"Here you go," Jade said sliding a cup of coffee over to Hunter as she sat in the seat opposite his. "Thanks," Hunter said before taking a sip, he frowns before setting the cup back on the table.
"Too hot?" Jade asked. "Too sweet," he replied.
"I assumed you preferred your coffee sweet, You looked like you enjoyed the mocha from the Northlander a few weeks back," Jade explained.
"I asked her for a recommendation and didn't want her to feel bad ... I like my coffee sweet but not too sweet," said Hunter.
"Here have mine," Jade said, sliding her cup of coffee over to Hunter who pushes it back to her side of the table, "it's fine, I wasn't thirsty anyway," he said.
Jade sighs before speaking, "was that the first time someone died in front of you?" She asked.
Hunter shakes his head, "a few years ago, while I went to exorcise some demons - which I was recently told that they were actually darklings. I walked into the building that was supposed to be abandoned only to find three kids there. I wasn't sure at first until they attacked me. 'The demons can take any form they want so they probably took the form of kids' ... that was what I thought." Hunter exhales loudly, "I --"
"Take your time," she says and Hunter sighs, picking the sweet coffee from the table and drinking it. "After I had exorcised them," Hunter continued, "I waited for them to turn to dust - like they normally do - only for them to bleed and die ..."
"How old were they?" Jade inquired.
"I don't know, the youngest among them looked to be a year or two younger than I was at the time and the oldest was probably the same age as I was," he replied.
Jade nods, "and how old were you?" She asked.
"16," he replied. "Do you wish you had done things differently that day?" Jade queried.
Hunter sighs, "Yes. They were just kids like me ... I could have talked them down but I just charged in and people died because of it," he said sadly.
"When I first took a life, I was 12 or maybe 13. I've lived for more than 3000 years since then so take it from me: It doesn't help to dwell on it. I am not asking you to forget it happened ... I am asking you to learn from it. After all, mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to error that counts."
The Sprite sighs before speaking, "You mentioned that he had a daughter, can we go see her?"
"Sure, just not today. You should go home and get some rest. We'll be going back to Alastair's to see if you can learn anything new from Chelsea," she said.
Hunter nods before heading out of the agency, making sure to stop by the front desk where he was given a bunch of keys to his new house with the location. The dark-haired boy made sure to call his friend and the two go to check out the place together.
The house was in a gated community in Skyline, tucked away from the bustling of the crowded city.
"Wow!!! This building is so cool!" Jacob gushed. "Eh ... That's not the house Jake," Hunter said.
"No?"
"It's the one over there."
"Oh ... My ... God!" Jacob practically shouted admiring the Mediterranean-style estate. They walked up to the complex where Hunter placed his hand on the screen in front. It scanned his hand before the door slides open. "Welcome home, Mr. Heffernan," an AI voice said from a speaker next to the door.
"Awesome! Is my fingerprint also in the system?" He queried. "I don't think so, here's a key," Hunter said handing a key to his friend.
"Aww, but whatever, nothing can ruin this day!"
They walked past the reflecting pool, taking in the main compound. There was a small sports complex on one side that included a tennis and a basketball court and formal gardens on the other side.
"How many bedrooms do you think this house has?" said Jacob.
"10?" Hunter guessed. "I think it's more," Jacob said. The duo moved passed the infinity pool and into the living room.
"So many rooms! What did you do in your past life to be blessed like this?" Jacob said.
"I don't know about a past life but I think we are here now because I bonded with a demon," Hunter said.
They go through some of the rooms finding a discotheque, an indoor gym, and a 50-seat movie theater.
"This place is awesome!" Jacob stated.
"Agreed and there is another house in the Met," Hunter revealed.
"Amazing. Can we check the garage outside?" Jake asked, "maybe they left a Lamborghini there for you," he stated.
"I -- sure," Hunter said.
They walked back outside and into the garage where they found different supercars and hypercars, ranging from Bugattis, De Tomasos, Ferraris, Paganis, McLarens, Czingers, Gordon Murrays, Koenigseggs, Bentleys, Mercedes, and Aston Martins.
"Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow!" Jacob gushed, "I'd kiss your demon if I could see him," he stated.
"Gross."
"Do you have the keys to all these cars?" Jacob asked.
"I don't know, they gave me a lot of keys though," he said.
"I can't wait to drive one of these," Jacob said rubbing his palms together.
"You don't have a license," Hunter pointed out.
"Yeah, yeah. Anyways, we should start moving our things," Jacob said.
"Not today, I have to meet with Sof soon," Hunter replied.
"Ooh, somebody has a date," he singsonged
"It's not like that," Hunter frowned. "Yeah, sure, aha," Jacob smiled teasingly.
"I'd start packing now, I'm pretty sure I could get everything in one go; it's not like we have too much stuff," Jacob said. "Can I get the key to the McLaren Elva?"
"No," Hunter said plainly. "It was worth a shot."
...
Hunter walked into the restaurant where Sophia waved at him from one of the booths. "Hi," Hunter greeted, sitting on the seat opposite hers. Sophia was wearing a blue jacket with a tank top underneath coupled with blue tights and high heels.
"Thanks for coming," the redhead said. "It sounded serious," Hunter replied.
"It is," Sophia said looking up at Waleed and then back at Hunter. "There's no other way for me to put this so I'm just going to come out and say it: You're dying Hunter; someone put a curse on you," she stated.
[Well this is awkward]
"Um ... Sophia --"
"I know this sounds crazy to you but you have to trust me," she quickly added, "I can see things ... things you think aren't real; demons, ghosts, curses --"
"Sophia!" Hunter interjected, cutting her off. "I know about all that ... I am a mystical being ... A Sprite to be precise and the reason I've been away for some time isn't that I went to see my uncle or whatever - I wasn't even looking for them - I've been away because I enrolled at a school for mystical beings called the Metropolitan School of Mysticism," he explained.
"Oh," Sophia paused, thinking about what the Sprite had just revealed. "Okay, someone put a curse on you though ... That wasn't there before you left," she pointed out.
"It's not a curse, it's a demon I bonded with," Hunter explained.
Sophia looks at Waleed and then back at Hunter, "Hunter," she said softly, "that's not a demon," she said.
"What are you talking about?"
"I have seen demons bonded to other beings ... This isn't one. Can you remember first meeting him? Or the specifics of the contract you made before bonding?"
.
.
.
Hunter walked into his house and headed straight for his bedroom after such a long day. 'You haven't said anything since my talk with Sof. '
[Have you ever heard of the specter eyes?]
'No.'
Waleed appears in front of Hunter.
[Very few possess the specter eyes as it comes only once in a couple of millennia. Your friend has it, that's why she can see me. Most mystical beings seek those in possession of the eye because of the power it gives. In the hands of a human, like your friend, the eye doesn't do more than just see things others can't but in the hands of a powerful mystic, its abilities are limitless]
'What are you trying to say?'
[You should kill her]
"What the fuck?!" Hunter cussed out loud.
[It's the only solution; kill her and take the eyes for yourself. You h --]
"Shut up! Just shut up!" Hunter shouted.
[You don't get it. If that --]
"I don't want to get it!" said Hunter, disgusted by the words coming from the demon's mouth. "Sof was right, wasn't she? I never made any deal with you."
[You did]
"What did I ask for in return then? I don't think I'd just agree to become your vessel without asking for anything in return so why don't you tell me what I asked for?!"
[I can't say]
"Because there was no deal! You bonded with me without a contract! I know you're not a curse so what really are you?" Hunter demanded.
[I am your ancestor]
"I see," Hunter said looking away from the demon. "I get it now," he laughed, "when Sof said I was dying, she wasn't wrong ... Soon you'll be the one in control of my body isn't that right ... Cal-Ra?"
[What did you just call me?]
"That's what you were called in the middle ages was it not? You're Cal-Ra ... The man who started the class wars."
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