3rd Person POV

Three days after Laura had figured out what the chemicals actually did, Rafia called Cassius and Desmond into her office. They'd informed her of the true power of the chemicals earlier and she'd turned pale when she'd heard, but she hadn't said much else as she'd ushered them out. They hadn't seen her since.

Rafia's office was crowded once again when they got there. Eight people, apart from Cassius and Desmond, stood in the room. Cassius knew what they were doing before she'd informed all of them.

After invading two grey compounds, the fear and trepidation had worn off.

They'd started off at nightfall, executed the same attack plan they'd used before, and of course, every cell was empty. This time, there wasn't even a note. The car ride back to the Academy was silent.

The Academy however seemed to be up in flames when they got there.

A huge crowd of people stood outside the Academy, whispering and shouting, forming an almost impenetrable crowd. Cassius and Desmond couldn't hope to shove through. Cassius finally tapped on a boy's shoulder for an explanation.

"The alarms started ringing so we rushed out of the building. Nobody really knows what happened," the boy explained.

Cassius turned towards Desmond. He appeared to be sinking with dread as he turned towards Jasmine, a shapeshifter. Over the loudness of the crowd, Cassius couldn't make out the words they exchanged before Jasmine turned into a bird and flew towards the building.

She returned a few minutes later and shifted back, falling to her knees with a groan. Cassius quickly took of his shirt and covered her body with it. He'd almost forgotten how powerful Catherine was until he saw the pain contorting Jasmine's features as she gasped for breath after a five-minute transformation.

Catherine, Catherine was probably still in there.

"Jasmine what's going on," Desmond asked.

He crouched in front of her to hear her words, strained as she gasped for air.

"There were bodies, everywhere. Some teachers were fighting the people who were injected. I think someone opened all the cells," she explained.

Cassius' blood ran cold. Catherine's words, the promise he'd made her, came echoing back. She would hate him if she woke up after all of this was over to find blood on her hands.

"They aren't killing them right, the people that have been injected," Desmond, asked urgently.

Jasmine's eyes turned round at the evident concern in Desmond's tone. She hesitated with her reply. Her hands nervously played the edge of her shirt as she looked between Desmond and Cassius.

"There were a few bodies but I mean you can't blame them. If it comes down to their life against those that were infected, you can't blame people for saving themselves," she said unsurely.

Desmond shot up and away from Jasmine, like if he could get far enough away, her words wouldn't affect him. Cassius tried to hold it together and stepped in front of Desmond, grabbing his shoulders in his hands. Desmond looked completely out of focus even as his eyes fixed on Cassius.

"She's fine Desmond. She was strong to begin, practically invincible with the chemicals. She'll be fine," Cassius breathed.

He didn't know if he was trying to convince Desmond or himself.

"We never should have left her here, alone. We knew there were traitors and we still left her here alone," Desmond said.

Cassius couldn't find the words that could appease Desmond's worries or his own. They remained silent until a loud authoritative voice rang over the crowd. Rafia Hamilton. The jabber of conversation amongst students reduced to low whispers.

"The threat has been neutralized. Students may return to their dormitories," she said monotonously.

Cassius almost threw up at the word neutralized. The crowd was shifting though, towards the doors, and Cassius tightened his grip on Desmond before pulling him forward. Desmond was still lost to horror, mind already assuming the worst.

"Desmond don't lost hope," Cassius begged.

The man didn't listen, didn't even hear him. Cassius entered the building, Desmond on his heels. He'd expected something horrific, like bodies piling up on the ground and walls stained with blood.

The place looked the exact same as it always did. A few students however, who had people they loved that were infected, surged towards the cells. A bigger entrance had been made instead of the old broom closet he'd first used.

Cassius tugged relentlessly on a practically immobile Desmond as he crossed cell after cell. He heard cries of alarm as students failed to find their sisters, brothers or friends in the cells. Once again, a sea of conversation surrounded Cassius as he struggled through the crowd.

He felt like he was drowning as each cell turned up with a stranger.

"Everyone calm down," a voice rang out.

Cassius paused as a voice came over the intercom. It wasn't Rafia, but another teacher, who was far more nervous than Rafia had ever seemed to be. With a shaky voice, she began to read off names of those that had survived the night.

"Ashley Brooks. Katrina Raghav, Ivy Walters," she started.

The voice droned on and Cassius began to shake as each name passed by with no sign of hers. He turned to Desmond, who'd regained his wits to a certain extent, as he stood beside Cassius, shoulder to shoulder. The grip Desmond had on his arm was almost bone crushing but Cassius hardly felt it.

"And finally Maia Latham," she finished.

Distantly, Cassius heard Talia's relieved cry. But over her joy came a clamor of voices filled with distress and anguish. Cassius sunk to his knees, pulling Desmond with him, as his stomach fell into free fall.

"We shouldn't have left. God why did we leave Des," Cassius cried out.

He was crying, staining the collar of Desmond's shirt. Desmond was just eerily silent as he held Cassius. Cassius could barely hear, barely see past the agony that was ripping his heart to shreds.

He'd left her behind.

Catherine, Catherine, Catherine. The word rang through his head like a failed mantra because it couldn't bring her back. Nothing could bring her back.

"There were a few that managed to escape the premises. Their whereabouts are currently unknown," the woman started.

Cassius' heart stopped, hopes rising astronomically in seconds.

"Maria Sanchez, Owen Bright, Catherine Archer and Calvin Benoit," she said.

Cassius didn't hear past Catherine. He turned to Desmond, tears quickly drying. He wished she was here, safe and nearby, but knowing she was alive for now would have to do.

"Oh thank God," Cassius exclaimed.

"We'll find her. We can find her," Desmond stuttered.

Desmond's arms came around him fully in a tight hug. There were a thousand concerns to deal with, primarily starting with the fact that they didn't even know where she was. But above it all were the tendrils of hope and Cassius held on to them for dear life.

They'd find their way back to each other.

Cassius and Desmond were summoned into Rafia's office later that night. They'd managed to contact Raphael earlier, who'd agreed to try and pass on the message to Azriel. Cassius could only hope that Laura would keep him from doing something too reckless and risking his father's wrath.

They'd expected Rafia's office to be filled with students ready for another mission. Instead, it was packed with professors. Cassius recognized a few, a history professor and a linguistics professor.

They didn't pay any heed to him so he kept his focus on Rafia.

"Why are kids here," a woman snapped.

She was an elderly lady with greying hair and beady brown eyes that fixed Cassius with a disproving scowl.

"These two are a few of the people I trust and they were on the first mission that led to us uncovering this whole problem. They've earned their right to be here," Rafia claimed.

No one shot them any scowls after that and Cassius fought to keep a pleased smile off his face.

"I've reinforced the wards around the Academy. It'll prevent people from entering or leaving the premises unless they have my approval," a warlock said.

Rafia nodded in approval of that, but her posture still indicated weariness.

"Wait so we're trapped here. All students," Cassius asked in alarm.

"It's for your own safety kid," a woman countered.

"Don't condescend to him. Our friend is out there, missing," Desmond argued.

His eyes flashed black. Cassius shot him a warning glance. Their position in Rafia's office amongst people far superior to them was tentative at best.

And they needed to be here if they wanted to help end this issue.

"Those that have gone missing aren't priority right now. There is only one other compound in Pennsylvania according to my sources. I've uncovered its location. I have full reason to believe that invading it won't be as easy as invading the other compounds so I'm splitting this team into two. Half the professors here will lead this mission, the other half including me will stay," Rafia explained.

"The only reason they haven't attacked the Academy directly is because we've all been here to protect it. The protection here will be severely weakened if half of us go to this compound," a burly vampire protested.

"We need to end this before anyone else gets hurt. That means taking half the battle to them and fighting the other half here. This way we have an element of surprise to our advantage," Rafia explained.

Nobody argued past that. Rafia then divided the teachers into two groups, assigned each of them to a couple of students that would assist, and then told them to leave. They were going to discuss logistics in the morning, and they'd attack at night.

Once they were all gone, Desmond and Cassius turned to Rafia with questioning expressions.

"Why aren't we going with them? We've been apart of the operations to invade the compounds so far," Desmond asked.

"Well you'll be fighting at the Academy now," Rafia said offhandedly.

Cassius recognized her forced nonchalance for what it was.

"You don't trust us not to run off after Catherine the moment you let us cross the wards around the Academy," Cassius said.

"No I don't trust you to put yourselves before her if the situation presented itself," Rafia snapped.

Cassius swallowed and looked at his shoes. Her penetrating gaze seemed to dig into his skull. He'd failed once to carry through with his promise.

He wanted to believe he wouldn't do it again but that was a lie.

"Both of you can leave and get a good night's rest. I'm pretty sure we'll be getting some unpleasant company this time tomorrow," Rafia said ominously.

"That professor earlier said that no one could get past his wards to get on campus," Cassius asked.

"Would you let those wards stop you if helpless people were getting slaughtered outside of them," Rafia asked.

"Right. We'll leave then," Cassius said lowly.

He followed Desmond out the door, mind whirling in anxiety and chaos. Tomorrow would bring more murder and end with more blood on his hands. Catherine was still missing and despite Raphael's updates, Cassius couldn't help but worry for Azriel.

He was going to have lost years off his life from worry after all this ended.

"Cass."

Cassius looked up at Desmond. They'd stopped in a hallway not far from Rafia's office. Moonlight flowed through the window behind Cassius, sharpening the angles of Desmond's face to an almost painful clarity.

They also betrayed the nervousness in his eyes.

"What is it," Cassius pressed.

He spoke softly, like if he spoke too loud he'd scare Desmond away.

"If tomorrow doesn't end well," Desmond started.

"We're not doing that," Cassius said quickly.

Desmond looked abashed but he quickly shut up. Cassius would have felt bad but he'd needed Desmond to quit talking. He had enough fear and anxiety in his body without Desmond's tragic hypothetical scenarios to haunt his nightmares.

"My dad always said that the quickest way to lost a fight is to feel like you're going to lose before it even starts. He may not be the wisest man to look up to but he was right about that," Cassius said.

"Right," Desmond said.

He sounded choked up. The vulnerable expression on his face shuttered. He was about to turn away and head back down the hall when Cassius reached out and took his hand.

Desmond stopped and looked back with an unreadable expression on his face. Unless the moonlight was playing tricks, Cassius could almost swear he saw Desmond's eyes flick down to his lips before meeting his eyes once again. Cassius felt like his whole body was burning under that gaze.

For a second he saw through Desmond's mask, saw the fierce longing in his eyes that he desperately tried to hide.

Cassius stepped closer; close enough to feel Desmond's cool breath on his face. Maybe it was time to carry out the promise he'd made himself in the woods. Another step and Cassius could see his tiny reflection in Desmond's dark blue eyes.

And then Cassius sealed the gap between them before he could overthink it.

A sharp gasp and then Desmond's lips were moving against his, feverishly, needy, as Cassius pressed him back against the wall in the hallway. Desmond's hands were on his chest, his hips, pulling him closer by the loops of his jeans, and Cassius sunk against him. Heat burned his entire body and a low growl escaped him. He pressed as close as he could, chest to chest, as he pinned Desmond's arms above his head.

Desmond leaned away then, eyes wholly black.

"Bedroom. Bedroom," he uttered.

Cassius released him before following him on shaky knees, barely aware of where they were going. Finally Desmond's room appeared and Cassius stepped through. He'd barely had time to shut the door behind them before Desmond's lips were on his once again.

Cassius pulled back only to yank his shirt off before reaching for the hem of Desmond's with shaking fingers.

Desmond didn't seem to get the message as he closed the distance between them again, wild hands roving his chest as his mouth moved to Cassius' neck. Cassius moaned as sharp fangs traced a lethal line down the column of his throat. Desmond chuckled at that before biting down gently, and Cassius almost buckled at the knees.

"Bed. I can't," Cassius said feebly.

Desmond backed away a little then and Cassius almost pulled him back on reflex. The contrast of heat against cold between their bodies, the lithe strength Desmond possessed made Cassius want to melt and let Desmond have his way. Desmond took off his own shirt before clambering onto the bed, Cassius sliding on top of him.

Desmond was beautiful, lean, strong and almost cat-like as he arched up into Cassius' kiss.

Cassius left his lips and trailed down his chest, taking his time and savoring the way Desmond's hips bucked underneath him. Desmond's hand buried itself in his hair, tugging firmly, just as Cassius' mouth reached the waistband of his jeans. Cassius surged upwards to meet his lips again but Desmond put out a hand against his chest, stopping him.

Immediately fear raced through Cassius' body, wondering if he'd gone too far.

"We don't have to go so fast," Cassius said hurriedly.

"I want to do this long enough so neither of us can walk tomorrow, which isn't an option considering we have a fight that needs to be won," Desmond said roughly.

He was right and it made Cassius want to put his head through the wall. His body was still heated as he rolled off Desmond's body to the shower. He could feel Desmond's eyes burning into his bare back, like a phantom touch, and heat pooled in his lower belly.

"Stop looking at me like that," Cassius warned.

Desmond scoffed and Cassius heard him turn away. Cassius entered the shower, letting the cold water do its work to calm him down. When he walked out again, Desmond had drifted off to sleep, looking far more innocent than he ever looked when he was awake.

Cassius slid on a pair of shorts before clambering onto the bed next to him, keeping space between their bodies. Later, they'd continue where they'd left off.

But now, this battle was priority. 

This chapter's a long one! Catherine's missing, and Desmond and Cassius finally turn up the heat (;

If you guys liked this chapter, which I think you guys might have based on your prior comments, don't forget to vote and comment down below. We're at 12K reads and I couldn't be happier. You guys are truly the best and I hope this chapter and the rest of this book, lives up to your expectations. 

Until the next chapter 

LOVE, 

ASH

Also, spoiler alert, Catherine finally returns in the next chapter. How do you guys think that's going to go?