Inferno (Page 22)

Seeming to sense his murderous intent, Cassie touched his arm lightly, drawing his attention back to her. She had lost all color in her face, and she was shaking like a leaf, but she was still seeking to comfort him. She was frozen in place, her eyes dark and haunted, her lips nearly as pale as her skin as she pulled his hand slowly away from her mouth.

He moved to block the smell from her again, but she moved subtly away, her terrified gaze locking on his. He could sense her composure slipping, sense her weakening grip on control, and if he touched her, he would be her undoing. He dropped his arm back to his side as Cassie turned away from him, her gaze clashing with Dani’s. He could feel the fierce blaze of rage that surged up through her, sense the hatred that swelled forth but she buried it swiftly, biting on her bottom lip as she tried to stay in control. Devon knew exactly how she felt.

“Keep going Julian,” Devon hissed. Julian’s gaze was also focused on Dani, his eyes a deadly shade of red as he fought the urge to kill her. His gaze came slowly back to Devon, his lips pulled back slightly from his fangs. “Go Julian.”

Julian hesitated for a moment, torn between destroying Dani and moving on. Devon stared fiercely at him, willing him to continue. The anger and rage was much too high in this small hall. There was a good possibility that Dani would not make it out alive, or that Devon and Julian would end up in a fight, if only to purge some of the emotions running through them.

“Don’t Julian,” Cassie whispered shakily.

Devon moved closer to her as Julian’s gaze spun in her direction. Devon tensed, prepared to destroy Julian if he attacked Cassie, though he was no longer certain that he wanted Julian dead. They had once been best friends; brutal coldblooded killers yes, but also friends. Well as good of friends as monsters like them could have been anyway.

Yet Julian had somehow managed to move on from that monster, as Devon himself had. Julian had learned to care about Cassie enough to get her, and himself, out of here alive. Julian had learned to care about her enough to keep her sane and hopeful in a world of misery, loneliness, and torture. Julian had learned to care about someone more than he cared about himself, something that Devon never thought Julian would be capable of. Though Devon hated the fact that Julian fancied himself in love with Cassie, he was also grateful to Julian for everything he had done for her.

Julian closed his eyes and nodded sharply to Cassie before spinning on his heel and heading back down the long hallway. Cassie kept her gaze focused on Chris as they followed silently behind. Dani gasped loudly, taking a stumbling step back into Chris as they turned another corner. Devon knew that they had finally come upon some of the carnage they had smelled. Cassie straightened her shoulders, bracing herself as Chris pushed Dani roughly forward again.

Cassie reached back for him, seizing hold of his hand as they turned the corner. Devon steadied himself as excitement and disgust tore through him in equal waves. Blood splattered the hallway, mutilated bodies littered the floor. Though he had committed some awful atrocities in his life, he had never seen the destruction of the human body quite like this before.

Cassie’s hand trembled in his; her lower lip began to quiver. The sight of her horror and misery helped him to gain even more control of his baser instincts. She needed his protection and comfort now, she could never know about the excitement tingling through him. She would be repulsed by him if she did, and that was something that he never wanted to have happen.

“Don’t look,” he whispered, leaning closer to her. He wanted to cover her eyes with his hand, but he knew that she would not appreciate it.

She closed her eyes, her hand squeezing tighter around his as he helped to guide her through the mutilated bodies. Blood streaked the floor and covered the walls. The smell of it was metallic and wonderful. Though Cassie helped him to keep control of himself, Julian was on his own. Julian had only had a few small rats to eat today, and he did not have Cassie in his arms to help keep him grounded and calmer.

Devon began to fear that Julian might not make it back out of this. There was only so much a vampire could take, and Julian had only recently stopped killing. This might be far too much of a test of his willpower and control, and Julian may not even decide to stay not killing. He may go back to it when all of this was over, and Cassie was at Devon’s side. And Devon could not blame Julian if he did; Devon knew he would instantly return to killing if he ever lost her completely.

Though Devon would not blame Julian for returning, he couldn’t take the chance of Julian snapping in here. He would hurt people if he did, he could hurt Cassie if he did. Devon moved to stand beside Cassie, drawing her tight against him as he put her slightly behind him. He had not wanted her in the back, but he definitely didn’t want her close to Julian right now, and he wanted to be closer to Chris in order to get him out of the way if the need arose. Dani was on her own against Julian.

They moved into another hall, this one just as littered with bodies, but housing even more destruction. It appeared to be the hall where the uprising had started. Doors littered the floor, shattered glass cracked and splintered beneath their feet. They picked their way carefully through the debris, avoiding shards of wood and metal. Devon held Cassie close to his side as he steered her through it, keeping her face buried against him.

“How much further?” Julian growled, glancing fiercely back at Dani.

“Not much,” she answered shakily.

They rounded another corner, coming across more destruction before slipping into a hall that was strangely empty of all debris. Devon pulled Cassie gently out of his side; she glanced swiftly around, relief causing her shoulders to slump. “Here,” Dani said softly.

She pulled the keys from her pocket, her hands trembling as she tried to slide the key into the hole. Dani jumped nervously back as they slipped from her fingers and clattered upon the floor. She glanced wildly at the group before bending and swiftly scooping them back up. She struggled to find the right one again and get it in the hole.

Julian cursed violently, snatching the keys from her hand when his patience finally snapped. He shoved himself in front of her, slipping the key into the hole. “Wait!” Chris cried loudly his face going white as he reached for Julian.

It was too late though, Julian had already thrust the door open. A loud bang rang out, echoing through the air. Devon seized hold of Cassie, shoving her behind him as the shot reverberated down the hall. Julian fell back, shock and pain twisting his features as blood bloomed across his shoulder; it soaked his shirt where the bullet had torn a gaping wound into his shoulder. Devon grabbed Julian, shoving him to the floor as another shot rang out, bouncing down the hallway in a zinging rush that shattered concrete and deafened him.