Grumbling,
Dirk agreed. He got out without question when she stopped again.
"There's
a small cabin half a mile up that track," she pointed to the
right. "Wait for me there."
"What
if it's occupied."
"It
won't be. It's mine. Here's the key."
"Rental?"
"Nope."
"You'll
be okay with this guy, El? He sounds whack."
"I'll
be fine. He's my nephew."
"The
Hunter?" His voice rose more than he'd intended.
"The
very same."
Dirk
couldn't conceal a shiver. Rafaela had a reputation for being
persistent and ruthless. Her nephew, Seth, added sadistic and
psychotic to the family tree.
"Damn
good thing he'll never reproduce," Dirk muttered as he
shouldered a backpack and struck out in the woods.
Knowing
he was close to a Hunter's lair, he made his way slowly, looking for
traps. If Seth was even half as paranoid as Rafaela, he'd have his
perimeter well protected. That was what made the attack on Rafaela's
cabin seem so unlikely. Usually, she surrounded herself with traps
and gadgets to warn her of a vampire presence.
I
distracted her. It's my fault. She could have been killed.
He
avoided several traps and pitfalls as he walked toward her cabin. It
was set in a clearing and surrounded by oak, ash and hawthorn trees.
His skin crawling, Dirk proceeded. He could feel the protective wards
in place. Had he not been a guest of Rafaela's, he'd have been
trapped by them. Even with her permission, the wards and talismans
around her house made him highly uncomfortable. He could only imagine
the pain he'd feel if he tried to attack her here.
The
cabin was much smaller than the one they'd left in flames. The outer
walls were stone and covered in ivy. The windows and lintels were
Rowan, the door frame as well. Holly bushes surrounded the house.
Again,
he wondered why the other cabin was so vulnerable. He'd have to ask
her about that – later. He wanted to get inside and quit feeling
like he had a giant target on his back. The keys jangled as he put
one in the lock. He felt a tingle course through his fingers and knew
she had some sort of ward to prevent the locks from being picked.
Inside,
the cabin was dark and chilly. Dirk flipped the light switch and the
lights came on. He locked and bolted the door behind him and walked
to the fireplace. Wood was neatly stacked on the hearth. Again, he
found oak, ash and hawthorn. Considered the druid's holy trinity, the
woods had protective properties against evil. Wreaths of rowan,
another protective wood, were over every door and window, as well as
the fireplace. Holly berries were woven into the wreath's design.
Although
everything was designed to repel evil, Dirk felt strangely at home.
It was as if Rafaela's cabin had accepted him and knew he would do
her no harm. He wasn't sure how that could possibly be, but he
decidedly felt some sort of presence
in the room with him.
"I'm
a friend of Rafaela's," he said, feeling somewhat foolish. "She
sent me here to wait for her while she talks to Seth." He
cleared his throat and scratched his ear.
Strangely,
he felt less on edge afterward. He lit a fire and set about fixing
Rafaela something to eat.
Rafaela
drove up to her nephew's cabin, stopping 50 yards from the door. She
sat in the car, knowing he was examining her with all manner of high
tech equipment. He was truly a child of the computer age. He'd
adapted well over time and embraced technology that still confused
her. The younger Hunters were even more skilled than he.
Satisfied
she had given him time to determine her identity, she checked her
weapons and got out of the car. Hunter or not, she might have a
problem with Seth. He was brilliant, angry and radically paranoid. He
knew of her relationship with Dirk and found it hard to forgive her
for what he considered a betrayal.
Seth
opened the door, sawed off shotgun leveled at her belly. He glanced
around, checking their surroundings before letting her in. He slammed
and locked the door behind her, throwing to seven different dead
bolts. His clothing was 90s grunge—olive drab pants, a wife beater
shirt and a red and green plaid flannel shirt around his waist. His
hair was dark brown like hers, but close cropped. His dark eyes held
a kind of wild illumination that only the most rabid of vampires had.
Their furtive movement was disconcerting.
"He's
here somewhere—at your cabin?"
"Yes."
"I
felt a disturbance in the ether. I suspected."
"We
have a problem."
"We
as in you and me, or We meaning you and him?"
"Both."
She explained to him about killing the vampire lord's children.
"You're
in a pickle," he agreed.
Rafaela
smirked, chuckling. "That's one way to put it."
©
Dellani Oakes 2017
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