Inferno (Book 4 The Kindred Series) (20 page)

Julian quirked an eyebrow as surprise,
disbelief, and something akin to amazement flitted across his
features. “If he fights it, it will hurt.”

Cassie hesitated for a moment, her gaze
darted toward the man watching them intently. “Try your best not
to.”

Julian’s mouth dropped as he shot Devon
a look that clearly asked if she was out of her mind. Devon shook
his head at him, trying to silence him before he could say anymore.
Julian’s mouth snapped shut, his arms folded over his chest as he
studied Cassie. It was obvious that he was trying to figure her
out, but Devon knew that was impossible.

She moved slowly toward everyone else.
Chris wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her tight
against his side as his head dropped against hers. Melissa and
Luther enveloped her sides, pressing tight to her in an effort to
comfort her. Annabelle and Liam held back for a moment before
turning and disappearing into the back of the store with
Dani.

“Is she serious?” Julian asked
softly.

A bewildered expression was on Julian’s
face, his ice colored eyes were wide with disbelief and
uncertainty. “Yes.”

Julian blinked in surprise before
turning toward the stranger in the chair. “After what they, what he
did to us in there?”

Julian thrust an accusatory finger at
the panicked man in the chair. Devon could not bring himself to
look at the man again. If he did, he was greatly afraid that he
just might kill the bastard himself. Though he knew Cassie’s
wishes, even if he didn’t understand them, he also knew what he
wanted to do to the man. What should be done to the man. And if it
meant keeping her safe, he was going to do whatever it took to make
sure this man never hurt her again, even if she didn’t like it. He
was not going to lose her again, and this man was the biggest
threat to that happening.

“You heard what she said.”

Julian spun back toward him, his jaw
clenched and unclenched as he ground his teeth. Frustration boiled
from him, murder radiated out of him. Devon shuddered, his own
murderous urges simmering just beneath the surface. “I don’t
understand.”

Devon closed his eyes, taking a moment
to steady himself. “Neither do I,” he admitted. “But Cassie is
different than us; she’s everything that is good and right in the
world.” Julian’s eyes flickered, narrowing slightly. “It’s why I
love her; it’s why we both love her.”

Though it killed him to say those
words, he knew that they were true. Julian did love her; even if he
didn’t understand her at all. Julian would do whatever he could for
her, he would keep her safe, and he would do anything he could to
make her happy. But they both knew that this could not be one of
those times. Julian studied him intently, his eyes hooded and
thoughtful. Devon’s hands clenched as he fought the urge to punch
Julian. He did not blame him for loving Cassie, it was impossible
not to, but she belonged to him, and the thought of another person
coveting her was enough to make him want to snap.

“Is that why we love her?” Julian
inquired softly. “Or is it because of the darkness inside of her?
Is it because we both know that something else resides in her, and
we both respond to it?”

Devon started in surprise, his eyes
narrowed fiercely. “What do you mean?” he growled.

Julian quirked an eyebrow, though that
movement was usually one of amusement, there was no humor in him
now. “You know what I mean Devon. Yes, she is exceedingly giving
and caring and loving, but there is darkness in her. That darkness
was there even before those bastards took us. I recognized it in
her from the beginning, and if you really think about it, you did
too. So, was it her goodness, or her darkness that pulled us both
in?”

Devon opened his mouth to protest
Julian’s statement, but he snapped it quickly closed. He knew what
Cassie was, he knew better than anyone what she was capable of, but
he had never truly acknowledged what was inside of her. He thought
back to when he had first seen her, when he had been drawn to her
like a moth to a flame. Her inner light had shone brilliantly
against the dark night surrounding her; she had stood out against
the crowd of students gathered around her. Though he had not known
what she was, he had been unable to resist her; unable to leave her
side from the moment he had seen her.

But he had believed that it had been
her light that had pulled him in, but had it also been the darkness
inside of her? Had he also been drawn in by the power that had
taking control of her, and enabled her to kill Isla even before she
had been experimented on, tortured endlessly, and injected with
Julian’s blood? Had the darkness, and the monster inside of him,
recognized its kin in her?

Devon hated the thought, but it was one
that he had to face. He hated the demon inside of him. Cassie had
enabled him to keep that beast locked away as best he could, but
she also had one inside of her, lurking beneath the surface,
waiting to break free. Waiting to destroy whatever enemy it had to
destroy. Though he truly believed she was everything good, he also
knew that there was a shadow inside of her.

That there always had been.

“It doesn’t matter what pulled us in,”
Devon said softly, though he wanted to believe it was only the
good, for both of them. “We’re both here now, and the good in her
far outweighs the evil.”

“Does it?”

Devon spun on him, his hands fisting at
his sides. “Yes, it does. I know what pulled me in!” he hissed. “It
may not be the same for you, and I don’t care, but we will not kill
him.”

Julian studied him for a moment. “I
don’t know what pulled me in,” he admitted. “Even before I began to
have suspicions about her abilities, I found myself oddly obsessed
with her. At first I told myself it was just for revenge against
you, and a challenge, but if I truly think about it I believe it
was more. I wanted her from the beginning…”

“Julian!” Devon snarled, unwilling to
listen to him talk about his desire for Cassie.

Amusement finally flickered over
Julian’s features. “Ok,” he said, laughing softly. “I get it, don’t
poke the bear.”

“Screw you,” Devon spat at him, his lip
curling. “You’re an ass.”

“Yes,” he agreed. “But, I’m an ass with
a point. You and I both know that to change her is dangerous. To
all of us.”

“That’s why I don’t intend to change
her, not unless we know she will be safe.”

Julian rolled his eyes as he heaved a
large sigh. “Come on Devon sell that line to someone else. They may
believe you, Cassie may even believe you, but I know you. I’ve
known you for a long long time, and you’re teetering on the edge my
friend. I’m surprised you have lasted this long, but it is only a
matter of time before you take what you want. And she is what you
want.”

“I can control it…”

“For now,” Julian interrupted sharply.
“But you need to realize the state that you are in, and the
position that you have put us all in.”

Devon’s jaw clenched, his gaze darted
to the man in the chair. He was watching them intently, listening
to every word of their conversation. Devon glared at him, wishing
that he could rip his throat out, wishing that he could sate his
overwhelming thirst on the bastard. The man’s eyes widened, he
leaned as far away from them as possible as he recognized the
murderous intent in Devon’s eyes.

“I have not tasted her, and though I do
love her, it is not the same,” Julian said softly, his voice oddly
thoughtful for Julian. The guy had never been thoughtful about
anything. “I’ve touched you both, so I know that your feelings run
deeper and stronger than anything I have ever felt. It is why I
have stayed away from her, and why I have let you have her. But I
also know that she means more to me than anyone I have ever known,
and I want the best for her. For now, I believe that you are the
best; you are what she wants. I cannot give her what you can; I’m
not ready for that yet.” Devon stared at him in disbelief. Julian
was actually being selfless? Julian!? It was utterly confounding to
him. “I’m just not sure if you’re what is best for her right now
though.”

“Excuse me?” Devon growled.

“I don’t want her hurt, and changing
her could hurt her. And you will do it eventually, no matter what
you think.”

“Do you have premonitions now too?”
Devon demanded.

Julian grinned at him, a frustratingly
maddening grin that Devon wanted to punch right off his face.
“Nope, I just know you, and I know what you want. I also know what
she wants, and she’s damn persistent and determined. And what she
wants is to spend eternity with you, no matter what it might do to
her. When it comes to you, she has no thought of herself, or her
own safety.”

Devon was silent, his hands fisted and
un-fisted as he glared at the man in the chair. There was too much
frustration inside of him, too much anguish and hunger. He needed
to take his irritation out somewhere; there just wasn’t anywhere to
do it now. Not without risking all of their safety.

“If it weren’t for the fact that I know
it would destroy her, that she would not survive the loss of you, I
would take her away,” Julian said softly.

Devon spun on him, rage flaring
instantly through him. “You even think about taking her from me and
I will destroy you!”

Julian held his hands up as he took a
step back from Devon’s wrathful advance. “I just said that it would
destroy her if she lost you, I wouldn’t do that to her. But I fear
for her safety around you Devon, and I fear for your
sanity.”

Devon took a step away from him, his
jaw clenched fiercely. His gums ached, he could feel the familiar
tingle of his fangs wanting to explode, wanting to destroy and tear
and shred as they drained the life from something. Devon shuddered,
closing his eyes as he struggled for control over his baser,
instinctive urges.

“Do what needs to be done here. Find
out what they did to her, and why. Find out who he is, find out how
many of those things they created, and where the children are. Do
it quickly Julian. I want to get her the hell out of this town and
away from this ass.”

“But don’t hurt him,” Julian muttered,
disappointment evident in his voice.

Devon hesitated, wanting to uphold
Cassie’s wishes, but desperately needing some sort of revenge, some
sort of relief from the itching desire to kill that was suffocating
him. “Do what needs to be done,” Devon growled. “Whatever it
takes.”

Julian’s eyes gleamed, his eyebrow
crooked. “That’s the Devon I know.”

Devon’s lip curled into a snarl. He
needed to get out of here, he needed to escape this store, he
needed to hunt and kill. Even if he normally tried not to kill the
animals he fed from, tonight that was all he wanted to do. But he
could not leave here; he could not escape and leave Cassie
vulnerable to the monsters that hunted this town. He was beginning
to fear that he may be turning into an even bigger threat to all of
them then the creatures outside the building.

Devon turned away from Julian, leaving
him to his own devices. Leaving him to decide what he wished to do
with the man. Devon would not interfere with what Julian decided,
no matter what Cassie wanted. This man had hurt her, repeatedly,
deeply; Devon wasn’t about to make sure he remained unharmed. This
man was still a threat to her, and as far as Devon was concerned it
was best for all of them if he were dead.

Though, he knew that Julian would not
kill the man. He may hurt him, but he would not kill the him, not
if Cassie had said no.

Devon strode into the backroom, his
eyes instantly latched onto her. She was standing by one of the
back windows, helping to heap bags of feed before the shattered
glass and wood. The other three windows had already been blocked
off; the bodies had been stashed against the back wall. They would
need to be removed soon, before they started to smell. But then, he
had no intention of staying here for that long.

They would need to get free of here
soon.

Cassie turned toward him, her gorgeous
eyes widened upon him. She froze in her movements, before rising
slowly to face him. Though he wished for nothing more than to keep
the worst part of him from her, he knew that it was impossible. She
saw everything, she knew him far better than he wanted her
to.

She studied him, her eyes haunted and
lost, her shoulders slumping slightly as realization and acceptance
settled over her. He wanted her to come to him, but she did not
move. She knew what he had done, knew what he was allowing to
happen in the other room. Though Devon wanted nothing more than to
make her happy, he could not give her this. Her safety was
foremost, no matter what, even if it made her unhappy.

Even if she ended up hating him for
it.

It was time to stop letting his
emotions rule him, he had inadvertently placed her in this danger
because of his emotions. It was time to start taking control. Even
if it meant letting the monster rule part of him.

CHAPTER 11

Cassie turned away from Devon as Julian
slowly entered the room. Her heart hammered, her hands shook with
the fear and uncertainty pounding through her. She had never seen
that look in Devon’s eyes before, but she knew what it was.
Hardness enveloped him, determination clenched his jaw. He was
cold, distant; hard. He was not the man that she knew, and he was
terrifying her at the moment.