The character of Lynx Redfern that is mentioned in this chapter belongs to Becks, the author of 'Night Blade' that I strongly recommend you read. Don't worry guys, this is nearly wrapped up. One more chap and then it's 'finito'.
Chapter Nineteen
It had been six months since Blake and Poppy had escaped from Hunter's grasp. In that time, Hunter and especially Malon, who suspected that his leader had had a hand in their escape, held Curtis under suspicion.
A vampire lurked in the shadow behind a corner in a busy shopping mall. His breath was low and even and his eyes were trained on a tall, slim and beautiful girl who was looking through a rack of CD's in a shop. Further down the aisle from her a dark haired girl with green eyes was laughing with a handsome boy with dark, unkept hair.
They were unaware they were being watched.
The vampire watched as the first girl sighed to herself, a small sigh that a human would never have heard from such a distance. But a vampire could.
He saw her bite her lip in frustration and noticed the defeated gleam in her eyes. Her face was unnaturally pale and drawn and it looked as if she hadn't slept well for a while.
He had been watching this girl for a long time. He knew her moods as well as her friends did and he could sense her loneliness. It was a loneliness he wished to keep with her as it was his job to make sure that Curtis Redfern never laid eyes on her again.
Unfortunately, he had not reached his goal.
Unbeknown to Hunter, Malon and even Blake herself, Curtis had been watching his soulmate as well. He knew that he was under constant surveillance by Hunter and that his strange, detached behavior had not gone unnoticed. He had tried to maintain his life as it had been before Blake had entered it but he had found that it was impossible.
She was on his mind the minute he woke up and before he went to sleep. His days were filled with images of her, as were his dreams.
He had long given up trying to erase her from his mind.
He watched as she laughed, a sound that sounded false and forced. He watched as she searched the crowds wherever she went and he knew that she was searching for him. She had never found him in their milling faces.
He grew worried as she became pale and circles appeared under her eyes. She was buried deep under his skin, so far down that he knew he could never escape her. He had decided at last that he had to have her back but to do that, he had to leave Hunter. And the Night World.
It was a risk he was willing to take. He had made a call to Lynx Redfern, the deadliest and most dangerous of all assassins and she had agreed to his price. It was the price for Hunter Redfern's death.
It was the price of his freedom.
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Blake felt herself drifting through life meaninglessly. She let herself be towed this way and that and went along with her friends' attempts to cheer her. She knew they were concerned for her and that they had noticed her withdrawal but they were trying in vain.
It had only been six months since she had last seen Curtis, yet it felt like an eternity. Life that stretched before her held no point and no meaning. It felt like a continuous state of nothingness, of incompleteness that would last forever unless she could be with Curtis.
She missed him.
Sometimes she thought she could see him and would run to whomever it was who would then spin around to stare at the disheveled girl, pale with excitement before him. She used to think she could hear his voice, or his mocking laughter, but it was never him.
Her senses played cruel tricks on her and she learned to ignore the feeling of his eyes burning into her or his presence in some corner of her mind.
He was gone and she had to move on. The sooner she realized that Curtis Redfern was never coming back for her, the better. Maybe then, she could mend her broken heart with painstaking patience and return to what she knew before they had met.
If only it was as easy as that.
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Lord Thierry had called a meeting in the conference room. Predictably, Ash was the last to arrive, this time only leaving them waiting for five minutes.
He sauntered in and took a seat, his long frame resting lazily in his chair. Thierry cast him a disapproving glance before turning to his audience with a smile settled across his face.
"I have some good news," he began, casting his eyes over his fellow Daybreaker's.
"Ash finally bought a watch?" Poppy suggested with a giggle.
"You're installing a massive sound system in the main room?" Maggie asked with a grin.
"I know," Blake guessed. "You finally got Jez a muzzle!"
Her comment was answered with a cool, subzero stare from the red haired vampire. Jez and Blake were still at odds with one another but this time, even Morgead had to struggle to contain his laughter. Jez narrowed her silvery eyes at her soulmate and kicked him under the table. He winced, his face straightening immediately.
"Wrong on all three counts," Thierry shook his head. "Although I happen to think a watch might be a good investment Ash."
Ash shrugged his shoulders dismissively. "Nah, you guys love it when I leave you in suspense."
There was a general groan that was brought to a silence by Thierry's 'ahem'. The elder remained standing, his hands resting on the glass covered oak table. He took a breath. "I've just had news that a certain assassination has been made a success. It appears that our favorite Night World elder is no longer with us." He paused. "Hunter Redfern is dead."
The news was followed with a loud and raucous cheer. The relief and happiness on the faces of Circle Daybreak was obvious as they turned to their soulmates and friends with smiles. Now, with Hunter out of the way, they could begin a full-scale search for the fourth Wild Power.
Blake smiled to herself. She was glad that Hunter was dead. She made a mental note to congratulate whoever had managed to pull it off.
Of course, she was disappointed that the hand that had slayed him had not been her own, but she was not going to complain. Dead was dead and that was all that mattered.
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The news had reached Curtis before it had found Lord Thierry's ears. He had received an e-mail from Lynx that was abrupt and to the point. It simply said 'job done'.
So Hunter was dead and he was free to leave the Night World for good. A feeling of excitement over came him and he struggled with the urge to laugh aloud. He could now be with Blake.
A shadow crossed his face and he frowned. What if she didn't want him?