Inferno

Cassie reached back for him, seizing hold of his hand as they turned the corner. Devon steadied himself as excitement and disgust tore through him in equal waves. Blood splattered the hallway, mutilated bodies littered the floor. Though he had committed some awful atrocities in his life, he had never seen the destruction of the human body quite like this before.



Cassie’s hand trembled in his; her lower lip began to quiver. The sight of her horror and misery helped him to gain even more control of his baser instincts. She needed his protection and comfort now, she could never know about the excitement tingling through him. She would be repulsed by him if she did, and that was something that he never wanted to have happen.



“Don’t look,” he whispered, leaning closer to her. He wanted to cover her eyes with his hand, but he knew that she would not appreciate it.



She closed her eyes, her hand squeezing tighter around his as he helped to guide her through the mutilated bodies. Blood streaked the floor and covered the walls. The smell of it was metallic and wonderful. Though Cassie helped him to keep control of himself, Julian was on his own. Julian had only had a few small rats to eat today, and he did not have Cassie in his arms to help keep him grounded and calmer.



Devon began to fear that Julian might not make it back out of this. There was only so much a vampire could take, and Julian had only recently stopped killing. This might be far too much of a test of his willpower and control, and Julian may not even decide to stay not killing. He may go back to it when all of this was over, and Cassie was at Devon’s side. And Devon could not blame Julian if he did; Devon knew he would instantly return to killing if he ever lost her completely.



Though Devon would not blame Julian for returning, he couldn’t take the chance of Julian snapping in here. He would hurt people if he did, he could hurt Cassie if he did. Devon moved to stand beside Cassie, drawing her tight against him as he put her slightly behind him. He had not wanted her in the back, but he definitely didn’t want her close to Julian right now, and he wanted to be closer to Chris in order to get him out of the way if the need arose. Dani was on her own against Julian.



They moved into another hall, this one just as littered with bodies, but housing even more destruction. It appeared to be the hall where the uprising had started. Doors littered the floor, shattered glass cracked and splintered beneath their feet. They picked their way carefully through the debris, avoiding shards of wood and metal. Devon held Cassie close to his side as he steered her through it, keeping her face buried against him.



“How much further?” Julian growled, glancing fiercely back at Dani.



“Not much,” she answered shakily.



They rounded another corner, coming across more destruction before slipping into a hall that was strangely empty of all debris. Devon pulled Cassie gently out of his side; she glanced swiftly around, relief causing her shoulders to slump. “Here,” Dani said softly.



She pulled the keys from her pocket, her hands trembling as she tried to slide the key into the hole. Dani jumped nervously back as they slipped from her fingers and clattered upon the floor. She glanced wildly at the group before bending and swiftly scooping them back up. She struggled to find the right one again and get it in the hole.



Julian cursed violently, snatching the keys from her hand when his patience finally snapped. He shoved himself in front of her, slipping the key into the hole. “Wait!” Chris cried loudly his face going white as he reached for Julian.



It was too late though, Julian had already thrust the door open. A loud bang rang out, echoing through the air. Devon seized hold of Cassie, shoving her behind him as the shot reverberated down the hall. Julian fell back, shock and pain twisting his features as blood bloomed across his shoulder; it soaked his shirt where the bullet had torn a gaping wound into his shoulder. Devon grabbed Julian, shoving him to the floor as another shot rang out, bouncing down the hallway in a zinging rush that shattered concrete and deafened him.



“Son of a bitch!” Chris cried out, ducking out of the way as another shot was fired.



Panic for Cassie tore through Devon; he released Julian as Julian rolled away from the door. Devon darted swiftly back to where Chris and Cassie lay upon the floor, their hands over their heads in a vain attempt to protect them from anymore bullets. Crawling on top of Cassie, he used his body to keep her blocked from anymore ricocheting shots. Pulling her head beneath him, he cradled her tight to his chest as another shot was fired. Chris ducked lower as it ripped past his head, shattering the wall inches from his ear.



Cassie cried out, burrowing tighter against Devon. Anger surged through his veins, the urge to destroy whoever was in that room ripped through him. Another shot was fired, he grunted loudly as it sliced across his calf in a fiery blaze of pain. Cassie grasped him tighter, her breath warm against his neck, her fingers clawing at him. “Are you ok?” she demanded harshly. “Devon are you ok? Julian was shot, is he ok?”



“Fine, I’m fine. Julian will be fine,” he grated, ignoring the pain in his leg as he tried to push Cassie forward, out of the way of fire. “Move!” he hissed to Chris.



Chris scrambled forward, staying low as he crab crawled toward one of the open doors and disappeared through it. “Cassie you need to follow Chris,” he hissed in her ear.



“I can’t leave you.”



“You have too! Now go!”



He withdrew from the top of her, keeping his body up to protect hers as she scrambled after Chris. The minute she entered the room, her head poked back out, her violet blue eyes wide with worry as she watched him. “Get back!” he hissed, dropping down as another shot rang out.



Cassie cried out, ducking away as it shattered off of the wall. Devon spun, fury boiling through him as he crossed the hall, scrambling back toward the door. Julian was sitting against the wall on the other side of the door. His lips were twisted into a snarl, his fangs fully elongated as his eyes blazed red fire.



Devon knew exactly how he felt, if he got his hands on whoever was in that room he was going to kill them, and he wouldn’t have a problem with it. He shoved Dani out of his way as he reached the door. She curled up against the wall, her knees hugged tight to her chest as her eyes rolled wildly in terror. Another shot rang through the hallway, sizzling around the corner.



“Stop!” Dani screamed hysterically, throwing her hands over her ears. “Stop!”



Silence followed her shrill cry. “Dani?”



Devon spun on her, rage slamming hard into him as his eyes narrowed fiercely. But she was not looking at him, she was staring at the door, her mouth parted in surprise as tears bloomed in her eyes. “Joey?” she choked out, shock evident in her voice.



Devon turned as the young man stepped out of the room. His gaze instantly found his sister, relief coursed through him as he took a step forward. Julian sprang up, seizing hold of Joey’s neck. He slammed Joey against the wall with a loud bang that shook the door in its frame. Joey choked in surprise, his eyes bulging out of his head as Julian squeezed down hard.



“I’ll rip you to shreds,” Julian growled.



“No!” Dani screamed at the same time that another shot boomed out of the room.



“Son of a bitch!” Devon snarled, tired of being shot at.



He darted past the door, joining Julian on the other side. Another shot reverberated through the hall. “Devon!” Cassie screamed.



“Stay in there!” he shouted back at her.



Julian glanced sharply at him, his hand tightened on Joey’s throat, choking the air from him. He showed no remorse as his fingers dug into Joey’s skin. “How are we getting that bastard out?” Julian hissed at Devon.



Though the shots would not kill them, not unless they had their heads blown off completely, they could wound them enough to incapacitate them long enough for someone to kill them. And the bullets still hurt like hell. Devon glanced back at the door then over at Joey. “We can use him as bait.”



“No!” Joey gasped at the same time that Julian’s smile widened.



“Wait! No! You can’t! Please don’t!” Dani screamed hysterically.



Cassie’s head popped back out of the room, Chris’s head appeared above hers. Devon met Cassie’s wide eyed gaze. He felt no remorse about killing any of the people that had kept her here, especially if it would keep her safer in the end. He did not wish to do it in front of her though.



“Get back!” he growled. She hesitated, her gaze terrified and lost. “Get her back Chris!”



Chris nodded before grasping hold of Cassie’s shoulders and pulling her back. Devon waited to make sure that she didn’t come back out before he turned to Julian. Excitement rushed through Devon as memories of the way he had once been, of the things him and Julian had done together, pounded through him. Bloodlust and the demon surged forth, eager to break free of the cage that Devon had locked it away in for far so long.



Julian quirked an eyebrow, a small smile curved his mouth. “Welcome back,” he whispered.



Devon shook his head, knowing how very much he would love to destroy every human around him, would love to savor the slaughter, but he could not allow the beast out. He wasn’t sure he could control it without getting Cassie involved, and he didn’t want to do that again. No matter how much he wanted to, he could not kill Joey with her here. “Give me his shirt,” he growled.



Julian stared hard at him for a moment; his gaze darted briefly toward Cassie as he nodded slowly, disappointment evident in the slump of his shoulders. Julian smashed Joey against the wall, releasing him briefly to rip the shirt off of him. Joey stumbled slightly as Julian shoved him back again. He tossed the shirt to Devon, who snagged hold of it. “If anything happens to me…”



“I’ll make sure she gets out of here,” Julian promised no hint of malice or want in his voice. Devon studied him curiously, unable to understand this person beside him. Julian had been brutal and violent, almost as bad as he himself had been. But now, now Julian was completely different, and Devon knew it was because of Cassie.



“Julian,” he growled.



“She doesn’t want me Devon,” he said softly. “But I’ll keep her safe.”



Devon nodded, wishing that he understood this more, but knowing that he didn’t have time to figure it out. Devon glanced down the hall, not at all surprised to find Chris and Cassie peering into the hall again. “Stay there,” he ordered briskly. She opened her mouth to protest. “I mean it,” he growled before she could say anything.



She swallowed heavily before nodding slowly. Devon turned away from him, wadding up Joey’s shirt he threw it in front of the door. Bracing himself he bolted through the doorway a split second after the shot rang out. The older man holding the gun took a startled step back as Devon rushed him. He took another step back, raising the gun as he attempted to fire it again. He didn’t have time to squeeze the trigger before Devon seized hold of the gun. He ripped it fiercely out of the man’s hands, causing him to cry out in pain as two of his fingers snapped.



Throwing the gun aside, Devon thrust his elbow into his windpipe as he carried the man backward into the wall and slammed him hard against it. The man made a gurgling noise, choking as he kicked wildly against him. “Devon!” Cassie screamed. “Devon!”



He caught a flurry of motion as she came skidding around the corner, barely catching her balance when her feet slipped out from under her. She righted herself, her eyes finding him instantly as relief filled her. Anger spurted through him as he shook his head, he should have known that she would not stay where she was told, but just once he wished that she would listen to him. Just once he wished she would think about her own safety first. Though he knew that was an impossible thing to ask for. “I’m ok,” he said softly.



She nodded briefly before turning her attention to the man he held. Her eyes widened in surprise, her mouth parted on a small gasp. She stood perfectly still for a moment, and then, everything changed. Her mouth snapped closed, her eyes blazed a violent shade of red as fury twisted her beautiful features.



“You!” she accused fiercely.



Devon stiffened; the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he turned slowly back toward the man he held. The man was staring at him, his blue eyes wide in terror, his face a florid shade of red. Devon dug his arm in tighter, causing the man to sputter and choke, gasping for breath as he struggled against Devon’s hold. Judging by Cassie’s reaction to him, this was the man that had hurt her the most.



And Devon hated him for it.



A loud snarl, and a vicious curse, snapped Devon’s head around. Julian had entered the room, his hand still wrapped tight around Joey’s throat, but his eyes were focused upon the man that Devon held. A snarl twisted his mouth, his elongated fangs cut into his lower lip. He shoved Joey brutally away from him, slamming the young man off of the wall. For a moment Devon was certain that Julian was going to charge at them, but he remained where he was, just barely hanging onto his composure. It would not take much for him to attack though.