I repressed a longing sigh as I watched Heather and Hammond lead some new recruits out on a hunt. One of the new girls had a sword. I was half worried that she was going to get herself hurt, and half envious that she was just starting this journey. She didn’t have all the baggage that I did. She could do what she wanted, without all the responsibility.
I missed the brutal simplicity of living from kill to kill.
But, I also knew that this was better. This was necessary. With the rise of undead outbreaks, and the constant threat of large-scale monster attacks and machinations by the Conclave, the Crusaders were not just another profit-hungry hunter agency. We were necessary for the survival of Hope City.
Jane Phoenix gave me a politician’s impeccably white smile as I entered the reception area. Jane had, at one time, been the minister of police. And had even had a good shot at becoming the leader of Hope City. That was until a mad elf named Darius mind-controlled her to shoot her rival on live television.
Jane had been freed under the circumstances, but her reputation would never recover. But, as hunter agencies didn’t really care that much about murder in its employee’s history, I hired Jane to help run the Crusaders.
And, oh boy, I regretted it.
“Kat! I trust you went over the income report for last month. And I need you to sign-off on the acquisition of the new flak jackets. Cindy also requests that we hire a new janitor.”
“Another one?” I exclaimed. “Didn’t we hire a new one just last week.”
Jane grinned oddly. She loved problems. It meant opportunity. Something she could solve. Jane may no longer be a politician by profession, but the nature of her previous vocation would never truly leave her. I should just cede full control of the Crusaders to her and make all the form-filling and document-analysing her job.
“Ms Giles regretfully informed me that the old janitor was not adept in the handling of the minerals used in purification rituals.”
“Handling what? They’re a janitor! If they can handle a broom and mop, they’re already an expert.”
“Ms Giles has high standards. A welcome trait. I know you give much more leeway to the people you employ, for which I am forever thankful, but it is good to have a partner that is more discerning.”
Jane’s grin became conniving.
“If not, you may get more people like me.”
I rolled my eyes. “A truly horrible thought.”
Before she could ambush me with any more requests to partake in the vacuous endeavour of bureaucracy, I made a break for the stairwell. But Jane somehow gained superhuman abilities and kept pace without breaking a sweat.
“Far from done, Kat. After you’re finished signing off on the acquisition forms, I need you to write a report about the recent outbreaks. Be persuasive. If the Council takes them seriously, that could mean big bucks for us.”
“Those outbreaks are a danger to us all, Jane. It’s not about the money.”
Jane beamed. “Yes! That’s a good start. Use that…”
If Jane alone wasn’t bad enough, descending the stairway was my one-time boss and now constantly scheming head of merchandising. Conrad Khoi.
Conrad looked like a smarmy used car salesman. Often, he acted like one too. But under that sleazy veneer, he was, in fact, one of the mythical Seraphim. His powers had been drained, making his disguise as a somewhat scummy human more convincing, but that didn’t change the fact that behind that perpetually plotting grin was a living, breathing angel.
“Aye! Kat. Fleeing errands?”
Jane didn’t seem perturbed at the accusation that I was fleeing her. But I realised that my hurried pace was a bit telling.
“Fleeing towards errands,” I rebutted, whatever that means. Treth gave me a double thumbs up. At least he was convinced.
“Ah, always the hard worker! So, you won’t mind taking a look at the new…”
“I really don’t have time to be looking at the new lingerie posters you’re selling to perverts…what the hell is that?”
I changed my tone from irritation to bemusement in seconds as Conrad revealed an orange, scaly trench coat from a duffel bag by his side.
The trench coat lacked the fiery glow and almost sentient humming of my coat, and it was obviously non-magical, but it was still obvious what it represented.
“Please don’t tell me you skinned a salamander for this…” I groaned. My coat had once been the hide of a salamander that I had killed. I regretted that kill, as salamanders were far from evil. But the creature had forced my hand. It was the lives of humans, my clients, or the life of a terrified and enraged fiery beast from beyond the In Between. Perhaps, it wasn’t as simple a choice as I made it sound. Perhaps, the salamander’s life deserved to be preserved. But, at the end of the day, a hunter had to make a decision. Right or wrong. And then stick with it. Decisiveness trumped conscience when it came to life or death.
“Who do you take me for?!” Conrad feigned offence, pretending to gasp and be taken aback. “I procured the materials for this fine piece of merch the way all respectable tailors do. A wizard did it!”
“A wizard skinned a salamander? That doesn’t make it any better. It’s like saying you’re a vegetarian because you only buy meat. You’ve never killed an animal yourself.”
“Silence, demon! I won’t exchange venomous words with one such as you. But, rest assured that no fire-breathing lizards perished in the making of this coat. It’s all plastic, cloth and other doodads. I don’t know. I didn’t make it. The enchanters did. But I’m going to sell the fake hide out of it!”
“Will people really buy something like it?” I sighed. “My coat is useful because it…you know…lights bad guys on fire. This is just a bright orange coat. Not that fashionable…”
With those words barely passing my lips, I was reminded that I knew jack-shit about fashion. Trudie, my best friend, bubble-goth and a werewolf alpha, approached the three of us wearing one of Conrad’s knock-off salamander coats over a The Cure t-shirt. She had a mouth and handful of kebab. I seldom saw Trudie not eating something unhealthy these days. She was adamant about enjoying every moment of her inability to put on unhealthy weight or collect cholesterol. Being a werewolf did have its perks. That was if you could get over the potential to lose your humanity, of course.
“Ah, Ms Davison, how are you enjoying the prototype?” Conrad grinned.
Trudie held up a finger to tell Conrad to wait a moment, before swallowing and then grinning like a predator. But her eyes weren’t glowing gold, so the only predator was Trudie herself.
“I didn’t think orange would be my colour, but it really grows on you. How do I look, Kats?”
Trudie gave me a little twirl and then a wink.
“I’ll be ordering three and am looking forward to the sales,” Jane interjected. “But there are still important things to discuss…”
Trudie’s eyes flashed gold as she glanced at my discomfort, before placing her arm over Jane’s shoulders.
“Actually, Janey dear, I’ve got some important business to discuss too. I talked with the Constantia alpha and he says he is positively ravenous to hear about your proposal for the Sentience Amendment.”
Jane, seemingly ignoring Trudie’s unnerving werewolf pun and having forgotten her pestering of me, lit up. She and Trudie had been working with the werewolf packs around the city to pass a long overdue law. An amendment to Hope City’s magically protected constitution. Effectively, a law to declare werewolves a sentient species with the same rights as humans, vampires and other living species. Until now, werewolves weren’t exactly criminals by default but, if some hunter slayed Trudie, they wouldn’t be criminally liable. That didn’t sit well with me.