Hunter: Gods & Monsters

Chapter 9

The rumble of motorbikes became clearer and louder the closer they became. Shielding my eyes from the sun, a figure appeared on the horizon, soon turning into five. The Valkyrie stopped a short distance from where I had set myself up by the river and I knew what was coming. They left their bikes while I idly brushed away a few leaves that found their way onto my blanket and stood up to meet them.

"Just how long are you going to wait out here?" Kara sighed as she ran a hand through her hair and unzipped her jacket as she stood opposite me.

The others lingered to the side, looking awkward and the youngest one I didn't know fidgeted with her jacket which gave them all something to look at.

"I told you, it will be for as long as I have to. I feel terrible I've left him for this long, so when he returns I will be here."

"No one knows how long that will be for though?" Megan comes closer. "Besides, we've got some news."

"Heath is finally on the move!" The new Valkyrie spoke up excitedly, forgetting her zipper issue. She was smaller than the others, looked younger too - even younger than me. "He's up to something!"

"And you are?" I ask, not sure I really cared.

There wasn't much that they could do or say to get me to leave. Mum had tried her best, and nothing had worked. Alfie was my priority right now, and they had to understand that. I wasn't running away, trying to hide or avoiding anything; if anyone wanted me, they knew exactly where to find me.

"Lydia. Sama's daughter." Kara answered as if I knew who that was, before whispering, "She's just returned after trying to find her sire."

"Father not sire," Lydia rolled her eyes. "I was looking for my Dad because apparently being a Valkyrie in this world means you just go and screw whoever-"

Kara seemed to dismiss her with a wave of her hand and the girl went quiet instantly. I had no idea what that was all about and didn't particularly want to.

"Heath's charade is over. He's back with the same team he had when he found the genies tomb. They've clearly been busy making friends with witches and got themselves a few cloaking spells to help hide their movements." Kara explains.

"Obviously terrible ones if we've been able to keep tabs on him." I point out, only now I'm actually starting to pay attention as the mood shifted subtly among the women. "We have been watching him, right?"

My stomach dropped.

"Well as best we could." Megan frowns. "We nearly gave up, only when-"

"Mum noticed him when she came to get me!' Lydia boasted, cutting her off.

"Longer story short, Heath and Co went to her sire, coincidentally at the same time some of my girls were nearby collecting that one." Kara finished.

"What did he want?" I ask, and from her jacket Kara pulled out a small, golden dagger that she passed over. "This looks like a smaller version of Apollo's?"

"Probably made at the same place. It's Hermes, see his symbol on the blade?"

"Dad said he won it from him in an arm wrestle like, a century ago. How insane is that?" Lydia blurted, blushing as she looked away from the others.

I stared at it for a moment, my thumb running over what was definitely Hermes mark. It had been nearly four weeks since Enyo's attack, and maybe I had been avoiding well, everything. First it was to recover away from prying and worried eyes, then it was because I couldn't bring myself to leave Alfie. Again. Even Annipe's visit a couple of days ago with Jordan hadn't helped at all, but now the truth about what had been going on was being told and I knew I wasn't going to be able to stay.