Ants are amazing creatures. They can lift seven times their own body weight, or was that nine? Either way, not much could stop them once they started their journey; determined little insects. I admired that and right now, I was kind of jealous too.

Jealous of ants; yup I've reached a new low.

"Kill. Me!" I groaned, urging myself to get up and soldier on like the steady flow of tiny workers in my direct line of sight. "I give up!"

Sure my kind have good eyesight, but having this kind of view of the ground isn't because of that. No, it was because I tripped and fell - face first into the dirt, and haven't managed to get up yet.

"Was that complaining I just heard? Alfie, what do you think?" Zane asks the ever traitorous snake demon who was at his side.

Please say no. "Yesss."

"You get to three to get up kiddo!" He starts to count and as Zane throws in a two and a half, I push up and managed to roll into a sitting position. "Up as in, on your feet! Two and three quarters!"

"I'm up, I'm up!" I argued, standing on shaking legs.

Rubbing my hands together, I dust off before glaring at Alfie. He looks away, and if he could, I bet he'd be whistling some kind of inconspicuous tune like a cartoon character before they run off scene. While he doesn’t run away, he does jump slightly as Zane obnoxiously blows his whistle - so loud even I flinch at the blast of sound.

"Good. Now, drop and give me ten!" Zane orders.

"Ten? But-"

"Twenty."

My mouth drops.

"Make it thirty or if you've had enough kid, we can stop?" He taunts.

The man has to be demon; the devil even.

I look at Alfie again to find him staring at Annipe; who has come to join in watching the show. I definitely don’t have any help coming from those two. Sure in battle it’s all, ‘I’ll protect you’ and ‘keep Elise safe’, but when being subjected to torture from someone they know, they look the other way. I really need to start getting some kind of control over those two.

Dropping onto my back, I barely do three when a shadow looms over me and staying down, I look up to see a very familiar face smiling at me.

“I heard you’re on bed rest?” Raya teases.

Never in all my life have I ever been happier to see her.

“What are you doing here?” I wheeze, taking the chance at getting in a break while I can.

“I was around and heard you were back here so wanted to check on you. Have you forgotten how to answer an email?”

“Sorry, I’ve been a little, occupied.”

She offers me a hand up and I take it, ignoring the groan from Zane.

“Hey Zane!” Raya aka my saviour, smiles and waves at him. “Keiran is waiting in the gym for you.”

“Keiran is- You knew they were coming?” I glare at him.

“Yeah, why do you think I got you up so early this morning? I got shit to do today!” He laughed. “Don’t forget to stretch and you still owe me for the complaining!”

We watch him head off and Raya gives Alfie and Annipe each a scratch under the chin while I do as Zane said. I’m already aching and the stretches do help.

“How long are you here for?” I ask, leaning against Alfie.

“Just tonight. Keiran is visiting his cousin who lives about an hour from here and our time off is also going to including going after a tiger shifter of all things!”

“What did it do?”

“You might have seen the pics all over the news a couple of weeks ago?” I shook my head. “Luckily they were done a mobile phone so not very clear, but either way he, or she has developed a taste for people and over the last four months about three kids have disappeared from the area, two men have been mauled and a woman was killed.”

“Nasty.” I frowned.

“Yup, she’s only been out of the academy for a year and a bit, so we’re going to help her out. Trackers, they’re so sheltered!” Raya sighed.

I only laughed in agreement. As a Hunter, Raya and Keiran had been under the guidance of his Dad until he was killed last year. They were tough and their experiences were varied. Despite her only being three years older than me, the three of them had travelled with an older group of Hunters, so there wasn’t much they hadn’t seen or had to do. When I had gone into the Underground safehouse, Raya had told me some of their stories and she had the scars to show it, so for Keiran’s cousin to need help with a solo predator; a shifter of all things, it was a little beneath them.

“Speaking of, how is your Tracker?” She winked, before slapping Annipe’s tail away as she tried to tug on the braid of black hair that hung down Raya’s back. For some reason, my friends hair seemed to fascinate her.

Annipe only hissed at Raya in response and as the Hunter glared at her, she quickly backed off and sulked behind Alfie. As long he got a chin rub, he didn’t really care what was going on or with whom as evident by his behaviour when Zane was trying to kill me with pushups, squats and sprints earlier.

“I stink, wanna come over to my parents place so I can clean up?” I change the subject and despite the fact she opens her mouth, she doesn’t end up saying anything.

The walk back is quiet and almost awkward. Annipe doesn’t give up on trying to touch or play with Raya’s hair and I ignore Alfie’s offer of a lift back. I can tell Raya is wanting to say something because she keeps looking my way, while I can only admire how muscular she is these days. She has always been strong, but she has taken it to a new level and the tattoos on her arm have only started to spread onto the other. Maybe I should be begging her to do some training with me instead of Zane; I’m sure she’d be nicer about it.

Mum and Dad were off teaching so we had the house to ourselves. I left her in front of the TV to try and keep the snakes occupied, which seemed to work as when I came out, they were all happily watching a music channel. Grabbing Logan’s backpack from where it had been left on the dining table, Raya came over as I found the spare packet of hair ties.

“I think you need a new bag?” She turned her nose up at the worn, old backpack and I only shrugged.

“Logans. He doesn’t think so.”

“Logans? Why do you have his bag?”

“Um, cause he left his stuff here before heading off with CJ and Jord?” I look at her confused.

“Are you two together?”

“Yes?” I tried to keep passive, but I couldn’t stop the frown or how I snapped at her.  “Why?”

“Well before, you like froze up and I thought that’s why you were back here instead of wherever you were.”

“Oh. No. Nothing like that.”

“What’s going on then?” She raises an eyebrow and the look she gives me is enough.

We take a seat at the dining table and I tell her about Fiji, the mermaids and then the three of them running off after apparent ‘sources’. Saying the part about the no contact is even harder now that it’s just me and her. Zane tells me to not to worry and I believe him for a little bit. My parents say the same and I think they’re lying. Raya instead goes quiet and looks thoughtful instead of instantly assuring me everything is fine. I think I prefer the lies the others are telling.

“What are you going to do?” She finally asks.

“I don’t know. I lasted an hour with Zane today before I felt ready to die, we haven’t even started sparring and I know I’m not in the right condition to be off starting a war trying to find them.” I sigh.

“Good. If you said something stupid I would have slapped you. What does your gut say?”

“Something bad is happening. Ailin promised to get them all out if they hit trouble, but like I said, no one is answering any of my calls.”

“I trust Ailin, demon or not. If she has promised you that, I believe her.” Again she looks thoughtful only what ever she was about to say doesn’t leave her as Ailin appears at the end of the tale.

Instantly I stand up, hating the fear that makes my heart stop. Ever the cool and calm leader, Ailin simply nods in greeting. “Hunters.”

“President Ailin.” Raya returns the gesture, acting rather respectful as her eyes dart between us.

I can’t talk.

“They are all well Hunter, you need not worry.”

Relief takes over and I release a breath I didn’t realise I had been holding. “The phones?”

“Not water proof. A small gathering of water nymphs had taken up residence in a lake near to their camp. Their magic also covered their essence so it we had slight difficulty in locating the group. I sent three of my best collectors to find them.”

“Good. Great.” I sat back down and what she said repeated over and over in my mind.

My best collectors.

Kasha were soul collectors and while their job description was more on the good side of the line than the bad these days, that had once been their main purpose.

“Ailin, I-” I glanced at Raya, not sure how much I should actually let her know. “Can I talk to you for a sec, alone.”

Raya didn’t look offended and the cautious look that she served me with before following me outside wasn’t missed.

“Yes, Hunter?” She asked.

“Let’s just say, hypothetically, one of us got brought back from the dead.” The demon actually rolled her eyes. “And, she had been going through a period of recovery that was completely natural and while she had recovered now, a part of her hadn’t and-”

“Why must you make everything so complicated? What is it you want to know?” Ailin narrowed her eyes slightly.

“You’re a soul collector, it’s why the Council got you guys involved to do bag and grabs because you’re quick and can locate better than any fae. Right?” She nodded. “Tell me, do I, have a ah, soul?”

Her eyebrows shot up in perfect arches and never had I seen such a perfect look of surprise on a persons face; let alone hers.

“Of course you do!” She frowned, soon returning to her passive state. “Why would you ask that?”

“I was brought back from the dead, and it’s not just my body that needed time to heal. I thought that, maybe, my healing was more than physical and spiritual too?” Now I felt slightly, stupid, about asking her though nothing about her stance or look made me think that’s where her thoughts were going.

“May I?” She asked, raising one hand and with a slight nod, she reached out towards me. “Your soul is very much there Hunter, your aura is stronger and more beautiful than ever.”

The darkness of her eyes seem to flicker in an array of colours; pinks, reds, blues - almost like light reflecting there and the most comforting feeling of warmth washed over my body. It all stopped as she lowered her hand.

“Worry not Hunter. I’m sure the Slayer will have you feeling like your old self in no time, I completely believe you now healed.” She smiled. “Why would you think that?”

“No reason.” I quickly shrugged.

“You’re a terrible liar.”

“Wanna tell me who sent Logan out on this mission?” I quickly asked, my deal obvious.

“I’ve done all I came here to do. Until next time Hunter.”

Ailin vanished and I went back inside. Raya was on her phone talking to Keiran and despite knowing everyone was okay, I still couldn't actually talk to them; stupid water nymphs. Leaving her to it, I went and sat on Alfie letting myself get distracted as he bobbed his head in time to the music. Annipe actually rested her head in my lap which was a rare sign of affection for the temperamental demon and I wasn't going to let it go to waste. It didn’t last long because as soon as Raya sat down on the seat beside us, she was back to trying to play with her hair.

“How you keep these two around is beyond me, well Alfie I understand.” Raya swatted Anni away again. “Come on Anni, leave a girl’s hair alone. Not cool!”

“Must be your shampoo or something, she’s never done it before.”

“Can I ask what that was about?”

“Just checking on something.” I sighed, slipping off Alfie to sit beside Raya. I forgot how nice it was to have friends, girl friends around. “At least the guys are all okay.”

“Yup, but why do you now look like you were told bad news?”

Maybe because I know Cain is up to something, and I don’t know what it is. “Ever feel like we’re stuck in this, I dunno, never ending game? Everytime I think things will be okay, bam, crazy werewolf has me up on an altar or the end of the world is one magic blast away. I was so against this life. We’re  always being tested, something out there is always trying to find our weakness  and it’s hard not to feel so, hopeless!”

Yup, back to the pity party. Maybe I should find some cake, or icecream. Tequila?

“You’ve been through a lot, more than most of us ever will be, but I think you’re looking at it the wrong way. Maybe it’s not a test to see how weak we are. Maybe it’s to show us how strong we can be?” She muses. “You survived Elise. You’re still here. Like they say, what doesn’t kill you…”

“Makes you stronger.” I agreed.

“I won’t have you like this, I don’t like it.” She shook her head and stood up. “So, what are we doing first?”

“Sorry?”

“Your boyfriends gone on a mission, you’ve got secrets with Ailin, and shit got real for you in Fiji. Not forgetting your bad feeling. Come on Ellie, you’re better than sitting here feeling sorry for yourself. What are we doing?”

Huntington.

Who had yet to make her appearance on campus since I arrived, but there other ways to find out stuff. Standing up, I went to Alfie and held Raya’s hand, my legs too sore to take the walk back to the Academy. “To the Library!”

My declaration had us zapping from the house to the library, where a study group of ten sat around the main table. Our snake protectors hissed at them, making one girl burst into tears and a few others scrambled away. They were young, like first year young and it made my stomach sink to think that one day they might find themselves fighting a not so friendly Apopythe.

Unbothered by the reception to our arrival, Raya headed towards the back and ignored them, while I offered an apologetic smile and ordered the pair to follow us instead of terrorise the kids.

“What are we looking up?” She asks as I join her near the store of old journals.

“Oracles, Cain and anything about the Treaty.”

“Haven’t you already gone over the treaty stuff?” She put something into one the tablets setup for referencing and rather than stick to the digital copies of everything, we ventured into the stacks of books for some of the ancient looking encyclopedias no one even looked at these days.

“I was looking for something specific then, now I’m not, I might see something else.”

“Cryptic. Well, this could help?”

We ended up in a mythology section, and the few numbers she had jotted down were all in reference to Oracles. It was a place to start, and getting Alfie to carry the books for us, we took a whole bunch off the shelf and found some free space to sit and read. Cain’s history had to be noted down somewhere, and while he was behind so many other events, there was never a mention - at least nothing obvious or that involved a name of his I knew.

Knowing your enemy had never been so hard, but was he?

                                                                        ) O (

After experiencing nightmares and visions with thanks to Dracula, the almost detached feeling I had learnt to associate with his tormenting returned to me like an old friend. I was dreaming. This wasn’t real. How many times had I told myself that when ever I had to fight him, or struggled to determine what was real and what was fiction?

Since then, I still struggled with the realness of my dreams; especially when they were nightmares of being recaptured by Selene and Dracula, or having to fight all kinds of monsters and demons in order to survive. When ever they had gotten too much, Logan had always been at my side to wake me up, save me from meeting Death all over again, but I knew he wasn’t here now. I had been in the library. I must have fallen asleep.

“Just a dream.” I mumbled under my breath; wishing for the days when I closed my eyes and only happy thoughts filled my vision.

I was too aware now, too in control and looking around me, the small village that greeted me also left a feeling of deja vu sinking into my stomach. Looking down, I wasn’t in my jeans and flats; instead I felt like I’d stepped back in the eighteen hundreds, with my long brown skirt caked with mud around the bottom and my boots were unlike any I had worn before. I hugged the itchy woolen shawl tighter over my shoulders as a cold wind journeyed down the street and it was then the steady clip clop of hooves on stone broke into the silence.

I went in that direction.

The sounds from the horses only increased and soon the murmur of voices joined them. The alley way I walked down stunk worse than garbage and using the shawl I covered my mouth. Rats sat on discarded barrels, foraging through the odd pile of hay and after going through a couple more, I found myself joining a crowd of what had to be the townsfolk.

What was this?

They spoke english, so that was a plus and eavesdropping on the people in front of me, someone was arriving. A few mentioned the word witch, others demon, and as I slipped through the crowd, trying to avoid the worst of the smells and peoples breaths, I managed to get up to the front line. Sure enough, a convey of horses now came down the street, a few pulling a black carriage that looked out of place on these badly cobbled, ancient streets.

Just as the first pair of guards went to go past me, the grey horse stopped abruptly and reared up. Instantly everyone moved back, with a gasp and looking to my left, four men burst out of the crowd with crossbows and swords raised.

“Your kind is not welcomed here!” The tallest man bellowed.

Considering how I heard the crowd talking, he seemed to speak a little too modern and his voice also sounded familiar. One by one, the crowd wasn’t just moving back, but trying to leave as doors shut in nearby buildings and I felt like I was about to witness a ye olde mexican standoff.

“A deal was made, fool. Lower your weapons and beg for mercy. You may live to see another day!” His accent wasn’t one I could identify and standing by the corner of the alley, it was amazing how quickly the people made themselves disappear. Only a few stragglers now remained, and I was one of them.

Instead of answering, the four men fired and with a gasp or groan, the two guards dropped from their now nervous horses with a sickening thud.

“Reveal yourself demon!” The same man called as the guards that road either side of the carriage met the same fate.

The horses trotted out of the way, the grey coming near where I stood. Instinctively, I grabbed his reins and gently stroking his neck, urged him to be quiet as he stood behind me. Why couldn’t Alfie listen to me like that? Oh right, this was a dream so of course animals behaved.

Nothing happened, at least it took a second to work out something had.

Portia stood in full Oracle glory behind the men, and with a wave of her hands their weapons went flying from their hands. Spinning around, the talker pulled out a knife that had been strapped against his leg and she laughed. The many layers of stunning grey fabric that covered her was in sync to the times. Had she not looked so, inhuman you could mistake her for royalty. Maybe she was?

“Leave this town or you will die!” He declared.

“Oh Hunter, so strong. Brave. Smart!” She purred, moving closer she dared to reach out and stroke his cheek. It was then I realised all four were frozen, unable to move. “Will you believe that one day your blood will be under my guidance?”

“Never!” He managed to force out.

“I hear things, he hears things. You come to murder me, because she think I hold these people under my control? That I slaughter for the thrill and am the devil in your eyes? You are gravely mistaken. I protect. There is much more to fear here than me.”

“Lies!” The man hissed.

“The vampire do not feed here anymore. These people can journey in the dark without fear. Am I really so bad?” She pouted.

“You. Kill.” I could feel his frustrations at being stuck in place.

“Only the ones who deserve it. Like you, Hunter. It is why I am even here. My liege is not unfamiliar to you, you know him as Christopher, but for those in our world, he is called Cain. He seeks to meet you. Make a deal.” She grinned, those ruby lips parting in such a way she looked completely terrifying. The black eyes and nearly translucent paleness to her skin not helping.

No wonder the townspeople called her a demon.

“I don’t make deals with demons!”

“Alistair.” I whispered, a young and almost unrecognizable version of one of my ancestors. He had cut his hair when the treaty photograph was taken.

Portia’s head turned my way and I quickly turned away, trying not to draw her attention over here.

“You would be wise to do so. I see the future Hunter, and it is not one you wish to live if you deny him now.” She stalked around the men, before stopping in front of Alistair once more. With a wave of her hand, an envelope appeared as she tucked into his breast pocket. “Don’t be late. He doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

Everything disappeared, the horses, the carriages, the limp bodies on the ground and the four men awkwardly moved and stretched, before quickly collecting their weapons.

“Who is this Cain, Sir?” One of them asked Alistair.

“I knew not all was as it appeared, George. I should have killed him when I had the chance!”

“What if he wants to help your cause? Maybe the demons are tired of the battle too?” The smallest of the four adjusted his hat, and glanced in my direction as I quickly turned away again. “Sir?”

One look back around there proved all four were now staring my way.

Oh Shit, busted!

“Elise!” A woman called out and looking around, there was no around. “Elise, get your lazy ass up!”

Opening my eyes, Raya clicked her fingers in front of my face and it took me a second to shake the rotten smell from my nose that still lingered after the vision. Dream. What ever that just was.

“Sorry. Did you find something?”

She frowned, before passing over a book. “Maybe.”

Looking down, the page had a drawing of something that almost resembled Portia, yet she had fangs, red eyes and a lizard like tongue. The white hair was the same and so was the grey grecian style gown. Then I noticed the tear in the pages and running my finger over it, at least three pages had been torn out.

“These two on Greek gods are the only ones I’ve seen with anything mentioning Oracles. Four books that seem to have anything more than a sentence or two, have had the pages removed. I checked over that lot, and it’s the same” I looked over the pile she pointed out. “Why the interest in Oracles, Ellie?”

“There was one there that night, with the Warlocks. I was just seeing if she could be, connected to them maybe? We’re still trying to track down everyone behind their return.” Or maybe I just really wanted to find more out about Portia, before I confront her; she can’t stay away from the Academy for ever.

“Makes sense and this,” she motioned to the books, “kind of makes me think you’re definitely onto something!”

“Maybe she is?” Alfie instantly rose to strike and Annipe followed his lead.

Cain simply smiled, looking very much like the dead vampire I had once mourned.

“Hello, Hunters.”

“We have names you know.” My tone lacked any real sarcasm, and I clutched the book, knowing it would hurt if it hit you in the head. “Why are you here?”

Raya looked my way, her hand sliding around her waist towards her back where I had no doubt she had a gun or something there.

“To see you of course.” Unbothered by the hissing demons or the Hunter with, yup, a gun, he sat down in the chair opposite me. “You’re looking, well.”

“I am.” I agreed.

“Read anything of interest?”

“Bit hard to do so when things are missing.” I opened it to reveal the torn out section.

“Shame that. Oracles aren’t much fun anyway. Just because they can see the future, they always have to act like they know, everything.”

Annipe calmed down first, slipped beside Raya, who hadn’t moved and slowly Alfie moved to coil himself around my chair so he positioned right above me. Cain glanced at my companions before his gaze settled back on me.

“Relax.”

There was a command to his tone and instantly, Raya slumped down against Annipe who did the same. Behind me, Alfie was now on the floor.

“Was that necessary?”

“Probably not, but this way we can speak freely. How is your Tracker?”

“Good, great even.” I prayed he didn’t sense how nervous I was becoming.

“Good. Great.” He repeated, nodding. “Why are you really looking into Oracles?”

“Curiosity.”

“You wouldn’t lie to me, would you?”

“I was curious about, Portia. The mermaid thing got me thinking and the Treaty, and everything.” I blurted out.

“Oh?” This seemed to be amusing him.

“Did you get Ailin to send Logan away?”

“Me?” Cain gasped, like the whole thing would be beneath him. That alone gave me my answer.

“You wouldn’t lie to me, would you?”

He made the motion of crossing his heart. “Never.”

“If that’s the case, what are you planning?”

“What do you think? You seem, very opinionated this afternoon.”

“I don’t know.” I admitted, already feeling defeated.

Cain stood, and I tensed; gripping the edge of the book once more as I was prepared to hit him with it, repeatedly if I had to. He stopped just in front of me, and then I realised he wasn’t quite Darius. No, up this close, there was a scar I’d never seen before on his lip, his jaw was a little more square cut and his eyes were not the same as the ones the vampire had.

Was this the real him?

He dared to smile, a tiny adjustment to the determination that been there moments before and I caught sight of his teeth and two very inhuman canines; he still had vampire teeth, well fangs. His eyes met mine, grey like the Oracles gown or perhaps more like the sky on a cold winters day. I shivered.

What was he doing?

Why couldn’t I move?

I frowned; confused from my dream, his presence and his brows dipped towards his eyes as he mirrored my actions. He was close, moving without me even noticing until his chest bumped into my folded legs as I was trapped in my chair. Too close, he was way too close. Vampire fangs played on my mind - would he bite me?

Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion as he leaned forward, I wasn’t even sure I blinked yet I couldn’t deny my heart was racing. As soon as I wondered if he was going to kiss me, he turned so we were practically cheek to cheek and whispered in my ear.

“When you work it out, let me know.”

He disappeared, as quickly as he had come. Before I could even form a thought, the book in my lap seemed to buzz and looking down, the trio woke up just as the missing pages magically seemed to reappear. Raya looked around, instantly alert while the demons seemed a little slower to get themselves together.

“Ellie, what the-” She stopped, staring at my lap as the golden glitter turned into actual pages. “Are those the missing pages - back?”

“Yeah, it is.”

Just like that, the Oracle and her creation now stared back at me, leaving no doubt Cain was once again playing a game. Then again, maybe he never stopped.