Charlie Sullivan and the Monster Hunters: Council of the Hunters

by D. C. McGannon

  For Nathaniel

  My buddy, my gift, my little warrior.

  Your stories and pictures bring me tremendous joy and inspiration.

  I love you, son.

  D.C. McGannon

  For Nana and Papa Chuck

  Two people who are always there for us, no matter what, and believe in us even during the down seasons.

  C. Michael McGannon

  Charlie Sullivan and the Monster Hunters: Council of the Hunters

  Charlie Sullivan and the Monster Hunters, Book 3

  Written by D.C. McGannon & C. Michael McGannon

  Wyvern’s Peak Publishing

  Charlie Sullivan and the Monster Hunters:

  Council of the Hunters

  Written by D.C. McGannon and C. Michael McGannon

  Cover design by Matthew D. Smith – www.mdsmithdesign.com

  Copyright © D.C. McGannon, C. Michael McGannon 2015

  Published by Wyvern’s Peak Publishing. 2015

  An imprint of The McGannon Group, Ltd. Co.

  Charlie Sullivan and the Monster Hunters: Council of the Hunters / by D.C. McGannon & C. Michael McGannon – 2nd Ed.

  Summary: A demonic spirit plagues the town of Hunter’s Grove as the reputations of the monster hunters come under fire from within their own society. Betrayal, deception, and an unseen evil puts them, and everyone they care about, in grave danger.

  24681012141618

  ISBN-13: 978-0-9854088-6-2

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  www.WyvernsPeak.com

  Table of Contents

  OTHER BOOKS FROM D.C. & C. MICHAEL MCGANNON

  Glossary and Pronunciation Guide

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Epilogue

  About the Authors

  Charlie Sullivan and his band of unlikely friends are looking forward to a quiet, fun — and most importantly, normal — freshman year of high school.

  However, sinister activity haunts the shadows of their once sleepy little town again.

  With news of Chen’s disappearance, and an unseen force that threatens to break the protective wards surrounding Hunter’s Key, tensions quickly rise once more for the monster hunters.

  A shocking betrayal, disquieting new figures within their own society, and a cloud of deception hovering over influential leaders weigh heavy on the team. The Monster Hunters of Hunter’s Grove could be disbanded before they have a chance to stand against the demonic shadow that threatens their bonds of friendship, loyalty, and the lives of everyone they hold dear.

  Something, or someone, is tearing at the veil between our world and the Otherworld, promising to unleash true darkness and prepare the way for what hunters throughout the centuries have feared would one day happen . . . the rise of the Ancients.

  OTHER BOOKS FROM D.C. & C. MICHAEL MCGANNON

  All Ages:

  Charlie Sullivan and the Monster Hunters:

  The Varcolac’s Diary (Book 1) Best Seller!

  Witch Moon (Book 2)

  Council of the Hunters (Book 3)

  The Dragon Gate (Book 4) Coming Soon!

  (Wyvern’s Peak Publishing)

  Adult Horror / Dark Fiction:

  KAOS Obsidere: The Nightmare Has Begun (Dark Waters Press)

  Folklore:

  Yokai Tales: Stories From Japan’s Grand & Mysterious Tradition of Folklore (Incendia Books)

  From C. Michael McGannon:

  Hollow World: Escape From Limbo (vol. 1)

  Hollow World: The Thief’s Sacrifice (vol. 2)

  (Incendia Books)

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  Glossary and Pronunciation Guide

  Aisling – Pronounced ASH-ling.

  Constructs – Automatons and creatures brought to life by magic. Examples include stone gargoyles, Exsecrifers, golems, and others. Can be created both by Greaters and Lessers to either serve or guard.

  Dark Prince – The varcolac royal in The Varcolac’s Diary, responsible for terrorizing the town of Hunter’s Grove and trying to raise the Ancients. The effects of his personal goals and of his defeat are far reaching and still causing trouble for Monster Hunters around the world.

  Dub – Pronounced DOW. A son of Carman, one of the three most powerful witches.

  Exsecrifer – Exsecrifers are Constructs that are imprinted with curses, which they place on anyone who comes into contact with them. In The Varcolac’s Diary, it was the Dark Prince’s Exsecrifer that bit Liev and cursed him to die a thrice death.

  Faoladh – Pronounced FAY-oh-lah.

  Greaters and Lessers – Typically thought of as the social standing of a monster, based on various characteristics from wealth, influence, magical power, physical power, etc. Whenever a Hunter is assigned to a job, they tend to deal with the Lessers and work their way up to whatever is giving it purpose. Typically, a Greater.

  Hecate – Pronounced he-KAY-tee. The Witch Goddess.

  Ley Lines – Veins of magic and energy that run through the earth. Ley lines can be found in both the human world and the Otherworld. When many ley lines intersect, a portal to the Otherworld can open. Also, ley lines can be used to carry protective spells, set wards and traps, and for travel at magical speeds by certain monsters.

  Naifeh – Pronounced NAY-FEY.

  Otherworld – The disjointed and chaotic world of monsters. Unlike the human domain, the Otherworld is made of drifting dimensions and magic. Certain pockets seem to be connected to locations in the human world, linked by portals and ley lines.

  Portal – A gateway between the human world and Otherworld.

  Sluagh – Pronounced SLOO-ah. Spirits of the dead.

  Prologue

  The familiar sounds of plastic trays sliding across aluminum rails in the school lunch line were both welcome and, for once in their lives, calming. Forks, spoons, and knives chimed brightly against each other. The bustle of the school cafeteria bounced off the painted concrete walls and tiled floors, and they were glad to soak it in.

  Charlie, Darcy, Nash and Lisa—reunited with her brother, Liev—were together for the beginning of a new school year. A history of uncertainty, fatigue, and facing near-certain doom was not too far behind them. The excitement and newness of their first year in high school was unfolding in all of its nervous splendor.

  They grinned at each other, realizing how happy they were to be sitting in the school cafeteria, together.
Nash especially, as he gobbled up the under-portioned, nutritionally questionable food products that decorated his tray. As soon as his tray was clean, he began asking if others were going to eat this or finish that. For the first time in recent memory, they felt like normal teenagers.

  Well, sort of.

  They could feel eyes on them from every corner of the concrete cafeteria. Only this time there were no monsters lurking in the shadows. Students were whispering and staring—gawking really. Rumors of every kind circulated about what had happened and where they’d been. It was a quiet commotion of social media chatter, texts, raised eyebrows, hush-hush, and speculation. One could nearly see the conversation bubbles floating up from messages and posts flying from one mobile device to another, particularly about the guy who had sacrificed himself last year to save the town from monsters.

  I thought Liev Vadiknov was dead? He was dead, wasn’t he?

  i know, me too. looks like he beefed up over the summer. HOTT!!!

  Ew,no. Not my type.

  psh. suit yourself, more yum for me.

  Gross! XD

  Eyes scrutinized and dissected the hunters at their newly christened lunchroom table. Everyone had questions:

  What are they laughing about?

  What do they talk about all day?

  Are they a cult?

  Have they ever met a real-life vampire? Not the goofy, old, cape-wearing, blood-sucking type. You know, like the one in the movies?

  Are they safe to be around?

  Are they contagious?

  And, of course, being high school, those same eyes couldn’t help but notice that the hunters seemed to have some semblance of purposeful seating arrangements. Rumors swirled around the subject of who was dating who. One such conversation was happening between Caitlin, once-best-girlfriend with Darcy Witherington, and her freshly assembled clique of fashion-forward friends. With Darcy’s lack of hanging out over the last several months, Caitlin had been the only one to step up and take the lead in their social circle. Now, they watched their former leader from across the room as she teased Nash.

  I don’t get it, said one girl’s text. Darcy’s got eyes for the brute?

  ikr? i thought she hated his guts. remember when she marched him to the principles’ office last year?

  Caitlin remembered. She also remembered later, on that fateful Autumn day, when Darcy had her change of heart and stood up for Nash. That was when she started to drift away.

  She sent a text out that she knew would create a ripple across the lunchroom. I heard Lisa raised Liev from the dead ...

  A pause.

  u sayin he’s a zombie? that’s freakin’ awesome!

  NO! I mean evil magic stuff. she’s a witch!

  oooOOOOooohhh. spooky zombie witch magic!

  What, are we at, like, a witch school?

  -_- all of my disappoint

  They’ve always been kinda weird.

  ur all so stupid!

  takes 1 2 know 1 ;)

  They say Charlie can kill you if he looks at you.

  ROFL ... ur so dumb! If he could everybody at that table would be dead. He’s looking at all of them.

  Not them hackface! They’re all protected by magic or something. WE would die if he looked at us!!

  OOOOO. Watch out! Charlie’s looking at you right now.

  STHU!!

  Charlie likes Lisa methinks ... disgusting!

  So? goth girl + loner = who cares?

  True. Still disgusting.

  Ooooh. Ur jealous!

  What?

  I get it. I mean, he’s kinda cute. In that clueless sort of way. Your type.

  Shut UP! Are we hanging out at Tavern’s after?

  There anyplace else to hang?

  True. See ya after 5th period.

  Yah!

  Charlie this ...

  Lisa that ...

  Darcy what?

  Nash is hot ...

  So is Liev, for a dead person ...

  ... Hunter’s Key ...

  ... witches or vampires?

  Sacrifices in the library ...

  The only sacrifice in the library is me reading!

  LOL

  Gaaaah! Can this year be over already?

  I know ... I want to get out of Hunter’s Grove ...

  Me 2. Somewhere where there is a beach ...

  Wait ... I think Charlie is killing someone with his eyes ...

  Lisa casting another spell ...

  I heard Liev fought a demon in Ireland ...

  Good maybe he can fight my bio teacher. He’s a demon.

  Just cuz you fall asleep in class, dummy.

  Ur dumb. Haha!

  Darcy’s phone buzzed, someone’s message accidentally found its way to her. She couldn’t help but laugh. “Apparently somebody thinks you’re hot,” she told Liev.

  Liev waggled his eyebrows. “And single, I might add.”

  The group of unlikely friends grinned a little longer as other whispers reached their ears. They shared knowing glances. After the Dark Prince, the Sagemistress, werewolves, and an ancient witch goddess, they could deal with the speculation and rumors from their peers—maybe even needed it.

  This would be a fun year at school, indeed.

  “Chocolate or white?” recited the lady sitting at the cash-register nearby.

  “Got any soda back there?” quipped the student at checkout.

  She cocked an eyebrow at him, hand on one hip. “Honey, what do you think this is, a convenience store? We don’t serve sodas at this school. Now, you want chocolate or white?” She waved a serving spoon around for emphasis.

  Clearly reprimanded, the student sheepishly requested, “Chocolate, please.”

  “And don’t go asking me for soda, extra cookies, or anything else for that matter for the rest of the year! You hear?” The lunchroom attendant continued a stream of gruff mumbles at the student as he walked off, nobody having any idea what she was saying. Only that they were thankful it wasn’t them she was chastising.

  The other students in line ducked and hurried to their seats, thankful for chocolate or white, but no one else dared request any sort of secret stash.

  The hunters took in the scene in its entirety, turned to look at each other again, and belted out a collective laugh.

  Oblivious to the reason for their outburst, the lunchroom launched a chatter of more whispers, rumors, posts, and texts.

  “It’s good to be home,” Charlie stated.

  “Yeah, no doubt,” agreed Nash. “You gonna eat your cake?”

  Charlie pushed his tray toward Nash, offering him his perfectly proportioned, thinly frosted, school cafeteria dessert square.

  “Yes!” whispered Nash with a fist pump.

  “Ugh, those things are nasty,” Darcy said, wrinkling her nose. She pulled a small brown baggie out of her purse and started nibbling on the lemon pound cake inside.

  “Hey, where’d you get that?” Nash leaned forward, eyes growing large and puppy-like.

  “Forget it. Mine.” She bit into it, closing her eyes in satisfaction.

  “It’s good to be together,” Charlie said, watching his friends with a new appreciation for them, and for life. “Even if we aren’t at the Key punching each other in the face like normal.”

  “Yeah, but it’s still not the same. You guys know this, right?” reasoned Liev. His eyes grew dark.

  The group froze and, considering the horrors that Liev had been through recently, braced for what he was going to say next.

  “I mean, what if ...,” his words diminished to a whisper, leaning in to the table, drawing the rest of the group in with him, “... what if I changed into a wolf for school pictures at the very moment the photo guy snaps the pic?”

  First, there was deathly silence around the hunters’ table. Then they all released their exasperation at Liev’s dark humor.

  “I totally could, you know!”

  “Shut up, Liev! You would not,” said Lisa, punching her brother in the a
rm.

  Nearly spewing his borrowed dessert square, Nash laughed out loud. “That would be awesome!”

  “Don’t encourage him,” said Darcy. “You know he would.”

  Liev grinned. “I totally would! And I could.”

  For a moment, the table fell silent again as they were reminded of the gravity, and truth, of what Liev had said.

  Choking a little on the dryness of the yellow cake stuck in the back of his throat, Nash chugged some milk to wash it down and broke the silence. “Hey, what’s everybody doing today after school?”

  At his prompt, the group stood up and began tidying up the table and trays.

  “Library,” said Charlie and Lisa at the same time. They glanced at each other. Lisa coughed.

  “For some ... research,” she said.

  “So, are you researching each other, or what?” Nash asked, bouncing his eyebrows up and down.

  Charlie’s cheeks reddened, and he ignored the joke to the best of his ability. “It’s for Loch.”

  “Zip it, Nash!” Lisa turned to slide off her seat, and walked briskly towards the nearest trashcan, clearly embarrassed.

  Nash shrugged his shoulders and exchanged a mischievous smirk with Liev.

  At this moment, Charlie looked over Darcy’s shoulder to see Elizabeth Witherington standing in the cafeteria doorway with a pained and urgent look on her face, her eyes circled with sleeplessness. Whatever wishful thinking he had earlier, soured immediately.

  “So much for a normal school year,” Charlie snapped.

  “What? What is it?” asked Darcy, who frantically glanced at everyone else.

  Back from throwing away her trash, Lisa dropped her head and half-whispered, “Look behind you, Darcy. Your mother’s here, and I don’t think she’s just visiting.”

  Darcy whipped around to see her mother standing in the doorway. Elizabeth caught Darcy’s glare and walked out of sight into one of the corridors outside the cafeteria.

  The hunters left the table and exited the lunchroom, only to hear whispers and the tack-tack-tack of thumbs on touchscreen keyboards and smartphone icons as a new wave of rumors blasted invisibly through the air. They walked toward the corridor, heads lowered in dire anticipation.

  In the farthest corner of the cafeteria sat Donnie Wickles, who smiled and lowered his gaze to his phone and hit send.