Hunters Academy

Chapter One

I walk through the door of my house quietly, desperately trying to keep from waking up my mother. Fresh from a hunt I am covered in bruises and scratches and my mother does not exactly approve of me hunting. I have just enough giddiness left in me from the hunt that a small unintentional giggle escapes my lips as I close the front door behind me. My giddiness dissipates quickly when I find my mother, arms crossed over her chest and a large man with light brown hair in a black suit standing eerily still in the living room of my tiny house. Her thoughts shine like neon signs at midnight and rage rises up in my chest. Anger, I've come to realize, is like a drug, the way it starts in your chest, rippling throughout your body making your blood boil, the way it makes you clench your fists and curl your toes. That is all I can feel, white hot and repugnant anger but before I can even utter a word my mother raises her hand to silence me.

"You are going to the Academy. That is final."

I snarl softly and glare at my mother, hatred spewing from me in waves. Hunters Academy. The very place where all young hunters go to learn how to hunt and kill what we were all born to kill; vampires. My chest heaves at the thought. The snarl seems to make the man weary because he moves his body slightly in front of my mothers, his eyes flicking between us worriedly.

"No."

I say it calmly, so calmly, she takes a step back, the unidentifiable look upon her face changing to that of pure fear. My mother crosses her arms in front of her scowling at me, her normally very beautiful face screwed up into an angry, frightened sneer. I fight desperately to control the anger that has gripped me in a coiled vice. Her thoughts are raging, the excuses piling up one after another, the reasons for wanting me gone searing into my brain.

"It is not my decision! You know that every hunter is required to go. You're 17. You should feel lucky that I was able to keep them at bay for this long."

I stare at her her, looming over me, although small my mother stands a good three inches above my small 5'2 frame. Her face is set into a permanent scowl, the wrinkles above her mouth and on her forehead giving you just a glimpse of the pain beneath. Her blonde hair, many shades darker than mine but still light, falls listlessly over her shoulders. She hasn't smiled since the death of my father. Grief is a funny thing, it eats away at people and rips apart stability. My mother has never been able to cope with being on her own, she has always had someone there with her, for comfort. The day my father died, she didn't only lose him, she lost me too, but for that she has only herself to blame. The mans thoughts press gently against my mind and I fight to keep myself from delving deeper into his subconscious. He was instructed to use every force necessary to get me to the Academy. A small snort escapes me at the thought of him trying to remove me unwillingly. This man, although large compared to me, would have a rather hard time getting me to go anywhere with him without one hell of a fight.

"You have the ability to say no. You know why I have no desire to go!"

She flinches and looks at me, her eyes piercing through mine. Her mind opens to me and I flinch at the onslaught of emotions pouring from her. She is angry, angry at me for being here when he isn't, angry at me that I didn't do anything to help him. Her anger fuels mine, I have spent 8 years of my life trying to avenge his death! Does she not know that a piece of my soul was taken when he left too?

"Snow you have been so distant and cold, your anger, your hatred is never going to bring your father back! And you know that!"

She snaps at me, clenching her teeth, just talking about my father makes her hurt. I am beyond angry now. Me, cold? Distant? I have done nothing but try to be a part of her life, but every time I try, she pushes me away as if I am the monster that killed him. A searing pain flares in my chest and I flinch slightly. Maybe I am. But how can she send me away when she knows that I am trying to hunt down my fathers killer? I thought that was what we both wanted; revenge. Locked behind the walls of Hunters Academy there will be no way for me to search for my fathers killer, there will be no way for me to be free to hunt. My entire body burns as the walls shake around us and the pipes underneath our feet groan loudly. I try to trample down the raging inferno inside me, but the energy rushes from me in currents. The small living room decorated sparsely with nothing but a couch and a coffee table, is suddenly filled with bright purple energy. The mans thoughts suddenly change to that of horror, he grips my mothers arms and places his body in front of hers. A small shout escapes him when he meets my eyes and he pushes my mother away from me.

"Get yourself under control. Now!"

My mom snaps at me from behind the protective shield of the mans body. I can just see her face in my mind, her lips peeled back in  anger but her eyes are shining brightly with fear. A dark chuckle escapes me, fear. The same look I have been receiving from that woman for my entire life. I have to get out of here and fast. The energy screams to be let out of its fixed position, hovering over the air like a thick fog. My mother pushes the large man away from her and stands with her hands on her hips, the fear still shining in her eyes.

"So this is how it is?"

I ask through clenched teeth, my fists ball together at my sides, energy crackles beneath my skin, my focus slips slightly, the energy flaring up in purple angst. The room pulses, causing my mother to take a step back, the energy heavy upon her shoulders. The man is unprepared for the burst of energy and he flys backwards, his back hitting the wall. I fight with it, pushing it down, shoving the beast back into its cage. The room crackles violently as the energy dissipates and my mother winces as it sparks against my skin, creating a small purple flame.

"You're going to ship me off because you can't deal with my anger, my hatred towards the scum that killed him?"

She blanches white, her face turning ashen, her breathing turning harsh and ragged. Her face gives her away, she doesn't want me here, she doesn't want me anywhere near her. I terrify her. My powers terrify her, I knew this already but I did not believe she would stoop so low as to send me to the Academy.

"Snow this is final. Your flight leaves at 2:00 today.  I expect you to be there."

Heavy, heavy is the weight that I just had dropped on my shoulders from those three sentences. Slipping, slipping is the control that I have on myself. The windows shatter and the wind blows, whipping around me, sending my long hair in all different directions. My control lost, my anger rippling from me in hot cosmic waves. My mothers screams the only thing holding me down, my little shred of humanity. The only thing that is able to keep me anchored to the ground. I tuck into myself, the wind dying down and the walls standing still. Control! Control! Control! The beast rears her purple head, but I fight her, sealing my power deep inside, letting her out, would be like setting off a nuclear bomb. I haven't used my powers since the night my father died. I spent years of my life learning how to control myself, how to tame the energy, the beast, but after dad died, I lost the faith I had in my energy, my power, and quit using it, tucking it deep inside and now, It's fighting for control, for use. I turn to look at my mom. My eyes cold, hard, and calculating when I look at her. She flinches away from me, tears streaming down her face. She is scared. Scared that I am falling apart, scared that I am slowly crumbling to pieces. And she should be scared... because I am. I have been for a very long time. I am the same as I always am. The little slip in control no longer existing in my mind. I am not angry nor mad or sad. I am a void adapted to everything around me. Everything I am is being uprooted, destroyed from the inside out. I have spent years controlling myself, years mastering my emotions and all it took to break through that wall was this. Pathetic. I look at my mom once more then grab my duffel bag and suitcases that are sitting by a pile of boxes. The man is standing now, his thoughts twisting into those of confusion. He was told I was just a simple assignment, retrieve and release like every other wayward hunter child who didn't want to go to the Academy. His name flashes through my mind and I grin, Brant. I've heard of him before, word gets out about the vampire hunter who doesn't want to hunt vampires.

"Don't bother showing me out. I know the way well enough."

I head for the door, my clothes still covered in dirt and blood from the hunt feel cold against my skin. Brant glances at my mother once more before following behind me, his thoughts a heavy weight on my shoulders. One day. One day is all it takes for my own little controlled world to fall apart. One mistake. One mistake was all it took for my father to be yanked away from me. And I can't fix any of it. Happy Birthday to me.

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Alright, so as you can see, some things have changed with this first chapter and some things haven't! There is no longer a prologue! It will become clear as to of why as the story progresses! This will be the least changed chapter for sure! Please do not be upset at the changes that will be happening within other chapters! I love you guys so so so so much ❤️❤️ and cannot wait to share more with you! Please vote and comment about what you think! Your support is loved and appreciated! Please, please, please go show me your love and support on my other book as well!

Xoxo- Cherry 🍒🍒🍒🍒