And here it is! The one you've been waiting for! I give you... Huntress III!
I still haven't got the storyline completely down in my head. To be honest, I had no idea how Huntress II was going to end until I was about ¾ of the way through. It was as much a surprise to me as it was to my lovely and loyal readers. I was planning to do Huntress III in Morgead's point of view, but I was rereading 'How to Burn a House' and thought how much fun it would be to do a similar one, but with Adenah and Morgead as the main characters. I was going to make this just into a one-shot, but when I'd finished hanging up the washing and started writing, I had the idea to make it into Huntress III. I'm having a lot of fun making Adenah's character. And Rose's. They're polar opposites, but remind me of myself and one of my closest friends. I'm more like Adenah... Not sure whether that's a good thing! Now, back to my main point. There were supposed to be 4 that I wrote, up to Huntress V. As I mentioned before, III was going to be in Morgead's POV, and I've got a couple that I started like that, picking up a couple of days after Jez's death and going very quickly up to the age she is in this chapter, which is three weeks from being 12, but none of them worked, so I put it to rest whilst I focused on a book I'm hoping to publish. Huntress IV was going to be a mixture of POVs, depending on the circumstance. Huntress V was going to be completely in Adenah's POV, and Morgead wasn't really going to be in it much. Now, though, I'm almost completely decided to put Huntress III and IV together, and the original Huntress V will be the reinvented Huntress IV. Although, anyone who wants to write the epilogue of Huntress II in Morgead's POV, about how he felt when Jez died is welcome to. Actually, that would be interesting to read. Please do! Review or PM me, and I'll review your work.
Anyway, I'll stop rambling and let you read. Don't forget to tell me what you thought of it, and ESPECIALLY about Adenah's character. I want to make her very concrete in everyone's minds, so tell me whether you love her, hate her, and how to make her better. I really don't mind if you tell me you hate her, because I hate her sometimes when I'm thinking up stories for her!
I don't own Night World, but I do own the storyline, Adenah, Rose, Lustucru and Astrid.
Chapter 1
I could smell the burning before I even got into the house.
It was most likely my heightened senses, but the stench was so strong that I was surprised that Rose couldn't smell it. She kept on talking about how much she hoped Daniel would ask her to the disco. I couldn't see how he wouldn't. With her straight blonde hair falling ruler-straight to the middle of her back and her bright blue eyes a few shades lighter than my own, she was the type that most boys fell over worshipping as soon as they regained control of their bodies.
She noticed, though, when I stopped and glanced curiously into my driveway. Thankfully, the two motorbikes and car were still in the driveway, so dad hadn't gone out... Not that he went out much anyway. He'd kinda been on this never-ending depression ever since I could remember.
"Are you okay, Adenah?" Rose said. She frowned when I didn't answer. "I'm not a vampire, Adenah. I can't read your mind."
That's what I am, by the way. A vampire. Three quarters, anyway. Rose knows this because her adoptive parents are the famous Hannah and Thierry, whom I've known my entire life.
"I'll call you later, okay? See you tomorrow."
"I thought you were going to help me with Astrid?"
Astrid is Rose's horse. If he can be called that. He's so well-bred and well-trained that he probably cost more than their entire mansion.
I glanced back towards the house, unable to stop the worry gnawing at my stomach. "I'll take a raincheck for today."
"You'd better call me," she said. She hugged me goodbye quickly, and waved as I walked onto the small porch. I stroked my cat, who was sitting on the futon right next to the door. He miaowed in greeting before going straight back to sleep. The door stuck as I opened it, as it always did. The smell hit me harder as I walked down the hallway, throwing my schoolbag on a chair and my leather jacket on the banister.
"Dad?" I called out.
"In here!" he called back.
I frowned as I placed his voice. He was in the kitchen. What was he doing in the kitchen?
"What are you doing?" I said as I opened the door. What could only be described as a wall of smoke drifted out, setting off the smoke alarm.
I coughed and waved my hand in front of my face, squinting against the smoke.
"Cooking," I heard dad say. I rolled my eyes and moved to the window, opening it as wide as I could. I heard dad sigh and turned to look at him as he moved over to the door and moved it back and forth, encouraging the smoke to go out into the hallway and disperse through open windows. The smoke alarm finally stopped.
"I thought you were meant to go round Rose's house tonight," he said, shutting the door and leaning back against it.
I kept quiet that I'd been worried about him; he always got annoyed when I voiced my concerns about him being alone all the time, usually shouting that he should be protecting me, not the other way round.
But when your father's eyes are so wounded and sad all the time, you can't help but be protective.
"We decided to do it later."
I moved to the oven, where an oven dish of... something was still giving off little puffs of black smoke.
"I didn't know when to take it out," dad said, a hint of desperation to his voice.
I felt a smile tugging on my lips. "Usually before it looks like that." I said, fighting back a laugh. I picked up a couple of oven mitts and carried the oven dish to the sink, turning the cold water onto it. "At least nothing exploded this time," I joked.
He crossed his arms and frowned at me, though I could tell he was trying not to laugh.
"I'm just not a natural at cooking."
"That's an understatement."
"Oh, fine; I'm terrible at cooking! I just wanted to do something for your birthday."
"My birthday's in three weeks."
"I'm practising."
I couldn't hold back the laugh this time.
"You know I think it's not fair that you have to do all the cooking around here. You're only eleven, Adenah."
"And as all my teachers say, I act more mature than most teenagers. Anyway, I'm twelve in less than a month."
He smiled, with a strange mixture of sadness and happiness that he always got whenever I mentioned my birthday. When I was younger, I asked my Aunt Claire (she wasn't really my aunt, but that was what I'd called her my entire life) why he always looked like that at the mention of that day. She had answered, "because your birthday was also his wedding anniversary."
He picked up another pan full of something which I was sure could look nice if it wasn't completely unrecognisable, then let out a yelp of pain and dropped it with a clang.
I fought back another laugh. "That's hot, dad. Here." I took hold of his arm and put his hand under the cold water. It was already healing, though at a slower pace than most vampires. Apparently this was because he didn't drink human blood anymore, but my theory was that the depression made it harder for him to heal himself as effectively as he could have if mum was still alive.
I got some fruit from the basket on the kitchen counter. "Why is it that I always feel like I'm your mother?" I joked. Thoughtlessly.
He managed to hide the flinch, and, only a second too late looked up and smiled, but I could almost read his mind.
Idiot. I learnt ages ago never to joke about mothers. Whenever I did, he would get such a wounded look in his eyes.
There was an awkward silence for a few seconds, until I quickly said that I had homework to do.
I fled to the porch, not bothering to pick up my bag. The homework was just a pretext. I sat on the futon. Lustucru, my black cat, waved his twisted tail before picking his way to me and settling himself onto my lap. I stroked one of his paws with one hand and scratched behind his ear with the other. He purred with pleasure.
Sometimes, I couldn't help but hate my father for his never-ending depression. Aunt Claire, who was the only person I told everything to, said that it wasn't really his fault. He'd known my mother since he was five years old, and according to Claire had fallen in love with her from the beginning. She didn't know much about it, but apparently they'd been Soulmates.
Soulmates were nothing extraordinary to me. My dad was in Circle Daybreak, and I knew a whole bunch of people who had Soulmates. My dad was the only one, though, who was separated from his.
No-one really talked about how my mum had died. The only time I'd asked Claire, she'd said that I was too young to be able to understand, and I definitely couldn't ask dad.
"Adenah?" I heard in a familiar voice that I couldn't place for a second. I jumped and forced myself to focus on the person.
Raven. Another person that my dad had known most of his life. I smiled at her. "Hey."
"Hey. Is your dad in?"
"Yeah, he is," I said, opening the door. I gently picked up Lustucru from my lap and placed him next to me. "Could you tell him that I've gone to Rose's?" I asked, feeling an urge to escape for a while.
"Sure," she said as I stood up and brushed myself off.
The Descoudres mansion was a couple of blocks away, but it was so massive I could see it from my bedroom window.
I didn't bother going into the house, just went straight to the small row of modern stables round the corner. Rose was brushing the massive grey horse with firm strokes, and heard me when I opened the half-door.
"Oh, you did come," she said with a smile. Astrid nudged my hands for a treat so I gave him a polo.
"Yeah, because I couldn't bear to be at home. I made a stupid comment about how I'm almost like his mother, the way I look after him. He got this wounded look in his eyes."
"You didn't leave him alone, did you?" Rose said.
"Of course not. Raven's there."
I rubbed Astrid's forehead before picking up a brush and helping Rose get him clean.
"Well, you know that this time of year is difficult for him," she said. Rose is understanding like that. She takes after her adoptive mother.
According to Raven, I take after my mother, so I blame that when I immediately say, "Every time of year is difficult for him."
She gives me a pitying look before saying, "Do you want to jump Astrid whilst I muck out his stable?"
I look at her incredulously. "How is that fair for you?"
"I honestly don't mind. You need a little pick-me-up, and what's better than jumping a horse?"
I smiled, "Thank you. You're really an amazing friend, you know."
"I know," she answered with a half smile.
She was completely right about jumping a horse being the best pick-me-up there is. As I cleared the final fence in the course I'd set up I didn't feel worried about anything.
I offered to clean Astrid's tack, because I didn't feel right about leaving Rose to clean his stable whilst I got the good part of owning a horse. She bustled about in the tack room, tidying and cleaning everything else and we talked about how she could get Daniel's attention. As I finished cleaning the stirrup leathers she looked at me with a slight smile.
"Don't think I haven't noticed that you haven't told me which boy you want to go with," she said.
"That's because I don't want to go with anyone," I said.
This was completely true. I'd had one 'boyfriend' in the past, and had no desire to repeat the experience.
"Fair enough. Wait until you find your Soulmate, then?" she said. She stuck her tongue out at me.
I laughed as I got up and put the saddle on the peg and ran up the stirrups. "I'd feel sorry for him."
"Aww, c'mon. You're a great person!"
"Around you, maybe. Sorta." I sighed. "I just don't think I could leave my dad alone. I don't know whether he could cope with that."
She bit her lip.
"I don't have to think about this now, Rose. I'm only eleven."
She nodded and hugged me. "Almost twelve. I'll see you tomorrow," she said.
"Tomorrow," I agreed, before leaving and making my way back to my own house.
Lustucru was still lounged on the futon. I picked him up and carried him inside.
I could hear voices coming from the sitting room and made my way over there. Dad was there, with Raven and her husband, Val.
It took me a couple of seconds before I sensed the tension in the room. I looked at all of them, noticing that Raven had her arms crossed and was frowning at dad, whilst he was glaring angrily at her. Val was completely relaxed; he smiled at me as I came in then started whistling softly under his breath.
"What's going on?" I said. Val stopped whistling and coughed before sending me a warning look. I glanced at him before turning to Raven.
"You're going to stay with your mother's uncle for a while," dad said.
I frowned as I looked at him. "Why?"
I'd met my mother's uncle, Bracken, a few times. All I knew about him was that he raised my mother, and was probably the closest thing I had to a grandfather. My dad didn't have any family left apart from me, and my mother's parents died ages ago.
Bracken would come very rarely, and always for a short time. I guessed he didn't really know what to do with his ex-son-in-law and great-niece. I didn't mind, though. I never knew what to do with him.
"Raven had a stupid idea-"
"It's not stupid, Morgead."
"-that you should find out more about your mother in a round-about way."
I gazed at them for a moment.
"Huh?" I said.
Raven started, "Bracken has videos which I think your father wouldn't want to see-"
"And what makes you think that?"
"Because they're about you and Jez back when you were worst enemies, or best friends... or whatever the heck you were when you were trading leadership of the gang," Val interjected.
Everyone was quiet for a second.
"Val-" Raven began quietly as dad was glaring at him. Val looked at them both innocently.
"What gang?" I asked.
Dad pushed a hand through his hair as Raven and Val looked at me incredulously.
"You haven't even told her that?" Raven and Val said simultaneously. It would have been funny in different circumstances.
"Told me what?" I said, fighting to stop myself from screaming at them. As it went, I did come off exasperated. None of them were making any sense!
They ignored me, which didn't help.
"I try not to remember how I was back then..." dad said weakly.
"Oh, great. You thought it best to offload it on her all in one go?" I didn't think I'd ever seen Raven so angry.
"I didn't think I'd have to tell her," dad's voice was soft and dangerous, and for a second his eyes flashed almost pure silver. I knew from experience with vampires that if he bared his teeth, they would be as sharp as needles.
I shrank back. It wasn't that I'd never seen him in hunting mode before; we both had to drink animal blood to survive, but I'd never seen him look so ready to tear someone apart before, which at that moment he seemed almost pleased to do.
He seemed to hear me move away from him and immediately turned to me. His eyes went back to the normal green and instead filled with chagrin. "Adenah?" he said in an almost pleading voice.
I did what felt natural, which was to lean my head against his shoulder. He put his arms around me.
"What gang?" I repeated.
No-one responded for a second, then Raven started explaining.
"Before your mother knew that she was half-human, she was in a gang with your father, me and Val, another girl called Thistle and a boy called Pierce."
It might have been my imagination, but I felt dad's arms tense around me for a second at that name.
"We would track down human gangs who killed people and, well... kill them ourselves," Val said with a grin. "Illegally," he added, almost smug about it.
"You used to kill humans?"
"Yes." Raven took back up the story. "Your father and Jez had known each other for several years before I met her, and that's when we formed the gang. They were always very..." Raven paused, as if looking for a diplomatic word, "confrontational. Most of the time, they traded off leadership of the gang at regular intervals, unless the other didn't want to give it up, in which case the fighting sticks would come out-"
"To be honest, that happened more times than the rest of us were comfortable with," Val said. He gave a short laugh.
"They were both pretty bad leaders, though," Raven said. Val burst out laughing as dad said, "What?" incredulously over the top of my head.
"It's true, Morgead. You were always trying to impress Jez, and, well... she was always trying to one-up you. You realise I almost died a few times? Anyway, that's the basic story," she said, turning back to me.
I blinked. It was all I could get myself to do.
"You hunted illegally... in Night World terms?"
I pulled away from dad to get a better look at him. He watched me carefully, and, as always, sadly. He nodded once.
"Doesn't that merit death?" I asked.
He gave a small smile, which was on the borderline of being a smirk. "Yep," he said, almost cheerily.
I rolled my eyes at him; he could be so immature sometimes. Then looked at him a bit closer.
"Do you want me to go see Bracken?" I asked him seriously. I wanted to know more; this small part of my mother's history had got me interested in her.
"Not really," he admitted honestly. "But I want you to know who Jez was, and what she did. I don't think I'll be able to tell you much of it. I think you should go, Adenah."
What did she do? I thought. I didn't ask dad, though. His eyes looked at me as if they were a million years old and had seen way too much.
I searched his face carefully, then nodded. "Okay. I'll go."
