Brotherhood of the Hunters

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"That's really how you plan to live up to the family name?" Lukas Hunter had come looking for his younger sibling late one evening. It had been left to him to tutor the younger man in things their father never did since his disappearance several years ago. He made it seem like a chore for him to do this, but secretly he enjoyed bossing the other man around, and was actually proud of what they did. He was arrogant enough to believe the world was a safer place because of him, blindly following the guild and their rules when it came to witches.

Evan Amber was sat in a dimly lit bar that evening, the stirrer in her drink slowly moving around the glass of its own accord as she read the book before her. It would have strained the eyes of any normal person, but then witches were hardly considered normal. This was a safe haven of sorts, a bar only known of to other witches. Evan liked it this way, it was the only freedom in a world controlled by the witch hunters guild. While her craft came natural to her, Evan wasn't like most other witches. She had no long family lineage to teach her the ways of the craft, having been born into a family of 'norms', she had instead been left outcast by them to struggle until she stumbled upon a best friend to show her everything.

Lukas suddenly slammed the book closed, as though the open pages would release some kind of dangerous beast. For several minutes he simply sat there, staring at the bound leather, trying to wrap his head around the names and the dates he had just read. The content could be digested later, but for now... He didn't want to believe that this was a written account of his father's final days. He had to find those two witches from the previous day.

"You appeared from nowhere." Evan pointed out. "Can you really blame her?" She added, sitting down in the sand now with her eyes closed and her face turned up to the sun. "I don't know why you think you needed to see someone you had never met before. I don't even know your name."

Belle'a eyes snapped open and she screamed. It was the dream again. Or maybe it had been the sound of something heavy slamming shut. Whatever it was it had sent terror sweeping over her. 

"And yet you were watching me." Simon countered. "I saw your eyes in my glass. I know you saw me."

Lukas thought his brother to merely be resting, and decided not to bother him in his search for the women from earlier. He was pulling his heavy coat on and heading out into the rainy night to try and pick up the trail of the witch who had injured his brother.

Evan's pink lips quirked into a grin and she finally turned her strange gaze on Simon himself. "Did it bother you?"

Belle thought the same thing of Evan and headed out to get them both some coffee. Too late she realized that she was completely out and that just wouldn't do. Besides, the golden eyed Hunter was surely sleeping. She was safe. She was sure of it. 

"Not at all. I just can't figure out why." Simon said gently, shoving the hair our of his eyes. "Not to mention how you even found me. You do know our kind don't mix, don't you?"

Lukas had started his search where he had last seen the two women. Magic trails faded rather slowly, and he hoped he could at least get a rough radius of where they had gone. He didn't for a second think the red head would have been foolish enough to venture outside alone so soon.

"Our kind? What is it you think I am?" Evan asked with an amused grin, looking down at her bare toes as the wriggled them.

Belle found a dark corner and enjoyed a cup of coffee before heading back home. It went without saying that it took her only a few minutes to get herself lost in a book she'd brought with her.

"You're a witch. Just like your friend." Simon said, sitting down beside her. "A far more beautiful one that still hasn't told me her name."

Fortune had favoured Lukas that night. He had taken a short break to down a coffee himself when the flame haired witch had entered. He let her finish her drink, knowing he couldn't apprehend her in full view of so many humans. The hunter followed her home, allowed her settle in and think she was safe before he simply knocked on her door. He couldn't get through the enchantments alone... unless the front door was open.

Evan smiled sadly, her strange coloured eyes not dancing nearly as much as they usually did. "Oh please, men go crazy for Belle. It's the red hair, like a siren song." She assured Simon, still not handing him her name.

Belle was so lost in the book she didn't pay any attention to what she was doing as she got up and opened the door. She'd done the same thing the night her parents had been killed. Too late she realized her mistake. The door was already wide open and she was too terrified to close it. 

"Good to know her name is Belle. BUT that's not what I asked you for." Simon said, his silver eyes never leaving her face. "You are so beautiful. Like you don't belong in our world or something." He breathed.

Lukas was quick the jam his foot in the door to prevent Belle from slamming it closed again. "Well, isn't this a nice surprise." He remarked, though the soft tone his voice surprised even him.

Evan was surprised to feel the slight rush of blood to her pale cheeks when Simon again told her she was beautiful. "What would you give me in return for my name?" She asked with a playful grin.

"How did you find this place?" Belle demanded, holding up her fingers in warning. "Step back, sir. I swear I'll make you sorry you were born." She warned him, her voice wavering slightly. 

"How about we start with a kiss?" Simon asked, never one to beat around the bush.

"I am not my brother, witch. Your magic is useless against me." Lukas warned, not intending to tell Belle he had simply found her by accident.

"How do you know my lips aren't poison?" Evan breathed, though she did lean a little closer. "You shouldn't offer kisses so freely to someone you don't even know." This hunter was so very different than those she had seen before. Evan had assumed all hunters were scarred, battle hardened veterans. But this one was beautiful enough to fill her with longing.

"It wasn't yesterday." Belle reminded him, twitching her fingers. "I threw you a Ross that alley before your brother reached for me. I saw you both. Don't think I didnt."

"Are you so sure I care?" Simon whispered leaning closer to her. "I've come a long way just for your name you know."

"And where is your little glass spying friend?" Lukas sneered. "That's right, I know there is something not quite human about her.

"So tell me yours, hunter." Evan breathed, looking up at Simon from beneath her dark lashes. "And perhaps there could be more than kisses..." Evan of course had no idea that she could be woken at any moment by what was going on only a few feet from her slumbering body.

Belle truly had no idea that Evan was anything less than human. The look on her face would all but tell Lukas this. "She is new to her abilities. What happened yesterday was your fault. I will swear it in any Guild court I must. Now get your foot out of my door!" She said a little more forecefully.

"Simon Hunter. Easy enough to remember." He purred, puckering up for his promised kiss.

"My fault? She was spying on my brother!" Lukas hissed. "That is breaking our law. Simon is human, and the law forbids magic against a human!"

"Hunter?" Suddenly Evan pulled away, her odd coloured eyes filled a mixture of panic and guilt. "As in... Solomon Hunter?" She breathed.

"Witches are human, sir. I don't know where your are getting your information." Belle said thinly, inches away from stomping on his foot. "Get out or I will call for help. Do you hear me?" 

"Yeah. He was my dad." Simon said with a smile that wavered when he saw the look in her eyes. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Human?" Lukas scoffed. "Humans do not use magic, only inhuman creatures can." He added. "But go ahead, call for help. I know where you live now, witch. Don't think I wont return with fifty more hunters."

Evan was suddenly very glad she hadn't told Simon her own name. The young witch was on her feet, seemingly trying to figure out how she was supposed to expel herself from a dream she had wandered into without meaning to.

"It only takes one." Belle said, her chin quivering ever so slighlty. "Trust me on that, sir." The little red head tried her best to shove him back and slam the door, knowing there was no one to call. 

"You're kidding right?" Simon asked her. "You drag me across town and then through a dream state and you're not even going to tell me you're name?" He got to his feet now too, stepping toward her. I don't get it."

"Trust? A witch?" Lukas mocked. "It only took one of your kind to take my father from my younger brother."

"I never made you do any of those things!" Evan insisted, bravely not backing away when Simon stepped towards her.

"And one of your kind to murder my parents!" Belle shouted, now slamming the door on his foot with vigor. "Get out! I'm not afraid of you!"

Simon was quick to hold up his hands. He didn't want her to think him an aggressor. "You called to me. You're still doing it. I just wanted to know why."

"Your parents were doing something wrong if they were judged and executed on the spot!" Lukas replied, ever the believer in what his kind did.

"I'm not trying to do that!" Evan insisted. The young witch was too embarrassed to admit even to Belle that she had been casting a spell to find someone who could one day love her.

The memory slammed into Belle like a physical force. She let go of the door and clutched her stomach, fighting the urge to throw up. "They weren't doing anything wrong." She whispered. "You need to leave..."

"Oh." Simon couldn't hide the disappointed tone to his voice. "I see. If you'll show me the way out I'll leave you alone then..."

"Oh? So you know what they were doing?" Lukas asked, using the moment to push Belle back and step inside.

Evan's bare shoulders slumped when she saw the disappointment in Simon's beautiful face. "See... I'm not good with people. I just say the first thing that comes into my head!"

"No. Do you?" Belle asked, turning red rimmed eyeso back toward him. "Is that why you and your weird brother are hunting us? Because of something that they did?" 

"It's not always a bad thing." Simon said gently. "Some people would kill to be so honest." He dared to move closer, even touch her. The electric shock that shot through him was hard to ignore.

"Weird?" Lukas asked, having never heard someone describe his brother that way before. "I have questions, that much is true. But I can't even be certain you're the right witch..."

Even felt it too and was staring up at Simon with wide eyes. "You're brother would have me hanged if he knew I was here with you." She breathed, not quite sure how to tell Simon she had no idea how to leave a dream without one of them waking up.

"We didn't do anything wrong. I told you, she's learning." Belle said, her hand up again in warning. She was backing away from him, shaking her head. "If you execute someone for making a mistake you are no better than he was! Now get out! "

Simon didn't deny it. He simply nodded. "He's already pretty pissed off about the glass." He admitted, motioning to his chest. "For once he didn't rub Mt fave in it when I said it was my fault."

"Who is she?" Lukas prodded, advancing slowly on Belle. "Why are you fighting so hard to keep her shrouded from us?"

Evan seemed horrified that she had harmed Simon. "I never meant to!" She insisted, reaching out to press her fingers lightly against his chest without really thinking.

Both of Belle's hands went up as she faced off the golden eyed man. "I'm not hiding anything! My friend is sleeping! Is it so odd to think that witches might do that?!"

Simon laughed softly, his hands resting over hers. "It wasn't you, honey. It was your friend. My beast as you put it, spooked her. It was all just bad luck. But he doesnt...or won't see it that way."

"If you weren't hiding anything, why did you attack my brother? He has some ridiculous fixation with that girl, and you punished him for it." Lukas replied, pausing to pick up a decorative unicorn that sat on the table by the door.

Evan felt the spark again, more so now Simon's fingers lingered over her own. "He wants to hurt us." she breathed. "Why don't you?"

Belle didn't answer. Once again. She closed her eyes seeing the unicorn shattering as her mother threw it at the hunter. It had taken her days to glue it back together. "Get out." She breathed, her entire body beginning to shake. 

"I don't want to be a Hunter. Your kind is no different than my own. I see no reason to punish you because you can do something I cant..." once again he paused, realizing he still didn't know her name.