Sapphire A Huntress no more (Sapphire Book 1)

Between the arrival of the hunters and the end of this bloody war, three days had passed. How time flies when you are trying to stay alive. With Cole dead, his men lost the will to fight, or more like the reason they fought. They surrendered, no questions asked. There were five or six men who, the most brainwashed of them all who thought they could escape in al the confusion, no such luck. We buried the dead, our dead, the others were burned with Cole on top. The remaining hunters were taken to the dungeons and imprisoned until further notice. They will be fed of course, no matter what they say about werewolves we are civil, even with our prisoners. My eye pulsed, the pain was still there. I wonder what Jamie will say about this.

‘I am sure he will think of you as his beloved pirate princess, that is if Jamie is your mate.’ To preoccupied with my own thoughts, I did not hear Erin approach.

‘Did I say that out loud?’

‘Yes, you did.’ Erin chuckled. ‘Thank you for that.’ She said, no hint of a smile on her face.

‘There is no need for you to thank me. You would have done the same.’

‘I would have done the same. For the record, you look more badass now.’

‘Do I? Still...I cannot help but wonder what Jamie will say.’

‘He will love you. He is your mate after all, his love for you will not be less just because you lost an eye Cass. Trust me on this, he will be grateful you came back to him in one piece. Many do not have the same fate as the two of you.’ We left it at that. Erin was right, Jamie would love me no matter what.

She studied me, looking for something. I had a vague impression Erin was looking for regret. How foolish, saving her life was worth the scar, and the pain. She was family. When Charles contacted me a few months ago, I could not believe what he said. My hope of having some family left was long gone. When he told me about Erin, I was so happy. There was a possibility he was wrong, and the hunter girl he though was related to me would be just a girl who happened to have the same eye colour as mine. But what is she was related to me, what if this girl was the only family I had left? I had to go and see for myself, and I am glad I did. The moment I saw Erin I knew for sure we were related.

We had to use ground transportation. With hunters lurking around, safety was our top priority. We were scheduled to depart for the stronghold the week after this. I could not wait that long anymore. Not after the phone call from Charles. Yesterday, I thought I was the sole survivor of my family line. I lost all hope of finding anyone else, the hunters went on a killing spree twenty years before annihilating werewolf packs. Somehow, they knew where to strike, as their target was mostly, the Elder families. The only way for them to know where the elders resided was if someone told them. We had a spy amid our Council. We were the only people who knew where everyone was, us and the royal wolves. The issue was under investigation, too late in my opinion. So many lives were lost, so many due to someone’s fear.

An eerie silence settled over the stronghold as we entered. Every time Elders entered a room all got silent. This time, it seemed no one was around to greet us, even though our arrival was communicated.

‘I am sorry for the lack of welcoming party. But with all that is happening, I let them retire to their chambers. I hope you don’t mind.’ Charles had the habit of popping out of nowhere, a very odd talent.

‘Nonsense, it is quite late. I do not expect them to be awake.’

‘That may be so, but you are disappointed.’

‘Well...only a bit.’ I said smiling.

‘Don’t worry, you will see her in the morning. Now, let me take you and the others to your chambers.’

On purpose or not, he gave me a room on the same floor as Alice or is it Erin? I had a white night, I could not sleep thinking of this girl and how I wished she was related to me. The hope I thought was long gone resurfaced so rapidly that it kept me awake all night long. But it was worth it, staying awake. As me and my wolf lay our eyes on her we knew, she was family. She was beyond a shadow of a doubt Erin Cunningham, she was my cousin.

How could she think I would ever regret something so natural? Protecting her was the last I could do. I don’t know how she grew up among hunters, surely, she was loved...by someone. But as I looked at her now, by some means or other I do not believe she knows such love.

This ending was unexpected. Since I was a child I had the gift of premonition, or vision into the future. Not once did my predictions went wrong, everything I saw came to be. Maybe not just as I saw them, but all had the ending I foresaw. That was why, it came as a surprise to me when I met Erin. Some years ago, I was the one who foresaw her death. It came to me know as it did back then, the vision I had of her dying. Only, in my vision, she was an infant, not an adult. That was why I broke the news to Saul in exchange for him helping me back then. Of course, I did not tell Saul, that I was the one who made his life colourless. How could I? Back then, I saw Erin in my vision as clearly as I do today. The difference was her age. She saw me watching her. I had to do something with this habit of mine, watching people intently from afar and believe they do not notice.

‘You must be Carme.’ She said, smiling as if she knew me from before.

‘Indeed I am. You must be Erin.’ She looked at me with recognition in her eyes.

‘Are you the seer who told Saul I had died?’ Astonished as I was by her question, I began to laugh.

‘What makes you think that?’

‘Well, Cassidy told me about a seer who predicted my death.’

‘I can understand that. But what made you think I was the one?’ She smiled again, her eyes sparkling.

‘Cassidy also told me seer witches are very rare and thus I was thinking you might be the one he helped that time.’

‘Your way of thinking is unusual. Indeed, I was the one who foresaw your death. The thing is, this is the first time I was wrong.’

‘I will not tell him, that you were that seer.’

‘You can tell him, it makes no difference to me.’ I said. Did she mistake my silence?

‘Won’t it though? Change everything?’ I gave her a questioning look. For me her telling him the truth really did not matter. ‘To some extent he trusts you. It would be such a shame to lose that trust, don’t you think so?’

‘Why that may be so. But if he finds out from someone other than you, won’t he think less of you?’ This time, she was the one laughing.

‘I have a feeling he will not. What I know for sure though, is that he will appreciate it if it came from you.’ This girl sure doesn’t know how to take the bait.

‘Maybe Saul will appreciate my honesty, but for sure, he will hate me none the less.’

There was something in her eyes that told me I was wrong, but it was so fleeting, I let it go. She told me she understood why I kept my identity a secret from Saul. She was a bizarre one this wolf. I once knew a werewolf who was just as strange, just as open minded as Erin was. A long time ago, before the first hunter war, back when everyone fought for themselves, there was a wolf who spoke of an impossible future. A future where werewolves, witches, vampires were friendly to each other, some even friends. I saw us being friends with the wolves, the reason for the was Erin. That was why our leader requested Saul’s presence at the Coven. The only thing I knew is that Erin was important. Why she was important, I did not know.