"What do you mean they failed?"
Baxter remained silent, sipping a cup of wine as Titus yelled about the failure of the assassination.
"It's not my fault that a legion appeared" Baxter replied calmly.
Titus stormed at the vampire, grabbing him by the throat.
"You promised me that bitches head" Titus spat, venom dripping from his voice. "Now, you're telling me you failed."
Baxter snapped his fingers, two vampires moved swiftly and slammed Titus, pinning him to the floor.
"What's the meaning of this Baxter?" Titus muttered, trying to release the vampire's grip.
"Oh for Behemoths sake, would you shut up?" Baxter snapped at Titus, his crimson eyes glowing with fury.
Titus whimpered as the vampire's tightened their grip on him. Baxter stared at Titus with disgust, pouring his wine all over Titus.
"Don't talk to me like we're allies Titus." Baxter said dropping his empty glass on the marble table. "You're just a pawn in my game don't forget that"
Titus gritted his teeth, glaring at Baxter. "You bastard, you will pay for betraying me"
Titus mustered some strength and pushed away the vampires holding him down.
Running straight for Baxter, he picks up the glass up and shatters it on the table. Baxter's gaze locked on Titus, calculating his next move.
...….
An arrow whistled through the air, pinning Titus to the wall. Baxter sighed and turned to face the archer.
"Who's that worm making a lot of noise?"
"Took you long enough" Baxter grumbled, getting up from his seat. The archer walked towards the unconscious Titus.
"Seems like the impact with the wall, knocked him out cold" The archer hinted, forcing the arrow out of the wall. "Well, how are the preparations going?"
Baxter's hesitated to answer the question.
"Well, Baxter..?"
"The thing is…" Baxter paused, pouring liquor into his glass. "We don't have enough sacrifice, plus the scroll states we need a descendant of Behemoth."
"Hmm, a descendant" the archer glared at Baxter. "Well then, I'll go find this descendant myself" he replied as he strutted towards the exit.
"Doesn't that mean you'll face your previous allies? You can't afford that right" Baxter said, giving the archer a deadly stare.
"We'll see about that, Baxter" The archer replied, walking out of the room.
Elena drove the car into a rundown alleyway, the dim orange glow of the streetlights barely illuminating the cracked asphalt. The silence between her and Stacy hung heavily in the air, punctuated only by the occasional groan from the unconscious Liam in the back seat.
Stacy leaned her head against the window, her gaze fixed on the passing scenery. "We can't stay here for long," she said finally, her tone sharp but thoughtful.
"You're the one who wanted to drag him along," Elena muttered, her hands gripping the steering wheel. "What are you planning to do with him?"
Stacy turned her head slowly, her piercing gaze meeting Elena's. "I told you already. That wolf reeks of Behemoth's aura. If I'm right, he's either part of your curse we're dealing with or the key to breaking it."
Elena clenched her jaw, the weight of Stacy's words sinking in. The mention of the demon god of chaos and destruction was not something to take lightly. "You think he's connected to… my curse? To why I can't die?"
"I don't think. I know," Stacy said firmly. "But I won't lie to you, Elly. If I'm wrong… you'll have to kill him before this gets worse."
The car screeched to a halt. Elena turned in her seat, her eyes blazing. "You don't get to make that call."
"And you don't get to hesitate when everything is on the line," Stacy snapped back. "You're in this mess because you're too soft, Elly. You think there's a right way to deal with a monsters. There isn't."
Before Elena could reply, a low groan came from the back seat. Liam stirred, his golden eyes flickering open. His movements were sluggish at first, but the tension in his body returned almost instantly as his gaze darted around the car.
"Where am I?" he growled, his voice hoarse. He struggled against the ropes binding his hands, the cords creaking under the strain of his strength. He tried shifting to his wolf form.
"Aaargh" Liam groaned as the rope glowed burning his wrists, stopping his transformation.
"Easy, wolf-boy," Stacy said without looking back. "You're alive, but only because Elly here vouched for you."
Liam's eyes narrowed at Stacy, his expression dark. "Untie me," he demanded, his tone sharp.
"Not until we figure out what to do with you," Stacy replied, her voice as calm as it was cutting. "You're carrying something dangerous, and I don't trust you not to lose control."
Liam's growl deepened, his wold instincts radiating through every inch of his being. He turned his gaze to Elena. "You trust her?" he spat, jerking his head toward Stacy.
Elena hesitated, her mind racing with everything that had happened. She knew Stacy was right about Liam not being just any wolf. There was something darker at play, something even he might not understand. But there was also the memory of him saving her life, he had fought against the vampires without hesitation.
"You seem to have forgotten, Stacy and I are in the same line of business," Elena said finally. "Trust isn't the issue now, the issue is you."
Liam snorted, his expression twisting into a smirk. "You hunters really love your games. Fine. I'll play along. But don't expect me to follow your rules."
Stacy opened her mouth to retort, but the sound of approaching footsteps froze the air in the car. Both hunters and wolf tensed, their gazes snapping to the alley entrance. Two figures emerged from the shadow, their cloaks billowing in the cold night wind.
Stacy swore under her breath, reaching for her dagger. "Elly, get him out of here."
"What about you?" Elena asked, her heart pounding as the figures came closer.
"I'll just kill them," Stacy said casually stepping out of the car. "Just go!"
Elena hesitated for only a moment before slamming the car into reverse. Liam cursed under his breath, his golden eyes narrowing as the cloaked figures advanced on Stacy.
"You think she can take them?" he asked, his voice laced with doubt.
Elena's grip on the wheel tightened. "She's a legion, of course she can"
"A legion?"
Elena sighed "Legions are powerful hunters with at least 20 years of experience."
Liam eye's widened "She doesn't even look that old"
"Yeah, she has a young face" Elena chuckled finally managed to get out of the alleyway. "Well, we don't have to worry about her, she's the best there is."
"And if she's not enough?"
Elena didn't answer. In the rear-view mirror, she caught a glimpse of Stacy unsheathing her weapon, her movements fluid and confident. But even from this distance, Elena could feel the weight of what was coming. The air seemed to ripple with an unnatural energy, the shadows growing darker as the two figures closed in.
Liam shifted in the back seat, his gaze flickering between Elena and the chaos unfolding behind them. "This isn't over," he muttered.
Elena's jaw tightened as she pushed the car forward, the roar of the engine drowning out her pounding heart. "No," she said quietly. "It's just beginning."
The alley darkened further as Stacy faced the two cloaked figures. Their presence was suffocating, a chill emanating from them that seemed to sap warmth from the air.
She gripped her dagger tightly, its silver edge glinting faintly in the dim light. "Nice night for a hunt," she said, her voice sharp as she assessed the enemies before her. "As a reward, I won't use any of my gifts, I swear on the Reinhardt's name" The moment those words left her lips, an emblem appeared and embedded itself on her right arm.
The taller of the two figures stepped forward, its face hidden beneath the shadow of its hood. When it spoke, its voice was like dry leaves cracking in a winter wind. "A hunter who won't run. Admirable. Foolish, but admirable."
"Careful," Stacy replied with a smirk "Flattery will get you killed."
The figure raised a pale, clawed hand gesturing to the other. "Take her."
"Damn, you can't even take a joke."
The second figure lunged, moving with inhuman speed. Stacy sidestepped the attack, her dagger flashing as she slashed upward. The blade connected with its cloak, cutting through the fabric to reveal a skeletal arm beneath.
"Figures," she muttered.
The creature hissed, its hood falling back to reveal a face that was almost human except for the hollow, glowing eyes and twisted, snarling mouth.
Before it could recover, Stacy drove her dagger into its chest. The creature screeched, its body convulsing as the silver burned through it.
"Not so tough," she muttered, pulling the blade free as the creature crumpled to the ground.
The taller figure raised its hand and the air around her seemed to compress. Stacy lunged at it but staggered as an invisible force wrapped around her chest, squeezing breath from her lungs.
"You should have run," it said, its tone cold.
Stacy gasped, her dagger slipping from her fingers as she fell to her knees. The pressure grew, crushing her ribs, her vision darkening at the edges.
With a guttural yell, Stacy reached for the vial strapped to her belt. She smashed it against the ground, releasing through the alley like wildfire.
The figure recoiled, its grip loosening as the mist enveloped it. Stacy used the moment to stagger to her feet, grabbing her second blade, a curved weapon inscribed with ancient ruins.
"Well done, you made me use Olethros" she growled, slashing at the figure.
The blade struck through, carving through its chest with a burst of dark energy. The figure let out an unearthly wail as its form began to disintegrate, its cloak collapsing into ash.
Stacy staggered back, breathing heavily as the mist began to dissipate. The alley was silent again, but the fight had taken its toll. Her body ached, her vision swarm, and the faint echo of the figure's wail still rang in her ears.
"Damn," she muttered, wiping blood from her lip. "These creatures… that means he's back but why?"
She glanced toward the street where Elena and Liam had disappeared, her eyes widening in realization. "Oh no!"
Stacy started running towards their direction, she could only hope they weren't far away and he didn't find them before she did.