Cassie didn't know which way to go first, didn't know who to try and help first as she raced across the snow. Dani screamed again, a piercing cry that made her decision for her. She veered toward her friends as Devon tossed Robert's body into the pit. She had a brief second where she thought he would be ok before he was inundated with a fresh wave of vampires.

Time seemed to slow, she skidded to a stop in the snow as the world blurred and everything inside of her became a frenzy of crashing molecules and turmoil. It reminded her of Gabriel's strange ability, but she knew no one else was affected by it. Adrenaline coursed through her as a protective urge unlike anything she'd ever known rushed to the forefront. These were her friends, her family, the people she loved the most, and she wasn't going to lose them all.

She didn't know exactly what caused it, but fire burst from her fingertips, circled around her wrists, and flashed up her arms. It didn't stop at her elbows though but continued onward as it rushed up to surround her shoulders. She didn't try to stop it, wasn't scared of it or frightened as it slid down her back, and around her chest. The heat of it engulfed her and propelled her onward.

The thought briefly crossed her mind that this is what she had looked like in Matthew's vision. Matthew had seen her engulfed in fire, destroying those nearest to her as she greedily sought out more power and more death. She didn't pause to think about it, or attempt to stop it as the fire slid down her stomach, encircled her thighs, and reached her toes.

She welcomed the feeling of invincibility it brought to her as the fire crackled and popped before her eyes. She could take over the world, and she was going to start right here.

A smile spread across her lips as she lifted her head to take in her enemies.

* * *

Luther's breath was trapped in his chest as he took in the mayhem unfolding outside. He rested his hand on the kitchen sink and leaned closer to the window. Anarchy, complete and utter anarchy reigned as more vampires emerged from the woods in a bloodthirsty wave bent on death.

"What did they do?" Luther muttered as his heart leapt into his throat. The Elders had come here in the hopes of destroying them, of forcing Cassie to their side, and instead they had unleashed Hell on earth. Instead they had lit the catalyst that would most likely end their own lives, and could very well alter the course of history as these creatures had no care for anything other than death and mayhem.

These were not controllable vampires. These were not creatures that respected the old ways and The Elders who had forged the history of their race. These were creatures that would destroy them all.

A glimmering flicker pulled his attention away from the invading pack. He'd thought he'd seen it all, thought he couldn't be surprised anymore, but he'd been completely wrong as his heart plummeted into his toes, and a cold ice began to encase his body. The glittering spark became a raging inferno as the blaze spread from Cassie's hands, over her arms, and around her chest.

Luther could feel the heat from the blaze from this distance as the fire beat against the window and illuminated the kitchen. He couldn't shake the feeling that Hell on earth had just been unleashed.

* * *

White powder skidded up around him as Julian slid to a halt on his knees beside Chris. "Give me one of those," he snagged hold of one of the crossbows lying on the ground by Chris's feet.

"How many are there?" Chris demanded.

"I don't know."

"Where are they all coming from?"

Julian lifted the crossbow and fired it at one of the newbies barreling down upon them. "I don't know. They may all be from this town. The Elders created them, but Zane's lost control."

"He never had control of them." Chris fired two crossbows at once in an attempt to fend some more of them off. "I lost sight of everyone else. Melissa..."

"We can't worry about that now," Julian interrupted briskly.

"The Elders?" Chris inquired.

"Only Zane is still alive." Julian aimed at and took out another new vampire. "I think. His creations might have torn him apart by now."

"One can only hope," Chris muttered as he fired both crossbows again.

Julian worked on reloading his crossbow when he noticed the flicker of red spreading across the snow. Chris froze beside him, his hands stilled as he lifted his head. Julian heard the lurch of Chris's heart, it kicked up a notch, but he had stopped breathing. The color warmed him as it seeped over his chest and melted the snow around him.

Julian didn't have to lift his head to look because he already knew. He'd already seen what was before him through Matthew and Cassie's eyes. He was unable to lift his head to face it, unable to take in the reality of what was happening right now because he knew it could signal the end of everything he had come to care about.

Bracing himself, Julian finally forced his head up. The firelight flickered over his face as it spread around Cassie in a growing blister of heat that encircled her like the sun. The newer vamps fell back as the flames crackled around her and sparks shot into the air. Grass started to show through as the snow beneath her feet melted away. The conflagration surrounding her increased to the point where he thought he might be getting blisters on his cheeks and his frozen extremities warmed rapidly.

Chris made a small noise in the back of his throat as he fell back. Cassie seemed to actually be floating above the ground as flames scorched the earth beneath her. Then Julian realized she was off the ground. The flames propelled her upward as her hands spread out from her sides. Fire crackled around her as she moved; even her beautiful honey hair had flames rolling off of it as it blew back from her face.

"Oh," Chris breathed. "Oh no. This is what Matthew saw, isn't it?"

It took everything Julian had to form a single word, "Yes."

"It's horrifically beautiful," Chris muttered.

Julian thought that described it perfectly. The newly created vampires tripped over each other like cockroaches scurrying from the light as they attempted to get away from her. Cassie was now a good three feet off the ground as the blaze surrounding her continued to increase in intensity. He spotted the others as the vampires that had been on top of them fell back, but he still didn't see Devon and Zane amongst the fray.

Please let Devon be alive, Julian prayed silently. Devon was the only one who could stop this from becoming a complete massacre for them all.

Fire didn't shoot out in a ball like it had before, but lit a pathway across the snow as it erupted from her fingertips in a flaming trail that streaked after the new vampires. Screams from the new vampires rent the air as the blaze caught hold of a group of them. Cassie's palms pressed together in front of her before she pushed them outward. More screams erupted as jagged bolts of lightning shot from her hands. They lit the night in a strobe of white light that exploded the vampires it hit. Their ashes stained the snow as they floated lazily back to the earth. A mixture of awe and horror filled him at this strengthening of Dani's power within Cassie.

"She's going to kill us all." An odd note of reservation filled Chris's voice and caused Julian's hair to stand on end.

"It's a good possibility," Julian admitted as five more vamps burst into flames.

* * *

Devon hissed as one of the newbies sank their fangs into his neck and clamped down. He grabbed hold of its hand, snapped it back and yanked the vamp around his side. His neck was sliced open as its fangs tore through his flesh, but he barely felt the pain. The creature's back shattered as he drove it into the ground. Another one sank their fangs into his forearm as yet another clawed its way up his back.

He spotted Zane trying to wade his way out from the growing bodies piling on top of him. Blood streaked his face and matted his hair to his forehead. The new vampires seemed to sense that he and Zane were the most powerful as their attention had become focused upon them. Zane split himself, but the new vamps weren't fooled as they stayed away from both of his apparitions to focus on the one who had the blood they sought.

Fury and frustration spread through Devon as another one latched onto his bicep, and yet another managed to catch the back of his hand. Devon was beginning to feel like he'd stumbled into a beehive as he beat at the increasing horde. He was shoved onto his knees again as another one leapt onto his back.

The group encircling him briefly cleared apart to reveal a new figure emerging from the woods across the way. Matthew glided across the snow, his hands folded before him, and his head held high as he strode forward with unerring purpose. Devon blinked as he tried to decide if what he was seeing was real or not, but the more he blinked the clearer Matthew became.

Devon wouldn't have been more shocked to see a shark sprout legs and walk across the snow as he was to see the crazy Elder still alive and here.

He shook off another one of the leeches as the first trail of fire shot past him, followed by vampires that were fully engulfed in flames. He managed to shake off enough of them to turn and search for Cassie. His mouth dropped, he almost fell over as his gaze landed upon her. She seemed to be floating, and then he realized the flames had lifted her a good three feet off the ground. Fire licked up over her face and caused the red of her eyes to blaze brighter as lightning bolts erupted from the palms of her hands.

The monsters engulfing him fell back as some of their brethren exploded into a plume of ashes before more fire erupted from her. Devon could only stare helplessly as he tried to figure out a way to keep those flames from destroying her too, from destroying all of them.