Changed (The Hunters #1) Read online

  The Hunter series

  By

  Rose J. Bell

  * * * *

  Smashwords Edition

  * * * *

  Changed

  The Hunters Series, book one

  Copyright © 2013 Rose J. Bell

  Cover art by Stephanie Nelson at Once Upon a Time Covers

  Editors: Ashley´s Freelance Editing

  Rogena Mitchell-Jones Manuscript Service

  Interior book design by JT Formatting

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form, without written permission of the publisher. Exception: Reviewer may quote brief passages for review purposes only. If you are reading this book, and you have not purchased it, or won it in an author/publisher contest, this book has been pirated. Please delete and support the author by purchasing the eBook from one of its many distributors.

  This book is a work of fiction, and any resemblance to any person, living or dead, place, events or occurrences, is purely coincidental. The characters and storylines are all a product of the author’s imagination, or used fictitiously.

  Discover other titles by Rose J. Bell at Smashwords

  Smashwords Edition License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Part One

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Part Two

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Part Three

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  2001

  “Run!”

  She heard her father’s voice; it was loud and filled with fear.

  Looking back, she saw him lying on the ground with a tall, strong man standing over him. He was holding a knife in his hand soaked with blood—the blood of her father.

  She stared at the blade as it entered into his chest.

  Once.

  Twice.

  Over and Over.

  “Run! Get out!” her father yelled. She saw the life escaping from his body. Terror seized her. She looked into her father’s eyes for the last time.

  I am sorry. I love you. Goodbye.

  She read those words in his eyes. She would never forget them. Never.

  She didn’t want to go. She didn’t want to leave him.

  She wanted to lie down beside him, to die by the same knife that was taking the life of her father.

  With his eyes, her father was sending her away.

  So she ran, running as fast as she could toward the forest.

  The sun was shining high in the sky, with the birds singing as if nothing bad was happening. Her heart ached with each step taking her away from her father.

  Her lungs began to burn with each breath and paralysis took over her body. Everything was heavy, and her strength seemed to leave her as things slowed down. The world stopped turning and she fell on the forest ground.

  Trembling, she started to cry. She felt part of herself dying along with her father.

  Her heart hurt, and felt as if it were bleeding, too. Cold darkness surrounded her as she made a promise: She would avenge the death of her father.

  She would find this man… and she would kill him.

  Part 1

  The Enemies

  Rosa crept along the wall.

  In these dungeons the darkness was complete, but she had the map in her mind.

  Rosa ran her hand along the cold walls, counting doors and passageways as she went. She turned the corner at just the right time, stopping before an opening where, if her map was correct, should contain a stairway leading down. She could already hear voices.

  This test was her final exam. When she passed it, she would officially be a hunter.

  She had worked hard to get this far, and she would get the title as a hunter. However, she still would not be a full member of the hunter clan. To become a full member of the clan, she has to kill one member of the enemy—she has to kill a Nephilim. And that would be her next task.

  Rosa crouched down, touching the ground with her hand. She felt a stone step, damp and wet. She sat up again and slid down the stairs quietly. Rosa had the talent to move like a cat, quiet and fast.

  She saw the map of the dungeon in her mind’s eye. A diversion to the left, then right again. She heard the voices more clearly as she entered a corridor where the darkness flickered with orange light coming from the torch set in the wall.

  There were two men, and Rosa thought she’d heard the voice of a woman, but she wasn’t sure. These people were her target; or rather, these half demons. Rosa had the task to kill them.

  I will do this task easily, she thought as she continued to edge into the passageway.

  Rosa crept to the light and laughter. She held for only a moment longer before the door, and took a deep breath.

  She could do it, Rosa knew. She had already received several similar tasks, and each time she had completed them successfully. This time would be no different.

  She pulled her mask over her face, and turned the corner.

  The humans knew the hunter clan, but the members should remain unknown to prevent the humans or the angels from taking revenge on the hunters. The mask was black, hiding her face except for her eyes.

  Rosa peered into the room.

  In the dungeon were three half-demons— two men and one woman. The men sat with their backs turned to Rosa, not noticing her.

  Only the woman, who sat across from the men, saw Rosa and cried out. Her eyes widened in fear. Rosa realized she was not a half-demon; she was human.

  Wasting no time, Rosa pried her sharp dagger from her belt and headed straight toward the men. One of the men, who sat with his back to Rosa, reacted too late. Rosa stabbed him with the knife in the back, deep into the heart. The man screamed, and fell lifeless to the ground. Rosa yanked her dagger out of his back as he proceeded to fall to ashes, before heading straight for the other man.

  Her body was full of adrenaline. She loved to fight, and to win.

  “What do you want from us?” the man asked.

  Always being asked the same question,
and to her the answer was obvious! Rosa wanted to kill them, so she could finally find her place in the hunter clan.

  She threw her dagger up, catching it as it fell. Blood dripped from the knife as Rosa looked at the half-demon and the woman with a cool look.

  “What do you think I want from you?” she asked with a calm voice.

  Rosa could see the fear in their eyes. The man began to turn into his demon form with his human skin turning brownish green, while his muscles became bigger, stronger. His teeth turned into fangs, and eyes glowing red, while long, razor-sharp claws emerged from his hands.

  Rosa looked at him with a bored look. His appearance might be scary, but she knew that he was not a big risk for her. Half-demons were only half as strong as actual demons. Since Rosa had already killed several demons, a half-demon was no problem for her–as to fight was not only about strength, but also about technique. Demons were usually stronger than humans were, but they did not have the proper technique when they were fighting. Their only goal was to kill the victim, so they fought wildly.

  Rosa, a trained fighter, knew how to use her attacks, and always aimed for the demon’s weakest points.

  The half-demon was coming toward her with its teeth bared, and claws extended. Rosa held her dagger and dodged the punch of the half-demon effortlessly. He tried to grab her, but she quickly pulled her arm away. Rosa slammed her fist into the face of the half-demon. His head jerked backward. His chest, now unprotected, Rosa aimed her dagger straight at his heart–but she was not in time.

  A sharp pain shot through her torso. Looking down, the half-demon had caught her with his razor-sharp claws. Her clothes were torn, and blood oozed from the wounds. The half-demon watched her reaction, amused.

  She hated being injured.

  She wanted to be the one that inflicted the injuries.

  Blind rage seized her.

  Rosa jumped with an angry cry at the half-demon. They landed on the floor. The claws of the half-demon scratched at her face and arms, but Rosa did not care. She wanted to kill the monster. The half-demon tried to grasp her arms, but she punched her elbow into its’ ugly face. He groaned. Rosa’s anger was growing.

  She hit him repeatedly in the face as he scratched her with his claws. Rosa clutched her dagger and waited for an appropriate time to ram it into his heart. She struck him in the face as hard as she could with her fist. He groaned again. She used the opportunity to lift her dagger and stab it into the half-demon. He shouted in pain as his whole body began to shake. Rosa stood to her full height as the half-demon began to tremble more violently. The blood from his heart flowed red and blue—the red showing his human heritage, and the blue revealing the demon half. As the red and blue liquid soaked the stone ground, its body began to shrink, until all that remained was ash.

  For a while, Rosa only stared, breathing heavily as she stood over the ashes. She felt satisfied that she had killed him. She glared at what was left of the half-demon, void of any kind of pity—she never felt pity.

  The wounds on Rosa’s chest, face, and arms began to pound violently, but she still had someone else she needed to kill. She turned for her next target, but the woman was no longer in the dungeon.

  “Damn!” Rosa said, cursing the woman. Explicitly, the master ordered her to kill them all. If she didn’t kill all of them, she’d fail her exam.

  The hunter clan knew exactly how many people were down here. They had figured it out to ensure Rosa killed everyone in the dungeon.

  Now she had to find the woman.

  Rosa ran out of the dungeon, and up the stairs. Her breathing was heavy. The wounds hurt like hell, but she gritted her teeth, and called upon all her strength to make her legs run faster.

  She came out into the fresh air. It was dark, the sky clear and starry. A vast forest surrounded Rosa. She looked everywhere, but couldn’t see anything.

  Damn it! Where is that woman?

  Rosa turned to her left, seeing a shadow running farther and farther away. Only a few meters away at first, but as the form ran deeper into the forest, the distance quickly grew. Rosa ran after the shadow, her feet pounding on the forest floor. She was a fast runner, reaching the shadowed person in mere moments.

  Rosa grabbed her arm and yanked her around violently. The woman screamed, falling to the ground. She began to whimper, crouching low on the forest floor. Rosa snorted. She despised people who were fragile, who could not defend themselves. Instead of fighting, they huddled somewhere, and simply whimpered. Just like this woman.

  “Please.”

  Rosa heard a voice so quiet, she wasn’t sure she had really heard it.

  “Please don’t hurt me.”

  The voice sounded like a child, quiet and timid. Rosa realized the voice belonged to the woman. The woman looked at her now. It was dark, but the moonlight was enough for Rosa to see the naked fear in her face. Her eyes were wide. Tears ran down her cheeks. It all left Rosa cold. She had a job to do.

  “Why are you doing this?” the woman asked.

  Rosa found it increasingly difficult to breathe, the pain in her chest unbearable. She had to leave soon.

  Rosa threw the woman a cool look. “Why are we doing this? Because these creatures belong to the archangels, they don’t belong in our world.”

  The woman shook her head saying, “You are all murderers.”

  “Murderers? Archangels are our enemies. We don’t want to have those shadow creatures in our city.”

  “Don’t you feel guilty killing innocent people?”

  “No,” Rosa replied and grabbed the woman by the arm. This case had already lasted longer than it should have. She pulled out her dagger as the woman became hateful, vile.

  “You will end up in hell,” the woman sputtered.

  Rosa smiled wickedly. “Maybe I’ll see you there,” she said just before stabbing her dagger into the woman’s heart. The woman’s eyes widened, then her body fell lifeless on the ground. Rosa removed her dagger, putting it back into her belt. She took out a small bottle, whose contents she shook over the woman’s body. Yellow mist rose and the woman disappeared.

  Rosa didn’t know what was in the powder, and she didn’t care. It was mixed for her by Andrea, the alchemist, and for her it was important that the powder did the trick.

  When killed, the bodies of creatures vanished, but this was not the case with humans. Only used on humans, who were killed during the hunt, the powder ensured the bodies would vanish.

  Placing the powder back into her belt, Rosa headed out to meet the others and the Master.

  Every breath caused her more pain. Little blood oozed from the wounds, but the pain increased. Rosa was accustomed to pain. She suffered pain every day by training or by hunting. Pain was a way of life.

  In the beginning, as she joined the hunter clan, she was hardly able to stand the pain from the wounds she would receive.

  Now Rosa had grown used to it.

  As she came out of the woods, waiting for her were the Master, her mentor, Christian and her friend, Colin. Colin approached her. He was in her group and had his exam the week before, of which he had passed.

  Rosa pulled her mask from over her face, wiping sweat from her forehead. She was tired. She longed for a hot shower and her warm bed. Colin stood in front of her, his eyes falling on her injured chest.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, worried.

  Rosa could see his concern in the moonlight. Colin was always worrying about Rosa, not only because she hunted dangerous creatures, but also because she often got herself into trouble. She had a mind of her own. If she wanted to do something, she did it; nobody could change her mind.

  Colin was always worried about Rosa, which sometimes annoyed her. It was a bit sweet, but she did not need anyone to worry about her. She was able to take care of herself. She had done so all of her life.

  “Isn’t that bad,” she replied in short supply.

  Colin gave her a look, but said nothing. Then he stepped back as the Master came to stand b
efore Rosa. She straightened herself and looked to the Master, her eyes full of respect.

  The Master turned is black eyes on Rosa, staring down at her. He was in his mid-forties, but looked to be thirty. He was tall, with large muscles and a clean-shaven face. He never showed any kind of emotion. Whenever the Master was not in a fight himself, he would wear an expensive suit, making him look like any other ordinary businessman. Rosa knew the truth, though. She had seen how dangerous the Master could truly be.

  “Huntress, you have done your job quite well,” the Master said. He never called his students by name while on the hunt.

  “I’ve watched everything. You have passed your exam,” he continued, as he offered his hand to Rosa. She didn’t know how much of the chase her Master had watched; that would always be a mystery to her. Rosa accepted her Master’s hand, shaking it slowly.

  “Thank you, Master,” she said. No honor, no ceremony. Just a handshake that showed Rosa has passed her test. The Master withdrew his hand and then went back a few steps. Christian, Rosa’s mentor, hugged her, smiling. Rosa groaned slightly as his chest touched her own. He broke away from her.

  “Does it hurt?” he asked. Rosa shook her head, although the wound hurt very much. She refused to show any weakness.

  Christian was her third mentor. She had two others before him, but her relationship with them had been a bad one. Both had ended with the mentor’s hospitalized after Rosa had released her anger upon them. Luckily, she had become close with Christian, and they got along well.

  Christian smiled at her, “Congratulations. I knew that you would succeed.”

  Rosa smiled back. “Well, I had a good mentor,” she said. His smile widened.

  “We better go now. It’s late,” said the Master.

  “Besides, your injuries have to be stitched.”