Knights v Hunters; The Return

Ava and Maya had thrown a fantastic “Welcome home” party for Eden and Zeke. All the Hunters had attended and had wholeheartedly and without question, accepted Zeke back into the fold. Their welcome for Eden was equally heartfelt and any nervousness she may have felt at entering the Hunters’ world was quickly dispelled. Jude had told her in no uncertain terms, that she should consider the compound her home and should let him know if there was anything she needed. Eden could still not believe her good fortune and each day when she communicated with her parents, she revealed how well the Hunters were treating her. It was also an eye-opener to see Zeke in his own environment and she understood why Jude had considered him a valuable member of their pack. It was also heart-warming to witness the two men’s cautios attempt to rekindle their friendship.

Eden’s anxiety at having to see Rafe everyday was short-lived. Jude’s eldest son was primarily absent – when she and Zeke went to dinner at Jude’s home, Rafe was usually not present and she never ran into him outside training. In fact, if she didn’t know better, she would have thought that he was going out of his way to avoid her. Caleb though, was his usual self and Ella and Becca had both welcomed her to their home on many occasions. She and Becca had become firm friends and Becca had confided in her about her feelings for Caleb. Eden remembered Rafe discussing the very issue many months ago, when they used to meet at the abandoned wishing well. Sometimes Eden wondered whether she had imagined the connection she shared with Rafe – he was so distant now and offered no overtures of friendship, seemingly preferring to spend time on his own or with his family. She also learnt that Rafe was highly respected in the compound, especially among the Young Hunters who admired his abilities and his intelligence.

The training camps that Jude and Ethan offered were both intense and insightful. Eden realised that the Hunters possessed remarkable abilities and were able to exercise great restraint. She noted many differences between the Knights and Hunters in terms of their abilities, their views on the world and the way in which they lived but she focussed on the one thing they had in common, which was their mission to protect the Normals. Zeke had spent considerable time with her over these past few weeks, explaining the culture and traditions of the Hunters, as well as their history. He had shown her with pride, the furniture line that his great grandparents had started as a means of supporting the Hunters and told her how that business still kept the Hunters self-sustainable after all these years. All in all, it had been a good introduction into the life of the Hunters.

One evening, unable to sleep, Eden told Zeke that she was going for a walk and would be back in a bit. She had no idea where she was going until she landed at the old abandoned wishing well, once the meeting place of her and Rafe. Imagine her surprise when she found that someone had placed a bench close to the well. She sat down there, at the very spot she and Rafe used to sit before, her mind floating back to the times they had met there, the laughter and dreams they had shared, their energetic debates and the fleeting possibility of a future together. Now, it was all gone, but her heart, mind and soul refused to let go. Even now, even for the few seconds when Rafe was in her vicinity, her heart cried out for him, her soul begged to be closer to him. She knew that her decision to break up with him had destroyed any chance of a relationship with him, but he would never know that it had broken her heart. The fact that he didn’t remember her, had no memories of their love and didn’t seem to want to be anywhere near her, hurt her soul. But sitting here on a star-filled night, Eden realised that it was time to fight for what she wanted. And she wanted Rafe!

Restraint was probably one of Rafe’s greatest strengths. He had exercised it almost daily in the three weeks that Eden had been with them. He was fairly pleasant towards her, but he avoided her where he could, without offending her. He didn’t take any of his lunch breaks with her during training, preferring instead to eat with Ella or Sera, whilst Caleb and Becca kept Eden company. He was glad that he and Sera were back on comfortable footing – she had been gracious about their break up, stating that they didn’t make sense anyway and although he didn’t quite understand what she meant, he accepted that they could just be friends. In fact, he had introduced her to Zach, an old friend of his and they had just clicked, so much so, that they were now dating. That helped to ease his conscience, because until he had run into Eden on their last mission, he had believed that he and Sera might have a future together.

Caleb had kept his promise of keeping Rafe and Eden apart, even though he didn’t support Rafe’s reasoning. Yet his brother was loyal and keeping Eden at bay had become Caleb’s full time job these past few weeks.

Rafe had also learnt that Matthew had cleaned his memory a few months back. He had accidentally read Caleb’s mind when they were in Knight town, just after Zeke and Eden disappeared. He didn’t understand why Matthew had done it, but it just reinforced his view that the Hunters and Knights should continue on separate paths into the future. He also couldn’t tell Caleb that he had read his mind, even when his brother had asked him how he knew that Matthew had cleaned some of his memories. Even if he hadn’t read Caleb’s mind, he had known that something was not right with him and there were nights when he lay in bed and felt that his heart was at war with his mind.

Although Rafe still struggled to sleep at night, the headaches he had been experiencing, had slowly dissipated, thanks largely to his mother’s home concoctions. Ava had pestered him until he had given in and downed her medication. And it worked. He usually ran at night, hoping to tire himself into slumber, but he was taken aback when he saw Eden last night, sitting on the bench that he had installed at the old wishing well, were he felt most comfortable. He had turned right around and ran back home, disturbed that his new sanctuary had forever been stamped by her presence.

It was no wonder that he could barely concentrate this morning, he thought. He had hardly slept the previous night, his dreams being invaded by thoughts of Eden, the Knights and their last mission. So when Jude innocently paired Eden and Rafe together for an exercise on communicating, he was more than taken aback. He wanted to ask to swop partners, but knew that it would send the wrong message to the rest of the Young Hunters – they might think that Eden was not to be included as part of their pack. And that would go against the stand of the leader of the Hunters.

So Rafe sat opposite Eden, trying not to look at her as he listened to his father’s instructions. They had to close their eyes and try to reach out to each other mentally. He had only ever been able to do that with Caleb. As a Reader, he could read the minds of others, but there had never been a two- way mental communication with anyone else before, so he was certain that this exercise with Eden would be futile. However, Eden seemed to be taking this exercise very seriously and had already settled into a meditation pose which brought a smile to Rafe’s lips.

“Okay, for the next thirty minutes, there will be no talking. Just think about your partner and how you can possibly reach them. Try and have a conversation without talking,” Jude instructed.

Rafe looked at Eden who sat in silence opposite him and reluctantly closed his eyes. This won’t work, he thought.

“Well, if you believe that, then it definitely won’t work,” Eden said, startling Rafe, who opened his eyes in shock. He looked around the room, wondering if anyone else had heard Eden speak, but the rest of the Young Hunters were deeply focussed on their exercise, making him wonder if he had dreamt that.

“Rafe, are we doing this or what?” Eden asked impatiently, this time with her eyes open. Rafe realised that she hadn’t spoken out aloud, that she was in fact communicating with him mentally.

“How are you able to do that?” he asked eventually.

Eden considered her words very carefully before she communicated them. “I honestly don’t know,” she said. “Let’s just give this a shot, okay?”

Rafe reluctantly agreed. “So, I guess we’re supposed to talk, right? Uh, how are you adapting to being half-Hunter?”

Eden had never spoken to anyone but Becca about this in the last few weeks. She was overwhelmed most of the time with the responsibility and expectation. And she felt alone. “I miss my family,” she said simply. “I miss speaking freely to them about all of this, because I’m scared that they might feel that I’m abandoning them.”

Rafe had thought that Eden would have fitted in easily with the Hunters, given her easy camaraderie with Caleb and Becca, but he hadn’t realised that she also had to maintain a very tricky balance with her Knight family. “I don’t think that your parents believe that,” he said. “If Gabe thought that, then he wouldn’t have reached out to my Dad to include you in our training sessions. I think that your family also needs some time to adjust – they’ve had you grow up in the world of the Knights for twenty-one years and now they have to share you. It can’t be easy for them, but doing the right thing isn’t always easy.”

“You’re still philosophical,” Eden remarked and then realised with alarm what she had said, just as she felt Rafe’s eyes upon her.

“What do you mean?” he asked quickly. When had he ever been philosophical with Eden?

Eden quickly retreated. “What I actually meant,” she said, slowly trying to formulate a plausible response, “is that even after everything that has happened in the past few months, with the Untouchables invading the Hunters’ compound and with Zeke returning, you’re still able to understand, process and accept reality better than most.”

Rafe instinctively knew that Eden wasn’t being totally honest, but he didn’t want to engage her on that right now. Instead, he asked, “do you feel like you’re fitting in at the compound?”

Eden sighed, knowing that she had been let off lightly. Even she hadn’t understood her response. “Most days, yes. I’m still finding my way around and Zeke has been very helpful. I’m getting to know some of the Young Hunters as well and they have been very welcoming. Can I ask you something?”

“Well, that’s what this exercise is about,” Rafe remarked casually.

“Am I wrong in thinking that you’ve been deliberately avoiding me since I returned?” Eden asked, almost fearing the answer.

Rafe gave up on the idea of diplomacy. “No, you’re not wrong, Eden. I just thought it best.”

“But why?” Eden asked confused.

“Well, let’s be honest. On our last mission, you could barely stand to be near me. I thought that your transition here would be easier without my continued presence.”

Eden hadn’t realised that her reactions at seeing Rafe again during the last mission had been misconstrued. She had thought that Rafe had easily and quickly replaced her with Sera, only to discover the role that Matthew had played in defining Rafe’s present. She had been devastated each time Rafe was close to her, knowing that he didn’t remember her or the love she thought they had once shared.

“I’m sorry if I gave you that impression, Rafe. Many things were going on at that time, which is obviously not an excuse, but I never meant to make you feel uncomfortable,” Eden apologised.

“Thank you,” Rafe responded, not expecting the apology. “I think though, that it’s probably for the best if we limit our engagements in any case.”

“Why?” Eden cried.

“We don’t have much in common you know and to put it bluntly, you make me feel very uneasy.”

Gabe took a gentle stroll with Noah through the streets of Knight town, which no longer bore any reminders of the Untouchables’ invasion. Although Noah had completely recovered from his injuries, he had not yet regained the weight he had lost during his captivity. They walked in silence for a few minutes, before Noah stopped to take a break. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m extremely grateful to be alive, but my lack of strength is frustrating,” he said.

“Unfortunately, it’s going to be a while yet before you’re ready for a jog,” Gabe responded.

“I know,” Noah sighed. “By the way, has the Council of Elders nominated a new member to fill Seth’s seat yet?” The Council had been humiliated by the betrayal of its oldest member. Seth had indeed been a great actor these past few decades!

“Not yet. They suggested Grace, but she’s not too keen and I support her on that. Do you have any recommendations?” Gabe asked.

“How about Eden?” Noah asked, totally throwing Gabe for a loop.

“Eden’s just twenty-one. She has a lot on her plate right now. Why her?” Gabe asked curiously.

“Well, the purpose of the Council is to help you as leader make decisions on behalf of all Knights and to ensure that our covenants are guarded and that we continue to do what is necessary to protect the Normals. But, we need to think of our future roles as Knights – what do we need to do better, to maybe change? Eden, with her experience as a Knight, as well as a new Hunter, can contribute greatly in taking us forward.”

Noah made a solid argument, but Gabe wasn’t so sure. Eden needed time to learn how to balance her life as both a Hunter and a Knight. Gabe also realised that his youngest daughter would not be able to straddle both worlds indefinitely. She would need to make a more difficult choice soon. Any additional responsibilities might prove a heavy burden to bear.

Zeke sat in his kitchen, nursing a hot cup of tea. It was odd being back home and yes, this was home. For years, he had wondered if he would ever make it back to the compound, if he would ever enjoy a moment of freedom otherwise. News of Delia’s passing had broken him, but finding out they had a daughter had provided him with a resurgence of hope. However, being constantly told day in and day out by Lucia and the Untouchables that the Hunters had given up on you, that your child was being raised by Knights and would never know her heritage, killed that hope. It had been replaced by a growing hatred for Gabe who was raising his daughter and who had rebuffed his requests to marry Delia, and for Jude, the man he had once considered his brother, who had left him to die without a backward glance. Now that he knew the truth, knew what Gabe had sacrificed to raise Eden, knew that Jude and Ethan had never given up on him, the hatred had vanished, as if it had never once claimed his soul. It was replaced though with deep shame and regret. I should have known better! I should have known that my family would never have abandoned me. Why didn’t I trust that knowledge?

He worried that he would never be able to repair his relationships within the compound, that Jude would never trust him again on a mission, but most of all, his concerns centred on his daughter. His daughter! Eden, at times, looked alone and vulnerable. He knew that she missed her family, especially her siblings and not being able to see them regularly plagued her. Yet, the Young Hunters had enveloped her in their fold, had so thoroughly integrated her into the compound, that no one would ever know that she had only been living there a few weeks. However, the Knights and Hunters would never have free passes into each other’s living spaces and Eden needed to find a way to deal with that.

Zeke also sensed that young Rafe was studiously avoiding his daughter. Jude’s son was very well liked and respected within the compound and had shown Zeke nothing but courtesy, but Rafe had politely excused himself from all dinner invitations and seemingly did not engage in any conversation with Eden during training camps. Zeke had only managed to learn the latter information when a frustrated Eden had burst into the house a few days ago, spurting harsh words about a certain stubborn, aloof, socially-awkward, but handsome blue eyed, cleft-chinned young Hunter! Zeke had immediately known that his daughter was referring to Rafe, because she had a very brotherly relationship with Caleb, which would not have elicited the passion displayed in her words. She had divulged nothing more when she calmed down, but Zeke wondered if Rafe and Eden had once been in a relationship. He would need to find a way to broach the subject with her without being seen as intrusive.

Right now though, Zeke was focussed on developing a relationship with his daughter and Eden seemed very receptive to his efforts. She was bright, charming and very funny and before long, he had found himself laughing out loud, something he hadn’t done in decades and he knew that his journey towards forgiveness and acceptance had finally started.

After dinner one night, Jude sat with his wife in front of the fireplace. It had been a particularly cold evening and the warmth of the fire had been inviting. Jude pondered over a discussion he had had with Becca earlier in the day. Caleb’s birthday was a few days away and although his youngest son loved to party, he wasn’t big on his own birthday. This year, Becca, as official spokesperson for the Young Hunters, had made a request to Jude, something that had not ever been done before and over which Jude was particularly indecisive.

He broached the subject with his wife, who was generally more attuned to the matters of the Young Hunters. “They’ve never been too interested before in socially venturing into the world of the Normals,” Jude began, “so Becca’s request to have a small celebration for Caleb in some old diner in New York City does come as a surprise.”

Ava knew exactly which diner Becca was referring to. The Young Hunters and Knights had made that diner their central meeting place on their previous two missions and Becca wanted to recreate that camaraderie. Ava also knew that Becca had in mind to invite Eden’s siblings to the celebration. “What in particular are you worried about?” Ava asked cautiously.

“Well, I don’t want to unleash the Young Hunters on New York,” Jude said.

“None of them consume any alcohol, Jude, and they are fairly controlled. I think they just want to have a nice dinner, with their friends, away from the adults. They can stay at the apartment that we leased for the boys. Maybe they just want time to be away from the compound and to be young. Remember when we were their age?” Ava asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

“Exactly, that’s why I’m worried!” Jude exclaimed. He smiled though as he thought about their younger days.

“If you are worried that they might get into any trouble, you can always ask the Zolfars to keep an eye on them,” Ava advised. Jude realised the truth in his wife’s words. He wasn’t concerned about the Young Hunters misbehaving, but he wondered whether a large group of them, looking like they did, might attract the wrong kind of attention. Maybe he would chat to the Zolfars before making his decision.

“Rafe seems fairly distant lately,” Jude said, once again concerned about his older son. “Although I must say, I was very surprised when he and Eden were able to communicate telepathically. Seems as if she can hear his thoughts, if he lets her.”

“Those two are powerful together,” Ava said, causing a frown to crease her husband’s brows. “I’ve also noticed that Rafe has withdrawn into his shell again. He’s trying so hard to keep Eden out, that he’s actually isolating himself from everybody. The only person he’s letting in, is Ella.”

“Do you think that you can ever forget that you once loved somebody?” Jude surprised Ava with that question. Her husband always knew what was going on with all the Hunters, without letting on. He only seemed to interfere if it affected the safety of the compound.

“I don’t know,” Ava admitted. “I like to believe that there is some part of you which remains affected forever, no matter what happens with your mind. What do you think?”

“I don’t think that the heart ever forgets,” Jude said without hesitation. “I know that nothing could ever make me forget how much I love you, Ava.”

“You are such a charmer!” Ava declared, pulling her husband in for a kiss.

“So, is it okay if we go?” Kyra asked her father a few days later, over breakfast.

“Are you sure it is a sanctioned gathering?” Gabe asked her, noticing his wife’s smile across the table.

“Father, the Young Hunters would never do anything against their leader’s will,” Kyra said seriously.

“If only I could be so sure of the Young Knights,” Gabe said with a sigh. Kyra eventually realised that her father was joking, when neither Josh nor Matthew joined the conversation.

“I’m going to take that as permission granted,” Kyra said. “It was kind of them to also invite Nate. So, are we all going together?” she asked her brothers.

Matthew hesitated. He was surprised to find that Becca had also included him on the invitation to join them in New York for Caleb’s birthday. He didn’t think that Caleb might be too overjoyed at his presence, given their most recent encounters, but Becca had assured him that all was well. He also knew that Eden and Rafe were maintaining very separate lives at the compound. He was responsible for that. “Sure,” he said eventually.

“I know exactly what gift to get him,” Kyra said, “leave it to me!”

The children scattered after breakfast, leaving Grace and Gabe to enjoy a final morning coffee. “Are you going to let them know that the Zolfars have been appointed as their chaperones?” Grace asked.

“No,” Gabe said without hesitation, smiling into his cup of coffee.

On the day of his birthday, Caleb went on his usual morning run with his brother. He had already received several well wishes, since the Hunters generally rose early, but he was surprised to receive emails from the Knights as well. He wasn’t quite sure how they knew of his birthday, but so much had happened between them in the past few months, that this knowledge shouldn’t really have surprised him. His parents had already invited him over for a special birthday breakfast, which meant “the works” in his mother’s language – pancakes, eggs, bacon and sausage, which also meant that he would need to run a few more miles tomorrow. He never understood why people made such a big fuss of their birthdays, after all, it was just another day. His mother, however, loved to bake a cake each year on their birthdays declaring that she needed to celebrate the day in which they came into the world.

“So, did you tell Becca how you feel?” Rafe asked, bringing up the one subject that was Caleb’s sore point. In the past few weeks, he had tried to muster up the courage to speak to Becca, but he couldn’t for the life of him figure out how to tell her what was in his heart. Would she rebuff him? Would she believe him? He didn’t know and that scared him. Either way, he couldn’t bear to lose her. He also noticed that she was still with Eli and he didn’t want to be that guy who stole someone else’s girl.

“No,” Caleb said grumpily. “I’m scared that she’s going to fall down laughing or something. And what about Eli? It’s a rotten thing to do to another guy.”

“I hear you,” Rafe sympathised, “but Eli and Becca don’t seem to be anything more than friends from what I hear.”

“From whom have you heard?” Caleb asked with interest, suddenly aware that he was actually waiting to hear gossip!

“Never you mind. All I’m saying is that I don’t think that she will be averse to hearing what you need to say,” Rafe advised.

“We’ll see. And, what about you? Are you successful in your attempts to stay out of Eden’s way?” Caleb asked, very well aware that Eden’s ability to communicate with Rafe had totally stumped his brother, such that he literally ran a mile when he saw her!

“Mostly,” Rafe admitted. “She seems to have received the message. I don’t have to dodge her that much anymore.” Actually, Caleb knew that Eden had decided to give Rafe some space but she would not back off for too long. She loved his brother and knew that he had loved her once, so she was willing to take a chance and see whether he could again. Caleb was well aware that his brother was confused over his feelings for Eden. Being close to her had unnerved him, put him on edge and Rafe had mistakenly believed that it had to do with the fact that Eden was a Knight!

It was late afternoon when Caleb emerged from the control centre. His father had spoken of a story that they were tracking to determine whether their assistance would be required. Thus far, the Normals seemed to be handling the situation well and the Hunters were not yet needed. Rafe was waiting for his brother as he got home. “Go shower and change,” Rafe ordered.

“It’s a bit early for dinner,” Caleb said confused. “Besides, there’s nothing wrong with my clothes,” he said, looking down at his jeans and t-shirt. It took him a moment to realise that Rafe was actually dressed in a suit jacket and formal pants. “What’s going on?” he asked suspiciously.

“Let’s just say, that I’m giving you a heads up on account of you being my brother, but in about an hour, you’re going to be kidnapped! So, get moving!”