"Psst! Psst! Come over here!" said a voice. It belonged to a female, judging from how euphonic it sounded.
Hilda couldn't trust anyone at the moment and so, ignored the voice. All that mattered to her was her rest and finding something to eat after regaining her strength.
"Come over here. You'll be safe here. They can't get to you here." Said the voice.
"Does she know the people that are chasing me? It could just be one of the witch's tricks" Hilda thought to herself.
She sat against the tree for a long time that her stomach started to grumble and she considered going toward the voice she heard earlier.
"She may be in the same predicament as me." Hilda thought to herself, yielding to the needs of her stomach.
She walked towards the voice she had heard earlier, calling on the lady to say something or come out even.
"Hey! Are you still there?" Hilda said, trying not to shout so as not to give herself away to Jay and his witch that were after her.
"I'm starving. Do you have some food?" Hilda said out loud, referring to the voice she heard earlier but there was no response.
"I'm leaving, then," Hilda said, hoping to get some attention.
"Wait, don't go," said the lady.
Hilda smiles and turns back to see who it is. Her plan worked.
"I knew you'd come out. Are the monster hunters after you too?"
"Not really, but yes. I may not be their target but they won't hesitate to capture or kill me the moment they set their eyes on me. I'm a supernatural too." The lady said.
"Come on, let's get you something to eat. You'd be glad to meet others." Said the lady.
"Others?" Hilda asked, a bit perplexed.
"Save your questions for later, you'll have ample time to ask." Said the lady.
Nathan gets to the spot where he found Hilda, a very hollow ground, almost resembling a hole. She fell in there while trying to run from the monster hunters that attacked them and sustained the injuries he found her with from hitting her head against a big stone inside the hole.
He searches all over for her and gives up when he couldn't find her by evening.
It isn't advisable to be out in the woods by nightfall, strange things were said to happen to anyone that dared to.
"I hope Jay and his soldiers haven't captured her. Poor Hilda" Nathan sighed.
He goes home disappointed and still refused to speak to his wife although he understood why she acted that way, she was scared and only wanted to protect her family.
The lady leads Hilda into a structure that looked like a cave, the entrance covered by algae that had grown for a thousand years, the perfect hideout for people that were being hunted down by the vampires and monster hunters too.
It's like a small community where its inhabitants were forced to go back to the old way of living before civilization took place. Their clothes were shabby and worn out, and some of them looked sick.
Hilda could tell just how much and how long they had been suffering, but it was for the best. At least, they were away from harm's way and that's all that mattered to them. They were just survivors that were lucky enough to run away and seek refuge elsewhere during the attack.
The lady takes Hilda to her tent to give her some food and maybe talk.
"Who is that with you, Freya?" Asked an old frail lady lying on the ground hopelessly as though waiting for death to claim her life.
"I found her outside, she needs help and I brought her in, Aunt Cersei" Freya replied.
"That doesn't answer my question, Freya," Said Cersei.
Cersei, even at old age is still strict and a no-nonsense taker. She is Freya's aunt and is about ninety years old. She's the oldest shifter at the time and calls the shot.
Freya is a lady, probably in her mid 40's. She's tall, beautiful, and warm.
"That reminds me, young lady, what's your name?" Freya asked.
"Hilda" she answered.
Hilda stood at a spot, looking around the tent, and though it's tiny, It's better than being exposed to danger, she thought.
"You must be starving, I made soup earlier. I'll serve it right away."
Freya soon serves Hilda and she eats to her fill.
"Now that she's done eating, she best is on her way. You know I don't trust strangers." Cersei said, as grumpy as ever.
"Aunt Cersei… Please be kind to our guest." Freya said, winking at her as a way of trying to make her play along or maybe keep quiet.
All the while, Hilda was quiet, she was already used to rejection so she just sat there and waited for her fate to be decided by Freya.
"So Hilda, what brings you to the woods. I never knew that there were others left out there."
Hilda didn't understand why Freya kept referring to "others". It was not time to be worried yet, she thought.
"I was running from the monster hunters, they chased me from home. I fled here and they chased me down too. I hope they didn't follow us back here." Hilda said, wearing a worried look.
"There's nothing to worry about. We're safe here, no harm can come to you. We've been here for quite some time and there have been no attacks.." Freya assured her.
"What about your family? Most of us here either lost ours to the war or got separated from them." Freya said.
"I lost my mom to one of the attacks. My aunt asked me to leave because her mon wanted me dead." Hilda answered.
"I'm sorry about that dear. My brother also left for war and I haven't seen him too. He's probably dead by now, it's been three years already. Freya said.
"Why does she want you dead? That's odd." Freya asked, a bit worried.
"No idea," Hilda answered.
"What about your dad?" Freya asked.
"He left… I never met him." Hilda replied with her voice, rid of emotions.
Hilda doesn't know this lady but feels like she can tell her anything in the world. She didn't feel the need to hide the truth or lie or pretend as she did with the Jamesons.
.
Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong! Hilda hears this loud sound, unmistakably from a bell, and wonders what it's for.
"Help me up, Freya. I hope I die today." Cersei said, groaning and trying to get up on her own.
Ever since the incessant attacks from the monster hunters and one-time attacks from the vampires, Cersei had wanted to leave the surface of the earth. She claims she's too old to run about seeking protection. But being a shifter, she can't die so easily unless the shifterbane is used on her.
Freya runs to help her up and leads her outside, gesturing for Hilda to follow suit.
They get to a spot outside their tent and stopped, every other person comes out of their tent and they form a circle, leaving Cersei in the middle.
"Today, we mark the 3rd commemoration of our heroes that fought bravely against the vampires and lost their lives to the attacks of the monster hunters. We acknowledge the collective efforts of everyone that strived to stay alive, today we are glad that our species live on despite the wholesome death and supposed missing records.
"We call on those that came before us to keep guiding us and we beg for atonement for the various abominations we have caused by our imprudence.
This moment, we take off our masks and honor our warriors who fought fiercely to keep us alive, without minding the exposition of our true form." Cersei proclaimed, bowing her head in reverence.
Everyone bowed their head and metamorphosed into their true forms.
Hilda was petrified by what she saw; there were three different kinds of creatures.
The first kind were strange three-legged animals with green fur, a pair of wings, a purple head, and big black eyes. They were called the changelings.
The second kind looked like humans with strange distinct markings, sharp claws and green skin color.
And the third group looked like beasts with sharp teeth and claws. They are called the hell hounds.
Freya and Cersei belonged to the second kind, called the hellions by the virtue of their connected bloodline. The hellions were the fastest and strongest shapeshifters. They could assume a person's form for a whole day as opposed to other shapeshifters that are limited to a few hours.
They could all freely mask themselves as humans, being their preferred form to blend in with other supernaturals and humans.
They were soon done with their rituals and everyone leaves to their various tents.
"You must have a valid explanation for not turning today. What bloodline do you belong to?" Cersei asked Hilda, almost yelling.
"I… I don't know. I'm not a shapeshifter, I'm a banshee. My mom's a banshee and my dad's a vampire. You can see for yourself." Hilda said carelessly. She lifted her skirt and shows her a mark on her left thigh, easily mistaken for a tattoo. It resembles a half star. All banshees have this mark.
She forgot that the vampires waged a war against the shapeshifters three years ago and now, telling them that she's the daughter of a vampire isn't the best reveal to make.
"What?! That's impossible dear. That has never happened and it never will." Said Freya, cutting in.
"Please tell her she's a shapeshifter, I can sense it. You can too and that's why you took her in," said Cersei to Freya.
"Your mom's a banshee and your family dad's a vampire…." Freya said trying to recall something.
Aunt Cersei, I think I know who she is," Freya said, obviously looking worried.
"Go on then, who is she? Because there needs to be a damn explanation for this disaster," said Cersei bluntly.
With her eyes widening in surprise, "you are the hybrid, the miracle baby!"Freya said.
Hilda doesn't say much, she speaks only when she's spoken to.
"She's Connor's daughter, aunt Cersei" Freya said, gasping.
"That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard you say. What do you mean she's Connor's daughter? Connor doesn't have a child." Cersei shouted.
"Oh yes, he does. You just haven't accepted it yet."
Freya speaks in the realization of what's best known to her, her brown eyes widening in surprise. Cersei is pissed at how folly Freya is and Hilda doesn't understand a thing she's saying and decides to ask.
"Freya, what do you mean? I don't understand what you are saying. I told you my dad's name is Ian and you're saying Connor's my father. You're mixing things up." Hilda said, trying to clarify things.