Page 6 of Blood Taken (Blood Mafia 2)
Blaze is the first thing that comes to mind. He made it clear he was interested in me. Perhaps allying with him is a good idea.
A condescending laugh bursts from Maria's chest. "Don't be foolish. There's no one that can hide you better than we can. Besides, the car's going much too fast for you to survive the fall. You don't have supe healing, yet."
I glare at her as she turns to face the front and fiddles with the radio, throwing on a classic rock station. A whiny male voice blares through the speakers, singing something about his sweet child.
I hate this song with a burning passion, even more so now as I ride in the car with Maria.
Nicole lets out a long sigh and uses the buttons on the steering wheel to turn the song down, earning a glare from my mother. "There are things you needed to learn about supes that the school wouldn't teach you under usual circumstances."
Frowning, I recall Alissa's surprise of how much I knew about supes. "What do you mean?"
Maria's nails tap against her side of the console in rapid succession. She's got quite the temper now, doesn't she?
We're leaving the downtown part of San Francisco. Nicole merges onto a freeway that leads to the suburban parts of the city before continuing northward toward Oregon and Washington.
"The things I taught you all: how to kill, how they're born, made, and everything in between isn't part of a normal History of the Supernatural curriculum."
Shaking my head, I look between her and Maria. "Then what is?"
"The initial surge of supernaturals, the first and second human war with them, how humans are keeping them in line—or at least, how they pretend they're keeping them in line—and the dangers of getting too close," Maria answers. She glances over her shoulder at me. "Most humans don't learn how to kill vampires, nor do they learn the intricacies of the genetic mutations. They also don't learn that the only reason their kind survived the war is because we helped."
We as in Hunters. I didn't learn that either. Nicole had taught us about the supe wars, but she stated the reason the supes backed down was because the humans agreed to a treaty which gave supes a say in every aspect of a blended society. There are even witches in the senate.
No vampires or wolves though.
"Why didn't you teach me about Hunters?"
Nicole spent so much time making sure she drilled everything about vampires, witches, wolves, and a bit about fae and demons into our heads. It doesn't make sense that she'd leave the Hunters out of her lessons.
As a matter of fact, everything I learned or heard about Hunters was in movies or books. Until now, I considered them fiction. A human's creation. Not something real.
"Because we’ve always carefully guarded our existence. What would the humans think if they knew there were scarier beings than the monsters that go bump in the night?"
I laugh. "You think you're scarier than the vampires?"
Nicole's eyes darken and Maria gives me a smile laced with venom.
"We don't think, Demetria, we know."
Ihatethe way she says my name.
It sounds much better coming off of Mateo's lips.
Nicole shares a weird smile with my mother before continuing. "Do you know what we are?"
Blinking at her question, I wonder if she thinks I'm stupid. "Hunters. We hunt the bad guys."
She tilts her head back and forth. "Close. We're the monsters born to kill the other monsters. We are the beings vampires fear."
I snort. Mateo didn't seem very scared of me. "If that's true, why are you hiding?"
Maria shakes her head at Nicole. "The truth is complicated. You will learn all you need to know soon enough, Demetria." She turns the volume up again and this time Nicole doesn't adjust it.
I watch the city pass by, scowling at my reflection the further we get from my apartment. When we are far enough north that we leave San Francisco all together, I start to regret agreeing to come.
I didn't even ask where they'd take me.
How do I know I can trust them?
