<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><i>Thank you</i> was hardly the words she was looking for, a sentiment conveyed by a roll of her eyes at the remark. To her, there was nothing to express gratefulness for. After all the chaos that had ensued she had almost forgotten her moment of duress, being pinned beneath a rabid skinwalker that aimed to end her life. It might have were it not for the distraction the hunter provided, a fact that she was unwilling to admit even to herself. She simply continued to sift through the debris, the useless junk and the mess that occupied the house. There was no trace of Scarlett, and it left her to wonder why she would have ever left with the shifters in the first place. The bartender could have been mistaken, her memory not as sharp considering she had encountered her days ago. Still, her information brought her to the bayou, to danger which was not all the uncharacteristic of her sister and fellow hunter. As she suspected, the rugged man had come up short as well . . . But, not for the reason she believed. <br/>
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Curiously Ava looked over her shoulder, waiting for him to elaborate further. An explanation never came, and she was content to give him just as cryptic of an answer. “I was here for someone else, too.” She said, watching as he searched the shifter bodies and examined the scene. Following his gaze she, too, spotted the pool of blood by the front door, the red streaks leading to a room. Ava was right behind him, eyes landing on the last remaining shifter. His breaths were labored, the silver that had wounded him like a fatal poison that left him unable to heal. A hand was over his stomach, barely containing the warm blood that seeped from the gash. He hardly noticed that they were standing over him, only realizing that he was not alone when Ava stepped forward and crouched down in front of him. <br/>
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Lazy eyes lifted to her, and he sputtered, coughing so hard and so persistently that it was difficult for him to stop. When he did he had nothing nice to say, a foul curse falling from bloodstained lips. “Fucking . . . Hunters. Fuckin . . Sc- scum.”<br/>
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She’d been called worse.<br/>
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“I need to know if there was a woman here. If you or any of your . . . friends encountered a blonde a couple of nights ago at Rag and Bone; medium length, brown eyes, about my height.” Ava was quick to cut to the chase, knowing that he didn’t have too much longer. He was already barely coherent, seeming to dip in and out of consciousness as she spoke. <br/>
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“Not . . . Not telling you shit.” He wheezed.<br/>
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“Does the description ring a bell, yes or no? You tell me and I won’t stick you with more silver.” Ava threatened, her patience intact and her voice even. The intent was in her eyes. Whether she had more silver or not, it was clear that she would make him suffer.<br/>
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“One. One of the boys tried to . . . bring her back here. She got p-picked up by some dudes. S-supposed to be here tonight.”</span>