Across the Veil: Open Eyes (Book 1)

Chapter 15: Hunted

It was late at night by the time the shows were finished. Willow and Rayne emerged from the club and decided to take the scenic route back to the university campus. Construction equipment lined the road, an absurdly common sight within Ottawa as Willow had discovered. Rayne had joked that the main seasons in the city were taxes, snow, hockey, and construction.

They had made it a block away from the club when Rayne suddenly moved closer to Willow as they walked. Willow started to look up when Rayne whispered, "Just keep moving, and don't look back."

"What's wrong?" Willow whispered in return.

"We're being followed."

Willow tensed, her heart hammering in her chest. Rayne rubbed her shoulder, murmuring that everything was going to be okay.

Just as they reached the intersection, a red hand flashed to life before cars started zipping by. Glancing out the corner of her eye, Willow spotted a figure hovering a few yards away, watching them closely.

As they crossed the street, the figure gradually continued following far behind them. Rayne plucked her phone from her pocket and opened her text messages.

Willow glanced down at the phone to look at what Rayne was typing. The screen was dim, but she could still make out a message as Rayne's thumb slid across the digital keyboard.

Left club. Followed. Going down Gretzky rd to Colonel.

After what felt like an eternity of silence, a message appeared on the screen.

Go into the park and wait. Help on the way.

"He says go to the park and wait." Willow whispered, every nerve on edge.

Rayne narrowed her eyes, not sure why Memphis was telling them to just go into an isolated area. Maybe he was coming to deal with the person himself? That would make sense, if that were the case.

***

As they approached the empty park, they turned and wandered down one of the paths. It was uncomfortably dark, dimly lit, and quiet. Far too quiet for either of their liking. They glanced back and found no one following them.

They waited a few seconds, listening for anyone rustling about in the bushes, before continuing down the snowy sidewalk. They made it only several paces when someone stepped out from behind a large oak tree. The figure walked towards them, dark hood up to obscure their face. The figure reached into their pocket and started to pull out a knife. Rayne flinched. Even at a distance she could sense the iron of the blade.

The figure slowed their pace slightly, glancing up from under their hood with a wicked smile. They waved the blade in a toying manner, "Something the matter, ladies?"

"We don't want any trouble, mister." Rayne said with a glare, "What do you want? Money? We have none."

"Money? Oh, no my dears... I don't want your filthy money." He held up the blade so they could see the fiery eye emblem etched into the metal.

Rayne let out a low hiss as she stepped in front of Willow. The Fae's eyes flickered over to the oak tree, spying its gnarled roots coiling into the frozen ground. Carefully, she curled her fingers into her palm, coaxing one of the roots to rise up and wrap around the man's leg. The Hunter lurched forward as the root took hold, knocking him off balance and into a snowbank.

Willow's eyes widened in surprise. If she and Rayne weren't dealing with someone trying to kill them both, she would have gushed over how incredible that display of power was. She was snapped from her thoughts when Rayne grabbed her arm and raced off across the park.