Changed (The Hunters #1)

by Rose J. Bell

  “Wow, thank you for the introduction to disguise 101,” Jason replied. “I’ll take your suggestions to heart.”

  Rosa smiled. “You do that.”

  They spent the rest of the break in silence. Continually, girls come to talk and flirt with him. Rosa tried to ignore then. However, it was hard to ignore Jason and the girls if they were directly in front of her.

  The bell rang signaling the next class. “What’s the next lesson?” Jason asked, and stood up.

  “Sports,” Rosa replied. She stood up, too.

  “Ah, my favorite subject,” Jason said.

  “Why?”

  Jason grinned. “Well, I’m invincible in sport thanks to my angel powers.” Even though they were half-angels, Nephilim had angelic forces. They were weaker than the archangels were, but stronger than humans.

  “I would like to know if you’re invincible without these forces,” Rosa said.

  Jason looked at her. “You think that I’m not strong without the forces?”

  “I don’t think so, but I want to know.”

  Jason smiled. “Of course I am. I didn’t have these muscles when I was born. I´ve worked for them.”

  Jason was muscular. If she looked close, she could see his muscles under his tight T-shirt. It was clear to her that he had spent several hours in the gym.

  “I’m skeptical,” Rosa said.

  He laughed. “No surprise.”

  They walked through the main hall of the school, which was full of students. It was loud and Rosa did not like her school. It was old and dirty. The color of the walls was once white, but now the walls were full of graffiti and dirt.

  Rosa and Jason walked out of the building and headed toward the gym, which was right next to the school.

  “I’ll be right back,” she said to Jason as she walked over to a girl named Ellen. She was standing with another girl in front of the gym. When they saw Rosa coming they immediately stopped talking.

  “Hey, Ellen, can I have a word with you?” she asked Ellen.

  Ellen smiled weakly and nodded. “Yeah.”

  Together they moved away from the others. Rosa could feel Ellen’s fear. She knew Ellen was not afraid because Rosa was a hunter—not completely at least—but because Ellen was a witch. Ellen knew as a hunter, Rosa’s job was to track down shadow creatures that the archangels had created.

  Archangel punished their inhabitants who did something forbidden, not always with death, but they turned them to any kind shadow creatures. To live as a half demon or a werewolf were—for an archangel at least—much worse than death.

  What was worse than having to live as a creature that you did not want to be?

  Ellen was born as a witch, and Rosa’s job wasn’t to hunt shadow creatures that were born with supernatural forces—something that she had explained to Ellen several times, though it was clear the girl still feared her.

  “Listen, Ellen, you have to conjure me a fingerless glove,” Rosa told her.

  “Why?”

  “Don’t ask. Conjure it.”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  Ellen nodded. She began to mutter something softly until a fingerless glove appeared in her hand. Rosa was always amazed at how something could come out of nothing. Sometimes she wished she could be a witch—then maybe her life would be easier.

  “Here,” Ellen said, handing her the glove.

  “Thank you, Ellen. I owe you one.”

  She smiled. “Nah, you don’t.”

  “Okay, thank you again for the glove,” Rosa said. Then she went back to Jason.

  Her gym teacher Mr. Michael and they walked into the gym. After she dressed, she put on the glove. Her mark was covered.

  She took her clothes and left the toilet. She put the things on the bench and tied up her hair.

  “Why are you wearing a glove?” Jason asked when she met him in the hallway.

  “Oh, I’m having problems with my palm. The skin is very sensitive, and I have to use a special cream. The glove helps to protect my skin,” Rosa said. She was surprised how easy it was to lie. Actually, she didn’t lie often, because she was very bad at lying. When Rosa would lie, her neck would become red, and spread to her face.

  Like she knew it was now, but she was lucky that the hallway was dark and Jason did not see it.

  Matt and Philipp were already in the gym. Like the other students, they wore the uniform provided by the school. Rosa liked the uniform—the black sweatpants and black T-shirt were clothes she already had in her wardrobe.

  Rosa sat down next to Matt as Jason walked toward the girls, who were giggling and flipping their hair.

  Matt looked at her glove and raised his eyebrows in question.

  “Mark,” she whispered to him. He smiled and nodded.

  Rosa saw a blonde girl entering the gym. She was tall and had the figure of a model. Her long platinum blonde hair fell down her back in a curtain of shine. Her face, lightly made up with natural make-up, she looked like an angel.

  Well, she was not an angel. She was more like the devil in human form. Behind her innocent look lay so much meanness and evilness Rosa didn’t think it possible for any one human to have.

  Madison was the typical popular rich girl that made fun of those who did not spend their life savings on a pair of ripped jeans. She had the boys at her feet and was able to get anyone she wanted. She reminded Rosa of Shane—they would make a perfect couple.

  Madison headed straight to Jason, swaying her hips. Rosa was already aware of what she wanted from Jason. Go out with him and then have sex with him.

  “Hey, Jason,” she said and smiled at him seductively.

  Jason looked at her. “Oh, Madison, you look awesome.”

  She smiled. “Thank you. You look good too. May I sit?”

  “Sure.” Jason slid over to Matt, and Madison sat down next to him.

  “It makes me want to puke,” Rosa whispered to Matt.

  “You can’t say that out loud,” he replied.

  “Jason’s a player. He takes any girl he wants,” Philip explained.

  Rosa grimaced. “I hate those girls and boys. That’s so crude and uncouth.”

  “Right,” Philip agreed with her.

  “Jason,” Madison purred. “Would you like to do something with me?” As she spoke, her hand wandered along Jason’s chest.

  “It would be an honor for me to go out with you, Madison,” Jason replied.

  She giggled. “You’re so sweet, Jason.”

  “Call me Jase.”

  She smiled, “Sure, Jase.”

  Philip hid his face in his hands. “Oh, I can’t watch this anymore.”

  Rosa smiled. “I feel sorry for you.”

  “I feel sorry for me, too,” he mumbled into his hands.

  Coach Michael came into the gym and whistled. Everybody stood up immediately. Coach Michael was a feared teacher, and was very strict. He did not accept no for an answer. His appearance underlined his strict character. He had a shaved head and cold black eyes. His features were hard and he was very muscular.

  “Move your ass up! We are here in sports and not at a tea party!” Coach Michael shouted at some students, who were sitting on the bench.

  “As we all know, next month is your graduation at this school. Life is waiting out there for you. Some of you will go to college, some will go into the professional life, but for all, it will be a new experience. Life will not be easy out there. Life is not easy. You will notice it quickly. And you have to be strong enough for life! So run fifteen minutes. Go!” he called and whistled.

  Everyone started to run. Coach Michael often made speeches about the future. Actually, he did this during every PE lesson. Rosa could not hear them anymore. She was glad that next month school would be over for her forever.

  “Does your coach always orate?” Philip asked Rosa and Matt while they were running. Jason was somewhere behind them with Madison.

  “Yes,” Rosa sighed. “He started making speeches about the future every
damn lesson when graduation was six months away.”

  “Our old sports teacher was the same,” Philip said.

  “Why did you and Jason move to Boston?” Matt asked. Rosa was hoping that this time nobody would interrupted Philip.

  “We ...”

  “Well, did you miss me?” Jason asked, now jogging beside them.

  Rosa wanted nothing more than to kill Jason.

  “No, not really,” Rosa replied surely.

  “I didn’t ask you.”

  Rosa snorted contemptuously.

  “Jason, why are you flirting with that bitch?” Philip asked him.

  He shrugged. “She’s just a toy for me,” he said coolly.

  The coldness in his voice shocked Rosa. Everyone knew people were just toys for angels, but it shocked her anyway to hear it.

  “Then take another. I don’t like her,” Philip replied.

  Jason raised his eyebrows. “Since when did you choose my lovers for me?”

  Philip tilted his head. “I live with you. I catch all your love affairs with the girls. Please spare me this.”

  Matt and Rosa laughed.

  “Then move out, if you don’t like it,” Jason replied simply.

  “Just a short note on the edge,” Matt tampered. “Madison’s really a bitch. She was used more than Google. That’s saying something.”

  Jason’s lips twitched slightly. “She is the perfect toy.”

  “Dude, if you meet with her, not at home, okay?” Philip asked his friend. Jason just nodded.

  “Run! No talking!” Coach Michael shouted to them.

  “They´re cool,” Matt told her. Rosa looked at him.

  “They’re Nephilim. How can you find them cool?”

  “Just because they are your enemies, doesn’t mean that they aren’t cool.”

  Rosa looked at him. “Since when do you like them?”

  “Rosa, they’re your enemies, not mine.”

  It shocked her to hear what Matt was thinking. Rosa had thought that her enemies would be also his enemies, but apparently, it was not that way.

  “You’re right, Matt, my enemies aren’t yours. You can like them,” she said dryly.

  “Are you offended?” he asked, frowning.

  She shook her head. “No, of course, not.”

  The mischievous smile appeared on his face. “Good. I don’t want to let anything come between our friendship.”

  After school, Matt and Rosa made their way home. They had said goodbye to Jason and Philip. Rosa took out her car keys and opened her car. It was a black BMW 1 Series—another gift from the hunter clan.

  “Man, Rosa. I would like be in the hunter clan, too. They pay for your house and give you a car. This is so cool!” he said, while getting in the car.

  Rosa smiled and climbed in the car. “Yes, it’d be cool if there wouldn’t be the reward of killing the shadow creatures.”

  “Why don’t you leave the hunter clan?” Matt wanted to know.

  Rosa started the car and drove it out of the parking lot. She said nothing for a while.

  “Rosa,” Matt said slowly.

  “I cannot, Matt,” Rosa replied as they passed a truck.

  “Just because your uncle is the leader, doesn’t mean you have to be there.”

  “That has nothing to do with this, Matt.”

  He looked at her now. “What is the matter then?”

  Rosa focused on the road. “There are things you don’t know, Matt.”

  Matt threw his hands in the air. “Here we go again! Why do you always close up when it comes to you? You never really tell me anything about you. Actually, I don’t know anything about you.”

  She did not want to have this conversation. Matt knew what had happened to her dad and that she was a hunter, but that was all. Rosa didn’t tell him anything else, and it would stay like that.

  “Matt,” she said quietly, and gave him a sidelong glance. He frowned, which meant that he was angry and worried.

  “You know something about me. You know what I like to eat and drink. You know my favorite color, and my taste in music; you know what I like and what I don’t like. You know what had happened to my father. That is a lot about me, Matt.”

  “Yes, I know, but I don’t know anything about your family, beside your father. I just know that you have an uncle and come from Russia. That is it. I don’t know anything about your mother.”

  “There is nothing to know. I did not know my mother because she disappeared before I had the chance to meet her. My uncle raised and trained me. I don’t have siblings. So are you happy now?” Rosa asked angrily.

  She could feel Matt’s gaze on her. Then she felt his warm hand on her arm.

  “Rosa, I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I didn’t want to bother you.”

  She sighed deeply. “It’s okay.”

  “I know how it is to grow up without parents.”

  She looked at him. He looked at her with so much sadness it nearly broke her heart. He had lost his parents and saw them die. Ten years ago, a crazy serial killer made the streets of the Boston unsafe. Rosa remembered those times. People were afraid and did not dare to leave their houses at night. The serial killer targeted families.

  He had creep into their houses at night and murder them brutally. He’d tie up the parents and the children and kill the parents before the children’s eyes. Then he’d leave the children with the corpses of moms and dads as he escaped out the back door.

  He was the same serial killer who had visited Matt’s family in the dead of night. He had tied them up on a chair and began his perverse games. Matt had to watch as the serial killer raped his mother first and then murdered her. Then the serial killer sliced his father’s throat.

  With his dead parents in the room, Matt had been left tied up for several hours. Rosa found him when she visited. She brought him to the hospital and never left his side. She stayed with him through it all.

  This event created such a bond between them.

  Matt got over the brutal death of his parents, but there were days when the pictures caught him and paralyzed him. On those days, he was not this happy, strong young man; he was a weak and sad little child that longed for his parents. Rosa was always there for him if he had such a day. She comforted him and cared about him.

  Matt lived with a foster family for eight years. They had come to care about him, allowing him to feel comfortable and happy with his life—but they never could fill the hole that the death of his parents had left. Nevertheless, he was happy to have them.

  “Matt, let’s talk about something else,” Rosa tried to distract him.

  “Which college are you going to now?” she asked, passing another truck.

  “Ah yes, I totally forgot to tell you,” Matt said, smiling broadly.

  “What?”

  “Oxford has accepted me,” he said proudly.

  “Really? This is so great, Matt! Congratulations. I’m happy for you.” And she was, really. It was his childhood dream to go to Oxford. He deserved it.

  “Wow, you’ll go to the best university in Europe. You nerd,” Rosa said.

  “And you’ll kick the ass of these creatures,” Matt replied.

  Rosa threw him a glance. “That means that you will go away, doesn’t it?”

  Matt’s face darkened. “I didn’t think about that,” he muttered.

  They were never apart for more than a week, but now it would be several years. Coach Michael was right. A new life was coming.

  “I wish you wouldn’t go,” Rosa said and sighed deeply.

  “Yes, me too,” Matt agreed to her.

  Rosa pulled in to Matt’s driveway. “Well, here we are.” she said, looking at Matt. He frowned, pressing his lips into a thin line.

  “Rosa, I hate you for reminding me that I must leave you for Oxford,” he grumbled.

  Rosa took his hands. “Matt, please don’t think like that. I am sorry I said it. It was stupid of me. Please don’t feel bad. This is a unique opportunity f
or you. You will use it and become an awesome doctor.”

  After Matt had seen his parents die, he had decided to become a doctor and help people, and now he had the chance to make this dream come true at one of the best universities.

  Matt put his hand on Rosa’s cheek. “You’re so incredible, Rosa. I am lucky to have you as my friend. “

  “I know,” she joked.

  Matt leaned forward. His eyes fixed on hers; she suddenly felt her heart begin to pound when Matt’s lips came close to hers.

  What is happening right now?

  Before Matt’s lips touched hers, she flinched. She did not want to kiss Matt.

  “Matt, don’t. Please,” Rosa said.

  Matt looked at her disappointed and hurt, but nodded.

  “Okay. I am sorry. I don’t want to push you. Thanks for the ride,” he said in a strained voice.

  Matt took his bag and got out. He waved one last time at Rosa and then disappeared in the house. Rosa pulled the car out of the driveway and drove toward the academy.

  The entire drive, she was thinking about Matt. Thinking about how close he had come to kissing her. She suspected Matt might be in love with her.

  If she was honest, she didn’t want him to be in love with her. Love would destroy their friendship, and that was something she did not want. Rosa didn’t want to put their friendship at risk.

  That wasn’t all, though. Members of the hunter clan weren’t allowed to have relationships with enemies, or people outside the clan. They were obliged to marry another hunter and beget children for the hunter clan.

  The life of a hunter had been planned since birth—even Rosa’s life.

  For this reason, she did not look for a boyfriend, because the relationship would not have a future.

  Sighing, Rosa parked her car in front of the Academy. She threw the thought of Matt and the kiss and got out of the car.

  The academy was a large building. The structure was made of stones and went up five stories high. Three of these floors were dedicated for student housing. The paved road was clean and wound its way to the front garden. Shaded by large trees, many varieties of flowers grew from the ground. The garden led to the front entrance where a giant, iron door reflected Rosa’s image back to her in the afternoon sun.