Phoenix Rising (Book 5 The Kindred Series) Read Free Page B

through this. Annabelle, you must go outside."
    Annabelle gawked at him as her hands tightened on Cassie's legs. "You need my help in here."
    He shook his head and gathered Cassie close as she began to stir again. "Annabelle, you have to get out there, and you have to stop him from killing Robert."
    Annabelle recoiled as she sneered at him. "Why would I do that ?"
    Julian's eyes briefly flashed red as he leaned forward. "Because if he succeeds in killing Robert his mission will be completed. If he kills Robert, he will gladly hand himself over to the others to be destroyed. We can't let that happen, if it does then all of this is for naught." When Annabelle remained mute, Julian leaned forward. " Cassie will lose it after."
    Annabelle paled visibly as she glanced toward Chris. Julian didn't say what they were all thinking, if Cassie snapped she may very well make the massacre that Devon was creating outside look like a picnic in comparison. "How do I stop him?" she breathed.
    Chris shook his head, there was no answer for that question, he wasn't sure there would be any stopping Devon. Not now. Not with what was going on out there. "I don't know," Julian admitted. "But you have to Annabelle, somehow. You can't let them know what is going on in here."
    Cassie bolted upright and her eyes flew open. Julian slammed his hand back over her mouth as she opened it to scream. He held her as she savagely fought against him. Her golden hair was a tangled mass that adhered to her sweat soaked face as convulsions seized her again. Chris took a step back as her suffering beat against him in pulsating waves. Julian grabbed hold of her arms as she tore at him and spilled more of his blood.
    "Chris!" Julian barked.
    Chris jumped into action. He rushed forward to take Annabelle's place by her feet. "Annabelle, go," Chris assured her as Cassie fought against him with an inhuman strength that surprised even him.
    Annabelle remained frozen for a moment. "I'll do what I can," she promised.
    "Do better than that!" Julian retorted.
    Annoyance flashed across Annabelle's face but she leapt to her feet. Chris watched as she raced to the door with incredible speed and agility. "Close the door," Julian told him when it banged uselessly against the jam.
    Chris was reluctant to release Cassie's flailing legs but he did as Julian ordered. Leaping back to his feet, he ran to the door. He didn't look back outside as he propped the chair against it again.
    ***
    Annabelle's hand flew to her mouth as she took in the destruction that littered the ground around her. Though there were still a few Halflings left most of their bodies littered the ground around her. Bile rushed up her throat, the brutality and ferociousness of the atrocity around her left her shaken and stunned. She'd always known that there was a cruelty within Devon she had never witnessed before. She was witnessing it now, and it was far worse than anything she'd ever seen before.
    He had not only destroyed a good chunk of the Halflings within this town, but he had ripped them to bits and left their remains scattered about. It looked as if a bomb had gone off, and that bomb was Devon. She tore her attention from the savagery as she instinctively sought out Liam amongst the dwindling crowd. She had to be reassured of his health and well being, at least for now.
    His gaze met hers; his beautiful silvery eyes were filled with revulsion and disbelief. He'd been pushed to the other side of the hole that Robert had created yesterday during his first attempt at killing Cassie. Melissa, Luther, and Dani stood by his side looking just as distraught and disgusted as Liam. Though they appeared to be in no danger, not right now anyway, Annabelle knew that wouldn't last. Julian believed Devon would hand himself over to The Elders once he killed his brother, but Annabelle didn't think he would. Especially since she now understood that Chris had been right in his assessment. There was nothing left of the Devon they