Cassie strained to right herself, but the incessant jarring had caused the layers of blankets to become tangled around her. Her right hand was pinned behind her back, her legs were all caught up, and her right eye was completely covered. Melissa let out a shrill yelp and scrambled back against her seat as something thudded against the windshield. Aggravated with the copious amounts of cloth encumbering her, Cassie gave up on trying to right herself and began to rip off the layers.
Something scuttled across the roof and then returned to perch in the center. Freeing herself of the blanket covering her face, she looked up as the roof bowed beneath the weight of the person on it. No, not a person, it was most certainly a Halfling. It had either followed the vehicle the entire way, or it had spread into this outer area of town in search of food.
The creature scrambled off the backside of the vehicle as another one jumped onto the hood. How many were there? Cassie wondered frantically as she scrambled to sit up. The car lurched up again, but this time it came from the passenger side and heaved her forward. Pain jarred through her hand and wrist as she slammed into the opposite window.
Melissa sprawled inelegantly across the console, half upside down. Anger flared through Cassie as she scrambled back up. Kneeling, she braced herself between the two headrests of the front seats. She steadied herself as the car violently rocked back and forth. Struggling against the sway of the vehicle, she tried to get her bearings as she searched for the Halflings stalking them.
Red eyes flashed hungrily in the back window as the face of something not entirely human peered in at them. Their eyes met and Cassie understood everything that drove it as something in her own body empathized with the creature in response. For a short time they were one being, one monster, and they both coveted one thing.
Death.
Cassie shook her head as she tried to rid herself of the awful knowledge, and the awful certainty that accompanied it. She was not like these things. She still loved and had respect for life. She wasn't a monster.
Cassie shuddered, but she remained trapped within the creatures gaze as a new realization dawned over her. She wasn't like them yet, but if things went wrong, if Matthew's visions came true she would be. She was certain of that.
A small sound of terror escaped her throat, but it had nothing to do with the increased rocking of the vehicle. A loud crash finally brought her attention away from the creature in the back. She turned just in time to see the passenger side window on her right spider web. A different sort of horror filled her as the cracked pieces of tint allowed the suns UV rays to filter through.
Recoiling instinctively, Cassie threw herself against the driver's side of the vehicle as she scrambled to recover one of the blankets. Melissa had also righted herself and was leaning against the driver's side door as she panted heavily. "We have no weapons," she gasped.
Cassie pulled the blanket over her and dropped the sunglasses down as the window shattered inward. Safety glass splayed across the seat as the suns deadly rays spilled inward. She pulled her legs against her chest as she tried to right the blankets. Though she was mostly covered, she could feel the influx of the sun's rays acutely, especially against her bared hands. Heat blazed through her and she suddenly understood what a lobster felt like before hitting the pot of boiling water.
Anxiety filled her as she recalled Devon's words about her being more sensitive to the sun, at least for a little bit. Though she didn't burn, perspiration soaked her as she felt the rays all the way to the marrow of her bones. If more windows were broken she wouldn't survive it. The thing she had once loved so dearly would be the thing that destroyed her.
The creature reached in the window, it wasn't the one that had been in the back window, for this one was female, but she was just as hungry and just as unpredictable. Melissa gestured for her to climb into the front seat, but Cassie shook her head. She couldn't scramble up there without crossing the sun's rays first.
Grasping hold of the blanket, Cassie managed to get her legs further under her. In one very ungraceful motion she thrust herself over the seat. She tumbled into the cargo area and rolled against the back door. Pain lanced through her shoulder, but she shot back up and quickly looked around the vehicle.
The woman was trying to wiggle her way through the window. The remaining glass sliced her hands and stomach as she slithered across the sill. Cassie was surprised by the low hiss that escaped her as her fangs sprang free. She grasped hold of the woman's head and twisted it sharply to the side.
It was a move she'd seen Devon and Julian do before, but she'd never done it. Now, however, it seemed natural, but also completely repulsive. She almost gagged as she felt bones crack, almost retreated as the woman began to make awful gurgling noises as she flopped about in the car. The idea of sinking her fangs into the woman crossed her mind more than once.
Instead she settled for grasping hold of the woman's twisted face. Cassie was careful to avoid her still snapping teeth as she shoved the woman back out the window. A cry escaped her as the sun's rays burst over her exposed skin and burned into her flesh. Cassie recoiled and scuttled back into the relative security of the cargo area. Though she was back in the shadows, she still felt exposed within the car, still felt as if she'd been flayed open and the monster revealed to the world.
Even if that world was only Melissa.
Melissa scurried away from the driver's side window. She leapt over the console, and hopped into the backseat before flinging herself into the cargo area. "Are you ok?" she demanded as she knelt before Cassie.
Cassie was surprised Melissa was willing to come anywhere near her, not after what she'd just done. Hadn't Melissa seen it? "Am I a monster?" she whispered.
Melissa quirked a dark eyebrow and her head tilted on her delicate neck. "Depends on who wrote the story," she responded.
A small, harsh laugh escaped her. "Yeah, I suppose so."
"But no, you are not a monster."
"Not yet."
"Not ever," Melissa insisted. "We have to get out of here though."
Cassie nodded her agreement and rose onto her knees to peer out the remaining darkened windows. She stared at the house but nothing moved within and she didn't see anything moving around outside. Where were Devon and Chris? The woman slammed up against the back window, Cassie and Melissa recoiled as she flopped uselessly against its side. A scream welled up inside of Cassie, but it was Melissa who released one first as three more Halflings launched themselves at the car.
They didn't attack the vehicle however, but pounced upon the creature that Cassie had broken. Cassie slammed her hands over her ears as the woman began to release shrill, inhuman screams. Apparently it didn't matter to them that she was one of their own, they simply sought the blood, the kill. They'd deteriorated since Cassie had last seen them, starvation or perhaps just desperation had turned them into the mindless monsters she'd wrongly assumed they were in the beginning.
She could never be like that. Never. She told herself this over and over again as she tried to drowned out the horrendous sounds. There was no kinship between her and these creatures. There never could be.
Another sound filled the air, a ferocious roar that reverberated deep into the core of her soul. Cassie's eyes flew open as Devon charged across the snow covered ground in a nearly indiscernible blur. Cassie darted upright and scrambled forward in the cargo hold. There were three Halflings out there and only him and Chris.
She grasped hold of the window only to recoil as the sun seared into her skin. A strangled cry of rage and frustration broke from her as she released the window and fell away from the scorching rays. Melissa dove over the backseat and crashed against the passenger seat. She fumbled with the lock before flinging the door open and bounding free of the vehicle.
Cassie felt helpless as she spun to watch the ensuing battle. Devon seized one of creatures by the back of the neck as he heaved it off of the mutilated woman beneath it. Chris and Melissa pounced upon that one as Devon turned his attent
ion to the other two. They both snarled as they launched at him. He managed to knock the one back but the other one leapt onto his back. Grabbing hold of the blanket, Cassie scurried over the seat, careful to avoid the rays of the sun as she grabbed hold of another blanket and her mittens. It would be difficult to fight with the mittens on, but she could still punch.
Wrapping the blankets around herself, Cassie slipped the annoying mittens on and scrambled forward. The material was binding, but she didn't care. Jumping out of the vehicle, she tried to ignore the flaring heat of the sun, but it burned against her instantly. Her body heated as she bolted around the back of the SUV. She could almost feel the smoke coming off of her.
Devon dispatched of one and turned toward the other. His ruby eyes burned even hotter as he looked up and spotted her. He tossed the Halfling aside and raced toward her. The creature bounced across the ground, but was quick to rebound to its feet. Devon was too busy trying to get to her to realize that the monster had found easier prey in Chris and Melissa.
"Look out!" Cassie cried as the monster zeroed in on them.
Without thinking, she threw up her hands as fear and frustration fueled something inside of her. Fire shot out of her in a trailing inferno that slammed into the creature. The Halfling shrieked and flailed about as fire engulfed its body. Cassie had only a moment of pity before agony burst over her.
The fire had burned her mittens away, leaving only charred cinders of material behind. She gawked as flames burst from her exposed fingertips and scorched across her delicate skin. Devon grasped hold of her and knocked her to the ground as he covered her body with his. His hands closed around her burning ones and buried them within the snow as he smothered the flames. Though he had to have been burned by her, he showed no signs of it as he remained over her, blocking her from the day as the fire on her hands burned out.
The awful screams of the creature continued on before a blessed, profound hush descended. Cassie remained unmoving, limp beneath Devon. The sting in her hands was intense, but it was nothing compared to the distress she felt over what had just happened. She'd thought that she could only absorb and hold one power at a time.
Apparently she'd been wrong. Adon's ability for fire was still accessible somehow. She didn't know what had triggered it. Whether it had been her frustration over her inability to help, or her concern for her friends, but right now it didn't matter. Right now all she could think of was Matthew's words.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Lifting her head, she gazed up into Devon's much loved emerald eyes. What she saw there scared her almost as much as the understanding rocking through her. Devon had just realized the same thing that she had.
CHAPTER 9
Cassie stood within the shadows of the small home, well out of the way of the rays filtering through the curtained windows. She held two ice packs between her hands; she was actually able to watch as her skin healed itself. Even fingernails were beginning to reappear on her charred fingertips. Lifting her head, she stared around the cluttered living room.
It was easy to see why Melissa had been attracted to this place. A crystal ball sat in the middle of a card table, beside it was a tarot card layout. There was a bag of runes beside a large silver chalice still filled with water and tea leaves. Candles and books lined the shelves, along with statues of magical creatures, incense, and jars of herbs. Though they didn't know if the previous owner could actually predict the future or not, Melissa had been drawn here by the remnants of warmth and power.
"Cassie," she tilted her head to meet Chris's inquisitive gaze. "Thank you."
She turned away from Chris and wandered over to one of the shelves. She focused on an old book on astrology. She wondered if the book could tell her what the stars had in store for her. Devon appeared before her, his hands were gentle as he took away the now warm ice packs. "They're healing well."
Cassie nodded but her gaze lingered upon his charred shirt. He'd discarded his winter coat; it was ruined now that there was a giant hole in it. Her fingers flitted over the remnants of the burns healing upon his rigid abdomen. She had done that to him, even if she hadn't meant to, it had been her hands that had caused such damage.
He grasped hold of her hands and pulled them away from him. "I'm fine," he assured her. She peered up at him from under lowered lashes. "Really."
"What was that?" she asked.
He stroked her face as he bent his head to kiss her. His full lips brushed hers as his fingers stilled upon her cheek. She lost herself to him, and the wonderful feeling of warmth and love that he gave to her. He reluctantly pulled away, his forehead resting against hers as he stared down at her. "I don't know."
Her hands clenched on the edges of his frayed shirt. "Are we staying here now?" she asked.
"No." They both turned toward Melissa. She stood by one of the shelves; a jar labeled dragon's blood was in her hands. "No, this woman is dead. I'm not staying in a dead woman's house, amongst her things." Melissa placed the jar back on the shelf, her fingers trailed lightly over the bottles beside it. "We should go to the hotel."
"You didn't like the idea of staying at the hotel."
Melissa thoughtfully chewed on her bottom lip as she picked up a red candle in a silver holder. "I would rather stay there than in someone's home, amongst their things, surrounded by their hopes and dreams. It's even worse than being at that hotel, and we have to find somewhere to stay, to shower, to regroup and feel at least a little normal again."
"How do you know she's dead?" Cassie asked.
Melissa's dark eyes met hers as she placed the candlestick on the shelf. "Because you and Devon are inside of her home."
It took her a second to understand what Melissa was saying. They hadn't been invited in. Even if the woman wasn't home, they couldn't enter her home, not if she were still alive. A chill slid down her spine as she realized something else, she wasn't welcome in people's homes anymore. "Oh," she breathed. "Can we go now?"
"Not until the sun sets."
Her eyes drifted toward the curtained windows, then the blankets lying on the floor. She hadn't imagined the feeling of smoke coming from her. The inside of the blanket was slightly charred from the heat that had been coming off of her body. If Devon hadn't thrown himself on top of her, she would be a pile of ashes right now.
Though she didn't want to stay in this house anymore, she didn't want to go back out there either. "The others?"
"Will be fine until we can get back to them," Devon assured her.
She didn't argue with him, her desire to escape this house was even less than her apprehension of going back outside. "She could still be alive though, she may have just abandoned this place."
Melissa's gaze drifted behind Cassie and she nodded. Cassie's confusion mounted as she stared at the picture on the wall. It showed a pretty woman, in her thirties, holding a young child of about four. A man stood beside her, smiling at the camera as he hefted his string of fish proudly. For a moment Cassie didn't understand what Melissa was talking about, but then her eyes narrowed on the woman.
Cassie had seen her before, somewhere. Her mind tripped along until suddenly the memory clicked into place. Of course she'd seen the woman before; she'd broken her neck outside. The Halflings hadn't followed them here, this had been the woman's house and she had simply been trying to come home. A strangled sound escaped her as she spun away from the picture. She couldn't stare at the face of that smiling innocent little girl when the guilt over helping to kill her mother was nearly choking her.
She shook Devon's hands away when he sought to comfort her. She didn't deserve any comfort, not right now. "You didn't kill her Cass," Chris said.
"I didn't help with it either," she mumbled.
"You didn't turn her into what she was."
Cassie didn't respond, she couldn't. She knew that he was right, but she couldn't shake the remorse clawing at her insides. She turned on her heel and strode back into the kitchen. She didn't go for the backdoor t
hough, she may prefer to be out of here, but she wasn't suicidal. Instead, she turned to the left and made her way down the basement stairs and into the cool depths of the cellar.
She felt at home amongst the shadows as they enfolded her body. Her eyes quickly adjusted to pick up the details of the boxes and furniture stored within. She dodged obstacles as she made her way through the clutter. She didn't know where she was going or what she was doing. She simply had to move, to be somewhere other than the house with all of its reminders of the happy inhabitants that had once lived there.
She walked to the end of the room and rested her fingers against the wall. The rocks were cool and comforting against her burnt hand. She didn't have to turn to know that Devon was behind her, watching her. "We have to find her child," Cassie whispered.
"We will."
She turned toward him, marveling at the dazzling emerald color of his eyes in the dark. The shadows hugged his lithe body making him barely discernible from the blackness surrounding him. He held his arms out to her and enveloped her in his embrace as she moved into him. She savored in his scent of spices and power as she allowed herself to simply be here in this moment. No matter how bad everything was, he could always make her feel better.
His hand entwined within her hair and pulled her head back, his mouth was firm yet yielding as it seized hold of hers. Cassie lost herself to the touch and feel of him as he was able to make her almost forget about the awful events surrounding them, almost make her feel normal again. He lifted her off the ground and held her against him as he ravished her mouth with a ferocity that left her shaken and limp. She wasn't the only one that needed this with a desperation that bordered on insanity.
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