He was a Dark One.
A fallen.
Half angel. Half human.
And he was the leader of the immortals. His punishment, along with the others of hi
s kind had been to watch over both races, keeping them as separate as possible while still making sure both thrived. Requiring him to live with humans and play police with the immortals was a punishment.
They were called Dark Ones because both light and dark fought for them, making it impossible for lights to stay on or the dark to stay dark for too long a time span.
They commanded the dark.
But were forced to live in the light.
They were equal parts good and bad, which made them the most dangerous as they had no moral compass.
"Interesting…" His head tilted in a cat-like stance. "…that you know so much about me. Pray tell, are you going to give us a history lesson? You may stand."
Crap. I stood on shaky feet.
They could also read thoughts if they wanted to.
Though most weren't powerful enough to do so.
"I am."
Those two words devastated me. If he was that powerful, he wasn't just any Dark One. He was—
"Cassius." He finished my thought, his lips tilting up in a seductive smile. White teeth flashed, and then he turned on his heel, slowly walking up the stairs to where everyone else was seated. "But to you…" He turned slightly, his eyes flashing white before going back to a normal blue. "…I am Master."
CHAPTER THREE
Genesis
CASSIUS. THE NAME BURNED ON MY lips though I hadn't spoken it out loud — was too afraid to. I knew the power behind his name, behind who he was.
He was like a god to the immortals.
And to me?
Well, he was more than that. He could kill me with a simple snap of his fingers. He could make me see my worst nightmares by simply willing it to happen. But worst of all? He could own me. It was said that Dark Ones treated humans as pets, playthings — an amusement. But because Dark Ones had such heightened emotions, when they abandoned a human out of boredom or something else trivial, it killed the human.
Instantly shattering their hearts in their chests.
Once the Dark Ones were finished with you — you didn't survive it. No one could survive the emotional break that came when someone like Cassius left.
It was emptiness.
It was death.
I needed to stay far, far away from him if I wanted to live.
The only happy thought that occurred to me was that someone as old as Cassius most likely despised humans enough not to toy with them. Unlike the vampire and siren, who found it amusing and harmless.
"Do you know your duties?" Cassius barked. "Or am I to go over them with you? From the looks of Alex, it seems he's been too preoccupied to do much of anything except fill the air with his arousal."
Alex's nostrils flared, but he said nothing.