Huntress Claimed

by M K Masterson

  “No, she uses Walker magic and your bloodline to cross. It’s different, but a similar concept.”

  “So then…we are crossing over to another plane?”

  He chuckled gently at my naivety. “No, not today. Today, we are using the ley-line to bring you your Venatrix Powers. There’s an initiation ceremony at the Venatrix complex when a young hunter receives his or her powers. You missed out on all that. So, we are going to do a modified version of that here.”

  I was suddenly nervous and yet excited. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it didn’t seem like I would be facing monsters and perhaps when everything finally clicked, I would feel more like what a Venatrix was supposed to be.

  “Close your eyes.”

  I followed his instructions, only listening to his voice.

  “Thoughts may come into your head, but let them pass. If you find yourself following that thought, go back to your breathing. Say in your head, ‘Breathe in,’ when you breathe in. ‘Breathe out,’ when you breathe out.”

  I concentrated on my breathing, following the commands.

  "Once you feel centered, picture your body becoming more at ease. Imagine your toes becoming relaxed. Visualize them like they weren't even there. Then your calves becoming relaxed. Visualize them like they weren't even there. Then so-on, continuously all the way up your body to your head. Once you feel completely relaxed, you can stop concentrating."

  I imagined my toes becoming invisible, and soon I couldn't feel them. I continued to my head until my whole body felt like it was not there. It was a gratifying feeling.

  Soon I began to hear a soft heartbeat. I had wondered if it was mine.

  "Caden, follow the heartbeat."

  “Is it mine?”

  “No, it is the ley-line. Feel it.”

  I did. It was becoming louder, stronger. I could feel its vibration under my body. The pulsation began to vibrate within me.

  “Caden, open your eyes.”

  I opened my eyes to us standing in a room of white light. The ceiling was light, the walls, the floor. No, the floor wasn’t just white light. There was a blue light that pulsated every few seconds with the sound and continued on. It echoed down the room like it was an EKG machine. I could feel the power encompassing me. It tickled and licked my skin.

  “You are within the ley-line.”

  I looked up at the voice, finally noticing Finn standing in front of me. “Can anyone get here?”

  He nodded. “Anyone can get here. Not everyone can use the ley-line.”

  “Use it? Being here and using it are two different things?” I was confused. I thought that the power I felt was using it.

  Again, Finn nodded, probably understanding. "You will eventually use the ley-line to receive your power."

  “Who can use it then?”

  He was ready for my next question. "Only the Good. The ley-line is Earth's magic. Mother Earth you can say. She is Good, so she only offers her power to the Good."

  “But I’m not Good,” I responded.

  Finn looked at me questioningly.

  “I am supposed to kill,” I started to explain. “That doesn’t make me Good. Regardless of whether I am killing Scelesti or not, killing is not good.”

  He nodded, finally understanding me. “You are a tool of Good. Because of this, you are able to use the ley-line once and only once. You can always come here, but this is the only time that you can feel Her power.”

  “What are you both doing here?” A familiar voice made us turn to see Ajax a few feet off to the side. He was not happy to see us at all. His lips were thinned, and a muscle in his jaw twitched. It was such an unusual sight to see him angry that I was taken back.

  “What are we doing here? What are you doing here?” I challenged him, feeling slightly nervous as I didn’t recognize my friend.

  He didn’t bother answering my question, let alone look at me.

  “You are not permitted here, Sìogaidh,” he said, staring daggers at Finn.

  Golden anger flashed in Finn’s eyes. I couldn't be sure if it was because of the name Ajax called him or that someone was standing up to him.

  “And who are you to say we can’t be here?” I snapped at Ajax on Finn’s behalf, who put a hand on my arm to keep me inline. “We used to be friends. What the hell?”

  “I’m the Guardian of this part of the ley-line. This trumps being friends, unfortunately. And you both are not allowed to be here.”

  "Yes, we are. I am a Venatrix Malorum, and I can verify that Finn is part of the Casti.”

  Ajax laughed. “You may be a Venatrix, but he is not part of the Casti. You see the good in others. It doesn’t necessarily mean they are Casti. It just means they are not evil.”

  “Well, then, he’s Good,” I lifted up my chin.

  “He is not permitted to feed off of this type of magic.”

  I was about to stand up to him again, but Finn squeezed my arm.

  “I will go, but Caden has a right to be here.”

  Ajax smirked, coldly. “She has half of a right. The other half does not belong.”

  “I can’t help that I’m part human,” I snapped.

  Ajax looked confused for a second before saying something to Finn in a language I didn’t understand, but it matched the cadence of the word Sìogaidh. And Finn responded in kind.

  “Interesting,” Ajax replied after receiving Finn’s response. “Very well, Sìogaidh. I will help her, but you must leave.”

  Finn ground his jaw and clenched his fists. “Very, well. But if anything happens to her, I will use everything in my power to destroy you.”

  Ajax nodded. “I believe you.”

  Finn turned me to face him, placing his hands on my shoulders. “Trust that I am with you even if it’s not in here?”

  “Of course I do.”

  He looked like he wanted to hug me but instead, he just squeezed my shoulders before he disappeared.

  I turned to Ajax, still a little hot with anger. “What is your problem? He didn’t mean any harm.”

  Ajax shrugged a shoulder, slightly slipping into the Ajax that I knew. "It doesn't matter. His kind is not permitted."

  “His kind? Is being human such a problem for the supernatural community that you guys are bigoted against them?”

  He looked at me quizzically. “You think he’s human?”

  "He's not?"

  Honestly, I hadn't really thought about what Finn was. He looked human, but I did remember when he shocked me. Finn had told me that his magic recognized me. He couldn't be evil, so perhaps it didn't matter what he was.

  “Eh, maybe I’m wrong,” Ajax shrugged a shoulder, dropping the subject on his end.

  "So, you're not human," I hedged.

  “Does it matter to you?” He asked stonily. The harder he became, the more he was trying to not to get hurt. I had picked up on that behavior for the past year. This did matter to him, even if he made it seem like nothing.

  “Of course it doesn’t matter. We miss our friend. We all do. Especially, Meredith.”

  His face softened for a second at the mention of Meredith before he put the stone mask back in place.

  “It seems that we all have our little parts that we have to play, huh?” I guessed at his feelings.

  “Maybe you will change all that one day, Venatrix. But for now, what do you need with the ley-line?”

  “Apparently I missed the ‘getting your powers’ day.”

  He smirked. “You are definitely not like the other hunters I have met.”

  “Is that a good thing.”

  His smile was genuine. "It's a very good thing." Light danced off his eyes, and I could see my friend below the surface. It didn't vanish when he clasped his hands together, but it was time for business. “So are you ready to receive Her power.”

  Before I had a chance to say anything five grey veils of mist appeared around me, encircling me. They did not take on any shape but just stayed within range of me.

  “You are first t
o receive the gift of sound,” he informed me.

  A bird-like creature started to shape itself from one of the mists. It took on the head of an owl but the body of a hawk. There was no type of animal to compare it to. It flapped its wings, and I could hear the vibration of its wings as if it were in slow motion. It flew over to me in slow motion, and I could see that it had claws at the end of its wings like a bat. The wings enveloped me and pressed against me. The power that surged from the being squeezed the air out of my lungs. Then it pushed through me and was gone. That power squeezed through my muscles like the creature had and then settled within. I was brought to my knees gasping for breath. Ajax did not give me a chance to catch my breath.

  "The gift of sight and scent," he responded as another grey mist took the shape of a wolf. It looked like a wolf, but it was bigger. The legs were thicker, and the body was taller and broader. It still had the face of a wolf, but it was off. He ran toward me and then through me knocking me on my butt. I had barely caught my breath, and now I had lost my balance. I had no time to be afraid.

  “The gift of swiftness, agility, ferocity.”

  I heard a growl from behind me. When I looked over my shoulder, I saw a grey outline of a cat. This was no ordinary house cat. It was like a cheetah, only lither. It pounced on me, entering through my head first and I felt the weight press me further into the ground. Soon I was lying on my back. I could not have stood up if I had wanted to.

  “Finally the gift of strength.”

  A fourth mist sank into the ground and disappeared. I had thought that it retreated from me, knowing that I was a coward and would not give its' gift to me. But before I had time to feel depressed, I saw and felt a root wrap around my foot. It tightened, and I wanted to cry out in pain as I felt it start to cut off my circulation. Then it pierced my skin. I felt the piercing; it was like a razor and scalpel had just cut through.

  Another root did the same to my other foot. I don't know if I cried out in pain, but I should have. The roots tangled into my skin, onto my muscle and tightened, pushing through the tissue to the bone. They wrapped around the bones like barbed-wire. The more I moved, the more it felt like they ripped my skin, my muscles. Then like a vine, the roots traveled up toward my head. I tried to lie perfectly still. Even breathing hurt and stung more flesh and skin. I envisioned the vines as they worked their way up climbing to my face, my skull. When they had reached the top of my head, the vines stilled. I waited for more pain, but there was a coolness that sank into my bones, into my body like cold water. But it hardened like liquid metal, and I felt strong as if my bones had become iron. The pain receded, and soon I was able to stand and focus but I was still breathing hard.

  I noticed a lone mist in front of me. It had not taken any shape yet.

  “What about that one?”

  After asking, it took on the shape of a fox and pranced over to me. It curled itself around my feet, but I did not feel any power surge my body.

  "You must earn him. From your experiences, your plans, ideas, or thoughts. Little by little, when you earn him, he will give you power. For now, he is a shadow. Aforethought or an afterthought."

  I knew who he was then. The fox was intelligence, craftiness. I wasn’t going to be given that omniscient power. It would have to be earned.

  “You must thank the ley-line now and leave.”

  “Aren’t you coming with me?”

  Ajax inclined his head, sadness turning the corners of his mouth down. “My duty is here for the moment.”

  I bowed my head and whispered a “thank you.”

  Ajax put a hand on my hand, and the ley-line pulsated back with something that I could not understand. I had hoped it was a “you are welcome” response.

  “Now, Caden, feel your toes, your calves, your body. Once you can feel yourself exist, open your eyes.”

  I didn’t understand the “open your eyes.” I thought my eyes were open, but I envisioned my toes, my calves, my knees, and so on coming into being. My body felt like it had been asleep and soon I was tingling all over. I waited for the sensation to stop before I open my eyes that I was suddenly aware had been closed.

  Sera still stood against the door, but she was pale, and her lips were tight. As soon as she saw my eyes open, she ran over to me and grabbed my hand. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Her heartbeat pounded through her chest. Wait a second, I could hear her heartbeat! In fact, I could hear her breath, the sound of her footsteps as she had run over to me. I inhaled, and I could smell her perfume, but there was something else. I sniffed a little more. Yes, there it was. It was sweet, sickly sweet. Was that fear? I could smell her emotions. I could see every particle that made her face. Every line that had ever been there. All the green, golden, and brown flecks in her eyes.

  “Is this normal?” I whispered, which sounded like a shout to my ears.

  “It will dull a little. You are just overly sensitive,” Finn assured me. “For the next day or so, you might want to relax. Control the sensations.”

  I felt a deep heaviness way over me. Suddenly my eyes felt heavy and all the sounds in the room dulled. Soon I could not open my eyes, and I drifted into unconsciousness.

  Chapter Nineteen

  I didn’t know how long I had been out, but I awoke to warm sunlight peeking through my bedroom window onto my face. I smiled at its warmth. I tried listening for sounds or smelling any odd scents. I could, in fact, hear the birds outside and someone . . . no, make that two people walking around in another room. I sniffed the air, discovering my bedroom for the first time. Finally understanding what Sera had meant about cleaning it. It smelled sweaty and filthy.

  I concentrated more on the scents. Sera’s perfume floated to my nose and with it the smell of jasmine. I grinned, recognizing Sera’s scent. Only she could smell like jasmine.

  I tried inhaling some more scents becoming light-headed in the process. There was another, but it was subtle, like frosted berries and crisp apples under a slight musk. I wondered if that was Finn’s scent.

  I couldn’t even say I “climbed” out of bed. It was more like I was thinking about sitting up and standing out of bed and there I was. It was effortless, just like walking itself. And walking down the hall? I glided soundlessly without a step creaking. No one would hear me I knew. From this point forward I was the hunter.

  I followed the scents to the kitchen where sure enough Sera and Finn sat at the kitchen counter both with a coffee cup in hand. They looked worried and worn as if they had spent countless days awake. Sera's hair was disheveled, and she was wearing a wrinkled oversized t-shirt to go along with her sweatpants. Finn's appearance was perfect, but looking at his face and hers, there were dark circles around the eyes. Both were just staring into the cups; perhaps daydreaming. They were unaware of my presence.

  "How long have I been out?" I asked, running a hand through my own disheveled hair. Both of them jumped, and coffee spilt out of their cups. Instantly there was a change in their demeanor. Although they were still worn out, surprise and elation filled their faces.

  “A couple of days,” Sera answered.

  I stared at the clock on the microwave, seeing the time for the first time without my contacts or glasses. It was crystal clear. From my distance, I could even see the individual lights that made the numbers if I concentrated. It was Sunday afternoon then if I had been out a couple of days. I had missed dinner entirely with Meredith and Nate to hear about their part in all this.

  “Did Nate or Meredith call?” I knew they probably had, but I wanted to know for sure.

  “Yeah. They mentioned dinner. I’m sorry you had to miss it.”

  “Did they sound mad?”

  Sera’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “No. I didn’t really tell them much of anything other than this was something you had to go through. They were just concerned.”

  I was washed with relief.

  “Caden, how do you feel?” Finn prodded with familial concern.

  I closed my eyes and inhaled. H
ow did I feel? Solid. Strong. Steady. I felt powerful like I could take on the world. I could hear Finn and Sera's heartbeats if I just listened, the birds chirping outside yards away, the wind blowing the leaves back. I could smell the earth, skin, particles of scents that I had never recognized. I felt like a live wire. Everything that touched my body was a tingling sensation. I heard Finn’s voice break through my thoughts.

  “You are on sensory overload. It should calm down eventually.”

  I wasn’t too sure if I wanted it to. I loved feeling lively.

  “I feel good, Finn,” I grinned, opening my eyes.

  He smiled.

  I was surprised that I could smell Sera's fear. I glanced over at her, and sure enough, her face was knitted with worry and shock. "Why are you scared, Sera?"

  “It’s not that I’m scared-”

  “Yes, you are. I can smell it.”

  She shifted uncomfortably. “I’m just worried for you, honey.”

  I assumed that she finally thought about the freak that I would become. I wanted to feel sad for her or sad for myself that I was officially a freak. But I couldn’t. There was too much power running through my veins.

  “So, are we done? Was that all I needed? The ley-line?”

  Finn bit his lower lip, hesitant. “Not exactly.”

  I raised my eyebrows waiting for him to continue.

  “You have to learn fighting skills. Tracking. What you need to know to be a Venatrix Malorum.”

  “Let’s get to it! I’m itching to get started.” I rolled my head around my neck, getting the kinks out of it; bouncing on the balls of my feet, showing my eagerness.

  “This is not something I can help you with,” he said.

  “Why not?” I was confused; after all, he was supposed to be my guide.

  “Because of who I am, I cannot teach you to fight . . . I cannot draw attention to myself or to you. I was only here to take you to the ley line and guide you to your powers.”

  “Who are you then?” Suspicion gnawed at the back of my brain when I recalled my conversation with Ajax.

  “I cannot divulge that information right now.”

  I scowled at him. “So, how am I going to learn?” Regardless of what I had become, I still knew nothing on how to defend myself. And my Self-Defense class that I took in place of PE 2 wasn’t until January. I didn’t think I had that much time to wait.