Mercy Loomis - A Wild Hunt: an Aether Vitalis Novella

A Wild Hunt

by Mercy Loomis

Smashwords Edition

Ebook released 2011 by Mercy Loomis

Originally released 2009 at www.mercyloomis.com andmercyloomis.blogspot.com

Cover design by Mercy Loomis and Jon Conner. Imagesby the Morguefile.com community

This ebook by Mercy Loomis is licensed under aCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivitives 3.0license. You are free to share, copy, distribute, and transmit thework, but you must attribute the work to Mercy Loomis. You may notuse this work for commercial purposes and you may not alter,transform, or build upon the work without the express writtenpermission of Mercy Loomis.

More information athttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

This is a work of fiction. Any references tohistorical events, real people, or real locales are usedfictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents arethe product of the authors imagination, and any resemblance toactual events, locales, or persons, living or dead (or undead), isentirely coincidental.

Madison, WI

October 30, 2009

You're going to start drooling in a minute,and there is nothing sexy about drool.

Emma's whisper made Ariane Conant jump, hereyes snapping away from the hot bod sitting three rows in front ofthem and instead staring daggers at her friend. I'm not going todrool, she hissed back.

Emma smirked at her, tossing her head so thather long dark ponytail was draped over her left shoulder instead ofher right. Only because I'm watching out for you. We're going tohave to start sitting closer to the front, or you'll never hear aword of lecture. Look at your notes! We stopped covering nuclearattraction half an hour ago.

Ariane glanced down at her notebook with achagrined grimace. Damn. Can I borrow your notes later? The pagein front of her was nearly blank. Could she help it if the onlyattraction that could hold her interest right now was theinescapable pull of Kiran Eckhart? He was one fine specimen ofhuman masculinity, a classic American mutt with his clear Indiancomplexion and shocking leaf-green eyes, and a slightly bulkymuscular physique that came from who-knew-where. The speculationwas Ariane's favorite lecture-hall pastime. If only his lab wasn't full! I don't carehow badly I'd have to rearrange my schedule

Emma's elbow jabbed mercilessly into herribs. Ari! You're doing it again! She shook her head. Why don'tyou just ask him out already?

Ariane bit her lip, wishing she could. Whydid he have to be a human? What's wrong with looking?

Because you don't just look, her friendexplained with limited patience. You brood. Obsessively. Anddespite what the media says, that's not sexy either. Maybe if youhad that dreamy-eyed look that girls with crushes are supposed tohave. But no, you look like a lion stalking a young gazelle.

Oh, I do not. Lion was not one of herskins. In fact, she didn't know anyone who had a lion skin.Ridiculous form for Wisconsin, anyway.

No one ever says the way a bobcat stalks her prey,even though one cat stalking prey acts pretty much like any other.Hrmph. Stupid lions get all the glory.

Seriously, you need a date. I promise, I canhook you up. There will be a ton of guys at Gary's Halloweenparty. Emma's expression was as solemn as if she were recommendinga grief counselor.

Ariane shook her head. I told you, I've gotfamily stuff going on this weekend.

How can your folks make you come out onHalloween? It's cruel!

The ley lines pressed against Ariane'sawareness, as if they were as eager as she was for the Hunt. Tomorrow, they seemed to whisper. Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow. It's not my faultHalloween's on a Saturday this year. I promised I'd come home thisweekend, Em. It's not the end of the world. You'll just have tohave my share of the fun for me.

Her eyes drifted back to Kiran, who waswatching the professor with calculated interest. Ariane had seenhim take few notes today, and his manner was that of someone whowanted to be paying attention, but wasn't. His gaze would flick tohis left, then he would wrench himself back to the lecture. With asilent sigh, Ariane followed the line of his glances.

Gloria Vess was in her chemistry lab, whichat least meant that Gloria wasn't in Kiran's lab either, even ifthe bronze-haired girl seemed to hold Kiran's attention just asmuch as Kiran held Ari's. Ariane disliked her intensely, and hadeven before Kiran began to show interest. She'd been partnered withGloria on an experiment or two, and there was just something offabout the girl. For all that Gloria was human, she acted like sheknew something was odd about Ariane and was determined to ferret itout.

Not that Ari hadn't run into humans beforewho, consciously or unconsciously, had noticed that Ariane was nota normal human being. But there was something different aboutGloria's attention, something greedy, covetous and calculating.

In short, Gloria got her hackles up, andAriane tried to listen to her hackles. They were usually smarterthan she was.

Can we at least go out tonight then? Emmapersisted, jarring Ariane from her contemplations.

I suppose, Ariane replied, a littlesharply. Really though, what has gotten She trailed off, turningto face her friend with a wary look. Em, no.

Emma didn't even have the courtesy to lookashamed. I really think you'll like this one, Ari.

No. No more blind dates!

It's not a date. It's just a bunch of peoplemingling at a bar. C'mon, Ari, please? You worry me.

Ariane sighed. She liked Emma, she reallydid. She had to remind herself of that at times like this, or shemight be tempted to tell Emma more than was good for her. Humanswho knew about the fae tended to come to bad ends.

And that is precisely why I don't date them.

If only she could find a skinshifter to matchKiran.

The lecture ended, the sudden clamor ofstudents getting up startling Ari and Emma both. Ariane saw Kirandetour past Gloria, a fevered excitement in his eyes. Gloria smiledat him and shook her head. Over the din, Ariane's sharp ears pickedup the other girl's murmured, Later.

Oh, it's probably just as well. Dammit. If it'llmake you lay off for awhile, fine, Ariane muttered, watchingKiran's admirable backside as he filed out of the room. I coulduse a drink, all of a sudden.

* * * *

Ariane glanced over her shoulder warily asshe headed down the alley, glad to leave the noisy bar behind.Emma's friend had seemed nice enough, which normally made Arianefeel like a heel. She hated fending off the ones she'd reallyrather get to know. But tonight she was on edge, and it wasn't justdue to the approaching holiday. There wasn't any one thing thatmade her feel she was being hunted, no single scent or soundmorelike glimpses out of the corner of her eye, nuances in the crowd'smovement. If she didn't know better, she'd swear

Her toe caught against something and she wentsprawling with a startled yelp, turning her face to one side out ofhabit to avoid smacking her nose into the concrete, catchingherself in a sort of controlled push-up. With a disgusted sigh forher own clumsiness, she raised her head and found her view blockedby a black leather boot. Her heart sinking, Ariane followed thatboot up, her eyes skimming over the tight, worn blue jeans and theeven tighter t-shirt until she got to the vampire's face.

She bit back a groan.

I thought you fae were supposed to begraceful, Gabriel Chapel said, raising one eyebrow. The dimstreetlights made his odd grey eyes shift from almost green to apale blue.

Some more than others, Ariane repliedcautiously, too wary of him to fire off the shrewish retort thatimmediately came to mind. She stayed sprawled out on the coldconcrete until Gabriel bent down and offered her a hand up. Hisskin was cool and dry, and he lifted her to her feet withfrightening ease, but Ariane was used to that part.