Cursed (Book # 3 of Hunted)

Into the Woods

The class, for lack of a better term, grabbed their things and followed Jason out of the portable. He led us, not back towards campus, but into the forest. As soon as we were under the trees, Jason turned to us and said, "It's a bit of a trek so why don't you guys take this opportunity to get to know each other. Connecting with your fellow Hunters is extremely important especially for Rogue's. It reinforces the idea that you are not alone in this world."

He looked over us and continued, "Obey the rules of this institution and someone will always have your back, no matter what." There was a cold fervor in his eyes that made me think perhaps Keegan was right about the brainwashing.

He turned and began leading us down a narrow trail crisscrossed with knobbly tree roots and dead leaves. Garnet stumbled up alongside me and grumbled, "I am so not wearing the right shoes for this." I glanced down at her feet and saw a pair of bright red stilettos that would probably give even Phoebe a hard time.

"I don't hear bonding!" Jason snapped after several minutes of silent hiking, "Don't make me break out some cheesy ice breaker game." Garnet groaned and retorted, "I'm a little busy trying not to break an ankle! If I had known we'd be traipsing around in the woods I would've brought my new boots!"

A woman towards the front of our little troop drifted back towards Garnet and me. She glanced down at Garnet's blood red pumps and asked, "What size do you wear?"

"Six and a half," Garnet replied, "Why?" The woman stooped and after a moment stood holding up a pair of worn, muddy hiking boots. I raised an eyebrow. They were definitely bigger than a size six and a half.

She waved her hand over the boots, and they shrunk! The mud disappeared and they looked good as new. The woman held them out to Garnet and said, "Here you go." Garnet took them and the woman walked away, her bare feet slapping on the soggy forest floor.

Garnet stared at the boots for a moment. I glanced after the retreating forms of our group. Garnet sighed and said, "They really don't go with my outfit, but I can't take another step in these heels." She changed into the boots, and we ran after the group her heels swinging from her left hand.

"Hey, thanks for the wardrobe change," Garnet said as we approached the woman. She glanced at us and smiled replying, "No problema. I prefer going barefoot anyway."

"So, how did you do it? These things were massive when you first took them off," Garnet asked. The woman shrugged and said, "Transmutation." Garnet looked confused.

"What?"

"The ability to transform one thing into another," I interjected then I snorted and asked, "Do you have to obey the law of equivalent exchange?"

"The law of what?" Garnet asked sounding even more confused.

"Yes, actually. I can't create something from nothing, an object of equal value must be given in return." Garnet sighed and said, "So you can't turn my cubic zirconia into real diamonds?" The woman smirked and replied, "No, but I can turn a one-dollar bill into a pretty passable hundred, ser pan comido."

Garnet's eyes sparkled and she hooked her arm around the woman's saying, "That's amazing! So, what was your name again?" The woman's gaze flicked to me and then back to Garnet.

"Jana. You're Garnet, right?" The woman asked and Garnet nodded. Her eyes met mine, "And I doubt your name is actually 'Princess.'"

"Lorelei," I replied as we caught up with the group.

"And you're a precog?" Jana asked seemingly content to have Garnet hanging off her arm. I thought about it for a moment. Precognition...the ability to see into the future. But it wasn't just the future I saw.

"I prefer the term 'Seer,'" I said after a moment and Jana nodded before glancing at Garnet.

"And what's your thing?" she asked. Garnet smirked and replied, "Wouldn't you like to know?" I felt a strange tingling in my head as I watched them walk before me, kind of like a sneeze that wouldn't come out.

"She's pyrokinetic," I said, and Garnet looked at me with narrowed eyes.

"How did you know that?"

I raised an eyebrow at her and replied, "Seer, remember?"

"You can control fire?" Jana asked and Garnet nodded. Jana smirked and said, "Hot." Garnet seemed to stand a little taller.

"Can you create fire or just manipulate it?" I asked. Garnet raised an eyebrow at me and inquired, "Why do you need to ask? Can't you just See the answer?" I frowned and looked down at the ground. She laughed and gave my shoulder a shake.

"Relax, girl, I'm only teasing. When I was your age, I could barely light a cigarette with my mind, but now..." She held up her hand and red-orange fire twisted around her slender fingers, "I can set a house ablaze from fifty yards."

I grinned and said, "That's kind of awesome." She returned my grin and replied, "Isn't it?"

"I wonder what the others can do?" Jana mused. Garnet smiled and said, "Let's go find out." She began pulling Jana towards the rest of the group, grabbing my wrist with her free hand and dragging me along with her.