Huntress (A Grace Murphy Novel)

by Nicole Hamlett

  I was interrupted mid-stride - and sentence - by a loud popping noise. My head jerked around to see Drew sprawled on the floor, his fingers digging into the rubber of the now exploded ball.

  Running over, I held out my hand to help him up off the floor. He pulled me down to him instead and wrapped his arms around me.

  "I’m so sorry," he whispered.

  I nodded against his chest and wrapped my arms around him holding on tightly. We lay there for a few minutes, letting the tension go.

  "Ok, now you tell me why my son thinks that I bought him shoes two days ago," I demanded, thinking this was a good time to change the subject.

  His body softened beneath me and I sat back staring at his shifted form in surprise.

  "Oh that. No wonder Dylan thought that I was weird. Let’s try not to mentally scar my kid okay?"

  He chuckled in response.

  "And change back to yourself. That just creeps me out." I paused for a few breaths. "Drew, thank you. I really mean it. Thank you. I don’t know what I’d," my throat closed off and I choked out a sob.

  He pulled me back into his arms and let me cry, stroking my hair.

  "I need to tell Dylan. I think that it’s time. He needs to know that I could," I gulped back another sobby hiccup. God I hated crying. "I could go away and not come back. He needs to know that things are going to be changing in a big way. He’s a smart kid. He’ll get it."

  He nodded and I relaxed. "You’re right. Spending the last few weeks together has made me realize what a great job you’ve done with him. He IS a great kid. Let’s do it tonight before we decorate the tree."

  "That sounds perfect."

  The incredible lightness of being isn’t just a pretty phrase. It was suddenly my new state of mind. If I could tell Dylan, and he took it well, this could all work. Some parents don't mind keeping big secrets from their kids. I wasn't one of them and since I already had a doozer of one, adding more didn’t feel right. The elephant that'd been living in my house since Diana had thrust herself into my world was on its way out the door.

  "Ok, what’s next?" Wiping my eyes was the first bit of business. Drew was a harsh taskmaster and a few tears weren’t going to deter him from busting my ass.

  "Next, we’re going to have to start going through the basics. You have your weapon materialization to learn as well as the exploration of your other powers. And…we need to work on controlling your emotions so you don’t accidently sink the West Coast." There was a quirk to his lips as he said this.

  All I heard was weapon materialization. I excitedly clapped my hands and did a little bounce. Sweet! It would be like having a bag of holding. I could pull anything in and out of it. My very own magical bag of everything. I couldn’t wait!

  Three hours later, I could give a shit about the bag. My brain hurt. I didn’t understand the physics of what he was talking about. It was all I could do to not collapse under the sheer weight of everything that he’d told me. If physics had been my forte, I would have become a scientist not a romance writer.

  To make matters worse, he’d brought down a grocery bag to help me visualize. One hundred attempts later and the only thing that had come out of the bag was the smell of musty strawberries.

  "I give up!"

  "You can’t give up. How are you going to get your weapons when you need them if you can't do this?"

  "I’m not going to need weapons," I groaned. "I’m going to hide in this basement for the rest of my life."

  "Whiner."

  "Shut up!"

  Scooter trotted over and plopped himself down on my legs, as if to give me comfort. It would have been more comfortable if he hadn’t weighed a metric ton. I rubbed my hand over his sleek coat and tried to concentrate.

  My fingertips tingled as I rubbed Scooter’s body and I thought of his mercurial state. How did he hold himself together? That was the mystery of magic. Maybe there wasn’t logic to it. Perhaps it just happened from sheer will alone. I was a stubborn woman with a lot of will. Pulling a weapon out of thin air shouldn’t be so tough, right?

  Drew had told me that my weapon should be a personal reflection of what I wanted to be. Of course, my immediate response had been to search the internet for the most destructive, resilient weapon I could find.

  The kukri, a short curved weapon, kept popping up in my results. The gleaming wide blade could slice or stab and because its length was shorter than a traditional sword, it became more of an extension of the arm - allowing for better mobility.

  Closing my eyes, I pictured this weapon filling my palm. Magic filled the air and left the taste of currants on the back of my tongue.

  With a crow of triumph, I pulled my new weapon out of the plastic bag. Its grip was immediately both comfortable and familiar in my hand.

  "Yes!" The sword whipped up into the air and whacked off a length of my hair. "Shit!" My eyes widened as I watched the strands drift lazily to the floor.

  Drew laughed. "Great job Grace!"

  "Finally! Jesus, I didn’t think that this would be so hard."

  "It looks like the kukri is going to be your weapon of choice, so we’ll primarily train with those. I want you to think of using a gun as a backup, though. Most of the things that you’re going to come up against aren’t going to be used to modern tech and the bullets will help slow them down - if not stop them outright."

  "Seriously?"

  "Yeah."

  "Then why haven’t we been training with guns? I can shoot fairly well."

  "Because, Grace. You can’t just go around shooting creatures willy nilly. Not everyone will be a bad guy. Having to use a blade gives you time to think."

  "Could I take Medusa out with a bullet?"

  He grinned and shook his head.

  "How about a gargoyle? Could I take a gargoyle out with a bullet?"

  "Yes, Grace. Now, grab another kukri and let’s get started."

  "Nice." I pulled another kukri out of the plastic sack and fell into fighting stance. Hmmm, maybe carrying around a used grocery sack wouldn't be the most practical decision. It would probably be a good idea to find a new, durable knapsack. Just in case.

  I grinned widely. "Sweet sassy molassy! This is getting exciting!"

  "Grace, sometimes you say the oddest things."

  That just made me giggle.

  Chapter 15

  Dishes were done, the boys were playing Halo and I was starting to feel nervous. Dylan could take the news. I just didn’t know how well.

  I stared at the boxes in front of me and remembered the first time we’d decorated the tree together. In his excitement to get it over with so Santa would come, Dylan had thrown the glass balls at the tree - giggling as they bounced off the branches. It was a miracle that we'd only broken three of them. Still, the memory made me smile.

  Time flew by too quickly. Visions of toothless grins, chubby fists clutching candy canes and shining eyes sped through my mind. It was hard to believe that he was almost a teenager. Where did it all go? Was there a way to slow it down? To be honest, I still saw that skinny three year old kid with the rosy cheeks and sparkling smile when I looked at him.

  "I have hot cocoa!" I called out, as I picked up the steaming mugs and carried them into the family room where the sounds of an intense battle waged.

  Setting the mugs down on the coffee table, I collapsed next to my son and breathed a sigh. I could do this. I’d died and survived horrifying pain. This was going to be cake. Beating around the bush wouldn’t help, so I just started talking.

  "There’s something I need to tell you Bubby."

  Drew shot me an apprehensive look. It didn’t matter if he was ready because I needed to get this out. The secret weighed so heavily that it was caving in my chest. My stomach felt like it was being carved up by a dagger.

  "One sec Mom, we’re almost done."

  "Nope, can’t wait. Save if you can, but it’s time to talk."

  He groaned and hit the button on his controller to exit the game before to
ssing it on the couch in a huff.

  "I don’t think other moms make their kids quit in the middle of a game," he groused.

  "Yeah well other mom’s aren’t about the rock their kid’s worlds like I’m about to. So, shut up and listen."

  "Grace, I don’t know if it’s a good-" Drew, tried to stop me. He really did. But I’d worked up the courage and by God this was coming out.

  "Shut up Drew. I’m doing this."

  "No, Grace, I really-"

  "Dylan, I’m immortal now. Last week I was trapped in another dimension and Drew was standing in for me." Nervousness made me talk faster and faster. None of this was making sense but I was so afraid that if I stopped, I wouldn’t be able to start again.

  Drew sat back and covered his eyes, as if that would stop the train wreck from happening.

  "Sooo, you interrupted a game that I was winning to pitch me a new book idea?" One of his eyebrows was cocked up and he was gaping at me with a look of disbelief. As if I’d have the gall to do such a silly thing.

  "No, this isn’t a new book idea. Dylan, I’m being serious. The blue hair, the weight loss. It’s all part of it." I sighed. "Drew, show him."

  "I’m not getting into the middle of this." His hands came up defensively.

  I growled. "Drew, show him."

  "Uh uh."

  I wracked my brain and then snapped my fingers. I pulled in one of my kukris and waved it. "See?"

  "Jesus, Mom! You’re going to cut someone’s head off with that thing. Quit waving it around!" Dylan jumped back, now afraid.

  "But did you see what I did? I pulled it out of thin air."

  "Yeah, I’ve also seen David Copperfield vanish the Statue of Liberty. Cool magic trick by the way."

  This was getting me nowhere. The problem was that I didn't have that many tricks up my sleeve yet. I hadn't really thought this through and had so little proof. I looked at Drew, my eyes pleading. "C'mon. Just give me this."

  He sighed and changed into Dylan.

  "Dude!" Dylan shouted and started scrambling backwards.

  I dispersed my weapon and grabbed him before he could topple over the couch. I pulled him close. "See?"

  "What the h-e-double hockey sticks is going on here?"

  "If you just relax, I’ll tell you the story. Ready?"

  He nodded and his trembling eased as I stroked his hair and told him the story - leaving only the torture and death out. By the time I’d finished he was staring at me with an open mouth and wide eyes.

  Of course the thing that distressed him the most was his missing Grandmother.

  "Are you going to be able to find her?" he asked in a small voice.

  "We’re going to try."

  "Does this mean that I’m going to live forever too?"

  I looked at Drew for guidance. He wasn’t any help of course, just quirking an eyebrow and shrugging his shoulders as if saying "Hey, I did my part."

  I took a deep breath and asked, "Do you want to live forever?"

  "I don’t think so," was his hesitant response.

  "Then you don’t have to, if you don’t want to. Are you ok with this?"

  "I think that it’s going to take a bit of getting used to. Have you told Dad?"

  "No," I responded emphatically. "And we’re not going to. This has to be a secret. I told you because I trust you."

  This seemed to improve his mood. He liked feeling like a trusted grown up. He nodded and said, "Ok. Are we going to do the tree now?"

  "Just like that? Ok Mom you’re kinda a super hero, let’s do the tree?"

  He giggled and said, "Yeah, something like that."

  I laughed too and ruffled his hair. He tried to dodge me and I asked, "What colors should we do this year?"

  "Blue and silver."

  "Bleh, we did blue and silver a few years ago. How about red and pink?"

  "Ew pink!"

  "How about we do them all?" Drew commented, putting his two cents in.

  "Oh now you’ve got something to say," I responded rolling my eyes.

  He’d changed back into his normal shape and Dylan and I looked at each other and then him before nodding in agreement.

  "Yeah ok, we can do all of them. It’s a good thing we have such a big tree.

  We pulled the boxes into the family room and started unpacking lights, garland and ornaments.

  "All we’re missing is music. Let me turn on the radio."

  "Naw I’ll do it, you’ll probably turn on something Emo and I’ll have to strangle myself with the garland to escape my screaming ears."

  "Har, funny Drew."

  He knelt in front of the receiver and dialed through stations until he pulled up one of the five classic rock stations we had here in Colorado Springs. Van Halen was playing, I could live with that.

  Dylan and I wound three strands of lights around the tree as we listened to David Lee Roth singing about how he was hot for the teacher.

  "I can’t believe you guys listened to this stuff," Dylan commented scrunching his face up in disapproval.

  "Whatevs, I can’t believe you listen to booty call music," I responded, sticking my tongue out.

  The radio crackled and the Emergency Broadcast Signal pierced my eardrums.

  "Aren’t they supposed to wait until the song is over before they run a test?" Dylan asked, confused.

  "Yeah," I responded slowly. "Let’s see if there’s a message.

  On cue, the deejay’s voice came over the radio. "This is not a test. Approximately twenty-two minutes ago, a 9.1 earthquake hit the West Coast, effectively leveling the city of Los Angeles. Emergency crews are mobilizing as is the National Guard. All traditional communication has gone dark. The President is calling for an emergency press conference to be held at seven p.m. local time. For more details please visit our website."

  I scrambled over boxes looking for the remote control to the TV. "Shut the radio off," I called as I hit the power button and tuned into CNN.

  Images of devastation filled the screen behind a shaken reporter as she breathlessly talked to the camera. "Scientists at the National Earthquake Information Center are still trying to determine what caused the earthquake that devastated one of the most populated cities in the United States. They have been seeing more recent activity but the San Andreas Fault - which seems to be at the root of this quake - has not shown signs of giving off a tremor of this magnitude. The President is calling for a state of national emergency and troops are starting to pour into the wreckage, looking for survivors."

  She choked on a sob and looked behind her for an instant before continuing. "God help the people of Los Angeles."

  I hit the mute button on the remote and stared at Drew, shaking my head in horror.

  His fists tightened and he stared back grimly.

  "Tell me what you’re thinking."

  "You know what I’m thinking. LA is just the latest victim in this destructive path."

  "What’s going on?" Dylan asked his voice laced with fear.

  "I don’t know bubby." I walked over to Drew and put my hand on his arm. "Is there someone you can talk to and find out what is going on? Is there something we can do?"

  "Yeah," He responded squeezing my hand with his own. "Let me talk to Persephone. She’ll know what is happening. Give me a few minutes and I’ll be back."

  He suddenly blinked out of sight and Dylan breathed in a shocked breath. "Whoah."

  "Yeah it takes some getting used to. Let’s see if there is any new information." I hit the mute button and we settled on the couch.

  The same reporter was still talking into her microphone but her words weren’t making sense. "… Rescue crews are reporting mass delusion from victims. Stories of creatures attacking civilians are leading them to believe there has been a main line gas leak in the area. They are quickly working to evacuate as many as possible before it explodes."

  My brain froze on the reports of creatures. Were there creatures that lived underground? How could this be possible? How did we
prevent them from hurting any of the survivors?

  "Mom, this looks pretty bad."

  "I know bubby."

  "Can’t you just fly over to LA and help save those people?"

  "Oh, if only it worked that way honey. I don’t have those kinds of super powers. We’re going to wait for Drew and see if he has any information on how we can help."

  "You two were looking scared. Does this have anything to do with the changes that happened to you? Did you cause this?"

  "No. Baby, no!" I grabbed him and held him tight to my chest. "I didn’t cause this. I promise. I don’t know what happened but I know it wasn’t me."

  "This is scary."

  "I know it is. I know it is." We were rocking back and forth now, watching images of bodies trapped beneath the rubble float over the screen.

  Just as quickly as he disappeared, Drew popped back into the room. He looked haggard. "They’ve got a team of Hunters on the ground now. Athena says that LA is a loss." More quietly he said, "Grace, there’s something that I need to tell you…"

  "What did Persephone say? Shouldn’t she have seen this? Drew, what’s going on?

  "That’s part of what I need to tell you. I think I know what’s happened," he said with grim determination.

  "What do you mean? What caused this? What are you hiding from me?" I looked at him with accusation.

  "I called Rose before I came back. She’s coming over to pick up Dylan. He should stay with her tonight, maybe a few days."

  "Now you’re scaring me. What aren’t you telling me?"

  Before he could say anything further the doorbell rang. Shooting him an angry glance, I stalked into the entryway and pulled open the door without checking through the peep-hole. Rose had gotten here quickly.

  Big mistake. Lesson one million and forty-two: Never, ever answer the door before looking through the peep-hole.

  A meaty hand shot out and clipped me in the jaw. My head rocked back with an audible snap.

  "Mom!" I heard the scream behind me and my reflexes went into overdrive. I threw myself forward into the massive chest without thinking, knocking us both out of my doorway and into the front yard.