Hope ballooned briefly inside her, and then swiftly deflated as she recalled Luther’s words. ‘We do not know what an Elder could be capable of. The powers that they might possess.’
One of those powers may very well be the ability to stroll about in broad daylight, a monster among humans. It would be a perfect disguise to fool any Hunter. If Devon was an Elder, than he was more than just a normal vampire, he was one of the most powerful and one of the most hated. He would have been one of the ones to help mastermind the destruction of her parents, one of the ones that had helped to eradicate her race.
Her body lost all strength; the paper fell limply from her hands as she slid to the floor. Her heart was shattering into a million pieces, her world crumbling around her. She gasped, shaking and crying; her head fell forward into her hands. He breathed, she thought desperately, she had felt him breathe, but what if he only pretended to breathe in her presence? She tried to recall if she had felt the beat of his heart, but try as she might she could not remember ever feeling the reassuring pulse of life within his chest.
She tried to convince herself that she was wrong, but though she tried to hide behind a wall of denial, she could not. Not anymore. Her mind, her soul, knew that she was right.
He was not human. He was not a Hunter. He was not even a human with special abilities.
He was the monster. He was the one hunting them, stalking them, playing and toying with them. And he had been very good at it. She had fallen helplessly in love with him. She had allowed him into her soul, taken him into the very essence of her. And the entire time he had been playing with her, plotting her death, her murder, and the murder of the ones she loved.
The past two nights, when he had held her gently, making her feel safe and protected, had all been part of his game. He was good, excellent even, she had to give him that much. His game had succeeded in crushing her, from the inside out. There was nothing left to her. No hope, no wonder, no life. She was an empty shell of the person she had been, wounded and beaten.
And yet, somehow stronger. She would not let him win. She was stronger than that. He may have destroyed her, but he would not hurt anyone else. He would not take her loved ones from her.
Wiping the tears from her eyes, Cassie placed her hands on the floor and shoved herself up. She could not sit here and cry. She didn’t have time for that. There was a monster out there, and she was one of the few people that could stop him. She stood shakily for a moment, numb and deadened. Then, like a phoenix rising from the ashes fury blazed hotly forth and burned away the devastating hurt that had encased her. He may have destroyed her, but she was also going to destroy him.
She strode forcefully from the kitchen, pounding up the stairs to gather her weapons. She was tired of running, tired of hiding, and very tired of being frightened. It was time to take a stand. It was time to do some hunting, instead of being the hunted for a change.
***
Devon sat completely still on the tree branch, all of his senses tuned to the night beyond. It was the exact same thing he had been doing every night for the past week while Cassie had been occupied with studying, or at Melissa’s. Probing with his mind, he sorted through the few brains close enough for him to pick up on in the area. It was one of his talents, the ability to sift through people’s minds in order to pinpoint the one that he wanted. The mind he would then latch onto, track down, and destroy; the one that stalked this town, and its inhabitants, especially Cassie.
Thoughts of Cassie caused him to tense. Whenever he came out here, he had to shut his mind off of her; otherwise he would be disrupted from his pursuit. He could pick up her mind from miles away; it was as bright and as welcoming as a lighthouse beacon to him. But now, here, her mind was a distraction to him, and one that he could not have if he was going to succeed in destroying his prey.
Tuning his senses to the night, he strained to feel anything out there, to find anything out there. Then, he felt it. For the first time, he picked up on a small flicker of power in the night. A power that he recognized instantly as belonging to the one he sought.
Slipping easily from the tree, he moved swiftly through the woods, faster and more graceful than any cheetah. Leaping over fallen logs, and effortlessly dodging branches, he darted swiftly through the trees, hunting the power that he had sensed. He could feel it moving deeper into the woods, running from the pursuit that it had sparked.
Devon broke out of the woods, racing across the cemetery, jumping stones and tombs with smooth, easy leaps. Whatever he was pursuing was slower than he was, not as fleet in its retreat. He was gaining ground on it.
Leaving the cemetery, the woods encircled him once more. He poured on the speed, becoming nearly a blur as he chased his prey. Excitement and bloodlust pounded through him. It had been so long since he had pursued any real game, any real kill. Animals didn’t amount to the same thrill as a human, or another vampire. Both of which he had not touched in a very long time.
A scream echoed loudly through the air, a young girl’s voice penetrated the dark night. Devon realized that the creature had not been fleeing from him, but had been hunting its own prey instead.
***
Cassie had just stepped out of Luther’s car when the terrified scream echoed throughout the night. It rang off the headstones and echoed throughout the eerily still night. Chris and Melissa stiffened, freezing in mid-step as their mouths parted in surprise. The thick silence that followed the scream was even more nerve wracking.
“It’s out there,” Chris said softly.
“Let’s go.”
Cassie took a step forward, but Luther grabbed hold of her arm, halting her. “Wait.”
She spun on him, anger fisting her hands as it tore through her. “We have to stop him!” she snapped.
Luther’s eyes narrowed sharply upon her, the light gray of them inquisitive and keen. “Him?”
She realized her mistake instantly, they had always referred to the monster as it, and Luther had not missed the fact that she had called it him this time. Cassie glared fiercely at him, she didn’t have time to explain her newfound knowledge, nor did she want to. She didn’t want to hear their gasps of shock and surprise; she did not want them to dissuade her from what she knew. She was right, she had no doubt that Devon was in those woods. Just as she had no doubt that she would be the one to take him out.
Though he had fooled all of them, it was her that he had focused upon. It was her that he had teased with promises of love and hope, only to rip it all cruelly away. She hated him the most for making her hope and dream. She had been surviving well enough, hiding behind her wall, safely protected from the hurts of the world until he had walked into her life, tossing it upside down, and shredding it to pieces.
Cassie ripped her arm away from Luther, spinning back toward the woods. Her blood was boiling with the fury pulsing through her, she knew that she was reckless right now, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. She didn’t care about anything anymore, except for keeping the people surrounding her safe. Her gaze rapidly scanned the forest, trying to pinpoint where the scream had come from. Another scream shot through the air, bloodcurdling, pain filled, and terrified. Horror filled Cassie, her heart leapt wildly in her chest; she had never heard anyone make that sound before.
And it was entirely her fault.
Her love for Devon had completely blinded her to the fact that he was a monster. Her stupidity and ignorance had allowed him to continue to kill. He had destroyed the lives of many innocent people, and she was not going to allow that to happen again.
“Come on,” she said briskly.
“Wait!” Luther said sharply, seizing her once more. “Melissa.”
Melissa had gone completely still, her eyes were distant, her face blank and pale. Cassie sighed impatiently; it was a hell of a time to receive a premonition, especially one of the ones that took complete control of her. Melissa gasped suddenly, bending forward she grasped her stomach as she struggled to breathe. Chris grabbed
hold of Melissa’s heaving shoulders as she choked and panted for air.
Another scream echoed throughout, but this one was far weaker than before. Whoever was out there was losing the battle, and Cassie was not about to let that happen. Tearing her arm away from Luther again, she spun on her heel and sprinted forward. It did not matter that Chris and Melissa were not with her, she would put a stop to this on her own. It was better if they stayed out of it anyway, she did not want them to be hurt.
Cassie ran as fast as she could, her long legs carrying her swiftly across the ground. She didn’t bother dodging the headstones but vaulted herself easily over them. Reaching the woods, she darted into the thick foliage, using her hands to deflect the branches and twigs that slapped at her.
“Cassie noooo!” Melissa’s shrill, terror filled scream followed her into the forest, but did not slow her down.
CHAPTER 21
Devon burst into the clearing. His heightened senses, and the adrenaline pulsing through him, allowed him to take in all of the details at once. The first thing he recognized was the young woman in the arms of the monster.
The second was the monster.
He skidded to a halt, dirt and leaves kicked up beneath him. Shock slammed into him as he gazed into the familiar red eyes of his prey, but it was quickly buried beneath the fury that surged rapidly forth. Stiffening slowly, his hands fisted at his sides as he met those eyes across the clearing from him. This was a fight that he was more than prepared for, and one that was well over a hundred years in the making. “Let her go!” he snarled.
Julian had lifted his head from Marcy’s neck when Devon emerged, but he had not released her. Julian broke into a small smile, a dark eyebrow quirked with amusement. “Well, if it isn’t the prodigal sire,” he purred. “I was hoping we would finally run into each other again.”
Devon took a step closer to him, tension thrummed through him as he braced himself for the fight. “I didn’t create you Julian,” he growled.
Julian’s blood smeared mouth twisted into a sneer. “You may not have created me, but you did help to mold me into the best vampire that I could possibly be. You taught me the thrill of the hunt, the pleasure of the kill.”
Devon’s teeth ground together as he glared fiercely at the man across from him. Julian had once been his best friend, and greatest companion. He was a monster that still wreaked havoc upon unsuspecting innocents with the same joy and pleasure that Devon had once taken in it. Though they had been nearly inseparable for over three hundred years, Julian had become one of his greatest enemies. “What are you doing here Julian?” Devon spat.
Julian leisurely licked the blood from his lips, savoring the taste of it. Devon’s eyes latched onto the blood, for a moment he could clearly recall how wonderful and fulfilling human blood was. How powerful and thrilling it was. How much he wanted it! It had been so long since he had tasted human blood, and he struggled daily to keep his murderous urges under wraps. But faced with it so temptingly close, he could feel his restraint starting to unravel.
He struggled to maintain control, the blood was a distraction that would get him killed; Julian was fierce, powerful, and deadly. Devon would be a fine trophy, and a lot of power to add to Julian’s collection of victims. Not to mention the fact that most of the vampire race considered Devon a traitor to their kind, and would far prefer him dead.
Julian’s eyes slowly turned back to the ice blue color that Devon was painfully familiar with. Around the black pupils of his eyes was a strange band of lighter, vivid, almost white blue color. “Same thing as you I assume, I was drawn by the power. Except, unlike you, I will make use of that power, take advantage of it; savor it.”
Devon scowled fiercely at him, taking another step closer as they slowly began to circle one another. Marcy was still held loosely in Julian’s arms as he negligently dragged her body along with him. Devon could just barely make out the faint beat of Marcy’s fluttering heart. She did not have much time left. “There is no power here.”
Julian’s face twisted into a leering grin, his sharp canines gleamed in the dim light of the moon. “Oh you silly silly fool. Have you been that blinded?”
Devon was growing more aggravated by the second. He did not like being toyed with, especially not by Julian. He was the one that had taught Julian, the one that had molded him; he was not going to be played with by him. “Don’t mess with me Julian,” he growled.
Julian quirked a black eyebrow, his mouth twisted into a wry smile. “I would never,” he replied, his voice light and lilting as they continued to circle. “I am simply pointing out what you have missed.”
“And what would that be?”
Julian’s eyes gleamed, flashing momentarily red. “The delectable treats in this town. Three little treats to be exact, just so plump and ripe for the taking. Especially the blond, that sweet, delicious blond that you have been cozying up to at night. She is so young, so innocent and pure, so full of powerful blood just begging to be savored. I give you credit, to be that close to such a wonderful temptation, and not taste it, not take it. I could never be so restrained.”
Fury tore through Devon, shaking him to the core of his being. For a brief moment a red haze clouded his vision, his protective urges drowned out the rest of Julian’s words. He didn’t understand what the hell Julian was talking about, but he didn’t want him anywhere near Cassie, or even remotely thinking about her.
“You stay away from her, or I’ll rip your damn throat out!” he snarled, his fangs elongating at the mere thought of Julian getting close to her.
Julian grinned back at him; his white blond hair fell into one of his ice cold eyes. “Temper temper,” he taunted lightly. “We’ve shared before, we can share again.”
“I’d kill you first!”
Anger blazed from Julian, his lip curled in a contemptuous sneer. His ice eyes raked Devon with a hate filled glare. “You truly have changed Devon; you’re such a disappointment, turning against your nature, your own kind!”
Devon met his gaze, trying hard to keep the fury boiling through him under control. He couldn’t let Julian bait him into losing his temper. Julian was too deadly for that. “You will die before you ever touch her.”
“And if she kills you first?” Devon blinked in surprise, unsure what Julian meant by that statement. “You truly do not get it, you stupid fool! She has you completely blinded. Could it be that Devon, the master of death, destruction, and torture has been blinded by love?”
“I have not been any of those things in a very long time Julian!” Devon hissed. “You need to leave this town, you are not welcome here.”
Julian laughed coldly and shook back his tussled hair. “I am not leaving until I get a taste of that treat Devon. It will be delicious,” he purred. “Maybe I’ll even keep her for myself, she is a beauty.”
Rage tore through Devon, shredding the thin control he had managed to keep. The very thought of anyone touching Cassie, of turning her, of taking her for themselves was enough to bring the bloodlust surging forth. With a roar of fury, the beast burst free of him, clamoring for death and destruction.
He sprang forth as Julian tossed Marcy aside, his eyes lighting with red fire as he braced for Devon’s attack. They collided brutally, slamming into each other with the force of two Mac trucks. The sound of their attack rumbled through the forest, their snarls echoed through the air. Devon swung hard into him, slamming his fist into the underside of Julian’s jaw, and snapping his head forcefully back. Julian spit and hissed; his face twisted in pure fury as he swung out wildly, his claws raking deep across Devon’s chest. He didn’t feel the pain as Julian flayed his shirt and skin open, spilling his blood. Seizing hold of Julian’s shoulders, Devon picked him easily off the ground. Spinning around, he used his full strength to heave him into the air.
Julian flew backward, his face mutated and furious as he sailed across the clearing. Slamming into the top of an ancient oak, the force of his impact shattered the top of it. Julian fel
l over the back of the tree, momentarily disappearing into the darkness of the woods. Satisfaction spurted through Devon as he braced himself, waiting for Julian to renew his attack.
His satisfaction was quickly doused with horror, and shock, as his eyes landed upon Cassie. She was standing at the edge of the clearing, her hands fisted at her sides, her shoulders thrust proudly back. Her hair cascaded around her, a golden ray of light against the dark night. She looked beautiful and furious as her startling eyes smoldered with barely contained rage.
He blinked in surprise, unable to fully believe that she was here. Confusion tore through him as he met her fierce gaze. What was she doing here? And why she was standing there glaring at him instead of running away screaming in terror?
He knew what he looked like now, knew that he was ugly and twisted into something she would barely recognize. At the sight of the monster inside him she should have been fleeing in horror, running for her life. Bolting like any sane person would do. Instead, a small tremor was wracking through her; however it was not a tremor of fear, but one of pure anger.
His gaze darted to her fisted hands, widening as he took note of the stake clenched tight in her right hand. He stood for a moment, trying to deny what was before him, trying not to recognize the truth that was slapping him in the face. But it was impossible. Understanding and shock tore through him, rocking him with the awful realization of what Julian had meant about her, and what had drawn Julian here. What had more than likely drawn him here, though he had been to blinded by his feelings for her to realize the truth.
Now everything made sense. Now he knew why he had so many questions about her, and her friends. Why they had seemed so odd and different to him. He knew exactly who and what she was now.
His enemy.
***
Cassie ducked, covering her head as shards of bark and branches rained down upon her. It seemed like forever, but was probably only moments before the debris stopped falling about her. She uncurled slowly, rising swiftly to her full height. Pain and hurt twisted through her, anger blazed hotly forth as her gaze found Devon across the clearing. His teeth were extended, so long and sharp that they cut into his full bottom lip. The same lip that had kissed her so gently and reverently now had blood seeping from it. The magnificent face she had come to love so dearly was now twisted into that of a monster, and a murderer. Twisted into the face of the one thing she hated most, and had been born to destroy.