Change [Book 1 of The Elemental Marks]

Chapter 2

"Everyone's accounted for?" Vic asked a group of nervous looking teenagers dressed from head to toe in all black. Tommie included himself in this group, including being nervous. Even though he had been hunting a million times, he was rarely ever not nervous.

Most of the group shook their heads, but did so in a weary sort of way. He imagined most of them made it through Shadowhunter Academy with ease if they managed to get here. There was a difference between the Academy and real life, though: it taught you how to run from a demon instead of providing the skill set needed to take one down.

"Great," Vic said, grinning. Apparently he had no lack of faith in the eighteen recruits he had pulled together for this assignment.

What this assignment was Tommie and Lina still didn't know. They didn't get a chance to talk to Vic when they arrived in the training room. The students were already there, and there was no easy way to get to the front of the room.

"Everyone has weapons? Seraph blades?" he asked, scanning the room. More nods. Tommie glanced at Lina, who stood a bit ahead of him at full attention. From the back, she was just a sea of black, from her combat boots to her curly, undone hair. He could see gleams of color, gold Seraph blades strapped over her back, a silver knife tucked into her belt. Her hands, of course, were as pale as anything, but even they had black markings drawn on.

Many times the pair had played a game where they tried to guess were they're families might've been from, what their true ethnicities were. Italian, he suggested for her, but they both knew she couldn't hold a tan. Maybe something obscure, like Lithuanian.

Tommie's own features were much more dull, slightly tanned skin, dirty blonde hair and green eyes. That could literally be anywhere. The game always ended with more questions than answers.

"Alright, I think you're all ready to be briefed," Vic decided. From the ground, he unraveled a huge map of Philadelphia and the surrounding area. He stuck a knife through it into the wall behind him, a crude method for holding the paper up. It was clear this wasn't the first time this map was stabbed through. 

"This is where we are," he pointed to a spot on the map towards the Northwest.

Vic's hand soon danced over a few inches east, landing on the coast of the Delaware River. Across the way, bits of New Jersey could be seen. "We're heading here. Prime hangout of several water demons, or so we're told. Don't worry, they're nothing we can't handle. Usually we kill a few and then they sink back into the river to harass some mermaids."

Looks were exchanged by several students. Vic trying to make jokes usually resulted in this. In the front of the room, he was chuckling to himself, apparently proud of the result he got. "Settle down," he said after another moment. "You've got nothing to worry about. In the back of the room are two very experienced Shadowhunters. You may be familiar with the last names Penwell and Bellewood."

Blank stares told him they were not. Tommie didn't hold it against them. You only knew the Penwell's if you knew the Philly Institute. 

"Tommie and Lina will be at the rear of the group. If you run into any problems, just stay out of the way and they'll handle it. Now, let's move out!"

Just like that, everyone turned around and started pushing towards the doors. Tommie and Lina waited for Vic to reach them.

"You guys ready?" he asked.

"Just some water demons?" Tommie echoed Vic's earlier comment to the crowd. Water demons could range from a few Mbulu to a dozen Rusalka. Tommie went through his mental list, pulling together at least twenty different demons that might live in the water around here.