The Hunters Ch. 05

"Sleep now, my love..." Kissing her lips for the last time, he left her on the bed and left the room to see to his guests.

When he came downstairs, he was surprised to see two wolves greeting him, instead of people. Immediately a smile curled at his lips.

"Ah... I shall reserve my comments for now. I will have some clothes sent to your room later this morning. So, Anya... what is your decision?"

"Prepare your men," she replied looking at both of them. "But I will say when and where only after I have spoken to my father."

"And your father is?"

"Someone I trust with all my heart."

"Very well then... Anya, could I have a word with you in my study? Logan, I'll be right with you in a while."

Closing the door behind them, Kyros looked at Anya and sighed.

"I want you to take your sister back with you. I will arrange for a private jet to bring both of you home."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Aurora..."

"She... she might not be in the best condition to see me right now. It is best she is allowed to recover."

"What did you do to her you bastard?!" growled Anya, lengthening her claws.

"I tried my best to heal her... She won't remember anything after that night she was sent to kill me. But I have a favour to ask of you, Anya."

"What?"

"Help me heal her. Those two years that I took from her... I can't heal them to perfection because I never knew her then. But you did."

"I'm going to kill you."

"I deserve it..." he said in a low voice. "If you still feel the same about me when this whole ordeal is done, I will accept my punishment. Please Anya... take her home and take care of her for me..."

"And Logan?"

"We have some business to talk of first. He'll understand."

"Fine," she said as she walked of towards the door.

"Thank you," he whispered under his breath.

Later that evening, when the twins were halfway across the globe back home, Kyros sat at the fireplace with Logan by his side.

"Seems we're back to being sad lonely men huh?" said Kyros.

"Well, couldn't agree more with you."

"I'm going to need to return to my pack tonight. It seems our arrangements have been settled."

"Yes, thankfully it has."

"You know what Vampire? If you weren't really a Vampire or sniffing after my mate's twin... we couldn't actually be friends," laughed Logan.

"Oh, get out of here," replied Kyros with a laugh.

***

Anya didn't want to go home. There was so much she wanted to say to Logan and ask him yet their time together seemed so short-lived. Throughout the journey home, she kept thinking about what he said; if either of died tomorrow, they'll regret never having mated. Anya sighed, feeling at a loss. All her life, she had been told that mating between them or other species was forbidden. She'd just assume that that meant that they were sterile creatures. No Hunter had ever conceived.

But of course, no Hunter was allowed to live once it was found out that they had a relationship.

Looking at her sister lying calmly on her lap, Anya felt a tug of fear and pain in her heart. They were both going to be executed sooner or later. It was only a matter of time before the Order found out that she had failed the mission.

When they arrived at the John F. Kennedy International Airport, Anya got a cab to transport both she and her sister back home. It was a very long ride upstate and she was in no mood for driving personally. However, she instructed the driver to send them to the last town on the major road upstate. The long winding path through the forest was for her and Aurora to travel alone. It was best this way. However, after looking at her sister, Anya changed her mind.

"Hello, Daddy... it's me, Anya. Could you uh... come and fetch us? I'm at the town south of our estate, just off the main road," said Anya from a public phone booth.

"Oh Anya... I'll be right there."

"Daddy... bring a car please..."

She knew that Richard could arrive within minutes to where they were but seeing Aurora's condition, it was best if he drove.

"Oh... I see... Alright. Just wait for me, my darling."

Anya was thankful that it was getting late as it would take at least a few hours for Richard to drive there. It was dark so it was easy for her to hide them in the shadows, away from the eyes of passersby. Carrying her sister and their luggage to a secluded bench, she settled them in and waited.

"Anya..." murmured Aurora as her eyes fluttered open after awhile. "Where are we?"

"We're going home soon darling. You sustained some injury on your last mission."

"Did I fail?" she said in barely a whisper.

"Shh... don't talk. Save your energy." Anya soothed her sister. Aurora gave a small whimper and went back to sleep. Anya sighed. There was much work to do once they reach home. Somehow, she was dreading it.

It was nearly midnight when she heard the low rumble of a car entering the town square. There were no lights but she knew it was Richard behind the wheel. They needed no light in the dark to see.

"Anya! Aurora! My girls..." said Richard as he turned the engine off. Scooping Aurora in his arms, he carried her gently and laid her in the backseat. "Let's go home, children..."

Anya got in the front seat silently as Richard made his way back to their home.

"What are you not telling me?" asked Richard when they were safely in the darkness of the forest.

"It's... a long story..."

"Then you'd better start from the beginning right now, young lady."

Anya remained silent then turned to check if Aurora was fast asleep before speaking.

"I love you Daddy..." she said softly. "I don't care what Elder Connor says... you are my father and I love you."

"Anya... I'm sorry honey that you had to find out things the way you did. You don't know how much it hurts me..."

"Daddy... why can't we just take down the Order... so our lives can be normal? Do we have to subject ourselves to this life of hunting down people we don't even know?"

"We have to be grateful to the Order for creating us. Without them, we wouldn't exist... and I wouldn't have had the two of you..."

"We're killing people who have families, people who love them too Daddy..."

"Oh Anya..." sighed Richard as he made a turn into their driveway. "You still haven't told me what it is you're not telling me..."

A few moments of silence passed as Richard parked the car. When he turned off the engine, he turned to look at his daughter with a sad look on his face.

"I don't want to be a Hunter anymore."

"What's his name?" asked Richard in a stern voice.

"That's not the point, Daddy!"

"That is everything about the point," said Richard, raising his voice.

"Daddy... What's going on?" said Aurora as she stirred awake.

"We'll talk later young lady. Get your sister inside."

"Anya... why is Daddy angry at you?" said Aurora as they walked towards the house.

"Oh Aurora... I don't know how to say it..." she replied, helping Aurora to a sofa.

Aurora reached up to place a palm on her sister's cheek. Then her eyes widened in shock.

"Anya!" she gasped.

"Now you know why Daddy's angry..."

"Now you've dragged your sister into it as well," said Richard from behind them. He was standing with his hands on his hips looking sternly at both daughters.

"Oh Daddy... please don't be angry at her."

"And why not?"

"Uh... because I uh... I'm not so innocent either."

"Sigh... girls... you know the only reason the Elders keep me around is because I'm your guardian right? Do you know what it means if they found out about this... thing you have going on? They'll terminate all of us!"

"Oh Daddy... we're really sorry..." whimpered Aurora. "I... I didn't know that."

"But I do. See Daddy? That's why we need to stop all this nonsense. They're breaking families apart. They're breaking us apart... Don't we have a right to love each other too?"

Richard sighed and looked at the elder twin. Indeed, the Order had given them all a chance at being a family simply because the twins were a novel experiment that needed careful watching over.

"I am very disappointed in you, Anya... From that moment I saw that Werewolf at our front door, I know trouble was brewing. It wasn't really smart of you to use their vehicle to get here. You led a trail right back here. I wanted to kill him right there and then; you know I could... but when I saw his eyes filled with sorrow and pain, I let him go. I told him where you were... in hopes that he could bring you at least, home safely."

"You mean, you knew all along?"

"Well... it's not everyday that a man comes to my house and ask for my daughter's hand in marriage you know."

"He what?!" said the twins in unison.

"I told him he should ask that question to you."

They all kept silent. Richard decided to give his daughters some time to rest. He too needed some time to calm himself down so he walked to the kitchen to make some coffee. He had remembered the look on that boy's eyes. Oh, he had those eyes too, once ... a long time ago.

Shaking himself, he proceeded to make coffee, willing himself not to eavesdrop on the girls' conversation.

"Aurora, are you feeling better?" Anya sat on the sofa beside her sister.

"I suppose I am... I feel rather lightheaded though. It's like I've been sleeping for a very long time. I hate that feeling."

"Umm, tell me... what was the last thing you remembered?"

Aurora looked to the ceiling and tried to think.

"I'm not sure. Everything seems so fuzzy. I remember chasing after you while you were on your bike. I let you win that race by the way."

Anya smiled. "Okay, that's good. Now... about our... I mean my problem..."

"Sister... you know what the Order's going to do don't you? I can't lose you..."

"Shh now... I'll be fine. I need you to go upstairs and rest now. Can you do that for me darling?" Aurora hesitated for a while but Anya gave her an encouraging smile to go on.

Alone in the living room, she waited for Richard.

"Anya... I need you to tell me everything... there's no use keeping secrets anymore from me," said Richard when he finally entered.

Sighing, Anya stared at her father and began telling him everything.

***

Aurora tried to sleep but she kept wanting to hear what her father and Anya were talking about. Even then, she felt too exhausted to preen her ears anymore. They were talking very softly in their minds that it worn her out trying to eavesdrop.

As her eyes fluttered close, she felt herself going to sleep again.

"Kyros..." she murmured in her slumber...

An ocean away, Kyros was leaning against his porch door staring at the sunrise. He missed her yet he knew that he had to let her go.

"My Lord," said Sebastian, rousing him from his thoughts.

"Yes Sebastian?"

"Your uncle is here to see you, sir. Lord Caden is waiting in the sitting room."

"Oh? This is a surprise. Very well then. Sebastian, I need you to make some calls for me today. I've left the names on my desk. This is a Summoning."

"Yes my Lord," said Sebastian with a slight shiver. He'd heard of Vampire Summonings before but he had never thought he'd be able to see one in his lifetime. As Kyros left the study, Sebastian sat at his master's desk to make the calls.

When Kyros entered the sitting room, he wasn't surprised to see that his uncle was pacing about.

"Me boy! There ye are!"

"Uncle," he replied with a graceful nod."To what may I owe this pleasure?"

"Oh Ky... me boy..." he said, bringing Kyros close in an embrace.

"What's the matter uncle?"

"Kyros me child... I want ye to leave this place immediately and find some other place far away where ye can be safe and hidden."

"But why?"

"You're in grave danger my child..." said Caden softly. Kyros studied his uncle's face. The man looked tired... and scared. He had dropped his Irishness and was speaking solemnly. Kyros wasn't sure to trust the man or not.

"I do not think that it is right for a Pureblood to run away in the face of danger."

"Please... you don't know how much danger I am putting to myself just by coming here to warn you. Please Kyros... do this for me... and for your parents."

"My parents have been dead for very long. What I choose to do now can no longer affect them."

"Kyros... please..." begged Caden.

Kyros looked intensely at his uncle before speaking.

"Why are you scared uncle? Who is coming after me and why? Tell me and I will leave this place immediately."

"The walls have ears and eyes Kyros. It is not safe for me to say anything here. Meet me at the place where you first met me tonight at midnight," he whispered before disappearing into thin air.

Kyros was growing more and more suspicious by the minute. He didn't want to trust his uncle on one hand but on the other, he was curious. Curiosity killed the cat, they say, but it can't kill the undead. If he was meeting his uncle, he was going to need reinforcements.

Walking back to his study, he called Sebastian.

***

Kyros was studying the faces of the Vampires gathered in his study room very intently. Five Noble ranked and two Purebloods were standing before him, having answered his call of Summoning.

At the far corner of the room, Sebastian looked on with as much fear as excitement in his eyes. The domestics have been talking about the ritual continuously and he was their representative to relay all that he sees during the Summoning.

"Derek, Arthur, Marcus, Phoebe, Xander... I am very pleased that you are here. I appreciate the time that you all have taken away from your duties. But before I explain the reason for this ceremony, I would like to acknowledge two more ladies-Eliza, Annabelle, my lovely sisters, I am honoured that you both have answered my call. There is no need for a Pureblood to undergo a Summoning ceremony."

"But we are honoured nonetheless, brother," said Eliza as she gave a graceful curtsy.

"Thank you," he said, with a smile. "The reason I've arranged for this on such short notice is because I have information that I may be in grave danger. I have arranged for a meeting with a distinguished Pureblood tonight but I do not trust him as much as I used to. I need all of you to be my extra eyes and ears to ensure that I and him are not being followed or watched."

"But, my Lord... wouldn't that be difficult if we are pitted against other Purebloods?" asked Arthur.

"That's why we're here," said Annabelle.

"But tonight is not the only issue that I'm addressing. There is another thing..." said Kyros slowly as he watched each of them closely.

Suddenly, the room fell into darkness except for their glowing eyes shining in the silence of the night. They saw a flash of something colossal moving; at such a speed that they could only feel the slash of the wind against their face.

Then someone cried out in pain and they heard the sound of a body collapsing.Yet they couldn't see a thing for the creature was moving too fast for their eyes to capture an image.

"Lord Russell?" whimpered Phoebe just a second before her scream pierced the room. She felt a sharp prick at her neck; a slight breath, before she too fainted to the floor.

Five bodies collapsing to the ground; the creature's eyes glowing brighter, almost casting off a red glow from its eyes.

Sebastian, who had been standing by the door all along had been so terrified that he had peed his pants. But still he stood, in the darkness, trying to adjust his eyes to see what was happening. As a common level vampire, he still retained the vision of humans and thus had not been given privy to what had taken place before him.

Annabelle and Eliza, could however. Unlike the Nobles, the Purebloods could detect movement at the speed of light. What they saw had no fazed them. Kyros had turned into a full formed beast; drawing blood from his Nobles, enough to knock them out but not kill them. In that blood held their memories, their thoughts and their secrets.

He had then pooled all that blood into a small chalice before he returned back to his human form. Immediately, the room was flooded with light.

"Rise!" he commanded. The five nobles sprawled on the floor slowly regained consciousness and gathered themselves up.

"When I drink the contents in this chalice, it will bind all of you to me, such that when I draw blood intentionally or not, all of you will be immediately summoned to my side."

"We are honoured, my Lord, to be binded to a Pureblood of your stature," said Xander. The others followed suit, giving a bow of respect to him.

"Every thought, every desire, every information that you learn during the course of this Bind will be known to me. Therefore, it is not wise to turn your back against me," he said. "But once this ordeal is over, I will relinquish this Bind and you will be allowed to have your sovereignty back."

When all the content of the chalice was drunk, everyone stood silent. But in their mind, Kyros's voice was clear.

***

He stood over his mother's gravestone. Kyra had been the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and ever loved.

"My boy, you made it," said a voice in hardly a whisper.

"I was too curious not to."

"As promised, I will tell you why you're in danger and you will leave immediately!" he said exasperatedly.

"It depends, uncle. I am not usually the type to run away from confrontations."

"Oh, my child... remember the other time you asked me about those Hunters?"

Kyros's ears immediately perked up and listened intently.

"I have information that they're sending a dozen or so of those Hunters to take you down."

"Who are 'they'," asked Kyros.

"I cannot mention their names... but I am telling you that it is pertinent that you leave this instant!"

"A bunch of Hunters can't kill me. I've put off the last two they sent me. What makes you think I can't put down these twelve?"

"You wh.. what? Killed those twins did ye? Oh no... this is terrible news."

"Who are those twins, uncle? Why are you afraid?"

"Those twins- they're the top Hunters there ever are... well except their fath... I mean except one more person but that's not important. What's important is that you've killed them."

"Why are you afraid, uncle? Who is giving these orders??"

"I cannot tell you, my boy. Please..."

"Then I cannot listen to you."

"No! Please Kyros, please! I'm begging you."

"Why?"

"Do it for your mother..."

"What has she got to do with this? She's dead."

"My sister died to protect you... Please Kyros... if you won't do this for me, do this for her."

Kyros stepped back, aghast. All his life, he was told that his mother had been slain during a duel with another Pureblood.

"Who was she protecting me from? Those Hunters?"

"You're asking too much from me, Kyros..." said his uncle, weeping. It had been a long time since he remembered standing in front of Kyra's grave. Kyros had been hardly fifteen and the girls were still toddlers when they'd met him and he'd taken them all under his wing. That was in the year 1430.

"Uncle... let me help you fight this. Whoever's scaring you... I can help."

"How? We are powerless against those Hunters..."

"We must try. For how long do you expect me to run and hide? I've lived for centuries now... and I don't think I'm going to die that easy."

Caden looked at his nephew with a faint smile on his face. Was he willing to take this leap of faith?

***