Destined to Kill: A Destined Novel (Destined Novels Book 1)

by Jourdyn Kelly

  "No." He gets up quickly. "Thanks. I'll try this out on my own now."

  With that, he leaves and I'm alone again. That was odd, I think with a shrug. A quick, deep listen, I hear no one, smell no one. I glance upwards.

  "Mum? Papa? How am I supposed to do this? I need you. Oh, how I wish you were here with me. These kids would be much better off if it weren't me teaching them. I don't even if I'm doing everything right." I close my eyes, hoping for an answer, a sign, anything. When nothing comes, I sigh heavily and go off to bed.

  I run around with my wooden sword, swatting and swinging at everything around me. In the distance, I could see mum waving at me and smiling. I wave back and give her a big, toothy grin.

  Papa is training a Hunter close to me, and I begin to mimic their movements. The Hunter is not very good, but papa continues to teach him patiently. The boy misses his mark again, and apologizes profusely. Papa just pats him on the shoulder and smiles. He tells the boy to go home for now, and they will start again in the morn.

  "Papa," I run up to him and take a stance with my sword. "I wish I could be more like you."

  Amused, he imitates my stance, and lets me swat at his sword with my wooden one. "Why do you say that, Anala?"

  "Everyone looks up to you, papa. You are so good with them. That Hunter was terrible! I would have thrown him out." I kick a stone with my little, unclad foot and wince a little at the pain.

  Papa chuckles and picks me up, twirling me around. "I am their leader, little one. They trust me to teach them and keep them safe. I have to believe that everyone I train will gain the confidence and ability I try to instill in them. That is what being a leader is all about."

  "Do you think I will be like you one day?"

  Papa sits me down and kneels beside me. "Anala, my daughter, you are a born leader. When the day comes, you will be better than I am. Believe in yourself. I do."

  I sit up in bed and wipe the tears from my eyes. "Thank you, Papa," I whisper in my empty bedroom.

  As I stand under the steaming hot shower, I think of my eclectic group of Hunters. After my dream, I had become more confident in myself and my training. It seems the change in me resonated with the others, because they changed, as well. They were tired, but stronger, faster and more in tune with themselves and each other. The rest of the week, into the weekend, consisted of nothing but going to school and then hard core training. We graduated to dull swords by mid-week and sharp, cut-your-head-off swords by the end. I admit that I am rushing them a bit, pushing them, but I honestly don't think I have any other choice. The number of Cursed Ones grows by the day.

  Their absence from home when their parents returned was explained by extracurricular school projects or just hanging with friends. It seemed easy enough without much questioning. Such different times we're living in now. So, we spent more and more time with each other, getting to know each other (for the sake of hunting together). I actually enjoyed getting to know the others. It started feeling more like the Society of old when we sat around the dinner table and talked. Even Jenna was becoming more tolerable (shocking as that is).

  Sam's attitude towards me was still strained, but I decided to cut him some slack. I can't imagine how he's dealing with his job as a detective, and training so hard to be a Hunter. Of course, there's also the fear that we are close to actually having to go out and hunt, which puts his sister in imminent danger. I know that everything inside him wants to do nothing more than protect her and the others. Knowing that being a cop does nothing to help our situation must be difficult for him.

  I'm scared, myself, about their first time out. I can only hope that papa was right and I was born to do this. I've given them all of the tools they need to stay alive, but they've had so little time to come to terms with all of this. If I've failed…I don't even want to think of the consequences.

  I step out of the shower and tug on my robe. I could sense the others near. They all wanted to stay since it was the weekend, and I'm glad for it. They filled the huge house somehow, and made it more bearable for me to be here.

  I walk into my bedroom, and was drying my hair with my towel when I smell the familiar scent. It's so close I frown in confusion. Going to the door, I open it.

  "Sam!" He's in mid-unsure-knock, and there's no holding back the surprise from either of us. I thought everyone had gone to bed already. He looks like he's been caught doing something he shouldn't be doing.

  "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be here."

  I catch his arm when he starts walking away.

  "Why are you here?"

  "I..." His gaze slides down to my robe and I can almost swear he blushes. "I don't know," he finishes.

  He does know. And, after the look he gave me, so do I. I step back and hold the door open. "Come in."

  He wants to decline, but he bows his head and comes in.

  "Sit down, Sam."

  He's fidgeting so much it's making me nervous. He sits, uncomfortably, on the bed then notices the chair next to the wall, and quickly gets up. He sits again and rubs his hands on his jeans as if they're sweating.

  "I really shouldn't be here."

  "You already said that. Why don't you tell me why you are here."

  "Because I can't sleep."

  "Are you worried about something?"

  "No. Yes. I don't know." He pushes a hand through his hair and blows out an exasperated sigh. "Of course I'm worried. But, that's not why…I can't stop thinking about you," he confesses.

  Even with the inkling of why he was here, hearing him say it still astounds me.

  "I know, I'm a sick man," he says, taking my surprise in a way I don't intend.

  "Why does that make you sick?"

  "Because you - you're so much younger than me. I shouldn't have these feelings for you."

  I can't help but smile at that. If only he knew just how old I was. Perhaps he would think that was even worse.

  "I'm...of age," I tell him. "Besides, you're not that old." I grin when he glances up at me. "Would it help you to know that I think of you, too?"

  "Of what an ass I am?"

  "Mostly," I smirk. "But, there's more, too."

  "I think it would've helped more if you yelled at me and told me to get the hell out." He sighs. "There are so many reasons why this shouldn't happen."

  More than you know, I think silently. "Amanda?" I ask aloud.

  "That's probably the biggest one. And, with her newfound abilities, I'm not sure I want to test her."

  "Then perhaps we shouldn't tell her. Or the others. We don't need any more complications."

  "Don't do that. Don't talk like this is going to happen. I can't believe you'd want to be with me after the way I've treated you." Sam rises. "Damn it. This was a mistake. I'm sorry."

  Once again, I catch his arm as he tries to walk past me. Saying nothing, I reach up and kiss him.

  The instant our lips touched I'm taken back to a night, many centuries ago when I kissed Thomas. The taste of Sam, and the way his lips felt against mine is so familiar.

  When Sam breaks the kiss, he gently touches his forehead to mine. "I feel like I'm stealing your innocence," he whispers.

  I can't think of one thing to say that would put him at ease, so I say the first thing that comes to my mind.

  "I'm not a virgin, Sam."

  Seriously? That's what I come up with?

  "Oh. I don't think I like that, either."

  Jealousy. Interesting.

  "How about this," I say, as I push him towards the bed. "Just for tonight, we don't think about anyone else or anything else except each other." I nudge him onto the bed and straddle him. "Can you do that?"

  "Yes."

  I listen to Sam sleep quietly beside me. I don't think anything, in all of my years, could have prepared me for this turn of events. I glance at Sam. For someone so high-strung and grumpy, he was incredibly gentle with me. Sighing, I toss my legs over the side of the bed, and bury my head in my hands.

  "God, what did you do,
Anala?" I whisper. Papa would certainly not approve of this. Sleeping with a Hunter that I am training? That all but spelled disaster.

  "Ana?"

  I jump a little, even though his voice is barely a whisper. I'm also suddenly aware that I have nothing on. I slip back under the covers and face him.

  "Sorry, did I wake you?"

  "No. Everything okay?"

  He looks at me so intently. I suppose I should be used to it by now, but it still unnerves me.

  "Yes," I smile.

  "Having regrets?"

  "Of course not." I can't hold his gaze.

  "That didn't look very convincing, Ana." He tries smiling, but I can see the uneasiness.

  "Sam, I don't regret what we did," I pause, searching for the right words. "Please don't make me regret it. We are so close to having to go out hunting. The last thing you need is a distraction. Don't let me be a distraction to you."

  He traces his finger down my cheek, and over my lips. "Too late."

  "I'm serious. Just because we're sleeping together doesn't mean I need you to be my hero. You need to stay focused, do what you are trained to do. And, you need to remember that I can take care of myself."

  "I understand. I do!" he reiterates when this time I don't look convinced. "Distractions are dangerous. Ana, I'm a cop, so I get it, okay? No heroics," he grins.

  I can't help but smile back. "Good. Now get some sleep. We have a full day tomorrow."

  "In a little bit," he says, and then kisses me.

  I wake up early, leaving Sam to sleep a little longer, and head to the training room. I purposefully come early, knowing I would have the room to myself for a while. I walk into the holding room, and the Hybrid is instantly alert. He gives a half-hearted hiss, then slumps back in the chair. He hasn't eaten since I brought him here. I can sympathize with how he feels, how weak he must be, but I also remember he's the enemy.

  "Can you speak?" I ask, unsure if I'll get any kind of response with how weak he is. "I know you're hungry. Talk to me and I will get you food."

  He just grunts softly.

  "Who is your Maker?" Nothing. "What are you doing here? What do you want?"

  "Cloak," he whispers.

  The hairs on my neck stood up. Did he say cloak?

  "What?"

  "Need Cloaked One," he growls.

  "What do you mean?" He saw me in my outfit. Does he want me - or the Cloaked One - dead because I caught him?

  "Food."

  I hear the others come into the training room, and I see his gaze shift behind me.

  I block his view. "Who is your Maker?" I ask, again. "Tell me and perhaps I will spare your life."

  He hisses at me again, as much as he can in his anemic state. "Cloak."

  Well, this was no help at all. The others would only wonder what 'cloak' meant if they could hear him. Fearing that, and knowing I wouldn't get the answers I need from him, I make the decision. The others need to know what it was going to be like when they killed Cursed Ones. I would use this one to demonstrate.

  I feel their presence get closer. They're curious as to how our 'prisoner' is doing. Keeping my back to them, I take my fingernail and slice it against the palm of my hand, drawing blood. The smell hits the Hybrid hard and he goes wild with need. He strains against the chains, his eyes turning white, with a thin, faded red rim. His teeth grow, and saliva drips from his mouth like a dog with rabies. I'm torturing him, but it's necessary. Hunters need to be reminded of what they are up against.

  I lick the blood from my hand where the wound has already healed. "That will do," I tell him quietly, and leave him.

  "Are you sure he can't get out?" Amanda asks, looking wearily at the door of the holding room as if it were going to burst open at any moment.

  I reassure her, moving past her and the others. In the middle of the room, I gather their attention.

  "Today, you're going to see what happens when you defeat your enemy." My words did not even come close to describing the unadulterated violence they were about to witness. "You're late," I announce when Sam walks in, purposefully voiding my voice of any emotion.

  "I know, I'm sorry. Overslept."

  "Whoa. Did Sam just apologize to Ana? Hell must've frozen over," Jenna quips and the others snicker.

  "Enough," I snap. "We are on the verge of going out in the real world and hunting these…monsters." I glance at Amanda when I use her word. "We don't have time to be late or to make jokes." I turn my back to them, take a deep breath and compose myself. Turning back, I say, "None of you know what you're really in for. So, I'm going to show you."

  I order them to stay put as I go back to the holding room. They're not going to like what I'm about to do - hell, I'm not sure I like what I'm about to do. It's necessary.

  "I would get ready if I were you," I announce, moments before I unchain the Hybrid. I'm confident that he is weak enough that he won't be able to do much damage. But, he will undoubtedly cause a bit of panic.

  I heard many expletives, gasps and even a few 'finallys' come from the group. I watch for a bit, analyzing their tactics, evaluating their composure. All in all, they do pretty well keeping the Hybrid at bay. I do, however, notice that not one of them go for the kill. Not even Detective Sam.

  The Hybrid goes after each Hunter, only to get more frustrated at the failed attempts. Interestingly enough, I can almost see him analyzing the situation. Choosing the smallest, seemingly weakest, in the bunch didn't work. When none of them turn out to be easy prey, I see him considering how to escape. Cursed Ones are certainly evolving, I think fleetingly as he runs towards me.

  With my swords at my sides, I press the buttons to release the blades. The Hybrid hisses, using what was left of his strength to charge me. I side-step him, spinning, I hit him making him stumble back. He snarls with hunger and anger, but doesn't charge again. Instead he holds his ground, poised as we each weigh our options. I see him glance at the bars above me. They were used in training as obstacles the Hunters needed to determine how to use to their advantage. I see now that the Hybrid was trying to do the same thing. It's fascinating. I'm almost sorry that I'm going to have to kill him. Almost.

  I drop my swords and jump to the bars at the same time he does, preventing him from fleeing. Wrapping my legs around him, I tug. We both come tumbling down, and he holds on to me, hoping this is his chance to get food. Unfortunately for him, I am ready for impact. Falling backwards, I bring him up and over me, launching him into the glass of the holding room. The blow has him struggling to gain his footing. Grabbing my swords, I perform a kip-up and am on my feet, in front of him, in seconds. He's defeated and he knows it. This isn't how it is in the field, he's just too hungry and weak to fight anymore. Once again, I have to help him - and my cause - by nicking my palm, drawing blood. Ravenous, he bounds towards me. No tricks, no fancy moves, I cross my swords like a huge pair of scissors, and close them across his neck.

  His head rolls once, away from his slumped body, before they turn to dust.

  The others run over to me - and to their credit, none of them are too grossed out by what they see. In awe, perhaps a bit of shock, but mostly they are just trying to comprehend everything that just happened.

  I am disappointed in them for their lack of 'killing instinct', but they're alive and unscathed. That's a plus. They held their own, used their skills. Still, not delivering the killing blow is not going to work out there.

  "Why didn't you kill him?" I'm not asking anyone in particular, and they look at each other for the answer. "Someone answer me. I don't care who."

  "He was weak?" Amanda's answer comes in the form of a question, annoying me.

  "Do you think he would have given you the same consideration if he'd gotten past your defenses? He would've killed you without a second thought."

  "We're human, Ana. He may kill us without hesitation, but you can't expect us to be the same way." It's Amanda's turn to be annoyed with me.

  "You're not just human," I counter. "You're Hu
nters. It is your destiny to kill these…things. It is the code."

  "Ana, this is our first time experiencing all of this," Sam interjects, quietly. "We haven't been prepared for this like you have. These kids, me, we're doing our best."

  He's right, of course, but we simply do not have the time for 'humanity' when it comes to Cursed Ones. And, yes, I realize the irony of someone like me feeling that way.

  "Train for a couple of hours. We'll meet in dining room to eat and discuss our next move around noon."

  I leave them to it, retreating to my room for time alone. When I get there, I immediately take off my shirt and examine my shoulder. As expected, there's no wound, just a trace of blood where the Hybrid got a bite in. I have no idea how this bite will affect me, but, I'm thankful he was just a Hybrid. They are not potent enough at this stage to turn someone, only kill them. I feel fine enough, even if a bit cranky. Aftermath of letting a Hybrid get one in, I suppose. I'm better than that. Sure, they're evolving, but that is no excuse. If he can get to me, what are the chances of survival for the others?

  I meet the gang in the dining room at precisely twelve o'clock. Apparently they're all cranky as well. I don't blame them. I am their trainer, the one they look to for advice and guidance. What do I do? I run off and hide. I should have been there training with them. Just one more thing Papa would be disappointed in.

  "First, I want to apologize," I begin as I sit at the head of the table. "I should've handled this morning differently. Beginning with telling you how sufficient you all were against the Hybrid. I am impressed with how well you are all doing in such a short amount of time." I pause, thinking about how papa would handle this. Searching for the right words. "I know this is very new for all of you. Being a trainer and responsible for a society - as few as we are - is new to me. I don't expect you to lose your humanity," I say, holding Amanda's eye. "However, you also can't let it get in your way out there. It's your life or theirs. And, I can tell you that they will not hesitate to kill you. They do not possess the humanity you do."