Witch Hunter Olivia (9 page)

If someone would’ve told me three days ago that I’d be here tonight staking out a sorority house in order to capture an assassin, I would’ve laughed in their face.

Peering through a tiny window that leads into the basement, I’m finding it hard to shake the feeling of being a total creeper while watching the sisters of Alpha Nu Gamma perform their strange little initiation ritual with the new pledges. I always thought the whole wearing-hooded-robes-during-an-initiation thing was just in the movies, but nope. It’s very much real.

I glance up to the roof awning that wraps around the entire first story of the house when Heath lets out a low exasperated groan. He decided it’d be best if he played the part of lookout while I played the part of Peeping Tom. And even though he’s not so keen on heights, he still volunteered to be our eyes from above.

“We’ve been here for twenty minutes and there’s been no strange activity whatsoever. Unless you consider the two of us spying on a bunch of sorority sisters strange … which I do,” he jokes.

“If our person’s going to strike again, this is most likely where they’re going to do it,” I whisper back, even though no one other than him could probably hear me if I spoke at a regular volume.

“I thought we were supposed to go to the party, not the pre-party girly time,” he quips.

“Will you hush and go be all incognito somewhere else?” I huff.

“Fine. I’ll let you know when I have nothing to report.”

Men are such pains in the ass.

“Oh, and I brought Spike with me tonight,” I say, pulling my gaze back up to him.

“Spike?” he asks, confused.

“Yeah.” I flash the Guild-certified curved dagger up at him.

“Why do you call it that?”

“Uh, because it’s spikey, obviously. This little Mauler destroyer was the only thing I took from the Guild before I left.”

The second thing I should’ve taken was the Mauler-producing stone I was issued during my sophomore year at the academy after I turned sixteen. Receiving one of those stones is like getting a driver’s license in the Witch Hunter world. It’s the only way a Hunter can summon Maulers, and after stumbling into my current situation, I feel it would’ve been quite the asset to have.

I examine Spike’s curved blade that splits into a fork at the tip like a snake’s tongue. It’s my only weapon that can take down a Mauler, since it’s infused with light magic and a Mauler’s born of dark. It feels good to hold it again during a mission. Me and this blade have some fond memories, and it’s what won me highest Mauler kill count in the annual competition my junior year at the Hunters Academy.

Slipping the blade into my jacket’s inner pocket, I focus my attention on the little ritual happening in the basement. I notice Angelica’s wearing that bracelet again. I wonder if that means Hattie isn’t here right now. My eyes shift over to Tara as she and the rest of the pledges draw back their hoods and stand there waiting for their next command.

I think back to the conversation I had with her in our dorm room. The moment she caught wind of our little covert operation, she demanded to be a part of it. Even though I didn’t think it was the best idea, I gave in. She made several valid points, again, and she was right, again.

When loud, erratic banging sounded at our dorm room door several hours before tonight’s party, it surprised the hell out of both of us. It was a few of her potential future sorority sisters there to “kidnap” her and bring her back to the house for the ceremony. Thankfully, we’d already gone over the quasi-plan for tonight before the ladies showed up.

The drive over with Heath was just as riveting. He wasn’t satisfied in the slightest with my “plan,” but he decided it was better to go along with me than against me. I don’t get why he’s so quick to help me when I need it. It’s not like I’ve been the best person to him lately, but I won’t lie that it’s nice to have someone like him to depend on.

“I’ve got nothing,” Heath calls down to me in a hushed whisper.

I roll back onto my heels to peer up at him and see his head poking out over the edge. “Okay, well, keep watching. I know this person’s going to show up tonight. I can feel it.”

“Got it,” he replies, and I see his eyes return to searching the front yard.

Heath rises up from his crouched position and moves closer to the edge of the roof toward the front of the house. “I think there’s some movement between the trees over there across the street,” he says, pointing to the woods a little ways from us.

I sigh, realizing I have to leave my post to go check out what he’s talking about. In a lowered stance, I hurry over to the chest-high hedgerow that lines the sides and part of the front lawn. I keep my eyes peeled for any sign of the movement Heath mentioned, but I don’t see anything.

Glancing back at Heath, I notice him waving his arms, trying to get my attention. When our eyes lock, he gestures to the street behind be, but I can’t see what he’s pointing at through the thick bushes I’m crouched behind. Rising up slightly, I peek over the well-manicured shrubbery and gasp when I see three Maulers stalking toward the sorority house with my brother smack dab in the center of them.

Whipping my head around to look at Heath on the roof, I don’t see him. “Shit,” I mutter under my breath. The moment that word leaves my lips, Heath appears by my side, poof out of nowhere, and startles the shit out of me. “Whoa, how did I not know you could do that?”

“You never asked. You only used me for my tattoo skills. Looks like your brother brought a small army with him tonight. What’s he doing?”

I shrug, still watching my brother and the Maulers making their way onto the front lawn. “I have no idea, but there’s only one way to find out.” I crack my knuckles against my palm. “Wait here, and use that poof-I’m-here power of yours if you see me in trouble.”

“Wait.”

“What?”

“Shouldn’t we both go?”

“No. We need to keep some element of surprise as a backup plan, and you’re that element,” I say, before pushing away from the hedgerow.

I keep the small gang in my sights while hurrying over to hide behind one of the large trees in the front yard. I notice they stop right in front of the oversized living room windows. Repeat of the other night, maybe?

My brother aims his crossbow into the living room, but before he can fire, I pop out from behind the tree. “Malcolm,” I call to him.

He abruptly turns around and fires a bolt at me the moment our eyes meet. I react and snatch it out of the air before tossing it to the ground.

“Nice catch,” he sneers.

“You’re not Malcolm, are you?”

His mouth curls into an evil smirk. “Of course I am, Liv. How could you say such a thing?” His eyes look off. They seem almost lifeless and black in color, like a great white’s. The three Maulers all stand there glaring at me. I can tell they’re waiting for an order to rip me apart.

“Okay. If you’re my brother, what was the real reason I left the Guild?”

“I don’t have time for this,” he responds, rolling his eyes. He snaps his fingers and two more Maulers appear beside the other three, emerging through a wall of purple smoke. “Deal with this, won’t you?” His eyes gleam with a violet shimmer after he barks his order.

What the hell? I think after seeing the shimmer. That’s definitely not normal.

All five of the Maulers hone in on me while entering attack mode in unison. “Heath, a little help over here would be nice.”

I pull Spike from his resting place in my jacket’s interior pocket as two of the Maulers lunge for me, their arms thrashing violently in my direction. I step back, weaving through every one of their attacks. One solid hit from a Mauler can feel like three burly guys punching you all at once. I parry a swipe at my face from the Mauler to my left and deliver a quick punch across its face before ducking under the attack from the Mauler to my right. Cradling my back into the Mauler’s chest, I drive my elbow up into its chin before grabbing its arm and tossing it over my shoulder to the ground. I plunge Spike into the Mauler’s chest. The creature bursts into a giant cloud of purple smoke.

The other Mauler comes at me with a series of swipes. I step back after each attack, waiting for an opening to strike. I see one and drive a kick right to its gut, followed up with a left hook into its face. Its cold, clammy skin feels gross against my knuckles as they crack across its cheek. It recovers quickly and goes to kick me, but I dodge by spinning out of the way before sweeping its other leg. As it crashes to the ground, I whip around and drive Spike into its chest, exploding it like the last one.

Movement out of the corner of my eye has me focusing on what’s keeping the other three Maulers busy. It’s Heath. He’s fading in and out of view with his new-to-me power after he lands each of his attacks. He’s moving like one big blur, dodging every one of their advances before downing them left and right. I’m used to dealing with Maulers, but I’m surprised to see him doing so well against them. The one person I don’t see is my brother.

One of the Maulers shifts its attention to me and releases a loud, nasally snarl. I dust off my pants and adjust my jacket before getting into a defensive stance. Raising my hand palm up, I send it the “bring it” gesture. I’ve always wanted to do that, and to be honest, it’s making me feel like a complete badass right now.

A wicked sneer shows on the Mauler’s lips before it rushes me. It swipes from the left, and I duck under the attack. It attempts to backhand me, but I throw my hand up to block before throwing a left punch across its cheek, causing it to stagger back. The Mauler leaps into the air and a flurry of flying kicks assault my forearms and hands. I block every one of them, and find myself sliding back through the grass from the force of each blow. The instant the Mauler lands on the ground, it transitions into trying to claw my eyes out in a furious manner. I’m able to dodge all except for one that manages to break through my defenses and leaves a small gash on my chin.

I run my fingers across my jawline and swipe away the blood. “Oh, it is so on now,” I fume.

The Mauler leaps at me. I propel myself into the air and twist at my waist, sending a spinning kick right into the side of its head. It crashes to the ground with a sickening thud, and I’m right there to deliver the last blow with Spike through its chest, leaving behind a big pile of purple dust and smoke.

Whirling back around to face Heath, I push off and throw myself into a gymnastic tumble, headed in his direction. After my last back handspring, I round off into a cartwheel and land in front of one of the Maulers, drawing its attention to me. It seethes, causing purple smoke to flow from its open mouth like saliva dripping from a dog’s jowls.

The Mauler goes in for an attack, but I duck under it and bend at the waist, arching my back forward while swinging my leg up and over my head like a scorpion’s tail before driving my foot into its face. It stumbles back, giving me just enough time to shove Spike into its chest, causing it to crumble into a pile of purple dust.

“Heath, catch,” I shout, and when he looks over at me after breaking free from the Mauler’s grip, I toss him my trusty dagger.

After a few seconds, Heath emerges from a huge cloud of purple smoke after quickly dispatching the last Mauler. “Thanks,” he says before handing Spike back to me. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just flippin’ peachy,” I reply while shoving the dagger back into my jacket’s inside pocket. “You didn’t by any chance see where my brother went, did you?”

“Nope. The bastard’s fast, I’ll give him that.”

“Where did you learn to fight like that?” I probe, my curiosity getting the best of me.

“Aren’t I allowed to have any secrets?”

“No, not really.”

“My father used to be a combat instructor at your Hunters Academy. I picked up a few tricks from him along the way,” he confesses.

“I guess it’s true … you do learn something new every day,” I comment with a slight laugh.

Our attention is drawn to the front door of the sorority house when it flies open. All the girls who were gathered in the basement move out onto the front lawn with Angelica leading the way. They all look confused.

“Uh, what are you two doing here? The party isn’t until later,” Angelica calls out to us. I notice Tara’s standing there like a deer caught in headlights because she doesn’t know what to do.