Ashes

Cassie seemed to come alive again as she clung to him once more, trying to bury herself against him in an attempt to avoid the loathing directed at her. Until recently she had not been used to people hating her, but the dislike that her schoolmates had for her was nothing compared to the abhorrence that radiated from Isla.

Chris shifted slightly, his feet taking up a fighting stance. Beside him, Melissa reached into her purse, her hand wrapped around something. It was not only Cassie he had to see safely out of here, but them also. If they did not all survive this, it would destroy Cassie. Devon’s head snapped around. Julian had moved a couple steps closer. Blood had formed at the corners of his mouth, but he seemed to be doing better already.

He leveled Julian with a fierce glare. “You take one more step and I will rip your throat out!” Julian froze, but his eyes darted about, calculating the odds. “Three Hunters and me,” he reminded Julian coldly.

“They’re not armed,” Isla purred.

“We can still fight, and we’re still dangerous,” Cassie said softly, her spine straightening defiantly, her jaw clenching tight. Though he was proud of her for standing up for herself, he was also terrified that her defiance would only enrage Isla further.

Isla laughed coldly as she tossed her hair over her shoulder. She moved suddenly, blurring as she charged at them. Devon braced himself, turning slightly as Isla barreled past Melissa, shoving her aside before slamming into his back. The force of the blow staggered him, pushing him forward. Cassie cried out as she was shoved against the locker, his body slammed forcefully against hers. He tried to absorb most of the impact, but he knew that Cassie had been hurt by the blow.

Isla tore at him, her claws raking down his back. Pain radiated through him as his blood spilled forth, but it was not him that Isla was after. Cassie ducked her head, turning away from the raking claws that sought to destroy her. Rage suffused him, turning his vision a murky red. He would rip Isla limb from limb before he ever let her get her hands on Cassie. Bellowing with fury, he swung back hard, his fist and shoulder connecting hard with Isla.

Isla was flung back, she skid across the floor before hitting the lockers with a loud thud. Releasing Cassie, he spun around, keeping her firmly pinned behind his back. His lips pulled back as a harsh hiss escaped him and his teeth elongated. Isla shook her head, staggering as she got back to her feet. Chris pulled Melissa up, a bruise was already beginning to form on her cheek, but she appeared otherwise unharmed.

Voices filled the hall, laughter trailed ahead of the students making their way toward them. Isla and Julian moved closer together, communicating silently with their gazes. To expose themselves to a bunch of humans would be reckless, dangerous. They would not be able to kill them all, and to do so would leave a trail of bodies that would only get the authorities involved.

Vampires preferred to remain hidden by nature; it was something that was bred into them upon their awakening. They did not want the world to know of their existence, it would only bring more people forth to kill them. For fear of the unknown did strange things to humans. They often sought to destroy that which they did not understand, and no vampire could withstand a massive mob of angry, frightened humans on a rampage.

“Later lover,” Isla whispered.

Julian and Isla slipped easily down the hall, disappearing into the shadows before a group of four girls turned the corner. Marcy was in the lead. They froze as they spotted the carnage of the hall, and the blood stained floor. Cassie inhaled sharply. Feeling tired, beaten, and worn, Devon took a step forward, turning to confront the group before them.

Marcy looked at him, shock and horror widening her eyes as she took in his bloodied shirt and wounds. “Devon! Are you ok?”

Her gaze darted accusingly to Cassie before focusing on him once more. Taking a deep breath, he drew on his strength as he marshaled his powers. Reaching out, he shoved his mind forward, wrapping into theirs as he seized hold of their will. Their eyes became dull, glazed, their mouths parted slightly.

“You saw nothing here, and no one. Go back to the dance, there is nothing going on here.” He kept hold of their minds as he twisted their memories. In their minds the doors and lockers were still intact, the hall was empty.

Slowly, they nodded and turned around before moving stiffly away. Slumping, feeling slightly drained, it took all he had to keep himself standing upright. The use of his ability on so many people, on top of his blood loss, was tiring. The three of them stared at him in silent awe, amazed by the power he had never shown them. Cassie grabbed hold of his arm, her wide violet blue eyes worriedly searching his face.

“Devon?”

He turned away from her, the scent of her blood overwhelming him in his weakened condition. Tremors shook him as he fought against his need and desire. He could not be near her right now. “Chris,” he muttered.

Chris hurried to his side, shooting Cassie an apologetic glance as he took hold of Devon’s arm, wrapping it around his shoulders. Devon released her reluctantly; hurt bloomed in her eyes as she stepped back. He hated to see that hurt, didn’t want to be the cause of it, but he did not trust himself to be near her now. She was far too tempting, and he was far too weak. She had been hurt enough tonight without having to endure more wounds from him.

“We need to get out of here,” Melissa said hurriedly. “Before other people come.”

“I need to grab my purse and shoes, my ID is inside,” Cassie whispered.

Devon growled as she disappeared from sight. Forgetting his injuries, he drug Chris into the bathroom after her. He froze, anger and horror filling him as he took in the wreckage that littered the floor. The soap dispenser lay in the middle of the room, its liquid scattered across the floor, sinks, and broken glass. One of the stall doors had been ripped free and tossed aside. But it was not the wreckage that left him immobile; it was the blood staining the linoleum, sink, floor, and the tops of the stall doors. Her blood.

Cassie emerged from one of the ruined stalls, her stained purse clutched tightly in her trembling hands. Her gaze darted around the room, her breath came more rapidly. She looked so lost, so childlike and wounded that it broke his heart. His anger evaporated as he took in the room once more. All he could do was be thankful that she was still alive, that she had somehow managed to survive Julian’s attack when no one else would have. At least no human would have, and probably no other Hunter.

She may not have the special abilities that Melissa and Chris possessed, but Devon was beginning to suspect that there was far more to her than any of them had even begun to imagine.