by Kelly Hall
Rebekah could still taste the earth and mud she and Ethan had smeared themselves with, still smell the blood from that first kill. They had come out of hiding and slaughtered every one of the beasts.
Ethan’s power had done more than excite her. It had turned her on. He had seemed as equally impressed with her. They had kissed passionately, the feverish gesture landing them on the ground where their bodies entwined. Ethan had taken her virginity, the last part of the girl she once was that remained. And as they walked away, hand in hand, she saw something shine like silver amongst the casualties. Luna. As soon as her eyes saw the reflection, Stella began to vibrate against her side. It was as if the two were calling for one another. Rebekah retrieved it without question.
Atticus had been so brave, giving himself to the fight. She remembered his eagerness and all the years he spent preparing for battle. No one could have talked him out of it, not even if she had known the kind of enemy he would face. Ethan had been trying in vain to form armies, but what they faced would take more than mere human soldiers. By the time they figured that out, it had been too late for Atticus.
Ignis placed his hand on her shoulder, his gesture that of a concerned father or a protective brother. His physical age was more like a twenty-seven-year-old for as long as she had known him, and it had taken him five hundred years to finally explain to Rebekah why. Even though Ignis was not immortal like she was, he had a long life and extended youth thanks to a bond he’d formed with his girlfriend Talia. This was also the reason Ignis couldn’t stay in Rome with her father and why he had followed her away before anyone became too suspicious of why he wasn’t aging.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m fine. I just can’t help thinking that Atticus and Merik would have been great friends.”
He nodded. “I agree. Now, no more tears.”
“Right. There are no tears in retirement or the lack there of.”
A snort resounded from him. “And definitely no tears in a city like Vegas.”
She ignored the excitement in his voice and walked from her sitting room. Before the day was over, they would be in America. And though he promised to behave, it was highly unlikely.
He never could around shiny objects.
Not that she blamed him.
Chapter 2
Ignis and Rebekah walked through the crowd at the airport, armed with potions and weapons, which, thanks to Ignis’s magic, had made it past security.
Ignis yelped when a little old lady rolled her luggage over his foot. “Remind me to travel my own way next time. I’m still trying to unclench my butthole from the stress of coming through security. And now, I’m most likely missing a toe!”
Rebekah chuckled. “Do you want a thank you for keeping me company?”
“A thank you would be nice. Yes.”
Before Rebekah could entertain Ignis, she spotted Elder John across the baggage claim area with a woman wearing a habit. She walked up to them with a grin.
“Hi, I’m Rebekah Ward,” Rebekah said, extending her hand.
“Sister Mary Frances.” The woman’s mouth hung open in awe. “It’s an honor to meet you, Huntress.” The woman held her hand over her heart.
Rebekah gave a respectful nod and glanced at Elder John, who seemed slighted that she had looked past him, an action that was calculated for the sole purpose of pissing him off.
“Sister Mary Frances is counselor at the academy,” said the Elder. “She’s been working closely with me on keeping things afloat.”
The nun looked like she’d been through hell, her eyes ringed red around dark circles that made her face look hollow. Rebekah couldn’t imagine having to offer counseling to an entire academy of young adult trainees who had suffered the loss of so many.
Rebekah turned and looked him up and down. “I see you’ve informed the good sister of my identity, but I’d like to keep this visit under wraps for as long as possible. I don’t want other academies’ commanders wondering why I am favoring one academy over the others.”
Elder John, who was a few inches shorter than Rebekah, yet somehow still managed to look down his nose at her, cleared his throat. “I’m sure they’d understand the circumstances, but I’m certain it won’t hurt to entertain your wishes. I’ll let the Council of Elders know not to mention it at the next meeting.”
She was sure he would be reporting everything to them, including the way she had greeted him; or rather didn’t. The Church had appointed liaisons to act as middlemen of sorts, but Rebekah knew they cared more about the Church’s interests than hers, especially Elder John who was the biggest ass-kisser of them all. His beady eyes, pointed nose, graying hair, and mustache made him look like an angry opossum, especially when he was standing up for the Church.
Part of the agreement was that the Immortal Huntress would not overshadow the Church or God. So, in keeping with that respect, her identity had been kept hidden for the past several hundred years and was only revealed for special reasons, like with Merik, or if someone graduated to a special rank or became part of the staff. Then, and only at Rebekah’s discretion, would an introduction be made. It was not only good for the Church, but provided a bit of security for Rebekah as well.
Trainees were not encouraged to idolize, and although that didn’t stop rumors and legends of the Immortal Huntress from existing, to all of her hunters, she was somewhere in the world fighting for the Church and humanity just as they were. A present day Joan of Arc.
Rebekah needed to set him straight. “My only mission is to find out what happened to Merik and the others and appoint a new commander. I’m not sure what kind of mission he was on, but I’ll get to the bottom of it.”
Sister Mary Frances appeared a little unnerved, but maybe it was Rebekah’s presence that made the woman nervous. The nun probably hadn’t been next to too many women who had spent hundreds of years killing. That would put anyone on edge.
Elder John and the sister took her and Ignis to the car. One of the senior trainees waited to drive them back to the Nevada Academy, which was northwest toward the mountains. The forty-minute drive was supposed to discourage the trainees from visiting Las Vegas, but Rebekah knew that Ignis could be there in half the time. She rolled her eyes at the thought.
Pulling up at the academy gates, Rebekah was impressed by the way the place was kept. Knowing that the trainees helped with the task showed her they were hard workers, which, as Ethan always told her, made the best hunters.
After the gates opened, the driver continued around the circle and stopped just outside the main offices of the large, brown brick building. Nondescript and rather plain in appearance, the massive structure held more magic, secrets, and power than anyone might guess.
Never judge a book by its cover. She smirked at the thought.
As they got out of the car, Ignis leaned over and whispered close to her ear, “This place is already more exciting than your castle.”
She gave him a sideward glance as they walked up the tall steps of the building behind the elder and the nun. “Then maybe I’ll leave you here when I go home.”
“As if it’s up to you.” He belted a laugh that had the sister looking over her shoulder as they entered the lobby.
Sister Mary Frances wasn’t too sure about the mage. She clutched her rosary as they stepped into the corridor that led to the offices.
Ignis noticed the cold shoulder given by the nun and he leaned closer to Rebekah’s ear to tell her, “I don’t think my invitation extends beyond yours.”
Rebekah had always insisted her companion be welcome where she was, and all were to consider Ignis her eternal plus one. It wasn’t to say that Ignis didn’t have a life of his own, but they were family, two orphans from different supernatural spectra who kept each other grounded.
Elder John stopped and stepped aside to allow them passage into the main office. “I’m afraid I won’t be staying much longer. I’d like you to examine the site of the attack and make a full report fo
r the next meeting. Then there’s the matter of the Marking Ceremony for the returning senior trainees to become fully recognized Hunters of the Church.”
Rebekah was taken aback. “You expect me to hold that ceremony?” She hadn’t been involved in such a thing in years and had been glad when she and Ignis came up with another way to make it happen.
Sister Mary Frances spoke up. “Oh, I’m sure the trainees would find it a great honor, considering everything that’s happened.”
Rebekah couldn’t stand to see the pain in the woman’s eyes from so much loss, much less tell her no. She nodded. “I guess you’re right, but please remember that my identity needs to stay under wraps. I’ve learned through the years that anonymity is the best way, but I suppose I may as well conduct the ceremony since I’m here.”
She had learned a hard lesson about being private and how to keep a target off her back. Even though her legendary name gave a different impression, she wasn’t truly immortal. But Virtually Indestructible Huntress didn’t have quite the same ring to it, and even immortality wouldn’t keep one from being captured, tortured, or hurt.
She had experience in all unfortunately.
Elder John cleared his throat, bringing Rebekah’s attention to him. He curled his lip like he had better places to be. “I’d like to go over the details of the attack before I go. It seems that Merik was on some private mission. The event is not documented, other than on his calendar where we found the word ‘mission’ in red ink.”
“There were no other notes, no explanations, nothing?” Rebekah found that hard to believe, with Merik always being so organized and professional. For him to go on a rogue mission just seemed too far-fetched. Rogue hunters were incarcerated in Arcadius Prison. She couldn’t see him risking his reputation or his freedom.
“Again, that’s why we called you. I’m sure you can get to the bottom of whatever is going down in your training facility.” The elder’s tone was meant to rub her the wrong way.
Whenever something bad or strange happened, the Church considered it her operation as a way of distancing themselves. When something good occurred, they were happy to share in the ownership of the program and its facilities. Funny how that worked.
She didn’t have time for the blame game. “Where did the incident occur?”
Elder John folded his hands in front of him. “In Vegas, outside of a nightclub called Debauchery. He and the others were found by some of the trainees who knew where they were going. All who left that night with Merik were killed.”
Alarms sounded in Rebekah’s head. Her commanders and their best men had been slaughtered on a mission, as if all of their training was for naught? It wasn’t very common for hunters to be bested in such great numbers on a single mission, but a “no survivor” situation was unheard of. She knew she was dealing with something unprecedented.
He passed her a file. “There are a few pictures of the scene from the SU. It happened two days ago on Saturday night. The bodies were recovered early yesterday morning, and they are at the morgue.”
“Have the families been notified?” Rebekah hoped like hell that she wasn’t going to have to be the one to call the trainees’ parents. That was usually the commander’s task.
“No, and they won’t be until the final report is made, hopefully by tomorrow night. I’ll be waiting for it.” He clapped his hands together. “Well, that’s all I’ve got.” He gave a shrug as the sister cleared her throat.
“What about the visiting trainee, sir?” The woman looked down as if she had no place to remind him of his business.
The older man nodded. “Oh, that’s right. As you’re aware, each facility has a visiting fighter from the Angel Warrior Program.”
“Ugh. I hate angels,” Ignis muttered and ran his hand down his face.
Rebekah shook her head and tucked the file into her bag. She had no interest in being responsible for one of Michael’s warrior angels, program or not. “Have that postponed. I’d rather not drag an angel into this situation.”
He gave a shrug like he couldn’t care less what she wanted. “I’m afraid he’s already here, and as you know, Michael wouldn’t appreciate you sending him back.” The old man looked at his watch. “Well, I guess that’s it, unless there’s anything else? I’m sure Sister Mary Frances can fill you in on everything and introduce you to the staff. If you need anything, give me a call. I’ve got a few minutes to kill, so I suppose I’ll just grab a seat and hang around to make sure you’re getting settled.”
He walked over to Merik’s chair, and before he lowered his ass to the cushion, Rebekah had made her way around the desk. She grabbed his arm, then offered him a hand. His eyes went wide with surprise as he took it.
She shook his hand with feigned enthusiasm. “That won’t be necessary, but thank you, Elder. It was good to see you.” She walked him to the door, practically pulling him all the way. “You’ll have my full report as soon as possible, but I think I’ll take it from here.”
He was clearly irritated about being dismissed, but Rebekah had had enough of his posturing. What difference would it make if he stayed another minute if he was going to leave in an hour?
He took a deep breath, his nostrils flaring behind his thick mustache as he slicked back his hair and straightened his tie. He turned to give the sister a nod. “Sister Mary Frances.” He nodded at Ignis, but as his lips moved to speak, he caught himself and curled his lip as if the mage left a bad taste in his mouth. He squared his shoulders and left, taking the stick up his ass with him.
Once he was gone, Sister Mary Frances plopped down into the nearest chair and let out a cleansing sigh. The man had been a chore to be around, especially since she’d had to hold back her emotions and wear the habit, which she wasn’t exactly in the habit of wearing. She usually wore modest clothing, but the habit was something the Elders insisted all of the sisters wear on their outings together, which thankfully, didn’t happen very often.
She looked up and felt her cheeks warm, realizing the Immortal Huntress and her companion were staring. She didn’t know which put her on edge the most, the Huntress, who no doubt was armed to the teeth beneath her long, black, leather coat, which almost met her tall, knee-high boots, or the mysterious man who looked like the devil with his flame-colored hair and stubbly chin. Even though he was quite striking, with his emerald green eyes, and handsome in a strangely exciting way, she knew there was something different about him. He wasn’t hunter or human.
Rebekah worried for the sister who looked pale. “Are you all right? Could we get you something? A medic perhaps?” She had to be hot under all of those clothes, and she feared the woman might pass out.
“No, thank you. You’re very kind, but it’s just that I find his visits a touch exhausting. And since we’re able to get acquainted, I’d like very much if you called me Sister Frankie like everyone else does here.”
“It’s nice to meet you. Please, call me Rebekah, and this is Ignis, my oldest and closest friend.”
Sister Frankie offered them each a smile that quickly faded as tears pooled in her eyes. “I’m so sorry. It’s just that there’s so much going on. I’ve been in quite a daze.” She eyed Ignis and then looked down toward her lap.
Recognizing her discomfort, Rebekah turned to him and handed him her bag. “Could you perhaps find us a room, and you can join us in a few minutes?” She gave him a pleading look, and he nodded.
There was something off about the sister, but Ignis just couldn’t put his finger on it. He had a keen ability for sensing energy in others, even more than Rebekah, but the woman’s grief for her fallen commander was so strong that Ignis knew reading her would take some time. “Certainly.”
Sister Frankie pointed to the ceiling. “Down the hall, up the stairs, and the first room to your left for the Huntress, and you can stay in the one next door if you like.”
Ignis gave a bow and flashed Rebekah a comforting look before turning to leave.
Once his footsteps faded in the
hall, the young nun’s shoulders fell. “I’m not sure where to start. I could take you on a tour of the facility if you like, show you the hologram room where the hunters do most of their field training or perhaps the medical wing.”
“I’m familiar with the hologram. Ignis created them for the academy.” She didn’t bother giving her opinion on the Church’s interference and how they had regulated the hell out of everything they wanted to do.
“Of course. I forget. Medical wing it is. You’ll want to meet Clovis Spencer, I’m sure. The trainees call him Doc Spence. He’s our in-house physician.” She swallowed another lump in her throat and realized how she wouldn’t get to make introductions to the commanders and young Paul, who had been one of the strongest hunters and a house favorite among the senior trainees.
She got to her feet and then led Rebekah into the gymnasium and then across the polished wood floor to the back room where Clovis was finishing up with a male trainee. Sister Frankie and Rebekah waited while the doctor gave his instructions.
“Take this extra gauze, and change the bandage later today.” Clovis patted the young man on the back. The young hunter ducked out with only a nod to the ladies.
Rebekah couldn’t help but notice how handsome Clovis was. His perfect smile was accentuated by his dark skin and beautiful brown eyes.
This one takes tall, dark, and handsome to a whole new level.
His expression was kind and full of compassion. “Sister Frankie. How are you doing? Still having trouble sleeping?”
“I’m afraid so. I don’t expect that to change anytime soon. I’d like you to meet Ms. Ward.”
“Rebekah.” The Huntress extended her hand and he took it.
“It’s a pleasure. Are you the new commander?” He looked at Sister Frankie, who was shaking her head.
Rebekah didn’t mind that he didn’t know who she was. “I’m here to appoint someone.”
“Yes, it’s such a shame about what happened.” He and the nun exchanged a look, and Rebekah wasn’t certain the two weren’t keeping secrets.