Chapter 73
Cassidy turned to Kate and stared into her eyes; the glowing red orbs began to spin and shimmer, almost hypnotically. Kate started to drift into them; they were beautiful, she couldn't resist. From a distance she heard Sawyer shouting for her to close her eyes, but she couldn't. "I have gained a lot since I came to this island, Sawyer," Cassidy said, still staring into Kate's eyes, "But the ability to see into a person's heart is by far the most useful."
He weighed his options; he couldn't kill Frank, that was what they wanted. He could go for Cassidy, but he wasn't sure exactly what he would be up against and caution was probably best for now; plus, he was afraid Frank would kill Kate if he attacked. So he ground his teeth and waited for the opportunity he needed. Kate was scaring him, too, she was blank and slack, like a puppet being held up by its strings and he wondered what the hell Cassidy had done to her. His stomach turned to ice. "Oh, really?"
"Yes," she said. "For instance, I can tell you what is really in her heart." She pointed to Kate, who was staring off into space. "Do you want to know how she really feels? I can show it to you, just like this." She snapped her fingers and Kate began to walk towards him, blindly; abruptly she turned and walked to Jack, and at her touch he woke. She kissed him.
Sawyer's knees went weak and he almost fell, catching himself at the last second and straightening up even though it felt like someone was ripping his heart out. It was a trick, he knew it, but Kate was kissing Jack, for God's sake, how was he supposed to stand that? He gasped for air, his lungs were constricted, and he turned away from them, eyes watering as he choked, Get it together, James, and he felt his strength returning a little; glancing at Cassidy, he turned his eyes back to Kate and Jack, forcing himself to look. "It's not true." His voice wavered and he gazed at Kate, her lips on Jack's as his hands slid into her hair.
Cassidy smiled. "You don't sound so sure. You can stop it, you know, you can own Jack, make him your bitch if you want."
He tore his eyes from Kate and laughed coldly. "Jack is already my bitch. It's not true. She loves me." His voice was stronger; saying the words aloud invigorated him. He suddenly realized that Kate was no longer in Frank's grasp, seeing her with Jack had driven reason from his mind; he mustered all of the elecricity he could and sent a blue bolt directly at Cassidy's chest; she flung her hands out and a red light blocked it, sending it off into the trees, barely missing Kate as it flashed away.
She was suddenly in front of him, and she was Cassidy again. She flashed her dimples at him, sweetly, and she touched her hand to his chest, gently. "Sawyer," she whispered, her eyes normal and sane, "I still love you." Her touch intoxicated him and he couldn't look away, he grasped desperately at images of Kate as she slipped out of his mind; Cassidy was touching him, caressing him, and he responded; he couldn't help it. He was trying to remember someone, who was it? Kate? Kate who? He forgot completely as Cassidy kissed him, her hands touching his face gently. He loved her, he always had. He groaned as he felt her push against him, and he kissed her hard, drawing her against him hungrily. The shower, he was in a towel, brushing his teeth, Cassidy came out of the shower and drew him in. The memory was so sweet, so real he could almost touch it and he loved her, more than he had ever loved Ka-
"Kate!" He snapped out of the trance he was in, jerking away from Cassidy in horror as he saw Kate's eyes on him already. She was still in Jack's arms, neither one semed to realize it and Sawyer got it; they were still away no one home, please come again. He sighed with relief, a little, he didn't want Kate to remember any of this.
Cassidy was furious and the red glow flared in her eyes again. Cassidy was gone and something else was back; she held out her hand towards the still slack Kate and she lifted into the air, rotating gently; Sawyer froze as Cassidy grinned. "Useful, huh?"
"She don't have anything to do with this, Cass. Let her go." Kate dropped several feet, almost hitting the ground before Sawyer reacted, holding out his own hand to catch her in midair, where she hung, inches from the ground. He beckoned to himself amd she flew towards him, only to be stopped by Cassidy, who was smiling gleefully.
"Well, well, where did you learn that, Sawyer?" She stood easily, relaxed as she held Kate suspended in place.
"I was about to ask you the same thing, darlin'." His confidence returned again as he felt the power flow through him; even in her catatonic state she gave him energy just with her presence.
"I created this power," she said, snorting at Sawyer. "I control this power."
He jerked hard at Kate's body and she flew to him a few feet, but Cassidy brought her to a stop and she swung gently back between them. "Where's Cassidy?"
She laughed. "Cassidy? She's dead, my friend, or as good as. Unfortunate side effect of possession; they generally die afterwards." She looked at him knowingly. "Not even you can save her."
He glared at her. "How do you know that?"
She smiled, her red eyes glowing brighter. "I know you are a healer, Sawyer. I know everything. The Island knows all, it sees all, and I am the Island." she waved her fingers in front of him. "I'm a healer too. I seem to remember a bullet hole right about here-" she touched his shoulder and he screamed as it came back to him; the darkness, the burning as Walt's hand touched his shoulder.
"Walt?" He stopped screaming as she removed her hand and the burn faded. "Walt? Is that you?"
She looked thoughtful. "Yes, I suppose I used to be called Walt. Now I am something more." She smiled wryly at him. "You are too. Something more. And not Sawyer anymore either, James."
He smiled grimly, shaking his head. "No. I am only James for one person. You can call me Sawyer." He enjoyed the cold satisfaction it gave him to be Sawyer right now; he wanted to be full of hate and anger. "Let her go, Walt. She's nothing to you, it's me you want, right?"
"Yes," Cassidy laughed, and Kate dropped a few inches, teasingly. "But what better way to get to you?" Kate began to spin, faster and faster and Saywer was sick with fear; he tried to stop her but Cassidy was too strong.
"What? What do you want?" He was desperate; grasping at straws, anything to keep her from hurting Kate. "What do you want from me?"
"I want you." She smiled. "You are powerful, Sawyer. You and I together could make this place a paradise. You could have whatever you wanted for the asking."
The offer was tempting; anything he ever wanted for the asking, but it just didn't sit right. If it seems to good to be true, it is. He should know. But I could be a new person, start over, he thought. I already am a new man, he answered himself, and Kate is the only thing I want. I don't need anything else. I'm already in paradise. "No, thanks, kiddo. I think I'll pass."
Cassidy flared. "It's not a request. I will hurt her if you don't."
His heart froze but he didn't show it; the con artist was taking over, working to stall until he could figure out what to do. He heard a flutter of wings and a small golden ball flitted by, chittering in a wavery whistle of a song; Sawyer watched it go by and smiled to himself. Help was on the way.
"Why me?" he asked, though he didn't really listen to the answer; his ears were tuned into the jungle, listening. Then he heard it; a low rumble that sounded like a helicopter flying by. Suddenly the hazy air was filled with a thousand battering wings as every bird in the jungle for a mile descended on Cassidy and Frank, covering them with pecks and claws as they fought to get away from the flapping throng. Kate dropped as Cassidy used her energy on the birds; Sawyer caught her and untied her hands quickly; at his touch she snapped out of her daze and said, blearily, "What's goin' on?"
He whispered urgently, "Not now, baby, I will tell you later, ok?" She nodded and watched the birds.
Frank ran, finally disentangling himself from the birds; Sawyer let him go. It wasn't his time yet. He concentrated on Cassidy; angry red light shot through the birds, blowing them off of her, though none of them seemed hurt. They flapped back at her, but she sparked them again and they flew away; as she looked up a log came hurtling through the air at her, before she could react it slammed into her, throwing her against a tree trunk and crushing her between them. She gazed at Sawyer, who was standing, dumbfounded, looking at his hands and the space where the log had been lying a few seconds earlier.
He and Kate both stared in horror at Cassidy; she was gasping for breath as blood bubbled from her lips; as they watched a black cloud flickered away from her, zipping into the jungle. She was pale and when the cloud left her she sagged, empty and broken. Sawyer touched her face gently; it was Cassidy and he was suddenly so sad; his heart was breaking because it was all his fault. She gazed up at him, smiling and he sobbed, "I'm sorry, Cass. I'm sorry for everything. I loved you, I really did, but I was a bastard who didn't know how to love. You opened the door for me, Cassidy, you gave me my first taste of what love could be, and for that I am forever thankful to you."
She smiled and her hand took his, gripping it weakly. "I'm sorry too, Sawyer." She was fading; her voice was barely a whisper. "It's okay. I'm glad you could find happiness with someone." She squeezed his hand, softly, so softly he could barely feel it. "I always loved you, even after you...you made me happy for a while and some happiness is better than none." She smiled and her dimples flared weakly. "I'm glad I got to see you one more time. At least I got that." Her eyes were fading, and Sawyer suddenly put his hands on her, willing her to heal; he pictured it, pictured her whole, and happy; Kate joined him, crying as she touched him, lending him whatever strength she could. His mind strained, trying his hardest but it was too late; her eyes were cold and dead.
He bent his head to hers and kissed her, his tears smearing the blood on her face. Kate held him and they sobbed together as the darkness lifted and life returned to the jungle.
