Sasha Swift
Chapter 1 The Hunt

Sasha

Present day

21 years old

I look into the floor-length mirror at my body. Over the years I have earned some gnarly scars. A cut on my ribs, a burn mark on my back. Little cuts and bruises cover my body but it's normal for me. My long blonde hair comes to the middle of my back. My green eyes look brighter than normal. I've always thought of myself as beautiful but dangerous, a deadly combination.

But enough with staring in the mirror tonight is all about work. I'm going after a sleazy vampire named Clint. He's killing innocent people in a town called Wilshire. Lucky for me it's one town over so not too far of a drive from home.

After my parents were murdered I sat in the house alone for days. Eventually, I was found by a family friend named Greta. She was forty at the time and had no kids. She took me home with her cleaned me up, fed me, and told me the truth.

Vampires were real and they had killed my parents. My parents were witches and so was she. Greta taught me all about the supernatural world, but more importantly, she taught me how to fight.

She signed me up for kickboxing lessons and every martial art around. She taught me how to make a few potions and I even know how to cast a few spells. I learned how to kill the creatures who go bump in the night.

And I must say I’m pretty damn good at it.

For the last three years, I have started my own business. Swift the assassin is what they call me. People email me about the supernatural creatures causing problems and if the problem is big enough that’s where I come in and take care of it.

My job has taken me all over the country but constant travel can be lonely. I have no real friends, no boyfriend. The closest relationship I have is with the bartender Kandy in the town I live in. Alcohol has become my only getaway from work. If being alone the rest of my life is the price I pay then it's worth it. Somebody has to get rid of the leaches of the supernatural world.

So I slip on my black jumpsuit with my matching combat boots. I place knives in every pocket possible. I even have a few stakes in my waistband of weapons. I open my bedroom door and head downstairs. Today is another hunt but first breakfast with Greta.

"Good morning my dear" She calls out before I even reach the room. The kitchen is the largest room in the house probably because it’s her favorite.

"Now how did you know I was coming down Greta?" I smile as I approach the kitchen.

"These old wooden floors tell on everyone, no one can walk without a creak of the floorboard." She laughs. Like always Greta's long curly black hair reaches down her back. Her golden eyes are a mixture of orange and brown. She's dressed in a long-sleeved black dress that flows to her ankles.

I sit down on the old worn-out red bar stool at the kitchen bar and grab a muffin from the basket on the table. "So I should be home late tonight. Don't wait up."

Greta walks over to the table and grabs my hand. Her eyes roll into the back of her head. This only happens when she gets a vision.

"Be careful my child, you will meet a stranger tonight. Your futures depend on each other, trust him." She whispers and her eyes slowly return to normal and she smiles. "So how is the muffin dear?"

I stand up from the table pushing in the bar stool. "Greta your message, is this stranger a friend or foe?"

"I'm not sure, the message didn't say but I feel he is important. Be careful." She tells me. Her visions are always so vague but I always listen to her because they always come true.

"I'm always careful," I assure her as I walk towards the front door.

It's now eleven at night and I'm standing on the rooftop of a building next to a pub called The White Hart. According to my intel Clint, my next target is inside drinking like he does every night. Only tonight he won't be killing another innocent human girl. I'll add his name to the long list of vampires I've killed over the years.

Keeping my eye down below I hear a loud scream. It sounds like it's coming from the back of the alley meaning I'm late for my grand entrance. I grapple down the side of the building into the dark alley being as quiet as possible. Vampires have super hearing and I want to take him down by surprise.

When I'm a few feet away I see Clint has the poor girl pinned against the brick wall. He smells like death, the smell of vampires. The newer turned they are the worse they smell. Clint couldn't have been turned that long ago meaning he's weaker than other vampires.

He gently strokes her face. "Don't worry sweetie I'll be gentle it won't hurt for long."

"Please don't hurt me!" She begs. The woman reeks of alcohol and I'm betting the brunette wasn't expecting to almost be a vampire's midnight snack.

Clint continues to whisper all the awful ways he wants to kill her when I grab a stake and throw it at his leg. He groans in pain and yanks the stake out immediately.

"Ughhh who did that!" He shouts looking all around.

Before he can use his vamp speed I run up and kick him in the face. Next, I go to punch him. He dodges it and moves to the left as I thought he would. I use my free hand to stab him in the left rib with a stake. He falls to his knees and tries to pull the stake out but it's gone completely through his body.

I look around the dark alley to see if anyone else is around. The woman he attacked has already run off. No one else is around so I decide to interrogate him here.

I'm looking for a vampire. After years of research and lots of killing. I'm closer to getting my revenge. I need to replace out who killed my parents and why. My sources told me a vampire named Aquarius was involved. Now I just had to replace him.

I hold the disgusting vampire down by his neck with my boot. Using one free hand to hold a stake over his heart. "Tell me how to replace Aquarius!" I demand.

"I won't tell you anything human!"

I press harder down on his throat. He starts coughing up thick black blood. Vampire blood is so gross and also poisonous to some supernatural creatures. Another reason to hate them, they're so disgusting.

"I said tell me how to replace Aquarius, scum bag!"

"I don't know him or how to replace him, but I know someone who does!" He pleads and I poke into his chest more with my stake.

"Tell me now or die!" I shout and he throws his hands up to surrender.

"Okay, okay his name is Zane. He used to work for Aquarius. He would know where to replace him."

I take my foot off his neck and smile. "Thank you for that but I still have to kill you." I drive the stake through his heart and he turns into ashes beneath my feet.

Good riddance vampire.