The Huntress

Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

My alarm went off at nine in the morning and I smelled something cooking—or burning, rather. I sat up on the couch bleary eyed and stretched my arms over my head, giving into the amazing feeling of the early morning stretch. Plopping back down, I covered my face with the blanket.

I knew I had to get up, Dad had said to get back first thing in the morning. Our ideas of first thing were slightly different though. I didn't feel fully operational until at least ten thirty, whereas he would say eight. We had compromised at nine thirty.

"Hey, rise and shine. I made pancakes," Sarah called over the sound of grease sizzling. I just groaned and rolled over, putting my face into the back of the couch.

"Get up Electra. You don't want to tick Dad off," Josh said as he strolled through the room, towel drying his hair on his way to the kitchen.

Sighing heavily, I got up. I stumbled around, weaving through the obstacles that were considered essential living room items to both Sarah and Josh. Right now they were just irritating pieces of junk to me. I cursed loudly when I stubbed my toe on the coffee table and stomped the rest of the way into the kitchen.

"She can kill a vampire without blinking, but ask her to get up in the morning and go to the kitchen and she nearly kills herself!" Sarah said with a smile in her voice.

I just shot daggers at her with my eyes and stomped over to the coffee pot. "Shut up. Don't talk until I've had my cup."

Josh chuckled and grabbed the newspaper. Sarah set a plate of pancakes and bacon in front of me. I sipped the coffee and put butter and syrup on the pancakes before inhaling them. Sarah watched me the whole time.

"What?" I asked through a mouth full of food.

"I was just thinking. If you ever want to move out, or if you decide you want to go to school around here ... you can move in here. Neither of us would mind."

I took my time finishing the bite I had so I didn't have to answer right away. Truth was, I didn't know how to answer. I mean I really liked the place, and I liked the idea of getting out on my own, or relatively on my own. I had been thinking about going to school somewhere else once I graduated next year. I just hadn't decided where I would go yet. Or, I suppose, if I was actually going to go to school after I graduated.

I also never thought Sarah would offer me a place in their apartment, especially not after the previous night with our conflicting interests. How would she feel about me going around hunting? I couldn't put her in danger like that if she decided to give it up.

And where would I keep all the weapons? I would have to designate a good amount of space to weapons like we had in the armory tucked away in our basement.

I swallowed and smiled slightly. "Thanks, I'll think about it."

I grabbed my overnight back when I was ready to go. I gave Sarah and Josh a hug before leaving the apartment, getting in the moving truck and driving back. The past twenty-four hours played over in my head as I cruised on the interstate; everything Sarah had said about our job and how she was quitting.

Was this what mom would have wanted for us? I couldn't think of a reason why she wouldn't. In fact the only thing I had wondered about this life was why they hadn't told us sooner. They had been endangering us by not talking about those creatures. Being a hunter was a full time position, and sometimes work followed you home. What would they have done if a nest had tracked them down? That's what worried me now.

Not all of the creatures had been there. Four had been unaccounted for and I'd been worried ever since we left the warehouse.

Was I letting this job rule over my life like Sarah and Josh said? It was something that I enjoyed doing. I was actually doing my part to keep the world safe—to keep our friends, neighbors, and even strangers safe from the monsters that lurked at night.