.eleven.

Hazel and Jack slept soundly that night when they arrived in Australia--as soundly as one could sleep with a hunter as a travelling companion. For one, it had been a long flight and all three of them had been drained of all their energy. Also, Hazel had heard Michael's thoughts and she knew he was a good person, she knew they could trust him. But there was still that small margin of error where it was very possible that he might change his mind and kill them both. It was his job after all, and as hunters, they all had that urge to kill.

She had heard the creation story about the hunters from a shifter friend who was from Latin America. When the Europeans took over the land, the legends of magical creatures were widely disregarded and seen as false accounts of people who believed in things that weren't true. But according to the stories, the hunters were quicker, stronger, and more intelligent than the shifters. Originated by the gods deep in the jungles of southern Mexico, the hunters were modeled to take after the jaguar. The shifters while quick and intelligent were modeled after the rabbit. 

The prey. 

There had to be a balance in nature according to the native american gods of the southern region. Where once the shifters had been the ones on top, but had failed to uphold their end of the bargain, another species was created that would level the playing field. Humans with nearly the same abilities as the shifters, but enhanced. Those were the hunters, and it was their job to make sure they got rid of every shifter out there. Once they were all finished, the hunters would return to the jungles of Chiapas and surrender their special abilities to the Gods.

For the time being, the two Canadian siblings knew they had nothing to worry about. If they did Michael this favor, then he would need to spare them in return. They were going to save his beloved sister after all. Having Michael on their side was enough to ease their fears and reassure them that while they were still on the highest kill lists for the hunters, there was nothing to be afraid of.

While her brother Jack dropped his belongings by the couch and went straight for his bed, Hazel stayed up just a couple of minutes longer before going to sleep for the night. She had to call her mother to inform her that they had made it to Australia safely. It was only after that when she changed into something comfortable and got under the covers of the other twin bed in the room, waiting for sleep to take her.

.

The green eyed teenager was woken up the next day by her older brother some time in the morning. Intermingled with the sounds of her brother yelling into her ear to wake her from her slumber, were the sounds of someone knocking on the door rather furiously, which she assumed was Michael. Her bright eyed looked to the nightstand and the surprise made her eyes widen. 

It was nearly noon. 

"We need to check out by noon or they'll charge me extra, so hurry the fuck up!" Michael yelled from the other side of the door. By the sounds of it, he was all packed up and ready to head out, something that Hazel was not.

Hazel shook her sleepiness away and pushed the covers away to get back on her feet. In a tired voice, she called to the hunter with pale skin, "Just give us a couple of minutes. I need to take a shower." She looked at the clock on the night stand again. It was ten minutes to noon, and they needed to return the room keys by then. She looked to her brother and saw he was freshly showered and ready to go. "Why didn't you wake me up, Jack?" She whined. Hazel couldn't believe that her brother knew they were going to be heading out and didn't inform her.

He shrugged innocently. "I'm not your fucking alarm clock."

"You'll shower when we get to my sister's house." Michael assured Hazel.

"Fine." She huffed. 

The teenager climbed out of bed as she was, gathered her belongings as quickly as she could manage, and they were out of the rooms. Michael dropped the room keys off at the lobby desk and they went outside to catch a taxi that would get them to the residential areas of Sydney. 

.

The residential areas of Sydney were different than the ones they saw in Canada. Hazel didn't know how to explain it, but she definitely felt like she was some place far off from home. The taxi driver dropped them off at a specific address and the two siblings followed Michael to the front door. 

Jack had complained on the taxi ride to Harley's house. He was hungry and in his hurry to get them to their destination, Michael hadn't allowed them to stop for any food. It had been hours, almost a day, since any of them had something to eat. Jack Quimby was so hungry that he was beginning to whine about being lightheaded due to the hunger he was feeling. Though Hazel thought her brother was exaggerating, she soon started feeling rather faint as well. She needed to sit down, and she needed some food in her stomach.

The ride had not been enough for Hazel to tame her wild bedhead. She was the only one who looked like she had just gotten up that morning. She hadn't been able to change out of her pajamas, shower, or even brush out her hair that was now a mess. The only solution she had for her hair was to pull it back into a messy pony tail and fix it later.

The hunter hesitated at first, as though debating something in his mind.

"Just knock." Hazel urged him, trying to get it over with.

Michael brought a closed fist to the wooden door and knocked on it. The three of them stood on the little cement path in front of the door, waiting for someone to answer it.

The one to open the door was a young man with lightly tanned skin, brown hair, and dark brown eyes. He had a rather athletic build, but his stance and expression made him come off as hostile to the new comers who were at his front door. That is, until he recognized one of them. Immediately, his expression softened.

"Michael?"

-

a short update for this story. i hope you all like this. i think a lot of you know what happens from here to a certain point. i dont want to give much away in case some of you hvan'e gotten there yet. but thank you all so much for reading and supporting my books. it means a whole bunch. thank you.

have a great week!

-clary xx