The Hunter

The Hunter - chapter fifteen

Chapter fourteen

My breath caught in my throat at the top of the stairs. I could hear the men speaking downstairs. My parents didn't sound happy. I watched Blake creep down the stairs; he was silent as death.

He motioned for me to follow once he was at the bottom.

"They're in the living room," he whispered. "Is there any other way in?"

"Through the kitchen."

He nodded and we walked down the long hallway and into the kitchen. Light shone under the door. My heart slammed against my chest. I never did anything this dangerous. All the vampires and monsters combined were not as lethal as the three men sitting with my parents. I chewed my bottom lip as my shaking hands filled the syringes with the serum. I hoped it would work on them.

"Are you all right?"

Nodding my head, I slipped the vile in my pocket. The door creaked slightly as I pushed it open. I grimaced and peeked through the crack. Nobody heard it. The Guild leaders' backs were to us, my mother glanced up and caught my eye. I put a finger to my lips and shook my head. She looked away, smiling at the three men. At least we knew she was on our side. Blake slipped through the door and I followed. I poised the first syringe above Mathias neck ready to plunge it in.

"Alyssa, how nice of you to join us and you brought a friend."

My heart sunk to the pit of my stomach. My breath hitched and my body shuddered. A throbbing migraine started at my temples and wrapped around my entire head.

"Please stop," I mumbled.

"What is that in your pocket?" his brother, Marcus asked.

It creeped me out how he knew things without even looking at me. "It's nothing."

"Oh but I believe it's something," he said, turning his head to side-eye me.

"Are you trying to do something you would regret, Alyssa?" Mathias asked.

"No. Of course not."

"Please, introduce us to your friend," Vincenzo said. His voice sounded like velvet about to wrap around my head.

"You don't need to meet him," I hissed.

Marcus was up in a flash with a hand around my throat. "My brother may be tolerant of your insolence, but I will not be. Do not disobey another order."

I shook my head and glanced at Blake, mouthing 'I'm sorry'.

"This is Blake. He's a friend from school."

"From school? How well do you know him?" Mathias asked.

"We met on my first day. He's been showing me around town," I lied.

Marcus watched me carefully. I could feel him probing my mind. Lucky for Bryce I was an incredible liar. Perhaps that was my power, lying.

"Your mind is such a blank slate, Alyssa."

"Forgive me," I said, bowing my head to the man.

"You will have to tell me how you do it."

"I'm not sure," I mumbled, clasping my hands behind my back.

Marcus returned to his seat and motioned for me to stand before them. "Your friend may go."

"Thank you." I nodded at Blake and hesitantly he left the room.

The three men sat in tall, wing backed chairs staring at me. It was the most awkward and uncomfortable feeling. My head pounded again as a migraine overcame me. I sunk to my knees, grasping either side of my head, crying in pain. Mother stood to run to me, but Vincenzo held up a hand stopping her. Marcus continued focusing on me, making my brain feel as though it would explode.

"I may not be able to read your mind, but I can still get inside. We're not happy with your progress, Alyssa. Not happy at all."

"I'm sorry. I don't know what you want me to tell you. I'm searching for this mythological nest of yours, but it simply does not exist."

"We find that very hard to believe. We know there is something odd at that school and I have no doubt your little friend who just left is part of it. Don't tell us you're turning your back on The Guild. You remember what happened to the last girl who did that don't you? You don't want to end up on the stake do you? You are far to beautiful to have such a terrible end."

I bit my bottom lip to stop it from quivering. Not so much from his threat, but from the receding pain in my cranium. I pushed myself up to my knees and stared at the three men through glassy eyes, I could feel the tears begin to slide down my cheeks.

"You will find nothing here. My friend has nothing to do with this life. He doesn't even know what I am. The school is just that, a school. It's filled with extraordinarily smart kids. Nothing more. Nothing less. You have sent my family and I on a wild goose chase for the past two centuries for something that does not exist. Your informant was wrong."

Vincenzo shook his head and tusked me. My body shuddered as another wave of pain swept over.

"Please! You're hurting her. Please stop hurting her," my mother wailed.

I looked up at her through blurry eyes. I didn't know how much more I would be able to withstand before I went insane. I opened my mouth to scream but a blackness crept over me. My eyes slid shut and the pain continued radiating throughout my entire body.

***

I awoke sometime later in my bed. The bright sky had turned ebony black with small dots of distant stars shining.

How long have I been out? Are they still here?

I sat up, looking about the room. Everything appeared to be normal and in its place.

"It's all right. They left an hour ago. I've been waiting for you to waken."

"Blake?" I asked shakily.

"Yes. Just lay back and relax. I'll come out of the shadows in a bit. I'm ensuring they are not watching the house or you."

"Okay."

"They are much worse than I thought. To attack one of their own is reprehensible," he said in disgust from somewhere across the darkened room.

"I've told you they are a force to be reckoned with. We all will have to be extremely careful from now on. They're going to keep a close eye on me and the school."

"Yes, I know."

"Please come sit with me. I don't want to be alone right now."

In a flash he sat beside me. His porcelain skin shone in the pale moonlight. His amber eyes pierced to my very core. He looked so very tired, at least as tired as an undead immortal could look. Reaching up to my face, his ice cold fingers brushed away a few stray strands of hair from my face. He lifted my chin to meet his gaze. Without a word he covered my mouth with his. His cold, stone like tongue prodding at my own. I didn't mind. I tingled from my head to my toes. He was perfection. Everything I'd wanted in a boyfriend. Except the whole undead, eating people thing.