Inferno (Book 4 The Kindred Series) Read Online Free Page B

fighting back
the wave of tears that filled her eyes. “Or what they did do to
us,” she whispered, thinking of her red eyes and the strange
control she’d had over herself earlier. Thinking of the shots they
had injected her with that had turned her veins a different color
as it seeped through her blood stream.
    “Yes.” Cassie sat silently for a
moment, trying to breathe through the pressure that lingered in her
chest. Julian’s full mouth twisted into a small smile. “You
survived down there, you will survive this.”
    Cassie nodded, a single tear slid down
her face as she set her shoulders in resolve. “You’re right,” she
whispered. “We need to know. And don’t call me
princess!”
    He grinned at her, squeezing her chin
briefly before retreating to the far back of the vehicle. Everyone
stared at her in stunned silence, and then their gazes darted
briefly toward Julian. She could sense their confusion and
uncertainty, sense the questions rolling through them, but no one
said a word. She turned slowly toward Devon, hating the stunned,
wounded look in his eyes. She squeezed his hand tightly, looking to
reassure him and ease his fears, but she wasn’t sure she
succeeded.
    Devon was her heart, but he was going
to have to accept the fact that Julian had become her friend, and
her savior, in a time when she had desperately needed both. He
would have to accept the fact that she and Julian had forged a
strong bond while they had been held captive, and that Julian owned
a piece of her heart now. A piece that still confused her, and one
that she didn’t understand. Julian was more than her friend, she
cared for him deeply. Their bond had become so strong that she
thought of Julian as good of a friend as Chris and Melissa, and she
needed him in her life as much as she needed them.
    Though, she didn’t want Devon to know
right now about the fact that Julian had kissed her. He would
destroy Julian if he learned that, and she could not allow that to
happen. Especially since it had been her fault for allowing the
kiss to happen. At the time she had been confused about her
feelings toward Julian. She knew that Devon possessed her heart and
soul, but Julian had become a big part of her life, and she loved
him. But she could never love him like she loved Devon, and
although she had doubted that, Julian never had. He had simply
needed to kiss her, simply wanted the moment for
himself.
    She thought back to Julian’s words
after he had kissed her. “I know princess, I know. I just needed
this.”
    At the time she hadn’t known what he
meant by that. Had not understood what he had known, but she
understood now. Though she had been lost and confused, Julian had
known that she would always choose Devon over him. Julian had
understood that though she did love him, it was always Devon that
she belonged with, and to. And although it had happened once, both
she and Julian knew that it would never happen again.
    Tears clogged her throat, she clung
tighter to Devon. It was not a secret that she would always keep
from him, and one day she would tell him, but she couldn’t do so
now. Now she needed Devon to trust Julian as much as she did. She
couldn’t lose Julian now, she had grown to trust him and love him,
and she needed him to help get her through all of this. She would
always need him she realized.
    She had never kept anything from Devon,
but this was a secret she would have to keep for a little while. At
least until Devon realized that Julian was different. That Julian
was no longer their enemy, nor was he the same murderous monster
that had once been Devon’s best friend, and had once helped Devon
slaughter numerous innocents. No, this Julian was evolving,
becoming someone different, becoming someone good, and trustworthy.
He was learning to care for someone other than himself; he was
becoming more human again and less of a monster. He had become
someone that she loved and who loved her in return. He would do
anything to