"So, this is it." Daniel paced in front of the main staircase of the mausoleum, hands clasped tightly behind his back. "Big Hunter-vampire showdown tonight."
Rachel sat on the stairs and followed his movement, squinting against the sunlight. He was nervous, tense and on the verge of an adrenaline rush. But she still searched for a hidden feeling she hoped was there. She'd never lived a night more intense and beautiful than the one before. Sure, they were on the verge of battle, and she was nervous too, but most of all, she was happy. Wasn't he?
"Yes." Justin groaned. He was barely visible in the daylight. "That Angus guy is even nastier than Vlad. Not to mention he didn't pay me either. I don't envy you, though. Angus mentioned rounding up all the Hunters."
"It's about damn time, too. I bet Vlad rounded up all of Europe. Which leaves the Hunters terribly outnumbered. Not that I care. Stupid, pansy-ass Hunters." Daniel stopped pacing and turned to Justin. "You're free. I absolve you of your oath." He searched his pockets and pulled out a small crimson sack which he threw to the wraith. "Your pay."
Justin squinted at him, but as he rummaged inside the sack, his mouth fell open. "You're giving me this much gold? But this will buy my—"
"Yeah, I know." Daniel smiled weakly and began pacing again. "You deserve it. You have no idea how important this is to us."
"You're alright, Daniel." Justin stared at the contents of the sack for a few more seconds, then tucked it deep into his pocket and crouched in front of Rachel. "I'll miss you, beautiful."
Rachel tore her eyes from Daniel. "Really? That's sweet of you. You don't even know me."
Justin grinned. "I heard when you nagged him about being mean to me. And that's the closest I've ever come to having a friend."
Rachel smiled back. He was a decent guy after all.
"Who knows, I might even stick around and see how your plan works out." The wraith took her hand and rubbed it. It felt like cold spring water poured over her skin.
Daniel grabbed the scruff of Justin's neck and pulled him up. She felt a stab of jealousy coming from him, but it quickly disappeared.
"Do you mean it? Are you coming back?" His voice was kind, almost hopeful.
"I might. You two aren't so bad." Justin rubbed his neck and grinned. "You're the only people who've ever kept their word. Being a wraith kinda sucks."
"I'm asking because I could use your help."
Justin guffawed. "Why am I not surprised? What do you want?"
Daniel hesitated for a second. "How transparent can you get? Show me."
Justin pouted, but then scrunched his face in concentration. With every passing second, he became more transparent until he was barely visible in the light. "This is it. I can't go any further unless I think of a place to rematerialize."
"Great." Daniel threw a punch directly at Justin's head. But his fist never connected with flesh, it passed right through the wraith's face.
Rachel gasped. "Daniel!"
Justin pulled back, his brows drawn together. "Hey, what's your problem?"
"I didn't hurt you, did I?" Daniel asked. "And you're not Justin Timberlake, either. You can take any shape you want."
"Not really. I can only take the shape of people I've actually seen . And I'm expecting an apology for that punch. It did hurt. Not as much as it would have if I was less transparent, but it still did."
"Yeah, sorry about that." Daniel shrugged. "Just making sure you're partially immune to pain."
Justin backed away. "Why? What are you planning?"
"I don't want them to catch wind of our trickery too fast. I wondered if you could take my shape and lead them on."
"Wait a minute." Justin raised his eyebrows. "Where will the two of you really be?"
"At Bran, after Vlad," Rachel answered. "It's a one hour drive from here, and we don't want to give Vlad time to join the battle."
"I'll think about it." Justin waved his hand, his body becoming more solid with every passing second. "Now I need to grab a bit to eat."
Rachel did a double take. "What? Wraiths eat?"
"No. But that means I'm not telling you where I'm really going. I'll meet you here at nightfall, if I decide to help. Have a nice day, precious." He winked at Rachel before vanishing.
Daniel crouched in front of her. "Sorry I'm being such an asshole. I'm just really nervous."
She watched him from the corner of her eyes. "I'm nervous too, but you don't see me picking on people."
"I know. I'm just really wired up." He stood. "And that thing you were looking for...Yeah, last night meant as much to me as it did to you. That's the reason I'm so hyper." He lowered to one knee and took her hands. "Because now I know just how much I could lose. And I'm scared. I don't think I've ever been scared before in my life."
Rachel's heart tightened with both fear and happiness. She was scared of losing him too, but that didn't exterminate this happiness that threatened to turn her into a useless puddle of rainbows and unicorns. She wanted to keep it. Adrenaline started pumping through her veins. There was no way in hell Vlad was taking this away from her.
"We have a big night ahead of us. It's about time we caught up on sleep." He half-smiled. "And I mean really sleep this time."
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Twilight loomed over the mausoleum. Rachel and Daniel crouched behind the car, their backs resting against it. Justin wasn't there, and she wondered if he'd passed on or would show up to help. Her hands trembled as she stacked her belt with stakes and arrows.
"Hey, it's going to be alright." Daniel reached over and squeezed her shoulder.
"You don't believe that for one minute."
"No." He grinned. "But I'm looking forward to going down in flames and taking as many bloodsuckers as possible along for the ride."
Rachel smiled half-heartedly. She wished she could be more excited, but the stupid nausea was back. Pregnant or not, she hated the heavy feeling in her stomach.
"I've got one for you." Justin materialized before them, making both of them jump. "What's the deal with this vamp life and when is it gonna fade out?"
Rachel snorted with laughter, recognizing the addled lyrics of one of the real Justin Timberlake's songs. "We didn't think you'll be back."
"And miss the fun?" He dropped to the ground, squeezing between them, and nodded toward Daniel before returning his attention to Rachel. "Going after Vlad is crazy. No one can bring that guy down. You're better off joining this battle. You might survive."
"The whole point of this fight is to draw Vlad's guards away from the castle," Rachel said impatiently as she checked her dart-gun, knife, and mini-crossbow. She planned on using each and every weapon on Vlad tonight.
"What if he joins the fight?" Justin asked.
"I bet he will. But I also suspect he'll be the last to arrive." Daniel placed his stakes in their slots on his belt. "That's why we have to get there now. If you'd come by earlier, we could've had a friendly chat. But now, let's see you turn into me."
Justin rolled his eyes. "Fun as always." He screwed his face up in concentration. His hair darkened from dusty-blond to a matte black. Muscles filled out in his chest and arms as he grew in size to match Daniel. Colors fluctuated in his eyes, settling on inky-blue while the rest of his features changed and rearranged to match his model. "There. How's that?" The wraith kept his own voice.
Rachel giggled. "Wow, Justin. You're hot."
Justin smirked. "And you, Rach, are gorgeous. Any chance you'd confuse me for the real thing?"
"Dude, quit hitting on my girlfriend and pay attention." Daniel's eyes were unfocused as he tried to sense the Hunters approaching.
Rachel batted her eyelashes at Justin. "Maybe if you were a solid deal."
Justin grinned and shut his eyes. His body solidified, until he could hardly be told apart from Daniel. "How's this?"
Before Rachel could answer, Daniel leaned toward them and punched Justin in the stomach. He flew backward, over the parking lot fence and down the hill.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Rachel yelled. "We were only kidding."
Daniel shrugged. "I know. I just wanted to see if he gets hurt when he's not transparent. Plus, it was rather satisfying punching myself."
"That does it, you asshole!" Justin floated over the fence, looking like himself again.
"Calm down." Daniel waved him away. "I was just testing you."
"You could've asked!"
"My bad. I promise I'll ask next time."
Justin crossed his arms over his chest and turned away. "You'd better do better than that if you still want my help."
Rachel felt like slapping Daniel. Why couldn't he control himself? She knew exactly how much satisfaction he got out of hitting Justin. She didn't think he was that jealous.
"Fine. Pick your price then."
Justin rubbed his hands, his eyes shiny. "How about a kiss from Rachel?"
"What?" Rachel got to her feet, her fists clenched. "You men are both way out of line!"
Daniel's muscles tightened, but he smiled pleasantly. "I won't beat the crap out of you if she lets you."
"Hell no! Stop acting like children and let's focus on the issue at hand." She fell back into her crouching position, pouting. Honestly, men! She knew Daniel was only trying to get Justin to help again, and she also suspected Justin was a flirt, but this was the worst possible time. They were breaking her concentration.
Justin sighed. "It was worth a try. But the fact that you were okay with it counts. So we're cool." He scrunched his face again and turned into Daniel. "Now, what's the plan?"
"If Vlad shows up in less than an hour, come get us so we can get back here as soon as possible," Daniel said. "The Hunters should turn up first since they're day-walkers. They'll most likely stay hidden until they make sure it's worth stepping out. That's why it's important that they see you when the leeches get here. It will draw them out to face the vampires."
"Let's just hope the vamps turn up on time," Rachel mumbled. "Should we get going?"
Daniel nodded and turned to Justin who was pulling at his collar. "Thanks for doing this. It means a lot to us."
Justin huffed. "I'm not doing this for you."
Daniel put his hand on the wraith's shoulder. "If things get nasty, amscray. Don't take any risks."
Justin smiled and reached out to shake Daniel's hand. "We're cool. Now go!"
Daniel held the door for Rachel then got in the driver's seat and sped off, wheels screeching on the pavement. He drove as fast as the winding curbs allowed him. Rachel looked out the window, her head resting against the glass, trying to shake off the ominous feeling that had taken hold of her.
"What if we'll be responsible for getting all the Hunters killed?" she asked.
"Impossible. The old ones are stronger than you think. Even if by running, they'll make it out of there."
Rachel nodded and returned to surveying the moon through the window. It shone its light on the villages down in the valley. They looked like toy cities from up there. An ache at the back of her throat had her want to soar down on the unsuspecting people and drink their blood. She bit the insides of her cheeks and looked away. They both still needed to feed. Would this help them in their fight against Vlad?
I hope so, Daniel answered. You'll find you're a lot more motivated to kill and hurt when you're starving. Your instincts take over. And that's what I'm counting on.
She did a double take. "You've planned this out, haven't you?"
"Not really. Everything just seemed to fall into place."
Max's prediction. They'd finally learn how it ended. The image of the hilltop returned to Rachel, and for the first time, she saw it from another angle. The mausoleum was still there, only it was behind them. Daniel held her, and she felt happier and safer than ever. She wanted that.
"You're blocking me out again."
She turned to him, finally understanding. Every time she saw the hill, she'd automatically push Daniel out of her thoughts. But why couldn't she share that image with him?
"What are you hiding from me?" he asked. His tone was even, but she could sense he was a little annoyed.
"I'm not hiding anything. I just keep seeing something that I can't share with you for some reason. I'm not doing it on purpose." She crossed her arms over her chest. Honestly, why the third degree?
"I'm not giving you the third degree." He raked his hand through his hair, frustrated, then took in a deep breath. It's okay. We'll figure this out after we get rid of Vlad. Now, hold my hand. The vampires are on the move.
Rachel placed her hand on the wheel, over his. Her blood started pumping faster. "How far away are they?"
"About a mile. Fortunately, Vlad's not leading them."
"This would've been a lot harder if I weren't a Shade, wouldn't it?"
"Rach, without you and your special ability, it would've been impossible."
After a couple minutes of driving, Rachel felt the incoming vampire army. She shut her eyes and concentrated on the warmth coming from Daniel. He tried to soothe her and extinguish her nausea and uneasiness. It didn't work entirely, but it felt much better than it would have without his help. What scared her was the number of them. They kept on coming, like a never-ending swarm of locusts. And the closer they got to their destination, the song she'd come to associate with the apocalypse played louder inside her head.
Waves wash slates clean
New and old collide
A test of patience, test of faith
Worlds once united, divide
Only one must take the blame
But it will be too late...
Just one way to keep our innocence.
Tears pooled at the corner of her eyes as the song played over and over. Why was this happening? What did it mean?
"You have a beautiful voice."
"I wish I could get this song out of my head. I think my mom used to sing it when I was a kid, but I haven't heard it since. How can I remember the lyrics?" She looked at him, her eyes full of tears. It scared her that this song kept coming back, predicting some sort of disaster she couldn't recognize.
Daniel hummed and returned his attention to the road. "You should try to calm down. We'll deal with it when this is over."
"Do you have any idea what this could mean?"
"It feels like I should. Like it's my fault somehow." He shook his head. "I can't think about it now. We're here, anyway."
A simple white metal plate reading Bran in black bold letters, greeted them. They entered the village and it took only a couple more minutes of driving before the castle came into view.
Rachel felt the now familiar pain in her temples and nausea. Vlad was still in there. And he wasn't alone. She shut her eyes and tried to tell how many others were with him, but Vlad's aura swallowed everything else.
"Damn, I hoped he'd have less guards. It's gonna take a while to kill them all," Daniel mumbled.
"Do you think the other Hunters will come armed with more dart-guns?" she asked. Having an infinite amount of darts would have made their job much easier.
"I don't know. If they don't, they're a bunch of idiots. And I have a feeling that's the case. For their own good, I hope they're stuffed with tranquilizers." He drove onto a paved street, past what looked like a miniature village and cut off the engine in front of a traditional wooden gate.
They glanced up at the castle placed on a mountain top, looking down menacingly at the houses below. A pine forest stretched on the other side of the mountain, giving the place a wild feel. Uneven turrets pierced the sky. There was only one small cobbled access road beyond the gate.
"I wish I'd told Justin to report to us after the clash."
"You're worried about them, aren't you?"
"About the other Hunters?" He rubbed his forehead. "I wish I wasn't. But no matter how rebellious and crazy I am, they're my kind. Our kind. I hope they win, and it pains me that I've led them into this. The odds are against them."
"Even after all they did to us, I still feel they're the good guys. Max founded and led them, made most of them. And he was your maker. If it hadn't been for him, neither you nor I would be here."
"But are we in the right place at the right time?" Daniel took out his dart gun and mounted a silencer on the barrel.
Rachel moved her hand to his shoulder and passed him her gun, for the same procedure. "Trust me. We're exactly where we're supposed to be. Max's prophecy is coming true. Let's just hope that the ending he saw was in our favor."
"If it wasn't, that's one part of the future we're going to change." He opened the door and pulled her out through the driver's side, making sure they kept touching.
When he put her down, she bumped into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist to steady her. She looked into his eyes, and for a crazy moment thought about running away. Why couldn't they just quit the supernatural life and be normal, be happy? The image of the hill flashed before her eyes again, but this time, it was different. The mausoleum crumbled in flames and there was no Daniel there to hold her. She stood alone, bleeding, pain stabbing through her heart.
She shook away the stupid thought before it went any further. This wasn't about them. There were other people counting on the outcome of this battle. Their entire race. There was no turning back. No matter what happened.
"Rach, are you okay?"
She looked up to see worry in his eyes. "This could be the last time you hold me."
He lowered his gaze. "I know."
"And this could be the last time I get to say this." She cupped his face. "I love you. And you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. You've made my life amazing, ever since we met."
A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "And I love you. Enough to promise that this isn't the last time we hold each other, not the last time we say cheesy lines, and definitely not the last time we—" He put one hand on the back of her head and pulled her into a passionate kiss.
Rachel moaned, and while the kiss lasted, there was no more tension, no fear. As soon as he pulled away, it came back and all her muscles contracted.
"Kiss like love's young dream." He winked, then pulled away, still holding her hand. "Here's the plan. We rush in, take down every leech that gets in the way, and shoot every possible dart at Vlad. Whatever happens, you don't let go of my hand, or Vlad eats us. Let's try to keep it quiet too. Or Vlad eats us."
If she weren't so nervous, Rachel would've laughed. But she tightened her grip on Daniel's hand, took out the mini-crossbow and scowled at the castle. Vlad was going down.
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The climax is upon us!
Thanks for reading another chapter of Hunters. Hope you have fun! Leave a comment or vote in case you enjoyed it. And thank you for your support!