The snow still fell in lazy spirals that had piled up on the lawn, and coated the trees. Cassie turned away from the window, happy to be inside and out of the cold. Chris, Dani, and Melissa were gathered around the island, talking as they dealt another hand of cards. A twinge tugged at Cassie's heart, her grandmother had loved to play cards. They used to have nights where they would all sit and play together. Unfortunately, those nights had been few and far between before her grandmother had passed on.

Pouring a cup of coffee she blew on it before taking a sip. Devon strode into the room. Her heart flipped in her chest, her stomach did a strange turn. His eyes instantly found hers and a beautiful grin spread over his full lips. His hair, still damp from his shower, was tussled across his forehead. She smiled at him, and turned her attention back to her coffee, before memories of the intimacy of last night took over. Absently, she touched the marks on her neck as she recalled him there, gaining strength from her body.

"Still snowing?" His solid legs brushed against hers as he stopped before her and leaned forward to push aside the curtain. Cassie's mouth went dry; her body instinctively pressed closer to his as need ensnared her. The enticing blend of soap and spices he emitted caused her hands to tighten on her mug.

She tilted her head back to look at him, not at all surprised to find his eyes on her. Leaning closer, he rested his hands against the counter on either side of her. There were other people in the room, but she couldn't bring herself to care as every cell inside her became focused upon him.

"Like crazy. Maybe we won't have school tomorrow," Dani said cheerfully.

"Hmm," Chris absently agreed.

Cassie barely heard their conversation over the excitement pounding through her. Something inside of her was shifting, changing, growing. She was beginning to realize it was only a matter of time before she lost complete control, and allowed free rein to everything she was thinking and feeling.

She'd thought she would be frightened by that realization, she wasn't. She was actually thrilled and awed by it. Things were going to change drastically between them, and she was eager to embrace every one of those changes.

Cassie started in surprise when Devon's phone went off and he pulled it out of his pocket. Worry flashed through his eyes as he read the message, hit a few buttons and put it back in his pocket. His eyes were cold and distant when they came back to hers. "Who... who was that?" She had to fight to keep the nervousness from her voice.

"I have to go out for a bit."

"Out? Where?" Unreasonable panic filled her; she couldn't understand the abrupt change that had come over him. Moments ago he’d been warm and caring, now he was a stranger. She didn't know who he could be talking to that would cause such a change. Almost everyone he talked to was in this room, unless it was a girl. Cassie quickly shut the thought down. She'd experienced his feelings last night and she knew he only thought of her, only loved her. But who could he possibly have been talking to?

"I just need to pick up a few things from my place."

"Can you grab me some things too?" Chris asked absently.

Cassie felt her mouth drop as she turned toward Chris. Chris froze, his hands tensed around the cards he held as he realized exactly what it was he had let slip out. "Too?" she inquired softly.

Chris's eyes darted to Devon. "Chris has been staying at my place every once in a while," Devon answered as he rested his hands on her shoulders.

Betrayal flared inside her, but she somehow managed to push it back before it consumed her again. She knew how awful Chris's home life was. Her grandmother had taken care of him more than his own mother had, and he had spent most of his nights sleeping on Cassie's floor. It would have been difficult for him to be here after her grandmother had died, and Cassie understood that, but she couldn't shake the shock that kept her riveted.

Just how close had they gotten over the past two weeks?

"I see," she murmured.

"Cassie..."

"No, it's fine. I'm fine, really." She cut Chris off as she forced a reassuring smile. "Really."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Chris said. "I just... I just needed a break."

"A break?"

His smile was feeble as he ducked his head. "Your emotions, and Devon's, weren't exactly easy to deal with, and I couldn't keep them shut out."

"Oh," Cassie said dully. If Devon was here watching over her, Chris would have been bombarded with both of their emotions, even at his own house. Devon firmly folded his arms over his chest. He didn't look comfortable with the issue of his emotions being spoken about so freely. "Sorry."

Chris grinned at her. "It's quite alright, the giant TV more than made up for not being able to stay at my own crappy house."

Cassie blinked in surprise then glanced questioningly at Devon. "Not mine," he said with a casual shrug. "I have to go, but I'll be back in a little bit."

He bent to drop a quick kiss on her cheek. Cassie's hand lingered on his face as she traced its much loved contours. She had a bad feeling about him leaving, but she couldn't appear to be a clingy girlfriend. "Be safe."

A grin teased the corners of his mouth. "Stay inside."

"Oh you can count on that," Melissa said as she shivered. "Damn weather."

Devon kissed her again and squeezed her hand before leaving the room. Cassie turned back to the window to watch as he hurried to his car. He was huddled into his jacket with his hands shoved into his pockets. An ache bloomed in her chest. Shaking her head, she turned away from the window. She was being ridiculous; he would only be gone for a little while.

However, they had spent too much time apart, and she had only recently gotten him back in her life. She wasn't ready to be separated from him now. Cassie rubbed the bridge of her nose as she stepped away from the counter. Chris tapped the stool beside him for her to sit down.

"I'll deal you in."

"Sounds good," she mumbled.

* * *

Devon pulled his car into Luther's driveway and shut the car off. He wasn't sure he was ready to know what Luther had learned, if anything. Luther's text had simply said he had to speak with him as soon as possible. That didn't mean Luther had learned something, he may simply aim to speak with Devon when no one else was around. Luther didn't know Cassie was with him again and doing better now.

All of that might be about to change.

Devon pushed his car door open. It couldn't be avoided; he had to know what had happened while Luther was gone. Trudging through the snow, he dreaded every step he took. He was almost to the door when Luther opened it.

Luther's normally neat hair was in disarray. The fine lines around his mouth and eyes were drawn and pinched. His glasses were already in hand. One look at him told Devon he wasn't going to like what the man had to say.

It wasn't the cold of the night causing the chill in him now. "You learned something," he said flatly.

Luther slid his glasses back on and nodded briskly. "I did. You had better come in."

Stepping inside, he waited as Luther closed the door behind him and shut out the storm. Devon followed as Luther moved into the living room. Neither of them sat as Luther began to pace. "Is it what I feared?" Devon inquired.

Luther pulled his glasses off again and squeezed his nose with his fingers. "I think it may be worse."

Devon felt as if someone had socked him in the stomach. Terror permeated him; his hands fisted at his sides. He was prepared to fight for Cassie, prepared to die for her, but he couldn't defend her from herself.

* * *

"What was that?"

Cassie lowered her cards as she strained to see or hear what had caught Dani's attention. Dani was standing by the backdoor with the light on as she watched the snow. "What was what?" Chris asked around a mouthful of chips.

"I thought I saw something." A shiver raced down Cassie's back as foreboding crept into her stomach. Dani took a small step back from the door and glanced at them. "I know I saw something," she whispered.

The lights flickered out. Cassie nearly knocked her water over as she bumped the table. She righted it quickly as the lights flickered back on and then flickered out again. Cassie rose and strode purposely to the back door. "Cassie," Chris warned.

"I'm not going out there," she assured him.

Dani pointed toward the thick copse of oak trees at the edge of the backyard, just beyond her old tire swing. Narrowing her eyes, Cassie focused all of her attention there. Then she saw it, a flash of movement to the right that snapped her head in that direction. Dani bumped into Cassie as she took a frightened step back. Chris and Melissa were already on their feet; their eyes round as they edged closer.

"Go," Cassie urged away from the threshold as she nudged her back toward the house.

She had a bad feeling she already knew who was out there, and she didn't intend for Dani to go anywhere near them. Glancing back, she froze as ice crept through her veins. Her hand squeezed on Dani's shoulder, unintentionally holding her in place as her legs became blocks of cement. Isla had appeared in the backyard, her auburn hair was coated with flakes of falling snow. The low cut black dress she wore hugged her curvaceous figure as the bottom of it floated about her in the wind.

However, it was not the haunting beauty of the woman, or her sudden appearance that made Cassie freeze instantly. No, it was the person by her side. The boy’s brunette hair stood out in sharp contrast to the snow as it tumbled around him in wet straggles. Snow was beginning to turn his hair a grayish brown color. The boy was young, no more than twelve or thirteen.

Nausea curdled in Cassie's stomach, a lump lodged in her throat as Dani took a step closer to her. Cassie didn't know what to do as Chris and Melissa moved closer. Isla flashed a smile at them, and flicked the snow off of her as she shook back her dark hair. With a crooked finger she beckoned tauntingly for them to come outside. "What do we do?" Dani whispered.

Isla lifted the boy from the ground and lifted him off his feet by the back of his shirt. Blood trickled down his neck to stain the thin shirt he wore. Melissa gasped, while Dani let out a low moan. "We go out there," Cassie answered.

"Cassie..."

"We have to Melissa. We have to."

Melissa sighed before nodding her agreement. "I know, but I think we should prepare a little first."

Cassie nervously bit on her bottom lip as she studied the swirling snow. Aside from Isla the scene was blessedly, deceivingly tranquil. It should be a fiery scene from Hell out there, or at least thunder and lightning, instead of the beautiful wonderland surrounding the monster in her backyard.

But no matter how surreal it all was, Cassie knew they had to go out there and face it. That she had to go out there and face it. "Get the supplies and meet me out there," she instructed.

"Cassie." Chris grabbed hold of her arm. "Melissa and I are coming with you. Dani, in the living room there's a trunk..."

"I know where it is," Dani interrupted.

"Is Julian out there?" Melissa inquired, her eyes focused on Chris.

Chris's gaze became distant as his forehead furrowed. "I don't feel him out there, but it doesn't mean he isn't. He was able to keep himself cloaked from me before. Unless he aspires to let us to know he's there, we won't."

Fear slid through her belly but she abruptly pushed it aside. There was no room for fear here, there never had been. There never would be. "Go Dani," Melissa urged.

She turned to hurry away, but Cassie grabbed hold of her arm, and slipped her cell phone into Dani's hand. "Call Devon," she whispered, hoping Isla couldn't hear her over the rising crescendo of the wind, and the door.

Dani's eyes shimmered with tears before she nodded and fled the room. "Come on," Chris said.

He pulled the door open. Cassie flinched as the sting of the icy wind hit her. The sneakers she slipped on did little to barricade her feet against the snow. It trickled down inside of them and froze against her sockless skin. She wanted to hug herself against the cold, but she didn't dare keep her hands occupied with anything.

Isla smiled at them as she released the young boy. He collapsed into the snow, and barely lifted his head before letting it drop again. Cassie took a step toward him but Chris seized hold of her arm. "Where's your friend?" His voice rose to be heard across the distance.

Isla shrugged a dainty, bared shoulder. She had to be freezing, but she showed no signs of it. "I planned for this to be just the two of us; Julian graciously agreed to it."

The two of us? Cassie's gaze slid to Chris and Melissa as more than just the icy trickle of snow slid down her back. The two of us wouldn't include them.

* * *

"That was the most I could find on any of the other Hunters with Cassie's ability, or lack thereof."

Devon stared out the window as Luther finished speaking. His hands clenched and unclenched as his mind raced at a hundred miles an hour. He didn't know what to think about what Luther had just told him. "But you found records of the one Hunter like Cassie dying in a strange manner? Of her acting differently than the others?" he asked.

"Yes, strange behavior was recorded about her before she died, or The Commission killed her."

Devon turned abruptly toward him. "Killed her?" he demanded.

Luther nodded as he rubbed at his temples. "Yes, The Commission wouldn't be willing to admit there was a mistake somewhere in The Hunter bloodline, and they wouldn't let anyone else to know about it. They would make sure it was buried, even if it meant destroying the only piece of evidence there was, the girl herself."

Disgust curdled through Devon's stomach at the thought of the cold hearted bastards who ran The Guardians and The Hunters. At one point, The Commission had consisted of the twelve oldest Guardians, and they had dictated where every Hunter and Guardian would go. Devon had no idea how many of them were left, if any, since The Slaughter. After hearing Luther's words, he hoped they were all dead, because if they weren't...

If they weren't, they would come for Cassie.

A tremor worked through him, his hands fisted at his sides as he fought the urge to smash the walls. "They destroyed the girl," he growled.

Luther's eyes were sorrowful as he met Devon's gaze. "I believe they did. It was only pure luck I ran across a book with notes from that particular Hunter's Guardian in it. He didn't want her death covered up, he wanted what happened to her to be known, but unfortunately he didn't have a choice."

"The Commission made him cover it up?" Devon inquired.

"I think they killed him too."

Devon's mouth dropped. "What?"

"The girls name was Gertrude, her Guardian Henry died shortly after she was killed. Both of their deaths were recorded as means unknown. After Gertrude there were no more Hunter's like Cassie. For over three hundred years, every Hunter has had some ability. Cassie is the first Hunter not to have one in a very long time."

Devon was baffled as he stared at Luther. The Guardians knew how every one of their kind had died, along with their Hunters. They kept meticulous notes about it, notes Devon had tediously helped to sift through. Every one of the Hunters and Guardians had been meticulously accounted for from the minute of their birth to the minute of their demise. That this particular Hunter, and Guardian, had somehow slipped through the cracks was a giant red flag something was wrong.

"Does The Commission know you were looking for this information?"

Luther closed his eyes and dropped his head into his hands. "I don't know. I tried to keep the search as quiet as possible, but with everyone as scattered as they are I did have to contact more people than I'd planned on. It was one of these people who allowed me access to his vast collection. The book on Gertrude was buried in his basement, forgotten. I don't think he knew he had it."

"But if he did?"

Luther's hair was in disarray as he continued to tug at it. "I don't consider him close enough to say I trust him."

If Devon still needed to breathe, he knew he wouldn't be able to do so anymore as fear stole it from him. "Does The Commission still exist?" Devon demanded.

"They are not as powerful as before, but yes, they still exist." Luther seemed hesitant to continue. Then, he just plunged on. "Devon, I don't think Gertrude is an isolated incident. I think The Commission may have killed off all of the others like Cassie, or at least they did after Gertrude."

"What?" Devon managed to croak out.

"Before Gertrude there was at least one Hunter every few decades with no abilities. After, there were none. I think The Commission began to kill them off in order to limit the liability these Hunters represented to them."

Devon's legs almost buckled, he had to lean against the door jam in order to keep himself upright. "Are you serious?"

Luther pulled his glasses off. "I believe in what I do, Devon. I believe I help in the world, that I am part of a good cause. But I am aware The Commission was full of a bunch of old fashioned, uppity individuals who wouldn't allow any imperfection, and to them, these Hunters were a liability. They would worry that whatever happened to Gertrude could happen to Cassie..."

Luther broke off, his unspoken words hung heavily in the air. Devon knew what he'd been unwilling to say though. If The Commission somehow knew what Luther had been digging for, and why he had been digging for it, they might come for Cassie. They wouldn't take any chance there was a fault in what was left of the Hunter bloodline. He had to get Cassie out of this town; there was far too much danger here for her. Unfortunately, leaving was something she absolutely refused to do. Cursing violently, Devon spun and stalked back the other way.

"Cassie is not an imperfection."

Luther nodded as he slid his glasses on. "I know that, but to them she would be. If they thought the other Hunters like her were a threat to The Commission in any way, they would have destroyed them."

Devon was barely able to form a coherent thought. Fury boiled through him at the thought of those men sitting back, idly deciding who would live, and who would die. "So, The Slaughter may very well have saved her life," Devon muttered.

Luther closed his eyes as he inhaled deeply. "As ironic as that is, yes. The Slaughter could be the reason she is still alive."

"They'll come for her, if they know what you were looking for, they'll come for her."

"There aren't enough of them left to bother her Devon." Luther didn't sound completely convinced though. "And we don't know if anything will come of what I uncovered."

Devon didn't believe that. "Do we tell her?"

Devon's phone went off; the ringer was loud in the oppressive room. He fished it out of his pocket, his chest constricted at the display of Cassie's name. He didn't know what to say to her right now, he didn't know if he could keep the stress out of his voice. He almost slipped the phone back in his pocket, but she would only worry if he didn't answer, and the last thing he intended was to cause her more stress.

He held up a finger to Luther as he walked a few feet away. "Hello."

"Devon! Devon! You have to get back here as soon as possible! Now!" A voice rushed over the line.

He froze as he tried to place the strange voice on the other end of his phone. "Dani?" he asked in surprise.

"Yes, yes," she replied impatiently. "You need to get back here now! Isla's outside, and they're outside with her; I have to go help them!"

Devon stood for a stunned moment after the line went dead. Then panic tore through him. Dropping the phone, he raced past a startled Luther and threw the door open. "Devon!" Luther shouted in surprise.

"Cassie's!" he yelled back at him.

Leaping into the storm, Devon drew on every ounce of power Cassie's blood had given to him as he raced into the night.

No matter how fast he moved, he was terrified he wouldn't get to her in time.