Cassie slipped as noiselessly as a wraith through the basement. She spotted a hot water heater and furnace, but there was nothing else within the shadowed interior. She found the back wall and ran her fingers across its cool surface as she desperately searched for Luther, for anything. Like a hound on the trail, she followed the scent of death as she fought to bury the thirst churning through her veins and causing her canines to tingle. She was going to find Luther, and she was going to destroy anyone who may have hurt him.

She paused at the end of the wall and twisted her head from side to side as she tried to pick up something. The increasing scent of death drew her toward the right. She prayed it wasn't Luther's death trail she followed, but a part of her was growing increasingly convinced it was. She fought against the sorrow threatening to swell within her, now was not the time.

The wall didn't end as she'd expected, but continued down a narrow hallway that ran beneath ground. She was convinced there were tree roots dangling above her as she tilted her head back to study the gloom. Even with her enhanced eyesight, she couldn't see the ceiling. The stench of death increased as she was drawn steadily onward.

The hallway ended in a wall, but she could feel the caress of barely flowing air against her skin. Cassie ran her fingers over the wall, searching for something that would help get her past this. Her fingers picked up on a latch set above her head and to the left. She hesitated as memories of being trapped beneath the school, locked within a cell, and tortured for the pleasure of twisted men assailed her.

She didn't know what lay beyond this wall, what secrets it held, or if she would be able to escape it again. She sensed Luther was here though, that this is where they’d taken him in order to lure her here. Her hand shook as she clung to the small switch.

She didn't know what was hidden behind this door, but no matter what she couldn't leave him there. Cassie pulled the switch down and stepped back as a small door swung open within the wall. Sickly radiance spilled around her feet; the stench of death caused her stomach to roll at the same time exhilaration tore through her.

Her fangs sprang free as the coppery tang of blood wafted over her. She stepped through the door and grabbed it before it could slam shut on her. She hesitated in the doorway, there had to be a latch on this side that would open the door, but she didn't plan to waste time trying to locate it when they evacuated here.

She glanced around the dimly lit hall, there was nothing within reach that could help her. Adjusting her stance she shivered as she slipped her jacket off. Balling it up, she propped it in the doorway and made sure it was enough to keep the door from locking shut again. She moved cautiously down the hall, but she had no doubt they already knew she was here.

The hall reminded her of the setup beneath the school. The small rooms on the side of the hall held cots, but none of them seemed to be occupied right now. Another room resembled the one where she had been repeatedly electrocuted. A shudder tore through her at the same time an impotent fury began to escalate toward higher and higher levels. This place was The Commission at work again, and if they had harmed Luther, or if they felt they were going to take her prisoner again, they had another think coming.

She felt bad about what she'd done to the vampire, but here, now, she would not feel guilty. If she came across them in here, she wouldn't hesitate to rip out their throats. Much to her disgust, she knew she would take great pleasure in it. Cassie turned the corner and stopped as she came upon a large, glass window. The room behind the glass was hidden in shadows, but Luther's scent was stronger here. She pressed her fingers against the glass as her enhanced eyesight began to pick up details of the interior.

There was a bed within, and what appeared to be a person on top. It had to be a trap, but she knew it was Luther on that bed. She restrained herself from bolting into the room. Luther may be in that room, but there were others watching over her, just waiting for her to mess up. She already felt they'd made the worst move of all by entering this house, but she couldn't reverse that one. She could keep herself from doing something just as stupid again though.

She turned away from the room to study the dim hallway. The lack of illumination didn’t hinder her; it would the people trying to keep them here. She suspected they had some surprise up their sleeves, some way to come at her without actually confronting her. They'd had her once before, and she'd barely gotten away with her life. They wouldn't allow her to escape this time. She just didn't know how the children fit into this, or what they planned on doing to her and Luther. Whatever it was though, she had to keep her wits about her if she was going to get them out of this. She had to go on the offensive, had to go after them and destroy them.

She moved swiftly into the room on her right and flipped on the switch. There was no point in trying to stay hidden at this point. They'd known where she was from the minute she'd entered this freak show of a house. Cassie swept through the room as she searched for something she could use as a weapon.

They had pumped gas into the rooms she and Julian had been kept in before, and they had drugged their food supply. The gas they'd put into Julian's room had to have been different than the gas they'd put into her room. Julian hadn't required air and neither did she anymore. The gas would have to be absorbed into their bodies in a completely different way, perhaps through their skin. Cassie glanced at the walls and ceiling, but she saw no vents in this room. These rooms had been designed to lock away something that wasn't as lethal as she and Julian.

The children, the creepy children who had sat wordlessly by as that woman had led them through the seemingly innocent home. Had they come all this way just to discover there was nothing worth saving within the children anymore? That they had endured something within these rooms that had rendered them unsalvageable?

Cassie refused to believe that as her thoughts turned to the boy. There had been something worth saving within his angelic face and astute eyes. He had thought her an angel, his angel. If there was nothing left there to save, then he wouldn't have welcomed her here, he wouldn't have thought of her as his savior. There had to be something here worth saving.

Cassie strode back out of the room and looked to make sure Luther was still present on the bed before entering the room across the hall. She wished she still had her jacket. If it was a gas absorbed through the skin, the extra material would have come in handy. As it was, she didn't think her thin sweater would keep her protected once she entered Luther's room.

It was in the third room she finally found something of a little use to her. Three sheets had been left behind on one of the cots. She hastily ripped one into pieces and wrapped it around all of her exposed skin and head. She tucked the other one beneath her clothes and carried the last one for Luther. She doubted it was enough protection, but there wasn't much else she could do.

She swept through the remaining rooms, but found nothing else of use. In the last room she tipped the cot over and busted the legs off of it. Though she carried a stake, she knew she would require more weapons. Unfortunately, she didn't think the two metal legs would be enough either.

She slapped them against her palm as she exited the room again. Her jacket was still tucked into the door, but she had a feeling once she went in after Luther it would be removed. She shuddered at the thought, but she couldn’t do anything about it. Feeling like a Mummy, Cassie returned to the glass window outside of Luther's room. She had to get in and out as quickly as possible. She hovered in the doorway and peered into the room as she tried to learn as much about it as she could. The vents in the ceiling were probably already omitting some type of drug.

Her hand rested on the knob as she glanced around the hall. She studied every shadow and nook as she searched for any sign of life, but nothing stirred. Deciding she couldn't keep putting it off anymore, Cassie plunged into the room and instantly staggered back.

The smell of death sent her emotions and senses skittering in a thousand different directions, none of them were close to sane. Her bloodlust surged to the forefront at the same time all she wanted was to vomit and flee from the five day old road kill stench.

She didn't see the death lingering within yet, but it was there. Luther, she had to get to Luther. She hoped the sheets wrapped around her would be enough protection for a few seconds as she scurried toward him. Seizing hold of his arm, she roughly heaved him up and half tossed him over her back.

He released a low moan that sounded as if he were in pain, but she couldn't think about that now. Not now. Now they had to break free of this trap. Cassie spun but faltered beneath the extra burden of Luther's weight, and because she had finally spotted the source of the stench permeating the room.

There were bodies, at least three of them, tucked within the tiny bathroom. The world tilted precariously; tears burned her eyes and slid down her cheeks as she stared at the massacre. And to her, it was a massacre, because all of the bodies had been children. She didn't know where any of the monsters were in this building, but if she found them, she would destroy them.

Half dragging, half carrying Luther, she managed to get him into the hall and slam the door closed. Though she felt a little woozy, she thought she'd managed to get out of the room quickly enough not to have too many effects from the gas. She hefted Luther back up and hurried down the hall as fast as she could with him.

She was halfway down the hall when the first figure emerged. Burdened by Luther's weight, the effects of the gas, and the bulky sheets still engulfing her, she barely evaded the onrushing attack. Luther groaned when she cracked his elbow against the wall as she fell back. She almost toppled to the floor as the large figure barreled past and nearly crashed into the far wall before darting into another room.

Though it was unceremonious and probably hurtful, Cassie dropped Luther like a sack of potatoes to the ground. She snatched the metal legs out of the twisted sheets and prepared to use them to beat their attacker bloody, if she didn't rip their throat out first. The attacker rushed back out of the doorway, a strangled cry tore from his throat as he charged her.

Her eyes widened on the stake the man held. They somehow knew what she was, or at least suspected it. The man lunged at her and grunted as Cassie swung out with the metal leg. She didn't get a solid hit in, but she did knock him back a step as the glancing blow bounced off of his chest.

The man regained his balance and prepared to come at her again. There was a growing hum of power flowing through her as she shifted into a fighting stance. It didn't appear the man had any real training, but thought he could take her down on brute strength alone. His far superior size and strength may have been enough to take down other people before; he'd never come across someone like her though.

His lunge was awkward and off balance as he rushed at her again. Cassie twisted to the side and folding her hands together she slammed her fists into his back with as much force as she could. The loud cracking of ribs rebounded off of the sterile walls.

A small gasp escaped him as he plummeted to the ground. The stake fell from his hand and clattered across the tile floor. His fingers jerked on the ground; he lay for a breathless moment before he rolled to the side and back to his feet. Instead of trying to get away from her, he came back at her with a furious bellow that reminded her of a charging bull.

Cassie hadn't been expecting that maneuver and didn't have enough time to get out of the way before his hand seized the tangle of sheets. He jerked her off of her feet as he pulled down on the cumbersome material. Her knees and palms thwacked off the tiling. The man clawed at her, using the sheets to gain better access to get at her face. Cassie strained to get free, but her legs were entangled in the mess she had created herself. His hand grabbed hold of her shirt and roughly jerked her forward.

For some strange reason panic didn't fill her; she didn't fear for her safety or her life. Instead, everything seemed to slow within her as something else rose up to take over. Something that craved blood and death and wouldn't be satisfied until it got it. A low growl escaped her as she punched the man in the cheek hard enough to knock his head to the side.

With his jugular exposed, she launched forward, seized hold of his hair and ripped his head back. She didn't hesitate, didn't think as she dove forward and sank her fangs into his neck. The man howled as he clawed at her in a useless attempt to pry her free. She wasn't giving up her meal; she was not going to allow this monster to live, and he was a monster. As his blood flowed into her she saw every horrendous act this man had ever done, and the great pleasure he'd taken in torturing and murdering innocent children and people.

It was more than just righteousness driving her now. It was also the sweet rush of the blood easing the fiery hunger ever present in her veins now. She felt the lessening of his life as his essence drained away, but unlike the vampire she felt no grief, no guilt over the murder she had just committed. Instead, she felt a sense of justice that rattled her more. The man had gotten what he deserved, but it wasn't her place to judge or decide that. Unfortunately, right now, it didn't matter as they were still in danger, and she was still willing to rip out the throat of the next person who attacked them.

She pushed the man back and grappled to get out from underneath his dead weight. She tore at the sheets to rid herself of the nuisance they created now. Finally free, she glanced around the hall, her senses and thirst on high alert as she searched for the next attack. With the man's blood pumping through her, she felt stronger and less lightheaded as she pulled Luther up with far more ease. She felt almost high and giddy with the sensations coursing through her.

She wrapped Luther's arm around her shoulders and held his hand as she hurried him down the hall. Cassie's heart sank when she spotted the door at the end of the hall. Just as she'd suspected, her jacket was gone, and the door was firmly locked. She cursed loudly and bit back a scream of frustration as she slammed her hand against the steel door.

She placed Luther on the ground and propped him against the wall. Keeping one eye on the hall, she began to search for the mechanism that had to be hidden somewhere within the wall. Panic started to fill her as her movements became more frantic. What if there was no switch on this side? What if the opening for this door was somewhere else within here? She glanced around the hall, expecting another attack, but it remained still.

Why hadn't they come after them yet? With better weapons and more people they would be able to take her down.

Then, she felt it. A strange sensation crept through her veins, an almost numbing feeling caused saliva to rush into her mouth at the same time her body began to feel heavy. She'd felt this before, when she'd been at the mercy of The Commission.

Her gaze drifted toward the man lying motionless within the hall. Dead, because she had drained him dry. Her mind tripped back to when she and Julian had been locked beneath the school and their food had also been drugged. She couldn't move, she could barely think as the world lurched before her. They had pumped the man full of drugs and sent him after her as bait. She wondered if he'd known their intentions when he'd attacked her or if he'd been as in the dark as her when she'd fed from him.

A shiver worked its way through her as goose bumps broke out on her flesh. She turned back to the door and desperately searched for the switch. She fought to remain calm, but her mouth was beginning to feel like she'd been sucking on pennies, and her legs were turning to rubber.

She turned back to the rooms lining the hall. None of them appeared to be a control room, but there had to be one that stored all of the supplies, and more than likely held the key to their exit. There had to be a way to escape here, but she didn't have time to find it.

Cassie fell before Luther, grabbed his shoulders, and shook him roughly. He didn't so much as moan in displeasure. "Luther!" she hissed. "Luther you have to wake up! Luther!"

Cassie shoved herself up and staggered to her feet. She almost fell back to the ground but managed to steady herself by bracing her hand against the wall. The drugs were wrapping her within their tentacles and trying to draw her into the dark depths of a sea she wouldn't awaken from. She tried to remember how long she'd been able to stay awake when she'd been drugged before, but she couldn't quite recall. There had been nights she and Julian had stayed up talking for hours before drifting to sleep, but that didn't mean anything. The Commission could have decided not to drug them on those days, or they could have given them those hours in order to manipulate them and watch their relationship grow.

The night they'd escaped, Julian had been far more drugged than she had. But he'd also dealt with a fair amount of torture that day. They may have given Julian more that night in the hopes he would recover faster, and they could renew their games, or he may have just been more susceptible to the effects of the drugs in his weakened state.

Either way, it didn't matter, if she didn't get them out of here soon then they weren't going anywhere.

Cassie wracked her brain for some solution to the problem, but either the drugs, or the panic, were keeping her from processing thoughts properly. She was at the first door before she realized she'd traveled this far. Before realizing she had no idea where she was going, or what she was trying to do. She shook her head as she tried to clear her cloudy mind, but she failed miserably at it.

She retreated toward Luther, determined to keep him protected for as long as possible. She may have failed him, but she wouldn't let them take him without a fight. She crouched before him and had to steady herself with both hands in order to keep from falling over. She was starting to see double as stars began to burst before her eyes.

Her thoughts turned to Devon. This would destroy him; he wouldn't survive it. Tears built in her eyes, no matter how hard she fought to stay awake, she could feel her lids drooping as they became heavier. Luther stirred, but remained unconscious.

Cassie wished he would wake up if only so she could say goodbye. She heard the sounds of people moving about before she spotted them creeping out of their hiding spots, coming for them already.

She pressed herself against Luther as she strained to keep her bleary vision focused. Sister Anne stepped into the hall, but her caring, open persona had been discarded, along with her phony nun attire. Now her dark eyes were cold and malicious. A muscle twitched in her cheek as she glared at Cassie. A fully loaded crossbow was pressed against the side of her thigh.

Another man and woman stepped out from behind her. They also bore weapons, but Cassie knew it would be Anne who came for her, if that was even her real name. Cassie seized hold of Luther's hand. She tried to draw strength and comfort from his warm touch.

She still had Dani and Joey's powers, something these people had no way of knowing. However, she wasn't sure how well either of them would work right now. Zane's astral projection would have been handy, but she already felt as if she were splitting apart without actually doing it. There was Adon's fire power, but that would be a last resort. She was a little nervous she may kill them all if she used it in these tight confines.

She could feel the pulse of life signaling the electrical pull of the earth surging into her hand. She didn't know if she should make the first move, but she did know she couldn't simply crouch here and wait for them to attack her. Anne took a step toward her and raised the crossbow as Cassie slammed her hand off the ground. It wasn't the way that Dani released her power, but it felt right to Cassie.

The power thrummed from her hand and sizzled across the ground in a bolt of electricity she could actually see as it zigzagged toward her enemies. Shock and horror filled their eyes, apparently they hadn't known what she was capable of, or they'd thought the drugs would keep her abilities locked away. Either way, she had the brief advantage of surprise on her side.

Anne fired the crossbow seconds before the electrical bolt hit them and knocked them off their feet. Cassie didn't have the reflexes or thought processes to react quickly enough. She fell to the side to get away from the arrow, but not fast enough.

A cry escaped her as she was knocked back from the force of the impact. The arrow drove into her shoulder, sliced through muscle and shattered bone before bursting partway out the other side. Cassie was briefly stunned by the pain tearing through her, she'd just barely gotten out of the way in time.

She grabbed hold of the end of the arrow and gritted her teeth as she broke it off. A low moan escaped her; she began to shake as a thin layer of sweat coated her body. She was wobbly and barely able to focus as she righted herself and sought out her predators. Closing her eyes she wiped the sweat from her forehead before forcing her lids open again. She didn't know how much time she had bought her and Luther, but she didn't think it would be much.

She was barely aware of the blood trailing down her shoulder, soaking her clothes, and dripping off of her fingers as she turned back to Luther. She was unsure what it was she sought from him when she grabbed his arm. She just knew she couldn't sit in this hall and wait for them to be picked off like fish in a barrel.

She managed to get Luther almost to his knees before she lost her footing in the puddle of her blood, and they both sprawled onto the floor. Luther's head flopped to the side; his chin dropped to her shoulder. She grabbed his chin to try and wake him again, but a fresh wave of agony tore through her. She looked down to find a stake protruding from her stomach. Her eyes shot back down the hall as the other man regained his feet. Thankfully, he was a crappy throw, but it was only a matter of time before one of them hit the mark.

He grabbed hold of another stake and took aim before whipping it toward them. Acting on pure survival instinct, Cassie threw her hand up. Joey's power burst free of her, it caught the stick in midair and deflected it from its target, her heart. Cassie struggled to get Luther's limp form behind her. Her fingers were slippery from the blood coating them, and it was difficult to get a hold on him. A small whimper escaped her. She didn't want them to see her apprehension, didn't want them to know they'd driven her to this level, but she couldn't hide it either.

She slipped in the trail of blood she left behind, but she maneuvered Luther's body firmly against the wall. The man hunting them was hesitant now of what else she could do, but the women were regaining their feet, and three against a weakening one would eventually be enough to embolden them. Cassie winced and was unable to suppress a groan as she pulled the stake from her belly. It was a good thing her organs weren't necessary for her survival anymore.

She did question if she would bleed out, if the cuts were more than her rapid healing ability could handle. Then she realized it didn't matter. Her mind was growing foggier, her head spun, and she suspected there wasn't solid ground beneath her hands and feet anymore.

That's why when the door began to open, she didn't immediately react and didn't truly believe it. Even when she saw Chris's sapphire eyes, she didn't try to warn him away because she was certain she imagined him there. She was into the hallucinogenic stage of whatever drug they’d given her.

Cassie didn't hear or see the arrow from the crossbow until it whizzed past Chris, missing him by only a hair. "Holy..." the rest of his words cut off as he jumped back from the doorway.

Cassie tried to focus as she began to believe maybe this was real. Then Chris was back and kneeling behind the door as he reached for her. "Luther," she whispered. "Take Luther first."

Chris frowned at her, but he adjusted himself as he grasped for Luther's wedged body. Cassie managed to gather enough strength and wits about her to move away from Luther so Chris could get him free. Her stalkers were coming rapidly at her now, determined not to lose her to Chris's interference. Cassie didn't know what to do, or how to hold them back anymore.

Terror pulsed through her as she drew upon the power within her. She didn't care what ability it was anymore, just as long as something came from her. It vibrated forth, but due to her growing weakness, it wasn't as strong or as forceful. Chris's hand wrapped around her arm at the same time a ball of fire burst out of her palm.

Chris cursed loudly as he recoiled, but he didn't release her as the fireball slammed into the three of them. The other woman took the brunt of the fireball as she was in front of the others. Her shirt burst into flames that rapidly escalated toward her face. The inferno engulfed her, her shrieks resonated through the hall and pierced Cassie's eardrums. Anne managed to retreat into one of the other rooms, but the man was still trying to beat the flames licking at his legs when the woman's charred corpse fell on top of him. He started to scream as the flames still eating at her body leapt onto his.

Momentarily distracted by the demented freak show, Cassie and Chris remained immobile. Chris reacted first by tugging brusquely on her arm. "Cassie, come on!" he hissed.

She shook her head in confusion and then began to nod rapidly. "Yes, yes."

Unable to trust her legs to support her, she crawled toward him. Escaping the hideous hall, Cassie leaned against the blessedly cool wall as Chris slammed the door shut. She remained sitting, thankful to be free yet unwilling to believe it was true. "Are you ok?" Chris clasped hold of her hands as he gazed fearfully at her. "Cassie!"

"Yes, yes I'm fine. Luther?"

Chris glanced back at Luther's slouched body. "I can't see much in here. We need to go. Can you walk?"

"I think so."

Chris helped her to her shaky legs. She staggered and fell back against the wall. Chris tried to steady her again, but she shooed him away. She was determined to stand and walk on her own. It was the only way the three of them were going to get out of here.

She wrapped Luther's arm around her shoulders and tried to take some of his weight onto her. She knew she was of little help to Chris and Luther, but at least it was something. Chris shuffled down the hall, but he didn't seem to know where he was going. She'd become so accustomed to her acute night vision, she often forgot not everyone shared in it.

"Left," she whispered. "Go to the left."

He turned in response to her directions, his movements stilted and jerky. She tried to guide him through the dark, but they repeatedly bumped and jostled against walls, and each other. She didn't know if it was from the chill of the basement or from moving again, but her head was starting to clear, and she felt stronger as they made it to the winding steps. Perhaps her vampire body was able to clear itself much faster of the drugs than her human body had been able to.

"We should get Melissa to help," Chris said.

"No!" Cassie said harshly. "No one else should be down in this dungeon of crap; she has to stay up there, if she's still up there."

Cassie's stomach plummeted at the idea of losing another person within this house. She had no idea what she would do if Melissa wasn't up there. She tried not to think about it, tried to hope for the best, but in this house of horrors she wasn't sure there was a best to hope for.

Chris nodded and adjusted Luther as he gestured for Cassie to go first. Cassie moved as quickly up the stairs as she could. Her shoulder ached from the arrow still embedded in it and the pull of Luther's weight. Blood still oozed from her stomach, it burned like hell, but she could already feel the muscle repairing itself. She'd always healed fast, but this astonished even her.

It felt as if the world had been taken off of her shoulders as she stepped into the hallway. A fresh burst of energy and strength streamed through her; they were nearly free. She released Luther to Chris. With a sense of growing urgency descending upon her, Cassie slammed the basement door shut and threw the lock.

Her hand rested against it; she knew the door wouldn't keep Anne trapped within that awful place. She was certain there was another way out of the freak show beneath, and Anne had already taken it. "Cassie," Chris whispered harshly.

She moved away from the door and reclaimed Luther's arm as he began to stir. "Luther," she whispered.

His head lulled toward hers, his right eye opened a crack as he tried to focus on her. "Cassie?"

"Yes. We're almost out Luther, we're almost there."

"What happened?"

"Nothing good," she muttered.

His Adam's apple bob as he swallowed and dazedly looked around the hall. "The orphanage, Sister Anne."

"Not a Sister, believe me," Cassie told him. "And she's still alive. Stay with us, we have to get out of here Luther."

He nodded and briefly looked toward Chris before his arm slipped off of her shoulder. She tried to grab him again, but he waved her away. "You're injured and I'll be fine. Let's go."

Chris kept his arm around Luther's waist as they staggered back into the kitchen. Melissa's mouth dropped as her eyes almost bulged out of her head. "What happened?" she gasped.

"A lot," Chris replied impatiently. Melissa took a step toward them, but Chris waved her back. "The door, get the door."

Melissa spun away from them. Before she could get to the door, the children gathered around her scattered like cockroaches into the shadows. Cassie took a startled step back as the young boy from earlier threw his arms around her leg and hugged her. "What the..."

Melissa was unable to finish her sentence as an arrow shot out of the dark and caught her in the chest. The children began to scream, Cassie struggled with the barnacle attached to her side as she lunged toward Melissa. Her friend's eyes bulged from her head as she clawed at the arrow protruding from the right side of her chest just beneath her collarbone. Cassie caught Melissa before she tumbled to the floor.

Her hands wrapped around Melissa's head as Melissa's breath rattled out of her. "Hold on! Melissa hold on!" Cassie cried.

Her hands fumbled with Melissa's shirt as she attempted to staunch the incessant flow of blood pouring from her friend. The heady scent of Hunter blood drifted up to her. It was better than anything she'd ever smelled before, better than fresh baked chocolate chip cookies even. How on earth had Devon and Julian been able to resist it?

Because they had to, just as she had to, she told herself fiercely. The twang of another arrow being released shot her head up. Chris scarcely avoided taking one to the eye as he dropped down at the last second. "I'm going to kill that bitch!" Cassie snarled.

"Not if I get to her first," Chris retorted.

Cassie looked frantically around, but she'd lost sight of the young boy and Luther in the chaos. Melissa's eyes were desperate as her fingers clawed at Cassie's. She was trying to speak but only gurgled sounds escaped her. "You're going to be ok, Melissa. You're going to be ok. I have to take it out."

Melissa's mouth parted, a drop of blood appeared on her bottom lip as she exhaled loudly. Fear spurred Cassie into action as she seized hold of the arrow and tore it free. Melissa wailed loudly before collapsing upon the floor. Unconsciousness had dragged her into its blessed depths as her hands limply slid to her sides.

Cassie tossed the arrow aside and placed her hands over Melissa's injury as she strived to find Annabelle's power within her. Now was not the time to lose contact with her abilities, but as she searched to find the good, healing power within her she kept coming up with a wall of nothing. Tears spilled down her face, her lower lip trembled as blood coated her hands and slid down to wet her knees.

"No!" she choked out. "No! No! No!"

A loud crash to her right shot her head around as Luther and Chris dove into the shadows of the pantry on the side of the kitchen. Cans, pots, and jars rattled and crashed to the floor as they collided with shelves and stored goods. Cassie turned her attention back to Melissa as she felt the weakening beat of her pulse.

Instinct drove her as she leaned over her friend and gripped her cheeks. "You are not going to die," she whispered.

As she said the words she felt a warming in her hands, a heat unlike anything she'd ever experienced. The fuzzy warmth of the alcohol had been nothing compared to this. The other abilities she had used were all about destruction, but this one was all about love as it seeped out from the center of her chest, into the palms of her hands, and into Melissa. Tears streamed down her face and fell upon her friend’s cheeks as her body breathed life back into Melissa's weakening form.

Chris and Luther re-emerged from the pantry with a struggling Anne between them. Cassie spotted the little boy hovering in the shadows a few feet away as Melissa's chest rose and fell with renewed vigor. She was still weak, but Cassie was certain she would survive, and if they could get her to Annabelle soon, she would be better off.

"How is she?" Luther demanded.

Cassie sat back and wiped the tears from her cheeks as she met his gaze. There was something in his eyes, a fire she'd never seen before. "She'll be ok," Cassie managed to choke out. "We have to get her to Annabelle though."

"Or we'll bring Annabelle here."

"They can't get in," Chris reminded him.

Luther's upper lip curled in a sneer as he nodded. The children's eyes gleamed in the dark. The only one who came any closer was little Barnacle as he edged around behind her and Melissa. "Will you take us with you?" he whispered.

"We came here just for you," Cassie assured him.

He smiled at her as he knelt beside her and placed his hand upon her knee. Cassie wanted to take hold of his small hand, but she was covered in blood, and she refused to let it taint him. The best thing for the child would probably be to stay as far from her as possible. He seemed determined to believe she was his savior, and that there was still something noble within her. Cassie hoped he was right.

"Give me your knife and open the door, Chris," Luther commanded as he pulled Anne forward a few more feet.

Chris handed his knife over and hurried to the back door. His fingers trembled, but he turned the locks and flung the door open. Devon and Julian hovered in the doorway, their ruby eyes were the clearest things about them as the shadows embraced their bodies. Devon roared and lunged forward when he spotted her. Chris took a startled step back, but Devon was brought to a halt by the invisible barrier keeping him and Julian out. The children squeaked and retreated further into the shadows. Barnacle’s hand clenched upon her thigh.

"It's ok," Cassie assured him. "They won't harm you. They're friends, I promise."

"They're the evil ones."

Cassie wiped a straggling strand of hair from her face. "So am I."

His dark eyes were unwavering upon her as he shook his head. "No, you're something else."

"Maybe so, but I'm most certainly not an angel."

The boy smiled at her and leaned a little forward. "We shall see."

Cassie frowned at him, but she didn't have much time to pursue the conversation as Luther pulled Anne forward. Devon and Julian's eyes gleamed as Luther pushed Anne outside and down the stairs. Though she and Chris could still see him, Luther maneuvered Anne away from view of the children.

Cassie didn't know what he intended with the woman, or where he was taking her, until Luther drew the blade abruptly across Anne's throat. The woman cried out and fumbled with her neck as Luther callously shoved her forward. All the color drained from Chris's face, Cassie fell back to her knees and lifted her arm to make sure the child's view of Anne's body was blocked.

"Come in," Luther invited. He wiped the blade across his jeans and handed it back to Chris. Chris gawked at him as he tremulously took hold of the handle.

Devon hurried to her side and dropped to his knees beside her. "Did they hurt you?" he demanded as he seized hold of her hands and turned them over before him.

She couldn't form words right now; there were none to be found. She glanced back at where Anne's body had disappeared from view. She knew Luther would do anything for them, but she'd never seen this side of him. She could only nod in response to Devon's question as she took solace in the tender touch she cherished so much. It had been nothing but a nightmare for the past hour, but she found the feel of him was enough to make it all at least a little better.

"Melissa requires Annabelle's more experienced medical attention, and we have to gather the children. This will be a good place to stay until we can regroup," Luther stated.

Cassie met the relentless gray eyes of her Guardian. She still felt a little sick over what had just occurred, but she knew it had been no different than anything she'd done below. She'd killed for him because she loved him, and he'd done the same. Though she knew this, she couldn't shake the feeling they were all walking on thin ice, and one or all of them was going to fall through.