Cassie (The Coven's Grove Chronicles #3) (10 page)

She pushed her way through vines, ferns, and various other floral to reach the clearing. The grove felt like home in a way no other place had, and she knew without a doubt, purpose could be found here. She could find meaning to her life.

When she came into the clearing this time, there was a robed woman praying at the altar. She was sensual in the way women possessing great beauty always seemed to be. Auburn locks covered her shoulders, while a few strands strayed across her elegant features. Her eyes were closed, and she looked to be at total peace.

Cassie tip-toed closer for a better look. A branch snapped under her foot just before she reached the mysterious beauty. The woman’s eyes snapped open, revealing two orbs of fiery brown. Her gaze froze Cassie in her tracks, and when she spoke, her voice was like thunder echoing from a distant storm. “You must awaken!”

Cassie gasped, as she awoke from the dream. Pain encased her battered body like a cocoon of needles. It was cold, and the sound of a diesel engine hummed from underneath her, as the trailer vibrated. She groaned and blinked her eyes open. It was dark, too dark to see anything, except for a few lines of daylight peeking through the narrow cracks in the walls and doors. She tried to move, but found that she was bound by some sort of heavy chain.
They never learn
. She called upon her power.

Someone tisked in the darkness. “None of that.”

A lantern style light clicked on, forcing her to squint.

“Your friend will die if you do.”

Dread filled Cassie’s heart, as she suddenly recognized the voice. The monster. She glanced up. The unholy thing looked less human than it had the last time she’d seen it. More skin had been torn away to reveal long, sinewy muscle, partially covered by a boney carapace. Long fingers, tipped with black talons, steepled together in front of a broad mouth, filled with rows of jagged teeth. The creature squatted nearby, with that horrid smile that never seemed to go away. Between them lay Caleb, still unconscious, and bound. A line of blood stained his forehead from a gash above his hairline.

No. This can’t be happening
. She squeezed her eyes shut.

“That won’t make me go away, little one,” the creature purred, as it leaned in closer. “I will always be near you.” Its breath stank of rotted flesh.

Cassie gagged, and pulled away.

A grisly hand wrapped around her neck. “Why shy away, Sweetling?” the thing whispered, as it dragged her back. “We have unfinished business, or do you not remember that day in Mr. Garber’s classroom?” Its other clawed hand ran along her body in a twisted attempt at tenderness.

Cassie couldn’t stop the surge of power that bubbled up from her shock and revulsion.
How does it know that?!
She curled up into a ball, and kicked out at the creature as best she could. “Get away from me, you sick fuck!”

The creature knocked her clumsy attack aside. “It’s always better when you fight,” it breathed, while continuing to paw at her. The truck suddenly came to a halt, giving the creature pause. The doors swung open, and crisp sunlight filled the compartment.

Cassie reeled from the brightness, closing her eyes again.

“Carreau! Come,” someone commanded from outside. There was a moment of quiet, then the trailer jostled, as the monster moved away and climbed out.

Relief washed over Cassie. Whoever had called the monster, no doubt, must be a villain as well. He had, however, saved her from the creature’s affections, at least for the time being. She cracked her eyes open to let them adjust to the light. When she could finally see, there was a man squatting between her and Caleb.

“Hello Cassie. I can’t express how happy I am to see you.”

“What the hell?” She was taken aback by the man’s appearance. He looked just like the monster before it had changed into a monster back at the restaurant.

The man smiled. “You must have many questions.”

“No shit,” she retorted. “Like, who the hell are you?”

“J’onn,” he answered.

“That’s great. Do you turn into an ugly meat stick like your twin out there?”

J’onn shook his head. “No. Carreau is a demon, I am...well, something else entirely.”

That explained a few things. Like the fact that she was going crazy. Things had been bad enough in her life, but this shit right here took the cake. “What do you want, J’onn?”

He flashed his pearly whites at her. “Your power, my dear. I want your power.”

“You can have it. It’s been more trouble than its worth, trust me.”

“Oh, I think I can make use of it. I’m glad you feel the need to unburden yourself of such a gift. Though it won’t make this any easier for you I’m afraid.”

Gunshots went off outside. The demon roared, and a woman screamed. J’onn appeared unconcerned. He stood and motioned toward the doors at someone she couldn’t see. “Take them to the barn.”

Men dressed in black winter jackets climbed into the trailer, and took hold of her and Caleb.

“Be wary of that one,” J’onn pointed at Cassie. “She is stronger than she looks.”

Cassie and Caleb were dragged out of the trailer. Snow covered the ground as far as the eye could see. Groupings of trees spotted the landscape, most of which were near a two story farmhouse. The men carried them toward an old red barn not far from the house. As they passed the front porch, she could hear a slurping noise, and saw the demon gorging itself on some poor person’s innards. She couldn’t make out the body being devoured in the deep snow, but there was a woman sprawling on the porch steps, convulsing, as her life’s blood spilled from the wound on her neck.

A surge of anger and fear brought Cassie’s power back to the surface. She was ready to tear free of her bonds, but the demon looked up from his meal. Blood covered its face in a crimson mask, his dark eyes shone against the white snow, as it glared at her. The demon slowly shook its head.

How the hell does it know when my power is up?
She looked back at Caleb’s unconscious form. She knew she wouldn’t be able break free of the chains, and reach him in time. Between the demon and J’onn’s flunkies, there were too many. Caleb would die. She eased off of the power, and let herself be taken into the barn.

There were two more men in black already in the barn, making the count six in all. The extra two were busy at work cleaning the main thoroughfare of the building, while the other four dropped Cassie and Caleb off to the side. One of them stayed near Caleb, as the remaining three went to help with the cleaning.

J’onn sauntered in with a bucket of blood, and set it just outside the bustling ring of workers. “We’ll need more. Slaughter some of the horses,” he directed his minions. “And start some fires. I want more warmth in here.”

Cassie had no idea what was going on, but it didn’t look good. Panic clambered against her control. She’d been in rough spots before, though nothing like this.
Keep cool, there still may be a chance. Just wait for it
.

“This is the fate of all your kind, you know,” J’onn said, as he moseyed over to her, and leaned against the wall. “It’s just the natural order of things.”

“My kind?” Cassie wasn’t sure if she cared what he was saying, but talking was better than sitting there waiting in silence. “What are you talking about?”

J’onn chuckled. “Like shooting fish in a barrel”—he shook his head—“None of you seem to know what you are until it’s too late, hardly seems fair. I’m not complaining mind you. I, for one, am glad of the ignorance—”

“Is mocking someone who has no idea what you’re talking about satisfying for you?” she interrupted. “Seems kind of pointless to me.”

He continued to chortle. “You’re a witch.” He glanced down at Caleb. “And a slut, but that part doesn’t matter. Your power will be mine, and I will go on to hunt another.”

The slut comment didn’t bother her, she’d been called worse, but a witch?
Now it’s official, I am going crazy,
she thought. There was no doubt this guy and his cronies had the motivation to do some heinous stuff, and she couldn’t deny the “demon” was not of this world, but that didn’t make this whole situation any less ludicrous. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to stop whatever it was they had planned from happening. “How many of ‘my kind’ have you hunted?”

“For me?” J’onn began, “Just you. My brethren, however, have hunted thousands over the centuries.”

“Poppin’ your cherry then, huh?”

He looked down at her, affectionately. “You don’t know how fitting your words are, my dear.”

She’d meant for the comment to be a slight to build her confidence, but his reply caused the exact opposite. She fought to repress the memories of Mr. Carson.
Don’t lose it now. Keep yourself together
.

Caleb finally stirred with a low moan.

“Ah, your hero awakens,” J’onn said. He came away from the wall, and kicked Caleb in the gut. “Wake up, sweet prince.”

Caleb recoiled from the attack and coughed, as he tried to regain his breath.

“Secure him,” J’onn said to his flunky.

The dark clad guard pulled Caleb into a sitting position, and then put a blade to his throat.

J’onn leaned down next to Cassie while still looking at Caleb. “Hey, hero! I think you’re going to enjoy this.” J’onn grabbed hold of Cassie, and licked her face.

“Get off me you sick—”

“Ah, ah,” J’onn interrupted, motioning to Caleb and the blade. “His life depends on your cooperation.”

“Bullshit,” Caleb spat, snapping out of his stupor. “He’s going to kill me anyway. Break free and run Cassie.”

“Not true,” J’onn retorted. He slowly began to fondle Cassie’s breasts. “I have uses for a Guardian. He may not be free in the traditional sense, but he will most definitely be alive and well.”

Guardian? Another term Cassie was unfamiliar with. Not that she could really focus on much when sicko was getting off rubbing her tits. “You’re pushing your luck, pal.”

“Oh?” J’onn replied, “You think you have some control here?” His fist smashed into the side of her face. “Go ahead then. Break out and see what happens. But, I think we both know how pointless and wasteful that would be.”

Spots distorted Cassie’s vision, and her ears rang from the blow. As tempted as she was to break her bonds and tear J’onn’s head from his shoulders, she couldn’t. She had to wait. And hope.

The demon came into the barn, its appetite apparently sated. It slammed the door shut, and scanned the room, until its dark eyes fell on J’onn.

“Come, Carreau.” J’onn motioned for the demon. “Keep an eye on that one.” He pointed at Caleb. “We are almost ready. I must finish my preparations.”

Cassie glanced at the men who had first been busy cleaning away debris, and then slopping blood everywhere. She hadn’t noticed the death of the horses at the back of the stable, but it was obvious now with all of the blood. Several fires blazed in tin buckets around a circular pattern J’onn’s minions had painted on the floor. Bloody, geometrical shapes, came together with squiggly characters to make some kind of weird symbol. When she turned back to J’onn, he was leaning over her with a wicked, black dagger.

She jerked away. “What the—”

J’onn grabbed her shirt, and sliced it open with the dark blade. “Don’t struggle or you’ll be cut.”

“Screw you, Asshole!”

“Have it your way,” J’onn said, as he struck her in the temple with the pommel of his dagger.

Once again, lights exploded across Cassie’s vision, joining the mind numbing pain. She blacked out, but for how long she couldn’t say. She remembered someone tugging at her clothes, and then being dragged across the floor. Caleb’s voice was in there too, but she couldn’t make out what he was yelling. When she came back around, a wave of dread washed over her.

J’onn had changed into a black, silk robe that was parted in the front, and nothing else. His hands were raised with the black dagger in one of them. He was chanting some gibberish, while his cronies backed him up like a twisted church choir. Cassie herself was completely naked. The chains were still wrapped around her wrists and ankles, but her arms had been pulled over her head, and her legs were spread wide. Caleb wasn’t yelling anymore because the demon had clamped a gnarled hand around his face.

“I offer this sacrifice to you, O’ Lord of dark, that I may become a more useful servant to your cause!” J’onn yelled. He edged forward eagerly, angling his throbbing erection, so that he could plunge it into her. The black dagger was still raised in one hand, poised to strike.

A mixture of anger and despair rippled through Cassie. If she broke free, Caleb would be killed. If she let this happen, she had no doubts that she would die, horribly. The choice.

Something reflected off of the firelight up in the loft. Just as Cassie spotted the tiny sparkle, a gunshot rang out. J’onn’s shoulder erupted in a spray of blood, and he screamed, as he toppled to the side. Another shot sounded, and one of the men in black dropped to the ground. The third shot ushered in chaos among J’onn’s followers, and set the demon into action.

It was in that instant, time seemed to slow around Cassie. Her endorphins must have kicked in because she saw everything unfolding all at the same time. The demon turning to leap into the loft, the black clad men scattering for cover, and J’onn crawling away from her, leaving a bloody trail. This was the moment she’d been waiting for.