The Skinwalker Hunter

Chapter 14 - Mia

There is no rest for the wicked, or so they say and I have to admit that it would be a real stretch to link me to that category, but dang it, I was injured and I was still being denied any rest. You would think that my only living relative would feel some sympathy when she found me sprawled across the couch, foot elevated in an obvious state of injury, surfing channels on the i***t box. No, not my Grandma. She stood over me, hands on her hips and foot-tapping to the tune of irritation.

"Turn that infernal thing off and start prepping the veggies for dinner," was all she had to say.

"But my foot," I whined gesturing at my injury. No answer, only the increased rhythm of her foot tapping and an outreached arm pointing towards the kitchen.

And this is where I found myself now, peeling the last of the potatoes before dropping them in the sink with the others.

Chopping board, chopping board, chopping board, I searched the cupboards in all the obvious places. Every one of them was stocked with pots, plates, glasses or baking dishes, yet no chopping board in. I was about ready to give up and commit the carnal sin of not using one when the clatter of keys dropped onto the benchtop behind me. Spinning around to see Rosa beaming at me like a Cheshire cat I dropped the hand now pressed against my chest attempting to stop my heart from escaping and smiled back in acknowledgement.

"What are you looking for," she asked in a musical voice more suitable for an angel rather than an undead bloodsucker.

I shuddered, gritted my teeth and planted a wide grin on my face. "Chopping board."

"Bottom drawer on your right," she sang, drifting around the kitchen island. "I'll get it."

I flinched as she drew nearer to me and widened the already ridiculous grin on my face. I tried to act natural around the immortal serial killer but ended up looking more like an exaggerated actor in a B grade movie than anything else. With a blur of movement, Rosa was across the kitchen with a chopping board in one hand and a knife in the other. I blinked repeatedly trying to focus my eyes.

"You'll catch flies if you leave your mouth open like that for too long," she smirked dicing the veggies with the precision of a professional chef.

I snapped my jaw shut and grabbed the steaks from the fridge. Oil sizzled and popped as the pan heated and I put the steaks in. "How do you like your steak?"

"With a pulse," she told me. I sucked in a breath and stiffened. She was right behind me, her breath on the back of my neck. "Mmmm, that smells good."

"Rosa!" Evan roared closing the back door behind him.

"What," she giggled wrapping her arms around my shoulders and kissing my cheek. "I was joking. It was funny, wasn't it?"

"Not really," I mumbled, shivers running down the length of my spine. Shaking off the creepy vibes clinging to my skin I trained a smile on my face and turned to face Rosa and Evan. "No foul no harm" I chirped out happily sounding more strained than I wanted it to.

Rosa slung her arm over my shoulder and kissed my cheek. "Mia gets my humour," she sang leaning her head against my cheek.

Evan glanced from Rosa to me and back again with an unreadable expression on his face. He shook his head ever so slightly and started to gather plates and cutlery to set the table. Rosa glided back to the stove adding a variety of spices and sauces to the sizzling veggies as if nothing had happened. Releasing a long sigh and some of the tension I was feeling in my body I turned back to the steaks, flipped each one and poked them randomly as I tried to relax my mind.

Rosa ushered me to the table to take my seat while she plated up the food and set each one on the table. Grandma thanked Rosa and glared at me with a look that screamed out disappointment that I'd palmed off my chores to our guests. My grandma was a stubborn woman and I knew that there was no way she would believe any explanation other than the one already planted in her mind, so I settled on looking down at my plate instead.

Rosa and Evan settled into their seats and we all looked at grandma. A sweet smile spread across her face as she picked up her knife and fork and carved a piece of her steak. "Thank you, Rosa this looks delicious."

"All Mia's doing," she announced, "I just cut the veggies."

"The only involvement in meal preparation a guest should partake in is the enjoyment of the flavour." I cringed at her words knowing what she would say next. "My mother brought me up with hostess etiquette, I passed that skill onto my daughter and she, in turn, passed it onto her daughter. It's a pity those skills didn't stick."

My cheeks heated and I inwardly groaned making a point to eat dinner with all the etiquette bestowed on royalty.

"That's my fault," Evan cut in. "I encouraged Rosa to help Mia so they can get to know each other better. I had the opportunity to assess her defences today and they were all but non-existent unless you consider wildly flailing arms in my general direction. Anyway, if you agree Ada, I believe Rosa can rectify this."

My grandma looked between the three of us quietly mulling over his words. When her eyes finally settled on mine I stiffened. "If it's no trouble, Rosa, I would greatly appreciate that."

"No trouble at all, Ada." Rosa beamed, pushing her food around her plate but never actually eating any of it. "I have some ideas on where we can start and some areas to focus on."

"We'll need to increase her fitness first," Evan said looking from my grandma to Rosa not even bothering to look at me. I mean why would he. It was only my life they were discussing. "An hour or two a day is a good start, then we can incorporate some defensive techniques into her training before moving onto any offensive moves."

My mouth fell open in utter disbelief at what he was expecting me to do. Don't get me wrong, I knew it was for my own protection but didn't he know I was allergic to exercise. That s**t made my face turn into a beetroot and sweat erupt from every pore in my body. Besides, how big was this so-called threat. We only had his word for it and didn't know him from a bar of soap.

"She will need to increase her Wicca lessons with you, Ada, if you're up for it," he continued. "And I'll test her magical abilities."

"Thank you, Evan, Rosa. I don't know what I would do without your help." Grandma smiled sweetly at them both, reaching out and gently squeezing Evans hand. I couldn't believe what I was hearing or seeing for that matter. The woman who had raised me and known me all of my life was thanking these complete strangers for the torture they wanted to put me through. Hell no! Tension seeped into every corner of my body and a weight settled on my chest. I was freaking out again, I could feel it. I closed my eyes and concentrated on slowing down my breathing. Breathe in, hold for three seconds, breathe out, hold for three seconds. It took four more repetitions of box breathing before the tension started to ebb.

"No of course not," Rosa said and I had no idea what she was talking about. "Running alone won't be enough. I have a series of bodyweight exercises we can work on. Only a complete fitness makeover will be good enough to prepare her against the hunter." She turned to look at me grinning widely. "What I have in store for our little dancing queen here will make military boot camp look like daycare."

My brows creased in confusion. Dancing Queen, where did that come from. I had two left feet and little to no rhythm to speak of. I pushed that to the back of my mind. There were more important questions that needed answers right now and I was done with being treated like a child. "What does this hunter guy want with me?" All eyes turned on me and I gulped down the lump in my throat. "Did I kick his dog in a previous life or something?"

"He wants you dead." Rosa's words cut through me as confusion clouded my mind.

"Rosa," Evan snapped.

"What," she asked innocently twisting a strand of her black curls around her finger before releasing it and letting it spring back into place. "She has a right to know. No point in sugar-coating it. Besides," she smirked. "Not dying is a great motivator."

"But what did I do?" I inwardly groaned at how I sounded. I was aiming for adult treatment yet acting like a disobedient child. "Surely if we tell him I haven't done anything to him and that I don't even know him he will listen to reason." Rosa burst out laughing while Evan glared at her. Grandma looked at me pitying me and I let out a sigh of frustration.

"Mia, dear. It's time you learnt the truth about the legend of the hunter." Grandma placed her hand in mine gently squeezing it before tracing circles with her thumb across the back of it. "It all started in the early sixteen hundreds when a corrupt, power-hungry lord accused innocent people of witchcraft in order to take their land or get whatever he desired. When Elizabeth Read, the wife of a Duke, threatened to reveal the Lord's true intentions to the townspeople he framed her for witchcraft. She was subsequently charged and sentenced to be burned at the stake."

"What does this have to do with me," I asked still not seeing any connection to me or the vampire hell-bent on killing me.

"Lady Elizabeth Read is one of our ancestors," she replied.

"Wait. What?" I scraped my teeth over my bottom lip trying to make sense of everything. "Was she a skinwalker like us?"

"Very much so," Evan answered making my head turn to face him. He was retaking his place at the table. I frowned at him and the table now cleared of dishes. When had he done that? His indigo gaze studied me with interest as I'm sure every one of my emotions played out across my face like a short film.

"Was she a skinwaker?" Evan nodded slightly a smile creasing the corners of his mouth. "So why did the Lord frame her if she was a skin walker. Surely that would classify her as a witch?"

"Clever girl," my grandma beamed at me. "The foolish Lord framed a true witch for his gain. It is said that Elizabeth cursed him for eternity with her dying words as she was burned alive in front of the whole town. Her curse turned him into a vampire and his only way to break the curse is to kill every living relative of Elizabeth."

I gasped in shock as the weight of her words hit me. My life and my death were entwined with a centuries-old revenge plot. "What was she thinking? Why would she curse her family as well as him?"

"Elizabeth was an accomplished skinwalker, she was an elder and true wielder of her magic. She knew that every curse requires an escape clause in order to work. She also knew that by turning the hunter into the very thing he was accusing innocent people of, he would lose everything. Her kin was well hidden and protected although I don't believe she considered the fate of her descendants over four years later." Evan explained seeming strangely pleased with my understanding of the legend of the hunter.

I looked at Grandma, wondering if she had any more to add. Her head was slightly bowed and her eyes were closed as she rubbed her fingers along the length of her forehead. She looked tired. "Why don't you go to bed, Grandma," I suggested squeezing her hand that still held mine. She raised her head to look at me, her aged face looking older than I remembered and nodded in agreement. I leaned over to kiss her cheek as she pushed herself back from the table and made her way down the hallway.

"Any questions," Evan asked tucking his chair back under the table.

"Millions," I grumbled as I got up from the table turned towards the kitchen and gathered up the pots and frying pan still sitting on the stovetop. "But none that come to mind right now." Steaming hot water filled the sink as bubbles multiplied like gremlins in a rainstorm. I was more confused now than I was before dinner. Washing and drying the dishes was therapeutic. The mindless task straightened out some of my thoughts as I pondered over the past and contemplated my future.