Kindred

Her grandmother shuddered, her head dropped to Cassie’s shoulder. “You will be safer, more aware out there.”

“Always,” Cassie vowed.

Her grandmother squeezed her tight and pulled quickly away. Her bright eyes shimmered with tears, but her cheeks remained dry as she met Cassie’s gaze again. “My brave girl, just like your mom.”

A cold chill went through Cassie. She had been told she was just like her mother her whole life. She looked like her mother, she moved like her mother, and she acted like her mother. The only difference was that Cassie was not gifted and her mother had possessed the powerful ability to move objects with her mind. Cassie didn’t mind looking and acting like her mother. She did not, however, want to die young like her mother. Yet, right now, her life seemed to be heading along that same path. Only she would be seven years younger than her mother’s twenty four when she died.

Cassie fought the bone wracking shudder that tore though her, she desperately wanted those seven years. They may not seem like much, but they would be precious, and she had a very bad feeling that she was going to be cheated of them. “There are times I wish that Luther had never found you.”

Cassie tried to push aside the cold terror, and aching hurt, that was firmly embedded in her belly. “There are times I wish that too,” she admitted softly.

If Luther had never found her that day, then she and Chris never would have known that they were Hunter’s. Chris’s mother, and her grandmother, had decided to keep the truth hidden from them. They had been determined to keep them safe, and to raise them as normally as possible. Until Luther arrived, Chris’s power had been passed off as a psychic ability that some normal people may have possessed. At the time, Cassie’s grandmother believed that they were the last of The Hunter line, and that no one would come looking for them.

They had been wrong.

“You will be safe, right?” Cassie asked worriedly.

Her grandmother smiled, but it did not reach her eyes. “Don’t worry about me dear, don’t you ever worry about me. You don’t get to be my ripe old age without knowing how to take care of yourself.”

Cassie nodded, but she was not completely soothed. She knew her grandmother; she was not one to sit idly by, especially if she thought she would be keeping Cassie safe. She could only hope that she didn’t do something crazy.

“Eat your breakfast dear, Chris is on his way over.”

Cassie glanced back at her bowl of oatmeal, but she had no appetite. “I’ll see you tonight grandma, I love you.”

She dropped a quick kiss on her soft cheek as she grabbed hold of her bag and slung it over her shoulder. “Love you too dear. Have a good day.”

Cassie glanced back at her, but she was still staring out the window, a distant look on her pretty features. A chill of apprehension slid down Cassie’s spine.

CHAPTER 16

Cassie played with the applesauce on her plate, twirling it over on her spoon; her thoughts were distant and distracted. She could not get the lonely image of her grandmother out of her head, or shake the foreboding that had seized hold of her. Devon took hold of her hand, his touch soothing some of her tension.

Looking up at him, she managed a wan smile as she met his troubled gaze. “What is wrong?”

Shaking her head, she dropped her spoon; seizing hold of his hand she once again noted that it was abnormally cold. She frowned as she ran her finger over his skin, savoring in the feel of him. His circulation had to be poor for him to be this chilled. Either that, or he had just come from outside as it was a little brisk for September.

Shrugging it off, she managed a small smile for him. “Nothing, just not that hungry.”

He didn’t seem to buy it as he stared hard at her. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” She studied him carefully for a moment, her questions from earlier returning to her. “Devon, where do you live?”

Quirking an eyebrow, a small smile flitted across his full lips. “Is that what has you so distracted?”

Cassie shrugged absently. “I just realized that I don’t know much about you.”

Something flickered in his eyes. It was a quick flash, but she was certain that she saw it. She couldn’t be sure what it had been though, but for a moment she thought it was fear. But why would her question cause him fear? “Well, we will have to remedy that,” he said softly, his hand tightened briefly around hers. “My place is in Oyster Hills.”

Cassie blinked in surprise; she didn’t know much about Oyster Hills, except for the fact that it was very expensive, and highly upscale. “Wow. What do your parents do?”

His jaw clenched tight, a muscle jumped in his cheek. “They’re dead.”

Cassie gasped, horror filled her. “I’m so sorry; I know how awful that is.”

He shrugged absently, his finger caressing her hand lightly. “It was a long time ago.”

“But the hole never heals,” she whispered.

His distant gaze came back to hers, tender and loving as he studied her. “I suppose not.”

Swallowing heavily, she leaned closer to him, hoping to ease some of the pain she knew such a passing left. “Do you mind me asking what happened?” she inquired softly.

He hesitated for a moment, before shrugging. “They were killed.”

Cassie’s eyes widened, anguish filled her as she studied his hard countenance. Though curiosity filled her, she decided against pressing further. She knew how much it could upset someone; how the wound never completely healed. No matter how much time passed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”

He smiled at her, kissing her hand gently. “Anything you wish to know, you just ask.”

Leaning closer to him, she was surprised to realize that she had completely forgotten about the noise and confusion of the cafeteria. He had a way about him that made it very easy to forget that the rest of the world even existed. He had a way that made it impossible to focus on anything, except him. She rested her head on his shoulder, savoring in his scent as he gently caressed her hair.

Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to drift into him, relishing in the comfort that he brought her. “Would you like to see my place today?”

She glanced up at him, grinning brightly as she nodded. “I would.”

His eyes twinkled merrily as he dropped a chaste kiss upon her forehead. The memory of the passionate kiss they had shared last night assailed her, leaving her longing for more. For a moment a tremor of fear trickled through her. What would happen if they went to his place alone? Though the thought did arise some fear, she couldn’t stop her pulse from racing with excitement.

A new commotion snapped her eyes to the center of the cafeteria. Marcy had grabbed a chair and was pulling it into the center of the room. Mrs. Kindel shook her head, but didn’t stop her as Marcy brought forth a microphone and climbed onto the chair. Cassie had no idea where the microphone had come from; she didn’t want to know either.

“Hello, testing.” Everyone in the room winced as the microphone squealed loudly. “Ok, I have some announcements to make,” Marcy continued when the noise died down.

Cassie glanced at Melissa, who smiled superiorly back at her and gave a quick wink. Groaning inwardly, she slid slightly down in her chair, hoping that she could somehow be overlooked. Devon was frowning in confusion; his dark eyebrows were drawn tightly together as he studied Marcy like some strange bug.

“What’s this about?” he asked quietly.

“Homecoming nominations.”

Uncertainty swirled in his eyes. Cassie stared questioningly at him, but he didn’t say anything more. For a moment, she could have sworn that he hadn’t known what she was talking about. But that couldn’t be possible, no matter how small a school he had come from, they would still have homecoming, wouldn’t they?

He leaned slightly back, his emerald eyes darting to Marcy as a mask of indifference slipped over his face. Cassie’s hand tightened briefly around his as doubt continued to swirl through her. He glanced back at her, his eyes darker and more intense than normal. Their eyes locked forcefully, Cassie’s heartbeat picked up. All of her doubts vanished as she was lost to him once more. His thumb stroked over her skin, causing her body to heat everywhere. She could not wait to be alone with him later.

“Now, when I call your name please come up here. Thanks. Nominees for homecoming king are Mark Young, Hector Rodriguez, Jack Wells, Chris Tempen….”

Cassie beamed happily, clapping loudly as Marcy called off Chris’s name. Chris’s fair skin blazed red as he stood to a raucous chorus of cheers and whistles. He bowed and waved to everyone as if he were royalty. Marcy frowned angrily, her voice breaking off as the cheers continued. Chris and Jack were pounded on the back by the rest of the football team as they made their way to the center of the room, and Marcy.

“Ok, settle down!” Marcy called into the microphone. She waited impatiently, her foot tapping, and her arms folded across her chest as the cheers slowly died down. Marcy rolled her eyes but as she glanced down at the piece of paper in her hand, a sly smile played across her lips. A feeling of foreboding stole through her. “The final nominee is Devon Knight.”

Cassie’s mouth parted slightly, shock coursed rapidly through her as cries of delight, and loud clapping sounded through the room. It was mostly the girls that applauded and shouted, making it apparent which side of the nomination he had received. Cassie turned slowly back to him. He was sitting stiffly in his chair, a blank expression on his face, but a hard gleam in his eyes. This was not his thing, not at all, and it was more than obvious that he didn’t want it. She wasn’t entirely sure he even knew what it meant.

Then he moved swiftly, sliding elegantly from his chair as he rose gracefully. He glanced down at Cassie, warmth momentarily melting the ice in his eyes. Gently releasing her, he moved swiftly and elegantly to stand beside Chris. The cheers grew louder, the higher pitch of the girl’s voices reverberated in the large cafeteria. Though some of the boys clapped, including Chris, most did not.

This time, Marcy did not urge everyone to quiet down as she smiled brilliantly. Instead, she waited patiently for the commotion to stop. Anger filled Cassie as she glanced around the cafeteria, taking note of all the girls staring ravenously at Devon. Marcy was the worst offender, as her crush on Chris had obviously switched to Devon. Though Cassie knew that Devon did not want any of them, she still didn’t like the fact that they all wanted him. And not a one of them gave a damn that he was already with her.

“It’s ok,” Melissa said softly, leaning forward to be heard over the commotion.

“I know.”

“Then why are you glaring at every girl in this room like you want to hit them?” she inquired.

“Maybe not every girl.”

“Just Marcy?” Cassie couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped her as she shook her head at Melissa’s teasing.

Cassie tried to catch Devon’s eye, but he did not look at her again as he studied the other boys. Jack and Hector were playfully pushing each other; Mark was wearing a goofy grin and flexing his muscles. Chris was standing quietly, his arms folded over his chest, but he was beaming from ear to ear as he winked at the girls closest to him. They all looked so young and immature, Devon seemed vastly older and out of place amongst them.

Cassie’s heartbeat picked up, her hands curled on the table. Who was he? She wondered again. Why did he seem so far beyond her age, and everyone else’s?

“Now the nominees for homecoming queen,” Marcy continued when the noise finally quieted down. “The nominees are Amanda Jenkins, Sharon Crosby, Kelly Standish, Cassandra Fairmont…” Loud cheers and whistles erupted around the room as she rose, but unlike Devon, her appreciative audience was mostly male.

Cassie flushed hotly as she slipped from the table. She tried to keep her shoulders straight as she hurried to stand beside Kelly. The dark, angry looks from most of the girls in the room followed her, along with the leering stares of the boys. Her skin crawled with the mixed emotions blazing against her. Trying to keep as collected as she could, she kept her face expressionless, but inwardly she was a seething mass of turmoil.

Marcy sighed loudly, tapping impatiently at the microphone to get everyone’s attention. Slowly the caterwauling died down with only a few whistles and shouts still piercing the air. Devon’s face had become even harder, his jaw clenched tight as he met Cassie’s gaze briefly. It was apparent that he disliked the attention of the men toward her, almost as much as she did. She wished that she could reach out and touch him; she desperately needed the comfort that he always brought her.

“And finally,” Marcy continued with a bright grin on her face. “Myself.”