The Forbidden: A Huntress Novel (The Huntress Series Book 1) (6 page)

“We only heal a human’s wounds if we take pity on them, but most of the time we are the reason they die.”

I scoffed. “I did not need to know that.”

He grinned. “I’m just being honest.”

“Well, thank you for healing me.”

“Anytime.”

His eyes grew wide as his body tensed as he looked behind him.

“What is wrong?”

“I have to go, but if you want to know more about your dreams you will have to meet me in this very spot tomorrow night.”

“I don’t go on dates with the enemy.”

“Well you already kissed me and you said you didn’t do that either. You are allowed to go on dates with me, we are bounded.”

Flustered, I ran my hand through my hair. I knew I was going to meet him tomorrow, I can’t resist him and that hinders me to the core. I know I should tell him no, but I just don’t have it in me.

“I don’t even know your name.”

“It’s Lucas.”

“Athena.”

“Well, Athena, I suggest you meet me this weekend on Saturday, or I will have to come hunt you down for a change,” He smiled and winked before running off into the woods.

I sighed and shook my head. “You are one dangerous immortal. You will bring death to us both.

Chapter Seven

The elevator slid open and I stepped out into the lab. My smile faded as I took in the sight of my friend Kyle. He was sitting on the floor next to the hospital wing, leaning against the wall. His clothes was stained with blood. He raked his hands through his messy walnut brown hair as his red, puffy light blue eyes glanced up at me.      I looked into the hospital wing where Dr. Johnson shook his head and sighed as he pulled the white bed sheet over Kyle’s fiancé, Julie’s dead body.

I didn’t know what to say to him. He had just lost his love, the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with and there was nothing I could say to help relieve the agony he felt.

I kneeled in front of his, resting my hand on his knee giving it a comforting squeeze.

“I was too late in saving her. I was supposed to stay right there with her, but I ran after one of those prick’s and left her to fend for herself. What do I see when I come back, I see my fiancé laying on the ground in a dirty alley, unconscious. To top it all off, her throat was sliced open and her skull was bashed in.”

“I’m so sorry.”

He exhaled and wiped the tears from his face. “There wasn’t enough blood in her body when I finally got to the manor. The doctors thought it was pointless to work on her and try to save her, they said she was already gone because she had bled out when her throat was cut.”

Wait, he thinks a vampire did this. That can’t be.

“Was she bitten?”

“No, why?”

“Vampires bite when they kill. They don’t have to bash your skull in or slice your neck open.”

“So you are saying a vampire didn’t kill her even though they were the only predators around?”

I shook my head in confusion; it just doesn’t make any sense. “It’s not their usual killing style. They all leave the same pattern, they bite you and rip a chunk of skin from the neck. All I’m saying is it’s unusual.”

“There are three other hunters laying in that room in coma’s suffering from the same injuries Eli had suffered and there were two death’s tonight, including Julie’s, that died of the same injuries. So maybe it’s not unusual.”

“And her parents, what are you going to tell them?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know yet, I haven’t gotten that far.” He stood on his feet. “I have to go.”

“Kyle, if you need anything or just want to talk, I am here.”

He gave a half- smile. “Thanks, Athena. I’ll see you around.”

I’m not convinced that the vampires were responsible for the deaths or injuries of Eli and the other hunters.  I have a feeling it is someone else, another enemy maybe. After all of these years of hunting, their kills have always stayed the same way and to change this habit now is unlikely. Well whatever or whoever it is that is targeting us reapers just met their match in me. I want them to attack me so I can kill them the same way they are killing my hunters.

I walked into the hospital wing, glancing in the other room where five hunters occupied the other beds. I shook my head as I came to stand by Eli. I wanted more than anything to have Eli healthy and fighting again. At twenty three years old, you would think his body is young and strong enough to fight to get better…but sometimes no matter how strong your body is, it just can’t recover from certain injuries.

I ran my hand over the bandage that wrapped around his head. My brows pulled together as I noticed a gauze taped to the right side of his neck. As I leaned down to get a closer look; I gently peeled the tape off and removed the gauze, exposing the stitches. I didn’t notice the night we brought him in here that he had a cut on his neck, his bleeding head had all of my attention.

I shook my head. “Who did this to you?”

The person who did this to Eli must have struggled. They didn’t hit him hard enough to bash his skull in. Sure they busted him open and put him in coma and that’s bad enough. His stitches stop in the center of his neck so maybe the person had gotten interrupted and couldn’t finish the job. Vampire’s wouldn’t stop and run away when they hear hunters coming their way, they don’t have to worry about getting caught.

My Uncle Nolan came in holding a syringe with a pink liquid in it, it must be one of his experiments.

“Nothing had changed yet.” He said.

If I didn’t know any better I would say he is planning on injecting Eli with it.

“What are you doing?” I asked warily.

“I’m trying to save him.”

I threw my body over Eli’s trying to protect him. More than likely his experiment was new and I didn’t want the liquid to effect Eli’s recovery.

“Last time I checked you were a scientist, not a doctor.”

“I have to do something. Johnson and Reed aren’t going to keep him here if he isn’t progressing.”

“Oh yeah, and what are you going to do if he has a reaction to the chemicals you have in your experiment?”

I narrowed my eyes. “Exactly, so leave Eli be and let the doctors take care of him.”

He exhaled in exasperation. “Athena, I overheard your father talking to the doctors and he is giving Eli three weeks until they take him off of the machines.”

Sorrow, panic, and anger rushed through me all at once. I gasped as I held onto my chest, feeling as if the wind was knocked right out of me. There wasn’t enough time, Eli didn’t have enough time to recover. They can’t just let him die!

“N-no they can’t- not Eli.” I was so surprised and in a state of panic that I couldn’t even speak correctly.

“I know how important he is to you.   He has been one of your good friends since you guys were kids and I’m trying to protect you from the heartbreak.”

If my dad had every intention in letting Eli die then I had to find a way to help him. My Uncle Nolan just might be able to help him recover.

“Go ahead, do what you need to do.” I kissed Eli’s cheek. “You have to fight, Eli. Don’t give up, we need you.”

I walked out of the room just as my Uncle was sticking him in the arm. I decided I didn’t want to be there if something did go wrong. I didn’t want to have to kill my own Uncle for accidently killing my friend.

****

I closed my eyes, letting out a breath as I slowly reopened them, refocusing on my target. I had the arrow pulled back in the bow ready to release my weapon at any time. In that moment, nothing else mattered—nothing else even existed around me. It was as if time had stopped and the world stood frozen on its axis. It was just my weapon and me. As I released the arrow from the bow, I watched as it flew across the room and stabbed through the heart of the dummy. The arrow joined the other three that I had let loose before, two in the stomach,  and the other in the neck.

“Hey!”

I jumped and directed my wide surprised eyes to the right of me. All I saw was a sharp pointed blade inching closer to my face, as It spun around making its target known…me. I reached out and caught the dagger, thankful that it wasn’t the blade, and threw it at the dummy, feeling some of the pent up anger that I had inside being released. A smile tugged at my lips, pleased that the blade stabbed through the dummy’s head.

“I think the dummy’s dead.”

I looked over at Chelsea who stood with her arms folded, smiling warmly at me.

“I think so too.”

“So, Athena Megan Bram, I heard around the manor that you were being a little aggressive with the trainees in the training facility and the instructors were forced to end class an hour early.”

I shrugged. I wanted to be left alone and I needed the facility to help take my mind off of Eli. They were distracting me, preventing me from focusing, so I got a little angry at them…maybe I was aggressive, but it sure cleared the room in a jiffy.

“I needed to let off of steam.”

“Because of Eli?”

“He needs time to heal, and my father refuses to keep him on the machines for too long. He lacks hope so he is quick to assume that the person injured has no chance of pulling through.”

“I understand completely, I know what you are going through. He is my friend, also and I don’t want to say goodbye either.”

“That’s the point Chels, we might not have to say goodbye if he had time to fight.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You are in here fighting with the dummies and hiding from the truth.”

“What that he isn’t going to make it?  I already know the truth.”

“That doesn’t mean you have accepted it. There are certain things that you have no power to change, it is out of your hands. Instead of facing reality for what it is, you are running from it.”

I slammed the bow to the floor as my mouth set in a hard line and my frosted eyes glared her way. “Damn it, Chelsea!”

“It hurts, I know,” She said soothingly as she took a step close to me.

“Shut it!” I growled through my teeth.

I turned away from her, wiping my tears with the back of my shaking hand. It was quiet in here before, sending me to a peaceful, relaxing world where I could take my mind off of Eli, take my mind away from losing my friend. Those painful emotions that I had abandoned hours ago came rushing back with a vengeance.

She placed her hand on my shoulder and it automatically stiffened from her sudden touch. It took everything that I had to not turn around and shove her away. I was angry with her for ruining my peace and I had the urge to hurt her for it…but I won’t. She is my best friend and helping me through this is all she is trying to do.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding until I let my body relax. I placed my hand on top of hers. “You’re stronger than I am.”

“I am more of a suffer in silence type, Athena. I am good at hiding it. You, however, are not. When you are hurting, you let the whole world know it.”

“I know what you need.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, you need a good fight.”

I gasped as she shoved me forward. It was so unexpected that I fell on my face.

I knew her game immediately, I won’t fight her because she is my friend and I won’t hurt her…she will have to make me angry for me to attack. I’m sure that is exactly what she will attempt to accomplish.

She giggled. “Are you okay?”

I pressed my lips together as I calmed my nerves. I got to my feet holding my already sore jaw. “Well, you sure know how to console someone in a gentle manner.”

“I know you Bram, and I know that fighting is therapeutic to you. So let’s go. Don’t hurt me too much though; I know you have a lot of rage in you.”

“Chelsea, I am not fighting you.”

Her brows raised. “Yes, you are.”

Her hand flew up ready to swat me in the face when I grabbed her wrist preventing her from making contact. My already aching jaw was relieved to be spared of another blow to the face, especially one of Chelsea’s hits. She has some major power when she strikes.

She grinned. “Good girl.”

I shoved her back, her eyes widened slightly as she stumbled backward, but was able to stop herself from falling.

“You are trying to antagonize me…pissing me off must please you.”

“I have no other choice but to try and upset you. You won’t fight me without being provoked and if I keep striking you, you will eventually get sick of it and defend yourself.”

“Very smart girl, you are.”

She swung her clenched fist, gasping, as she hit nothing but the air as I ducked. Taking my foot, I hit into the back of her calf, knocking her forward as she fell flat on her stomach. I grabbed hold of her foot and put her in an ankle lock, twisting her ankle and applying enough pressure to make her panic and squirm but not enough to make the pain unbearable and injure her.

She gasped. “Athena!” She warned as she clawed at the floor trying but failing to escape from my hold.

I snickered. “Uncomfortable, isn’t it? You wanted a fight, so now you have one.”

She let out a squeal as I twisted her ankle even more while she struggled to get out of my grasp.

“Come one, you can do it Watson.”  I only ever called her by her last name when I meant business.

She slowly twisted her body around wincing as it caused pain in her foot.

She shoved her free foot in my chest with so much force that I fell backward. She quickly got to her feet, limping trying to walk the pain out of her ankle as she walked toward me.

“For that Mrs. Brooks, you will pay.”    

I gasped. How dare she give me Isaac’s last name, she knows how I feel about that situation, surely it was only to piss me off. I shielded myself as she jumped on top of me grunting as my knees pressed into her stomach. I grabbed the back of her neck and rolled her on her back as I climbed on top of her gaining the upper hand. She grabbed my shirt and pressed her lips together as she pulled me down and rolled out of the way as I fell. She jumped on top of my back and grasped my chin, pulling my head backward. I pressed my lips together as I tried to ignore the pressure in my neck and lower back. It was uncomfortable, so uncomfortable that I found myself unable to take the pain any longer. I swung my legs up hoping it would hit her in the back, and I succeeded, but my hits weren’t that effective. My kicking her only made her apply more pressure.