by Kelly Hall
Rebekah knew a concubine was not looked down on in her society, but with the agreement, Ethan would be able to warm the bed of any woman he wanted. The man she’d fantasized about for years was never going to commit himself to her alone.
Can I bear that? She looked down at the blade and knew she could. As long as she was allowed to fight, her life would be fulfilled.
Cornelius met his daughter’s eyes and then looked back to Ethan, who was standing a little taller as thunder rolled through the earth. “You will give her children?”
Ethan had spread his seed across every country, so he could not see a good reason to refuse. Besides, bedding the woman, who was no doubt a virgin, would be worth it. Since the night wasn’t getting any younger and the storm was raging, he had no desire to go out in search of another candidate. “It shall be an honor, friend.” He turned his eyes to Rebekah, as if she had a say or an opinion.
“Can I do it, Father?” She readied the blade, holding her breath as she stood on the edge of decision. If he said no, she would plunge the blade into her gut.
Cornelius let out a breath. “So be it. Ignis, please try not to kill my daughter in the process.”
As Rebekah put her dagger away, Ignis smiled. His plan for the girl was for his benefit as well. He needed the hunter to see him as useful. He had never intended on staying in the Church for as long as he had, and now he would have a way to keep on the move and a greater purpose for his own existence.
He had taken certain precautions to make sure Rebekah would survive the metamorphosis. She and the others believed his magic alone was powerful enough to effect the change, but in secret, Ignis had procured shifter blood to heighten her instincts and the purest vampire blood to aid in her transformation. If everything went according to plan, he would not only make Rebekah a strong hunter, but also indestructible enough to keep her safe.
He only hoped it would work as planned. Lucky for him, he had the storm to feed the magic. Its power was a strong conductor.
“We shouldn’t waste another moment.” Ignis took Rebekah’s hand and met her eyes. “I’ve watched you grow from a small babe, you know? I was there the night of your birth, and now, I shall be here for the night of your rebirth.”
Rebekah squeezed his hand. “Thank you, Ignis.” Without the mage’s convincing, her father would never have approved. Ignis had proven himself time and time again as an honorable friend.
Ignis smiled and reached out his hand. “The blade, Rebekah. I need a dagger and something personal of yours, so this seems appropriate. Since you’ve been so hellbent on putting this thing in your heart, I guess the least I can do is grant your wish.”
She took Stella from its scabbard, and after kissing the four-pointed star on its blade, she passed him the weapon. She squared her jaw and lifted her chin. “I’m ready.”
They gathered at the altar, and Rebekah thought it fitting. She was giving herself to Ethan, and although it was no marriage, she knew it was going to join them together and make her his counterpart.
Two hunters, fighting for the same cause. One from the church and the other born at the dawn of time.
If it worked, she would be the first of an entire army of superhuman hunters, and she would be able to live her dream of being a warrior. She would see the world with Ethan by her side. She wasn’t sure if it was love, but she felt a certain pride that words couldn’t describe.
Ignis turned to Ethan. “I need your blood.” He smiled and passed the dagger to Ethan.
Ethan grabbed hold of the blade and quickly sliced it through his palm. Blood dripped down his thick fingers, staining the stone floor. “Take what you need. This isn’t the first time I have bled for humanity, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.” He gave Rebekah a wink as he passed the mage the bloody dagger.
Ignis reached into his robe, revealing a vial. He dipped the blade into a potion he had made containing the other species’ blood. Then he nodded to Father Cornelius, who moved to hold his daughter.
Ignis raised his hands, blue fire crackling from his fingertips as the lightning and thunder intensified outside. He closed his eyes, focusing on the storm’s energy, and called forth the power.
On his command, a bolt of lightning shot down through the glass from the dome of the cathedral and into Stella. The blade glowed as hot as the day it was forged. The etched star brightened like the power of the universe itself was contained within it. The blood sizzled, bubbling with magic.
Rebekah shielded her eyes, wincing at the blinding light, her father’s arms tight around her waist, as Ignis took aim at her breast.
Ignis raised the blade and brought it down quickly, stabbing her through her tunic, through her flesh, nicking the bone as it penetrated her ribs and planted itself into her heart.
Excruciating pain filled her center and stole her breath. From her memory, the voice of her betrothed Atticus seemed to whisper in her ear, I’ll carry your strength with me.
It was his last words to her before he’d left for his mission, and now, she was carrying his strength with her. Her body spasmed as another burst of lightning shot through the glass ceiling and into Stella’s pommel. A thick warmth permeated every cell in her body, changing her DNA. The temperature escalated quickly until it pulsed under her alabaster skin. It increased until it was so painful, it stole sight from her eyes.
Rebekah’s last memory was falling from her father’s arms and crashing to the floor.
Ignis and Ethan lunged forward as both Cornelius and Rebekah fell, but neither made it in time. The priest’s eyes fluttered, and Ethan tended to him as Ignis pulled the blade from Rebekah’s breast.
“You’ve killed her!” Ethan screamed, his voice filled with horror. He’d seen many things in his life but could never get used to the power mages had. Ethan didn’t trust mages and had never sought to befriend one, but he had trusted Father Cornelius when it concerned Ignis. Now, that trust had killed the poor bastard and his pretty daughter. He felt for her pulse and listened. There was no life in the girl. “She’s dead. Such a waste of beauty.”
Ethan rose to his feet and prepared to slice the mage into a million pieces, but Rebekah jerked to life, her gasp for breath so loud it was nearly a scream.
“Daughter?” Father Cornelius rolled over.
Ethan helped him to his feet, glad that his friend hadn’t perished and angry that he had no reason to kill the mage.
Rebekah raised herself up and loosened her blood-soaked tunic at the shoulder. She had just had a blade in her heart, felt its beat as it slowed to a stop, and now, minutes later, she was sitting up, breathing. Did I die?
Keeping her modesty, she revealed an open wound which was already beginning to heal. The flesh knitted itself back together in front of her eyes as if magic had replaced her biology, changing her entire makeup.
And indeed, it had.
Her hearing sharpened so that she could hear the church mice skittering in the corner of the room. Her eyes, clear and sharp, allowed her to focus on the smallest details of the cathedral around her.
Ignis smiled with pride. His potion had worked, leaving him to feel like a god.
Now he just needed to keep the girl alive and help her not snuff out the Hunter who would walk beside her.
That was a lifelong calling. Everyone wanted to kill the Hunter. Including Ignis.
Chapter 1
Present Day, Ireland
After hundreds of years of never-ending battle, Rebekah had high hopes of finally settling down. Her new home, an abandoned castle she’d purchased in the hills of Ireland in the county of Galway, was coming along nicely since the renovation.
She was due to lay down her dagger and take a break from leading the Fellowship of Hunters from their never-ending campaign against the undead and shifters. The word “retirement” sounded far too normal for what she had been up to most of her life, so she simply thought of it as a break.
She adjusted two portraits, one of her mother, the other of her father, an
d turned to the bouquet of roses besides her that were so blood-red that if she pricked her fingers on the thorns, she would never see the stain on the petals. The color reminded her of one person, and though she perished the thought of him, as well as the conflict in her heart, she brought a fragrant bud to her nose and breathed deeply as Ignis walked briskly into the room.
His eyes narrowed at the bouquet, but he knew better than to ask what had brought on the dopey grin.
“Those paintings turned out nicely.” He walked to the window and gazed out across the rolling hills. “I still don’t understand why you chose Ireland. There are plenty of beautiful places in Rome if you wanted a renovation project.”
“You know damned well I want to be as far away from the Church as possible. Besides, I love the landscape here.” She considered his mood and decided to feel him out. “Did you really want to go back to Rome?”
“No, but there’s nothing to do here, and I spotted fairy rings in the yard. You know how I feel about fairies. Hell, how everyone feels about fairies. Nasty little bastards.” He huffed. “Besides, a city would be nice now and then. Someplace with a nightlife. We could shake off the dust of all of these years.” He wagged his eyebrows before turning and picking a piece of lint off his crisp, white, button-down shirt.
Rebekah had heard these same grumblings from him before, any time they moved to a new place. Then, when it was time to move on, he would act as though he never wanted to leave. She ignored it. No need to get him on a rant.
“Why don’t you go down to the cellar and see if there’s a place to set up your work?” she asked.
“I suppose I could, I’ve already taken the South tower for my private library.” Ignis was a master of potions and loved to dabble in alchemy and magic, but he was also a writer at heart, keeping journals for centuries and always adding to his personal collection.
“Do you really think this retirement will stick?” He couldn’t imagine the world without her hunting and knew she was off her cracker for thinking it could actually happen.
“As long as they’ll let me be.” Her cell phone rang. The dirge it sang out was the sound of doom, which had always made Ignis chuckle.
“Well, that didn’t take long,” he said as she groaned. “I’ll give you a bit of privacy.” She was most likely going to be in a horrible mood. She usually was after a call from the Church.
She had entered into agreements with them hundreds of years ago when Ethan, the Great Hunter, had abandoned her to the cause of protecting mankind from their supernatural enemies. Since then, Ignis had watched her organize her men, build training camps, and manage to keep the vampire and shapeshifter issues to a minimum.
In the year two thousand, the Church wanted to reorganize the training academies across the world, and she had been working hard on the administrative side of things to ensure they had everything they needed.
Rebekah answered the phone as Ignis slipped away. “Good afternoon, Elder John.”
The man wasted no time with formalities. “I’m afraid I call with horrible news and a matter that needs your utmost attention.” The tension in his voice put her on alert, but he’d been known to overreact a time or two over the twenty years she’d known him.
“This isn’t like the time one of the trainees stole your car, is it?” She didn’t want to be called in on every little issue, especially when it was something as frivolous as a bunch of pranksters.
“For the record, that car was my pride and joy, and the insurance wouldn’t cover the new paint it needed.” His tone was snippy.
“I’m very sorry, but I put a commander at each facility for this very reason; to run things in my absence. I know you prefer me to be fifty places at once, but as you’re well aware, it’s an impossibility.” There were academies in or around every major city in the world.
“I’m afraid this matter concerns one of your commanders, Merik Riley.”
The name of the last male in her bloodline caught her attention. “What about Commander Riley?”
“I’m afraid he’s been killed. Along with his second in command, James Roland, and several of the trainees.” Rebekah grew numb as he continued. “They seemed to be on a mission of sorts. At least, that’s what Sister Mary Frances claims, though Merik failed to mention they had one scheduled at the last briefing.”
“Is there anyone left in charge?” Each academy had staff, and surely, there was someone in charge to keep things running.
“No, as I said, the second in command was killed right along with your commander. It happened outside some shady nightclub. The name says it all: Debauchery.” He spat the word like it tasted bad on his tongue. “Sister Mary Frances and the rest of the staff are beside themselves. Me and the other elders of the Church feel that your personal attention would be best in this matter.”
It wasn’t a request.
“Can’t you appoint a new commander until I get there? Send one over from the nearest training camp.” She didn’t mind going but didn’t want to have to rush. Someone could manage things until she got there.
“Shall I remind you that it’s part of your duty to come when the Church calls? Besides, it’s not like we’ve dealt with a situation like this before.”
“And what about the nearest stationary unit? Can’t they come in and help?” The stationary unit, or SU, of hunters had been assigned to each major city across the world to work in accordance with local law enforcement to ensure that things concerning the hunters were dealt with.
“They are grossly understaffed, and considering the nature of the attack, the Church feels it’s best that you handle it.”
She needed to tend to her kin, as well as check on the remaining members of his family. His grandmother, Estelle, was still alive, but Merik had been the one taking care of the old woman since his parents’ death two years before. “Of course, I’ll leave as soon as possible.”
She ended the call before lowering herself to the sofa while her thoughts were on Merik. She and Ignis had been shocked to learn that he had wanted the life of a hunter. She had even interviewed the then-younger man and tried to talk him into another path, but there had been no way to convince him otherwise. He had been a fighter like her and was just as determined and stubborn.
She had kept a close eye on him from the moment he had signed on for training, and she had even gone through the death of his parents with him two years earlier. If she could only put her descendants in a protective bubble. But knowing what it was like to live that kind of sheltered life, she would never commit such an atrocity.
Ignis returned, first peeking around the corner to see if she was still on the phone, and then hurrying to her side. “Are you crying? No. No. No. There’s no crying in retirement. It’s happy boring times for you now. No more blood and guts, monsters and late-night rendezvous with evil. This is a good thing. Right?”
It wasn’t a sight he saw often, but when he did, he would do anything to make her smile again.
The numbness hadn’t allowed her to realize she was crying. “Now isn’t the time.”
Ignis reached into his pocket for a handkerchief. “I know retirement means a lot to you, but—”
She waved her hand but took the offering. “No, that’s not it. There’s been an attack. Merik is dead.”
The blood drained from his face. “Damn.” Considering what it could mean with the Prophecy of Hope, there wasn’t a more fitting response. “I’m so sorry, Bex.”
With a deep breath, she stood and wiped away the tears which she had no time for. “Aside from being my blooded kin, he was a good man. I need to get to the bottom of this attack. If he was on a mission, there has to be a reason he went along and didn’t just send his men. Having the commander and his second in one battle just doesn’t make sense. There’s got to be more to it.”
Ignis walked over and gave his oldest friend a hug. “It is true that I wanted a break from this place but not like this.”
“Promise me you’ll stay out of Vegas.”<
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He had a gleam in his eyes, which were as large as poker chips. “Oh yeah, I’d forgotten Merik was at the Nevada training camp.”
“Ignis, I mean it. Don’t make trouble for me by pulling one of your stunts. I can’t figure out what is going on if I’m babysitting an immature mage with no self-control.”
“I have perfect self-control, and as for immature, I’ll remind you that even though I might look your age, I’m old enough to be your father.”
“You’re old enough to be my grandfather a few times over, and as you’ve proven over the past thousand years, age has nothing to do with maturity.”
“Fine, because of the nature of the trip, I’ll behave, but only for you, Bexy dear.”
She growled, and he smiled, knowing the name bugged her. She didn’t mind Bex, but Bexy or any other cutesy name wouldn’t do.
Ignis chuckled. “Did you know that you used to growl like that when you were fighting Atticus? The two of you would be sparring in the churchyard, and you sounded just like a wild dog.” The mention of Atticus made her smile. She reached to her side and stroked Stella’s handle as he continued. “You’d best him nearly every time back then, and no matter how many times the other children would tease him, he never stopped letting you.”
“He didn’t let me.” Rebekah huffed, and Ignis belted a laugh. She thought it was funny that Ignis had mentioned Atticus. In the time she spent getting to know Merik, that was who he reminded her of most. Atticus had been braver than she’d known, and the night he’d given her Stella, her infamous dagger, he must have known the enemy he would face the next day might take him away from her. His last goodbye had felt so final.
After she was made into the Immortal Huntress, she had no idea her first mission would be one of vengeance; one of justice for her betrothed.
No matter how many centuries passed, she would never forget that day. She and Ethan had hidden out in the trees until the wolves had gathered back at their den after the hunt. They watched as the shifters had all changed back to human form, appearing to be nothing more than a pack of wandering travelers.
