A Hunter's Challenge [The Hunters 3] (Siren Publishing Allure)

by Suzy Shearer

  “Anthan’s on his way there now.”

  Martin nodded and said, “Any chance of getting a plane out soon?”

  “Yes, I’ve arrange for Jack Barr to fly you out tomorrow night. I’ll let Anthan know you’re coming. You should be there in a couple of days. Anything you need?”

  “No.” Martin thought for a moment then changed his mind. “Actually yes, I’ve a trunk with some stuff in it. Can you get it picked up and sent out? It’s at the main council headquarters, in storage.”

  “No problem. Jack can arrange to get it picked up and it can go on the plane.”

  “Thanks, it’s mainly books and my spare hunting knives. I stored it last year but I really miss having them with me.”

  “Easy done. And when this is over you can have your pick of assignments, even if you only manage to stay with him for a day or so.”

  “Thanks! Actually I wouldn’t mind staying in Australia, haven’t been there before. Or else back to Canada near the family.”

  “Okay, we can talk about it when this one is sorted. Look, if you have any fears for Anthan can you keep me posted? I really worry about him.”

  “I will, I’ll keep in touch regardless.”

  Avril came in with tea for them all and the talk turned to more general things.

  “How was Julie, Martin?”

  “Ha, I was telling Viorel, Tomas is driving her nuts!”

  Avril laughed. “That I can imagine! He is so intense. He scared me at first.”

  “How are you enjoying Council life, Avril? Big change from staying in the one place.”

  She gave Viorel’s hand a squeeze. “It’s wonderful. I can’t believe how many places we have been to already! Did Viorel tell you we’re going to see Mum next month? Julie’s baby better be here by then or I’ll be as crazy as Tomas.”

  “From what Julie said we can expect it any time now. She’s due in three days.”

  Avril smiled then looked a little worried.

  “What do you think happened to that female vampire?”

  “Good question. Wish we could have killed her. I hate knowing she is about somewhere.”

  “I’ve told Tomas to keep a close watch on the databases. Told Matei the same thing.” Viorel looked thoughtful. “I don’t think she would have travelled far.”

  “Another strigoi to worry about,” Martin said in disgust.

  Viorel looked thoughtful.

  “There seems to be more activity. Maybe I’m worrying too much but I get the impression there are more strigoi around. Avril and I have been working on a database and the results are not good.”

  “What? Do you think they are breeding faster or what?”

  “That’s just it. I don’t know but our early results are showing there are a lot more outbreaks and it scares me.”

  “Heavens Viorel, we’re stretched pretty thin as it is. How on earth can we cope if you’re right?”

  “I don’t know, Martin, I just don’t know. Another reason why we need Anthan, he’s been studying their breeding and their movements for centuries.”

  They sat in silence, all filled with concern at Viorel’s news. Avril broke the silence.

  “Will you join us for a meal, Martin?”

  “Love to, thanks Avril.”

  They moved out to the kitchen and chatted while Avril organised things. In no time, they were tucking into a delicious lentil soup followed by a risotto with peas and saffron that their housekeeper had organised earlier.

  “That was delicious, Avril. I miss home cooking.”

  “Thanks, although you have to thank Cătălina. Think you can fit in some dessert?”

  Viorel started laughing. “He’s as bad if not worse than Tomas.”

  Avril grinned. “I have some cake with sour cherries or a delicious apple cake that our Romanian housekeeper likes to spoil Viorel with.”

  Martin raised his eyebrow when Viorel commented that knowing Martin he would want both. Avril grinned at him but he was pleased to see her give him a slice of each.

  “Wow, these are delicious.”

  “Aren’t they? Cătălina simply spoils us both, I don’t know what I would do without her, especially when we have a lot of catering with various Hunter functions. She’s become part of the family and travels with us.”

  Martin stayed talking with his friends until the early hours, and then he left to go back to his room at the council headquarters.

  Chapter Two

  Anthanasius Vaduva rose. He stretched his long six-foot-eight body and walked into the bathroom. Pushing his black waist-length hair back from his face, he tied it with a leather thong then searched at his face in the mirror. Deep-set bright brown eyes flecked with yellow-gold under heavily marked brows stared back him. His eyes held too much pain. They had seen so much and they were filled with such sadness.

  Too many years and too much violence.

  Anthan shook his head and turned away. He walked into the kitchen and stood at the open fridge door. Even eating held no pleasure for him. It was something he had to endure to survive. He generally lived on fast food or restaurant stuff, rarely bothering to make anything for himself now. In fact he couldn’t remember the last time he had cooked. Must have been sometime in the 1960s.

  Another temptation—to stop eating.

  Angrily he grabbed some leftover cheese pizza and threw it into the microwave to heat.

  All too often lately, his thoughts had been dark. He was bone-weary, tied of living but duty bound to continue. He’d lived too long, seen civilizations come and go and still he lived. Anthan realised it had become worse since Viorel’s wedding. He was pleased that after so many years his friend’s son could now have light to balance the dark, someone to share his love, his pain.

  At the same time, he admitted to himself that he was jealous.

  He was surprised when he counted up and discovered that was over eight months ago, he needed to get over it and get back to doing what he did best—hunting.

  Grabbing the pizza from the microwave, he walked into the family room, sat in front of his laptop and fired it up. Munching on the barely edible dried-out pizza, Anthan went through the local police databases looking for anything that stood out as the possible work of strigoi.

  Nothing—all had been quiet for a long time.

  How long had he been here?

  The council gave him free rein and he was able to go wherever he liked and stay for a long as he liked. He had houses scattered all over the world and tended to rotate through them, staying at each for a few hundred years, researching and writing when he wasn’t fighting. Maybe it was time to move on again.

  He went back onto the database and searched worldwide through the countries he owned properties. A couple of areas stood out with activity.

  Where to go? Which area to choose?

  He quite liked the sea. There was that house he had on the coast, on the edge of tall cliffs. He loved watching the waves from its rooms.

  Now where was it?

  Anthan gave a loud laugh recalling the last time he had decided to stay at one of his houses. He had thought some time in the snow would be nice but instead got mixed up with places and seasons, ending up in the desert during midsummer. Still, once he got over his initial disappointment, he had enjoyed the time there. He recalled that he’d done some excellent paintings there that had sold extremely well.

  This time he would get it right. It was the east coast of somewhere. There was a lot of bird life and animals. There had been mountains in the distance.

  Great! That narrowed it down a lot—not!

  Sydney rang a bell. Actually, that might be it. South of Sydney in Australia.

  He looked back into the databases and Sydney was one of those that had stood out. Finishing off the pizza, he studied all the recent unexplained murders for the area. Surprisingly there were a lot more than he would have expected, reinforcing the growing idea that there were more strigoi now than ever had been.

  This current activity
covered about a three-hundred-kilometre area, in the built-up areas of outer Sydney, the lower Blue Mountains and down through the Illawarra to the start of the Budawangs.

  Either there was one very smart strigoi who was spreading his kills, which was very unlikely, they tended to be rather obvious. Or else there were a few active in the area. Anthan decided that was where he needed to be.

  He contacted Viorel and asked if there was a plane available to take him. When he told Viorel what he had found and that he intended to investigate, Viorel dropped a clanger on him. Would he take a partner?

  Anthan was about to refuse when Viorel said that it was a large area to investigate and he had a young male Hunter that would benefit from Anthan’s experience. It left Anthan with little choice but to agree. He reluctantly told Viorel to send the boy out, he could stay at his home and together they would see what could be done.

  Anthan was more than a little angry. Viorel had made it so he couldn’t refuse taking the boy. Hopefully they could clear out the strigoi fast and the kid would leave.

  He walked through his house, deciding if there was anything he would like to take. Viorel promised he would set someone up in this house for him. They could monitor the area at the same time as caring for his home.

  * * * *

  A few days later Anthan landed in Australia. The council jet took him directly to Illawarra Airport and from there he would make his own way. He had a small container of things that he wanted with him, mainly books that he took with him everywhere he went and his art gear. The pilot promised he would arrange transportation of them early in the morning.

  Anthan had sent word ahead to the council agents with instructions to have the house cleaned, aired and stocked with food. He also arranged for linens, towels, mattresses and such to be purchased and the old thrown away.

  In every large city, there were mortals who were employed by the council to undertake tasks like cleaning, minor repairs or even renovating. It meant that Hunters like Anthan, who owned property, could be assured of having things organised when they arrived.

  The plane landed around seven in the evening and after wishing the pilot and co-pilot a good evening he left them. They would stay overnight in a nearby hotel before flying out the next morning after sending out his chest.

  He dematerialised. The good thing about being a Hunter was the ability to move through customs unseen.

  Materialising in the entrance, he walked out into the evening air then transformed into an owl after checking there were no mortals in the immediate vicinity. He flew for about twenty-five minutes and landed on the back deck of his home. Transforming back, he took a deep breath of fresh sea air and felt himself relax as he unlocked the door.

  The house was perched on a cliff overlooking the Tasman Sea. It fitted neatly into its surrounds. The house itself was centuries old but he had renovated it a few times and it was comfortable. There were four bedrooms, each with their own en suite and now, of course, shutters. The master was on the top floor and the other three set below on the bottom level. A large kitchen flowed into a family room with access to the side of the house through a long hall. There was also a more formal very large living room, which he used to have as a painting studio. A dining room was always unused for its intended use, instead his books, papers and bits and pieces would soon be covering the old dining table.

  The good thing about an immortal’s house was that even if it remained empty for many years, the locals always thought someone was living in it, a bonus from the gods. At least he didn’t have to worry about the house being vandalised or used as a squat.

  Anthan had put in a separate three-car garage which was mainly used as storage. He didn’t have a car here at the moment. He would look into buying something soon if he decided to stay a while after they cleared the area of strigoi. It was always handy to have four-wheel transport, especially when buying food although he could order online and get it delivered. Still he preferred not to have too many mortals know where he was.

  There was a spacious covered deck that went all around the house, although it had been built in such a way that you couldn’t get onto it from outside the house. The front rooms of the house all had windows that afforded wonderful views up and down the coastline.

  His closest neighbour was a few kilometres away and there was just a dirt track that led to his home. He was now off the grid also. The house came with two very large water tanks and when solar energy became available a few years back, he had arranged to have it installed on the house. Now he had all the power he needed and plenty of hot water.

  When he’d arranged for solar power, he’d also got them to renovate the house and update it. He had added a large self-contained three-bedroom flat alongside. He had no idea why but at the time he felt it was important, that he needed it. As well, he had gotten the council builders to build a studio. It was linked to the main house from the side deck with a covered walkway. There were two very large rooms, and one smaller which had running water and lots of cupboards. He would set all his art gear up in it later in the week. The smaller room he would use to continue his research into strigoi if he decided to stay.

  Unlocking the door, he was glad to see that the place had been cleaned and when he checked, fresh food was in the pantry and fridge. He grinned when he saw all the packets of biscuits and chocolates and helped himself to a few, before taking an apple to eat.

  Walking out to the garage, he unlocked it. He had arranged for whoever delivered his container to put it into the garage. He would unpack it tomorrow evening or the next whenever it arrived. He stretched out on the lounge and took in the view. Sighing peaceful, Anthan tucked his hands behind his head and relaxed. Later he would set up the laptop.

  Viorel had sent him a message, the young Hunter would arrive sometime next evening. Anthan decided tonight he would rest and then begin hunting tomorrow night when the boy arrived.

  The change of scenery was working.

  He felt better than he had done in the past few months. Getting to his feet, he walked out onto the wooden deck. Breathing deeply, he took in the salt air, the crisp smell of the sea and felt calmer.

  Anthan decided he would go into the nearby town and see what was there. It had been a great many years since he came here and he wondered just what is was now like. Not bothering to lock the door leading onto the deck, it would be impossible to reach unless you flew or dared risk the climb up the high rugged cliff face, Anthan transform and launched himself into the air.

  He flew the short distance and was surprised at the size of the town, although he thought it was probably considered a city now judging by its size. He landed silently in a park he found and transformed. There was a jogger running past so he took advantage and fed quickly then walked off through the streets. Even though it was after nine at night, there were a lot people about. A large district was filled with cafes, restaurants and fast food places, all had a big clientele. If there was a strigoi in the area, there would be plenty of people for it to choose from.

  Tomorrow night he would do a search of the areas where bodies had been found around this town and see if he could pick up any traces, he would use tonight to just get used to the size of the place. In his memory, it was still a quiet little hamlet of only a few scattered houses.

  He found a small Indian bistro that sold vegetarian meals and decided to give it a try. Twenty minutes later a steaming plate of vegetable korma with freshly made chapattis was put in front of him. Eating quietly and reading the local newspaper the bistro provided, gave Anthan the chance to further relax. By the time, he finished eating he was feeling in a much more pleasant mood than he had felt for ages.

  He strolled off through the streets, amazed by how much the town had grown. Even by midnight, there were still a lot of people about. Most were heading home after an evening’s entertainment. It was obvious that there would be plenty of food for a strigoi and this was one of the smaller areas, so if it were this busy here it would be worse in the l
arger cities.

  Suddenly he was glad he had agreed to Viorel’s suggestion. It would make it much easier if there were two Hunters covering the large area he had marked as active. He just hoped the boy wasn’t completely green.

  By the early hours of the morning there were hardly any people about and Anthan retraced his steps and headed home, arriving about 5:30. It was late September and sunrise was just beginning. Sunset would be just before six tonight.

  He got a glass of orange juice from the fridge, a couple of pieces of fruit and a handful of biscuits. Changing into a T-shirt and shorts, he sat out on the deck to watch the sunrise.

  Three and half hours later Anthan was still sitting on the deck. The sun had been up for three hours and he could feel himself tiring. He sat there for another hour then purposefully he moved his chair into the sunlight and sat down. The sun’s rays began to heat his body.

  He started to feel the pain on his arms and legs, both were uncovered. He watched as they began to turn red. He realised regretfully that the temptation to stay there, sitting in the sunshine was still strong. He thought perhaps with this change of scenery, and the relaxed way he was feeling, the temptation may have gone.

  But no.

  He stayed there in the sun watching as his skin began to blister. The pain taking away his thoughts of loneliness.

  Would today be the day he finally stayed?

  Chapter Three

  No. Not today.

  He shrugged his shoulders and got to his feet. Staggering inside, the effects of the sun and his lethargy were making it hard to stay upright. Pressing the button to close the house shutters, he stumbled into his bedroom and fell into bed, welcoming the dreamless sleep of the immortal and finally slept.

  When he woke late in the afternoon, the blisters had gone. His immortal body healing through his sleep, he rose and showered. Although Hunters had the ability to clean themselves without resorting to baths, most enjoyed the feel of water on their bodies. Dressing himself in the manner of immortals, he walked out into the kitchen.