Hunter's Rebellious Soul (The Hunters' Legacy Book 1)

Chapter 4

    A broken rib, cracked eyebrow and a lot of bruises - that was the final of Michael's heroic gesture towards small French girl. But it seemed that she knew how to be grateful. They looked cute together, just as if they already fell in love with each other. 

    And Jay had to admit that they fit together perfectly. On their own strangely romantic and twisted way. 

    The whole incident passed without suspension in student's rights. The fact that Michael was quiet and never took part in fights helped a lot. 'He always plays the role of conciliator,' Jay thought, smiling to herself. Moreover, the principal stated, that two-week suspension three days before the end of school, would ridicule him in the eyes of the whole town. And yet the fact that young Tyler stood up for a friend. 'That came in handy!'

***

    The school finally ended. They got their diplomas at the graduation ceremony and felt free at last. But the party still remained and Jay was definitely not in the mood. Maybe due to last events? The fact that Bryan was texting her much too often, and calling her during the night, put her at alert. 'What the heck is he up to?! She could not figure it out. She was unable to read him, nor his intentions. Like last night. 

    It was two in the morning when she picked up the phone. At first she could not recognize the voice. It was hoarse and strangely distant. When she finally realized that it was Bryan, she was immediately fully awake. He mumbled something incomprehensible. But when Jay asked if he was okay, he murmured some apologies and hanged up. She tried to call him back to check if he was fine. He did not answer though. Only texted her back to wish her sweet dreams! And of course she couldn't fall asleep after that! She ran three times her usual distance and spent at the gym almost four hours. 

   Now she was tired and angry. ‘Damn you, Weakfield!’ She cursed him while getting ready for the party. They have planned it for the twenty-first June – her and Jess’ birthday. Mel was implacable and since early morning they prepared everything on the clearing in the woods – just by the lake, of which the town took its name – Purple Creek. Thanks to incredible play of light lake’s water had a unique violet color. ‘It’s probably also because of the flora of the lake,’ she thought packing another case of beer on the jeep’s platform. 

    - It's going to be a great party! - Mark brought her out of thoughts.

    - Yeah, cause this time we celebrate our graduation and living for college. We're going to get out in two weeks. We need to organize everything in Missoula. - She heard voices of the rest of her brothers and turned towards the house. They were coming down the porch carrying some more packages, joking, harassing and poking each other's elbows. - I'll miss it. - Jay sighed.

    - You know that's not like you're going to the edge of the world. - Mark pointed out. - And at least not forever. - He rolled his eyes. - Yet you'll want to breathe freely. - He winkled at her and smirked hauntingly, and she laughed.

    Jay got remembered now, that it looked the same two years ago, when Carter and Christian were leaving for college. They had spent the whole summer decorating their flat, signing up for classes and working at Mercury, where they got a job together with Bryan. Mel's brother lived few blocks away from her bothers. He shared the flat with David McKinnon. Dave was ok. Even with his constant flirting, at which he was not very good. He was that kind of a guy, whom girls steered clear of a wide berth. He, on contrary, was convinced that he abashed them. He thought himself to be a playboy and he behave like one. Sovereign lord and master, who allows hordes of women to worship him. 

    She recalled when Dave tried to kiss her once. Jay broke his nose and she did not betray him in front of the rest, when he claimed that a six-foot-giant hit him, when he defended Jay. She shook her head with a smirk at that memory. She came back to the present moment.

    - Let's go, or else the beer will boil here! - Jay gave the command and they all got into the cars.

***

    The clearing was large, well covered and far enough from the nearest buildings, so the noise would not disturb citizens of quiet town. Mel and her sisters were already there. So was Bry. Jay took a deep breath. She grabbed one of the speakers and headed towards him as he was installing Mel’s laptop on a table. He was kneeling by the aggregate, swearing under his breath. She stopped by casting a shadow on him. Bry looked up and his smile suddenly faded.

    - Feeling better? – She asked sarcastically.

    - Better than ever. – He grinned widely. – Especially now, when I saw you. – He added.

    - Seriously Weakfield, I don’t know what you’re taking, but better stop it! – She rolled her eyes. – It was funny at first. But now it’s just weird! And creepy. – She stated, put the speaker on the ground, turned around and left for Mel.

    - What’s up there between you two? – Her friend asked. She watched that scene and had mixed feelings.

    - What do you mean? – Jay asked surprised.

    - You have some argument? – She asked.

    - No, why? Bry just behaves like my brothers. – She opened a can of soda for herself.

    - That is? – Mel was definitely too curious.

    - He just loves to play on my nerves! Tease me! – She growled. – He just pisses me off since he came back! And it seems that he enjoys it!

    - Okay! – Seeing her bestie’s mood, Mel decided to let it go. – Let’s play some music, shall we?

    Soon sharp sounds of hip-hop flowed from the speakers, a sizable campfire was burning in the middle of the clearing, and youth was standing in groups drinking beer. They were recalling interesting and funny events from the last school year, talking about summer plans, flirting.

    Jay always liked meeting friends, but she was more attracted by observing people – gestures, facial expression, tone of voices. This is why she was standing at the edge of the clearing leaning against slender birch indulged in her favorite pastime. Today she especially focused on her younger brother and his newest sweetheart. ‘They look so pretty together. The girl makes good impression and she seems to be as romantic as Mike. But I’ll check her out anyway!’ She smiled slyly to her thoughts.

    Jay got used to the fact, that Carter and Christian had girlfriends they would bring home sometimes. For quite a long time Jess had dates. Unfortunately, he had a bad luck and hit on girls, who got bored very quickly and dumped him for other hunk, which broke Jess’ heart. He played for school football team, but he was nothing like beefy guys who score girl one after another. Mark was a type of playboy, but until now none of the girls took him seriously. Daniel had just started to look after opposite s*x, but still it was rather curiosity.

    Probably Michael, with his serenity and sensitive soul, should not be surprise. It could be expected, that especially he will fall in love with some cute girl much earlier, than the rest of his siblings. However, for Jay it was hard to look at it calmly. She knew that if Monique will hurt her younger brother in any way, it will be much more painful for Michael, than it would be for others. And then she should better watch her back, cause then Jay will not be responsible for her actions.

    She then looked at Melanie. Her best friend was shamelessly flirting with Tony Parker. Hot as he might be, he was also a f*****g moron! He was a player and Jay hated him so much! And looking now at her bestie she knew that it will cause only trouble. But she also knew that there was no point in persuading Mel to dump him, as for now she only had eyes on that bastard. ‘Guess I’ll have to comfort her later.’ Jay sighed.

    Suddenly, she felt someone grabbed her arm and she was pulled between the trees. Everything happened so fast, that she had no time to give even a small sound. The only thing she could do was to chide herself in mind. ‘How could I’ve lost vigilance?! i***t!’ She kept throwing herself invectives.

    Jay immediately prepared herself for a blow, but what happened next knocked her off her feet. Instead of expected drabbing or blade of some quiet weapon, she felt hot kiss on her lips. ‘Damn it!’ It crossed her mind. Sweet taste of cherries made her fell no attempt to resist. She slipped her fingers between soft strands of his hair, leaned her head back, and arched her body gently. She shivered, when his hands slipped under her blouse and she could feel his touch on bare skin.

    When Bryan separated his mouth from her hot lips, Jay wanted to shout at him straight away, but when he smiled at her, she completely forgotten what she was supposed to say.

    - Happy seventeenth birthday. – With a twinkle in his eye, he leaned to kiss her again. She did not protest. ‘Eventually, you only live once. Oh what the hell!?’ – I couldn’t wait for it. – He whispered into her parted lips and invaded her mouth with his tongue. 

    Last night was a real torture for him. Mainly because of all the various emotions he felt – from rage to quiet hope, he could not sleep for a long time. When he finally managed to fall asleep, he had visions. He could fell her touch, smell her, taste her. He saw her beautiful eyes covered with fine mist. He woke up sweat, with a poignant feeling of emptiness and dissatisfaction. He got up, got himself a bottle of Jack Daniels and drunk almost whole of it. He also found a lost joint in his stuff. ‘Screw it!’ He thought and fired it. The he called her, just to hear her voice. Fortunately, he realized that he was too high for that conversation.

    He woke up today feeling that he did something stupid. And when he saw her earlier with that smirk on her face he already knew that he was bubbling on the phone like some maniac. What she said surprised him. And he felt hurt as well. She was thinking that he was playing some game. That he was making a fun of her. Teasing her. ‘Can’t she see that I’m dying to touch her?!’ He thought frustrated and deepened the kiss.

    Now, he could finally feel her.

***

    When at four in the morning it started to lighten, they gathered at the lake’s shore. They stood in a semicircle, immersed in their own thoughts. Jay noticed, that for the whole night she even did not think that there are many similar clearings in these woods, and on one of them their mother died tragically. She felt guilty, although, she was aware that she could not look at everything through the prism of their loss.

    - I think I’ll miss it. – Jess broke the silence and looked at his siblings.

    - You’re not coming back? – Mark grinned. – Then I order your stereo.

    - My equipment goes with me. – Jason poked his younger brother. – I spoke about this place, people, parties. – He added in a low voice.

    - Just think about a party we’ll organize when you’ll come with visit. – Said Daniel. Though, he was the youngest, they never excluded him – all for one, and so on.

    - Mark and Mike will leave next year. – Carter continued.    

    - Yeah, and finally, I’ll be the only one for Sean to focus on my training. – Daniel, as always, found positive side of the situation. However, they knew that he did not like the perspective of staying in their hometown without brothers and sister.

    - It’s our home. It’ll always be, so sooner or later we’ll come back here. – Christian looked for confirmation of his words in faces of the gathered. They all shared his opinion.

    - It’s time to go. People took from here their drunk asses long time ago. – Jess was bursting with humor as usually.

    They started towards clearing to collect all their staff that left. When they were ready to go back, they realized that something was wrong. The sky, instead of becoming brighter, was getting dark again, as if someone wanted to turn the night back.

    Above the lake, which just a quarter before had a color of spring violets, a thick fog floated. This spooky landscape, removed directly from the horror movie, made them shiver.

    They put down things, which they were holding and headed, as if hypnotized, towards the depths of the lake hidden in white mist.

    When they got to the shore, they noticed that the water is boiling like in red-hot pot. In the haze hovering above the surface, they saw a shape of woman’s silhouette.

    - Has anyone drowned here? – In Daniel’s voice they could hear a pinch of horror. And yet he did not know fear.

    - I don’t know anything about it. But we live in f****d up times. – Carter tried to calm his siblings down, but with little success.

    The figure became sharper. The woman was wearing long dress in the color of deep sea. Her long wavy hair hanged slightly over her shoulders, framed the face hiding it in the shadow. They heard melodious whispers spreading in the forest silence, like the elves’ music of yore.

    - Better get out of here! – Saying this, Jay made an attempt to retreat into the clearing, but she was not able to make even a one step. – Damn it! – She cursed under her breath.

    She looked at her brothers and stated, that they all stand still and stare fascinated at the levitating figure. A thought crossed her mind, that they were enchanted by some f*****g wood nymph, forest spirit or something like that. ‘It doesn’t matter what’s that!’ She thought. ‘I have to get us out of it somehow!’

    She screamed. Called her brothers. Jay asked, begged, cursed and threatened, but none of them even looked in her direction. Wind noise, which suddenly seized the so far quiet forest, drowned out everything. What was worse, Jay felt irresistible need to look at the form hovering above the vibrating surface of the lake. Whatever was to come, it could not be finished without her. She had to look to close the circle.

    Not quite voluntarily, she started to turn her face towards the apparition. She closed her eyes, but after a moment she opened them, convinced that it was useless. Whispers, which struggled to her consciousness through the wind, said clearly that the time had come. Their time. Their fate was about to be fulfilled and they could not fought with it.

    With last ounce of will she tried to fight the force, which was compelling her to look up. First, she glanced at the lake, but her eyes slowly and consistently guided upwards, to finally stop at the face hidden behind a veil of hair.

    A woman figure, levitating above the water like on the wave of air, came closer to them and lifted her head a bit, so they could see her face, and opened her eyes.

    It was the color and glow of the eyes, which assured them, that what they saw, was not only a dream, but a massage. Their mother wanted to tell them something.

    Jay was overwhelmed by wave of memories and feelings. The joy of meeting Isabo again. Pain, caused by returning scenes of the past. Anger, because their own mother mocked them so sorely. Happiness at the memory of years spent together. Fear and despair that they will have to lose her again. Relief at the thought, that it’s only an apparition. Terror that the vision may become reality.

    And love. Encompassing. Wrapping her tightly as a safe cocoon, where one can hide from the whole evil, fear and pain.

    She understood that those are not only her emotions. But of her brothers and their mother as well. She loved them and mourned, that she had to leave them so early. She was anxious about them. Jay could felt the weight of responsibility which rested on Isabo’s shoulders. And which, she was sure of that, was to rest on them now.

    They all felt that. It struck her suddenly and with full power.

    She was joined with her brothers with some invisible thread, which gave her access to their thoughts and hearts. To their souls.

    She fell to her knees overwhelmed by excess of incoming feelings and emotions. They also could not stand up on their own, and one by one fell to their knees. Jay could not breathe and she felt, that her brothers also missed breath. They could not control it. They were completely overwhelmed. Enslaved.