The Hunters Saga #2: The Wolfsbane Rubies

Chapter 17: Risk-Taker

   I held back a gasp of surprise. "A trial won't happen this time around... will it?"

   Hyacinth shook her head slowly. "Ms. Drake, he is not a good vampire. Not even remotely. Henri Sinclair has been an enemy of the hunters – specifically the Church family – for decades, and it won't change. Ever." She closed her eyes briefly. "He needs to be ended. Permanently." The Order member dug into her purse and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, which I soon realized was a photograph.

   My brow furrowed as her heated words sunk in. So, the Church's had a beef with Henri? What had that vamp done to deserve such unrelenting hatred?

   I had a feeling that Hyacinth was going to explain it to me. The woman sat in the chair on the side of the room, directly opposite from where I sat. "The hunters have never been benevolent toward the supernatural races, especially the vampires. We're constantly surrounded by them. You must understand that?"

   I nodded, willing her to continue.

   "When I was a young girl, about 10 years old, I met a warlock of an adequate degree of magic. He was my world... we fell in love." The older woman smiled at the memory. "When I grew older, we kept in contact, even though my Father forbid association with the supernatural community."

   "Did your Father eventually approve?" I asked softly, earning a shake of the head from Hyacinth. "They never officially met. Jeremiah, the warlock, left my life as soon as I became pregnant with his child."

   My eyes widened at that. So, Hyacinth Church had a child; one that I'd apparently never met.

   Or had I?

   I shifted almost uncomfortably in my seat. "You had a child?"

   "Yes, a baby boy. I named Jeremy after his Grandfather." Her voice dropped even lower. "He kept his Father's surname 'Stone', as we never married."

   "Was your son a warlock, too?"

   "Half-warlock," Hyacinth corrected with a small smile. "Being a half breed, he had been born with no magic whatsoever."

   Hyacinth let out a sigh suddenly. "Anyway, my family was happy for me, but they also wondered about the Father in question. Ryan had multiple hunches, but he never figured it out. Since Jeremy had no magical abilities – or potential, for that matter – he was safe in his human environment. No mishaps."

   "Did he eventually become a hunter?"

   Hyacinth shook her head slowly, hiding her face in her hands. "On the night of Jeremy's 16th birthday, the day before he would've joined the ranks of the vampire hunters, he was attacked."

   The place was plunged into silence, except for the woman's quiet sobs, and my spirits plummeted. I had a feeling that I knew where this was going...

   "Henri Sinclair took him."

   "Did he kill Jeremy?" I dared to ask.

   "We found no body, Ms. Drake. We always assume the worst when there's no body to collect."

   I remembered my Dad saying something like that, and I knew exactly what it meant.

   "Once he was gone, my Father and Ryan set out to stake him, against my wishes of course," she grasped at the photo, and stared down at it. "When they finally found Jeremy, he was alone. He'd been abandoned by Henri Sinclair, his sire, and had been set loose on the city, killing many." She took a shaky breath, and her shoulders relaxed. "The others tried to stake him, but it never happened. After they'd found him, he was never seen again." Hyacinth locked eyes with me. "My hope is that he had a great immortal life; that he stayed out of unnecessary trouble."