Part 4 (2/2)

He paused and I tilted my head.

”You are not an a.s.shole, it doesn't matter who you are, a vampire is a predator and can kill at will. They are built for it. I am just grateful that Dorin is a h.e.l.lhound and not a target. He would be a pain in the a.s.s to kill.”

”I can only imagine.” I said as he watched me walk to the window and stare out at the setting sun. The sky was streaked in pink and gray as the sun was quickly escaping this world and travelling to the next. I knew that we would be going out soon to kill, my first hunt. I won't lie, I am nervous. I mean what if I...

”You will be amazing Halo.” Gunner said as he stepped up next to me and stared out at the sky with me. The colors lit up his face and I had a hard time ignoring his beauty. He was truly stunning and before I could look away he turned and looked down at me. His expression was calm, as always, which was confusing. He seemed to a master of hiding his emotions, I, on the other hand, seemed to be a f.u.c.king failure at it.

”What if I f.u.c.k up?” I said to him and he stepped up to me and took my hands, he held them and let his thumbs run across the tops of both of them, sending small waves of nervousness up my arms. I looked at his hands as he watched my face too closely. He then cleared his throat.

”You are a h.e.l.lhound, just as I am. We are protectors of this world and we were chosen for a reason. We have greatness inside of us, not only are we able to kill that which should not be, but we have compa.s.sion. It is a blend that is not found often. You should be proud to be with us Halo. This is a mission that we cannot fail at, many lives depend on us and I have faith in you as does everyone here.”

”Really, I mean you believe me?” I asked him and he leaned up as I closed my eyes and prepared for the kiss I knew was coming, then I opened one eye as he spoke to me.

”You will be amazing, now come.”

I opened my other eye and once again felt like an a.s.shole for prepping for the kiss that would not come. I had to get this s.h.i.+t out of my mind. The one kiss he had given to me in the elevator was obviously out of pity and not love. He let go of my hands and walked to my door as I stood there and sighed. Maybe this was h.e.l.l for me, having this hot guy so close and yet a million miles away.

”Halo?” he said and I nodded to him.

”I am ready.” I started to follow him as my heart sank a little deeper into my chest.

Chapter Five.

HUNT.

I lowered my goggles that Finna had handed to me before we came on the hunt. They reminded me of some Steampunk style gla.s.ses, all bronzed metal with two spikes coming off the tops of each round lens. The strap was the same color and held my red hair in place as I watched Ari riding a beast from h.e.l.l. We had encountered it while on this first hunt, it appeared as a small child on a street corner like some f.u.c.ked up horror movie, but when Gunner leaned into my shoulder and told me to lower my goggles I could suddenly see it for what it was. Unfortunately we cannot see the demons as they appear on earth unless we wear, what I will call ”Demon vision goggles”, which is almost comical. I mean we are h.e.l.lhounds, we can feel the demons, just not see them as they are because earth is an even playing ground as both Lucifer and G.o.d fight for control of it.

”Mother f.u.c.ker!” Ari screamed at the beast as he held onto his back. I stared at him as he stabbed his long knife over and over again into the side of its neck. Black blood oozed and covered his hand and then squirted onto his face as the beast screamed and exposed rows of sharpened dagger like teeth. It must have been 11 feet tall, three large men wide and its skin looked charred, like it had been roasting in a fire pit. It glowed between the cracks like fire raced through it and perhaps it did. This was a demon we had tracked down and now fought in this back alley, as time seemed to stand still. When we fight no one can see it here, time stops for humans, or ”mortals” as I should get used to calling them now. I am not mortal; I will never be that again.

”For s.h.i.+ts sake, kill it already!” Finna screamed up at him as Ari rolled his eyes.

”Does it look like I am playing?” he yelled back at her as she shook her head and leaned into me.

”I think he is losing his ability to kick a.s.s.” She said, loud enough so he could hear her.

”Oh really?” he yelled down as the beast spun and tossed him across the alley and into the brick wall. A few bricks fell as he did, he lay still in a lump of fur for a moment and then I stepped forward, but Finna held her arm out and stopped me. Ari stood up and shook off the brick dust as the beast extended his arms out and screamed in his direction, it belched fire, as you would expect a demon of h.e.l.l to do.

”Come on!” Ari screamed as he lunged forward. The beast ran at him as Ari suddenly leapt into the air. Finna tossed him his large ax and he swung it as his body spun in the air. The ax made contact with the side of the beast's thick neck and started to plow through it like b.u.t.ter as Ari gritted his teeth and yelled like the Viking king that he truly was. Finna crossed her arms on her chest as the ax went through the demons neck and it stood there for a moment as Ari landed, his fist hitting the ground, ax tightly held in the other and he rose up. The demon head dropped before him and body slammed to the ground, making a rumbling noise beneath out feet. I stood there as Finna walked up to him and then the tongues and making out became a bit disgusting. There wasn't much that the two of them did that was not aggressive and looked like it may hurt a little bit. I jumped slightly as Gunner touched my arm and I looked up at him. He lifted my goggled to the top of my head as my eyes remained wide. I must have looked like I may be in shock.

”Are you okay?” he asked me and I nodded to him. I had no choice. I mean what was I to do? Say ”Oh listen, I think I s.h.i.+t my pants?” which would be closer to the truth, but not beneficial to me or this team.

”Good, because the next one is yours.”

”What?” I said as my voice cracked and I followed him out of the alley.

Dorin stepped up next to me and grinned.

”You are about to pop your cherry.”

I rolled my eyes and glanced at him.

”I am not talking to you yet.”

”Really?”

”Really.” I said as I started to follow Gunner. He walked down the middle of the street.

”Don't hate me Halo.” I stopped and turned to him. I raised my sword into his face and he grinned, his teeth still looking normal and quite human.

”What you did was not cool.”

”What I did will someday save your life and that is my job, to show you what a vampire can do.”

I tilted my head as I watched his teeth elongate in his mouth and he looked behind me.

”Oh s.h.i.+t.” I said as I started to turn. I then saw a man, walking towards me. He looked normal, business suit, clean cut. I then looked back at Dorin.

”What?”

”Googles?” he said to me as I lowered them and turned to see what I could have done without, a demon, a nasty one. He looked a few feet taller than Ari's had and this one had wings that expanded out to his sides. It then stopped and stared me down as its wings rose up higher and it suddenly screamed at me as it leaned forward, its claw like feet tearing into asphalt like sand. It flapped its wings and that, combined with its stinky hot breath, blew my hair back as Dorin stood behind me and avoided it. He then nudged me from behind and I almost stumbled. I looked back at him and raised my eyebrows. He waved his hand as if he was telling me to get on with it. I took a deep breath and turned back, gripping my sword tightly in both hands as the beast stood up taller and I watched it rise. f.u.c.k me.

”Listen. I am new at this so I would appreciate it if you just settled the f.u.c.k down.” I yelled up at it as it stopped and tilted its head at me. I then nodded to it.

”Yes, this is my first time so let's just be civil.”

It then started to laugh, a deep and rumbling one that was a pure mockery of me and I knew it. I mean am I really trying to reason with it? I glanced behind me and Dorin was shaking his head.

”Not prudent.” He said to me as I turned and suddenly felt the grip of its large hand around me. It lifted me up to its face as I tried to remain calm. Gunner stepped up next to Dorin and stared up at me.

”s.h.i.+t.” He started to step forward, but Dorin stopped him.

”You know that is not the way we do things; she has to do this on her own Gunner, no help from us at all.”

He looked back at me as he lowered his knife and stared the beast down. He knew, as I did not yet, that I had to kill on my own this first time out or the branding would rise from me and out of my skin. It would leave me to go back to purgatory forever so he could not interfere.

”Gunner?” I yelled as it started to shake me like a rag doll. Gunner gripped his knife tightly and gritted his teeth as Dorin sighed.

”You have to stop this.”

”Stop what?” Gunner asked him and Dorin touched his shoulder.

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