"Yes." Julian's forehead furrowed as he leaned forward in the seat to study the passing town. Lights were strung across the streets; the reflections from them sparkled in the windows of the darkened stores. A few people meandered down the sidewalks and snowmen decorated numerous yards. They passed a pond where people were skating by lights strung up within the trees.
It was the last thing in the world she had expected this town to look like. It was homey with a sense of camaraderie and friendliness that amazed her. She'd expected it to be like Cedarville, dead and barren with an aura of death permeating the air.
"How do we find them?" Melissa inquired.
"We'll interact with some of the people and hopefully one of you should be able to pick up something," Luther answered.
"Do you think the children are even still here?" Cassie asked.
"We won't know till we look."
Devon pulled into a parking spot on the main road and Liam swung in behind him. A tug of homesickness pulled at her heart as she studied the quaint store fronts. The town may not look a lot like hers had, but there was something about it that reminded her of home. She piled onto the street with everyone else and huddled deeper into her jacket as she clapped her hands before her.
"Where to first?" Devon inquired.
Julian nodded toward the skating rink. "Seems like there are a fair amount of people over there."
The frozen pond had numerous children, teens, and adults gathered around it. It reminded her of a Norman Rockwell painting. "There was a library back there with a decent amount of cars in the lot. There might be some kind of reading or town meeting, we'll go check that out and see what we can find." Joey volunteered.
Julian's eyebrows shot into his hairline as a sneer curved his mouth. "That sounds like a good idea," Melissa shot Julian a dark look and shook her head.
Joey actually offered up a small smile as he nodded. Dani grinned and slid her arm through his. "We'll go with them," Annabelle assured them. "We'll meet you back here when we're done."
"He's trying," Melissa said to Julian when the others had moved out of earshot.
"He could sprout wings and become an angel and I still wouldn't trust him," Julian retorted. Melissa was right but Cassie had to agree with Julian on that one.
Devon slid his hand into hers and pulled her close to his side. "Let's get this over with."
Laughter floated from the rink as they moved toward it. A feeling of hope and wonder filled her, along with an aching sense of longing that caused her chest to constrict. It was all so simple and she didn't want anything within the town to change.
A few of the children glanced at them as they approached, but they hastily returned to their hockey game. The adult's expressions were far more questioning and guarded as they approached. Two girls about her age became riveted on Devon as they openly ogled him. Her jaw clenched as she relentlessly stared back at them.
"I don't like it much either," Devon murmured in her ear.
She gave him a questioning glance, but he simply nodded toward the group. Cassie was unnerved to find more than a few lustful stares directed her way from both the teenagers and the adults. "Not used to the attention Buttercup?" Julian questioned.
"Buttercup?" she inquired in surprise.
"You said not to call you princess anymore." He gave her a quirky grin that left her briefly disarmed. "So I thought Buttercup would be the next best thing."
Melissa chuckled and Chris snorted as he shook his head. Cassie rebounded quickly from her fleeting surprise over Julian's choice of nickname, and his dazzling grin. "Nice," Chris murmured.
"I never took you for a movie fan," Cassie remarked.
Julian's smile only widened, Chris was struggling not to laugh, and Melissa looked as if she were about to burst. Devon and Luther frowned as their gazes flitted between the four of them. "You stay on this earth long enough and you find you require things besides blood and death to entertain you," Julian replied with a wink.
"What are you talking about?" Devon inquired.
"The Princess Bride," Cassie told him. "Her name was Buttercup in the movie," she elaborated at his confused look.
Devon shook his head as he slid his arm around her waist. "I see."
Cassie was trying not to laugh as she folded her arms over her chest. "I like Buttercup better anyway," Julian continued. "Suits you more."
Devon shot Julian a furious glare. Julian only smirked back at him as he turned his attention back to the skaters. "Let's meet the locals," he happily announced with a clap of his hands.
Before any of them could stop him Julian moved ahead of them and briskly down to the pond. Julian was introducing himself, and shaking hands with as many people as he could when they reached him. He already had a few of the women eating out of the palm of his hand as he flirted outrageously with them. Curiosity finally got the best of the teens as they came closer.
Julian spun some story about visiting relatives that had them all enrapt. Even Cassie was half convinced he was telling the truth by the time he was done. The teen girls had completely vacated the pond and would have made a bulldog proud as they ogled Devon and Julian. Cassie rolled her eyes and turned back to the children. Most of them had chosen to ignore the strangers in favor of their game, but there were three of them standing off to the side watching the group.
Releasing Devon's hand, she made her way carefully across the ice as Julian inquired about the best restaurants and bars. The children were completely still, their eyes eerily fixed as they watched her. "Hello," she greeted. Cassie could sense a silent conversation being exchanged amongst them as they exchanged a look. She extended her hand toward the tallest one in the middle. "My name is Cassie."
"Hey Cassie, we have to go."
She turned back to Julian, surprised to find him only steps away and gaining ground. Though he was smiling, there was a stiff set to his shoulders that undermined the smile. She turned back as the child took a step toward her and extended his small hand. They were mere inches from touching when Julian seized hold of her hand and pulled it down by his side.
She opened her mouth to protest but Julian shot her a stifling look. "We have to go, aunt May is cooking dinner for us."
"Aunt May?"
Cassie tried to keep her surprise hidden at his words, but she knew she'd shown some sort of reaction. She could only hope that no one else had seen it. Images filtered across her mind as his hand squeezed hers even more forcefully. Cassie didn't look back at the children as Julian turned her away. She could feel the children staring after them, their children, and yet Julian was pulling her onward.