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Authors: J L Taft

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BOOK: Huntress
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It was loud and when it rumbled she could feel it in her
chest and toes. He held out his hand to help her climb on and she clung to
Trent in a death grip. He chuckled but didn’t complain and soon they were
shooting away from the curb in a roar of thunder.

As they left town and the houses became fewer and the trees
took over, Fiona’s grip loosened. She had never experienced the exciting
feeling of being so free at the same time that she was speeding down the road.

The wind whipped her hair behind her and she knew it was
going to be a tangled mess by the time they got there but she couldn’t muster
up much energy to care. It felt too good.

The pavement turned to dirt and Trent slowed his breakneck
pace. The road curved and wound back and forth through the hills. She tried to
stay behind him but it felt unnatural to lean toward the ground.

One of his hands came back to rub her leg and she relaxed
and let all her control go. He would never do anything to hurt her. It took a
lot more trust to ride behind someone than she had ever imagined.

By the time they got there she was feeling a little wrung
out. But as they pulled down the long dirt driveway a strange feeling came over
her. She suddenly knew whatever happened today would change her life forever.

It all seemed familiar to her, not enough she would know her
way around but there was a lingering impression she had seen this house before.

Trent stopped the bike in front of the rustic little cabin.
There were flowers blooming everywhere and an old woman stood on the front
porch, waiting for them.

He climbed off first and then helped her remove her helmet
and held her hand while she swung her leg over. He smiled at her reassuringly
as he tugged her to the porch.

Trent’s granny was a small, sturdy-looking woman. Her gray hair
was in a tight knot at the back of her head and her clear green eyes, so much
like Trent’s, were direct and piercing.

“Granny,” Trent said as he kissed her cheek. “This is
Fiona.”

“How do you do?” Fiona asked as she stuck her hand out to
shake Eve’s.

Eve took it and used it to pull Fiona into her arms. She
hugged her tight for a brief second before she pulled back to look in her eyes.

“Of course this is Fiona, who else would it be?” She laid
her hands on Fiona’s cheeks.

Fiona could see the tears welling in her eyes.

“You look just like Eleanor. Beautiful and strong.” She
sniffed and gazed at her for a few more seconds. “Well, enough of that!” she
said as she pulled it together and ushered them inside.

She followed Trent to a kitchen table that looked as though
it had been through a war. He dropped into a chair and stretched his legs out.
This was obviously home to him.

Eve came back with three glasses of lemonade and sat across
from them.

Trent grabbed her hand under the table and laced their
fingers. Fiona was a little nervous at his display in front of his granny but
he wouldn’t let her pull away.

Eve folded her hands on the table in front of her and stared
at Fiona intently.

“The dreams have started, haven’t they?” she asked bluntly.

Fiona was no longer surprised. Apparently Eve could read her
as well as her grandson could.

“Yes, they have. Do you know what they mean?” Fiona asked.

“Yes.” She stopped and Fiona feared she wasn’t going to go
on.

“Granny, please explain,” Trent demanded.

“Don’t use that tone with me, Trent,” Eve barked at him. She
nodded to their joined hands. “Apparently you haven’t taken heed of my
warning.”

Fiona looked back and forth between the two as they stared
at each other. “What warning?” Fiona asked.

“You didn’t tell her?” Eve asked Trent. He shook his head
and Eve sighed. “I hope you realize it’s already too late to go back?”

Trent looked at Fiona and she felt a zing go through her.

“Yeah, I know, Granny.”

“Will someone please explain to me what is going on?” Fiona
insisted.

“When did the dreams start?” Eve asked.

“About a week ago.”

“How much do you know about vampire hunters?”

“Just the usual stuff from books and TV. Plus Grandma’s
journals.”

“Well. It’s best to start at the beginning then.”

Eve took a sip of her lemonade and then began her retelling
of the story. Fiona knew from the way she drew her small frame up with
importance that it was going to be a long one. She glanced at Trent and he
rolled his eyes but didn’t interrupt.

“There are hunters all over the world. Each of them is
assigned to a specific area. Most hunters are hereditary but some are not. What
you believe are nightmares are really warnings, and until you can focus on the
advantage they give you, you will have no idea whether they are past, future or
present. But we can deal with that a little later.

“Now, I’m sure you’re aware that your grandfather died at a
young age?” Fiona nodded and Eve continued. Fiona was at a loss for words. The
pain she had experienced at Grandma’s passing was clearly echoed in this woman’s
eyes and she felt a connection to it.

“Eleanor lost the love of her life to a vampire and she
hunted all of them with dogged determination after that. Sometimes with more
risk than was necessary but she always managed to make it through. I patched her
up more times than I can remember, right here at this very table.”

Trent cleared his throat and reached for Fiona’s hand. “We
had a run-in with a vamp last night and he called her ‘hunter’,” he told his
granny.

Fiona was starting to understand. She realized this had been
coming. She already knew her grandmother was a hunter and Fiona understood she
was going to be somehow involved in this.

Eve heaved a sigh. “This is worse than I first suspected.
I’m sorry, Fiona. Eleanor and I both thought that we would have time to ease
you into this. But time it seems isn’t going to wait. You are the next hunter
and it’s time for you to take your place.”

Chapter Nine

 

“You are the next hunter. The world will not survive without
you. Since the birth of the first vampire there has always been a hunter to
keep the peace and to dole out justice. Some vamps are not evil, they just
happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But others take joy in
killing and would turn the human population into cattle if left with no
consequences. It’s your job to make sure they have those consequences.”

Fiona took a deep breath. It was so much to think about all
at once but she knew this was what she was meant to do.

She reached for Trent’s hand before she could stop herself.
He laced their fingers and gave her a smile and she immediately felt better.

“Meeting a vamp from the dark side last night was
dangerous,” Eve went on. “You are both lucky to be alive. Few have had an
encounter like that and survived to talk about it.”

Trent raised her hand and kissed her fingers, offering her
his silent strength. Their gazes caught and held for a brief second before she
turned back to Eve.

“Okay, what do we do next?” Fiona asked.

 

Fiona reflected later that Trent’s “Granny” was more of a
drill sergeant than a grandmother. As soon as she had asked what was next, the
little woman had become a force to be reckoned with.

She had insisted they stay with her for the next few days
while they got things in order. Trent had been sent off to get clothing for
both of them. She had even sent him to the grocery store and he hadn’t
complained.

She had giggled when he rolled his eyes behind Granny’s back
and winked at her. It still felt strange to her to have such a deep connection
with a man. But it wasn’t a bad feeling.

While he was gone Eve had explained her dreams to her a
little better. They were a warning she would have to learn to use.

“My grandmother had these same dreams?” Fiona asked as Eve
rummaged in a cupboard for something.

“Yes, my dear, she did. Once she stepped in line and
completed the ceremony, she used them as an early-warning system. Sometimes she
would get a vision only an hour before it happened but sometimes that was all
she needed. Someday you will be able to call upon them at will. Ah! Here it
is!”

Eve pulled a long, dark-purple, almost-sheer robe out and
held it up to Fiona. “This was your great-grandmother’s and now it is yours.”
She handed Fiona the robe and Fiona ran her fingers over the material. It gave
her a sense of heritage that she wasn’t alone and this was meant to be.

They heard Eve’s old truck pull up the drive and Fiona
hurried to meet Trent outside.

He jumped from the truck and swung her into his arms,
kissing her as if he hadn’t seen her for days instead of a few hours.

“Trent! Stop it, what if your grandmother sees us?” Fiona
said as she giggled and pushed uselessly against his hard chest.

“Too late,” he said as he nodded and Fiona turned to see
Granny on the porch.

She was smiling at them and then turned to go back inside.

Trent dug the bags out of the back and Fiona grabbed her
backpack that he had thrown clothes in for her. “Trent?”

“Yeah?”

“What was the warning your grandmother was talking about
earlier?”

“Can we talk about it later? I’ve gotta get this stuff inside.”

“I guess so.” Fiona couldn’t escape the feeling he didn’t
want her to know. But she vowed to drag it out of him sooner or later.

Granny made them an early dinner and Fiona absorbed the
feeling of having this small family accept her. She lived a lonely life and she
suddenly realized how much she had been missing.

It was also amazing to her that Eve used her talent in front
of them without any worry. As she cooked she had utensils float into her hand
and Fiona was in awe that this woman didn’t fear sharing her secrets.

After dinner was cleaned up Eve told her to go and take a
shower and change into the robe.

She knew she had to do the ceremony but she was getting
nervous. Her hands shook when she put on the robe, and when she got a glimpse
of herself in the mirror she knew she couldn’t leave the bathroom looking like
this.

She was naked under the purple fabric and it showed more
than it covered. Taking a deep, calming breath, she bent to dig into the bag
Trent had brought with her clothes in it.

She was just about to change when someone knocked on the
door.

“Fiona? Are you ready?” came Eve’s voice form the other
side.

“No! I’m not ready,” Fiona called out.

“Do you need help?” Eve didn’t wait for a reply and let
herself into the small bathroom. “You are ready! Come along, there is no time
to waste.”

Grabbing Fiona by the wrist, she tugged her to the living
room. The room was cast in shadow and at first Fiona didn’t see Trent as he
stood by the window. He turned and she heard him suck in a breath.

“Granny, are you sure this is necessary?” he asked.

“Of course. Some things cannot be changed. Stay in here,
Trent, and I’ll help Fiona get set up.”

She took calming breaths as Eve led her outside and down a
narrow garden path. Darkness had fallen and the stars twinkled overhead. The
sweet scent of Eve’s flowers filled the air and soothed Fiona.

The garden opened up to a center circle. It was made of
natural rocks that had been painstakingly placed in a smooth, swirling design.

Eve told her to sit in the center with her legs crossed. The
rocks were cool under her ass and she shivered. Fiona blinked in surprise when
Eve waved her hands and dozens of tall, white candles sputtered to life on the
edge of the circle.

“The white light is to provide you with some protection,” Eve
told her.

“Protection from what?”

“Come now, Fiona. You must realize that there are many
things in this world that we don’t understand. And not all of them are good.
You will be vulnerable while you receive the memories. But I’ll be close by and
so will Trent. So just relax and find the place that makes you centered.”

“But…” Fiona began but Eve had already disappeared into the
darkness. Fiona heaved a sigh. That woman was annoyingly demanding.

She wasn’t exactly sure what to expect but she slowed her breathing
anyway. She relaxed her muscles one by one and imagined the same garden she
always did.

It came easier than she expected and she glanced overhead,
making sure there were no dark clouds rolling in. She didn’t want to be caught
unaware as she had last time. Logically she knew it was nighttime but she
always imagined her special place with sunshine and this time was no different.

Even though the sun was shining, it wasn’t her usual garden.
It was Eve’s. There was a strange sense that Fiona was no longer in control of
this place and what was about to happen.

She sat in the same place Eve put her, afraid to wander out
of the circle of protective light. An eagle flew overhead and Fiona shielded
her eyes to watch it soar closer. She held her breath as it circled and then
landed a few feet away from her within the circle.

Its wings stirred the wind and made the candle flames
flicker and sway but they didn’t go out.

Fiona stared at it, thinking how beautiful it was. But as
she watched, the shape of the predatory bird faded and shimmered. A blinding
blast of white light and wind hit her in the face, blowing her hair back and
rocking her body.

She blinked away the spots the light had caused and when her
eyes finally focused she stared in shock.

“Grandma?” she whispered.

Eleanor was sitting across from her and it looked as though
she was wearing the same purple robe Fiona had on. But that was impossible.

“It’s time, Fiona. I’m sorry I wasn’t around long enough to
explain everything that I wanted to.”

“How is it possible that you are here?” Fiona was having a
hard time understanding what was going on.

“Relax, my child, and know that I love you and I’ll always
be with you.”

Her words calmed Fiona and her eyelids grew heavy. Her body
went limp and then the memories started. At first they were just little
glimpses but they got stronger with every passing second.

The smell of the spilled blood hit her nose and the screams
of the human victims reached her ears. But always Eleanor was there, fighting
with a lethal-looking katana sword. The steel of the blade glinted as she
slashed at her vampire victims with it.

The memories poured in faster and faster, so quickly they
started to blur together. There was so much blood.

Fiona could see the kills her grandmother had made, the vamps
who had crossed the line and drank too deeply, killing the human.

But the blood of the vamps brought a feeling of
satisfaction. Especially when the images took on a dreamlike quality and Fiona
knew she was seeing the deaths of the humans who had been used like pieces of
meat.

They were tossed aside with no regard for their lives and
the people who would miss them. The images kept coming, filling her mind with
the screams of loss and the desperation of the last few minutes of their
existences.

Then she felt the pain of losing a mate. It had happened
several times in the course of her family history and it was almost more than
she could bear. But she understood. A hunter was meant to be alone.

When it finally stopped she was so exhausted she couldn’t
lift herself from the cold stone underneath her. Every limb felt weighted down
with lead and she was helpless to move them. Her eyes closed and she was lost
before her body slumped forward.

 

Trent paced back and forth along the small confines of
Granny’s kitchen. He could see the shape of Fiona through the window but it
didn’t make him feel any better.

Granny seemed to be a little on edge herself and it only
made matters worse.

“For goodness sake, Trent! Sit down before you wear a hole
through my floor!” Granny demanded.

Trent sprawled in a kitchen chair and watched her calmly
stir her tea.

“Aren’t you worried?” he asked. His fingers unconsciously
went to his face and rubbed the still-strange-feeling skin there.

She looked up at him and set her spoon down. “Some things
can’t be altered. This is an experience that Fiona must go through herself and
we can’t interfere.” She reached for his hand and gripped it tightly. “This is
why I warned you, Trent. You can’t help her. The life of a hunter is a
dangerous and lonely road.”

A crack of thunder rumbled in the distance and they both
jumped in surprise. Trent went to the window and the light from the candles was
gone. He could no longer see the shape of Fiona’s back in the garden.

He barreled out the back door, ignoring his grandmother
shouting for him to wait behind him. He reached Fiona’s side in seconds.

She was slumped into a heap on the cold rocks. He scooped
her up into his arms and carried her inside the house.

He laid her on the couch and tried to wake her. She mumbled
incoherently and when she did open her eyes they were unfocused. He began to
worry and glanced up at Granny, who was hovering close to his shoulder.

“Let me try, Trent,” she said as she prodded him out of the
way. She sat next to Fiona and held her hands in her own as she said some
quietly whispered words.

Fiona jerked awake and called out, “Trent!”

He was by her side in an instant and leaned down close to
her beautiful face. She was pale and her eyes were huge. It took her a second
to focus on him but when she did he knew in that moment there was no one else
for him.

“Trent?” she breathed and smiled slightly at him.

“I’m right here,” he whispered.

“I know what I have to do now,” she told him.

“It’s okay,” he said as he squeezed her fingers and lifted
them to his mouth to kiss her soft skin.

“So tired,” she mumbled as her eyelids closed and she
slipped into sleep.

He watched over her throughout the night, pulling her into
his lap on his granny’s lumpy couch when she thrashed in her sleep, holding her
tight against him.

 

Dawn broke over the sky in a wide array of colors, deep
purples and pinks then changing to yellow and gold before finally the bright
blue of a new day.

Fiona woke in Trent’s lap, warm and safe. His strong arms
held her close and his even breathing assured her he was asleep. She knew she
would never be able to move without waking him up. Now that she was awake she
remembered everything from the night before in vivid detail.

She didn’t even have to focus and the memories were there
for her to call upon. Every kill. Every failure. Every face was there in her
mind.

All of the training Grandma had picked up from her own
grandmother was there in her brain. Almost as if it were her own. It was no
match for real-life experience but it would certainly give her an advantage.

She knew now how important it was for her to take her place
in line as a hunter. They kept the balance between the oblivious human world
and the world that lay underneath.

Some of the vampires Grandma had hunted had been deserving
of their fates on the end of her sword. But some of them had just been in the
wrong place at the wrong time. She had been swift to deal out her own brand of
revenge in the name of justice.

Fiona could see now that Grandma Eleanor had hunted without
discrimination. After her husband had been killed by a vamp she hadn’t looked
twice at the ones she was killing.

She rubbed her hand against Trent’s chest as she sorted
through all the new information available to her. His even breathing changed
slowly and she glanced up at his face to see him looking down at her.

He had cared for her the night before and she realized she
trusted him. She didn’t know when it had happened but as she stared into the
clear green of his eyes she knew he would put her life before his.

BOOK: Huntress
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