Huntress

Chapter 4

I had a hard time sleeping for several days after the announcement, though I couldn't quite place why. I wish I could say it had something to do with Quin, but that moment had passed. And it's not like it was my first time seeing a dead body.

During the nights, I would stare at the picture on my nightstand at tell myself that this was for the best. It was something I hadn't done since I started working with Armond and Dawn. Back then, it was because I had been terrified to take a life. What gave me the authority to remove a soul from this world? But I would stare at the photo of my parents, both in wheelchairs because getting them to walk was almost impossible. I was squatted between them and I was the only one looking at the camera, forcing a smile though it felt like I was ripping my heart out.

A werewolf had taken a soul from this world. Even though my parents were still alive, their souls were almost completely gone. And that was how I convinced myself that I could kill.

But this was different. It shouldn't have been. But it was.

We were all the same in some way. Dawn and Armond watched hospital records for strange variations and tracked down members of the family. I still remember sitting outside of the hospital, sucking back a cigarette like it was a life line, when Dawn had sat beside me. I thought she was crazy when she told me that I could learn the truth about my parents, but I had also been desperate. Just like Cassey and Milo had been. Just like Quin.

We were doing what we could to bring justice to the world and to save those who weren't even aware of the risk. And we all trusted Dawn and Armond so much that I couldn't ever remember another member speaking out.

But Milo had.

I hated that because now I was questioning things. When they first announced that we would be going after the royals, the only thing that had twisted my gut was the fact that a child was involved. I knew eventually I would have to kill a werewolf in human form. That seemed bad enough on its own. But killing a child, beast or not, seemed vile. Surely the kid didn't understand the damage it could do to humans.

Then, Milo's concerns flooded through. I couldn't help but agree with him. Killing the royals was not a miracle fix-all. They were the leaders, sure. And yes, werewolves had different societal rules, positions of power coming from birthright and not from work or bribery like humans. But they also had intelligent networks behind them. The royals had guards and captains behind them. Kill Ajax and Keiko and one of the top-ranked officers would step in.

And they would be coming after us in full force.

Spreading out and going into hiding would do nothing to stop them. Some of us might find safe spaces to hide, but others would be found. The wolves could turn and go after normal humans just the same.

Most nights my mind would race so intensely that I would end up in the living room of my small apartment, staring blankly at an infomercial. Sometimes my exhaustion won and I slept. Sometimes it didn't. Other times, nightmares ripped me away from snoring slumber. Most of the time, I just wished that I had taken up Cassey on her offer to be my roommate so I could listen to her blabbering on.

I spent my days training, scouting, completing kill orders, and checking up on my parents. I didn't give myself a second to think between activities. By the time I resumed my normal shifts at the café, I was almost relieved to have a break from all of the physical and mental gymnastics that I would putting myself through.

Until I realized that I had the closing shift with Milo.

I didn't want it to be awkward. We had been through so much together in the time we knew each other. I had gotten over the biggest crush I had ever had without him even noticing. For god's sake, we killed werewolves together. A shift together should have been easy.

My shoulders bunched up regardless and I refused to make myself available for idle chat until I had absolutely nothing else left to do.

"You look like hell, Georgia," he announced when I finally made myself an oat milk latte.

"That's too kind."

He let out a huff which was the closest thing sound he could make to a laugh. "Not sleeping well?"

"Not overly."

"Why not?" Did his questions always have such big barbs on them?

"I'm not sure."

He turned towards me, allowing his eyes to rove over my entire form. Years ago, I might have blushed, then screamed like a lovestruck teen into my pillow at night. But I knew him well enough now to know that he wasn't checking me out. I cradled my warm mug and met his stare.

"It has nothing to do with what happened at the last meeting?"

I glanced over at the customers, and when I was sure that the only person near us was a nearly deaf old man, I whispered, "Which part of last meeting? Seeing Quin's dead body? Learning that we will be hunting a child? Or the whole royal thing?"

Milo took a long drink of his coffee before saying anything. "You know I'm right."

"There is a chance that you are right."

"You sided with Armond anyway."

"There are no sides, Milo. We are all in this together."

"This isn't a sports team." We both paused briefly when the little old man came up to the counter to drop off his used mug and wish us a good night. But the friendly voices and bright smiles were gone once he stepped out of the café, leaving just the two of us. "We are risking everything on this going right. Picking off some of them here and there is not the same as taking out the monarch. They will hunt us down. And it's not going to be a knife thrown from a tree, intended to kill with one shot. They are going to rip us limb from limb. Did you see Quin?"

"Of course, I saw him!" I yelled, slamming my mug down on the counter. "Which is exactly why I think this needs to end now!" I said the words, but they didn't feel right on my tongue.

My outburst had taken the last of the fight out of Milo. Shoulders slumped and lips heaving a sigh, he just nodded his head. "It's not my job to change your mind. I guess I just wanted to tell you that I'm leaving anyway."

"What? But, your family—"

"There's always going to be a reason to stay," he said softly. "I realized that I was making excuse to stay because it felt safe. But I need to live my life. I can't let what happened to my family destroy my chance to be something more than a kid with a knife in a tree. And with Armond's announcement, I think it's a good time. I can't work for someone that I don't agree with."

I felt like I no longer had any words in my vocabulary. "I don't know what to say," I managed finally.

"You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know. I'm telling Armond and Dawn tomorrow, but I'm not telling anyone else on the team. I don't want them to try to convince me to stay."

It felt like a blow. I knew it shouldn't have because we really weren't that close. We killed together, yet I didn't know his favorite colour. But Milo must have felt it too. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against him. It was the first hug we had shared in all our years of working together. in a movie, it would have been perfect, I would have gripped him to me and he would have relaxed into my hold. This wasn't a movie and it was awkward at best.

"Take care of yourself, Georgia. And if you ever think it's time to stop, remember that you deserve to live your life too."

~~~Question of the Day~~~

Who is your favorite animal side kick from a movie or book?