Cassie's grandmother met them at the door; a strawberry eyebrow was raised questioningly as she studied them. Holding the door open, she ushered them inside and made a sweeping gesture toward the living room. Crackers, cheese, bottles of water, and glasses of soda had already been set out on trays for them. The enticing smell of shepherd's pie drifted from the kitchen, and reminded Cassie they hadn't had a chance to eat yet.

"Food," Chris groaned. He plopped himself on the couch as he grabbed a handful of crackers and cheese.

"You guys look like you've been through hell," her grandmother said.

For the first time Cassie noted how dirty, bedraggled, bloodied, and exhausted they all looked. "Hell came to us," Chris's words were garbled by the crackers he was chomping on.

Her grandma shook her head as she moved into the living room. She shooed Chris's feet off of the coffee table. He gave her a bashful grin, but it didn't hinder his chewing process. "Good thing Adam told me you were coming," she announced as she slid into her favorite recliner. "Dinner should be ready soon."

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" Chris asked with a grin.

Her grandmother rolled her eyes, but she couldn't stop the cheerful smile spreading across her youthful face. "Suck up," Melissa muttered as she slapped Chris's hand away so she could snag a handful of crackers. He sulked for a minute before dipping his hand back into the cracker bowl again.

"Who's Adam?" Devon inquired.

Cassie's smile was sympathetic. "He's one of the ghosts she talks to; the other two are Caleb and Julia. She mentions them often."

"So, who is going to tell me what happened?" her grandmother asked.

Cassie squeezed Devon's hand and released it. Moving around the couch, she stopped to drop a kiss on her grandmother's head before grabbing some of the few crackers left. "I will," she said as she slid onto the loveseat and Luther took up his customary position by the fireplace.

In between munching on crackers, Cassie filled her grandmother in on the details of the night. When Cassie finished, her grandmother sat back in her chair, and her eyes darkened to a deep brown as she began to converse with her ghost friends. It was a few moments before her eyes returned to their normal sky blue and focused on Cassie.

"I can't believe you ran into the woods on your own," she scolded.

Cassie shifted uncomfortably, but she didn't bother to look for help elsewhere in the room. "I was worried she was going to be killed."

Her grandmother quirked an eyebrow. "I understand that, but you were reckless and you could have been killed."

"Not to mention Dani was better able to defend herself than any of us," Chris mumbled.

Cassie shot him a look, not at all pleased with his interference. "Very true," her grandmother agreed. "But none of you could have known that. I've only ever met one Grounder before and it was a little disconcerting."

Cassie, Chris, and Melissa nodded their agreement. Devon remained immobile, though his gaze did flit down to his now healed arms. "It's a lot of power for a young girl, especially if she doesn't have control over it." Luther shook his head as he pulled his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I could have helped her if her brother would have let me."

"Stubborn, foolish boy," her grandmother whispered as her eyes darkened once more. "There will be no changing his mind though."

"No, there won't," Devon and Chris agreed simultaneously. They shot each other an amused look before Chris's attention was once more diverted by food.

Her grandmother turned to Devon as she began to speak. "If you continue to hang out with our kind, I'm sure you'll find some of them will feel the same way. Though, there are so few left I doubt you'll meet many more. It's a miracle they moved into the same town as us. Imagine the odds."

"They move frequently, it was probably only a matter of time before they stumbled upon Cape Cod," Luther murmured. "But yes, the odds are astronomical. I do wonder what the brother is capable of, considering the power his sister possesses."

Cassie tried not to contemplate what the infuriated, hate filled man could do. Though she suspected if it was anything as destructive as Dani's ability, he would have used it today. Her glance slid to Devon, he was exceptionally powerful, but Dani's power had left him vulnerable and wounded. What if it happened again, but this time they weren't there to keep him safe from someone seeking to kill him?

"What happened today won't happen again," he told her. Cassie frowned at him as he grinned at her. "I don't have to be able to read minds to know what you're thinking; you wear your thoughts on your face. Dani's power knocked me and Julian out because neither of us expected it. If I run into her or her brother again, I will be better prepared. She won't knock me out next time, she may give me a good blow, but she won't knock me out."

Cassie sighed in relief. "I don't think Dani meant to injure you."

"No, she didn't," Chris said emphatically. "She felt pretty bad about it. Her brother though, he would have hurt you, all of us actually."

Devon sat beside Cassie and took hold of her hand. "They'll leave," Luther said. "Probably already packing their things now. What a waste," he mumbled.

"I feel bad for her," Cassie said. "She wanted so badly to stay and be a part of something."

"Maybe we'll run into her someday in the future, but for now she isn't part of this group, and we must come to that sad realization." Her grandmother rose to her feet and smoothed her pants as she looked them over. "This is a pretty powerful group here though."

"Yes, it is," Luther agreed. "And I suppose it's time we finally have that conversation."

Cassie and Chris exchanged sullen frowns. "Just let me get dinner out of the oven first," her grandmother announced.

"I'll help you," Cassie offered.

Her grandmother waved her back. "Sit, you need a break. I've got it."

Cassie leaned back in the loveseat and rested her head on Devon's shoulder. No one spoke as they listened to the clink of silverware, and cabinets opened and closed as her grandmother bustled about. She was carrying two big plates of steaming, delicious looking food when she reappeared in the room. Chris and Melissa eagerly accepted their plates; Chris nearly salivated at the mound of meat and potatoes on his. Melissa had a big slice of vegetable lasagna on her plate.

"You drop any on my carpet and you're going into the dining room," her grandmother scolded Chris.

Chris nodded, but he didn't respond as he dropped the plate to the table and began to wolf it down. "Could you at least eat like a human being?" Melissa inquired.

"I'm hungry," he retorted.

Melissa rolled her eyes but refrained from eating until everyone else had been served. Chris finally caught sight of this and eased his onward rush to choke himself to death. Her grandmother reappeared with two more plates and handed them out to Luther and Cassie. "Thank you," Cassie murmured.

She dug into her dinner, savoring it as the eager rumbling in her stomach quieted a little more with every bite. Devon was studying her with shrewd eyes. "You haven't eaten today." The low tone of his voice didn't carry beyond her.

Cassie shook her head. "No, I had a headache."

She was surprised to realize the headache was gone, apparently having disappeared when fear for her life had taken over. "That’s no reason not to take care of yourself."

She couldn't meet his gaze again. She suddenly realized it took more than just him staying well fed, and strict self-control, to be around her. She also had to take care of herself, and try to stay out of trouble. If she wasn't going to take care of herself, then he would do it for her. He would keep her out of harm's way by making sure she couldn't be wounded anymore, ever.

Grasping hold of his arm, Cassie met his unsettled gaze. "I promise it won't happen again."

Though he visibly relaxed, a muscle in his cheek jumped. It took every bit of control he had to be around her, every ounce of self restraint he had to be with her every day. A knot formed in her throat as tears burned her eyes; her appetite vanished. She loved him so much, but it wasn't enough. For the first time she fully realized the finality of their love. Deep down she'd still been holding out hope they would somehow get through all of this without losing too much, and with her still being human.

She realized now that wasn't going to be possible. She either joined him, or they ended this. Right now, she didn't know which was worse.

Devon turned back to her, his eyebrows drew together questioningly as his gaze shot to her barely touched food. Cassie swallowed heavily and dropped her head before he could see the hopelessness engulfing her. Though she wasn't hungry anymore, she forced herself to eat. She couldn't give him everything he required, but she would give him as much as possible.

No one spoke as they ate. Chris helped himself to seconds before anyone else was done. Cassie managed to choke down almost three quarters of her plate before putting it aside. "I think everyone is ready Luther," her grandmother said as she pulled her small legs beneath her once more.

Luther nodded as he pushed his glasses up on his nose. He rested one arm on the mantle as he stared at the far side of the room. "About fifteen hundred years ago, vampires were beginning to run rampant in the world. They weren't overly concerned about people knowing of their existence, why should they be when there was no one to stop them? At this time, a group of humans gathered together, determined to hunt down the monsters and destroy as many of them as they could in order to stop the killing and regain some control of the earth."

"They were the first Hunters?" Cassie inquired.

"Sort of," he hedged.

Cassie lifted an eyebrow at his "sort of," not at all liking the way he responded to her question. "What do you mean, sort of?" Chris inquired as he temporarily forgot the plate of food still on his lap.

Luther and her grandmother exchanged a look and Devon rested his hand on her knee. Melissa's shoulders were slouched as her gaze was focused on the floor. Cassie's frown deepened, it was becoming more than apparent she wasn't going to like what Luther had to say. Luther slid his glasses off and cleaned them on his shirt before slipping them back on. Her hand tightened around Devon's as a growing knot of apprehension began to twist in her body.

"As a group, the humans were able to do some damage against the vampires, but not much. When they came up against a more powerful vampire, they were useless. They were getting slaughtered and the vampires were becoming stronger. As the years passed the vampire's numbers grew, and the human fighters dwindled as most became afraid to continue the battle.

"That was when they decided to recruit the help of an emerging group of scientists."

The knot in Cassie's stomach turned into a noose that spread up her throat and threatened to choke her. Chris still looked confused, but a chill of apprehension swept down her spine. "And what did these scientists do?" Chris inquired as he placed his plate on the table.

Cassie fought the impulse to cover her ears and block out whatever else Luther had to say. It may have been a childish urge, but it was one she desperately sought to fulfill. "They began to experiment on the vampires they managed to capture during their hunts."

Chris looked confused as he glanced around the room. It wasn't that he couldn't grasp what Luther was saying, he didn't want to, and Cassie didn't blame him. "What kind of experiments?" Chris demanded harshly.

Luther heaved a loud breath. "They were determined to know how vampires worked, how they functioned and where their powers came from."

"And did they succeed?" Cassie asked in a choked voice.

"Somewhat, but not completely. They learned the source of a vampire's power comes from their blood. To become a vampire an exchange of blood is required, and death must occur."

Cassie turned toward Devon, these were things she knew, but for the first time she truly realized he’d died. Someone had killed him. Or he may have willingly allowed himself to be changed, may have embraced death for the promise of eternal life. Her forehead furrowed as she once again recalled how very little she knew of him. However, right now she was learning more than she'd ever wanted to know, and her curiosity about Devon was going to have to wait.

"During the exchange of blood, the demon within the vampire is passed on to the victim. This demon blood is thought to be the source of the vampire's power; it was also the reason why everyone believed all vampires must be monsters and murderers."

His gaze turned briefly to Devon as his gray eyes flickered. "Obviously we were wrong."

Devon looked briefly at Cassie as he nodded. His face was tense, and Cassie knew he was thinking about his effort to keep himself restrained around her. "It is difficult, but it can be controlled. Most simply don't control it; they enjoy the hunt, the thrill, the power. They revel in the evil, or at least their demon side does, and they have no inclination to suppress it. Others may not know it can be done, but there are still others who do control it."

Luther nodded as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Yes, I understand that now. We should have understood it earlier, but arrogance and ignorance go a long way in keeping the truth hidden."

Chris rose so suddenly he knocked the coffee table with his knee. It skittered back, but he made no move to fix it as he paced away restlessly. Running a hand through his hair, he turned toward Luther and pinned him with his gaze. His broad shoulders were set as if he awaited a blow. Which Cassie was certain they were going to receive.

"Where did our abilities come from?" Chris inquired.

"When they discovered the source of the vampire's powers they started to try and isolate it. They could never successfully isolate the gene, but they began to experiment with trying to harvest that power into humans."

The hair on the back of Cassie's neck stood on end. Her fingers began to tighten around Devon's, but for the first time his touch wasn't enough to soothe her. Shifting uncomfortably, she found she was unable to sit still anymore. Sliding her hand free of Devon's she launched to her feet. She fought against fleeing the room and this conversation, but she knew she couldn't.

"And how did these experiments go?" she asked.

"At first, not well," Luther admitted. "There were many failures and many were caught in between. They were caught in a world where they were neither…"

"Neither?" Cassie croaked.

"A monstrosity," Devon answered when Luther seemed unable to. "A thing that is neither human nor vampire, a creature with no thought or reason. All it does is destroy. All it craves is blood and death."

Bile flowed up Cassie's throat; it burned into her esophagus as her stomach threatened to heave up its contents. She could picture these monsters, these things caught in between. Neither human nor vampire but a fiend worse than anything any horror writer could have dreamed up.

"What happened to these things?" she asked.

"They were destroyed," Luther answered flatly. “They couldn't be allowed to roam the earth. The destruction would be incalculable."

"Were these experiment victims willing?"

"Some, but not all."

Swallowing heavily, Cassie paced to the doorway before turning back again. This time she didn't return to Devon's side. Instead she felt the desperate compulsion to be closer to Chris and Melissa. "And how did it all turn out?" Chris inquired when she stopped next to him.

"Eventually they succeeded in planting enough of the vampire blood into a human without changing them completely, or leaving them in the void. They turned these humans into something that still appeared completely human but was stronger, faster, and possessed gifts and talents of their own."

The truth wasn't as shocking after all. She had expected this. She didn't like it, but at least she'd been braced for this blow. "They became The Hunters," she stated flatly.

"Yes."

"And the genetic alterations were passed onto their children?"

"Yes. Even if a Hunter and a normal human are together, the Hunter genetics are stronger than the human's DNA. Those children will inherit the Hunter line, develop abilities, and carry on the gene. Though for the most part, Hunters tend to stay with each other, or with The Guardians. It's rare when they go outside of those lines."

Chris shifted uneasily beside her. His father had gone outside of those lines, and his mother had been the one to pay for it. "The experimenters, the perpetrators of this abomination, became The Guardians," Chris stated bluntly.

Luther inhaled loudly as he nodded. "Yes, originally The Guardians were meant to make sure nothing happened to these humans, and they didn't change to become more like vampires."

"They were meant to destroy them if they did," Chris said dully.

"Yes, but fortunately nothing occurred. As each generation emerged with no mutations The Guardians became relegated to the role of training the Hunters to fight, and hunt vampire's. They also became keepers of the history and they stayed close to The Hunters in order to record each generation's efforts."

"Wasn't that nice of them," Cassie muttered, unable to keep the bitterness from her voice.

"It needed to be done," Luther said gently.

"Needed to be done!" Cassie nearly screeched. "They tortured human beings! They turned us all into monsters! They shortened our life spans!" She jabbed a finger at Chris, Melissa, and herself. "They sentenced us to a nightmare life while they sat back on their haunches and recorded our history. Needed to be done my ass! They were cowards who were too weak to try the experiment on themselves."

"Cassie," her grandmother chided.

"They tore our families away from us!" her voice broke on a sob as her shoulders sagged in defeat.

The anger fled from her as despair rushed up to take its place. Devon was watching her with a sad and knowing look. They'd also torn him away from her, she realized with a start. If she'd been human, if she'd been normal, she probably would have embraced a life of immortality with him.

If she'd been human she never would have known such hurt from vampires, she never would have known the cruelty they’d bestowed upon her loved ones. She would still have her parents, a normal life, and a boyfriend who loved her and wanted to spend eternity with her. She imagined it would all be romantic and appealing to a human, but to her it was a world of darkness, blood and death. A world she'd been genetically altered to fight.

Or to embrace, she realized with a start. After all, her beginnings had come from his kind. She was far more like him then she'd ever realized. She dealt out death and destruction also, and unlike Melissa and Chris, it was the only gift she'd received. She, more than the others, was the most like his kind.

Devon's expression changed as he rose to his feet and glided toward her with the elegant grace of a tiger. She didn't move as he came toward her, didn't stiffen when his arms encircled her. She leaned into his embrace as she took comfort in his strength.

"You are not a monster." His voice was a breath in her ear as she searched his face questioningly. She wasn't surprised he knew what she'd been thinking, he knew her well enough for that, but she had to know he truly believed what he was saying. "You never could be."

Tears burned her eyes and she rapidly blinked them back. Nodding, she rested her head against his chest as she relished the comfort and peace he brought to her. The constriction in her chest eased as she inhaled his familiar, enticing scent.

"I know this is a lot to take in, a lot to understand," Luther said after a few moments. "But something had to be done to stop the vampires. Imagine the world if there had never been any Hunters to stop their murderous rampages."

"There are barely any Hunters now, and it's not so bad," Chris pointed out.

"Things are different now. Then, the world was consumed with war and blood and death. The world is modernized now and the Elders are content in the old ways, and what they have always known. The young ones are the menace, but there are fewer of them as the Elders have grown tired of creating, and the Hunters have always been able to take out the younger, weaker ones," Devon explained.

"Then why did the Elders come after the Hunter line to begin with?" Cassie demanded.

"Revenge," he answered honestly. "The war between the Hunters and the Elders has waged on for over a millennia. They saw a chance to win it, and they took that chance. Boredom also, I suppose. The Hunters are probably the only thrill, and the only challenge the Elders have left to them anymore."

Cassie's frown deepened as anger blistered through her. Her parents had been slaughtered because of boredom? "How many of these Elders are left?" she inquired as the need for vengeance sparked to life inside her.

Devon shook his head as his eyes darkened. "I wouldn't allow it," he growled. "And you could do little against them."

She ducked her head so he wouldn't see too much of her thoughts. "I understand that," she admitted. "I’m only curious."

His hand rubbed her arm as he shrugged absently. "Fighting amongst the Elders is common, they tend to take each other out for power, and greed, so there are only ten left. The oldest is a little over nine hundred; the youngest is about five hundred and twelve."

"You are an Elder?" Cassie gasped.

He nodded briskly. "As is Julian. I am second in line."

"Will they come for you? For your power?"

"Not if they wish to live. I may not be the oldest, but I am the strongest. Just as with the Hunter's, vampires often develop their own gifts, my speed and strength have always been enhanced, and the mind control helps."

"Oh," Cassie breathed in relief.

"Not to mention, the infighting stopped shortly before The Slaughter. That was when the Elders realized they had all but destroyed each other, and the young vampires didn't care for the traditions, or them. The Elder's grouped together after that; hoping to take out the Hunters in an attempt to eliminate the enemy once and for all. Afterward they retreated back to the old country where they hid themselves away."

"And you didn't want to go with them?" she asked nervously.

A harsh bark of laughter escaped him. "They don’t want me; I’m a traitor to them. The shunning of human blood is an atrocity they don't understand or particularly tolerate. They may covet my power, and my strength to help protect them, but they would prefer not to have me there."

"Good." He chuckled as he dropped a kiss on her head and pulled her against him.

"So," Luther continued. "Now you know where your abilities come from."

"And that we're not human," Chris muttered bitterly.

"We always knew we weren't completely human," Cassie reminded him.

"Yeah, but we never knew we were less than human, I always assumed we were more."

"You are more," Devon said. "Don't think of yourself as less than human when you do more for the human race than many people ever will. Though you may not like how you were created, you should take pride in what you are, and what you do."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," her grandmother said. "It took me awhile to come to terms with this also, but you will, and you will see that Devon is right."

Though the words were meant to comfort, Cassie found little in them. How many people had been sacrificed in order to create their race? How many lives had been lost? A shiver raced up her spine. Devon rubbed her arms, but it did little good to put any warmth back in her body. She wasn't sure she would ever be warm again.

"Well, now I know why I never learned this crap," Chris muttered as he ran a hand through his disordered hair.

Cassie completely agreed. "So all of our gifts come from them?" she inquired.

"Yes," Luther answered. "The weapons they used against us, we were able to turn against them."

"And me?" Cassie inquired.

Luther's forehead furrowed over the bridge of his glasses. "There have been Hunters in the past with no abilities."

"Not many though."

"No, not many."

"So I'm a bigger genetic mutation," she muttered, unable to keep the bitterness from her voice.

"Your speed, strength, hearing, and vision are amplified Cass, those are also gifts only vampires possess. You didn't receive any of the other abilities, so those ones are enhanced in you. I keep telling you that is a gift."

Cassie stared doubtfully back at him, but she refrained from commenting. "Your hearing and sight?" Devon asked.

"Yeah eagle eyes over there could see a mouse from a mile away," Chris answered with a crooked, half hearted grin. "And hear a pin drop from the same distance."

"Ha ha," Cassie replied. Devon became rigid against her. Looking up at him, it surprised her to find his forehead furrowed and his eyes distant and thoughtful. "Are you planning on talking about me behind my back?"

His attention returned to her, but his eyes were still distant. Shaking his head, he bent to kiss her forehead. "No, of course not." His wan smile and distant gaze weren't convincing though. "Someone is here."

"What?" Cassie asked a second before the doorbell resounded through the house.

She frowned up at him before slipping from his arms, but he didn't move far from her as he followed her into the foyer. She opened the door and blinked in surprise at Dani huddled on the doorstep. Her gold streaked eyes were bloodshot as she smiled tremulously. "Can I come in?"

Cassie nodded as she stepped back. She searched the night but saw no sign of Joey. "Did you walk over here by yourself?" Dani nodded as she stepped inside and huddled deeper into her flimsy windbreaker. Dani eyed Devon inquisitively, but there wasn't any apprehension in her gaze. "Don't you learn?"

Dani smiled feebly as she shook back her hair. "I told you I can take care of myself."

"You also told me you couldn't use your ability again tonight."

"Yeah, but that other vamp doesn't know that."

Devon snorted with laughter, but Cassie was nowhere near as amused. "Come on in." Leading Dani into the living room, she gestured toward the loveseat she’d abandoned. "Grandma, this is Dani. Dani this is my grandmother."

"You can call me Lily," her grandmother replied.

Dani smiled hesitatingly as her hands folded into the sleeves of her coat. "It's nice to meet you."

"You also; it appears you’re a truly talented girl."

Heat burned up Dani's face as she ducked her head. "Yeah," she mumbled.

"We were just discussing where those powers come from," Luther said smoothly.

"Vampires."

"You knew?" Chris demanded.

Dani frowned in confusion as she nodded. "Since I was old enough to understand, you didn't?"

Chris scowled as he turned on his heel and began to pace once more. "No, they didn't," Melissa said flatly.

Cassie blinked, surprised to hear such dismay in Melissa's voice. She was reserved, thoughtful and aloof, but there was always an optimistic air about her that was refreshing. Now she seemed hard, distant, lost. Chris walked over to Melissa and swung his arm around her shoulders as he pulled her close in a brotherly embrace.

"It will be ok, we're no different than the people we were an hour ago."

"No, we're not," Cassie said firmly. "We can't change the mistakes of our ancestors…"

"Without those mistakes, the world would have been an entirely different place. It would have been filled with fear and death and murder. It would be governed by vampires. Would you have rather have had that?" Luther interjected hotly.

They gazed at each other for a long moment before Cassie turned to Dani, unwilling to admit that Luther was right. She was still too angry and confused for such an admission right now. "What brings you here?" she inquired.

Dani shrugged, her gaze darted nervously around the room before settling on Cassie again. "I don't agree with Joey, I think we should help."

Cassie's heart fluttered with excitement; with Dani's help they would have a much better chance of killing Julian. They would be able to save more lives, and maybe they could find some peace for a little while. She desperately yearned for peace, and some time with Devon to try and sort out the pieces of their lives.

"Does he know you're here?" Luther asked.

Dani nodded, tears shimmered in her eyes but she didn't spill any. "He knows," she answered in a choked voice.

"Dani, what happened?" Cassie inquired.

"He left."

The hush in the room was heavy with shock. Melissa was the first to recover from the news. "He left you here alone?"

Dani's dark head bowed. "Yes, I refused to go and he refused to stay."

Cassie's heart broke as the tears in Dani's eyes finally slid down her cheeks. They plopped onto her lap as she made no attempt to stop them. Pulling away from Devon, she joined Dani on the loveseat and rested her arm around her delicate shoulders. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she tried to soothe the pain radiating from her. "I can't imagine how tough this must be."

Dani continued to cry silently, but her words were clear. "We'll keep in touch, and one day we'll reunite, but for now each of us has to go our separate ways. We both feel very differently about this. It had to be done and we couldn't be together forever."

Cassie could understand that, but she couldn't understand how Dani's brother could have just abandoned her here. She was barely old enough to get a job, let alone support herself. Apparently his hatred went far deeper than Cassie had begun to fathom.

"Well, then," her grandmother said as she rose to her feet. "We should go get your things."

"Excuse me?" Dani asked in surprise.

"Your things. You can't stay on your own, and we have an extra room here you can use."

Cassie couldn't stop herself from smiling as Dani stared at her grandmother in disbelief. "Really?" she croaked, her voice breaking for the first time.

"Of course," her grandmother replied with a dazzling smile.