No matter how fast he moved, he was terrified that he would not get to her in time.
CHAPTER 9
Cassie took a step closer to Melissa and Chris, fear rolling through her. Isla had not moved yet, but there was a strangely superior smile on her face. In the air, Cassie could suddenly feel a strange, sizzling power beginning to build. Terror froze her as she glanced worriedly at Chris and Melissa, who had the same horrified looks of realization on their faces she was certain was on hers. She recalled belatedly that they had never asked Devon what Isla’s power was. What she was capable of doing. The backdoor slammed open moments before Isla released her power in a brutal rush of electricity.
A terrifying jolt seemed to turn the world upside down. Cassie shook her head, trying to ease the accelerated beat of her heart. Her skin tickled strangely, her hair stood on end. She looked down, surprised to see that the ends of her arm hair were singed. The stench of burnt flesh and hair hung heavy in the damp air.
She glanced wildly around her, spinning in a circle when she realized that Chris and Melissa were no longer standing beside her. Nausea and horror spiraled through her; she raced toward where they lay, unmoving on the ground.
“No, no, no!” she cried, falling to her knees in the snow beside Chris.
Grasping hold of his arm, she was horrified by the burns that marred his pale skin. But she instantly felt the beat of his heart, the warmth of his skin. Glancing at Melissa she was relieved to see the subtle rise and fall of her chest. Thankfully they were alive, but they had been completely knocked out.
Dani fell into the snow beside her, her gold flecked eyes wide with horror. Cassie recalled what Devon had said about the abilities of a Grounder. When a vampire and a Hunter met up, they cancelled each other out. That was why Dani was still on her feet, but why was she?
Cassie glanced worriedly back at Isla. Apparently Isla had more practice at controlling her power than Dani did. She could control who she wanted to take out with her blast of electricity, and who she did not. Cassie shuddered, terror crept down her spine; she had to keep Isla at bay. She had to keep Isla from her friends, but she had no idea how she was going to do it. “You need to get them inside,” she whispered to Dani.
Dani’s eyes widened, her gaze darted past Cassie to Isla. “I can’t leave you out here.”
“She won’t let me get inside, she might let you. You need to get them out of here.”
“Cassie…”
Cassie pulled the stake from where it had been tucked into the sleeve of Dani’s coat. “Go on,” she said softly.
“But…”
“Dani, the three of you need to live through this. You have to help them.” Dani still looked doubtful, her eyes troubled and worried. “It’s me she wants. She’ll let you go, now go.”
Before Dani could protest further, Cassie scuttled back in the snow, moving swiftly away from her. She hardly felt the cold through the adrenaline coursing in her veins. No matter what happened, she had to keep Isla away from the three of them. They were the only hope for the town, if she did not survive this. Which there was a good possibility she wouldn’t. Isla was dangerous, spurned, stronger, and filled with hatred. She was going to be a battle unlike any Cassie had ever experienced.
A brief tug of guilt and loss pulled at her heart as her thoughts turned briefly to Devon. They had just found each other again. This was going to destroy him. She shut the thoughts down before she was consumed by the agony that was trying to rise up. She still had a chance to win this, it was not over yet, and she was going to fight like hell to make sure that she did not lose him again.
Cassie turned toward Isla as the beautiful woman came slowly forward, her hips swaying, and her long hair falling about her in thick waves. Cassie remained kneeling, her body tense as she tried to calculate Isla’s plan. Her fingers clenched around the stake as Isla stopped mere feet away from her, her golden eyes narrowed as she studied Cassie distastefully.
“What could Devon possibly see in you?” she mused softly, lightly tapping her teeth with a long red nail. Cassie refused to take her eyes from Isla, but she desperately wanted to know how Dani was making out. “You’re such a mousey little thing.”
“Obviously more than he saw in you,” Cassie grated.
Isla’s eyes flashed ruby red, a small snarl curled her full upper lip. They remained silent for a few moments watching each other, Cassie wearily, Isla with a small gleam of satisfaction in her eyes. Cassie shifted slightly, unable to resist glancing back as she heard a soft thump. Dani had managed to drag Melissa’s prone figure to the porch, she was struggling to pull her up the stairs.
Isla took her brief distraction as an opportunity to pounce. Cassie caught the blur of motion out of the corner of her eye. Working on instinct, she spun back around, swinging out low with her foot. She connected with Isla’s leg, knocking her slightly off balance, but not enough. Barely missing a beat, Isla grabbed hold of her leg, ripping her off her feet and throwing her to the side.
Cassie bounced across the ground, a startled cry escaping her. If it hadn’t been for the mounds of snow she was certain she would have broken a few ribs, instead she had the breath knocked out of her. Unfortunately, it was still enough to slow her down. She rolled to the side, dread filling her as she realized that she had lost the stake. It lay a few feet away from her, sticking straight up in the snow.
She scuttled toward it, but Isla was already coming at her again. Giving up on regaining the stake, Cassie lurched to her feet, barely regaining her balance before Isla slammed into her. They tumbled backward; snow fell down Cassie’s shirt, coating her skin. Her fear, however, far outweighed the cold.
Isla was on top of her, tearing at her. Grasping her turtleneck, Isla pulled it tight around her neck, choking the air from her. Cassie fought against the hands clawing at her, trying to block them from ripping her to shreds. Fear gave her strength. Fisting her hand, she somehow managed to slam a solid blow against the side of Isla’s face.
It only knocked Isla slightly off balance, but it was enough so that Cassie was able to scramble backward. Isla recovered far quicker than Cassie had thought possible though. She grabbed hold of Cassie’s ankle, ripping her back toward her. A startled cry escaped Cassie, she tried to kick out but her foot only glanced off of Isla’s shoulder.
Isla was back on top of her, her eyes wild with frenzy and bloodlust. Cassie gazed up at her in startled surprise; Isla was going to kill her. Terror spurted through her, bright stars burst before her eyes as adrenaline pounded through her in crashing waves. Isla sat on her chest, grinning like the cat that had just caught the canary. The last thing Cassie wanted to be was that canary, but she was.