Part 19
It wasn't right. Paige had been trying to tell herself she could handle this. These *monsters* thinking they could pass themselves off as people. It was almost too pathetic for her even contemplate actually accepting it.
They knew this was all because of some stupid ancient thing to do with Juliana - and only one person had the right idea what to do with the bitch. And that was the so-called Hunter, who was doing a lousy job of trying to follow her.
"Could you *be* less subtle?" she said out loud. She'd been wandering aimlessly for the last two hours or so, trying to figure out something to do. Jackson wasn't being very helpful; he was still out of it as he had been since Juliana had arrived.
Charlene was shutting herself away from everyone, not dealing any better than anyone else. The Night People had been grilling Juliana on her past, trying to work out who the Hunter actually was. Paige had gotten very bored, very fast.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Paige turned around staring at the boy who stood behind her. He was dressed in black from head to toe, even complete with black ski mast. The only colour about him was his bright blue eyes, the shade of a summer sky.
"You're the Hunter."
"Is *that* what they call me?" He sounded extremely amused. "Well, what's the fun of hunting if no one knows who you are?"
Paige eyed him, an idea beginning to spark. She found herself wishing she could see his face. Working with a shadow might be a little too creepy for her.
"I know what you're thinking," the Hunter said. Paige forced herself to meet his eyes without shuddering.
She didn't know if this guy was human or not, and the idea that he could get into her mind, know what she was thinking...
It was almost as scary as monsters trying to pretend that they were human.
"I didn't say *no*," the Hunter said. Paige wasn't sure if he was smiling or not.
"Fine," Paige said. "But before we work together some things need to be established." She reached out and yanked off the ski mask, blinking as she saw the Hunter's true face. "That's better. Now let's talk deals."
* * *
"But *why*? I don't get it." Jackson sighed moodily. He lay sprawled out on the couch, a football game going unnoticed on the TV.
He didn't get it. It made no sense. He couldn't seem to talk to Juliana, so he tried talking to Charlene. She wasn't being much help. He'd approached the idea of possibly asking Juliana out - yet she was avoiding him. Then Charlene had dropped the bombshell that humans and Night People weren't allowed to be together.
"What planet has your brain been on?" Charlene snapped. "This point has been made over and over for the last few days."
Jackson wondered if he was totally losing it. He didn't know what was happening to him, why he was so obsessed with Juliana. There needed to be some way for him to be with her without risk to her life.
There was a vague thought at the back of his mind. Probably not actually a very good idea, if he were completely honest with himself. "Hey, can you make me a vampire?"
Charlene stared at him as if he were utterly insane. "You *have* lost it! Do you even *know* what you're asking for? You're crazy!"
"Oh come on," he said dismissively. "You've already broken some of your laws. Might as well break them all." From the look on her face he could see he wasn't going to get anywhere with her. "I don't know what else to do," he said finally.
He knew he was being ridiculous, but it was like Juliana had cast some sort of spell over him. He was willing to do whatever it took to get the two of them together.
"Maybe *you* could talk to her for me," he suggested.
Charlene eyed him. She didn't look any happier. "All right," she said reluctantly. "I guess that would be the more sane approach." Jackson managed a smile. Charlene's eyes rolled as she stood up and left the room to find Juliana.
* * *
It wasn't right. Paige had been trying to tell herself she could handle this. These *monsters* thinking they could pass themselves off as people. It was almost too pathetic for her even contemplate actually accepting it.
They knew this was all because of some stupid ancient thing to do with Juliana - and only one person had the right idea what to do with the bitch. And that was the so-called Hunter, who was doing a lousy job of trying to follow her.
"Could you *be* less subtle?" she said out loud. She'd been wandering aimlessly for the last two hours or so, trying to figure out something to do. Jackson wasn't being very helpful; he was still out of it as he had been since Juliana had arrived.
Charlene was shutting herself away from everyone, not dealing any better than anyone else. The Night People had been grilling Juliana on her past, trying to work out who the Hunter actually was. Paige had gotten very bored, very fast.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Paige turned around staring at the boy who stood behind her. He was dressed in black from head to toe, even complete with black ski mast. The only colour about him was his bright blue eyes, the shade of a summer sky.
"You're the Hunter."
"Is *that* what they call me?" He sounded extremely amused. "Well, what's the fun of hunting if no one knows who you are?"
Paige eyed him, an idea beginning to spark. She found herself wishing she could see his face. Working with a shadow might be a little too creepy for her.
"I know what you're thinking," the Hunter said. Paige forced herself to meet his eyes without shuddering.
She didn't know if this guy was human or not, and the idea that he could get into her mind, know what she was thinking...
It was almost as scary as monsters trying to pretend that they were human.
"I didn't say *no*," the Hunter said. Paige wasn't sure if he was smiling or not.
"Fine," Paige said. "But before we work together some things need to be established." She reached out and yanked off the ski mask, blinking as she saw the Hunter's true face. "That's better. Now let's talk deals."
* * *
"But *why*? I don't get it." Jackson sighed moodily. He lay sprawled out on the couch, a football game going unnoticed on the TV.
He didn't get it. It made no sense. He couldn't seem to talk to Juliana, so he tried talking to Charlene. She wasn't being much help. He'd approached the idea of possibly asking Juliana out - yet she was avoiding him. Then Charlene had dropped the bombshell that humans and Night People weren't allowed to be together.
"What planet has your brain been on?" Charlene snapped. "This point has been made over and over for the last few days."
Jackson wondered if he was totally losing it. He didn't know what was happening to him, why he was so obsessed with Juliana. There needed to be some way for him to be with her without risk to her life.
There was a vague thought at the back of his mind. Probably not actually a very good idea, if he were completely honest with himself. "Hey, can you make me a vampire?"
Charlene stared at him as if he were utterly insane. "You *have* lost it! Do you even *know* what you're asking for? You're crazy!"
"Oh come on," he said dismissively. "You've already broken some of your laws. Might as well break them all." From the look on her face he could see he wasn't going to get anywhere with her. "I don't know what else to do," he said finally.
He knew he was being ridiculous, but it was like Juliana had cast some sort of spell over him. He was willing to do whatever it took to get the two of them together.
"Maybe *you* could talk to her for me," he suggested.
Charlene eyed him. She didn't look any happier. "All right," she said reluctantly. "I guess that would be the more sane approach." Jackson managed a smile. Charlene's eyes rolled as she stood up and left the room to find Juliana.
* * *