Charlie Sullivan and the Monster Hunters: Council of the Hunters

by D. C. McGannon

  “You’ve been at the movies for six and a half hours?”

  “Well, no. We were at Tavern’s before that—”

  “I’m at Tavern’s right now. According to him and Mary, you haven’t been here all day. So where were you?”

  Darcy’s jaw worked, but she couldn’t think of anything to say that wouldn’t dig a deeper hole than she was already in.

  “Come to Tavern’s. We need to talk, apparently. Now.”

  “Okay.” Darcy hung up the phone. “That’s it. We’re toast.”

  “We’ll be okay,” said Nash. “After all, we’re monster hunters. At least for now. Just doing our job, right? She can’t blame us for that, can she?”

  “She can if her mind has been warped by magic,” Charlie said.

  Silence consumed them.

  Darcy voice-commanded another number. “Hi Priest. Something ... came up. We need to go into town.” She chatted with him for a few minutes, both expressing their concerns about her mother. “Hopefully this will all blow over. Keep us updated about Liev, okay?”

  “Wait! Stop the car,” Lisa demanded. “I’m going with them to find my brother.”

  Darcy opened her mouth to speak, slowing the car, but Charlie told her to keep going.

  “We need you,” he said to Lisa. “There’s no telling what we’re up against with Mrs. Witherington.”

  “But—”

  “Priest, Fish, and Dink will find him. Or he’ll find them. I think we would have seen the signs of a battle already if Liev had confronted the demon head on. He’s fine.”

  Lisa slapped him, hard. Charlie could feel the burn and swelling under his shirt. Darcy and Nash both gasped out loud and jumped in their seats.

  “Don’t,” she told him, holding back tears. “You don’t know where he is. My brother would follow your word to death, and he has once. But I won’t.”

  She turned to look out the window, sitting as still and tall as a statue. Charlie ignored the eyes he was getting from the rearview mirror, instead trying to hide his own as they started to water. He collapsed back in his seat, leaned against the door and watched the trees fly by outside his window. No one spoke.

  When they reached the main road, Fish’s little red pickup split off one way, and Darcy turned south, back to town. Hunter’s Grove was busy enough that day, the last vestige of wealthy tourists browsing local shops, while the town regulars went about their daily lives. The sun was tucked into its bed of orange and deep blue clouds for the night, street lamps flickering to life. Darcy darted through town, an arrow aimed straight for TAVERN’S QUICK-N-GO. The parking lot, a small affair of asphalt, dirt, and a wooden curb of sorts, presented itself uncharacteristically empty.

  The four teenagers piled out, cautiously marching up the stairs. Darcy breached the door first, attempting an air of confidence and hoping to deflect as much of her mother’s wrath as possible.

  Elizabeth Witherington was leaning against a mini-fridge loaded with soda pop and ice cream sandwiches. She looked terrifying, her skin pale as paper, the light cast from behind her deepening the shadows under her eyes and cheeks. When she saw the dirt and grime all over them, she became more furious.

  On the other side of the rustic cafe, Tavern looked up from behind the counter, making no attempt to hide the concern from his face.

  “Now, would you mind telling me where you’ve been?” Elizabeth demanded from her daughter. “Without the lies this time?”

  “We were just out around town, Mom.”

  Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, looking over their ripped clothing, cuts, and bruises. “Really?”

  Darcy raised her hands, hesitating. She was normally great at navigating difficult situations. But this was more than difficult—she was flustered, nervous, scared—and her mother was not her usual self.

  Charlie stepped forward. “We went to find Chen,” he said simply, honestly.

  Elizabeth’s eyes locked onto him like a predator homing in to overtake its prey. “You did what?”

  “Chen has been missing for a week now, and the only person to do anything about it has been Priest.”

  “I told you, specifically, not to worry yourselves about finding Chen, that Priest would handle finding him. I told Priest himself, after making it abundantly clear that you five were to concern yourselves only with your presentation to the council.”

  “Technically, Chen is a member of the council, just like Priest. Finding him could help our cause tomorrow.”

  “Technically, Charlie, you disobeyed a direct order. That is the fact you need to be concerned with right now.”

  “So?”

  There was no mistaking the shock that came from everyone in the room. It wasn’t like Charlie to confront an adult, much less an elder hunter and council member.

  “Excuse me?” Elizabeth asked, her voice low and dangerous.

  Charlie swallowed. Clearly she wasn’t herself. Sweat beaded her forehead, and darkness branded her eyes. Untold levels of stress blotched and discolored her skin. Sleep deprivation may have weighted her eyes with purple bags, or more likely it was the near-possession of the hidden monster haunting Hunter’s Key that had laid claim to this mighty protector.

  “What if you aren’t making the best decisions for our group? What if we disagree with you?”

  “You do what I say, regardless. I am an experienced hunter, Charlie Sullivan. You are five kids who have been dragged through the mud twice.”

  Lisa scoffed, stepping next to Charlie. “Dragged through the mud? Is that what you call losing your brother and still defeating the Greater that an experienced portal guardian couldn’t stand down?” She was unashamed, reaching to strike a nerve. “Is that what you consider facing off against a coven of witches being led by an old goddess? Dragged through mud? We’ve crawled through hell only to stand here and be accused by you of being kids out for a good frolic in the dirt. And let’s not forget who rescued who!”

  “So you are all big boys and girls, now, huh? You think you can call the shots, and you think you can speak to me like this? Maybe I was wrong after all. You aren’t ready to be called hunters.”

  Charlie felt like he had been punched in the stomach. Was she saying what he thought she was?

  “Come on, Darcy. We’re going home. We’ll finish this tomorrow.”

  “I need to drop everyone off first—”

  “Drop everyone off? You mean to tell me you’ve been driving by yourself as well? Car privileges are revoked, young lady.”

  Darcy bit her lip and looked at the floor. Oops. As her mother exited the building, she looked at her friends and whispered a goodbye. She also showed her phone to Nash. He looked down at the screen, and nodded when she mouthed, Call Priest.

  Darcy turned and left under her mother’s watchful gaze. Elizabeth glared at them disapprovingly one last time before exiting, assisting the door to swing shut loudly.

  Nash immediately dug out his phone.

  “What is it?” Lisa asked.

  “They found Liev.”

  “And?” she pressed, turning to face him directly.

  “He’s fine. Liev is okay. But the message said something about Chen ... I couldn’t read it fast enough before Darcy pulled her phone away. Hey, Fish,” he said when someone answered his call. “Where are you guys?” He frowned, looking at the others.

  “What is it?” Charlie asked.

  “They’re at the airfield,” he murmured, then turned back to the phone. “We’re down at Tavern’s. Can you meet us? Oh. We’ll be there, then. It’ll take a bit, we don’t have a car. I’ll explain later. All right. Bye.”

  Lisa and Charlie watched Nash expectantly after he clicked the red button, closing out the call.

  “Liev’s still ... changing back to human. He didn’t want to come into town like that.”

  Charlie sighed. “Looks like we have a long walk ahead of us.”

  “If you need a ride, all you have to do is ask,” Tavern said, walking over from the safe distance h
e’d kept in the restaurant. “On the way you can tell me what’s wrong with Elizabeth. She’s a fiery woman to be sure, but there was something else about her tonight. Something’s wrong.”

  Charlie nodded. “Thanks, Tavern. It’s quite a tale.”

  “Well, let’s get a move on. I know I’m not in the hunter’s club or anything, but if something is happening in my town again, I want to know what it is. Maybe this time I can do something about it.”

  They arrived at the town’s small airstrip, surprised to see Aisling and her two guards huddled around Liev in front of the compact hangar with Priest, Fish, and Dink.

  “What is she doing here?” Lisa asked.

  “So what you’re telling me is that both of the Witheringtons have been under some sort of spell for the last few months?” Tavern sounded like he was the average person trying to talk about the existence of dragons and aliens—which wasn’t too far from reality.

  Charlie nodded. “Pretty much.”

  “Maybe that explains why the mayor has been ordering decaf lately, and hasn’t been around much at all come to think of it.”

  Tavern parked next to Fish’s little red pickup, leaving his hand on the gearshift. They could see he wanted to stay and find out more, but that he didn’t quite feel welcome.

  Charlie sensed the man’s hesitation. “Do you mind hanging around?” he asked, popping the door open. “I’m not sure we can all fit in Fish’s truck.”

  “Sure, sure.”

  “What’s up, Sis?” Liev called from beneath a thick blanket. His hair fell longer than usual, and everyone noticed the torn strips, formerly a shirt, hanging loosely off his shoulders, but he was smiling and carefree. Lisa suspected that it had something to do with Aisling sitting next to him.

  “I could ask you that,” she called back to her brother. “I was worried sick. I tried calling.”

  “Lost my phone. Probably fell out of my not-so-fashionable, repurposed jeans.” He waggled his feet out of the bottom of the blanket. Shreds of once-white denim flopped around his ankles.

  “Ugh. Mom and Dad are going to be ticked. They just got you that phone.”

  “Sorry, Mom. I was actually more concerned about my jeans. I loved this pair! I can always get another phone, but do you know how hard it is to find white jeans in this town?”

  Aisling let a dainty giggle escape her lips.

  Liev smiled wider at her laugh, but it fell when he looked at the hangar behind them. “I tracked Donnie and the demon here, but it was too late. They dragged Chen inside one of the jets and took off.”

  “Do we know where?” Nash asked.

  “Workin’ on it,” Fish said. “Left behind no flight logs or nothin’, of course.”

  “I’ve put in a few calls,” Aisling said. “The word is still spreading, but all of our landing zones around the world know to watch for that jet.”

  “That’s the other thing,” Liev said. “The jet belongs to Bartholome.”

  “You think he’s in on it?” asked Nash.

  Priest sat down on an old tire, whispering a sigh. “It’s possible. It’s possible he has nothing to do with this. Either way, we need to be wary of who is friend and who is foe tomorrow.”

  “Speaking of which,” said Charlie, “has Darcy called you yet?”

  “Not as such. What about?”

  “Mrs. Witherington. I think the dark magic has finally taken its toll on her. The way she talked to us tonight, I think her vote has changed.”

  He could see the blood drain from their faces.

  “That’s it then,” Aisling said. “The majority vote will be against you. What are we going to do?”

  “We’re going to fight.”

  “Fight? The council? No one has ever done such a thing.”

  Charlie looked at the others. Nash clapped his friend on the back, saying, “Then I guess we’ll be making history. Kinda gettin’ used to it.”

  “Lad.” Priest put his hand on his knee, leaning there. “All of you. These aren’t simple monsters you can kill. These are the world’s most powerful hunters, and they have your scent. I’m not sure that they won’t call for your death.”

  “Death might be better than losing,” said Charlie.

  “I’m not willing to die,” said Lisa, an edge to her voice. “Fighting monsters, the Dark Prince, I could die there, knowing it was for a reason. But not against our own.”

  “And what happens when they try to execute Liev? They’ve already put that notion to a vote once.”

  Lisa looked at her brother, fists clenching. She dropped her head in silence.

  “What about Loch?” Nash said. “Have we given up on helping him wake up? He would know what to do.”

  Charlie shook his head. “We can’t wait on him anymore. We’re out of time. This is something we need to figure out. It’s time to take responsibility for ourselves.”

  “Let it come to a fight, then,” Connor said, speaking up for the first time since everyone had arrived at the airfield. “We’ll fight next to you. And monster hunter or not, we won’t hold back.”

  Quinn put a hand on his young friend’s shoulder. “Careful. Fighting against humans is dangerous for us. One wrong clench of the teeth and we could well become a simpleminded beast.”

  “We’ll need to find the upper hand,” said Aisling. “Be prepared to strike the moment they turn to violence. It will be difficult with Wotan’s gift.”

  Charlie agreed. “True. We’ll need to figure out a way to sidestep his power. The gargoyles will come to help once they see we’re being attacked.”

  “Is that really a good thing?” asked Lisa. “Who will they help? Us, or the Council of the Hunters? They’re bound to duty. I don’t like those odds, Charlie. What about running away?”

  “Monster hunters all over the world have been sent word that the council is gathering,” said Aisling. “Many hunters have been silent for years, but with this meeting they know something significant is upon us. It wouldn’t be hard for the council to put the word out about a group of rogue hunters. You would have to go into hiding.”

  Nash grunted, “I’m not cool with that.”

  Lisa’s shoulders drooped in defeat. She was being selfish, she knew. But she’d already tasted what it was like to lose someone close to her. The idea that exclusion, or possibly even death, was waiting for them tomorrow morning made her want to retreat into the deepest, darkest hole she could find.

  “It’ll be okay, Sis,” Liev said.

  Of all the people to say that, she thought. Lisa held back her tears.

  Liev stood, keeping the blanket wrapped tightly around his body. “Well, if you all don’t mind, I would like to go home and take a shower. I feel like a dog that’s been rolling around in the grass. Probably smell like one, too.”

  “You do,” confirmed Connor.

  “Well, they don’t smell any better,” Liev said playfully.

  With an ominous cloud of desperation and doom lingering above the small airstrip, they agreed on arrangements for transportation—Priest would go back to the Key with Aisling and her bodyguards, who had arrived by rental car. Fish and Dink would take Nash home, and Tavern, who had been listening intently while pretending to doze, would take Charlie, Lisa, and Liev.

  The four teenagers stood together as vehicles were fetched or started, and they could feel their missing number in Darcy’s absence. “We’ll get through this,” Charlie told his friends. “One way or another.”

  Nash feigned a punch to Charlie’s shoulder, then turned to get into the truck with Fish and Dink. Liev went to say goodnight to Aisling, somehow turning on the charm while wrapped in a ratty old blanket.

  “I’m sorry if I seem doubtful,” Lisa confessed when it was just her and Charlie standing there. “I believe you mean what you say. I just have trouble believing we can face this without consequences that we can’t handle.”

  “I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but I believe, somehow, we’ll be okay,” he answered. “I mea
n, look what we’ve been through together.” He reached out to put his hands on her shoulders.

  She crossed her arms with a posture of protection and warning. “Don’t.”

  Charlie opened his mouth and shut it. She saw the hurt in his eyes and immediately felt a gush of regret.

  “Sorry. It wasn’t your ...” Lisa trailed off midsentence, not wanting to bring up Liev’s death again. How was Charlie supposed to forgive himself if she kept reminding him about it?

  He started to walk back to Tavern’s truck, hands stuffed in his pockets. Lisa touched Charlie’s arm, stopping him. He looked at her. There was fear in her eyes.

  “If anything happens tomorrow—”

  “It won’t.” Determination and anger set his jaw line.

  Lisa leaned forward, softly brushing her lips to his cheek. Maybe she would have laughed if she were watching from a distance as Charlie’s cheeks turned a bright red, or if her own cheeks didn’t feel like they were burning. She raised the back of her hand to her lips, cleared her throat, and hurried away from him, hiding in the dark of Tavern’s backseat.

  The drive home was quiet, and awkward. Dinner was served a while ago, and Charlie felt guilty for not being with his family that night. And then there was Lisa, in the back. Charlie didn’t really know what to think about her at that moment. Even still, she was nearly all he could think of at that moment. His thoughts reminded him that he still had a life; that it was still possible to be crazy about someone, and that truth made him glad.

  As they pulled up to the Vadiknov’s house, Tavern wished the twins a good night’s rest, and Liev gave returned a witty goodnight as Lisa silently slipped from the car.

  “So it sounds like you guys are in deep.”

  Charlie jumped at Tavern’s voice. It was the first sound either of them had heard in several minutes after pulling away. “Yeah. We are.”

  “It’s a shame. After what you did for the town last year, you kids deserve better. Maybe I’m just an old coot, but if I can help in any way ...”