Fated (28 page)

No. She couldn't believe it.

'How do you know this? How could you?' she asked, shaking her head.

'Why else would a member of the Brotherhood, the only one with a personal score to settle, move in with a Hunter?' He lowered his tone. 'Think about it, Evie. It doesn't take much to figure it out. And you fell for it so fast. You didn't sense him. Not even in the cornfield.'

She screwed her eyes shut. He was there? No. No. No.

'He was playing you the whole time. Biding his time until he had everything he wanted and then he would have killed you.' Victor paused. 'He would have tried, at least. We would have stopped him.'

She wanted him to shut up. She wanted to turn his voice off. If he didn't shut up right this instant she was going to scream. She needed to get out of here, get away from Victor. She turned around, focusing on the door and on making her way towards it without tripping over.

'He's gone, Evie,' Victor called out. 'But he'll be back. And this time you'll be ready.'

She turned slowly around. 'For what?' she asked, her voice sticking in her throat.

Victor walked around her, stood barring the door. 'When he comes back you're going to kill him,' he said.

'I can't - what are you talking about?' Tears started rolling down her cheeks.

'Evie, it'll be you or him. Don't you want revenge? For your parents? For what he's done to you? You're a Hunter after all,' Victor said. 'That's your legacy. It's what you do. It's what we all do.'

'But he's a Shadow Warrior.' Evie finally managed to speak. 'How can I kill him? You said it was almost impossible.'

Victor smiled. 'But you can get close to him, can't you? Haven't you already?'

Risper's arrows shot one by one into her heart. Her whole body shuddered at the memory of Lucas's body pressed against hers, his hands stroking up her back, his lips running up her throat.

'Why not betray him like he's betrayed you?' Victor asked, leaning closer.

She shook her head softly. 'I can't.'

Victor straightened up. 'You can. You will. You have no choice.'

She frowned at him. Hadn't he once told her she
did
have a choice?

'Your first kill, Evie,' Victor said. 'That's what gives you your full power. You never asked about that this whole time - you were never curious about how you'd gain your power - but it's by killing your first Unhuman, Evie.'

She froze.

'If you'd managed to kill the Scorpio the other night then you'd already be feeling it. That's why we didn't interfere. We wanted you to make the kill. And if you had you'd be strong right now - no more weakness, no more uncertainty. As it is, you get another chance when Lucas comes back. You're going to be the first Hunter to kill a Shadow Warrior - besides me, that is.'

32

Lucas pulled through the gates just as the sunrise was setting the roof of the Mission alight. Joshua would be going to ground. It would be safer this way, in case he had to fight his way out.

The amulet seemed to burn his skin as though it knew he'd broken his oath and was determined to brand him. He had stopped at a darkened store in a town just outside of Riverview, broken in and taken some clothes, leaving the cash in the register. The lacerations on his chest and shoulder were smarting under the starched cotton.

He stalled the engine and sat in the car, listening to the engine cool, wondering if inside he'd find Tristan waiting for him, knowing of his betrayal. Grace must have seen. Had she told Tristan?

Had Shula? And Neena? She had been part of the deceit - did that mean she knew too?

He had one chance and he had to play it. He couldn't afford to blow it.

The door to the Mission burst open and Shula came tearing down the steps, flying across the drive, her face pale and sickly in the dawn. He climbed out the car and walked towards her. She faltered and stopped in front of him.

'Where's Caleb?' she demanded.

'I don't know,' he answered truthfully. Somewhere his body was lying in the Scorpio realm, hopefully in the middle of nowhere.

'He didn't do it, did he?' Shula spat into the dirt.

Lucas frowned. 'Do what?' he asked innocently.

Shula looked up at him, calculating, her bottom lip quivering with anger. 'She's still alive,' she said. Her brown eyes narrowed. 'Why are you here?'

Lucas brushed past her. 'To see Tristan,' he said, walking across the gravel towards the Mission.

He gathered from her silence that Tristan was home.

One foot after the other, his heart starting to hammer, his feet echoing across the tiles, not trying to hide.

Tristan was waiting for him, pouring himself a whisky from a crystal decanter with his one good hand. Lucas double-checked just to make sure it was really him this time and not Neena. It was. He nodded at Lucas when he appeared in his doorway and indicated the dark wooden chair opposite.

Lucas shut the door behind him and went and sat down. Tristan sat before him, enthroned on a larger chair with an ornately carved back. He rested his glass on the table and eyed Lucas for a few seconds. He wasn't wearing his contacts and his yellow irises gave him a jaundiced look. Lucas held his gaze, unblinking.

Eventually Tristan spoke. 'Shula tells me that I might have reason to suspect your loyalty to the cause, Lucas.'

Lucas kept his voice even. 'And you trust Shula?' he said softly.

Tristan cocked his head to one side, examining him. 'Should I trust you?'

'Shula has an ulterior motive,' Lucas answered quickly.

'Oh yes,' Tristan sighed, 'and what might that be?'

'She admitted she had feelings for me and . . .' he hesitated, his eyes dropping in embarrassment, 'I rejected her.' He looked back up at Tristan who was staring at him with a curious smile on his face. 'You know how Shula reacts when she doesn't get what she wants.'

Tristan raised an eyebrow sardonically, seeming to find some amusement in Lucas's tale, though whether he believed it or not wasn't clear.

'So you've no idea where Caleb's got to, I take it?'

Lucas shook his head. 'I was in Riverview. Shula came to get me and told me you were waiting. It was all a ruse so that Caleb could go back and kill Evie. The Hunter, I mean.'

Tristan's eyes flashed at the sound of her name. 'And I take it when you got back to Riverview there was no sign of Caleb?' he asked.

'No,' Lucas answered. Images of Caleb's slick hands pulling feebly at the knife hilt sticking out of him flashed before Lucas, but he kept his face neutral.

Tristan stared at him for several seconds and Lucas wondered if he could somehow see the images too, could read his mind.

'Foolish boy.'

Lucas's stomach tensed. He got ready to spring up.

'He disobeyed my orders,' Tristan continued. 'And that's what happens when you disobey orders.'

Lucas sank back into the chair again, taking a surreptitious deep breath.

'I've just had to spend a very uncomfortable day in the Shadowlands,' Tristan said, raising his glass and knocking back the amber liquid inside, 'trying to convince a roomful of Elders that I know what I'm doing - that this last batch of recruits will be able to handle
one little girl
.' He yelled the last three words and Lucas flinched inwardly.

'And now I have to go back to the Scorpio demons and tell them their last offering wasn't up to scratch and please can they supply another one - preferably one a little more open to following orders.'

He stood to refill his glass. 'You know, after the last battle there was very little choice - hence the ignorant baby Thirster and the frankly irritating Mixen in our midst. It's hard to find volunteers for something which is fast becoming seen as a less than glorious career.'

Tristan took another swig and slammed his glass down onto the desk. Lucas heard a crack. 'Damn Scorpio! If she did kill him, which I have to assume she did,' he paused and seemed to be studying Lucas even harder, 'then she'll have her full powers now, which wasn't exactly what I was hoping for.'

Lucas stayed quiet as Tristan took his seat once more.

'And you, Lucas,' he shook his head, 'I've had to explain all about what you were doing there, explain how it was all part of a master plan to bring down the Hunters from the inside. I gave them that little speech about moving with the times, about adapting - and you know what? They were all for sticking with the medieval. So what have you learnt? Because when I go back there I need something good.'

He focused his needle-sharp eyes back on Lucas. 'All this time in Riverview, living with a Hunter, and what has been the point? You told me you could get close to her, learn their secrets. What have you learnt? Anything? Because the Elders are getting bored. And, frankly, so am I. Tell me something, Lucas, anything.'

'There are three other Hunters protecting the town as well as Victor,' Lucas said, speaking quickly.

Tristan rested his chin on his linked hands, looking bored.

'There's a prophecy,' Lucas hurried on. 'Maybe from a Sybll.'

Tristan rolled his eyes. 'The White Light. Yes, yes, we know about that.'

Lucas faltered. 'You know about it?'

'Yes, we know it,' Tristan snapped impatiently. 'But the prophecy is in fragments and no one knows for sure who it's talking about or when it will even happen. Damn Sybll, about as useless as a Thirster with no fangs.'

'Is that why you want Evie dead so much?' Lucas asked hurriedly. 'Because you think she might be this White Light?'

Tristan shrugged. 'Who knows if she is or isn't? But she's a Hunter and we want all Hunters dead. Don't we?' He arched one eyebrow. 'Isn't that what you signed up for? Not having second thoughts are we, Lucas?'

Lucas could feel the tremor in his voice, the shattering noise of blood pounding in his ears as he answered. 'Of course.' He paused. 'Do Sybll prophecies always come true?' he asked.

Tristan seemed thrown. 'No. Not always. Especially when choice comes into it. And humans are fickle creatures. Always changing their damn minds. They change their minds more often than they change their underwear.'

Lucas's mouth was so dry he could barely voice the question. 'So the prophecy might not come true?'

'Oh, it's definitely not coming true,' Tristan answered with a grim smile.

'Why not?' Lucas managed to ask.

The smile broke into a wider grin. 'Because you're going back to kill her. Time's up, Lucas. We're bored of waiting. We need to end it now. She may have her full power but she's not yet the White Light. If she is even the one the prophecy's talking about.'

Lucas's whole body went rigid. He fought against the natural urge to dissolve into shadow, gripped the sides of the chair instead.

'Consider this a test of your loyalty,' Tristan said, standing up and walking to the door. He opened it. 'If you fail this, don't bother coming back. It's either you or her. And if you don't manage to kill her, I'll be sending the others.'

Lucas stood slowly, his limbs sluggish, his amulet scorching him under the shirt. 'Understood,' he said quietly, avoiding Tristan's yellow eyes, and left the room silently.

He was by the car, fumbling for the keys, when Grace appeared at his side. She was almost as silent and invisible as him.

He looked up at her.

'Don't go back, Lucas,' she said.

He ignored her. 'Does she die?' he demanded. 'Is the Brotherhood going to kill her?'

Grace frowned, shaking her head. 'I can't tell. I need to touch her or have something of hers.'

He threw open the car door and reached across the seat for the knife he'd thrown on the floor. The one he'd used to kill Caleb. The one Evie had used to defend herself. She'd thrown it under some tools and he'd taken it on his way out.

'Here,' he said, thrusting it into Grace's hands even as she took a step backwards, her blonde hair flying like a cape behind her, her eyes wide with fear.

He pressed it into her palm and she let out a gasp, her head tipped backwards, eyes rolling skyward.

'What is it? What do you see?' Lucas urged, glancing hurriedly over his shoulder, back towards the Mission.

Grace's head fell forward; there were blue half-moons underneath her eyes as though she hadn't slept in days.

She turned away, his hand falling limply from her arm. 'I see death. I see everyone's death, Lucas,' she said softly.

33

It was still early when Evie arrived at Jocelyn's. She leant with her finger on the buzzer until she heard slow footsteps coming towards the door.

Jocelyn opened the door in her dressing gown. Evie barged straight past her.

'Did you know?' she demanded, wheeling around to face her.

'Know what?' Jocelyn answered wearily, shutting the door.

'About Lucas. Did you know? Did Victor tell you?'

'No, Victor didn't tell me,' she answered, ushering Evie through to the living room.

Evie sank down onto the couch. 'You tried to warn me not to get close to anyone. I'm so stupid.'

'You're not stupid,' Jocelyn said, sitting next to her. 'You needed to learn.'

Evie's head whipped up. 'You sound just like him.'

She caught sight of Jocelyn's jaw locking in distaste. 'It always ends in betrayal, Evie. Always,' she said.

Evie looked away. She realised she was clutching a cushion as if it was a punchbag she was trying to wrestle to the floor. 'A Shadow Warrior. And I couldn't even tell - that's the hilarious thing. I didn't even know. What kind of a Hunter am I?' She tossed the cushion aside and buried her face in her hands.

She felt Jocelyn's hand on her back. 'The feelings you had for him masked what your instinct was telling you. It feels the same - a light-headedness, a rapid heartbeat, an adrenaline spike. That's how it feels to be around an Unhuman. You mistook that for something else,' she said gently.

Evie's breath jammed in her throat. So it wasn't real, then - her feelings weren't real. But if it felt the same, why hadn't she wanted to jump the Scorpio, or Thirster? Her skin started to crawl at the thought. She'd kissed Lucas, she'd seen him half-naked and had thought about him with a lot less clothes on than that. She'd wanted him. She'd wanted him more than she'd ever wanted anyone before. It made the feelings she'd once had for Tom seem childish and innocent by comparison. And he wasn't even human. What kind of an instinct was that? She punched her fist into the seat.