Amongst the Order (Watchers of the Veil #1)

Chapter 2

The cabin was trashed. I couldn't see it from the view of the grimy old window while outside, but within it the full force of the witches' wrath was felt. Cushions had been thrown across the room, papers of dad's journal scattered, and the few glasses we had brought for drinking had been broken into shards. The cabin was derelict when we arrived, entirely abandoned yet untouched by neither man nor the elements. The witches had changed that, and unleashed chaos upon our makeshift home in their search for something.

          I checked my own bag first. I often kept most of my things in the car while on hunts but, since dad was waiting for me while I tracked the wendigo, I thought it safe to leave them with him. Panic eased when I pulled out my little crossbow: the thing that really mattered. It was hard enough leaving it for one hunt but it would have been useless in opposing the wendigo. Against witches, however, it was a different story. An arrow to the chest would end one swiftly just as it would to any human.

          Everything else was accounted for: the hairbrush, a handful of makeup, money and a phone charger. Apart from the crossbow, it was the most basic assortment of things. It almost made me seem normal.

          Now that was a thought

          There was just one thing missing. My hands dragged around the floor, searching for any sign of the silver chain. It took just long enough for panic to set in when my fingers brushed the tiny crystal the chain threaded itself through. It hadn't sat around my neck in months and I wondered whether its identical counterpart had been neglected just as much.

          It was a thought I didn't need to dwell on. Burying my imagination deep down, I dropped the chain back into my bag and continued cleaning up the cabin.

          Dad's journal was next. Almost every page had been torn out, leaving the faded black leather cover naked, pushed underneath the rotten sofa to soak up the dust and mould.

          Once grabbed, I flicked through the pages, careful to not let them fall out again.

          Almost every hunter kept a journal once they entered their prime to record, educate and remember their most significant assignments. The hidden world of the supernatural had only been openly cooperative with humanity for little over 200 years. We had better understanding now than we ever did with the countless treaties and alliances connecting us to the more intelligent species, but every hunt was still a learning curve for the Order of Hunters. There was so much variation between every species and some, the more savage beasts, were still undiscovered, hiding in the dark.

          From his journal, dad had hardly come across witches – only once. According to his writings, he had put down a crazed witch that had threatened mum. He got criticism from the Order for being impulsive but it made sense to me. If mum was at risk, he would do anything to protect her. Would have, anyway.

          It didn't matter because that was a lie. It wasn't the only encounter he had with a witch; this cult was proof of that and there was no mention of them within the journal. In fact, most of the writing focussed heavily on the werewolves he had hunted down due to his orders as a General. Witches were not the main attraction for dad.

          I shut it with a sigh. All I had was a few key words and an address – that was where I would go.

          It was late to drive to Edinburgh, and the grey clouds overhead only made me more nervous to set out, especially if I knew so little about the cult and their ritual, but I had to set out as soon as possible.

          Diana had to know more. Then I could start the hunt.

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