Shadow Hunters

by Anna Hub

  Is that what this was about? Some kind of freedom fight?

  When Brayden returned he only looked at us briefly, signalling he was ready to move on. Then he continued to navigate through the trees. Although we were in the forest that ran through the Valley, we were yet to reach the deepest point—the pit where we could expect to see more hunters, and with luck, more people from the Origin waiting to be saved.

  As we moved, figures flashed through the trees around us. Tara and Matt searched frantically from side to side, holding their bows close.

  "What is that?" Tara whispered.

  Branches rustled but as I stepped closer, the plants shook and I only caught a flicker of brown fur between the leaves. "Whip cats."

  I was surprised they'd taken so long to find us.

  Tara drew the string of her bow while her eyes scouted for a target. My hand rested over the small knife tucked into my skirt but Brayden continued as though he didn't even see them and both sentries questioned his composure. I pulled out my ear plugs and Tara and Matt nodded as I motioned for them to block their ears.

  It was hard to be sure, but I guessed there were four cats travelling with us. They weren't trying to hide, but they didn’t scream either, which made me think maybe they weren’t planning to attack straight away.

  “Brayden?” I tried his name so when he turned I could measure the threat through his eyes.

  In the past, his Instinct had flared when the cats came anywhere near us but it wasn’t particularly strong right now.

  The first scream punctured the air and it was impossible to hold onto my nerves. Even with plugs, my ear drums quivered and my balance faltered.

  Tara and Matt both staggered with the pain, before a whip tail cracked against a tree and stripped the bark away. Tara docked an arrow but I held my hand out to make her pause.

  “Why isn’t he doing anything?” Matt motioned to Brayden walking calmly ahead of us.

  “You said he could fight the cats,” Tara whispered.

  “I don’t know why, but the cats mustn’t be a true threat right now."

  "Then why are they screaming?" Matt asked.

  “They must be warning us.”

  Tara searched the trees around her. “Of what?”

  “I don’t know.”

  But when I thought back to our time in the Valley, the cats had spent a full night stalking us and didn't attack until the following day. Sometimes they just wanted to make their presence known.

  We travelled a long distance throughout the day, but we didn't come across any new shadows from the Origin. The afternoon passed, bringing with it the harsh wind I'd become so familiar with during my time here. The cats occasionally hissed and jumped in front of us with their tails slicing the air, but Brayden didn't react, assuring me that they weren't going to attack us directly.

  As we moved, the light faded and just before dusk, Brayden paused with grey eyes. I quickly scanned our surroundings for any sign of danger.

  Matt looked around. "Can he sense something?"

  I nodded as the grey thickened. The cats fell silent and disappeared from our side. Tara and Matt held their weapons close. What could the whip cats possibly be afraid of in this place?

  Brayden dropped his bag beside a tree, and reached inside for the fire plough. I turned full circle, squinting in the fading light for a hint of what loomed.

  "What's he doing?" Tara whispered.

  I had no idea, but I kneeled down and blocked the wind for him. The tinder caught and Brayden fed dried leaves and sticks into the fire until it was stable. He lifted his head and stared at me, his eyes sharp enough to halt my breath. I straightened as he stood and gripped my waist, guiding me backwards until I bumped into a tree.

  "Stay there," he whispered.

  Tara and Matt muttered to each other as Brayden crouched before the fire again.

  As soon as dusk gave way to night, a heavy footstep sounded in the darkness. A whip cracked and Tara turned from side to side. She loaded a bow and climbed a rock, staring away from the firelight.

  A low rumble spread through the forest and a tail whipped in response. Were we the target of the danger, or were we merely in the wrong place at the wrong time? Another tail struck out; this time the crack cut short as though it had hit its opponent.

  A violent roar channelled through the Valley, too deep to have come from the cats’ lungs. I would recognise that sound anywhere. A reptile. And it was getting closer. The rough knots of the tree dug into my back as I tried to sink further into it.

  The cats cried out in unison, the sound shrill and haunting. The whips cracked one final time before silence fell. My heart pounded against my ribs as Brayden shuffled back. The muscles in his shoulders and back tightened as though he were braced to run.

  The ground shook as another heavy foot fell just behind the clearing. Tara and Matt turned with their weapons as the branches parted and the reptile's front legs appeared. Three wide talons broke through a fallen tree trunk and the beast took another step forward. Its head parted the trees, black eyes scanning the clearing, its body muscular beneath grey scales.

  I clamped my eyes shut, unable to stop the vivid memory of waiting in the tree as the beast had climbed behind me. The only reason I'd survived that attack was because of my shadow transporting me back to my old world. Now, I didn't have that option. I forced myself to breath slowly and opened my eyes just as Tara released an arrow. The weapon struck the beast's neck but jagged scales fanned out in defence and the arrow fell to the ground. The reptile growled and took another step. She quickly docked another arrow and fired. The second one punctured the reptile's torso but it mustn't have lodged too deep, for the reptile didn't make a sound. It took a purposeful step to the side and knocked the arrow against a tree until it snapped and fell away.

  Tara looked to Matt, who quickly lifted his own bow and fired three arrows at once. But none of the arrows stuck.

  Its eyes shifted; thin diamonds of black surrounded by a vibrant yellow. Suddenly I remembered the way it had struggled in the sunlight when I'd fled from its cave. That was why Brayden had been so eager to start the fire. That's why he'd pushed me against the tree, to keep me close to the light.

  “What now?” Tara hissed.

  Matt's gaze wandered, his eyes narrowing as he saw Brayden and me hiding behind the flames.

  "Help them!" I gripped Brayden's shoulder but remained exactly where he was. “It can’t see in the light,” I called out before Brayden spun around and clamped my mouth shut.

  “Go to the fire, Tara.” Matt fired another arrow to distract the beast but still it edged closer to Tara, its breath boiling in its throat.

  She took a step but it launched itself forward, pausing again just one metre away from her. She moved slowly to the side and it followed her, blocking her path to the fire. She dropped her bow and held an arrow tight in her fist like a dagger.

  Brayden's hand fell away from my mouth, but he still held me tight and I quickly whispered a warning to her, “Stay still, Tara.”

  The reptile's neck craned forward as it sniffed the air around her. Even from a distance, her trembling muscles were visible.

  I shook Brayden's shoulder once more. “You have to help her!”

  Matt ripped a branch away from a small tree and threw it toward me. “Light this.”

  The beast whipped around to face him and he froze with his arm raised in surrender. Tara took advantage of the distraction and shuffled back but it quickly turned to face her.

  I squatted in the small space between the tree and the fire, struggling to stretch out for the branch with Brayden holding me. Eventually I managed to drag it closer, holding the tip in the flames until it caught light.

  The beast stretched out once more, its face level with Tara's as it inhaled her scent. I kicked the back of Brayden’s legs in one final attempt to spur him into action but he didn’t react and we couldn't afford to wait any longer.

  Clutching the branch tight, I jumped up,
eager to get the torch to Matt so he could help. I took a step forward but Brayden gripped my waist tight and yanked me back to the safety of the fire.

  I screamed without thinking. It was one thing to feel nothing for the woman in front us who fought for her life, but another thing entirely to stop me from helping her.

  Matt growled in rage as he ran forward to claim the torch and the reptile shifted restlessly. Its snaky black and yellow eyes turned on us, but it struggled to make sense of the scene so close to the fire.

  Tara took a couple of steps backwards creating a safer distance between her and the beast. Then, without warning, she took off into the darkness.

  The beast sensed the sudden movement and leaned back to build momentum. Matt cried out, waving his arms in an attempt to distract the reptile before he ran in the opposite direction. He must have been trying to draw the reptile after him, but it didn't work. The beast took flight, its tail thrashed a tree and by the time the broken trunk fell to the ground, the reptile was already out of sight. Brayden released his grip on my waist and I fell on my knees. I couldn’t believe what had just happened.

  I turned to him and found the Instinct fell away within seconds. Usually that signified safety but I only felt despair. It meant Tara was far away and she'd taken the danger with her.

  Matt emerged from the darkness and it scared me more to think of Tara out there alone, her bow on the ground where she'd dropped it.

  “Damn you.” Matt dove over the fire and threw a fist at Brayden’s face.

  I gasped as the two men fell at my feet. Brayden grabbed Matt’s fist and twisted his arm behind his back. Matt used his legs to throw momentum but Brayden wrapped his free arm around Matt’s neck.

  No!” I rushed forward. With the Instinct taking over, there was no chance of making Brayden see reason. “Don’t fight back, Matt.” If he did, it could be over within seconds.

  Matt growled his frustration before surrendering. His legs stilled and Brayden released his hold, pushing Matt away from him in the same instant.

  The army man rolled away and grabbed the burning branch from the ground. He threw one bitter look my way before he ran in the direction Tara had gone.

  Chapter Ten

  I could barely come to terms with everything that had just happened. Brayden used both hands to wipe hair away from his face before he turned to face me. With my arms crossed tightly, I tried to still my shaking but the adrenaline was too strong to resist. He surveyed our surroundings, his expression intense but his eyes returning to brown.

  Hadn’t he noticed my horror? With the Instinct gone, couldn’t he see how terrified I was? He collected more tree branches and worked on the fire, all while I stood in shock.

  Eventually he looked up at me, his brow furrowed as though I was behaving strangely. I had no idea where to start. I couldn’t sit, I couldn’t speak and I couldn’t fathom what he’d just done.

  I paced beside the fire, trying to think of what to do. It felt wrong to wait around, not knowing if I would see Tara or Matt again, but it was too late to help them.

  "Do you remember what just happened?”

  He rested his elbows on his knees. “Some of it.”

  And yet he still showed no hint of regret. “Tara was attacked and you wouldn’t let me help her.”

  He looked at me blankly and anger swelled inside me. It was one thing to feel nothing when he was grey, but now, the Instinct was barely present and he still didn’t care. I'd never been as angry as I was in that in moment. But it wouldn't make a difference. It wouldn't change what had happened.

  “We should be looking for them.” I chewed my thumb nail. “Will you at least help me look for them?”

  "If they survive, they'll come back here.”

  My stomach churned. “I can't believe you just said that. Don't you feel any guilt?"

  “I came here to get away from them and I warned you this could happen. What do you expect me to feel?”

  My blood turned cold. He’d never been this callous before. He didn't care about saving Tara, which was bad enough, but worse than that, he didn't care about how much it had hurt me.

  I contemplated grabbing a branch to use as a torch and going out on my own to find them. But even in my grief, I knew that would be a stupid move. This place was far too dangerous to go out on my own. There was a high likelihood I wouldn't be able to find Tara or Matt, and would end up unable to find my way back to Brayden too. If I had tried to leave on my own, would he have stopped me? I had a feeling, he would have found a way to hold me back and I couldn't bear the thought of not having a choice.

  We sat on opposite sides of the fire. My arms were wrapped tight around my legs as though they could stop me trembling, but Brayden was stretched out, his posture relaxed and his eyes drooping with fatigue.

  In that moment, I hated him for being calm enough to sleep. And I was filled with trepidation about the rest of our trip. To think my whole plan had been to save others from the Origin, and I’d truly believed we could do it between the two of us. But it never would have worked because in the same way that his Instinct protected me, it also prevented me from saving anyone else.

  The night became darker and the moon travelled from one side of the sky to the other. The fire dwindled down to the ground. I had no intention of rekindling it until I realised it was the only way Tara and Matt might find their way back. If they were still alive. I fought to contain my emotion. I'd promised Brayden I would forgive him for making a mistake in here but I never thought he would do something this bad. And the worst part was that I couldn't even make him realise how it felt. His Instinct was too strong for him to react in a normal way and trying to forgive him when he showed absolutely no remorse was harder than I thought it would be.

  His head relaxed back as he fell asleep, his deepening breath the only other sound aside from the crackling of the fire. I couldn't sleep and despite all the tiredness in my body, I didn't want to. But it was going to be a long night. Just me trapped with my thoughts, staring at the man who suddenly felt like a stranger.

  Brayden opened his eyes before the sun came up and I still hadn’t slept at all. He packed his bag, sharpened arrows and ate without saying a word. When he stood up, I stayed in my seat, watching him through dead eyes.

  He seemed different than he had been the day before, as though the longer we spent here the more numb he would become.

  He hovered over me. "Let's go."

  I stood, my hands automatically moving to my hips. "Why did you just sit there and watch?”

  For a long time he only stared at me. “I never wanted them here. They knew they were on their own.”

  “You didn't have to help them, but you could have let me!"

  "It was too dangerous."

  I grit my teeth. This conversation was pointless. As I went to push past him but he reached out, his hand gripping my cheek so fast I flinched. I slapped his hand away but somehow it felt as though my skin had been torn away with it. I screamed, clutching my own hand to the side of my face.

  "The spider's web," Brayden said. "You need to keep the sunlight off it."

  I stepped into the shade, gently probing the area and checking my fingers for blood. There were ridges in my cheek, tracing all the way into my hairline where the web had burned in the sunlight. But it wasn't bleeding. I took a few deep breaths to help ease the pain then straightened my shoulders.

  Branches cracked in the forest nearby and Brayden's eyes greyed. My pulse raced as a rustle grew closer and I spun as Tara stepped into the clearing.

  "Tara?"

  Dry, cracked mud covered her skin, and her face was almost unrecognisable through the dirt and scratches on her cheeks.

  “I’m okay,” she sounded surprised.

  “What happened?” I rushed forward and clutched at her shoulders. It was only when she pushed me away that I realised my actions were slightly hysterical.

  “I’m okay, Selena, just let me sit down for a minute.”

  I b
acked off and she took a seat near the smouldering ashes of our fire.

  “Where’s Matt?” she asked.

  “He ran after you.”

  “Damn it.” She closed her eyes.

  “He was angry. I couldn’t have stopped him.”

  She only sighed and rubbed at her arms.

  “Are you hurt?”

  “Not really.”

  I waited for her to say more but she didn’t. “How did you get away?”

  “I ran.” Her eyes were distant as she relived her escape. “I ran as fast as I could between all the plants and vines ... somehow I managed to stay ahead.”

  It was strange to see her so traumatised.

  “Each time I thought I’d lost it, I’d hear its breath behind me again.” She laughed incredulously. “It was the whip cats. They came after us and I wasn’t sure which death I feared most. They screamed and whipped at the reptile but it wouldn’t let me out of its sight.” She looked at me. “I fell in a swamp and I think the mud camouflaged me. The reptile sniffed around my head, the only part of me not completely submersed, and I’m sure it would have figured I was there ... but the cats surrounded us and whipped it until it had to fight for its own survival.”

  “How many cats were there?” Brayden asked and at first we both stared at him dumbly, surprised he'd been able to speak at all.

  “A lot. Maybe ten.”

  “Did they kill it?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Did you see how?”

  “No.” Tara cleared her throat. “Look at me. I’m a mess.” There was something about the way she held her hands out that confirmed she was referring to her mental state rather than her mud stricken body.

  “Tara, we need to find Matt,” I said.

  She suddenly sprung back from her stupor.

  “How did you find your way back?” I asked.

  “I just had an instinct ... I guess I shouldn’t throw that word around lightly,” she mused. “I knew the direction I’d come from and I could smell the smoke.”