Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
“True, I never thought about it like that.”
It’s another beautiful day, and I park downtown near the new age store Devon and I went to a few weeks ago. We take our food and find a bench nearby, sitting so we can eat.
“How do you know how to kill different monsters?” Delphi asks as she bites into her sandwich. “Not everything is even corporeal, right?”
“Right, and those motherfuckers are the real challenge.” I unwrap half my sandwich. “A lot of what I know has been passed down. There are books and journals Order members can access. One thing about monsters is they’ve been around forever, so what we encounter today, someone else probably already has at some point in time before. Hopefully, they already figured out how to kill and we’ll know exactly what to do. But when in doubt, cutting off the head usually works.”
“Usually?”
“Usually. You always run the slight risk of two growing back.”
“Like that thing from Greek mythology?”
“Hydra. They’re rare, but I’ve read about hunters coming across them in some of the archived journals.”
She takes another bite and blankly stares out at the street. “It’s so weird because the Order was founded to protect humanity. And it’s turned into something full of hate for anyone who’s different.”
“And it’s getting worse. Everyone swore up and down witches got their powers from making deals with the Devil. You’d think once they saw that wasn’t the case with me, they’d realize they were wrong. A lot of Order members wouldn’t even talk to me because they insisted I made that deal. Because a six year old totally knows how to do that.” I shake my head. “They would rather believe lies than what they quite literally see with their eyes.”
“It’s jealousy. They hate what they can’t have. They’ll never have magic, or the enchanted strength, speed, athleticism, and fast healing werewolves have. And they hate us for it.”
“I keep thinking if I just prove myself enough, they’d see me as human first,” I say quietly.
“But they don’t,” Delphi replies. “They see what you are before they see who you are.”
“I know that now. I grew up being told if I just behave, if I just follow their rules, if I just stay useful, the Order will protect me. But protection that only exists if you’re obedient isn’t protection. It’s control.” I watch a car slow to a stop at the street across from us. The windows are rolled down and two little girls sing along to some Disney song. Their mom is too, and she’s smiling as she looks in the rearview mirror at them. “And even though I’m out, they’re still pestering me.”
“Well, you did marry Xavier Malus. I’m also dying to know how you guys met.”
“Taylor Swift concert.”
She cocks an eyebrow. “Sure.”
I chuckle and then go back to eating my sandwich. Delphi has to be back at the clinic for more appointments later, so we don’t have a ton of time. We toss our wrappers and go into the new age store so I can stock up on supplies. Vanquishing potions are the easiest way for me to take out demons, and I can make a huge batch if I spend just one afternoon in the kitchen with a cauldron. Despite the ease and the success, I was only allowed to use it as a last resort and it was one of the things Larissa told me was “cheating” when it came to demon hunting, which never made sense.
I stuff items and ingredients into my basket, my mind going back to when Devon and I were here last time. Is it stupid to hold onto the hope that he’ll adjust to life as a vampire, balance his undead blood sugar or something, and be the guy that I used to know? Mabel’s words dig at me in a way I know is going to haunt me as I’m trying to lay down and go to sleep tonight.
He had feelings for me.
Did I have feelings for him? I didn’t want to admit it then, and when I almost lost him, I thought I did. But…I can’t. I couldn’t. And now he’s not the same.
We go to a hunting supply store next and I put together a typical hunter’s bag, full of weapons and first aid supplies. The guy selling us this stuff keeps attempting to flirt, telling us over and over how two good looking women who deer hunt are exactly his type. I guess I’ll be telling Xavier I need an even bigger ring to keep hillbillies like him from hitting on me.
“According to the kid who bought the drugs,” Delphi says once we get back into the G-Wagon. “They were in Hidden Valley. It’s not a nice place to be. The news says it’s riddled with crime and gangs.”