Gretel's heart threatened to stop beating in her chest as she watched Hansel collapse to the ground, a bright red spot weeping blood down his neck. Her hand pressed against it instinctively trying to keep some of the precious liquid where it belonged. The wound didn't look life threatening but who knew how much the creature had taken from him. With her other hand, Gretel reached over and pinched her brother on the shoulder. It was part of a game they had played when they were children; if one thought the other was faking sleep, they were pinched for their deception. She knew he wasn't faking but the connection the action brought might reach Hansel. It had the desired affect and Gretel smiled as she caught sight of green eyes through narrow slits.

Motion to the left of the hunter pulled her attention away. Edward was scooping up Ben and several of their packs. There was an urgency in his movements that sent a chill down Gretel's spine. The troll rarely did anything without purpose, his moves careful and thought out, but now he seemed to be rushing, fuelled by what appeared to be fear.

"What are you doing?" she asked, watching as Ben passively allowed Edward to carry him in his arms.

"Need to leave," huffed the troll.

"I can see that, but what's going on? I know you know something," snapped Gretel.

Edward took a large step forward. "Need to leave now!" He stamped his foot down hard to emphasize his point.

Gretel shot to her feet, spitfire dancing in her eyes. "What's going on?" The pair stared at each other waiting for the other to blink or concede; neither happened. The tension in the air was almost alive and for the first time in a long time, Gretel remembered exactly what Edward was capable of if he so chose to pick a fight with them. His gentle nature masked the strength underneath and their friendship had served as a warm blanket masking the potential danger they all could potentially pose to one another should those relationships crumble.

Releasing some of the tension building within her, Gretel changed her stance hoping that backing down slightly would help decompress the situation. They needed each other, more importantly she needed what the troll knew. "Edward," she whispered, a quiet plea giving shape to her desperation.

He let out a grunt, shifting his weight back and forth while scrutinizing every inch of the woman before him. After some consideration he said, "Can't out run what's coming." It was a warning as well as a promise but Gretel could still hear the underlying sorrow in his voice.

Gretel glanced back at Hansel, trying to thaw the cold feeling ripping through her. Horrible things had been hunting them their whole lives, it seemed that was never going to change. "What's coming?" she asked, her voice more forceful then she felt, though the words still lacked the fierce drive that she usually put into hunting.

The big brute paused as though speaking the words would bring the threat to life, bring it upon them without mercy or respite. "Lamiae." Giving name to the threat didn't provide either any comfort. Rather than the truth setting him free, Edward felt as though it was a chain, wrapping him tightly and pulling him down in to the murky depths of death. If anything it made the inevitable outcome more real.

The name was foreign to the hunter who had the unfortunate pleasure of being well versed in things that went bump in the night. Based on appearances, it hadn't been anything they had come across before and as she wracked her brain for all the stories and legends she had come across, none of them mentioned Lamiae. They hadn't wronged one in their journeys, set out to hunt or kill one, so why would they seek out the hunters? More importantly, why Hansel? "Who are they?"

"Hunters of witches," grunted the troll.

"We hunt witches," protested Gretel.

Edward shook his head like a wet dog. "No. Male witches. Won't stop until they kill them."

Gretel's eyes shot back to Hansel. The creature had seemed more interested, hell focused on Hansel rather than the rest of them. Her heart started to pound in her chest. How was she going to protect him from something she knew nothing about. Their brief encounter had proven that the Lamiae had a strength that the hunters had never faced before; what other tricks would they have up their sleeves? "There has to be something we can do Edward."

"Never stop. Destroy everything in their path to get what they want," he assured.

"You should leave," croaked Hansel, struggling to sit up. He swayed slightly as he achieved a more vertical position but his gaze showed a strength and determination he wasn't quite capable of demonstrating just yet.

Edward looked apologetic, but reiterated, "Never out run them. More will come, many more."

"We'll seek out a coven of white witches, get them to help," tried Gretel desperately.

The troll shook his head in disagreement. The Lamiae were whispers, a dark shadow that lurked on the edge of the supernatural world. They were the monsters that monsters warned their children about.

"No!" protested Hansel, slamming his fist hard into the dirt. "You leave, all of you. He said they were after me. It'll be safer if you all leave." He knew something wasn't right, not since the barn but he had selfishly tried to ignore it. Hansel had just wanted things to go back to the way they were before, before revelations that their heritage was the same as those they hunted, before the evils of the world sought fit to use them in their wicked plans. That desire to hold onto the small comfort of family they had pieced together was going to cost the most important person in his life theirs.

Gretel flinched at her brother's outburst. Desperately she tried to come up with some alternative to what Hansel was suggesting, some way to appease him that was going to keep them all safe. "Someone has to know a way to stop them, something that hurts them…" The siblings stared at each other, neither wanting to address the elephant in the room; that particular concern would have to wait for another time, or at least a less heated moment, even if it had taken out the Lamiae. "Everything can be killed."

Snorting, Hansel rolled his eyes. "You for one. Edward for two. And how about Ben there? That one's solely my fault or have you forgotten my little party trick?"

"Hansel." Gretel aimed for it to sound disapproving but the tremble in her voice contorted her displeasure into something akin to pleading.

"Scary monsters aside, I'm the biggest threat to everyone here. I can't control whatever this is and I'm not going to be responsible for hurting you. I can't." There was a dark edge in Hansel's voice that threatened extreme measures, should his warning not be heeded.

Gretel's shoulders slumped as she resigned herself to the situation. "You're right, it's not safe to be around you."