The Huntress

Part 8:Game over

She was wearing a pair of high-heeled black boots and a dark purple sleeveless dress, which was close-fitting but not too much so that she would carry her knives under it. She let her caramel hair down in soft natural curls and put a shade of light pink lipstick on her lips. She was focused and well-prepared, ready to end this situation that night.

It had been a while since she started dancing with Sara when the smell of wildflowers hit her. Her heart started beating fast, and for the first time in days, she felt Lyra responding. She turned around, trying to locate him. She found him near the entrance, alongside two other men, watching her.

The spectral lights of the club were playing with his beautiful eyes, giving him a magical look. 

How long had he been watching her? Why was he there? 

He didn't make any move toward her. He stood there waiting, one hand in his pocket with his thumb in the display. His look was cool, and only a slight rise of his heartbeat showed his acknowledgment of her. 

The song changed, the lights got brighter, and she was still staring, lost in her thoughts and his mesmerizing eyes.

She made a step toward him, pushed herself through the crowd when she felt someone touching her, and swirling her around.

"Asher!" she yelped in surprise.

"This guy has been watching you for a while," he said, pointing toward James. "Could he be the vampire?" he carefully said the last word out of fear of someone listening to him.

"No, it's not him. Smell him."

Asher looked confused, but he tried to smell him.

"Werewolf," he recognized the smell.

"I guess the training has paid off. It's a long story," she told him, waving her hand before he had the chance to ask her about him. "Let's go back to work."

They danced for a while, watching around and trying to decipher any weird sound. She looked again toward the entrance, but he no longer stood there. All around her were people singing aloud, dancing crazily with drinks and beers in their hands, pushing others. She was pushed at the opposite side of the entrance without seeing Sara and the others when she saw Asher's eyes.

"Ash, your eyes," she hissed. His eyes had turned red, and slowly small veins started popping out from his neck. They could both smell the blood coming from the top floor of the club.

The main stage was at earth level in the shape of a ring, but there were also more places for dancing on higher floors. Each of them consisted of a balcony circling the entire edge of the club, providing a complete view down to the stage.

"Focus on your breathing and close your eyes," she reminded him, clasping his hands.

"I can handle it," he reassured her. When he opened his eyes, they were back at their natural brown color.

"Stay here. I want someone near Sara and the others just in case something happens. I have to go."

She started climbing the stairs, the smell coming stronger. The top floor was for VIPs only, but a vampire could compel humans to do his bid, so it made sense that he was there. One guard was blocking the entrance of the floor. She didn't have time for negotiation or other tricks. She looked straight into his eyes and compelled him herself. One of the perks of the hunter was being able to compel any other creature to do as you ask.

"Let me pass," she said, and he stood aside obeying like a puppet.

Opposite the door, there were two couches. On top of one of them, two girls were laid, and she immediately understood with her hearing that they had no pulse. On the other couch, it was him, holding tightly another girl on top of his lap and drinking from her. He stopped when Laurel got near him.

"Welcome to the party, hunter," he said lightly with red lips and continued drinking.

Laurel kept a straight face but clenched her left hand. Her body tensed, while her right hand rested on her thigh where one of her knives was.

"Let the girl go." She highlighted every word and looked at him more ardent.

"Sure, but not yet." He smirked.

One wrong move and the girl could die. She couldn't risk it. She already had two losses.

"Why did you turn that boy?" she asked, referring to Asher and trying to buy some time.

"I thought it would be fun. Releasing a newborn vampire with no control over his thirst, maybe kill someone here and there. . . Though lucky for him, you found him. I'm sure you knew how to handle it. After all, there aren't many things you can't handle," he said and, with a sudden movement, pushed the girl away from him and toward the edge of the balcony.

Laurel ran and caught the girl slightly before falling to the ground. She saw the vampire running through a back door. The girl on her hands had her senses, and she was trembling.

"What's your name, sweetie?"

"Mary," she answered, the word barely escaping her pale lips.

"Mary, I want you to go clean up yourself and head straight to your room and sleep. You won't talk to anyone or stop anywhere else. Nothing of all that happened. You drank too much tonight and felt nauseous, and that is why you left the party early. Okay?" she compelled the young girl.

"Okay," the girl agreed and started walking clumsily.

Laurel wanted to help her, but that vampire was her priority. She needed to make sure he wouldn't hurt anyone else. She started running, and since the vampire's scent was not leaving her, she was able to follow him. He was fast, but so was she. She cornered him in an alley behind the club. It was a dead end. He didn't know the area well enough to escape.

"Game over." She neared him carefully, both knives in her hands.

She threw one of them aiming at his heart, but at the last second, he moved, and the knife hit his arm instead. Removing the knife with a growl, he rushed to her, but she was ready. She avoided the hit, and she attacked him again. He bounced off all her efforts, but she kept attacking him.

"You messed with the wrong person," she told him.

"Graham, my name is Graham. And I am more than glad to kill a hunter," he said and extending his teeth, tried to bite her. 

She was faster and was able to hit him instead and throw him onto the wall. With her left hand holding him in place, she took the knife with her right one and directed it straight to his heart. The knife had only sliced his skin. He was wincing in pain and terror. It wasn't any knife; it was a magically enhanced one suited to kill supernatural creatures. She kept pushing it, but suddenly she stopped.

She felt a strong pain in her left shoulder as if someone had pierced her with something. The pain subsided, but this second was enough for Graham to take advantage of her now loose grip and hit her at the head with his. She stumbled, the knife left her hand and fell to the ground. He smacked her and neared her. His eyes were red with bloodlust. People were coming. She could hear the footsteps. She had seconds to act.

She closed her right hand into a fist, and when she opened it, her claws had appeared. With shining gold eyes, she faced him, growling, and with tremendous power, she picked him up. She put her right hand in his body, hugging his heart, twisting it, and then ripping it out. She let his body fall and smashed his heart, covering half her arm and splashing her dress with blood.

She turned her head without moving. Only 3 meters away from where she was standing, stood James and his men, staring at her bloody claws and shimmering eyes.