Life After: The Complete Series

by Julie Hall

  “Audrey, this isn’t your concern. Go back to your Jonathon.”

  His gloved fingers brushed my skin so tenderly I was swept back to another time, when his thumb had cast lazy circles on my cheek and his body was there to protect me from danger. Dumbfounded at how we’d found ourselves here, I could only stare at him.

  “I thought you didn’t like Jonathon,” I whispered.

  He let out a gentle sigh. “Audrey, do I need to spell this out to you?”

  One part of my brain yelled, Well yeah, I suppose you do! The other part whispered, Please don’t.

  I couldn’t stand to be rejected by him again.

  I pulled away from Logan by willpower alone. Standing at my full height I was only slightly taller than his seated form. It had been stupid to come here. It had been better not to see him these past weeks.

  But as I walked from the room, I couldn’t stop myself from wondering if you could truly avoid someone when he had already taken hold of a piece of your heart?

  I cornered Kevin the next day. After some consideration, I’d decided he was my easiest prey.

  Something was going on that no one would tell me about. My friends had been tiptoeing around me for some time now. I’d interrupted enough conversations where the subject was quickly changed to know I wasn’t being paranoid. All of my hunter friends had been on numerous rotations to Earth, yet no one would give me a straight answer as to what they were up to.

  After last night and my strange interaction with Logan, I had to know the answer to the mystery.

  I set my tray down and took a seat next to Kevin. He greeted me with a broad smile.

  “Hey, Audrey. What’s been going on? Feels like I haven’t seen you in ages.”

  “You know, Kevin,” I answered, “that’s so true. It does feel like it’s been a while. What’s been going on with you?”

  My first indication that I was really on to something was his pause before answering, and then the vagueness of his answer. “Oh, you know. The same old same old. Just busy with regular hunter stuff.” He shrugged. Kevin’s dark complexion may hide the evidence of a blush, but he had so many other tells it hardly mattered.

  “Is that so?” I narrowed my eyes slightly. Kevin fidgeted in his seat. “It’s so weird,” I continued, “because everyone seems to be really busy these days, yet I haven’t heard a thing about what’s going on. Usually you are all a little more . . . talkative about your assignments. I miss the stories.” I plopped my chin on my hand and gave him a pointed look.

  “Well, maybe there hasn’t been much worth talking about?”

  “Hmm . . . ,” I tapped a finger to my lips. “I find that hard to believe. I happened to stumble across Logan last night . . . ”

  I let the statement hang in the air as I gauged his reaction. Kevin’s eyes grew, and he choked on a fry. I helped by hitting his back until it dislodged. I’m a good friend like that.

  “You were on Earth yesterday too, weren’t you?”

  Kevin just nodded—probably not trusting himself to speak.

  “It was an interesting interaction, to say the least. Enough that I have a hard time believing last night was nothing worth talking about.”

  Kevin swallowed loudly. I smiled like a cat that had cornered a mouse.

  I so had him.

  “So, I was thinking it’s about time you all let me in on what’s been going on.”

  “What’s been going on?” Kaitlin asked as she plopped into the seat across from me.

  I didn’t care. She was too late. “Oh, nothing much,” I said. “Kevin’s just been explaining to me the secret you’ve all been keeping about what you’ve been doing on Earth.”

  “Wha . . . what? No, that’s—” Kevin started.

  “Kevin!” Kaitlin shrieked. “You told her about her family? Kevin, she’s not supposed to—”

  “What!” I yelled so loudly most of the cafeteria turned to look. I pinned Kaitlin with my eyes. “What is going on with my family?”

  “But . . . but . . . you said Kevin . . . I thought he already . . .” She looked to him for help.

  Kevin’s gaze was sympathetic. For Kaitlin or me, I didn’t know. “I tried to tell you. I didn’t say anything to her.”

  “Who cares who said what?” My body was going into panic mode. What was going on with my family? My friends were hunters—was my family under attack? Were they in some kind of danger? Had Logan’s wounds last night come from trying to help them? What if he hadn’t succeeded? “Somebody better start talking, and fast. And after you’ve explained, we’ll have another talk about you keeping things from me about my family.”

  I all but growled the last part. A soft hand landed on my forearm. Empathy washed through me—sadness and also love. I swatted Romona’s hand away before turning accusing eyes on her as well. “What have you done?”

  “Come on,” she said gently. “Let’s go talk.”

  I restrained myself long enough to make it out to a picnic table overlooking the soccer field that butted up to the training center.

  “Tell me,” I demanded.

  Romona took a deep breath before speaking. “The general rules are when someone’s immediate family is under attack, they aren’t to know about it.”

  I tried to interrupt, but she silenced me with a look. Not just a look, but the look. I chewed on my bottom lip.

  “It’s not a form of punishment, just an issue of judgment on the hunter’s behalf. We aren’t apt to think rationally when people we love are threatened by demons.”

  “Think rationally? What’s there to think rationally about? They’re demons! You kill them!”

  “That’s exactly what I mean.” She heaved a burdened breath. “There’s strategy involved. There are times when you must show restraint. When a family is targeted, like yours is, like ours is, there’s something else going on. It’s not random, Audrey. We’re working very hard to figure out what it is and to keep them protected.”

  “We?” I spat. “They’re your family as well. Why are you in the loop?”

  “I’ve been here much longer than you have. Headquarters made an exception. Yes, they are my family, and I love them dearly, but you are still new to this existence, and frankly you have a history of acting before thinking.”

  “I—”

  “You know you do.” She pinned me with a stare.

  I struggled with the conflicting urges—to hang my head in shame or pound on the table to demand more answers. I tried to calm down before giving what I thought was a rational response.

  Take a deep breath.

  The fresh air helped a bit. “Well, now that I know, I want to help.” Perfectly rational. Delivered calmly.

  “You can’t.”

  “I’m helping.” My nostrils flared as I attempted to keep my annoyance in check.

  “You’re not.”

  “Wanna bet?” Rational was officially overrated.

  I stood up to leave. I had a mentor to talk to.

  “Audrey?” Romona’s kind voice stopped me. I averted my gaze, unable to hide the hurt in my eyes. “We all love you. We only want what’s best for you. You have a family here you can trust.”

  “Trust? That’s a joke.” I gruffly shoved out a humorless laugh and trudged back to the training center.

  By the time I reached the gym, tears threatened to pour from my eyes. Hugo took one look at me and folded me in a hug, rubbing my back while I pulled myself together. After the tears dried I stepped back, looking him straight in the eye.

  “Tell me, please,” I begged.

  “Yes, it’s time you know.” The smile on his lips was a sad one. “Your family is special, Audrey. In truth, all families are special, but yours in a very unique way. Their callings in life will make a significant impact for the kingdom. The ripples they create will reach the entire globe. We believe the enemy has somehow become aware of this, and because of that, they’ve been targeted. So far, the activity has been localized to your old house, meaning it’s only affe
cted your parents and brother. Your sisters have been left alone. The hunters who have been dispatched to Earth, your friends included, are either there to collect intel or act as sentries and protectors for your family. They’re doing a good job.” He paused and took my hands in his. Power flooded my system. “Audrey, no one has been harmed. You need to trust they are being cared for by the Creator.”

  I wanted to. I desperately wanted to. But he was talking about my family. My parents and brother. How could he ask me to just let it go?

  I slipped my hands from his. “I want to help.”

  “I’ve already told you they are being helped.”

  “But I want to help.”

  His brows pulled together in disappointment. “What can you do that is not already being done? Where is your faith?”

  Ouch. Low blow. “Don’t ask me to walk away from this,” I pleaded.

  “I’m asking you to have faith.”

  My shoulders sagged in defeat. I had faith. Faith in God, but also faith in myself. I wasn’t built to sit back and do nothing when people I loved were in danger.

  I wouldn’t get any help from Hugo, so I’d have to help myself.

  6

  Breaking and Entering

  I’d never been in the training center at this hour. Even when I worked out extremely early or late into the evening, someone was always milling around. At just after two in the morning, it was as if the air itself settled in for the night.

  I didn’t necessarily believe the bustling center was indeed empty. Not as if demons took time for a snuggly sleep during the night, so why wouldn’t there be a late shift manning the room I intended breaking into?

  I checked to make sure I had everything in place. My sword was secured in its specially-made baldric. The belt worn over my shoulder reached down to the opposite hip. It allowed me to carry my weapon on my back rather than strapped to my hip, giving me more flexibility for battle. My helmet was secured to my belt, along with a small pack with a change of clothes and some food and water.

  I took a deep breath to settle my heart. I reasoned that I wasn’t actually breaking in. The training center was unlocked at all hours—we were in heaven, for goodness’ sake. It wasn’t like we had to guard against criminals. So, there would be no actual breaking, only entering. Even though what I was about to do wasn’t sanctioned, per se, didn’t mean it wasn’t the right thing to do.

  Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, my inner voice mocked.

  I reached the transportation hub, the section of the center I was least acquainted with. I only had a few dusty memories to guide me to the room I needed. If I found it, I still had to figure out how to get myself beamed down to Earth without any help.

  Maybe I wouldn’t pull this off, but I had to try. My family in danger. My family under attack.

  An ugly fist of anger clutched my insides. My friends hid the truth from me for weeks, dancing and dodging questions while I was none the wiser. Out of all of them, Romona’s deception hurt the most. My grandmother should have told me. She should have believed I had a right to know what was going on, regardless of ‘the rules’.

  My hand reached for a doorknob while I mused and fumed. My heartbeat picked up when the door swung soundlessly open. Even darkened, the room was unmistakable. The pad to the left still reminded me of something out of a Star Trek movie. The rows of desks and panels sat quietly to the right.

  My feet had led me to this place as if on autopilot from years of practice. I furrowed my brow. It shouldn’t be so easy. As I looked around the unlit room I realized I was wrong; nothing about this was easy. All the intimidating, futuristic machines I remembered were still here, and I had no idea how to turn them on, let alone use them. Typically, there were at least five people manning the equipment. Was it even possible to send myself down to Earth?

  I took a deep breath. I wouldn’t know until I tried.

  I tiptoed over to the first desk. The smooth white surface was completely blank. I ran my fingers along the top and it immediately lit and started to rhythmically beep like medical equipment. I squeaked and jumped back.

  Oh yeah, look at me, the big bad demon huntress . . . scared by a light panel.

  I huffed in frustration and approached the panel, which was bright enough to illuminate half the room. I tentatively touched the screen again, and the rest of the room shook off its vestiges of slumber. With clicking noises the lights came on around the room, one at a time. Machines hummed and the transportation pad glowed softly as if it beckoned me closer while also mocking my lack of knowledge on how to use it properly.

  My eyes skimmed the equipment, hoping to find something that would show me how to operate this monstrosity. A button that said, ‘Push here to send self to desired location’ would be nice. I scanned the boards for the easy button, but my search came up empty. There wasn’t so much as a label on the equipment.

  I moved to the next machine. Giving in to discouragement was not an option.

  I chewed my bottom lip. This one had a series of symbols I didn’t understand. I would never figure this out.

  Of their own volition, my shoulders hunched. I frowned and gave myself a swift shake. No. I was getting down there if I had to knock out an engineer and drag him in here to send me. And it was happening tonight. Too much time had already passed. My family needed me. I needed to fight for them.

  I slammed a fist down on the surface panel. Next to it landed a fat tear.

  “What did that poor piece of equipment ever do to you?”

  I jumped back and swung around, my heart beating out of my chest. Wild excuses flashed through my mind.

  “Joe?”

  To see the man who’d welcomed me into this realm after such a long time was confusing. His arms were crossed and he leaned against the frame of the open door. He wore the same worn jeans and white T-shirt I remembered. I stared at him wide-eyed.

  “Wh-what are you doing here?”

  He smiled warmly. He ignored my question. “It seems to me you’re having a little difficulty.” He gestured to the boards in front of me.

  “Oh, um, yeah. I don’t really know how to work this exactly.” Heaviness settled in my chest, threatening to spread throughout my body. My immediate need to get to my family was overwhelming. “I need to, no, I have to, get down there.”

  A look of sympathy fell over his face. “Is this really the choice you want to make? Taking an unsanctioned trip to Earth will have some very real consequences attached to it.”

  How did he know the details of what I was doing? Was he a hunter? I’d never seen him in the training center, or anywhere else for that matter. This was just kind of . . . weird.

  “I have to,” I repeated in a small voice.

  He’d moved soundlessly from the door and stood in front of me. I raised my eyes.

  “Who is it you don’t trust?” he asked.

  I suppressed the urge to stomp my foot. Why was everyone making this about trust? This was about my family, plain and simple.

  “If you feel you need to take matters into your own hands, there must be someone you don’t trust to take care of your family,” Joe went on.

  Had I mentioned my family? I must have—how else would he know?

  “This is not about trust,” I told him. “My family is in need, and I have to be there for them. I’m trained to fight the evil that’s attacking them right now. I don’t understand why no one seems to get that! I need to be there. I have to be there. It’s killing me to sit up here when I should be helping take care of them. Why would anyone want to prevent me from helping?”

  Joe casually leaned against the machine I had taken my anger out on and studied me. His eyes didn’t leave me after a minute . . . two . . . then three. I started to squirm. Who looks at anyone that long?

  Awkward.

  “You don’t believe we know what’s best.” It was a statement, not a question, so I didn’t bother to reply. “You have free will, even here, so if you want so badly to go down, I will al
low it.”

  Allow it? Who was this guy to act like he had authority over what I did or didn’t do? Another trainer here? Someone in hunter leadership?

  My musings were cut short by his next jarring words. “But know you are going against God Himself in this decision. This is a direct violation of His trust.”

  Yikes! Feel free to tell me what you really think.

  I set my jaw, no longer concerned with this man’s position. “Look,” I said, “I trust God. But I’m sure He has much bigger things going on. I think maybe He’s not paying attention to my specific issue right now. I mean, come on, if He were to like pop in here right now and tell me Himself not to do this, of course I wouldn’t.” I spread my arms wide. “But where is He? We’re supposed to help people. I’m not doing anything wrong.”

  Joe’s eyes narrowed and my confidence withered.

  “O ye of little faith.” He whispered the words, but he might as well have shouted them in my face. I flinched.

  He moved toward one of the monitors and started to type something. The sounds and lights brought forth by the motions of his fingers reminded me of a practiced orchestra. Gone was the methodical beeping and humming that made me think of a hospital. Instead, each time he pressed a point on the panel, a sweet chord rang out. I squinted. It sounded different when the technicians worked the machines. Lights around the room pulsed in time with the notes, as if he worked all the desks at once instead of a single machine. Finally, the lights on the transportation pad grew in brightness and pulsated with life.

  “Wait, what? You’re helping me?”

  “These are your decisions to make,” he answered, head bent and brows furrowed. Without looking up he asked, “Who else knows what you intended to do this evening?”

  “No one,” I answered meekly.

  He shook his head as if astonished. Once his fingers stopped furiously going over the equipment, his head snapped up. His eyes pierced me as through the heart.

  “I will help you with this, but I won’t conceal what I’ve done. Your mentor will know, and so will the Creator. The consequences and their reactions to your decisions will be solely on your shoulders.”