Shadow Hunters

by Anna Hub

  Shadow Hunters

  BOOK TWO OF

  THE SHADOW SERIES

  Anna Hub

  Copyright © 2016 Anna Hub

  Second Edition.

  First published 2013

  Anna Hub has asserted her right under the copyright Act 1968 to be identified as the author of this work

  Cover Design by Damon Za

  All rights reserved

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  Books by Anna Hub

  The Shadow Series:

  Beyond the Shadows

  Shadow Hunters

  In Night's Shadow

  The Shadow Thief

  The Ninth Hunter

  Visit Anna's Website

  www.AnnaHubBooks.com

  “He who stands for nothing will fall for anything.”

  —Alexander Hamilton

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty One

  Chapter Twenty Two

  Chapter One

  A cool breeze blew over the river and brushed through my hair. I closed my eyes; toes wiggling as the water circled with the current. This was my world now. Beautiful, yet terrifying. Even in this new forest just outside the village, my nerves were on edge. Days had passed since Tara and Matt had visited and there'd been no cause to run or fight for survival, but the anticipation of something sinister constantly loomed.

  A twig snapped nearby and I jumped, feet out of the water and body braced into a crouch before I'd even turned around.

  "Just me." Brayden paused beside a tree.

  I stood, breathing deeply to calm the adrenaline.

  "Everything okay?"

  How did he look so peaceful all the time? As though he'd belonged in this world—the Shadowlands—all his life and nothing from the Origin ever meant anything. He stepped closer, studying my face. If only I could let it all go so easily. But with each day that passed, my mind became more erratic. Some days I longed to be back with my family and an overwhelming sadness filled me. But worse than that, was the drama with the villagers. Despite Tara and Matt assuring no one would find us here, I couldn't help feeling on edge. What if they were wrong? Was it a foolish mistake to wait here? Was it only a matter of time before someone came after us? I felt completely torn between making the smart decision to move on, and hanging on because leaving the village behind completely meant we would always be alone.

  "You've got that look again," he mused as he came closer.

  "I'm fine." I smiled, hands running along his arms as he drew me in.

  "You're lying."

  I shrugged and turned to the river, trying to break free. He gripped my hand before I could slip away.

  "You don't have to be fine all the time."

  I slowly lifted my gaze to his. "I am fine."

  He cupped my face. "You seem lost."

  How could he know that? When he had the Instinct of a hunter and an entire village so sure he was a murderer? How could he still be aware of my inner turmoil? He was so much more than they would ever understand.

  "I'm not lost, I'm just searching."

  "For what?"

  I glanced at his lips. "For a future."

  His hand slipped from my cheek and ran down to my shoulder. He studied me for a moment, as though he knew there was more to it. But I needed to make sense of things in my own head before I could explain them to anyone else.

  "When I figure it out, I'll let you know," I said.

  His hands settled at my hips as he pulled me closer and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck, standing on tiptoes as his lips moved against mine. He had a way of making all my turmoil disappear in an instant. But I didn't want to forget all the people I'd left behind. Mourning the loss of my old world seemed like a crucial part of who I was.

  I drew back, lowering my forehead to his chest before I stepped back. "We should get back to the camp before it gets dark."

  He held my waist until I looked back to his eyes. "Why do you always do that?"

  "What?"

  "Run away from me."

  I frowned. "I do not."

  A frustrated smile passed his lips momentarily. "Then stay. Right here. Until it's dark."

  I glanced at the river and he shook his head, releasing me at the same time. I stared as he turned away. He was right. Being close to him made my heart race but I couldn't quite surrender to him. It wasn't that I questioned his feelings toward me anymore. No one had ever looked at me with the same intensity he did but the longer we spent together, the closer we seemed to get. He was my only friend and my sense of safety, how could I give him the one thing I still had control over? I closed my eyes. I'd lost too many people to love recklessly, but for the first time, I realised I was sabotaging myself. Brayden was the positive balance to all the terrible things in this world. I couldn't have faced this life without him. And I refused to allow myself to become bitter and lonely over the hand life had dealt me. I took a deep breath and followed him back to our shelter.

  Although Tara and Matt had suggested we take shelter at the cave, we'd wanted to find our own place. Our shelter wasn't perfect but it was still close to water and hidden away from the path where the sentries had walked to meet us. We'd shaped branches into temporary walls, tall on the sides but open at the top for the moonlight. Brayden scooped fallen debris away with his foot before settling on the floor.

  He lifted his gaze as I stood above him. I hovered, stomach jittery as I considered my next move. I ran a hand through my hair and scratched a sudden itch at my neck.

  His expression softened. "Are you looking for somewhere to sit?"

  I licked my lips. Should I explain myself, or just throw myself in his lap? I tried to force the tension out of my shoulders. "You're right. I've been keeping you at a distance because ... I'm afraid to care too much."

  He held a hand out for me and when I took it, he pulled me down to sit in front of him. I shuffled closer and he encircled me with his arms. "I won't hurt you."

  I nodded and closed my eyes.

  We stayed that way for a long time, his fingers intertwining with mine. Not speaking, just being still and sharing the same space.

  The sky turned red with the sunset and we ate the final rations from the village food before we lost the light. As darkness took hold, the temperature dropped but we were too close to the village to risk a fire. Instead, we settled into our dugout, side by side and with our joint body heat, the cold was no longer an issue.

  "How long do you want to wait for your friends?" he asked.

  I was too afraid to admit that amongst everything else, I questioned my resolve to leave everything behind. "I'm sure they'll come back soon."

  "I think we need to put a timeline on it. We're limited by our options this close to the village. Right now, the weather isn't so bad but what if it gets colder and we need to have a fire? We've run out of the food they left for us, but if we were to catch fish, we'd have no way of cooking the meat."

  I shifted. He was right. Again.
<
br />   "We have to think about the future."

  "How long can we afford to wait?"

  "So far, we haven't been able to find anything substantial to eat around here. We've already been rationing what we had and once we leave, it could take days to find what we need." He paused, seemingly assessing my reaction. "I don't really want to leave it much longer than twenty four hours."

  I nodded, unsure how to feel. This world was nothing like the Origin, decisions had to be made based on survival, not preferences. But no matter how strongly I felt about Brayden, the thought of being alone with just one other person for the rest of my life made my throat close up. It took all the strength I had to swallow my panic and nod. "Sounds fair."

  When I woke in the morning Brayden was gone, no doubt searching for food. I kicked away the branches that we'd used for warmth and stretched my shadow into makeshift clothing. It wasn't so unusual to find him missing in the mornings, though I had no idea what time he must wake up, since the sun had only just risen.

  I didn't want to stray too far from the cave where Tara and Matt left us, but I set to work straight away looking for food. Insects were easy enough to find but were probably best eaten fresh. I shuddered at the thought then dug around in the earth near the river, searching for plant roots.

  The time passed quickly, my finger nails cracking as I worked, but before long, I had a decent supply of food.

  After washing my hands in the river, I used my shadow to scoop up drinking water. A crack in the forest made me jump and water spilt down my chin.

  Tara and Matt called out a greeting as they appeared down the path. My shoulders tightened as I checked for any sign of Brayden. Although their first meeting had gone reasonably well, his behaviour around the sentries was still uncertain.

  Tara eyed me carefully as I took note of the bow on her shoulder. "Where's Brayden?"

  "I haven't seen him this morning. He must be out looking for food."

  She nodded slowly, her eyes scanning me as though she searched for a hint of distance between me and my hunter. "We brought you more food stock and some animal skin for underwear." She held a bag out.

  "Thank you." I stepped forward. “Does anyone know you’re helping us?”

  “Only a few of the people we trust."

  "And no one else suspects anything?"

  "They might suspect it but they won't challenge us,” she replied.

  Matt cleared his throat. "There's less talk of the trial now and the villagers are slowly moving on. Each day that passes without Brayden coming into the village will help them forget."

  Tara nodded. “Once we figure out what to do with him, it will be easier to persuade the last of the opposition.”

  "What to do with him?" I repeated.

  "Eventually we'd like to strike some kind of deal with the villagers. Draw up an exchange of goods for services."

  I shifted my weight. It wouldn't hurt to ask questions, but I wouldn't agree to anything on the spot. "What kind of services do you have in mind?"

  Matt shrugged. "We'd like to know more about the Valley of the Hunters, and how they work. Any inside knowledge he could give us would be valuable."

  "It's going to take time for him to reach that level of trust."

  "No doubt," Matt said. "And for us too. But it's something to work towards."

  Tara still searched the forest behind me. Was she hoping Brayden might show up? "He might not come back for a while."

  She smiled. "That's too bad. I was hoping to see him."

  I wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad thing. "I doubt you would get much out of him." Their last meeting left him almost completely overcome with grey; he'd barely even remembered their conversation.

  She laughed. "Well, he's a hunter. If he acted completely normal, I would probably be disappointed."

  "Are there any updates on the Instinct?" Matt asked. "I know you said he was getting better at controlling it. Have you seen any changes since you left the village?"

  "Yes, actually. It's not present that often. He has much better control over it."

  "Maybe we'll be able to convince the villagers to give him another chance." Matt glanced at Tara.

  I straightened. "For the record, I'll never put myself, or Brayden, in that situation again. Trapped inside that village with our fate in their hands."

  Matt raised a hand as a shield from the sun. "Well, if we can come to an agreement, you two could have your home out here and your interaction with the villagers would be minimal."

  "Maybe." I thought of the food in the bag they'd given me. Would I really be willing to let go of that security and head out on my own with Brayden?

  Tara frowned, stepping forward as she studied my expression. "You're thinking about leaving?" she guessed.

  "We've talked about it."

  "Where are you going to go?"

  "I don't know. It's just that waiting on you for food takes our survival out of our hands. It doesn't seem like the smartest choice to make."

  "I don't think you realise how hard it is to find food on your own out here. If I were you, I would take any help that was offered."

  I couldn't help feeling as though she had her own motive behind that comment. "It's not that simple."

  "Why? Because Brayden doesn't trust us?"

  "The villagers tried to kill him. Can you blame him?"

  Tara softened. "I'm guessing you'd already be gone if it was up to him?"

  I shrugged and checked to see whether Matt backed Tara's line of questioning. He watched me intently as Tara continued.

  "So why are you still here? I know it's unlikely to be Brayden's choice. So you've obviously asked him to stay. Why? What is it you're searching for?"

  Would the answer give her the power over me that she as looking for? I sighed. "I want answers. Not just about the village or the way they operate, but the whole phenomenon of this world and how we ended up here. But it's curiosity, not life or death."

  She turned to Matt before she answered, "I'll be honest with you, Selena, no one knows the answers to those questions."

  "Well, they might not know for sure, but there must be speculation at least."

  Matt shrugged. "What's the point in getting frustrated by a question without an answer?"

  I frowned. "Are you serious? There's an answer to everything, but you need to look for it."

  Neither of them seemed too interested. "There are a lot of things to think about in this world, but trying to get back to the Origin isn't going to do anyone any good," Matt said.

  I swallowed. "It's not about trying to go back. It's about understanding why my life was destroyed, why my family is suffering, why people are dying. I can't just forget all of that."

  Matt nodded. "It takes time to adjust to this world. But food, water and shelter are the essentials and even within the village, they take all the hours out of the day."

  My heart sunk. How could they accept that? How would I ever accept that? "Right."

  Matt seemed to recognise my disappointment. "There's a guy in the village. His name is Bill. Maybe he can help you."

  "Bill?" I repeated.

  "He's a scientist. Well, a professor. I don't think he actually knows anything about why we came to this world but—"

  Tara straightened. "I think Bill knows more than we give him credit for."

  There was something about the way her eyes examined me as she spoke that made me think she was searching for something to offer. But why would she be so keen to appease me?

  Matt laughed to himself. "Right. But let's face it, Bill's not someone you want to get stuck next to at the village gatherings."

  "Why's that?" I asked.

  Tara shot Matt a look. "He's passionate. That's all. Too brilliant for most of us to relate to."

  "But he's interested in the science behind our transfer?"

  Matt dropped his gaze but Tara nodded enthusiastically. "He's exactly who you're looking for."

  "Do you think he'd be willing to speak
with me?"

  Tara inhaled deeply before responding. "Maybe not right away. Not with your hunter right here."

  "What if Brayden wasn't here?"

  "I think we'll need to give it some time."

  I eyed her carefully. "Be straight with me. Given the way the villagers responded at the trial and the corruption around our escape, would Bill ever be willing to talk to me?"

  "Things in the village aren't as black and white as they seem. Not all of the elders wanted to get rid of you."

  Obviously Alana was firmly against us, so that left Wesley and Elizabeth. "What do you mean?"

  She looked reluctant. “Everyone has their own reasons; it isn’t my place to share them with you.” She studied my face and seemed to know I wasn’t going to be satisfied with that reply. “Ethel isn’t an official elder but she is almost regarded as one. Her instincts are worth more to me than my own and I know a lot of people in the village feel the same way. She was the one pushing for your release, when her request was denied she took matters into her own hands.”

  It made me think of the things Ethel said to me in the cave about my Enhancement. Did Brayden’s rescue really have anything to do with him or was it me she was after? And did that mean Wesley or Elizabeth had helped her?

  "So what do you think I should do?"

  Tara straightened the bow on her shoulder. "I think you should stay here. At least for a few weeks. Take the food we bring you and let us see what progress we can make with the villagers. I can't make any promises about how things will turn out. But I'll do my best to persuade everyone to give you another chance and allow the two of you to live outside our village with some assistance, and maybe you'll get the answers you're seeking."

  "I'll have to talk to Brayden first."

  "Of course." She nodded. "We should be able to come back tomorrow."

  Matt measured the sky as though checking the time. "We'd better get back before they notice we're missing."