Fisting his hands, Devon managed a small nod. It still took him a few moments longer to regain complete control. Taking a deep breath, he ground his teeth tightly together as he flipped on the light switch. His eyes widened, disgust and excitement rolled through him in equal measures.
He hated the part of himself that was excited by the carnage of the room, but he couldn’t stop it. Hell, he had caused this, and worse, in his long life.
But even with that knowledge, he was also disgusted by the death and destruction of the room. “My God,” Chris breathed.
“This has nothing to do with God,” Devon replied crisply.
He moved slowly into the room, stepping over the broken bits of chair that littered the floor. Papers were scattered about, mixed with the blood that was spattered everywhere. A large smear of blood covered the back wall. It was apparent that the victim had been lifted to the ceiling and then pulled back down to the floor. The customary hotel painting of a serene landscape hung on the wall, it was completely out of place amidst all of the destruction and mayhem.
Devon stepped around the desk; the feet of the victim came into view. He shuddered, his hands fisted even harder as he fought against the bloodlust threatening to consume him. He stepped completely around the desk, bracing himself for the rest of the mayhem.
His breath wheezed out of him, his eyes widened at the slaughter before him. The manager’s body was sprawled across the floor, his arms and legs twisted at an odd angle as his back had been broken. His neck was turned to the side, his unseeing brown eyes focused upon the ceiling.
He had been mauled, his stomach torn open, his intestines were gone, and his throat was nearly ripped out.
Horror filled Devon, his skin turned to ice as his gaze darted quickly over the room. There was not enough blood here for the savage wounds. It had not been a human attacker that had done this, but it had not been a vampire either. No vampire would eat the intestines, as had happened here.
The breath hissed out of him as he took a swift step back. “We need to go!” he ordered sharply.
“What is it?” Luther demanded.
Devon’s gaze darted to the back door, the one that more than likely led to the manager’s apartment. He didn’t sense another presence back there, but he wasn’t so sure that he would. “Chris?” he inquired.
Chris looked at him, then rapidly around the room. Shaking his head he looked back over at Devon. “I don’t sense anyone,” he said softly.
Devon nodded, but it did not soothe the fierce tension that knotted his stomach. “Come on, we need to get out of here.”
“What is the matter?” Luther asked sharply.
“Halfling,” Devon answered, turning swiftly away from the body.
“Wait! What?” Chris sputtered. “One of those monster things? One of those things that you were scared Cassie might become?”
“Yes.”
Luther paled as he took a step back. Devon moved toward them, shoving them out the door. Melissa was still huddled outside, her cheeks red from the cold, her eyes shadowed, dark, and haunted. She didn’t need to go inside to know the horror that lay within.
Devon studied the dark night, his senses on hyper alert as he watched for any sign of movement. “Come on, we can’t stay here.”
He hurried them forward, practically shoving Chris toward the car. Throwing open the driver’s side door, he slid swiftly in, and waited until everyone was settled before he locked the doors and pulled out his cell phone. He swiftly dialed Annabelle’s number, keeping his eyes on the night as he waited impatiently for her to answer.
“Where are you guys?” he demanded when she picked up.
“Not far from you,” she replied.
“You need to get here.”
She was silent for a moment. “What’s wrong?”
“You have to get here and be careful.”
“Ok, we’ll be there soon.”
Devon hung up, gripping the steering wheel tight as he waited impatiently. The wind howled around the vehicle, shaking it slightly. “What is going on?” Melissa asked quietly.
“I don’t know.”
“Do you think Cassie is near?”
He remained silent as he pondered the words, afraid to acknowledge the fact that it may very well have been Cassie that had done this. He couldn’t think about it though, didn’t even want to acknowledge it. His Cassie never could have done this, but there was no way to know what had been done to her. He could not acknowledge the fact that his Cassie may no longer even exist.
“Yes,” he admitted.
Annabelle and Liam appeared at the edge of the parking lot, they moved rapidly across the snow and asphalt. Devon hit the unlock button, letting them into the backseat on a blast of cold air. “What’s going on?” Liam demanded as soon as he was settled.
Devon quickly filled him in on the condition of the hotel as he pulled out of the parking lot. His headlights spilled over the oddly silent woods, splashing across the snow. “Where did the people staying in the motel go though?” Annabelle asked quietly.
Devon was wondering the same thing as he made his way toward town. “I don’t know, but hopefully we find some answers soon.”
CHAPTER 19
Cassie hurried to the window; she knelt upon the bed as she eagerly peered into Julian’s room. He was already lying on his bed, his arm tossed over his eyes as he tried to block out the harsh light in his room. There were fresh burn marks viciously marring the pale skin of his arms, and his hair was singed at the edges. She didn’t know what they had done to him today, but it had been far more than a taser, and Dani.
She gaped at him in horror, noting more burn marks along his hard jaw line and cheeks. Her heart constricted, anguish filled her at the obvious signs of pain he had endured. And she didn’t even know how long ago the burns had been administered to him. These marks could be hours old, which meant he would have had hours of healing behind him already, and yet he was still marred and wounded.
Cassie swallowed heavily; fresh tears stung her eyes as she pressed her hands against the glass. She wanted to touch him, to soothe his hurt and suffering, to help ease the pain that radiated from his body. His clenched jaw twitched, a muscle jumped in his cheek. “I’m ok princess.”
She started at the sound of his hoarse, strained voice. “How did you know I was here?” she asked softly.
“I would know you anywhere.”
Cassie hastily wiped away the tears streaming down her face. She knew that he would hate them. He would especially hate the fact that they were for him. Her chest constricted with the strain it took to keep her sob silent. “What did they do?” she breathed, unable to keep the hitch from her voice.