Ashes (Book 2 The Kindred Series) (23 page)

He had to pull away from her, had to
remove himself from the edges of her frantic mind, otherwise he
would be unable to move. Breaking free of his paralysis, he bolted
forward, shoving people aside in his heedless rush. Ignoring the
shocked looks he received, he leapt easily over a table as he raced
out of the room, not caring that a human wouldn’t be able to move
as fast as him, or with as much agility. He did not care if his
reaction put doubts and questions into their minds; all he cared
about was getting to her before it was too late.

***

Cassie darted to the side as Julian
came at her in a blurring rush that was nearly indistinguishable.
She just barely managed to avoid his questing grasp as his hand
skimmed over the skin of her back. He spun at her again, coming at
her with a ferocity, and a hunger, that sent her heart racing as
her fight or flight instinct kicked into hyper drive. She wanted to
flee, though it was highly unlikely that she would be able
to.

Her breath was coming in quick, short
gasps as she turned swiftly, reaching for the first thing she could
grab. Her panicked fingers seized hold of the soap dispenser. Fear
made her stronger as she ripped it from the wall in one fierce
pull. He grabbed hold of her shoulders, shoving her backward as he
slammed her into the sink. A gasp escaped her as pain flared up her
bruised and battered spine. Her head smashed into the mirror,
breaking the mirror above the sink. Shattered glass spilled around
them in a tinkling wave that crashed upon the sink and floor. She
was momentarily stunned into immobility from the force of the
impact.

The bright lights of the room reflected
harshly off of the shattered pieces, dazing her with their
brilliance. She was too terrified and adrenaline filled to succumb
to the pain that slammed through her bruised and battered spine,
and wounded skull. She would die if she did. Blinking back the
stars that momentarily filled her field of vision; she worked hard
to bring him back into focus. His beautiful face was twisted into a
snarl, his long fangs extended past his lower lip. Her breath
rushed from her as he struck at her, moving faster than any
rattlesnake.

Reacting on pure instinct Cassie swung
up and slammed the soap dispenser into the side of his face. Soap
and plastic bits exploded over them as his assault was knocked off
balance, his grip on her jarred. Scrambling to get away, Cassie
tore free of his grasp, darting to the side as she attempted to
escape. Scuttling swiftly, she realized her folly only too late.
The soap had poured all over the floor making the hard linoleum
dangerously slippery.

Her heels skidded through it, her arms
pin wheeled as she fought desperately to keep her balance, but it
was too late. With a startled cry she fell backwards, crashing to
the floor with enough force to knock the breath from her. Stunned,
Cassie shook her head, trying to clear it of the waves of pain
suffusing her. Her tailbone screamed in agony, pieces of glass
sliced into her hands as she sprawled inelegantly across the coated
floor.

Dismay filled her as her heart sank.
Maybe if she had stayed on her feet, maybe if she had been able to
get to the door, she might have had a chance at escape. She
wouldn’t be able to do so now. Shoving it all aside, she rolled to
the side, not caring that her dress became covered in the slippery
liquid and torn by the shards of glass. She had to keep moving, it
was her only hope, a small one, but it was all she had. As she
moved, she kicked off her heels, ridding herself of the hindrance,
and hazard, they caused.

Julian recovered swiftly from the blow
she had given him. She lifted herself to her feet, but remained
crouching as she rested her wounded hand lightly on the cold
linoleum. She froze as she met his intense, heated gaze. Through
the hunger and annoyance, she saw his amusement, saw how very much
he was enjoying toying with her. Playing with her. He was going to
drag this out for as long as possible, and he was going to enjoy
every second of it. Though she was bleeding, the scent of her blood
did not seem to send him into a frenzy this time as his eyes
remained their crystalline blue color.

For a moment she could not move, she
could only stare at him as despair and anger crashed over her in
conflicting waves. She was not ready for this; it was not her time
to die.

“You are a feisty one,” he said softly,
his voice a gentle hiss. “No wonder Devon wants you so bad.” Cassie
moved slightly, not wanting to draw his attack quite yet as she
tried to adjust herself into a better position. “I’m going to enjoy
taking you away from him.”

She froze, trapped by his gaze.
Realization crashed into her, shaking her. “That’s what this is all
about,” she breathed. “That’s why you’re here. We didn’t draw you
in, he did.”

Julian grinned at her, flashing his
perfect white teeth as his fangs cut into his bottom lip slightly.
Even with soap dripping off the side of his face, he was hauntingly
beautiful and perfect. Kneeling slowly before her, he rested his
hands lightly on the floor, his eyes twinkling with
merriment.

“Yes love, that’s what this, is about.
Or at least that’s why it started. Now I have decided that I want
you. I want to keep you, and break you, and parade you around in
front of Devon because when I get into you, I won’t let you go. You
won’t even know who he is by the time I’m done with you. Your mind
will be mine. You will be mine.”

She shook her head, unable to speak as
his words brought forth a rolling horror that she could not escape.
“No, no I would never forget him. I would never allow you to do
that to me,” she breathed.

His grin widened. “You’re so cute,” he
taunted. “You actually think that you would have a choice, but you
won’t. I wouldn’t allow it. For eternity you will be at my every
beck and call. You will do everything that I want you to do. And I
do mean everything.”

Bile surged up her throat, images of
what he would do to her smashed through her brain. Grabbing hold of
her pride, and her strength, Cassie tilted her chin defiantly as
she met his gaze. “I’d rather die.”

A short bark of laughter escaped him as
he leaned slightly forward, his body coiled for attack. “I won’t
make that mistake princess.”

She glared fiercely at him, her lip
curled in disgust. “Don’t call me princess.”

Leaping easily to her feet, she darted
to the side, running a swift zigzag pattern toward the door. Toward
escape and freedom. Toward the only hope of salvation she had. She
no longer cared if he killed her, for that would be far better than
the alternative he had planned.

He was right on her heels, so close
that she could feel the heat of his body. Spinning, she darted
swiftly to the left, just managing to avoid him as he rushed past
her. A growl of fury escaped him as he slid to halt. Darting back a
few feet, she easily avoided the puddle of soap and debris as she
rushed toward the stalls.

They offered her no protection, she was
not foolish enough to think they did, but the longer she stayed
free of Julian the longer she stayed alive. Her evasion of him
might also infuriate him to the point that he did kill her by
accident, instead of seizing control of her mind and body like he
had threatened. There would be nothing worse. Nothing.

The door slammed off the wall as she
lunged into one of the stalls, she didn’t bother to attempt to lock
it. What would be the point? Leaping onto the toilet, she threw her
hands on top of the stall; ignoring the sharp pain the motion
caused her torn and wounded hands. She catapulted herself into the
next stall as Julian slammed into the door, causing the metal to
shriek in protest as it twisted and bent beneath the force of his
impact.

Cassie kept moving, leaping her way
over the stalls, heading back toward the door. A roar followed her,
Julian’s frustration and anger became palpable in the bathroom.
Reaching the last stall, she leapt easily over it, swinging her
legs wide of the soap puddle. He was on her, coming at her with the
rushing force of a locomotive.

Cassie ran as fast as she could, but it
was not fast enough, nowhere near fast enough. He was far too
powerful for her, far to hell bent on destroying her and Devon. The
door was mere feet away when his arms encircled her. His iron tight
grasp knocked the breath from her as he squeezed hard. A rib
cracked, a cry of pain and terror tore from her as his hands dug
into her, tearing through the fabric of her dress, slicing her
skin. This was it; this was the way that it was all going to
end.

She wasn’t ready; she so very much was
not ready for this. Her thoughts turned to Devon, sadness consumed
her as all of her dreams from earlier shattered. Her heart broke at
the thought of leaving him, of losing him.

Cassie tried to dig her feet in, tried
to stop Julian’s attack, but it was useless as his violent rush
propelled them toward the door.

CHAPTER
15

Devon skidded around the corner of the
hall, not losing a step as he raced forward. His body thrummed with
dread, his skin crawled with fear. He couldn’t move any faster, yet
it was not fast enough. Not nearly fast enough. Too much time had
passed; she had been alone with Julian for far too long. And he
knew that she was with Julian, she had to be. Only Julian could
have inspired the amount of terror that was radiating from
her.

Devon tried not to think about the many
things that Julian could have done to her already. Things that
Devon could never fix. His skin crawled as he flew down the hall.
The bathroom was right there, just out of reach, but so very
close.

The door shattered outward, wood
splintered as the door was forced to go in a direction it was not
designed to. Cassie and Julian tumbled out of the wreckage; they
bounced off the wall before slamming onto the floor. Shock tore
through him as he moved. Cassie lurched up, trying to rip free of
Julian’s grasp, but he clung tight to her. Swinging around, her
fist connected with his cheek, snapping his head to the
side.

The scent of her blood, soap, and
terror hung heavy in the air but Devon had prepared himself for the
scent of her blood this time. Instead of the smell sending him into
a bloodlust again, it only served to enrage him further. He would
destroy Julian for hurting her; destroy him for even daring to
touch her. Julian also seemed to have prepared himself for the
scent of her blood this time. Instead of becoming wild and crazed
with his need to get at her, he remained in complete control of
himself as he reached for Cassie again.

Scrambling forward, Cassie was nearly
free of him when Julian reached out, snagged hold of her ankle, and
jerked her back. With a startled cry, she fell to the floor, her
chin bouncing off the ground with a sharp crack as her hands gave
out. Devon winced for her as the sound of her teeth crashing
together reached him. She screamed as Julian pulled her toward him.
Turning onto her back, she kicked forcefully out. Devon was
momentarily stunned by the force of her blow. He knew Julian’s
strength, knew his powers, and what he was capable of. But the
force of her blow jerked his head back, the crack of his jaw
resonated loudly as Julian growled in pain. Though she connected
hard, he did not let go of her.

Devon roared, his bellow of fury
echoing throughout the halls of the school. Cassie’s head whipped
toward him, her relief was palpable; her fear nearly choked him.
Julian looked up, his eyes widening as a small smile curved his
mouth.

Releasing Cassie, he leapt gracefully
to his feet. Devon bounded over top of her, seizing hold of
Julian’s throat as he slammed into him. For the first time in over
a century he fully released the beast that he had been struggling
to keep locked away. It tore free of him with a savage intensity
that was more of a relief than he wanted to acknowledge. He would
annihilate Julian, not only for hurting her, but for daring to
touch her at all. All reason fled, his humanity vanished as the
monster in him took complete control and his lust for the kill
sprang forth.

The metal of the lockers twisted and
folded, bending beneath their weights with a tortured screech.
Growls filled the air as they tore at each other with the frenzy of
wild animals. Devon was so infuriated, so enraged that he did not
feel the blow that sliced through his side, spilling his blood. Nor
did Julian slow when Devon shattered his arm against the water
cooler in the hall.

***

Cassie crab crawled backward, desperate
to escape as Julian’s grip was torn free. She watched in horror,
her heart leaping into her throat as Devon collided with him,
smashing him into the lockers. The growls and roars that filled the
air caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand up. Though she
knew she should flee, she found herself unable to move as she
watched the brutal fight in horror.

She had never seen so much violence and
hatred. They tore at each other with the frenzy she associated with
sharks when they smelled blood. The copper scent of blood filled
the air, but neither of them slowed in their assault, neither
stopped. They were hell bent on killing each other.

She couldn’t move, couldn’t even
breathe. It was like watching a train wreck, but this wreck
involved the love of her life, a person that she did not even
recognize right now. His eyes were red with murderous intent, his
face twisted into a brutal snarl. His long canines, fangs even
longer than Julian’s, extended past his lower lip as he tore at
Julian. She did not know this person, but she did know that he
would kill for her. That what he wanted right now was to destroy
and mutilate for her.