Gifted With Curses

Chapter 2

Cammy

I watched as Jade, still putting on her threatening-top-of-the-pecking-order look escorted the newest witch-hunter over to the car that I sat in. He looked around my age with curly brown hair that had lighter yellow ends. His bright green eyes surveyed the area before just settling on the car as if he was planning to make a run for it before he decided it was best to just play along. A few freckles spotted his pale cheeks, a light brown colour. He was pretty small compared to most witch-hunters or really anyone but despite his height, he held his chin up high and walked casually towards the car. He wore a confident smirk on his face and didn't look or acknowledge the people shouting congratulations at him. I didn't blame him for that. What was so good about leaving everything behind to start a whole new life? That's why we tried to get them early, so they wouldn't miss anything. But despite his lack of training or knowledge of us, he didn't even flinch when Jade took out one of the sharpest knives from her belt and started twirling it around her fingers. That's what she did whenever she was bringing in another recruit, I think she did it to half threaten the newbies and for them to be scared of her and half to try to get a rise out of them and see how brave they were.

I couldn't help being surprised by this new guy's ease, usually, I would notice small signs of nervousness from the recruits. Something like gripping their elbows tightly, clenching and unclenching their hands, blinking a lot, swallowing, twirling something in between their fingers, looking downward, hell, sometimes they'd even pretend they had an itch to stall the walk to the car just across the road!

But this guy made everything seem fine. I was actually pretty impressed. I felt like he would end up to be quite good, one of the witch-hunters that no one would forget.

I felt a tinge of jealousy stir inside me, he was already doing better than when I was first found. Quickly, I pushed those feelings down as Jade reached the car and opened the door for the recruit. Coral, was his name.

Coral slid in the car swiftly, leaning back and crossing his legs over so he looked right at home. He gave me one sideways glance and then just kept staring at the ceiling as he put both his hands behind his head.

"Hey," I said, hoping to get him talking. "Heard you're the newest witch-hunter, what powers have you got? Water, Telepathy, super strength? That's a common one."

He didn't respond, just kept bobbing his head lightly. Was this guy deaf or what?

"Do you even know you're a witch-hunter? Has Jade explained it to you yet? Because I can tell you if you want."

No response.

"I mean, obviously you've got healing but do you know what else? A lot of people only find out in big situations when you really need it. Like how your friend was super beat up today."

He looked as if he hadn't heard me again.

"Uh... are you deaf dude?"

This was getting annoying now.

"If you are, you know we've got these really good hearing aids in Tasmania that can make anyone hear everything. Pleasures of future technology if you ask me. It's amazing what people can invent nowadays."

I leaned forward, trying to see Coral's face so I could see if he was just playing a trick on me.

"Hello?" I said, frowning at him.

Obviously seeing me move in peripheral vision, Coral turned and grinned at me. Slowly, he raised a hand and slipped off one of his air pods, putting it in his blazer pocket.

"Sorry, were you saying something?"

I felt like an idiot. Of course, he had air pods in really loud so he couldn't hear me, everyone our age did. I shrugged, trying not to let him see how he got to me.