Hunter

Chapter Fourteen

"I can come with you. You don't have to go alone." She says pacing in front of me in my room.

"I'm not going alone. Kenji's coming remember."

"I should come too he's my dad. And you can't face my family on your own you said it yourself they're crazy."

"We'll be fine. Trust me." I tell her running my hands up and down her arms.

"I don't like this. I have a bad feeling about everything." She sighs closing her eyes.

"Nothing will go wrong. I'll be back before you know it."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

I jolt awake sitting up in bed. The dreams have become more frequent. Memories I don't want to remember.

Sliding out of bed I make my way outside and towards the lake. It's the middle of the night so I don't expect anyone to be out here. But I'm surprised to find Yau zoned out with her katana.

I watch her for a good minute. Her movements smooth and precise. Her swordsmanship unlike any I've seen. When she finally turns in a final move her gaze collides with mine and she straightens immediately.

"Sorry didn't mean to scare you." I say stepping out of the shadows and into the moonlight.

"No problem." She mumbles putting away her blade.

"I didn't know you were back."

"I arrived this morning. Ximena told me you're never home these days." She says glancing over her shoulder at me.

"Ximena really shouldn't gossip." I smile settling down on a fallen trunk.

"Why are you awake? Bad dream?"

"You could say that. What about you?" I ask her as she joins me.

"I just couldn't sleep. It feels like something bad is about to happen."

"How do you know that? How can you have a feeling that something will go wrong?" I question remembering the dream I just had.

"Myths have closer ties to the cosmos than shifters and other supernaturals. The rarer you are the stronger that tie. I'm a kitsune. We're not as rare as dragons but we're pretty rare. So I can feel it. Like a warning from the universe. It's hard to explain how." She says facing me.

"And you feel it now?"

"Yes I do."

"So do I." A voice says behind us making us turn.

Esmeralda steps towards us a serious look on her face. Yau and I are already on our feet when she gets to us.

"Yau can I have a minute with your brother?"

"Of course. Goodnight." She bows slightly before walking towards the house. Once she's out of ear shot Esmeralda lets her shoulders drop.

"You know what I am right Xerxes?"

"A witch?" I ask uncertain where this is going.

"Not just any witch I'm a devil. Leader of the American Coven of witches."

" Okay. Why are you telling me this?"

"One of my many gifts is divination. And all night the cosmos has been sending anyone that can feel it warning signs. Warning them away from a place." She tells me "It sent a warning to you tonight I assume."

"All I had was a weird dream." I shrugged not wanting to tell her it wasn't just a dream.

"What happened in that dream?"

"Nothing important. It was just a dream." I dismiss. She watches me silently for a few minutes before she speaks again.

"You'll be faced with a choice today. Don't take the one that leads you away from home."

"What does that mean?" I ask.

"You'll know. Just remember don't take the path that leads you away from home."

...............

I hadn't been able to go back to sleep after Esmeralda's speech by the lake. Even as I drove towards my father's house I couldn't shake the feeling I got after last night.

I silently made my way through the house towards my father's office. I walked in not bothering to knock and found him in conversation with Dardanos.

"...he won't accept. And I won't have him do that. Alexander will go with the others to Russia." Alistair says.

"What won't I accept? Why do I need to go to Russia?"

"Nothing important."

"We have a mission I thought you'd be perfect for but your father thinks it's a little too close to home." Dardanos explains.

"We're infiltrating one of Logan's safe homes." Alistair sighs.

"Remember that report that reached us of the massacre that happened at one of our camps? The army that killed all those people was led by Hailey." Dardanos said.

"Who's Hailey?" I ask.

"Your mother. We need someone who can infiltrate the house and get rid of her. But I wouldn't ask that if you. She is still your mother." Alistair says.

"There were thousand of children that died that day. She was responsible for that. I don't remember her. I have no emotional connection to her and seeing me will make her vulnerable. I'm the best person to do it."

"Xander..."

"I wouldn't ask you to do that."

"You don't have to ask. I'll do it."

"Don't do this."

"Esmeralda said not to take the parth that leads me away from home. Russia is pretty far from home."

"I doubt she ment it literally. I doubt the universe wants us to kill mom."

"Trust me Xerxes I know what I'm doing."

"No you don't..."

"Where's the safe house?" I ask if ignoring Xerxes.

"California. We leave in an hour."

"Perfect."

"But first. We need to do something about your hair." Dardanos says.

...........

I know it's short but isn't this just exciting.

I'm excited to see if they'll bump into each other. A little will they won't they😂