A low moan escaped her as she woke sluggishly. Her entire body ached; her mouth was as dry as a bone. She could barely get her eyes open, and once she did, the light burned them so badly she instantly clamped them shut again. Her groggy mind strained to process what little bits of information she could pick up. She was lying on a bed, a small one, probably a cot. The sheets were cool, and there was only one pillow.

She knew she was far from where she was supposed to be, and that was about all she did know.

Slowly she forced her eyes open again. She blinked against the radiance blazing harshly from the fluorescent fixture in the ceiling. The walls were white concrete. Half of the wall across from her was taken up by a giant piece of one way glass. Her skin crawled at the realization there was probably someone on the other side, watching her.

Gathering her shaking arms beneath her, she managed to shove herself into a sitting position. Her heart lurched in her chest as a thin layer of sweat coated her body. Turning, Cassie's heart thumped faster at the sight of another, smaller window behind her. Her attention turned to the door next to the glass across from her. She knew it would be locked, but she wasn't about to just sit here.

Shoving herself to her feet, she stumbled slightly and almost fell over. She crashed into the wall and winced as pain lanced through her bruised shoulder. Sucking in a deep lungful of air, she tried to ease the dizziness and nausea rolling through her. For a moment she thought she was going to vomit, or pass out. She fought against the darkness trying to pull her under; she most certainly didn't like the idea of being unconscious in this place again.

It took a few minutes before she felt steady enough to move again. She passed by another door cracked open to reveal a small bathroom beyond. Shuffling past the bathroom she made it to the main door. She grabbed hold of the handle, not at all surprised to find it locked. Frustration tore through her as she yanked desperately at the handle.

A small cry of aggravation escaped as she slammed her hand against the door. She rested her forehead on the cool metal as she tried to gather her shaken wits. She didn't scream for help, she knew no one would come, or at least no one she wanted to see. Standing on tiptoe, she stared out the small window in the center of the door.

Brilliant beams bounced off the white linoleum floors of the hall. She saw no movement, sensed no sign of a human presence out there. She tried to summon her wrath, to gather the vast strength that had helped her to destroy Isla and might help her get out of this. But it didn't come surging to the forefront. It seemed buried inside of her, trapped by something she had no control over.

She recalled the shot they'd given her. There was a foggy, drugged feeling still clouding her mind. What had they done to her? What had they given her? And what was she doing here?

"You're awake."

Cassie jumped back and nearly fell over as she stumbled away from the door. Her gaze flitted around the room as she tried to pinpoint the source of the voice. Her gaze landed on the speakers she hadn't noticed beneath the larger mirror. Illumination suddenly flooded on behind the mirror to reveal the man who had spoken to her. Cassie's mouth dropped, astonishment riveted her as she recognized the man on the other side as Dani's brother, Joey.

She backed away from the mirror until her calves brushed up against the back of the small cot. Her mind was spinning with a million questions, none of which she could actually form into words. Another man moved in to stand beside Joey, Cassie vaguely recognized him as one of the men who had come onto the porch to retrieve her.

"Where am I?" she managed to choke out. "What do you want with me?"

The strange man stepped forward and hit a button to allow him to speak. "You are a menace to people and to your race; we couldn't allow you to be free."

Cassie's mouth dropped open. She glanced around the room as she tried to understand exactly what was going on, and just how bad her situation was. "So you plan on keeping me here to keep others safe?" she demanded.

The men exchanged a look. Joey's auburn hair was the color of blood in the glow of the fluorescents; his pale brown eyes were distant. The man at his side remained impassive. His face was a mask of indifference, his hair neatly trimmed and graying at the edges. His dark blue eyes were as cold as granite. It was the look of speculation and curiosity in his gaze that frightened her most. He stared at her as if she were a bug, something to be picked and prodded at, something he planned to dissect.

Cassie fought to keep her composure as a crushing sense of doom threatened to descend upon her. "No, we have other plans for you," the man answered.

Cassie fisted her hands as she fought the shaking trying to rattle through her. "And what would those plans be?"

"You're a fascinating specimen Cassandra." Cassie shuddered at the word specimen, her stomach twisted with nausea. "There is a lot of power and ability in you. You did kill Isla after all, and she was almost an Elder. We are going to try and harness that power, try and use it to our advantage. We do need an advantage desperately. The only problem is you have no control over your abilities."

Confusion swirled through her as she gazed back and forth between them. "You plan on teaching me how to control it?" she managed to grate out.

"No, because we cannot control you," he said flatly. "We plan on trying to harness it, on trying to learn from it."

"I don't understand."

"We are losing the war; we need all the weapons we can get. You will be one of those weapons. We just have to learn how to use you in order to make The Hunter race stronger and your blood may be our way to do so."

Cassie's legs gave out as she slid onto the small cot. "You're supposed to be the good guys," she whispered.

"We are, but in every battle innocent lives must be lost. And you are not an innocent Cassandra, consorting with the enemy and all."

"Devon is not the enemy!" she snapped. "He's saved my life numerous times, and he is a good man!"

"He's a monster," Joey retorted as abhorrence twisted his features. "And you're a disgrace."

"At least I didn't run!" Anger gave her strength to leap to her feet. "I stayed and fought the battle. I stayed and fought the war! You ran and hid like the coward you are!"

Joey took a step forward, but he couldn't go any further than the wall before him. "You're a damn whore!" he spat at her.

Cassie’s hands fisted as some of the anger she'd been searching for came to the forefront. The man rested a hand on Joey's shoulder and pulled him back a step. "You allowed the vampire to feed from you, but I'm assuming you didn't take any of his blood. I'm assuming this exchange didn't occur because the vampire was worried about what it may do to you." Cassie refused to say anything more as she turned her gaze to the ceiling and the strange vents above her. "I also wonder what his blood would do to you."

Terror melted her resolve not to speak again. "You leave him alone!"

Joey groaned as he rolled his eyes. "Quick to defend your lover."

Cassie glared at him. "We don't need him," the other man informed her. "We have something just as good."

A cold chill washed through her, and she was almost forced to sit again as her legs buckled a little. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing such a weakness in her though. "What do you mean?" she choked out.

The man reached down and flipped another switch. A wash of light flooded from the window behind her. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she felt a set of eyes burning into her back. A shudder tore through her. Her mouth was completely dry as she turned slowly.

Julian was standing behind the glass, his arms raised above his head as he grasped hold of the top of the windowsill. His handsome face was remorseless, his eyes a sadistic shade of red as he stared murderously at the men behind her before his gaze shifted to her. His eyes gradually turned back to their startling ice blue color. Oddly though, the nearly white band around his pupils remained red. It was a startling effect that robbed her of her breath.

"Hello Princess," he purred.

Cassie's breath exploded out of her as she began to tremble all over. What was Julian doing here? And just what did they expect to have happen? There were endless possibilities about what his presence here meant, and none of them were good.

"Julian is also an Elder with some amazing abilities from what I understand," the strange older man informed her with a calm reasoning that shook her. She began to understand the man was truly crazy.

She couldn't find words, could barely find her breath. She slid back to the cot as her legs gave out. "You plan to experiment on us," she whispered.

"We plan to do a lot with you. Now, I would suggest you get some rest; you're going to have a very active day tomorrow."

The light flashed off; Joey and the man disappeared from view. Her hands tightened on the bed as she gasped for air. "Don't breathe too deep."

She turned back to Julian as she struggled not to shed the tears burning her eyes. "What?"

He lifted a dark eyebrow as a small scowl twisted his full mouth. His muscles flexed and bunched as he leaned closer to the window. "Don't breathe too deep; they pump something into these rooms, some kind of tranquilizer. Though I don't particularly require air to breathe, it still gets into my system. It also comes in the blood they give me, as I imagine it will come in your food."

"Oh God," she moaned. She dropped her head as she began to rock back and forth.

"There is no God here, only men trying to play God. Don't fall apart on me princess; we're going to need you to get out of here."

She looked up at him in surprise. "Me?" she croaked.

He nodded. "Well, I can't do it alone. With that nifty little getting pissed off and destroying things trick you have, I'm thinking between the two of us we can escape."

Cassie shook her head as she tried to keep her wits through the horror and confusion beating against her. Was she really having a conversation with Julian about joining together in something?

Cassie blinked as she fought to rid herself of the awful fogginess, and surreal reality she found herself in. She wanted to deny it, but she knew this was very real, and she was in a lot of trouble, as was Julian. If it meant having to help him to get herself out of here, she would do whatever it took to get back to Devon and her friends. She would do anything she could to escape the madmen now holding her life hostage.

"I can't..." she broke off as she inhaled a shuddery breath. "I tried getting mad already, and I can't. It must be something they gave me, or are still giving me." Her gaze shot to the vents in the ceiling. They were too small for her to crawl out of, but apparently just big enough to constantly pump a stream of tranquilizer into her. "Plus, even if I could get mad, I can't control it. I become something else, something perilous and volatile. Something with no reason or rationality, you don't want that thing coming out. There is no way to know what the consequences of it would be."

A loud crash sounded from behind her. Cassie jumped and whirled around as he smashed his hands against the thickly layered glass again. It rattled in the frame, but held firm. Cassie stared at the glass, wondering just how thickly layered it was, and what they had used that could keep a vampire at bay.

Julian's eyes were a scorching red. "I don't give a damn what you become," he snarled. "Without it, we are going to turn into lab rats in here! They are going to poke and prod at us until they are satisfied, and then they are going to kill us. So princess," he spat. "You have to tap into that little ability of yours, or we're both going to rot in here. From the sounds of it, what they plan on doing to me is nothing compared to what they plan to do to you!"

Cassie's gaze shot back to the thick metal door on the other side; she desperately searched for some way to escape this horrendous situation. But what could she do if she was tranquilized? What help could she possibly be if she couldn't tap into the rage that helped to fuel her strength and agility to higher levels?

She studied the vents again. The ceiling was a good twelve feet high; if she stood on the bed she wouldn't be able to reach it to block the vents somehow. Julian's strong jaw clenched; a muscle jumped in his cheek. His eyes were once more their chilly ice blue, and the bands of nearly white around his pupils were back in place. His normally spiked white blond hair limply hung against his refined features. He was a brutal murderer and a vicious bastard, but she couldn't help but admire his harsh beauty. He was a creature used to getting and taking whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted it. He wasn't used to being caged like an animal.

"How long have you been here?" she asked quietly.

His mouth twisted into a snarl, his fangs extended as he turned now blood colored eyes toward the darkened window across from her. "Too long," he grated. "Over a week now, maybe two."

Cassie gaped at him, they'd been hunting him and he'd been locked in here almost the entire time. "But how did you get here?"

"Same way as you I suppose, that little bitch Grounder of yours."

"Dani?" Cassie squeaked as her thoughts turned to Annabelle and Chris. Were they ok? What had Dani done to them? She didn't believe they were in here with her; Dani had said they’d been taken care of. But what exactly did that mean? Had she killed them, or simply left them incapable of trying to defend Cassie?

Cassie fought not to shed the tears burning her eyes. They had to be ok. But as of now, there was absolutely nothing she could do about it, other than hope Dani still had enough decency in her not to harm innocent people. Cassie didn't know how likely that was considering Dani had so easily turned on her.

"How is that possible, Dani was with us?" she whispered.

"I didn't say she was the one who took me," he mumbled. "I'm just assuming she had a hand in it. They knew where I was hunting, knew what my ability was, and knew how to take me. Her brother has one hell of an ability too."

She hoped they weren't listening to them, but she highly doubted it. "Joey? What can he do, and how do you know he's her brother?"

"Yes, Joey," he rumbled. His eyes were intent upon her. "How do you not know what one of your own can do?"

Cassie glowered at him. "We didn't all keep in touch after The Slaughter," she retorted. "Chris and I didn't even know what we were until we were thirteen, and there is no way to know how many Hunters are left out there, never mind what they are capable of."

"Ahh, The Slaughter," Julian's eyes became distant and fond as a small smile curved his mouth. Cassie's temper prickled; a rippling flowed through her at the joy she sensed beneath his words. "Good times."

"Screw you!" she spat. She launched to her knees as a burst of rage flowed through her. "Screw you, you ass!"

Julian's eyes narrowed upon her as a small smile quirked his mouth. Cassie's hands fisted at her sides she wished the glass wasn't between them because she would like to pummel that smug look off his face. "Angry now, Princess?"

Cassie wanted to feel the flash of fury because she was fairly certain she could rip this glass apart to get at him if she did. She felt the slither of anger coiling within her, but the full force of it wouldn't come forth. "What have they done to me?" she whispered.

Julian's hands slid down the window as he knelt before her. She lifted her head to meet his steady gaze. She had expected to see smugness; instead there was understanding, and compassion. Cassie was taken aback as he continued to study her.

"They've drugged you Princess, and like me, you are unable to fully break through the effect of those drugs. I was hoping you would be different, because you are different in so many ways, but apparently they have taken that into account."

He sat back on his heels as he ran his hand wearily through his disordered hair. His gaze went to the window behind her. "How did they get you?"

"That little bitch's nut job brother..."

"Joey," she supplied as she stifled a yawn.

He scowled down at her as he folded his thickly muscled arms over his broad chest. "You call him what you want to, and I'll call him what I want to. Nut job has telekinesis, the ability to move things with his mind," he elaborated at her confused look. "Three of them took me down with electricity, and one with a drugged dart. Then nut job pinned me down like a freaking bug while the others came forward to drug me further. Freaks."

Cassie was unable to stifle her next yawn. "It's a war remember, you were just enjoying reminiscing about the near destruction of my race. This war has been going on for over a thousand years. I thought you, of all people, would enjoy it."

His eyes darkened as his hands pressed flat against the glass once more. His nose nearly touched the glass as he stared at her. "Wars result in blood and death. If they’d killed me that would be understandable, honorable even, but this is a bloody freak show! This is not war; this is a bunch of madmen who have lost their minds."

Cassie sleepily stared up at him as a shiver worked its way through her. He was right; they were madmen, and it had been madmen and scientists who created the Hunter line to begin with. Cassie's fingers dug into her arms as she tried to keep herself under control.

"Just like they did before," she mumbled as her eyes shot back to the shadowed glass.

"Yes," Julian agreed. "Just like before, except now we are the ones trapped in these cages like rats."

She couldn't help but give him an amused look. "So you would rather be dead then?"

"Wouldn't you?"

Her smile slipped away. A shudder tore through her at the mere thought of what they might do, of what they were going to do to them. Her worst nightmares didn't begin to scratch the surface of what these monsters had in mind for the two of them. She had never truly desired death. There had been a brief period, after her grandmother's death, where she'd considered her life nearly over, and she hadn't been frightened by that. However, she hadn't truly wanted to die, no matter how much she'd thought she did. But now, well now she found she might end up vastly preferring death to their current circumstances.

She had only one hope.

"Devon will find us," she whispered.

Julian snorted in disgust. "Keep dreaming, Princess."

Her hands fisted as she rounded on him. "He will come!" she retorted.

He bent down so he was eye level with her. "I have no doubt he is looking for you; it is only a matter of how is he going to find you?"

She had no idea how, but she believed he would. There had to be a way, someway, it was the only hope she had, and if she lost that hope she was going to go crazy in this small cell. Swallowing heavily she forced herself to defiantly return his steady stare. "Devon will find a way," she insisted. "Maybe Liam..."

His full mouth curved in amusement as he shook his head. "Liam talks to animals, not much help there. My ability was probably the only hope they did have, and I'm not going to do them much good in here."

Cassie's nostrils flared as she exhaled explosively. Her sudden lethargy was forgotten as trepidation and distress rolled through her. "It's not like you would have helped them anyway," she muttered.

He offered her a small smile. "Don't be so quick to judge, I'm full of surprises."

She twisted on the cot in order to ease the crick in her neck her position was causing. "You would have helped them?" she demanded.

He flashed all of his white teeth as he winked devilishly. "If I thought it would be fun I would have."

Cassie was baffled by his behavior and cavalier attitude. The Julian she knew was ruthless, monstrous, and a cold hearted killer. This Julian was nothing like that one. This Julian seemed almost cheery and carefree, which seemed completely out of sorts with their environment right now. Cassie shook her head as she tried to rid herself of the confusion swirling through her.

"I don't get you," she muttered.

He dropped onto the bed beneath his window and propped his arm on the sill to study her. "That's the way I like it."

Cassie glowered at him. "You told Isla about my grandmother!"

Another surge of irritation somehow managed to burst past the drug induced lethargy clinging to her. It didn't come raging out of her like it did the night she'd killed Isla, but it coiled through her chest like a serpent unwinding from beneath a rock. Then, whatever they had shot her up with, and whatever they were pumping into her room, took hold of her again.

Cassie blinked as she tried to clear the fog from her mind. She didn't like the idea of going to sleep. If she fell asleep, she wouldn't see them coming for her. If she fell asleep, they would get to her again. Cassie shuddered and drew her knees up against her chest in a poor attempt to soothe herself in some way.

"I didn't send Isla after your grandmother." She closed her eyes; she just needed a minute to gather her thoughts. "Hey! Hey!" Cassie's head shot up at the loud banging. Her head whipped around as Julian slapped his hands on the glass one more time. "Stay awake! I'm talking to you!"

Cassie managed a small nod as she blearily focused on him. "I'm awake." Her voice sounded thick, groggy, her tongue felt funny, too heavy.

"I did not send Isla after your grandmother."

Cassie frowned at him as he touched upon that awful subject. "Then how did she know who my grandmother was?" Her words were slurred due to her strange tongue.

Julian's eyes burned into hers. "I may have known about your grandmother, and I may know many other things about you, but I can assure you it was never your grandmother I was after."

When Cassie only continued to stare at him questioningly, he continued. "It was you."

Her hands dug into her legs in an attempt to keep herself awake. Just what exactly, and how much, did he know about her? "You told Isla about my grandmother though," she grated.

Anger coursed through her when his mouth quirked in amusement. "No princess, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out about your grandmother, or you. Even Isla, who had many admirable attributes, but not too much in the way of brains, was able to put two and two together." Cassie's scowl deepened at the mention of Isla's attributes. "I told her to stay away from your grandmother."

"Why would you do that?"

He tilted his head as he studied her. "I didn't plan to poke the bear, not yet anyway."

Cassie blinked at him in stunned surprise. "Excuse me?"

"I wasn't ready to disturb the hornet's nest I sensed inside of you. Isla didn't care about my warnings, or heed them obviously. She was too bent on trying to get her revenge." His eyes drifted toward the glass behind her. "She paid for that."

"Is that why you tried to keep Devon from getting to me that night, so Isla could get what she deserved? Or me for that matter?" she accused, not at all believing what he was saying to her.

Julian sat back on his heels. She could almost see the wheels turning in his brain as he tried to decide what he was willing to reveal. Finally, he shrugged and leaned forward again. "No, I intervened because I had to be certain. No matter how much I’d advised Isla against it, she did give me the opportunity I needed to observe you."

Cassie moved closer to the window as she strained to hear him better. The fog in her mind seemed to clear as she became riveted upon what he was saying. "Had to be certain of what?"

"Of what you are, of course."

Cassie's mouth parted, her hands slipped away from her pants. "What do you mean?"

"When I touched you that first time, I learned you believed you have no powers."

"I don't have any powers," she inserted.

Julian's eyes were chips of ice when they met hers. "Then how do you explain a single Hunter being able to take out a vampire who was nearly an Elder?"

Cassie bit on her bottom lip as she recalled the hatred and fury that had filled her the night she'd killed Isla. As much as she'd hated the feeling, and the torment that had accompanied it, she almost wished she could bring that monster out now. Almost. It had been awful, and sadistic, and nearly destroyed her. No matter how much she hated their current situation; she hated the creature inside of her more.

"Whatever is inside of me, it's not a power," Cassie broke off as her gaze slid toward the mirror across from her once more. "It's a curse. It's a... it's something awful," she finished on a whisper.

"They will tell you it is something awful," Julian hissed. "But they created your race, so they created you."

Cassie swallowed heavily as she shook her head. "I'm confused," she breathed.

Turning, he rested his shoulder against the mirror and dropped his head to the glass. Cassie realized whatever they were pumping into the rooms was having an effect on him too. "When I first met you, I was determined to kill you, not because of what you are but because I aimed to hurt Devon. Though I am very certain your blood would be an amazing treat." Cassie glared at him as he offered her a roguish grin that had probably melted many hearts in his extensive life. Despite herself, Cassie couldn't hold her annoyance with him. She didn't know if it was the drugs, or the bizarre fact she almost liked this strange new Julian. "It was a challenge to get to you, and I love a challenge."

"I see," she murmured.

"I am what I am." He showed no remorse for the things he'd done to her, and her friends, but she'd never expected any from him. It wasn't in his nature to show regret. "But when I touched you and saw what was inside of you," he shrugged. "You are a danger Cassie, to everyone around you, but you are also a force to be reckoned with. I wanted to see how that power could be used, and what it was capable of. I knew you could beat Isla, if you unleashed it..."

"And if I hadn't?"

He shrugged again. "You would have been killed, but I had to see what would happen." She knew she should be annoyed by his nonchalant attitude, but she couldn't find it in herself to be. It was Julian after all, and although she didn't really mind this Julian, he was what he was. "And Devon had to see what you were capable of. Though I think he suspected what was inside of you before then."

Cassie yawned again as she rested her head against the glass. She was dimly aware that their heads would have been touching if there hadn't been any glass between them. "Yes, he did. But why would you want him to know about it?"

"Because he had to know. If Isla couldn't beat you, and there is a chance I may not be able to take you, he had to know if he changed you, like I know he wants to, then there was a good possibility no one could beat you if it went wrong. That you could very well destroy us all, including your friends. Although it would have destroyed Devon to watch you become a monster, which would have made me very happy, I couldn't allow such a thing to happen. I enjoy my existence too much for something like that. I don't need you scouring the earth trying to destroy us all."

Cassie managed to shoot him another dirty look, but there was no resentment in his gaze. Instead, there was an odd sense of compassion. Cassie shivered, disarmed and disoriented by this strange new Julian. "I may not become a monster," she retorted.

"No, but there is no way to know, and either way you may still become more powerful than the rest of us."

Cassie fought against closing her eyes again. "These people must realize that," she whispered. "So why wouldn't they just destroy me?"

"I don't know. What they plan on doing with the two of us is not something I care to contemplate. They've left me alone, but now that you're here..."

Cassie lifted her head as his voice trailed off. He was still awake however, his strange eyes distant as he stared at the far wall. "This is going to be awful."

The lazy look he gave her was sympathetic. "I believe so."

Cassie shuddered; she rapidly blinked back the tears burning her eyes. "They'll come for us if we go to sleep, won't they?"

He hesitated, and she could tell he wanted to sugarcoat it, but in the end he didn't. "Yes."