The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Five

The sun was focal point in any case b flop. fair(a) shielded her look with one make it and glanced anxiously nearly as she walked across the blank toward the bookstore. It had taken her a long time to fal asleep after acquire back to their room the night in the beginning. What if some crazy person was straw the campus?Its broad twenty-four hour periodlight, she told herself. There are people everywhere. I sire cipher to be afraid of. But bad things could happen during the day, too. Girls got lured into cars by terrible men, or hit over the pass and taken to dark places. Monsters didnt still lurk in the night. After al , she knew several vampires who strol ed around during the day al the time. Damon and Stefan didnt scare her, not anymore, moreover at that place were different daytime monsters. I just want to feel safe for once, she conceit wistful y.She was coming up on the area the police had been prying the night before, stil jam gain with yel ow tape.Students were standing nearby in groups of 2 or three, talking in low voices. bonnie spied a reddish-brown stain across the line that she estimate might be blood, and she walked fast as she passed it.There was a rustling in the bushes. just sped up level(p) more, picturing a wild-eyed attacker hiding in the chthoniangrowth, and glanced around nervously. No one was aspect in her committal. Would they help her if she screamed?She risked some other look back at the bush should she just take off runway? and stopped, embarrassed by the furious thumping of her heart. A clever brusk squirrel hopped hesitantly from chthonian the branches. It sniffed the air, then dashed across the path and up a tree behind the police tape.Honestly, Bonnie McCul ough, youre a moron, Bonnie muttered to herself. A guy passing her in the other direction overheard her and snickered, making Bonnie blush furiously.By the time she got to the bookstore, shed gotten her blushing under control. Having the ty pical redheads complexion was a pain everything she felt was broadcast by the flush or paleness of her skin. With any luck, though, shed be able to dish taboo a simple trip to buy books without humiliating herself.Bonnie had bulgeed acquire acquainted with the bookstore when shed had her shopping spree yesterday, precisely she hadnt authoritative y investigated the book side of the store.Today, though, she had the book list for the classes shed registered for, and she compulsory to stock up for some serious studying. Shed never been a huge fan of school, but maybe col ege would be different. With a resolute squaring of her shoulders, she turned determinedly away from the shiny stuff and toward the textbooks.The book lists were awful y long, though. She name the fat Intro to Psychology textbook with a sense of bliss this would definitely give her the terminology to diagnose her friends. The freshman English seminar she was assign to covered a slew of novels, so she wandered through the fiction section, pul ing The bolshy and the Black, Oliver Twist, and The Age of Innocence off the shelves as she passed.She rounded a deferral in search of the rest of the Ws, intent on adding To the Lighthouse to her ontogenesis stack of books, and froze.Zander. Beautiful, bonny Zander was draped graceful y next to a bookshelf, his white-blond head bent over a book. He hadnt seen her yet, so Bonnie immediately ducked back into the previous gangway.She leaned against the wal , breathing hard. She could feel her cheeks heating up again, that awful tel tale blush.Careful y, she peeked back around the coign. He hadnt discover her he was stil reading intently. He was wearing a gray jersey today, and his soft-looking hair curled a bit at the nape of his neck. His fountain looked sort of sad with those gorgeous blue eyes hidden to a lower place his long lashes and no sign of that fabulous smile. There were dark shadows under his eyes.Bonnies first instinct was to snea k away. She could wait and find the Virginia Woolf book tomorrow it wasnt like she was going to read it today. She sure y didnt want Zander to trust she was stalking him. It would be better if he maxim her somewhere, when she wasnt paying attention. If he approached her, shed know he was evoke.After al , maybe he wasnt interested in Bonnie. Hed been kind of flirtatious when hed run into her, but hed nearly knocked her down. What if he was just being friendly? What if he didnt even remember Bonnie?Nope, better to take off this time and wait til she was better prepared. She wasnt even wearing eyeliner, for heavens sake. Making up her mind, Bonnie turned firmly away.But, on the other handBonnie hesitated. Thered been a connection between them, hadnt there? Shed felt something when her eyes met his. And hed smiled at her like he was real y seeing her, past the fluff and fluster.And what about the resolution shed made the day before, walking to her dorm from this very same bookstore? If she was going to produce a terrific, confident, stepping-out-of-the-shadows kind of person, she couldnt run away every time she saw a boy she liked.Bonnie had always admired the way that Elena managed to ache what she wanted. Elena just went after it and nothing got in her way. When Stefan had first come to Fel s Church, he hadnt wanted anything to do with Elena, certainly not to fal into her arms and start some kind of amazing eternal romance. But Elena hadnt cared. She was going to have Stefan, even if it kil ed her.And, Well, it had kil ed her, hadnt it?Bonnie shivered. Bonnie shook her head a little. The point was, if you wanted to find love, you couldnt be afraid of trying, could you?She stuck her raise determinedly into the air. At least she wasnt blushing anymore. Her cheeks were so cold, she was probably as white as a snowwoman, but she definitely wasnt blushing. So that was something. forward she could change her mind again, she walked quickly around the corner back into the aisle where Zander stood reading.Hi she tell, her voice squeaking a tiny bit. Zander He looked up, and that amazing, beautiful smile spread across his stage.Bonnie he said enthusiastical y. Hey, Im real y glad to see you. I was thinking about you earlier.You were? Bonnie asked, and immediately wanted to outpouring herself at how overly enthusiastic she sounded.Yeah, he said softly. I was. His sky-blue eyes held hers. I was wishing Id gotten your scream number.You were? Bonnie asked again, and this time didnt even worry about how she sounded.Sure, he said. He scuffed his feet against the carpet, like he was a little nervous, and a warmth blossomed at bottom Bonnie. He was nervous talking to her I was thinking, Zander went on, maybe we could do something sometime. I mean, if you wanted to.Oh, Bonnie said. I mean, yes I would want to. If you did.Zander smiled again, and it was as if their little corner of the fiction section was lit up with a freshness light. Bonnie had to keep up herself from staggering backward, he was so gorgeous.How about this spend? Zander asked, and Bonnie, feeling suddenly as light and buoyant as though she could float up into the air, smiled back.Meredith stepped her left foot behind her and raised her regenerate heel, moving into a back stance as she brought her hands up sharply, fists together, in a blocking move. Then she slid her foot sideways into a front stance and pokinged forward with the fist of her left hand. She loved running through a taekwondo form. Each movement was choreographed, and the only thing to do was to workout over and over until the whole form flowed in a model of precision, grace, and control. Taekwondo forms were perfectible, and Meredith enjoyed perfection.The most glorious thing about them was that once she knew her forms so Wellthat they were as natural as breathing, she could be ready for anything. In a fight, she would be able to sense what her opponents next move would be and recurrenc e with a block or a complaint or a punch without even thinking.She turned swiftly, blocked high with her right hand and low with her left. It was the preparation, Meredith knew. If she was so prepared that her body could sense what move she needed to make without her brain having to get involved, then she would be able to sincerely protect herself and everyone else around her.A few weeks ago, when she and her friends had been under attack from the trace and shed sprained her ankle, only Stefan had been left with Power enough to defend Fel s Church.Stefan, a vampire.Merediths lips tightened as she automatical y kicked forward with her right foot, slid into a tiger stance, and blocked with her left hand.She liked Stefan, and she trusted him, she real y did, but stil She could drawing generation upon generation of Sulezes rol ing over in their graves, cursing her, if they knew that she had left herself and her friends so vulnerable, with only a vampire between themselves and dange r. Vampires were the enemy.Not Stefan, of course. She knew, despite al her training, that she could put her faith in Stefan. Damon, on the other hand further useful Damon had been in a couple of battles, however reasonably enjoyable and, frankly, out-of-character he had behaved for the last few weeks, Meredith couldnt bring herself to trust him.But if she apt hard, if she perfected herself as a warrior, Meredith wouldnt have to. She moved into a right front stance and, sharp and clean, punched forward with her right hand.Nice punch, said a voice behind her.Meredith turned to see a hairy African American female child leaning against the door of the practice room, ceremonial occasion her.Thanks, said Meredith, surprised.The daughter strol ed into the room. What are you, she asked, a black smash?Yes, Meredith said, and couldnt help adding proudly,in taekwondo and karate.Hmm, the girl said, her eyes sparkling. I do taekwondo and aikido myself. My names Samantha. Ive been looking for a sparring partner. Interested? Despite the casualness of her tone, Samantha was bouncing eagerly on the bal s of her feet, a mischievous smile flickering at the corners of her mouth, and Merediths eyes narrowed.Sure, she said, her attitude light. Show me what youve got.Samanthas smile broadened. She kicked off her shoes and stepped onto the practice mat next to Meredith. They faced off, assessing each other. She was a head shorter than Meredith, thin, but wiry and sleekly muscled, and she moved as graceful y as a cat.The anticipation in the girls eyes betrayed Samanthas belief that Meredith would be calorie-free to beat. She was thinking that Meredith was one of those trainees who was al form and technique with no real fighting instinct. Meredith knew that kind of fighter Well, had met them often enough in competitions. If that was what Samantha thought of Meredith, she was in for a surprise.Ready? Samantha asked. At Merediths nod, she immediately launched a punch while bring ing the opposite-side foot around in an attempt to drop back Meredith off her feet. Meredith reacted instinctively, blocking the blow, dodging the foot, then sweeping a kick of her own, which Samantha avoided, grinning with simple pleasure.They exchanged a few more blows and kicks, and, against her wil , Meredith was impressed. This girl was fast, faster than most of the fighters Meredith had faced before, even at the black-belt level, and much stronger than she looked.She was too cocky, though, an aggressive fighter instead of a defensive one the way shed hurried to strike the first blow showed that. Meredith could use that cockiness against her.Samantha shifted her weight, and Meredith slid in below her defenses, giving a fast spin heel kick that hit Samantha firmly on the upper thigh. She staggered a bit, and Meredith moved out of range quickly.Samanthas face changed immediately. She was getting angry now, Meredith could tel , and that, too, was a weakness. She was frowning, her lips tight, while Meredith unplowed her own face purposeful y blank. Samanthas fists and feet were moving quickly, but she disordered some accuracy as she sped up.Meredith pretended to fal back under the assault, feinting to keep her opponent off-balance, al owing herself to be backed toward a corner while stil blocking Samanthas blows. When she was almost cornered, she jammed her arm against Samanthas fist, stopping her before she could ful y extend her blow, and swept a foot under hers.Samantha tripped, caught by Merediths low kick, and fel heavily to the mat. She lay there and just stared up at Meredith for a moment, face stunned, while Meredith hovered over her, suddenly uncertain. Had she hurt Samantha? Was the girl going to be angry and storm off?Then Samanthas face blossomed into a wide, glowing smile. That was awesome she said. Can you show me that move?