Kindled (Page 30)

Luther shifted; looking slightly uncomfortable as he wearily met her gaze. “The last Hunter like you, that was actually recorded, came along three hundred years ago. Her name was Gertrude, and during a large battle Gertrude became so enraged and blood thirsty that she began to change into a vampire.”

Cassie’s eyes widened, her gaze darted frantically between Devon and Luther. Devon remained perfectly still, terrified that she would turn against him as soon as this was all over. “Wait, wait.” Chris held up a hand. “Are you saying that this woman actually became a vampire?”

Luther sighed softly as he shook his head. “No. She began the change, but was unable to complete it. She didn’t have enough vampire blood in her to make the change successfully. She was caught in between.”

Cassie’s mouth dropped, her eyes widened in horror as her hands clenched tight upon the blanket in her lap. “She became one of those things, those monsters that get stuck in between?” she croaked out.

“Yes,” Devon said softly, wishing that he could take her terror from her but knowing that he couldn’t.

“Are you saying that I could do the same?”

“Yes.” Devon winced at the horrified, pain filled look that filled her eyes. Chris and Melissa gasped loudly; Dani remained unmoving, her eyes wide with fear. “That is what happened outside; it’s also how you were able to defeat Isla. Your powers increased when your fury became so intense that it allowed your vampire DNA to take hold of you.”

The room became so silent that he could hear the subtle crackling of the power lines outside. Cassie remained as unmoving as a block of ice on his lap, her skin as pale as a ghost. Her eyes flickered slightly; hopelessness filled them as she slowly absorbed everything that she was hearing.

“This woman, Gertrude, what happened to her?” she inquired in a tight, strangled voice.

“Unfortunately, she had to be destroyed. She could not be allowed to survive,” Luther said softly.

Chris’s breath exploded from him in a rush as he leapt to his feet. He ran his hand angrily through his hair, tugging at the slightly singed shaggy blond strands as he cursed viciously. “Are you kidding me?” Melissa demanded sharply. “That’s bull! I don’t even understand why all of this would happen; we were all created the same way!”

Luther glanced wearily around the room, looking defeated as he pulled his glasses off to clean them. “I’m not one hundred percent certain, but I believe that when a Hunter has an ability the vampire blood in them is more dispersed in order to help fuel the gift the Hunter possesses. When a Hunter doesn’t have a gift, the vampire blood in them is more concentrated and intense. They are stronger, faster, with better senses. More like a vampire themselves.”

They sat in stunned silence, Cassie remained unmoving. “Are you saying that I am going to turn into one of those things that get stuck in the middle?” she asked after a few minutes.

Luther heaved another large sigh. “It’s impossible to tell Cassie, but it could happen.”

Devon heard the increased beat of her heart, felt the chill that washed over her skin. She turned slowly back to him, her eyes tumultuous and lost. He wished there was something he could do to ease the torment radiating from her, but there was nothing. All he could do was be here for her, and try to comfort her.

“I… I don’t understand, what does all this mean? Am I a danger? Am I going to turn into one of these things at a moment’s notice? Or will it take something more, like Isla telling me that she killed my grandmother?”

Devon stiffened, his hands tightened on her. “Isla killed your grandmother?” he asked sharply.

Cassie nodded, licking her lips nervously. “Yes, she told me that tonight. That was when…” she broke off, her voice failing her for a few moments. “That was when I lost control, when the rage took over. It was awful.”

He rubbed her back gently, wishing that he could soothe her hurt, but knowing that there was nothing he could do to take this away from her. He’d never considered the fact that Isla had been the one that killed her grandmother; they had all just assumed it was Julian. Anger boiled through him, but he kept it hidden from her, not wanting to upset her any further.

“But I don’t understand,” Cassie mused softly. “Wouldn’t I still be weaker than a vampire? I mean I am not fully one of them, I’m stuck in the middle so wouldn’t they still be able to beat me? Shouldn’t Isla have still won?”

This was the one thing that Devon had been hoping Cassie wouldn’t wonder about. The one thing he had hoped to keep from her. He met Luther’s gaze, but he knew that Luther would not be the one to explain this. “No Cassie,” Devon said gently, continuing to rub her back, but knowing it would do little to comfort her soon. “You would think so, but the things that get stuck in the middle, they’re mindless. A vampire may be more powerful, but they still have a survival instinct, these things…” he trailed off, simply because this was the part that he didn’t want to think about. “These things do not. All they want is the kill; all they experience is the bloodlust. They care nothing for their own lives, all they want is to destroy and massacre.”

Cassie gaped at him, her beautiful eyes lost and wounded as confusion swam through them. Then horror filled her face, the color drained swiftly out of it. For a moment he thought she was going to fall over. His hands on her tightened as he tried to keep her with him, tried to keep her from withdrawing from him again.

“Cassie…”

“I’m a monster,” she breathed.

“No…”

She jerked away from him suddenly and launched to her feet with a grace and speed that was startling. He tried to reach for her again, but she had already moved beyond his grasp as she paced to the doorway. Her hands were shaking, her skin so white now that he could see the small blue veins running through her porcelain complexion. Her lips had turned nearly as white as the rest of her.

“I really am a monster,” she whispered.

“Cassie no…”

Chris cut off as she turned toward him; her lips pursed tight, her eyes flat and cold. “I’m not even like you guys,” she said flatly. “I’m nothing. I’m a walking danger to this planet…”

“That is not true!” Luther cut in sharply. “There were other Hunters like you before Gertrude, who never had any problems. Gertrude was a one in a million chance, the rest were fine.”