The Shadows: Book 1

12. Taylor=Prey

Hunters POV

My body shook with excitment when I found out I was hunting yet another individual. I remember my fear when I first was going to the Council Meeting. They said in the text that I must be there with no exceptions. I first thought, what did I do wrong? I had just returned from my recent Mission; to capture and kill Dylan, an abnormal.

Then my thoughts when from fear to pride. Maybe they want to congratulate me yet again for killing obediently. But I couldnt  back down the feeling of fear.

When I entered the room for the Council Meeting, all eyes when to me. I felt embarrassed, me being the youngest in the room. I was 25 years old, very young for a professional hunter. All the rumors of me being older are infuriating, but I kept my cool.

"Dalvic," said the Elder Man in the middle. I bowed to him and said with power, "Father." My father wasn't kind and gentle like Mother. Ever since she got hurt on a Mission anyway. He would not hesitate to give me the hardest job on the script, even if it involved me dying. I prefered it that way, saying to him that I am strong and I can and will take on any challenge he throws at me.

My Father gave no jester to congratulate me on my kill. I stayed silent while he finished filing some pages. After he finished, he pierced me with is cold, black eyes. "I am giving you another task. This may be your hardest Mission but no matter. I have seen your past records and they scream this Mission. Will you take it?" He said, while raising an eyebrow for emphasis. "Yes Father," I said, my voice booming.

My Father then slid me a file. I grabbed it and quickly looked at what I was facing. I was surprised to see a girl in the picture, her face smiling. I couldn't help but feel my heart swell. She looked like Mom. She was pretty for her age, maybe 16. She held the smile like she knew she wasn't pretty, but to males, she was striking.

Father repeated what was on the file in memorized words. "Taylor Stephens, age 16. Has a Mother and Father, no siblings. No contact with boys, scanned to have no feeling for them either. Is very shy and curious, but has high-alert on everything that crosses her path. Will not fight, more or less run away. Likes to hid in shadows, so as guessed, power is turning into one. Has no friends, very distant. Kind, but has a short temper. Hasn't found out about her power, but we believe it all might change because of this ... boy. Tyson, age 17, works for RAP and has experience from a Military Academy. Even though Ms. Stephens may look harmless, she has a very strong power and will be the hardest to capture. " I looked up from the files and stared at my Father's eyes. "Capture? I kill, Father. Why do we need to capture her? Isn't she a threat already?" My Father shrugged, but didn't loose his icy gaze. "We will need her for questioning. And even so, maybe persuade her to join us and kill the rest of her kind. If she denies, you know what to do." I nodded, noting myself to never question my Father again. My Father nodded at me and shouted, "Dismissed! If anything I say to you Dalvic, Is to be careful. In the eyes of a hunter, a girl with this look is very comforting, but she is different then what meets the eye. Do not under estimate her. With that, I say good luck, and I expect that the next time I see you, you will have her begging at our feet."

I nodded and walked away. My Father  does have a way with words, but that didn't scare me. It was how much this girl, Taylor, looked so much like my mother that I couldn't bare capture her. She needs to be free, but I can't disobey my Father. My blood will be shed in the middle of the Council Room, no doubt.

I grabbed the files that were held tightly in my fingers. I glance at the profile and found her school. Immediately, I ran in that direction at an abnormal speed. I acted like an abnormal, but I had human blood. The trick is to go to the gym. No one gets that.

I ran until I saw the school and slowed to a walk. My heart was racing for blood, but I had to capture her.

There was laughing. My ears detected it and I turned to look at an alley way. 2 kids, were ohhing and aweing. I looked to see what was going on and saw one kid was surging electricity. The other was staring in awe until the heard me. The electric kid grabbed his friends arm and ran away. I didn't bother chasing, I had one job.

I strained my ears to hear anything in the school when I saw an open window. I climbed in with grace and strained my ears to hear her voice. And then I heard it.

"What do you want?" Said a female voice. I was sure it was Taylor, especially since she didn't talk much. I didn't want to hear the conversation, so I just thought of a distraction.

I saw a girl running in the halls, a look of shock plastered on her face. Tsk tsk. You must be late. I grabbed for my dagger and stepped onto her path. She stopped at stared, probably thinking, what is this freak doing? I smiled at her and thats when she looked down. She saw my dagger and gasped.

I held up my finger and cocked it from side to side. "This is why you should never be late. Things could happen as a consequence." She stared at me, horrified. This time I grinned, and she blinked, and saw I was then right in front of her. "It's a shame too. You were wasted." I then stabbed her in the stomach and she screamed. I gritted my teeth by her piercing voice. She could make everyone's ears bleed. I rubbed the blood from my dagger on the wall with a message for Ms. Stephens. I heard 2 sets of feet pounding their way here and I jumped at the window, glass shards shattering everywhere.

A few hours later, I sensed Taylor at a parade. I was a bit confused of out of all places, she would come here, but then saw the traffic. She was with her "boyfriend" Tyson.

Taylor whirled around, as if looking for something. Could she sense me? No one could. I see what Father means. I was surprised but then she found me. I stared at her with no expression, but when she blinked, my eyes turned red. She stared at me in horror and the 2 of them ditched.

I never saw her since, I would sometimes mutter, "Oh Taylor, where are you?" I was suppose to bring her back soon, or Father would not hesitate to find me. I would become the "hunted" instead of the "hunter."