Silently Hunted

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Nathaniel was the Shadow Hunter. The one Angels fear to come across, humans used as a behaviour method for their children, and even his own kind found it hard to be near him. He had spent most of his life alone, even those who worked with him were terrified. In fact he was sure the only one who had not wanted him dead or feared him in shaking terror was Lilith. And only because she was feared worse, and she only wanted him because he was the strongest male closest to her in the vamp hierarchy.

He knew why she wanted him. And at one point he had even considered it, just to get away from the creeping loneliness that he had refused to acknowledge. Yet now he knew. He would wait through centuries more to feel what he did with Anya. He had spent so long trying to kill her, believing Lilith and the angels on this one fact, that the world needed her gone. That she was a danger that could not be allowed to survive. If he had known the truth he would have faked her death sooner. Locking her safely away in his manor, fighting off all intruders.

He laughed darkly, no humour in the sound. Well he had had her safe in his lair, and he had not managed to fight of the intruders. But he had not expected anyone to follow, or attack at that point. He should have. He could never let his guard down again.

There was an uncomfortable pull on his lower leg. His attention caught away from his tangled thoughts. He glanced down, noticing the blood had done its job well. The skin was covering the newly grown muscle and tendons. The pull was the feeling of that skin almost stretching its way across the healing section. It made him pause a moment. The blood he had consumed would speed his healing, but it should not have happened this quickly.

It reminded him of Anya, and her healing speed. He wondered.

Could it be possible?

The connection was still open. Was she behind this? Was she even aware of it if she was? He could feel how uncomfortable she was in her current situation. How she wanted to blend in with the décor, or have a hole open up beneath her. There was no real way for her to disappear from being the centre of attention. She had hoped to get away at some point, to flee. But it seemed near impossible at that minute. So could it be her abilities that were healing him?

Could the connection somehow be working at a subconscious level? He was not aware of keeping the connection open, it just was. So could it be possible that she was subconsciously healing him, as the connection made her ability believe it was her that was injured?

He shook his head. Or maybe he was thinking too hard about this, and he needed to concentrate on a way to escape instead. Yes, that sounded like a good plan. He could think of all other implications and different issues when they were free and safely back on his side of the border.

Checking out his chains, he could concentrate on them right now. If he could at least loosen them it would help. He was sure of it. Not that he could see a way out of here right now. But it would be useful if a plan did form at some point. And he hoped it would be some point soon.

Anya could feel Nathaniel’s frustration at being unable to do anything productive. Yet she could not concentrate upon that information at that very moment. She was in fact trying her best to blend in with the crowd, which had her as its centre of attention. It was not going very well it seemed.

The hostile stares were still frequent. But at least none had approached her that seemed to want her dead. What held her attention, however, were the whispers she heard of the prophecy. She had no idea how she knew these were being whispered about, or even if they were being spoken aloud. A feeling deep within told her she was hearing telepathic conversations that should have been private. Yet somehow she had managed to ‘hack’ into them.

She needed to find out what this prophecy actually said. From what she could tell the angels in this room seemed to think she had a key role to play in it. Her grandmother refused to talk of it. And was instead preening like a peacock under the attention she was receiving. She had to say, when she pictured her grandmother, she never would have imagined anyone like this.

It was as if she was a shiny new toy for her grandmother to show off, and for others to be jealous over. She was the freaky half breed. The abomination that never should have happened. They should have sold tickets for the way half of the crowd stared upon her. This was going to be a long night, and it did not seem she was going to have any chance to find a way out of this. She was too exposed, and feeling more like a lamb going to the slaughter than at any other point in her life.