The Huntress : The Alterealm Series Book 1

With sad understanding eyes, Quinton watched Crissy eat with barely taking the time to breathe between bites. Looking down into the carton of noodles in his hand, he sighed and set them in front of her on the table. “I’m done, you can finish these if you want.”

Criss’s red head popped up, she swallowed. “Oh no, I don’t think I can eat another bite.” Then she lowered her head back over the container in her hand and took another bite.

Glancing at me standing by the window, Quinton’s expression asked many questions. None I could really answer. “Criss, explain who is looking for you.”

She took a drink and then nodded. “I don’t know their names or what they are. I was hanging at the club, you know that’s where I find out a lot, right?” She continued after taking another bite. “He’s probably the scariest man I’ve ever seen, if he even is a man.” Setting down the empty container, she picked up the one Quinton had set down. “He has long dark hair with this white streak in it and is just freaky to look at.” I made eye contact with Quinton who tensed at the description. “He’s been at the club a lot and he’s not alone.” She shook her head. “He has these really creepy guys with him and their eyes…” Taking another drink, she set the carton down and turned to look at me. “At first I thought it was some weirdo club and they wore contacts or something, but they’re not always one color and I really don’t think they’ve invented contacts that change color…” Looking from Quinton then back to me she scrunched up her face. “Do they?”

I wasn’t about to lie to her outright so I just shrugged. “Okay, so why do you think they’re after you?”

“Oh.” Looking down at her clasped hands she played with her fingers, stalling for a few seconds. “There were two of them talking to the black haired one and I couldn’t hear, I mean really as loud as it was even if they yelled I wouldn’t be able to hear.” She sighed, “but I was staring, I mean jeeze who wouldn’t? They turned and looked right at me and I ran…” She slumped back on the couch. “They followed.”

Jumping up, she wandered around the room without actually looking at anything or pausing. “I lost them, barely. The weirdest part was the dark haired one just appeared in the front of me at one point and was waving his hands around like he was conducting an orchestra, it made me feel kind of woozy but I kept going and they didn’t catch up.”

My heart skidded to a halt inside my chest. Marcus had tried magic on her and it didn’t work and she could see their eyes. I looked at Quinton, who had the same thoughts going through his mind if the expression was any indication. “Crissy, just give us a second okay? I think maybe we’ll get one of Quinton’s brothers to keep an eye outside for us.”

Her eyes grew huge. “Oh, that’s a good idea. They could have followed us all along.” She went over and looked out of the window.

Motioning to Quinton I walked into the kitchen. He was right behind me. I grabbed the front of his shirt so he’d lean down. “Should she be able to see their eyes?” He shook his head. “How can she?”

“I don’t know. From the sounds of it Marcus tried to use a spell on her too and it didn’t work.” He glanced out to where she stood. “Is she always like this?”

My guts were tense; I wrapped my arms around my waist. “Yes. She’s been seeing weird shit since she was a kid, things that sound so farfetched, but for some reason I believe she sees them.”

“She seen Marcus and his crew.”

I nodded. “Call Rafael and get him to find somewhere to hide out in this neighborhood and keep an eye out. I’m going to see if I can persuade her to take a shower and rest. Who knows when the last time was she’s slept.”

Quinton touched my arm. “Daxx, we need to fill in Troy and Chase or at the very least Victor.”

I groaned inside. “I know, but I don’t think she’s going to deal very well with a room full of you guys right now.”

We both looked out to see her peeking out the window again.

Quinton nodded. “You’re right. I’ll go meet Raf somewhere nearby and call Victor. We’ll take it from there.”

“Okay.”

****

Getting Crissy to pause long enough to take a shower and lie down was a lot like trying to get a child with A.D.D. that was hyped up on sugar to sit down and be quiet. By the time Quinton returned I was ready for a nap.

He paused in front of the bedroom and raised his eyebrows when he looked in to see her lying on the floor with the bed between her and the window. I shrugged for an answer.

Going into the kitchen, I leaned back against the counter so I could keep an eye on the bedroom. “Where’s Rafael?”

“Across the street near the roof.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Victor’s working on getting someone on the inside with Marcus at the club so we can hopefully find out where he’s hiding.”

“That could take a few days.” I glanced at the woman on my bedroom floor. “I don’t know if I can keep her in one place that long.”

“I had a hell of a time talking Victor and Michael out of coming her to talk to her.” He looked over his shoulder to where I was watching. “Is there any way we could explain to her about Alterealm that wouldn’t send her over the edge?”

“I don’t know,” I whispered having thought the same thing a few times in the last few hours.

“Troy is pissed. He wants you back on our side. Now.” He said it in a hesitant way.

Tucking my hands in my pockets, I gave him an amused look. “Did you tell him no?” He nodded. “Good. I’m not going back and leaving her here when Marcus is hanging out in my own neighborhood.”

“Yeah I told him the same thing.” He looked back at Crissy. “She’s a little off, but I like her and don’t want to see anything happen to her.”

“I have an idea on how to get her to stay here for a while, but I have to go out to get some things.”

He raised his eyebrows at me.

“I know, but I want you to stay here in case she wakes up so you can keep her here.”

Shaking his head, he crossed his arms over his chest. “Write me a list, Raf can keep an eye on things from where he is.”

I glared at him, even though I agreed with the idea that I shouldn’t go wandering around alone right now. “Fine.” Turning, I dug around in a drawer for something to write on. Then all I had to accomplish was how to explain to Criss what was going on, without actually telling her what was going on.

****

It was just a little over an hour when Crissy came wandering back out, she looked sleepy still, I knew if she felt safer she’d probably sleep a lot longer. I’d been in that position more than once, so I couldn’t say too much to her about it.

She dug around in her bag and pulled out a small container. Moving past me, she went out into the kitchen and put the kettle on.

Getting up, I tried to look relaxed when I followed her in, I was anything but. “Couldn’t sleep any longer?”

Shaking her head, she shrugged. “I think I’m just programmed now to have short rests when I can.”

Leaning on the doorframe I nodded. “Yeah, I get that.” I watched her make her tea for a few minutes. “Quinton ran out to get some things for me.” Clearing my throat, I tucked my hands into my pockets and stared at the floor. “I need to talk to you about everything that’s going on.”

She turned, her eyes searching my face. “You know something.” There was accusation in her voice but not in a bad way. Sighing loudly, she picked up the cup and moved out into the living room. “Tell me.” Sitting down, she turned and watched me with eager eyes.

I went out and perched on the arm of the chair across from her. “I don’t know where to start really. I haven’t been around for the last little bit because I’ve been with Quinton and his family…” I watched her closely, “where they live.”

As she sipped the tea, I could see her processing what I’d said. If I knew her she would be analyzing my tone and what words I paused on. It was just one more thing she had going for her. “He’s not from here either, is he?”

How did I explain that? “Not really.” It seemed like a safe answer. “Neither are the guys you saw at the club.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh, is Quinton here to get them? He’s the good guy, right?”

I smiled. “Yes, he is.”

There was a knock on the door and both of us almost hit the floor. Holding my hand up to her, telling her to stay put I went over, my raptor already in my hand. When I peeked out the hole, I was so relieved to see Rafael looking back at me. “It’s okay, Criss, it’s one of Quinton’s brothers.” Opening the door, I let him in and then closed and locked it again.

Rafael looked down at me and then past me to the red-head now kneeling on the couch staring at him. He smiled at her and honestly all I could think was the baby in the royal family was a real player.

Criss smiled back at him and stood up. She glanced at me briefly before she walked towards him. “Is Quinton like the guys at the club?”

Rafael gave me an uneasy look.

“In a way, at least they’re from the same place.”

She stopped right in front of Raf and stood on her tippy toes so her face was closer to his. “Can your eyes change too?”

He slid me a curious look and I nodded. “Yes, they do.”

“Can I see?”

I was a little shocked she was being this forward, then again it was Rafael and when he wasn’t in battle he was a real charmer with that lovable demeanor of his.

Rafael nodded and stared down at her. I didn’t need to see his eyes to know they were now red because her gasp told me they were. She grabbed his face and pulled his head down closer.

Not used to that kind of reaction, Rafael smiled and Crissy gasped again. I stepped closer to see her run her finger over his fangs.

“Well,” she looked at me, “it’s sexy.”

My jaw dropped right around the same time Raf looked over at me with a very pleased expression on his face. This was not the reaction I expected from Crissy, at all. Clearing my throat, I tried to redirect things back to something a little less strange. “Raf, was there a reason you came?”

He blinked and the red eyes were gone. Criss still stood there looking at him with awe on her face. Straightening away from her hold, he turned, with a goofy grin on his face. “Quint told me to meet him here.” He shrugged, “so here I am.”

“The eyes on those men were yellowish, some kind of green I suppose, well except the scary man, his were the coolest purple I’ve ever seen.” Crissy touched her hair. “If I could find that shade for my hair I would do it.” Shaking her head, she studied Rafael with a puzzled look on her face. “Does the eye color differentiate who is good and who is bad?”

With a serious look on his face now, Rafael turned to look back down at her. “No, it doesn’t. Are all blue-eyed people on your side good looking?” She shook her head. “It’s what’s inside that makes us good or bad, not our eyes.”

She smiled up at him. “Good to know.” With slow steps, she walked around him, looking him up and down. “Is everyone from where you are from so big?”

He shrugged, that playful grin on his face once more. “Not everyone.”

Criss spun around and looked at me with her hands on her hips. “It all ties into your tattoo, doesn’t it?”

How she got from eyes and size to my tattoo, I will never understand, but then again that was how Criss’s mind worked. “Yeah, actually as weird as it is, it does.”

Criss jumped a few feet in the air and clapped her hands excitedly. “I knew it was destiny that placed it there.” With a quiet chuckle, she turned again and then went into the bedroom to dig around in her bag.

Rafael looked at her for a moment and then over to me. “Who is she?” He asked quietly.

I leaned against the back of the couch and crossed my arms over my chest. “I don’t know. She’s always been different, but this is the first time what she’s saying makes sense.”

Standing with his hands on his hips, he studied her. “I’ve never seen her so I don’t have any insight.” He gave me an odd look. “Troy might be able to peek and see where it all stems from.”

I wasn’t sure I was comfortable with that idea at all. “I think for the time being keeping her safe is more important.” I paused, wondering how the hell we were going to manage that. “Any idea why Quinton wanted you back here?”

Shaking his head, he wandered over to the window to look out over the street. “No. He didn’t say.”

Criss came bouncing back from the bedroom, a note-book in her hand. She almost tripped to land in front of Rafael. “I just realized I didn’t even introduce myself.” She held out her hand. “I’m Crissy, well actually its Cristy but I am so not a Cristy type.”

Another one of his soft grins appeared on his face as he took her hand in his. “Rafael.”

She actually stood there and let him hold her hand for a minute before pulling it free. “You are filled with so much goodness, it’s so nice for a change.” With that, she turned and went over to the couch and dropped down, opening the book and began writing in it.

Sending me a curious look, he leaned back against the wall and watched her for a minute. “You can sense what’s inside a person?”

At first I didn’t think she heard him but then her red head popped up and she nodded. “Uh huh.” She frowned. “I don’t know how really, it’s just been something I have done since I was a kid.” A pained look crossed her face. “It’s taxing at times, with the way the world is, so much bad out there…” Lowering her head, she went back to her notebook.

So many little pieces were clinking into place inside my mind. The reasons behind Criss and the way she was. If I could sense good and bad, I would lock myself up somewhere and never come back. What she must go through just to hang out anywhere public, I shuddered.

Going over, I sat on the table in front of her. “Criss, I need you to do something for me. It might take a few weeks of your time…”

Lifting her face from the book she smiled. “Anything for you, Daxx.” She smiled. “I think I probably owe you a few.”

I laughed. “Oh, maybe.” Looking down at the notebook, I wondered what she was writing but focused my mind back on the topic I wanted to discuss with her. “If I set you up with my laptop, would you be able to do some serious research for me? It could go back hundreds of years actually.”

She frowned and studied me for a minute. “You’re looking for someone.”

Surprised yet once more, I sighed. “Yeah.”

“Does it have to do with the scary guy and what’s going on there?” She held up a hand. “I don’t want to know what he’s up to by the way.” She shuddered.

Shaking my head, I clasped my hands and leaned forward. “No, it’s not. I need you to find a certain type of story for me. Strange ones like a man never aging or being accused of oddities like being a vampire …” I really didn’t know how to explain it. So far she’d handled things pretty well, but saying I needed to find a three hundred year old man even sounded crazy to me.

Leaning forward, she considered what I was saying. “Vampires are real.”

Rafael moved over and stood there with his arms crossed over his chest. “The man we’re looking for isn’t a vampire, but he may have been accused of being one over the years.”

With a serious look on her face she studied Rafael for a moment. “This man is lost to you?” Raf nodded, a pained look on his face. “Do you know his name?”

With a sigh, he shook his head. “No. His mother’s last name was Brown, that’s all we know.”

I rubbed my temples. With a last name like that it made the search a thousand times harder. Why couldn’t it be an unusual last name? “It’s going to be tedious.”

She grinned. “I will have to clear my full schedule then.” She turned sad brown eyes to Rafael. “I’ll try to find him.” She raised her eyebrows in an odd way. “How far back am I looking?”

I looked at the floor and spoke to it. “Three hundred years?”

She chuckled. “I don’t want details. The more I know the more trouble finds me.” Getting up she went back into the bedroom.

“Okay.” Sighing I got up and went over to the window. “Quinton should have been back by now.”

Rafael cleared his throat. “I believe he was summoned by our Kings for a little talk.”

I held my breath waiting for him to tell me Troy or Chase were on their way here. Neither I wanted to see right now.

“I have Leone outside, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Turning to look out the window I shook my head. “No. I didn’t think you’d leave us vulnerable.” I felt him move up behind me.

“I’m sorry for the way things went, little huntress.”

My shoulders slumped. “It’s no one’s fault, Raf, some things are just meant.”