Changed (The Hunters #1)

by Rose J. Bell

  Stop, Rosa, she told herself. The darkness is not alive.

  Suddenly torture scenes appeared in her mind’s eye. Hunters were hanging, bloodied, upside down on ropes, and tortured.

  Rosa shook her head to banish the imagines. Do not think! Do not think about it!

  She moved to the grid and clutched the bars with her shaking hands. Nothing was heard or seen.

  At once, a noise tore the silence of the darkness—a high, wailing cry—an expression of sheer, blind pain.

  Rosa froze.

  The howling sounded not too far away and increased, until it finally broke off abruptly.

  Rosa’s heart was beating wildly in her chest and she tasted panic in her mouth. She pushed herself away from the grid, and pressed her back against the stone wall as she forced herself to calm down.

  Surly someone is being tortured.

  The torture scenes appeared again in her mind’s eye.

  Do not think about it! Do not think about it!

  Then Rosa heard the cry again, this time louder and closer. Something crashed rumbling on the ground.

  Rosa pressed her back to the wall. Heart pounding in her chest, the familiar panic welled up inside her.

  What was going on here? The crash wasn’t part of the torture.

  Rosa clenched her hands. With effort, she forced herself to rest. She was not going to have a panic attack.

  No! She would get it under control to suppress it. She couldn’t allow the fear to take control over her body. Rosa took several deep breaths. Her heart calmed down...

  The grid exploded in her cell. Rosa instinctively ducked her head and held her hands protectively over her head. Small pieces of rock fell down on her. In seconds, the air was filled with dust and she had to cough.

  What was happening?

  Slowly, Rosa straightened up. She could still see nothing, until suddenly two red spots appeared in the darkness, who regarded her directly.

  She uttered a little cry, her heart pounding in her chest so strong that it could explode at any time. Her panic grew. Her breath came in gasps. Rosa could not keep calm anymore.

  When the red dots were coming towards her, she heard their steps, crunching on the ground.

  Rosa pushed herself more and more against the wall. Her panic attack was unstoppable.

  Her chest felt heavy and her throat dry. She just got very short of breath. Sweat broke out. Her whole body was shaking uncontrollably and dizziness seized her.

  I’m going to die! I’m going to die!

  The red dots stopped in front of her. Rosa hardly noticed them.

  Oh God! No, please don’t! I don’t want to die!

  Her panic attack reached its climax. Rosa collapsed on the floor. Gasping for air, she tried somehow to get air into her lungs. Her muscles were shaking with spasms and her whole body ached.

  Rosa was hyperventilating.

  “Easy,” said a deep voice. It was amazingly gentle and reassuring. “I will not hurt you. I promise.”

  Strong hands touched her arms and pulled her to her feet. Rosa’s body was still trembling heavily.

  “Calm down.” The voice was like silk on her skin. “Breathe deeply in and out.” She did and her heart calmed down.

  “Very well.”

  Rosa lifted her head and looked at the red dots. Suddenly, the panic came back. A whimper escaped her and she cringed. These red dots scared her to death! The monster from her childhood always had red eyes.

  The grip on her arms squeezed.

  “Don’t panic,” said the voice, now firmly. “I will not hurt you.”

  Rosa whimpered softly.

  “I am a human and not a monster.”

  She stopped abruptly to whimper and looked into the red dots. Now everything fit together. The red dots were eyes and the eyes belonged to this man. But what man had red eyes?

  “Who are you?” she asked quietly.

  “That is not important right now. I would like to ask you a question.”

  Rosa nodded, avoiding his creepy eyes. She did not really understand what was happening. The panic attack had muddled her mind.

  “Do you know the hunter with the gift to fight?” he asked.

  Her heart stopped, but she did not show him that his question scared her.

  “No, I don’t know,” Rosa answered, now under control again.

  “Do not lie!” he hissed, his eyes took on a dangerous murderous expression.

  “I-I do not lie. I really don’t know who this hunter is.”

  Suddenly a shrill tone resounded in the dungeons. The alarm!

  The man swore loudly and faced Rosa.

  “We’re not done yet!” Then he ran away and disappeared as quickly as he had come.

  Rattling, Rosa took a breath, and fell to the ground. She could no longer stand upright. The panic attack had taken all of her energy, and the fear was still in her bones.

  Several questions were circling through her head, but she was too tired to think about them.

  Rosa let the darkness envelop her completely.

  “She’s running away!” a hunter shouted. The alarm was ringing. The hunter turned to the other. “Go in and see what’s going on in there! We’ll get the girl!”

  Apparently, something had happened in the building. When the girl was running alongside, he grabbed her arm.

  She screamed and struggled immediately against his grip.

  “Stop that,” Jason hissed. “I don’t want to harm you! I’ll take you out of here!” The girl looked at him skeptically. He threw a glance over his shoulder and found that the hunters were coming closer.

  “Come on!” He took her by the arm and they started running.

  Jason had not planned that his search would proceed like that, but he could not just leave the girl alone. Perhaps she had useful information for him.

  They reached the gate. “We’re now flying over the fence, so don’t be afraid,” he told her. The girl looked at him with wide eyes.

  Without hesitation, Jason wrapped his arms around her and then flew over the fence. Jason flew several feet away from the academy before he landed on the ground. The girl was trembling in his arms.

  “Everything is alright,” he reassured her. “Come on!” He took her hand and ran farther into the forest. Jason glanced over his shoulder. No one was behind them, but that did not mean they were safe.

  They had to hide somewhere, but the only question was where?

  “I cannot anymore!” the girl gasped and stopped. Supporting her hands on her knees, she took deep breaths. Jason looked around and saw a large bush.

  “Let’s go behind the bush.” He took her arm and led her there. She sat down in the dirt and grass. Jason stood in front of her and eyed her.

  She was tall and had short brown hair, which looked now disheveled. Her face was covered with bruises and injuries. Her brown eyes watched Jason suspiciously.

  “You’re a Nephilim,” she said.

  Jason nodded. “And you’re probably a hunter who has done something forbidden.”

  She smiled grimly. “Exactly.”

  “What was going on in the building?” Jason asked. “Why did the alarm go off?”

  The girl shrugged. “Beats me. The alarm only goes off, when someone escapes from the dungeons or the hunter clan is under attack,” she replied and pulled her knees to chest.

  “So it wasn’t because of you?”

  She shook her head.

  “What’s your name?”

  She looked at him. “Milena. Milena Gordon. Yours?”

  “Jason.”

  She smiled wanly. “Nice to meet you. But I’ve a question.”

  Jason could guess which question.

  “What’s a Nephilim doing here?” she asked and raised her eyebrows

  Jason looked around. He did not feel safe. “Let’s get outta here before someone finds us. Then we can talk.”

  Milena nodded and stood up. “Actually, I should kill a Nephilim if I see one, but since you�
��ve saved my life, I think that wouldn’t be a very nice way of saying thanks.”

  A small smile played across his lips. “No, that wouldn’t be a nice thanks.”

  She smiled at him then she turned her gaze away. “Where shall we go? They will look for me,” she said to him and looked into the forest.

  “To my home. It’s currently the safest for you.”

  She nodded slowly and wrapped her arms around her body.

  “I cannot wait to get away from here.”

  They walked quickly and in silence to Jason’s car, which he had parked on the way to his home. Both were absorbed in their own thoughts. Jason hoped that Milena had information about Jasmine.

  Philip wasn’t at home when Jason and Milena entered the apartment. He was glad. Philip would ask too many questions and would confront him on why Jason had gone to the hunter clan without him.

  Jason was not in the mood to explain anything to him. He turned on the light and shut the door. Milena looked around the house and whistled through her teeth.

  “Wow, really nice here,” she said as she sat on the couch. In the light, Jason could see her injuries better. Her right eye was swollen and her lips were busted. Numerous bruises were visible on her face and throat.

  “Who did this to you?” Jason asked, pointing with his chin to her face.

  Milena touched her face with her bloody fingertips. “Do I really look that bad?”

  Jason nodded hesitantly.

  She sighed. “Can I wash my face first? Then we can talk.”

  He nodded again and showed her where the bathroom was. Then he sat down on the couch and waited for her.

  After a few minutes, she came back into the living room. Her face was now a little better without all the blood and filth.

  She let herself fall on the couch across from him and closed her eyes. She looked exhausted.

  “Do you want to begin?” Jason asked, resting his elbows on his knees.

  She nodded without opening the eyes. “I’ve broken the rules of the hunter clan, and they have sent me to death. I had managed to escape. For a month, I have lived on the street, hiding from the hunters. Unfortunately they caught me.” She opened her eyes and smiled at him. “And I escaped them again. Thanks again, as you helped me.”

  “No problem,” Jason asked and leaned forward. “Have you heard of a Nephilim that had been captured?”

  Milena raised her eyebrows. “Why do you want to know?”

  He breathed in and out, before answering her. “She’s my sister and I want to find her.”

  She nodded, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. Her eyes wandered to the picture from Jasmine.

  “Is that her?” she asked

  Jason looked at the picture of his sister. A pain shot through him.

  “Yes,” he said in a hoarse voice.

  “You look pretty similar.”

  “That’s because we’re twins.”

  Milena looked surprised. “Really?”

  He nodded.

  She looked again at the picture. “I also had a sister.” Her gaze turned wistfully.

  “What had happened to her?” Jason asked cautiously.

  Milena looked at him. In her eyes, he could see sadness and pain. “She died when I was ten years old. She was only seven.” Her voice trailed off and her eyes were smoggy.

  “I’m sorry.”

  She nodded and wiped her eyes. “Sorry, I didn’t want to cry, but when I think about her...” Her voice broke and new tears filled her eyes.

  Jason nodded knowingly.

  “You don’t need to be sorry,” he said softly.

  Milena took a deep breath, rallied herself again. Then she looked at Jason.

  “That’s the reason why you were there. To find your sister.” It was more a statement than a question.

  He nodded. “Yes, exactly. And I hope that you can help me somehow.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Have you helped me because of that?”

  Jason shook his head. “No ... yes. Well, not exactly. My first thought was to rush to you for help, and then it came to mind that maybe you could help me, too.” He smiled innocently.

  She sighed and stretched out her legs. “I can understand.”

  “And?”

  Her brown eyes faced him. “I’ve heard of your sister. It was rumored the hunters had captured a Nephilim, but I had’t really believed them. After all, Nephilim were faster and stronger than us, and it is difficult to catch on of … you.”

  Jason leaned farther forward. He did not want to miss a single word of what Milena said.

  “But then I saw her, but only very briefly. Her golden eyes weren’t hard to miss,” she continued.

  “Where have you seen her?” Jason asked. His heart was pounding in his chest. He was so close to find out where his sister was.

  Milena frowned and tried to remember it. “I think it was here in Boston. Yes! Exactly! It was here in Boston. I was still a hunter and was stationed here.”

  “Do you think she is still here as a prisoner?”

  She shrugged. “I think so. Why would they take her somewhere else?”

  Jason was now one hundred percent sure that Jasmine was here in Boston, very close to him. He had only to free her now.

  Abruptly he stood up. “I have to go.”

  Milena shook his head violently. “I wouldn’t go there now. The academy is now full of only hunters. They are in alarm. I have succeeded to escape from them, and something has triggered the alarm. You couldn’t take a single step without getting caught.”

  Jason hated it, but he had to admit that Melina was right, of course. He couldn’t simply invade into the hunter clan. He needed a plan.

  Sighing, he leaned his head against the wall. He hated it when his hands were tied.

  Milena gave him a look of commiseration. “You have to wait two or three days. Maybe more.”

  He groaned. “Three days? I cannot wait so long, if I know that she’s so close to me.”

  “But you have to. Otherwise, they will catch you and then you won’t be able to save your sister.”

  Jason forced himself to accept the situation. He had to wait if he wanted to save Jasmine.

  It seemed that these three days would be the longest three days of his life.

  The ringing of the alarm still rattled in her ears. What had happened? She knew that she was under the earth, but she had heard the screams of the other prisoners. Something terrible must have happened to them.

  She almost expected she would suffer the same, but her door wasn’t opened. It remained closed.

  She got up and moved. Her legs were stiffened, her back still hurt, but the pain had eased a little. She had to think. Why would the hunters want to take revenge on the archangels.

  Because they were at war. Frustration welled up inside her. Damn it! Why was she never interested in learning about the war?

  If she stayed in this prison any longer, she would snap. She couldn’t bear to be in this little dungeon. For months, she had not seen daylight or the sun. She had already forgotten how the sun felt on her skin.

  I need to get out of here!

  She pounded on the steel door. “Let me out of here!” she yelled. “Damn! Open the door!”

  But no one heard her cry. She clenched her hands into fists. Suddenly she felt a pain in her jaw.

  “Ah,” she moaned and grabbed her chin. She gritted her teeth and then she felt the pain.

  “Shit!” She had a broken tooth.

  The pain was getting stronger and her jaw began to throb.

  She had to get rid of this tooth, but how? Suddenly the lights went on again. She narrowed her eyes.

  “Are you hurt, Jasmine?” the familiar cold voice asked.

  “No,” she lied.

  “I know you are in pain, Jasmine. I have something that can help you.”

  She snorted. “But to get it, I must answer your stupid question!” She glared at the light. “Bite me!�
�

  The voice laughed. “Actually, I wanted to give it to you without question, but if you do not want it.”

  “What? No! Wait!” she called. But the lights turned off and it was dark again.

  A frustrated cry escaped her. They were such assholes. When she was out of here, they would pay for every single thing they had done to her. She sat back in her corner, alone with her pain and her anger.

  “Rosa. Wake up.”

  She heard a gentle voice from far away. It came closer and closer until it finally entered into her consciousness.

  Slowly she opened her eyes. Her eyelids felt so heavy! She wanted to close her eyes again.

  “Don’t close your eyes! Open them, Rosa.”

  She recognized that voice. It belonged to Colin. Groaning, she opened her eyes and looked into the worried face of her friend.

  “How are you feeling, sweetheart?” he asked, stroking her hair.

  Rosa blinked and looked around. The dungeon was now illuminated and she could see the extent of the destruction that the man with the red eyes had caused. The heavy grid was lying on the floor, and boulders were everywhere. The dungeon was completely destroyed.

  A shiver ran through her body as she thought of the man. His eyes were scary and threat lay in his last word.

  We are not done yet.

  This sentence was the assurance that they would see each other again.

  “Can you stand up?” Colin dragged her from her thoughts.

  She shrugged. Slowly, with the help from Colin, she stood up. For a short time, she felt dizzy and her body ached all over.

  “Are you okay?” Colin asked, watching her worriedly.

  Rosa nodded. “Yes, it’s just my back.”

  When she lifted her eyes, she saw Sergei standing behind Colin. He had his arms crossed over his chest and he did not seem worried. No, rather he looked annoyed.

  Is he mad at me? If so, what have I done?

  “Lord Constantine wants to talk to you, Rosa,” he said coolly.

  Rosa nodded. She did not want to see Lord Constantine. Her anger and hatred against him was too great, but she had no other choice.

  “Let’s go.” Sergei turned around and started walking.

  Colin supported Rosa, as they followed Sergei. “What had happened between you and Lord Constantine?” he whispered to her.