Chapter 8

Feeling disappointed in himself, Hybreed flees the town to the woods. Hours go by since the incident and Jasper is able to recover after Lyke gave him an antidote. Hybreed sits by a small fire he built when Nikita sits across from him. Having known her since they both were very little; he has never noticed how truly beautiful she is as her green eyes glow from the burning wood of the fire. He remembers the first time they met, he was learning how to properly hunt for food from his father and discovered her watching from afar and asked her to join. Like him, she became a quick learner and was able to kill her prey with a single strike and the two became a team to chase down and kill their food source. Although they never had any romantic feelings for each other, they have remained close friends for years. Nikita snaps her fingers, snapping Hybreed out of his thoughts.

Nikita: I called your name four times, and you didn't say anything. What's going on in that enormous head of yours?

Hybreed: Nothing. Just thinking.

Nikita: For the longest time I have known you, you have never taken that long to think of something. What's on your mind?

Hybreed: I went into the town to find the hunter that shot Jasper. I found him and nearly killed him.

Nikita: You what?

Hybreed: Yeah. I'm disgusted with myself too. But Katherine stopped me before I could do anything. They nearly saw me, the true me, for the first time tonight.

The two sit there as the fire cracks in the pit, giving off embers into the air.

Nikita: Do you think that besides us there are other supernatural beings out there?

Hybreed: I do. I felt something in these woods last night and it is not friendly, it is not remorseful, and it is evil, and I believe it wants to harm Katherine.

Nikita: Katherine? Why her?

Hybreed: You have to keep this between us and us only. Promise me.

Nikita: You have my word.

Hybreed: She comes from a bloodline of witches and years ago, her great grandmother made a deal with a powerful demon to keep her entire blood safe from any sort of harm or death as long as an annual sacrifice was given to the demon. Unfortunately, Katherine and her family never gave it a sacrifice three days ago.

Nikita: So, what happens now?

Hybreed: Last night, I had an encounter with the demon. It is known by the name Enchantress and vows that it will claim Katherine's soul no matter what and will do whatever she wants. The man was deceived into shooting Jasper in order to create a rift between us and them. I don't know what will happen, but I am keeping a sharp eye on her and the town.

Nikitia: No matter what happens, me and Konnor have your back, Hybreed. We formed this group so that we could help protect not only ourselves, but also them. They have been kind to us.

Hybreed: Indeed. Which is why it scares me that this demon can deceive them into doing anything in an effort to kill her.

Nikita: What was the sacrifice?

Hybreed: To slay one of us.

Nikita's eyes become big and filled with shock and horror, the same expression Hybreed had when Katherine told him.

Nikita: So, it wasn't an accident after all? The demon deceived that man to kill Jasper?

Hybreed: It's how I see it. There is no telling what it will do next.

Nikita: What can we do?

Hybreed: Protect and defend at all cost.