- 6 -

Pandora started planning before the injured men had even faded from sight. She needed to kill the barghest before Gregor could return, but what would that entail? She didn't even know how long she had. She pulled the watch from her pocket and flicked the lid aside.

"Damn it."

The watch was dead. Pandora studied the remaining hunters and debated who she dreaded talking to the least. After heavy consideration, she moved toward Fennel. At least she was easy to look at. The woman was crouched, holding a torch to the ground; its light shone off wet blood. Pandora tugged at the corner of Fennel's cloak pulling her attention from the tracks.

"I found the trail, but we should maybe give the others a moment to prepare. Are you that anxious to move on?" Fennel stood, brushing dirt from her knees.

"The sooner the better, but I was just asking for the time." Pandora dangled the watch loose by its chain. Stopped hands smiled at Fennel and she smiled back.

"I thought you were the over-prepared type."

Pandora's jaw clenched. She tried to be, but she had failed. A hunter lives and dies by preparation. Training, research, planning, weapon maintenance, and blood sourcing; all done days or years in advance, but tonight she couldn't even remember to wind a damn watch. It was embarrassing. It felt like she hadn't improved at all in the years since Renna died.

"Hey don't look so serious about it. I didn't mean it like that." Fennel pulled out her own watch, a brilliant piece cased in gold. The church wasting its money on appearances once again. "Nine forty-seven," she cheerfully announced.

Pandora adjusted her watch's hands and wound the spring before giving a flat, "Thanks."

"You're welcome. So, do you have somewhere to be or something?"

"Just trying to keep track of how long the others might be gone."

"Awww, are you starting to warm up to them?" Fennel asked with a giggle. "It looked like you were fighting earlier."

"Wanted to finish up before they get back. Should have told them to bring my payment with them."

"Where do you get your confidence? I'd love to have some."

As if Fennel wasn't the most collected hunter in her group. Pandora couldn't imagine the woman doubting herself for even a moment.

"I'm going to check on the others," Fennel said.

"You do that."

Pandora turned her attention to her watch and went over the math. It's maybe four miles to town, at twenty minutes a mile... No, injured men couldn't move at full speed. Taking that into account, they could be in town in close to two hours, around midnight. So if Gregor walked back it gave her until after one. But she doubted he would walk. As a solo hunter, conserving stamina was something Pandora could afford to think about. After finishing a job she would need to wait for the client to wake up in the morning to get paid anyway. Finishing a job at eleven instead of four didn't hold many benefits. But Gregor would be worried about his companions; every minute that passed was one they could die. He would run back, likely with blood enhancement. She aimed to finish before midnight.

By the time Pandora wrapped her mind around half a plan, Fennel tapped on her shoulder, "Are you ready?"

Pandora glanced up. "Huh, yeah."

"Come on boys, time to head out." The men both gathered their tools and walked over in silence. The air grew heavy as they drew near. Even Fennel had grown... not anxious, but fidgety; a hairline crack forming in her impenetrable cool.

"We don't have to babysit anymore but we've also lost two hunters," Pandora said. Not that she wasn't glad they were gone. "Things will be more dangerous from this point forward. So if any of you have ideas spit them out."

"I'm normally the one in charge of strategy," Fennel said. "The problem is I hardly know you or Gamal."

"This is all you need to know about me." He rolled his sleeve up to flaunt bulging muscle. "Grafted from a minotaur. If I get my hands around the beast's neck I'll snap it like a twig."

Pandora laughed as her eye caught Gamal's jagged scars. "And it'll rip the other half of your face off."

"Looking to lose your other eye?" Gamal shouted.

Before the fight could continue Fennel threw herself into the conversation. "Our church forbids its hunters from grafting. We don't have any secret weapons. Though I'm guessing you do, right Pandora?"

Pandora's scorn fixed her attention on Gamal. She cursed him, not once, but several times over. The ape was lucky she didn't put any blood behind it. It was only out of a desire to outdo the bastard that she answered Fennel's question. "I have one. But it's not my graft. It could kill the youkai in an instant, but you'd all follow behind. It's not suited to groups."

"Yeah right," Gamal muttered.

"Then, the blood at your neck?" James asked.

Pandora instinctively brought her hand to the vial, rolling the glass around her fingertips. She had bought it when Renna's death was still a fresh wound at her heart. Though she never needed it, she couldn't bring herself to take it off.

"It's healing blood, strong enough to reverse certain death. But it's only for someone..."

Someone I love. Like she had loved anyone since that day. "Someone important to me."

"And here you are trying to pretend you don't care about anyone." Fennel giggled.

"There's a reason I haven't used it." Pandora flipped her cloak to the side and displayed her right arm for the group. Her blouse was sleeveless on the right side leaving access to bare flesh. Tattoos lined the entirety of the limb. A large key rune at the back of her hand, followed by seven bands of smaller runes stacked from wrist to armpit with neat lines separating each layer. "If you want a secret weapon, this is mine."

"So you're a witch, then." There was no question in Gamal's words, just a detached certainty.

"You're familiar with witches?" Pandora asked.

"You could certainly say that. Not many of your kind left these days. You sure it's wise to show that off in front of our employers here? Or do you just like bonfires?"

Pandora's body went stiff. His words only meant to taunt her, but for a moment she was 15 again. The smell of burnt flesh fresh in her nose. Pandora gagged. And then she was 25 again, back in the woods with the church hunters and the ape. She reached for a cigarette.

"As long as she can kill youkai I couldn't care less," James said.

"I feel the same," Fennel said, reaching a torch over for Pandora to light her cigarette against. She hadn't even needed to ask.

"I'll need a bit more information though," Fennel continued. For the first time, the woman looked troubled. A lack of knowledge wasn't the type of problem you could force your way through with pure optimism. She stared down at Pandora's arm. "What does it do?"

Pandora opened her mouth but Gamal answered over her. "She can do quite a lot for a few minutes, then a good amount of nothing after that."

Pandora had thought getting rid of Andor would give her a break. But it seemed there was always another fool ready to test her patience. "And what would you know of it?"

"I know you burn your own blood to fuel your witchcraft. I know that in a fight you'll turn woozy, then anemic, then pass out. Like burning the candle at both ends, if you could find a way to light the middle as well. You're a liability." He turned to address Fennel directly. "You should cut her and let me deal with things from here."

Pandora's fist coiled to a tight ball. Did this ape mean to muscle in on her cut of the money? Or maybe he just hated witches. He wouldn't be the first. Either way, he underestimated how many hexes she could cast at full strength. Perhaps she should show him. Pandora removed the cigarette from her mouth and replaced it with her left thumb. She prepared to draw blood; the catalyst for her powers.

"So Pandora should be the one to strike the final blow," Fennel said stepping between them. "You and James should be able to hold the youkai in place, right?"

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"Did you not hear what I was saying?"

Fennel looked up at the man with wide eyes. "So, you're unable to bind it?"

"Of course I can, but—"

Fennel clapped her hands together. "Great, then we have a plan. Pandora, once they have it in place be sure to end things quickly." Fennel's smile was contagious, at least for Pandora. Gamal seethed against it. She hadn't given him time to respond, wandering off to follow the blood trail instead, and he hated it.

Fennel may be growing on me after all.

The group had only followed the blood splatter for a few minutes before a green glow peaked above a hilltop. The hunters crawled to the top and examined the area. The downward slope of the hill was heavily forested then let out into a patch of flat open ground. Beyond that was the rocky shoreline of a river, the barghest at its edge drinking. The trees could provide cover for stealth, but they stopped short. The group would have to run through the open only to end up on uneven terrain. Stealth was still the best opener, but they would need to lure the barghest over to the edge of the forest first.

Pandora mapped how she thought the fight should play out, but the final decision would rest with Fennel. She was the client after all. Pandora turned to her, ready with her suggestions, but the space between them was filled by Gamal standing and walking over the crest of the hill.

"What are you doing, asshole?" Pandora whispered, holding on to the possibility of a surprise attack. Gamal shared no such concern.

"Killing a youkai, that's what hunters do."

The Barghest's ears perked up, then it spun to face them. Gamal strode down the hill and upon reaching the bottom wrapped his arms around a birch tree. He let out a grunt as he strained against it. Nothing happened at first, but then there was a crack, then another. Leaves shook on their branches. Wood creaked and moaned. The earth at the tree's base began to shatter and shift as Gamal lifted the roots free of the ground. A quick tug snapped the last stragglers and the tree came free in his hands.

"God in heaven," James said.

Fennel slapped him on his back. "Go on down. Like it or not he's started this fight."

James burst over the ridge and sprinted down the hill. Once he had gathered enough momentum, he locked his feet and slid the remaining distance, coming to a stop next to Gamal.

"Let's get to work."

"I don't need the help." Gamal charged forward and the youkai moved to meet him halfway. The tree swung down in a wide arc, gaining speed as gravity assisted the attack. The barghest sidestepped seconds before impact and the tree crashed against the ground. The wood shattered in an explosion of splinters, breaking at the midpoint.

The barghest shot forward, jaw open. Gamal swung around bringing the bottom half of the tree with him. Its weight now lowered, the makeshift club whipped even faster than before and landed against the dog's head.

"We had better join them, don't you think?" Fennel asked.

Pandora glanced at her a moment, then tamped out her cigarette on the frozen ground before cresting the hill. She reached the bottom in time to watch the Barghest jump back away from one of Gamal's swings. While it was distracted, James slashed across the beast's back legs.

"Keep your distance," Fennel shouted, but it was too late. Blood sprayed like jets from the cuts. But instead of falling to the ground the creature reared back and kicked its hind legs out, sending James flying.

Fennel rushed to his side; Pandora walked.

James clutched at his ribs. "I can't keep up at all," he said through gritted teeth.

"Don't talk." Fennel pressed a blood vile to his lips and waited for him to drink. Pandora placed a finger atop it and slid it away.

"What are you doing?" Fennel protested. Pandora ignored her.

"How bad do you want to gut that thing?"

"I'd give anything."

Pandora placed her hand over his and squeezed. "Then do it." She pulled her hand away leaving a vial of blood in the man's palm.

"What's your price?"

"Just make sure that bastard doesn't have anything to brag about when the fight's over."

James nodded then tilted his head back, pouring the blood straight down his throat. Pandora dug through her bag until her hand brushed against hemp. She ripped a coiled length of rope free as screams cut the silence.

Fennel's eyes narrowed to points. "What did you give him?"

"A chance to keep up."

"That's not what—"

"It's okay, Fennel. The pain is fading now." Brave words considering he was still clutching his head. "So what does this do?"

Pandora tossed the rope toward James and he caught it. A simple action, but his eyes went wide as he stared down at the rope. "Holy shit."

"What?" Fennel asked.

"It floated over so slowly. It was like she handed it to me."

"What do you mean? It fell normally."

"Not to him," Pandora said. "That blood will let him perceive seconds as if they were minutes. He can see the time between time. You remember the plan, right?"

James snapped the rope taut between his hands. "Hold the youkai in place while you deal the finishing blow."

Pandora turned back to the fight and raised her shotgun. She placed the youkai between her sights and rested her finger on the trigger, tracking the beast as it moved. "Then let me give you an opening." Pandora squeezed the trigger. The shot landed at the back of the dog's head, knocking it off balance. James rushed past her and the barghest swung around attention focused on him.

Gamal attempted to steal the opportunity Pandora had made. He swung at the youkai with his birch club, but the creature wasn't fooled. It reared back and snapped its jaw around the log. Using the weapon as a lever, the barghest swung its head and sent Gamal flying back up the hillside. Fennel chased after him, healing blood in hand. A mercy he didn't deserve. An explosive crunch drew Pandora's attention back to the dog. Its jaw closed around the tree crushing it to mulch.

With Gamal's failed attack, James had found more time to close the distance. So, the ape could be useful after all. The barghest's head whipped around, trying to follow the hunter as he sprinted beneath it. The youkai jumped back but one of its paws was already tangled in a length of rope. It drew its claws back and swung down at the hunter.

Useless.

With the blood she gave him, James could see bullets move. Of course, seeing a bullet didn't make you fast enough to dodge it, but the barghest was no bullet. As the strike came down at him, James stepped just beyond the beast's range, then flicked a loop of rope out into the air. The creature swung its paw straight through ensnaring itself. This fight was settled.

Pandora sauntered forward preparing to strike the barghest down. Once she was happy with the distance, she drew her left thumb up into her mouth and rested it below a pointed tooth; a fang from her first kill ripped out and transplanted into her mouth. James pulled at the rope, drawing the barghest's feet together. The youkai lost its balance and fell, its mass sending tremors through the ground. Pandora bit down filling her mouth with the taste of copper.

Before she could strike, Gamal sprinted from the tree line and wrapped his massive arms around the creature's neck. Pandora would prefer the bastard got no credit for helping but there was no time to hesitate. She pulled her thumb from her mouth, giving the blood a moment to coat the tip, then pressed it to the top of her arm.

Pandora traced a line down, smearing her blood between the runes. One left then down, two right then down. She continued through each band until she reached the wrist. There she connected the line to the rune at the back of her hand, completing the spell. A cloud of darkness formed at her palm, drifting on air currents like smoke. A burning heat coursed up her arm following the trail of blood; the meaning of each symbol weaved together to form a hex. Pandora spoke the curse aloud, an unnecessary step in the process she had learned from Renna.

"Go out, create thunder, but stand right under those cloud-blackened skies."

The darkness burst forward, forming itself into arrows blacker than the night, then shot up into the sky. They twisted and changed direction, drawing a meandering line through the air. But always making progress toward their target. They carried the curse upward to the sky, then lightning speared down to the earth. There was a flash that stole Pandora's vision. Thunder clapped as her eye adjusted to the returning darkness.

The lightning strike left a smoldering hole exactly where she placed it. Exactly where the barghest had been. But the creature now lay on its opposite side, unharmed. Did it dodge? How? Held in place by two hunters with its limbs tied and it rolled out of the way of a lightning strike?

Pandora's mind caught against the absurdity of it all, but was ripped back into the present by Fennel screaming, "What the hell do you think you're doing?" There was an anger she never expected to hear in that voice. Then Gamal shouted something back, but the words were drowned out by a loud snap; the rope breaking against the youkai's kicks. It began to stand. Gamal strained against the beast's neck, trying to snap it, but he was tossed aside with ease once the dog had regained its footing.

The barghest locked eyes with Pandora. Time froze. The path was still drawn on her arm. She could cast the lightning again, but without restraints could she hit her mark? There was no time to wipe away the blood and trace a different curse. Pandora reached for her gun but the beast was already charging. Its head crashed into her tossing her away like a cigarette butt.

Pandora smashed into something solid and lost the breath from her lungs, then she continued to fall. As she drifted down the sound of the world became muffled, drowned out by a dull roar. Attempting to draw a breath was met only with a searing pain in her lungs.

Up and down blurred into a single direction. She didn't understand what was happening, but her subconscious raced. Her body acted without input, kicking and flailing, then pushed her above the surface of the river.

Pandora coughed and hacked. Every cell in her body screamed out for oxygen but she couldn't draw any in. Panic sent tremors through her bones. Death had kissed her and she had hated it. Pandora threw up, returning the river water to its source. Finally, labored gasps drew in air and her mind returned to the fight.

Her head whipped to the side to center the barghest in her vision. The creature caught her gaze and howled, then rushed forward. The blood on her arm had washed away in the river. She would need to weave a new curse. Pandora squeezed her thumb to draw fresh blood to the surface, the youkai drawing ever closer. She traced a new line down her arm and the darkness returned, floating below her hand. She turned back to the youkai, jaw open as it ran. Pandora could see little more than two lines of teeth and a throat approaching her, but that was her target anyway.

"Rise, from hate and fear. Boiling stygian waters, devour what comes near."

The arrows dropped, sinking into the water and drawing it up from its path. Pandora's head went light for a moment and her balance faltered, but she caught herself. She steeled her focus, even as the spell burned away the blood in her veins. Her curse flowed down into the water, mixing with it, then a stream of liquid burst from the river and shot toward the barghest.

Water crashed into the monster with enough force to lift it from its front paws. The beast flailed around to escape the stream, but the curse had found its mark. The water flowed right down its throat and into its lungs. Pandora was giddy, though she didn't know if it was from the blood loss or the excitement of the kill.

"Drown, you bastard!"

Water sprayed from the creature's nostrils as it choked and sputtered, then fell limp. The curse waned and the water resumed its natural flow. The flames faded from the creature's chest, but that wasn't good enough. Pandora needed to confirm it was dead.

As she trudged out of the water to check on the beast there was a rhythmic thump at her thigh. Her watch had fallen from her pocket and hung from its chain. She took it in her hand and flipped the lid open. Water ran out of the watch and down her arm. The condensation left on the glass made the hands hard to read but it was still ticking.

The youkai didn't move as she approached. Its chest didn't rise or fall with breathing. There were no outward signs of life. Still, Pandora pressed the barrel of her shotgun against the creature's temple and pulled the trigger. Brain and bone spilled, staining the ground. Now she was sure. Pandora glanced down at the watch. At twelve o'clock exactly the hunt came to an end.