He grabbed hold of another stake and took aim before whipping it toward them. Acting on pure survival instinct, Cassie threw her hand up. Joey's power burst free of her, it caught the stick in midair and deflected it from its target, her heart. Cassie struggled to get Luther's limp form behind her but her fingers were slippery from the blood coating them and it was difficult to grasp hold of him. A small whimper escaped her. She didn't want them to see her apprehension, didn't want them to know that they'd driven her to this level, but she couldn't hide it either.
She slipped in the trail of blood that she was leaving behind but she was able to get Luther's body firmly against the wall. The man hunting them was hesitant now of what else she could do, but the women were regaining their feet and three against a weakening one would eventually be enough to embolden them. Cassie winced and was unable to suppress a groan as she pulled the stake from her belly. It was a good thing her organs weren't necessary for her survival anymore.
She did question if she would eventually bleed out, if the cuts were more than her rapid healing ability could handle. Then she realized that it didn't matter. Her mind was growing foggier, her head was spinning, and she was fairly certain there wasn't solid ground beneath her hands and feet anymore.
That's why when the door began to open, she didn't immediately react and didn't truly believe it was happening. Even when she saw Chris's sapphire eyes she didn't try to warn him away because she was certain that she was imagining him there. She was into the hallucinogenic stage of whatever drug they had given her.
Cassie didn't hear or see the arrow from the crossbow until it whizzed past Chris, missing him by only a hair. "Holy..." the rest of his words cut off as he jumped back from the doorway.
Cassie tried to focus as she began to believe that just maybe this was real. Then Chris was back and kneeling behind the door as he reached for her. "Luther," she whispered. "Take Luther first."
Chris frowned at her, but he adjusted himself as he grasped for Luther's wedged body. Cassie managed to gather enough strength and wits about her to move away from Luther so Chris could get him free. Her stalkers were coming rapidly at her now, determined not to lose her to Chris's interference. Cassie didn't know what to do or how to hold them back anymore.
Terror pulsed through her as she drew upon the power within her. She didn't care what ability it was anymore, just as long as something came from her. It vibrated forth, but due to her growing weakness, it wasn't as strong or as forceful. Chris's hand wrapped around her arm at the same time a ball of fire burst out of her palm.
Chris cursed loudly as he recoiled, but he didn't release her as the fireball slammed into the three of them. The other woman took the brunt of the fireball as she was in front of the others. Her shirt burst into flames that rapidly escalated toward her face. She was engulfed in an inferno as shrieks resonated through the hall and pierced Cassie's eardrums. Anne managed to retreat into one of the other rooms, but the man was still trying to beat the flames licking at his legs when the woman's charred corpse fell on top of him. He started to scream as the flames still eating at her body leapt onto his.
Momentarily distracted by the demented freak show, Cassie and Chris remained immobile. Chris reacted first by tugging brusquely on her arm. "Cassie, come on!" he hissed.
She shook her head in confusion and then began to nod rapidly. "Yes, yes."
Unable to trust her legs to support her she crawled toward him. Escaping the hideous hall, Cassie leaned against the blessedly cool wall as Chris slammed the door shut. She remained sitting, thankful to be free yet unwilling to believe it was true. "Are you ok?" Chris clasped hold of her hands as he gazed fearfully at her. "Cassie!"
"Yes, yes I'm fine. Luther?"
Chris glanced back at Luther's slouched body. "I can't see much in here. We need to go. Can you walk?"
"I think so."
Chris grasped hold of her arm and helped her to her shaky legs. She staggered and fell back against the wall. Chris tried to steady her again but she shooed him away, she was determined to stand and walk on her own. It was the only way the three of them were going to get out of here.
She wrapped Luther's arm around her shoulders and tried to take some of his weight onto her. She knew she was of little help to Chris and Luther, but at least it was something. Chris shuffled down the hall, but he didn't seem to know where he was going. She'd become so accustomed to her acute night vision that she often forgot that not everyone shared in it.
"Left Chris," she whispered. "Go to the left."
He turned in response to her directions but his movements were stilted and jerky. She tried to guide him through the dark, but they repeatedly bumped and jostled against walls, and each other. She didn't know if it was from the chill of the basement or from moving again, but her head was starting to clear and she was feeling stronger as they made it to the winding steps. Perhaps her vampire body was able to clear itself much faster of the drugs than her human body had been able to.
"We should get Melissa to help," Chris said.
"No!" Cassie said harshly. "No one else should be down in this dungeon of crap; she has to stay up there, if she's even still up there."
Cassie's stomach plummeted at the idea of losing another person within this house. She had no idea what she would do if Melissa wasn't up there. She tried not to think about it, tried to hope for the best, but in this house of horrors she wasn't sure there was a best to hope for.
Chris nodded and adjusted Luther as he gestured for Cassie to go first. Cassie moved as quickly up the stairs as she could. Her shoulder ached from the arrow still embedded in it and the pull of Luther's weight. Blood still oozed from her stomach, it burned like hell, but she could already feel the muscle repairing itself. She'd always healed fast, but this was astonishing even to her.
It felt as if the world had been taken off of her shoulders as she stepped into the hallway. A fresh burst of energy and strength streamed through her, they were nearly free. She released Luther to Chris. With a sense of growing urgency descending upon her, Cassie slammed the basement door shut and threw the lock.
Her hand rested against it for a moment but she knew the door wouldn't keep Anne trapped within that awful place. In fact, she was fairly certain that there was another way out of the freak show beneath and that Anne had already taken it. "Cassie," Chris whispered harshly.
She moved away from the door and reclaimed Luther's arm as he began to stir. "Luther," she whispered.
His head lulled toward hers, his right eye opened a crack as he tried to focus on her. "Cassie?"
"Yes. We're almost out Luther, we're almost there."
"What happened?"
"Nothing good," she muttered.
His Adam's apple bob as he swallowed and dazedly looked around the hall. "The orphanage, Sister Anne."
"Not a Sister, believe me," Cassie told him. "And she's still alive. Stay with us, we have to get out of here Luther."
He nodded and briefly looked toward Chris before his arm slipped off of her shoulder. She tried to grab him again but he waved her away. "You're injured and I'll be fine. Let's go."
Chris kept his arm around Luther's waist as they staggered back into the kitchen. Melissa's mouth dropped as her eyes almost bulged out of her head. "What happened!?" she gasped.
"A lot," Chris replied impatiently. Melissa took a step toward them but Chris waved her back. "The door, get the door."
Melissa spun away from them but before she could get to the door the children gathered around her scattered like cockroaches into the shadows. Cassie took a startled step back as the young boy from earlier threw his arms around her leg and hugged her. "What the..."
Melissa was unable to finish her sentence as an arrow shot out of the dark and caught her in the chest. The children began to scream, Cassie struggled with the barnacle attached to her side as she lunged toward Melissa. Her friend's eyes bulged from her head as she clawed at the arrow protruding from the right side of her chest just b
eneath her collarbone. Cassie caught Melissa before she tumbled to the floor.
Her hands wrapped around Melissa's head as Melissa's breath rattled out of her. "Hold on! Melissa hold on!" Cassie cried.
Her hands fumbled with Melissa's shirt as she attempted to staunch the incessant flow of blood pouring from her friend. The heady scent of Hunter blood drifted up to her. It was better than anything she'd ever smelled before, better than fresh baked chocolate chip cookies even. How on earth had Devon and Julian been able to resist it?
Because they had to, just as she had to, she told herself fiercely. The twang of another arrow being released shot her head up. Chris scarcely avoided taking one to the eye as he dropped down at the last second. "I'm going to kill that bitch!" Cassie snarled.
"Not if I get to her first," Chris retorted.
Cassie looked frantically around but she'd lost sight of the young boy and Luther in the chaos. Melissa's eyes were desperate as her fingers clawed at Cassie's. She was trying to speak but only gurgled sounds escaped her. "You're going to be ok, Melissa. You're going to be ok. I have to take it out."
Melissa's mouth parted, a drop of blood appeared on her bottom lip as she exhaled loudly. Fear spurred Cassie into action as she seized hold of the arrow and tore it free. Melissa wailed loudly before collapsing upon the floor. Unconsciousness had dragged her into its blessed depths as her hands limply slid to her sides.
Cassie tossed the arrow aside and placed her hands over Melissa's injury as she strived to find Annabelle's power within her. Now was not the time to lose contact with her abilities, but as she searched to find the good, healing power within her she kept coming up with a wall of nothing. Tears spilled down her face, her lower lip trembled as blood coated her hands and slid down to wet her knees.
"No!" she choked out. "No! No! No!"
A loud crash to her right shot her head around as Luther and Chris dove into the shadows of the pantry on the side of the kitchen. Cans, pots, and jars rattled and crashed to the floor as they collided with shelves and stored goods. Cassie turned her attention back to Melissa as she felt the weakening beat of her pulse.
Instinct drove her as she leaned over her friend and grasped hold of her cheeks. "You are not going to die," she whispered.
Even as she said the words she felt a warming in her hands, a heat that was unlike anything she'd ever experienced. The fuzzy warmth of the alcohol had been nothing compared to this. The other abilities she had used were all about destruction, but this one was all about love as it seeped out from the center of her chest, into the palms of her hands, and into Melissa. Tears streamed down her face and fell upon her friends cheeks as her body breathed life back into Melissa's weakening form.
Chris and Luther reemerged from the pantry with a struggling Anne between them. Cassie spotted the little boy hovering in the shadows a few feet away as Melissa's chest rose and fell with renewed vigor. She was still weak but Cassie was certain that she would survive, and if they could get her to Annabelle soon, she would be even better off.
"How is she?" Luther demanded.
Cassie sat back and wiped the tears from her cheeks as she met his gaze. There was something in his eyes, a fire she'd never seen before. "She'll be ok," Cassie managed to choke out. "We have to get her to Annabelle though."
"Or we'll bring Annabelle here."
"They can't get in," Chris reminded him.
Luther's upper lip curled in a sneer as he nodded. The children's eyes gleamed in the dark but the only one that came any closer was her little Barnacle as he edged around behind her and Melissa. "Will you take us with you?" he whispered.
"We came here just for you," Cassie assured him.
He smiled at her as he knelt beside her and placed his hand upon her knee. Cassie wanted to take hold of his small hand but she was covered in blood and she refused to let it taint him. The best thing for the child would probably be to stay as far from her as possible, but he seemed determined to believe that she was his savior, and that there was still something noble within her. Cassie hoped that he was right.
"Give me your knife and open the door Chris," Luther commanded as he pulled Anne forward a few more feet.
Chris handed his knife over and hurried to the back door. His fingers trembled but he was still able to turn the locks and fling the door open. Devon and Julian hovered in the doorway, their ruby eyes were the clearest things about them as the shadows embraced their bodies. Devon roared and lunged forward when he spotted her. Chris took a startled step back, but Devon was brought to a halt by the invisible barrier that kept him and Julian out. The children squeaked and retreated further into the shadows. Barnacles hand clenched upon her thigh.
"It's ok," Cassie assured him. "They won't harm you. They're friends, I promise."
"They're the evil ones."
Cassie wiped a straggling strand of hair from her face. "So am I."
His dark eyes were unwavering upon her as he shook his head. "No, you're something else."
"Maybe so, but I'm most certainly not an angel either."
The boy smiled at her and leaned a little forward. "We shall see."
Cassie frowned at him but she didn't have much time to pursue the conversation as Luther pulled Anne forward. Devon and Julian's eyes gleamed as Luther pushed Anne outside and down the stairs. Though she and Chris could still see him, Luther maneuvered Anne away from view of the children.
Cassie didn't know what he intended with the woman, or where he was taking her, until Luther drew the blade abruptly across Anne's throat. The woman cried out and fumbled with her neck as Luther callously shoved her forward. All the color drained from Chris's face, Cassie fell back to her knees and lifted her arm to make sure the child's view of Anne's body was blocked.
"Come in," Luther invited. He wiped the blade across his jeans and handed it back to Chris. Chris gawked at him as he tremulously took hold of the handle.
Devon hurried to her side and dropped to his knees beside her. "Did they hurt you?" he demanded as he seized hold of her hands and turned them over before him.
She couldn't form words right now; there were none to be found. She glanced back at where Anne's body had disappeared from view. She knew Luther would do anything for them, but she'd never seen that side of him. She could only nod in response to Devon's question as she took solace in the tender touch she cherished so much. It had been nothing but a nightmare for the past hour, but she found that the feel of him was enough to make it all at least a little better.
"Melissa requires Annabelle's more experienced medical attention and we have to gather the children. This will be a good place to stay until we can regroup," Luther stated.
Cassie met the relentless gray eyes of her Guardian. She still felt a little sick over what had just occurred, but she knew it had been no different than anything she'd done below. She'd killed for him because she loved him, and he'd done the same. Though she knew this, she couldn't shake the feeling that they were all walking on thin ice and that one or all of them was going to fall through.
CHAPTER 19
Devon gradually pulled the bandage back from Cassie's shoulder to examine the injury. The skin underneath was red and puckered, but it was healing well and within hours would be nearly indistinguishable from her porcelain skin. He peeled the bandage away to let the injury breathe for the remainder of the time. Cassie glanced over her shoulder at him as he tugged her shirt back into place.
She looked better than she had before, though she was still paler and there was a melancholy gleam in her eyes that he found disheartening. "Thank you," she murmured as she touched his hand.
"Cassie..."
"I set that woman on fire Devon."
"Cassie..."
"I killed that man." Her eyes were beseeching as she tilted her face up to his. "And I enjoyed it."
He sat beside her on the bed that had most likely belonged to one of The Commission members. The bones in her hand seemed thin and fragile as he took hold of it, but it woul
d take a lot to break them now. "I know."
Her fingers played over his face as her eyes searched him. "Yes, you do know."
He grasped her hand and cradled it against his face. "It doesn't make you a monster Cassie."
"What does it make me then?" she whispered.
"It makes you a survivor. Do you consider Luther a monster?"
"He killed Anne to keep us safe, and I killed that woman for the same reason, but that man..." Her hands fell into her lap, she couldn't meet his gaze. "I killed him to protect us but I'd be lying if I said I didn't do it to feed the hunger. That it felt great."
He placed his hand over the spot where her heart used to beat so freely and inhaled her sweet, intoxicating scent as he leaned closer to her. He was afraid for her, afraid of what this would all turn out to be, but right now he couldn't bring himself to care. She'd almost been taken from him again today and he was lucky that she was still sitting beside him.
Her supple lips parted beneath his and she melted against him. His hand entwined in her hair as he became consumed by the taste of her. She was so giving and warm; her skin as smooth as satin beneath his touch. Blocking out the awful events of the day, he focused on the here and now as he lost himself completely to the touch and pleasure that only she could bring him.
It was hours before he untangled himself from her, and even longer before he released his hold upon her. Her lashes curled against her cheek as she slept soundly. Sleep, was one of the few times she looked at all peaceful anymore. He dressed quickly, ran his hand through his hair, and cast one more glance back at her before leaving the room.
The sun was high in the afternoon sky when he crept down the stairs. He heard the muffled voices and followed the conversation to the living room. Chris was standing by the window, leaning against the wall with his arms folded over his chest as he stared at the day. Luther's head was bent and an icepack was resting against the back of his neck. Devon didn't know where the children were but he assumed the others were taking care of them, and Melissa.
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