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Needing Cassidy Chapter 34

Writer's picture: Lacey St. SinLacey St. Sin


CHAPTER 34


They slept through until morning, which, Cassidy realized with a start, meant they had missed the meeting with the prime. Tor’s arm tightened around her as she sat up in the bed, naked and wrapped around him.


“Lay back down,” he murmured sleepily.


Cassidy pushed the tangled blond locks from her face. “Tor, we missed the meeting.”


One green eye blinked open at her.


“Aren’t you going to be in trouble?”


“He is the Prime, Cassidy, not a dictator. I think I’m safe.” He pulled at her until her arms gave out, her ribs collapsing against his shoulder, her chest in his face. He made a happy sound.


“Well I can’t lay here anymore. I need a shower, and I have to pee,” she pulled back against him and he reluctantly let her go. She crawled from the bed, a little self conscious when he propped himself on an elbow and watched her, eyes alight with interest. She wasn’t used to this Tor. The Tor from the past was a moody, isolated Livarian. The man blinking sleepily at her now was relaxed, and, dare she say, happy.


She’d done that. A surge of affection grew within her. She wished for nothing more than to keep seeing him that way. With that in mind she dressed quickly and made her way back to the bed, leaning down and pressing her lips to his.


“Hmmm,” he hummed, his arms reaching for her, “Come back to bed.”


“Can’t do.” She danced away, so he just missed her. “Come on, the day wont wait for us.”


He growled a little, but it was half-hearted, and she sashayed away and let herself out into the hall. The bathroom was at the other side of the building, which was damned inconvenient. So was the fact that there were voices in the main entrance.


She hesitated, considering fleeing out the side door. It wasn’t that she was ashamed of her marriage, or that she wanted to hide it. More that it was still so new, vulnerable almost, and she wanted to protect it for just a bit longer.


There was nothing for it however, so she straightened and raised her chin, moving out into the space with confidence...and then stopped short.


The room had been transformed while they slept, nearly every available space taken up by glass tubing and oddly shaped containers and machines. A small area had been left near the table and a pathway to the door, but everything else was crowded with...whatever this stuff was.


“Oh, hey Cass, where did you come from?” Emily smiled weakly from the table where breakfast had, apparently, been delivered. Gorth and Becky were there too looking remarkably better, glowing actually.


“Where did all this come from?” She asked them. When you don’t want to answer a question, deflect.


Emily shrugged. “They brought it all in last night, but no one could find the medic so they left it here, I guess.”


She wasn’t going to blush. Not even a little. “Huh,” she managed the intelligent reply. She really had no idea where the equipment was going to go. There certainly wasn’t enough space in any of the storage rooms or the lab... “Well I’m going to go take a shower.”


She made her way from the room, turning sideways so that she missed a large bulbous glass container the size of her head.


“Why shower here?...wait...” she heard Emily ask once she was safely ensconced in the hall.

Cassidy sighed. It had been a valiant try.


The three were gone once she was clean and re-dressed. Completely gone, all their personal items removed. Released, she realized. Tor must have deemed them healthy enough to be on their own again. She didn’t think she had taken that long combing out her hair.


She found Tor in the room, sitting at the end of the bed looking through an actual, physical book. The edges were worn and pages were falling out here and there.


He looked up when she entered, an immediate flash of hunger crossing his face. He was dressed for the day and set the book to the side.


“The prime has requested our presence,” he told her. “I had hoped to discuss yesterday’s findings with you first, there are some very exciting things.


“Does it have to do with all of the glass in the entrance?”


He nodded. “That, and some of your own foresight actually.”


“My foresight?”


“You’ve set the scavenging teams for all forms of medication, even expired. That’s something I hadn’t thought much about, but these notes indicate it might just give the compound a line of safety, medically speaking, that we haven’t had before.”


“How so?”


“Let’s meet with the prime, I’ll explain everything there.”




***



The prime house was a true house, with a sitting room at the front, just beyond the entrance and bedrooms at the back. Cassidy imagined that there was a kitchen and a few bathrooms floating around the place too. Draven, the prime, and a few other of the elite team members waited them in the sitting room.


Cassidy found herself a little nervous. She’d never had much to do with any of the compounds leaders and had only really seen the prime in passing. It was all a little intimidating.


Draven stood when they appeared in the entrance. He was a tall man, broader than Tor and built. That wasn’t what made people hesitate though, it was the way he wore command like a second skin.


“Come, sit. I was told you missed breakfast so I had some brought over,” he smiled with secret understanding, blue eyes flashing with humor.

Great. Everyone knew, and found the need to comment on it, apparently.


“Have you had a chance to go over the information I sent you?” Tor asked. They sat in overstuffed chairs near a sort of coffee table. She sank into the cushion, trying to find her balance. Tor handed her a plate of food. Fruits and sweetened bread knots filled the plate, and to the side a single macier puff sat on its own.


“Ashley told me to let you know that the puff is a gift for your help, I am not sure what that means but I was told you would.” The prime sat across from them and scratched his chin and studied Tor. “I have read what you sent, yes. I have to admit I find it a little improbable, and I suspect our benefactor was slightly deranged.” He raised his large shoulders into a shrug,

“But then I am not medically trained, so I will have to trust your expertise there. Do you think it can be replicated?”


“I believe so, but I haven’t had a chance to discuss the possibilities with Cassidy yet,” he turned to her. “When we investigated the facility where the macier was found we discovered several plant species and chemicals of a volatile nature, as well as the equipment that now sits in the medical building. Fortunately for us the head of the facility was a paranoid man and he kept a physical copy of his notes. I’ve been reading through them and I believe he was researching how to stabilize and mass produce the Tri’kyani spores for chemical warfare.”


Cassidy blinked. “That’s terrible. So if the attaphus...”


“If the Kirich hadn’t released the attaphus virus it is quite likely our own people would have had something similar,” Draven frowned, shaking his head. “Decades of war blinded us and we have paid the price.”


“The good news is that while the purpose of these experiments was heinous, it is possible we might take their procedure and use it for good. If I am correct we may be able to stabilize and reproduce our medicines the way that these Livarians were trying to produce disease. At the very least we can try.”


Draven nodded, and watched the two of them eat.


“That matter is settled then, you will begin as soon as possible. For now, let’s discuss happier things, such as the subject of your wife,” He leaned back, blue eyes piercing her.


Cassidy paused, the half chewed macier puff filling her cheeks. What did he mean, the subject of your wife?


“It had been brought to my attention that you have managed, not only to find a viable solution to our orchard problem, but that you are more than capable of assisting Tor in medical emergencies.”


Cassidy didn’t say anything, she simply waited. Where was he going with this? Tor was watching her too, as if interested in her reaction.


“We honor those who serve the people. It is my pleasure to offer you a reward for your work. Do you have any requests?”


Cassidy set her plate on her lap and leaned back a little. She hadn’t done any of that for recognition, she’d done it because it was needed. Anyone would have done the same.


“I don’t think that’s necessary,” she offered politely.


“Nonsense. Our people will be expecting it, chef is already preparing a feast. There are rooms here in the elite house, should you wish.”


Live in the elite house? With Draven and the other higher Livarians?


She glanced at Tor, her eyes wide with a little panic. Would saying no insult the prime?

He smiled gently, something like pride on his face. “Perhaps, you might ask for a lab of your own? To continue your work with the orchard? You excelled in finding a treatment for the trees, I imagine there are plenty of discoveries that might benefit the compound, and we cannot crowd the medical lab with plant samples forever.”


A lab? As if she was capable of using one. If this was a joke it was in poor taste, she knew she wasn’t smart enough...


Both Livarians were watching her with serious expressions.


“If we set it up in the medical building you can continue to help Tor with his practice, when necessary, he has needed a partner for some time, and you are...uniquely qualified.”

Cassidy snorted. Yeah, she was the only one Tor didn’t snarl at, or, when he did, she didn’t take it personally anyway.


The truth was she enjoyed it. She enjoyed the patients and solving the mystery of the illness. It felt...useful. Needed, but not in the way that her families needs had nearly drown her, needed for simply being herself.


Okay. She could do that. She tamped down the little thrill of excitement that raced through her.


“A lab would be perfect, but I don’t know where it’s going to go, the clinic is a little full at the moment.”


Tor and the prime shared a look.


“Let us take care of that,” he told her.


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