Time to hunt.

I put my hunting outfit on before I used my vortex to head out. I breathed deeply once outside, trying to find the scent I had breathed plenty of the day before. It took a few minutes, but I ended up picking up he trail, which I followed until I reached the Botanical Garden of Montreal. I slipped in, just like a shadow, quiet and impossible to detect. There was a lake. My prey was sitting next to it.

I stalked my way to her until I decided to pounce on her. However, before I could move, I was stopped. Stopped by a voice. Stopped by a song. I stopped behind my prey, growling. Why was that stupid song immobilizing me?

“Good evening.”

Those words again. The prey had stopped singing, but the notes were resounding in my heart. I couldn’t attack. I growled again, trying to attack, trying to find the inner strength to do so. The girl – Ama – turned, chuckling when she saw how furious I was.

“Angry?”

I hissed, seeing that she was looking at me mockingly.

“I’m soooo scared.”

She approached me, pressing a single finger under my chin, making me look into her eyes. I could feel the tip of a very sharp nail digging into my skin a little, but not enough to break said skin. It was just a bit annoying. Her smile had disappeared, however, as she spoke.

“Attack me. Attack me, Black Hawk. See if you can rob me of my life.”

And suddenly, I was free. Free from the song. Free to attack. Free to jump on my prey, which I did, pinning her down and getting my fangs close to . I wanted to bite. To take her life.

I couldn’t.

I could feel her warmth, I could hear the blood rustling under her skin. I couldn’t approach, couldn’t cross the last inch I needed.

“… why?” I could only ask.

“Because of a power stronger than you.”

I moved back, growling, showing my fangs, but I wasn’t angry anymore. I was mostly annoyed and curious. My eyes were back to their usual colors.

“… a power stronger than me? What kind of power?”

“Why would I know? It’s something that’s in you. Something you can’t control. Something that prevents you from killing me, it seems. I felt it when I told you to attack me, but I wasn’t convinced of its strength… I am, now.”

“Something that’s in me…? What the ?”

She laughed a bit, sitting by my side once I released her. Her voice was amused when she spoke to me.

“The snow.”

“The snow?” I repeated, frowning.

“Snow is cold.”

No , Sherlock. I sighed when she pushed the edge of my hood a bit to whisper something, closer to my ear.

“When the bird of prey will find a bigger one, when the snow will melt, the felines will hunt the bird and force it to find a new nest. Snow will fall again, the bird will try escaping it, but the cold will be too much and prevent it from hunting. And then there will be spring, the hunter’s wings opening as the nest will now have the weapon that will allow it to control darkness and destroy Hell’s felines.”

Her voice got much lower as she continued:

“This is the prophecy that will dictate your life. But it’s incomplete. ‘They’ have recently discovered the rest of it…”

She breathed deeply.

“Fifteen away before destruction, fifteen for the hatchling to grow and learn how to fly, fifteen with spring. But spring will eventually turn into summer and the fledgling will start hunting as well. The youngest of the brood will accomplish the mission given at Birth.”

I rolled my eyes with a growl.

“Stupid stuff.”

“Of course not. Haven’t you noticed? The first part of it is done. ‘When the bird of prey will find a bigger one, when the snow will melt, the felines will hunt the bird and force it to find a new nest.’ You were chased away from your house, your nest, by someone. As for the snow… only you can find out what it is.”

She stretched with a yawn, relaxed.

“Anyway, I gotta go. It’s getting late.”

She turned and looked at me. She looked very amused by the situation and, although I didn’t share the feeling, I could understand why she seemed to have fun. Keeping a hunter from attacking so easily… geez. She knew I couldn’t do anything to her.

“I’ll be here tomorrow evening as well. Try hunting me then.”

And she left, abandoning me there, alone with my hunger.