I'd just started a new level of Angry Birds when there was a knock on my door. Drew poked his head in, giving a tiny wave as he did so and I motioned for him to enter. He lingered near the doorway, and I ignored him as I finished my level, just as he started to speak.

"Look at you, in your own office, busy doing," he paused, looking at my screen. "Are you playing a game?"

"It's an important strategy building activity, that I like to do uninterrupted in my office." I lock the iPad, sitting back in my chair. "Welcome."

"Yeah okay. If that's strategy building then I'm next in line to become President." He laughed.

"Speaking of presidents, what's the deal with Julio. I like the guy, don't get me wrong, but could he be any more by the book?"

"Well, yeah. Some actually obey the rules, Ellie." He sits, looking around again. "It's a bit small isn't it?"

"I think it used to be a store room, but hey. I don't see you sitting your own office. Don't hate me cause you aint' me!"

"Fair call. I'm totally jealous of your broom closet. I mean office."

"Seriously though Mr. Van Helsing, what are you doing with that group?" I ask him.

He shrugs. "Got a call, thought I'd tag along. Sick of doing the same old thing, and this isn't quite that."

"Stopping vampires doing stupid shit. Kind of the same old thing?"

"I suppose so." He sighs. "Tom is sucking ass to try and land himself some position at a new Academy. Nigel is heading off to Romania with a couple of Hunters he met at a bar that think there's some big, bad ogre that is causing havoc in a small village somewhere in the mountains. He hasn't been right lately, I think he's going to get himself killed but Tom is too busy to care and no one listens to me anyway."

"Drew, I'm so sorry to hear that. You guys were always so close. Want me to make sure Tom doesn't get that job?" I offer, earning a tiny smile.

"No, its' fine. At least he isn't doing anything stupid."

"Can I try talking to Nigel? I could get Ailin to forbid it?" I try again.

"Go for it. Nothing I've said or done has helped. I don't know what else to do, but I ahve a bad feeling about this if he does go." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "So you seemed pretty pissed about Ailin not destroying that portal thing."

"Asking for trouble in my opinion." I open my iPad and bringing up the network, type up a message for Nigel to report to the Council immediately. Barely a second later it had been read and accepted. "I just asked Nigel to come here. We can intervention him from doing something stupid."

"This is weird," Drew shakes his head. "The Elise Bunting, working for the Council, being a responsible adult. You've changed."

"Honestly, I don't work for the Council anymore. No more than any other Hunter anyway. I got fired for forging documents under Ailin's name, and just refused to give up this five star bit of property. It has a good wifi connection."

This makes him laugh and as his phone starts ringing he takes it out of his pocket. "That sounds more like it. Oh no, Julio is summoning me."

"Go. I'll catch up with you later okay?"

"Sounds good, thanks for your help with Nigel." He starts to leave, finally answering the call. "I'm on my way. No, I just had to drop some reports off to the archives."

The second he is gone, I'm looking up any reports of an ogre in Romania and find a few reports from a Slayer team about Dracula imposters and an underground fae blood trade that was stopped. Reports of a Yeti, giant and other large creatures a pack of werewolves were apparently finding members of their pack falling victim to something out there, but any team sent there were unable to find anything. Maybe it was more than a random, drunken decision to head out there.

Two hunters had recently logged a request to go investigate again, that had been denied. Looking them up, they were just two, ordinary guys. One had a good demon contact within the Incubus community, and the other was known to speak six languages. So why would they want to do this?

Ailin appeared then, frowning as she held up the notice I sent to Nigel.

"I thought we discussed this?" She sighed.

"I'm helping a friend, not stealing things from an autopsy. Drew was just telling me about Nigel and his plans to head to Romani to hunt ogres. Seems a little, strange?" I look at her, and show her my screen. "Why do you think they want to go, even after being denied?"

She tapped away for a few minutes, a tiny frown appearing as she handed it back. I read the case file that hadn't been there when I looked. Two of the Hunters that had originally investigated it had been killed, and our multilingual hunter had been married to one of them. Drew was right to worry about Nigel, it was a suicide mission.

"Because the ogres there are peaceful, unless provoked. The werewolves learnt that lesson the hard way and so did they." Ailin sighed. "This is an unapproved mission, they were going rogue and it would only end badly for them."

"Nigel is on his way here now. Hopefully Drew can talk some sense into him when he gets here, or maybe you can?" I ask hopefully. "Get your President voice on, lay down some authority?"

"Because that works so well on you?"

"I'm not a Van Helsing." I smile at her, fluttering my lashes as I start to beg. "Please Ailin?"

"Leave my stones alone, and we have a deal." She smirked.

"Easy, because I have no intention of touching one little molecule of sand on their square, rocky heads. Deal." I hold out my hand, crossing the fingers on my other one as I drop it below the desk.

We shake.

"I've sent a small team to the residence of your other friends, incase anything happens before you arrive as I presume you will be there tonight," she paused. "We should rename ourselves. Council of dealing with Elise's friends and their drama."

I gasp. "Ailin, did you just make a joke?"

"You must be rubbing off on me. You're a bad influence!"

"You'll be faking sick notes and drunkenly dancing on tables in no time." Her eyes widen in horror and she shakes her head.

"It was a joke, Elise."

"So was that, Ailin." I try to hide my smile, but fail and mumbling something under her breath she leaves me alone.

After failing terribly on the next level of my game, I give up and head down the cafeteria. It's pretty empty considering the time of the day, and coffee in hand I wander towards the archives were some of the stones were being stored. It's quiet here too, and letting myself in, I sit on top of one of the boxes and open the other.

It's empty.

Getting down, I check the labelling and these were definitely the first lot that had been brought in. There's magic here, so clearly they hadn't been left unprotected and checking the other six, one has a chunk of limestone in and the other a large rubber tyre. The rest were empty.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me!" I'm back in Ailin's office and she isn't there. Maybe these are just decoys and I'm worried about nothing. I find her in the gym, and the look she gives me says it all. Not now.

"What is it, Hunter?" She groans, resuming her attack on the punching bag.

"Want me to add a bell to that?" Her eyes flash to that of her demon and I shrug. "Take that as a no? Anyway, I happened to be doing some cleaning in the archives-"

"We made a deal Elise."

"How do you know it's to do with the stones?"

"Why else would you be there?" She huffs, her fists pounding away at the leather.

"You hid them right. A test, that I clearly failed, but I was just looking. I had no plans of touching." I tell her quickly. "Where are they really hidden?"

She stops, holding the bag as she breathes heavily against it. "What are you on about?"

"There aren't any stones down there. Just empty boxes and a few little decoy things, as you planned, right?" My stomach sunk as her claws tore through the gloves and with a roar she slashed the bag in half. "We should have destroyed them!"

"Don't. Not now." She huffed, disappearing.

A second later she's behind her desk on the phone and I stand by, listening as she screams at numerous people she seemed to have on speed dial. Ten minutes later she finally sits, slumped in the chair and looking completely deflated. Her head rests on her hand and finally she looks at me.

"Say it, go on."

"Where are the others being kept?" I ask, refraining on the big I told you so, I wanted to throw at her.

"Off site obviously. At another storage facility we have on the other side of town. I just checked with the guards there, and all are accounted for."

"So, we can destroy those?"

"Do you have any idea the importance of those stones?" She sighed.

"No, I don't. I just see something that never ends well and doesn't need to exist."

"They are sacred, priceless. The first two cross realms would have entered from one just like this. These stones are rare, I've never seen an original portal before. It should be preserved! Instead, others seek to use it for their own means, and I agree, it rarely ends well." Ailin sits up straighter. "We have collected and keep items from throughout the centuries. Your own family's history is full of these discoveries, is that not how the Buntings have made their wealth throughout history? All those artifacts that fill museums, pieces of the past with so many stories to tell. These stones are worthy of as much admiration as the pyramids. Imagine telling the world you want to destroy the Sphinx, Elise. That is how I feel about these rocks."

"I'm sorry they are so valuable and you feel this way about them Ailin, but it doesn't change the fact, they seek to bring over something that could destroy this world. I can't let that happen."

"No, we can't." She agrees. "I'll gather some of the more powerful witches we have here, and oversee their destruction myself."

"Good call." I check the time, wishing I'd grabbed more than coffee earlier. "I'm going to eat, and then get ready for tonight."

"Be careful. The Valkyrie are going with you?" She asks, already typing away on her computer.

"Yes. Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything stupid!"

"Good to hear, especially after last night." Our eyes meet, and I know she knows it was way worse than what I told them in the debrief.

I stop at my parents house, raid the fridge for lunch and then go the Valkyrie's bar. Eric is sitting on his laptop and it's unusually quiet. In fact, there is no one other than him here.

"We have doors. Normal people knock first." He greets, not looking up.

"I'm not normal," I lean against the bar beside, curiously looking at his screen which he promptly closes.

"I am well aware of that. You're looking rather, perky, for someone who got their ass kicked last night." He smirked. "Ready to get it handed to you again?"

"Unless you'd like to discover how that feels, I'd be nicer to me if I were you."

"Please, I've seen fox-shifters with more bite than you."

"Doubt it. They look so cuddly, with their big fluffy tails."

"You've clearly never met one then." He smirks. "If you do, make sure to comment on how cute you think they are."

"Where is everyone?" I ask, curiously looking around.

"We don't open until five."

"It's ten minutes to?"

"Exactly." Oh the attitude is strong with this one today.

"Isn't this their like, home?"

This makes him laugh. "Who lives in a bar?"

"You do?" I remind him.

"By choice. They all have lives away from here." That had never occured to me. "We're not like your people. We have choices and don't instantly attract anything bad our way because we smell so delicious to the blood suckers or are like a shiny new toy to demons. Not that its a bad thing, I've heard stories from the old ones about life before the Treaty. I'm just thankful I'm not one of you!"

"So I guess next recruitment time, you won't be signing up to pledge your allegiance and join the team?" I ask sarcastically.

"Pretty sure washed up, has been Mages, aren't in high demand with your Council."

"Well, you seem to know a lot about, everything."

"That's because I study hard at school and don't do drugs," He smirks. "Plus I work in a bar frequented by supernaturals and your kind. What kind of bartender would I be if I didn't know everything?"

"And don't try stealing him away to work in your place either." Kara startled us both as she came down the stairs.

"Damn, there goes that idea!" I wink at Eric who blushes slightly.

"There goes our help if you do." She smirked, patting Eric on the back as she passed. "Now, about tonight. I am looking forward to joining you, and your kind."

"You're coming?"

"Why wouldn't I? I can't let you have all the fun. Nessa will be joining us too." She helps herself to a drink under Eric's watchful eyes. "Who would dare threaten a babe? Is she safe now?"

"Guess we'll find out, and yes. No one will find them now." I hesitate, yet tell her anyway. "Some of the portal stones are missing. The President now agrees what remains in our custody should be destroyed."

Kara shakes her head as she swallows down a shot of vodka, wincing as she does.

"Again, a lesson to be learned by your people. It is a dangerous weapon, especially in the wrong hands."

"Agreed." Eric and I say at the same time.

As soon as Nessa arrives, I take them to Rayas home. Everything is as we left it and being back there now feels like I'm intruding on their private space. Olivia's bassinet sits in the corner by the sofa, a few teddies and the playmat sit vacant. The house is too quiet without her giggles and noise.

Kara picks up one of the bears, a sadness takes over her face. Nessa and I don't move as we watch her sit the bear in the bed. She says nothing, staring inside as if expecting to find Olivia, or someone, in there staring back at her. I shiver, and it breaks whatever that just was as she moves towards the back door, Nessa to the front and they check whatever wards and spells remain.

"They did well to protect this place. It would take a lot of time and energy to destroy the magic here." Kara says, happy with her inspection. "We will have an advantage over them, while they waste time to break in, we will already be killing them all."

I don't correct her.

I'm not here to take prisoners tonight; I want blood.

"This is not our territory, Kara. We do things as per the Council requires." Nessa earns a deadly glare from both of us. "Elise, is that not what you do?"

"No. This is personal. Olivia is my god-daughter. I am her guardian. By threatening her, they threatened me and now they will suffer for it." Nessa steps back, her eyes widening slightly.

"Your, your eyes. Meghan told me, but, I didn't see and-" She tilts her head, bowing slightly. "As you wish."

I look at Kara, confused and she too bows slightly. Then I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror on the wall by the TV. My eyes are glowing, similar to how Portia's change during a vision. Instantly I feel hot and uncomfortable as though my body is suddenly too small for the rest of me. I ditch my clothes; they alter as if they have a mind of their own. I'm not sure when we all decided that toga's were good battle wear, but what I'm wearing is different again to theirs. For starters, it's all black rather than their white and gold. I don't have an impressive looking breastplate or belt or even sandals. Leather is tight around my chest, yet doesn't restrict my movements as I stretch, getting a feel for my new attire. Barefoot, the soles of my feet pick up on the pulse of the earth as it vibrates the charge of the dark magic that's coming nearer.

Night falls. Dark, heavy storm clouds roll in over us. Lightning sparks and thunder rumbles, the wind howls through the house and the calm outside turns wild. Taking a deep breath, the dampness in the air brings the promise of rain.

"I see the darkness in you, God Killer. Control it." Kara warns, her eyes looking me over with a mixture of excitement and fear. "So it does not control you."

From the front window we see them coming.

Swords are readied.

We wait as their witches start to chant, holding hands and throwing wave after wave of magic at our shield. Vampires linger behind them. I check where the look outs are, tell them to stay down and out of the way.

"This will be wearing them out, they must be exhausted by now." Nessa stood near the front door, looking over at us.

"Soon," Kara held up her hand and frowned. "They're almost done."

"How about we give them a little surprise then?" I take their hands and we end up behind the vampires.

The storm has arrived and so have we.

We move swiftly, practically silent as one by one the vampires turn to dust. One screams, the thunder hides his cries yet the others sense something behind them and we have our fight. Its fast, merciless and their calls for help to their oh so wonderful Prophet go unanswered. Before I'm ready to stop, we corner the last two witches where they stand outside the house, holding onto each other as we approach. Their fear is felt, stronger than the storm and their exhaustion is even clearer. They look my age, with dark circles under their eyes and sunken cheeks. Their crying only makes me angrier.

"Who sent you?" I demand, sensing the hunters that had probably watched it all approaching.

"The, Prophet." I was hoping they would say that.

"And where is your prophet now?" They don't answer, they can't. They're too scared, too tired. "Where are the sacred stones for the portal?"

"You won't find them." The taller of two shouts as she finds some strength from somewhere as she dares to look at me. "Go to hell, Hunter."

She spits in my direction and thunder cracks right above us, making them scream and fall against each other. The rain finally starts, the ground turning to mud, flooding as the dry earth can't take in the water quick enough.

"Why are you here?" I ask.

"The, the baby. She's, the prophet wanted her. The sacrifice the portal requires." They stutter between themselves. "We have to give her the baby. She has to die for it to work!"

"You're not, a hunter." The tall one says a second later. Her arms are caked in mud, clothes soaked and heavy. "What are you?"

"Death." My sword moves fast, but not fast enough as Nessa blocks me.

"No more. Not tonight." She yells. Rage unlike anything I have felt before floods me, but to her credit, Nessa doesn't move. "Let your people handle this."

I look at the pair in the dirt, at Kara who watches us cautiously, I don't doubt I would be facing her fury if I turned on Nessa now. I see it in her eyes though, she thinks Nessa is right. The hunters come closer, calling out to ask if we're okay as they think they are actually coming to help. Then Portia is there, shaking her head as she reaches out to touch my hands.

"Listen to the Valkyrie, Elise. This battle is over." Slowly, she takes my sword from my hold.

Adrenaline makes my hands shake and I look at the witches; pathetic creatures, huddled on the ground in the dirt. They actually thought they had stood a chance, that they'd be able to get Olivia? Just thinking of their intentions had me wanting to go all over again, but for tonight, they had been saved thanks to a Valkyrie and the Maiden of Fate. 

"If you so much as even think about touching that baby, or any others, ever again, I will find you and no one will be able to stop me." I warn. "Even in hell, I will find you."

We move away as the others come in and collect them. Their cries don't stop, just like how they keep calling for the Prophet.

"Are you alright?" Portia asks softly, her concern obvious as she looks me over.

"They won't stop, none of these idiots are going to stop until that damn portal is destroyed and they forget all about that fucking prophet." I tell her, barely flinching as lightning strikes nearby.

My feet dig into the mud. It squishes between my toes, and then it's there. That energy, the pulse and power of nature. More lightning flashes around us. It reflects in Portia's black eyes; off the golden plate the Valkyrie wear.

"Elise," Kara starts, her face matching Portia's.

Nothing they say will fix any of this. I don't need more words,  I need action.

"Thank you for your assistance. I have to go." I tell them quickly.

Their shouting for me to stop, rings in my ears as I leave them behind. This battle may be over, but it wouldn't be the last.

________________

Three steps forward, ten steps back?

You know, I think we might almost be nearing the end of this one!

I have decided that there will be Cain's story (Hunter 4.5: The Fallen One) AND  there will also be Hunter #5 - yet to be named. 

After that, no idea. 

Any theories on how it's all going to go down?