Banished To Earth Book Two (5)

It locked it in place until her fingers wrapped around its grip, instantly releasing it into her hand.

 

       Most importantly, this girl would not be caught dead wearing a fanny pack. And in this world that was a real possibility.

Chapter Four

18

   The sun was approaching its zenith. The unmistakable electric tingle of another Hunter was somewhere up ahead. Chase? Possibly. With her ears turned toward the dunes, she cautiously advanced until she heard muffled voices off to her right. 

 

    ‘…Chase?...’  Wonder hope, and dread battled within her. Mixed feelings. A most annoying combo.

 

     Crouching, she approached the beach houses. One of them was his. Maybe it was intact. Maybe the voice was his, too. His Hunter essence was unmistakable. But the Hunter’s voice was still too muffled to identify.

 

     Stepping gingerly, as if she were walking on rotten floorboards. The sand squeaked beneath her boots. Stopping as a deck came into view, saw no one and continued.

 

    Trudging up to the deck’s ramp, she looked around for a more secluded entry point. There was none. There was, however, a swaying patch of sea oats just past the ramp. She scampered past it, knowing full well that if she could sense him, he could also sense her.

 

    … ‘she’s here?…’ anticipation invaded her mind as those two little words bent her lips into a smile. Maybe it was Pry. Her monster essence was unmistakable. Monster, yes, but that didn’t necessarily mean it was Pry. It could well be this good guy Hunter was going around collecting stray monsters, whom he deemed not so monstrous.   

 

    The back of her neck tingled. A shift portal, of course. She turned around with deliberate slowness, not wanting to spook him into doing something stupid, and found herself staring straight into Chase’s face.

 

  “Glad you’re not dead. Now leave.”

 

  She held up her hands, “You have every right, and I will leave, promise, but…”

 

  “Silhouette!”

  

  The Huntress heard actual joy in the little vampires’ voice. She choked back a tear. “Ah. Hi.”

 

  Pry bounded down the ramp. “Please do not leave. Unless…” She stopped at arm’s length from her. And eased back up the ramp.

 

  “She’s not going to hurt you Pry, are you?”

 

  “No, I ah am just here to let you know. You are both in danger.”

 

   “Well, duh!” Chase said.

 

   “Stayner.” Silhouette put her hands on her hips, cocked her head to one side.

 

   “What!?” Chase’s knees buckled, as if someone had slammed them from behind with a two-by-four.

 19

 

    “Oh no.” Pry ran to Chase. He wrapped his arms around her.

 

   “Now, if I came here to hurt you, why would I tell you that. What did you do to him anyway? You do know he’s a fish, right?” 

 

   “A what?” Chase and Pry asked in unison.

 

   “You’re lying. What kinda fish?” Chase asked, already knowing the answer.

 

   “A shark, a big, really angry, shark.”

 

   Pry and Chase exchanged worried knowing looks.

 

  She waited for them to spill. They said nothing. “Well, I’ll be on my way then.”

 

    “No,” Chase insisted, “How, how do you know it was Stayner, how do you even know about him?”

 

    “Uh, he told me. Gave me the whole bloody story.”

 

  “A talking shark?” Pry queried, she hugged Chase tighter.

 

   “Well, more like a, wereshark? If that’s a thing. In any case, it is now.”

  

    Chase’s face went white. Silhouette leaned back. “You getting ready to tell me another lie? Thinking werewolves are kinda like vampires, granted, all I know about them is what I've seen in old movies. He said you bit him. Are you a wereshark too?”

 

  “Warrel, ah wolf.” Pry offered without a thought.

 

  Chase grunted his disapproval.

 

  “Well, that’s just adorable. She’s a vampire and you’re a werewolf, heavy shades of ‘Underworld’.”

 

    “What?” Pry asked.

 

   “Anyway I was trying to find you, warn you. He’s out there, flying, as he puts it, through the sea. He plans to take your body and use it to.” She almost said rape. “Uh use it to hurt and scalp Pry.”

 

20

 

    Pry released Chase and turned toward Silhouette. “You do not want me dead. But you are Hunter.”

 

   “So’s that other guy.”

 

  “You mean Tucker.”

 

  “Where’s he at anyway. Just in case I need to duck.”

 

   “He is with Trudy….”

 

   “Pry! You did it again.”

 

  “She loves me, Chase. Do you not see it?”

 

   They both blushed.

 

  “Ca…Care.” Silhouette sputtered. “I mean you were nice to me and all…so…so I, don’t want to see anything, ah bad happen to you, that’s all.”

 

  Pry stepped up to her and took her hand. “That is love.”

 

  “Pry, I still don’t trust her.”

 

  “Cry’chee can sense untruth. I see truth in her eyes. Trust her.”

 

  “I tried to kill you.”

 

   “But you wanted to kill your father. Is that not true?”

 

   Silhouette blinked and stumbled back.

 

  “But you did not.”

  

“Thought you were a Vampire, not a friggin’ psychic.”

 

  Chase grinned, “We kinda are, at least with each other. And I trust her instincts.” He reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder.  

 

  “She is coming with us,” Pry stated simply.

 

 

21

 

    “And where would that be? And why are you here?”

 

   Chase, finally resigned to this new alliance, spoke. “I didn’t get my gear, the ah, what Tucker call it, the blacks, and the weapon, so I thought I might find some around here.”

 

    “Find?” Her tone was tinged with playful accusation. “Yeah, I noticed that too. Why, you reckon?” She studied Chase’s face. Waiting for an honest response.