The Night Walkers

by Elaine McGregor-Dawson

  "Kit!" Levi suddenly began to scream at her and she lost concentration on Claudius as her attention went to the boy she never thought she could love so much. He was on his back with a large beast standing over him, its shadow casting darkness over his face and the other half of his face had the beautiful moonlight resting along his big blue eyes.

  "No!" Kit screamed and sprinted towards him from behind the beast. She had hardly any time to think, there was no living for her without Levi by her side. She could feel her feet leaving the ground as she held the sword above her head and in one fast motion she brought it down through the middle of its back. It let out a growl of pain as she pulled the sword from its back.

  The beast went down very quickly which created a rumbling sound in the deep earth. Kit's eyes flickered to Levi as he lay frozen on the ground, unable to understand what had just happened.

  Not even Kit could fully understand.

  She'd just saved his life.

  Without any words, she turned back to Claudius who appeared to hover against the moon with his big body and growled at her. "You cannot kill my brother and sisters! They are not yours to kill!" he shouted through his teeth with an agonized voice.

  Kit wanted to say something back to him but didn't want to keep her anger out of control in words, she wanted that to be shown through the pain she will give him. He'd spent too much time lying to her, there is absolutely no reason to believe that he was her father, it was such an insane thing to think and thinking about it made her sick and resent herself more and more.

  She could feel her heart racing a million miles an hour. She held her sword in her hand with blacker ichor running down its steel frame which created a disgusting smell that made her nose wrinkle with satisfaction. He simply disgusted her.

  Kit was the first to attack as she brought her sword across her body with a renewed sense of power, but Claudius dived out of the way with his large figure hitting a nearby tree. She watched as big branched began falling from it and before she knew it a branch was falling her way. She shouted out something that all her teachers despised and raced out of the way. Claudius ran behind the bushes and began zigzagging through the trees.

  She raced after him and followed him through the woods.

  After just a minute of running with her tired heart beating with the only energy coming from the sudden rush of adrenaline that pulsed through her system she noticed that someone was following her, and their light footsteps had begun closing the distance between her and that person.

  "Kit, wait for me," came the familiar voice of Levi who was now running alongside her. She breathed out a sigh of relief as half her worry flooded out of her system. "You didn't think I'd let you go in here alone without me, did you?"

  "Right now, I feel like kissing you and punching you for scaring me and being here," she said, "but I couldn't be stuffed doing either."

  "And I bet you also couldn't be bothered telling me that I shouldn't be coming here with you because I'll probably be killed, and you'd rather die than me and you love me too much for all that."

  She laughed, "Yeah, I'd probably say something like that. But right now, we need to find wherever Claudius went to, we can't let him get away with what he just did. I think he went through here since those bushes have been crushed." She noted how the place looked like a large creature had been running through.

  Levi nodded, "you're my partner in crime for a reason."

  She looked at him with a questioning look in her eyes.

  "You're really observant." He smiled at her. "Thanks for saving my life back there, I honestly thought I was a dead man and I saw you right there and had to get your attention." He looked at his hands which were covered in cuts. "These cuts are from the bushes and prickles I found just before." He smiled over at her as they ran past the trees.

  Finally, they stopped on the outskirts of a small clearing in the woods and right in the middle was where Claudius stood with his breaths huffing out a series of endless breaths. He looked around for Kit and Levi, but they crouched low amidst the soft green brush.

  "I know you're out there young one," he whispered menacingly around the clearing, "I can smell you." He began stepping towards them with his long strides and Levi quickly covered Kit's mouth with his hand before she yelled something back.

  "Keep quiet," he mouthed at her and she nodded her head. Levi slowly moved his hand from her lips as he pulled the bow from over his shoulder. As though he were made in the world quietness, he began to draw one of his twelve silver arrows onto the bow without any noises to be heard. "I'll distract him while you get him from behind," he mouthed again.

  Kit nodded her head hesitantly and quickly bent her head forwards to lay a very soft kiss against his lips. She mouthed the more, "I love you," before slipping off behind another row of bushes around the clearing and waited until Levi was done.

  * * *

  DEBRA'S P.O.V

  Dorian's tall figure stood in the doorway of the training room watching her. She'd only been at the Sanctum for a few hours, but already they were welcoming her as one of their own. The thought of that made Debra's mind screams a million thoughts at her.

  "Debra," he started and began walking towards her, "I have something really important to tell you and you might like it and you might not." He shrugged his shoulders which made Debra's head prop up. She dropped the throwing-knives she'd been holding in her hands on the table next to her and crossed her arms over her shoulders.

  "What's the matter?" She looked at him with worry in her eyes.

  "Well," he started, "there's still an attack taking place by the hybrids and word around the Sanctum is that we're going to attack them tonight. We're not attacking all of them, we're only attacking one."

  She stepped over until she was just a metre away. It was as though she couldn't hold her breath anymore and everything inside of her was suddenly on hold as she drew back her breath. "What is it, who are we attacking?"

  "We're going to kill Claudius, and you're going to help us."

  * * *

  LEVI'S P.O.V

  He was as still as a hunter with his back turned against the shadows and eyes locked on the light. With one ragged breath and shaking hands he stood up from the clearing as though his face was set to a million rifles about to go off. But as Levi opened his eyes he saw nothing but a large beast that stood right in the middle of the clearing. There wasn't much distance between the two of them but even through the darkness he could see the fogginess that came from the beast’s mouth as it snarled its large horrific teeth at him.

  He was frozen all over as he watched the beast.

  His glance quickly peeked over at Kit as she stayed behind a bush with her eyes closed. She couldn't look, couldn't watch to see what might happen and Levi didn't blame her one bit. He loved Kit and knew he always would.

  He turned back to Claudius as he steadied the bow and arrow, so they pointed right at the beast. Claudius stood there, ready to march forwards. With one large shout that sent the birds in the bushes fleeing for their lives, Levi let the arrow go shooting for Claudius. The great monster leaped out of the way at the last minute and Levi watched as it slid across his fur, creating a jagged scratch along its side.

  Claudius shouted and came barrelling out of the dark with a furious look on his face. He roared and leaped from shadows as Levi's eyes widened with fright. He ducked out of the way and rolled along the ground with his sword at his side.

  Kit, where are you? He thought to himself and looked in every direction. Maybe she was too scared or waiting for the right time...

  Suddenly, he watched as Kit leaped out of the bushes with a knife in her hand, with a spinning effort she swung it between her two fingers and watched as it spun through the middle of Claudius's back. The huge beast growled and whined with hurt as it turned around and as it did Levi noticed the murderous glare it had on Kit.

  As it bounded towards Kit, Levi through another arrow which pierced the side of its ear. It screamed and
turned towards Levi at the exact same time Kit launched herself off her feet and with great strength drew her sword from her hands and drove it through the middle. The beast screamed with pain as Claudius dropped to the ground.

  "You may have weakened me, but I still have strength left in me." And with those words he leaped onto all four of his legs and bounded towards Kit. "I have waited for this moment," he growled and just as he was about to launch himself at Kit, something, or some things, ran out of the bushes, there were heaps of them at least fifteen.

  Levi felt a large intake of breath. He had almost been ready for Claudius to kill Kit and wouldn't even have had time to stop him. It took Levi a moment longer before he could even comprehend what was happening. Everyone around him had some sort of weapon in their hand and they all launched themselves at Claudius.

  Levi stood up and so did Kit who had tripped over a rock when Claudius was close to her.

  From the corner of Levi's eye, he saw someone he knew. Someone he knew very well and trusted with his life.

  "Debra..." the word trailed off as he stood up. “Debra!" he shouted and noticed how she wouldn't turn her head. She was on the other side of the clearing but wasn't so far away that she wouldn't be able to hear him shouting her name. They were everywhere and the more he looked at them, the more he noticed that they weren't Night Walkers.

  They were Night Hunters.

  Debra was a Night Hunter.

  * * *

  KIT'S P.O.V

  She didn't even see them coming as they stepped out of the bushes and started aiming their bows and knives at Claudius who watched them like a crow screeching at the break of dawn. She stood up and drew her sword from the sheath at her waist and aimed it at Claudius. What were they? They weren't Night Walkers and then she realized as she saw them that they were really Night Hunters and drew a deep breath.

  She didn't have long to react as they all through arrows at Claudius, each arrow flew like falcons in the night and it scared her. She'd never seen any of them before, hadn't even though they existed until this very moment and the more they stepped around the clearing, the more she felt relief and worry spring into her mind.

  Kit didn't watch any longer and before she knew it her feet had picked up their pace and were sprinting to fast along the ground that she was sure the wind was pushing her with it. She drew her sword and stared at Claudius as arrows and knives went into all his sides. She could even feel the taste of victory as she pulled her sword around her hands and swung it straight through the middle and it was as though every worry inside her had finally broken as the power drew backwards and out of Claudius.

  He fell to the ground with a large thud that sent a lifetime of stress and worry out of Kit. She fell to the ground, not with a weakened heart, but a strengthened one.

  The beast drew one last breath and said one last thing. "You have done a world of misery and caused a world of pain and I hope it follows you around for as long as you live..."

  And then his eyes rolled back and stayed completely open.

  He was dead.

  Kit stood up then with tears filling her eyes. She turned around and saw Levi only metres behind her and it took him only seconds to wrap his arms around her waist and kiss her lips in that amazing way he always did. She felt her arms go to his hair. He tasted of salt and iron and strangely, sunshine or something so beautiful that she wanted to close her eyes and melt into him.

  It took her only seconds before she realized everyone else around her. She drew back and turned around. There were around twenty or so of them at the start, and she watched as all but five retreated into the woods and back where they came from.

  The other five stayed where they were and as Kit's eyes travelled past each of them to land on the last one. Everything inside Kit seemed to fade away, the pleasure she’d witnessed before and everything after as her eyes settled on her best friend.

  "Debra," she breathed.

  Debra looked at her with eyes filled with sadness. Debra looked like she wanted to say something, she even had her mouth open and the more they two exchanged looks, the more Kit felt like the world around her was swinging on nothing but rope.

  "She's a Night Hunter now," said a tall dark-haired boy who looked no older than eighteen or nineteen. He stepped forwards and out of the shadows. "She was in transition after being scratched by the claws of a Hybrid and if I hadn't have taken her, she'd have been turned into one of them. My name is Dorian."

  Dorian. That name sounded familiar. But Kit couldn't think, she just stared at Debra who now looked different. Since she'd been changed, Kit noticed how her eyes were no longer as blue as her own, they were a lighter shadow with green mixed through it and her hair was a lot more blond. Her cheekbones were higher and her lips red. She looked sad but didn't want to show it.

  It took Kit a moment to understand his words before she could talk. "Thank you for saving her," the words hurt in her mouth as they fell from her lips, but she knew it was the right thing to say, or else she'd be completely lost to the world of Claudius, just like all his other minions.

  "That's alright, I saw the power within her and knew she couldn't become one."

  "Will I ever be able to talk with her, just once?"

  Dorian looked at Kit with unease, but he soon nodded once. "You have five minutes. Make it last." He nodded his head to the two of them. Debra hesitated as first before she began moving towards the woods alongside Kit.

  "So," Kit started, "a Night Hunter, that's big...." she trailed off, not knowing exactly where this was headed but she went along with it as she walks alongside Debra.

  "Tell me about it, I didn't exactly get a choice." Debra suddenly stopped and faced Kit. "I wish I was able to talk to you all the time, and we still can, I just have to convince Dorian and maybe we could train together just like before."

  There was an un-said "but we can't" that wasn't added onto that sentence. "I'd like that a lot." Kit leaned against a tree, already feeling tears begin to well into her eyes at the thought of that. "You look different. But don't worry, it's a good different, you look older, but you will never really change, will you?"

  Debra shook her head, "no, I won't change, not really anyway, I have to stay like this until I die I guess." These words vanished into the air and settled between them. It was weird to be talking to Debra, but it felt normal but different.

  "I'm going to miss you," said Kit and instantly Debra wrapped her arms around her.

  "I'm going to miss you too Kitty."

  "We'll catch up always."

  "I hope you and Levi stay together forever, it's like you're made for each other."

  Kit kicked a rock along the ground and laughed, “Maybe we are. What about that Dorian guy over there,” Kit nudged Debra in the arm the way she always did. “Keep your eye out for him.” Kit smiled, and Debra and Debra smiled back. Suddenly it was just like old times when they were just as good friends as ever and were always talking and laughing.

  But before Kit knew it, Dorian was back with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his black pants. “Debra, we have to get you back now.” His eye flickered to Kit’s, “thank you for your cooperation, we’ve been tracking Claudius down for weeks.”

  Kit wanted to tell him that she’d been tracking him down for months, but couldn’t bring herself to say so, instead she nodded her head and said, “That’s alright, thank you for your help.”

  Kit turned towards Debra and squeezed her hand. “Night’s a disguise to all the weak eyes, sunshine detects what the moon keeps hidden, hide me moon, don’t detect me sun, keep me hidden- “

  “-Till my night’s works done,” Debra finished. She offered Kit one last smile before following Dorian back through the woods. Kit watched after her as she walked through the shadows and faded with the light of everything else.

  It was then that Kit realized something. Debra was always followed by shadows, but now she glowed with light.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  Kit hadn't fel
t like she had a million emotions rushing around her as she walked back to the Academy with whoever else was left after the battle. It turned out that most them survived and only a handful of The Night Walkers had fallen to the hands-on Claudius, Debra was one of them. But she was saved. Kit kept telling herself that Debra was safe now, she was a Night Hunter and there was nothing that was threatening her for defeat any time soon. She was immortal now.

  "You okay?" she felt Levi's soothing hand begin to wrap around her shoulders as she looked at him. "Guess what?" he asked a moment later with an eager look in his eyes. He didn't wait for Kit to answer and went right ahead with the conversation. "They got Sally out! She's gone to the infirmary, but she'll be perfectly fine!"

  Suddenly it felt like a weight was lifted off Kit's shoulder and for a second there she was too caught up in her own thoughts to realize where Sally was. "That's so good to hear." Kit couldn't shake the thought of seeing Debra changed, her best friend since first becoming a Night Walker and now she didn't know where to start from there. She kicked a rock across the gravel, noticing how Levi instantly fell into step beside her. Tears brimmed in her eyes, but she pushed them away.

  "Are you okay?" He asked with his two pure blue eyes filled with bottomless soul stared at her with worry. She looked away as their hands gently brushed. She felt that same shiver crawl through her that she seemed to always get with Levi around and suddenly she thought that even though some things had changed, there were still some things that hadn't.

  "Yeah, I guess," she felt Levi's hand slip into hers with the same familiarity she always got from being near him. She breathed in the frosted air and looked around. "Everything's different now with Debra gone and Stacy dead..." she trailed off, hating the fact that she'd killed Stacy with her bare hands. She hated how this whole encounter with Claudius had changed everything.

  He tightened his grip on her small hand and shook his head, black hair tumbling before his eyes. "Kit, you haven't changed, you're still that girl I fell in love with all that time ago. You're still the girl that would give everything for everyone and in the end, you did. You gave everything to me and everyone around you."