Night World : Huntress Read online

Page 3

Chapter 3

 

  Jez burst through the door and turned immediately into the small library off the front hall. Her uncle was

  sitting there at his desk, surrounded by built-in bookcases. He looked up in surprise.

  "Uncle Bracken, who was my mother? How did my parents die?" It all came out in a single rush of

  breath. And then Jez wanted to say, "Tell me the truth," but instead she heard herself saving wildly, "Tell

  me it's not true. It's not possible, is it? Uncle Bracken, I'm so scared. "

  Her uncle stared at her for a moment. There was shock and despair in his face. Then he bent his head

  and shut his eyes.

  "But how is it possible?" Jez whispered. "How am I here?" It was hours later. Dawn was tinting

  the window. She was sitting on the floor, back

  against a bookcase, where she'd collapsed, staring

  emptily into the distance. "You mean, how can a vampire-human halfbreed

  exist? I don't know. Your parents never knew. They never expected to have children. " Uncle Bracken

  ran both hands through his hair, head down. "They didn't even realize you could live as a vampire. Your

  father brought you to me because he was dying and I was the only person he could trust. He knew I

  wouldn't turn you over to the Night World elders. "

  "Maybe you should have," Jez whispered. Uncle Bracken went on as if he hadn't heard her. "You lived

  without blood then. You looked like a human child. I don't know what made me try to see if you could

  learn how to feed. I brought you a rabbit and bit it for you and let you smell the blood. " He gave a short

  laugh of reminiscence. "And your little teeth sharpened right up and you knew what to do. That was when

  I knew you were a true Redfern. "

  "But I'm not. " Jez heard the words as if someone else was speaking them from a distance. "I'm not even

  a Night Person. I'm vermin. "

  Uncle Bracken let go of his hair and looked at her. His eyes, normally the same silvery-blue as Jez's,

  were burning with a pure silver flame. "Your mother was a good woman," he said harshly. "Your father

  gave up everything to be with her. She wasn't vermin. " Jez looked away, but she wasn't ashamed. She

  was numb. She felt nothing except a vast emptiness inside her, stretching infinitely in all directions.

  And that was good. She never wanted to feel again. Everything she'd felt in her life-everything she could

  remember-had been a lie.

  She wasn't a huntress, a predator fulfilling her place in the scheme of things by chasing down her lawful

  prey. She was a murderer. She was a monster.

  "I can't stay here anymore," she said.

  Uncle Bracken winced. "Where will you go?"

  "I don't know. "

  He let out his breath and spoke slowly and sadly. "I have an idea. "

 

    Night World : Witchlight Read onlineNight World : WitchlightStefans Diaries: The Craving Read onlineStefans Diaries: The CravingNight World : Secret Vampire Read onlineNight World : Secret VampireThe Secret Circle: The Initiation Read onlineThe Secret Circle: The InitiationNight World : Soulmate Read onlineNight World : SoulmateNight World : Daughters of Darkness Read onlineNight World : Daughters of DarknessNight World : The Chosen Read onlineNight World : The ChosenThe Return: Midnight Read onlineThe Return: MidnightStefans Diaries: Origins Read onlineStefans Diaries: OriginsThe Forbidden Game: The Hunter Read onlineThe Forbidden Game: The HunterThe Hunters: Phantom Read onlineThe Hunters: PhantomThe Hunters: Destiny Rising Read onlineThe Hunters: Destiny RisingBlood Will Tell Read onlineBlood Will TellNight World : Black Dawn Read onlineNight World : Black DawnThe Hunters: Moonsong Read onlineThe Hunters: MoonsongNight World : Huntress Read onlineNight World : HuntressThe Strange Power Read onlineThe Strange PowerThe Temptation Read onlineThe TemptationNight World : Dark Angel Read onlineNight World : Dark AngelThe Forbidden Game: The Chase Read onlineThe Forbidden Game: The ChaseThe Ultimate Fan Guide Read onlineThe Ultimate Fan GuideDark Visions: The Passion Read onlineDark Visions: The PassionThe Secret Circle: The Divide Read onlineThe Secret Circle: The DivideThe Forbidden Game: The Kill Read onlineThe Forbidden Game: The KillNight World : Spellbinder Read onlineNight World : SpellbinderThe Secret Circle: The Captive Read onlineThe Secret Circle: The CaptiveThe Secret Circle: The Complete Collection: The Initiation and The Captive Part I, The Captive Part II and The Power, The Divide, The Hunt, The Temptation Read onlineThe Secret Circle: The Complete Collection: The Initiation and The Captive Part I, The Captive Part II and The Power, The Divide, The Hunt, The TemptationThe Secret Circle: The Power Read onlineThe Secret Circle: The PowerThe Possessed Read onlineThe PossessedThe Vampire Diaries: The Salvation: Unmasked Read onlineThe Vampire Diaries: The Salvation: UnmaskedTHE SECRET CIRCLE 1 - The Initiation Read onlineTHE SECRET CIRCLE 1 - The InitiationVampire Diaries 4 - Dark Reunion Read onlineVampire Diaries 4 - Dark ReunionMoonsong Read onlineMoonsongThe Dark Reunion Read onlineThe Dark ReunionThe Hunt Read onlineThe HuntThe Asylum Read onlineThe AsylumThe Compelled Read onlineThe CompelledOrigins Read onlineOriginsSoulmate Read onlineSoulmateBlack Dawn Read onlineBlack DawnNight World 1 Read onlineNight World 1The Vampire Diaries 2 - The Struggle Read onlineThe Vampire Diaries 2 - The StruggleDestiny Rising Read onlineDestiny RisingStefan's Diaries 02 - Bloodlust Read onlineStefan's Diaries 02 - BloodlustThe Fury Read onlineThe FuryThe Vampire Diaries: Evensong: Paradise Lost Read onlineThe Vampire Diaries: Evensong: Paradise LostShadow Souls Read onlineShadow SoulsThe Secret Circle: The Initiation and the Captive Part I TV Tie-In Edition Read onlineThe Secret Circle: The Initiation and the Captive Part I TV Tie-In EditionThe Awakening Read onlineThe AwakeningThe Vampire Diaries 3 - The Fury Read onlineThe Vampire Diaries 3 - The FuryThe Vampire Diaries: The Return: Midnight Read onlineThe Vampire Diaries: The Return: MidnightThe Ripper Read onlineThe RipperThe Secret Circle: The Hunt Read onlineThe Secret Circle: The HuntThe Struggle Read onlineThe StruggleThe War of Roses Read onlineThe War of RosesThe Bloodlust Read onlineThe BloodlustMoonsong tvdth-2 Read onlineMoonsong tvdth-2Dark Visions Read onlineDark VisionsThe Passion Read onlineThe PassionKill Read onlineKillThe Hunter; The Chase; The Kill Read onlineThe Hunter; The Chase; The KillThe Vampire Diaries: Stefan’s Diaries #3: The Craving Read onlineThe Vampire Diaries: Stefan’s Diaries #3: The CravingDark Angel; The Chosen; Soulmate Read onlineDark Angel; The Chosen; SoulmateHuntress, Black Dawn, Witchlight Read onlineHuntress, Black Dawn, WitchlightThe Night of the Solstice Read onlineThe Night of the SolsticeThe Vampire Diaries: The Return: Nightfall Read onlineThe Vampire Diaries: The Return: NightfallThe Secret Circle: The Complete Collection Read onlineThe Secret Circle: The Complete CollectionThe Secret Circle: The Captive Part II / the Power Read onlineThe Secret Circle: The Captive Part II / the PowerThe Vampire Diaries: The Salvation: Unseen Read onlineThe Vampire Diaries: The Salvation: UnseenNightfall Read onlineNightfall