Changed (The Hunters #1)

by Rose J. Bell

  Rosa smiled. “Well, you can see we’re different, Colin.”

  “Speak for yourself, Ice Princess,” Valerie said and raised her hand. “Of course, I won’t talk about it. I don’t even want to think about it.” Valerie shivered at the thought of being old.

  “Why did you bring it up a few seconds ago then?” Rosa asked.

  “I’ve spoken about your ageing, not mine. There’s a big difference.”

  Rosa smiled. “Uh-huh.”

  Colin stood up. “I actually came here because the Master wants to talk to you, Rosa.”

  She jumped up immediately, almost losing her balance, if Colin wouldn’t have caught her.

  “And you tell me this now?” Rosa asked upset.

  “Sorry, but I had to know what happened after I saw your face.”

  “Okay, not a problem. I’m going now.” Valerie and Colin nodded simultaneously.

  “I’ll see you later,” said Rosa.

  Rosa took her crutches and left the gym. She wondered why Sergei wanted to talk to her. She hoped he didn’t want to talk about the angel, because she didn’t have any information yet. She walked up the stairs to his room, knocking, and stepping into the room.

  Sergei wasn’t there. That meant he could only be in the library. She went one floor up and headed for the library. Rosa walked through a dark corridor and saw the library door was open. She went in without knocking.

  The library was a large room with high vaulted ceilings. It consisted only of windows that let sunlight shine into the room. Thus, the room was brightly lit. Along the wall, tall bookshelves stood crammed with books. The floor consisted of red carpet that looked worn. On the left side was the fireplace, which was always used in the winter.

  Rosa loved the library. The old-fashioned blend of wood was reassuring in itself, and she loved the smell of the old books that filled the room. She came here sometimes to think, or just to be alone.

  In the middle stood a large round table, which was now filled with people. Sergei wasn’t alone. Jelena, Sergei’s wife, and the leader of all hunter clans in the whole world, Lord Constantine, were sitting at the table.

  Lord Constantine was a man in his mid-fifties, but looked like forty. He had black hair and cold dark eyes. They were so dark you couldn’t see his pupils. They were just deep black holes. They threatened to engulf everything.

  His pointed face and large muscular body made him even more frightening. Like the others, he wore a black, expensive suit. He was a mighty man, who led and ruled his clan with an iron fist—the fact that he was there at all could not be good.

  Everyone at the table stared at her.

  Rosa didn’t feel comfortable. She was standing with her sweaty T-Shirt and her disheveled hair. If she had known that she would meet Lord Constantine, she would have cleaned up first.

  This is certainly not a good impression, Rosa thought.

  “Master, you called me,” she said politely.

  Sergei nodded. “Yes, Rosa. We have to discuss something.”

  She took a deep breath and felt the tension within her. What did they want to discuss with her? Rosa looked over at Jelena. She was as old as Sergei was, with platinum blonde hair and brown eyes.

  Jelena was also a hunter, but after she had married Sergei, she ended her career as a hunter. Now she lived in the shadow of her husband, never interfering in things of the hunter clan, and so Rosa was surprised to see her there.

  “Come sit down, Rosa,” Sergei said, pointing at the seat next to his wife.

  Rosa thanked him and took her place on the left side, next to Jelena. She smiled at Rosa.

  Lord Constantine took over the meeting.

  “Rosa,” he began. She looked up at him, astonished. Rosa had never met him before, and it surprised her that he petitioned her by name. They always petitioned members of the hunter clan by “hunter” or “huntress.” His voice was deep and scratchy, as if he smoked a pack of cigarettes a day.

  “You are asking yourself why are you here, aren’t you?” he asked, with a blank smile. He sat at the end of the table, and Rosa turned her head to the left to look at him. His black eyes watched her.

  “Yes, Lord Constantine,” she replied, swallowing.

  He smiled at her. Straight, white teeth appeared. The sight of him smiling at her frightened Rosa somehow. It was as if something was hidden behind his smile.

  “I’ve heard a lot about you, Rosa. Thou shalt be one of the best hunters in Boston, and in the world,” he continued.

  “If they say so,” Rosa said.

  “Have you passed your exam?”

  Rosa nodded. “Yes, Lord Constantine.”

  “And did you kill your first Nephilim already?”

  “No, Lord Constantine. Not yet.”

  The others were silent at the table. Jelena put her hand on her knee. Sergei smiled at her.

  “I’ve heard that two Nephilim are in my city. Is that right?” he asked, his gaze was a little gloomy. Rosa did not miss that he put the emphasis on the word “my.”

  Rosa swallowed hard and nodded weakly. “That’s right. They go to school with me.”

  He now leaned forward, his eyes burning in hers.

  “And why did you not kill them instantly?” he asked slowly.

  She looked to Sergei for help. He smiled at her encouragingly. His eyes told her she should say what she had told him. Rosa took a deep breath and looked into the eyes of Constantine.

  “I think, Lord Constantine, that they have a plan. They know that we rule Boston, and I do not think they would just walk into the trap. I’m very sure there is more behind it,” Rosa explained. She didn’t mention that she already talked to Jason.

  He nodded. “And have you found out what their plan is yet?”

  She bit her lip. “No, Lord Constantine. Not yet, but I’m working on it.”

  He nodded and leaned back. “Rosa, you know that you do not have much time. I want to see results.” His tone was harsh and his penetrating gaze made her nervous.

  “I hope you will not let me down, Rosa. I expect an answer from you in a short time. Understand?”

  She nodded. “Yes, Lord Constantine.” He leaned back and folded his hands on the table.

  “Now let’s come to the reason why you are here.” He looked back at Rosa.

  “You’ve certainly learned that you are going on a trip to Vancouver with your class on Friday,” he said.

  “Yes,” she said. She wanted to ask Sergei why she was being sent into the city of angels, anyway.

  “I want you to find one of the four talismans that are there,” Lord Constantine continued.

  Rosa frowned. “The talisman? How do we know they are there at all?”

  For years, the hunters and archangels were searching for the four talismans. As the story is told, there are four talismans, having great powers, and were created by the demon queen Lilith. Lilith started the loathing between the angels and the hunters. After Lilith was banished from the mortal world, she hid her talismans so nobody could find them. Since then, both rulers had been searching for the talisman, without success.

  “We have a clue where one of the talismans may be, and we want to take this opportunity to look for it.”

  “And why do I have to do this?”

  Lord Constantine smiled that mysterious smile again. “Because you are the best hunter, and have the gift of fight. You are the perfect hunter to enter the city of angels, Rosa.”

  Rosa didn’t like this idea. “Alone?” she asked anxious.

  He was still smiling. “Of course. You do not need any support with your gift.”

  She slid back and forth on her chair. Alone in a city full of archangels and Nephilim? This idea gave Rosa the creeps. She had never been alone with the Archangel or Nephilim. Okay, she was with Jason, but he was only one, and he beat her in fight. Furthermore, what would she do if Jason found out that she was a hunter while they were in Vancouver? Of course, he would betray her and she would be killed.

>   Okay, Rosa. Don’t think about it. I’ll not get caught.

  Rosa looked at Lord Constantine. There was one thing she still didn’t understand.

  “Why send the whole class to Vancouver? I can go on my own to get the talisman.”

  “Excellent question, Rosa,” he said and stood up. Rosa watched as he drew closer to her. In less than a second, he was standing behind her. Rosa didn’t know what she should do. She could feel him right behind her—this powerful, menacing aura. Her heart began to beat faster. She wanted to turn around, but Lord Constantine put his hands on her shoulders, and prevented her. She felt his hands warm and heavy on her shoulders. Her heart pounded against her chest.

  Lord Constantine gave her a fright.

  She tried not to show it, as she stared at the others with an expressionless face. Jelena squeezed her knee.

  Lord Constantine leaned forward so she could feel his hot breath on her. It smelled like coffee and cigarettes.

  “Rosa,” he whispered her name threatening—she got goose bumps all over her entire body.

  “I know that you have saved the life of a Nephilim,” he said, so softly that only she could hear it.

  Rosa froze. She didn’t dare to breathe. How can he know that?

  “And so you have broken one of the most important hunter clan’s rules.” Lord Constantine pressed his fingers into Rosa’s shoulders. Before her eyes appeared the rule: Never save your enemy’s life. Kill it.

  She had completely forgotten this rule. Rosa gave herself an inner slap.

  How could I forget the rule?

  “And you know what that means, right?” he whispered.

  Rosa couldn’t breathe. Her body ached from all the tension in her. She nodded slowly. It meant the death penalty, because she had committed a betrayal.

  “You’re a good hunter, and it would be a shame to lose you and your gift, so I forgive you. But you will be punished anyway. I’ll let you know your punishment.”

  The pressure on Rosa’s shoulder became stronger. It hurt a lot and she bit her lip.

  “But next time, if you break the rule again, I will not be so generous. You will be killed. Your gift cannot help a second time. I will kill you with my own hands. I cannot stand for my hunters to betray me, breaking my rules, Rosa.” She could hear the seriousness and the threat in his voice. He let go of her shoulders.

  “And I expect results,” he added and sat down. Rosa took a deep breath, but the tension did not vanish.

  “Rosa, you can go now. And I hope you hold onto my instructions,” she heard him say. She stood up. Her legs felt like rubber. She was glad she had the crutches.

  “Thank you, Lord Constantine,” Rosa said, looking at him. He nodded and his eyes flashed dangerously.

  She said goodbye to Jelena and Sergei, then she walked out of the room. Rosa walked as fast as she could with her crutches outside. She stopped, standing beside a tree and leaned against it.

  How could he know that she had saved Jason’s Life? Who told him? And how will he punish me? And how could I have forgotten this rule?

  Rosa didn’t know the answers any of these questions. She was tired and her leg hurt. She just wanted to take a hot shower, and she wanted to talk, especially with Matt, but she didn’t know if Matt would even talk to her. Rosa took her crutches and walked to her car. She got in and drove off.

  Part 2

  The Hunter

  The pain woke her up. Her back was on fire. Groaning, she sat up. Tears welled in her eyes, rolling down her cheeks.

  Her back hurt so much!

  When she straightened up, she felt something soft under her.

  She searched with her hands, feeling around for anything.

  A blanket!

  They had really given her a blanket.

  She stroked the soft fur of the blanket, rubbing her hand over it, and then laid down again. She had not expected them to give her a blanket, but the light was out and she was in complete darkness.

  She pulled her knees up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around her legs.

  She could still not believe all this was really happening. She felt like she was in a nightmare that was never going to end.

  How long would they keep her here? Would they really keep her until she answered the question correctly? And would she always be punished?

  Tears welled in her eyes. She was punished for something that was not her fault.

  She had not started the war between the hunters and the archangels. Why was she the one being punished?

  Suddenly the door opened and two men entered her cell.

  Immediately, she was alert and crept into her corner.

  “Leave me alone,” she screamed and struggled, as strong hands grabbed her arms and twisted behind her back.

  She was too weak to defend herself.

  “Please! No.” In the shadow cast by the outside light, she saw the tip of a syringe.

  Oh no! They were going to inject her with something that would paralyze all of her Nephilim abilities.

  “No!” she screamed and rose up against them, but a hand slapped her face and pushed her onto the floor.

  Then she felt the burning sting in her neck. It spread out into her body, so that her whole body felt as though it were on fire.

  The hands let go of her, and as quickly as they came, she was alone in the dark.

  With tears rolling down her face, she curled herself into a ball and shut her eyes. The pain would be over soon, but until then it would be torturous.

  Slowly, the burning sensation passed away and she began to breathe more calmly.

  Her thoughts wandered to Jason. How much she missed her brother! Was he looking for her? Did he miss her, too? Did he know that they had paralyzed her skills, so she could not talk with him through their minds?

  Until now, she had never been separated from her brother for so long. It hurt. She hoped that he had not given up the search for her.

  “Get me out of here, Jason,” she whispered. “Please, get me out of here.”

  Jason opened the door very quietly to Michele’s room and slipped inside. The room was painted in a bright pink and the curtains were white. It was a little dark in the room, and it was comfortably cool.

  Jason headed for the crib that stood in the middle of the room. He stopped next to it, looking down at Michele, who was sleeping peacefully in her bed.

  She was lying on her side as she sucked on her thumb. Her blond hair fell into her brown eyes. Jason leaned forward and gently pushed her hair aside, and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek.

  Michelle was a year old and was just like Philip abandoned by her parents. Aunt Sarah had taken her in to care for her.

  Michele suddenly opened her eyes and rolled over on her back. She looked at Jason with her big brown eyes. A pain jerked Jason suddenly. Jasmine loved Michele, and she had always worried about her.

  He pushed away the painful thought and smiled. “Good morning, sweetheart. Did I wake you?” he asked. She still stared at him.

  “Ah yes, you cannot speak.” He took her in his arms.

  “Let’s go find Aunt Sarah, so she can give you something to eat, or whatever else you need,” said Jason, and left the room. Michele began to scratch his face with her little finger.

  “Hey, Michele. Don’t scratch my face,” he said, and pushed her fingers gently away. Michele clapped her hands and said, “Mama.” Her pacifier fell on the floor. Jason picked it up.

  “Ma! Ma! Ma!” Michele said and began to scratch his face again.

  “Sorry, Michele, but I don’t talk baby language.” He put her pacifier in her mouth, but she spat it out again and began to cry.

  Jason picked up the pacifier and tried to calm her down.

  “Shhh! It’s all right. You don’t need to cry.” But she didn’t listen to him and cried even louder.

  “Why are you crying, Michele? Do you want to scratch my face? Here,” he said, holding her fingers to his face. She continued to cry.

&nbs
p; Jason went down the stairs, then into the kitchen, in hopes Aunt Sarah would be there, but she wasn’t.

  “Don’t cry, Michele.”

  He left the kitchen. Where is Aunt Sarah? He went into the garden, but she wasn’t there.

  “Do you need help?” a voice asked behind him. He turned and saw Madeleine, who smiled at him. Her platinum blonde hair was shining in the sunlight. She looked like an angel.

  He smiled. “Yes, that would be nice. Can you make her stop crying?” Jason asked

  “Give her to me,” said Madeleine, and stretched out her arms. Jason gave Michelle to her.

  Madeleine took her in her arms and began to swing her.

  “Are you hungry?” she asked Michele. Michele stopped crying and whimpering a little. Madeleine continued to swing her.

  Jason watched her. “Where did you learn to deal with small children?” he asked.

  She looked at him. “When you grow up with three younger brothers and sisters, you learn, in time, how to deal with them.” Michele stopped crying

  “How did you do that?” Jason asked amazed.

  She smiled. “She likes me.”

  He snorted. “Then Michele is probably the only one who doesn’t like me.”

  Madeleine laughed. “I see, and all the others like you?”

  He nodded. “You could say that.” Except Rosa.

  “And how do you know I like you?”

  “I assume it.”

  “You’re quite arrogant you know that?”

  “Yes, I hear that often.”

  Michelle began to cry again. Madeleine tried to calm her, but she didn’t stop.

  “I think she’s hungry,” Madeleine said.

  “Let’s go to the kitchen,” said Jason. They both entered into the kitchen, only to find Aunt Sarah.

  “Where were you, Aunt Sarah, when I had needed you?” Jason asked her. “If I don’t need you, you’re here.”

  Aunt Sarah turned and smiled at him. “I gave you a chance to deal with the situation alone.”

  “Yeah, sure. I would say that, too,” Jason replied, folding his arms across his chest.