing his cheeks, and the windblown, tousled look of his hair all had an unsettling effect on her equilibrium.

“Stop smiling and tell me what is going on. What just happened? What aren’t you telling me?” Cassie demanded, shifting on the bench and smoothing down her jacket.

“This is neither the time nor the place, Cassie.” Book took a step toward her, his smile becoming a smirk when Helcyon was forced to back up a step or risk shoving Cassie off the bench.

* * * *

Six Months Ago…

Cassie strode into the conference room as Billy showed their guests in through the opposite doors. The coordinated entrance through opposing double-wide doors created the exact dramatic effect. He met her broad smile with a half wink.

Standing at the head of the table, Cassie established a rule of order for her guests. The blonde woman in the doorway stood statue still, framed by the two tall, dark-haired men—Helcyon and Echyo—so alike they could be twins. Cassie waited patiently for the enigmatic Tabitha Danae to make her entrance. The blonde woman entered the conference room with a silky grace. She paused in the open door, practically shimmering against the dark wood that paneled the room. The wall of windows overlooking the ocean didn’t distract from Danae’s beauty.

She waved carelessly to her escort, entering the conference room alone. She flashed a brilliant smile in Cassie’s direction, extending her hand in open greeting. “I am so happy to meet you in person finally!” The sincerity in her words blew like a refreshing breeze on warm day.

Cassie felt a jolt at the handshake, the scent of orchids and roses perfuming the air. The unique scent tickled her nose but didn’t clog her throat cloyingly. Cassie couldn’t help smiling as she forgot earlier protocol and gazed into Tabitha Danae’s shining blue-green eyes.

“That’s a really lovely outfit,” Cassie told her honestly. The contrasting earth tones and soft greens really set off her golden hair and green eyes. “It’s a real pleasure to meet you as well.”

The closing of the doors sobered Cassie’s intoxication enough to reclaim her hand and gesture to the conference table. “Can I offer you something to drink? We have raspberry and lemon tea as you requested.” The fresh fruit lined the sideboard, offering a virtual cornucopia of delightful refreshment.

“No, thank you.” The blonde woman considered the table briefly, as though weighing the setting against some internal barometer. She chose the seat to the right of the table’s head. Cassie waited for her to take her seat and then sat down in the seat to the left of the table’s head.

Tabitha favored Cassie with a benevolent expression. Apparently she’d chosen correctly. They sat in absolute silence, gazing at each other. Cassie waited for her to begin. The negotiations over the last several months included etiquette briefings that requested Mrs. Danae open all negotiations on her terms.

Two thick manila folders lay closed on the table. A week before, Cassie made the mistake of opening hers while meeting with a Danae representative. The gentleman rose and left the room without a word. Twenty-four hours passed before a phone call came explaining the mistake. Billy was less than impressed when he conveyed the message.

Another day passed before the representative returned for a follow-up meeting. Cassie sat for the better part of an hour, waiting patiently for the representative to begin. Still as a bird, Cassie’s eyes drifted to a point just to the right of her prospective client’s head. She focused on the dark wood paneling, letting her mind relax around the edges. If the meeting required that she sit and wait patiently for an hour or more, then she would sit and wait patiently.

“You impress me, Ms. Belle.” Tabitha’s musical voice interrupted Cassie’s reverie, bringing her firmly back to the present.

“Please, call me Cassie.” The informality of the request hung between them, swinging on a pendulum between absurdity and familiarity.

“As you wish, Cassie—you impress me. My representatives have all found you delightfully charming, receptive, and intelligent in your negotiations. You adapt to protocol brilliantly, show favor when it is required, spine when needed, and maintain an air of control without affecting superiority. It is a genuine pleasure to find all of their reports are not only accurate but dramatically understating your suitability.”

How did one respond to such a phenomenal compliment? Cassie dismissed a dozen flowery replies and settled for the simple. “Thank you.”

“Simple. Elegant. To the point.” The blonde woman traced her finger along the tabletop, punctuating her description. “You will do magnificently, Cassie. Now I must make a request of you.” She leaned forward, frivolity evaporating from her tone and her manner. “What I am about to reveal to you, you must swear an oath to keep only unto yourself until the time and place of my choosing. You must give me your word of honor. If you swear this oath, I will know if you speak truly or falsely. If you speak truly, then know what I tell you may very well change your life. If you speak falsely, I will abandon this course and you will never see me again. So tell me, Cassandra Belle…will you so swear?”