Huntress Initiate

by Jamie Davis

  Clark glanced at Miranda. When they’d gotten close, she’d pulled several items out of her bag. She now held a crystal suspended from a silver chain in front of her face as they drove, and gazed into its interior intensely.

  “Anything yet?”

  Miranda shook her head, not taking her eyes of the crystal. “I don’t see anything inherently evil. There are standard magical wards in place, though. This has to be the right place. What ordinary company would even know to use magic like that? I still don’t see any trace of demonic intrusion.”

  Clark agreed with her first point. No one used magic, aside from the few free witch covens and the occasional rogue hunter like Clark. If they used magic to ward their property, they had to be working with demonic forces seeking a foothold in the world.

  He looked at the road as he asked, “The question I have is how they arrived at the method to combine technology and magic the way they have?”

  “I’m not sure, but there have been reports that members of the human scientific community detected the existence of magical power sources like ley lines and such. Perhaps the scientists working here used that knowledge to springboard their hybrid of the two, and are using it to protect the facility as well as to fuel their hunting parties.”

  Clark glanced at the wall as they drove around the complex of buildings. “Well, we know she’s in there. I tagged her Jeep with a tracking spell the other night. As we drove past the main gates, I could tell it’s parked somewhere inside. I don’t detect anything of a netherworld nature, do you? If what I think is happening is true, why isn’t there a taste of vile magic here?”

  Miranda shook her head. “There’s none I can detect. That doesn’t mean it isn’t there. There are ways to conceal such things from those on the side of the light, just as we have ways to conceal things from them. Those who are tuned to one side or the other give up the ability to see the full spectrum of magic.”

  Clark didn’t like her answer, so he continued driving around the perimeter of the property.

  While tracing the magical wards as they circled the area, Miranda looked for a break in the defenses. She found nothing promising.

  Clark spotted no easy way past the wall, other than the gated entrance. The barrier could be scaled, but with the combination of magical wards and technological security systems, it wouldn’t be easy.

  After passing the main entrance for the second time, Clark stopped in the parking lot of a nearby storage facility. They could still see the stone and concrete wall surrounding VirSync on the opposite side of the road.

  It was late, and the storage center employees had all left for the day. He parked at the far end of the lot, away from the nearest overhead light, and turned off the engine.

  Pulling his phone from his pocket, he checked it for messages once again, then set it on the dashboard in front of him while he checked his watch. It was ten o’clock, and still no word.

  “If we don’t hear from her soon, I think I need to find a way to get in there and go after her.”

  Miranda laid a hand on his forearm. “You have no idea what they have in there. At the very least, there are numerous spell-casters. Something as major as teleporting that many individuals even the short distance to the center of the city would require a coven of enormous size, twenty or more individuals.”

  “What else can I do? She’s the first hunter survivor I’ve found in over a decade. Perhaps there are others. Without realizing it, she might even know about some from being in the city’s foster system. It’s possible other members of the local clan hid their children as well.”

  Miranda offer him a gentle smile. “Let’s wait and see if we hear from her. We are ready and close by if she needs us and reaches out. That is probably the best thing we can do for now.”

  Clark ground his teeth. The frustration was nearly too much for him. He’d been doing what he could to protect people from attack in the area while remaining hidden. It never occurred to him there would be other hunter survivors besides the very few he knew of across the country. The fact that there might be children who grew up without knowledge of their legacy bothered him. He should have known they’d be out there or at least suspected it.

  He had to get Quinn out of there and set things right.

  Clark clenched his fists on the steering wheel, working to control his frustration as he considered the scarcity of options.

  “I don’t like waiting, but I agree with you. I don’t think there’s anything else we can do. We’ll wait for her to call. It’s a big building, and several others nearby are attached to it. I have no idea where she is inside, so it would be a failed mission from the beginning to just charge in there.”

  Miranda nodded and returned her gaze to the crystal suspended from her raised hand while she muttered a new spell at it.

  When she finished, Clark asked, “What did you just do?”

  “I masked the vehicle so no suspicious security guards or passing police officers will notice us. We should be good here for the rest of the night. I also sent out a query via a nearby ley line to try to understand where they might be drawing their power from. If they are using the type of magic you suspect, there should be some way to register the power draw now that we know where they are.”

  Clark nodded. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do for now. If Miranda was able to localize where the central power usage area was inside the building, he’d have a better idea of where to go if he decided to head inside after Quinn.

  Until then, he’d have to be satisfied with waiting for her to contact him.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Quinn lay on her cot after Velma left them in the dark silence of their improvised dormitory. The others dozed for about twenty minutes, until Velma came back with Phillip to help.

  They opened the door, pushing a cart into the room. It had a box on top filled with sandwiches and water bottles.

  The candidates dove in, eating their fill, which amounted to several sandwiches each.

  When all were finished, Phillip told them to lie down. “Someone will be back tomorrow with something for breakfast. Until then, get some sleep. We’ll see you in the morning.”

  Quinn was midway through her third sandwich when the order to go to sleep came. She was strangely famished, feeling as if she hadn’t eaten in more than a day, even though she’d had a hearty breakfast that morning and a decent lunch before coming to work.

  Phillip’s voice had the sound of command, and judging from the way the others responded, the control spell made them follow the order to the letter. Quinn quickly tucked a fourth sandwich under the blanket with a full water bottle as she lay down, too.

  The two VirSync managers left, shutting off the light and closing the door all the way this time and plunging the room into total darkness.

  Quinn laid still, waiting until she was sure the others were fully asleep. When she couldn’t wait any longer, she opened her eyes and looked around, trying to peer through the darkness at the others. She had to be sure they were asleep.

  Judging by the soft sounds of breathing, including one who was snoring, all of the other candidates had fallen asleep. Having full stomachs had helped, she was sure.

  Strangely, as she laid in the dark an hour later, hunger pangs struck her again. Quinn dug under the blanket and pulled out the remains of the sandwich she’d been eating earlier. She wolfed it down, along with the fourth sandwich she’d grabbed, following them with the bottle of water she’d hidden.

  As she finished her snack, Quinn wondered if the strange hunger was tied to her use of the amulet’s magic earlier. Did its use gain power from her? Maybe that was why the masking spell had eventually failed—her energy had become depleted.

  Quinn thought about it some more as she stood and reached out in the dark. She was still a little hungry, and she was pretty sure Velma had left the cart over by the door. There were some additional sandwiches in there, along with more water bottles.

  She stumbled into something th
at banged painfully against her shin, leaving her cursing under her breath. “Dammit, I need to see!”

  A brief flash of chill against her chest caught her by surprise, but not as much as the sudden change in what she could see in the pitch-black room. The room was clearly lit now. It looked strange in the new light flooding her eyes—everything had a blueish hue, with all other colors muted to blue-gray and black.

  Quinn smiled as she realized what she’d done. Not only could she hide herself with her magic, but she could also see in the dark. Quinn wondered what other hidden abilities she had.

  She wanted to talk to Clark. Maybe he could tell her over the phone what other magic she could use to rescue Taylor.

  Quinn crossed the room, dodging obstacles with ease now that she could see. She grabbed two more sandwiches, unwrapped one, and took a huge bite. She also cracked open a water bottle to wash it down. She finished both sandwiches in record time.

  Quinn patted her full stomach. She felt much better now. Her energy seemed to be back to normal.

  Testing her premise about how she fueled her newfound abilities, Quinn focused on the shadows around her and said “mist” as she concentrated. Once again, the haziness returned to the edges of her vision.

  Quinn pumped her fist. She could go down and get Taylor now. She let go of the masking spell, letting it fade until she needed it, and returned to her cot to retrieve her gym bag.

  A few seconds later, she’d pulled out her new Bowie knife in its sheath. Quinn tightened the web belt around her waist and settled the weapon in place at her hip.

  Next, she slung the strap of her gym bag over her shoulder and returned to the door. On the way out, she grabbed the last two water bottles and the remaining sandwich, dropping them in the gym bag.

  Quinn zipped up the bag, slid it around to rest at the small of her back, and pulled the door open a crack. She stopped just in time to hear voices coming her way.

  Quinn froze, hoping they didn’t notice the door was ajar.

  “The stone has recharged?” Myles Hickman said.

  “Yes, my lord. It has been immersed in the blood given by the acolytes for a full twelve hours. It should contain enough power now to enable the transference for two or three of the candidates.”

  Myles sounded angry when he replied, “I do not understand why we cannot do more. We’ve been able to pull across four or five in the past with ease.”

  “We have been unable to ascertain why, my lord. There appears to be something in the vicinity that resists the energy draw the jewel uses.”

  “I don’t like it when you tell me something like that without an answer as to how you’re going to fix it, Jenkins. Figure out what’s blocking the energy draw and get rid of it. Do you think perhaps there is a spy within the company? A rival witch or sorcerer?”

  “I am not entirely sure…”

  Quinn couldn’t hear the rest. They’d moved too far down the corridor.

  It was enough information to know they planned on using some sort of magical gem or jewel for a ceremony with the candidates they’d prepared. That included Taylor.

  Quinn needed to find a way to stop them before it was too late.

  She waited for a count of ten, then pulled open the door, listening carefully before sticking her head out into the hallway.

  It was clear. No one in sight.

  She closed the door behind her and headed down the hall toward the main corridor that led past the locker rooms.

  Only half of the lights in the building were currently on, probably an energy-saving feature used during nighttime hours. She wasn’t complaining since it helped her keep out of sight easier and dart into doorways before she was seen.

  She didn’t want to draw on her power right away since that might draw down her energy reserves. Quinn wasn’t hungry after those last two sandwiches, but she didn’t know how long that situation would hold. The last time, the spell had lasted for about twenty minutes, but that was after she’d gone on the hunt and everything.

  Quinn decided to save using it for when she really needed it. She opted instead to move as silently as she could down the hall to the stairwell.

  Checking to make sure no one was using the stairs, Quinn started down to the lower level.

  When she reached the basement and approached the door, she heard voices on the other side. Pulling open the door just far enough to peer through it, she spotted three robed figures coming out from the room where she’d found the black robes earlier.

  The trio continued down the passage away from her toward the room that had held Taylor and the others. Two of them pulled up the broad-hooded cowls attached to the cloaks so their heads were covered.

  It gave her an idea.

  Quinn concentrated and muttered, “Mist.”

  As soon as the spell hid her, she darted across the hall and caught the door to the robing room just in time to stop it from closing all the way.

  Stepping inside, Quinn glanced at the rack that held the robes. Most of them were gone. There’d been twenty or thirty robes when she’d checked earlier. Whatever ceremony they had planned was probably beginning soon.

  Quinn grabbed a robe from the rack and pulled it around her, slipping her hands into the sleeves and buttoning it up the front. It hung down to her ankles, hiding her blue jeans. If she walked slowly, they probably wouldn’t see her sneakers. She pulled the hood up and over her head, hoping the shadows inside it would conceal her face from anyone who looked her way.

  Taking a deep breath, Quinn let the hiding spell drop and stepped back out into the hallway to test her disguise.

  There was no one there. The trio who’d been walking toward the far end was nowhere in sight.

  Quinn started down the hall in a slow, steady walk, containing her desire to race to where they were keeping Taylor. A single robed individual remained in the room with the last table. Quinn’s heart sank when she saw Taylor had already been taken. The remaining table held the guy she didn’t know from the earlier trip down here. Taylor, and Cindy, and Fergus weren’t anywhere in sight.

  She fought down panic as she tried to figure out a way to get past the last robed figure.

  The other robed person, a man with thinning gray hair she’d never seen before, turned and saw her through the window.

  He pointed at her.

  Quinn fought down the urge to run just in time to hear him say, “You, there. Help me pull this one down to wait in the chamber below. He must be anointed before going into the transference ceremony.”

  Swallowing hard, Quinn nodded, keeping her head down so the folds of the hood around her head partially hid her face as she answered. She pulled open the door and entered the room, moving to the table to stand by comatose guy’s feet.

  The man used his foot to unlock the table’s wheels at his end. Quinn looked down and found the mechanism to do the same on her side.

  The man nodded and pulled the table while Quinn pushed from her end. Together, they rolled the table toward the far door.

  As the man approached the door, he pulled a standard VirSync photo badge and swiped it to open the door. That was good. She would have had trouble getting past the locked door without this guy’s help.

  He pushed the door open with his back as he pulled the wheeled table after him. Once Quinn got far enough to catch the door and to hold it open from her end, the guy turned around and walked facing forward as he steered the table along a narrow passage until they reached a sort of open freight elevator. It was like ones she’d seen at construction sites, with cage doors that moved up and down rather than a solid metal door.

  Quinn stopped by the elevator. The open shaft disappeared into darkness below.

  She stood still and waited for the elevator to come back up, having decided to be silent and just follow along at this point. Hopefully, her companion wouldn’t try to carry on a conversation with her.

  Luckily for her, the guy fiddled with his phone, sending messages back and forth to someone while he waite
d for the elevator to come up to their level. That was good as far as she was concerned.

  The elevator arrived, and the cage door slid up. Quinn and the silent man steered the table into the elevator car. Quinn noted there were only two buttons, Up and Dn.

  The guy pressed the Dn button, and the elevator lurched into motion.

  Quinn’s anxiety level ratcheted up several levels on the way deep underground. The elevator trip lasted for more than a minute. The whole time, all she could think about was how much she wanted to find Taylor. A strange dread that she might already be too late filled her.

  Her fears would soon be confirmed.

  At the bottom, they rolled the table off the elevator into a passage lit by a series of bare bulbs at intervals along the ceiling.

  The walls and floor of the tunnel were only partially finished by human construction. The floor had been smoothed enough to allow them to roll the table down the gently sloping tunnel with relative ease.

  After passing through two open caves, they reached an opening to the right where a large room had been carved out of the rock.

  A single table with Taylor’s body on it waited in the room, and a robed individual stood next to it. He leaned over Taylor as he muttered something, sticking his thumb in a small jar he held and smearing an oily substance on her forehead and in the center of her chest between her breasts.

  He repeated the muttering and reapplied the oil several times before looking up at Quinn and the other guy.

  She caught the hint of a grin from inside the shadows of his hood as he asked, “Is that the last one?”

  The man with Quinn said, “Yes, he’s the final one. I heard we might not be able to do all four tonight. Is that true?”

  “That is what the master fears. I hope he doesn’t take his displeasure out on any of us. I didn’t sign up for this duty to the overlords to end up one of the possessed.”

  “None of us did. Have they already started?”

  The man with the small jar of oil nodded. “They took the other girl as soon as I got down here. A pair of our brethren came up fifteen minutes ago to retrieve the first of the males. They should be almost finished with both by now. If you two are going down, you can take this one with you so she can go next.”