Part 14
Hunt and kill her own brother. It certainly was a challenge. She didn't even know where to begin to look for Zach. Dusk refused to feel intimidated by that. If she wanted to prove herself to Ashael then she had to complete the task.
"The first assignment is always tough," Ashael said, getting out of the bed, and heading into the bathroom.
Dusk pulled the sheets up over her bare breasts. She felt a little vulnerable. She always did after sex. Particularly when it was something she had never done before. She'd never imagined....she couldn't even begin to think of words to describe.
Ashael probably could. After all, she was the one who had...well...she was almost embarrassed to think about it.
"I thought this was what you wanted." Ashael appeared in the doorway, still in her naked glory, her golden hair settling around her shoulders, her usually pale skin flushed with colour. Her tone was slightly dangerous.
~Never forget she's a cold-blooded killer~ a small voice at the back of her Dusk's mind whispered cautiously. ~Sure it's exciting, but never forget that.~
"I've told you, it was...it's...I mean...I've..."
Ashael's eyes rolled. "Whatever." She turned away. Dusk heard the shower running.
She cured herself mentally. She needed to keep her wits about her. She couldn't afford to be foolish. Not here. Not now. And Ashael was right. It *was* what she wanted. And she *would* find Zach, and kill him.
It just depended on *how* she went about finding him. He could be anywhere. Well, maybe it wouldn't be that hard, there couldn't be that many people out there named Zach Harman. Any Harmans would have been recognised by the Night World and Circle Daybreak and be under investigation.
Unless, of course thinking of these things the bastard could have had changed his name. But Zach always been very proud of being a witch - and a Harman, even though the female line dominated. She sighed, getting up and dressed herself.
She didn't even know where to start. "What about the high school?" she asked. "Has he started there?" They'd both dropped. But Night People invading human high school seemed to be a cool thing at the moment.
Ashael frowned, coming back into the room, wrapped in a pale blue towel. "If he had I would have noticed and been informed. Your other brother's there."
Dusk made a face. "I know. But isn't he a Daybreaker?" She remembered her parents had been killed for being Daybreakers, along with her youngest brother Hawk. She'd never known who did it, but hadn't exactly been all that broken up, considering herself independent by then anyway.
Being the only girl she'd been lectured constantly upon responsibility, and duty, upholding the family name, how rare Harman girls were and how proud she would have to make them. They'd already set up some sort of savings account for her with a large sum of money she would receive when she was eighteen, when she chose her Circle, Midnight or Twilight.
Providing of course, she kept up to her parents exceptions. Eventually she'd grown bored with responsibility and run away. Then they were dead and couldn't stop her taking her own money.
"Ugh. He's just an idiot - and a Daybreaker." Ashael made a face of disgust. "Why Hunter won't let me kill him, I don't know."
"Why don't you just kill him anyway?" Dusk suggested, running a brush through her hair.
Ashael was silent for a few minutes. "Hunter Redfern isn't the type of person you want to see mad. Trust me on that." The glare on her face said she wasn't going to say anymore on the subject.
Dusk decided to take her word for it. She still had her task to do, and if she *couldn't*...
"The most likely Hunter will let me kill you."
The blandness of Ashael's tone surprised her, reminding Dusk that once again this girl was a killer. She didn't have a reputation for nothing. She'd never mentioned anything about this turning into some sort of long-term relationship. As far as Ashael was concerned she was just showing Dusk what Dusk had asked her to.
"I guess the high school seems like a logical place to start," Ashael said thoughtfully as she pulled a black top on. "Like you said before he could have changed his name."
Dusk frowned. "I didn't *say* anything." She was sure she hadn't said much out loud. Then she remembered vampires could read mind. She'd have to make sure she didn't forget that either. "It's better than nothing." ~Or winding up dead~ she thought.
"These things aren't supposed to be *easy*," Ashael pointed out. "It's a *test*."
"I *know* that!" Dusk snapped. Her entire life depended on whether or not she passed it.
* * *
Hunt and kill her own brother. It certainly was a challenge. She didn't even know where to begin to look for Zach. Dusk refused to feel intimidated by that. If she wanted to prove herself to Ashael then she had to complete the task.
"The first assignment is always tough," Ashael said, getting out of the bed, and heading into the bathroom.
Dusk pulled the sheets up over her bare breasts. She felt a little vulnerable. She always did after sex. Particularly when it was something she had never done before. She'd never imagined....she couldn't even begin to think of words to describe.
Ashael probably could. After all, she was the one who had...well...she was almost embarrassed to think about it.
"I thought this was what you wanted." Ashael appeared in the doorway, still in her naked glory, her golden hair settling around her shoulders, her usually pale skin flushed with colour. Her tone was slightly dangerous.
~Never forget she's a cold-blooded killer~ a small voice at the back of her Dusk's mind whispered cautiously. ~Sure it's exciting, but never forget that.~
"I've told you, it was...it's...I mean...I've..."
Ashael's eyes rolled. "Whatever." She turned away. Dusk heard the shower running.
She cured herself mentally. She needed to keep her wits about her. She couldn't afford to be foolish. Not here. Not now. And Ashael was right. It *was* what she wanted. And she *would* find Zach, and kill him.
It just depended on *how* she went about finding him. He could be anywhere. Well, maybe it wouldn't be that hard, there couldn't be that many people out there named Zach Harman. Any Harmans would have been recognised by the Night World and Circle Daybreak and be under investigation.
Unless, of course thinking of these things the bastard could have had changed his name. But Zach always been very proud of being a witch - and a Harman, even though the female line dominated. She sighed, getting up and dressed herself.
She didn't even know where to start. "What about the high school?" she asked. "Has he started there?" They'd both dropped. But Night People invading human high school seemed to be a cool thing at the moment.
Ashael frowned, coming back into the room, wrapped in a pale blue towel. "If he had I would have noticed and been informed. Your other brother's there."
Dusk made a face. "I know. But isn't he a Daybreaker?" She remembered her parents had been killed for being Daybreakers, along with her youngest brother Hawk. She'd never known who did it, but hadn't exactly been all that broken up, considering herself independent by then anyway.
Being the only girl she'd been lectured constantly upon responsibility, and duty, upholding the family name, how rare Harman girls were and how proud she would have to make them. They'd already set up some sort of savings account for her with a large sum of money she would receive when she was eighteen, when she chose her Circle, Midnight or Twilight.
Providing of course, she kept up to her parents exceptions. Eventually she'd grown bored with responsibility and run away. Then they were dead and couldn't stop her taking her own money.
"Ugh. He's just an idiot - and a Daybreaker." Ashael made a face of disgust. "Why Hunter won't let me kill him, I don't know."
"Why don't you just kill him anyway?" Dusk suggested, running a brush through her hair.
Ashael was silent for a few minutes. "Hunter Redfern isn't the type of person you want to see mad. Trust me on that." The glare on her face said she wasn't going to say anymore on the subject.
Dusk decided to take her word for it. She still had her task to do, and if she *couldn't*...
"The most likely Hunter will let me kill you."
The blandness of Ashael's tone surprised her, reminding Dusk that once again this girl was a killer. She didn't have a reputation for nothing. She'd never mentioned anything about this turning into some sort of long-term relationship. As far as Ashael was concerned she was just showing Dusk what Dusk had asked her to.
"I guess the high school seems like a logical place to start," Ashael said thoughtfully as she pulled a black top on. "Like you said before he could have changed his name."
Dusk frowned. "I didn't *say* anything." She was sure she hadn't said much out loud. Then she remembered vampires could read mind. She'd have to make sure she didn't forget that either. "It's better than nothing." ~Or winding up dead~ she thought.
"These things aren't supposed to be *easy*," Ashael pointed out. "It's a *test*."
"I *know* that!" Dusk snapped. Her entire life depended on whether or not she passed it.
* * *