Could have sworn I responded to this. Interwebs! Stop eating my posts!
It is really interesting, seeing them all together like this. Jake has this thread wherein he subtly uses his authority to keep Cassie out of danger that falls somewhere between sweet and selfish (since someone else always has to put themselves in harm's way instead).
I found this sequence particularly interesting:
[spoiler]
(Book 51, Marco)
"…Group Two has to travel to the capitol. Get to the governor somehow. Convince him to work with us."
"I’ll go," Cassie said.
"No," Jake replied, practically before the words were out of her mouth.
Cassie froze. Stared at him.
Jake didn’t even look at her.
Instead, he gave me a sarcastic half-smile. A glimpse of the old Jake. “If anybody can handle a politician, it’s Marco. And Tobias can get to the capitol without getting lost. We also need to make sure the governor isn’t a Controller, and Ax is the most qualified to judge. So that’s the second group. Marco, Ax, and Tobias.”
That’s when he finally looked at Cassie. Locked his gaze on her.
"I can trust them," he said.
Silence.
-
(Book 52, Ax)
"Cassie’s going," Jake said. "If there are tough decisions to be made along the way, I want Cassie to make them. She’s as close as I can get to going myself…"
"No offense, Cassie," Marco said. "But I think it should be me or Ax."
"Why? You don’t trust me to give the people only five minutes to escape?"
"I don’t trust you not to sacrifice yourself somehow in the process. No unnecessary heroics. They give me gas."
-
(Book 53, Jake)
"I need Rachel, Marco, Tobias, Ax, Toby, James, and Eva," I said.
I hadn’t meant to exclude Cassie. I really hadn’t. But it was too late. She looked like I’d hit her. She blinked and turned quickly away, covering the moment with aimless chatter to her parents…
‹Okay, then. Get started. Make sure Cassie doesn’t know.›
‹You still don’t trust her?› Rachel said angrily.
‹She loves us both, Rachel,› I said. ‹I can’t make her part of this…›
[/spoiler]
Basically, Jake doesn't trust her, then he trusts only her, then he plays it as though he doesn't trust her again. I don't remember those books too well without a reread-- is Jake's trust of Cassie in #52 there warranted or in-character?
Court, I like your old post on Cassie's development. I'm glad you dredged that up. And I agree-- Cassie is a very brave character who probably doesn't deserve a lot of the flak she gets. Some of it, I think, is warranted, but not all