It was nice to be out now, even if the air was recycled rather than fresh. Phoebe took her into a dress store that was owned by a friend of hers who was expecting them. In fact, all the women in the store were surprisingly friendly toward her.
Cassandra had a suspicion most of that was because they owed so much to Phoebe's husband.
Melissa, the clerk assigned to help them, appeared around the age of twenty. She was a skinny blond woman no taller than five ten, which for a Daimon was tiny.
"This one could be easily altered by Friday," Melissa said, holding up a sleek, gauzy dress that shimmered in the faint light. It was an iridescent silvery white. "Would you like to try it on?"
"Okay."
As soon as Cassandra saw it in the full-length mirror, she knew there was no need to go any further. It was gorgeous and she felt like a fairy princess in it. The material was buttery soft and slid sensuously against her skin.
"You're so beautiful," Phoebe whispered as she stared at her in the mirror. "How I wish Mom and Dad could see you right now."
Cassandra smiled at her. It was hard to feel beautiful with her stomach sticking out a mile, but at least she had a good reason for being fat.
"You are lovely," Kat concurred as she helped to adjust the floor-length hem.
"What do you think?" Melissa asked. "I have more if-"
"I'll take it."
Smiling, Melissa moved forward and helped her out of it, then took measurements for the alterations. Kat and Phoebe left the dressing room and went outside to look for accessories.
"You know," Melissa said as she measured Cassandra's waist, "I have to say that I admire you for what you've done."
Cassandra looked at her with consternation. "What do you mean?"
"Finding a Dark-Hunter to protect you," Melissa said as she made notes on a small PDA. "I wish I had someone like that to look after my little ones when I'm gone. My husband died three months ago, and though I have another two years, I can't help but worry about them."
Two years...
Melissa looked younger than that. It was hard to imagine the vibrant, healthy salesclerk dying of old age in such a short time.
The poor woman had lost her husband. Most Apollites married people within a few months of their own age for that reason. It was considered a bonus to find a spouse who shared your birthday.
"Is it... painful?" Cassandra asked hesitantly. She'd never seen an Apollite die of "natural" causes.
Melissa made another note. "We make a vow here to let no one die alone."
"You haven't answered my question."
Melissa met her gaze. Her eyes were filled with unspoken emotions, but it was the fear there that reached out and made Cassandra shiver. "Do you want the truth?"
"Yes."
"It's unbearable. My husband was a strong man. He cried like a baby all night long from the pain of it."
Melissa cleared her throat as if her own pain were too much to bear. "I sometimes understand why so many of our people kill themselves the night before. I even thought about moving my children to a new community so that they would have the choice, but up on the surface, we have too many predators to fight. Other Apollites, Daimons, Were-Hunters, humans, and Dark-Hunters who are looking for our brethren. My mother brought me here when I was just a child. But I remember the upper world well. It's so much safer here. At least we can live openly without fear of someone learning about us."
Cassandra couldn't breathe as thoughts tore through her. She had known it wouldn't be pleasant, but what Melissa described was so much worse than what she had imagined.
It would be bad enough for her to suffer... but what of the baby? He was so innocent. He didn't deserve such a fate.
But then who did?
"Oh, here now," Melissa said quickly, "I didn't mean to upset you."
"It's okay," Cassandra said past the lump in her throat. "I asked and I appreciate your honesty."