“So what’s the story with Rayna?” I started. “Up until yesterday, I’d never met an Underworlder who didn’t want me dead, so you’ll understand if I’m having difficulty accepting that she doesn’t.”
“Rayna is…unique, to say the least. She’s part demon, but she’s part hunter too.”
My eyes widened. “She can’t be one of us. When a hunter’s blood is mixed with a shifter’s, the hunter dies. Hunters’ bodies can’t carry the virus; we both know that.”
Marcus shook his head. “Chase, the first thing you need to know is that you don’t know anything. This world you’re in now is not the same one you were born into. Just because the elders told you it wasn’t possible doesn’t mean that’s the case. You are going to need to see more than what’s on the surface if you want to understand.”
Marcus moved to the table and slipped gracefully into a high-backed leather chair. He motioned to a seat opposite him and I found myself sitting in one of the most comfortable chairs I’d ever been in.
“You expect me to believe that everything the Circle taught me was a lie?”
“No Chase, I don’t. The differences between reality and what the Circle teaches are difficult to determine. Rayna is unique because her mother was a demon and her father was a member of the Circle. She is not a hunter turned shifter.”
“She was born this way?”
“When Rayna’s mother got pregnant, her father disappeared. I’ve known Rayna her whole life and I was friends with both her parents. When the Circle found out about Rayna, they dedicated themselves to finding her. When they finally caught up with her mother, they killed her, but they never found Rayna. She didn’t have anywhere to go, and after witnessing what happened to her mother, I had seen enough of what the Circle had to offer. I took her and we disappeared.”
“What was her mother?” I asked, not sure I believed him yet.
“She was a witch.”
“You expect me to believe that, Marcus?” I stood from my chair.
“I'm sorry?”
“It’s a great story, and you almost had me believing it, but if Rayna is part hunter and part witch, how does she have the eyes of a shifter?” I said, pulling a blade from its sheath, not sure if I’d need it, but something wasn’t right about this.
Marcus stood up to face me. “Please calm down, Chase. If you let me finish, I assure you we can resolve this.”
“What is there to finish? More ridiculous stories?”
“He’s telling you the truth, dumbass.” Rayna’s voice came from behind me. “Now put the knife away before I take it.”
“Not a chance, demon.” I spat the words at her.
Marcus had his hands on my wrists in an instant. He took the blade from my hand and slid the other from its sheath. I struggled against him, but he was too strong.
“You’re a traitor to the Circle!” I shouted.
“Enough!” Marcus’s voice echoed off the walls.
It was the first time I’d heard him speak above a whisper since I’d met him. I wasn’t sure why, but I stopped straining instantly at the command in his voice.
As soon as I relaxed, Marcus released me. He took a deep breath and moved back to his desk with my blades in his hands.
“We don’t know why she has elements of a shifter,” he said.
My first instinct was to make a break for it. I didn’t want to hear anything else, but Rayna was blocking the stairs, and jumping the railing was better left as a last resort.
“How can you not know?”
“We just don’t. It’s never happened before and we don’t know how it’s even possible,” he said. “You’re right that as far as we know, hunter blood cannot sustain the shifter or vampire viruses, but we still cannot explain Rayna,”
“After all the time you’ve spent with her, you still have no idea?”
“You can believe what you like Chase. I’ve told you what I know and I can’t do better than that. And you would do well to remember that you chose to come to us, not the other way around. We are no threat to you,” he said.
“So she’s got it all; a hunter’s speed and strength, a witch’s magic, and she can shift. Am I missing anything here?”
“No, she doesn’t have it all, Chase. Her magic is strong, though she is inexperienced. She cannot shift form; her eyes are permanently feline. She has a weakness against silver much worse than any demon you or I have ever faced, and it’s impossible to say what else might develop over time.”
I looked at Rayna in disbelief. “So what part of her is hunter?”
“She has an elemental power.”
“What? A half demon has an elemental power, when I, a full blooded hunter, have nothing? Bullshit!”
“It’s true, Chase.” Rayna stepped into the room.
“Which element?”
“Earth,” Rayna replied.
“That’s not possible. You didn’t go through the ceremony.”
“Actually, Chase,” Marcus said. “It is possible for a hunter’s element to come out on its own without the ceremony. Once it was the only way. The ceremony was put into effect a few hundred years ago, as a method to bring out a hunter’s power sooner.”
“I can’t believe this,” I said, mostly to myself.
“Perhaps you have other questions, maybe some that don’t focus so much on Rayna’s abilities?”
I stood in silence for a moment. I didn’t know what to ask and this little story seemed pretty farfetched. But I couldn’t help but wonder if it was extraordinary enough to be true.
“What is it you guys do?” I asked.
“We fight. We help keep the innocent safe, whether they may be a demon, a hunter, or one of the many mortals oblivious to our world,” he said.
“If you’re fighting the good fight, then why don’t you just go back to the Circle?”
“The Circle has lost its way. Some of its members are not as they appear. Their intentions are tainted, no matter what they’d have you believe. How can I keep my oath to keep the innocent safe when I know that innocent demons are being slaughtered every day?”
The thought of there being innocent demons was something I couldn’t wrap my head around. I was still used to demons trying to kill me.
“Which members are corrupt?” I asked.
“That I will not say. I only know that the organization has been corrupted by a few,” he said.
“No. I want names.”
“I will not share that with you at this time, Chase,” he said with finality.
“Then what do you want from me? You’ve got my weapons, and you tell me these outlandish stories. What use am I to you?”
“We want you to join us. You’re a skilled fighter and you have great instincts,” he said.
“I don’t even have an elemental power – what good am I?”
I was expecting a snide comment from Rayna, but it never came. I actually looked behind me to see if she was still there. The expression on her face wasn’t the scornful look I’d expected, but a compassionate one.
“I’m not asking you to join us because of the powers you have or don’t. Although, I do believe there is power inside of you. We only need to find out how to release it,” he said.
I laughed. “I haven’t gotten my element yet and I’m almost eighteen. Face it, it’s not going to show up.”
Rayna stepped forward. “It’s there, I can feel it.” She reached towards me.
I moved away from her touch. “Look, this is a lot to take in. You’re telling me pretty much everything I grew up knowing is a lie.”
“Not all of it,” Marcus said. “But there are things the Circle believes with an absolute conviction that we do not share. I don’t believe in murdering innocent beings. We don’t need to be included in the Circle to be part of what the Circle was created to be: a group of people with the skills and desire to keep this world safe from any who wished it harm. That is the cause we fight for, Chase. One we would be proud to have you be a part of.”
Marcus nodded. “You aren’t a prisoner, but please consider this a genuine offer. Perhaps speak about it with your mother. She may be able to help make things less confusing for you.”
I did a double take and Marcus smiled. “Yes, I knew your mother well, and I know her well still,” he said.
Once again I was at a loss. This was icing on the cake of confusion. My mother hadn’t talked about Marcus in years. If she had known he was alive, she would have told me. Wouldn’t she?
I stalked down the stairs and out of the condo. Something didn’t feel right and I didn’t know if it was what Marcus was telling me, or the thought that I might believe him. I wanted everything my father taught me to be true, but I was being pulled away from that idea.
I made it to the elevator when Rayna’s voice came from behind me.
“Chase?”
I turned to face her but I didn’t respond.
“Here,” she said, handing me both my blades. “We’re giving you an opportunity to belong to something and not fight alone for what you believe in. Believe me when I say that feels pretty good.”
This wasn’t sarcastic banter and there were no angry words or eye rolling. She was sincere. When the elevator doors opened, I stepped inside. We made eye contact as the doors shut and I realized I hadn’t thought of what life must be like for her. If she really wasn’t a full hunter or demon, she wouldn’t belong to either side. I shook away the feeling of pity; I wasn’t about to feel sorry for a demon.
I didn’t stop to admire the foyer again. I walked into the pouring rain and listened to the thunder crashing in the clouds above. It wasn’t long until I was soaked, but I didn’t mind. The cool water helped bring me back to reality.
How could I believe what Marcus said about the Circle being corrupt? How could it have happened? I thought about contacting my father, but even if he would talk to me, which was doubtful, he wouldn’t believe me anyway. The thought of facing my father and his disappointment again made me shudder.
The more I walked, the more questions I had. I hated not being in control, but I hated not knowing what to believe even more.
~~~~~~
Chapter 7
I had just crossed over into my side of downtown when the tingling started. I sighed. Most days I loved a good fight to release a little aggression, but lately I hadn’t been so enthusiastic.
I looked back and saw a person walking behind me. At this hour of the day that should be normal, but this part of downtown was typically deserted and my demon sense had a limit to its range.
I made a quick turn and slipped down a long alley between two older buildings that still had all their windows intact – a great feat in this part of town. I slid into an alcove by one of the buildings doors and slipped out one of my daggers.
I slowed my breathing as the sound of crunching gravel came closer. Usually I wouldn’t have bothered with anything but killing him, but I wanted to know why he was following me. It wasn’t normal for a demon to do anything but attack when it saw a hunter, but I didn’t know what was normal anymore.
The figure passed the archway and I made my move. I shoved the demon’s shoulder into the opposite brick wall and pressed my blade against his throat. As his body hit the bricks, his skin flashed from a pale white to a dirty brown, taking on the color of the stones. The brown of his eyes faded as the solid black of demon orbs flooded in.
“Who are you, and why are you following me?”
“I, wha- what? Fo- Following you? No, you got the wrong guy,” he said with a heavy stutter.
I pushed the blade harder against the skin, not quite enough to break it.
“Whoa, e- e- ease up man. I wasn’t following you. I sw- sw- swear,” he said.
I wanted to hurt him, to cut him and watch him turn to ash, but I didn’t. The honest fear that covered his face caught me off guard.
His left eye was swollen and bruised darkly. Considering how fast demons healed, I bet that it had happened in the past twenty-four hours. He had short brown hair and the stubble on his face was patchy at best. He was a few inches shorter than me, with a scrawny build, although I could guess at the demon strength of his arms. I wasn’t about to loosen up my grip.
“Bullshit,” I spat.
“Lo- look, I tol- told you guys everything I know, I sw- swear I don’t know anything else.” He cowered against the wall. “Plea- plea- please man, don’t hurt me.” His black orbs faded and the brown of his human-like eyes returned.
I didn’t have a clue what guys he was talking about, but he thought I was one of them. I was going to use that to my advantage.
“Well, tell me again,” I said.
“I, uh, like I said, I’ve got my ear to the gro- ground man. I’ve been using all my sources. Nobody knows anything about a crossbreed demon.”
“If that’s the best you can come up with…” I pushed the blade against his throat, nearly splitting his skin like a peel.
His eyes went wide and he gasped. “I swear, I’m wor- working on it but it ain’t easy. The Underworld’s on edge with you gu- guys running around. I’ll find some- something. I just need more t- t- time.”
I eased up on the blade. I needed a different kind of information now. “Who exactly do you think I am?”
A new fear filled his eyes. “You’re not one of them?”
“One of who?”
He shook his head. “I can’t tell you, they’ll k- kill me.” His brick colored skin was draining of all its color, getting paler by the second. I let the dagger bite into his skin again and the blood trickled onto my blade.
“And what do you think I’ll do?”
“Please don’t do this. Them hunters are fierce. They won’t just kill me, they’ll torture me. Please!” he begged. His eyes had an innocence I’d never seen in a demon before and tears started to well up in them. I couldn’t do this.
I pulled the blade away from his neck, and the blood sliding down his pale flesh mixed with the rain that showered us and disappeared under his shirt.
“Alright, tell me what you know. Nobody has to know who told me,” I said.
He slid down the brick wall and sat in the puddle at his feet.
“Who are you?” he asked, tears falling down his cheeks now.
“I’m the one who wants to know about the hunters,” I said. I slipped the blade back into its sheath and held my empty hands out. “See, I just want answers. I’m not going to hurt you… anymore.”
Guilt was tugging at me as I eyed the tears on his face and the blood on his neck. He didn’t seem like a demon in this moment. He was like a human terrified of the monster in front of him: me. On any other day that would please me, but I couldn’t draw any satisfaction from the fear of this helpless creature.
“It’s hunters,” he said. “They come around every few weeks and beat a few of us for information.” His stutter faded as he calmed himself.
“Information about what?”
He shrugged. “Some demon.”
“Well, what kind of demon?”
“That’s just it, I don’t know. They don’t even know. Nobody does. Some demon that has more than one breed inside it.” Now that was news. Demons could only carry one strain of virus inside them, at least as far as I knew. “But I’ve been asking around and looking into it. I can’t find anything. It’s a myth,” he said.
I watched him huddle against the brick wall, wet hair dripping onto soaked clothes. I couldn’t believe I was doing this, but I reached out and offered him a hand.
“I don’t need your pity,” he demanded, trying to sound defiant but failing.
“I’m Chase.”
He pushed my hand away and got to his feet. “Everybody calls me Willy,” he said, trying to wipe the dirt off his pants. “Who are you? You’re not a demon, and if you’re not one of the hunters, then how did you know what I was?” he asked.
“I am a hunter, or at least
I was. I was exiled.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing. From what I’ve seen you’re not missing anything.”
“How so?”
Willy shrugged. “That Circle is as corrupt as the vampires who run this town. The past few months they’ve been all over this area, not killing demons but interrogating them. They’ll do whatever it takes to get what they want.”
Willy hunched in his jacket and watched me. He was an awkward creature, like a timid dog waiting for you to hit him. I guessed I deserved that look after what I’d done.
“Sorry about your neck. It‘s been a rough day,” I said. That was a big step, apologizing to a demon. I couldn’t see him as an Underworlder right now though, just as somebody who was scared for his life. “That all you can tell me?”
“That’s all I know. Can I go pl- please?” he said, sounding tired and beaten.
Against my better judgment, I nodded. “In case you hear anything else, where can I find you?” I asked. He pointed to the end of the alley
“You live in an alley?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Look closer.”
I focused on the end of the alley, relaxing my eyes and pulling magic from within. Layers of illusion peeled off, revealing a glowing blue and red neon sign that read Revelations. It had been so long since I’d had to look through any type of glamour that it took some effort, but there it was.
“What’s in there?”
“It’s a club. A safe haven for Underworlders. Not exactly your crowd.”
“True enough.”
He ignored me, turned and walked to the end of the alley and disappeared through the door to the club.
I shook my head and ran a hand through my wet hair. Two demons in two days hadn’t tried to kill me. Willy was a sad excuse for a demon, but a demon nonetheless. I didn’t have much choice but to let him go. As for Rayna, if Marcus hadn’t been there last night, who knew what the result of our fight would have been.
I believed what Willy said. Somehow I didn’t think he was even capable of lying. My gut told me he was telling the truth, and with demons, my gut wasn’t usually wrong.
I turned my back on the bar and started walking out of the alley. What Willy said about the Circle coincided too closely with what Marcus had been telling me. Maybe I was accepting that it might be true. I still couldn’t figure out why the Circle would do these things, but maybe someone else could. Maybe these questions needed a mother’s touch.
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