Page 11 of The Secret of Pain

“What’s going on? You guys are weirding me out,” I say, taking my seat opposite my dad.

“Before I start, I want you to know that we never wanted to lie to you, but I need you to listen to everything I have to say, before you ask any questions, or lose your shit, okay?”

“Way to keep me calm.” I roll my eyes and take a sip of the whiskey I poured, glad now I have it.

“I’m serious, Remington. I need you to listen,” my dad says, and I nod. “Okay, right. You think after doing this a few times, I’d be more prepared to tell you, but you’re my little girl, and this shit is hard.” He swigs back the amber liquid in his own glass, and I look to the others around the table, who all still seem just as uncomfortable.

“Remy,” Maddie starts. “Our families are different. I know this is all going to sound more than a little unbelievable, and I really wish your mom was here to help tell you, because she always had such a way with words.”

“Remy, you, we, all of us. We are what are known in our world as Hunters. Hunters are an elite being, descended from Angels. We are Nephilim. We are faster, stronger, smarter than you could possibly imagine. Created to help keep the balance in the five factions of our world. The Nephilim, the Dracul, the Lycans, the Witches, and the humans. The humans have no idea about any of this, and that is how it must always stay.”

I burst out laughing, because I just can’t help it. What the actual fuck?

“This is no laughing matter!” My father’s voice booms so loud I flinch. My laughter dies away as I realize he’s deadly serious.

“Hunters are the peacekeepers of the world. We hunt the Dracul and the Lycans, who feed on humans and kill indiscriminately. They are a drain on this earth and need to be wiped out for the good of everyone,” he says, before standing and pouring himself another drink.

“Remy.” Maddie says, looking me in the eye while my head spins. “I know this all sounds unbelievable, but what your father is saying is true. We couldn’t tell you before your twenty-first birthday, because of the way Hunters evolve. We live as humans until our bodies are developed enough to survive the power that comes with being what we are. If you knew beforehand, the memories that would swarm you could kill you.”

“What do you mean by memories?” I ask, confusion fully setting in.

“What she means is that unlike humans, Nephilim do not know a true death. We are reborn. Always to the same parents, always as the same family. This is your twelfth life, but as always, you have a choice to make. You can accept who you are, the family legacy, and complete the ritual with the Elders to have all of your memories returned. Or you can choose to live this life as a human, without your memories. Though the burden of knowing what you know, and not fighting back, could be great.”

“Denny, hush. You know you are not allowed to influence her decision,” Maddie scolds my father.

“I mean… I have… You all chose?” My words come out in a garbled mess as my world tilts on its axis.

“Wait… Mom…?” I ask and look at my father whose face is painted with guilt and sadness.

“Yes, your mom was one of us too. She died doing what she loved doing. Hunting,” Maddie says softly. “I was with her and I should have protected her, but…”

“It was not your fault, Maddie,” my father says, patting her hand.

“This is all way too much. Is this why you disappeared?” I look to Colt and Creek, and my body heats as anger begins to fill my insides. “This is such bullshit. All of you lied to me, my entire fucking life. My family. Whole lot that means apparently. Lied about who I am, who we are. About Mom. Lied so much that you fucking pair up and left without a goddamn word. Fuck this.” I stand and swallow down the rest of my glass, thankful for the burn.

“Remington, sit down,” my dad says, and I can hear how tired he is.

“No. I will not sit back down and listen to you try to explain how each and every one of you betrayed me. How you lied to me for my own good. Do you have any idea how much guilt I’ve felt about Mom dying? Thinking she was going out shopping for shit for my stupid birthday, to find out that’s not how she died at all! To find out my entire life has essentially been a lie. I don’t want this. Any of it.” I grab my keys from the counter as I leave the house, and everyone I thought I knew better than anything else, so I can try to process what the fuck I’ve just been told.

* * *

The city is unusually quiet tonight as I patrol; the full moon lights the streets casting an eerie glow. It feels like the calm before a storm. Too still. Too quiet. Even Kain’s footsteps are silent and swift as my own. Unsurprising, considering.

“Stop it,” he says with a smile. “You keep thinking things are too quiet, and we’ll end up covered in more blood and gore than a little.”

I laugh at him. “Someone feeling a little superstitious? Even after all this time?”

“Some things are better kept as they have always been. You might call it superstitious, I call it knowing Fate’s a bitch. You don’t live as long as we have without knowing better about these things.” The playful smile on his face is one I know that few see, and I consider myself lucky enough to be one of those few.

“I still say you control your own fate.” This is a conversation we’ve had more times than I care to count, but it’s our way. It has been since our first meeting.

“How can you say that? Especially considering what we are.” He frowns, never, even after all this time, being able to wrap his head around my way of thinking.

“Because I get a choice. Each life. I get to choose which path to take. That’s not predestined. It’s not fated. It’s mine, and I own it.” I shrug as we hit the next street.

“These new and modern ways of thinking, I fear I will never change to accept them fully. Don’t get me wrong, the luxury of these times is something I’d never give up again, but sometimes I wish for the simplicity of all those years ago. Things today are so complicated. Watching what you say, fear of offending people. Humans are so… touchy.”

“I’ll give you that. Got to love this new age, seventies shit.” I start when I hear it. The sound of breaking glass ahead of us. We take off at a sprint, careful not to move too swiftly in case any humans are able to spot us. The smell of blood reaches me before my eyes take in the scene before us.

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