by J. C. Diem
Uneasy glances were exchanged. The Archivists were responsible for finding out as much as they could about the various species of monsters that existed. There were chapters of hunters all over the world that kept in touch with each other. They knew most of the hunters and tended to keep in regular contact with them. They liked to keep records of kill counts and other pertinent details of the creatures we faced.
“We’re done here,” Jolene said, wiping her ash stained hands on her jeans. “Let’s move out.” We obeyed her and headed for the ladder.
Chapter Nine
Famished after our mission, I stopped at a fast food joint before leaving town. I ordered a burger, fries and soda and Connor asked for the same. My car was far from pristine, but I wasn’t a fan of spilling food on the seats. I pulled over at a small park and climbed out.
Connor followed me over to one of the picnic tables and took a seat across from me. He scrutinized me as we ate and I grew uncomfortable beneath his silent stare. “Is there something wrong with my face?” I asked snarkily when I finished eating.
“No. You’re actually quite beautiful.”
His answer left me flabbergasted. It was a pity he sounded clinical rather than admiring. He might as well have been talking about a painting hanging in a musty old museum. “Gee, thanks,” I said sarcastically. “Flattery will get you everywhere, or so I hear.”
“Do you have Asian blood?” he asked, referring to my slightly almond shaped eyes.
“Probably, but my mother didn’t know for sure,” I said with a shrug. She and my sister had also had the same shaped eyes. Balling up my trash, I tossed it into the bin and stood.
Connor hastily finished off his meal and threw his rubbish away as well. “You don’t talk about yourself much,” he observed as we made our way back to my car.
“You’re not exactly a fountain of information about yourself either,” I replied. “I don’t even know your surname yet.”
“It’s McAllister.” When I said nothing, he sighed loudly. “That was a prompt for you to tell me your surname.”
“I know. I chose to ignore it.”
He leaned on the roof of the car and frowned at me over the top. “You don’t trust me.” It was a statement rather than a question.
“I don’t know you, Connor McAllister,” I said flatly. “I’m not in the habit of telling strangers all about myself.”
“This is going to be a very long drive.” He spoke in a mutter, but I heard him anyway as I climbed inside.
I turned the radio up to break the awkward silence, but curiosity got the better of me after a while. Turning the radio down, I ventured a question. “How many hunts have you been on?”
He turned away from the window to look at me. “A few,” he replied enigmatically.
“Ray thinks you’re a newbie, but I don’t think that’s true.”
I hazarded a glance at him to see the corners of his mouth lift slightly. “Why do you say that?”
“Because you moved like a pro in that basement. You took on an ancient, master vampire without breaking a sweat.”
“He wasn’t that ancient,” he said dismissively. “At best, he would have been four hundred or so.”
“Yeah, that’s not old at all,” I said and rolled my eyes. “So, you admit it then? You’re not new to hunting?”
“I’m not new to this life,” he confirmed. “I usually keep to myself.”
“Why did you join Ray and his team if you’re a lone wolf?”
He glanced at me sharply, as if searching for a deeper meaning behind my words before shrugging. “I heard vamps have been gathering in greater numbers here and thought I could lend a hand.”
“How did you know about Ray and his crew in the first place?”
He waited a moment too long before responding. “The Archivists have a hidden website,” he said. “I happened across it a while back. It gives the rough location of where hunters can be found in each state. It wasn’t hard to track Raymond and Jolene down.”
Hunters instinctively knew each other on sight. We tended to be wary and battle-hardened. Knowing monsters existed left its mark on us all. Once you became aware of what was out there, it was impossible to pretend that they didn’t exist. Things really did go bump in the night. Some of them could chew us up and spit us out with very little effort. “How long are you planning to stay?” I asked.
He grinned slyly. “Why? Are you hoping I’ll be here for a while so you can get to know me better?”
I snorted out a laugh. “You’re pretty, but you’re not my type, Connor McAllister.”
He seemed offended and crossed his arms. “What is your type, Arienna no-last-name?”
That was a good question. I’d only slept with two men so far, not that they could really be classed as men. I’d been eighteen when I’d bitten the bullet so to speak and had slept with the first guy. He’d been my age, but he’d been far more accomplished than me when it came to sex. He’d been a hunter, of course, but he’d been killed a few months after our short relationship. The second guy had been nineteen and he’d been a normal civilian who I’d met during a hunt. Neither had particularly rocked my world. “I’ll let you know when I figure that out,” I said belatedly, realizing the silence had stretched on for a few seconds.
“You’re safe from me anyway,” he said. “I don’t go for the moody type.”
“I’m not moody,” I shot back with a glare.
“Please,” he said and rolled his eyes. “All female hunters are moody. It’s in your genes.”
“All male hunters are testosterone filled thugs,” I said and it was his turn to glare at me. “Oh, sorry, I thought we were generalizing.” I fluttered my eyelashes at him before returning my attention to the road.
“Women,” he muttered and subsided into a sulk.
“Austin,” I said after the silence became unbearable.
“Pardon?”
“My name is Arienna Austin, Ari to my friends.”
“Does that mean you trust me now?” he asked with a hint of a smile.
“No. I just can’t stand to see you sulking.”
“Are you always this snarky?”
It seemed like a genuine question and I considered it carefully before responding. “Yes.”
His laugh surprised me and I flicked him a glance to see he had blindingly white teeth. He was gorgeous when he grinned. It was lucky I wasn’t his type, or I might have been tempted to pay his bedroom a visit tonight.
“I have a question for you, Arienna Austin,” he said, suddenly turning serious again.
“What do you want to know?” My hands became sweaty as I was hit with nerves.
“What did that master vampire mean when he said you were his kind?”
My fingers clenched hard on the wheel, but I forced out a laugh. “I have no idea. If he really was four hundred years old, he might have had the vampire equivalent of dementia.”
“I highly doubt that. Vampires aren’t susceptible to human diseases or foibles.”
“Foibles?” I said incredulously, desperately trying to divert him from the topic. “Who talks like that?”
“People who read,” he shot back. “You should try it sometime. It might improve your vocabulary.”
It wasn’t difficult to feign a huff. I turned the radio back up to dissuade further conversation, glad to be off the hook for now. If he told anyone else about the strange conversation I’d had with the master bloodsucker, I would find myself in hot water. No one would trust me if they found out I was no longer a full human and that I’d become some sort of weird hybrid.
Chapter Ten
It was customary for hunters to celebrate after a successful mission. Ray fired up the grill and someone else broke out the beers. As the afternoon wore on, the stories became exaggerated as everyone tried to outdo each other with their tales of prowess. I was glad to see I wasn’t the only one who wasn’t drinking. Connor stuck to tea, much to the amusement of pretty much everyone.
&n
bsp; “You should switch to beer,” one of the guys said in a slur. “It’ll put hair on your chest.”
“I like men without hairy chests,” a female said with a leer. “So does Ari, from what I’ve heard.”
I blushed bright red when jeers sounded. “I heard she likes soft city boys,” a guy called out.
“I heard you like sheep,” I shot back and they howled with laughter. Beer bottles were raised and were clinked together, celebrating my victory over the scowling man.
“Baa,” someone called out and we cracked up again.
Connor watched our interaction with what looked like fascination. There was no doubt in my mind that he was a hunter, but he was very different from us. He had far more discipline and control. He was too young to have served for long in the military, but it was possible he’d been a soldier for a short while.
Giving in to her curiosity, Jolene reached over and lifted Connor’s shirt up to expose his muscular body. “Huh,” she said, examining him closely, “there’s not a hair insight. Are you sure you’ve reached puberty, son?”
Ray slapped his knee and laughed so hard he almost fell off his chair. Connor yanked his shirt down, flushing slightly. My mouth had gone dry from seeing the utter perfection of his solid abs and chiseled chest. From the sidelong glances the other women were giving him, I wasn’t the only one who had been affected by his hard body.
“Hot damn, boy,” one of the men said. “If I was into dudes, I’d be all over you.”
“Get in line,” I muttered beneath my breath as more howls rang out. Connor glanced at me and I had the uncanny thought that he’d heard me.
Needing a break from the rowdiness, I ambled inside. I’d only been here for one night, but I was already feeling restless. It had been my intention to stay for a few days, but I was having second thoughts now. The longer I spent with other hunters, the more danger I would be in. One of them would notice something was wrong with me eventually.
Jolene was in the kitchen when I emerged from my room to refresh my soda a couple of hours later. She was washing the dishes by hand and was humming under her breath. Hearing me opening the fridge, she turned and smiled. “Hey, kiddo. I was wondering where you’d gotten to.”
“I was in my room,” I confessed and grabbed a dishtowel to dry the dishes. Most of the dishes went through the dishwasher, but she liked to wash a few items by hand for some strange reason.
“Do you have something on your mind, Ari?” she asked, studying me from the corner of her eye. She’d noticed my distraction, but I couldn’t confide in her and tell her what my problem was.
“I was thinking of doing some research,” I said as casually as possible. “Do you think the Archivists would mind if I paid them a visit?”
“Let me make a call,” she said and reached for her cell phone. She left the room and came back a few minutes later. The locations of the Archives weren’t widely known. Few hunters bothered to visit them, but they were usually welcomed when they put in the request to be allowed in. “There’s a bunker a few hours from here,” she told me. “I’ve sent the address to your phone. I told them to expect you sometime tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Jolene,” I said and gave her a quick hug. She held me for a moment longer than I was comfortable with before letting me go. After losing my family, I’d become distant and withdrawn. No one could ever replace my parents, but people like Jake Everett, Ray and Jolene did their best. They’d helped raise me, along with the other leaders of our community.
The party raged long into the night. I shut myself away in my bedroom and packed most of my belongings into a couple of duffel bags. Leaving a few things behind would hopefully fool them into thinking I might return one day. If I was lucky, I would find something in the Archives that might help me. If not, it was doubtful I’d see any of my friends ever again.
My sleep was restless, but devoid of strange dreams this time. A couple of bleary eyed men were scoffing down breakfast in the kitchen when I went in search of a meal the next morning. They glared at my cheerful smile, muttering about their aching heads beneath their breath.
Connor ambled in as I was frying up some bacon and sausages. He added more food to the frying pan and went about making toast. I didn’t ask him how he wanted his food cooked. He would have to take it how I dished it up. As usual, I fried the bacon to within an inch of its life and made sure the sausages were thoroughly cooked as well.
Staring down at the charred food when I handed him his plate, Connor looked at me sourly. “Are you sure you cooked the bacon well enough? I can still see some color in this one.” He pointed at a hint of red that I hadn’t fried into oblivion.
“Feel free to cook it yourself next time,” I said with complete unconcern and plonked down in my seat. No one was tempted to steal any of my food, which was one of the reasons I cooked it to these extremes.
Ray stumbled inside, grimaced at my food and took a bottle of water out of the fridge. He partied as hard, if not harder, than the others and he always paid the price the next day. “Jolene tells me you’re heading out to visit the Archives,” he said, then tipped his water bottle towards Connor. “Do us a favor and take the newbie with you. He looks like he knows his way around books.”
Connor perked up and seemed interested, but I was groaning internally. “I’m sure he has better things to do,” I said hopefully.
“Nope,” Connor said with a grin. “I don’t have anything on my agenda.” One of the hungover hunters slid his eyes at the newbie at his posh wording, but he couldn’t think of a suitable insult and merely sneered silently.
Connor ignored my glare and finished off his overcooked food, then put the kettle on the stove to boil. Coffee was the only drink I could stomach in the mornings. I made myself a mug from the pot, added sugar and poured a generous amount of cream into it. “You like some coffee with your cream, do you?” he said snidely.
Taking a deep breath, I blew it out. “This is going to be a very long trip,” I muttered to myself as I walked away with my mug in hand. Hiding out in my room was a better alternative to being subjected to Connor’s brand of wit. I sent a glare at Ray on my way out. He grinned, clearly enjoying my annoyance.
Savoring my coffee, I jumped in the shower afterwards, then said my goodbyes to Jolene and Ray. They were used to me coming and going frequently, so they didn’t make a big deal out of it. I waved to the other hunters, then headed for my car. My secret hope that Connor had changed his mind about coming with me evaporated when I saw him leaning against the vehicle.
“Why don’t you let me drive?” he said when I put my bags in the trunk. He stuffed his gear inside as well.
“Is this your car?” I asked.
“No.”
“Then you don’t get to drive it.” He narrowed his eyes at me and I gave him a challenging stare. “My car, my rules,” I said. “You’re welcome to drive yourself to the Archives.”
I mentally crossed my fingers, then sagged in disappointment when he threw his hands up. “Fine,” he said grumpily. “You drive then.”
“I will,” I said snarkily and slid behind the wheel. I’d intended to take a break when we were halfway to our destination and offer to let him drive the rest of the way. His attitude had just guaranteed that that wasn’t going to happen. Even if I was in danger of falling asleep from exhaustion, he would have to pry my keys out of my hand and drag me out of the driver’s seat to take over my position now.
Chapter Eleven
According to the GPS, it would take us four hours to reach the Archives. I drove in stubborn silence, stopping once to refuel and ignoring Connor as much as possible. He drummed his fingers on his thigh, content to remain silent. Most people would have engaged in conversation, but I was used to spending long stretches on the road alone. Usually, I would sing along with the radio. Since I’d been told I sounded like a cat being tortured, I opted not to embarrass myself. Although, annoying my unwanted companion did hold some appeal.
When we reached a sm
all town that was only ten miles or so from our destination, I slowed down. Connor’s stomach was growling almost as loudly as mine was, so I parked out front of a café. Like a gentleman from another era, he opened the door and allowed me to enter first. A few elderly people were seated at the tables. All conversation broke off as they gawked at us. When they saw we weren’t going to rob them or cause any trouble, they resumed talking.
A waitress sauntered over to us when we took a seat at a small table. “What’ll it be?” she asked. Her gaze devoured Connor and she ignored me completely. We both ordered burgers and fries. I asked for soda and Connor received a strange look when he requested tea. “Coming right up,” she said in a slightly deflated tone. She gave my new friend a regretful look and went into the kitchen to give the cook our orders.
I smirked and slouched back in my seat. “What?” Connor asked flatly, knowing my amusement was at his expense, but not knowing the cause of it.
“Nothing,” I replied, then sniggered.
“Just spit it out,” he said wearily, crossing his arms and leaning on the table.
I leaned forward as well and spoke quietly so no one could overhear us. “She thinks you’re gay,” I divulged. His offended expression set me off into sniggers again. “Don’t worry,” I said when I had myself under control. “I’m not judgmental. I don’t care who you sleep with.”
“I am not gay,” he said stiffly, just in time for the waitress to reappear.
Her expression immediately brightened and she made sure to brush her breast against him when she set his tea down. She plonked my soda in front of me, then put her hand on his shoulder. “Just let me know if there’s anything else you need, honey,” she purred, then winked and sashayed off, swinging her hips suggestively.
A few years older than us, she was pretty, but he didn’t watch her walk away. He narrowed his eyes and glared at me, as if it was my fault she was hitting on him. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Isn’t she your type either?”