It was also the boy from her dream with Zane.
His blond hair hung in thick curls to his shoulders and gave him a cherubic appearance that would have robbed her of her breath had she any left. Beneath the cherubic persona, she sensed something more, something different. In fact, she could feel it seeping up her arm and filtering into her system. Knowledge burst rapidly through the synapses of her brain as she not only absorbed the boy's power, but also how to use it.
Cassie's mouth parted as she stared down at him. He had been making the world spin around her. It was a strange ability used to disorient and stagger the prey in order to make them easier to kill, or easier to escape from. However, upon touching the boy Cassie realized that he hadn't been doing it to her. In fact, he was so young that he didn't really know about his ability, he only knew that he was different. Instead, as he'd gotten closer to her, Cassie had somehow started to absorb his power without having to touch him.
She shuddered as she tried to deny what she already knew, but she was unable to do so. She may be able to lie to the others and tell them that she'd regained control of herself. But she couldn't lie to herself, and she couldn't lie to Devon and Julian. Devon saw inside her every time they renewed their mating bond, and Julian saw inside her every time he touched her. Chris may sense something was wrong, and Melissa and Luther may suspect it, but she would never confirm their reservations to them. They had enough to worry about without her adding to it.
But here, now, she knew that she was in trouble, and she wasn't sure she could stop it anymore or if she even wanted to. She would require as many of these powers as she could get if they were going to keep the children alive and survive The Elders.
She suddenly recalled the pond and the children she had come so close to, but none of them had affected her in this way. She tilted her head as she studied the boy more carefully. It wasn't her powers that were growing, she realized, but something about this child that was different. Something about this child that called out to something inside of her and allowed her to pull him into her dream.
His eyes were far beyond his years as he watched her unblinkingly. "Are you here to save us?" he inquired in a lilting voice that tugged at her deadened heart.
Cassie frowned at the small boy. "Save you?"
"From the bad people. I dreamed of you, you're an angel aren't you?"
"The bad people?" she choked out.
The boy anxiously glanced around before tugging on her hand and gesturing with his small finger to her. She bent closer to him and he nearly pressed his mouth to her ear. "The ones keeping us here."
Panic jolted through her as she wildly looked around. For the first time she realized that Luther and Sister Anne weren't in the room with them. Luther! Rage and terror blasted through her as she burst into motion. Releasing the small boy's hand, she flew down the hall as if the hounds of hell were on her heels.
CHAPTER 17
Devon shifted uneasily against the vehicle. All of his attention was focused on the house and his every molecule was fighting against the urge to go knock on the door. He was still unhappy that Luther had been adamant about only the two of them going inside in order to keep things as casual and low key as possible. Cassie had insisted upon being the one to go in there with him. Though she'd touched him last, she still felt she could pull up her other abilities if necessary, but she highly doubted they would run into any trouble. She was also a lot less threatening looking than either himself or Julian.
Chris had walked closer to the building; his head was tilted to the side as he studied the brick front. Devon had stopped him the first few times he'd tried to get close, but this time he decided to let Chris go. If they noticed him outside, what could they really do about it besides call the police? But as long as the whole force didn't show up, Devon felt fairly confident he could change whatever memories needed to be changed.
"Does he sense something?" Julian inquired gruffly.
"I don't know," Devon answered. There was no reason for them to suspect anything off about the orphanage, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right either, and apparently neither could Chris. Devon was beginning to wish he hadn't told the others to stay at the motel to get some rest.
Devon stepped away from the vehicle and headed toward Chris as he tilted his head to the other side. The glow from the rising moon and streetlights illuminated the building against the darkening twilight. "Chris?"
Chris turned toward him. "There's nothing," he said softly.
"Excuse me?"
"There's nothing. I feel nothing from there."
Devon stopped moving as his gaze turned back to the building. "What does that mean?" Melissa demanded as she stalked toward them.
"I don't know," Devon answered as he walked toward the door.
"What are you going to do?" Julian demanded as hurried to catch up with him.
"I'm going inside."
"You're not invited," Julian reminded him.
Devon cursed ferociously as he swung back toward Chris and Melissa. "Get up there!"
They scurried forth and leapt up the front steps in graceful bounds. Chris was the first to get to the screen door and throw it open. He rang the doorbell but when no one came he pounded on the hardwood door. "Go in," Devon growled.
Melissa and Chris exchanged a guarded glance, Chris grabbed the knob but it wouldn't turn. He shoved his shoulder into the heavy wooden door as he beat loudly against it. "Son of a bitch!" Chris yelled as he threw himself forcefully into the door again.
"Chris!" Melissa grabbed hold of his shoulder as he prepared to launch himself at it again. "Chris stop!"
Julian roughly elbowed Chris aside as he threw himself forward. The door shuddered beneath the force of his impact, but remained solid and in one piece. Devon spun on his heel and raced toward the back of the building. He bolted up the back steps and wasn't at all surprised to find that door locked also. He didn't bother to try and break it down; he knew he wouldn't succeed. Whatever the door was made out of, it was solid enough to withstand him and Julian. He suspected the wood was a façade and that the door was actually solid steel.
Of course it would be, as he realized now that they had been wrong about The Commission not being involved here, and they had Cassie again. Julian skidded around the corner of the building with Chris and Melissa close behind. Devon leapt over the railing of the porch and bolted across the yard to a massive garden statue. He easily swung the two hundred pound stone angel up and heaved it onto his shoulder as he ran back to the building.