Cassidy: Warrior Princess in Training

By Leigh Brock

Cassidy was a normal teenager, with normal friends, and a normal life. Then who was trying to kill her and why?

In one day, everything Cassidy and her best friends have known to be true turned out to be a fantasy. Sure, she read books about Warriors and Wizards, what teenager has not? Cassidy was about discover the truth about her long lost family, whether she is ready or not.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jana Leigh
• Release date: Mar 21, 2010
• ISBN: 9781452301068

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Cassidy: Warrior Princess in Training

Leigh Brock

Editor Kerri Good

Training Series © 2010 Leigh Brock

SMASHWORDS EDITION

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales are entirely coincidental.

© Copyright 2010 Leigh Brock. All rights reserved.

Contact me at:

Leighbrock.webs.com/

Twitter: leighbrock.com

Facebook: leighbrockprincess

To my kids and husband, I love you. You are the inspiration for everything, without each of you, I would be completely lost.

Dear Readers,

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for purchasing and reading this book. It has been a long and hard road for my family writing while taking care of three active children and one retired (ha) husband.

This book is a story developed with my children in mind while thinking of stories to entertain them. It has grown and I will continue the story of King Kallen’s book soon.

Leigh Brock

The best thing about dreams is that fleeting moment, when you are between asleep and awake, when you do not know the difference between reality and fantasy, when for just that one moment you feel with your entire soul the dream is reality, and it really happened…

CHAPTER 1

It's in your blood. Cassidy heard and bolted upright in her bed. Once again, she was startled awake by that freaky voice. What the heck was wrong with her? she wondered as she sat up. She had not seen a scary movie or eaten anything strange. Since her birthday, she had been having dreams that seemed so real. Her dreams were always the same. Some beautiful woman floating above her, telling her she needed to return to her home and reclaim her place in the world. Really? What had she eaten to make her have these weird dreams?

Cassidy stood up, shook the cobwebs from her brain, and started to get ready for her morning run. Maybe that would help shake the last of the memories holding on trying to remind her there was something she needed to do. The answer was always just out of her reach. It was driving her crazy.

She grabbed her cell phone and her headphones so she could relax while she ran. It made it handy that her phone was also her MP3 player. Music was always a good way for her to relax when she felt tense and a little out of control. Since her phone was always with her, she thought it was a bonus when she found a phone that also acted like a music player. Trying to be quiet, she closed the door softly before stretching as she walked down the stairs of the building.

It was a crisp, clear Colorado morning when Cassidy exited the warmth of her apartment building. It was located in downtown Denver, Colorado and the cool mountain air woke her up instantly. She had only an hour before she needed to be ready for school. She was running behind as it was, but refused to miss her morning ritual. Her best friends would be pissed if she were late again, yesterday Cassidy had almost made them late for school because she had lost track of the time while she was running. For the last few months, she had a bad feeling things were just not right. She could not tell her friends because she didn’t understand it herself, let alone try to explain it to them.

Stretching her legs and arms before taking off to a slow jog, Cassidy thought about her plans for the day. She didn’t really care what others thought about her, that wasn’t why she likes to keep her lanky, buff figure in shape. Cassidy was confident, she was not scary ugly, and that was all that mattered to her. She ran because all the pent up energy she had would drive her crazy throughout the day if she didn’t start with her morning jog. Her best friend threatened bodily harm if she didn’t start acting normal.

This was her time to try to make sense of anything that she needed to think about, which lately had been too much. Cassidy had been spacing out and easily distracted a lot lately. She couldn’t pinpoint why she was so distracted, but in the last few weeks, it had become increasingly worse. Cassidy was getting worried; when she did space out, there was never a memory of what had been running through her mind. The memory loss, combined with the dreams, had caused her to be a little more concerned about her mental stability. Never seeming to remember exactly what the dreams were about either. Just the eerie voice and figure whispering in her ear causing her to wake up in a cold sweat had been very unsettling for her. How was she supposed to tell anyone what was going on when it made no sense to her? It was driving her crazy not being able to talk to her best friends about it.

Cassidy had a bit of a controlling personality, and these unknown things were driving her nuts. She was also a little over dramatic according to her friends in the last few weeks. She had considered a wide range of reasons, including mind control and a stroke for her memory loss. Of course, she couldn’t say this aloud, her friends would have her committed immediately, and she was testing her theories out slowly so she didn’t look crazy. The process was hard, but she looked up several psychological tests to give herself, as well as watching her blood pressure. So far, she was confident she did not have a split personality or psychosis. She had to see a real doctor to rule out a brain tumor or something physical. So far, she had not thought of a reason for them to run the tests that did not sound crazy. It was still a work in progress.

Turning the corner after a few blocks, she started to jog down a popular street in Denver and eased into her rhythm. There were many stores and shops lining each side of the busy street. In a few hours, there would be tourists wandering up and down the street mall, looking into all the stores, hoping to find a special souvenir to take home with them. Meanwhile, the local criminals looked for a way to give them another reminder of the city by stealing their wallets or purses. The Sixteenth Street Mall was known for its shops and eclectic people. Cassidy loved the fact that she lived only a short distance from the mall. She loved searching the stores for unique clothes. Cassidy had a strange sense of style. Her girlfriends teased her about the vintage, urban, military style she normally wore, but it suited her. She was a cross between Barbie and GI Jane with her long strawberry blonde hair and muscular six-foot frame.

Cassidy had lived in Denver her whole life and knew the hazards of running alone. She made it to her checkpoint and took her phone out to check-in with her best friend. She knew if she didn’t send the text message she would hear about it later, smiling as she typed in EOS and sent it.

Cassidy discovered long ago how to stand up for herself on the streets of this big city; she didn’t have a traditional childhood like most of the kids she went to school with. She lived in a three-story apartment building belonging to her Guardian, Bernie. When Cassidy was young, she didn’t understand what a Guardian was, she just thought it was a job title for a dad. When the kids in the neighborhood teased her because she didn’t have parents, Cassidy fought back claiming Bernie was her father. Bernie stuck up for her when she got into a fight with the boy down the street. She told the boy Bernie was her dad; he had laughed and told her a Guardian was only for orphans, not a real father. Bernie had marched down to the kid’s house and yelled at the father for teaching him to be so thoughtless. Her best friends were in the same boat she was. They all had Guardians too, which eased the sting a lot. It wasn’t until she was ten that she discovered that a Guardian was not a biological parent.

Bernie and Cassidy lived on the top floor of a three-story apartment building Bernie owned. All the floors had complete living areas which took up the entire floor. So there were only three apartments in the building. He also owned the building next to them which held a grocery store and an apartment over the top. Cassidy’s best friends and their Guardians occupied the other two floors and the apartment next to them. None of them had traditional parents; Bernie, Bea, Liam, Kristen, and Charlie were their Guardians. Each one of them had a story of how they became their protectors. However, it all boiled down to the fact that each of them had been saddled with a small child, or in Liam’s case, twins, who were not theirs. Instead of turning the children away, they all moved in together to support and raise them. Kristen and Charlie were the only Guardians that were married; they took care of two boys who were also included in her group of friends.

Bernie told Cassidy when she was 4 years old her parents left for a simple shopping trip. According to him, her parents asked him to baby-sit while they went on a shopping trip before the holidays. When her parents didn’t return he called everyone he could, including the police to find them. Their car was found empty at the local grocery store which led the police to think her parents were obviously victims of foul play. The doors of the car were open and there were signs of a huge struggle. Bernie said the authorities left her with him because her parents had named in court documents that he was her legal Guardian if anything happened to them. Bernie would tell her stories about her parents every day; she felt as if she almost knew them because he talked about them so often.

When Cassidy was younger, she remembered Bernie taking her to the library and the museum, explaining how her parents wanted her to have all the knowledge available. He pushed her to read history, art, fiction, and non-fiction, all to encourage and show her there was nothing she couldn’t do. He enrolled her in classes for various topics like, speech, dance, etiquette, and fencing. Cassidy would complain about all the extra classes telling Bernie she was already the best-rounded fifth grader in the world. She wanted to play on the playground with the other kids, but Bernie kept her so busy it was hard to find the time.

The thing about Bernie was he focused so much on her education that he wasn’t prepared for Cassidy’s strong personality and sense of humor when he was raising her. They would argue about what he planned for her to do and then it came down to what she was actually willing to do. Bernie often resorted to bribery for him to get her to go along with his plans. Because of the bribery, Cassidy had gained an awesome collection of stuffed animals; her friends teased her about them because she refused to put them away, even when she got older. They were just as important to her as he was, she remembered when and why she got each one of them. Her favorite was a monkey she called Mr. Skippy. Bernie gave him to her after a full day at the Zoo. He was her reward for naming all the animals without having to look at the signs. They were each a token, given to show how proud he was of her.

Cassidy reached the end of the street and then turned to retrace her footsteps. She was so engrossed in her thoughts this morning she didn’t see the car following her at a distance. She continued to think about her life and all the things she still wanted to accomplish. She would never tell Bernie she felt like she was missing anything, but lately she was feeling very unsettled. Of course, graduation was just a little more than a month away and she was unsure of her plans after that. A state college had accepted Cassidy. It was only a few blocks from where she ended her run, but she was uneasy about making plans for the future. She had yet to declare a major because Cassidy couldn’t choose what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. It made her uncomfortable when she was around her friends because they all seemed to have found their niche in the world. Cassidy wanted to know where she belonged.

Cassidy reached the intersection and turned to look to make sure there was no traffic and started across the street. She took out her phone again and typed in CB knowing that when she got home the coffee would be ready for her. She had just tucked the phone back into its place when Cassidy reached the middle of the intersection; she felt something hit her from the side. The city workers planted beautiful spring flowers every year. She watched them the previous weeks planting and caring for them. She was flung through the air and landed in the middle of those flowers. She was glad for the little cushion they provided. Her music player headphones dislodged from her ears in enough time so she heard, rather than saw, the car squeal away quickly.

Cassidy had been in her fair share of scrapes over the years. Bernie also insisted self-defense, fencing, and boxing be included in her training. She loved the physical challenge of boxing and fencing. That is, until she discovered that when you are better at boxing than a boy is, none of them will ask you out; instead, they told their friends she is frigid. It wouldn’t have bothered her much, but she was already an unusual child because of her height. Being 6’3" and having long strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes, and a very athletic figure didn’t really give her the tools to blend into a crowd. Most girls envied her because the boys would stop and stare at her whenever she walked down the hall. Cassidy got a reputation for being an ‘Ice Princess’ because she never showed interest in any of the boys from her school. She didn’t want to tell them that when you could beat your boyfriend’s ass, it tended to take something out of the relationship.

Cassidy was trying to focus on getting up when she felt strong hands caressing her cheek. Cassidy was trying to open and focus her eyes, but they were not cooperating so she mumbled, Car hit me.

I know. I saw. I was a few blocks behind you jogging too when I saw the car pull out and aim right for you. Are you OK? Who should I call? a deep voice responded to her.

Cassidy finally opened her eyes and stared into the deepest, blue eyes she had ever seen. Cassidy forgot she was hurting, and tried to focus on the face the eyes belonged to. Just when she thought things could not get any worse. She was pondering putting herself in a mental institution for evaluation, and she finds the man she would actually consider dating.

Cassidy stayed still because if she did not move she did not hurt and could concentrate. Wow, she said as she saw the young man before her. He had shoulder length black hair, tied back in a ponytail and soft classically handsome features. His face reminded her of a painting of a Greek god she had recently studied. She stared at his face trying to memorize it. She was certain she would never see someone as perfect as he seemed ever again.

Cassidy tried to move and was instantly sorry. Crap. I feel like I have been hit by a truck, she said and tried to laugh. Oh yeah, I was.

Actually, you were hit by a mid-size SUV. Who did you piss off? Boyfriend? Ex-boyfriend? He chuckled and the sound melted over her.

Cassidy glanced at him and said, None that I am aware of, but there was that cheerleader who I made fun of last week. She looks like the type to try to run me over.

Cassidy pushed herself up so she was sitting in the dirt and not laying in it. She wiggled her legs and arms, and said, I don’t think anything’s broken, as she went through the body parts, testing test each one in turn. They clipped my hip. I suspect I’ll have quite a bruise, but I’m okay and extremely late, she said, and then motioned for him to help her up. As she was rising, Cassidy had a chance to look at his body; all his muscles were in the right places, which led her to think he was an athlete, or a Greek God.

Cassidy was able to stand up and walk in a small circle, her hip was aching, but all in all, she was OK. She was aware that at this moment, when she wanted to look her best, she actually looked like she had gone a few rounds with a tree. Cassidy knew she must look a mess; she pulled sticks from her hair and brushed dirt from her once clean clothes, all in an effort to make herself a little more presentable. Just her luck, she finally found a guy she was at least attracted to and he probably thought she was a psycho.

Listen, I’m fine. I bet they’re scared shitless for hitting a runner. I was wearing too dark clothes today, and not paying attention, and I’m going to be late for school. Let’s just forget it, chalk it up to runner’s error, she said as she was trying to get off the dirt.

You were hit by a car, he said slowly as if she had brain damage or was slow.

I know, and? she said and tilted her head to the side.

Well, most people would call the police, go to a doctor; any thoughts in that direction? he asked shaking a cell phone under her nose.

Oh, no, she said slowly, trying to think of something smart to say, I didn’t even see the car or SUV, I have no description, and you were two blocks away and could not see the driver. Besides, we have no idea their intent, maybe they didn’t see me. In fact, I would bet on it. I make only my best friends that mad and none of them has a car yet, so I think I’ll be on my way. In the future, I will stop and look both ways before crossing the street. Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it, she said as she was walking backwards toward the crosswalk slowly trying to act cool.

The amazing looking guy who she had nicknamed ‘Apollo’ in her mind, jumped down from the median. ‘Whoa,’ Cassidy realized she was not looking down at him. She was looking up. This perfect specimen was actually taller than she was, could he be more perfect? she thought, and then stopped to stare at him again. She was sure she would never see him again so she tried burning his image in her brain.

Cassidy had never been this attracted to a person before. She had begun to believe she was an ‘Ice Princess’ like the guys called her, but she was certain this guy was melting any ice she had. When she was young, Bernie told her when she found her true match, she would know. Well, if this guy was not her true match, she hoped the real thing would look just like him.

The light from the street was lighting him up from behind that gave him a look of invincibility. Cassidy sucked in her breath and held it as he walked toward her. When he was inches from her, she could see his frown as he looked her in the eyes. She forgot she was holding her breath until he reached out and took her arm.

She expelled the breath she was holding; he mistook it for a signal of pain and tried to guide her to a bench. He felt her resistance as she tried to continue down the street. She was trying not to embarrass herself any further with the stranger.

Appo… um, I apologize for being so rude, Thank you again for helping me. I’ll be fine, see ya, she stumbled over her words and finally started jogging, trying to get away from the humiliation. ‘Shoot.’ He must have thought she was an idiot. What was wrong with her? Who gets hit by a car, pops up and says ‘See Ya’ in a chirpy voice? She did not ask his name or get his number to thank him properly. ‘SEE YA?’ The twins were going to kill her for not getting a number.

Cassidy refused to embarrass herself further by turning around and asking him for his information. The rest of the way to her apartment building she was mentally hitting herself for her behavior. Maybe it was because she hadn’t had her cup of coffee this morning. That would explain everything; Cassidy rarely functioned before her first cup of coffee. This morning she had been in such a hurry she did not want to stop so she decided to wait till after her run to drink her morning boost.

Cassidy was very aware that being addicted to caffeine at such a young age was a problem. Except when Bernie told her that coffee would stunt her growth when she was eight or nine, she had begun drinking it to stop growing. Therefore, in a roundabout way, it really was not her fault. Why do adults tell kids lies like that, she wondered, especially to a child the local bully had teased daily about her vertical impairment?

Cassidy reached her building and stopped to stretch when she felt a creepy feeling, as if she was being watched. Cassidy stood up and turned to look around her to see where she felt the vibes coming from. There was no one on the street this early in the morning so she didn’t have to look long before she saw the black SUV sitting across the street. With the windows tinted, she couldn’t see who was inside. Cassidy knew, for some reason, whoever was in the car was looking directly at her. She shifted from her left to right foot trying to decide if she should confront them. Then she saw movement out of the corner of her eye which drew her attention.

‘Apollo’ was running toward her. Cassidy had her earphones in and could not hear him, but she could see his mouth moving. She raised her arm to take off the earphones and felt something hit her wristband. In addition, she saw a small object fall on the ground. Cassidy looked down to see what had hit her when she heard the tires squeal from across the street. The good-looking stranger arrived next to her, and was trying to catch his breath while Cassidy bent over to pick up a strange looking dart. It had a multi-colored feather on one end and a small needle at the other end.

I saw the SUV circle back around a few blocks ago and figured they were looking for you so I tried following you. I have been yelling for the last three blocks. You had on your earphones and couldn’t hear me, he said panting from exerting himself sprinting the last few blocks.

What the hell is going on, have I stepped into the Twilight Zone? she said confused and unable to grasp that someone was trying to hurt her.

Where do you live? I want to make sure you get home OK, he said still a little short of breath. We can call the cops too while I am here so I can give my statement, I don’t live around here.

I live right here, she said pointing to the building behind her. I just stopped to stretch, and wow. You have saved me twice in one day.

Cassidy continued to talk as if she was in a daze. I can handle reporting this to the police; maybe if you just give me your information I can give it to them. I would hate to bother you too much, she said shyly, this time she was going to get his name and number. She was much more concerned with getting his phone number than anything else. Seriously, who would want to hurt her, she was an eighteen year old with no enemies; she hadn’t lived long enough for people to truly want to kill her. Well, there still was that cheerleader who was in the front running.

No problem, I was staying a few blocks from here with a friend. I delivered a motorcycle to him and then ended up staying overnight, lucky I guess, huh? I actually live in Loveland, Colorado. I own a custom motorcycle shop there. Its name is Hawg Wild, he said just as shyly.

Cassidy and the boy were staring at each other; she knew he felt the same pull she was feeling. She had never experienced anything like this with a boy. The boys from her school were more of an annoyance to her than anything so she had no idea how to handle this. Just when she was going to ask him for his name, the door behind her opened and Cassidy heard her friends coming out.

Well, this is a new look for you Cassi, going for grunge? her best friend Kallen said teasing. Your coffee is ready and in your kitchen.

Cassidy turned for a minute to answer Kallen, and then she felt the stranger backing up. Before she could tell him to wait, he said, I’ll be on my way now that you’re safe, please feel free to give the police my business name for reference. With a quick glance at Kallen, the hunk turned and started to jog down the street.

Cassidy glared at her friend for a moment then she growled, Really Kallen. Your timing sucks big time. She stomped up the steps to the door, making her feelings well known with her attitude.

Her friend leaned in through the door and yelled at her as she was climbing the stairs, Cassidy, you have five minutes, and who the heck was that?

She stopped on the landing, turned, and yelled in frustration, I would be able to tell you if you had waited for 5 minutes before barging outside, now wouldn’t I?

Chill out, girl! he said in a surprised tone; Cassidy never got this uptight unless she wasn’t in control. She hated surprises more than anything in this world, and all her friends knew it.

Cassidy growled at him, and then turned to continue up the stairs. She ran into her apartment in a frenzy because once again she was going to be late, that gave her a very unsettled feeling. She was thinking about the stranger while she was changing her clothes when she went into the