Inferno

by Erica Stevens

  Though, she didn’t want Devon to know right now about the fact that Julian had kissed her. He would destroy Julian if he learned that, and she could not allow that to happen. Especially since it had been her fault for allowing the kiss to happen. At the time she had been confused about her feelings toward Julian. She knew that Devon possessed her heart and soul, but Julian had become a big part of her life, and she loved him. But she could never love him like she loved Devon, and although she had doubted that, Julian never had. He had simply needed to kiss her, simply wanted the moment for himself.

  She thought back to Julian’s words after he had kissed her. “I know princess, I know. I just needed this.”

  At the time she hadn’t known what he meant by that. Had not understood what he had known, but she understood now. Though she had been lost and confused, Julian had known that she would always choose Devon over him. Julian had understood that though she did love him, it was always Devon that she belonged with, and to. And although it had happened once, both she and Julian knew that it would never happen again.

  Tears clogged her throat, she clung tighter to Devon. It was not a secret that she would always keep from him, and one day she would tell him, but she couldn’t do so now. Now she needed Devon to trust Julian as much as she did. She couldn’t lose Julian now, she had grown to trust him and love him, and she needed him to help get her through all of this. She would always need him she realized.

  She had never kept anything from Devon, but this was a secret she would have to keep for a little while. At least until Devon realized that Julian was different. That Julian was no longer their enemy, nor was he the same murderous monster that had once been Devon’s best friend, and had once helped Devon slaughter numerous innocents. No, this Julian was evolving, becoming someone different, becoming someone good, and trustworthy. He was learning to care for someone other than himself; he was becoming more human again and less of a monster. He had become someone that she loved and who loved her in return. He would do anything to keep her safe, and she would also do the same for him.

  Even if the person she had to keep him safe from was Devon.

  Cassie squeezed Devon’s hand again, seeking reassurance as she leaned her head against his chest to savor in the scent of him. His hand entangled in her hair, crushing her to him with a desperation that left her breathless, and on the verge of tears. She ached for the loss and confusion and terror that he had gone through. Ached for the turmoil and confusion she sensed boiling through him. He bent his head to her, his lips pressed gently against her forehead, her cheek, before finally resting against her neck.

  She felt the rapid increase of his tension, felt the hunger that surged through him. Cassie closed her eyes; her body tingled with excitement as she felt the hot press of his teeth against her skin. She wished fervently that they were not here, that they were not ensnared in this unending horror. She wished that they were alone so that she could truly enjoy his presence, his love, his strength.

  Wished that they were alone so she could reassure Devon that it was him she was in love with.

  Cassie’s eyes flew open as the vehicle came to a stop. Her hands tightened upon him as a fresh wave of panic threatened to consume her. She needed to be strong now, she had to be strong. Taking a deep breath, she pulled slowly away. He kept hold of her hand as she rose up to look at the large red general store. “Why are we here?” Dani inquired, her eyes darting nervously around the deserted street.

  “Supplies,” Luther answered briskly.

  “Julian and I will go in first.”

  Cassie’s hand tightened around Devon’s as her eyes flew wildly to him. They had just found each other again; she wasn’t ready to part with him yet. “I’m coming with you,” she said forcefully.

  “Cassie…”

  She shook her head, brushing aside the strands of hair that fell across her eyes. “No, I’m coming with you.”

  Devon glanced wearily at the store then back at her. “She’ll be fine; she’s been through far worse than this. Now let’s get going, the sun is coming up,” Julian said briskly. “Luther open the back door.”

  Luther sat in stunned silence for a moment, Devon’s hand tightened on hers as they all slowly turned their attention back to her. Cassie found herself staring defiantly back at them, her eyes narrowed, her chin tilted up. She knew she was not the Cassie that had been taken from them, that she had changed, but she was getting really tired of their strange, questioning looks. She may be tougher now, but at heart she was still the same person. Well, mostly, there were a few changes that were frightening and unsettling. Changes she wasn’t sure she would ever understand. She wasn’t even sure that she wanted to.

  Luther sighed softly before leaning forward to push the button inside of the glove box, popping open the back door. Julian slid out the back and slammed the door behind him. Devon hesitated for a moment longer, but Cassie continued to cling to his hand, unwilling to let go. “Ok,” he relented after a moment.

  “I’m coming too,” Liam said, shoving open the door and plunging into the brisk predawn air.

  Cassie shivered in response. When they had fled their prison, she had been too hyped up on adrenaline and fear to really feel the cold, but now that she was safe with Devon again, the cold air seemed to pierce her to her bones. Devon slid out of the car, helping her out behind him. Cassie winced as her brutalized bare feet hit the ground. It was another thing she hadn’t felt until now, but her feet were bruised, cut, and bleeding. She glanced absently down, noting that she had somehow lost the nail on her pinky toe. She shuddered in disgust, looking quickly away from the bloodied mess of her feet.

  “Are you ok?” Devon demanded, anger blazing from his eyes as he looked down at her wounded feet.

  She managed a wan smile as she nodded. “I heal fast, remember?”

  He glanced sharply up at her, a small smile curved his full mouth but his eyes remained hard. “I remember.” She grinned up at him, leaning forward to drop a soft kiss on his hard jaw. She may heal fast, but she couldn’t regenerate a toenail. “I’ll carry you.”

  He bent to pick her up but Cassie quickly shook her head, holding up her hand to ward him off. “We’re both going to need to be ready in case something happens. I’m fine Devon, really.”

  He studied her for a moment longer, before nodding briskly. “The door is open.” Cassie glanced over at Julian as he slipped through the darkened doorway. A moment of panic descended over her as he disappeared from view.

  “Stay by me,” Devon ordered in a low voice.

  Cassie nodded as they moved forward, entering the dark store. Her eyes found Julian instantly, standing amongst the shadows as he surveyed the building. The store smelled tantalizingly of oats, honey, corn, sweet feed, and leather. The sweet scent of food caused Cassie’s stomach to rumble in hungry response. Liam reached forward, searching for a light switch but Julian seized hold of his arm. “They’ll see the light if you do that.”

  “You don’t think they haven’t already seen the headlights?” Liam retorted.

  “The lights stay off,” Devon told him.

  They moved slowly into the store. Cassie glanced wildly around, her senses on high alert for any hint of danger. Although it was dark, her eyes picked up most of the details. She kept her ears trained for any hint of movement, any furtive sound that might signal the impending attack of one of the monsters that haunted this town.

  They crept slowly forward, the wooden floor boards squeaking softly under their weight. They passed by the glass countertop, there was a cash register placed neatly at the end of it. Inside the countertop was an array of jewelry tucked neatly, and oddly, next to some brutal looking hunting knives. Next to the glass countertop was a large display of penny candy set off to the left, with even more candy bars set up on the wall behind it.

  “Those will come in handy,” Julian’s eyes were latched onto a foot long bowie knife behind the glass. It was well honed and completely lethal looking.

&
nbsp; “Good thing this is a hunting community,” Liam said softly, his eyes focused on the back row of the store.

  Hung neatly on the back wall was a wide assortment of crossbows and long bows. Cassie’s eyes widened on the weapons, a thrill of excitement shot through her. She suddenly itched to get her hands on one of those crossbows. It had always been her favorite weapon, and she excelled at it. Devon pulled her gently to the side, leading her past rows of brown Carhartt jackets, pants and coveralls. Across from the outdoor gear was a row of sweaters, sweatshirts, and long johns.

  Devon paused to tug a jacket from the hanger. He slipped it gently around her shoulders, tugging it gently into place. She hadn’t realized she had been shivering until the warm material encircled her, drawing her attention to the goose bumps that covered her skin. She slipped her arms through the sleeves, relishing in the smooth inner lining and warm down that filled it. The sleeves were too big but Devon quickly rolled them back and snugged them into place.

  She stared up at him, love filling her as he brushed the hair back from her face, his fingers lingered on her cheek. Cassie turned into his tender caress, so very happy to feel his touch once more. “There’s some food over here,” Liam said softly.

  Cassie tore her attention away from Devon, her hand slipping easily into his as they moved further down the aisles. Liam and Julian were standing in the far left aisle that ran the length of the store. Freezers full of soda, ice cream, and frozen goods filled the wall. A row of canned foods, bagged foods, and junk food lined the shelves on her right.

  Julian moved slowly toward the back of the store, his ice blue eyes alight in the glow from the coolers. Wide double doors opened into a large back room that was packed nearly to the ceiling with bags of animal feed. There was food for dogs and cats, but most of it consisted of cow and horse feed, with a stack of grain in the back for chickens, goats, and sheep.

  “Everything you could possibly need in one little store,” Liam said softly.

  Cassie walked over to the back wall. The room was held up by stilts, the backyard sloped down a steep rock and dirt hill. Staring out the window, she wasn’t surprised to find a mixture of tractors, mowers, trailers, and other assorted equipment in the back. There were also a few chicken coops and dog pens. Nausea twisted through her stomach, bile rose up her throat at the sight of the carnage of the animals that had once lived within those pens. They had been violently slaughtered and strewn about. Closing her eyes against the disgusting site, she turned stiffly away.

  Devon came forward, resting his hands gently on her shoulders as he pulled her away. Julian walked past her to look out the window, shaking his head as his lip curled in disgust. “Disgusting, vile creatures,” he muttered. “There is one thing that we don’t have in this little store.”

  “Blood,” Cassie answered for him.

  “Yes.”

  They were silent, the three living dead staring at each other for a long, tense moment. Cassie shifted uncomfortably acutely aware of the fact that she was the only morsel in front of them. “Well, let’s gather some supplies and get out of here,” she said softly.

  “No go. We’re going to be here for awhile.” Julian pointed out the window to the small ray of light breaking over the horizon. “Not all of us are lucky enough to withstand its rays.”

  Cassie winced at the reminder of what had been done to Julian while they had been prisoners. Their captors had exposed him to long periods of UV light to see if he could withstand it, like Devon could. Unfortunately, he couldn’t, and Cassie could still see the lingering remnant of a burn at the edge of his platinum blond hair. “Aren’t we?” Devon inquired in a low growl, his hands tightening briefly on Cassie’s shoulders.

  Cassie shot Devon a fierce look. He could not know what had happened to Julian in there, but there was no need to instigate him. Julian quirked an eyebrow in amusement, though it did little to cover the tension thrumming through him. “I may have been on this earth for a long time, but that is one trick that even I have not managed to master. Let’s get the others.”

  He turned away, gliding gracefully back down the aisles. Cassie moved to follow him but Devon held her back. She glanced questioningly at him. His face was intense, his eyes hard. “Cassie I don’t know what has happened to you, or to Julian, over the past couple of weeks. I don’t know why the three of you are together.” He broke off for a moment, studying her intently. Cassie knew that he wanted an explanation, but she was not ready to give him one yet. She was not ready to relive that horror right now. He sighed softly; his hands briefly stroked her arms. “I know you feel that we can trust him, but…”

  “I do trust him,” she interrupted fiercely. “I know it’s asking a lot of you Devon, but you must trust me on this. Julian will not do anything to hurt me.”

  A strange look crossed his face, a flicker of hurt and worry flashed through his eyes. Her hands tightened upon him, she wished that she could make him understand, but there wasn’t time for that right now. “Ok, fine” he relented. “If you trust him around your friends then I will also.”

  Cassie nodded, wishing she could explain everything to him, but knowing that words could never truly make him understand. “I do Devon. I trust him completely.”

  His eyes widened in surprise, his hands tightened briefly on her. She knew that she was confusing him, knew that he didn’t understand, and that he was wounded, but she could not help it. There was no time now, and she needed him on her side. She needed him not to instigate Julian. She needed him. He stared at her for a moment longer before nodding briskly. “Then let’s go.”

  She followed him back to the front of the store, and outside. Annabelle was standing by the SUV, her eyes rapidly searching the surrounding area before darting nervously toward the sky. “We’ll be staying here for now,” Julian announced.

  Annabelle’s shoulders slouched slightly in relief as she nodded briskly. She turned to the vehicle, throwing open the driver’s side door. “Come on,” she called into it.

  CHAPTER 3

  Cassie waited impatiently for the microwave to beep. Her frozen pizza turned slowly inside, the plate bumped every once in awhile against the sides of the machine. Her mouth watered as the scent of the bubbling cheese filled the air. Turning away, before she drove herself crazy with hunger, Cassie looked around the small room they had discovered behind the large row of candy bars.

  Inside were a coffee pot, small mini fridge, and microwave. There was also a little TV and radio. Devon was fiddling with the TV, trying to find a channel, but receiving nothing. He slammed his hands off the side of it; a loud curse escaped him as he switched it off in frustration.

  “Beating on it won’t make the cable come back on.”

  Cassie glanced over her shoulder as Julian appeared in the doorway, smiling in wry amusement. His platinum hair was still damp and disheveled from washing it in the same sink that Cassie had used to clean herself up in. He had slipped on a pair of jeans, and a flannel shirt that looked completely out of place on him. Yet, he was still magnificent and gorgeous. She shook her head at him as Devon turned, scowling fiercely. “Thanks for the info. Have any more little tidbits of advice for me?” Devon snarled.

  “Now now, no need to be snippy,” Julian replied lightly.

  Devon’s scowl deepened as he rose swiftly to his feet, his body shook with frustration and anger. Cassie’s eyes widened, fear boiled through her as she glanced rapidly between the two of them. Julian still appeared casual, but beneath his calm exterior she sensed a rising tension inside of him. They were both spoiling for a fight.

  “Stop it,” Cassie warned, stepping between the two of them. She was growing impatient with their bickering and constant baiting of one another. Devon was the first one to back down, turning away from them as the microwave beeped loudly. Cassie’s mouth watered as he pulled the plate out, his eyes latching back on Julian as he handed it to her. Cassie eagerly seized hold of the plate, choosing to ignore them for the time being.

&nb
sp; “We found a storage area,” Julian informed them. “In the cellar.”

  Cassie blew on her steaming pizza. She was very tempted to start eating it now, and to hell with the burnt mouth, but Julian’s words enticed her almost as much as the pizza did. “There’s a cellar?” she inquired, in between blowing on her overheated meal.

  “Yes, come on.”

  Cassie glanced at Devon before following Julian from the room and toward the back of the store. A large mat had been pulled back to reveal the wooden planks of the floor. In the middle of the planks was an open trap door with a single metal ring at the end of it. Everyone was gathered around the trapdoor, peering into the darkness below.

  Cassie forgot about her pizza as she stepped next to Chris. The harsh scent of mildew wafted up, but nothing stirred within the dark. “I don’t sense anything down there,” Chris said softly.

  “I don’t smell any humans,” Liam added. “There are rats though.”

  Cassie’s nose wrinkled at the thought, her stomach rolled and dropped. She didn’t mind most animals, but rats that weren’t in a cage bothered her. “Well then, let’s go down.”

  Julian pulled out a flashlight and flicked it on. Light pooled from it, splashing down a set of steep wooden stairs. Turning, Cassie placed her pizza on a shelf, more curious about what was beneath than her food. She followed Chris down, using the thin wooden rail as her guide, and praying that the stairs would hold their weight as they shook beneath her, feeling more wobbly than supportive.

  The basement floor was hard packed dirt; the scent of mildew was stronger down here. Cassie covered her nose against the harsh smell as her stomach turned over. Julian played the flashlight around the room. The beam bounced off the old rock walls, a beaten down oil heater, and pallets loaded down with more feed. Sitting on top of the bags of feed were half a dozen rats, they paused only briefly in their eating to stare at them through the beam of light. Their eyes were bright red, their noses twitched as their tails thumped softly against the bags of grain. They squeaked their displeasure, a few of them disappearing into the dark while the braver ones refused to give up their meal.