Faith is Fallen (Broken Fantasies Series)

Chapter 49

"So, you're sort of a community leader, then?"

"Yeah," Daniel said.

Cara nodded. "So's my mom. She was always teaching me to take over for her some day."

"Really? I have a feeling there's a 'but' in there somewhere."

"There is. I haven't lived there in years. I'm not sure I'd want to. Don't get me wrong, my life now is a lot more complicated. Nothing's easy. Nothing. But it has its appeal. No one really expects anything of me. I can be whatever I like, go wherever I like. There's a certain level of appeal to that."

Daniel's face fell. "Oh."

"I think that came out wrong. Living under my mother's shadow, I was trained to take over. There was all this potential. But it was always a holding pattern. I had no true responsibilities in the present. It was all this indefinable future, with seemingly no end in sight. It was a life of just waiting for her to hand over the reigns someday.

"There were other reasons I left, but it was the waiting that kept me away. Here, I can accomplish things now, and I don't have a future role holding me back."

"It holds you back?"

"You think it wouldn't? People have a tendency of frowning on those of higher station doing things they see as below them. I don't know. Maybe I didn't explain that right. I guess it's sort of like being expected to only work on one project. If you're waiting on supplies or direction, it gets frustrating not being able to work on something else."

Daniel nodded.

The front door banged open, and they both turned to the entrance of the living room. Amy stormed past first, backpedaling abruptly just after passing the opening.

Cara laughed. "You're always in a snit, aren't you, Amy?"

"Oh, shut up." She turned to Daniel. "Hey, Danny boy."

"Amy."

Cara smirked. "So, where's Val? Did you get fed up with him and leave him stranded?"

Amy blinked and turned toward the door, frowning, but Val didn't show.

Daniel laughed. "I wouldn't put it past her."

Amy glared at her longtime friend. "Screw you, Danny boy."

Daniel grumbled under his breath and walked off.

The door flew open, stopping Daniel in his tracks, and Val sailed into the room with a flourish, "Tada!"

Cara just rose an eyebrow at his antics, the silent scolding second nature to her after so many centuries.

Val dropped his arms, and squirmed under her penetrating stare. He opened his mouth, and shut it again, ducking his head and scuffing his shoes against the floor like a little boy. "Sorry."

Daniel smiled, and slipped off to the kitchen, dragging Amy with him.

Cara's eyebrow just rose higher on her face, if that were even possible.

"I should have... I should have..."

Cara crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Damnit, woman!" he stomped his foot. "What's it going to take?"

Cara sidled up to him as quickly as her wound would allow, grabbed his shirt front with one hand, and pulled him down to her level. She was so weak at the moment, the only reason she'd succeeded was because he allowed it. Her voice came out as little but a whisper. "I have lost almost everything, everyone. Don't make me worry about you again."