Silver Stake (The Werewolf Hunter Chronicles Book 1) (5 page)

The black-haired
werewolf walked down a dark brick-lined tunnel.  Behind her the old werewolf had Lewis by the arm, forcing him to walk before him.  Behind them Will was bound and knocked unconscious, his body over the shoulder of another werewolf.  Although Will lay there unmoving, Lewis struggled to get away, but he was by no means a match for two wolf-men.

“Out the way,” the old werewolf said. 

The black-haired one stepped aside as the old werewolf made Lewis walk into a candle lit church.  A horrific looking man with a distorted wolf-like face came forwards to meet them.

“My gift?” he said, pointing at Lewis.

“Blood, my Lord Alpha,” said the old werewolf.  “And this one,” he said, gesturing to Will, “is to be kept for the sacrifice.”

The Lord Alpha nodded his approval.  “Take him away and restore his health,” he said of Will, and then his eyes flitted to those of Lewis.  “Come here,” he said, his voice coaxing and terrible.

The old werewolf thrust Lewis forward.

“I will do anything, please, don’t hurt me,” said Lewis.  “Your Lord.  Anything, please.”

“I have been trapped in this prison for lifetimes, and you beg me, you say you will do anything.  What can you do for me?  What could you possibly do that would be more valuable than your blood?”

“There is a girl, some kind of fighter.  She’s strong.  I know her.  I could tell you where to find her.”

“What girl?”

“It is true,” said the old werewolf.  “I fought a girl and she escaped.  I think she is a hunter.”

“A Hunter.  How interesting.”

∞

“I’m sorry, but what exactly did you say Maya is?” said Ollie.

“She is a Hunter, created by the Order of Meeth, and her purpose is to kill werewolves.” said Mr Cole.

“She was
created
?  So she’s, what, like, not human?” said Ollie.

“Maya is as human as you or I, but she possesses a charm, passed from one hunter to another at the moment of death.”

“And this gives her, what, special powers or something?”

“That is correct.  She is strong, with fast reflexes and refined senses.”

“Whew.  Intense.”  Ollie looked Maya up and down.  “She looks so ordinary.  No offence.”

“None taken,” said Maya.

“And what’s your part?” Ollie said to Cole.

“I am a Seer.  My purpose is to assist the hunter, to refine her training, and to predict what might happen.  To enable us to be prepared.”  Cole looked from Maya, to Ollie, to Kate.  “It is not usual for others to find out about this, it may interfere—”

“Our lips are sealed.  Seriously.  We won’t tell anyone,” said Ollie.

“No!  Of course not.”

Cole nodded.  “This business with your friends—”

“Lewis and Will,” said Kate.

“We must wait until tomorrow.”

“What?  But they could be dead by then!  They may be dead already,” said Kate.

“That’s right, they may be.  But they were taken alive, which implies they were not merely to be used as a meal.”

“A sacrifice,” said Maya.

Cole nodded.  “It seems likely.”  He flicked through a few pages of his book.  “Here, see.  A sacrifice must be performed on a full moon.  It all makes sense…”

“But how do we stop it?” said Kate.

“I have to stop it.  It’s up to me.”

“But Will.  Lewis.  We need to help.”

“The best way for you to help is to keep safe.  That way I don’t have to worry about you,” said Maya.

“We must be able to do something, like, help you figure where they went?” said Ollie.

“No.  If they are to be sacrificed they must have been taken someplace where there’s lots of wolves.  And I sensed
lots
of wolves out near where they were taken.  I’ll just follow my nose, so to speak.”

“You sensed them?” said Kate.  She looked pale.

“You must wait until tomorrow,” said Cole.  “When the sun is up.”

“But what if the sacrifice is tonight?”

“The full moon is tomorrow night,” said Kate.

“Are you sure?” said Maya.

Ollie nodded.  “She’s an astrology nut.”

“She’s right,” said Cole.  “You must go to find them tomorrow.”

∞

“Maya!”

Maya turned, just as she was about to enter her first class of the day.  Ollie and Kate hurried to her side.

“So what’s the plan?  When do we go?” said Ollie.

Maya shook her head furiously.  “No way.  We talked about this.  I go alone.”

“But it’s suicide,” said Ollie.  “You should let us help.  We could distract them.”

“No way.  Seriously.  If you want to help go and see Cole.  Help him work out what’s going on.”

Kate nodded.  “OK.  That makes sense.  I’ll see if I can find out anything that could help you.”

“Thank you,” said Maya.  “I’m going to head out after this class, and I promise I will fill you in as soon as there’s any news.” 

“Take care of yourself,” said Ollie.

Kate nodded, tears in her eyes.  “Good luck.”

Isabelle firmly ignored her right through the biology lecture, but Maya barely noticed.  She jotted down notes, but her mind was far way.  All she could think about was Lewis and Will, and in what state she would find them.  And
if
she would find them.  She had put on a confident face to the others, but, truth be told, she had never faced more than a couple of wolves at once.  And if she met the old werewolf again…  He had been freakishly strong.  And what if she came face to face with this Lord Alpha…

∞

The school corridor was packed with students bustling around between lectures.  Kate and Ollie walked hand in hand, in a daze, their brows creased.

“I’m going to scan some old newspapers in the library, before I head to see Mr Cole.  Do you want to come?” said Kate.

“Huh?” Ollie looked up.

“You know you can’t go after them,” said Kate, stopping and turning to face him.  “Stay safe.  Help me,” she pleaded.

“I just can’t believe this is happening.  I can’t believe they are missing.  What if they are … dead?”

“I know … it’s too much.  That’s why I have to keep my mind busy.  I have to find a way to help.”

Ollie nodded, but Kate frowned at him.  She could tell his attention was elsewhere.

Ollie scratched the back of his head.  “I don’t think I can focus right now.  I’ll catch you in a bit, Kate.”  He brushed his lips against her cheek and pulled her briefly against his chest, then he walked away.

Kate stood still, watching him go.  She couldn’t help it, but felt a heavy sense of worry, and helplessness.  Ollie turned the corner and disappeared from sight.  She shrugged her shoulders and headed for the library.

∞

After class Maya stashed her rucksack in a locker and then walked briskly through the corridor towards the exit.  She wore her hair fixed in plaits either side of her head, close to her neck, along with a black leather jacket and black jeans.  Her silver stake was tucked out of sight.

Mrs Kinnley stepped into Maya’s path.

“Miss Ellis, if you’ll accompany me please.”

Maya silently cursed and followed Mrs Kinnley in to her office.

“Although we have a policy that allows you to leave the college grounds, I do not think it is wise in your case.  You have shown an inability to settle into a routine of classes and the best way to tackle this is to spend ALL your time right here.  Between classes you are to stay in the library and catch up on the work you have missed.  Do you understand?”

“Yes Mrs Kinnley.  Of course.  Is that all?”

Mrs Kinnely gave her a brisk nod and Maya stood, then turned and headed for the door.

“I’ll be watching you,” Mrs Kinnley muttered, as Maya left.

Did she seriously just say that?
  Maya shook her head, swung open the door to the exit and ran down the steps, refusing to look over her shoulder, even though she could practically feel Mrs Kinnley’s eyes on her back.

Outside the sun peeked out from behind a cloud as Maya broke into a gentle jog and then hopped onto a bus.  Ten minutes later she jumped off and walked toward the graveyard.  As the iron gates appeared before her someone stepped out of an alley and into her path.  Her heart leapt.

“Ollie!  What the hell are you doing out here?”

“Waiting for you, of course.  I couldn’t let you do down there alone,” he said.

“Yes you could.  You—”

“No.  I couldn’t.  Will and Lewis are missing.  I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t at least try—”

“You need to leave.”

“No.  No way.  I’m coming.”

“Ugh.  Fine.  On your head be it.”

“Fine by me.”

Maya started walking and Ollie hurried after her.  At a heavy touch the gate to the cemetery creaked open. It felt practically as eerie in day light.  The gravestones were old and overgrown, and ivy grew up scraggly, gnarly trees.  As they stepped further in a heavy silence surrounded them, transporting them away from the sounds of the city.  Maya scanned the horizon, and it seemed the cemetery extended for miles.

“How big is this place anyway?” she said.

Ollie shrugged.  “I—” he started.

“Shh,” said Maya.  “I need to focus.”

She focused on her werewolf sense, but it gave her confused signals.  It seemed like there were wolves everywhere, up ahead somewhere, and below her, too.  She eyed the stairs leading down to the underground tunnel where she had discovered Lewis with the werewolf, and she remembered how that old werewolf had seemed to come from behind her, from further within the tunnel.

“We go down there,” she said.

“So this is it,” Ollie said, rubbing his hands together.

“Wait a sec,” said Kate, and she fumbled in her pocket.  “Here’s a silver cross.  It might come in handy.”

“Thanks,” Ollie said, and clutched the cross in his hand.

Together they walked down the steps to the passage, Maya in the lead.

The door to the passage creaked open and Maya stepped through, Ollie close behind her.  He pulled the gate closed behind them.  She scanned the immediate area, illuminated by sunshine, for signs of danger.  The place looked less creepy with day light streaming through the iron bars of the door.  Nevertheless, she walked in slowly, tentatively, and jumped at a tiny squeak, which was probably a rat.

She sighed, and walked further, past the brick that had been thrown at her the night before, into the shadows.  She squinted ahead and spotted a heavy wooden door with a chunky padlock.

“Strange,” she murmured.

“What’ll we do?” Ollie said.  “Find another way?”

She shook her head, frowning at the lock.  She touched it and got a firm grip, then gave it a serious yank.  The wood around the lock splintered and came away.

“Whew,” said Ollie.  “I knew it would be handy to bring you along.”

“Ha, ha,” said Maya.

Maya pulled the door towards her, the wood scrapping across the ground.  Beyond was another passage and some steps, and it wasn’t as dark as she had expected.  A high up drainage grate gave a subtle light.  Maya stepped carefully down some concrete stairs.  The walls were black with dirt and there were no handrails.  She heard another rat squeaking and a scurrying up ahead.  Moisture dripped off the walls, echoing along with their footsteps.  She took a deep breath and continued walking.  The passage wasn’t straight.  She kept turning, expecting to find a werewolf each time.  Her spooky sense still tingled, but she couldn’t exactly pinpoint how far away the wolves were.

They turned a corner and found a hallway lit with bare dusty bulbs at wide intervals.

“So, will this cross kill a werewolf?”  Ollie muttered.

Maya laughed quietly.  “No, but if you press the silver against their skin it will burn, and that might give me enough time to save you.”

“Right.  Great.” He said.  “Anything else?”

“Huh?”

“To help fend off the big bad wolf.”

“Well, shoving a silver stake in their heart seems to be a failsafe method.  The rest is just conjecture based on myth.  Maybe Cole will be able to help with that.”

“How long have you known him?”

“A couple of days.”

“So, you’ve been in this, on your own, for how long?”

“About a year.  It began not long after I started college.”

“Shite.  Must have been tough on you.”

“You could say that,” Maya muttered.

Ollie gave an uneasy laugh.

They continued on along the passage, following it up a gentle incline.