The Witch Hunter (14 page)

"So, what's the big scandal, Gabby?" Zac was lounging back on the couch, clearly annoyed.

Gabby crossed the room and dumped her bag on the coffee table, placing her grimore carefully beside it. It was best she just came out with it. Rip it off like a band aid. "Last night after leaving Alex's, Aya confessed to me that she is the Witch Hunter."

"What?" Sam exclaimed, standing up to face her. "And you believed her?"

Gabby shrunk back slightly, "She gave me no reason not to. She told me that she had been threatened by Katrin while she was at Alex's. While we were all there in the house."

"Katrin was in the house?" Zac had sat forward at this, worry etched on his face.

"She said she appeared to her in the bathroom mirror. She couldn't touch her, she was only a projection," Gabby took a few steps back before saying. "I told her to meet us here today."

Zac was on his feet, "Gabby, be careful what you say next."

"She can answer a lot of our questions, Zac." Sam placed a reassuring hand on his arm. "If she is the Witch Hunter as she says, then we would have no chance against her if she really wanted us dead."

Zac glared at Gabby, "Well, she sure has a talent for manipulation. She could be anyone or anything."

"Well, she's coming here any moment, so you can ask her yourself," Gabby crossed her arms across her chest defensively.

"We don't even know who she is! She could be coming here to kill us all!" exclaimed Liz, who had been listening in horrified silence.

"I for one don't believe that the spell would be in the grimore unless we could trust it," said Gabby. "It hasn't lead me astray yet and now more than ever, I truly believe it was our only option."

"Oh, now you agree with the spell," Zac huffed.

"Now that I've spoken with Aya, yes," she said evenly, her eyes narrowed. "Now who's the one with regrets?" Zac snorted and she continued her scolding. "You begged me to cast the damn spell, Zac. Besides, I don't think she's just a vampire. She can do things that you can't."

"And what else could she be? You think she's some kind of super freaky hybrid?" 

Gabby frowned, "I'm not entirely sure."

"Nice work, Gabby. You're a wealth of knowledge," Zac rolled his eyes and clapped his hands.

"Oh, shut up, Zac. It's your fault we're in this mess. Next time be careful who you piss off and you wouldn't need my help."

"What can I say? I do a lot of things I don't need to do, but I do 'em anyway."

"That's enough you two," Sam's calm voice cut through the tension. "We should hear what Aya has to say first before jumping to any conclusions."

Aya had arrived some minutes ago. The front door had been unlocked, as a seemingly abandoned house with two vampires didn't need any security. She remembered the house that had once stood here near the edge of the swamp and its current incarnation was dilapidated. She wondered what had happened, but she suspected that vampires had. The walls seemed to echo some kind of supernatural interference. 

She could hear raised voices coming from down the hall. Of course they would be arguing. The brothers especially, they seemed as different as night and day. Aya strolled towards the action, taking in the old paintings along the walls, landscapes and portraits of long dead southern plantation owners. Very French. 

She stood in the doorway to the large sitting room and surveyed the scene. Zac and Gabby bickering like children in front of the massive fireplace, which was popping away merrily. Sam was being the level headed mediator and Liz was rolling her eyes with frustration. Liz had so much to learn about life, her stupidity made her gag. Although no one had noticed her, she feigned throwing up on the carpet. Silently, she made herself comfortable on the ancient brocaded couch and sat and watched the show.

"We at least need to ask her what she knows," Gabby was saying. "She told me she knew the witch Katrin. If she knows her, she might at least know where we might look next."

"I don't trust her," Zac growled. "She played us for fools."

"She's the female version of you," said Sam, earning himself a menacing glare.

"And you are a fool," snapped Liz.

"Oh, yeah, Liz. Your entire life was my fault," Zac snarled.

Liz went to slap him but Sam put his hand on her shoulder to calm her, "Shut it, Zac. I don't care whose fault this is, but you're my brother and that makes it my problem as well."

Zac begrudgingly took a step back and raised his hands, "Fine. The sooner we talk to this ancient bitch, the sooner we can kill Katrin."

"I wouldn't call her that to her face," Gabby raised her eyebrows. "I bet she could snap you in half."

Aya lounged back on the couch and watched them argue about her. They still hadn't noticed that she was a mere two meters away. She really was too sneaky for her own good. "You know," she quipped. "It's extremely impolite to talk about someone behind their back." She grinned in satisfaction as they all jumped.

"Fucking hell, Aya. How long have you been there?" Zac exclaimed.

She smiled wickedly, "A while."

"Do you want us to trust you or not?"

She paused a second and pretended that she was thinking it over. Shaking her head, she said, "Doesn't faze me. We want the same thing, to a certain extent. Trust is optional."

"To you, maybe," Liz stepped forward. "But it's important to us."

"To twenty first century do-gooders, maybe. Trust is not a huge priority when dealing with vampires," Aya moved forward fluidly, until she was directly in front of Liz. "Is it exhausting holding onto so much of your humanity? Denying what you have become?"

"Back off," warned Sam as Liz visibly cringed under her imposing presence. 

Aya glared at him from under her eyelashes. The light from the fire made her expression almost demonic. "You decided to cast a spell in a moment of desperation, not knowing what would happen. Now I am here and here I will stay." she sneered as if saying,
deal with it
. 

"But we don't know anything about you, Aya." Liz said protectively.

Aya narrowed her eyes at the young vampire, "And what would you know? You've been a vampire less than a year. To me, that's a blink of an eye. A piss in the ocean."

"Then, how old are you really?" asked Zac from behind her.

Looking back over her shoulder she stated, "I think it was about the year 46.
Anno domini.
But I could be mistaken, your mind starts to deteriorate when you're an 
ancient bitch
."

Zac narrowed his eyes and didn't say anything.

"But that would mean you're nearly two thousand years old." Sam said in a small voice.

"Is it really so hard to believe?" Aya sneered. It felt good not having to hide herself anymore letting her anger guide her words. They all looked worried, they mustn't know much about their own kind at all. "And how old are
you
?"

"Why do they call you the Witch Hunter?" Gabby said, changing the subject before it came to blows.

"That's self explanatory," she said sarcastically. "If a witch uses their power for evil, then its curtains for them." Aya dragged her finger across her throat. 

"Why witches?" asked Liz.

"Why not?" she raised her eyebrows. The tone in her voice suggested that this was her final answer on the subject. 

"And why is Katrin after you?" Sam asked gently.

"Probably the same reason she's after him," she pointed to Zac, avoiding his question. "Because we all pissed her off." 

"And now she knows you're working with us," huffed Zac.

"Am I now?" scoffed Aya.

"Two birds, one stone," Gabby whispered, shaking her head.

"We don't really have an option. That's why they used the spell," Sam said reluctantly.

Aya curled her lip in a snarl at the memory of being forced awake by it.

"Do you know who wrote the spell in my grimore?" asked Gabby, picking it up and turning to the place marked by a slip of paper.

Aya looked at the page Gabby pointed out and sighed, "I helped your ancestor, once upon a time. I can't believe that
idiot
wrote a spell. At least it's not specific, but troublesome."

"What do you mean, troublesome?"

"I've done a lot of things to annoy many people. None more so than Katrin," Aya sighed. "I get followed by her thugs more often than not. So you can understand why this spell is inconvenient."

"Is that why you hid yourself from us? For fear that we were working with Katrin?" Sam asked gently.

"One reason," Aya confirmed. "Though, fear had no part in it."

"Of course not," Zac snorted.

"Why could you come into Alex's house without being invited?" Liz said, remembering the night before. Nothing at all had an effect on her, not even the silver, which would have burnt any other vampire.

Aya thought for a moment, then said, "I can walk wherever I want."

"But, why?"

"Because I can." The statement was final.

"Zac, remember the vampire you killed. He was one of Katrin's, wasn't he looking for someone?" Sam prodded, "And he's what started the mess with the werewolves."

"And what happened to them?" Aya asked, knowing full well she was what happened.

"Gone. They won't bother us again," Zac glowered as if remembering something horrible, "The vampire was looking for you, Aya. No doubt about it."

"What makes you say that?" she asked.

"I remember because I made fun of him. He said he was looking for a woman; black of hair, blue of eye. And you're the only one fitting that description around here."

"What was his name?"

"Alistair something. Payne? I don't really remember," Zac shook his head.

"And you killed him?" Aya cocked her head.

"Yes."

"Good. He was annoying," she seemed satisfied.

"You knew him?" Sam asked.

Aya snorted in frustration, "It doesn't really matter, now. Unfortunately, I've lost the element of surprise, but we can work with that. Katrin was watching you somehow." How the hell had they tracked her here? Again?

"How could she be watching us?" Liz looked horrified.

"Katrin is a very old witch, Liz. She found a way to stop her spirit passing on, thus remaining in an in-between place to continue influencing the living. She has many vampires and witches in her following and can see many places through the eyes of others."

"So, you think there's someone physically watching us?" asked Zac, knowing full well that at least one vampire had them under surveillance.

"Perhaps. It's hard to tell. Usually, I can sense who's around, but a witch can help shield them. Especially now that Katrin knows I'm about, that's even more likely."

"Then it would all be in our best interests if you stay here with us at the manor," Sam stated. "As you said, they're after you as well. There's plenty of room and I'm sure Zac won't mind."

Zac glared at his brother, "I do mind, actually. What's to stop her killing us all in our sleep? All we have is her word and after all the lies she has told us..."

Aya rolled her eyes, "If I wanted to kill you all, Zac, I could have done it a billion times by now. Besides, I've only ever told you the truth with a few glaring omissions." Zac huffed in annoyance. "Katrin has caused me much trouble in the past, so I would really like to finish the bitch off. I have no issue with you other than that you're an asshole," Gabby let out a laugh at Aya's statement. "I won't murder you in your sleep. Cross my heart."

"If you cross the line, Aya, be warned..."

"What are you going to do Zac? Punch me like a twenty pound weakling?" she walked around him, sizing him up. "I'd like to take you down a few pegs."

"Cut it out, you two," Sam said firmly, ever the level headed mediator. 

Gabby cleared her throat, changing the subject yet again, "So, what do you suggest we do? Go on the offensive or defensive?"

"There's not much we can do until either Katrin shows herself, or one of her thugs appears. Which, won't be long," Aya shrugged. "Once the witch has come out of hiding, we need a way to break her hold on the living and send her to the other side for good. There's some witchy homework for you, Gabby." Aya doubted that she could find a way; she seemed totally unaware of her potential. It radiated all around her, but telling her as much would defeat the purpose. Gabby had to find it for herself.