Manipulating Her Past

MHP-17

**Assuming you can see these... I'll go and post pictures of the locations of where Asher and Carter are going. If I get something wrong with the history or location, just PM me. Thanks!**

I landed on a cobblestone path and rolled quickly before Asher landed right beside me.

"Sorry," he coughed and helped me up, "let's keep walking."

"Where are we?" I looked around and saw the narrow streets with multiple buildings either white or tan, "is this England?"

"Ireland, we're in Lisburn. This place was founded by English and Welsh settlers, so hence the English looking structures."

"Too bad we don't get to walk around much," I sighed as we began walking towards a less crowded area.

"In the next place, I promise we will."

"Really?" I asked with a smile lighting up my face.

"Promise," he grinned and pulled me towards a church that was on the corner. It's presence seemed holy but it was too quiet around it. Maybe it was abandoned?

"Shifters don't usually go inside churches, but they can if it's the only place that is vacant," Asher explained as we stood in front of the wooden doors.

"So they're not damned?"

"Nope," he pushed on the handle and allowed me to go inside first, before shutting the door behind us as quietly as he could.

The pews were all empty of course as we entered and looked above us to see if there were any dark looking figures in the rafters. Granted very little sunlight was already being given, so it was making it even more difficult to decipher what was just plain darkness or a shifter.

"There," Asher pointed as something moved too quickly for me to get a good glimpse of whatever it was.

"It could be a pigeon," I whispered as he shook his head, "no that's definitely a shifter. Come on."

Slowly we walked towards the stand where the preacher would be, acting as if we were unaware of the shifter being here in the first place. My thoughts began racing, what would happen once we found out more about the shifter? Does it know we're following it? Could it be leading us towards a trap?

I walked into Asher's back as he stopped abruptly and I saw part of the ceiling come crashing down in front of us.

"Clearly... it doesn't want us here," I said trembling.

"We need to find out more," he murmured and stepped over the debris.

"I did until I realized it was going to kill us," I mumbled to myself and shuddered as a raspy voice came out from the shifter.

"Why do you follow me Asher?" it asked hissing.

"What makes her so special to you guys?" he said standing with his arms crossed.

"None of your businesss," it shot back with glowing red eyes.

Asher pulled out what looked like a gun but had an arrow looking thing on the end of it where the bullet would come out. The shifter hissed and began to retreat further into the darkness.

"Who are you associated with!" he yelled aiming the gun thing at the shifter's head.

"Hell," it hissed and disappeared in a flash right as Asher shot the arrow.

"Dammit," he cursed and sat down on the pew looking at the floor.

I stood there just completely unsure of what I needed to be explained to me first. "Are you some kind of... demon hunter?"

"No," he sighed and loaded the arrow back into his barrel, "but people like me are given weapons to kill the shifters with."

"But instead of shooting bullets, you shoot arrows."

"The arrow is laced with a certain combination of power and elements that will destroy a shifter when penetrated. I don't know the name for this stuff, no one does really."

I shook my head, "okay this is all starting to sound crazy. Not only now are we looking for my friend and why she died, but we have to exterminate shifter demon things too?"

"Look, I know it's a lot to take in Carter, but it'll get easier. Just give it some time. Please," he begged and held my hand tenderly.

"I'm trying Asher, but I just need to know why she died. That's all. I was her best friend and she didn't tell me," I cried feeling tears brim my eyes.

Asher pulled me to him and stroked my hair gently, "I know, I'm sorry Carter. She wouldn't have told you any of this for the fact that you may have thought of her as crazy. But I promise we will find out who killed her and you will have all of your answers."

Great but all I needed right now was a warm bath and a soft bed to sleep in. I looked into Asher's eyes and said, "take me home."

He nodded without question and brought back the shining oval passage as I stepped through it without a second glance towards the broken chapel.

**So this book is going to be longer than I anticipated, but I'm hoping to make it as good as I'm planning it to be in my head. Suggestions are welcomed as are destinations on where they should go next!**