Merido's Daughter by LJ Maas 6 page

Andreas Meridio laughed out loud at his daughter's worried expression, placing an arm around her shoulder and pulling her in the direction of the car.

"Not to worry, Máhtia Mou, she's probably headed toward the local brothel as we speak!" He laughed again.

The remark by her father did nothing to ease the small blonde's sadness, if nothing else, it actually increased her fears, wondering if the beautiful Karê was indeed on her way to experience a little rest and relaxation.

Driving back down the hillside, Tessa decided she would make a small side trip to Mantamádos. Their pottery was renowned throughout the Greek Isles and Tessa needed something new to burn incense in. Driving along the coastal road, where there was very little besides land and small villages, Tessa thought again of the reasoning behind Meridio's new attitude toward his daughter.

Perhaps Meridio was finally realizing that Cassandra would never accept the Greek magnate's true business. Even if the young woman could, Meridio's partners would never take orders from this young girl. Tessa herself had a hard enough time dealing with them and her reputation scared the hell out of most grown men. But, these were not Greeks, not even Turks or Albanians. These men came from across the Mediterranean Sea, from Libya. No, Tessa didn't picture Cassandra as the kind of a woman who would take part in the family business.

The Karê's main problem now would be to find a way to encourage the small blonde to stay in her archeology business, go back to America, anything so she wouldn't be around when Tessa's plan neared completion. The Karê's heart tightened in her chest at that last thought. Not having Cassandra around was just about the last thing the dark-haired woman wanted right about now.

Tessa took the steps two at a time up to the floor where her suite was situated, directly across from Cassandra's. Checking to see that she had no messages, the Karê changed into something a little less formal. She knew she would probably do no more than listen to some music or catch up on a little reading tonight. It was late when she got in and she was told that Andreas Meridio had already retired. After having donned a pair of cotton slacks and a short sleeved polo shirt, the dark-haired woman picked up one of the small sacks she carried in with her and decided to see if Cassandra was still awake.

"Oh, hi," was Casey's cool response when she opened the door to her suite, even though the woman standing in front of her was very nearly making her drool all over herself.

Tessa didn't know what the trouble was, but she felt the icy temperature of the room immediately.

"Have a good time in Plomári?" Tessa asked.

"Simply lovely." Casey answered sarcastically. "Did you have a good time...wherever you ended up?"

Tessa tried to gauge the young woman's tone, but for the life of her she couldn't understand what was going on.

"Where is it that you think I ended up?"

"Well...I--I, well, it's really none of my business." Casey replied, turning away quickly.

"No, I really want to know." Tessa responded, grabbing the small blonde's elbow and turning her around to face the Karê. "Where is it you think I've gone?"

Casey knew she was caught but good. Why did I even say anything in the first place? Now it's going to look like I'm jealous! There was nothing to do but voice her displeasure, so the small blonde dove in, head first.

"Father said that you were...that you were probably on your way to the local brothel." Casey said the words, but didn't dare raise her eyes to meet the blue gaze that suddenly sparkled with understanding.

Jealousy? Over me, little one?

"I see, and the fact that I would be with a woman and not a man...that would bother you?" Tessa decided to have a little fun at Cassandra's expense.

"No, of course not." Casey answered quickly.

"Oh, so it's not because I prefer a woman in my bed, it's because I prefer another woman." Tessa asked as if she were trying to get the situation clear in her head.

"Yes." Casey replied. "I mean, no...I mean...what do you mean?" The flustered young woman stammered.

Tessa leaned her head back and laughed long and loud. She had never come across a more endearing woman and her senses were being completely seduced by the small blonde.

Casey turned about as scarlet as a human could and when she realized there was nothing left, she simply laughed at herself and the Karê found that an absolutely charming quality.

"I'm sorry, Tessa, I had no right--"

Tessa placed her index finger over the young woman's lips, interrupting her thought.

"You had every right." Tessa found herself saying, yet still not believing it was her own mouth that just said it.

Quickly trying to recover, the dark-haired woman held out the sack. "I thought you might like this, I went to Mantamádos today."

"You went to Mantamádos without me...shopping?"

"Trust me, I don't shop like you or Olympia. If I see something I want," the Karê said in a low voice leaning closer, "I take it. If I don't like it, I leave it be."

"Oh," seemed to be the only response Casey was capable of.

"Are you going to open it?" Tessa asked, blue gaze sparkling in a combination of amusement and desire.

"Huh?"

"Your gift. Are you going to open it?" The Karê said slowly.

"Oh, yea."

Tessa enjoyed the blush and the dazed expression on the young woman's face.

"Oh, Tessa it's beautiful." Casey had noticed a similar, intricately designed, ceramic incense burner when she visited the guesthouse where Tessa lived.

Not knowing what else to say, Casey hugged the woman in front of her, and placed an innocent kiss on the tall woman's cheek. Tessa stood rooted in place, completely shocked by the young woman's guileless gesture. Now, it was the Karê who blushed. She could feel the heat creeping up her neck and tried to quickly change the subject.

"So, are you going to be a good hostess and offer me a drink or do I have to scrounge the downstairs bar?"

Casey laughed, as much from the Karê's remark as from the tall woman's embarrassment.

"I have retsína and some white wine. What's your pleasure?" Casey asked, with a mischievous sparkle in her green eyes and putting an emphasis on the last sentence.

Tessa caught the double entendre and smiled wickedly.

"Well, lets start with the retsína and see where that takes us."

Seated on the balcony outside of Casey's suite, both women watched the lights along the beaches of Vareiá, sipped retsína and listened to the breeze rustle the trees below.

"Tell me more about where you live in America." Tessa asked.

She was interested, true, but more than anything the dark-haired woman loved listening to Cassandra speak. The lilting tones of the small blonde's voice were absolutely captivating and the Karê closed her eyes, enjoying the sound.

"When I would sit on the beach on Long Island, that's where I grew up. When I would sit there, on cold days when no one else would go out and all you could hear were the waves crashing in and the gulls over the water, I would close my eyes and think I was on Mýkonos. Of course, I used to think the same thing when I was here in Greece. When I was here I used to want to be there, when I was there; well you know what I mean." Casey sipped her wine and watched the Karê, her eyes closed and a slight smile curling at her lips.

"I know I was very small and I don't remember much that happened when I lived here all the time, but I feel it sometimes, like perhaps I'm remembering a dream. There used to be so much to do here in Greece when I was small. I used to love the holidays, so different from the ones in America. Of course, most of the holidays we celebrate here are religious, but I missed that when we moved away. I only remember being here for one Easter, but I can't even remember that very well. I remember a feeling of it, though." Casey said with a faltering tone as if she were trying at that moment to pull something from her mind, but unable to.

Shaking her head she smiled again. "The more I try, the more it eludes me."

"Why can't you remember, do you think?" Tessa's voice came as a surprise, Casey had almost thought she was alone in her reminiscing.

"I don't know. I used to ask my mother that same question all the time. It seemed odd that all the best memories of my life would suddenly disappear like that."

What did she say?" Tessa asked with a curious expression.

"She said it must have been because that was the year we left Greece to come to America. The childhood trauma of it all."

"Sounds reasonable," the Karê mused, half-wondering if that was the truth.

Tessa knew what a life-altering experience that day had been for her, but for the first time she saw that perhaps what Cassandra went through might have been enough to traumatize a sensitive five-year-old. Like the roots of a tree, pain had such a way of spreading itself around, reaching its tendrils so far into so many lives.

"I was in therapy for it." Casey simply stated. "I know, you already think I'm nuts, right?" The small blonde smiled and the Karê chuckled.

"When I was small I would have these dreams. I never once remembered what I dreamt about, but the feelings were so intense that I would wake up crying. My mother tried to help, but all I could tell her was that I would start out feeling absolutely wonderful, like I could do anything, then everything went wrong and I would wake up with a pain so real that my chest would ache." Casey took a sip of wine and looked to see if Tessa thought she was a flake. The Karê sat watching her, listening intently.

"The dreams finally lessened, sometimes it would be years between the time I would have one again. It was when I had my first serious love affair. The very first night we slept together that the dreams came back. I had them every single night until I was taking sleeping pills just to get a few hours of sleep at night. Needless to say it effectively ended that relationship.

I started seeing a doctor, but after eighteen months all she could say was it was some kind of childhood trauma. Duh, I could have told her that! It had a lovely effect on my love life. It's rather strange, though, the dreams only resurface when I fall in love." Casey gave an ironic, painful laugh. "Tends to keep me single."

Tessa looked at the small young woman with a mixture of worry and concern, hoping that someday the dreams that plagued her would disappear altogether. That someday she would be able to recognize only the good moments of that day when she was five.

The dream started out as usual, but then it took an unexpected turn. She'd never been down this road before. Casey could hear someone screaming, but she couldn't see who it was. Suddenly she realized the voice belonged to Tessa. She had to get to where the Karê was, but they wouldn't let her reach her friend. There were no faces that were visible, but strong arms held her as she desperately tried to pull away.

"Noooo!" Casey screamed loudly, pulling herself to sit up in bed.

It took all of three seconds before Tessa was bursting through the door to the suite wearing only a robe and carrying a gun in one hand, followed by footsteps running up the stairs to the second floor. The Karê's posture changed immediately when she opened the bedroom door, seeing Cassandra and realizing the danger was in the small blonde's dreams and nothing more. Tessa wanted nothing more than to scoop the small woman up in her arms and hold on to her tightly, but those thoughts became dreams as Andreas Meridio pushed his way into the room.

"It's allright, just a nightmare." Tessa remarked as the man strode past her.

The Karê hustled the rest of the staff who had been awakened back to their rooms, returning within seconds to Cassandra's suite.

"It's allright, Pappa, really. It was just a nightmare." Casey said shortly, caught between embarrassment and anger.

"Do you still have those?" Meridio asked.

"Hardly ever," Casey lied. "I'm all right, really." She gave a half smile to her father who looked more concerned than he was willing to admit.

"Tessa will stay with you for a little while, then." He said looking back at the Karê.

"Of course," Tessa replied. "I'll be back in a moment."

Casey really didn't feel like arguing so when Tessa returned, dressed in jeans and a faded blue t-shirt, carrying a small brown bottle, the small blonde simply gave in. Her father kissed her and said to call him if he was needed, but Tessa knew he would prefer not to be needed. Nightmares were considered a weakness and no Greek man wanted to be around a woman's weakness for long.

"Don't tell me, it's more of your magic medicine?" Casey watched as the Karê poured two glasses of amber liquid.

"Conyák." Tessa replied, handing the young woman a glass of the brandy.

"How come I don't have brandy in my room?" Casey tried to put on a smile.

"Because you didn't ask for it." Tessa replied matter of factly.

Tessa took a sip of the liquor and set her glass on the bedside table, seating herself on the edge of the bed. Casey took one sip and looked up into blue eyes that seemed filled with their own distress. Tessa very lightly brought her fingers up and touched Casey's cheek.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Sure." Casey replied, unsure of her own voice.

The green eyes began to fill with tears and Tessa watched, as the blonde head shook back and forth, indicating that she most certainly wasn't allright. The Karê took the glass from Casey's hand and set it with her own, then without thinking she gently enfolded the small figure in her strong embrace.

The tears turned into sobs at the dark-haired woman's tender and compassionate touch and soon Tessa held the young woman against her tightly, running her fingers through the short blonde locks, pressing her lips softly against the top of the girl's head.

Casey melted into the warm embrace and let the tears of a great many frustrations loose at once. She was comforted, not only by the arms surrounding her, but by the fact that Tessa didn't offer insincere and meaningless words to console.

"Sssh, CassandraÖI'm here." Tessa murmured.

The Karê listened to the girl's weeping, but could think of no words to ease the pain. Little did she know, but the ones she uttered cut straight through to the small blonde's heart. Tessa wanted to give more comfort to the woman in her arms, but frankly she didn't know how. She had never been a woman of words and now, when she needed them the most, they deserted her.

It seemed as if a long time passed before Casey's tears stopped and she simply leaned against the dark-haired woman's chest, listening to the strong heart beating steadily. No words were exchanged as Tessa ran her hand in small circles against Casey's back. Tessa cursed herself once again for her inability to do or say more for the young woman, but for Casey, what the dark-haired woman did offer was enough.

It was only coincidence that Tessa and Casey both left their rooms at the same time. They met at the top of the winding staircase on their way to morning coffee. Casey was finding it hard to look the Karê straight in the eye.

"Well, you are quickly seeing me in all of my pathetic, vulnerable glory, Karê. I'm not exactly putting my best foot forward where you're concerned."

Tessa gave her usual low chuckle. "If that's as bad as it gets I still got ya beat."

"Thanks, Tessa, for...well, for just being there, I guess." Casey added.

The tall Karê didn't know what to say to this display of emotion and gratitude so she simply did what she was best at. She graced Casey with a lopsided sort of smile and winked at her.

"Ahh, Máhtia Mou, is the world looking better in the light of day?" Andreas Meridio asked, kissing the top of his daughter's head as he pulled a chair out for her.

"Yes, Pappa, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake up the whole villa."

"Nonsense, although Tessa looked a little disappointed that she didn't get to shoot anyone."

The Karê set down her newspaper and placed a small koulourákia on her plate. The small rolls were covered in sesame seeds and stuffed with currants. The Karê still believed, like most Greeks, that breakfast was the least important meal of the day, but she was quickly becoming seduced by the American tradition of a roll with her morning coffee.

Placing small bites of the bread in her mouth, Tessa spoke in her usual matter of fact tone, nothing like Casey knew her to be when they were alone.

"She scared the hell out of me." She said in Meridio's direction and the man laughed out loud.

"Trust me, if you ever get accosted in a dark alley let loose with one of those yells, I guarantee it will bring help left and right. You took away a few years of my life with that thing, which I can ill afford at this point in my life." Tessa finished with a smirk.

"Oh, very funny. I hope you're both enjoying yourselves at my expense." Casey responded with a smile.

The small blonde was surprised at this tirade from the Karê, but she understood the reasoning behind it. Tessa wasn't supposed to be growing close to Casey, she was in close contact with the blonde for the sole purpose of looking after Meridio's daughter for a while. It wouldn't do for Andreas Meridio to see his Karê in a position like she was last night. As innocent as the physical contact had been, Casey realized her father would never allow it.

Casey watched her father as he read the morning Ta Nea, occasionally jotting a note on the legal pad that he had in front of him.

"Pappa," Casey began enthusiastically, "come horseback riding with me today?"

"Oh, Cassandra, that's impossible today. I have appointments to keep. Besides, I'm too old to be riding hills like these, that is why you have Tessa. She'll go with you." Meridio replied, motioning to the Karê.

"Horses...great. My days just keep getting better and better." Tessa deadpanned.

Although Casey smiled at Tessa's attempt at humor, the young woman was certainly affected by her father's behavior. The small blonde couldn't understand it either. If she even brought up moving into an apartment of her own, he became incensed, but since she'd returned to Greece they hardly ever saw each other. Casey was beginning to feel like that prized mare again, only around for show.

"As much as I would enjoy riding with the Karê, I'm sure she has better things to do than to baby sit me. I could wait, Pappa, perhaps we could go this afternoon?"

"Go with Tessa," Meridio said firmly, "I'll be gone until late this evening, don't wait up, Katalavaynés?"

"Yes, of course Pappa, I understand." Casey put on an artificial smile for her father's benefit as the man left the patio.

The dark-haired woman tried to keep her eyes on her paper and appear as though she were not listening to the conversation, which wasn't all that easy considering the fact that the father and daughter were practically talking over her. Even Tessa could see the small blonde looked like a hurt little girl that had been put off one too many times. The way Meridio talked about his daughter all these years, Tessa thought perhaps he was different when it came to her, that maybe she would be the one redeeming quality of the man's life. It was turning out that Andreas Meridio was like any other man in Greece. Their women were cherished so long as they did exactly what they were told and made sure they were around when he needed a bauble to hang on his arm.

"So, when do we go?" Tessa asked the silent young woman.

Casey gave a weak attempt at a smile. "It doesn't sound like it's one of your favorite things."

The Karê thought the young woman was trying to fight off tears. "You know that was for show, don't you?" Tessa asked in a voice that was softer than usual.

"I know," Casey nodded. "The Meridio Karê must have a pretty girl she wants to do something with on a beautiful day like today." Casey tried to give the woman an out.

"Yes, she does." Tessa grinned just slightly, the smile giving her a look of charm and mystery.

She tilted her head slightly to meet the small blonde's eyes. When the cerulean gaze met up with sea green, the sparkle and the note of mischief seemed very uncharacteristic for the dark-haired woman. It took Casey a full minute before she caught the Karê's meaning.

"Are you sure?" The young woman brightened slightly.

"Absolutely." The Karê grinned. "Somebody's got to teach you to ride."

"Oh, is that right? Well, I guess we'll just have to see about that."

The smile in Tessa's heart grew larger as she saw the spark of green fire return to the small blonde's eyes.

"Gahmóh Toh!" Casey cursed. "Fuck!" She decided to add the English version just for good measure.

"Oh, it's allright girl, it's not your fault." She finished, laying a gentle hand on the neck of the large chestnut mare. "She threw it." She stated simply to the dark-haired woman.

Tessa jumped down from her own large mount and examined the horse's hoof just as Casey had done.

"You're absolutely right." Tessa mocked the small woman's ability to recognize the missing horseshoe.

Casey pushed the taller woman back slightly. "Oh, very funny!"

Tessa laughed and it felt good. The whole day they spent here in the hills, riding the horses, stopping for a picnic lunch, it all seemed like a dream to Tessa. She'd never had anyone to be with this way, no one she could call a friend and she was seeing a small glimpse at what she'd been missing all her life.

"I'll just walk her back, you can go ahead." Casey said.

"Cassandra, it must be a good three miles back to the villa. By the time you get back on foot I'll be too old to enjoy that dinner you owe me." She said with a smug grin.

Casey realized the truth of what the Karê said and she didn't know if she was so upset because her horse had thrown a shoe or whether it was because she lost the race to the top of the rise. Loser pays for dinner, that had been the bet, but Casey hadn't anticipated that the Karê was as good a rider as she showed herself to be. Oh, well...there are definitely worse things that could happen to a girl than looking into those baby blues over dinner.

"This guys a big boy," Tessa said, patiently patting her own horse's flank. I don't think he'll have any trouble giving both of us a ride."

The dark-haired woman pulled the reins on the incapacitated animal over the mare's head and tied the leather thongs off on the back of her horse's saddle. Pulling herself easily into her own saddle she extended a hand to the small blonde. Casey put her foot in the stirrup that Tessa had vacated and allowed the Karê to pull her up in the saddle. Situated behind the dark-haired woman, Casey was suddenly a lot closer to the tall woman than was probably good for her, given her feelings for the woman.

Tessa steered the animal down the steep path and Casey quickly realized she had only one thing to hang on to and it was either wrap her arms around the beautiful Karê's waist or be pitched head first onto the ground below. She tried to be casual about it, grabbing a hold of Tessa's belt rather than her body.

"You better hold on tighter than that, little one." Tessa voice came from in front of her.

For a moment Casey thought she was falling as she let her grip go from the woman's belt. The small blonde grew dizzy and then a wave of nausea caused her hands to tremble.

"Hey, I said you better hold on--" Tessa turned in the saddle to look at the smaller woman, but her voice froze at the sight of the young woman's face.

"Casey, are you all right?" Tessa's strained voice asked, pulling up on the horse's reins.

Casey opened her mouth, but she couldn't seem to produce any sound. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she couldn't imagine why she felt this way.

"I don't feel so good. Can we stop for a minute?"

Tessa dismounted immediately, grabbing her canteen and helping Casey from the saddle. The small blonde felt like the blood had been drained from her legs and she faltered with her first step, leaning heavily against the taller woman. Tessa didn't think twice as concern overrode propriety. She bent down and with surprising strength, scooped the smaller woman into her arms and carried her off the rocky path onto a dry grassy patch of ground.

Tessa noticed the flush on the girl's face and removed a bandanna from her own neck, pouring water from the canteen onto the cloth and soaking it through. She pressed the cool cloth to Casey's face, and then her neck until the young woman looked up with a weak grin.

"Gee, that was kind of scary." She said, her pallor a little less ghostly.

"You're telling me." Tessa said, leaning back on her heels, resting her palms on her thighs. "What just happened...too much sun?"

"God you're going to laugh at me, but I dreamed what just happened back there. I don't mean my nearly passing out, I mean when we were on the horse. In my dream last night you said that to me. You told me to hold on to you tighter and you called me little one." Casey ran her fingers through her now damp hair.

"I don't remember your face, but I remember your voice. You don't get it do you?" The young woman explained to the Karê. "Tessa, I never remember that dream, not once in all these years. This is the first time that I've even been able to recall small bits of it."

Casey seemed confused while Tessa bit her lip, concentrating on the small blonde's face. The dark-haired woman fought with herself as she listened to the young blonde. Shouldn't I tell her? God, all these years, but if she knows who I am she'll figure out what I'm going to do, I just know she will. I won't be able to hide it, not from her; not from those eyes that penetrate right straight through to my soul. Oh, Cassandra, I'm sorry, but I just can't do this yet, you don't understand what's involved, little one.

"I don't know what to say, Cassandra." Tessa answered honestly. "It sounds a little farfetched, but stranger things have happened, I guess."

Tessa reached out to touch the young woman's cheek. "Feel up to heading back now?"

"Yea," Casey nodded, quick to add a smile for the woman who was turning in to more than Casey ever imagined. "Yea, I feel a lot better now...come on, I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry." The Karê added with a chuckle.

They situated themselves on the large gelding once more. This time Tessa was taking no chances and she took the small blonde's hands in her own until the young woman's arms circled the Karê's waist. Casey certainly wasn't complaining about the arrangement and, silently, each woman enjoyed her circumstance.

Casey was silent for most of the trip, lost in her own thoughts. I know you think I'm a huge flake, but it was you, Tessa. It was your voice I heard screaming and it was you I rode on the horse with, just like this. How could my dreams be about a woman I've never met before, though? Especially when I've been having this same dream for most of my life?

Tessa was wrapped within her own private memories. Two women and their thoughts mirrored one another's so completely, yet in their heart they were worlds apart. One sought enlightenment, while the other tried to hide from the truth.

Date: 2015-12-24; view: 536