Kindled

“And you can’t deal with your own grief.”



“No.”



Devon turned back to the window, watching as the snow drifted slowly down. It was beginning to stick to the sidewalks and roads now. From inside, music started to play. Apparently Chris’s mother had decided to bury her fear in a party. Digging in his pockets, Devon tugged his keys free, slipping the key to his apartment off he handed it to Chris.



“Stay at my place tonight.” Chris glanced sharply at him; his eyes darted down to the key in Devon’s hand. “It’s quiet there, and maybe it’s far enough away that you can escape mine and Cassie’s emotions for the night.”



Chris shook his head. “I can’t leave Cassie.”



“I’ll be here. She’ll be fine. You need to rest; you’re starting to look like hell.”



Issuing a sharp bark of laughter, Chris shook his head. “That’s the pot calling the kettle black.” He took the key from Devon’s hand looking as if a weight had been lifted from him. “Don’t you ever tell her I did this.”



Devon grinned at him. “I won’t.”



“You’re going to stay outside all night?”



“My car’s at the end of the road. I’ll be fine.”



Chris nodded and shoved the key into his pocket. “So, where do you live?”



CHAPTER 2



As the first rays of the sun broke over the horizon, Devon parked his car next to Chris’s beat up Mustang. Compared to Devon’s sleek new Challenger, the old Mustang looked even more wounded and decrepit. He stepped into the cold, shoving his hands in his pockets as he made his way toward the apartment building.



Punching in his security code, he pulled the heavy glass door open, welcoming the blast of heat that hit him, warming his frozen extremities. He made his way slowly down the quiet hall. Most people were still asleep, though the scent of brewing coffee was beginning to fill the air. Pounding swiftly up the steps, he jogged to the third floor and turned down the hallway.



Reaching his apartment, he pulled out the spare key he kept above the door and slipped it into the lock. He was exhausted, all he wanted was a warm shower, and a few minutes of sleep before he had to drag himself into the ridiculous institution of high school once more. Thrusting open the door, the first thing he noticed were the loud snores issuing from Chris. He was sprawled face down on the couch, drooling into the pillow he had grabbed from the bedroom.



Devon lifted an eyebrow; he shook his head as he silently closed the door behind him. Chris had made himself at home. There was fast food wrapper’s on the coffee table, a couple cans of soda, and the TV was on. Though the furniture was all sleek, modern and expensive, none of it was his. The apartment had come fully furnished, a fact that was reflected in the high rent prices.



Not like he cared, money was not an issue for him. That was one of the benefits of having lived a long time with little worries and little care for human life. He tossed the spare key on the table beside the door. Shrugging his coat off, he headed down the hallway to the master bedroom. The room was large with a massive California King jutting into the middle of it. The paintings on the walls were seascapes with boats and lighthouses, they also were not his. Tossing his coat on the bed, Devon pulled his shirt off as he made his way into the bathroom. It was large with a big Jacuzzi tub, his and hers sinks, and a separate shower stall. He had never used the tub.



Turning the shower on, he set the temperature for as hot as he could stand it before stepping inside. The stinging rays felt good on his sore back and stiff shoulders. A night in the car had left him cramped and aching, but it had been worth it to make sure that Cassie was safe. He stayed in the shower for as long as the hot water lasted. When it finally turned cold he stepped out, toweled off and dressed quickly.



Chris was awake when he returned to the living room. Sitting on the edge of the sofa, his head was in his hands as he stared at the floor. “Rough night?”



He glanced up at Devon, his eyes slightly bloodshot. “I’ve had worse. Nice place you have here.”



“Not my stuff. You could have slept in the guest room.”



Chris shook his head. “Prefer the couch. Everything ok?”



“Yeah, she stayed put, didn’t get much sleep, but she’s there.”



“Doesn’t look like you got much sleep either.”



Devon shook his head, running his hand through his damp hair. “No.”



Chris sighed, tossing aside his blanket as he rose slowly. “Thanks for letting me crash here.”



“Anytime.”



“You going to school today?”



Devon hesitated before nodding. He hated going to that place, it was boring, and the people were cruel and vindictive. But he wanted to see Cassie, and although he knew he was not welcome around her, he felt that she would need him in order to get through the day. “Yeah, I’ll be there.”



Chris handed the key out to him but Devon shook his head. “Keep it in case you need someplace to stay again.”



Chris stared silently at him for a moment, surprise flickering through his eyes. Shrugging, he slipped the key back in his pocket. “You know, you’re not half bad for a dead guy.”



Devon snorted, shaking his head at him. “Good to know.”



Chris laughed softly as he grabbed his letterman jacket off the back of the couch. “See you later.”



“Yeah.”



Pausing at the door, Chris glanced back at him. “You know, if I were you, I would use that little gift you have for attracting women.” Devon’s eyebrows drew sharply together as he stared at Chris questioningly. “Jealousy can be a big motivator.”



Devon’s eyes widened, shock slammed through him. “You can’t be serious.”



Chris grinned as he shrugged. “Something has to reach her, but don’t you ever tell her I suggested it.”



“Apparently we’re going to have many secrets.”



Chris laughed as he nodded enthusiastically. “I don’t want her to kill me when she finally comes back to her senses. So yep, we are.”



Devon couldn’t help but chuckle along with him. Chris gave him a brief nod, his eyes still twinkling as he slipped out the door. Devon clicked off the TV, heading back to the bedroom he plopped onto the luxurious mattress he had spent few nights in. Though he longed for sleep, he knew that he would not be able to do so just yet. Sliding open the drawer of the nightstand he pulled out one of the books he had borrowed from Luther.



Flipping through the old, worn pages, he ignored its musty smell as he skimmed through the detailed history of The Hunters that had existed for the latter half of the sixteenth century. It was boring, tiring, and of little use as each of them had possessed an ability. He moved onto the next book in the line, flipping swiftly through the pages as he searched for and notes on a Hunter like Cassie, one that did not possess an ability. He was almost halfway through it when exhaustion claimed him.



***



Cassie moved stiffly through the hall. Her legs were like wooden blocks; her shoulders ached from being locked in place. Her hand drifted to the sunglasses perched on her nose. The large lenses helped to block out the harsh fluorescent light that filtered through the halls. It had rarely bothered her before but now it constantly burned her irises, nearly blinding her with its brilliance. She chalked the strange effect up to exhaustion.



Everyone stopped to stare at her as she moved past; their whispered comments were not as loud as they had been before the death of her grandmother. Apparently, the loss of a family member was enough to bring her a reprieve from the cruelty of her classmates. She was not fooled into thinking it would last long. She would probably become the center of attention again, once the gossip about the destruction of the school bathroom, and hallway during the homecoming dance became old news. They would all still be buzzing about her, if they knew that she had been involved in that destruction while fighting for her life against Julian.



Stopping at her locker, she spun the dial quickly, her fingers going through the combo with little thought to the numbers. Melissa stopped beside her, leaning against the lockers as she waited for Cassie. She had a feeling that either Chris or Melissa was going to be with her every second of this miserable day.



Her skinned crawled with aggravation; anger spurted through her as she thrust the locker door open. Grabbing her books she slammed the locker closed. She didn’t need a babysitter, and she sure as hell didn’t want one. She tugged the hood of her black sweater more firmly around her face. She didn’t want to see anyone, or be seen either.



Keeping her head bowed she slipped into homeroom, relief filled her when she realized that Devon was not there. His car had not been in the parking lot either. Though she was glad that he was not here, that she wouldn’t have to deal with him on top of everything else, she couldn’t help but wonder where he was, what he was doing.



Her hands fisted on her desk as the brief thought of who he was with tore through her mind. He had claimed to love her, but he was a man after all, well sort of, and he had been dumped. She knew that he would find someone else soon enough. She tried to tell herself that the thought did not bother her, but it did. No matter how much she wanted to deny that fact, she couldn’t.



The morning announcements droned on, but she paid them little mind, she paid little mind to anything. Everything seemed surreal now. Everything was so out of place. Just last week she had been sitting at this same desk with dreams, hope, and love. She had been looking forward to the Homecoming dance simply for the chance to dance in Devon’s arms.



Now, just a few short days later, she was sitting here with nothing. No hopes, no dreams, no love. Her grandmother, the one person that had always been there for her, caring for her, loving her, was gone. And she had taken everything that Cassie was with her. Cassie was surprised that her heart continued to beat in her chest considering how dead she felt inside, how empty and alone and so very lost she was. How did the world continue to spin? How was she supposed to go back to her life, when the hurt and anger inside of her was nearly consuming?



Didn’t everyone else know that they were supposed to stop? Didn’t they know they were supposed to recognize her loss, and acknowledge it by being as miserable as she was?



Her name being called snapped her attention to the front of the class. “Here,” she mumbled, ignoring the stares she felt burning into her.



Ducking her head once more, she played idly with her pencil, tapping it against the desk. She felt stuck, trapped in a life she didn’t want anymore. She had no idea why she was even here, what did school matter when she didn’t plan on living for much longer? It had simply been habit that had forced her out of bed and here this morning. Habit and the fact that she had nothing better to do with her day.



Julian and Isla would be hidden away, avoiding the daylight. She couldn’t hunt them when they weren’t around to hunt. And if she simply sat at home she would go absolutely insane. She needed to be doing something, and no matter how pointless school was now, it was far better than sitting on her ass doing nothing all day.



A ripple in the classroom caused her to bow her head further. He may have been late, but she knew immediately that Devon had arrived. She could sense him as he made his way toward the only empty desk in the room, the one diagonally across from her. Cassie’s hands fisted even tighter, her nails dug painfully into her palm.



She could feel the energy rippling off of him, the power that he admitted in waves. The waves pulsed against her, causing her skin to heat and her heart to pick up. She hated the way that he made her feel, hated the fact that she always reacted to him, no matter how hard she tried not to. It was just purely a physical thing, she told herself fiercely. She did not love him anymore; he was the reason that her grandmother was dead. She hated him!



The pencil in her hand snapped, cracking loudly in the silent classroom. She felt the heads turning toward her but she ignored them. Gathering her things, she rose swiftly, not caring that the bell hadn’t rung yet. No one stopped her as she hurried from the classroom, but she did hear a chair skid back, and she knew that Melissa was coming behind her.



Disgust and anger boiled through her, she shoved the door of the girl’s bathroom open. It crashed against the wall with a resounding thud. Slamming her books on top of the counter by the sink, she spun toward Melissa as she entered slowly. “I don’t need a damn watch dog!” she exploded, fury boiling through her.



Melissa quirked a dark eyebrow but simply folded her arms over her chest as she leaned against the wall. Her onyx eyes were inquisitive and sad as she studied Cassie; her black hair fell around her shoulders in gentle waves to the middle of her back. “Maybe not, but you’re going to have one.”



Cassie glared fiercely at her, fighting the urge to rip the sink from the wall, something she felt she could actually do in the mood that she was in. She settled for gripping the sink tight, taking gulping breaths of air as she tried to calm her racing heart and shaking body. How on earth was she ever going to survive this? She wasn’t, that was how.