Hunter's Curse Read Online Free Page A

though she probably knew Agent Chris was going to ask me to tag along on for one of their patrols. Considering the fact he said there would be a few agents, I’m guessing this is more than the standard keeping our eyes open for supers. Maybe we’ll come across the soul snatcher.
    I exit the office and stroll down the bright yellow hallway to the elevator. I hit the call button and step on when it opens, and then hit the button for the lobby. My mom’s office is on the top floor of the building, which is six levels, but only three are above ground.
    The elevator door dings open and I step into the lobby. It’s quiet apart from Phillip tapping on his keyboard. He glances up and smiles before holding up a key ring with a set of keys on it for me. His phone rings and he answers it, and I grab the keys without saying anything.
    I walk out of the building into warm morning sunlight, bringing my hand to my forehead to shade my eyes. The morning shift is well underway and most of the HPA vans are missing. I meander up to the one with the license plate that matches the number on the keychain and hop behind the wheel.
    I drive the van around to the back of the building to the equipment center and park it in the empty spot near the door. I grab the checklist off the hook near the door and stroll to the back of the van and swing the doors open.
    I cover my mouth, grimacing, as I jump back. “Are you kidding me?”
    The cargo area with bench seats connected to opposite walls, facing each other, is a disaster—and it reeks of death. The metal floor is covered in an unknown liquid and smells like rot and something I can’t put my finger on. Crumpled near the divider to the cabin lies a slimy tarp and a pile of discarded gloves and masks. Agents are usually in charge of cleaning their own vans, but I guess Agent Chris is taking advantage of my internship.
    I walk back to the building and put on gloves, a mask, and an apron before stretching the hose from the wall and pulling it toward the back of the van. I step inside and kick the tarp and trash out and then spray the floor clean. The water runs brown as it pours from the van and into the drainage grates.
    After restocking the van with fresh supplies, I get behind the wheel and sit for a minute. I imagine what it would be like wearing an agent’s all black uniform, carrying a belt full of weapons, and how it would feel to do this every day for the rest of my life.
    And I’m not sure I really want to do this. Maybe there’s another way for me to make the world safe.
    There’s a tap on the window.
    I turn to look at Agent Chris before rolling it down.
    He rests his hands on the doorframe. “You all right, man? The others are waiting out front.”
    I nod and slide over. “Yeah, I’m cool. Just thinking about my future.”
    “It’s going to be awesome. I bet you’ll do big things—change the world.” Agent Chris gets behind the wheel and reverses.
    I lean back in the seat. “I hope so.”
     
     
    JACQUELINE
     
    I sit behind the wheel of the Mustang and stare out over the small cemetery. I watch Jazmin pull away in her green Mini Cooper and I’m sure this is the last time I’ll ever see her. When I woke up this morning, she handed me a piece of paper with a few phone numbers I memorized, and then she had me follow her here.
    Jazmin called in a few favors and used her ability to have Dominic buried here at sunrise in a small service with just me and her. I’m grateful that she used her influence to help me. As an enchantress, Jazmin’s power runs deep in her blood and she can manipulate and influence people to an extent. She can enchant them to stop doing a particular behavior like moving and talking, and can sway them to make a decision where they were previously uncertain, but she can’t force a person to do something they wouldn’t naturally do. Enchantresses are innately good and their powers work through good intention. Without a pure heart, an enchantress’ power