Her hand rested against it for a moment but she knew the door wouldn't keep Anne trapped within that awful place. In fact, she was fairly certain that there was another way out of the freak show beneath and that Anne had already taken it. "Cassie," Chris whispered harshly.

She moved away from the door and reclaimed Luther's arm as he began to stir. "Luther," she whispered.

His head lulled toward hers, his right eye opened a crack as he tried to focus on her. "Cassie?"

"Yes. We're almost out Luther, we're almost there."

"What happened?"

"Nothing good," she muttered.

His Adam's apple bob as he swallowed and dazedly looked around the hall. "The orphanage, Sister Anne."

"Not a Sister, believe me," Cassie told him. "And she's still alive. Stay with us, we have to get out of here Luther."

He nodded and briefly looked toward Chris before his arm slipped off of her shoulder. She tried to grab him again but he waved her away. "You're injured and I'll be fine. Let's go."

Chris kept his arm around Luther's waist as they staggered back into the kitchen. Melissa's mouth dropped as her eyes almost bulged out of her head. "What happened!?" she gasped.

"A lot," Chris replied impatiently. Melissa took a step toward them but Chris waved her back. "The door, get the door."

Melissa spun away from them but before she could get to the door the children gathered around her scattered like cockroaches into the shadows. Cassie took a startled step back as the young boy from earlier threw his arms around her leg and hugged her. "What the..."

Melissa was unable to finish her sentence as an arrow shot out of the dark and caught her in the chest. The children began to scream, Cassie struggled with the barnacle attached to her side as she lunged toward Melissa. Her friend's eyes bulged from her head as she clawed at the arrow protruding from the right side of her chest just beneath her collarbone. Cassie caught Melissa before she tumbled to the floor.

Her hands wrapped around Melissa's head as Melissa's breath rattled out of her. "Hold on! Melissa hold on!" Cassie cried.

Her hands fumbled with Melissa's shirt as she attempted to staunch the incessant flow of blood pouring from her friend. The heady scent of Hunter blood drifted up to her. It was better than anything she'd ever smelled before, better than fresh baked chocolate chip cookies even. How on earth had Devon and Julian been able to resist it?

Because they had to, just as she had to, she told herself fiercely. The twang of another arrow being released shot her head up. Chris scarcely avoided taking one to the eye as he dropped down at the last second. "I'm going to kill that bitch!" Cassie snarled.

"Not if I get to her first," Chris retorted.

Cassie looked frantically around but she'd lost sight of the young boy and Luther in the chaos. Melissa's eyes were desperate as her fingers clawed at Cassie's. She was trying to speak but only gurgled sounds escaped her. "You're going to be ok, Melissa. You're going to be ok. I have to take it out."

Melissa's mouth parted, a drop of blood appeared on her bottom lip as she exhaled loudly. Fear spurred Cassie into action as she seized hold of the arrow and tore it free. Melissa wailed loudly before collapsing upon the floor. Unconsciousness had dragged her into its blessed depths as her hands limply slid to her sides.

Cassie tossed the arrow aside and placed her hands over Melissa's injury as she strived to find Annabelle's power within her. Now was not the time to lose contact with her abilities, but as she searched to find the good, healing power within her she kept coming up with a wall of nothing. Tears spilled down her face, her lower lip trembled as blood coated her hands and slid down to wet her knees.

"No!" she choked out. "No! No! No!"

A loud crash to her right shot her head around as Luther and Chris dove into the shadows of the pantry on the side of the kitchen. Cans, pots, and jars rattled and crashed to the floor as they collided with shelves and stored goods. Cassie turned her attention back to Melissa as she felt the weakening beat of her pulse.

Instinct drove her as she leaned over her friend and grasped hold of her cheeks. "You are not going to die," she whispered.

Even as she said the words she felt a warming in her hands, a heat that was unlike anything she'd ever experienced. The fuzzy warmth of the alcohol had been nothing compared to this. The other abilities she had used were all about destruction, but this one was all about love as it seeped out from the center of her chest, into the palms of her hands, and into Melissa. Tears streamed down her face and fell upon her friends cheeks as her body breathed life back into Melissa's weakening form.

Chris and Luther reemerged from the pantry with a struggling Anne between them. Cassie spotted the little boy hovering in the shadows a few feet away as Melissa's chest rose and fell with renewed vigor. She was still weak but Cassie was certain that she would survive, and if they could get her to Annabelle soon, she would be even better off.

"How is she?" Luther demanded.

Cassie sat back and wiped the tears from her cheeks as she met his gaze. There was something in his eyes, a fire she'd never seen before. "She'll be ok," Cassie managed to choke out. "We have to get her to Annabelle though."

"Or we'll bring Annabelle here."

"They can't get in," Chris reminded him.

Luther's upper lip curled in a sneer as he nodded. The children's eyes gleamed in the dark but the only one that came any closer was her little Barnacle as he edged around behind her and Melissa. "Will you take us with you?" he whispered.

"We came here just for you," Cassie assured him.

He smiled at her as he knelt beside her and placed his hand upon her knee. Cassie wanted to take hold of his small hand but she was covered in blood and she refused to let it taint him. The best thing for the child would probably be to stay as far from her as possible, but he seemed determined to believe that she was his savior, and that there was still something noble within her. Cassie hoped that he was right.

"Give me your knife and open the door Chris," Luther commanded as he pulled Anne forward a few more feet.

Chris handed his knife over and hurried to the back door. His fingers trembled but he was still able to turn the locks and fling the door open. Devon and Julian hovered in the doorway, their ruby eyes were the clearest things about them as the shadows embraced their bodies. Devon roared and lunged forward when he spotted her. Chris took a startled step back, but Devon was brought to a halt by the invisible barrier that kept him and Julian out. The children squeaked and retreated further into the shadows. Barnacles hand clenched upon her thigh.




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