Fireflies.

I had a bad feeling even before he started talking. The sinking feeling in my gut made me feel faintly nauseous. He hadn’t moved, his impossibly deep eyes continued to search my face. Searching for the truth, or a hint of a lie.

I did trust him, which made the encounters before with him even harder. Because every piece of training had been screaming at me to not trust him. He’s a part of the Damned community, the enemy a threat. But underlining all of that had been a connection, a sense of rightness. Almost like belonging. Which was crazy and they should have had me committed a while ago. Hunters don’t feel for the Damned.

Nor should they have extraordinary sex dreams over them, ones that continue for months. That leaves you screaming night after night from the on slaughter of desire, passion and a sense of rightness that was so deep and wholesome. It was like coming home after being in exile for years.

See, they should have committed me.

I was a hunter and he was, well I’m not entirely sure what he is. I have a feeling I’m about to find out though.

“I’m going to tell you a story.” He said at last, his cool voice washing over me and bringing me back from my thoughts.

I raise an eyebrow. “A story?”

“Yes.”

“Seriously?”

He just sighs.

“Okay, fine tell me this story.” I say after a moment.

He pauses for another moment before he begins his story.

“The one thing humans have always been gifted with is free will. The ability to make their own minds up, to choose their own destiny. There are a lot of creatures that resent Humans for this reason alone. These creatures are tied to rules and powers humans can’t even comprehend. Angels are one of these creatures. They’re own destinies already planned out, they’re entire existence devoted to the Glory and Humanity. Guarding the Almighties chosen race.”

He pauses and I raise an eyebrow at him. Angels? He holds a hand up before I can ask any questions and he continues.

“A few of these angels began to feel jealousy over the Humans. They longed for their own free will, the ability to think for one’s self. Also the emotions that humans are gifted with, love, sorrow, forgiveness, all of them even the ones that cause humans pain.

“Humanity, the greatest temptation to the divine. And some gave in. They fell. The beauty that sung from the women, the fertility that laced their scent. It called to the angels, offered them something angels couldn’t give. The promise of fleeting emotions, the emotions these angels graved.

“Some gave in, and the women bore children.

“These children, impossibly beautiful, gifted with the best humanity had to offer. The emotions, the free will. And the best the angels had to offer, they’re vast gifts and powers. Wingless giants. Half human and half angel. Nephilim.

“These creatures lived for eternity, and bore children as easily as human. Humanity was being overrun by these creatures. The humans begged to the heavens, begged them to get rid of these creatures.

“The heavens answered with a flood. Some of the Nephilim in fear fled to the highest peaks, desperate to survive the flood.

“But Heavens power has always been too great. In their final moments they poured their essence into the stones. Rare stones that had once hung in the hollows of their necks. The stone a beautiful green, impossibly bright and full of the life that burned within the earth.

“As they poured their essence into these stones, they became flecked with bright red marks. These marks from the blood of creatures created out of desire and temptation. As the Nephilim faded, the stones remained. The Bloodstone’s.”

He reached up to hold the stone in the hollow of his neck. A green stone flecked with red and that was a brilliant green. I froze, my eyes becoming fixated on the stone that hung in the hollow of his neck.

He continued.

“These stones had the power to gift humans with Immortality. The power nowhere near as great as the Nephilim, but more powerful than anything that walked amongst humans. The Immortals could never be killed by humans, they’re death by the hands of their own kind.

“They learnt from the Nephilim, and they remained a secret from humanity. Living apart from them, and only intertwining when it proved useful for the Immortals.

“The Occidere Vincere was created soon after. To keep humans in the dark, they became Humanities protectors against the Immortals, shielding them from themselves and what the Immortals could do.

“The children born between two Immortals where cursed. They were born with ability to become immortals, but had to be triggered by an Immortal first. This happened easily at first, as parents triggered them within the first few weeks after their birth.

“After they were triggered, they had up to a year to receive a stone. These children grew weaker and weaker as the year progressed. They were plagued with sickness, until their bodies finally gave into the transition. Only a Bloodstone could turn these children into Immortals. But the stone had to be from a parent. In order for the children to live, a parent had to sacrifice themselves and their immortality.

“Few did, and the children turned into monsters. Immortality too great a thing to give up, even for a child. The children became blood thirsty creatures that became frozen at the state of mind, infants with the strength of a half a dozen men.

“The Occidere Vincere began the process of building up Hunters. Humans who would fight these creatures. The Occidere Vincere Hunters organization was born. As without the stone these creatures could die by a humans hand.

“Immortals had very few children after this, and those who did slipped the children into the OV. Letting the child be brought up by humans, and slipped into the Hunters ranks. This gave the children a chance to be normal. Although they were slightly faster, stronger and more beautiful than other humans. They could blend it. They became the best hunters, and could safely be around the Tainted or Vampires as they were later called without being forced into a transition.

“In exchange for the Occidere Vincere doing this for the Immortals, the Immortals promised to remain away from their children, knowing it was their presence alone that triggered the transition.

“Although these children became aloof from humanity, never finding true peace. They didn’t belong anywhere, they grew slightly too advanced and too inhuman to fit in. They constantly felt lost, and alone. They became obsessed with their careers, as it was the only place they felt they belonged. Fighting, being able to let go of the strength and speed that they had to keep controlled in normal situations. Despite their parents attempts, they couldn’t be human. They would forever remain an outcast.”
I tore my eyes away from the stone, and fixed them on him. He was watching me, his eyes carefully guarded. The world spun and tried to remember how to breathe.

No, no this couldn’t be happening because fragments of the story where filling my mind. Stronger, faster and more beautiful than humans. Ideal hunters against the Tainted. Lost in the system. Brought up by humans. An outcast, never belonging. Fleeting glimpses of rightness that came from their careers.

“No.” I whispered as I flinched away from him.

“Estelle, listen to me you have options….” His voice trailed off.

My hands balled into fists around the sheets as it sunk in. The weakness the dizziness. Oh god.

“You’re an Immortal” I whispered.

“Yes.”

“And I’m..” I couldn’t say the rest, it got stuck in my throat. Alongside the scream that threatened to rip across my lips.

“Yes, you’re in transition.”