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Nolan stayed cloaked in shadows of the streets, trailing the witch. He could feel the preternatural energy radiating from the witch. It was a magnetism that compelled Nolan to follow the witch that led him to an abandoned warehouse. A perfect place to capture the witch.
But he found the tables had turned on him. He lost track of the witch, and worse, he was now the prey.
“Hello, Nolan.”
He spun around to the voice that called out to him. If Nolan could capture this witch then he could be officially inducted into the hunters’ guild. And then maybe it would fix the rift between him and Gabe ever since he’d told Gabe about his secret. Gabe had said nothing would change between them but things were different. Gabe was harder on Nolan, pushing him to embrace the hunter’s code. Even how Gabe looked at Nolan now…
Something deep inside told Nolan that this one act wouldn't magically fix his problems. Poor choice of words.
But he'd never know until he tried.
“I know what you are.” Nolan spat out.
“And I know what you are, too.” The witch countered.
Nolan swallowed nervously. “I’m a hunter.”
The chuckle coming from the witch was the opposite effect Nolan wanted.
“Then you’re a pretty bad one. For one, you’re not great at tailing for a hunter. But that’s beside the point; you are more than that. You’re like me. You don't need to be afraid of who you really are anymore. You can feel it, too. Intense, right?”
Nolan knew the words said to him to be true. Just being near Mason… he did feel a connection from the moment they met before. A light inside seeking to bloom.
And he hated it.
“I’m nothing like you. You’re a witch,” he accused with disgust dripping from his voice at being compared to the guy in front of him.
Mason let it roll off his back because he knew where that hate was really directed at. "I know you don’t like being different. You hate the way Gabe and the other hunters look at people like me -- like us -- Witches. Like we’re some kind of disease that needs to be purged from the world. And I know you’re afraid Gabe will start to look at you the same way. If he isn’t already."
“And how would you know?” It was a shock to Nolan’s system to hear all that he’s been holding in for so long.
“I’m an empath. Not a very flashy gift, I know, but it helped me understand you. You should be able to live your truth without fear of persecution. You've done absolutely nothing wrong to be hated -- to be hunted if your secret ever got out.
It’s just beginning to surface. I don’t know a ton about our powers, to be honest, this is all new to me too. But together we can learn about our power. Our gifts. Because they're not evil like they say it is.”
Deep down Nolan didn't feel his nature was wrong. Being with Mason helped make that clear - it helped silence the hate poisoning his mind.
“If you come with me, I can show you it’s okay to embrace your true self and not fear it. You’d never feel alone; you’d never feel like a freak.”
There was an excitement, a genuine understanding beaming from Mason that made Nolan want to drop his guard. Unfortunately, before Nolan could feel completely safe, their one on one conversation was invaded by another.
“There's only one freak around here. And I'm aiming right 'em.”
Mason kept cool as the other person had a gun pointed at him. “You must be the ever charming Gabe.”
“You know me. But I haven't gotten your name. I'll need it for your gravestone.”
Mason scoffed. "Cute. Let's not pretend like your people would be decent enough to give me a proper burial for the sake of a cool quip."
“What're you doing here? Did you follow me?” Nolan directed to Gabe.
“Of course I did.”
“Told ya you were bad at tailing,” Mason muttered.
“I knew I had to keep an eye on you. ‘Cause I knew you would let him get in your head! You're too soft!” Gabe gave Nolan a quick glare before fixing his sights on Mason. “I heard the sales pitch. But you’re not gonna teach him anything. You understand me? Over. My. Dead. Body. So go back to wherever you came from. In fact…,” Gabe gripped his weapon tighter. “I'll do it myself, and send you straight to hell with the rest of your kind.”
Nolan threw himself between the barrel of the gun and Mason before Gabe decided to make good on his threat. “Gabe, listen to me, just hold on a minute --”
"Shut up, Nolan! He should already be tied up or dead if you knew what was good for you. He's playing with your head. He’s a witch, it’s what they do!"
“That's not true, Nolan. I only want to help you.” Mason spoke.
“No, he wants you to give in to this whole magic thing. Before he came along you were normal. That means you can keep being normal if you just continue to suppress it.”
“But I can't, Gabe! I'm not normal and I've never felt normal!” All of the expectation and pressure weighing on Nolan hit its breaking point. A tear rolled down his cheek.
Even if Nolan couldn’t admit it to himself, Gabe could see which way Nolan was leaning to. “If you leave with him, don’t you ever show your face again. I’m serious, Nolan, because the next time I see you -- I will kill you.”
Behind the scowl on Gabe’s face and the hatred radiating from him, Mason could also feel a pain underneath the hate. “I can tell you’re scared, Gabe. You’re scared of being rejected and being left behind by Nolan.” Mason revealed. “If you give in to your hatred, it will only bring you pain. And your worst fears will come true.”
Mason may have sounded sagely but he was still scared with a gun aimed at him by someone with such intense anger. But the witch knew how important Gabe was to Nolan and wanted to help if he could.
“Not another word from you.” Gabe switched his sights from Mason to Nolan. “Are you with me or not, Nolan?”
Nolan checked behind him to make sure Mason was properly shielded by his body. He appreciated Mason trying to defuse the situation but once Gabe made up his mind, Nolan never knew the hunter to change it.
Nolan simmered in the ultimatum. He knew he couldn’t stay with the hunters. No matter how much time passed, no matter how much he trained… There would always be a part of him that didn’t belong. And he could never shut out how wrong it felt hunting down witches. “If I stay, it’s only a matter of time before they kill me.”
Gabe's expression softened. “I’ll protect you. I have been protecting you, haven’t I?”
Nolan shook his head. He was scared and Gabe always used his fear against him to control him, but he couldn’t let him this time. “You can’t postpone the inevitable.”
The hunter hardened again hearing Nolan stubbornly make excuses. “What, your little psychic powers told you that? You can see the future now?”
“No. I just know myself well enough that I’ll never be comfortable killing innocents.”
“They’re not innocents, they’re monsters!” Gabe spat.
“Then what does that make me?”
“Mine. You and me… irmãos para a vida.”
“If you really mean that, then I’m asking you… I’m begging you to understand why I have to do this.”
Mason felt like a third wheel but didn’t dare to move with nowhere to run fast enough for cover.
“You can’t leave if there’s no one to go to.” Gabe struck Nolan in the face with the butt of his gun, sending Nolan to the ground and leaving Mason exposed. The hunter wasted no time at the opportunity.
“DON'T!” Nolan cried out, barely heard over the heart shattering sound of gunfire.
“Danny?” Mason said in awe.
It was the last thing Nolan expected Mason to say. He didn’t expect Mason to say anything with the number of bullets fired at him. But instead of Mason’s lifeless body hitting the ground, the bullets fired were suspended in the air. Nolan thought Mason said he was an empath. Nolan looked up to Mason confused and saw where Mason set his eyes to.
There was Danny holding his arm out. His face was strained. “Mason, get out of here now!” The bullets fell like raindrops and Danny’s stance deflated.
Nolan wondered just how many people were following them. Maybe Mason was right about how badly he was at tracking.
“Anyone who tries to kill my brothers is gonna have to go through me.” Danny threatened. He did his best to maintain his composure with considerable effort but the drain from using his power caused him to collapse to his knees.
Gabe scoffed at the weakened witch and cracked a smile for the first time of the night. “It’s my lucky night. I get to kill two witches.”
“Enough, Gabe! Drop it!”
Gabe felt the sharp edge of a blade to his throat. The hunter knew the blade well. He gifted it to Nolan for taking the first steps to joining the hunters. And now it was being used against him by the person he was closest to in the world. With defeat, Gabe clenched his jaw and chucked his gun off to the side. “You want to join them so bad. Then you can die with them too. Now I don’t have to waste my time protecting you.”
Nolan let Gabe go.
Mason handed him something to help plug the blood coming from his bruised nose.
“Thanks.”
Both men helped Danny to his feet, each taking a side to assist Danny out of the warehouse.
“What do I do now? I don't think I'll be able to live at Gabe's anymore after I pulled a knife on him.” It was Gabe's place they shared off campus. Nolan let Gabe control everything and just went along with it.
“Well, the place I stay off campus has a couple of rooms that are empty. You can stay for as long as you need.”
Nolan couldn't believe how generous Mason was after almost giving into Gabe. For the second time, Nolan thanked Mason.
Then it was Mason’s turn. “I almost forgot to thank you, Danny.”
“Don’t. Thank Lydia. She’s the one who told me you were in danger.”
“Is she a witch?” Mason asked.
“A banshee.” Danny answered.
“ A banshee . That is so cool. What is that?”
“Just help me into the car first before we play 20 questions.”
Before Mason could ask for the car keys to unlock the door, the car door opened by itself.
“Show off.” Mason commented while they all piled into Danny’s car.