Reuniting with a 'new' old lover

"Well, I should probably get going." I said after finishing eating.

I stayed with Claire and Dahlia for lunch, but I still had things to do before leaving the city. Dahlia wished to accompany me for the afternoon, and we were currently on our way to the main church where the bishop who contracted Aurora was located. Claire wanted to come too, but Dahlia and I told her to rest.

I was thinking of what kind of lie I could give the bishop regarding the race I was from.

Another incubus, maybe? Or a vampire...?

I didn't want to say skinwalker in case the bishop were to become suspicious of my new identity. In the end, I decided to go for a fledgling vampire trying to resist his new nature. It sounded plausible enough.

Something else was also on my mind as I was approaching the church.

"Say... Do you think gods and angels are real too?" I asked Dahlia.

I wasn't a religious person at all, and neither really was Aurora, but now that I knew that monsters truly existed, it made me question whether gods existed as well. It was possible, after all. If skinwalkers, vampires, succubi, werewolves, and a ton of other strange creatures were roaming this earth, why not also beings mentioned in holy books?

Dahlia sighed. "I wasn't particularly religious before, but I used to believe in God when I was human..." She raised her head and stared at the blue sky, a sad look on her face. "Now, though... I'm not so sure... If there's one, what's certain is that they don't care about us..."

"I see..."

Being turned into a skinwalker or another monster was probably something that would shatter one's faith.

We reached the church a bit later and Dahlia decided to wait at a nearby park while I met with the bishop alone. He was an old but dignified man, with a large build, grey hair, and a long but well-kept beard. It wouldn't surprise me if he were to be a retired hunter himself. I told him the lie I fabricated and he immediately accepted it without further questioning. He only lamented my loss, saddened that another innocent has been 'tainted' by a foul creature of the night.

Seeing him so easily deceived was bringing me some satisfaction from my skinwalker side. It showed that I was playing Aurora's role perfectly. I received the payment due and quickly left. Being in a holy place like this was making me a bit uncomfortable, due to Aurora's own distaste for religious organisations and also because of my monstrous nature.

I rejoined Dahlia, who was observing some flowers at the park, smiling. She always seemed to be in her element around plants and flowers.

"How did it go?" She asked when she saw me.

"Perfectly. He didn't notice anything."

"Good. But always be careful, alright?" She said, hugging me. "Around hunters and while facing monsters, promise me you'll never let your guard down and won't get yourself killed."

"I promise, Dahlia. If things turn sour, I'll run." I replied, hugging her back. "I have Claire and you, there's no way I'd let myself get killed."

Despite being the one who encouraged me to keep Aurora's life, she was clearly worried about my job. Had I never been found out, she most likely wouldn't have encouraged me to live the life of a hunter.

"I should get back with Claire." She said as she broke free from the hug, before looking me in the eyes. "I wish you luck, Aurora. I don't know how much it'll help, especially coming from someone like me, but I'll pray for your safety every day."

I smiled. "Thank you. And I hope you'll be happy with my sister."

She smiled back a bit timidly. "I will."

After parting ways with Dahlia, I went to my temporary flat and immediately wrote back to Yahana, telling her that I was leaving the city soon to join her in her hunt and would arrive late at night today. Once I was done, I started packing everything and carried all the belongings to the van Aurora had been using these last four years. It was a bit old, but could easily carry all the clothes and tools she needed, and she even had a sleeping bag inside for when she wasn't able to find a proper room to stay in. It was a very practical setup.

I bought a quick dinner at a nearby Mexican takeway and got into the van, ready to leave the city for an undetermined amount of time. I was a bit sad to be separated from Claire like this, as I grew used to having her with me again, but I knew Dahlia was here, so I wasn't too nervous.

I started the engine and drove towards the town I'd meet Yahana at. A smaller one lost in the countryside, not far from mountains and forests. I wondered what kind of monster Yahana needed help with, as she was a fairly capable hunter. It was either a very trickery one, or one that would be difficult to fight alone, like a strong vampire or a werewolf. The Aurora part of me sincerely hoped that it wasn't the latter.

I drove for a while, playing some of Aurora's CDs to distract myself. I had at least three hours of driving, but I would most likely need to take a small break. Driving for too long wasn't a good idea, after all. After a small pause in the middle of nowhere, I finally reached the town late during the night. Yahana told me where to find her, and I parked in front of a small hotel. I sent her a text to warn her of my arrival and walked inside. Since I was here, I asked for a room for at least two nights. I didn't know yet how much time this hunt would take.

While I was paying for the room, I heard someone walking towards me and turned around, seeing a tan woman of around my age, with a braided ponytail.

She swiftly came closer and pulled me in a hug before I could do anything. "Ah, I missed you so much, Rori!"

Rori was the nickname Yahana used for Aurora. She thought it sounded cute and Aurora didn't mind, she liked it as well. While Yahana was a fairly serious and quiet girl with most people, she could also be pretty affectionate and clingy with those she really liked. And Aurora was clearly part of the second category.

I smiled and hugged her back. "I missed you too, Yana."

I got the key to my room from the confused receptionist and went to grab my suitcase from the van, with Yahana helping me carry the guitar case.

Once we were in my room, Yahana locked the door and we went to sit on the bed. She wrapped her arms around my neck and started to kiss me. I thankfully wasn't taken by surprise and returned the kiss. Her lips tasted really sweet, and Aurora's love for her made this kiss all the more enjoyable.

"I don't want to be separated from you for so long again, Rori..." She said, leaning against me.

"Hopefully, my mother won't have another contract she wants me to take care of anytime soon." I replied, snuggling her closer to me.

"I hope so."

It was Aurora's mother who asked her to visit my city for a job. Due to her connections with the church, she was always informed of new contracts, and wanted her daughter to fulfill as many of them as she could. Aurora didn't like being ordered around like this, but she was her mother. And the pay was good, at least.

"How was the hunt? I remember you mentioning a surprise new target, but you didn't say more." Yahana asked, curious.

"The first target was an incubus who hurt a few women there. It was easy to find and kill, but while tracking it, I also found a newborn vampire. He was still trying to cling to his humanity and didn't fight back, so he wasn't much of a threat."

"Poor guy." Yahana said. "I always feel sorry for those who resist their curses like this."

"It's not pleasant, but sooner or later, he would have yielded." I replied, sighing. "We're just making sure that humanity is safe."

This conversation was making me slightly uncomfortable, but I had to get used to it. I had to act like Aurora, to think like Aurora, to become Aurora if I wanted to survive and stay hidden. Yahana and other hunters wouldn't show any mercy if they were to discover me.

"What about the one who cursed him? It already skipped town?"

"From what I gathered, yes. I have no idea where it went."

"A shame." Yahana simply said before taking a small notebook from her bag. "Anyway, I've been gathering intel on the creature I'm hunting. Let me tell you what I've found so far."