CHAPTER 20

Cassie handed Gabriel over to Melissa and tried to get the car seat situated into the back of the Caddy. The windows in the van weren't tinted, and she intended to keep Gabriel with her. She hadn't realized how difficult it would be to get the thing to fit right though. She was pretty sure NASA scientists wouldn't be able to figure out how to buckle this thing down as she cursed and fought the urge to start yelling. Melissa bit on her bottom lip as she strained not to laugh.

"Need a hand Buttercup?" Julian inquired.

"I need a damn instruction manual," she retorted but she stepped out of his way as he nudged her shoulder.

The rest of the children stood on the other side of the garage, talking quietly amongst themselves. Though they still seemed nervous about this trip, and them, Joey and Dani had made some headway as the children had agreed to the move. The four teenagers were the most suspicious, but the younger children seemed more curious.

A young girl of about six or seven was oddly fascinated with Julian and had followed him over to the SUV. She was holding a teddy bear as she watched him adjust the car seat. Cassie couldn't tear her eyes away from the little girl, there was something so familiar about her...

"The farmhouse," she whispered.

Melissa frowned at her before turning to look at the child. Her shoulders slumped and her lip trembled as she smiled. "We found her."

"We did," Cassie agreed.

Julian turned away from the vehicle and smiled smugly at Cassie. "Done."

"Thank you. You have an admirer," she told him with a nod to the child.

He caught sight of the young girl and shook his head. "If you're not an angel then I am most certainly not someone to be admired. She should find another role model."

"Julian," she hissed.

"It's true." He walked over to the young girl and planted his hands on his hips as he frowned at her. She smiled up at him, giggled, and ran back to the other children. Cassie was struggling not to laugh as Julian's scowl deepened.

"Little young for you isn't she?" Devon inquired as he emerged with a bag load of food from the pantry.

"Bite me," Julian retorted.

Chris took the bag from Devon and tossed it into the back of the minivan. Most of the children would be riding in the van but it was going to be a cramped ride for all of them until they could get somewhere safer. Annabelle tossed a couple bags of clothes and some toys for Gabriel to her. He was the youngest of the children, and though she'd grown fond of him, she was glad that he was out of diapers. She could only imagine how awesome that would be with her enhanced olfactory system.

Luther emerged with armloads of paperwork tucked against his chest and a bulging briefcase. "What is all of that?" Julian inquired.

"Reports and detailed journals on what was done in this home, in that town, and on the remaining known Hunters and Guardians," Luther told him.

"Do you really want to read that?" Chris inquired.

"Not even a little bit." Luther plopped it all into the back of the Caddy and glanced at the children in the corner. "But there might be a chance they could lead us to other Hunters and Guardians. Give me a hand, there's some more."

Melissa handed Barnacle back to her as he began to squirm and squawk. Cassie's arms ached from holding him most of the day but she was more than a little infatuated with his chubby cheeks and puppy dog eyes. Barnacle grasped both of her cheeks with his pudgy hands and giggled as he pushed her lips into a fish face. Cassie couldn't help but laugh as he pressed his nose against hers and continued to make fish lips.

Ok, so she was a little more than infatuated with him. She met Devon's gaze over his shoulder as he kissed the tip of her nose and released her. Devon's eyes gleamed as he stepped closer to her. Resting his hand in the small of Barnacle's back he leaned around the child to kiss her cheek. Barnacle leaned his head against Devon's and closed his eyes.

Tears burned Cassie's eyes as she swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. "I love you," Devon whispered in her ear before kissing her cheek and walking away to help Annabelle with more supplies.

She was so unbelievably lucky and blessed to have all of these people in her life. To still have a life. No matter how frightening and uncertain it was, she wouldn't change one thing about it.

Barnacle shifted in her arms, she went to take a step toward the car seat but froze in midstride. The Caddy disappeared as the garage walls faded into nothing. All that remained was Gabriel, the children in the corner, and Zane.

Zane stood across from her, his honey eyes gleaming as a wicked smile curved his full mouth to reveal his glistening fangs. Woods sprawled out behind him, a pond, and the remaining four Elders.

Zane lifted his fingers and gave a brief wave before lifting them to his mouth and blowing her a kiss.

Cassie inhaled and took a staggering step back as the walls of the garage descended around her again. "Cassie! Cassie!"

She blinked as Devon seized hold of her cheeks and cradled them within his grasp. Gabriel was shaking in her arms; his tiny hands were fisted in her shirt as tears slid down his face. She'd been able to bring Gabriel into her dream, had she somehow managed to bring him into her vision?

She had her answer a few seconds later when Gabriel spoke, "He's come for your soul."

The color drained from Devon's face, his hands trembled briefly before his eyes turned to lava. "They're here," Cassie said, though she was only confirming what he already knew.

"Get in the cars!" Luther commanded.

"It's too late for that," Cassie told him. Devon's jaw clenched, his hands slid from her face as he straightened away from her. She took another moment to gather strength from the sight of Devon before she spun on her heel and hurried toward the group gathered in the corner. "Do you know where the room in the basement is?" she asked the oldest teen, a boy who appeared to be about sixteen.

He took a step back as he shook his head. "We're not going in there."

"You have to. They're coming for you too, and what they will do to The Hunter's amongst you is far worse than death. If they somehow manage to get through us that is the safest place for you and the others to be," she insisted.

She was half worried the kid might throw up on her sneakers but he took a shaky breath and managed a small nod. "We'll come for you, I promise," Cassie said. "We won't leave you in there."

Gabriel's fingers fisted more firmly in her collar, he refused to let go when the teen tried to take him. Cassie was struggling not to cry as she grabbed hold of his tiny hand and attempted to pry it free. "You have to go with them," she told him.




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