Chapter 12
The Hunters raced through the underbrush until Drake gave the signal to stop. "Halt!" he shouted, raising his hand. They all stopped and waited. "Peter, Patrick, where exactly is this place?" he asked as the two boys came forward.
"It should be right through these trees. There's a clearing up ahead that's really big." Peter answered, pointing to a spot through the trees. Moving quietly, the group entered the clearing. A podium was set up at one end, and some wooden benches were stacked against some trees. But there was no sign of Circle Midnight.
"Where are they?" Julie wondered, rotating her stake in her hand. Melody had backed herself up against a tree. She sent a telepathic message to the boys.
'Get away from the center. Back up against the trees. Everyone is here and they're waiting for us to get out of the way.' Not wasting any time, they stood back to back and edged away from the group. When they were safely away, they looked around. Drake saw them and was puzzled.
"Hey! What are you guys doing?" he questioned as the other Hunters looked around at the trees with a slight tension.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Patrick replied as a primal scream erupted from the trees. Angel landed in front of the human and vampire.
"Now that's what I call an entrance," Peter noted as he smiled at Angel. The Hunters just looked confused.
"What is going on here?" Clint yelled, staring at Angel, who smiled. Throwing back her head, she gave a call into the surrounding woods.
"ATTACK!" she yelled as the rest of the group came to join the party. Marik jumped down beside Melody and smiled at her. Drake looked at the enemies before him and then gave an order to his troops.
"GET THEM!" he ordered, charging at Angel. The battle was on as the two sides collided with each other in a frenzy of fighting.
* * *
"You witches start doing something magick. Protect any of the injured ones," John ordered, running by. Skye, Leah, and Kat backed themselves up against the trees, where they could see everything. Amy dove into the fighting behind Alex. Melody put an arrow to her bow and waited to use it. Angel was dodging Drake, who kept trying to skewer her on his bo.
"Missed me!" she kept telling him, all the while keeping her eye on him. She wanted to see what he could do, and she was analyzing him for a weakness. Finally, he threw the bo down and ran at her. She smoothly stepped out of the way and tripped him. He fell flat on his back, and the wind was knocked out of him. Angel used this moment to jump onto him. Looking into his eyes, she gave him a final message. "You never should've messed with the Night World, pathetic vermin," she told him as her canines extended. His eyes widened in terror as she bent his neck back and bit. He tried to fight her, but she held on. In a matter of minutes, he was as dry as a puddle on a hot summer day. Julie looked up from where she was battling Dahlia and screamed. Throwing her adversary to the ground, she came running at Angel with her stake held high. Patrick took off running to intercept her.
"You filthy demon! You killed my brother!" Julie yelled, coming closer to Angel, who just looked at the boy she had killed.
"Oops," she said, putting her hand to her mouth in mock guilt. Julie was almost on her when Patrick tackled her from the other direction.
"NO!" he shouted, pinning her to the ground. She struggled in his grasp, kicking and squirming feebly.
"Let me go! She killed Drake!" He refused to budge.
"I can't let you kill Angel," he stated, looking into her hazel-green eyes.
"Why not?" she demanded, hate and rage flaring in them.
"Because I'm one of them. Because she'll probably kill you. And because... I love you," he told her, dragging her up so they were a few inches apart. Julie stared at him, and then began to sob, her face buried beneath her thick red hair. Patrick picked her up and carried her over to Skye, Leah, and Kat. After tying her to a tree, he stood up and addressed Skye. "Watch her for me, okay?" he asked, looking at Julie, who was still crying.
"Why?" Skye asked as she looked at him, completely bewildered.
"I'll explain later." Kat shook her head as she stared at the human girl.
"I will never understand made-vampires."
* * *
In the meantime, John and Sage were busy trying to outwit a couple of Hunters. "I though I'd never have to deal with this again," John said, remembering the last time he'd been up against Hunters.
"Live and learn," Sage told him as he changed to a wolf. Using the Hunters' momentary confusion, he leaped onto one. The young boy screamed and tried to hit Sage with a silver dagger, but only succeeded in grazing his shoulder. John watched as Sage bit into the boy's neck. Blood came spurting out, and within minutes it was over. John's opponent was so shocked that he didn't even try to block the young vampire from ripping his throat out. Sage shifted back and held his shoulder where the knife had hit.
"I never thought you were the type to kill," John commented as he proceeded to suck the blood from the Hunter.
"He used a silver knife on me. I had every right to kill him. Besides, you can't be nice to humans all the time," Sage replied, examining his shoulder, only to find that the wound wasn't serious.
* * *
Austin and Gepard were having a ball. They were up against a boy and girl team, and the girl seemed to be afraid of cheetahs. Or maybe she was scared because Gepard was in cheetah form and looked hungry. "Just jump her!" Austin yelled as he whirled and punched. Gepard gave the girl a nasty smile.
'Dinner time!' she told the girl as she took a flying leap. The girl screamed shrilly as Gepard ripped into her. The screams finally stopped when Gepard snapped her neck. Before she could completely tear into the body, the other Hunter fell on top of her. It took her a second to realize that he was dead. Austin had used his own weapon against him, plunging the wooden stake deep into his chest.
"I hate Hunters," Austin told her, wiping his hands on his jeans. Gepard looked up from her meal to stare into his eyes.
'Tell me about it.'
* * *
Tyrna and Matt were enjoying themselves. The two boys they were fighting were proving to be very worthy opponents. "They probably study judo," Matt guessed after getting flipped onto his back by one of them. Tyrna smiled as the other boy came running at her.
"Good. I like a challenge," she added catching the boy and slamming his head into the ground. His skull cracked like an eggshell. Matt looked at the scene, all the while watching his Hunter.
"I've always admired how you handle strange men," he complimented, jumping out of the way of a sword.
"Thank you. But I'm usually not this messy," Tyrna replied as she motioned to him to watch it. And not a moment too soon. The sword came down on Matt's arm, cutting a deep gash. He stopped and stared at the Hunter.
"Now will you look at what you did. You ripped my nice shirt," he joked, allowing his canines to extend. His arm was already healing when he jumped onto the boy. Using his teeth, Matt ripped into the base of his neck. Blood spurted out as the major artery was severed. The boy floundered helplessly for a few moments, and then lay still. He was dead.
"And I thought I was messy," Tyrna teased as Matt looked at her. His entire face was covered with blood. Laughing as she wiped the blood off his face, Tyrna kept an eye on the battle in case more Hunters came their way.
* * *
Amy and Alex were annoying their adversaries. Amy would jump and Alex would duck to avoid their daggers. Not that the metal would've hurt them, but they wanted to keep their clothes in one piece. "You Hunters couldn't hit the broad side of a barn!" Alex taunted, swinging up into the trees.
"Come down here and fight like a man!" the boy shouted to him.
"Whatever you say!" Alex told him, leaping onto the boy's back. As he swung the dagger, Alex avoided it. The weapon hit the Hunter full in the back. Gasping, the boy fell to the ground. A second later, blood welled up in his mouth and he was dead. Amy was crouched on the ground, motioning for the girl to come closer. Being a stupid human, she couldn't resist. When she was within range, Amy leaped straight up. As she came down, she did a snap kick to the girl's head. As her head flew back, a loud SNAP! was heard as her neck broke. She hit the ground and spilled over like a rag doll.
"Pathetic," Amy said, rolling the body over with her foot. "Simply pathetic."
* * *
"I'm going to get you, you filthy demon trash!" a girl screamed at Amber.
"Flattery will get you nowhere," she said politely, shifting into a fighting stance. She and Luke stood back to back, each of them facing a girl Hunter.
"You get the ugly one," Luke whispered loudly so the Hunters could hear.
"Which one's the ugly one?" Amber asked in the same tone of voice. Sure enough, their trick worked. Both of the girls had spears, and they came charging full speed at the couple. When they were about two feet away, Luke gave the signal.
"Jump!" he shouted as he and Amber leaped high and caught some low tree branches. By the time the Hunters realized what had happened, it was too late. Carried along by their own momentum, they impaled each other. Their eyes wide in astonishment, they slumped down dead.
"Ouch!" Amber said, grimacing. Luke nodded in agreement.
* * *
Alan and Corinne clasped hands as they faced their opposition: A boy and girl, both of them well built. "I'll take the guy," Corinne told him, smiling evilly.
"The hell you will!" Alan shot back, teasing her.
"Stop arguing and just fight!" the girl yelled at them.
"Okay," they said in unison, shrugging their shoulders. Before the Hunters could react, they had tripped them up. Jumping onto them, they stared long and hard at the humans they were about to kill.
"This is what happens when you fight the Night World, kids," Alan explained, biting the boy's neck. Corinne bit the girl before she could even scream.
"I like this job!" she shouted as she and Alan fed on the pathetic little vermin.
* * *
Jake, Lilli, and Kelsey had both shifted and were working together to bring down a pair of boys. Lilli and Kelsey would attack from above and Jake would go in on the bottom when they were distracted. All was going well, until one of dying Hunters took a pistol out from under his shirt. Pointing it up, he shot Kelsey through the heart. After doing this deed, he died. Kelsey fell from the sky, changing mid-fall to land a human. Jake and Lilli also shifted when they saw the horrible act. "Kelsey!" Jake shouted. Iris stopped what she was doing and came racing over.
"Kelsey! No, this can't be happening!" she screamed, holding him in her arms. He looked at her and smiled.
"My darling, Iris. This is not the end for either of us. I will see you again in another life. Maybe as humans, we can live our lives in prosperity and peace," he said quietly. Jake knew then that nothing could save his life.
"I love you forever and always," Iris told him, tears running down her face.
"Forever and always my... Love…" Kelsey said as he gave a last shuddering breath. He died in Iris' arms. After he died, his body changed back into a majestic eagle. Jake helped Iris to stand up. She cradled the dead bird in her arms.
"I'm sorry," Lilli whispered, looking at her in sympathy. Iris sniffed once, and then ran to Leah. Putting the dead 'shifter in the human girl's arms, she took off to avenge Kelsey's death.
* * *
Bobbi and Mike were both in shifted form, and were having fun avoiding the hunters that were chasing them 'On the count of three we do the old heave- ho! Got it?' Mike asked as Bobbi looked over and nodded. 'One... Two... THREE!' he said as they stopped short. The Hunters were running too fast to stop. With a:
'Heave... HO!' coming from Bobbi, they sent the girls over their backs and onto the ground. One of the girls stood up again, but you could tell she was dizzy from hitting her head.
'I got this one,' Mike called, crouching low.
'Whatever,' Bobbi replied, prancing over to the other one. Mike faked left, and then dove to the right, catching the girl off guard. Her sai slipped from her grasp and fell uselessly to the ground.
'Gotcha!' Mike told her, smiling as best he could. Her eyes widened in fear as he ripped her apart. Bobbi gently nudged the other girl until she woke up from being knocked out.
'Rise and shine, vermin!' she sing-songed to the girl, who screamed when she saw the little bobcat standing over her. 'BOO!' Bobbi told her, biting her neck and shaking it. The girl's neck broke and her head flopped around.
'I love being a 'shifter!' Mike shouted triumphantly.
'You watch too many Ninja Turtles cartoons,' Bobbi informed him as she settled down to enjoy the rest of the battle.
* * *
Lyca and Silver were working together to bring down a duo of pesky Hunters. The boys were brandishing silver daggers, and neither of the girls wanted to get to close. "This is stupid! I say we kill them and get this over with!" Silver suggested, glaring at the Hunters. Lyca shrugged.
"Fine by me," she replied as they both shifted. Lyca went for one boy's legs as soon as she was fully changed. Pinning him to the ground, she used her teeth to break his knife-wrist. When the weapon was on the ground, she ripped the kid apart. The other boy was taunting Silver, daring her to come within range.
"Here kitty, kitty, kitty," he called as Silver growled at him. Her tail thumped loudly on the ground. The boy ignored it. With a simple twist, she knocked the weapon from his grasp. While he was distracted, she leaped for him, all one hundred forty-five pounds of tiger coming down on a one hundred and five-pound human. He screamed as she tore into his legs, and then his throat. She let out an ear-splitting roar that shook the entire countryside. Humans? HA!
* * *
Dahlia and Angel were teamed up against some boys. "Three on two. I like those odds," Dahlia stated as she shifted. One of them backed away from her, and then took off running. Silver saw him and gave chase. When she had pinned him down, she shifted to human.
"Just make it quick," he pleaded with her, shutting his eyes. Silver looked down at his throat. It was thick and full of blood. She bent her head down and was preparing to shift, when delicate canines suddenly extended from her teeth! And she wasn't even in half-form!
"What the?.." she asked, surprised and pleased at the same time. She didn't waste time trying to figure it out, but darted in and bit, her teeth easily piercing the skin. She fed on him this way, as Angel, Dahlia, and the other two Hunters stared dumb-struck at her.
"I thought Silver was a 'shifter?" Angel asked, totally confused.
'Me too.' Angel suddenly realized that there was a fight going on around her.
"Less talk, more action," she said to her friend as they used the element of confusion to attack. The boys didn't even have a prayer. Angel snapped one's neck, and Dahlia suffocated the other by biting into his windpipe. Angel sat down for a moment to survey the scene. Marik was trying to fight off a boy and a girl at the same time. Peter was standing in the tree cover, watching Iris and Rain battle two girls. Patrick was over by Julie, talking to her. 'Patrick is such an idiot. I can't believe he likes that pathetic human. Made-vampires. I'll never understand them. And I don't want to either,' she thought to herself.
* * *
Peter was hiding in the trees, watching Rain fight the hunters. "I wish I was fighting by her side." Iris was fighting even harder than she had been. Kelsey's death was still fresh in her mind, and these vermin would pay dearly for killing him.
"Watch your back, Redfern!" Rain shouted as she ducked under a stake's arc.
"You look out for yourself, Johnson!" Iris shot back, kicking the Hunter away. They stood back to back, and that was their fatal mistake. One Hunter had a long spear, and he took aim. He gave a scream as he threw it, and the spear sailed through the air and hit its targets. Both of the vampires were hit through the chest. Peter looked at the boy who had thrown the weapon. He was standing with a wide grin on his face. Peter ran at him, stake raised.
"NOOO!" he shouted as he threw himself on top of the Hunter. The stake pierced the Hunter to the heart. He died slowly, with Peter on him the entire time. "Let's see if you like being staked through the heart, you worthless vermin!" Peter whispered as he watched the boy die. Angel stood quietly, watching the scene.
"One thing I like about stakes. They're just as useful on the vampire Hunters, as they are on the vampires." Peter got off of the Hunter and went to Rain. She and Iris had pulled the spear out, but it was clear that they were dying. Iris lay herself on the ground, as Kat and Skye ran out to her.
"I'm coming to join you, Kelsey. May our love bring us together," she said softly, closing her eyes. With a last gasp of air, she died on the grass. Skye put her hand on her head.
"Goddess of Life, receive this maiden and guide her to the other side in peace," she chanted as tears formed in her eyes. Angel looked at her dead cousin and let a single tear fall down her face.
"Farewell my cousin. The Redferns will never forget your bravery, or your sacrifice," she said quietly, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Peter dropped to his knees beside Rain.
"Please live, Rain. Please," he begged her. She looked at him strangely.
"Peter. The human. Funny, I always thought I was different than all the vampires with human soulmates. Guess I'm just one more liberal lamia." Rain replied, smiling warmly for the first time.
"Don't die on me. I'll never forgive myself if you do," he told her, cradling her in his arms. She stroked his face with her hand.
"Sweet little human. It's my time. Let me go." He slammed his fist hard into the ground, hate burning in his eyes.
"NO! I won't let you go, God damnit! I won't!" he shouted, closing his eyes and focusing on her. She closed her eyes and saw a strange sight in front of her. It was glowing, drawing her back to the land of the semi-living. With her mind, she reached out and grabbed it. Peter pulled on the other end, gently dragging her back to him. Opening her eyes, she saw him kneeling next to her. Skye and Kat stood over him, puzzled looks on their faces.
"Peter, I don't know what you did, but she's alive. Sort of," Kat told him, looking at Skye, who shrugged in a gesture of Don't ask me what's going on. Peter picked Rain up and gently carried her over to where Julie and Patrick were. He set her down and watched as Skye and Kat did witchy-things to her. His new girlfriend would live. Now all that remained was to defeat the Hunters.
* * *
Marik was all alone in battling the two remaining Hunters. One of them was Clint, and the other was a very experienced girl. He finally succeeded in breaking the girl's back. She fell to the ground and couldn't get back up. Clint tried to distract Marik so he could help his friend, but the young vampire was too good to be fooled easily. Tripping Clint up, he kicked him out of the way. When he was out of range, Marik walked calmly over to the girl. "Give up?" he asked, bending over her. She glared darkly at him.
"Got to hell, you little Satan worshiper."
"You first, little vermin," he replied, twisting her head and snapping her neck. She lay like a rag doll on the ground. It was then that he remembered that Clint was still alive. He looked around and saw him charging, the spear raised. Marik tried to get out of the way, but Clint impaled him on the spear. The silver tip didn't do extensive damage, but the wooden shaft burned like an iron brand. Marik clenched his teeth as the pain caused him to double over, and then fall to the ground. The spear was still embedded in him. Clint smiled triumphantly.
"You stupid Night World freaks think you're so tough. Well we humans think differently," he gloated, removing a stake from his belt.
"If you Hunters are such hot-shots, how come you're the only one left?" Marik asked him, shuddering as another bolt of pain racked his body.
"I'll kill all the others myself. With my bare hands if I have to!" Clint shouted to him, coming in for the kill. He was startled from his work when a familiar voice came from behind him.
"Back away from him, Clint. Or I will be forced to kill you," Melody warned, an arrow strung on her bow. The younger boy turned around to face her.
"Melody, what's gotten into you? You're a Hunter. We have to kill these freaks of nature." She shook her head, sighing sadly.
"Clint, don't you see? I'm one of them. I'm a "freak" too," she replied, bringing the bow up in case he got stupid. Clint visibly deflated.
"Are you a vampire? A werewolf? A 'shifter?" he asked, still holding the stake. She shook her head, slightly smiling.
"I'm a witch. Why do think I taught you all the prophecies? Why do you think I was in Circle Daybreak?"
"So that means that you could be considered human. Let me kill this vampire," he suggested. Marik spoke up then.
"Let's not and say we did," he answered, raising himself up, even though it hurt enormously. Clint turned on him, eyes flashing.
"Shut up, demon whelp! You corrupted my friend! For this, you must die!" he shouted, plunging the stake downward. Marik threw his arms up in defense, but there was no way he would be able to stop the force of the strike. Melody reacted with lightening-quick reflexes.
"Goddess, forgive me." she whispered, pulling the arrow back and letting it fly. It struck Clint through the heart. He stopped what he was doing and stared her. A look of shock was on his face. Melody began to cry. "Forgive me. I couldn't let you kill him. I love him. I'm sorry," she told him as Clint realized what his anger had blinded him to before. He gave a last proclamation with his dying breath.
"I forgive you, my...Friend…" he said, falling dead to the earth. Melody closed his eyes for him and asked the spirits to guide him on his long journey. Then she went over to Marik, who embraced her.
"You were super," he assured her, baring his teeth against the pain. She helped him to stand up.
"I couldn't let him kill you. I do love you," she replied as they staggered over to the others. A victory cheer went up as the remaining group walked back to headquarters to report success. The battle was over, and they were victorious!
The Hunters raced through the underbrush until Drake gave the signal to stop. "Halt!" he shouted, raising his hand. They all stopped and waited. "Peter, Patrick, where exactly is this place?" he asked as the two boys came forward.
"It should be right through these trees. There's a clearing up ahead that's really big." Peter answered, pointing to a spot through the trees. Moving quietly, the group entered the clearing. A podium was set up at one end, and some wooden benches were stacked against some trees. But there was no sign of Circle Midnight.
"Where are they?" Julie wondered, rotating her stake in her hand. Melody had backed herself up against a tree. She sent a telepathic message to the boys.
'Get away from the center. Back up against the trees. Everyone is here and they're waiting for us to get out of the way.' Not wasting any time, they stood back to back and edged away from the group. When they were safely away, they looked around. Drake saw them and was puzzled.
"Hey! What are you guys doing?" he questioned as the other Hunters looked around at the trees with a slight tension.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Patrick replied as a primal scream erupted from the trees. Angel landed in front of the human and vampire.
"Now that's what I call an entrance," Peter noted as he smiled at Angel. The Hunters just looked confused.
"What is going on here?" Clint yelled, staring at Angel, who smiled. Throwing back her head, she gave a call into the surrounding woods.
"ATTACK!" she yelled as the rest of the group came to join the party. Marik jumped down beside Melody and smiled at her. Drake looked at the enemies before him and then gave an order to his troops.
"GET THEM!" he ordered, charging at Angel. The battle was on as the two sides collided with each other in a frenzy of fighting.
* * *
"You witches start doing something magick. Protect any of the injured ones," John ordered, running by. Skye, Leah, and Kat backed themselves up against the trees, where they could see everything. Amy dove into the fighting behind Alex. Melody put an arrow to her bow and waited to use it. Angel was dodging Drake, who kept trying to skewer her on his bo.
"Missed me!" she kept telling him, all the while keeping her eye on him. She wanted to see what he could do, and she was analyzing him for a weakness. Finally, he threw the bo down and ran at her. She smoothly stepped out of the way and tripped him. He fell flat on his back, and the wind was knocked out of him. Angel used this moment to jump onto him. Looking into his eyes, she gave him a final message. "You never should've messed with the Night World, pathetic vermin," she told him as her canines extended. His eyes widened in terror as she bent his neck back and bit. He tried to fight her, but she held on. In a matter of minutes, he was as dry as a puddle on a hot summer day. Julie looked up from where she was battling Dahlia and screamed. Throwing her adversary to the ground, she came running at Angel with her stake held high. Patrick took off running to intercept her.
"You filthy demon! You killed my brother!" Julie yelled, coming closer to Angel, who just looked at the boy she had killed.
"Oops," she said, putting her hand to her mouth in mock guilt. Julie was almost on her when Patrick tackled her from the other direction.
"NO!" he shouted, pinning her to the ground. She struggled in his grasp, kicking and squirming feebly.
"Let me go! She killed Drake!" He refused to budge.
"I can't let you kill Angel," he stated, looking into her hazel-green eyes.
"Why not?" she demanded, hate and rage flaring in them.
"Because I'm one of them. Because she'll probably kill you. And because... I love you," he told her, dragging her up so they were a few inches apart. Julie stared at him, and then began to sob, her face buried beneath her thick red hair. Patrick picked her up and carried her over to Skye, Leah, and Kat. After tying her to a tree, he stood up and addressed Skye. "Watch her for me, okay?" he asked, looking at Julie, who was still crying.
"Why?" Skye asked as she looked at him, completely bewildered.
"I'll explain later." Kat shook her head as she stared at the human girl.
"I will never understand made-vampires."
* * *
In the meantime, John and Sage were busy trying to outwit a couple of Hunters. "I though I'd never have to deal with this again," John said, remembering the last time he'd been up against Hunters.
"Live and learn," Sage told him as he changed to a wolf. Using the Hunters' momentary confusion, he leaped onto one. The young boy screamed and tried to hit Sage with a silver dagger, but only succeeded in grazing his shoulder. John watched as Sage bit into the boy's neck. Blood came spurting out, and within minutes it was over. John's opponent was so shocked that he didn't even try to block the young vampire from ripping his throat out. Sage shifted back and held his shoulder where the knife had hit.
"I never thought you were the type to kill," John commented as he proceeded to suck the blood from the Hunter.
"He used a silver knife on me. I had every right to kill him. Besides, you can't be nice to humans all the time," Sage replied, examining his shoulder, only to find that the wound wasn't serious.
* * *
Austin and Gepard were having a ball. They were up against a boy and girl team, and the girl seemed to be afraid of cheetahs. Or maybe she was scared because Gepard was in cheetah form and looked hungry. "Just jump her!" Austin yelled as he whirled and punched. Gepard gave the girl a nasty smile.
'Dinner time!' she told the girl as she took a flying leap. The girl screamed shrilly as Gepard ripped into her. The screams finally stopped when Gepard snapped her neck. Before she could completely tear into the body, the other Hunter fell on top of her. It took her a second to realize that he was dead. Austin had used his own weapon against him, plunging the wooden stake deep into his chest.
"I hate Hunters," Austin told her, wiping his hands on his jeans. Gepard looked up from her meal to stare into his eyes.
'Tell me about it.'
* * *
Tyrna and Matt were enjoying themselves. The two boys they were fighting were proving to be very worthy opponents. "They probably study judo," Matt guessed after getting flipped onto his back by one of them. Tyrna smiled as the other boy came running at her.
"Good. I like a challenge," she added catching the boy and slamming his head into the ground. His skull cracked like an eggshell. Matt looked at the scene, all the while watching his Hunter.
"I've always admired how you handle strange men," he complimented, jumping out of the way of a sword.
"Thank you. But I'm usually not this messy," Tyrna replied as she motioned to him to watch it. And not a moment too soon. The sword came down on Matt's arm, cutting a deep gash. He stopped and stared at the Hunter.
"Now will you look at what you did. You ripped my nice shirt," he joked, allowing his canines to extend. His arm was already healing when he jumped onto the boy. Using his teeth, Matt ripped into the base of his neck. Blood spurted out as the major artery was severed. The boy floundered helplessly for a few moments, and then lay still. He was dead.
"And I thought I was messy," Tyrna teased as Matt looked at her. His entire face was covered with blood. Laughing as she wiped the blood off his face, Tyrna kept an eye on the battle in case more Hunters came their way.
* * *
Amy and Alex were annoying their adversaries. Amy would jump and Alex would duck to avoid their daggers. Not that the metal would've hurt them, but they wanted to keep their clothes in one piece. "You Hunters couldn't hit the broad side of a barn!" Alex taunted, swinging up into the trees.
"Come down here and fight like a man!" the boy shouted to him.
"Whatever you say!" Alex told him, leaping onto the boy's back. As he swung the dagger, Alex avoided it. The weapon hit the Hunter full in the back. Gasping, the boy fell to the ground. A second later, blood welled up in his mouth and he was dead. Amy was crouched on the ground, motioning for the girl to come closer. Being a stupid human, she couldn't resist. When she was within range, Amy leaped straight up. As she came down, she did a snap kick to the girl's head. As her head flew back, a loud SNAP! was heard as her neck broke. She hit the ground and spilled over like a rag doll.
"Pathetic," Amy said, rolling the body over with her foot. "Simply pathetic."
* * *
"I'm going to get you, you filthy demon trash!" a girl screamed at Amber.
"Flattery will get you nowhere," she said politely, shifting into a fighting stance. She and Luke stood back to back, each of them facing a girl Hunter.
"You get the ugly one," Luke whispered loudly so the Hunters could hear.
"Which one's the ugly one?" Amber asked in the same tone of voice. Sure enough, their trick worked. Both of the girls had spears, and they came charging full speed at the couple. When they were about two feet away, Luke gave the signal.
"Jump!" he shouted as he and Amber leaped high and caught some low tree branches. By the time the Hunters realized what had happened, it was too late. Carried along by their own momentum, they impaled each other. Their eyes wide in astonishment, they slumped down dead.
"Ouch!" Amber said, grimacing. Luke nodded in agreement.
* * *
Alan and Corinne clasped hands as they faced their opposition: A boy and girl, both of them well built. "I'll take the guy," Corinne told him, smiling evilly.
"The hell you will!" Alan shot back, teasing her.
"Stop arguing and just fight!" the girl yelled at them.
"Okay," they said in unison, shrugging their shoulders. Before the Hunters could react, they had tripped them up. Jumping onto them, they stared long and hard at the humans they were about to kill.
"This is what happens when you fight the Night World, kids," Alan explained, biting the boy's neck. Corinne bit the girl before she could even scream.
"I like this job!" she shouted as she and Alan fed on the pathetic little vermin.
* * *
Jake, Lilli, and Kelsey had both shifted and were working together to bring down a pair of boys. Lilli and Kelsey would attack from above and Jake would go in on the bottom when they were distracted. All was going well, until one of dying Hunters took a pistol out from under his shirt. Pointing it up, he shot Kelsey through the heart. After doing this deed, he died. Kelsey fell from the sky, changing mid-fall to land a human. Jake and Lilli also shifted when they saw the horrible act. "Kelsey!" Jake shouted. Iris stopped what she was doing and came racing over.
"Kelsey! No, this can't be happening!" she screamed, holding him in her arms. He looked at her and smiled.
"My darling, Iris. This is not the end for either of us. I will see you again in another life. Maybe as humans, we can live our lives in prosperity and peace," he said quietly. Jake knew then that nothing could save his life.
"I love you forever and always," Iris told him, tears running down her face.
"Forever and always my... Love…" Kelsey said as he gave a last shuddering breath. He died in Iris' arms. After he died, his body changed back into a majestic eagle. Jake helped Iris to stand up. She cradled the dead bird in her arms.
"I'm sorry," Lilli whispered, looking at her in sympathy. Iris sniffed once, and then ran to Leah. Putting the dead 'shifter in the human girl's arms, she took off to avenge Kelsey's death.
* * *
Bobbi and Mike were both in shifted form, and were having fun avoiding the hunters that were chasing them 'On the count of three we do the old heave- ho! Got it?' Mike asked as Bobbi looked over and nodded. 'One... Two... THREE!' he said as they stopped short. The Hunters were running too fast to stop. With a:
'Heave... HO!' coming from Bobbi, they sent the girls over their backs and onto the ground. One of the girls stood up again, but you could tell she was dizzy from hitting her head.
'I got this one,' Mike called, crouching low.
'Whatever,' Bobbi replied, prancing over to the other one. Mike faked left, and then dove to the right, catching the girl off guard. Her sai slipped from her grasp and fell uselessly to the ground.
'Gotcha!' Mike told her, smiling as best he could. Her eyes widened in fear as he ripped her apart. Bobbi gently nudged the other girl until she woke up from being knocked out.
'Rise and shine, vermin!' she sing-songed to the girl, who screamed when she saw the little bobcat standing over her. 'BOO!' Bobbi told her, biting her neck and shaking it. The girl's neck broke and her head flopped around.
'I love being a 'shifter!' Mike shouted triumphantly.
'You watch too many Ninja Turtles cartoons,' Bobbi informed him as she settled down to enjoy the rest of the battle.
* * *
Lyca and Silver were working together to bring down a duo of pesky Hunters. The boys were brandishing silver daggers, and neither of the girls wanted to get to close. "This is stupid! I say we kill them and get this over with!" Silver suggested, glaring at the Hunters. Lyca shrugged.
"Fine by me," she replied as they both shifted. Lyca went for one boy's legs as soon as she was fully changed. Pinning him to the ground, she used her teeth to break his knife-wrist. When the weapon was on the ground, she ripped the kid apart. The other boy was taunting Silver, daring her to come within range.
"Here kitty, kitty, kitty," he called as Silver growled at him. Her tail thumped loudly on the ground. The boy ignored it. With a simple twist, she knocked the weapon from his grasp. While he was distracted, she leaped for him, all one hundred forty-five pounds of tiger coming down on a one hundred and five-pound human. He screamed as she tore into his legs, and then his throat. She let out an ear-splitting roar that shook the entire countryside. Humans? HA!
* * *
Dahlia and Angel were teamed up against some boys. "Three on two. I like those odds," Dahlia stated as she shifted. One of them backed away from her, and then took off running. Silver saw him and gave chase. When she had pinned him down, she shifted to human.
"Just make it quick," he pleaded with her, shutting his eyes. Silver looked down at his throat. It was thick and full of blood. She bent her head down and was preparing to shift, when delicate canines suddenly extended from her teeth! And she wasn't even in half-form!
"What the?.." she asked, surprised and pleased at the same time. She didn't waste time trying to figure it out, but darted in and bit, her teeth easily piercing the skin. She fed on him this way, as Angel, Dahlia, and the other two Hunters stared dumb-struck at her.
"I thought Silver was a 'shifter?" Angel asked, totally confused.
'Me too.' Angel suddenly realized that there was a fight going on around her.
"Less talk, more action," she said to her friend as they used the element of confusion to attack. The boys didn't even have a prayer. Angel snapped one's neck, and Dahlia suffocated the other by biting into his windpipe. Angel sat down for a moment to survey the scene. Marik was trying to fight off a boy and a girl at the same time. Peter was standing in the tree cover, watching Iris and Rain battle two girls. Patrick was over by Julie, talking to her. 'Patrick is such an idiot. I can't believe he likes that pathetic human. Made-vampires. I'll never understand them. And I don't want to either,' she thought to herself.
* * *
Peter was hiding in the trees, watching Rain fight the hunters. "I wish I was fighting by her side." Iris was fighting even harder than she had been. Kelsey's death was still fresh in her mind, and these vermin would pay dearly for killing him.
"Watch your back, Redfern!" Rain shouted as she ducked under a stake's arc.
"You look out for yourself, Johnson!" Iris shot back, kicking the Hunter away. They stood back to back, and that was their fatal mistake. One Hunter had a long spear, and he took aim. He gave a scream as he threw it, and the spear sailed through the air and hit its targets. Both of the vampires were hit through the chest. Peter looked at the boy who had thrown the weapon. He was standing with a wide grin on his face. Peter ran at him, stake raised.
"NOOO!" he shouted as he threw himself on top of the Hunter. The stake pierced the Hunter to the heart. He died slowly, with Peter on him the entire time. "Let's see if you like being staked through the heart, you worthless vermin!" Peter whispered as he watched the boy die. Angel stood quietly, watching the scene.
"One thing I like about stakes. They're just as useful on the vampire Hunters, as they are on the vampires." Peter got off of the Hunter and went to Rain. She and Iris had pulled the spear out, but it was clear that they were dying. Iris lay herself on the ground, as Kat and Skye ran out to her.
"I'm coming to join you, Kelsey. May our love bring us together," she said softly, closing her eyes. With a last gasp of air, she died on the grass. Skye put her hand on her head.
"Goddess of Life, receive this maiden and guide her to the other side in peace," she chanted as tears formed in her eyes. Angel looked at her dead cousin and let a single tear fall down her face.
"Farewell my cousin. The Redferns will never forget your bravery, or your sacrifice," she said quietly, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Peter dropped to his knees beside Rain.
"Please live, Rain. Please," he begged her. She looked at him strangely.
"Peter. The human. Funny, I always thought I was different than all the vampires with human soulmates. Guess I'm just one more liberal lamia." Rain replied, smiling warmly for the first time.
"Don't die on me. I'll never forgive myself if you do," he told her, cradling her in his arms. She stroked his face with her hand.
"Sweet little human. It's my time. Let me go." He slammed his fist hard into the ground, hate burning in his eyes.
"NO! I won't let you go, God damnit! I won't!" he shouted, closing his eyes and focusing on her. She closed her eyes and saw a strange sight in front of her. It was glowing, drawing her back to the land of the semi-living. With her mind, she reached out and grabbed it. Peter pulled on the other end, gently dragging her back to him. Opening her eyes, she saw him kneeling next to her. Skye and Kat stood over him, puzzled looks on their faces.
"Peter, I don't know what you did, but she's alive. Sort of," Kat told him, looking at Skye, who shrugged in a gesture of Don't ask me what's going on. Peter picked Rain up and gently carried her over to where Julie and Patrick were. He set her down and watched as Skye and Kat did witchy-things to her. His new girlfriend would live. Now all that remained was to defeat the Hunters.
* * *
Marik was all alone in battling the two remaining Hunters. One of them was Clint, and the other was a very experienced girl. He finally succeeded in breaking the girl's back. She fell to the ground and couldn't get back up. Clint tried to distract Marik so he could help his friend, but the young vampire was too good to be fooled easily. Tripping Clint up, he kicked him out of the way. When he was out of range, Marik walked calmly over to the girl. "Give up?" he asked, bending over her. She glared darkly at him.
"Got to hell, you little Satan worshiper."
"You first, little vermin," he replied, twisting her head and snapping her neck. She lay like a rag doll on the ground. It was then that he remembered that Clint was still alive. He looked around and saw him charging, the spear raised. Marik tried to get out of the way, but Clint impaled him on the spear. The silver tip didn't do extensive damage, but the wooden shaft burned like an iron brand. Marik clenched his teeth as the pain caused him to double over, and then fall to the ground. The spear was still embedded in him. Clint smiled triumphantly.
"You stupid Night World freaks think you're so tough. Well we humans think differently," he gloated, removing a stake from his belt.
"If you Hunters are such hot-shots, how come you're the only one left?" Marik asked him, shuddering as another bolt of pain racked his body.
"I'll kill all the others myself. With my bare hands if I have to!" Clint shouted to him, coming in for the kill. He was startled from his work when a familiar voice came from behind him.
"Back away from him, Clint. Or I will be forced to kill you," Melody warned, an arrow strung on her bow. The younger boy turned around to face her.
"Melody, what's gotten into you? You're a Hunter. We have to kill these freaks of nature." She shook her head, sighing sadly.
"Clint, don't you see? I'm one of them. I'm a "freak" too," she replied, bringing the bow up in case he got stupid. Clint visibly deflated.
"Are you a vampire? A werewolf? A 'shifter?" he asked, still holding the stake. She shook her head, slightly smiling.
"I'm a witch. Why do think I taught you all the prophecies? Why do you think I was in Circle Daybreak?"
"So that means that you could be considered human. Let me kill this vampire," he suggested. Marik spoke up then.
"Let's not and say we did," he answered, raising himself up, even though it hurt enormously. Clint turned on him, eyes flashing.
"Shut up, demon whelp! You corrupted my friend! For this, you must die!" he shouted, plunging the stake downward. Marik threw his arms up in defense, but there was no way he would be able to stop the force of the strike. Melody reacted with lightening-quick reflexes.
"Goddess, forgive me." she whispered, pulling the arrow back and letting it fly. It struck Clint through the heart. He stopped what he was doing and stared her. A look of shock was on his face. Melody began to cry. "Forgive me. I couldn't let you kill him. I love him. I'm sorry," she told him as Clint realized what his anger had blinded him to before. He gave a last proclamation with his dying breath.
"I forgive you, my...Friend…" he said, falling dead to the earth. Melody closed his eyes for him and asked the spirits to guide him on his long journey. Then she went over to Marik, who embraced her.
"You were super," he assured her, baring his teeth against the pain. She helped him to stand up.
"I couldn't let him kill you. I do love you," she replied as they staggered over to the others. A victory cheer went up as the remaining group walked back to headquarters to report success. The battle was over, and they were victorious!