Kindled

by Erica Stevens

  He wanted to go to her, but he knew that she had to face this on her own. “I do know that Chris,” she said softly, forcefully. “I know what is inside of me now; I know what is just beneath the surface. I felt that hatred and rage and it is something that you can never understand. And I never want you to.” Her gaze darted to Devon, a sad acceptance in it as for the first time she truly understood him, truly got what it was that he went through on a day to day basis. “And now that it has been released I will have to constantly struggle to keep it suppressed. I know it,” she said softly.

  Devon nodded briefly, understanding what she was talking about. He knew how awful the constant struggle to keep himself restrained was. It was not something that he wanted Cassie to have to go through, but there was nothing he could do to stop it. He could not protect her from herself. He could only stand by her, and do what he could to make sure that she didn’t step over that precipice for good.

  “It’s ok though,” she continued, turning her attention back to Chris, a small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

  “Cassie,” Melissa said softly, unable to keep the heartache from her voice.

  “No, it really is ok. It makes things easier.”

  “Excuse me?” Luther inquired sharply.

  Her eyes found Devon’s again, for the first time in a long time a true gleam of hope filled them. “It makes the choice so much easier, it really does.”

  Devon froze as hope sprang forth, nearly drowning him in its suffocating, pounding waves. “Do you mean?” he barely managed to squeeze out through the sudden constriction in his chest. He had wanted this for so long, dreamed of this moment, and now that it was finally here, he didn’t want to hear the words. Because they were words he was afraid that he could not fulfill.

  Her smile widened, and although she was still unnaturally pale, there was a glow about her. “Yes,” she breathed. “I can’t get stuck in between if I’m already all the way over. I want to join you Devon.”

  CHAPTER 11

  Cassie heard the collective inhalation of breaths, but she couldn’t tear her gaze away from Devon. The need that radiated from him warmed her heart, caused her toes to curl, and made every scary thing about her decision completely right. It would be ok; he could calm the raging insanity in her. He knew all about what was inside of her, knew all about this monster that was living within her skin. He could help her control it, he could make it better, and he could make it so that she wouldn’t be some creature stuck in the middle, lost to a world of insanity and bloodlust. He could do all of that for her, and for the first time, she had no fear about letting him do so.

  For the first time, in so very long, there was a sense of real peace inside of her. This was right, this was what she wanted, and it would be good. She knew that. Between them, things would be perfect, forever.

  Even if she hadn’t just learned that she could lose complete control of herself, and everything she believed in, she knew that she had made the right choice. It was a choice she would have eventually made anyway, this new knowledge had just precipitated it faster. No matter what, she would have chosen to spend forever with him. To give him this peace and happiness, she would have done anything.

  “Cassie,” Chris said softly. “Are you sure?”

  She turned slowly away from Devon, bracing herself for the disgust she was sure would be on their faces. She loved them all dearly, but she had made her choice and she was going to stick by it. She was surprised to find that there was no disgust there however. In fact, Chris and Melissa looked as if they had been expecting this; Dani had retreated to the window and was not looking at them. Only Luther didn’t look happy.

  “Yes.”

  “I’m sorry, but you can’t.”

  Cassie’s head snapped toward Luther, anger and frustration rolled through her. She hadn’t expected her decision to be met with open arms, but she had expected some of Luther’s prejudice’s against Devon to have lessened. Hell, they had worked together in order to find out more about the Hunter’s like her. She had assumed that they had formed a bond between them, that Luther now accepted Devon.

  “Luther…”

  He held up a hand, stalling her angry tirade. His gaze was sad, lost, wounded. Cassie’s mouth snapped shut in the face of his distress. He glanced toward Devon, opening his mouth and then closing it again. Whatever it was he had to say, it was more than apparent he didn’t want to say it.

  Taking a deep breath, Luther rubbed the bridge of his nose before meeting her gaze once more.

  “Cassie, we don’t know what will happen to you if you are changed.”

  She frowned fiercely at him before turning to Devon. He looked just as confused as her for a moment, and then the furrows in his brow cleared. He turned to her, his eyes dark and dangerous, his jaw clenched tight. It was the anger and despair in his gaze that caused her heart to turn over, and her stomach to plummet.

  “No Hunter has ever been changed Cassie,” Luther continued gently. “There is no way of knowing what that change might bring. You already have vampire DNA in you, more so than most Hunter’s. We do not know what would happen to any Hunter that is changed; let alone what will happen to you. You are so close to the precipice now. We do not know what you will become, if you can be controlled.”

  Cassie gaped at him, struggling to keep breathing through the anxiety and pain clutching at her. She glanced sharply back at Devon, hoping that she would see denial in his gaze. She didn’t. “Devon can help with that,” she struggled to say.

  “Devon was able to bring you back before, but if he changes you and you become something more, he may not be able to pull you back. Ever.”

  There was a downtrodden slope to his shoulders that only confirmed Luther’s words. “Devon,” she whispered.

  He shook his head. “There is already demon in you Cassie,” he said softly, reluctantly. “Luther is right. There is no way to know.”

  The breath wheezed out of her, her chest constricted tightly. Hope deflated from her like a popped balloon. She could only stand there and stare, unmoving, frozen. “So, that’s it then,” she said softly. “There’s nothing we can do.”

  “I’m not saying that Cass,” Luther said gently. “I’m just saying that we need to take our time, do some more research. I have never heard of a Hunter being turned, but it may have happened, there may be something out there that would tell us about it. I had never thought to look for anything about you, until Devon came to me, and now we will look for information about this.”

  “No,” Devon said forcefully. “No more digging, no more research.” Cassie felt as if her legs were going to give out, but she somehow managed to keep herself standing upright. Didn’t he want her anymore? Didn’t he want to figure this all out somehow? Didn’t he want to end both of their misery? “It’s too dangerous.”

  Cassie blinked at him in surprise, her gaze darted to Melissa and Chris who looked just as confused as she was. “Dangerous?” she inquired.

  Devon nodded briskly. “The Commission, if they know you exist they will come for you. They will destroy you Cassie.”

  “No they won’t!” she and Chris protested simultaneously.

  Melissa’s eyes widened, her mouth parted slowly as she took a sharp step forward. Dani finally turned away from the window, her arms folded over her chest as she surveyed them. “That’s why no other Hunter’s like Cassie were recorded, not after Gertrude anyway,” Melissa whispered, disgust and understanding evident in her voice. “The Commission destroyed them.”

  Cassie glanced wildly between them; bile rose swiftly up her throat. “Why?” she breathed. “Why would they do that?”

  Luther took a deep breath, but it was Devon that answered her. “Because they could not, and would not, allow a fault in the bloodlines. They could not take the chance that one of their creations might turn against them, and become even more destructive then the monsters they had been created to destroy.”

  Cassie gaped at him as Chris cursed fierc
ely. Chris turned on his heel, pacing the room restlessly as he tugged at his hair. Melissa slumped against the wall, her head bowed. Cassie was surprised by the single tear that slid down her face. Melissa didn’t cry. She was stoic, proud, a rock. Dani stared at them with wide eyes, her mouth slightly parted as she glanced rapidly around the room.

  “I know you don’t want to, but I think that it’s a very good idea that you leave this town now. Luther tried to be discreet, but if they put two and two together, they will come for you.”

  Cassie’s eyes snapped back to Devon, her jaw dropped. “You can’t be serious! They wouldn’t do such a thing!”

  “Yes Cassie, I believe that they would,” Luther said softly.

  Her legs finally gave out. Cassie slumped to the floor, her muscles felt like Jell-O. Hadn’t she already given up enough? Hadn’t she already suffered enough? What more could life take from her? What more could it throw at her? Now she had to worry about her own kind coming after her, and there was a very distinct possibility that she could not join Devon without becoming a complete monstrosity.

  Devon was instantly in front of her, his strong hands enveloped hers. His solid strength seeped into her, enveloping her with his comforting presence. “We will get through this,” he said forcefully, his beautiful emerald eyes blazing into hers. “We will get through this, we will get it all sorted out, and we will be together Cassie. No matter what it takes, we will be together. But first we need to think about your safety, all of you need to go somewhere safe.”

  Cassie’s hand clenched tighter upon his. She tried to be reassured by his words, tried to believe in them but she couldn’t quench all of her doubts. How could she, when everything had already been so hard for the two of them? She swallowed heavily and nodded firmly. She had to believe him; otherwise she would not be able to keep on going, to keep on fighting. There had to be a light at the end of this dark tunnel, or she was going to succumb to the darkness inside her. She knew she would.

  “You’re right, we will be,” she said softly, managing a wan smile for him. His hands tightened around hers, a small twinkle lit his eyes. He helped lift her to her feet, wrapping his arm around her waist as he pulled her close to him, kissing the top of her head gently. “But why would they come for all of us, I thought it was only me they wanted?”

  “It may be more than The Commission that comes here now Cassie.”

  “Excuse me?” Chris demanded sharply.

  Cassie’s hand tightened in Devon’s shirt as she gazed up at him with wide eyes. “What do you mean?” she asked softly.

  Devon sighed, his hand encircled hers. “Isla is dead Cassie; you are the Hunter, and only one, that killed her. That is a feat that would have been thought impossible, before today. Isla was a Grounder, she was nearly an Elder, and far stronger than any other vampire you have defeated. When word of that spreads, others will come, others will want to take their chance at you. They will want the power that is in you. Julian will not fight alone, he knows that he cannot win, but he will not leave either. It is far too much of a challenge for him to quit now. They will not only come for you Cass, but all of you, now that they know you are here.”

  Chris exploded in a flurry of curses; Cassie merely gaped at Devon, her legs buckling once more. He held her up, his gaze burned into hers. “You cannot stay.”

  Weird sputtering noises came from her; she could hardly catch her breath. A loud crash snapped her head around. Chris was staring bashfully at them, holding his dust covered hand tightly. Behind him there was a hole in the wall from where he had punched it. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

  “That solved things,” Melissa muttered, shaking her head. “I’ll get you some ice.”

  “Are you ok?” Dani asked softly as Melissa hurried from the room.

  Chris nodded; color heated his face as he kept his gaze diverted. Melissa returned to the room with a towel wrapped in ice. Gently, she wrapped Chris’s hand in it, shaking her head at him. “Next time don’t blame it on the wall.”

  He gave her a small smile, nodding as he took the towel from her. “So what do we do?” Melissa inquired as she returned to her place by the mantle.

  “I’ve made some phone calls; I have a safe place for the five of you to go.”

  “The five of us, what about you?” Cassie demanded sharply.

  He shook his head. “Someone needs to stay here. They will come here for you, but they won’t stay here long if you’re gone. But they will stay for a bit, and they will cause some damage. Someone needs to be here to stop them.”

  “Absolutely not!” Cassie declared forcefully. “I will not leave you here alone to fight against them. You may be strong Devon, but you are not that strong!”

  “Cassie…”

  “No! No, I have lost so much. I cannot lose you too, it would destroy me!” The very thought of it caused something to twist and turn inside her. She wanted to curl up into a ball at the same time that she wanted to destroy everything in sight. It was a feeling that she realized was very dangerous to her, to all of them now. “We are not leaving Devon.”

  “It will only be for a little bit, and it is best that you are not here right now. Not until you can get a better grip on what is going on inside of you.”

  “And what if it takes over when you’re not there!?” she demanded, trembling with fear and anger, determined not to be forced from this town. They were needed here to protect people, and she could not be separated from Devon. “I can’t come back from it if you’re not there to reach me! And what if you are killed!?” Her voice was nearly hysterical now; full blown panic was beginning to set in.

  “Easy Cassie,” he said gently, his voice taking on a soothing tone that only set her teeth on edge more.

  “I am not a child!” she snapped. “Don’t talk to me like I am.”

  He studied her for a moment, his eyes growing darker. “I know that,” he said softly. “But you have got to keep your emotions under control.”

  She scowled up at him, trying to keep her anger, frustration, and terror in check. It aggravated her that he was right, but she refused to act like a child. “You can’t stay here alone.”

  He nodded, pulling her close he dropped a hard kiss on her forehead, clinging to her for a long moment. “I have figured something out.”

  “Devon…”

  “Cassie your safety is the most important thing. All of your safety is.”

  “Where do you want us to go?” Chris demanded.

  Devon pulled slowly away from her, his hand wrapped around the back of her head as he wound his fingers gently through her hair and held her tight. “You would agree to leave?” he asked softly.

  Chris stared hard at Cassie for a moment before nodding slowly. “If The Commission and vampires come for Cassie, we can’t stop them all. We won’t be enough. The last thing that I want to do is leave, the people here…” he shook his head; his gaze darted briefly to the window. “We can’t leave them unprotected. My mother.”

  “I’ll make sure they’re safe.”

  “And what about your safety?” Cassie demanded, unwilling to concede to his wishes yet, unwilling to leave him here while they were exiled.

  “I’ll have help,” he murmured.

  “Who?” Melissa inquired. “If we go, who will you have to help you?”

  Devon stroked the back of her head, his eyes pleading with her for understanding. Cassie frowned at him, confusion swirled through her. “I called Annabelle and Liam.” Cassie’s eyes widened, her mouth parted slightly as her breath left her on a soft gasp. “They’re on their way.”

  “What!?” she gasped.

  “Who are Annabelle and Liam?” Melissa asked her delicate brow furrowing in confusion as she glanced swiftly between the two of them.

  “Annabelle is a vampire that I created,” Devon said softly, his eyes locked on Cassie’s.

  She could see the silent plea in his gaze to be ok with this, to understand. She couldn’t find the words to reassure him though, she di
dn’t know how to. She didn’t know how she felt about it. He had once thought himself in love with Annabelle, she was the reason that he no longer fed on humans. And though Cassie knew that he was completely in love with her, and had never truly loved Annabelle she still couldn’t help but feel unsettled and confused.

  “And they’re coming here?” Dani asked quietly.

  “Yes. Liam will stay here with me, you will go with Annabelle.”

  Cassie gaped at him, her heart turned over as panic filled her. “Devon…”

  “It’s for the best Cassie. They have a place farther up north where you can all stay until this has blown over. Until we can figure out something better.”

  “And if I lose control again?” she whispered.

  “Annabelle is a healer; she may be able to pull you back.”

  “That is a good possibility,” Luther agreed softly.

  Cassie wanted to protest, she wanted to cry. She wanted to absolutely refuse to leave his side. But she couldn’t find the words, and she knew that they would only fall upon deaf ears. “When are they coming?” Melissa asked softly.

  “They were leaving Pennsylvania at sunset; hopefully they’ll be here by morning.”

  “My grandmother’s home, her things…”

  “I’ll make sure everything is taken care of Cassie, I promise. Nothing bad will happen to your home.”

  Cassie turned away from him; her gaze darted over the living room. This was the only home she had ever known, all of her things were here. All of her grandmother’s things were here. She blinked back the tears burning her eyes, trying hard to keep them from spilling over. She would come back here, one day, she would come back.

  “And if my mother wishes to stay behind?” Chris asked softly.

  “I will watch over her too,” Devon said briskly.

  Cassie instantly began to protest. “But this town, these people…”