The Hunters Saga #3: The Hawthorn Pearl

Chapter 15: Who's the Bigger Monster?

A/N: Chapter 15! Woo! ;) Enjoy and thanks so much for reading ;)

Chapter 15: Who's the Bigger Monster?

    "Are you nuts? How can you act so calm about this?" Kira demanded in a loud voice, eyes wide. "You can't be serious... You know what Robert will do-"

    "It was going to happen eventually," Henri murmured back, briefly holding my gaze. If he noticed my odd behavior or my silence, he didn't bring attention to it. "I'm done running." And with that, my sire climbed out of the driver seat. "Come on."

    Kira seemed more reluctant to follow than I was, but she still exited the vehicle.

    Damn it...

    Now I was alone in the Mustang, my thoughts still on the fire, on Chicago, and on Henri. Vaguely, I questioned why my previous false memory had been put in place originally, and by who. Could it be the Order's brainwashing technique, or was I really two young then to cope that I hallucinated my uncle. But wait...

    "Antoinette?"

    I was broken from my thoughts to find the door on my left open, with Henri watching me closely. He managed to smile at me. "It's going to be alright. Trust me."

    Trust me... How could I?

    I bit my lip hard, hard enough to break the skin. Blood trickled down my chin, and Henri reached forward. "Toni. You're bleeding."

    I shied away from his touch, but he advanced on me, his cold hand - lukewarm to me - wiping the liquid from my mouth. For a sickening moment, I expected him to clean his fingers by sucking on them... Just as he had done in my new memory.

    My restored memory.

    "Delicious, isn't she?" the echo of a voice hit my ears, and I scooted further from Henri, but he grabbed my shoulder before I got far. "Antoinette, what's wrong?"

    I said nothing.

    "Did something happen in Chicago?"

    I nodded slowly, letting the memory consume me. I had to be reminded...

    Carefully, I let Henri pull me out of the Mustang and out into the chilly night air. I felt nothing as Henri, Kira and I entered the famed apartment complex. Getting to Henri's suite took no trouble or time at all, and soon, we were inside the massiveness of the vampire's luxurious penthouse. The light of the foyer was on, as well as the fireplace. All other light was gone. That didn't bother me.

    What did bother me - besides being near Henri - was the presence of other vamps: Gavin, Robert, Gabriel... there was also a human presence.

    What could my uncle want? And I thought it was obvious... Henri's grip on my shoulder relocated to my upper arm, even as we turned a corner and entered the family room.

    Near the antique fireplace stood my uncle, Gabriel loyally at his side. I felt uneasy with him here, when I shouldn't have been. He'd shown me the truth...

    Gavin stood closer to the corner of the room, farther from the amber glow of the fire so I couldn't see him clearly. I knew it was him, though. The faint scent of redwood was a dead giveaway.

    Kira's eyes widened in shock, and my brow furrowed. What did she-

    Oh.

    Sitting in a wooden chair - tied up, might I add - positioned beside Gavin was Clary Thompson.