"I don't know. Do you?"
She thought about that and wasn't exactly sure of the answer. "I trust Phoebe. I think."
Kat laughed at that.
Cassandra scooted out of the truck and let Kat lead her and Chris into the cave where Wulf had been taken.
Phoebe met them just inside. "Don't be afraid, Cassie. We all know how important you and your baby are. No one here will hurt either of you. I swear it."
Cassandra could only hope her sister meant that. "Who are we?"
"This is an Apollite community," Phoebe said as she led them deep into the cave. "One of the older ones in North America."
"But why are you helping me now?" Cassandra asked. "It's not like you haven't known I've been hunted all these years."
Phoebe looked pained by the question. "I knew you lived and I was hoping you would carry on our line. I was afraid to tell you I was still existing for fear of how you would take it. I thought it would be easier this way."
"Then why change now?"
"Because an Apollite named Spawn called a few days ago and explained what was going on. Once I talked to Urian and knew what his father had planned, I realized I couldn't leave you alone anymore. We are sisters, Cassandra, and your baby has to live."
At the back of the cave, Phoebe placed her hand against one of the stones where a spring release opened an elevator door.
Chris gave an overexaggerated gape. "Holy Hand Grenade, Batman, it's a bat cave."
Cassandra cast him a droll look.
"Oh, come on," Chris said, "someone other than me has to see the humor in this?" He looked around at their three unamused faces. "Guess not."
Cassandra entered the elevator first. "What about the men I saw outside? Who are they?"
Phoebe entered next. "They are our ruling council. Nothing can be done here without their direct approval."
Kat and Chris joined them. The door to the elevator closed.
"Are there any Daimons here?" Chris asked as Phoebe pressed a button to start the elevator on its downward path.
"The only Daimon in this community is me," Phoebe said sheepishly. "They allow me to live here because they owe Urian for his help. So long as I don't draw attention to myself or their existence, I'm allowed to stay."
As the elevator continued downward, Cassandra didn't know what to expect from the Apollite colony. Or her sister. Long ago, she would have trusted Phoebe without hesitation, but that was a Phoebe who wouldn't have been able to take someone else's life to sustain her own.
This new Phoebe scared her.
Cassandra's ears popped, letting her know they were traveling far beneath the mountain.
When the doors opened, she felt like she had just stepped into some science fiction movie.
Everything was fashioned like a futuristic city. Made of steel and concrete, the walls were painted with brilliant murals depicting sunshine and beauty.
Her group stepped out into a central area that was probably the size of a football field. There were openings all around that showed more corridors leading to other areas.
There were all kinds of shops in this main area, except for food vendors-a service the Apollites would have no need of since they lived off each other's blood.
"The city is named Elysia," Phoebe explained as she led them past a handful of Apollites who had paused to stare at them. "Most of the Apollites here live their entire lives below ground. They've no desire to go topside and see the humans and their violence. Nor do they wish to see their kin hunted and slaughtered."
"I take exception to that," Chris said. "I'm not violent. At least I don't suck on other people."
"Keep your voice down," Phoebe warned. "Humans have never been kind to my people. They have hunted and persecuted us even more than the Dark-Hunters. Here you are a minority and if you threaten any of my people, they just might kill you without bothering to find out whether or not you're violent."