Inferno (Book 4 The Kindred Series) Read Free

him
wholeheartedly, the one that never would have been holding hands
with Julian. Her voice rang with pure joy, her face lit with the
radiance of love as she reached the road.
    He didn’t know what was going on, and
at that moment, he didn’t care. Releasing the car door, he raced
toward her, needing to hold her, needing to feel her, and touch her
once more. “Cassie look out!”
    It was Julian’s shout that alerted him
to the danger he had forgotten about in his shock at seeing her, in
his rush to hold her. The blur moved swiftly from the woods,
emerging just feet from her as it raced across the road toward her.
It was hunched over, using its hands and feet like an ape as it
bolted across the asphalt.
    Cassie’s eyes widened, her mouth
dropped as it barreled toward her. “Cassie!” Devon shouted, terror
tearing through him. The thing was closer to her than he was,
closer than Julian, who had raced out of the woods after her. Devon
was amazed, and startled, by the strange certainty that Julian
would protect her from that thing, that Julian would not hurt
her.
    Cassie darted to the side as the thing
launched at her, its clawed hands outstretched with deadly intent.
Twisting slightly, she seized the creature by the collar of the
tattered shirt it still wore, though the thing was clearly nothing
even closely resembling human anymore. She moved swiftly, spinning
to the side as she flung it away from her. Devon blinked in
surprise, startled by the strength and speed she displayed. But his
surprise didn’t slow him down as the creature rebounded to its
feet. It screamed in fury and hunger as it raced back at her,
causing Cassie’s eyes to widen slightly in fear. She was braced for
the attack, ready to face it head on, but Devon raced past her,
seizing hold of the creature before it got to her.
    His hand tightened around its throat as
he slammed it onto the roadway, smashing its head off the asphalt.
It howled loudly, squirming beneath Devon’s tight hold, its fingers
clawing at his hand as Devon squeezed down. Disgust curved his
upper lip as he crushed the creature’s windpipe with a sickening
pop.
    The squeals and grunts were silenced,
but the monster continued to claw and squirm beneath him. He
glanced up at Cassie, horrified to find her watching as he slowly
decapitated the pathetic thing. Julian arrived at her side, his
eyes narrowed as they met Devon’s. He grasped hold of Cassie’s
shoulders, spinning her swiftly away.
    “Julian don’t!” she protested
instantly, trying to wiggle her way out of his grasp. Julian held
her firm though, refusing to let her turn back around, a fact that
Devon was infinitely grateful for. She didn’t need to see this.
“Let me go!”
    Julian’s gaze remained focused on
Devon, insolent and cold as he continued to hold her. Fresh rage
tore through Devon as he took note of Julian’s hands resting so
comfortably, possessively, upon her. With a growl of fury, he
twisted the creature’s head to the side, yanking it sharply back.
Its head gave way with a sickening crunch and horrendous tearing
sound.
    Devon tossed the head aside as he leapt
to his feet, no longer caring about the Halfling, only caring about
Cassie. Julian stared defiantly back at him for a moment, his chin
tilted proudly, a sneer curving his upper lip. Fury flared through
Devon as he took a step toward them, prepared to kill Julian if it
came down to it. Julian glanced at Cassie, his eyes warming
slightly as he squeezed her shoulder gently, his hand lingered
briefly upon her shoulder before falling reluctantly away. Devon
hesitated for a moment unsure what was going on between them, what
had happened to them both, and why they were together. Unsure how
to take this strange turn of events.
    Then, Cassie turned slowly toward him.
She stared silently up at him, her eyes wide and searching, as
tears simmered in her ruby colored eyes. Her lower lip trembled
slightly as she reached shakily toward him, seemingly afraid