<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Soothing were the sounds of cars passing by. With the rhythmic chirp of crickets that played as the sun finally dipped below the horizon, she could have easily fallen asleep. The nights had been kind to her in the last week, no dark tormentors to visit her while she dreamt or eerily prophetic images to keep her pinned to her mattress. The fear of closing her eyes never quite went away; it was there, ever-present even if it was quieter than usual. When her lashes met, there was always a whisper of a warning, a gentle reminder that she could be tethered to the dark or forced to bear witness to strange symbolism. She could never look away, and in her unconscious state there was little she could do to resist the subtle pull. Awake, she could sense the onset. All her senses sounded the alarm, bells and whistles ringing to pitches she could try to silence, try to fight. Asleep, she could hardly tell an innocent conjure of the subconscious from a frightening bout of preternatural signals from whatever plane of existence. Heaven. Hell. She wasn’t certain. Ava remained alert despite the sense of calm brought on by the remoteness of the location.<br/>
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The grind of rubber against gravel caught her attention, the slow approach differing from the speedy whizzing of vehicles that soared down the open road. Propping herself up onto her elbows, she could see the familiar black truck behind the beam of headlights and watched as it pulled alongside. She sat up, palms behind her while her feet still swayed. Ava rolled her eyes as the Hunter commented on the sketchy motel. Though she couldn’t say she disagreed with the accurate comparison, she wasn’t about to compromise. “Beggars can’t be choosers.” She reached for the key beside her, tossing it to him. “It certainly wasn’t my first choice, but it puts us central enough to where we’ll need to be.” Ava hadn’t disclosed too many details to him, and a part of her felt like she didn’t have to. A larger part, the part that prevailed, told her that it was the right thing to do-- that it was a sound gesture to cultivate the kind of trust they would need to make their temporary partnership work. With that asymmetrical grin that hung on his lips, and the renewed confidence and energy he possessed, she had an odd desire to preserve that-- no matter how irritating that smirk was. <br/>
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“I’ve been well enough.” She nodded. “Same goes for you, I suppose. It seems like a fresh cut and a little soap has reinvigorated that annoying swagger of yours.”  Hopping down from the back of her vehicle she reached in and grabbed her bag, placing the strap against her shoulder. “I want you to know I wasn’t lying when I said I had a lead. I <i>will</i> have more information. I just have to do something in order to get it. And . . . I thought you could help me?” By the way she seemed to choose her words so carefully, she was a bit nervous. If he was unwilling she would have dragged him all the way out to the country for nothing, forcing him to wait while she hunted some elusive creature in order to salvage his mission for revenge. “I would ask someone from my Order, but as you know this isn’t exactly an approved effort. Hence the luxurious accommodations.” She gestured to the shabby motel behind them, the neon light bathing it in a deep orange glow that made it seem like it was a disreputable establishment. For all she knew, it could have been. <br/>
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Wes asked about Scarlett, and it caught her off guard somewhat. She returned her gaze to him, subtle traces of appreciation in her eyes. It was the first time anyone had mentioned her name in weeks, someone that wasn’t her. “No. No, I haven’t. It kind of feels like she’s this sore subject that we’re not supposed to talk about. Everyone’s been tip-toeing around her name and pretending she’ll just walk through the door one day, show up at breakfast or dinner with bags under her eyes from the non-stop partying. I just . . . I have this terrible feeling in my gut that she’s in trouble.” It was visceral, and though she had no concrete proof or evidence she could sense that there was something amiss; that Scarlett was somewhere out there and she needed her. The Hunter asking made her feel sane, like she wasn’t overreacting or over-concerned. “Thank you for asking, though.” She closed the door to the trunk, and began to lead the way toward their rooms. “Anyway,  I had to go outside of my organization to even obtain the information we need so as not to draw suspicion. I’m also borrowing weapons from my family’s armory, which is against the rules outside of official missions. Getting this issue resolved for my contact would mean no more stealing. <br/>
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Ava walked along the sliver of pavement that distinguished the parking lot from the doorsteps, pausing when she reached her door. “That said, I don’t know how easy this little task is going to be. I accepted the task of hunting a Grunch. Whether I’ve signed myself up for a goose chase, I don’t know, but apparently there’s a conservation area not far from here that reported some unusual animal carcasses; blood sucked dry, sometimes all the guts missing.” She mentioned as though it might tempt his interest. If it didn’t, she knew exactly what would. “I’ll even treat you to dinner if we’re successful.”</span>