Oath Breaker

by Shelley Wilson

  Sebastian rose from his chair and walked over to the nearest bookshelf. He pulled out an old book, bound in soft green leather, and handed it to me.

  ‘The history of the hunter line is in this book. I suggest you read it before making any rash decision to dismiss your calling.’

  ‘My calling! I don’t have a calling, I’m a sixteen-year-old orphan with no friends, and I have severe trust issues.’

  He huffed again.

  ‘What about your roommate, Elizabeth? She’s a pleasant young girl.’

  ‘Oh, now I get it.’ I threw my hands in the air. ‘How much did you pay her to befriend me?’

  ‘I didn’t pay anyone, Mia. Have a little faith in people.’

  ‘It’s very hard to have faith when your own flesh and blood made your life a living hell.’

  ‘What your father did to you was unforgivable. He can’t change what he did, and he can’t make it right, but I can. I can take his place and look after you.’

  I had a highly inappropriate urge to giggle. It was clearly well out of Sebastian’s comfort zone to act the all-conquering uncle, but here he was, pleading for me to stay put.

  ‘Give it a try,’ he said softly. ‘If you’re still unhappy here in a few months, I’ll enrol you in the secondary school in town. You can go off and be a normal teenager and leave all this behind.’ He swept his arm out in an arc.

  ‘I’ll do my best, but I’m not making any guarantees. I’ll try to fit in with your weird hunters, but if this doesn’t work I’ll hold you to that promise of a normal life.’

  The corner of his mouth twitched as he nodded.

  ‘I promise, Mia. Now, let’s go find your tutor. She’s a lethal hunter and an excellent teacher, and I do have to pay her to be your friend.’

  I laughed and followed him out of the office. Mysterious uncle had a sense of humour; maybe there was hope for this place yet.

  MISS ROSS SWEPT an analytical eye over me before piling two jumpsuits, a tracksuit and various other outfits into my arms. Topping the pile with a pair of dark grey pumps, she steered me out of the stock room and back to the staircase.

  ‘Drop it all off in your room and then meet me back here. I want to give you the grand tour.’ She beamed at me and nudged me gently towards the stairs.

  None of my teachers back home had been so nice. They’d tried to help me, but I’d turned away from all of them. With nobody to talk to, and no friends to speak of, I was easy to forget, and so, after a while, they stopped checking up on me. I became a ghost.

  Here, in such a short time, I’d potentially made a friend and engaged positively with a member of the teaching staff. There was a lightness about me that felt alien, but not at all unpleasant.

  When I got back to the entrance hall, Miss Ross was waiting patiently for me. She led us out of the front door, and we deviated towards the side of the building, walking along the flower beds until we came to a low stone wall.

  We stopped briefly, which allowed me a glance at the extensive grounds that spread out across the back of the property. Huge circular lawns divided by gravel paths and neatly trimmed shrubs stretched for miles around us.

  ‘The building dates back to 1866,’ said Miss Ross, sweeping a hand wide to encompass the Victorian architecture. ‘The gardens were designed at the same time to complement the buildings.’

  I glanced to the right of us where a large willow tree with a stone bench beneath its branches stood proudly. A young man tended to the borders nearby with a long-handled spade.

  ‘That’s Adam. He’s the groundsman.’

  Adam looked up at the mention of his name and gave us a wave.

  We moved off and cut across the open lawns until we reached an old wall. The aged stones were discoloured and covered in overgrown ivy revealing the level of neglect on this part of the estate.

  Beyond the wall lay a dirt track, leading down to what looked like outbuildings or a stable block.

  There was a row of four cages with iron bars and heavy doors, all of them empty. The ceilings were far too low to accommodate a horse but were just high enough for a person to stand up if they curved their shoulders.

  ‘What is this place?’

  ‘Years ago, we used to catch the werewolves and hold them in the animal cages, but these days Sebastian prefers to keep any captives in alternative accommodation.’

  ‘Captives? What do you mean?’

  ‘Well, the creatures are only wolves at the full moon or if they are provoked by attack. The rest of the time they are as human as you and me. Sebastian thought it more humane to let the prisoners rest inside rather than on the ground outside.’

  Shock reverberated through my bones, the image of those sad brown eyes flashing across my mind. Yes, the animal was terrifying, but imagining it in its human form was too much to take in.

  ‘Come on, I want to show you the gymnasium next.’ She bounded off up the track heading back to the academy, leaving me reeling at her revelation.

  The wind picked up ever so slightly and ruffled my hair as I watched the lethal hunter bounce lightly up the path. I glanced back at the cages and swallowed down the nausea. A snap behind me made me jump, and I whirled around. There was nobody there, only the endless woods that bordered the property. I shook my head to dislodge the unease, certain that my mind must be playing tricks on me. The trees swayed gently as the wind lifted the leaves and shook them, the scent of damp earth and moss filling the air.

  I backed away from the forest with a heavy heart. Would my hunter training keep me from enjoying the woods and nature? Was I destined to shed blood and cage these creatures? I’d told Sebastian I’d give him a couple of months and I would do my best to stand by that promise. But as I rushed past the animal cages I felt closer to despair than anything else.

  ‘I WAS SORRY to hear about your father.’ Miss Ross stepped in front of me and I forced myself to look up into her face. She was probably in her late fifties and still strikingly beautiful, her dark skin complemented by the bright blue jumper she wore.

  Her voice echoed around the huge room with wooden floors and ropes suspended from the ceiling. She’d referred to it as the gym, but it looked more like an army assault course.

  ‘Thank you. The police said they’d contact my uncle if they find anything out.’

  She smiled at me, her gaze flickering to the fading bruise on my cheek. ‘Mia, I want you to prepare yourself for the possibility that your father’s death will be classed as a cold case. The investigators won’t find anything because it was a supernatural death.’

  She paused to fiddle with a stack of boxing mitts. ‘What happened to your father is happening all over the world. It’s our job, as hunters, to put a stop to these attacks. The murders remain unsolved as the police fail to find answers.’

  Was it wrong to tell her that my father may have deserved what happened to him? He had been an evil monster too, no fangs or sharp claws, but what made him any different?

  I didn’t think my confession would help the situation, so I shut my mouth and nodded along as she explained the need for hunters and how the work they did was for the greater good.

  When she started to talk about my mum, I snapped to attention.

  ‘You knew her?’

  ‘Yes, I knew her. She was a lovely lady, a very talented photographer and a welcome visitor to the academy. Your uncle was very close to her.’

  ‘Yeah, I’ve seen the photos in his office. It was a bit creepy. Dad didn’t even have any pictures of her at home.’

  ‘Well, I’m sure her death was a huge blow to your father. Grief can cause ordinary people to do extraordinary things.’

  ‘Was my mum a hunter too?’

  The silence stretched out. A tiny muscle in Miss Ross’s jaw worked hard as she formulated a response. I began to think I’d rather not know until finally she spoke.

  ‘She was passionate about the work Sebastian was doing here, and she understood the importance of the hunters’ oath, but no, she wasn’
t a hunter.’

  ‘What’s the hunters’ oath?’

  ‘Once you begin your full training you will be sworn in to the academy. It’s a great honour to serve as a hunter, and we uphold that tradition by requesting that our students swear allegiance in front of their fellow students to be loyal and fierce.’

  ‘If my mum wasn’t a hunter, how did she know about the oath?’

  ‘I believe your uncle explained the ceremony.’

  By the tone of her voice, I knew that more questions weren’t going to be welcome, and as she made her way to the exit, I realised that my tour was also at an end.

  ‘We’ll catch up tomorrow in class, Mia.’

  Then she was gone, leaving me with a head full of questions and an ache in my heart.

  I ATE LUNCH alone, as the other students were in class. The silence was a welcome distraction. It was hard to take in some of the information I’d received since Sebastian had turned up at my house.

  After devouring a burger and fries, I found my way back to the front entrance and ran up the stairs two at a time, eager to get back to my room.

  Three figures blocked the way as I reached the corridor to the bedrooms. Felicity and her squad watched me as I made my way towards them.

  ‘You don’t belong here.’ Felicity crossed her arms over her chest and swung her fiery hair over her shoulder.

  ‘Why not?’ I didn’t really want to get involved in a war of words with the resident school bitch, but the look on Felicity’s face told me I wasn’t getting away from her anytime soon.

  ‘Sebastian has worked incredibly hard to build this academy into a respected school for hunters, and the likes of you will lower the tone.’

  ‘I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t seen a werewolf, so I guess that makes me a hunter, and that means I am eligible to attend the academy.’ I crossed my arms to mirror her standoffish body language.

  She laughed loudly, a cruel sound that dripped with malice.

  ‘You may have seen a werewolf, but you will never be a hunter. Sebastian knows it, I know it, and soon enough you’ll realise it. When Sebastian rushed off to collect you, my father called your uncle and told him exactly what he thought about you coming here. You’re not welcome. You are weak like your mother and a waste of space just like your father.’

  Her smile was callous as she spun on her grey pumps and stalked off down the corridor. I felt winded. The lightness that I’d felt earlier left in a whoosh and a heavy rock settled on my chest, squeezing out any emotion I had managed to claw back.

  Through a haze of tears, I ran back down the stairs and out through the front door. I didn’t falter, sprinting across the open lawn, down the gravel driveway and into the woods beyond. I kept running and I didn’t look back.

  THE AIR WAS crisp as I ventured deeper into the woods. I don’t know how far I ran or how long I had been running but the further I went the more relaxed I became. Eventually, I stopped running and strolled through the trees at a more leisurely pace, noticing the fauna around me. When the sky began to darken and my stomach growled, I realised I must have missed dinner.

  I kicked myself for not taking more notice of my surroundings; I was in a strange town and didn’t know anyone, and yet being in the woods felt familiar and safe.

  I remembered the times Zak had taken me to the park close to our house, which had a small pond. The neighbourhood boys had set up a tyre swing across the water and dared each other to swing across. I used to climb one of the trees and sit in its branches, watching the boys fall in the pond or cut their knees. They were happier times full of laughter and innocence.

  I pushed through the drooping branches of a willow tree and stopped. Beyond the trees was an outcropping of rocks; big boulders bleached a sandy colour by the sun were now illuminated by the light of the moon. I climbed the nearest rock, its surface smooth and cool to the touch. Swinging my legs over the edge, I marvelled at the view.

  Far below, the countryside stretched out like a blanket. On the horizon, I could make out the twinkling lights of Ravenshood, the town Sebastian had driven through on our way to the academy.

  I watched the world ready itself for the evening, and a sense of peace settled over me. A cool breeze ruffled my hair, and I wished I’d grabbed a jumper as I ran away. I was pondering how I would find my way back to the academy when a sharp noise in the bushes behind me made me jump.

  Shit.

  Standing up, I backed away from the edge, keeping an eye on the surrounding bushes and trees. The moon was large and bright in the sky, bathing the woods in a creamy iridescent glow.

  Double shit.

  Looking up through the overhanging branches, I watched the wisps of grey cloud float across the moon, momentarily hiding it from view. Last night the moon had been at its fullest, and as Miss Ross told me only hours earlier, werewolves changed on the full moon. Did she mean for just one night, or did they stay in their wolf form for a few nights?

  Shit, shit, shit.

  The bushes ahead of me stirred. My heart hammered inside my chest. I strained to see what was in the bushes. My palms were sticky and a bead of sweat trickled down my spine. Whatever it was, it was getting closer. I backed up to the nearest tree and felt the bark dig into my shoulders. The bush parted and a wild rabbit hopped forward, sniffing the ground as it searched for food.

  I let out a deep breath and leant my head back against the tree trunk, my shoulders sagging against the rough bark.

  All the talk of werewolves and hunters had me spooked, and I was turning into a quivering mess. The rabbit was oblivious to my distress and continued foraging for its dinner as I pushed away from the tree and turned in the direction of the academy.

  My heart froze and my legs trembled as I came face-to-face with four sets of eyes. The huge wolves were standing in a semicircle just ahead of me. Their eyes gleamed in the moonlight, and the fur on their hides shimmered under the bulbous moon. They were immense, much larger than any of the wolves I’d seen on Animal Planet.

  A brown wolf, this one even bigger than the rest, separated from the pack and took a tentative step forward, sniffing the air.

  My dad’s screams echoed in my head as the other wolves followed and circled me. The terror I felt held me in its rigid grip; the only part of me I could move were my eyes. I wanted to close them, squeeze them shut so I didn’t see the blow when it came, but whether it was morbid curiosity or something else, I couldn’t stop watching them.

  They walked around me, never looking away. Sebastian had said the wolf that killed my dad knew I was a hunter. If these wolves had any suspicion that I could be dangerous, they weren’t showing it. In fact, they probably knew I was a hunter-in-training and would snuff me out before my first lesson.

  My legs were shaking as I struggled to stay upright. Every inch of my being wanted to lie down and curl up into a tight ball.

  The brown wolf growled, and I braced myself for the attack, but instead of launching itself in a flash of fangs it turned its back and walked away. Two others followed, and I watched them disappear into the darkness of the trees. The last wolf was much paler than the others, the light of the moon reflecting off its golden fur. I was drawn in by its blue eyes, which sparkled like the ocean. It hung its head to one side, and I got the distinct impression that it was giving me a lopsided smirk. I blinked and it spun away, bounding off into the woods.

  It was a good twenty minutes until I could move any of my limbs. For a short moment, I thought it had started raining but then I realised I was crying. Whether that was from fear, relief or a mixture of the two, I wasn’t sure. This was the second time in as many days that I had escaped death or at the very least serious injury. I was too numb to process what that might mean, but I knew I couldn’t chance the wolves returning to finish me off. Eventually, the feeling in my legs returned and I stumbled through the trees, slowly at first and then picking up speed until I was sprinting through the woods and hoping it was in the direction of the academy.

 
I hadn’t realised I was still holding my breath until I spotted the glaring lights of the school in the distance and I released a loud sob. As the woods petered out and the lawn came into view, I raced the rest of the way.

  Sebastian was waiting for me on the front steps when I approached the old building. His face was a mixture of anger and relief.

  ‘Where did you go?’

  ‘I needed some fresh air so I went for a walk in the woods.’ I leapt up the stairs until I stood in front of him and then stopped, folding my arms protectively across my chest. If he had even a sliver of my dad’s temper, I was in for a barrage of abuse.

  It was clear to anyone that I had been crying, but he either didn’t notice or he chose to ignore it. The dark cloud that crossed his face lifted temporarily as he let out a long, slow breath as if he’d been holding it in for hours.

  ‘I have dealt with Felicity. She was bragging about her treatment of you to some of the girls in the common room and Miss Ross overheard.’

  I cringed. If she had received a roasting because I’d skipped out, I was certain there would be repercussions. If not from Felicity, then from her girlie goons.

  ‘There was no need for that,’ I said. ‘She’s a bitch and doesn’t know how to behave in any other way. I can handle her.’

  ‘I don’t want you to have to handle her. She can be passionate about the academy, and it doesn’t always come across in the right way.’

  ‘Passionate! Oh, she’s definitely passionate, especially when it comes to her hatred towards my parents. What the hell’s that about?’

  Sebastian sucked a breath in sharply.

  ‘I want you to ignore her and keep out of her way. Her family are wealthy benefactors for the academy, and she believes this gives her a right to interfere in how I manage the school. Clearly she is a young girl out of her depth.’

  ‘She’s an idiot, and I’m more than happy to stay out of her way. Is that all?’

  Sebastian studied me for a while longer before nodding. If he had any inclination that I’d had a run-in with wolves, he wasn’t letting on.