Ashes (Book 2 The Kindred Series) Read Free Page B

away. He would not be able to stay
rational.
    Whatever she decided when she awoke
would affect both of them. She held both of their destinies in her
hands; he could only hope that she did not destroy his. Did not
destroy him. He returned Chris’s fierce glare with one of his own
as he slid his hand back into hers. He clung tightly to her,
needing her warmth to keep him tethered, needing her presence to
soothe his wildly swaying emotions. She was the only thing that
could keep him grounded in a world that was wildly unstable for him
right now. She was the only thing keeping him sane, the only thing
that was keeping him from destroying this room in a fit of
rage.
    Pulling up a chair, he sat next to her,
ignoring the surprised looks that Chris, Melissa, and Luther shot
him. He didn’t care what they thought; he was not leaving her side
until she was awake. He was not leaving her side unless she told
him to.
    For now he could only hope that Cassie
woke up again, and that she did not spurn him when she
did.

CHAPTER 2

    Devon shifted in discomfort. His
muscles had stiffened long ago, his legs were cramped, his back
sore from the hard chair. Luther had left as the sun broke over the
horizon, taking Chris and Melissa with him to check on Marcy. They
had not been gone long, but he knew that they would be returning
soon. Cassie’s grandmother sat silently across from him, her hand
rested lightly upon Cassie’s arm. Though she kept most of her
attention focused on Cassie, she would glance questioningly at him
every once in awhile. Her eyes were sometimes the color of the sky,
at other times they were a deep, distant brown. He didn’t know what
brought on the change of color, but it was fascinating to
watch.
    Though Cassie’s grandmother had not
spoken a word to anyone since she had arrived, Devon knew that she
had something to say to him. He just wasn’t entirely sure he wanted
to hear it. He was greatly afraid that the deceptively delicate
looking woman would tell him to stay away from her granddaughter,
and that was something that he could not do. Not until he was sure
that Julian was gone for good. He could not leave Cassie until he
knew she was completely safe. Even then, he wasn’t sure he would be
able to leave her. He needed her; she was a part of him. She was
his everything.
    Finally, Cassie’s grandmother turned to
him, her eyes a bright blue once more. “Thank you,” she said
softly.
    Devon’s hands tightened on the arms of
the chair, his eyebrows lifted questioningly. “For what?” he asked
quietly.
    She swallowed heavily. “For saving her,
she’s all that I have.” Tears shimmered briefly in her eyes before
she turned quickly back to Cassie. “Thank you.”
    Devon leaned forward, his back cracking
as his muscles protested the movement. Folding his hands before
him, he studied the small woman intently. “Cassie’s parents were
killed during the attack?”
    She lifted a dainty strawberry blond
eyebrow; her eyes were sharp and fierce as she studied him. “Is
that what your kind calls it? The attack?”
    Devon nodded as he studied her. She did
not seem to hate him, but there was a hesitance about her that she
had not displayed in his presence before. She had been open and
accepting of him when they had interacted before. There was also
fresh anger and hurt radiating from her. “What do you call
it?”
    “The Slaughter.” Her voice was cold,
distant, and hard. Pain blazed across her features, tightening the
lines around her mouth. “We call it The Slaughter.”
    Devon nodded; he could understand why
they would call it that. The Hunter line, Cassie’s family and
lineage, had been murdered by a group of vampire’s. Before most of
the Elder’s went into hiding, they had decided to gather as many
vampire’s as possible together, in order to destroy the Hunter line
and secure their safety. Fortunately for him, fate had seen fit to
spare Cassie’s life, and bring her into his. “I see,” he