Hunter: Fate & Fury

Chapter 25

The pile of rubble in front of me was covered with bits of flowers, burnt fabric and shards of glass that glittered like confetti around it. Picking up a piece of the broken sword, the golden paint that had covered it was cracked and flaking away at my touch. Seeing the chunk of a face staring up at me was unsettling, even if she didn't look like me or Kara.

"They will build new statues," Portia said softly beside me.

"I thought things had been complicated when I had been her," I threw the remnants of the God Killer shrine to the ground, and looked around us.

Something had hit right here; the magic was heavy in the air and the damage was so specific to this very area it couldn't be a coincidence. Nearby shop windows were already boarded up, piles of debris cleaned into piles ready for collection but otherwise, everything seemed to be okay. The city was quick to recover from the attack and Kara really did have it handled. She and Deimos had been a good team, yet the damage had been worse in other areas.

"Do you think they were trying to send a message?" I asked Portia, dusting my hands off against my pants.

"Does it matter, they're dead?"

"That's dark." Portia shrugged. "Are you on bodyguard duty or did I manage to give Apollo and Deimos the slip?"

"They're around." She smirked.

Of course they were. Someone always was and as we walked down the empty streets, signs of the battle increased as buildings remained destroyed, either by something hitting them or fire. It reminded me of my first visit when I'd stood with Cain watching his childhood home burn. The cleanup had clearly started, a few destroyed sites already cleared ready for the rebuilding to start but it was far from over. Flowers were left on street corners, pictures were put up of families and the people lost. Most people had left a candle in their windows too.

"Elise?" We stopped as a familiar face appeared. "It is you!"

"Hello, Faline. What are you doing here?" This wasn't their part of town and moving closer to her, she hesitated before waving us inside.

"Come in."

Everything smelt like smoke in here, bringing back flashes of Matt's place all over again. No signs of damage were visible in the small shop, but I didn't think the wall of yarn and rolls of fabric on the tables would be able to get the smell of it out easily.

"Are you all okay?" I asked as she fussed by the window, a small bucket and some rags quickly being taken away as she stopped behind the small register.

"We're fine. This is my sister's shop, I'm here to look after her while she recovers. She got caught in the fire when she went to help her friend. I'm sure she'll be fine in a few days, it's only some minor burns on her arms and-" Faline sucked in a breath, and came back around to stand with us. "It's good to see you."

We hug yet it lasts barely a second before she stands back and looks me over, dragging me closer to the lantern she had by the counter as her eyes grew wider.

"You're with child?" She squeaked, slapping her hands over her mouth. "Is it, are you, with him?"

"Yes."

"Powers don't-" Faline whispered, her face paling.

"These ones do. Elise, can we go? There are more pressing matters to attend to" Portia snapped impatiently.

"This is a pressing matter to me. You go, I'll see you later." I can tell she wants to protest, yet disappears a second later.

"Sorry. This is a surprise. A wonderful surprise! Are you sure you should be here?" She hugs me again, and I hope they're happy tears that are running down her cheeks as she lets me go. "Is Cain around? We heard that he had returned from the dead, but it's hard to know what's going on while also knowing what we do. Your secrets are safe with us, we have told no one about anything."