Huntress

I turned back to Jake, taking a healthy swallow of my water while Sean leaned against the kitchen counter, just in my sight, anger in every line of his body.

“I have to kill the hounds then,” I stated firmly.

“Are you crazy Hunter?” Rhydian snapped, “you are not strong enough to kill one let along a pack of six.”

“You think I do not know that,” I growled back, “I have no choice! I will not kill Michael no matter what he deserves!”

“She is not alone,” Sean said softly.

“No she isn’t,” Sam added and I saw Ceron putting his hand on her shoulder adding himself in silently.

Rhydian looked at us, before throwing his hands in the air in defeat, a rather human gesture, “alright alright, I will help too.”

“Jake can you tell me about the hellhounds, their strengths and weaknesses?” I asked.

Jake studied me for a moment, carefully, measuring my before replaying, “Information on the hellhounds requires payment Huntress.”

“Payment?” I asked warily.

I noted Ceron finally caved and was eating a blondie, Rhydian was as stoic as ever.

“You will study summoning with me.”

I blinked thinking I hadn’t heard him right, “what?”

“My payment for the information you seek is that you study the art of summoning from me.”

“But its frowned upon to learn about summoning, basically taboo,” I said softly feeling myself go pale.

“But do you know why?” Jake said softly, “I will teach you why. I will teach you everything I can. You will need this information in the future.”

I studying him, he was old easily in his 60s but his eyes were older much much older, they held wisdom and pain and I had to admit, I was curious about summoning more so now then ever and there was the why this man thought I would need it in the future.

“I agree to learn about summoning and you will tell me about the hellhounds?”

“You agree to become a summoner and I will tell you about the hellhounds.”

“A summoner,” I squeaked shocked, it was one thing to learn about summoning it was another matter to become one, “that’s illegal!”
“Yes a summoner.”

I looked at Sam unsure, she shrugged with a ‘its your choice’ express but she looked as worried as I felt.

“How exactly do you propose teaching me when we live a state away?”

“I will send you books and things to read and study then you will visit at least once a month for hands on experiences, and you will come here in the summer to study with me for at least two weeks.”

I opened my mouth then closed it unsure what to say. Summoning had always been spoken with soft whispers and in unsure tones, something to know it was forbidden but never to truly know what it was. It was a mystery that now was at my grasp, alluring, calling me to learn its secrets. If it were found out, I would never be heir; I would be exiled to fend for myself in a foreign country, if I was not executed for my crimes. It was true knowing about summoning was not illegal in a sense but to actually summon was a crime and knowing about summoning was frowned upon gravely.

I looked at Jake, determination on my face, “ok I will do it.”

I watched the old man smile, “the hellhounds are strongest when they are in a pack but individually are weaker. They are not good at protecting themselves and tend to leave themselves many weak openings when fighting solo. You must fight them each alone. They love talking but talking distracts them too so try to get them to talk as much as you can while fighting but remain focus.”

I blinked, “that’s it?”

“Basically, stomach is the weakness point, softest point, that’s the kill shot, gut them.”

“I think you got the better end of the deal.”

“Only if you survive.”

I looked at him and he gave me a smirk, which I couldn’t help but return.

“Come follow me, I have a book I want you to start with,” he said walking out of the room I followed indicating the others to stay behind.

Apparently the apartment was a two bedroom the hallway I had seen when I entered lead to a bathroom and three bedroom, one of which appeared to be his study, filled to the brim with books and a large desk in the middle, I turned towards him and caught the book he handed me with an oof of surprise.

“You don’t know if I am going to beat the hellhounds,” I said.

“I have confidence in you and your protectors. You are something special if you have Fae and Vampires protecting you, they are not known to get allow well yet their they are in a room together because of you.”

“The Fae are here because of Sam not me. Ceron is her lover and Rhydian is his brother. Sam is here for me and so is Sean but not the Winter Fae.”

Jake arched an eyebrow, “you discredit yourself Huntress. You have more to play in this then you seem to know.”

I shrugged my hand skimming the heavy book in my arm, which I put down on the desk to flip through, unknown words filled my eyes, symbols I had never seen before beaconed with knowledge.

“Huntress?”
“Hmm?” I said distracted as I flipped through the books.

“Read it later, you need to get a plan together with your friends and you should rest some you look a little pale.”

I scooped up the book putting them into a fabric bag Jake handed me and walked out back to the kitchen, where the other were talking and munching, it seems someone had finally coaxed Rhydian to eat something from the table. I grinned watching him chew on a chocolate chip cookie which obvious enjoyment. If only I had a camera.

“Its getting late we should head back,” I said as I rejoined them putting the bag on the chair I had been sitting on.

Sean looked up from his glass of lemonade; I couldn’t help but smile at the moustache on his upper lip. I walked over and wiped it off with my thumb. He smiled at me and my heart ached with emotion, how many smiles had he given me over the last few years and I had brushed them off.I walked closer, his arms wrapping around me, our earlier disagreement forgotten. I took a moment in his comfort, so much was happening so fast and if I was going to die trying to kill those hounds I wanted every moment to count. I felt a cool hand on my chin lifting my head up and a soft kiss on my lips.

“You need rest,” he said softly into my ears, I nodded in agreement.

“Lets get back, rest and tomorrow morning we’ll regroup,” Sean said taking charge for me.

“Let me pack the sweets for you to take with you there is no way I can eat them all myself,” Jake said, already pouring cookies and brownies into some containers.

I smiled, the summoner was kind of scary but was kind as well, I wondered how he became a summoner and if other summoners were this normal. He didn’t seem to be bogeyman I had been lead to believe summoners were as a child. ‘Eat your veggies or the summoner will send his monsters to get you’ didn’t seem so threatening anymore.

Notes