Heart of a Hunter

20: The Fight Ahead

Sam's POV

Dean leaned back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his face, his expression grim. "So, the Arcani," he said, staring at the mess of papers and the laptop screen like they'd hold some kind of answer. "Ancient, secretive, and completely off the grid. We're talking centuries of power, control, and manipulation. They make demons look like amateurs." He paused, eyes flicking to me. "And they're after Blair."

The words hit me hard, even though I'd already been trying to process it. Hearing Dean say it out loud made it feel more real. The Arcani weren't just a story in Dad's journal—they were here, breathing down our necks, and Blair was their target.

I glanced over at her. She was standing near the wall, her arms crossed tightly over her chest like she was trying to protect herself from the weight of it all. Her face was pale, but there was a quiet strength in her eyes that hadn't been there when we first met. She'd been through so much already, and now this—the knowledge that some ancient group had killed her family to get to her—was piling on top of it all.

And the worst part? She was right in the middle of it, whether we liked it or not.

"I'm not letting them take her," I said, my voice low but firm. The words weren't just a statement—they were a promise. A promise to her, to myself. No matter what, I wasn't going to let anything happen to Blair.

Dean eyed me for a second, like he could see right through me. "Yeah, well, we've got a bigger problem than just keeping her safe, Sam. If the Arcani are involved, it's because they think she's important. Like, really important. They don't go after people unless there's something in it for them."

I clenched my fists, trying to keep my voice steady. "Then we need to figure out what they want with her. Why her family was targeted."

Blair shifted, her eyes on me, and I could feel the weight of her gaze, the fear and uncertainty she was carrying. "Do you really think... they killed my family because of me?" she asked, her voice small but steady. "That I'm part of something I don't even understand?"

The way she said it broke something in me. She didn't deserve this—none of it. But I couldn't lie to her. Not about this.

"I don't know," I admitted, standing up and moving toward her. "But I think they believe you are. And that means we need to find out why."

She nodded, her eyes meeting mine with a mixture of fear and determination. "Okay. So... what do we do next?"

That was the question. And the truth was, I didn't have a clear answer yet. We were flying blind here, trying to untangle a web that stretched back centuries. But we couldn't afford to stand still.

"We track them down," Dean said, his voice cutting through the tension in the room. "We find out where they operate, how they move, and we figure out their next play."

I turned to him, frowning. "That's easier said than done. The Arcani aren't just some random cult we can Google. They've stayed hidden for centuries for a reason."

Dean shrugged, but there was a fire in his eyes, the kind I hadn't seen in a while. "We've taken on worse. I'll make some calls, dig into the hunter network. There's gotta be someone who's crossed paths with them."

Blair took a step forward, her voice trembling slightly but strong enough to catch our attention. "And if they come for me before we find them? If they're already... watching?"

I felt a surge of protectiveness rise in my chest, and I stepped closer, my hand reaching for hers without thinking. "They won't get to you," I said firmly, locking eyes with her. "We'll stay ahead of them."