Cassius by Stevens, Madison (chromebook ebook reader txt) 📕

your fist glowing with magic flames and blasting through a bastard who can regenerate.”

“It’s not magic,” Cornelius snapped. “Now you sound like all those idiot humans who think we’re werewolves.”

Seneca pointed to his amber eyes. “We’ve got these, and we growl. Pretty damned close if you ask me.”

CJ found a nearby fallen log and sat on the edge. “I don’t care if it’s magic, science, or luck. We know now that we could have powers, and from the way Quinen was talking, it’s not guaranteed they’re the same.”

Tiberius inclined his head toward a bird watching them from a branch. “Maybe I’ll get the power to talk to animals. That could be useful for missions.”

Seneca snickered. “I want to fly.”

“I know it’s not going to be like that.” CJ chuckled. “But we might not all end up with flaming fists.”

“Who cares?” Cornelius shrugged. “A weapon you can’t use at will when needed is a useless weapon. We can’t train to improve the use of these powers nor guarantee their activation. That isn’t just useless. It’s worse than useless because it distracts from what we know works. Relying on miracles makes for crap strategy in a battle.”

CJ shook his head. “We do know how to use it.”

Cornelius gave him a stern look. “We do?” He motioned around the forest. “Go ahead and show us. Try to not burn the forest down.”

CJ stood, squared his shoulders and locked eyes with Cornelius. He might not be as obsessed with status and respect as others, but that didn’t mean he needed to take Cornelius’s crap when they weren’t on a mission.

“You know damned well I can’t do that,” CJ replied. “We need our Vestals. They’re the key to unlocking our powers. I don’t care if it’s something that only shows up when we need to protect our Vestals. That’s good enough to know I’ll have that edge when it counts.”

“Just because we now know that we can—”

“Stuff it.” CJ snorted. “Come on. We do know, and that’s all we need to know.”

“Don’t be so naïve.” Cornelius narrowed his eyes and stalked toward CJ, growling. “Maximus got lucky. You’ll be a lot happier in life if you don’t buy into that destiny bullshit about perfect mates. You think there’s some all-powerful fate out there guiding us? After everything we’ve been through?”

CJ stood his ground. “I didn’t say that. But I’m not saying there isn’t either.”

“I can’t believe you.” Cornelius scoffed. “Where was fate when we ended up being lab rats for psychotic scientists? Where was fate when we could have had a normal life?”

“Is that what you want? We finish off Ouroboros, we can have that, and until then, I’m going to hold out hope. Maximus found Selena. We can find our Vestals.”

“Lightning doesn’t strike twice,” Cornelius barked.

Tiberius shook his head, still wearing the same calm, lazy smile as before as if oblivious to the tension. “Sure, it does, especially if you’re a lightning rod, and what are we but that?”

Seneca nodded his agreement. “What does it hurt to believe in our Vestal chance?”

“We should be focusing on Ouroboros,” Cornelius said. “Not pining away for women.”

“We can do both,” CJ said. “Especially since we know they’re looking for Vestals.” He smiled, enjoying his own thought process. “Hey, probably a better chance of finding our Vestals if we go after them. Then everyone wins.”

Cornelius stepped back, the earlier tension in his body and shoulders gone, replaced by exasperation. “You can do what you want as long as you keep your focus, but I think it’s a big waste of time.”

“I don’t,” Tiberius said.

“Me neither,” Seneca added.

“You’ve got me all wrong, Cornelius,” CJ said.

Cornelius’s brow lifted. “I do?”

“You think this is about believing in fate for me.” CJ shook his head. “Nothing like that at all. It’s about allowing myself something I almost let slip away, that we all did.” He slapped his chest twice. “We can have some hope.”

“Hope won’t stop the enemy. Bullets will.”

CJ grinned. “And flaming fists.”

“Or lightning eyes,” Seneca said.

“Mind control sneezes!” Tiberius shouted.

Seneca, CJ, and Tiberius all burst out laughing. Cornelius groaned and walked away with a dismissive wave.

CJ didn’t care. Cornelius had a stick up his ass and probably would forever. All CJ needed to remember was there was a woman out there for him, the other half of his soul, his destined Vestal. He’d messed around a little in the past, but now he thought about waiting until he met her.

He peered into the forest, the trees blocking his view of the ocean. Maybe the Vestal was waiting for him on the mainland, sitting in some small town in Maine. She could be far away on a subway in Tokyo for all he knew.

She was out there. The hybrids would finish tearing Ouroboros apart, and then they’d find their other halves.

Chapter Two

Kendra’s arm ached. That was a good thing. It distracted her from the pain in her fingers as she desperately clutched the handholds on the climbing wall. A fall into the water below wouldn’t hurt her, but it’d mean she would fail to complete the obstacle course. She hadn’t busted her ass to get this far to fail on the last obstacle.

Sweat dripped from her forehead into her eyes, stinging. She regretted not wearing a headband, but there was a difference between fierce competition and an exhibition in front of the camera. Graham, her partner/cameraman/producer/director, trailed beneath her doing his best to document her trip through the course.

He was the one who recommended tighter orange metallic Lycra pants and the bright orange sports bra to highlight her toned body for the latest video. The colors went well with her light chestnut brown skin.

For that matter, Graham was the one who’d convinced her a little sex appeal would help her land more views, both aspirational and appreciative. He told her a beautiful athletic woman showing off her body a little would increase the hits to her obstacle challenge videos, and it did, despite some of her initial shyness, which