Chapter 16 ∣  Last Hunter Standing

-Zak

I never exactly understood what Evicka meant when she would say it took a lot of focus to maintain a connection to her blood magic. She trained her whole life to be able to control it and here I am driven by my hate and rage toward this ranger who slaughtered the one person I loved in this world...truly...madly, deeply loved her and I couldn't protect her. I'm not a vampire. I don't have the supernatural strength or speed, let alone the ability to sense what an opponent will do next...

...until now.

"Zak..." Rainier's voice trails off as he marvels at the aura that had been created around my body, "you have the ability of blood magic? It was in you all this time, just locked away..."

The amount of focus I have to use in order to keep the connection alive is minimal. It is as though it had always been a part of me and it has finally handed the reins over to me.

I have control...

Enock jerks hard on the chain sickle, sending Rainier's unbalance form toward him. However, he quickly recovers, flipping over Enock and landing on the opposite side of him, retracting his chain blade and snapping it to his side.

"How does it feel, knowing your sister's blood is now my weapon. The weapon that will end your life," I narrow my eyes at Enock, walking toward him. The blood continues to dance around me, waiting for me to command it.

"Tell me," Enock growls, "how fast can your friend move?"

I'm shocked by his question, not completely comprehending what he's asking. That's when Enock's hand flies to his left boot, revealing a third gun he'd concealed from the purebloods. He dodge-rolls onto the ground, evading the blood spear I'd sent soaring his way, my arm extending out.

"Rainier, run!" I yell, not wanting to lose another family member today. Rainier notices Enock's movements, dashing toward the line of hunters that sever as guardians for the vampires, rolling onto the ground as the shot rings out.

He misses.

The ranger missed.

I see why though.

The hand he'd used to shoot the gun with, is the one that is slowly decaying with time. Rainier had managed to duck down beside Annika, his lips moving, but I can't hear what he's saying. Her expression alters to one of concern, turning to Locaine as their eyes lock in a silent stare.

What's happening to Enock?

"Zak," Locaine's voice is loud, heard clear across the clearing. Enock whips around and takes aim with his gun, another shot leaving the chamber. My hand crosses in front of me, the blood wall deflecting the bullet and casting it to the ground. Locaine informs me, "Evie's fangs never pierced a vein. She just broke the skin."

"Her bite was not deep enough to turn him," Erebus nods, "he's infected with a virus...this is what happens when you are not compatible...when a pureblood doesn't kill you right away."

Enock glares at me, not wanting to believe the words that come from the elder. He pulls the trigger again, my wall coming to block whatever he's about to throw at me. The click meets my ears.

There are no bullets left.

Enock throws the gun to the ground, his eyes narrowing at me, "So, I just have to outlive this inevitable death sentence that bitch of a pureblood forced upon me...just long enough to kill you."

"What are you waiting for then?" I ask, shrugging my shoulders as I extend my arms out quickly to my sides and cross them in front of my chest. The blood releases the shield around me, soaring toward Enock with astounding speed, the tips turning into serrated knives. Enock dashes to his right, but I cut him off with one of the bloody blades, putting up a wall and forcing him to find another direction to run to. He has three options, come at me, challenge my second bloody blade, or throw himself closer to the line of hunters.

Enock chooses to run directly toward me and right as I'm about to aim the second bloody blade at him, he drops to his side and slides on the ground. The sudden impact shocks me as he kicks both of my feet out from underneath of me, falling to my side and the blood I had control over liquefies and hits the ground.

While I attempt to recover, Enock gets to his knees and grips my ankle, pulling me toward him. I push up to sit, but his fist contacts my jaw, pain erupting in my face. It stuns me, knocking me down again.

My breathing is erratic as I attempt to focus on the blood again, calling it toward me.

"Not happening," Enock wraps his good hand around my neck and punches me in my nose, pain searing through the bridge of my nose and up between my eyes, my skull feeling the shattering blow.

Enock is now directly above me, his legs pinning my body on either side as I struggle desperately in his grasp. I gasp, his iron grip tightening as I bring one of my hands up to his neck, straining to get a hold of him. He pulls his head back, staying just out of reach as I hold my other arm out to the side, trying to spark the connection to the blood.

Evicka was right...

...this is ridiculously impossible while fighting...I have a whole new respect for the level of control she has...

Enock pushes down hard on my windpipe, my exhale is ragged as my throat runs dry. I try to raise my shoulders off the ground, but Enock's fist cause more pain to emit from the side of my face. He continues to sock me in the face four more times, blood flowing from my nose, my lower lip busting open as I taste my own blood.

"You know," Enock hisses at me, the pain from hitting me is hurting him about the same amount, "it takes years to learn how to control blood magic. You really think you could just master it instantly? You're such an idiot who thinks way too highly of himself."

I can barely breathe, Enock's arm pulling back as he's setting up another punch. His speed is slowing down, Evicka's bite taking effect.

"Zak!" I can hear Annika's voice in the distance, "you are stronger than you know. Males have a stronger affinity for blood magic...don't listen to him! Pull from the flicker that unlocked this ability..."

Stronger affinity?

Then I think of Janie.

She was the only person I had ever truly fallen in love with. It had been stolen away...this fighting should never have taken place, to begin with. If we all could have just got along when Erebus announced the hunters' origins, none of this would have happened. We could have made peace...the choice was up to the rangers and they turned on their own kind.

Killing Janie...

Just as he's about to contact my face once again, I catch his hand with my own, squeezing it as hard as I can and jerking it to the side. Enock's face contorts in pain, his hand on my neck relinquishes its hold of me as he pulls back clutching his darkening hand to his chest.

A deep breath fills my burning lungs, my chest rising and falling as I devour the air greedily. My vision crosses as I lift myself onto my left elbow, flinging my arm out and sparking the connection to the blood that lies on the ground.

I breathe in deeply, slowing my breathing to a steady pace. Enock never sees the blood coming as it creeps up back and over his shoulders. Once it latches on, I pull my hand toward me, the blood removing Enock from my body and binding him to the ground. Rising to my feet, I hold my hand back out, the blood wrapping around his body like chains cocooning him.

Enock writhes in pain on the ground, the restraints clamping down harder, biting into his flesh. Closing my eyelids, I feel the warmth flow through me, Annika was right, this is second nature when I just let my mind go of the reality I once knew.

Spikes form on the blood ropes, cutting open his skin as his own blood mixes with that of his sister's. His anguishing screams ring out in my ears, but I have no remorse for him, my hand clenching into a fist as the ropes only continue their constraint on his body.

I kneel beside of him, my eyes locking with his, "Why couldn't you see, that nobody wants to fight anymore?"

"Be-because," Enock spits at me, blood hitting my face, "t-t-there wi-will always-s be th-those who h-hate the v-vampires. Th-they wi-will hunt...f-forever. Hu-hunter tu-turning on hun-hunters...soon...v-very soon, vam-vampires will turn on v-vampires."

I glare at him, the intensity reflecting in his eyes as I rise to my feet once again, drawing my hands together as I whisper, "Such a pity you think that way. Vampires don't turn on their own kind...but I've seen and heard plenty of hunters do so."

I could never see vampires turning on their own kind...

...save for the rogues that don't care for Locaine.

"It's over," I sigh, the blood pulsating around Enock.

Enock chocks out, "It-it'll ne-never be o-over."

I snap my hands apart, the bloody ropes slicing through his flesh, muscle, and bones like they are butter. The blood creeps away from his still body, coming to rest at my feet.

An eerie silence falls upon the clearing, no one moves. The blood returns to its normal state, my connection closing as I feel myself become slightly weak. I pull myself away from Enock's dead body, turning around, my eyes meet the stunned expressions from the hunters and the relief from the vampires.

"Locaine..." I can barely hear Lucca's voice. I furrow my brows, starting to lightly jog toward the tree line, burying the pain of losing Janie so I won't lose control of my new-found connection. It hurts, but I must focus, as Lucca's next words have my blood running cold.

"Lucca?" Locaine asks, gazing down at Evicka as Lucca holds her close to his chest.

"Her heart stopped again..." Lucca's pain matches my own, Evicka's parents falling to their knees. Locaine places the back of his hand near her nose, Annika checking her pulse.

I've never seen Locaine so worried, "She's not breathing."

"Lucca's right, her heartbeat...it's gone," Annika whispers, tears welling in her eyes as one slides down her check.

"Orion...he saved her before," Lucca's voice is desperately trying to hold onto hope.

Erebus walks over to him, kneeling beside him as he lifts Evicka's chin, confirming what we all are trying not to believe.

"Lucca...I warned you both what would happen," Erebus sighs, sorrow stretching across his face as he narrows his eyes on Evicka's round belly, "he's still alive."

"I know..." Lucca cries in frustration, tears falling down his cheeks as his arms are wrapped around Evicka's shoulders tenderly, pressing her against his chest as he buries his face into her pure white hair. She doesn't move, one arm hangs just above her stomach as the other lies lifelessly on the ground next to her.

"Damn it, Evie!" Lucca's ragged breathing echoes as he sobs against her head, his body shaking. "Why? Why couldn't you just listen to me? Just this once?! Why?!"

Everyone is silent, Locaine holding Annika, brushing her tears away as his own fall freely. Kenzie's crying is muffled by Killian's chest, his hand stroking her hair to comfort her, but his own cheeks are stained with tears.

"EVIE!" Lucca screams, his eyes are a black rose, his fangs slip between his lips as his emotions took control of him.

I don't see a vampire...

...I see a man, begging to have the love of his life stay with him, his grief is felt by all, as Evicka touched so many lives...I have lost count.

"Please...don't leave me. You can't. I have a whole future planned and it has the both of us in it," Lucca rocks her in his arms gently, placing a loving and sweet kiss on the top of her head as the tears continue to trail down his cheeks.

Published on Amazon as an ebook and paperback.

Ascension of the Hunters by K. A. Young.

If you don't have a Kindle and can't purchase the book off Amazon, you are more than welcome to join my Patreon page and receive downloadable PDFs under the Pack Tracker Tier.

Please click on the link on my bio.

https://www.patreon.com/SerenityR0se