Hunted

Twenty-One: A Midnight Exchange

Daphne shifted uncomfortably on her feet, placing most of her weight on to her cane. Her ankles and feet were swollen, the supple leather of her shoes, cutting into her skin. She focused on the pain and discomfort, trying to distract herself from the sound of tyres crunching the gravel outside the front door. It would be finished with soon, and she could relax knowing that her boys were that much safer.

"Mrs Haskins," Charlotte interrupted, standing on the final step of the large staircase, a navy duffel bag, strangled in her grasp.

"Child, good you're ready," Daphne nodded, not wanting to drag this out further.

"Mrs Haskins, please don't this," Charlotte breathed suddenly, and Daphne could easily see the anguish and reluctance on the girl's face, her bright blue eyes, wide with fear. "Matt will never forgive you, he won't allow you to do this," she continued.

 "If he is so against your leaving, where is he now? Why isn't he stopping me?" Daphne replied coldly.

Charlotte bit her bottom lip, as she glanced back up in the direction she had come. "No child, deep down he even knows it's better to let you go. Maybe if your life had taken a different path, if you hadn't become what you are, and you had met by chance, well then maybe... but not like this," she sighed almost heavily. She watched Charlotte carefully, the girl's eyes darting to the front door as she too, heard the opening and closing of car doors.

"I will leave, but tomorrow — please," she begged. "Allow me to tell him that I'm leaving, to say good-bye. I have nowhere else, nobody else". Tears filled the girl's eyes, but she blinked them away quickly. She was still determined to remain strong, to seem fearless, but Daphne didn't need her alteration to sense how frightened she was.

"Charlotte, this is no way to handle yourself," Daphne said disdainfully. She still pitied the girl, even if she was causing her this hardship. It was a pity her life had ended up the way it did. It was a pity she had ever been taken to that island.

"I'll handle myself however I see fit," she suddenly growled, her upset turning to anger. She pushed her words through her teeth with such venom that Daphne wondered if she was about to turn her alteration on her. She could see the spark of temptation in Charlotte's eye.

"Go on, do it," Daphne hissed. There was a pause, but nothing happened, nothing came of her great powers. "I thought so — you see I don't need to be altered to see that you could never bring yourself to hurt me, because in doing that you will hurt Matt". Charlotte seemed to deflate at her words, her fight fading until she became nothing but a child once more, only new to this world, though not to its cruelties.

"Where are you sending me?" she breathed, her voice shaking. Daphne adjusted her weight, and sighed.

"Far away — you won't see him again".

Charlotte just nodded, sniffing as her grief tried to break free once more. Daphne was very aware of the movements on the gravel in front of her house. They wouldn't ring the bell, but would wait for her appearance, they would wait to get their hands on the girl, but not for long.

"Now come on, it's time you left," she said, moving hesitantly towards the door. Charlotte started worrying her lip again, staring from Daphne to the door with wide, frightened eyes. She should be afraid, Daphne thought guiltily.

With unsteady steps, Daphne wrenched open the door and stepped out into the frigid winter air. Her breath rose before her, but she took no notice. Her eyes were fixed on the two men standing by the black sedan, its windows heavily tinted, its body enormous. The men glanced up as Daphne struggled to the railing, readjusting herself to take some of the weight off her feet. Charlotte emerged, her eyes growing even wider as she appraised the two men, reading them for what they were — altered.