Hunter

by Joanna White

  the urge to protect them all.

  I shook my head to rid myself of the thought.

  They were all just prisoners, humans who were weaker than we were, men who were here for us to hunt and kill.

  Something deep inside me argued with that thought.

  Dalex slowed down so that we were walking side-by-side. Sine and Wexx hiked through the trees a little ahead of us.

  “Why did you lie?” Dalex asked all of the sudden, glancing at me.

  The question caught me by surprise.

  “About what?” I asked, thinking it was the safest answer.

  “You told me you didn’t like the dark, but when Sine and Wexx questioned you, you told them you mostly stay in the caves. You lied to someone, but who and why?” he asked.

  I was caught entirely by surprise and at first, I didn’t know what to say or how to answer. I hadn’t even caught that, so how did Dalex?

  Again, I had underestimated him.

  “I didn’t lie. I do mostly stay in the caves and I don’t like the dark,” I replied, forcing myself to sound smug.

  “How does that work?” He crossed his arms and glared at me.

  “When you stay in the dark as long as I do, it kind of gets to you.” I sped up.

  “Wait!” he called.

  I stopped and sighed angrily. “Why only bring this up now? When they questioned me days ago.”

  Dalex frowned. “I didn’t have a chance to confront you alone about it until now.”

  I glared down at him. “If we’re going to talk about lying, let’s recall how you haven’t been honest with any of us about why you’re here.”

  He stopped short, glaring back.

  “Think what you want, but I know there’s something up with you,” he said, forcefully.

  “I could say the same to you,” I replied, walking away.

  You’re gonna get shot, Malik told me.

  I barely had time to hear everything he sent before I heard Dalex shouting and he shoved me backward as the arrow whizzed past my ear.

  “You saved me,” I pointed out, shocked. I landed on the ground, coming to rest up against a tree, with Dalex practically sitting on me.

  “How did you—?” I started, when I saw another arrow coming from up ahead. Instinctively, I rolled over to the side with him underneath me, as the arrow shot just beside us and landed in the tree where we’d been laying seconds before.

  “Come on!” Sine shouted, helping us stand.

  “What was that?” Dalex yelled as we all took off running.

  “One of them uses a bow and he’s good at it, too,” Sine explained quickly. An arrow flew past my ear and grazed it.

  Watch it, V! I shouted at him in my head.

  “Jared!” Dalex yelled.

  I cursed. “I’m fine.” With a growl, I shoved Dalex out of the way of another arrow.

  What, can’t take a good hit, J? Vinmir asked me back.

  “Go!” Wexx shouted, pushing us forward.

  That was everything but a good hit, I snapped back.

  As we continued running, I sensed Malik was right above us. He swooped down and landed right in front of Sine.

  “Not this guy again,” Wexx muttered. I elbowed Dalex to the left and pushed him forward, urging him to keep running.

  “Go, I’ll handle him,” Sine said.

  Wexx and Dalex took off running.

  Stay and make this interesting, Malik said, smiling widely. To Sine, it looked like he was anticipating the fight.

  “You’re going to need some help.” I put my hand on the Inquiri blade at my belt.

  “Don’t be crazy.” Sine took out a sword and lunged at Malik, who sidestepped him easily, and Malik dove straight for me. I made my movements purposefully slow and let him hit me backward into the tree.

  I acted like I was stunned. Inwardly, I cursed at Malik, who swung his arm back just in time to intercept Sine’s sword. Surprisingly, Sine ducked just in time and swung his blade again. Malik had to jump and fly in the air just enough to avoid getting hit.

  I jumped up and grabbed Malik’s ankle and yanked him downward. Sine got the right idea and grabbed ahold of Malik’s other ankle and did the same. Together we pulled him to the ground and he crashed against it hard. Sine jabbed downward, but Malik rolled to the left, which caused him to miss. Malik twisted his legs and knocked Sine down. Tackling me, Malik slammed my back into another smaller tree so hard that the tree shattered in the middle.

  I grunted and purposefully didn’t get out of the way of the falling tree in time. It collapsed on top of me, pushing me to the ground on my stomach. With another curse at having to play human, I was about to stand up, when Malik stopped me.

  Don’t. Let me play. Malik’s lips slid up into an evil grin.

  Sine reached out a hand for his fallen sword, but Malik got there first and stepped on Sine’s hand. Sine screamed as Malik pressed down and I heard a loud crunch. Malik picked up the sword and put it to Sine’s neck.

  Off in the distance, I heard a scream. It sounded like Dalex. I didn’t know for sure, but even though I knew I shouldn’t care about him or the other prisoners, I stretched out with all I had. I couldn’t sense anything from Dalex, so I tried Wexx. All I could get from him was vague feelings. I tried to stretch out with my senses farther, but the shadows prevented it.

  Wexx was deeply worried and then felt a sinking feeling deep in his stomach.

  “Killed with your own sword.” Malik grinned from ear to ear. “Shame on you, prisoner.” He shook his head in mock disappointment.

  Sine kicked the back of Malik’s knee, taking Malik by surprise. I used the opportunity to push myself up, using all the strength I had. Though I didn’t need any help, Sine grabbed the tree at the same time, so that it looked like we had worked together to lift it off me. I stood and he pushed me forward, urging me to run.

  “Are you hurt?” he asked, as we ran through the dark trees.

  “Nope.” Knowing that he couldn’t see me, I smirked.

  “Which way did they go? It sounded like one of them was in trouble.” He stopped and looked around.

  “We can’t stop, or the Hunter will catch up.” I pushed him to the right around one of the trees, and continued sprinting. I leapt over a log and ducked beneath another branch ahead of us.

  “Wexx?” Sine shouted as loud as he could. He was worried, that much I could sense. Stretching out farther to try and find Wexx, I picked up intense shock coming from him and I was sure I knew where he was.

  “This way.” I snatched Sine’s arm and skirted around a collapsed tree truck and then ran forward running at what I assumed was a fast human pace.

  We continued for a good hundred yards as I sensed Wexx’s shock turned into panic. I stretched out as hard as I could and hadn’t realized I had stopped and was leaning against a tree.

  “You okay?” Sine asked, stopping by my side.

  I tried to sense deeper. Wexx wasn’t sure if Dalex was going to make it. He was trying as hard as he could and had already started sewing up Dalex’s wound. I couldn’t tell where it was or how bad. A shadow came over the area and I lost all my senses. With a loud curse, I turned to the right, walking through more trees.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “Just broken ribs,” I lied, walking forward. Sine rushed to catch up with me and together we headed off as fast as we could to try to find Wexx and Dalex. Suddenly, I felt a wave of anger and rage, only one person I knew could have. It was Hindah and he was extremely angry.

  I told you the new prisoner was to live! Any others could die but him!

  Sorry Hindah, Vinmir answered.

  That one is fixing him. Wexx appeared in Malik’s thoughts.

  No one else attack until after he fixes him. I want the new one alive! Is that understood? Hindah’s voice yelled loud enough to cause me a headache.

  All the Hunters murmured yes in agreement.

  Jared! If that prisoner can’t fix him, you make sure the n
ew one lives! I don’t care what it takes, he stays alive! Understood?

  Yeah, I answered.

  “Do you need to stop?” Sine asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

  “No. They could need our help,” I said, walking forward into the blackness of the trees.

  After the prisoner fixes him, Vinmir, kill any of them but the new one. I want one of them dead as punishment for getting that far away from you. Pathetic! Hindah cursed.

  Yes, Hindah, Vinmir answered him.

  “We should hurry,” I murmured to Sine. It took longer than I wanted, but we finally saw Wexx kneeling another few yards away.

  Sine stopped, and he sighed in relief that it wasn’t Wexx who had been hurt. His back was to us, so I leaned against a tree to rest a bit. I stretched out again and felt him finishing up Dalex’s wound.

  “How is he?” I looked at Wexx.

  “He’s—" Whatever Wexx was going to say was cut short as an arrow shot him through the heart. He fell to the ground.

  “Wexx!” Sine yelled, darting to him. He held Wexx’s head in his lap and snapped the shaft of the arrow. “Come on, don’t die on me, don’t die, Wexx come on!” he yelled.

  I felt Wexx’s pain and sorrow and something else he was keeping buried deep inside him. It was gone before I could make anything out of it, replaced by the empty blackness of death. I slid into a shadow as far as I could and let it consume me to shut off my power.

  Every time I killed, I felt what the prisoner felt. I felt every fear, every pain, every sorrow… every agonizing second as they were dying… Every moment when death consumed them and finally took over, I felt every part of it. I never once thought or questioned what we did as Hunters, what I did. I never allowed myself to get attached to them, never made it personal, never let emotion get in the way.

  But this…

  This felt personal for reasons I couldn’t explain.

  I closed myself off as the life left Wexx’s body. Sine held his body and rocked it for a time that seemed to last too long.

  I crawled over to Dalex and looked him over. There was blood covering his shoulder, just above his chest, and a hole in his shirt.

  “He…he saved me…He…” His voice trailed off and he gaped at Wexx’s body in shock.

  “Let me look at your wound,” I said, starting to pull his shirt down.

  “No!” he said, yelling a little too loudly and a little too quickly.

  I stopped, staring at him.

  He paused for a few seconds too long. “I mean it hurts badly enough as it is and Wexx sewed it back together so I’m fine. He… he died… saving me…”

  I looked back at Sine, still holding his best friend’s dead body.

  Excellent job, Vinmir. You fixed your mistake well, Hindah said, for all of the Hunters to hear.

  I could sense Vinmir in the trees watching us. I stretched out to sense him, but he wasn’t feeling prideful like he normally would have.

  He was feeling the same shock that Wexx had been feeling before we’d arrived.

  CHAPTER 7

  AVERELLA

  Suddenly, the flying Hunter was right in front of Sine. Wexx muttered something and I was shoved over before I could make out what he said. Wexx grabbed my arm and pulled me along. I paused and looked back at Sine and Jared.

  “They’ll be fine, come on!” he yelled, urging me forward again. I heard something in the trees and turned sharply to my left, dragging Wexx behind me.

  “Behind there!” He pulled me behind a tree with him.

  I looked up into the trees, searching for the Hunter. Jared had explained that the Hunters stayed in the trees in this forest, so they could see us easier. I couldn’t see anything but shadows. As I tried to listen, a clicking noise sounded from behind us. Grabbing Wexx by his shirt, I darted to the right as fast as I could. Feeling his shirt slip from my fingers, I looked behind me, but Wexx was gone.

  “Wexx?” I yelled, looking around. He was on the ground a few feet behind me.

  I ran over to him.

  “My leg, from earlier. I can’t run,” he said, grunting.

  I grabbed his arms and yanked him up. He groaned with a grimace. “You will if I have anything to say about it. Now, suck it up and come with me.”

  Slipping one of his arms around my shoulder to steady him, I stopped short, feeling someone watching me from ahead. The clicking noise echoed again and I barely had time to shove Wexx to the side before something sharp pierced my lower left shoulder. The blow threw me to the ground. Pain exploded through the wound, and I groaned, practically a scream. So, I bit my lip to try to keep from screaming as loud as I could and giving myself away.

  “Dalex!” I heard.

  We were both dead. I opened my eyes. Even though my vision was blurry I could still make out the arrow in my shoulder.

  “I can help you,” I heard from somewhere beside me. It was too close; if Wexx decided to help me, he would figure out I was a woman. Before he could, I yanked on the arrow, but the agony consumed me and I was lost. Blackness overtook me and this time, I let out a scream, forgetting to keep it low in pitch.

  I opened my eyes again, but my vision was so blurry I could barely make out Wexx in front of me. Pressing my hands to my chest, I desperately grasped for the arrow, trying to pull it out. But he easily shoved my hands aside and then gently tugged the arrow out of me. Again, I screamed, squeezing my eyes shut. Tears fell from them and I knew, without a doubt, he was going to find out. My secret…

  He couldn’t know, couldn’t find out—

  It was too late. He was already taking my jacket off and had ripped my shirt before I could stop him. Everything was slowing down...

  “Don’t,” I moaned, biting my lip. The pain was all I could feel, coursing through my entire body. I opened my eyes to try to see what he was doing. My eyes cleared and all I could see was Wexx’s confused expression.

  “What’s all this…?” he started. “It’s covering the wound.” He pulled the gauze down.

  “Don’t—" I started again, but it was too late. He saw.

  Shock was etched on his face, in the way his eyes widened and the way his mouth gaped at me.

  “You’re…?” I looked him in the eyes and gave him a pleading look. “You’re… Dalex, you’re a woman!” he shouted.

  “Shut up!” I tried, grunting. “You don’t understand, Wexx! I’m so sorry…” I started, when a sharp pain stabbed into my chest and it hurt to breathe.

  “You’re losing a lot of blood. Dalex, if that’s even what your name is. Nothing else matters right now except saving your life. It’s a miracle the shot missed your heart,” he explained. His words started to blur together, and my eyes closed again as darkness threatened to take over.

  “I’ve got… string…help…sew…be okay…”

  I couldn’t make sense of what he was saying. He gently shook me. My eyes opened. His face blurred again.

  “Bite…This…” Everything was going in slow motion. He put something in my mouth and told me to bite it again. I bit down on it and then felt a pain in my chest like I’ve never felt before. I felt something digging inside me and tried to open my eyes to see what was going on. The Hunters… they must have found us….

  I whimpered and tried to stay brave, I had to be brave, act like a man… But the pain was all around me. There was nothing except the pain.

  It eventually got so intense that I completely went numb. I opened my eyes and though everything was still blurry, I could understand what Wexx was saying to me.

  “I just sewed together the wound, so you should be okay. Weak, but okay. This will hurt, but the others will be here soon, so I’ll cover you back up, if you want. Do you want them to know?”

  I shook my head. “Wexx please don’t tell them. I came to find my brother. He’s all my mother and I have… Please…?” I pleaded with him, feeling tears on my face.

  He looked down. “Your secret’s safe with me, Dalex. Here,” he said, wiping the tears off my face. H
e rewrapped the gauze over my chest again and pulled my shirt back up over my shoulder and helped me into my jacket again.

  There was blood all over his hands. “You lost a lot of blood, Dalex.”

  “Where’s the Hunter?” I glanced around him but couldn’t see anything past the shadows that surrounded us.

  “I’m not sure.” He looked around and heard the rustling in the trees the same time I did. Just as he was about to reach for his sword, Jared and Sine burst through the trees. Jared glanced at us, leaning against a tree as Sine seemed to sigh in relief.

  “How is he?” Jared nodded toward me.

  Wexx started to answer at the same time I heard the clicking noise from behind us. The arrow struck him right in the heart and he collapsed, blood spilling out of his chest and out of his mouth. Sine yelled and ran to hold him in his lap, but it was too late. I felt the lump in my throat and tried to keep from screaming.

  He had saved my life, instead of running while he had the chance. Now, he was dead because of me. I didn’t know how much time passed; I couldn’t understand why the Hunter didn’t just finish us all off. Unmoving, unblinking, I just stared, not knowing anything until Jared was in front of me. He watched me closely, as if in deep concentration.

  “He…he saved me…He…” I didn’t know what else to say.

  “Let me look at your wound.” Jared reached for my shirt and jacket.

  “No!” I yelled before thinking. He just stared at me, surprised. I had to think of something to say quickly before he got suspicious. “I mean that it hurts badly enough as it is and Wexx… he sewed it back together so I’m fine.”

  Wexx saved my life while risking his. He had been willing to keep my secret, and he knew I had lied to him, to all of them, and he was okay with it, and then he’d been viciously killed in cold blood. My thoughts were in a rush and I couldn’t concentrate. I felt like screaming, but I couldn’t. My eyes refused to leave Wexx’s body, where Sine held him in his lap. “He… he died… saving me…”

  Jared glanced at Sine, who was still holding Wexx. He looked back at me after a few minutes. “You sure you’re okay?”

  All I could do was nod. Jared walked over to Sine. He put a hand on his shoulder. Sine, as if waking up out of a dream, snapped his gaze up to Jared.