Free Jack Templar Monster Hunter by Jeff Gunhus Page A

nothing to do with any of it, but I was forced to comply. I stayed in the corner of the room and remained in my demon form. The others fawned over you, tried to get you to choose them to gain the master’s favor. But you walked right past them and pulled on my hand. I tried to scare you away. I bared my teeth and snarled, but you only laughed. You wouldn’t let go. Then you climbed on my lap and cuddled up to me, falling fast asleep. My master commanded that I raise you among the humans, as a human. And that is what I did.”
    “So it’s all been one big lie? All of it?” I asked.
    “At first, yes,” Aunt Sophie said. “I changed your name from Templar to Smith, hoping to make it harder for the hunters to find you.”
    “So, my name is Templar. Everyone has been calling me that,” I said, wrapping my mind around the idea.
    “Changing your name was the easy part. Moving here to Sunnyvale to live among humans was like the worst imaginable torture to me. I hated everything about what I had been asked to do. For hundreds of years, I had hated humans, and suddenly, I was living among them, caring for the child of the most hated human of all.”
    “The most hated human of them all? Why would you say that?” I asked.
    Aunt Sophie glanced over to Eva, who shook her head slightly.
    “Let me finish my story first, then you can ask her why. I’m sure her answer will be different than mine,” Aunt Sophie said. She sat down in a chair, looking drained. “For the first year, I considered leaving, but I knew that my master would find me no matter where I went. So, I stayed. And the strangest thing happened. I fell in love.”
    “What?” I said. “I never saw you with anyone.”
    Aunt Sophie shook her head. “I mean with you, silly boy. You didn’t treat me like a Creach monster; you treated me like your mother. Every time you hugged me. Every time you kissed me on the cheek. Every time you ran to me when you were scared or hurt. Every time those things happened, I fell in love with you a little more.”
    “Oh please,” Eva said.
    “But still you watched over me for your master?” I said. “Waiting for the day you could turn me over to him?”
    Aunt Sophie looked hurt. “Honey, if that was the case, I would have already killed this little girl you brought home and we’d already be on our way. I told you, I’m not going to hurt you.”
    “Then what are you doing here?” I demanded.
    “I’m here to save you. I know what he plans to do to you. I won’t let him do it. I just won’t.”
    “Who do you keep talking about?” I asked. “Who wants me so bad and why?”
    Aunt Sophie looked at Eva. “Do you want to tell him or should I?”
    Eva hesitated, then said, “I don’t know what you mean. How should I know who your master is?”
    Aunt Sophie smiled. “Oh, you know. I can tell. And you say it is the Creach who cannot be trusted. Watch this one, Jack. She is more clever than she lets on.”
    “I’ve had about enough of this, old woman,” Eva exclaimed. “If you want—”
    Aunt Sophie stood. “It is Ren Lucre who searched for you, Lord of the Vampires, Protector of the Dark Realms, Eater of Souls, Overlord of all the Creach.” She turned to Eva. “But then, you already knew that, didn’t you? The Black Guard used my child as bait. Was that your idea, monster hunter? Or did your Master Aquinas decide this war was more important than one boy’s life? You ought to be ashamed. All of you.”
    I looked at Eva. “Is it true? Is that why you’re here?” Eva looked away from me, trying not to make eye contact. “So, it’s true. I’m just bait to catch this Ren Lucre guy.”
    “You pronounce it loo-cray. Ren Lucre. And yeah, I’m here to kill him. The Black Guard has their reasons, but I have my own.”
    “And that’s why you came here early, isn’t it? Before the others,” I said.
    “That’s right. I’m here to take care of this on my own. That’s how I do things,” Eva said. “He’ll