Sensing her distress, he pulled her a step closer and wrapped his arm around her waist as he kissed her forehead gently. “I’ll be fine,” he assured her again. “I barely felt a thing.”
She knew that he lied, but she didn’t push him further, he would never admit his pain and he would do anything to keep her protected from it. Resting her head on his chest, she simply savored in the comfort of his body. Savored in the love that enveloped her like a warm cocoon.
Dani was watching them in amazement, her eyes flickering back and forth questioningly. “I know, it’s confusing,” Chris said softly, turning away from them as he dropped an arm casually around her shoulders. “But he really is one of the good guys, strange as that sounds. So, we’ve found another Hunter, there are four of us now.”
“Five,” Melissa corrected. “Dani’s brother. We’ll definitely give Julian a run for his money now. It’s amazing that you live here also and we never even knew what you were.”
Dani looked shyly away. “We just moved here at the beginning of the year.”
“Well that works for us!” Chris said jovially. “Especially with that little zapping gift you have. He may be one of the good guys but that was pretty impressive.” He shot a grin over his shoulder at Devon who glowered back at him. Cassie shook her head, rolling her eyes at Chris.
Dani looked uncomfortable, and out of sorts. “It’s not all it’s cracked up to be,” she mumbled. “Especially when you can’t control it.”
Cassie sensed more behind the words, a deep sadness. Her heart went out to the younger girl. Cassie didn’t know the story of Dani’s life, what she had been through, but she imagined that it had not been good.
CHAPTER 10
Dani’s brother, Joey, paced restlessly back and forth in the confines of his small living room. He was wearing the already bare carpet even thinner as he spun on his heel and paced back across the room. His whipcord lean body was as taut as a bowstring; his dark auburn hair was in disarray from running his fingers through it. He was older, at twenty four, and probably one of the oldest Hunter’s still alive.
Melissa and Chris watched him wearily, thrown off by the anger and tension radiating from him. Joey’s gaze darted to the open doorway, where Devon was leaning casually against the frame; his legs were crossed at the ankles as he idly watched the man. Though he appeared relaxed, tension hummed through Devon, undermining his casual posture. Joey frowned fiercely at him, his scathing gaze raking over all of them before he returned to pacing.
Joey refused to invite Devon in, hence he was banished to the hallway, and none of them could really talk with the door open. “Why don’t we go to my house,” Cassie suggested softly.
Joey shot her a fierce look before shaking his head. “I’m not going anywhere that thing can go inside!” he retorted sharply.
Cassie’s eyes narrowed, her skin prickled against the assault on Devon. “Devon is on our side,” Luther said gently, and not for the first time, as he shot Cassie a warning look.
“None of them are on our side. Hell I don’t even think any of you are on our side!”
“It’s true Joey,” Dani said softly.
His eyes narrowed fiercely. It was more than obvious he felt betrayed by his sister. “Have you forgotten what they did to our family? To mom and dad and Rachael.”
“Rachael?” Luther inquired softly.
Joey’s eyes darted to him, fury radiated from every inch of his body. “She was our sister. They,” he thrust a finger viciously at Devon, who lifted an eyebrow slightly, but otherwise showed no reaction to the hatred directed at him. “Murdered her.”
Cassie’s stomach twisted, nausea rolled through her as disgust washed over her. It could so easily have been her or Chris, and it would have been if Chris’s dad hadn’t received premonitions also. She glanced briefly at Devon, but he remained unmoving, his face a stoic mask. She wanted his comfort, but she sensed that he had shut down, that he had withdrawn from the accusations, and the brutal reminder of what he had once been. Of what he had once done to people.
He may not have been part of The Slaughter, but at one point in his long life he had killed and tortured many people. How many, she did not know, she wasn’t even sure if he knew. She just wanted to live in the present, where he was good and loving, and hers. His gaze came slowly to her, his eyes dark, cold, distant; his jaw clenched tightly.
“I barely got Dani out of there alive,” Joey said more softly, his thoughts focused upon his bloody, horrid past. Dani was staring at her sneakers once more, her hands folded behind her back. “And I was only eleven. Do you know what it’s like to try and keep your sister alive when you are only eleven years old and living on the streets?” he demanded sharply.
No one spoke. Cassie could not find words to offer him. Though she and Melissa had lost their parents, and Chris his father, they had all been lucky enough to have someone there to take care of them after. Luther had fled with Melissa, Cassie’s grandmother and Chris’s mother had taken them to safety. And although Chris’s mother had retreated into a world of alcohol and drugs, Cassie’s grandmother had been there to nurture and love him as they grew.
But to live on the streets, struggling to survive, trying to raise a baby was something that she could not even begin to fathom. It must have been horrifying and completely terrifying. Her heart ached for him, and she began to understand why his hatred was so entrenched. “That must have been awful,” she said gently.
Joey’s fierce gaze snapped to her, his eyes narrowed with hatred. Devon shifted, his casual stance forgotten as he stepped away from the doorway. “Awful doesn’t begin to describe it!” Joey snapped, fury radiating from every inch of him. It was that anger that had Devon on the defensive, though there was little he could do since he couldn’t enter the apartment. “You know nothing of what I went through.”
“We all had a hard time of it.” Chris was trying to defuse the situation though he looked almost as agitated as Devon.
Joey snorted in disgust, tugging at his hair as he ran his hand tensely through it once more. “It must have been really hard for you with your homes, and your families.”
“Joey,” Dani said softly, looking embarrassed and discomfited by her brother’s attitude. “They lost their families too.”
“Not all of them!” Joey snapped out, his gaze disdainfully raking Chris before turning on Cassie. A low growl emitted from Devon, his hands fisted at his sides as he glared fiercely at Joey. “I told you, animals,” he sneered in disgust at Devon.
“Cassie come here,” Devon ordered forcefully.
She wanted to bristle at his commanding tone, but he was near his snapping point. Though he could not enter the apartment, she was greatly afraid he would tear the building down if she didn’t go to him. Glancing anxiously back and forth between him and Joey, she was uncertain what she should do. She didn’t want to alienate Joey any further, they would need him, but she didn’t want Devon’s control tested anymore than it already was. Devon was afraid that Joey would hurt her, and it frustrated him that there was nothing he could do if Joey attacked one of them. He hated feeling helpless, and she was the only one that could ease that feeling, and reassure him that she was safe.
Confusion tore through her as she glanced helplessly at Luther, seeking some sort of guidance from the man who had been very much like a father to her. He gave a subtle nod toward Devon, though his eyes did not leave Joey as he continued to pace restlessly. For the first time she noticed that Chris had been moving closer to Melissa and Luther, a distrusting gleam shone in his eyes.
It was Chris’s reaction that upset her most. He didn’t trust Joey.
“Cassie,” Devon growled again.
Joey glared at her as she moved away from the back of the old couch, edging her way toward the door. The moment she was partly past the frame, Devon seized hold of her hand, pulling her sharply outside. She gave him a disgruntled look that he chose to ignore as he pushed her behind him.
“Devon,”
she said angrily, not at all liking being relegated to the back.
He didn’t even look at her, nor did he move. Cassie nudged him as she stepped around his back. He put his arm in front of her, slamming it against the doorframe as he shot her a fierce look, his eyes briefly flaring a ruby red. “No!”
Cassie blinked in surprise, she had seen his eyes red before, but it had never been directed at her. Though she knew he would never hurt her, he would hurt someone else if he lost control. Swallowing heavily, Cassie rested a hand on his arm, hoping to ease some of his tension. “I’m not going back in,” she assured him, keeping her voice low so that Joey couldn’t hear her.
He relaxed slightly, his hand falling away from the frame, though he did not allow her to go any further past him. Joey was glaring at her as if she were the worst form of human life, a distasteful thing that he wanted to stomp. Despite her intention to stand her ground, Cassie found herself taking a small step back from the anger and hate blasting against her.
Devon bristled, the corded muscles of his arms stood out sharply as his hands fisted. His back was ramrod straight, the jagged tears in his shirt revealed that though blood still stained his back, the vicious wounds had completely healed. Cassie found herself fascinated by his amazing, shocking, healing abilities. Though, she was slightly unnerved by the sharp reminder that he was anything but human.
“I think you should all leave,” Joey said briskly.
“Joey!” Dani cried her distress obvious as she leapt off the couch. “They’re like us! We’ve found others. That’s what we’ve been searching for, hoping for. You can’t send them away.”
“They are not like us Dani, they’re traitors.”
Dani glanced wildly around the room before her eyes landed pleadingly on her big brother. “No they aren’t! No, Cassie came after me. She came after me to help me. She was frightened for me; she was trying to save me! If they hadn’t come, I would have died. The real monster is still out there!”
He shook his head, his jaw set, and his eyes hard. “I don’t want them here. I want nothing to do with people that have aligned themselves with our enemy.”
Dani seized hold of his arm, frantic to get through to him. “He saved her Joey!” she cried, jabbing a finger at Devon. “He put himself in between her and that thing out there. He put his own life in danger to save her!”
Joey threw her hand off, disgust radiating from him. “I don’t care,” he snarled. “They both should have died.”
“Don’t you ever say anything like that again!” Devon bellowed, taking a fierce step forward, only to be blocked by an invisible wall of air.
Cassie grabbed hold of his arm, squeezing tight as she tried to calm him. His body thrummed with tension, his hands fisted at his sides. Glancing back at her, he seemed to relax slightly but it would not take much for him to snap. “I told you, nothing but animals,” Joey spat.
“No, you’re wrong Joey, you’re wrong.” Tears streamed down Dani’s face as she stared hopelessly at her brother.
Cassie’s heart ached for Dani, the girl was desperate to find acceptance, a family, anything. She was desperate to get through to her brother and make him see her need. Though Cassie wanted to go to her, to comfort her, she knew that it would be the worst thing she could do. Devon would go crazy if she was not near him, and Joey would not react kindly to her presence in his home again.
“That’s enough Dani!” he snapped. “All of you get out of my house.”
“Let’s go,” Luther said softly, gently nudging Melissa toward the door. “I’m sorry that we have upset you. But I want you to know that we are here if you change your mind and wish to join us.”
Joey’s look of disgust was enough to let Cassie know that was never going to happen. “My sister and I will have nothing to do with you. Ever!” Tears continued to stream down Dani’s face as she stared helplessly at them. Cassie gazed sympathetically back at her, wishing that she could help the girl, knowing that she couldn’t. “We will be leaving this town.”
“No!” Dani cried sharply, her eyes wide with horror. Cassie’s heart lurched, she took a step forward but Devon shot her a fierce look that froze her in her steps. He was close to losing it, and she could not push him further. “I don’t want to leave!”
“Too bad,” Joey growled.
Tears streamed down Dani’s face as she stared hopelessly back at him. Devon pushed Cassie back a step when Chris, Melissa, and Luther reached the doorway. “We will be sad to see you go, but if you feel that is best…” Luther started.
“It is,” Joey said briskly, stalking across the room as they stepped out of the apartment.
Cassie jumped in surprise as the door slammed forcefully shut; the echo of it reverberated throughout the small, dingy hall of the apartment building. “Well he was pleasant, we should invite him over for tea and crumpets sometime,” Chris quipped, rolling his eyes as he shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Not funny,” Luther reprimanded softly, his face drawn and sad. “We could have used their aid, especially Dani’s. A Grounder,” he shook his head in amazement, running his fingers through his disordered hair. “Maybe he will come around.”
“No,” Chris said firmly. “He won’t be coming around. He radiated hatred and disgust; there were waves of it coming out of him.” He shuddered, huddling deeper into his coat as if he were trying to ward off the emotions that still clung to him. “He is set in his opinion, he will stick to it.”
Cassie was disheartened by Chris’s assessment, but she was not surprised by it. She took hold of Devon’s hand, trying to calm the anger that still radiated from him. He wrapped his arm tightly around her waist, pulling her against him. “Let’s get you home,” he said softly. “Luther can explain about your powers there.”
Chris and Cassie groaned, not at all looking forward to a lecture from Luther. “Maybe we should just wait till tomorrow; it’s been a long day…”
“It’s about time you learned at least a little about your heritage,” Luther interrupted, shooting Chris a fierce look that dared him to continue protesting. “It will help in your fight against Julian. It will also aid in your understanding of where your abilities come from.”
“I have none,” Cassie reminded him, not holding out much hope that that fact would get her out of this.
“You do have abilities that a human doesn’t possess,” Devon reminded her. “You need to know where those come from.”
She made another face, her nose wrinkling as she realized that she had lost the battle.
CHAPTER 11
Cassie’s grandmother met them at the door, a strawberry eyebrow raised questioningly as she studied them. Holding the door open, she ushered them inside, making a sweeping gesture toward the living room. Crackers, cheese, bottles of water, and glasses of soda had already been set out on trays. The smell of shepherd’s pie drifted enticingly from the kitchen, reminding Cassie of the fact that they hadn’t had a chance to eat.
“Food,” Chris groaned, plopping himself on the couch as he grabbed a handful of crackers and cheese.
“You guys look like you’ve been through hell,” her grandmother said softly.
Cassie glanced over them, for the first time noting how dirty, bedraggled, bloodied, and exhausted they looked. “Hell came to us,” Chris muttered, his words garbled by the crackers he was chomping on.
Her grandma shook her head as she moved into the living room, shooing Chris’s feet off of the coffee table. He gave her a bashful grin, but it didn’t slow his chewing process. “Good thing Adam told me you were coming,” she announced, sliding easily into her favorite recliner. “Dinner should be ready soon.”
“Have I ever told you how much I love you?” Chris asked, grinning brightly at her.
Her grandmother rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t stop the bright smile that spread across her youthful face. “Suck up,” Melissa muttered, slapping Chris’s hand away as she snagged a handful of crackers. He sulked for a moment before darting in ag
ain after her.
“Who’s Adam?” Devon asked softly.
Cassie’s smile was sympathetic. “He’s one of the ghosts she talks to; the other two are Caleb and Julia. She mentions them often.”
“So, who is going to tell me what happened?” her grandmother asked softly.
Cassie sighed heavily as she squeezed Devon’s hand gently and released it. Moving around the couch, she stopped to drop a kiss on her grandmother’s head before grabbing some of the few crackers left. “I will,” she said, sliding onto the loveseat as Luther took up his customary position by the fireplace.
In between munching on her crackers, Cassie swiftly filled her grandmother in on the details of the night. Her grandmother’s eyes grew darker, more troubled as she progressed. When Cassie finished her grandmother sat back in her chair, her eyes darkening to a deep brown as she began to converse with her ghost friends. It was a few moments before her eyes returned to their normal sky blue and instantly narrowed on Cassie.
“I can’t believe you ran into the woods on your own,” she scolded.
Cassie shifted uncomfortably, not even bothering to look for help elsewhere in the room. None of them were happy with her. “I was afraid that she was going to be killed.”
Her grandmother quirked an eyebrow. “I understand that, but you were reckless and you could have been killed.”
“Not to mention Dani was better able to defend herself than any of us,” Chris mumbled.
Cassie shot him a fierce look, not at all pleased with his interference. “Very true,” her grandmother agreed. “But none of you would have been able to know that. I have only ever met one Grounder before, it was a little frightening.”
Cassie, Chris, and Melissa nodded their agreement. Devon stood stiffly, though his gaze did dart down to his now healed arms. “It’s a lot of power for a young girl, especially if she does not have control over it.” Luther shook his head in disgust as he pulled his glasses off to rub the bridge of his nose. “I could have helped her with that if her brother would have let me.”