Ashes of Vile

36

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
A Newfound Family

She stared at the closing wound on her palm, it was healing, and it no longer bled. She sighed and wrapped the bandage around it. It was going to leave a huge irremovable scar and even the smallest cut could possibly reopen it. Not even Cassidy's unique source could stop her from being human: she bled, and she hurt. Terribly. For assassins, the pain would feel nothing. But nothing still meant so much. To be able to pertain a feeling to nothingness, to be able to think of what something means to an individual, to tell someone that you felt nothing towards them. It means they have thought about it, no? Cassidy thought. To think about one's heart and how the hatred ties to a future with someone. To think about how it reaches such a length. Nothing cannot certainly be just nothing; feelings get tied to everything, even feelings of nothings.

"She does not look okay," Wyld Madden said. "She's changing, it's normal." Lucas Cartier responded. They stared at Cassidy Idgen's figure sitting by the pond, scraping the peel off the roasted potato. It had been a month since the last time Cassidy Idgen saw Lilac Evergreens, and a month she had spent wondering if her friend was alive. It had been a month since she saw Chase Creed, and the man she had discovered to have hated her existence yet protected it like a father. It had been a month since she had seen Maeve Pierce, the traitor who had betrayed them all. It had been a month since she saw Sung Mi Rae, failing to bargain for the first time in her life, unable to declaw out of the Valkyrie's tight grip. It had been a month since she had raised the dead Vermithis, along with Abourne Blaque. It had been a month since she had seen Devin Ashdown and his marvelous riches. It had been a month since she saw Inez and hear her constant gossip. It had been a month since she had seen Zakeen and his patching skills. It had been a month since she had seen Lace and her intelligent mindl. It had been a month since she had seen the great assassin of Ashgrim, August Vile. It had been a month since they had kissed. It had been a month.

It had been a month since Cassidy Idgen was luckily saved by the last living clan of Vimgards. Since that day, she had promised herself, I will no longer need saving. And since that day, Cassidy had become someone unrecognizable. No longer her curious self, in fact, she had become the opposite. Nothing seemed to move her, all she could think of was vengeance. The first day with the Vimgards, she was frantic like a lost puppy, she had told them of the group; and her encounters with them. The second day, she merely said, "I am past my desire for redemption. Now I want vengeance." And on the third day and every other day, her childlike behavior slowly disappeared.

The Vimgards were the group of bandits who had stolen the compass from the Vile building; the compass that would actively bring them to the source of the orbs. They were who brought chaos upon Chase's group, trying to get Cassidy. However, their approach may have seemed foul; their intentions were not to capture her, but to serve her. "Cassidy Idgen, you are the source, and our only wish is to serve you." Valencia Madden said the first time they had met.

Valencia Madden and Wyld Madden were fraternal twins and polar opposites. Valencia was always straight to business, serious, and careful. Wyld on the other hand was chatty, careless, and liked to have fun. Lucas Cartier was Valencia's righthand, his family swore to protect the source at all costs along with the Maddens. Jude De Mevius, as fancy as his name sounded, was flirtatious and a dirty fighter. Sadie Vimgard, a direct association to the original Vimgard clan created by Rebekah, was unique in comparison to the four. She was an opposite empath, she had the special ability harnessed with Cassidy's source, to make people feel what she feels.

"It's not funny, Sadie." Cassidy said as the last potato feel flew out of the dagger that scrapped it. Lucas looked at the fifteen year old and saw the blonde smiling. Sadie caught Lucas staring at her with a warning look and she stopped, "Practicing my tickling." She cutely said.