Demon Hunter

Chapter 1

My face twisted in pain as I slowly removed the blade from my shoulder. Henry hadn't meant to pierce the skin, but he was angry. Beyond angry with me and his strength was only amplified by his emotions.

He didn't try to approach me, he knew I'd only push him away. We weren't finished. Not until he paid for the wound to my shoulder. My left arm would be all but useless. The pain there was unbearable. I used it as fuel.

"Stop this Rora." Henry's chest was heaving with emotion. I could see by the way he looked at me he didn't want to fight anymore. But I was tired of submitting to him, tired of backing down. I shook my head and turned the blade that I'd unlodged from my shoulder on him. He shook his head and dropped into a fighting position.

"I only want what's best for you Aurora." He circled me and I simply focused on my breathing. That was his excuse every time he hurt me because he didn't get his way. He always only wanted what was best for me. The truth of it was, he was a selfish bastard. But I couldn't do anything to change the fact that we shared the same DNA.

"If I want to stay, I will. It's not your decision to make Henry. I've devoted my life to this. To your cause. I want it back. I want all those years back." Henry stopped moving and simply stared at me. What I said had hit home, I knew it. But it didn't make it any less true. I was tired of the constant moving. I was tired of the fake names, fake lives. Everything was fake. Most of all, I was tired of hunting. We'd been hunting things, vampires, demons, werewolves, ghouls, ghost, ect., our entire lives. Our mother had been possessed by a demon, causing our father to start hunting again. Even though he'd sworn off that life when his own father had passed. When he died facing off against her, Henry simply took his place in the line of vengeful vigilantes of the O'Harrin family. Demon's became our main focus and the thing we were best at hunting. I couldn't do it anymore. I'd accepted my mother's death, my fathers too. I didn't want this lifestyle to claim anymore of my family. Henry was raising our younger brother to be a hunter. But he'd lost me long ago.

"Fine." Henry breathed out heavily. He threw down the knife that was in his hand. His brown eyes filled with an angry sadness that made me feel guilty. I still refused to recant what I had said, or chosen to do.

"You can stay. I'll help you get on your feet here but... I can't let Gabe stay with you." Henry shook his head, his brown hair falling over his heart shaped face. We're twins, with identical hair and features.

"Gabe is better off with me. Who's going to watch him while you're out hunting? You know this life has done nothing but hurt him. He's always getting hurt. You're killing him." My last sentence broke him. Henry's shoulders slumped and he ran a shaky hand through his hair. I instantly felt bad. I knew wanting to settle in one place went against everything we'd been taught. I just couldn't do it anymore. I'd had too many close calls. Too many creatures come after us at home as retaliation. As bad as we don't want to think about it, those creatures were smart. They were revenge seeking beings too. I'd promised our father I'd keep Gabe safe. It was a promise I'd give my life to keep.

"I know. But I feel like I'm losing everyone. I can't... I need." I slowly approached my brother before pulling him to me. He was a few inches taller than me, he bent his head down to burry it in my neck. He kept his arms at his side but I knew he needed me. This was how things went with us. We'd fight, one or both of us walking away bleeding, then we would lean on each other for support. He was my twin brother and no matter what he did, I'd always have his back.

"I have to. I promised." It came out as a whisper, almost like a suggestion. But he nodded against me and took a step back. I realized he'd been crying when the cool air touched the wet spots his tears had left on my skin. I wanted to pull him back to me, to tell him I'd changed my mind. But I had to think about Gabe, and myself.