Equinox
Chapter Five
For a good, solid ten minutes, I almost thought we had gotten away with no repercussions. We had snuck back into the facility without tripping any alarms, or being sensed by unwanted eyes. The absence of security was strange, but convenient.
We had only just settled back into the lounge room when there was a brisk tap at the door.
Dylan and I exchanged a look, and Gazzy snickered from the floor. His curly blonde hair formed a halo around his sniggering face, illuminated by the blue-ish glow emanating from his handheld gaming device. He seemed a lot less bitter about us ditching him, now that he knew we were going to be punished.
The door clicked, sighing inward. I recognized the person standing on the threshold as one of the secretaries. A pen was stuck behind her ear, and a permanent scowl was etched between her eyebrows. Folders hung loosely under her arm, like we had just interrupted her work.
"Mrs. Walker wishes to speak with you," she informed us monotonously, then turned on her heel. The resounding slap of her shoes could be heard clattering down the hallway, until eventually I got tired of listening.
Dylan sighed, untangling his limbs and coming to a stand. He offered his hand to me, but I brushed it aside and hauled my body upright. Gazzy flashed us a brilliant smile from where he was laying on his stomach across the floor. I chose to begin ignoring the snide remarks I was sure to be receiving from him the next couple weeks.
Hardening my expression, I squared my shoulders to Anne's office. No words passed between Dylan and I on the walk there. Talking wasn't necessary. We couldn't exactly make an excuse for ourselves. We were the ones who tagged the werewolf. There were no carefully cultivated lies that could cover that up.
Still, listening to her rant was going to seriously impose on the night's victory . . . Not to mention bore me to near death.
When we reached her door, I didn't pause to shoulder it open. She wouldn't expect me to knock, and I wasn't going to give her the courtesy. Dylan sidled in behind me, nudging the wood shut.
Anne's familiar blonde head was bent over a neat stack of papers. She was scribbling something on one of the sheets, her other hand reaching up to tuck a loose strand behind her ear. I waited with arms crossed, until she finally looked up at us.
Her expression was oddly serene, with a subtle flicker of exhaustion in her eyes. For a moment that seemed to stretch on for eternity. She simply studied our battle-worn stance, and the expectant curve of our every feature. Just as my patience had fizzled to its detonation point, she opened her mouth to speak.
"First, let me congratulate you. From your lack of injury, and the tagging report, you two seemed to have managed your first solstice kill without a flaw. It's admirable. Most don't fair quite so well," she admitted, something akin to pride sliding into her tone.
My eyes couldn't help but narrow. If she was getting the good news out of the way first, then the bad was soon to follow.
"However," she conceded, "your blatant disregard of my orders can not, and will not, pass without consequence. There's a reason I decided not to let you two wander out on your own, and that very well could have been compromised had you not returned as soon as you did.
"I understand that this day - this event - has been glorified to you since the moment you started your training. I also recognize that you will, one day, be the very best hunters this establishment has ever seen. But as of now, you are still young; too young to be put on the front-lines of a terrible war that has been waging since the dawn of time.
"On countless occasions, you've been witness to the stories told about solstice nights, and the power it holds over all paranormal creatures. Their strength is increased tenfold, and for that reason they're that much more of a formidable opponent. I shudder to think of what the outcome could have been, had you come across a pack of werewolves, versus just the one."
I interrupted her then, unable to hold my tongue. "But we didn't. We ambushed the single wolf, and we did a good job. Had there been a pack, we would have handled it in the best way we could. That wouldn't change, no matter how old we were."
"I stand by my decision," she said calmly, rising to her feet. Her palms flattened against the waxy surface of her desk, and her eyes slanted palpably. "And as long as it's my decision, you'll abide to it as well. That's final."
"This isn't even about the Winter Solstice being 'too dangerous' for us to hunt during," I quipped scathingly, taking a menacing step forward. Dylan's hand curled around my bicep, gripping me in place. "This is about control, and your lack thereof."
She laughed, shooting me a menacing smile. "I will have control, Maximum. You surely won't disrupt that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a lot of work to do. You're dismissed."
I was out in the corridor in a second, her office door slamming so hard it shook behind me. Dylan leaned casually against the wall, examining me as I paced. When most of my steam had worn off, I seethed silently, heading in the direction of the housing quarters. Dylan fell into step beside me, his piercing turquoise eyes peeking at me from between strands of sandy hair.
"Something else is going on. I just don't know what," I concluded, biting my bottom lip. I tugged at the sleeve of my gray jacket, noting the filth of the ravine floor that was layered on it.
"What do you mean?" Dylan inquired.
"Anne wouldn't actually be this upset about us hunting during the solstice. A kill is a kill to her, no matter when, who, or where. And, in case you hadn't noticed, no one is here," I exclaimed, extending my arms to make a wide gesture at the ghostly emptiness of the hall. "No matter what, there are always hunters that stay behind to guard the fort. Yet I haven't seen a single hunter since we entered the weapons room. All of them have been dispatched, and that's unusual."
Dylan nodded thoughtfully, then: "You might be looking too far into this. Maybe they're all hanging out together somewhere, or maybe they did all go hunting. That doesn't necessarily mean there's some grand scheme behind it."
"I'm telling you, something's changed . . . and I'm going to find out what. Trust me," I vowed through gritted teeth.
"You know I'm with you on whatever crazy venture you decide to follow. Somebody's got to hang around and make sure you don't get yourself hurt," Dylan joked, grinning with his ultra-white teeth. "But we should wait to start on that tomorrow. I need sleep."
With that, I had to agree.
-o-o-o-
The next day I awoke at the ungodly hour of eight in morning. Light from the corridor seeped under the crack of the door, eating an arching path across the carpeted floor. Since the housing quarters were located in the part of the building that was underground, there were no windows to offer much more lumination.
I curled the edge of the blanket into my hand, stretching out onto my back. The ceiling was indiscernible; still shaded by darkness. Minutes ticked on and on, until I finally managed to separate my body from the warmth it had previously engaged.
Tripping over the assorted items strewn across my bedroom floor, I searched for the light switch. Eventually, my grasping fingers came in contact with it, and the small space was flooded with a yellow glaze. Yawning, I then continued to fumble my way to the closet. Without much thought as to what I would end up wearing, I yanked down a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
Once I was dressed, I tended to the pile of clothes still clumped together where I had dropped them late last night. Just as I was about to toss them into a hamper, an object half hanging from the pocket of my pants caught my attention. Gently, I pulled it loose, letting the feather flutter into my open palm.
A moment later I turned to the aging desk in the corner. After rummaging around in one of the drawers, I managed to produce a thin silver chain. By some miracle, I was able to hook the feather to it; then fastened it around my neck. It hung loosely, and I tucked it away beneath my shirt.
No need to give Dylan and Gazzy incentive to make fun of my taste in accessories.
Before leaving, I grabbed a thick jacket; similar to the one I had worn last night. I would need something warm when we went out today . . . Because we would go out today. I didn't care what Anne had to say about it.
I approached the boys' room slowly, combing my hair out of its braid as I walked. My usually straight hair fell in dark blonde waves around my shoulders, and the sudden weight felt heavy on my back. It was getting long, and I knew I'd get it chopped soon enough.
My musings were jolted into reality by the sudden sight of a sleepy looking Dylan. His golden hair was mussed around his head, only worsening with the fingers he now ran lazily through it. My heart thumped painfully; a sensation I was not accustomed to.
At all.
The moment was broken quickly by the smell that wafted after him. Coughing, I covered my nose with a grimace. Gazzy was obviously active and about as well.
"He's under the impression that, now that the solstice is over, he's been granted permission to trail along after us as he normally does. I didn't have the heart to deter him," Dylan explained with a smile.
"I don't trail," Gazzy scoffed, appearing suddenly in the doorway. He was dressed for cold weather, right down to the green cap fit snugly around his ears. "I just tend to join you at a distance. There's a difference."
I couldn't help but laugh, my spirits lifting.
"Well, you're welcome to tag along. We're not hunting today. After last night, I think a bit of relaxation is in order. We're simply going to become one with nature," I replied condescendingly, a grin gracing my lips.
"Does Anne know about this little nature walk?" Dylan asked, an absence of true concern in his voice.
I laughed even harder. "Does Anne need to know?"