Knights v Hunters; The Return

Gabe and Grace watched their youngest child tend to the roses in the back garden. They had been surprised, but joyous when Eden had come home for a few days. Grace was glad to know that her daughter was adapting well to being half-Hunter and she had received favourable feedback from Ava as to Eden’s progress.

“She doesn’t seem herself,” Gabe remarked, watching Eden prune a few roses, lost in thought. “She seems almost dispirited.”

“Well, her life as she knew it, changed suddenly. I think she’s trying to find out who she is and where she belongs. I can’t even imagine what’s going through her mind. I spoke to Zeke earlier and he said the same thing. He loves her, you know,” Grace said, laying a hand on her husband’s arm.

“I know. I guess that’s what makes it easier to accept that she’s not around so much now,” Gabe said, moving away from the window. “Do you remember when we broke up a few months after we started going out?” he asked his wife. Grace nodded. She hadn’t been happy about that, but she had needed time to figure out whether she could spend her life being the wife of the future leader of the Knights. “During that time, I looked exactly the way Eden does now.”

“How do you mean?” Grace asked, looking at her daughter once again.

“Heartbroken,” Gabe said. “Our daughter looks like her heart is broken.”

Eden sat outside on the porch, enjoying the sunshine, a cool glass of lemonade and her mother’s company. It was good being home for a while. She had truly missed her family, even these quiet times.

“So how is Ava doing?” Grace asked, breaking the silence.

“Oh, she’s great,” Eden said with a smile. “I had lunch with her the week before I came here. She’s been teaching me how to cook a few of her special dishes.”

That was Ava, Grace acknowledged. Her friend was the most giving, caring woman she knew. “Good, so that means you can cook one of the meals tomorrow.”

Eden laughed. “With pleasure! I still can’t believe that you and Ava have been friends since before I was born.”

“It’s been one of the most enduring relationships of my life,” Grace admitted. “No one understood better what I was going through than Ava and over the years, we’ve helped each other out numerous times. She saved my life this time around.”

Eden shuddered as she remembered how devastated they had felt when Grace had disappeared. “Didn’t Father ever ask where you disappeared to all those times you met with Ava?”

“No, he trusted me and I never considered my friendship with Ava to be a betrayal of that trust. I never told him though that I was a frequent visitor to the Hunters’ compound. Or that you were too!”

Eden blushed. How did her mother know about her visits to meet Rafe at the compound?

“I used to take you with me when you were very little and Ava used to bring her two boys,” Grace began and didn’t notice Eden’s sigh of relief. “You, Rafe and Caleb were very close. You used to play together the whole time and you told Rafe once that you loved him! Instead of running away like most little boys would have, he just wrapped his arms around you. That was so sweet,” Grace said, not noticing the tears running down Eden’s face. She only turned around when she heard her daughter sobbing as if her heart was breaking. Gabe was right!

“Oh, honey, what’s wrong?” she asked, gathering her daughter in her arms.

“He ran away this time, Mom” Eden said almost incoherently, but Grace caught the gist of the words.

Eden had literally cried her heart out with her mother. She confessed her feelings for Rafe and how broken she was that he no longer reciprocated them. She didn’t tell Grace though that Rafe had no memories of their time together, or of Matthew’s role in that, because she doubted whether his memories would have been sufficient to bring him back to her. She had broken his heart first and Rafe with all his memories intact, would not have forgiven her either.

Grace had advised her daughter not to give up hope, citing her and Gabe as an example of what could be fixed with trying. She also told her to build a different relationship with Rafe, maybe try to be his friend this time around. Rafe would always be in Eden’s life since he would one day ascend to the leadership of the Hunters and Eden would always be a part of that world. Eden realised that there were many truths to her mother’s words and that she had looked at her relationship with Rafe only in one dimension. She would have to change this if she wanted to maintain her relationships at the compound.

Becca had called Eden a few days ago to let her know about Caleb’s declaration of love and Eden was ecstatic for her friend, knowing how much that meant to Becca. So Caleb had finally got his act together. Maybe miracles did happen! All Eden knew though was that she could no longer hide out in Knight town. She needed to get back to the compound and on with her life and she needed time to think about Noah’s proposal that she join the Council of Elders.

“Come home,” Rafe whispered, as he sat on the bench by the old wishing well. He understood why this place had seemed so special to him – it was where he and Eden had met some nights. Even though he hadn’t remembered any of that, he had still thought to place a bench there because he felt less restless each time he came here. He sighed. Eden was gone for almost two weeks now and her absence concerned him. Was she running away from him? If so, what did that mean? And why was he sitting here, wishing for her to come back home? Rafe raised his head as he heard a sound close by. Had he conjured Eden up? She was standing a few feet from him, a smile on her face.

“You’re back,” Rafe said, standing up, almost afraid that he was seeing things.

“Yeah, I got back an hour ago,” Eden said. “May I sit?” Rafe motioned for her to sit and then joined her. “It’s peaceful here,” Eden said, trying not to show her nervousness.

“I know. That’s why I find myself here sometimes. None of the other Hunters come through here. This part of the compound was abandoned a long time ago,” Rafe said. Eden had heard this from Rafe before, but she let him continue, happy to hear him speak unheeded. “It’s too close to the Normal’s town, and although the mayor ensures that no one bothers us, my father didn’t want to take the chance.”

“I don’t blame him,” Eden added, “considering that Seth also saw this as a convenient point of entry into the compound.”

“Yeah,” Rafe agreed. It seemed surreal sitting here talking to Eden and he didn’t want to stop. “Did you enjoy your visit with your family? I know you were missing them.”

Eden looked at him. So he hadn’t been totally oblivious of her absence? “It was good to see them again. I haven’t been away from home for so long before.”

“This is also your home now,” Rafe said, surprising even himself.

“I realise that,” Eden said, willing herself not to cry at Rafe’s words. It meant so much to her. “When I drove into the compound tonight, I felt like I was home. This is confusing the hell out of me,” she admitted with a laugh. “I didn’t even realise how much I missed Zeke until I saw him tonight.”

Rafe couldn’t even imagine what it must feel like to have two families from such different worlds. “Well, he missed you too. I saw him yesterday and he was designing this beautiful piece of furniture which is part of a new line. He wants to call it the ’Eden line’!”

“What?” Eden laughed. This was all too crazy. “I know he wants so much for me to feel a part of the Hunters.”

“You need to want that too,” Rafe cautioned. “Don’t do that just for Zeke, otherwise you’ll never be happy here.”

“I’m won’t,” Eden replied. “I was at first, but now, I feel more comfortable here. I know most of the Hunters and we socialise often, so it’s almost like being in Knight town.” Eden thought of all the friends she had made in the past few months. They would forever be a part of her life. “Rafe, can I ask you a favour?”

Rafe hesitated before responding, “Sure.”

“Can we try to be friends?” Eden asked simply.

Rafe hadn’t expected that, but he replied nonetheless, “Uh, I think I can try.”

“Thank you,” Eden said. “I know a lot has passed between us, none of which you can remember, but the one thing I really valued was our friendship. You were a good friend to me.”

Rafe felt guilty. He had robbed her of that these past few months, by avoiding her, failing to understand that she needed him, needed his friendship. “I’ll try to be that friend again,” Rafe said, surprising Eden. “I’m just sorry that I put my discomfit above your need for friendship.”

“Once again, thank you. I promise not to ask for or expect anything more. I’ll try my best not to make you uncomfortable. Just friends?” she asked, holding out her hand.

No. “Just friends,” Rafe said, shaking her hand. “Now let’s get back. We’ve got an early start tomorrow.”

It was a few days later when Jude asked his wife to invite Zeke and Eden over for dinner. Jude rarely made requests of this nature, so Ava knew that it must be important.

Later that evening, Jude walked into the kitchen, absorbing the lovely aroma of his wife’s cooking. “Smells nice,” he said, planting a kiss on Ava’s forehead and drawing her in for a hug. “I guess Rafe bailed, huh?” That had been his son’s pattern the few times they had Eden and Zeke over for dinner.

“No, surprisingly not. He will be here on time and Caleb’s invited Becca as well. Those two are now inseparable!” Ava laughed.

“Who would have thought that our boy would eventually grow up?” Jude asked. “I’m just glad that he’s with Becca. She’s a great influence on him.”

Ava nodded, dicing up the rest of her vegetables before starting on her sauce. “Now let’s hope that Rafe finds some happiness. He’s long overdue.”

“Sometimes, happiness is a choice,” Jude reflected. “Besides, I’ve been working with him the past few days and he looks lighter, like he’s not carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders anymore.”

“Well that’s your job, darling,” Ava teased. “Rafe and Eden seem to be on friendlier terms since her return. I actually saw them laughing together the other day when I went to the workshop.”

“Maybe his heart won’t let him give up on her,” Jude suggested, swiping a carrot off the table. “But we said we wouldn’t interfere. I believe in free will, even when it comes to our children.”

“True, but sometimes a nudge is more effective. Speaking of that, Eden is in the unique position of being the only half-Hunter in the compound and probably feels like an outsider.” Ava looked around to see if any of her sons had appeared before she asked Jude, “Are we going to mention the Enclave?”

“No,” Jude said. “There’s no reason to right now. And Eden is very different. She wants to be here and she won’t give up her rights to being a Knight.” Eden had recently asked him for advice on whether it would be a conflict if she sat on the Council of Elders. She was entrenched in the world of the Knights so there was no point in mentioning the Enclave. There were only a few in the compound who knew about the Enclave and he wanted to keep it that way.

“I spoke to Grace today and she shared the conversation she had with Eden when she was in Knight town. I think Eden is concerned about how long she can move in both our worlds. It can’t be easy for her.”

“I know. She shared her concerns with me yesterday. That’s one of the reasons I asked you to invite her over tonight. I think it’s time she found out what it means to be a Hunter on a mission,” Jude confided.

“You have something she can work on?” Ava asked.

“Yes, we’ve been tracking a few events for Mayor Strong and it’s time that the Hunters intervene. We need to eliminate a couple of Normals who have been targeting children in one of the poor neighbourhoods. Let’s just say that the world would be a better place without these condemned. The things that have been done to these children are heinous, but we’ve finally tracked the condemned and they need to be eliminated as soon as possible.”

“You’re sending Rafe and Caleb with her?” Ava asked.

“That’s the plan. I need them to leave tomorrow morning. We have the location of the condemned so the Hunters should be back by evening considering they don’t have far to go.”

Rafe spotted Jason and Nicole Arthur as they left the grocery store early the next morning. They were loaded with bags and he knew that some of the bags contained candy and chocolate which they used to lure their unsuspecting victims whose parents didn’t have money for such luxuries. They looked like ordinary Normals, much younger than he’d assumed. No one would have suspected that their hearts were black and that they gained joy from their activities. His head hurt just hearing their thoughts and he was glad for once that the police were not involved. The Arthurs could be eliminated without any questions.

Eden sat in the passenger seat and Rafe felt her nervousness. This was her first mission as a Hunter and although it was a simple one, he knew that it was nerve-wracking to use your arrows the first time. She didn’t yet understand the power coursing through her body, nor the manner in which to control it. She would learn though, in time.

“We’ll follow them home,” Caleb said. “The further we are away from other Normals, the better.”

They followed the Arthurs, but the condemned didn’t seem to be in a hurry to get home. Instead they stopped off at another mall and went inside, forcing the Hunters to follow them. Caleb, Rafe and Eden kept their distance from the Arthurs, noticing that they seemed to be doing more window-shopping than anything.

“Can you believe these two are social workers?” Eden asked.

“An ideal job for a predator!” Rafe replied. He could never understand how Normals could be so cruel to each other and prey on their own young.

“You really think that she will like this?” Sawyer asked, holding up the ring his mother had helped him pick out. It had a platinum band and a small square of a sapphire bordered by tiny diamonds.

“I think that she will love it. If you haven’t noticed already, your girl is not the ostentatious type,” Helena Channing was ecstatic that her son was about to propose to the lovely Lena Peck. They had been living together a few months and seemed very happy and Sawyer wanted nothing more than to make their relationship permanent, which would have surprised Helena if she didn’t already know that her son had finally found the one and he also knew it.

“You’re right. Is it normal to be this nervous? What if she says no?” He hadn’t thought of that when he’d brought his mother to the jewellery store this morning. He already knew how he would ask Lena to marry him, but hadn’t considered that she might refuse. She was happy with him though and told him often. It was odd seeing her walk around their home in his t-shirts on the weekend, but he found that he missed that the most when he was away from her. Like today, for instance. Sawyer’s mother had fractured her right leg a week ago but she had already made plans to surprise her brother for his birthday. So when driving proved a bit difficult, Lena had prodded Sawyer to drive his mother, since Sawyer’s father was away on business. Lena herself, could not join him due to her having to attend some mandatory department training, so Sawyer had used the opportunity to pick his mother’s brain for the ideal engagement ring. And he thought he had found it.

Helena was trying to assuage her son’s fears when Sawyer became distracted. “Is everything alright?” she asked him with concern.

“I, uh, thought I saw some guys I know, but it couldn’t be them. They don’t live in this state,” Sawyer said, his eyes nonetheless following the guys in question.

Helena saw a petite young woman flanked by two tall young men, one lanky, the other, solidly built. She recognised the young men and smiled, relief flooding her. “How do you know those young men?

“Those two,” he said, pointing to the young men who were moving away from them, “remind me of Rafe and Caleb. They are two brothers who are apparently psychic. Anyway, the brothers have helped us on a few major cases and Lena is very fond of them, but as I said, those two can’t be them.”

“Well, if you’re certain of the ring, maybe we can leave? It’s not fun moving on this foot,” Helena said.

Sawyer nodded and handed his credit card to the man at the counter, while Helena continued to stare out the store window. She wasn’t surprised to have seen the boys who had caught Sawyer’s attention, because she knew that they lived closed by. Before she became Helena Channing, she was Helena Strong, younger sister of current Mayor Peter Strong, and part of the family whose purpose it was to protect the Hunters’ existence!

“So, what do you think they’re after?” Eden asked. The Arthurs were walking slowly within the mall, stopping to browse at some windows before moving on to the next.

“I don’t know, but I wish they’d hurry up so that we can eliminate them!” Caleb replied. Rafe was silent as usual, his capacity for patience was limitless. He was already mentally checking out the exits, sensing whether there were any other elements the Hunters needed to consider.

“They’re almost on the way out,” Rafe said. “I think we should go back to our car.” The Hunters turned around and walked back the way they had come. Rafe smiled at the older woman who waved at him as he passed the jewellery store. He remembered her and had last seen her when he was a teenager, but he still recognised her, as did she. He did not stop to speak to her though and knew that she would understand the reason therefor.

The Hunters were buckled up in their car when the Arthurs eventually emerged from the mall. Nicole Arthur had a small carrier bag from one of the book stores and she stopped and placed a kiss on her husband’s cheek as he opened her door.

“So sweet,” Eden remarked. “Pity they’re such bad Normals.”

“The worst kind,” Rafe said, “and it’s our mission to ensure that they don’t hurt another child again.”

They followed the condemned to their home, which was a small, well-kept building in a lower middle class suburb. They waited while the Arthurs transferred their shopping inside and then Rafe and Eden walked up the short driveway. Caleb kept lookout, noting that at this time of the day, there was barely anyone at home in the suburb.

“You okay?” Caleb asked Eden as they drove away.

“Yes. Gosh, is it wrong for it to have felt so exhilarating?” Eden replied. She had been nervous at first when they had confronted the Arthurs, but the condemned’s failure to show any remorse in their wrongdoings calmed her and when she had finally used her arrow for the first time, she knew that she was born to be a Hunter.

“Eden did great,” Rafe said with some measure of pride. “I didn’t expect you to fire your arrow with such precision, to be honest.”

Eden beamed. Rafe was actually proud of her! “Zeke’s been instructing me and giving me pointers on what to watch out for. I didn’t realise that there’s this level of calmness that comes over you just before you fire the arrow.”

“That usually takes practice,” Caleb said. “So, you know that you’re now a fully-fledged member of the Hunters, right?”

“I guess I am,” Eden said without hesitation. She couldn’t wait to get back home and let Zeke know that she had done him proud. Home, she realised. She considered the compound home.

“The mayor sends his thanks,” Ethan announced as he returned to the table. “They recovered the bodies of the Arthurs not too long ago and there are many little children in that area who will sleep peacefully tonight.”

Jude, Ethan and Zeke’s families were sharing dinner at Ethan’s home, in honour of Eden’s first mission as a Hunter. “Here’s to Eden,” Jude said, raising his glass, “A fine Hunter-in-the-making.” Everyone cheered and Eden smiled, feeling so much a part of this big family. She caught Rafe’s eyes as he raised his glass to her and her heart skipped a beat. Damn, she thought. Will I ever get over you?

Much later that night, Eden, who was staying over at Becca’s home, called her parents for the usual evening call. She told them briefly that she had gone out on a mission with the Hunters, but didn’t speak about her part in the mission. She didn’t know how her parents would react to her using her abilities as a Hunter because the Knights believed in redemption and did not subscribe to the Hunters’ philosophy. Eden hated that she had to keep this from her parents.

“Is Ella asleep already? Eden asked as she ended her call, surprised to find Becca’s younger sister deep in sleep when she had spoken to her merely ten minutes ago.

“Yeah. She’s normally asleep before her heard hits the pillow,” Becca laughed and noticing her friend’s worried look, asked, “is everything alright at home?”

Eden told Becca about her conversation with her parents and then confessed her fears. “Will I forever have to hide who I am from them?”

“No. They just need time to adjust. It’s different to when you just accompanied the Hunters. Now, you are part of our team, the one who actually participates in the elimination. It’s not something that they can get used to overnight.”

“I know,” Eden sighed and then changed the subject. “How are things with you and Caleb?”

Becca actually beamed. “Wow, I couldn’t imagine it being any better. We’re taking things slowly. Eden, he’s so different and yet the same person that I’ve always known, if that makes sense.” Eden nodded. “He makes me feel like I’m the only woman in the world!”

Eden smiled. Rafe had made her feel that way once. As if reading her thoughts, Becca asked. “How are things with you and Rafe?”

“Good. He doesn’t run a mile when he sees me anymore. I’ve accepted that things won’t ever be the way they were, but I’m glad that we’ve become closer,” Eden confessed.

“He loves you,” Becca said simply. “He just has to figure a few things out.”

“Maybe,” Eden said, “but I did promise myself not to expect anything more than friendship from him and I’m keeping that promise. So, if he suddenly realises he loves me, he’ll have to do the chasing!”

Rafe shivered and pulled the sheets higher over himself. It was late and he was still awake, although he had managed to have a few restful nights recently. Maybe his insomnia was receding. He would be grateful for small miracles!

“Goodnight, Eden,” he whispered as he turned over and then sat up in surprise. What was that all about? Why had he called out to Eden? His heart rate accelerated and he swung his legs down from the bed. Something was wrong, he could barely breathe. “Caleb,” he communicated, whilst being aware that his brother was probably asleep already. “Help.” He felt Caleb stir in his sleep, while feeling his own chest constrict, restricting his airflow. He saw his brother awake now, pushing away his blankets and racing towards his room while he slid to the floor, unconscious.