Secrets in the woods, Sophie Gibson [book series for 12 year olds txt] 📗

I’ll leave you for a while to settle in, find me in ten so I can take you to the trials for the hunt.” I was about to ask her about what she meant about the hunt trials, but she’d already left.
I turned to look at my room. A set of draws that doubled as a desk, a plain white bed and a window looking out over the woods. Nothing special, and even though it didn’t feel permanent, it was okay. I opened my draws to find a light purple top and swapped it for my own. Glancing in the mirror above the draws I smiled at the way it matched my eyes nicely. After that I sat down on my bed and tried to take everything in.
A knock on the door made me jump. “Alaya! Quick we better get there.” I recognised Annabel’s voice and went to the door quickly. I was surprised that she was wearing a small black mask that went just around her eyes, “Put this on, everyone needs one for the trials.” She handed me an identical one. After that she practically dragged me by my arm back to the main big clearing.
All of the girls were gathered round a tall woman who was talking in the middle. “That’s Hope,” Annabel nudged me, “She’s in charge of all us chosen until we’re trained.” Hope’s dark green eyes found mine for a moment, noticing I was the newest there, and then I listened to her explain the trial. “For the first years, which haven’t had a trial before, I’ll explain more about it. Five people will be involved in the hunt, all five of the fifth years have to fight in the trial, to determine their order, after that anyone can challenge one of the five to take their place, obviously, if you challenge the leader then they will still be in the hunt, but no longer in charge.” She smiled at everyone for a moment. “We already have out order.” She asked them to come forward. “Move it.” A girl behind me hissed as she pushed me into Annabel to walk forward. I stared at her watching her push past everyone to get into the centre. She reminded me slightly of Rachel, my oldest sister who used to push everyone around because she thought she was so much better, until I got my own back. “Who’s she?” I whispered quietly to Annabel. “Sapphire. I’ve only been here a few weeks, but I already know what a bitch she can be.” Her voice turned sour as she said her name. Hopes voice caught my attention again. “Who wants to be the first to challenge?”

(Ash)
Almost midnight. I took in a deep breath to take in the scents around me. That was weird. Shadows. The scent was strong and thick in the air. It reminded me of my earliest memory. In the middle of the day but surrounded in shadow. My mother, who’d been struggling with it for so long, was taken over by shadow, only leaving me behind. She had been marked to be one the Chosen when she was fourteen, but when she was given the choice to join them she refused. She hated the idea of being one of them, she was too… cruel in my opinion. Like all Changelings that refuse, she found her way to us. So powerful, she lasted almost five years before the shadows took her. As soon as she was seventeen, she was married off to my father. Neither of them had much choice, the council have always made sure that if there is an unchanged strong enough to hold on to their form long enough, they marry one of the hunters in the hope of more powerful children. Maybe not the most traditional on families, but it was thanks to her I managed to complete my training earlier.
The darkness thickening around me snapped me back into the present. It pulled together into someone I’d only ever seen once before. “Hello Mother” my voice was cold and she narrowed her eyes at it. After a few seconds the shadows pulled together enough to make her look almost solid. “What do you want?” “Tut, tut. You make it sound like I never visit.” She spoke quietly, but in the silent woods it seemed like a shout. You wouldn’t think she was related to me at all, by the cold way she regarded me you’d think I was a rodent in her path. “You visited once, and that was to tell me it was time to leave for my ten souls.” My hand went idly to my bag which held ten glass containers. Eight full. “I’m almost done now, I just need two more.” I stepped away from her slightly, but she followed. A small spiteful laugh escaped from her lips. “I don’t think even you will be able to survive tonight.” I was about to ask what she meant, but I followed her eyes to the moon. By the looks of it, tonight would be the Chosen’s Hunt. “Tonight all trained Chosen, and five from each training camp, are traveling in groups. There are three groups loose within three miles of this spot.” She laughed again, slightly more quietly this time. “So you’ve come to watch me killed? I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you.” I spoke too loudly in the silent woods. She looked me in the eyes and shook her head. Whether answering the question or disagreeing with my statement, I didn’t know. She dispersed back into shadows, dragged back and claimed by the Shadow walkers, and I was left alone. Alone…
I ran. On my own on the night of the hunt, I’d have to be incredibly lucky to survive tonight. Stop. I sniffed the air for a second. Hit by the familiar smell on sweet honey. Without thinking I followed it. The scent filled my nostrils and beckoned me to follow. I was too close when I noticed to four other scents. I could hear five different heartbeats only a few metres away from me. They came closer. And closer. And closer. Until I could see them. My eye went straight to her. I was overrun with excited at my prize. Although, like the others, she was wearing a small mask I was taken aback by her beauty. I stopped myself from thinking like that. The enemy. I had to remember she was the enemy. One of them broke the line and ran at me. In a couple of seconds I’d taken her weapon and she was dead. The strong smell of blood filled the air, red against the darkness of the night. I stepped further back into the shadows, I knew they wouldn’t be able to see my face against the darkness. Only she was in the moonlight. “No. You killed her!” one of the Chosen to the right of my prize shouted irrationally. I remembered this would be the first Hunt of the year. Probably none of them had even seen a Hunter before, I had an advantage. “I can’t…” She shook her head violently and ran. Two others followed her. Only my prize was left. “Thanks. Leave the girl who’s not even trained before, that’s smart. Stupid bunch of…” her voice trailed off and she looked at me. I noticed the colour of her eyes. A bright purple shining with anger. She lowered into a fighting stance. Black hair fell in slight waves until it reached her hips. Her eyes were wide, sizing me up. Held in her hand was a sword made of firestone, the most common choice of weapon for one of the Chosen. “After you die, who shall I hunt next?” I asked her smiling slightly, if I made her angry it would be easy to collect her soul. I remembered the girl lying on the ground between us and knelt down. “Your sister, Rosie, has four years until she might be chosen. But I’m not sure if she will.” I looked at her to see if it was working. Her eyes were now such a dark shade of purple they were almost black. I smiled, holding a glass container over the dead girl’s mouth and watching the orange soul be crammed into it. “You will not go near her.” Even in anger she sounded beautiful. “I’ll kill you, if it’s the last thing I do.” She spoke evenly, power sizzled off every word. She could kill me. I could feel the power radiating off her now, I just had to hope she didn’t know. “You’re very protective over your sister. Maybe it’d be more fun if I find her first. What do you think?” I asked and laughed. “By the way, what is your name?” “Alaya.” She said and then the air around her started to pulse with energy. “Hello, Alaya, I’m Ash Jones and-” I was about to carry on when shadow wrapped around me. My vision went dark and I felt like I was moving. Bang. I was dropped at another part of the woods, far away from my prize. “You idiot!” My mother’s voice almost screamed as I got up. “Why did you try and anger her like that? On the night of the Hunt, the one day of the year you can’t use your second form. I had to help you!” When I got to my feet she was already gone. I’m surprised she still manages to stay on this side of the barriers, she even manages a full form for a few minutes at a time.
I looked at the new soul I’d collected. Defiantly passable. I had nine out of just under fifty that were usable. All I needed was Alaya to complete my collection.
(Alaya)
I was alone. The Hunter, Ash, was gone. The firestone sword had gone too. That weird surge of shadow had taken them both. I didn’t see his face, but I memorised his scent. I would find him. Crack. I heard a noise from behind one of the trees. But I could smell the same scent that I had with the other Chosen. Maybe it was the others come back to help. “Don’t worry, she’s one of us.” One of them stepped out from cover and called to others. Two more came out behind her. She looked at Sapphire dead on the floor. “Where’s the Hunter that did this?” she asked whilst checking Sapphires pulse. “I’m not sure.” I shook my head. She looked more closely at me. I saw her give one of the other a knowing look. “Are you about sixteen?” I nodded and she carried on. “We’ll take you back to our camp. There’s only about nineteen of us, but it’s safer than just us four. The Hunts about over.” She stepped into the moonlight a bit more. I saw her light blonde hair was actually almost as white as moonlight and she had light grey eyes, a contrast to the dark hair colours of most Chosen but she still blended into the night. “I’m Safrina, this is Kayla and Jade.” She gestured to the other two. “I’m Alaya.” I told them, and followed them out the woods. I’m not sure how long we walked for, but it was over three hours. The soles of my feet ached and I was replaying the night in my head over and over. I needed to know who he was, Ash Jones.
Suddenly the woods opened up into a small clearing. About five makeshift cabins were just hidden at the other side of the clearing and I could see one more that looked more like a commune shelter. “We don’t stay in one place for long. We’ve got about a week left here.” The one called Jade said to me. I could see then why she was called that, it the open moonlight her eyes shone a bright shade of colour that could only be described as Jade. I looked