Forbidden Darkness (The Forbidden Darkness Chronicles, #1)

Seven

"Can someone please explain to me what the hell is going on here?" I demanded after finding the energy to speak. For a moment I wasn't sure if I heard my mother correctly, and that there was some logical explanation going on here. But was there really a logical explanation to dream-walkers trying to kill me in my sleep? Probably not, but I really hoped there was one.

My mother repeated herself. "Heather, you're a Monster Hunter. I know this may be a lot to take in, but we all need to talk about this."

So many emotions were swirling around in my head that I couldn't think straight. My head pounded from having it bashed onto the ground of the cave and my body still ached from the Darkness I had seen.

"I know you may be confused," Kristen said as she walked to stand beside me.

"Confused isn't really the word I was thinking of," I replied. Looking at them all in my room, I knew there was some sort of connection here and I wanted a straight answer. "And yes, some explaining would be nice."

Lena, who stood over by my window, said nothing.

Kristen was the one who started. "You're a Monster Hunter. It may sound kind of cheesy, but it's the truth. When a Monster Hunter hits the age of sixteen, their body transforms and gives them the abilities they need to be able to fight for themselves. You'll also get the Sight."

"That's creative," I said sarcastically. "And what does this Sight allow me to do?"

"To see the Monsters," Kristen went on. "Humans can't see them, but they're about as clear as day once you have the Sight. They're their own species, so we're not talking vampires and werewolves—those don't exist—but a deformed type of creature that feeds on humans. It's actually pretty gross when you think about it."

"So let me get this straight," I said. "I'm a Monster Hunter and on Friday my body is going to go under a transformation that will allow me to fight and see these Monsters? Is that it? Because that doesn't explain why in holy hell I just got attacked in my sleep by a guy who can also walk around on the human plane." I wasn't trying to be rude, but there were just some lines that weren't connecting.

"That we don't know," Philip said, who suddenly decided to add some input into the conversation. "This guy seems to be pretty dangerous, but we honestly have no idea what he is. What we do know is that he's not a Monster."

I clenched my jaw tight and loosened it again. "You're telling me that guy—that monster that just attacked me—isn't a Monster? Is that what you're telling me?"

"He may be a monster, but he isn't one of the Monsters," Kristen explained. "We told you, Monsters are a specific species, with a capital M. This guy is just a big douche."

"Just a douche?!" I shouted. I couldn't even believe I was listening to this right now. "He tried to kill me and electricity shoots out of his hand! That's not just an evil guy. Plus, he can walk in my dreams and Darkness seems to physically pour out of his mouth. So if someone would like to give some other explanation that doesn't make it sound like he's just a bully in school, please give it a whack."

My mom was the first to speak. "Honey, I know you're stressed, but you need to give them some time to explain it all to you. There's a lot about being a Monster Hunter that you don't know yet."

"Which is why I'm here," Philip said. "I am your trainer."

Oh. My. God. "You're my what-now?"

He smiled. "Surprise."

This really couldn't get any more embarrassing and I really just wanted to go back to sleep, but had to remind myself that that was how this all started. There's no escaping this mess and I figured I might as well listen. "And who are you exactly?"