Huntress

by Hamlett, Nicole

  Pulling in a sword and being able to actually use it are two entirely different skills. Guess which one I didn’t have? I hacked and slashed, not caring what I hit as long as I kept my assailant occupied while Drew got my son safely away.

  My head was slammed into the ground. I took a moment to be grateful that we’d had a warm spell and the earth wasn’t still frozen solid.

  The blow stunned me only for a fraction of a second and I rolled away with another swing of my kukri. A warm spray hit my face and the creature grunted. It was too dark to get a clear look at my attacker but oddly shaped limbs flashed in front of my face as it scrambled away.

  Something that sounded like a bull snorting came from a few feet away and I called in a flashlight, turning its beam of light toward the noise.

  "You’ve got to be kidding me."

  A Minotaur was crouching five feet from me, tightly holding together sliced flesh. Drew chose that moment to come barreling out of the house. The startled monster flashed me with an angry gaze and slipped over the bushes and out of sight.

  "Was that what I think it was?"

  "Yeah."

  "What is a fucking Minotaur doing at my house, Drew?"

  "He’s found you."

  "Who has found me?"

  "That, I don’t know."

  "Where’s Dylan?"

  "I popped him over to Rose’s house."

  "I’m going to call him to let him know that I’m okay and then you’re going to start talking." My voice was deadly calm but my insides were turning to jelly.

  He nodded at me and I went back into the house to make the call.

  When Diana had come to me, she hadn’t bothered to tell me much before she’d disappeared. Knowing about Zeus would have been nice. Hell, it may have saved me some torture but knowing what I know now, I’m not sure I’d have been honest with me either.

  However, in the here and now, things were getting sketchy and more information other than "Your life is in danger" would have been nice.

  Drew had returned to Olympus to find chaos. The Hunters were scrambling without a leader and Persephone had gone missing. She’d fled when Athena had caught her in a secret meeting with the beings the Hunters were tasked with destroying.

  "Why would Persephone play for the other side?"

  Drew ran his fingers through his hair. It was a nervous tell and I knew that the answer would piss me off.

  "Jealousy."

  "Who in the hell would she be jealous of?"

  "You. Uh."

  Cocking my head, I raised an eyebrow and invited him to continue.

  "Persephone was my wife. It ended a thousand years ago, but she Saw some things that sent her over the edge. I guess she never got over the separation."

  "Wait – what?" I wracked my brain for the mythology on Persephone. It didn’t jive with what I’d seen and been told since this whole thing started. "Persephone couldn’t have been your wife, she’s Zeus’ daughter. And mister, that’s illegal in at least forty-eight states."

  He shook his head at me. "No, she’s not the natural daughter of Zeus. She came over in an accidental Rift and Zeus adopted her since she was so young."

  "How young?"

  "I think she was only around twenty when she landed here. But, that’s not the point."

  "So get to the point."

  "Athena found letters in her rooms. She’s been receiving messages for years from an unknown source. She writes all of her visions down. She Saw that LA would be destroyed and gave her contact details on when and where it would happen. I guess there were other things, but Athena didn’t share. The biggest concern is that whoever she’s working with has all of our information on you. You said that Diana told you that your life was in danger. We believe that whoever is jockeying for power is after you to shore up his or her powerbase."

  "That doesn’t make any sense, I don’t even know what I’m capable of - much less what all of my powers are." I paused, trying to make sense of all of this. "This all seems crazy. Where is Zeus?"

  Drew let out a pent up breath and sat me down. "He’s at Olympus directing the damage control. I haven’t seen my father this organized and sane in hundreds of years."

  "Well that’s super. How do you know it’s not him doing this?"

  He took my hand and said quietly, "I just know. We’re going to have to ramp up your training. I think maybe Dylan should stay with Rose until we have more information."

  "I agree about the training, but Drew, we can’t let this person wreck my life any more than they already have. Dylan is safer with us, right? What if this person finds him and he’s with Rose, unprotected? Hell - if Persephone sold me out, she may have done so with Dylan too."

  His grip on my hand tightened painfully and I winced. Ok, it looked like he hadn’t thought of that. Whatever he’d found out that he wasn’t telling me was affecting his reasoning. The Adonis I knew thought ten steps ahead of everything.

  "Alright, I’ll go fetch him and bring him home. But he’s not leaving our sight until Athena can tell me that she’s found out who is behind this. I’m half tempted to bring the both of you to Olympus."

  "We can’t go. I can’t take Dylan out of the state without telling Brandon. I can’t even begin to imagine how to tell him about this."

  He looked at me astonished and shook his head. "Why you don’t let me just take care of him boggles my mind." Then he disappeared.

  Chapter 16

  "Intense" doesn't begin to describe the hell that Drew put me through over the following days. We trained relentlessly, and now that Dylan was in on the secret, we didn't have to limit our sessions to when he was away. Often, he'd come sit on the basement steps and watch.

  The look on his face when he met Scooter for the first time was priceless.

  "We have a metal DOG?" he’d exclaimed.

  After the initial shock - and the stern lecture he gave Scooter about not messing around in his room at night - the two became inseparable. As far as I was concerned, this was a good thing. Scooter was damned near indestructible and the extra protection for Dylan helped me sleep at night.

  No new disasters had occurred and it felt like everyone was holding their breath, waiting for the next major setback. Twice a day, a new person would show up at the house, giving Drew up-to-date reports on the situation. The news in Los Angeles wasn’t good. Three million people had died in the quake. The reports of wild animals running through the city attacking survivors left Drew and I looking at each other with worry.

  The Hunters on the ground were keeping the situation contained, but knowing that so many people had died left an ache in my chest. Diana had picked a really bad time to go on Holiday.

  Despite the sore muscles, the aching back and constant hunger, I had new hope. My fighting repertoire held a variety of new skills and moves. Though I doubted I’d ever be as good as Drew, I was beating him three out of ten matches. That was a win in my book.

  The ever present worry of what was coming next kept my mind occupied while my body went through the motions. What had Persephone seen that had sent her over the edge? How could anyone sell out an innocent? I was terrified for Dylan. The thought of sending him to Brandon's house for a week nearly drove me insane - until Drew had assured me that Brandon was completely off the radar. I was the only one anyone was focused on and I still couldn't figure out why.

  Drew was more concerned about my fighting skills than exploring my powers during this time so the most I'd discovered was that I could now move the gravel in my flowerbeds without a wheelbarrow. Sure, this was wicked awesome for a gardener, but not much help for a woman needing to survive a possible attack.

  Like everything else lately, the time flew by and suddenly it was Christmas morning. Drew and I had argued about holding off on the celebration but I’d won by insisting that we didn't know if we were going to have another. So it was business as usual.

  Christmas mornings were always the best. It started off the same every year and I had to cover my m
outh to keep from giggling when I heard Dylan thumping down the hall to my room. I closed my eyes tight and snuggled further into the covers, pretending to be in a deep sleep.

  The weight hit me square, knocking the breath out of me. "Oomph!" I grunted. Yikes, he really was growing up.

  "It’s Christmas. Time to wake up!"

  "Ten more minutes," I grumbled, hiding a smile in my pillow.

  "O-M-G Mom! We go through this every year. Just get up already.” His fingers dug into my ribs, tickling me and I couldn’t stop from laughing and squirming.

  "Ok you rotten kid! Get off of me so I can go to the bathroom. I’ll meet you in the living room. Hey, did Drew make breakfast?"

  "I haven’t seen him yet. I’ll see you in the living room!" He rolled off the bed and sped down the hallway to where his monument to capitalism awaited him.

  "Start some coffee!"

  I smiled and slide out from under the covers. It was odd that Drew hadn’t made breakfast. It was like the man didn’t sleep. He was always up at the crack of dawn. You'd think that I would have had more anxiety over this considering what was going on, but pre-coffee – I'm just not the smartest rock on the block.

  I stretched and yawned before pulling on a robe and trudging down the hall. Getting coffee was a first priority. Once that was accomplished, I would go downstairs to check on Drew.

  He was sitting quietly on his bed, eyes closed in a meditative pose when I finally reached his doorway.

  "Hey, whatcha doin?" I asked leaning against the jamb.

  "I’m obviously not meditating anymore," he replied popping an eye open.

  "You’re not upstairs. How come you’re not upstairs?"

  "This is a special family day," he started hesitantly. "I didn’t want to intrude."

  "Don’t be stupid. You’re family. Of course you belong upstairs with us." I leaned in a little and whispered, "I even got you something. Don't you want to know what it is?"

  "I don’t know, Grace. I haven’t ever done Christmas before."

  I gasped before I could hold it in. How could he not have done Christmas? His face was a study in stubbornness and I knew he was going to be a jackass if I didn’t fix this.

  "Dylan and I want you upstairs with us to share this special day, Drew. Now, you can be a stubborn ass and stay down here, but that will mean that you miss Hawaiian French Toast breakfast and fresh squeezed OJ and this super awesome gift that I got you. And you don't want to miss our super awesome gift… that we spent a lot of time picking out…" Have I mentioned how good I was at the guilt trip? It was the one super-power I had that I wished counted for something.

  He bit the inside of his cheek and I could see the wheels turning behind his eyes. Victory was almost mine - and then he grunted and settled back into his meditation position.

  I gave him my most winning smile. "If you make it up the stairs before I do, I’ll do five hundred extra crunches after breakfast."

  That spurred him into motion and I decided to play dirty and tripped him before he could get through the door. I may have even stepped on him as I rocketed up the stairs.

  I burst through the door of the basement laughing until Drew grabbed my ankle and I tripped and fell on my face.

  "Smooth move Mom," joked Dylan as he held out a hand to help me up.

  I casually kicked Drew in the chest, sending him back down the stairs before standing up and hugging Dylan.

  "Are the presents in order soldier?"

  "Yes Ma’am," he shouted, snapping to attention.

  "Coffee made?"

  "Check!"

  "Then let’s get this shindig started!"

  I detoured into the kitchen to pour a cup of coffee then padded into the living room. I’d only picked up a handful of presents for Dylan this year. I was sort of afraid that it would be a letdown because we generally bought him lots of smaller presents in a grandiose display of capitalism.

  The sight of the living room filled to capacity with gaily wrapped boxes was a shock. My jaw dropped.

  "I know. It’s incredible, right?" my son asked breathlessly.

  "Where did all of this come from?" I asked.

  A discreet cough sounded behind me. I turned around and threw my arms around Drew. "You shouldn’t have," I whispered.

  "I told you, I’ve never done Christmas before. I wanted to make sure that his was done right. And uh, maybe I went a little overboard."

  Dylan dove into the middle of the boxes and starting searching for the perfect first present to open and I gave Drew a squeeze before he could wave me off.

  It took us over two hours to open, gush and exclaim over all of the gifts. Drew had been overly extravagant and Dylan made out like a bandit. I smiled as I watched Drew coveting his new video series that I’d asked Marisol get signed by the Southern Grand Dame of cooking herself.

  He secretly had a crush on her and when I wasn’t picking on him about it, I was also crushing a little myself. The woman is a goddess in the kitchen.

  I unconsciously reached for my present. Drew had given me an antique amulet. The round disc was bronzed with age and held a star sapphire the size of a fingernail in the middle. Looking a bit like a third eye, the amulet dangled between my breasts on a delicate golden chain. It was thoughtful and I’d started crying when I opened it.

  Nobody had ever given me jewelry before. I’d actually picked out my engagement ring and wedding set, then sent Brandon to the jeweler’s to pick it up. I know - romantic, right? This bit of metal meant a lot to me. We obviously weren’t a couple, but Drew’s thoughtfulness made my heart twinge just a little.

  I shook off the maudlin thoughts and wandered off to make breakfast so I could get ready to head over to Rose’s, where our second Christmas morning would take place. I couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when I gave her the book I’d managed to have signed by her teenage crush. I could never understand her twitterpation with the "Ensign" but she’d had the biggest thing for him for the last twenty years.

  Chapter 17

  I was so stuffed. I'd had to unbutton my jeans or run the risk of putting out someone's eye when it popped on its own. We'd dropped Dylan off at Brandon's place on the way home from Rose's. I was decidedly lacking in the Christmas Spirit as I refused to get out of the car. Instead, I gave Dylan a kiss and told him to remember that I loved him more than there were stars in the sky - and that he also had a secret to keep.

  Drew had helped cart in Dylan’s bags and I’d smiled as I heard Brandon ask Dylan who he was as Drew got back to the car. Sue me. It was petty, but I wanted him to think I had a hot boyfriend.

  I yawned when Drew got back in the car and leaned my seat back. "I’m glad that the holidays only happen once a year. I’m so stuffed I feel like I could sleep ‘til next Christmas." I groaned and burped loudly.

  "Wow, you are such a lady," he said wryly.

  "I know. It’s sexy right?" I grinned and closed my eyes.

  "Oh yeah, how you’re not already married again is a mystery."

  "Screw you. Oh God. I’m going to burst like an over-ripe melon."

  Drew chuckled and slowed down to pull into the drive. The car jerked to a sudden stop and I slammed forward into my seatbelt.

  "What the fuck!" I exclaimed looking at him in disbelief. "Where’d you learn how to drive?"

  "Shut up," he ground out. "Look at the house."

  I turned my head and it looked like someone had blown out every window on the ground floor. I gasped in surprise and quickly unbuckled my seatbelt. I was opening the door when he grabbed my arm.

  "Wait a minute. You can’t just go rushing headlong in there. You don’t know yet what did that to your house. Pull out your weapons."

  I nodded dumbly and called in my kukri. I added a .45 for good measure and looked at him expectantly.

  He nodded his approval and slipped out of the car - calling in a short sword and a scimitar. He’d shown me that jabbing and slicing weren’t generally done with the same weapon. He’d been su
rprised when I’d chosen the kukri because it was a good weapon. Small and very deadly – good for multiple types of strikes.

  "Follow my lead and don’t make a sound. If I tell you to run, you run like the Hounds of Hell are at your feet. Do you understand?"

  I opened my mouth to protest and he shot me a deadly look. "Grace. Do. You. Understand?"

  I nodded but there was a mutinous look in my eyes. I’d be damned if he got left behind under any circumstances. It would have been nice if he’d shown me the blinking in and out trick.

  In stealth mode, he crept toward the entrance, slipping in and out of the shadows. The door was half off of its hinges. I was surprised that one of the neighbors hadn’t called the cops, and said as much in a whisper.

  "The house is glamoured. Nobody can see this damage if they’re norms."

  He knelt and peered around the doorframe. I knelt too. I wouldn’t have thought to do that. And it was a good thing I had because several darts flew through the space where my head would have been had I just walked into the entryway.

  I stifled a gasp. Drew shot me a murderous look and told me to shut up with his eyes. I took a deep breath and nodded to let him know that I had it under control.

  He skirted past broken glass and crept into the room. I followed slowly, soaking in the devastation that had been wreaked upon my house.

  A taloned foot protruded from the kitchen entry. I touched Drew’s shoulder and jerked my head toward it. His eyes widened in surprise.

  He moved so fast toward the kitchen that it looked as though he’d popped from one place to the other. I couldn’t wait until I was able to do that.

  Swearing softly, he knelt by the creature. My mouth dropped open. I’d never seen anything like it. Parts of its body looked like they were made of iron. Its gaping maw was filled with razor sharp metallic teeth and prongs of spiked iron protruded from its forehead over a single frost paled eye.

  I shuddered and bent over, heaving for breath. The body was missing an arm and part of a leg. A large jagged hole cratered its chest. It looked like Scooter had given this demon a workout. Good dog.