Kindled (Page 11)

“Luther left?” he inquired innocently.

“Yeah.” Chris ran a hand through his already disheveled hair. “He got a lead on some Hunter in Texas or something. Said he needed to go, but the timing is awful. Cassie needs all the help she can get right now.”

Devon nodded, knowing that it was a lie. Luther was not in Texas, but it was as good a cover story as any. Chris didn’t know that Luther was trying to help Cassie, or that Luther may come back with the only way to help Cassie. “That’s too bad.”

“Yeah Melissa’s been staying with her, as you know.”

Chris grinned at him; Devon couldn’t help but return the smile. “What is this, a meeting of the minds?”

They turned as Melissa strolled up to them, her black hair neatly pulled back in a braid, her onyx eyes gleamed questioningly. “Yeah, you could say that,” Chris replied.

She glanced at the gym doors, scowling as she rolled her eyes. “You know if Cassie sees the two of you out here…”

“Three of us,” Chris corrected. “And she’s already in the locker room.”

Melissa nodded as she shifted her backpack. “Good. I’m going to go in, make sure she’s ok.”

Devon grabbed hold of Melissa’s arm, stopping her before she could disappear into the locker room. “How is she to live with?”

Melissa cocked an eyebrow. “She’s just peachy,” she mumbled, her gaze darted swiftly to the doors as if afraid she would get caught doing something wrong. “She’s the same there as she is here. Distant, unreadable, angry.”

“Have you had any visions?”

Melissa frowned at him, her fine eyebrows furrowed. “No, not about anything important anyway. Don’t worry; I’ll let you know if I do.”

Devon nodded as he released her arm. “Thank you.”

Melissa stood for a moment, her gaze darting between the gym doors and the two of them. With a soft sigh, she dropped her bag off her shoulder and turned to face them. “In all honesty I think she’s nearing her snapping point.”

Devon frowned at her. He could sense Melissa’s reticence to talk about Cassie, but this seemed to be something that she needed to get off her mind. “What do you mean?” he demanded glancing sharply at Chris, who looked just as confused as Devon felt.

Melissa shrugged as she tossed her long braid off of her shoulder. “I just don’t think she can keep going like this for much longer. She’s going to snap and either hunt those two down on her own and get herself killed, or she’s going to have a breakdown. She can’t keep shoving all of her grief and sorrow aside; it’s going to break free one way or another. We need to be prepared for that.”

“What makes you think that?” Chris asked softly.

Melissa shrugged again as she reclaimed her bag. “Simple reason. She’s been living like this for the past two weeks. She can’t keep going, one way or another everything that is eating at her is going to come out. I just hope that she survives the aftermath, even if she doesn’t want to.”

Though she said it in a flat monotone, tears shimmered in her dark eyes. Her fear for Cassie was palpable. “This can’t go on anymore,” he said firmly, though there was a tremor inside him. “I don’t care if I have to lock her away somewhere, but this can’t go on anymore.”

“You can’t do that!” Melissa gasped. “She’d hate you forever!”

Devon glanced sharply at her, his hands fisted at his sides. “She already hates me,” he growled. “But I will make sure that she lives, I will make sure that she doesn’t do anything to get herself killed! I will not allow her continue to waste away. She can hate me for the rest of her life, but at least it will be a long one.”

Chris and Melissa exchanged worried glances. “Devon…”

“No,” he interrupted Chris sharply. “If something doesn’t change soon, or if she even tries to go after them, I will take her from here and there is nothing that either of you can do to stop me.”

Their eyes were wide and turbulent but they didn’t argue with him. Even if they did, he would not change his mind. She had to survive. He could not live through the loss of her life; he could not keep his sanity if such a thing happened. If Cassie died then he was as good as dead also. But his life meant little to him, compared to hers. He would gladly die if she was killed.

“I think you’re right,” Chris said softly, turning slightly away from him as he folded his large arms over his chest. Though he did not look happy about the decision, he would not argue it.

“Chris!” Melissa hissed.

He shook his head briskly. “No, he’s right. She’s on a downward spiral that will only end with death. We can’t let that happen to her. She needs to deal with her emotions, she needs to come to terms with all of this, and until she does, then we have to be the ones to keep her safe. Even if it means doing something she’ll despise us for.”

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Devon muttered.

They both looked sharply at him, their torment and unease evident in their lost gazes. “I don’t think it will,” Melissa said. “I don’t think she’s going to make it to that point. She can’t keep going like this; it’s only a matter of time…”

Melissa’s voice trailed off as her eyes darted back toward the gym doors. “Well, I suppose we should go get our PE on. I’ll see you in a little bit.”

She turned and hurried swiftly across the hall, disappearing inside the door of the girl’s locker room. Devon glanced sharply at Chris. “Do you think Melissa’s right?”

Chris shrugged as he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “I think she may be. Cassie’s so angry that it’s the only emotion I pick up from her. It’s hard to tell what is going on with her. Come on, we had better get going.”

Devon stifled a groan at the thought of having to go. As far as he was concerned high school was a waste of time as it was, Gym being the biggest waste of it. He followed Chris into the boys locker room though, wrinkling his nose at the heavy scent of sweat and body odor that filled the large, blue tiled room. He changed swiftly, paying little attention to anyone else in the room.

Following behind Chris, they made their way swiftly out to the large gymnasium. His gaze instantly found Cassie leaning against the far wall. Her hair had been pulled into a loose ponytail that enhanced the angles of her thinner face. She had changed into a pair of shorts and a loose fitting black t-shirt that hung limply on her slender frame. The sunglasses were still in place.