Playing with Fire #1 ✔

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟑 - 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫

The hunters were professionals that knew exactly how to dupe non-supernatural authorities into believing them. They came into Lake Oldoy declaring that they were an association that disposed of dangerous, wild animals that attacked people. And, thanks to Theo's little mishap on the full moon, that now applied to Lake Oldoy.

The death (murder) of that old guy had sent the police out of their minds. With no motive, the claw marks, and the animal hairs they found on his body, they had no idea whatsoever of what had happened to him.

Theo thought that Victoria had used it as some sort of sick ploy to get the hunters here quicker. Yet from what Wednesday told me, they arrived exactly when she expected that they would. Theo muttered something about destiny when I pointed this out to him — as if it was his fate to join Victoria and then have to face the hunters.

For about three days after they arrived in town, Theo stopped talking to me. I knew that he was trying to protect me, but still, it was super annoying.

And it wasn't just him; Wednesday became closed off as well. According to Al, who was just about the only person that Wednesday would talk to, not only was she having more visions, =she was constantly paranoid that the hunters would be able to track her presence.

My mother kept trying to persuade me to go to Svalbard.

"I am not going," I told her yet again. "There are people here that need me."

"Your boyfriend isn't talking to you, and your best friend is closing herself off to the world — I think they'd cope just fine without you." Her eyes narrowed.

"I'm not going!" I exclaimed and slammed my bedroom door behind me.

"You're going at Christmas whether you like it or not, Ember Hestia Milburn!" She yelled through the door at me. I guess it's true that middle names exist almost solely so that they can be shouted when parents are angry.

I ignored her, though I knew that I would inevitably end up going at Christmas. Maybe it's my fate, for now, at least.

My phone rang and brought me back to reality. Kaden was calling me — at least he was still talking to me.

"What is it?" I snapped as soon as I accepted his call.

"Okay, don't shoot the messenger," he replied warily.

"Sorry, I just—" I sighed, not needing to say anymore — all of us had been on edge since the hunters' arrival. It felt like each of us was under some form of house arrest, like we'd end up getting shot the moment we stepped outside.

Thankfully, Kaden didn't think that I should go to Longyearbyen. But maybe that was only because he hadn't been around me long enough to see how dangerous I was... And how little control I had over the Phoenix.

"Theo's convinced that if he hands himself over to the hunters, they'll leave Lake Oldoy." Kaden exhaled wearily.

"But that's suicide!" I exclaimed incredulously; part of me didn't want to believe it, but I knew Theo well enough by then to see how selfless he truly could be. "They'll want to kill everyone and everything supernatural here anyway!"

"I know, Ember, trust me." He huffed exasperatedly. "But he's not listening to anything I try and tell him."

"Where are you now?" I asked.

"Outside his house, I was about to try and talk to him again... I thought I should call you first."

"Thanks for calling me. Can you hand your phone to Theo when you see him?" I furrowed my brows in determination. "I'll try and talk to him, he's ignoring all my calls and texts."