"Damn. Why don't I have an outfit like that?" Amanda comments.
Obviously my attire is somewhat of an attention getter even without the cloak. It has, I admit, gone through a few changes throughout the years. The fitted trousers and tunic have become a form-fitting body suit. A zipper, currently unzipped enough to show a bit of cleavage, adorns the front of the black suit. The black boots come up to my thighs - a decision made purely out of necessity as they can hold more weapons. I still have the original leather belt and straps that surround my thighs. Honestly, I feel much more comfortable when I had the cloak on, but I can't do that now.
"Wow," Zac whispers, then abruptly turns back to the cabinet.
Sam just watches and says nothing. But, I see the look in his eye, and I know what he's thinking.
"It's not a big deal," I move past them, hoping I'm not blushing. "My mum made it for me." Kind of. Okay, so the belt and sheaths were the only things that were original. Whatever.
"My mom wouldn't even let me buy something like that!"
"Can we get over it? Please. Let's focus. Do you have everything you need?"
"We're ready. Swords, daggers, stakes - wooden, silver and splintering."
Sam rattles off weapons like he's reading a grocery list. He sounds confident, and Amanda and Zac seem to be exceptionally calm. I don't know if it's all an act, but if it is, it's pretty good.
"Let's get going then."
Amanda and I walk together down the dark alleyway as the guys flank us. Honestly, I think Amanda just wants to keep me away from Sam. I don't mind. There shouldn't be any distractions. So, I keep the conversation to a minimum, speaking only to give them direction.
When I sense a Cursed One, I notice Amanda's reaction at the same time. Her hand grasps her sword, and I see it tremble almost imperceptibly.
"Are you ready for this?" I whisper.
"Yes," she answers, but she's not as convincing as she was before we got here.
I motion for the guys to fan out and wait for my signal. I go ahead to check out the situation. Hybrids were feeding off some poor soul that had the misfortune to cross their path. The Hybrids, I understand. The poor soul, I understand. The two humans in the mix? That I don't understand at all. Since when do Hybrids not kill any and all prey in their immediate vicinity?
I, apparently, study the scene too long, as Zac runs past me, towards the Hybrids.
"Zac! Damn it!" My swords already in my hands, I release the blades, dragging one across the neck of a surprised Hybrid as he lifts his head from his meal. Zac fights a quite large Hybrid, again with tattoos - I wonder if there's a theme. Zac's warrior cry as he ran towards the Hybrids did not help his plan to ambush, and the others - the ones not eating - are ready for him.
A quick check lets me know that Sam and Amanda are fighting two more Hybrids, and doing a good job at it. I have to believe they can take care of themselves. Zac, on the other hand, just proved to me that he needs more work. Just as that thought enters my mind, I see him bring his sword up, into the Hybrid's stomach. In order to incapacitate the Hybrid, he would've needed to hit him in the heart. But, the blow stuns the Hybrid enough to make him hesitate in his next attack, and Zac plunges a stake in his heart.
One more Hybrid - there were five in all - tries a sneak attack on me while I watch Zac. Lucky for me I have been honing my awareness skills, and I jump up doing a back flip, pushing myself off her shoulders. With a quick flick of my wrist, I end her just in time to see Zac slash his blade across his Hybrid's neck. I make sure Sam and Amanda are okay, see them both make the killing blow. So, this is what a trainer is supposed to feel? Pride, coupled with a feeling of accomplishment? Not too shabby.
The grunt of one of the humans brings my attention back to Zac. He pushes the other human away from him, and is seconds away from killing him. An innocent. I run towards him, catching his hand and sword in time.
"Zac, no! He's an innocent!"
"They're with those...things! They're not innocent!" He's panting, high off of the adrenaline from his first kill.
"They are human, Zac. It is against the code," I remind him.
"But, if they're working with the enemy, that makes them the enemy."
"Their fate is not up to you. You can only slay Cursed Ones."
"Then, what? We just let them go? Let them help more of these monsters?"
"Zac, calm down," Amanda lays a hand on his arm that is still shaking.
"Killing humans is something I can't allow, Zac," Sam mentions, then turns to me. "So, what do we do with them?"
"This is not common," I say, mostly to myself. "I do not understand why or how the Hybrids let these innocents live."
"They're not innocent, Ana. Stop calling them that," Zac all but growls.
I whirl on him as Sam slaps cuffs on the humans. "Enough!" I grab his lapels and push him back. "You need to get in control of yourself. No matter what you think of these guys, they are human. Innocents! You are bound by the code of Hunters not to harm humans.
"We can't leave them here, Sam. We'll take them back to the estate and you can question them."
"Protocol says I should take them into the station, Ana."
"Does any of this look like protocol to you?" I ask him, gesturing to the bloody body at our feet. "If you take them in, what will you tell the rest of your colleagues? You caught them while out hunting vampires?"
"I can blame them for this. They're high on something. I don't think anyone will question me about that."
"Fine. See what you can get out of them here before you take them in. You," I point at Zac. "You could've gotten yourself killed running in here like you did. You could've gotten all of us killed! What in the hell were you thinking?"
"You were taking too long," he mumbles.
"What?"
"I thought you didn't trust us. We didn't make the 'kill shot' before when you tested us. I just wanted you to know we were ready."
"Zac, if I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have brought you out here. I was analyzing the situation, that was greatly complicated by the humans. If you wanted me to know you were really ready, you would've kept your cool and waited for my signal. You cannot be a rogue hunter out here. Your fellow hunters rely on everyone to have their back and work together. If you can't do that..."
"I can," he interrupts. "I promise. I screwed up. I'm sorry."
"Sorry won't work if you get yourself killed, or worse, turned. Get yourself together. We'll continue hunting after Sam is finished."
Sam doesn't get much from the humans. He's right, they were drugged, but with what? He calls the scene in and turns over the 'suspects' when the uniforms get there.
The rest of the night went on without a hitch. We found a few more Hybrids - minus the humans and prey, thank goodness - and Zac was much more restrained and focused. All in all, my group of Hunters did exceptionally well despite the little time they've had to prepare.
"So? How'd we do?" Amanda asks when we got back to the estate.
I start removing all of my weapons, replacing them in the cabinet. "I'm here to train you, Amanda, not grade you." I sigh a little when she looks dejected. "I'm proud of you. You all did an amazing job, minus the little hiccup in the beginning," I say, glancing at Zac. "I am confident in your abilities, and, actually, I enjoyed hunting with you."
They smile at me, pride showing in their faces.
"Now, you should all get some rest."
"Could I speak with you for a minute," Sam asks me quietly.
"Sure."
Zac and Amanda leave, but I notice the look I get from Amanda. She certainly wasn't smiling then. She really hates whatever it is I have with Sam.
"Maybe we could go somewhere a little more private?"
"You really need to rest, Sam."
Now it's Sam's turn to look dejected, or rejected. "Right. Goodnight, then."
"Sam, wait. Come sit with me." When he comes back, I take his hand. "What you did out there, using the humans as suspects, that was
great thinking."
"Thanks. They'll do a drug test on them. Maybe I'll be able to find out what they were on. It had to be strong for them to just stand there and watch what they watched."
"This is all so strange. Things have changed so much. It looks like I'm going to have to talk to Bernard and see what he knows."
"Want me to go with you?"
I chuckle. All night, I feel he made it a point not to 'baby' me or Amanda. Now, when I need to do something as simple as speak to someone about what's going on, he wants to be there with me.
"This is something I have to do myself. But, thank you for the offer."
"You'll tell me...us, what you learn?"
It depends on what it is I learn. If it has anything to do with me or what I really am, I can't divulge that information.
"Mmhmm."
"Okay. Well...I guess I'll try to get some rest now."
He looks unsure, boyish, and impossibly cute right then. He's half way across the room when I stop him.
"Sam. I'll be ready in about ten minutes."
He smiles broadly, and picks up his pace.
I sit there for a moment after Sam leaves. I send Bernard a quick text, arranging to meet with him, and giving him an abridged version of the night's events.
Oh, how I wish papa was here. He and mum would know how to determine what was going on now with humans and the Cursed Ones being so evolved. Papa would be able to determine if cursed blood is what the humans were 'high' on. I wonder what the crime lab will find.
I took the second group out the next night. I'm happy to say it was uneventful compared to the first group. We had our fair share of Hybrids, but the humans were missing from the equation this night. I don't know whether to be thankful, or curious now as to why there were none.
This group was a bit more timid, but extremely efficient. Eric and Emily were marvelous in the way they used their ability. Whomever went out hunting with the two of them certainly had an advantage.
Even Jenna was strong and confident. I gave myself a moment to feel the pride in my small society, and even a bit of pride in myself. I've managed to take this eclectic group and turn them into bona fide Hunters.
"I want to tell you all how very proud I am of all of you." I stand at the head of the table, with my glass - of tea, since Sam thinks we're all too young to drink - lifted. "You have impressed me. Hunters would train since birth, knowing from early ages what they are up against. You were thrust into this life believing vampires were nothing but fictional stories. And, yet, you have made the transition into this world seamlessly. I congratulate you, and, humbly, thank you for what you have done." I lift my glass a bit higher, saluting them all, and then take a drink. They all look completely satisfied with themselves, as they should. To be able to do what they've done takes immense talent and concentration. I couldn't have asked for a better group of people - much to my surprise.
"We owe it all to you, Ana," Emily stands, and raises her glass to me. "Without you training us, and believing in us, we couldn't do this."
The others chime in their agreement, and I think if I could have blushed I would have.
"You owe it to yourselves," I tell them. "Don't underestimate your abilities." I pause, unsure of the reaction I'm going to receive with what I have to say next. "You're ready to go out on your own."
Silence.
"Will you at least be watching from a distance?" Amanda asks timidly.
I wish I could tell them I would be, but I can't. They need me to trust them as much as they need to trust themselves. The "Cloaked One" would never be too far away, but they didn't have to know that.
"No."
Amanda nods her head as though she understands why, but I catch Sam's eye and he doesn't look like he understands at all.
"Confidence," I say, quietly. "Patience. A fierce need to stay alive. That's all you need. Well, that and your abilities. I have faith in you." I hold Sam's eye for a brief moment, and then make eye contact with the others. "You can do this."
"And, you're sure this is the only way?" Sam asks. It isn't meant to be mean or undermining. I'll give him that.
"Yes. If I don't find the Maker, Sam, no matter what we do out there, how many Hybrids we kill, it'll be a never-ending circle. We'll get nowhere."
"Are there more of us?" Jenna ponders. "Couldn't we train more of us?"
"Not here. It would take me more time than I have to find others. Not to mention the time it would take for me to train them. That's assuming they don't laugh in my face."
"Do we know if they are contained here?"
I bring my attention back to Sam. "I don't know, yet. I will talk to Bernard and find out what he knows. They tend to start in one place, build their army and then move on. But, as we've seen, nothing has been typical lately."
When it seems no one else has questions, I relax a bit. How daunting it is, being the leader of an albeit small society. They look to me for so much. Information is something I am going to need to get from Bernard, and I'm pissed that I haven't heard from him. I'll try one more text, and then I will hunt him down if I must.
"Get some rest. Meditate. And, I mean that, Jenna."
Jenna rolls her eyes at me, but I saw the seriousness deep in her blue eyes. She now understands this isn't a game. Finally.
"Can I talk to you, Ana?"
Once again, Sam asks for alone time in front of Amanda. He really is not helping my situation with her.
"Of course."
I catch Zac's eye before he leaves, and he looks disappointed. With a shrug, he walks out with the others.
"You're really not giving Amanda a chance to stop being mad at me, Sam."
He frowns as though he doesn't understand.
"She's still mad?"
"We're still sleeping together," I answer matter-of-factly.
"I'm sorry." Sam is distracted, and starts his patented pacing.
"What can I do for you, Sam?"
"Let me go with you."
Now it's my turn to frown with misunderstanding.
"Go where?"
"Hunting for the Maker."
"No."
"Ana."
"No, Sam. The Maker is the strongest Cursed One." Other than me, I think silently. "You are not ready for that."
"If it is so strong, you'll need backup."
"This is not up for discussion, Sam. I need you here with the others. They see you as a leader, as well. I need you to lead them."
"Ana, they can handle themselves. You've said that yourself."
"Sam," I hesitate, hoping I'm saying the right thing. "I told you when we got together, not to make me regret it. Please. Don't make me."
He blanches as though I punched him in the gut. "I'm not trying to make you regret being with me, Ana." He sits heavily in the chair in front of me. "I'll stay with the others. But, if you need me, I'm here."
"I know that," I say, softening my voice. I walk behind him, and lay my hands on his shoulders. Leaning down, I whisper in his ear. "Thank you for that, but this is something I have to do myself."
He nods. I know he still doesn't agree, but he will concede.
"Should I go to my room?" He asks, sounding almost shy.
Once again, I lean down, this time kissing him softly on the cheek.
"Go to my room," I murmur. I smell Zac then, and he's close. Backing away from Sam, I smile. "I'll be going to bed soon."
Sam's confused by the abrupt change until he hears Zac himself.
"Right. Goodnight, then." Sam turns on his heel, and brushes by Zac. "Zac."
Hmm. Judging by his tone, he's not happy that he's leaving me and Zac alone. I'll have to remind him that there's nothing between us. I think I know just the way.
"Ana?"
Zac interrupts the little fantasy I was having, and I have to force myself not to sigh.
"Why aren't you meditating?"
"Is Sam the only one who can talk to you alone?"
"No! Of course not! I'm sorry, Zac. What d
o you need?"
He wavers, uncertainty shining in his eyes for a brief moment.
"Let me go with you."
What? You have got to be kidding me with this. Is he really here asking me for the exact same thing Sam asked for? There's no reason to prolong this by asking him questions I already know the answers to.
"No, Zac. I need you here."
"Is Sam going with you?" He asks, not able to mask the bite in his voice.
"No." I, in return, can't help the terse response that escapes.
"Shouldn't someone..."
"Enough, Zac. You're not ready to hunt for something like a Maker. You will stay with your team. They need you. I need you here."
"I'm just worried about you."
My annoyance alleviates a bit. I know he means well. "I know. But, you don't have to worry about me."
Zac steps closer, and to my utter shock, raises his hand to touch my cheek.
"I don't think I could stop if I wanted to," he says, softly.
Oh, Zac. I pull his hand away from my face, squeezing it briefly before letting it go.
"This can't happen, Zac."
"Because you're my leader?"
Because I'm with Sam. "Not just that." Oh, I have to tread so lightly here. If I upset him, it may affect him while hunting. "These are very tense times, Zac. I need you to be focused on hunting, nothing else. Do you understand?"
"I think so. But, I still think I should go with you."
"Zac, I'm not used to being a leader, so I don't know, really, how to handle this stuff. But, as your leader, I'm telling you to stay here with your group."
"Is that an order?" he quips.
"Yes." My voice is flat, devoid of any emotion. I think it gets through to him, because he takes a step back.
"Yes, ma'am." He salutes me - a little over the top - and walks out.
Sigh. I take my phone out, and text Bernard once again.
Must I come find you, Bernard? You brought me into this. Now I need answers. If I have to hunt you down, it won't be pretty. You know what I am capable of.
There. That ought to get a response. I'm not disappointed when my phone chimes mere seconds later.
Destined to Kill: A Destined Novel (Destined Novels Book 1) Page 14