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“Guns can go off accidentally, that’s why,” she stated before she focused on me. “I wonder if your new hellfire would have worked on it. That’s quite powerful in action, even hurts your hellhounds. I wonder how it’d go on angelics. Demonic weapons won’t work on angels, but angelic weapons work on both. It’s frustrating really since we’re not given access to such weapons. We really could’ve used them,” Paris growled out the last part.
I didn’t bother to mention how my father had told me it would work on angelics too. Not everyone knew of my strange dream connection with him, and it would be weird to bring up.
“There’s definitely something going on with the High Council, I think. Either the High Council didn’t vet him properly, or they allowed him in anyways. There has to be something more going on. I really don’t think they’d be that negligent,” Wayne said as he stared hard at his towel.
“Well, I just wanted to thank you guys anyway for helping me out and coming to my rescue with the others,” I said softly. Everyone had been there for me when that creature had attacked, and I owed all of them.
“Don’t mention it. We’re like a family here, we have to look out for one another,” Wayne said with a charming grin that made me smile.
Paris’ face dropped at this, and she stared down at her hands quietly.
“I feel like everyone here has lost their family,” I murmured. I knew most had.
“Yeah, and some of us, like Thomas and Flynn, had to leave their families behind,” Wayne said with a heavy sigh. “We were raised by foster demonic parents. Hunters from another Academy in a nearby region. Jack let us all know that Dezikiel told you the truth, so there’s no need to hide things from you now. There are Academies all over the world that service a designated region, having their own hunters to send out where needed. These hunters live on the move mainly, only returning to the academies between missions normally. The few hunters that Everwood has haven’t returned since you’ve been here. I’m assuming with such small numbers for this region, they’re constantly working. Hopefully you meet some of them soon,” Wayne said cheerily.
“What academy did your foster parents belong to?” I asked.
“Bluewood Academy,” he answered.
“Do all the Academies have ‘wood’ in the name?” I asked with a smirk.
“Yeah, no idea why,” Wayne chuckled. “Bluewood was a great Academy, and our foster parents raised us to be hunters like them until we could attend. Turns out that they shouldn’t have done that, raised us like soldiers. We were supposed to be put into the care of special demonic-aware fosters, but instead they took us in. We found out that they’d been trying for children and couldn’t have them, so picked us up. Not sure how they pulled that stunt off, but I guess the High Council just looked the other way. I doubt they didn’t know it happened,” Wayne said as he gave Paris a sad smile. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “Sadly, they died a few years back in a hunt that went wrong. It was only meant to be four demons, but ended up being triple that. We were with them too, another thing the Academy was pissed about. We weren’t meant to be joining in on hunts apparently. Our parents put up one hell of a fight, and we were able to finish the demons off after they fell, exorcising most of them save for two, who we had to kill the hosts along with,” Wayne said.
My blood ran cold at that remark.
Jack had spoken with me briefly about demon hunting, but he’d glossed over a lot of things, and I’d not pushed.
But of course, some innocent people would die if they were being possessed. It just sucked though, big time.
“Bluewood wouldn’t accept us as they were pissed with our foster parents, even though they died doing their job. Thankfully Dezikiel allowed us entry into this Academy to learn, and he allowed us to begin going out on hunts before our two years were up. They like for everyone to have been training and studying for two years before they send them out into the field. But sometimes they’ll send students out after only a year, or six months like us, if they have excelled and proven themselves,” Wayne informed me.
I just took all the information in, glancing at Paris and her downcast expression.
“I’m sorry about your foster parents,” I said softly, and Paris finally looked up at me.
“Don’t be. Everyone dies sooner or later. Demonics don’t tend to have long lives, not with this line of work. It’s why we shouldn’t grow attached to others, we’ll only lose them and get them hurt,” she muttered as she rose. “I’ll catch you later, Wayne. I need to practice my knives.”
I bit my cheek as guilt washed over me as she strode off.
“I didn’t mean to upset her,” I mumbled apologetically.
“Don’t worry, it’s just how she is. She was super close to our foster parents. Their death broke her. Hell, it affected me too, but I pushed on. She’s still stuck in the stage where she’s pushing everyone away. Burying herself in her own little world and focusing only on work and studies,” he said sadly as he stared after his sister’s retreating form.
“Do demonics really have shorter lives?” I asked softly.
“Yes. Once they leave the Academy properly and become a full-fledged Hunter, many die within the first five years,” he stated.
My heart dropped at this. Surely that wasn’t true? How many did die?
“If you survive the first five years, you tend to have a long life. But about sixty percent or more of new Hunters die within that time. Once you leave the Academy, the High Council just keeps dropping jobs on you, and you go all across the country for them. While in the Academy, students only get sent on local hunts that are easy to get to, which isn’t too often really. We’re pretty deserted out here with only small country towns around us,” Wayne said as he rose to his feet and towered over me. “I should go help her practice. Good luck with your training too,” he said with a nod before he strode off after his sister.
I watched him go with a grim smile and a pit in my stomach at his words.
Would I survive those five years? Or would I become another casualty?
