Eric had an easier time sneaking out. The window in his bedroom opened up fairly easily and he just... slipped out. He was closer to Banff, too, so the journey was shorter, and took less effort. He was already naturally quiet and agile, and it wasn't his first time sneaking off in the middle of the night. What he hadn't prepared for was... his mom. Sameen was sitting in the dark of her living room. She'd found the letter in her son's bedroom. The return address just a p.o. box. There was a girl he was into, and he hadn't shared it with her. The promise ring she'd given him was gone. There was a girl and she was not a hunter, because he wouldn't be hiding it. Maya stepped in hte living room a moment later. "He just left." Sameen sighed, "Follow him." By the time Maxine would reach the park bench, he was already there. Waiting. Pacing.
Maxine couldn't see Eric until she got quite close. She sped up when she saw him. "Eric," she whispered into the cold night, the words turning the air to steam. Once she was sure she wasn't going to scare him, she pulled him into a tight hug, pressing her face into his chest. "Nobody followed you?" She whispered.
He turned, surprised at her quiet approach. "Hey " he whispered, pulling her close. "No, I don't think so. You?"
Maxine shook her head. "No, I'm sure." She broke away, but kept a hold of his hand with her own cold ones. She sat down on the bench, cringing as it creaked under her weight. "There's been a lot of deaths at school," she whispered, though she expected Eric to already know as much.
He warmed her hands between his, rubbing them a little to help. He winced a little, but nodded. "I know. I mean. I didn't. But then the newspaper reports and I asked my mom..."
She nodded. "It's like, any time someone leaves the school, they end up dying." As if realising the meaning of her words, she glanced over her shoulder a few times. "I think everyone thinks hunters are back, now. But nobody wants to say it."
"I don't know a lot about what's going on," Eric explained, honestly. "I'm not a full Hunter, yet. But you're right... it isn't safe for you." He cupped her face to look into her eyes, "is that what you wanted to talk to me about?"
Max bit her lip, and nodded tightly. "I just wonder how long it is until there's a big attack."
Eric sighed and pulled her to him, kissing the top of her head. "I don't know, but I hate--" "Eric?" A woman's voice interrupted and a woman stepped into sight; she's not much older than Eric and looking very similar to him except for her dyed hair. Her eyes were wide and confused, "what's going on?" In a flash, Eric had whipped around, keeping Maxine behind him. His arms around her, protective. It was the fastest he's ever moved in front of Maxine and it was certainly supernatural. If she'd has any doubts before...
Maxine jumped, head twitching around to look at whoever had appeared. Before she could even try and react, the woman was hidden from sight, Eric blocking the view. Judging by Eric's reaction, the chances of this woman being just a normal person seemed small. She looked down to her boot, her wand hidden underneath her trousers. Maybe she could...
"Max, you need to leave." Eric growled. "Eric?" Maya still sounded confused, but her eyes focused on on the curly hair behind her brother. "What are you doing with a sorcerer?" Completely mystified and... a little heart broken.
Max looked around. No normal people, so it wouldn't be too risky to throw some spells around. Wouldn't even have to be anything too big. Just something to distract the hunter, and then she and Eric could escape. One hand on Eric's back, she moved around him and whipped out her wand, sending a spell that would - hopefully - bind the huntresses legs in heavy chains.
October 8, 2017
Maya was quick, she easily side stepped and the chains landed ineffective where she had been standing a moment ago. "Maya," Eric sounded as pained as his sister. He was completely prepared to run away or to fight his family for Maxine. "Please leave." "But what's going on?" "I love her, that's all there is to it."
Max grit her teeth, holding onto her wand tightly. She wasn’t going to put it away, even if it didn’t look like it would help. She seemed to glow at Eric’s words, moving her free hand from his back and slipping it into his hands. She stared at the other hunter, making sure she saw it.
She did see. Her eyes zeroed in on those two hands linked together. "Oh my god. Eric." The usually cool and collected Hunter ran her fingers through her hair. "It couldn't even be a human, you had to take it one step further and with a sorcerer. God." She started pacing. "Charming," Eric snorted. "Maxine, my sister: Maya."
Maxine held on tightly to Eric’s hand. “Nice to meet you too,” she said through grit teeth.
"Oh, sweetie, don't take offense. It's just... well, you know the history. This isn't exactly ideal." The pacing continued, "If mom found out, Eric, god she'd kill both of you."
The endearing term surprised Max, and she looked up at Eric to see if this was normal. She rolled her wand between her hand and her thigh. “She’s not going to find out,” she said.
Eric seemed surprised as well. But he didn't relax. "No. She won't." Maya agreed after a moment. "Do you have some kind of plan?" She turned on Eric, because she knows something is up with you." He blinked. This had taken an unexpected turn. "She knows there is a girl who is not a hunter. She saw her letter."
Max swore in a growl. She looked up at Eric. They'd never spoken about how he was keeping Max secret. She wrapped her other hand around Eric's, putting her wand back in her boot. "If we can trick her into thinking I'm a human, maybe it won't be so bad."
"Trick?" Maya snorted, but not derisively. "You seem unsurprised that he's a hunter, but do you know our mom is in charge of all the hunters in this area?" Eric shook his head, "after graduation we will run away."
"What?" Max whipped her head around to look at Eric. "You didn't tell me that," she muttered, rubbing the heel of her boot into the ground. Though she was eager to run away, she was skeptical. She glanced at Maya, not fully trusting the huntress to not tell.
"Okay. We just need to think..." Maya paused in her pacing. "I--" they were interrupted by another voice, older and feminine. Just a few inches behind Maxine. "I am extremely disappointed, Maya."
Maxine visibly jumped. She quickly turned around, still holding Eric's hand. She pulled her wand back out of her boot, looking to Eric for some sort of signal on wether she should fight or not.
Eric whirled around, too. "Mom?" He was already moving Maxine behind him but it would be too late, the sharp axe she had thrown was already in the air heading for Max's chest.
Max wasn't exactly quick, not even compared to a normal. So, how was she meant to avoid that? A shriek escaped her lips, grip tightening on Eric's hand for a moment. Then, it was just like she faded away. She crumpled to the ground, her fall only burying the axe deeper into her. But she wasn't gone, not just yet.
Eric was quick to catch her, falling to his knees with her in his arm. "Max, Maxine. Baby." His free hand fluttered where the axe had struck true. "Hey, honey." He kissed her forehead. "We can fix this." Somewhere he heard his sister yelling at their mom.
Max's breathing was heavy, looking down at her chest. For a moment, it looked like she believed him. Then, her breath caught in her throat, and there was something like a laugh. "I'm going to die," she whispered, eyes welling up.
"No, no. Baby." Something dripped on her face. Was it raining? No. He realized his vision had blurred. He was crying. It was his tears dropping onto her face. "We can fix this. You can fix this, right? Magic?" He cradled her face in his hands, "Please don't leave me."
Max's eyes drifted to her wand. She'd dropped it when she fell, and it lay within reaching distance. Not like she'd know what to do if she had it. She'd never taken healing, and if they'd ever been taught anything that could help, she couldn't remember it. She looked up at Eric, tears rolling down her cheeks, and shook her head. "I don't want to die," she admitted in a whisper.
"I don't want you to die," he whispered, the tears were growing cold on his face, but he didn't care. "I love you so much, Maxine. I have never loved anyone like I do you, and I will never love anyone the way that I love you." Someone kneeled beside him and he was about to push her away until he realized it was Maya. She reaced forward and he yelled, "Don't touch her. Don't you dare touch her." "Just... let me help, Eric." She was crying, too. She had barely met Maxine, but she'd seen the way her brother looked at her. The way he had been ready to figher her for this girl. If that wasn't love... Her heart was breaking for him. "It's going to hurt," she warned Maxine quickly yanking out the axe in one easy motion and then just as quickly applying her jacket to the wound. When had she taken it off? Eric lay down beside Maxine, tilting her face toward him so he could hold her and look at her. Placing a kiss to her forehead, "You promised," he reminded her, tapping the ring on her finger. "We were going to get married." "Don't be ridiculous, Eric." Sameen snapped, but he ignored her.
Max screamed as the axe was torn from her chest. She couldn't do much to resist or help as she was moved, but her eyes were on that blurry figure, just standing there. Watching. Wishing she would die faster, probably. She couldn't help but smile at what Eric said, eyes flickering to the woman who must have been his mother. She nodded as she looked down at the ring. "Yeah," she whispered, scrunching her hand up into a fist. She couldn't bring herself to look over at the figure.
"Hey, just look at me." He had one cupped on her face, keeping it to the side looking at him. He didn't care that his clothes were getting soaked, or that it was cold. The only thing that mattered, the only thing that ever mattered, was Maxine. She was here, in front of him and he was losing her. "She's lost a lot of blood," Maya whispered. "We should take her to a hospital." Eric said, his eyes never leaving Max's. Sameen was on the phone with her husband, demanding that he get there and help him. Her children had lost their minds. She hung up and crouched beside Eric, "You are made to kill sorcerers. Not fall in love with them. This... whatever you feel for her, it isn't natural. She's kept you under a spell for who knows how long." "Get away from her or I will kill you," Eric said, simply.
"Her death will free you, son."
Max looked over at Sameen. Normally, she would have something to say, something witty or intelligent that would put that woman in her place and leave her dumbfounded. But now, she had nothing. Just the pain, and the sadness, and her shirt being soaked. With shaking hands, she tugged the ring off her finger, and slow enough that Sameen would definitely see, she put it in her mouth. She maintained eye contact as she swallowed it. It was going with her. She reached out and took Eric's hand. She wanted to tell him to run, to pack up his stuff and just run, get away from that madwoman. But she couldn't, because she was right there. Why did she have to be right there? She squeezed his hand, but her grip was weak. "I love you," she whispered.
"I love you, too, Maxine." he whispered back. He could barely get the words out, getting choked up behind his tears. "so much, baby." She was his, always his. That ring never would have gone to anyone else, but he was glad that she would take it with her. "Eric," Maya whispered, "She won't make it to a hospital." He knew that. Somewhere in his heart he had known the second he'd seen the metal glinting in the moonlight, still the pain cut deep in his chest like he had been the one struck by the blade. He wished he had. He leaned forward and kissed her lips, soft and sad. "I'll always love you," he promised.
Maxine didn't have the energy to speak again. She struggled to move forward, pressing herself into him. When she breathed out next, it was a horrible, sobbing shudder. Then, her grip faded, and her body went limp. Gone.
Maxine couldn't see Eric until she got quite close. She sped up when she saw him. "Eric," she whispered into the cold night, the words turning the air to steam. Once she was sure she wasn't going to scare him, she pulled him into a tight hug, pressing her face into his chest. "Nobody followed you?" She whispered.
He turned, surprised at her quiet approach. "Hey " he whispered, pulling her close. "No, I don't think so. You?"
Maxine shook her head. "No, I'm sure." She broke away, but kept a hold of his hand with her own cold ones. She sat down on the bench, cringing as it creaked under her weight. "There's been a lot of deaths at school," she whispered, though she expected Eric to already know as much.
He warmed her hands between his, rubbing them a little to help. He winced a little, but nodded. "I know. I mean. I didn't. But then the newspaper reports and I asked my mom..."
She nodded. "It's like, any time someone leaves the school, they end up dying." As if realising the meaning of her words, she glanced over her shoulder a few times. "I think everyone thinks hunters are back, now. But nobody wants to say it."
"I don't know a lot about what's going on," Eric explained, honestly. "I'm not a full Hunter, yet. But you're right... it isn't safe for you." He cupped her face to look into her eyes, "is that what you wanted to talk to me about?"
Max bit her lip, and nodded tightly. "I just wonder how long it is until there's a big attack."
Eric sighed and pulled her to him, kissing the top of her head. "I don't know, but I hate--" "Eric?" A woman's voice interrupted and a woman stepped into sight; she's not much older than Eric and looking very similar to him except for her dyed hair. Her eyes were wide and confused, "what's going on?" In a flash, Eric had whipped around, keeping Maxine behind him. His arms around her, protective. It was the fastest he's ever moved in front of Maxine and it was certainly supernatural. If she'd has any doubts before...
Maxine jumped, head twitching around to look at whoever had appeared. Before she could even try and react, the woman was hidden from sight, Eric blocking the view. Judging by Eric's reaction, the chances of this woman being just a normal person seemed small. She looked down to her boot, her wand hidden underneath her trousers. Maybe she could...
"Max, you need to leave." Eric growled. "Eric?" Maya still sounded confused, but her eyes focused on on the curly hair behind her brother. "What are you doing with a sorcerer?" Completely mystified and... a little heart broken.
Max looked around. No normal people, so it wouldn't be too risky to throw some spells around. Wouldn't even have to be anything too big. Just something to distract the hunter, and then she and Eric could escape. One hand on Eric's back, she moved around him and whipped out her wand, sending a spell that would - hopefully - bind the huntresses legs in heavy chains.
October 8, 2017
Maya was quick, she easily side stepped and the chains landed ineffective where she had been standing a moment ago. "Maya," Eric sounded as pained as his sister. He was completely prepared to run away or to fight his family for Maxine. "Please leave." "But what's going on?" "I love her, that's all there is to it."
Max grit her teeth, holding onto her wand tightly. She wasn’t going to put it away, even if it didn’t look like it would help. She seemed to glow at Eric’s words, moving her free hand from his back and slipping it into his hands. She stared at the other hunter, making sure she saw it.
She did see. Her eyes zeroed in on those two hands linked together. "Oh my god. Eric." The usually cool and collected Hunter ran her fingers through her hair. "It couldn't even be a human, you had to take it one step further and with a sorcerer. God." She started pacing. "Charming," Eric snorted. "Maxine, my sister: Maya."
Maxine held on tightly to Eric’s hand. “Nice to meet you too,” she said through grit teeth.
"Oh, sweetie, don't take offense. It's just... well, you know the history. This isn't exactly ideal." The pacing continued, "If mom found out, Eric, god she'd kill both of you."
The endearing term surprised Max, and she looked up at Eric to see if this was normal. She rolled her wand between her hand and her thigh. “She’s not going to find out,” she said.
Eric seemed surprised as well. But he didn't relax. "No. She won't." Maya agreed after a moment. "Do you have some kind of plan?" She turned on Eric, because she knows something is up with you." He blinked. This had taken an unexpected turn. "She knows there is a girl who is not a hunter. She saw her letter."
Max swore in a growl. She looked up at Eric. They'd never spoken about how he was keeping Max secret. She wrapped her other hand around Eric's, putting her wand back in her boot. "If we can trick her into thinking I'm a human, maybe it won't be so bad."
"Trick?" Maya snorted, but not derisively. "You seem unsurprised that he's a hunter, but do you know our mom is in charge of all the hunters in this area?" Eric shook his head, "after graduation we will run away."
"What?" Max whipped her head around to look at Eric. "You didn't tell me that," she muttered, rubbing the heel of her boot into the ground. Though she was eager to run away, she was skeptical. She glanced at Maya, not fully trusting the huntress to not tell.
"Okay. We just need to think..." Maya paused in her pacing. "I--" they were interrupted by another voice, older and feminine. Just a few inches behind Maxine. "I am extremely disappointed, Maya."
Maxine visibly jumped. She quickly turned around, still holding Eric's hand. She pulled her wand back out of her boot, looking to Eric for some sort of signal on wether she should fight or not.
Eric whirled around, too. "Mom?" He was already moving Maxine behind him but it would be too late, the sharp axe she had thrown was already in the air heading for Max's chest.
Max wasn't exactly quick, not even compared to a normal. So, how was she meant to avoid that? A shriek escaped her lips, grip tightening on Eric's hand for a moment. Then, it was just like she faded away. She crumpled to the ground, her fall only burying the axe deeper into her. But she wasn't gone, not just yet.
Eric was quick to catch her, falling to his knees with her in his arm. "Max, Maxine. Baby." His free hand fluttered where the axe had struck true. "Hey, honey." He kissed her forehead. "We can fix this." Somewhere he heard his sister yelling at their mom.
Max's breathing was heavy, looking down at her chest. For a moment, it looked like she believed him. Then, her breath caught in her throat, and there was something like a laugh. "I'm going to die," she whispered, eyes welling up.
"No, no. Baby." Something dripped on her face. Was it raining? No. He realized his vision had blurred. He was crying. It was his tears dropping onto her face. "We can fix this. You can fix this, right? Magic?" He cradled her face in his hands, "Please don't leave me."
Max's eyes drifted to her wand. She'd dropped it when she fell, and it lay within reaching distance. Not like she'd know what to do if she had it. She'd never taken healing, and if they'd ever been taught anything that could help, she couldn't remember it. She looked up at Eric, tears rolling down her cheeks, and shook her head. "I don't want to die," she admitted in a whisper.
"I don't want you to die," he whispered, the tears were growing cold on his face, but he didn't care. "I love you so much, Maxine. I have never loved anyone like I do you, and I will never love anyone the way that I love you." Someone kneeled beside him and he was about to push her away until he realized it was Maya. She reaced forward and he yelled, "Don't touch her. Don't you dare touch her." "Just... let me help, Eric." She was crying, too. She had barely met Maxine, but she'd seen the way her brother looked at her. The way he had been ready to figher her for this girl. If that wasn't love... Her heart was breaking for him. "It's going to hurt," she warned Maxine quickly yanking out the axe in one easy motion and then just as quickly applying her jacket to the wound. When had she taken it off? Eric lay down beside Maxine, tilting her face toward him so he could hold her and look at her. Placing a kiss to her forehead, "You promised," he reminded her, tapping the ring on her finger. "We were going to get married." "Don't be ridiculous, Eric." Sameen snapped, but he ignored her.
Max screamed as the axe was torn from her chest. She couldn't do much to resist or help as she was moved, but her eyes were on that blurry figure, just standing there. Watching. Wishing she would die faster, probably. She couldn't help but smile at what Eric said, eyes flickering to the woman who must have been his mother. She nodded as she looked down at the ring. "Yeah," she whispered, scrunching her hand up into a fist. She couldn't bring herself to look over at the figure.
"Hey, just look at me." He had one cupped on her face, keeping it to the side looking at him. He didn't care that his clothes were getting soaked, or that it was cold. The only thing that mattered, the only thing that ever mattered, was Maxine. She was here, in front of him and he was losing her. "She's lost a lot of blood," Maya whispered. "We should take her to a hospital." Eric said, his eyes never leaving Max's. Sameen was on the phone with her husband, demanding that he get there and help him. Her children had lost their minds. She hung up and crouched beside Eric, "You are made to kill sorcerers. Not fall in love with them. This... whatever you feel for her, it isn't natural. She's kept you under a spell for who knows how long." "Get away from her or I will kill you," Eric said, simply.
"Her death will free you, son."
Max looked over at Sameen. Normally, she would have something to say, something witty or intelligent that would put that woman in her place and leave her dumbfounded. But now, she had nothing. Just the pain, and the sadness, and her shirt being soaked. With shaking hands, she tugged the ring off her finger, and slow enough that Sameen would definitely see, she put it in her mouth. She maintained eye contact as she swallowed it. It was going with her. She reached out and took Eric's hand. She wanted to tell him to run, to pack up his stuff and just run, get away from that madwoman. But she couldn't, because she was right there. Why did she have to be right there? She squeezed his hand, but her grip was weak. "I love you," she whispered.
"I love you, too, Maxine." he whispered back. He could barely get the words out, getting choked up behind his tears. "so much, baby." She was his, always his. That ring never would have gone to anyone else, but he was glad that she would take it with her. "Eric," Maya whispered, "She won't make it to a hospital." He knew that. Somewhere in his heart he had known the second he'd seen the metal glinting in the moonlight, still the pain cut deep in his chest like he had been the one struck by the blade. He wished he had. He leaned forward and kissed her lips, soft and sad. "I'll always love you," he promised.
Maxine didn't have the energy to speak again. She struggled to move forward, pressing herself into him. When she breathed out next, it was a horrible, sobbing shudder. Then, her grip faded, and her body went limp. Gone.
The above was written in collaboration with @romamaro
Eric was crying now, full on ugly cry holding Maxine in his arms. "Eric, we have to..." Maya touched her brother's shoulder and he shook her off.
"We can't waste the body," Sameen said, fully expecting her son to snap out of his delusions any moment. "Maya, please remove your brother so that I can--"
Eric cut her off with a cry as he pulled Maxine closer to him. "No. Don't touch her. I will take care of her." His voice was so raw, so hurt, so much emotion. For a moment Sameen almost believed that he had truly loved the girl. But it was a spell. Still, until it wore off. "Fine." Because even Maya was looking at her like that.
"I'll stay with him, make sure she's... taken care of." Whatever the hell that meant.
She'd find out thirty minutes later that it meant a burial, a proper one. Right there in the park. And Eric would cry the entire time as he dug a hole. As he gentle placed Maxine in the ground, as filled the hole and covered up the dirt with the snow. Hours later you would never know that the love of his life had died right here in his arms. Maya tried to help, but he wouldn't let her, "You didn't know her!"
When he finally returned home he didn't go to his house, instead heading down the street to his best friend's house. The only other place he could go, the only other person who would understand.
-----
Eva jumped up as soon as the knife clattered to the ground. She heard Anna's whispered shield spell and her own wand was out. As she eyed the dangers that appeared to be all around them. One second she had been talking animatedly with the small dueler and the next second there was a nice heading in their direction and... "Oh, Zach." She gasped, completely unprepared for that scene in front of her. There were four other people on the bus with them, including the driver and it looked like they were all hunters.
What in the world had happened?
The man Professor Topp was pointing her wand at was... grinning. She cast a spell in his direction, mean to trip him, but he was faster than she'd anticipated.
The woman heading for Max stopped as the knife struck into her chest. There was enough force to embed into the skin, but not deep enough to kill. It slowed her down, though, enough for him to make a second attack. There were two more heading for Anna and Eva and the driver was climbing out of the seat, approaching the Professor from behind.
Eva shot her wand forward; she'd intended a water whip, her preferred method of self-defense, but it shot out directly as a spear of ice and shot straight into the heart of one of the hunters heading their way. "You can do this, Anna." The girl was good, she just doubted herself, but now was not the time. "Just... attack."