The Hunted: The Fifth Force Series - Book One

by X, Alice

  Ava shook her head and turned her face from him. There had been tension between them since their last conversation. Thomas had drawn a line in the sand that had put them firmly on opposing sides. Ava felt bereft.

  After an hour, the noise lessened considerably. Ava surmised the reinforcing work had moved farther away from them.

  “You’ve probably met Rozan Talbot?” Ava asked when it was quiet enough to have a conversation.

  “I have,” Thomas said shortly.

  “What’s she like?”

  “What you would expect,” Thomas replied. “Brilliant.”

  Ava noticed that when shadows fell on Thomas’s face, his scar seemed illuminated, as though there was a spotlight trained on it. She could see the pale outline of his blue eyes, but the light of his scar dulled their brightness. She couldn’t help thinking that it was a beautiful mark.

  “Something wrong?” Thomas asked having caught her staring.

  “Nothing,” Ava mumbled as she dropped her gaze and tried not to blush.

  “Can I ask you a question?” Thomas asked suddenly.

  Ava nodded cautiously.

  “Why exactly were you heading to Canada?”

  Ava cringed at the memory, but she answered him anyway. “We wanted to get out of the country.”

  “Yes, I know,” Thomas said. “I guess my question is, why?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Ava asked.

  “I guess. I mean, most witches who are being pursued by us tend to be heading towards….”

  “The Akkadians?” Ava filled in for him.

  “Well, yeah.”

  “That wasn’t our plan.”

  “I’ll say this for the Akkadian Society, they never turn anyone away. They’ve succeeded in protecting a huge number of witches.”

  “I’m aware,” Ava said. “But, as I said, that wasn’t the right choice for our family.”

  “Why?”

  “We weren’t really supporters of the Akkadian Society.”

  Thomas raised his eyebrows in disbelief. “That’s a first.”

  “My father always believed that what Brad Doherty did was wrong.”

  “Coming out to the world?”

  Ava nodded. “He made a decision for a huge number of people and removed the choice from their hands. He decided the world should know about witches, and he came forward and outed everyone without any thought or regard for the consequences his decision would cause. It wasn’t his place to make that call.”

  “Sounds like you agree with your father,” Thomas said.

  “I do,” Ava nodded. “To an extent. But he’s right about Brad Doherty. He had no right to make that choice for everyone. He is as responsible for this war as Joseph Griggs.”

  “So you never considered joining the Akkadians?”

  Ava paused for a moment. “I’m not going to lie. I did consider it.”

  “But?”

  Ava shrugged. “We were trying to stay under the radar. My father had spent his whole life keeping us safe, keeping us out of the war. What would the point of that have been if I had abandoned my family to get myself into a war that may never end?”

  “It will end,” Thomas said with conviction.

  Ava threw Thomas a pointed look. “This war has lasted twenty three years. That’s longer than I’ve been alive, and you too probably. What makes you think it will end?”

  “Because I know Joseph Griggs,” Thomas said. “And he doesn’t give up. As long as there’s breath in his body, he will hunt witches until there are none left.”

  “I guess it’s either me or you then, huh?” Ava said.

  Thomas looked away from her. “When you say it like that….”

  “It’s the truth,” Ava pointed out. “You yourself made that clear to me.”

  Thomas closed his eyes for a long moment as though he were trying to process his thoughts. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

  “How did you mean it then?” Ava demanded, trying to pretend as though she had not been affected by his tone or his words.

  He looked her in the eye and for a moment Ava thought he was going to explain what he really meant, but then his eyes glazed over and he dropped them. Ava left him to his silence. She knew that everyone had secrets. Thomas was keeping his, and she was going to keep hers.

  “Thomas, you said you care about me, and I want you to know that I care about you too— very much. Our feelings cannot undo any of the consequences we both are facing. I understand that we have been taught different viewpoints. Surely, you are beginning to understand the flaws in the beliefs held by the witch hunters against witches?”

  “I see that you may be a ‘white’ witch, as you said earlier. However, I believe many witches — maybe most witches— do not use spells harmlessly,” Thomas said quietly. “Our time together is precious. Let’s not quarrel about things we cannot control.”

  Thomas took Ava’s hand in his and kissed it softly, moving his kisses up her arm. Ava felt her body stirring as her desire for his touch overcame her doubts. She unbuttoned his shirt and kissed his body, moving closer to him. Thomas pulled her shirt over her head and pressed his bare chest against hers.

  “Ava, my dear, Ava,” Thomas crooned as he moved his body over hers.

  Later, snuggled in each other’s arms, Thomas sighed, “I need to go. I’ll be back tomorrow. Sleep well, my dear.”

  “Sleep well, dear one.”

  Chapter 10

  “Wake up, girlie.”

  Ava’s eyes flew open and she backed to one corner of her bed as two armed guards walked into her cell with cheerful smiles playing on their faces.

  “You’re going for a little walk,” the taller of the two said.

  He was bald and burly, while the guard standing just behind him was thin and tattooed on both arms. Ava stayed where she was.

  “Where?” she asked.

  “You’ll see when you get there. Now, get ready,” the bald guard said as he grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her from her bed.

  Ava had no choice. She washed her face and slipped on the thin sandals she had been given when she had first been brought to the cell. Nervous as she was about going someplace unknown without Thomas, the prospect of leaving her cell actually was exciting.

  She stepped out into the hallway. Compared to the silver steeliness of her cell walls, the corridor’s bright, white walls were almost blinding. She blinked rapidly as she was guided down the hall.

  The cell doors were a pristine white too, with an occasional little glass window in some. Ava took a little peep inside, but she couldn’t see anything apart from her own reflection. She caught an unclear glimpse of her own face, but that was enough to shock her.

  Her oval face seemed drawn in at the cheeks, almost as though they had caved in. Her hair hung in straight tangles around her head. Ava had always felt that her eyes — a light, almost translucent hazel — were her best feature, but now they looked too big for her face. Even her color seemed to have changed. Ava couldn’t remember being that pale, but she reminded herself that she had spent the last month in a cell. Her skin had forgotten what sunlight felt like.

  The thing that hurt the most was the realization that she didn’t look much like her mother anymore.

  Ava was steered into another corridor, at the end of which stood an intimidating black steel door. The bald guard leaned forward and swiped a card that hung around his neck like a pendant. After a moment, the door clicked and swayed open of its own accord. Ava walked through into an open space. It was clear that they were underground. The area had the feel of impermanence about it, but Ava could see the signs of everyday life hanging around the space like a dank smell.

  There were tables set up in the center of the area. A few people milled around them. Ava noticed that they were dressed in civilian clothing. There was a woman sitting at one of the tables feeding a small child with a spoon. As they passed, the little girl craned her neck in Ava’s direction, ignoring her mother’s outstretched ha
nd.

  “Mummy, is that a witch?” she asked loudly.

  “Come on, Erica,” the woman said. “Finish your food.”

  “Mummy, I want to see the witch.”

  “You’ve seen her.”

  “She doesn’t look dangerous,” the child pointed out.

  “That doesn’t mean she’s not.”

  Ava was spared the rest of that conversation as they left the open space and entered another maize of corridors. The witch hunters had set up an intricate network with quarters for their soldiers, guards, followers and families. They had lab rooms and medical facilities and kitchens. They even had enough room to house their prisoners. Ava realized with a start that Akkadian headquarters were probably exactly the same; small armies resting just beneath the surface.

  Finally, the tattooed guard opened a door, and Ava was led into a small room with a table in the center. Three chairs had been set around the table, two on opposite sides and one at the head. It reminded her of an interrogation room where police took their suspects to shake them down.

  Her nerves felt electrified, and her breathing came in short bursts that hurt her chest. She wiped her face clean of emotion and willed herself into a state of calm. She sat down and both guards walked back out, leaving her alone. Ava looked around searching for a mirror, a window or a hidden camera, but the room seemed bare.

  Ava heard voices just outside the room, and she prayed one of them was Thomas. When the door opened, however, she found herself faced with a woman in dark trousers and a fitted white blouse. She looked like a government official with her blonde hair tied behind her head in a tight bun. As she sat down on the chair opposite her, Ava realized that her eyes were hazel too, and her mind flashed to an image of her mother, but this woman’s eyes were duller and decidedly less passionate than her mother’s had been.

  A man followed her in. He was dressed similarly, but he was noticeably less impressive than she was. He had a tuft of silver brown hair that surrounded his head with a shiny bald patch right in the middle. He wore thick glasses and sported a wispy moustache that did him no favor.

  He was carrying what looked like a large black computer. He sat himself down at the head of the table, opened his computer and pulled out a thin wire that was attached to an ugly black bracelet that looked like a collar. Ava recognized it instantly.

  “Hello, Ava,” she said in a crisp, clear voice.

  “Hello,” Ava replied, hoping that being polite would help her get through whatever this was with as little pain as possible.

  “I’m Eliza Carter.”

  “Okay.”

  “You must be wondering why you’ve been brought here today.”

  “I am, yes,” Ava replied.

  “Well, it’s very simple really,” she said in her brisk manner. “I just have a few questions that I need answered. All I ask is that you cooperate and answer them honestly.”

  Ava swallowed, trying to dispel her worry and nodded.

  “Good,” Eliza replied. “This is my colleague, John Albano, and he’s going to help make sure you stay on the right track.”

  It was a neat way of putting it. Ava gritted her teeth as John wound the black bracelet around her wrist to connect her to his computer.

  “Lovely,” Eliza said with satisfaction. “What is your name?”

  Ava knew how this went. She took a deep internal breath and forced herself into a state of calm. “Ava,” she replied.

  “Please state your full name for me.”

  Ava hesitated for only a second. “Ava Caroline Edwards.”

  “Good,” Eliza said as she passed a quick glance in John’s direction.

  “What year is it?”

  “Twenty eighty-five.”

  “Excellent.”

  “In what year were you born?”

  “Twenty sixty-five.”

  “Are you a witch?”

  “Yes.”

  “What is your father’s name?”

  Ava didn’t blink, but she knew that John was staring at her increased heart rate. She saw him shoot a glance in Eliza’s direction, and she turned her gaze on Ava.

  “You’re getting upset, Ava.”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I don’t know where my father is,” she said honestly. “Or if he’s safe. For all I know you already have him.”

  “We don’t have your father,” Eliza said with certainty.

  “How do I know that?” Ava demanded.

  “Why would I lie?” Eliza said with excessive calm. “Are you ready to continue?”

  Ava took another internal breath. “Yes.”

  “What is your father’s name?” Eliza repeated.

  “Gregory Edwards,” Ava answered quietly.

  “Please state his full name for me.”

  “That is his full name,” Ava said impatiently.

  “I see,” Eliza replied sounding interested. “Very well. In what year was he born?”

  “Is this really necessary?” Ava wanted to know.

  “Please answer the question,” Eliza said coolly.

  “Twenty thirty-three.”

  “Is your father a witch?”

  “Yes.”

  “You have a younger brother?”

  “Yes.”

  “What is his name?”

  “Harry Joseph Edwards.”

  “In what year was he born?”

  “Twenty seventy.”

  “Is he a witch?”

  “No.”

  “Do you have any other siblings?”

  “No.”

  “Do you have any paternal uncles or aunts?”

  “You haven’t asked me about my mother,” Ava said as her anger started to build.

  “Please answer the question.”

  “Why is that, exactly?” Ava demanded. “You’ve asked me about every other member of my family. Why not my mother?”

  “Ava,” Eliza said in her crisp manner. “Please answer the questions I put to you.”

  “Go ahead,” Ava said talking over her. “Ask me what happened to her.”

  “Ms. Edwards,” Eliza said warningly.

  “Her name was Lillian Caroline Edwards. She was born in twenty thirty-seven. She was not a witch. She was shot down like an animal by one of your witch hunters.”

  Eliza was staring at her calmly, regarding her as though she were a problem that needed solving. Finally she turned to John, who shook his head. At the same moment, Ava realized that her hands had balled into fists.

  “Terminate the session,” Eliza said. “Ms. Edwards is too upset to continue today. We will try again tomorrow.” Eliza turned to Ava, and her eyes held a warning. “I trust you’ll be more cooperative at our next meeting, Ms Edwards. Good day to you.”

  She turned and walked out, with John at her heels. A couple of seconds later, the two guards appeared again to escort her back to her cell. This time, Ava didn’t concentrate on her return journey. Her mind was racing; her thoughts were a scrambled mess of worry. She needed to be careful, and she needed to be calm. Most of all, she needed to be a good liar.

  Chapter 11

  “Why didn’t you warn me?” Ava rounded on Thomas the moment he walked through her cell door. “I was completely blindsided.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “They pushed it forward without informing me. I was going to tell you.”

  “When?” Ava asked furiously. “Right before they hauled me off for the witch hunter’s version of an interrogation?”

  “It was an oversight on my part,” Thomas said. “I should have told you sooner.”

  “Why did they move it up?” Ava asked tugging her fingers through her hair.

  “I don’t know,” Thomas said sounding genuine. “I honestly don’t know.”

  “You’re supposed to be in charge of me, aren’t you?” Ava asked. “Shouldn’t they have told you?”

  “They don’t tell me everything, Ava,” Thomas said in frustration.

  Ava sighed
and sank down onto her bed. “She’s going to bring me in again tomorrow.”

  “I know, I heard,” Thomas said. “And when she does you need to stay calm.” He sat beside her and put his arm around her shoulders.

  “For God’s sake, why are they even doing this?” Ava asked. “What is the point?”

  Thomas hesitated.

  “What?”

  “They know your father is out there,” Thomas replied. “And they know he’s a witch.”

  “They’re trying to catch him,” Ava nodded. “I figured as much.”

  “Do you know where he might be?” Thomas asked.

  Ava regarded him appraisingly. “No.”

  “You’re going to have to lie better than that,” Thomas said sternly.

  Ava groaned in frustration, shrugging his arm away. “They already murdered my mother. I won’t let them catch my father… or my brother.”

  “It won’t come to that,” Thomas said. “If you stay calm and answer Eliza’s questions.”

  “But….”

  “Ava, listen to me,” Thomas said urgently, taking her hands in his. “You’ve been given a second chance, but that’s all you’ll get. If you don’t cooperate….”

  “Let me guess. There will be consequences?” Ava asked coldly.

  “Yes, there will,” Thomas said. “And that’s something you’re going to want to avoid.”

  Ava shook her head at him. “Are you still convinced you’re on the right side?”

  “The end goal is sincere.”

  “Is that what you tell yourself?”

  Thomas stared her down and Ava’s anger slowly ebbed. “I’m sorry… I just….”

  “I know,” he said dismissively. “It’s okay.” He kissed her and brushed her hair back.

  “I… just don’t know if I can… keep it together,” Ava said honestly.

  “I’m afraid you’re going to have to,” Thomas said gently. “If you want to keep your father and your brother safe, you’re going to have to stay calm and cooperate.”

  Ava closed her eyes for a moment to steady herself. She thought of her father and brother. They were still out there somewhere. They were still free. When she opened her eyes again, she felt more in control. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll remember.” She let him pull her close, and she relaxed her head on his shoulder.