Cassie gaped at him, struggling to keep breathing through the anxiety and pain clutching at her. She glanced sharply back at Devon, hoping that she would see denial in his gaze. She didn’t. “Devon can help with that,” she struggled to say.
“Devon was able to bring you back before, but if he changes you and you become something more, he may not be able to pull you back. Ever.”
There was a downtrodden slope to his shoulders that only confirmed Luther’s words. “Devon,” she whispered.
He shook his head. “There is already demon in you Cassie,” he said softly, reluctantly. “Luther is right. There is no way to know.”
The breath wheezed out of her, her chest constricted tightly. Hope deflated from her like a popped balloon. She could only stand there and stare, unmoving, frozen. “So, that’s it then,” she said softly. “There’s nothing we can do.”
“I’m not saying that Cass,” Luther said gently. “I’m just saying that we need to take our time, do some more research. I have never heard of a Hunter being turned, but it may have happened, there may be something out there that would tell us about it. I had never thought to look for anything about you, until Devon came to me, and now we will look for information about this.”
“No,” Devon said forcefully. “No more digging, no more research.” Cassie felt as if her legs were going to give out, but she somehow managed to keep herself standing upright. Didn’t he want her anymore? Didn’t he want to figure this all out somehow? Didn’t he want to end both of their misery? “It’s too dangerous.”
Cassie blinked at him in surprise, her gaze darted to Melissa and Chris who looked just as confused as she was. “Dangerous?” she inquired.
Devon nodded briskly. “The Commission, if they know you exist they will come for you. They will destroy you Cassie.”
“No they won’t!” she and Chris protested simultaneously.
Melissa’s eyes widened, her mouth parted slowly as she took a sharp step forward. Dani finally turned away from the window, her arms folded over her chest as she surveyed them. “That’s why no other Hunter’s like Cassie were recorded, not after Gertrude anyway,” Melissa whispered, disgust and understanding evident in her voice. “The Commission destroyed them.”
Cassie glanced wildly between them; bile rose swiftly up her throat. “Why?” she breathed. “Why would they do that?”
Luther took a deep breath, but it was Devon that answered her. “Because they could not, and would not, allow a fault in the bloodlines. They could not take the chance that one of their creations might turn against them, and become even more destructive then the monsters they had been created to destroy.”
Cassie gaped at him as Chris cursed fiercely. Chris turned on his heel, pacing the room restlessly as he tugged at his hair. Melissa slumped against the wall, her head bowed. Cassie was surprised by the single tear that slid down her face. Melissa didn’t cry. She was stoic, proud, a rock. Dani stared at them with wide eyes, her mouth slightly parted as she glanced rapidly around the room.
“I know you don’t want to, but I think that it’s a very good idea that you leave this town now. Luther tried to be discreet, but if they put two and two together, they will come for you.”
Cassie’s eyes snapped back to Devon, her jaw dropped. “You can’t be serious! They wouldn’t do such a thing!”
“Yes Cassie, I believe that they would,” Luther said softly.
Her legs finally gave out. Cassie slumped to the floor, her muscles felt like Jell-O. Hadn’t she already given up enough? Hadn’t she already suffered enough? What more could life take from her? What more could it throw at her? Now she had to worry about her own kind coming after her, and there was a very distinct possibility that she could not join Devon without becoming a complete monstrosity.
Devon was instantly in front of her, his strong hands enveloped hers. His solid strength seeped into her, enveloping her with his comforting presence. “We will get through this,” he said forcefully, his beautiful emerald eyes blazing into hers. “We will get through this, we will get it all sorted out, and we will be together Cassie. No matter what it takes, we will be together. But first we need to think about your safety, all of you need to go somewhere safe.”
Cassie’s hand clenched tighter upon his. She tried to be reassured by his words, tried to believe in them but she couldn’t quench all of her doubts. How could she, when everything had already been so hard for the two of them? She swallowed heavily and nodded firmly. She had to believe him; otherwise she would not be able to keep on going, to keep on fighting. There had to be a light at the end of this dark tunnel, or she was going to succumb to the darkness inside her. She knew she would.
“You’re right, we will be,” she said softly, managing a wan smile for him. His hands tightened around hers, a small twinkle lit his eyes. He helped lift her to her feet, wrapping his arm around her waist as he pulled her close to him, kissing the top of her head gently. “But why would they come for all of us, I thought it was only me they wanted?”
“It may be more than The Commission that comes here now Cassie.”
“Excuse me?” Chris demanded sharply.
Cassie’s hand tightened in Devon’s shirt as she gazed up at him with wide eyes. “What do you mean?” she asked softly.
Devon sighed, his hand encircled hers. “Isla is dead Cassie; you are the Hunter, and only one, that killed her. That is a feat that would have been thought impossible, before today. Isla was a Grounder, she was nearly an Elder, and far stronger than any other vampire you have defeated. When word of that spreads, others will come, others will want to take their chance at you. They will want the power that is in you. Julian will not fight alone, he knows that he cannot win, but he will not leave either. It is far too much of a challenge for him to quit now. They will not only come for you Cass, but all of you, now that they know you are here.”
Chris exploded in a flurry of curses; Cassie merely gaped at Devon, her legs buckling once more. He held her up, his gaze burned into hers. “You cannot stay.”
Weird sputtering noises came from her; she could hardly catch her breath. A loud crash snapped her head around. Chris was staring bashfully at them, holding his dust covered hand tightly. Behind him there was a hole in the wall from where he had punched it. “Sorry,” he mumbled.