Hunter put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I understand. Get her to safety. We’ll go ahead.”
James nodded and swallowed hard. He scooped up Maria, who stayed lifeless in his arms. “Good luck.” He said to the others, then began to jog in the direction of their back line.
Chapter Nineteen
Hunter stayed just long enough to watch James get to a safe distance. He was surprised to feel let down; this had been the first time that James had chosen not to be at his side to face life-threatening danger. Hunter grimaced at his own thoughts – James was not a coward, far from it. But personally insisting that he take care of Maria… he must care for her more than Hunter had guessed.
“So, what now?” Alannah asked.
Hunter glanced from Alannah to Ian, they both awaited his next orders.
“We carry on as planned.” He answered with a shrug.
There was a flicker of fear from Alannah, but Ian just nodded.
“Right, let’s go.” The sergeant simply said, then started in the opposite direction James had taken – further into danger, instead of away from it.
Hunter hurried after him, then moved into the lead. Despite the fact that Hunter’s senses were nearly over-whelmed by the volume of magic and casting witches, Sophie’s magic rang out as a clear chord of power. With an unsettling ease, Hunter followed it towards the source.
He didn’t trust himself to blink them safely to her location, so they had to take the mundane route. As they fought their way through loose groups of witches, they came more heavily under attack. Hunter doubled the shield around the three of them, reluctantly letting his shield fade from the other fighters. He couldn’t possibly maintain both.
In a thick bubble of anti-magic, the trio pushed forward. Hunter was glad to have his two best fighters with his, as Ian floored a witch, and Alannah made sure he didn’t get up again.
Hunter could feel Sophie’s presence getting closer, and finally spotted her. Her witches had pulled back, as though even they could not stand to get close to her magic. Her long brown hair was half-falling out of a plait and she was dressed for combat, with the stab vest that Hunter had given her on top of a short, dark jacket and jeans.
Everything was muted, and everyone seemed to clear the space between Hunter and the Shadow Witch. A hundred yards apart, Hunter’s pulse raced with anticipation – it would all be over now.
Sophie stopped mid-spell and faced the witch-hunter. Without her support, the clouds and the wind settled, and the ice eased off.
Taking a deep breath, Hunter started to move cautiously forward, Ian and Alannah flanking him. He was aware of the eyes that turned their way.
Hunter felt Sophie’s magic curling and preparing for release. Within a heartbeat, his own power reacted with it. A visible dome of energy crackled over them, and Hunter could only stare at it in wonder. Was this him?
“Astley!” Sophie snarled. “Don’t do this.”
Ah, she was pissed off, so it had to be his doing.
“I can’t stop it. Even if I wanted to, I would not.” Hunter replied. “Your witches are on their own, now.”
Her witches were powerful, but without the aid of their Shadow, Hunter hoped they could be overcome.
Sophie’s lip curled as she wildly looked around her for a point of weakness. Finding none, she suddenly became calm. She took a few steps forward, her movements achingly familiar.
“So… what’s the plan now, Hunter? Kill the big bad witch while she’s defenceless?” Sophie asked with a sigh, knowing how her lover saw her now.
“It has to happen, Sophie.” Hunter replied. “It’s the only way to stop them.”
Sophie gave a bitter laugh. “Oh, that you believe that! I miss your optimism, Hunter. So… will you kill me?”
Hunter fought to keep his expression neutral. “Me, or others.”
There was a flash of metal, as one of Alannah’s throwing knives whipped across the distance. Ian pulled out his gun and fired off half a dozen rounds.
Sophie raised both hands, and the bullets slowed and stopped in an invisible barrier. She looked surprised at the block, but her expression turned to pain, as the knife sank into her upper chest. Alannah, by mistake or design, hitting the weak point of her armour, near the neck.
Hunter steeled himself, as Sophie’s scream rent the air, and she dropped to her knees.
Sophie flicked her long brown hair out of the way, as it sought to escape, and her furious eyes focused on Alannah. “You little bitch!”
Sophie took a deep breath and grabbed the knife, wrenching it out with another scream. She gasped, and wiped a hand over the wound, where the blood flow was already ceasing and healing.
“Do you really think you can kill me?” Sophie spat, then turned the knife in her hand and threw it with all her strength at the shell-shocked Alannah.
Alannah’s eyes widened as she witnessed her own knife being used against her. There was the sudden movement of a huge bulk, who stepped in the way, and grunted as the knife embedded itself in his back.
Ian gripped Alannah tightly by the arms, and gave a reassuring smile, before he slumped.
Hunter’s breathing increased, his pulse speeding. His window of opportunity was closing up and everything was going wrong.
Sophie smiled, and waved a blood-stained hand. “Bye.”
Without thinking, Hunter charged towards her. Already her image was fading to the grey of shadows, but Hunter reached out desperately. He felt that familiar soft, warm nothingness, followed by the cold wind and hard ground beneath his feet.
Gasping, Hunter got his bearings. There was light and noise, and deafening magic a mile or so to his right. And directly in front of him was Sophie.
“You shouldn’t have come.” She said softly, pity in her usually cold eyes.
Hunter shrugged. “You didn’t give me much choice.”
He slowly removed a long knife from his belt and watched as Sophie silently did the same. With an unspoken signal, they started to circle, each watching for weak spots in the other. Then they attacked.
Hunter was surprised at Sophie’s speed, but didn’t have time to marvel, as he followed up his attack with deflections and taking a step back that only intensified Sophie’s attack.
But Hunter wasn’t the best in the MMC for nothing, and caught a lapse in her guard and forced her to retreat in turn.
They both backed off to catch their breath, and Sophie took a moment to wipe blood from a new cut on her arm.
“You’ve remembered all your training.” Hunter remarked.
Sophie bit back a smile. “I had a good teacher.”
They came to again, the strike and parry patterns getting longer and more intricate.
“You were holding back on me before.” Hunter gasped.
“So were you.” Sophie countered, her hazel eyes flashing.
Sophie fainted to the left, then tackled him from the right, so that they both lost balance and fell to the floor.
Hunter felt the breath knocked out of him, and suddenly found himself on his back, Sophie straddling his legs to pin them down.
“Well now.” She murmured, looking down at Hunter, her gaze warming. “Join me, please Hunter. Together we can set this world straight.”
“After you destroyed it?” Hunter snapped back, bringing up his knife in a half-hearted effort.
Sophie easily caught his wrist, and pressed it to his chest. “No, after I destroyed the only reality you knew. Don’t mistake comfort and familiarity for something right. Please Hunter, don’t you want to be in a world free from all the wrongs you knew were in your Council? Don’t you want a world where you could be with me? With your son?”
Hunter stilled at the mention of his son. Where was he now? At home with his grandmother, while his mother went on her killing spree?
“Not at this price.” Hunter replied quietly.
Hunter gathered himself, and threw Sophie from him, he scrambled to his feet and glared at her. Hunter pulled
out his gun and pointed it at Sophie’s chest for a moment, before reluctantly letting it drop.
“You saved me at Astley Manor, didn’t you?” Hunter asked. When Sophie made no effort to reply, he sighed. “Consider this a life for a life. Get out of here, Sophie. Take Adam and get away from this fight. If our paths cross again, I will kill you.”
Sophie stood, the colour draining from her face. She took a moment to weigh her options, then turned away from Hunter. The shadows thickened about her, and tendril-like wrapped around her form and claimed her. Then she was gone.
Hunter let loose a shaky breath. He really hoped he’d done the right thing. With a quick glance at his surroundings, he blinked back to his friends.
Chapter Twenty
“Are you sure I can’t get you anything else?” Alannah crooned, leaning over the hospital bed.
Ian grinned, it was only natural that she’d want to make it up to him – he had taken a knife in the back for her, after all. “No, I’m fine Alannah. Now settle down – I’m getting tired just watching you.”
“I can bring you a book, or a change of clothes from camp.” Alannah persisted.
“I’m not much of a reader.” Ian sighed, relenting a little. “Clothes would be good though. These are a bit…”
“Blood-stained?” Hunter offered, as he leant back in an uncomfortable plastic chair he’d dragged over.
“Tatty.” Ian corrected.
It was nearly midday, and it was hard to believe that the battle had only been over for ten hours or so. They had had an obvious victory, decimating the witch army, and driving back the survivors. The mood was incredibly up-beat, the winter suddenly holding the promise of a hard-won peace, there was no way the witches could mount a retaliation any time soon. Now there was only the slow recovery of their own forces to concern themselves with.
Ian was recovering well. He was already bored of staying in his hospital bed, and wasn’t about to let a knife wound turn him into an invalid.
Further down the ward, James leant over the bed where Maria lay. The lieutenant had awoken a few hours before, still feeling weak from whatever had hit her. Of course, James had never left her bedside.
Hunter glanced towards them every now and then, but stayed with Ian to give them a bit of privacy. It occurred to him that even the invulnerable Sergeant Ian Grimshaw might need the comfort of a loved one.
“I could bring your partner, if you want company.” Hunter offered.
Ian thought about it for a moment, then grinned. “Nah, not just yet. It’d scare him to see me in this state. Wait until I’m looking a little less…”
“Tatty?” Hunter ventured.
Ian chuckled, then winced in pain. He glanced over at James and Maria for the umpteenth time.
“So… how long has that been going on?”
Hunter shrugged. “Four months.” He guessed.
“Six.” Alannah corrected.
The two guys looked at her, making her blush.
“What?” She challenged. “We may be in the middle of a war with witches, but me and Maria are still allowed girl talk.”
“Girl talk?” Hunter echoed. “Why does that phrase fill me with fear?”
Ian chuckled. “I think you’re referring to the ability of women to intimately discuss everything and everyone. I’m exempt, right? Too old for that nonsense.”
Alannah just grinned in response and winked. “Forty is not old. Well, I think they’re good together.”
Ian coughed. “They’re coming over.”
Hunter looked up to see James pushing a wheelchair, with a tired-looking Maria in it.
James glanced around the guilty faces. “What?” He demanded.
“Nothing.” Alannah squeaked.
Hunter shrugged. “We were just talking about you, that’s all. Maria, how are you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been hit by a bus.” Maria croaked. “S’fine. I don’t need the chair, but Mr Protective here…”
“The doctors said rest.” James interrupted. “You shouldn’t really be out of bed.”
“I wanted to hear what happened firsthand.” Maria replied with a sigh, then turned expectantly to Hunter.
Hunter looked at the waiting faces of his team, then began to recount what happened last night, starting with Alannah and Ian’s part in it. He finished with a less than faithful account, leaving out the fact that he had let Sophie go, making it sound more like she had escaped.
When he finished, there was silence.
“Guns didn’t work, knives didn’t work, our miracle 7th gen didn’t work.” Alannah huffed. “I’d like to know what can kill her.”
“She’s just another witch.” James offered, unconvincingly. “She got lucky this time, that’s all. Right, Hunter?”
Hunter looked up at the sound of his name but didn’t reply. She’d gotten very lucky. But what if they met again, could Hunter kill her?
“What’s she like?” Maria croaked. “The Shadow Witch?”
“Suitably scary.” Ian answered.
“Beautiful. No one mentioned she was beautiful.” Alannah added, gazing at the boys accusingly. “Well Hunter, I can see why you’d not be interested in… anyone, after her.”
“Beautiful, huh?” Maria repeated, twisting to look up at James.
“I never noticed.” James added, flashing a warning look at Hunter. “She wasn’t my type.”
Hunter turned to Alannah again. “We’ve just fought our biggest battle to date, and you want to go over my dating history?”
Alannah grinned, pleased that he’d caught up. “Yup.”
Hunter chuckled. “Uh-huh. Well I wasn’t interested in her because she was beautiful.”
The silence was immediate, and the look of disbelief was shared by all.
“Ok, it might have had a little to do with it.” Hunter conceded. “But it wasn’t everything.”
“Oh aye, there was her sparkling personality.” James added, rolling his eyes. “Frigid bitch was the term we used most often, weren’t it?”
As the rest of the team laughed, Hunter crossed his arms.
“If you lot are going to take the piss, I’m going.”
“Getting back to the main point.” Ian said sombrely, as he re-adjusted the pillow behind him. “I refuse to believe that she’s impossible to take down.”
“You said there were other Shadows.” Maria asked, her voice rough. “How did they die?”
“There were two.” James confirmed. “One was a thousand years ago. The second was in the forties – the one that Hunter’s grandfather killed.”
“And how did he do that?” Alannah asked, her big eyes turning to Hunter.
“No one knows. Old George never made an official report of it.”
“Did you never ask him?” Ian asked.
“He died when I was very young.” Hunter replied quietly. People in his profession didn’t have the longest lifespans. The fact that his grandfather had survived into his sixties was impressive. “I don’t remember much about him, only that he was a very private and miserable old man. From my father’s stories of Old George, that impression was only intensified.”
“So, he never shared?” Alannah sounded very disappointed.
“No.” James answered. “And we’ve exhausted every line of research into that area.”
“Well, we’ll find something.” Alannah said, getting to her feet and stretching. “I’m off to get some sleep.”
She leant over the bedside and kissed Ian’s cheek, then kissed Maria. “I’m glad you two are ok.”
Hunter pushed himself out of the uncomfortable chair. “I’ll walk you back to your quarters.”
He pulled on his coat and scarf, ready to brave the winter weather.
Chapter Twenty-one
Christmas was a suitably joyful time. Despite the fact that the world had not recovered, people were making the most of it and gathered with friends and family. Hard-earned meals were cooked, presents had been rustled together, everything was
feeling festive.
It was only five in the afternoon, but already it was dark, as Hunter wandered the streets of Manchester, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, and his shoulders hunched against the cold rain. He saw the firelight, bright in the windows of each home, people casting shadows against the curtains. They were all safe and warm, there had been no witch attack since the post-Hallowe’en battle. Hunter felt a little pride at that. But mostly he felt lonely.
Alannah had gone to her parents; Ian had gone to stay with his partner’s family; and James had taken Maria, to introduce her to his aunt and uncle.
James had of course invited Hunter to his family’s Christmas, like he did every year. But this year Hunter felt like he would be imposing.
Hunter sighed, his breath fogging before him on this wonderfully miserable, grey Christmas. He reluctantly turned on his heel and headed back towards the MMC camp.
It was quiet. Most of the witch-hunters and soldiers had gone home for the festive occasion, just like Hunter’s team. But there were a few that were still milling around like lost souls.
Hunter drifted about until he found who he was looking for – he admitted that only severe loneliness would force him to look for her.
“George, you missed the first course.” His mother snapped.
Her beady grey eyes followed the tray of sliced turkey that the ever-faithful Charles was carrying. “I hope this is not more of that regurgitated swill – the processed food.”
Hunter made an apologetic face in the direction of the people that had joined his mother’s table.
“It is fresh, mother. Charles and I went to the Whitaker farm yesterday to pick up our order.” Hunter explained, watching as Charles placed the turkey down and came back with equally farm-fresh, steaming vegetables.
“Hm, very well.” Mrs Astley conceded. “Although you know I prefer goose.”
Hunter sighed and helped Charles bring in the rest of the food, before he could say anything he could regret. Then he sat down and began what truly resembled a Christmas dinner. Roughly a dozen people sat around the table with them, and after a few awkward introductions and clumsy passes of the sprouts, everyone was cheery and content.
Witch Hunter Trilogy Box Set Page 25