Pello Island: Cassia Read Free

 Morta looked around.  “We can’t let Darius get away with mucking things up again.”
    “Why, what’s different this time?” Cassia asked.
    Morta leaned forward and looked into Cassia’s eyes.
    “Jupiter told me that if we didn’t conclude things this time, I wouldn’t be allowed to go home to Olympus.”
    “That’s bad for us, how?” Cassia was finding it hard to have sympathy for Morta.
    “If we don’t wrap things up, we’ll all end up in a sort of purgatory.  A place we can’t leave - ever.”
    Cassia looked at Morta.  She could see Morta was telling the truth.  The old woman looked genuinely concerned.
    “All of us?” she said.  Morta nodded. “What exactly do I have to do?”
    “You’ll have to marry Darius.”
    Cassia stood up and began to pace the room.
    “Oh, no, not again.  I haven’t married him for several incarnations and I don’t intend to…”
    “In order for things to work out, you must marry him.  It is absolutely imperative.”
    Morta stood up and put her hands on Cassia’s arms.
    “No, no.  You just don’t understand, Morta.  Not after what he’s done to Dulcia, time and time again.” Cassia suddenly noticed that Dulcia wasn’t there.  “Where is Dulcia?”
    “She’s fine, Cassia.  We have her where we need her.”
    “But if she’s not available to him, this won’t work.  We have to get her here.  I have to see her, Morta.”
    “Dear, this time we have to do things a little differently.  Amatus is going away, and you must marry Darius.  For the first time, we were able to arrange things so that, well, let’s just say it’s out of Darius’ hands.”
    Cassia stared at Morta.
    “You mean you’re making him toe the line?  How, how can you make him do it?
    “You will marry him.  That’s all I can say right now.  You won’t have to be married for long, but it is absolutely essential for our plan to work.”
    “He’s just so…” Cassia sat back down in the wing chair.  Morta walked over to her and put her hand on Cassia’s shoulder.  Then she returned to her wing chair.
    “He’s good-looking, and you know him well.  There will be no surprises.  Cassia, I promise it won’t be for long.  And when it’s over, you will go home.”
    Cassia looked into the fire.  Home.  Where was her home?
    “Do you mean I’ll be able to die once and for all?”
    “Yes, at the end of a long life, you will die, as will Amatus and Dulcia.”
    Cassia noticed she didn’t include Darius.
    “So, in order to give my daughter a long life, I have to marry her father.”
    “That’s right, Cassia, just marry her father.”
    Cassia sighed.  She’d married Darius so many times, and it always ended badly.  He didn’t seem to mind finding himself in a new body every few months, but Cassia had grown weary of it.  After the first thousand years, she refused to marry him anymore.  She had been with Amatus a few times, but finally decided she was better off alone.
    Without Cassia, Darius ran wild, never cooperated with Morta, and never did what he was required to do to end the continuous cycle.  Cassia hated the thought of playing nanny to Darius again, it was such a waste of time, but Dulcia deserved some peace.  When all was said and done, her daughter came first.
    “Fine, I’ll do it,” she told Morta.
    “Thank you, dear.  It will all work out, I promise.”
    “Just one thing, Morta.  What if he doesn’t want to marry me?”
    “Has that ever been an issue, Cassia?”
    “No, he’s always wanted me.  But he’s been on his own for a thousand years.  He may not be so easy to bring around this time.”
    “I’ll have Janus pay him a call.  In the meantime, work your charms on him.”
    Morta slowly got up off the chair.  She leaned over Cassia and pecked her cheek.
    “I’ll be back to check on your progress, dear.”
    Morta shuffled toward the hallway and then disappeared.  Cassia stood up and walked out the door.  She wanted to find