Soul's Mark 02 - Hunted

by Ashley Stoyanoff

  Megan was already drenched; the rain was still coming down in a steady fall. She stood in the middle of the road, watching the gate she had unlocked slowly swing open. Amelia stepped up beside her and took her hand, weaving their fingers together.

  They exchanged a quick look, and the question that had been on the tip of Amelia’s tongue was answered from the cagey fear she saw in her cousin’s eyes. She hadn’t heard anything else from Eric.

  “What’s the plan?” Megan asked.

  “Maybe they are gone,” Amelia whispered, hopefully, but the soft tug around her heart told her they weren’t.

  “Hurry up,” Cole shouted, and let his truck coast closer to them; Josh and the rest of the hunters were right behind him.

  Amelia sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes. She mentally shouted to Mitchell, begging him to run, but if he heard her, he didn’t let on.

  From behind, Cole growled some threat that she couldn’t quite make out. She glanced over her shoulder to see him standing in the rain, with an arrow pulled tight and ready to launch at her.

  For about half a second, she thought about just letting them kill her, but then the hard truth hit her. If she died, they would still continue the hunt until Mitchell was dead.

  Megan tugged at her hand, frantically whispering unintelligible warnings to her, and after a long narrowed glare at Cole, Amelia turned back to the spell.

  Megan pushed images to her in a fast slide show. A gleaming dome with fracture lines splitting along it like cracking ice, a burst of light, and then the wall crumbling to the ground. The magic built in both of them, flowing between them in steamy streams, and they let it grow until they were burning up with the pleasure.

  They locked gazes and their lips twitched into identical smiles. “Shatter,” they said in unison.

  Strands of gold and white light leaped from their entwined hands, hitting the layer of protection. The shafts of light laced together into a glimmering spider web along the wall. The web climbed higher and wove around the dome, and then it contracted around it, slicing through the shield as if it was nothing more than a flimsy sheet of tissue paper.

  Amelia almost didn’t hear the revving engines behind her as she gaped at the beauty before her. The wall of protection shattered into leaves of multi-colored paper that were floating to the ground all around them.

  The trucks revved louder, snapping her out of it, and terror ripped through her.

  Amelia rushed towards Josh’s vehicle, desperately yanking on the door handle. It was locked. She couldn’t think. The only thing she knew was that she needed to go with them. Needed to get to Mitchell. The tinted window lowered, and Josh said, “Sorry, sweetheart. You two need to sit this one out.”

  Megan yanked her away, and Amelia shot her a vicious look. Josh hit the gas, and Amelia was about to throw herself in front of him but stopped short when she heard Megan’s silent words, Eric’s here.

  But Mitchell’s not, Amelia shrieked, pushing the words to Megan. She could feel Mitchell moving, further and further from her, the chain pulling taut as he went. The brake lights flickered, and they disappeared over the hill. And with them out of sight, Eric, Erin, and Angelle materialized in front of them.

  “Where are the others?” Amelia asked, taking in her friends’ black cat burglar outfits. When her eyes settled on Angelle, Amelia recognized the uneasy and guarded look she was getting. That look was emphasized dramatically with the skin-tight leather one piece and knee high black leather boots that Angelle was sporting, giving her the appearance of a lethal and deadly goddess of darkness.

  Amelia saw Erin’s lips moving, forming the answer to her question, but the sound of her voice was lost. A howling snarl broke through the stormy night, and a stab of skin-ripping pain left Amelia breathless.

  Mitchell.

  They couldn’t have found him already. Not unless…

  The ground swayed beneath Amelia’s feet, and the world spun around her. This can’t be happening. Numbness slithered its way through her body, and her throat swelled shut. Mitchell’s agonizing pain penetrated her again and again.

  A turbulent heave propelled Amelia forwards, as if someone had tied a chain around her waist and yanked. Her belly began to heat and simmer with heady energy. Another tug pulled at her, and she almost fell.

  “Amelia,” Eric yelled. He was in front of her, shaking her like a ragdoll. “Amelia, look!”

  Amelia followed his gaze and leaped back, a whispery scream caught in her throat. Illuminated chain links and radiant strands of brilliant white light jutted out of the center of her belly. The links clasped together, and they stretched in front of her forming a visible chain that disappeared into the willows.

  “Mitchell,” she murmured. He was using her magic, pulling on her essence. And then she noticed his pain subsided, melting away to a dull ache.

  Without a second thought, Amelia bolted forwards, following the line of energy. She opened up her senses, letting herself connect to him, and her sprint increased in speed until she was moving at a pace that shouldn’t have been humanly possible. She didn’t think, couldn’t think, because if she thought about it, even for a second, she knew she would second-guess herself. So instead, she did exactly what Mitchell had been begging her to do all along. She used the bond. She breathed it in, and let the pure ecstasy of their combined power fill her core.

  Her heart swelled when Mitchell came into view, and she pushed herself harder, barreling through the willow branches. Amelia wasn’t sure if he felt her coming or if he had heard her, but something made him glance at her.

  And then she saw it. The soft glitter in the tree. The swaying branch. Cole’s face peeking out of the cloak. “Look out,” she screamed, and Mitchell didn’t hesitate, he hit the ground before the words were fully out of her mouth. A silver arrow sailed past him and lodged in the tree behind him, right where his heart should have been.

  “What are you doing?” Josh’s voice exploded in her ear, the hiss of his breath touched her neck, and her stomach churned.

  Amelia spun around, ready to fight him off. She raised her arm like she meant to hit him, and when he dodged it, she kicked him in the stomach. He doubled over gasping for breath, but didn’t fall. A restrained anger stemmed up his face, and his voice was strangled when he asked, “Why?”

  “You and me, so not going to happen,” Amelia said as sweetly as she could. Raw adrenaline pumped through her, and little sparks ignited over her skin. Delirious heat spread over her body, and pleasure slowly trickled in as the sparks grew, spitting from her skin.

  Josh’s eyes widened and a thunderous crack echoed through the clearing. Amelia pivoted to find the source of the sound, keeping one eye on Josh, who was glaring a burning look of hatred at her.

  Amelia almost missed it, but she turned just in time to see Angelle descend from a tree and land on one of the twin’s shoulders in a way that if Amelia hadn’t known any better, she would have sworn she had been practicing the move for years. She gripped his head, and with a quick twist, his neck snapped and his body fell from beneath her.

  Angelle landed on her feet and winked at Amelia, “You didn’t really think I’d let you guys have all the fun, did you?”

  Right then, Stephanie rushed at Amelia and kicked out, but Amelia grabbed her leg, tossing her off balance and she went down hard. Amelia could hear the fighting around her, and Mitchell grunted from somewhere. She spun around, searching for him. It was a mistake. Stephanie vaulted back up, grabbed Amelia’s hair, and yanked.

  Amelia screamed, and tried to pull her hair free. She managed to spin around, and with the motion, Stephanie let go and shot back a step. Erin was closing in on Stephanie’s back, and Amelia let loose a bolt of power, sending Stephanie right into Erin.

  Erin wrapped one arm around Stephanie’s waist; the other hand gripped her chin, and with a quick twist, Erin snapped her neck. Stephanie’s eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she hit the ground.

  Amelia’s panting br
eaths masked the silence that had fallen around her. She sucked in breath after breath in hungry gasps. It was only after she started to breathe normally that she noticed she could no longer hear the fighting. There were no cracks from flesh hitting flesh. No grunts. No shuffling footsteps.

  Amelia looked up sharply to find Josh, bow cocked and aimed at her head. Suddenly, she couldn’t breathe. The luminescent energy that had surrounded her sizzled away, extinguishing like a candle that had been snuffed out.

  “Amelia,” Josh growled. “It’s over.” His eyes began to glow, and his skin rippled and faded until all that was left of his face were his daunting florescent eyes floating in the eye sockets of his skull. Amelia was suddenly glad for the cloak that covered his body, because the skull was unnerving enough. “Come with us now or you both die,” he said.

  Amelia, go with them, Mitchell commanded. The sound of his voice pulled her gaze. Mitchell stared at her, his eyes burning, and she knew that he couldn’t see a way out of the situation where both of them could live. He stood still below Cole who was still in the tree with an arrow pointed at him. If he moved, she’d die.

  Luke and Lola stood by him, watching Cole and posed as if they were ready to throw themselves in front of Mitchell if Cole sent the arrow flying. Erin and Angelle were slowly inching towards Josh, closing in on his sides. Eric was the only one who didn’t seem tense. He was leaning against one of the willows as if he didn’t have a care in the world. The other twin and the kid were lying lifeless at his feet.

  Eric wasn’t watching either of the remaining hunters, but instead, his laughing eyes were glued to the base of the tree where Cole was perched above.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Amelia caught a glimpse of Megan at the trunk of the tree. With a small leap, she gripped the bark and started to shimmy her way up seemingly effortlessly, as if she was a cat climbing the curtains.

  Amelia, please go with them, Mitchell pleaded, but this time she ignored him.

  Amelia arched a brow at Josh and said, “I thought you said I was your destiny.”

  His skin snapped back in place, and he pulled the bowstring tighter. “And I also said that you’d come back.”

  Think, Amelia! a nagging voice in the back of her mind said. She knew she just needed to stall a little longer. If she could just keep them distracted long enough for Megan to get to Cole undetected.

  “You get that I’m the only reason they haven’t killed you yet, right?” Amelia asked, and she hated the quiver she heard in her voice.

  Josh laughed, and a sly smile stretched across his face. “I’m immortal. I can’t die.”

  “Everything can die,” Amelia countered, reiterating his exact words.

  A startled high-pitched scream reinforced Amelia’s words, and Josh shot up, dropping his weapon. Amelia didn’t waste a second. She launched forwards, kicking the bow out of reach.

  Cole hit the ground and bounced. Another scream erupted from him, but it was a sound that came from deep within his gut, the kind of sound that comes from excruciating pain.

  Josh bolted over to him with mind-blowing speed and heaved him up. Cole’s cloak fell away, and Amelia caught sight of the arrow that stuck out of his leg. His body morphed into bones, and the arrow dropped to the ground.

  Amelia felt the magic brewing in the pit of her stomach, and she saw the strands of light seeping from her side in Mitchell’s direction just before the first bolt of lightning flew towards Josh. She glanced at Mitchell, just a quick look, and saw him toss ball after ball.

  Megan started her own assault from above. When the first bolts hit, Josh shed his skin, and the flaming orb passed right through him.

  What was left of Josh growled fiercely and started to retreat with Cole in tow. Luke and Lola lunged at them. It was in that moment that Amelia put what seemed to be the obvious together.

  “Stop,” Amelia screeched. “They can’t be hurt this way.”

  Amelia was floored that Luke and Lola stopped in mid step, and all the orbs of magic ceased instantaneously. All eyes narrowed at her, and she blurted, “It’s their skin that makes them vulnerable. We can’t hurt them this way.” But what she didn’t say was that she was certain that Cole and Josh could still hurt them.

  “This isn’t over,” Josh growled. They had retreated far enough away that the only thing that even indicated where the voice was coming from was the two sets of eerie yellow-green eyes. “More of us are coming, and the next time we meet, you two will join us.”

  “Don’t hold your breath,” Amelia spat venomously. A second later, the metallic sound of a car door slamming clanked, and the roar of a diesel engine rumbled. Amelia’s lungs burned, and she sucked in air as she realized that she had been holding her breath.

  They all stood staring into the tree with a hushed stillness. At some point during the fight, the rain had stopped and the sky had cleared enough for the crescent moon to break through the clouds, coating the grassy puddles with silver.

  “Well, that’s new,” Angelle said when the truck engine could no longer be heard.

  “What the hell are they?” Lola asked.

  “Hybrids,” Megan yelled. She leapt from the tree, landing in Eric’s arms. “Half witch, half hunter.”

  Erin looked at Amelia with wide eyes. Her forehead creased, and her voice squeaked with the question, “Did his skin just disappear?”

  Amelia didn’t answer. She wanted to. She thought about it, but the words just wouldn’t come. “Amelia?” Mitchell said her name like a question, and he was suddenly in front of her. “Amelia, are you okay?”

  Amelia shook her head. “Not really.” And then she launched herself into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. “I love you,” she said and began littering his face with a slew of frenzied kisses. “I thought I was going to lose you. I love you.”

  Mitchell hugged her tightly. Love and relief swelled from his heart, and the sensation pushed against her from all sides. She soaked it up, basking in the feverish bliss that came with feeling his emotions.

  As the emotions deepened, her neck began to tingle, and Amelia instinctively knew what was happening. She could feel her mark, circle by circle, letter by letter, reappearing on her neck. Megan squealed in delight, confirming that hers had come back as well.

  Amelia couldn’t say how long she stayed like that, kissing him and declaring her love, but at some point she finally got over the shock of seeing Mitchell alive, and now she was furious. “I told you to leave,” she said, leaning back in his arms to meet him square on.

  Mitchell chuckled and kissed her cheek. “And I told you that I wasn’t going to leave you.”

  CHAPTER 31

  Luke called the police, and it didn’t take long for a swarm of police cruisers and ambulances to descend upon them. Officer McLean made an attempt to collect statements, which Amelia thought was a complete joke. What was he going to do? File a police report about vampires killing vampire hunters? Yeah, right!

  McLean quickly gave up, not that he had much of a choice in the matter. Mitchell used persuasion to send him off and help clear out the bodies. After that, they left in a hurry, dodging the paramedics’ attempts to take Amelia and Megan in for an examination.

  The air had turned sticky and thick from the rain, and Amelia and her friends trudged through the muddy puddles it had left behind. Her jeans were soaked through, sticking to her skin and making the journey uncomfortable. Amelia loved the spring, enjoyed the rain, but this year it had quickly become old. The storms seemed more ferocious and had been almost a daily occurrence during the last few weeks. She wondered if her bitterness towards the rain had something to do with the pandemonium that had come with it, but even so, she was over it, and was seriously craving a hot and dry summer.

  On the walk towards their house, Amelia and Megan filled their family in on the little they knew of the new breed of hunters. They explained how it was supposedly their destiny to help the hunters build a new race of hybrids.

  “So, th
ey want you to be a breeding mule,” Lola said with a smirk. She giggled a little at the thought, and Luke joined in with a booming laugh.

  “Now that’s kind of creepy,” Amelia said, narrowing her eyes at Lola.

  “What?” Lola asked through her giggles, befuddled.

  Mitchell laughed a side-splitting roar. “That’s the exact same thing Amelia thought when they told her.” He winked and nudged Amelia’s side playfully. “And you two act like you hate each other.”

  What in the world happened to my Mitchell? Amelia wondered and shot him a sideways glance. Not that she was about to complain; she liked the playful look on him and she was sure she could get used to it, but it just seemed wrong to be laughing after what they had just been through. But then again, Amelia guessed that laughing was better than the alternative, and she pushed her nagging conscious aside, letting her own giggles spill out. And man, she had to admit it, it felt good to have just a moment where she was not stressing about saving her family or dealing with freaky skeleton vampire hunters.

  “How did you get everyone out so quickly?” Megan asked.

  “Err, about that,” Eric said. “We didn’t. The whole street is kind of locked up in the dungeon.”

  “You what?” Megan gasped, and smacked Eric. “That place is horrible. How could you?”

  Eric winced, faking pain, and rubbed at his chest. His green eyes sparkled with amusement. “What were we supposed to do? Send them out to meet you on the road somewhere?”

  Megan grumbled something at Eric that Amelia couldn’t make out, and he laughed. His laughter was contagious, and in seconds, Megan joined in. Eric wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close as they walked.

  They broke through the willows in the backyard, and the house came into view. Amelia’s breath caught in her throat. The silvery glow from the moon touched the fog that rose around the house, casting it with an otherworldly glow. Soft lighting from the inside lit up the many balconies in a welcoming shine. The turrets towered into the night’s sky, and the stone clad walls winked and sparkled as the waning light splashed upon the rain-dampened exterior. It oozed magic and mystery, and the sight was exquisite—perfect.