Tainted Hunter (The Huntress Bane Book 1)

by Derek Shupert

  The kukri stays clutched in my hand, nicking the corners as I zip by them. A thrall darts toward me in the main living area as Alex disappears into the hall.

  “Wait!” I yell.

  He keeps after the creatures. He doesn’t stop or flinch by my stressed voice.

  Fuck.

  I sidestep the demon underling and lop its head off with one fluid motion as I keep my brisk pace. Its body plops to the floor and hits with a dense clump. The thrall’s head bounces and skirts across the room, slamming into the wall.

  The interior of the shabby structure becomes more defined with every passing moment. The once dimly lit halls and rooms fill with morning light. The vampires have run out of time.

  Bolting into the hallway, a brood of the demons await me. They’re mashed together and blend in as one wicked, symbiotic creature that pounds down the hall with a feverish rage lurking in their ominous red eyes.

  Gaping holes in the building’s exterior allow beams of light to shine through. The strident rays catch the vampires by the sides of their heads. They screech in agony and scurry away to any dark corners they can find.

  Their skin smolders and burns as their heads shake violently. Their clawed, pale hands paw at the affected areas, trying to relieve the painful sensation.

  A sense of satisfaction and delight fills me as a curt smirk slithers across my face.

  Burn you bastards. Burn.

  “Let my sister go, you piece of filth,” Alex growls from my right. “I swear to God, if you hurt her.”

  I catch sight of his back as he rounds a corner to the left. The vampires are held at bay by the rich glow of light, and quickly retreat back down the hall.

  I sprint toward Alex, running as fast and hard as I can. I have to save them both from the demons. It is because of me that they are even here.

  I make the corner at the junction as Alex presses his blade against one of the demon’s flesh. He rips it to the right and slits the throat of the vampire he’s tussling with.

  Blood rushes down the creature’s sallow neck like a waterfall. Alex releases his hold from the vampire’s ratted coat, allowing the dead weight of the creature to drop to the floor.

  The remaining demon eyes us from over Cindy’s right shoulder. It grunts and hisses, bearing its fangs. Alex cocks his head toward them. It glances down at its fallen brethren. Anger swells in the creature’s face as blue veins populate the surface of its furrowed brow.

  Tears rush down Cindy’s face and her lips tremble. A whimper escapes from her mouth, low and feeble. The vampire clasps its hand over her left arm. Its free hand shifts from her shoulder to her neck as its fingers wrap around her throat.

  She thrashes about, trying to wiggle her body free of the creature. She tilts her head to the side, putting as much distance between her flesh and the demon’s fangs as possible.

  It grunts and growls, jerking her body closer to it.

  “Let her go,” I snarl.

  The creature fidgets. It’s narrowed red eyes shift back and forth from me to Alex, as if it doesn’t understand what we are saying.

  Most of the newly turned demons are feral, and lack the inner control or ability to understand such things. They are often the worst, given their basic intellect and uncontrollable, ravenous hunger. Like a pack of wild dogs, they only want one thing—blood.

  “You’re going to be ok, sis.”

  Alex slowly inches toward them. The vampire grows tense. It hisses at us as it backs away with her clutched tightly within its blood-stained fingers.

  “Don’t let it bite me, Alex,” Cindy beseeches. “I don’t want to turn into one of them. Not like the others.”

  “It’s not going to bite you, Cindy,” I quickly add.

  The creature’s claws scrape over her skin as she gulps down her fear. The tip nicks the side of her neck, and draws a thin line of blood that races down her trembling flesh.

  She flinches and gasps.

  Alex’s nostrils flare outward.

  “You fucking do it, and I’ll skin you alive, demon!”

  Her scent fills the vampire’s nose. It inhales her tantalizing aroma. It leans in close with its lips but a scant inch away from her quivering body. Its tongue slithers out of its mouth, and runs over the trail of blood.

  Cindy clamps her eyes shut. Her teeth clench together as the vampire tastes her essence.

  Pulling away from her neck, the creature runs its tongue along its red, glistening lips. The vampire shivers with pleasure. It opens its mouth wider, displaying its enlarged fangs. It leans in toward her. Alex howls in horror.

  Cindy stomps on the creature’s foot with the heal of her boot. She shifts her weight to the left and drives her elbow square into the vampire’s deformed nose.

  Its head snaps back violently. The demon’s hold lessens, allowing Cindy to wiggle free.

  Blood races from the creature’s busted nose. It gnashes its teeth and narrows its red eyes.

  Enraged, the vampire swings its claws at her. I strike, removing half of its arm. The flailing limb drops to the floor as I push Cindy toward Alex. It wails loudly as blood pumps from the stump.

  The creature tries to strike me down with its other arm. I deflect its arm with mine. I plunge the tip of the kukri into its gut, and push it out through the other side.

  Blood flows out of the demon’s mouth as it hunches over. It continues to hiss and bear its fangs as it drives forward, pushing the kukri deeper into its rigid body.

  I extract the kukri with a single yank. Blood and portions of the demon’s insides chase after the blade. I slash upward. The sharp steel surgically opens the demon up from the top of its stomach to the base of its chin.

  A faint whisper of its last breath escapes its blood-soaked lips. It falls back onto the floor with a callous thump as blood pools under its body.

  I skim the hall in search of any others that may be lurking close by. My ears detect nothing more than the subtle whispers exchanged between Alex and Cindy. It’s low and muttered. I can’t make it out clearly. He pulls her close and holds her tight as she continues to whimper in his chest.

  Given that the sun has broken over the horizon, I think it’s safe to assume that the vampires have taken their servants, and the raiders, and retreated back to whence they came.

  For now, we are safe.

  SEVENTEEN

  That was too fucking close. That almost went sideways.

  Standing there, hovering over the deceased body of the bloody demon, I exhale a sigh of relief. This could’ve played out in a much different, and worse, way. I’m glad it didn’t.

  “You sure you’re okay?”

  Alex gingerly cups Cindy’s face as he looks upon her with worried eyes. He tilts her head to the left, then the right carefully. He leans in close, inspecting the small gash in the side of her neck where the vampire bore its claw into her.

  Cindy nods as she struggles to hold back the dam of tears.

  “I’m good. It didn’t feel like it went too far in.”

  Alex sighs. He pulls her close, and kisses her forehead as she embraces him.

  Watching the touching moment, a swell of feelings coil inside me. That is something that I have had vacant for most of my adult life. Although a foreign feeling to me, I am learning to allow the love and beauty of what it is to be human to seep into my battle-ridden soul.

  A smile breaks across my face as I continue watching the two of them embrace one another.

  Cindy glances at me from around Alex’s broad shoulder. Her glassy eyes blink, sending a stream of tears slaloming down her bright red cheeks. She pushes away, and swipes her hand across her face as Alex stands by her side.

  He extends his hand out to me.

  “Thank you for saving my sister.” His voice is small, and filled with a tender tone of gratitude.

  I grab his hand and shake it.

  “No need to thank me. It’s my fault that all of this happened. I’m just extremely glad that no one got hurt, or worse.”
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  “They would’ve found us eventually,” Alex retorts. “We’ve managed to dodge them for a while. Time was against us, and we knew that.”

  Cindy nods in agreement.

  “Just like last time. We thought we were safe. We followed the rules and made sure to cover our tracks. Then you make one false move, and it all comes falling apart. Before you know it, your peaceful little existence is flipped upside down, and your world is shattered.”

  She tears up once more.

  Alex gives her another hug as his warm eyes shift to me.

  “Vamps got us. We were caught out after dark trying to make it back to our hideout. We were trailed home, and they struck. Swarmed us. Our friends and cousins perished. Not sure if they were turned or just bled dry. We barely made it out.”

  I go to speak but realize that Lucian isn’t with us. I don’t see him anywhere near us. He said he would catch up.

  My eyes widen as I dart past the two of the them. My boots hammer the floor as I make for the apartment. He’s a skillful fighter and more than capable of handling himself, but still…

  “Lucian!”

  I stop just shy of the entryway into the graveyard of bodies. The light bleeding in through the scum-coated window reveals the horrors within. The overwhelming sight of the pile of slayed bodies stacked three high fills my eyes.

  Blood pools along the besmirched wooden floor, flowing from the intertwined corpses. Still, I feel no sorrow or remorse for either the thralls or raiders. To me, justice has been served, and evil vanquished.

  A low muttered groan beckons me toward the room to my left. I step over bodies, and try to avoid the smeared blood that coats the floor as I enter the apartment.

  Lucian appears in the doorway of the room. He leans his bulk against the doorjamb as his weary eyes shift up to me. “Are they ok?” His voice is strained. Beads of sweat race down his grungy face. The sword hangs loosely in his right hand as he eases his grip off the handle.

  “They’re fine. Seems as though the vampires have retreated for now.” I glance down to his leg. “Has it gotten any better?”

  “Least of our worries. Besides, it wasn’t that bad. Just knotted up a bit.” Lucian glances around the room with a shocked expression plastered on his face. “Wow. Didn’t realize how outnumbered we were till now.”

  I follow his gaze and nod.

  “Yeah. We got lucky this time. It could’ve gone bad really quick.”

  “Do you think Remus has made it to Black Fields yet?” Lucian inquires.

  I shrug.

  “There’s no telling. We’ll need to head that way since we have the daylight back.”

  For all we know, the great city could already be under siege, the demons feasting on the poor souls in the damp, dark spaces of the city’s inner sanctums.

  Still, I try to remain hopeful since the vampires can only move during the night. There isn’t much in the way of shelter close to the city during the day. If they haven’t made their move, it will be coming soon.

  Alex and Cindy find their way back to the apartment. The utter disbelief of the mayhem that had engulfed us surges on their faces. In all actuality, we’re lucky to be alive.

  “I can’t believe we made it out of this in one piece,” Cindy mutters.

  “We got lucky this time,” I respond.

  Lucian shoots me a glance. He lifts his right brow slightly as if he is confounded by my words.

  Cindy glances in our direction and offers a grateful nod.

  “I doubt Alex and I would’ve survived such overwhelming odds on our own. We consider ourselves resourceful, and able to manage most anything that comes our way, but this is extreme.”

  Alex scoots alongside the wall, and passed the lifeless corpses. He heads for the room that’s to the left of Cindy.

  “Hey, we helped too. Granted, not as much as them, but we still helped. We’re not feeble.”

  Cindy dismisses his snarky remark with a flick of her hand and a roll of her eyes.

  “You know what I mean, Alex. Don’t get so butt hurt.”

  Although humbled by the constant gratitude and thankfulness, all I can muster in kind is a simple response.

  “It is no problem.”

  Taking praise is mostly foreign to me. Living among the vampires for as long as I did, there was none of that. I was the servant, the blood bag to the demon lord that took what he wanted whether I wanted to give it or not.

  My world has been so cold and calloused for so long that this new frontier of saving the innocent from the wicked is taking me some time to get used to. To be honest, I’ve never been one to thrive on such things. To me, it seemed immaterial. Now, I’m starting to rethink that notion.

  “Cindy, we need to gather our gear and get moving while we have the chance,” Alex calls out from the other room. The sound of something dense hits the floor with a thud. “Don’t want to take the risk of any raiders or thralls coming back before we are gone. I imagine the vampires will reconvene later tonight in search of us. I’d rather not be here.”

  “Where will you go?” I inquire.

  Cindy shrugs as she heads toward the room, carefully stepping over the bodies. Her face contorts in disgust, and she cups her mouth with her hand as she hurries past them.

  “Not sure. We have a few back up spots lined out in case we ever got compromised. I don’t like not having a fall back plan. That way of thinking will get you killed faster than anything,” Alex calls out.

  “You could always go to Black Fields,” I say. “They could for sure use some strong and capable fighters such as you and your sister.”

  Alex steps out of the room and cuts to his right. He maneuvers around the bodies and other junk to get to the weapons.

  “That holier than thou place? No thanks.” He grabs a large, faded green duffle bag and slams it down on the floor. He drops to one knee and starts picking weapons off the rack. He stuffs them inside the sack’s interior. “I’ve had my fill of people who think they’re better than me since they live in the lap of luxury. I can do without them looking down on me and my sister. Been there. Done that. Not looking to do it again.”

  Lucian drifts back into the room we slept in to gather his things. I stand there, watching Alex pile the weapons into the sack as he mutters under his breath.

  He isn’t wrong about Black Fields. They do have their fair share of elitists that feel as though the world revolves around them, that they are somehow more important than the regular people that actually make the city what it is.

  I’ve experienced such indignities first hand also, and I admit I didn’t handle them as well as I should have. Much like Alex, my temper flares. My body switches to combat mode anytime I’m confronted in a hostile manner.

  The demons had squashed any sort of innate capacity, within me, to refrain from such primal aggressive reactions. They’ve conditioned me for it, which in turn, has made it harder to switch it off. It’s something I’m working on. After all, beggars can’t be choosers.

  Alex pauses and glances back over his shoulder.

  “Besides, didn’t you say that the vampires were planning an attack there? We just narrowly avoided becoming dinner for the creatures, or worse. Not really looking to head to a place that they have in their sights to take down. If what you are saying is true, you shouldn’t head that way either. Not if you want to live.”

  I find myself struggling to continue our conversation after listening to his jaded viewpoint. I mean, I get it and all. Why risk your life for a city that you feel as though doesn’t give two shits about you and yours? It’s a dangerous endeavor, knowingly walking into the one place that the vampires have in their crosshairs. There is no telling what will or could happen when they make their move.

  But still, I can’t idly stand by and allow whatever Mathesis and his brood of undead are planning to happen. Despite the risk involved, and the pompous assholes that do reside within the city walls, the cure that is being worked on is too valuable to lose. Doing so cou
ld end the future of humanity. I need to do what I can to thwart his plans.

  Alex shimmies the bag vigorously from side to side. It’s stuffed to capacity. He tries to zip it shut, pulling the sides closer together.

  “How’s it coming, sis?” he calls out.

  Another dense thud echoes from the room.

  “Only have a few more packs to go and we should be good,” she responds.

  I step back into the room to find Lucian down on one knee. He has his pistol on the floor. Its magazine is clutched in his hand. He loads round after round of the blessed bullets with a vacant look on his face. He cuts his eyes up to me briefly while continuing to thumb in the brass rounds.

  My body leans against the jamb, watching him work. My arms lace across my chest.

  “What was that look for?”

  Lucian remains focused on what he’s doing.

  “What look is that?”

  My lips purse together. I cock my head to the right slightly and continue to stare at him.

  “Come on. You know what look I’m talking about. Don’t fuck with me, Lucian.”

  He grabs the pistol and slaps the magazine into place. He loads a round into the chamber and stands up.

  “Oh, you mean the whole we got lucky speech back there? Not sure how much luck had to do with it.”

  My eyes narrow at him. I can feel my temper blister in my veins. I’m not sure what his problem is, and to be honest, it’s kind of pissing me off.

  “What point are you trying to make here ’cause I’m a bit lost as to what’s invaded your ass.”

  I try to keep my voice lowered, but the agitation swelling inside me is making it a challenge.

  He glances out into the other room briefly before looking back at me.

  “Not sure this is the best time or place to do this.”

  I scoff at the dismissive reply.

  “To do what? What is going on with you?”

  Lucian sighs.

  He places his hands on the sides of his hips. He mules over his response for a second as his right hand comes up and scratches at the scruff on his chin.

  “I’ve noticed stuff. About you. Stuff that has left me with a bunch of questions since I first came across you out there.”