Hunter's eyes opened, and he looked to his side to see Circe still in bed next to him.
The sprite checked the time on his phone, seven more minutes before he has to meet with Leah. He rolled out of bed and quickly put on his cloth before making his way out of the apartment and to the park.
Hunter sat on a bench and waited for the vampire for several minutes but when she doesn't show up, he shoots her a quick message asking for her whereabouts.
Some more minutes passed and Leah still does not show up, Hunter checks his phone once more to see if there was any new message but there was nothing.
[You know what this means, right?]
'Three things. Leah uncharacteristically forgot about the meeting which is almost certainly impossible or someone is trying to make Circe look bad or Circe somehow got to Leah before me.'
[Whichever one it is, it would be unwise to not be cautious]
.
.
.
"Seriously? A bowling alley?" Zoe queried raising an eyebrow.
"Yes! I promised we'd do this soon, I always deliver on my promise," Hunter claimed.
"You also promised to beat me and you still haven't," Zoe said a smirk dancing on her lips.
"I did? Well, tell you what, we have all life to live. So even when we're old and gray, I'd still be challenging you until I've beaten you."
"Old and gray? You think we'll still be in touch by then?"
"What are you talking about? Of course, we will! This right here ..." He points to her then himself, "... This is forever, you already signed the agreement so there's no going back!"
"When did --"
"Hunter Heffernan!"
The sprite turned to face the person that said his name, his eyebrow raised as he hadn't recognized the voice but seeing their face did nothing to avert his confusion.
"Uhm ... Hello?" He said.
"Wow you're as handsome as I remember," she said.
'Did she just --'
"You are here to bowl, right? Follow me, there's a free lane that is not booked yet." The girl ushered them into the alley, Zoe casting a sidelong glance at Hunter. "You know her?"
"I have no idea who this woman is," said Hunter.
[I'm just going to step in here and say I have seen her in your memories before]
'You have?'
[Yes, during one of your exorcism jobs]
"Oh," Hunter said out loud. "I was wrong, I know who she is," he said.
Zoe nods. "Mhm."
"Here we are," she smiled. "We could play against each other if you're here alone," she suggested.
"No, I'm here with a friend," he said moving aside so she can see Zoe who frowned at her.
"Oh ..." Her face falls but she turns back to Hunter and the smile returns. "I just realized I basically just dragged you here and you might not have recognized me earlier; my head gets all jumbled when I'm around handsome guys ..."
'She is flirting with me, right? I'm not imagining it.'
"I'm Reba," she said.
"Oh I know," he replies. "How's your brother?"
Her smile grows wider. "You remembered me? And yeah, little Jimmy is fine, he'll be finishing high school this year," she said.
"Oh, that's awesome! And you?"
"You know ... Got tired of depending on mom and not really contributing anything to the expenses so I moved states and here I am. What about you? What brought you to the Met?"
"Oh you know --"
"Hey, you work here, right? Where can I get a drink?" Zoe asked the girl who only glared at the fiend before turning back to Hunter with a bright smile.
"So this is one of the places I work at," she said to the sprite. "I know all the best drinks they serve, can I get you something?"
"No thanks, I have all I need here," he said taking out a bottle of water and showing it to her.
"Nonsense, you'll like this one so much better," she said.
"I mean ... Can you get something for my friend while you're at it?" He requested.
The girl turned to Zoe and frowned. "Sure," she said before turning on her heels and disappearing into the crowd.
"She's hundred percent poisoning that drink," Zoe said while Hunter laughs. "I was this close to bitch slapping her," she added.
"I'm glad you didn't," Hunter said. "You can do it after we've played a bit," he said.
Zoe smiles. "So how do you know her?"
"Remember when I told you I used to be an exorcist in my hometown?"
"Barely."
"Oh? Well, I met her in one of those jobs, her brother was possessed by a darkling," he stated.
"I see."
Hunter put on his bowling shoes and turned to face the fiend. "So I take it this is not your first time bowling?" He asked.
"No. Is this your first?" asked the dark-haired girl.
"Yes," he replied. "Can you tell me how to play?" He asked.
"It's pretty simple and the lanes are marked so we're already off to a great start. First, you stand upright and put your fingers in the holes on the ball, like this ..." Zoe inserted her fingers in the holes before she continues. "Next, you balance the ball on your palm around your chest height and use your free hand to support the weight, the ball should be slightly to the right side of your body in alignment with the right seam of your shirt." Zoe balances the ball in her hand.
"Your knees should be slightly bent and your shoulders relaxed. Next, you plant your left foot on this dot right here." Zoe plants her foot on the big dot in the center of the lane. "Remember to keep your wrist strong so that the ball appears like a natural extension of your arm, you don't want your wrist to droop down towards the floor."
"When throwing the ball," she continued, "do not aim for the center. Rather, you should aim for the arrow just to the right of the center." She stated. "You should release the ball by flicking your wrist and fingers."
Zoe then move back before approaching the lane, she pushed her arm forward on the first step, the ball on the right side of her back before dropping the arm so that the ball arcs back towards her legs.
She takes a step again, the ball arcing behind her and up towards her shoulder height, she then swings the ball down as she plants her left foot by the line, releasing the ball by flicking her wrist and fingers up towards her head.
The ball rolls off the fiend's hand and onto the lane, knocking down all the pins.
'Wow! She might actually be a better bowling instructor than a mystic arts teacher.'
[Heh. Say that to her]
Hunter takes a ball and inserts his finger inside, he then approaches the lane with long strides before releasing the ball, it starts well but eventually rolls into the gutter without knocking down any of the pins.
"Yee! This is not as easy as I thought," Hunter said.
"Here, try again," Zoe said handing him another ball. "Look at your mark when you release, not the pins or you will get distracted - the arrows are your target, the ball will do the rest."
"Alright." Hunter tries again and this time the ball knocks off all the pins.
"Strike!" A voice from behind said.
'Uhm ... Pretty sure that was a spare.' Hunter turned to see who had spoken though he had an idea of who it might have been. He sees Reba walking towards him with a big smile on her face.
'Why is she not stopping? Also, why is her hands outstretched?!"
[I don't know, I think she's trying to do this thing called a hug]
'I'm going to move.'
[You better not]
'What if I duck?'
[Don't do that either!]
Reba runs into his arm and the sprite lifts her off the ground. "Woo!" She exclaimed before the dark-haired boy sets her back on the ground.
"You're like, so strong," Reba said softly massaging his muscles.
'You know, at first, I didn't mind her flirting but now I feel like I'm not being taken seriously.'
[Tell me about it, she didn't even come back with a drink!]
"Er ... Where's my drink?" Zoe asked.
"Oh silly me, I totally forgot to get you your drink," she said to the dark-haired boy. "But it's fine, right? You never wanted the drink anyways," she added.
Zoe frowns. "You better go get me that drink," she ordered.
Reba froze then meekly turned to go get the drink. Zoe turned to see Hunter shooting her a 'what the hell?!' look.
"It was either that or I beat the stupidity out of her," she said to which the sprite only shook his head.
The two then played a friendly competition, Reba returned with the grey-eyed girl's drink and then turned to a cheerleader for the sprite during the game. When she caught Zoe staring intently at her, she made herself scarce and the two enjoyed the rest of their game in peace.
Later, as the duo prepare to leave, Hunter turned to the fiend. "Zoe, we need to talk about something," Hunter said drawing the fiend's attention.
"We do?"
"Yeah ... It's about the living situation, you can't keep staying at the house any longer," Hunter stated.
"Oh ..." Zoe sets the ball down. "Did I do something wrong?" She asked.
"No, no, not at all," he replies. "It's only temporary, I think there's someone who's trying to harm those around me and they already know I live there," he said. "I don't want you to get hurt for no damn reason," he explained.
"Oh. Well, it would pain you to know but I do not need you to function," Zoe said.
"You don't?"
"Not at all."
"That's good."
"I know."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Alright ... Take me back home," Zoe said.
"The home that you shouldn't return to because I think there's someone who's trying to harm those around me?"
"Relax, I just need to refresh a bit before going to Lauren's," she explained.
"Okay."
"Are you guys leaving already?" Reba asked as she sees the duo pack their things into their bag.
"Yeah," Hunter replied with a smile. "And thank you, Reba, you were awesome," he added.
"It's nothing," she giggles. "Come again soon, preferably alone." She whispered the last to herself but the two mystics heard it.
Zoe raises her eyebrow at Hunter who shrugs. "What?"
...
They got into the house and Hunter started towards his bedroom but Zoe grabs him by the wrist. "Together," she said.
"Sure," Hunter replied. "I do need to get out of these clothes though."
Zoe nods and lets him go and the sprite did just that, when he got into the bathroom, the fiend was already in the bathtub.
"Come on in," Zoe said.
Hunter remove the towel and got into the bathtub. The sprite sighs and relaxes a bit before mindlessly staring at the same spot.
Zoe noted the teal green-eyed boy was deep in thought and swims towards him before hugging him from the back, "What are you thinking about?" She whispered into his ear.
"I don't know what I'd do," he says.
"About what?"
Hunter sighs. "Remember what I said about someone trying to harm those around me? That 'someone' is a person I trust. I don't think I'd be able to do anything to them if I find out they are the one," he stated.
Zoe moves her hand to the sprite's chest and lies her head on his back. "Breathe," she instructed.
Hunter inhaled and exhaled deeply before Zoe spoke again. "This person, do you know for sure that they are the one trying to harm those around you?" She asks.
"No."
"Then why are you disturbing your peace thinking of hypotheticals?"
"There's a good chan --"
"Shh. For now, they should be your friend, you have no real justification to think otherwise. The moment you find out they were not your friend to begin with, then and only then would you have to make a decision; To stop them and save your real friends from any further harm or to damn your friends to ill fate, hanging on to a relationship that was never really there."
Hunter paused, he hadn't thought about it like that. "Zoe?" He called.
"What is it?"
"Thank you."
"For what?" He could hear the surprise in her voice.
Hunter plants a kiss between her eyebrows before rising to his feet. "Come on, I'll cook you your favorite pasta," he said.
Her face brightens up. "The one with shallot and olive oil sauce?" She asked.
"Yup."
...
After he had prepared the dish, Hunter feeds the fiend - something he's done every day since they got back from Hel.
The sprite thought of Zoe's words from earlier, she was right. If Circe was the one that took Jade and Leah for whatever reason he couldn't just sit and do nothing, he would have to act, even if that meant fighting Circe.
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