Everything to Lose

Chapter 2-Old Fiends

Hello folks, sorry for the gaps..I have had a million things on my mind lately, and it makes it tough to concentrate on writing. Plan on getting more done soon, however! I love feedback, so let me know how I'm doing with being true to the characters! :)

 "Deflect, parry, thrust. Rest." The sun in her eyes caused Cassandra to squint slightly, but she saw the slight figure that was practicing drills with a ladle in his lab, for all that. Varian had made good progress, to her surprise, and wasn't giving up as quickly as she had thought he would. Even with her being as tough on him as she could.

 Leaving the doorway, her footfalls making a muffled tattoo on the rug, Cassandra reflected that she had missed his friendship more than she had cared to admit ..but she still had trouble believing that it could survive. After all that had happened..guilt still blocked her from being open and herself. Always would.

 "Ah, Cassandra there you are!" At the sound of Eugene's voice, she straightened and saluted,but he rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, you and I know that you know more than I know about guard procedures altogether and there's no reason for you to act like I'm the Captain of the guard or anything, when you're just waiting your moment to beat me hollow."

 Cassandra smirked.  "Nice call, Fitzherbert. Guess you're learning a little, after all." It would have killed her to admit it, but he did look every bit the part in his Captain of the Guards uniform. And with the combination of Max, they had an unbeatable security team. 

"Yeah well, don't flatter yourself. I'm only distracted by a majillion things anymore, and not able to devote as much time to withering comebacks as I once was. Anyways," he added quickly as her left eyebrow rose, "I forgot to mention how Much I have appreciated you're help in filling in while Steve's back gets better-you never said whether you had a lead on the super slick floor either."

 "Fitzherbert!"

"But that is neither here nor there!" Eugene gave one of those really big grins that she thought showed way too much teeth, but all the same she could tell he was really stalling on telling what was really on his mind. Trust him to drag it out like that... it was a good thing her dad was not here to see this, Cassandra thought humorously. 

"Well, I uh, just wanted to let you know that in the event a high-ranking prisoner escaped, I am so glad to have you here to help! Just in case, you know, hypothetically.."

"A prisoner escaped? Which one." She barely resisted facepalming herself. 

"You guessed! Yes, well it would seem your old flam-ahhahaha, I mean, Andrew, the weasel who tries to look better than me, somehow managed to open his cell and knock out the guard." Scratching his chin, Eugene grinned again, nervously.

 Now she groaned, out loud."How long, and do you have any leads?"

Eugene sobered again. "Well, not exactly. He's been out for a day and we know he's always been talking of revenge." Dropping his voice, his eyes glanced toward the doorway behind her. "Andrew always swore he'd get revenge on the traitor."

"Traitor?" Instinctively dropping her voice, Cass thought she had heard wrong. "Varian? But that's been years ago!"

 "Yeah, well, baddies have a hard time letting things go too, it seems. Especially when it was supposed to be his greatest moment of triumph."

 "After his first was foiled by a seemingly naive girl, who made an unlikely but daunting adversary-was that what you were going to add?" Cassandra teased, but her mind was still distracted. If Varian was in danger, she'd need to assign a guard to watch his rooms.

"Yes, well that means he might also have it in for you." Eugene began to argue, but she fixed a cold stare at him and he rolled his eyes. "Oh, yeah, right. He wouldn't want to mess with you again. But do me a favor and keep an eye out anyways, huh? And while you're at it..the prison?"

 "What? Sorry. Yes, we should go check this out and I will see if I can find anything. Make sure to assign extra guards though."

Eugene huffed. "I already did that! You're going to be Varian's extra guard, didn't I tell you?"