Changed (The Hunters #1) (35 page)

“
Are you thinking, just
because you have the gift to fight, I am not going to kill you?” He
grabbed Rosa by the arm. His eyes were filled with
hatred.

“
Do you think your gift
can save you?”

Without
waiting for her answer, he continued. “I do not give a damn thing
about you being the best hunter! I want a hunter that listens to me
and shows me respect—nothing like
you
!” He spat the last word, as if
he had acid in his mouth.

Rosa shut her mouth and said nothing,
because she knew if she would say something now, she would only
give a snappy answer that would only annoy him even
more.

“
Give me one reason why I
should not kick you out of the hunter clan?” he asked, looking into
her eyes. He raised his forefinger. “A single reason, Rosa. And
your gift does not count anymore.”

One
reason! One reason! One reason!
Damn! I
don’t know!

Then Rosa remembered the book that she
had stolen from Jason’s room.

She looked at him. “I can give you a
reason.”

He arched an eyebrow. “And that would
be?”

“
I know with whom the
archangels are working.”

His gaze changed. “And with
whom?”

“
With the fire
users.”

Lord Constantine growled. “I knew
it.”

“
I have also the
book.”

His eyes widened. “Where? Where is it?
“

“
In my apartment,” Rosa
replied.

He smiled at her now. “Well
done, huntress. Your vest is getting white again.”

She smiled weakly.

“
You will bring me the
book. We will talk about what happened in the dungeon when you
return from Vancouver. The talisman is more important than the
incident in the dungeon.”

He let go off her arm and opened the
door. “See you then.”

He disappeared from the room, leaving
Rosa alone. She sat down on the chair and wondered how her vest had
ever gone so black.

Rosa packed for the trip to
Vancouver. After she’d handed the book to Lord Constantine and
Andrea had healed her shoulder, she told Colin and Valerie what was
happening.

She had told them the truth, and their
reaction was different than she had expected. Rosa had expected
them to accuse her that she had saved a Nephilim, but they
understood her and her behavior.

Rosa was conscious that she had the
best friends in the world.

She also tried repeatedly to call
Matt, but couldn’t reach him. Concern welled up in her and she
hoped that she would see him at the airport.

Rosa strapped her bag on and shoved
the letter and the card in the pocket of her leather jacket. From
Andrea she had the paralysis spell, and asked her to heal her
wounded shoulder. Her shoulder was now as good as
before.

The clock told her that it was time to
head off to the airport. With one last look at her room, she
grabbed her keys and left her apartment. The taxi she had ordered
was waiting outside. She climbed in and told the driver where she
wanted to go.

After an hour ride, the taxi stopped
at the airport. Rosa paid him and got out. Although it was not time
for holidays, many people were at the airport.

Rosa entered the airport and watched
for familiar faces. She discovered Matt, standing with others from
her class at a closed gate.

Her concern for Matt changed into
anger. She worried about him and he did not even considered telling
her that he was all right.

Rosa headed straight toward him and
stopped behind him. Matt turned around and smiled at her, but his
smile faded when he saw her face.

“
Is everything okay?” he
asked.

“
You ask
me if everything is
okay
?” she replied sharply, glaring
at him. “Let me think: In our last conversation you act weird and
disappear without telling me what’s going on. I tried to reach you
for days, but you didn’t pick up your phone. I was worried about
you! And you don’t even think it was necessary to tell me how
you’re doing. And now you can answer the question if everything is
OK!” She crossed her arms over her chest.

Matt opened his mouth to say something
then closed it again. Rosa could see he felt guilty, which he
should, of course.

“
Rosa, I’m sorry,” he
apologized. “I don’t want you to worry about me.”

She snorted. “Sure you don’t. Then at
least you can tell me what’s wrong with you?”

Matt sank his head. “I ...
I can’t.”

Rosa frowned. “What? Why not?
“

He lifted his head and looked at her
helplessly. “I can’t tell you yet. Please understand.”

She nodded, feeling hurt and
disappointed. “I understand. You don’t trust me. She had never
expected this from Matt. He was her best friend!

He shook his head. “No! No, I trust
you. Only...”

“
Only what?” Rosa
persisted.

Matt sighed deeply. “Please, just
don’t ask.” His voice was pleading, but it left Rosa
cold.

“
I really thought you
would trust me. How easy it is to deceive, isn’t it,
Matt?”

Just as he started to speak, he was
interrupted by someone.

“
Trouble’s brewing?” Jason
asked.

Rosa turned around. He stood beside
Philip, and this time there was not a smile on his lips. He seemed
to be tired. The dark shadows under his eyes weren’t to be
overlooked.

“
You came, and like magic,
the thick air disappeared,” Rosa replied caustically. She didn’t
want to take out her anger on Jason, but could not help
it.

“
Ice Princess is throwing
her icicles,” Jason said and smiled. Rosa snorted and turned
away.

No one said a word as they walked onto
the plane. Rosa was glad that she did not sit next to Matt, but her
luck left her, when Jason sat down beside her.

“
Are you really sitting
here or have you changed your ticket?” she asked annoyed, buckling
her seatbelt.

Jason chuckled. “No, I’m really
sitting next to you.”

Rosa looked at him suspiciously. “I
don’t believe you.”

He let out a sigh. “I’m honest for the
first time and nobody wants to believe me. What’s happening with
society?”

“
You’re happening. So
arrogant, only thinking of themselves men are ruining our
society.”

Jason raised an eyebrow and looked at
her. “Who drove you crazy? Was it Matt?”

She shrugged and looked out
the window. She didn’t want to talk to Jason about her
problems.

“
Did he tell you he loves
you?”

Rosa looked at him surprised. “How do
you come up with this?”

He smiled smugly. “You can see it how
he always looks at you. And once again I was right.”

“
I didn’t say if you’re
right or not.”

“
Your eyes, they had
betrayed you.”

Jason’s eyes fixed on hers and he
leaned forward. He has put down his dark glasses and now Rosa could
see his golden eyes, which were beautiful and shone. His golden
eyes fascinated her.

Look
away! Look away!
But she couldn’t. Next
time she would avoid looking straight in his beautiful
eyes.

“
And are you also in love
with him?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.

She arched an eyebrow. “That’s none of
your business, Nephilim.”

He smiled and leaned back. “I just
wanted to ask.”

“
And are you in love with
somebody?” Rosa asked.

He
smirked. “Unfortunately not. I’m just
too
hot
for everyone.”

Involuntarily Rosa laughed. “You’re so
arrogant.”

He
nodded approvingly. “Exactly. My arrogance is so big that it might
already have its own zip code. It would be:
Jason’s Arrogance, 43567
.”

Rosa laughed until her stomach hurt.
She could not help it. It felt so good to laugh. She could not
remember the last time she had laughed so much.

“
Oh God,” Rosa gasped and
wiped her watery eyes. “For an idiot you’re pretty funny,
Jason.”

He smiled at her, a wonderful and warm
smile. “It’s a pleasure to see you smile, Ice Princess.”

She smiled back at him and her heart
suddenly beat faster in her chest. For the first time she noticed
how handsome Jason looked when he smiled. Okay, all Nephilim were
pretty, but Jason had something else in him. Rosa just couldn’t
quite put her finger on it.

Usually, when she saw a Nephilim, she
wasn’t impressed by their beauty, but Jason was
different.

She was impressed.

By his golden eyes.

And by his beautiful smile.

Rosa’s pulse took off, as
their eyes locked, their gaze holding for far too long than two
enemies should. Her cheeks felt warm … also some others parts of
her body.

Pulling her eyes from Jason, Rosa
glanced out at the workers who loaded the plan with many
bags.

What
happened
, she wondered silently.
Why does my heart pound like that?
She didn’t know, and she didn't think she wanted
to know, either.

Rosa could still feel Jason’s gaze on
her, but she forced herself not to look back at him. She was afraid
that the same thing would happen, like a few seconds
before.

“
Dear passengers,” the
voice of the pilot came from the speaker. “I’m your pilot, Daniel
Morris. Due to the heavy traffic, the flight will be delayed by ten
minutes. We thank you for your understanding and wish you a
pleasant flight.”

Rosa sighed deeply. She actually liked
to fly, but the wait got on her nerves.

Ten minutes, twenty minutes passed,
and Rosa was at the end of her patience.

“
Come
on, pilot! Fly finally! If I had known that this would take so
long, I would have
walked
to Vancouver!” she yelled through the whole
plane, before she could restrain her tongue.

Some passengers laughed. Jason looked
at her for a second then began to laugh too. A stewardess stopped
at her seat.

“
Could you please be
quiet? Some passengers have complained,” she said,
smiling.

Rosa glared at her. “I’ll be quiet
when this damn plane is finally in the air!”

“
Miss Petrova,” Ms.
Franklin hissed and came up behind the stewardess. “Calm
down.”

“
But—”

“
No buts. Shut
up.”

Rosa crossed her arms angry over her
chest and glared out the window. Jason was still laughing next to
her.

She slapped him on the chest. “Stop
it! It wasn’t that funny,” she muttered.

He stopped laughing, but he found it
difficult to stop smiling. “I’m sorry, Ice Princess, but I didn’t
know you could be so funny, too.”

“
You don’t know much about
me, Jason,” she said.

“
Yes, that’s true. But I
would like to know you better.” His voice was low and sexy, sending
an unfamiliar shot of feelings across her chest. The sexual intent
was not hard to miss.

She flushed and looked away.
“Idiot.”

“
You’ve said that
before.”

“
And not one time too
many.”

He laughed
again.