Third Year Thrills (Hunter Academy Book 3), page 9
Crystal tensed, her hand itching to go to her gun, but she knew better in this company. Z could kill her in an instant, and whatever Tegan was reaching for probably made her just as dangerous. “Sam.” Crystal warned again.
“Are you Lucius’ human?” Sam asked, rapping his knuckles on the bar.
Tegan laughed, and Crystal relaxed a little. “That’s not a secret, Hunter. Jesus, you all act like it’s some big thing. Yes, I’m Lucius’ human. Are you happy now? I swear, now stop wasting my time.” She placed both hands on the bar and leaned forward. “Or is there something else you’re itching to ask?”
“There are rumors that there are some strong vampires around here now. Some say that the Circle is in town.”
Crystal didn’t miss the way Tegan tensed before pushing away.
“You’re out of your league, Hunter. If the Circle is in town, let Lucius and Z take care of it.” Tegan pulled out a glass and poured herself a shot of something. “The Circle aren’t vampires you want to deal with, especially at your rank.”
Crystal stepped closer to the bar and motioned to the bottle of vodka in Tegan’s hand. “Can I have one?”
“Since no one seems to be leaving my bar, yes.” Tegan grabbed another glass and poured Crystal one. Tegan pushed it towards her. “Are you here to ask me about the Circle as well?”
Crystal shook her head. “No, Sam’s the one with the questions tonight.”
Z made a noise that sounded like a laugh, and Crystal glanced at him. “Something fun there?” she asked.
Z shrugged a shoulder. “Why are the hunters so interested in the movements of the vampires?”
“It’s our job, bloodsucker.” Sam shot back. “It’s what allows us to make sure your kind doesn’t get out of control.”
Crystal thew back her shot as Z’s red gaze met Sam’s. “Well, on that note, I think it’s time we go.”
Sam paused for a moment. “You’re an Ancient.”
Z let out a low laugh. “Oh, you naïve little hunter. I’m so much more than you think.”
Crystal shivered as Z’s power reached out around them.
“Z, stop with the power display.” Tegan growled. “Now, Sam, we’re not here to answer your questions. So, if you want to chase rumors, go visit the werewolf bar.”
Crystal nodded. “Come on, Sam. You don’t want to piss these two off.”
Sam stood and stepped away from the bar. “Watch your back. We all know what happens if we kill a bonded human.”
Tegan snarled and in a blink of an eye she had a sword pointed at Sam’s neck. “Get the fuck out.”
Sam pulled his gun out and aimed it at Tegan. “Threaten me again.”
Power filled the room and Sam shot across the bar, slamming into the wall. “You will not pull your weapon here.” Z snarled.
Crystal held her hands up. “I’ll get him out of here.”
“And see that he does not return.” Z snarled at her. “I’ll speak to you later,” he muttered so low she wasn’t sure if she’d heard it.
Sam stood up and brushed himself off before snagging his gun off the ground. He threw a nasty look at Z and Tegan, but he said nothing as he walked out. Crystal followed him, keeping her mouth shut until they got in the car.
“What the hell were you thinking?” She slammed her door shut. “You are a Skilled picking on an old vampire and a bonded human. You’re lucky neither of them killed you.”
“Maybe I was egging them on.” Sam started the car.
“Then you have a death wish.” Crystal leaned back. “Let’s go back to the Academy.”
Sam muttered something and gunned the engine.
“Sam, back to the academy, please.” Crystal pulled her phone out of her pocket to text Joey.
“We’re not going back to the academy, Crystal. I have other plans tonight.”
Her stomach sank, and she sent an S.O.S. text to Joey, knowing he probably wouldn’t be able to help her.
Lucius looked at Tegan and Z, trying to keep the disbelief off his face. “You pulled your sword against a Hunter?”
“He threatened to kill me.” Tegan shrugged. “Zaaren threw him against the wall.”
Lucius looked at Zaaren. “I’ve explained to you, we are supposed to be keeping peace with the Hunters. This is not keeping the peace.”
“He had a weapon pointed at my sister.” Zaaren growled. “Threatening to kill her.”
“She can’t die, remember?” Lucius rubbed his eyes. “If you two aren’t fighting, you’re getting into trouble.”
“And we don’t want anyone to know that she can’t die.” Zaaren snarled, and Lucius counted to ten in his head.
Tegan turned to leave. “I’m going to go check on Kass, and then I’m going to Orion and Coran’s house.”
“No, you’re not.” Lucius growled and Tegan stopped in her steps. “Coran is at The Corner tonight with Kassity.”
“And Orion?”
“Needs to stay away from you.” Z answered for Lucius.
Tegan raised a brow. “You aren’t in charge of me anymore. You can’t say who can and can’t be near me. You lost that right when you left me to be tortured by Markus.”
Z glanced at Lucius, who shrugged.
“She’s right. We’ve gotten this far without you for the last three hundred years. Tegan and I have a system that works. I have worked to gain her trust and help her heal from her past.”
Tegan nodded. “I refuse to be turned back to a broken human because you say it’s safer.”
“You are supposed to be hidden.” Zaaren growled. “Not marching around the city wearing plastic lenses. You aren’t human, sister of mine. You haven’t been human in a long time.”
A rush of anger came through the bond, and Lucius stepped between the two of them before Tegan punched her brother. “As far as everyone is concerned, Tegan is human. And she is my human.”
“And what are you going to do if Markus discovers what she is? And finds the Father’s resting place?”
Lucius could feel Tegan tense behind him.
“And if we never find the stone?” Zaaren growled.
Lucius turned to Tegan when she made a squeak. “Tegan, it’s okay. Go to your room.” He let some of his power out to help the command. The last thing he needed was for her brother to see her freak out.
Tegan nodded and rushed off. Zaaren watched her go. “There, you controlled her in that moment. You were supposed to keep your control over her.”
“Three hundred years, Zaaren.” He let the exhaustion of rehashing this conversation repeatedly sound in his voice. “There has been a lot of change, as I’m sure you’ve noticed while wandering around the city, meeting with Hunters.”
Zaaren raised a brow. “How do you know about that?”
“This is my territory. There isn’t much that happens without me knowing about it. What is going on?”
Zaaren smirked. “My business, and don’t worry, it won’t affect your precious territory.”
“The Hunters aren’t like they used to be. They operate differently than when you were last awake.” Lucius crossed his arms. “I was told they allowed one of their own to be taken into the trade.”
“So I’ve heard. Do you know who it was?”
Lucius shook his head. “I’m not bothering myself with them. I have my hands full with the Circle suddenly popping into visit and sending wolves out to protect the Father’s grave.”
“Sidel is the Hunter’s last name.”
Lucius paused. “Isn’t that the name of the Hunter you were sleeping with when the Circle took Tegan?”
“My mate, who was with child when I went to sleep.”
Lucius ran the numbers through his head. “That Hunter is your great-great? Granddaughter?”
“And I intend to get her back.” Zaaren growled. “With Ayden’s help once he and Nuala return.”
Lucius shook his head. “And what about the Father?”
“What about him? They don’t have his blood to open the gate. He slept with so many women there’s no telling who might be a descendant of him. Without the stone and Tegan, they won’t be able to raise him.” Zaaren disappeared, leaving Lucius standing there, stunned.
“Lucius?” Mae walked in a couple of minutes later. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to tell you, I think I found the home of who that notebook belonged to.”
He looked up. “You think so?”
She nodded. “There’s a house with several women in it. They all attend the same collage, two of them take that class.”
He could have kissed her at that moment for the news. “And do we know if they have the stone?”
“I don’t know yet. Every time I go by, the lights are off, and I’m not really ready to sneak around a house full of sleeping humans.”
He snorted. “No, no need for that. Get me the address, and I’ll see if Tegan knows it.” His mind turned to his human. Having her brother here was going to be a slide back for her if they weren’t careful. “Why don’t you go keep her company? She’s grumpy tonight.”
She came up and handed him a piece of paper. “Here is the address. I’ll go hang out with Tegan.”
Lucius looked down at the paper. Mae might have problems sneaking around a human’s house at night, but he didn’t. At the very least, he needed to look around the neighborhood.
If his people could find it this easily, the Circle might have been able to as well.
Crystal pulled off her seat belt as soon as Sam stopped the car. She jumped out of the passenger side and spun to face her partner, who was now standing on his side of the car.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Sam? I said to take me back to the Academy.”
Sam stared at her. “Do you think I’m stupid? You’ve been sneaking around with the vampires and their people. Are you the one behind the killings?”
Crystal felt like he’d slapped her. “What?”
“The killing of the Elites? Someone is feeding the vampires information. Is it you?” He pulled his gun out but held it at his side.
She wouldn’t pull her gun on her own partner, not over a misunderstanding like this. “No, I’m not. Who put that idea in your head?”
“You’ve escaped death twice, the fire and the time you were supposed to go hunting with Isaac and me. Vampires attacked us that night, and we both barely made it out alive.” He held his arms out. “What am I supposed to think? It was like you knew something was going to happen.”
“I was lying in the medical building poisoned when you and Isaac went on that hunt. We’re Hunters. Death is part of the job, and yes, there’s someone targeting a lot of the Elites. Izzy was one of those targets. There’s one common thread with a lot of these.”
She could see Sam trying to figure out what that thread was, but after a moment, she spoke. “Isaac.”
At the name, Sam pointed the gun at her. “Isaac would never betray the Society like that.”
Crystal held her hands up. “Don’t shoot me, Sam. We’re supposed to be partners. We’re supposed to have each other’s backs.”
“He told me you’d say that. That you would try to turn this around.” Sam shook his head. “Crystal, you’re the one behind the killings. You and Joey, and that stupid vampire we met tonight.”
Crystal lowered her hand, intending to go for her gun, but two figures stepped out of the surrounding trees.
“Put the gun down, Sam.” Joey’s voice was a relief to hear.
“She’s betraying the society, Joey, and if you can’t see it, then you’re blind.” Sam took a step forward. “She needs to be arrested and brought in for trial.”
Crystal glanced behind her to where Joey stood. Next to him was another Master hunter, Matthew. Thank god Isaac was nowhere to be found. “He’s convinced that I’m behind the killing of the Elites. He brought me out here intending to kill me.”
Joey stepped to her side. “Sam, I’m a better shot than you. Put the gun down.”
Sam tossed his gun to the side. “You’re making a mistake here. Crystal is the bad guy, not me.”
“You okay, Crystal?” Matthew stepped up to her.
“Well, you know, I don’t have a bullet in me.” She shrugged. “Thanks for coming.”
Matthew nodded. “Of course, come on.” He took her elbow and guided her away from Joey and Sam.
She glanced back at them, and Matthew urged her to keep walking away. “Crystal.”
She looked at him. “He was really going to kill me while we were out here, wasn’t he?”
“I don’t know, but let Joey take care of him and let me get you in the car.”
Crystal sighed and got into the passenger side of an SUV. “I know I’ve been a shitty partner, but this… I never predicted this.”
“Joey filled me in on some of the suspicious behavior. I’m not surprised that Sam turned on you. It sounds like Isaac has been trying to isolate you and Sam for some time now.”
Crystal nodded. “But I should have been better at this.” She leaned her head back. “I’m an Elite. I should be able to bond with my partner and not have to worry about him driving me to the middle of nowhere to kill me.”
“You’d be surprised. You can be the best partner in the world and still be surprised.”
“Speaking from experience?”
Matthew nodded. “Yeah, I had a partner go rogue once. It wasn’t pretty.”
Crystal was about to say something when the back door of the SUV opened, and Joey shoved Sam in.
“We’re taking you both back to the Academy. I have notified the Master Hunters what happened here.” Joey didn’t sound pleased at all.
Crystal buckled herself up and glanced back at Joey. She’d never purposely asked him a question mentally. ‘You okay?’
Joey looked up and met her gaze. He nodded once. “We’ll see what the Elder Masters have to say about it.”
Sam snorted. “They’ll see the truth.”
Crystal shook her head. “That you’ve lost your mind?”
“That you’re betraying us all.”
She shook her head and turned back to watching the road pass them by.
“She’s beautiful Markus.” The woman’s voice was high pitched, and Izzy barely contained her flinch.
Everything was so much louder outside Markus’ home. Even his mountain manor where they were now. Another party, another trade, another feeding session. They all blurred together now.
Her mind spun with the number of times they’d switched countries and moved manors. Markus was constantly moving, looking for something or someone. They’d finally settled back into the mountain manor.
Markus’ hand ran over Izzy’s hair. “Thank you. There’s still a little work to be done, but she’s shaping up nicely.”
Izzy glanced up at him and then her gaze went back down to the floor. She’d given up what? A month ago? When Markus almost killed her and nursed her back to health. She’d been too weak to keep him out of her mind and now he was a constant pressure there, louder than any other vampire that touched her mind.
“Has she forgotten everything?” Now the female vampire ran her hand down Izzy’s hair and Izzy stepped away from her.
Markus laughed, and it rolled through Izzy, almost comforting. “No, she still remembers everything. Where she came from, how she became mine, and what I’ve done to her. I want her to keep those memories, because without them, no one would realize that I’ve tamed a Hunter.”
I swear to protect those who cannot protect themselves. The words rolled through Izzy’s mind and her stomach turned sour. She was supposed to protect people, not end up as a vampire’s pet.
“Oh, I felt that spark of anger.”
Nails bit into Izzy’s chin, and the woman forced her to look up.
“You aren’t completely broken yet, are you?”
Izzy mustered up the energy to spit at the woman. The vampire’s nails slashed down her cheek, leaving blood in their wake.
She didn’t flinch or didn’t cry out, even as Markus bent down and licked the dripping blood from her cheek. She kept her eyes trained on the vampire in front of her.
No, she wasn’t completely broken. Sometimes that Hunter still peaked out and fought back.
“She still has spirit.” Markus growled in her ear. “You’ll pay for that later.”
There was that. Izzy bowed her head. Maybe this time he would actually kill her. It’d almost worked before.
“Now, now Markus. Let me handle the punishment? We have several hungry vampires here.”
Izzy’s heart tried to climb out of her throat, and she stepped back.
“Tanda,” Markus purred. “Just don’t kill her. I like her alive.”
Tanda wrapped her hand in Izzy’s hair and dragged her away from Markus.
“Please, please don’t.” She begged. “Too many minds, too many fangs.” Her mind flashed to the last time Markus shared her with multiple vampires. The pain and the powers that flooded through her. “Markus please!” She reached out for him, but he crossed his arms and stared at her.
She hated herself for even thinking about asking him for help, but she continued to reach back to him.
Tanda let out a sharp whistle that caught the other vampires’ attention. “Free for all.” She shoved Izzy to the ground, and the vampires closed in.
She couldn’t tell how many vampires had fangs in her, or how many tugged at her mind. When they pulled away, she curled into a ball on the floor, blood dripping from various pulse points, her body shaking.
Markus’ voice felt like nails down her skin when he spoke. “Stand up.” How could he do that with just his voice, cause pain, cause her to obey? She slowly dragged herself to her feet, swaying in the dizziness of her mind.
“Did you learn your lesson?” He purred and put a hand against her cheek. The pressure stung against the slices Tanda left.
Izzy gave the barest of nods, not trusting her voice.
“Good, you are nothing but food now, Isadora. Remember that.” His power rolled through her mind.
Next time. Next time, she’d figure out how to make one of them kill her.
Markus wrapped his arm around her and took her back to her room. “You thought it was funny to spit in Tanda’s face?”
