by Kelly Hall
“The good news is things are on track. I am a bit concerned about your bloodwork. Your iron is low. I know we have you on prenatal vitamins, but you need to increase your iron, so we’ll try some new ones. I’d also like to set up a time when we could test your blood sugar. There is such thing as gestational diabetes, and while I don’t believe you’re there, your tests tell me you might be close. I’d rather be safe than sorry, but you’ll need to fast to do the blood test.”
“Whatever you think. Just tell me when you’re available.” Frankie knew it was easier to go by his schedule. She didn’t have anything to do but carry the baby and tend the castle.
“Is the gestational diabetes anything that could harm the baby?” asked Rebekah, who had grown concerned just hearing the words. “Should we be worried?”
“No, but it might give us complications with the birthing process, which is why I’d like to make sure we stay on it. I’d also recommend that you go to a hospital for the birth. It will make things less complicated.”
Rebekah wasn’t sure she could trust the security at a hospital. If her enemy wanted to get to the baby, it might be safer in the castle. Then again, there were already attacks to prove it might not be the safest place either.
“Let’s worry about that when the time comes,” said Rebekah, feeling a bit overwhelmed. “I’ll turn this place into a hospital if it means keeping her and the baby safe.”
The doctor removed his gloves and stepped into the bathroom to use the sink. “I agree. No more worries for now unless absolutely unavoidable. I’d like you to make sure you’re getting plenty of rest and are stress free.”
“That’s next to impossible around here, but I’ll try.” Frankie gave a little laugh.
Rebekah patted her back. “We’ll do our best to make sure she’s cared for.”
“I’m sure you will, Huntress.” He grabbed his bag as Frankie got to her feet.
“Thank you, Doc.” She extended her hand. “Could you please tell Randall that things are okay on your way out. He won’t admit it, but he was a bit worried too. I think I’ll go and relax in the bath while I can.”
“That sounds like a good idea, and it’s no problem. I’m glad I can help. I’ll see you in a couple of weeks for that test, and then again in a month for another checkup.” With that, he left the room, and Rebekah turned to see Frankie smiling, holding her belly which was growing bigger with each passing day.
“Wasn’t that amazing? It’s a strong little one, for sure.” Frankie was practically glowing.
Rebekah felt a pinch of envy in her heart. She loved Frankie, but the fact that she could have a child while Rebekah couldn’t just didn’t seem fair. But that was life. “It truly is. I’m very happy for you.” She gave her a big smile and then turned away with a sinking feeling in her soul.
Chapter 8
Canter’s night had a rough start, and while he and the orange cat had managed to catch a nap in one of the caves near the water, he felt like he had been run over by a truck—a big one. He had wasted most of the day walking along the shore, and he hadn’t gotten far. There had been too much reflecting to do, and that meant hours of sitting and staring into the ocean.
“We’re getting nowhere,” he said to the cat. “Between me and you, maybe I didn’t really want to leave. Maybe I just feel like it’s what I should do, you know?”
He wanted to kill Ignis, but everything Rebekah had said had settled in. There had to be a better way to resolve things, and while it was easy to let his anger flood his emotions, he hated to remember Katie while he had so much hate in his heart. He needed a plan. Some way to trap Ignis and make him pay where it didn’t end the entire Fellowship.
Even though he considered going back to the castle, he kept going farther and farther away. He wondered if putting more distance between him and Rebekah was best.
“At least we can say we got farther than three miles.” He watched as the cat darted ahead, like it had several times, but never made it out of sight. Then suddenly, it darted to the other side of a large rock.
“Show off. You’re a lot better at those rocks than I am. And I had training and am superhuman.” He jumped up on the rock and then bounded over the next. “Yeah, you didn’t know we both had cat-like moves, did you?” He kept on, and then the wind picked up, and the smell of rotting flesh stung his nose.
“What the fuck is that?” He stopped at the top of the rock and looked around. The cat had kept going, and he had a feeling it was on the prowl for whatever rancid fish had washed up. “Don’t go rolling around in whatever that is. I’ll leave you out here.” He didn’t want to have to dunk the cat in the ocean for a bath, but he just might have to.
As he went over the next rock, he saw something that gave him a start. Grady, or at least what was left of him, bobbed against a rock. Even though his face had paled with a greenish hue, his features were unmistakable. The hard line of his jaw, that dominant brow ridge that hooded those now dead eyes that looked as if something had had them for breakfast. The wide, gaping pits had most likely been plucked out by a bird’s beak, but somehow, they still seemed to judge Canter.
Part of him was relieved and strangely jealous. “I hope you didn’t go to the same place,” he said, wishing he was wherever Katie was. One day, he’d be with her again. “I fucking hate you still, you piece of shit.” He spat on Grady’s body. But it didn’t make him feel any better.
“That’s a pretty harsh thing to say.”
Canter looked down at the cat as if he were losing his mind, and for a split second, he was startled by the thought of the feline being something more than an ordinary stray.
“I’m over here,” said Mace. “Did you think I was the cat?”
“No.” Canter felt a bit silly, but in his defense, the acoustics off the water and rocks made for some strange effects. “And it’s not harsh. This guy never liked me, and the feeling was mutual.”
“Have a little respect for the dead.” Mace approached, tying her hair up high on her head to reveal the shaven part which matched her black roots.
“Yeah, well, maybe if he had a little respect for the living…” He trailed off and shrugged. Grady had always been a pain in the ass to most people he knew. Especially the others back at the academy.
“From what I’ve heard, he loved Katie.” Mace had paid attention to what was happening around her, and while she was quiet and kept to herself, she didn’t miss much.
Canter’s chest swelled up with anger. “Don’t talk about them like that. He was a dick. And he treated her like shit.”
“She loved him at one time too. Or at least, she wanted to. So how bad could he be?” She held up her hand as if to ask for a moment before Canter killed her. “I only mean honor her memory by showing him some respect. I think Katie would want you to bury him.” She looked down and could see the wounds from the stigmata he’d had inside of him. If only she could make some kind of armor or weapon strong enough to kill it.
Canter groaned. “Yeah, she would. She wouldn’t want me to leave him here like this.” He was glad she couldn’t see him that way.
“I’ll help you. We need to have a little talk.”
“About? Let me guess. Rebekah had you come and distract me while the others went to find Ignis?”
She shook her head. “No, Rebekah didn’t send me. I came. I care about Ignis, and I’m not going to let you kill him.”
Canter would have normally laughed at her gumption, but he didn’t have the energy to lift the corners of his mouth, nor the ability with the dead feeling inside. “You might try.” He turned and stepped over to another rock as if he planned to keep going on his journey.
“You’re going to walk away?”
“No, I’m going to look for a place to bury this miserable asshole, and then I’m going back to the castle.”
She looked surprised. “That was easier than I thought.”
“I have to tell Rebekah about this. If the stigmata ditched Grady, then it’s likely
it has Ignis. If that’s true, then things are worse than we thought.” He could see the world as it would be if there were no hunters, and while he didn’t want the miserable mage to get away with what he’d done, he knew things were different now. Finding Grady had changed everything once again.
“Well, it would surely make sense why he went after you and Katie the way he did. He would never do anything to harm anyone. That’s not who he is. I’ve known him a long time.”
“And if the stigmata has him, then he’s already gone, and you may as well start mourning him too.”
“That can’t be true.” She would never believe it until she saw it with her own eyes.
“I’m afraid it is. Let’s bury him and get back. The sooner we tell Rebekah, the sooner we put together a plan. The good news is, she knows Ignis’s strengths, and maybe we could defeat him next time. This also explains why Aziel got involved. I just wish he’d have hung around long enough to tell us himself.”
“Now you’re going to blame the angel? Where is the real Canter Jackson? The one who was always standing up for what was right? I see you spitting on corpses and talking shit about your friends like it’s going to fix anything. Katie is gone. Whatever has hold of Ignis did it, so it’s not fair to blame him!”
“I’m sick to death of people telling me what’s fucking fair!”
Mace took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. “It’s not fair, and it’s not anyone’s fault. Put that aggression to better use.”
He knew she was right, but it was easier said than done. “I’m not sure the old me still exists. I think part of me died when Katie did.”
“That’s only true if you let it be. Katie is gone, but you have to live for her now. The you she loved, not some asshole created out of bitterness and misery. You’re better than that.”
Instead of arguing with her, Canter walked away and found a spot away from shore, where the ground was not likely to be kissed by the tide, and got down on his knees. He cursed Grady with every handful of dirt, especially when Mace helped him carry the hunter’s stinking body across the rocks and to the hole.
After it was done, he took a deep breath. “I guess I won the battle, Grady. If you see my girl on the other side, take care of her. Or I’ll have to bury you again the next time we meet.” He turned and walked away, not looking back to see if Mace or the orange cat had followed.
“I don’t think you hate him as much as you want to,” said Mace, catching up to him as he bent down and washed his hands in the ocean. “You know he was an asshole, but you also know he wasn’t responsible for the horrible shit he’s done. If the stigmata had control of him, then it wasn’t his choice to make. The same thing can be said about Ignis.” She stuck her hands in the water, giving them a good rinse.
“Do you think I want this to be true? I liked Ignis. He was my friend. Granted, I didn’t agree with him keeping secrets, but at one time, I had respect for him.” He dried his hands on his jeans and then headed back in the direction of the castle, stepping over the large stones on his way.
“I hope you’re wrong about the stigmata. I can’t lose Ignis that way.”
“Lose him?” Canter couldn’t believe her. “You make it sound like the two of you have a relationship. You’re just friends, right? He’s in love with Talia. I’ve talked to him about her. He never mentioned you.”
She gave him a sideward look as she paled. “Do you think I don’t know that? But it doesn’t mean that we don’t have something too. An understanding, if you will. We’re friends, and maybe now and then, we have certain benefits.”
“Yeah, so, I really don’t want to hear about those benefits, okay?” He wasn’t about to get that up close and personal with the girl. He had rarely gotten that close with anyone, other than Jarreth, who he’d threatened many times to not share too much about him and Delilah. She was too much like a sister to him, and he still didn’t think Jarreth was good enough for her.
“Relax, prude,” Mace said. “I’m not going to tell you any of the dirty details. It’s just, one day, I hope he comes around.”
“Don’t tell me you would wait for him. That would be pathetic.”
She gave him a hard look, and her shoulders slumped. “I just haven’t met anyone else I really want as much as him.”
“From what it sounds like, you’ve got it bad. Has he promised you anything?” He wondered if Ignis was the type of mage who would tell her everything she wanted to hear just to keep her on the line. Then he thought of the lies he’d told Rebekah.
“No, and he’s always been completely honest with me.”
“As much as he has with Rebekah, I’m sure.” Canter knew she was being duped. Had to be.
“I mean, we’ve been intimate a few times and enjoyed ourselves together a—”
He made a horrible face. “That’s too much information.”
“That’s a harsh reaction. It wasn’t that bad. I mean, he tells me the truth and that he can’t make me any promises. And don’t act like you and Katie didn’t experiment or do things when you were apart.”
“I’m not going into what we do with you.”
“You mean ‘did’.” She knew the correction was harsh, but she was only giving him back what he served.
Canter growled. “Yeah, what we did. Excuse me for the slip. I guess I haven’t gotten used to the fact that my fiancée is dead.”
“Sorry. I just think you’re in denial and harboring feelings of anger that aren’t healthy.”
“I think you should worry about yourself. Have you ever been with anyone else? Or do you just let Ignis run your life?”
“I’ve had other people interested in me. But my first love is my craft, and then Ignis is the only person I’ve ever really given part of my heart to. I mean, yes, I’ve had other men. Boys, really. To call them men is a lie. I was much younger.”
“I think it’s time you get over him. He can’t be with you or Talia now that he’s just a puppet for the evil stigmata. I think he’d want you to move on.”
She shook her head. “You’re crazy. I’m not going to believe it until I see him for myself.”
“Then you’ll be dead. Because if you think he’d spare you, you’re delusional. Meanwhile, I’m more concerned with the Fellowship. If what Rebekah told me was true, then I’m one of the last generation of hunters, and we’re officially a dying breed.”
“What’s going to happen to our world?”
Canter shrugged. “I imagine you’ll survive to be an old woman. I mean, you’re good with weapons, and let’s face it. You will probably make a killing in cash with those weapons you create.”
She knew what he meant. “Vampires and shifters would take over the world.”
“Maybe if I’m lucky, we’ll find a way to destroy them all before my generation is dead.”
“Shit.” Mace let out a long sigh.
“I know. It’s scary when you think about it, right?”
She cringed. “What’s even scarier is the fate of the world is in your generation’s hands.”
He gave her a sideward look. “Very funny.” It was going to be a long walk back to the castle.
Mace looked behind her to where the cat followed, not missing a step behind Canter. “Where did you get the cat?”
Chapter 9
Ignis sat on the floor and kicked the concrete wall with all of his might. He hoped to make a crack so he could dig his way out, but he just wasn’t strong enough. The room he was trapped in had been small days ago, and now, it grew smaller with each passing second.
He was in his library one minute, and there the next. Poof! Just. Like. That. And only one person could pull a stunt of that caliber.
Kayne.
Without his cell phone, which probably wouldn’t have service even if he hadn’t left it in his library, he couldn’t even call Rebekah or Talia and tell them that he was all right. He had a feeling that one or both of them were worried sick about him. He was shocked that Rebekah hadn’t come looking f
or him, but she had so much going on with Liam, it was no wonder. He was probably in the one place she might actually look if her recent track record was taken into consideration.
Just as if he’d conjured him out of his thoughts, Kayne appeared in the room with Ignis.
“Ah, and just like that, he shows up.” Ignis looked down at Kayne’s shoes, which were always polished to a high shine. His suit was impressively clean for someone standing in a dank hole. “Careful. You don’t want to scuff your shoes on this concrete box you’ve got me in.”
“It’s the only way to keep you here or else you’d turn to vapor and vanish. And what good would that do me?” Kayne knew if the place was airtight, Ignis would be stuck. Luckily, his own power to dematerialize and rematerialize didn’t have the same limitations.
“Maybe there’s something you’ve missed, so I’ll refresh your memory. Rebekah is going to hate you when she finds out you trapped me here. Despite our recent issues, she loves me like a brother, and you’re only going to piss her off.”
“Love or loathe, it makes no difference. I’ll have her on her back either way. You see, I have to do a little experiment and make sure you’re a man of your word. I know it has been tense between us all this time, but I suspect that’s irrelevant when it comes to getting what I want.”
Ignis had never heard anything so vile. “You’re an animal. You would force her, knowing she hates you?” He would make sure Rebekah knew just what kind of person the vampire was, not that she probably hadn’t already expected it. And to think he’d actually defended the asshole. That was what one of their last arguments had been about, but he didn’t think he should give Kayne the satisfaction of knowing that.
“She’s going to come willingly. That’s our agreement. But I guess you’ve missed that, haven’t you?” Kayne smiled like a snake, and Ignis narrowed his eyes, wondering what he meant.
There was no way he and Rebekah had made an agreement for sex. “What are you blathering on about?” asked Ignis. He searched Kayne’s cold, dead eyes and hoped the asshole would tell him without being cryptic.
