A Daughter's Work

*Sensitive Content*

Language, Violence, Mental Health

The room was stark white and as cold in feeling as it was in temperature. Cass Pierce sat in one of the only three black metal chairs that surrounded a large wood-top, metal framed table. The room was a medium-sized space, but looked smaller, with the large table at its center. The room was windowless, mirror-less, colorless, and gave her the panicked feel of being trapped. Of course, that could also be because of being cuffed, chained, and magically bespelled to the chair and table. She wasn’t sure how long ago they’d confined her in the white room. It’d probably only been minutes, yet it felt like an eternity of hours. All she knew was time was running out, and she still had work to do.

Cass felt the siren’s presence like a force down the hallway and she knew it was coming her way. Most believed the siren’s song was a beautiful, haunting melody sung from an angelic voice from the black waters of the sea. That’s true, but instead of luring men to crash upon the cliffs and plummet into the watery abyss, the newer generation sirens began to use their song to help rather than harm. Where this siren stood on the spectrum, Cass couldn’t quite read, but she would see soon enough.

Dr. Minerva Loveless’s power poured into the room a moment before the lock slid back and the door opened. She stepped in and her power filled the room like water from a fresh, blue spring as warm as a bath. It spilled around Cass, trying to flow within her; it tried to calm her, to soothe her troubled mind. To lull her right into a confession.  

Cass closed her eyes and looked within herself where her mental shields were stored. She imagined a large, stilted tower, lifted and untouchable by the invading power, and locked her shields up tight. 

Dr. Loveless was a pale skinned, scarlet-haired beauty, with eyes the color of the ocean on a sunny day. She was voluptuous, statuesque, and every bit the vision the legends described. Cass reflected on her own golden skin and raven curls and felt a small twinge of jealousy. Denizens beyond the Elysian Garden Realm were so damned exotic. 

“Good evening, Cassandra. How are you feeling?” The good doc’s voice was a soft melody, breathy but firm, feminine but strong. 

Cass replied automatically, not bothering to keep the irritation out of her tone, “Cass.”

“Sorry?”

Dr. Loveless looked puzzled as she took the second chair sitting next to Cass. She sat close enough for comfort, not invading the young maiden’s space. She was struck by the girl’s youth, hoping she only looked younger than she appeared. 

“No one calls me Cassandra. No one. Not anymore.” 

Cass longed to cross her arms in a sullen huff, but had to settle for a look of angry defiance instead. 

“Who did,” Dr. Loveless asked, her voice a soothing song. She felt the stone defiance of Cass’s shields, held fast against her power of calm and warmth. The maiden would be a harder challenge than she had first thought.

“What?”

“Who did call you Cassandra?”

Cass paused for a moment, eyes narrowed, suspicious. “My mother,” she answered finally. “She passed.”

“Oh, Cass, I am so sorry for your loss,” Dr. Loveless said with such sincerity in her voice, Cass wanted to believe it was real. “That must have been truly difficult.”

“Thanks,” Cass responded awkwardly. “I guess.”

The two sat in tense silence, thick enough to cut. They look at each other in a small test of wills, each trying to read behind the shields of the other, each failing miserably. After several moments, they both took a collective breath and shook her head as if coming out of a trance. Cass could feel Dr. Loveless was more than just the psychologist and siren she appeared to be. She was there for more than a little handholding with an attempted murderess, Cass had seen that much already, but couldn’t see into the good doc’s motivations. It left Cass feeling unsettled with a knot of distrust deep in her gut.

Dr. Loveless fought the heated rush of frustration at her inability to push through the girl’s protection. She was sent to discover if the girl was truly gifted with the sight. This maiden, this girl, was supposedly a seer, a genuine oracle. If true, she was the first in nearly 200 years, right under the High Priest’s nose. Dr. Loveless was determined to find the answers for him one way or another.

 “Well, I am sure you are curious ‌as to who I am and what the hell I am doing here,” Dr. Loveless asked redirecting her approach. Back to business.

“Not really. I pretty much got the latter.”

“Yes,” Dr. Loveless replied, almost wistfully, meeting Cass’s eyes directly. “I suppose you do.”

A  shadow passed behind Dr. Loveless’s eyes; a small flash of the darkness beneath. It was no more than a second-and-a-half, but Cass had seen it clearly.  

“My name is Dr. Minerva Loveless and the very first thing I want you to know is that I am on your side.” 

The look in the good doc’s eye was so sincere, if Cass hadn’t just took a peek a her darkness a moment ago, she would’ve almost believe it it was true. Almost. 

Cass looked at Dr. Loveless incredulously and said, “is that right?”

“Yes, absolutely. I am here to talk with you and hear events from your perspective.”

“Events,” Cass, scoffed. “You mean the events that led up to the attempted murder of my father?”

“To put it bluntly,” Dr. Loveless said, surprised.

“I hate sugar.”

“I see. Well, whatever your level of comfort, I am positive I can match it.”

“Hm. Guess we’ll have to see.” Cass snickered at her own inside joke.

“What makes you say that?” Dr. Loveless couldn’t completely keep the suspicion out of her voice, but she managed to school her face.

“Nevermind,” Cass said, downcasting her eyes and shifting uncomfortably in the chair. 

“It is all right, Cass. This is a safe space where you are free to speak as you like. You can tell me.”

“I really can’t.”

“Why do you feel that way?”

“Because I know you won’t believe.”

“Is that what you think?”

“That’s what I know.”

“Try me, you may be surprised,” Dr. Loveless tested. She screamed her frustration in her head to, “get on with it!” Yet she  had to maintain her mask of compassionate concern.

“No need.” Cass said simply trying to give off a mask of tired boredom. She did her best to ignore the dragonflies buzzing in her stomach. It was all happening, just as she had seen. She knew she had to get out, had to get free. She had work to do.

“Why is that?”

“Because I’ve already seen this part.”

“Seen,” Dr. Loveless asked, as her heart leapt in her chest and she tried not to sound too eager. This was the moment she had been longing for. “That is an interesting word choice.”

“Yes. I suppose it is,” Cass said, meeting the doc’s ocean eyes once again. Her response was a near echo of Dr. Loveless’s early comment, but filled with a bit more disdain. Her eyes narrowed in cold suspicion at the eagerness in the good doctor’s tone. She could still feel the siren’s energy pushing at her shields, trying to find a way in. It wanted to fill her, to control her, to spill all her beans. Cass knew her shields would hold. Dr. Loveless would have to rip into her mind in order to bring them down.

“Can you explain that? What do you mean when you say you have ‘seen this part’?”

 Impatience surged through Cass in a white hot flash of anger. She wanted to be done with this part. “I mean exactly what I said. I’ve already seen this. This room. You. Me, chains and all. I’ve seen all of it already. I give you the answers you’re looking for and you use it to lock me in a white room, soft-cuffed to a metal bed.”

“I would not-”

“You would too, and you do. You play me with your kind words and pretty smile and I-am-on-your-side griffin-shit. I don’t have time for all of that.”

“Cassand-”

Dr. Loveless paused, collecting her breath. She was so close, she would not lose the seer by losing her cool. She inhaled deeply through her nose, then exhaled and said, “Cass. I believe you have me all wrong. I do wish to help you. I cannot help you if you do not speak with me.”

“I’m speaking with you. My mouth is moving, words are coming out.”

“Please do not be coy, Ms. Pierce.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“What? Ms. Pierce?”

“Yes,” Cas snapped sharply through gritted teeth.

“Why not,” Dr. Loveless chided. She had found a nerve at last and she intended to step on it. “Is that not your name? Cassandra Delphine Pierce.”

“Cass is just fine.”

“Why does it bother you to be called by your name,” Dr. Loveless asked carefully. She could feel the white-hot flush of her own anger at the girl’s callous speak about her father, her own flesh and blood. How dare she speak as though she did not still have his holy blood beneath her fingernails!? How dare she speak one ill word against the High Priest!?

“It bothers me to be called by his name.”

“Your father’s?”

Cass nodded slowly and said, “Leonel Pierce is a monster.”

“I am sure it can feel that way-”

“No. He’s an actual monster. You can’t trust the face he shows you. It’s false.”

“False? What do you mean false?”

“It’s a lie. I’ve seen his true form.”

“Seen with your eyes, or-”

“With my Sight. Once he finds the Flame, he’ll consume it and he’ll assume his true form. He will devour us all.”

Dr. Loveless’s heart did another somersault in her chest. She could hardly believe she was hearing. “The Flame? What is the Flame?”

“Nothing. Nevermind,” Cass said quickly, realizing her mistake. “I’ve said far too much already. I can practically feel the soft cuffs on my wrists. Or maybe that’s just the real cuffs.” Cass laughed to herself, though it sounded humorless and bitter to her own ears. It was certainly better than crying. 

“No, Cass. Please believe me. I am here for you. Safe space, remember? Tell me. What is the Flame?” 

“I can’t tell you any more. I can feel your faux patronizing belief. I don’t have time for this cat-and-mouse, he’s out there.”

“Who is?”

“Now who’s being coy, Dr. Loveless?”

The good doc chuckled softly, though not with humor. To Cass, it sounded a lot more like self-satisfaction, like Dr. Minerva Loveless had gotten every answer she had been looking for. Somehow, even with all of her mental boundaries, Dr. Loveless was still able to get inside her head. Fucking psychologists. Fucking sirens.

It dawned on Cass then who the siren was- she was one of his. She had to be! Cass knew her father had spies everywhere, all throughout the United Realms. The influence of The Order spread far and wide. Cass knew she needed to get out of this place. Now. 

“What do you believe will happen if your father finds this Flame?”

“Delay me much longer and you’ll find out.”

“So the feeling that your father is a monster and that he will cause nothing but destruction to all in his path, is that the reason behind your attack?”

“I do believe I said he’ll devour us all.” Cass said, the serious tone in her voice matched the look in her eyes. “And yes. I had the opportunity to stop him. I had the Ambrose Blade. I was ready to do my work. Then the Elysian Garden Cosmic Police burst in and saved the bastard. Bra-fucking-vo.”

“Work? You call attempting to murder your father work?”

“I call putting down a monster work.”

“You believe if you are able to finish your ‘work’, the United Realms would be safe?”

Cass was quiet for a while, eyes downcast, shoulders slumped. She felt the weight of the work before her, the consequences if she succeeded. The consequences if she failed. She looked up, straightening her shoulders, looked Dr. Minerva Loveless square in the eyes, said, “you’ll never know unless you try.”