Phoenix Rising (Page 8)

Seeking with his mind, he reopened the pathways he had already established within Adon and Anastasia’s brains as he took control. With a simple command, he drew them forward, separating them from the group. Zane tried to grasp Anastasia, but she had already moved out of his reach, and Zane seemed reluctant to get any closer to Cassie.

Devon smiled in amusement as Zane shot him a bewildered look that was quickly replaced with anger. Though Devon’s power had always been the strongest, and most debilitating, Zane hadn’t thought him capable of taking control of two minds at once, at least not two Elder minds. He had greatly underestimated the power that Cassie’s blood had given to him.

"Amazing what happens when you feed upon a Hunter," Devon murmured.

Zane’s eyes blazed a ruby red as his gaze fixed on Anastasia. Frustration and helplessness radiated from him, but he made no move to go after her. If it had been Cassie that had been pulled away from him, Devon would have done anything he could to get her back. For the first time Devon began to realize that he’d greatly underestimated the oldest Elder’s attachment to Anastasia. Yes, their relationship had lasted centuries, but it wasn’t love that kept them together. It was a twisted pleasure in how vile and cruel each of them could be.

Devon’s gaze narrowed as Anastasia and Adon stopped before Cassie. Their faces were slack, their eyes glazed as Devon kept complete control over them. Though he sensed a deep wealth of strength within Cassie, he wasn’t going to take the chance of her getting hurt by them.

"I underestimated you," Zane said.

"And I you," Devon replied, unable to tear his gaze from the oldest Elder. Zane’s golden good looks appeared to darken in the radiance of the moon as fury poured off of him in waves. Though Devon controlled two of Zane’s group, he didn’t appear overly concerned about it.

Zane grinned at him. "You can keep her."

That was when Cassie’s head came up and she stared Zane down. "I don’t need her for long."

Zane frowned at her words as confusion marred his brow. Though Devon didn’t like it, he knew exactly how Zane felt. What did she mean by that and what was she going to do with Anastasia? Devon didn’t like the woman, he never had. In fact, he’d never liked any of The Elders. However, he wasn’t going to stand by and allow Cassie to do something to them that may cost her a piece of her soul, if her soul was even still intact.

He was terrified that it wasn’t as he watched her with growing apprehension. She was staring at Adon and Anastasia, who had instinctively shied away from her in their approach to Devon. Cassie’s forehead furrowed, she appeared confused as to why they were avoiding her. Maybe she didn’t realize that she was radiating power like a lighthouse beacon. Or that her eyes were the strangest thing that any of them had ever seen, and they had all seen some pretty strange things in their extensive lives.

Devon heard Julian and Chris approaching and felt them as they stopped a few feet behind them. "Cassie…" Devon started.

"Shh," she whispered her eyes still on Anastasia and Adon.

As much as he loved her, he had to admit that she was starting to frighten him a little too. He was becoming increasingly concerned that the person standing before him wasn’t the same person that had died here not even half an hour ago. When this was over he feared he would realize that he really had lost her, and that this miracle he’d been granted would be cruelly ripped away from him when she turned on them all.

"Honey, I don’t know what you think you’re doing, or what you think you might be capable of, but no matter how freaky your eyes are I can still snap you like a twig," Zane sneered.

Confusion was evident on her delicate features as her gaze darted to Devon. "My eyes?"

He nodded as he studied her carefully. "They’re a little different." That was the understatement of the year, but he was trying not to upset her anymore than he had to.

Her frown deepened, her fingers flitted up to the corner of her right eye. "I see," she murmured as her hand fell away. Her attention returned to Zane as a small smile flitted across her face. "Bring it."

Zane and Devon both bristled over her challenge. Zane took offense to it, while Devon had the urge to throw himself in front of her to shield her from Zane’s imminent attack. However, before either of them could react, Cassie dashed to the side faster than he’d ever seen her move. She grabbed hold of Adon, who remained as unmoving as a scarecrow within Devon’s control.

Devon opened up his mouth to shout a warning to Cassie as Zane separated himself. Using his ability of astral projection Zane created two identical versions of himself, each one capable of fighting just as well as the original. Devon burst into motion, rushing toward one of them as Cassie spun away from Adon as gracefully as a woodland faerie.

Zane’s projection missed grabbing hold of her. "Robert!" Zane shouted.

Cassie spun toward his brother, beckoning him with her hands to come forward. "Care to try again Robert?" she taunted.

"Cassie!" Devon and Julian yelled at the same time.

Even though she wasn’t mortal anymore Devon was beginning to realize that she was still going to be the death of him. Dying had done nothing to curb her recklessness. He tried to grasp hold of her, to keep her out of Robert’s way, but before he could get to her, Robert heaved a boulder from the ground mere feet from Cassie. She was fast, but not fast enough to completely dodge it.

"No!" Chris yelled.

The boulder clipped her shoulder and shoved her back. Turning to the side, she maneuvered easily out of the way of another boulder as she threw her hands out. Devon stumbled back as fire shot from her palms. It blasted across the open space, lighting the remains of the asphalt as a trail of flames blazed over the ground.

He could only stare at her in astonishment. His gaze shot to Adon, the only other person he had ever met with pyrokenesis. That highly deadly ability was the reason he’d chosen to take control of Adon in the first place.

Robert screamed and fell back as the fire caught at the edge of his pants and began to rapidly lick its way up. Bernard swung his coat off as Robert fell to the ground and rolled frantically in an attempt to smother the flames. Bernard wrapped him within the coat and beat out the flames. Robert’s screams stopped, the night became eerily hushed as all eyes focused upon Cassie once more.

"Devon has Adon and Anastasia, he can make them stand here until the sun comes out and destroys them, or he can turn them against you. I’m sure that Anastasia feels quite strong now that she has been soaking up all the misery and pain from everyone."

Devon’s head shot toward Anastasia and then back to Cassie. How did she know about Anastasia’s ability to draw strength, and feed off of emotions? Just how many abilities did Cassie possess now, and was she going to be able to keep control of that strength enough to not let it rule her?