by Kelly Hall
“He’s Kayne. He didn’t say a whole lot. He took Liam quickly and left. I guess he was afraid of you all.” She hoped he couldn’t hear her. She had always wondered just how tight that psychic bond from her blood had been, and especially now that he had said there was a part of him inside her?
What on earth had he meant? Surely, he didn’t mean that Ignis had somehow put a part of him in her. She was made to fight the enemies, not become them. Or had he simply promised him Rebekah’s hand for saving her? But then, why did he keep bringing up Rogan? Was she a part of him too? Her head was still reeling from his presence.
The house had fallen silent, with everyone letting what had happened with Liam sink in.
“It feels so empty here,” said Jarreth. “Like all the air left with Liam.”
Canter called down from the stairs, where he and Katie had stopped to listen to the news. “Kayne probably sucked all the air out of the room when he left.” He turned to Rebekah. “Could you check on him in a few days?”
“I’m sure I can try.” She had a feeling Kayne would let her know somehow, but then, he was going to come and collect on their bargain, and she’d most likely be whisked back to his room, the one next to Talia’s, where he would expect her to be willing. She had to prepare herself for that. Was she finally going to give him his way? If she didn’t, Liam was as good as dead, and so were her hunters. Kayne would kill them all out of spite.
Chapter 27
Canter’s next evening meal was served with awkward conversation, mostly about Liam and what to do with Kayne. By the end, there were more questions than answers, and he was ready to get away for a while with Katie. After a long night in their room alone, he woke her up in the early morning, hoping to share the last of the starry night with her, make love under the stars, and watch the sun come up together; a new day and a new step in their relationship.
“Where are we going?” she asked as they stepped into the east tower dressed comfortably in their hunting boots. Canter carried his pack, and she hoped there was more than hunting gear inside and that this wasn’t part of his recent mission.
“I thought I’d show you a place I found not long ago. It’s going to entail the use of a blindfold when we’re almost there, so you’ll have to trust me.”
“Okay,” she said, thinking Canter must have cooked up something big for the two of them. If he wanted her blindfolded, she wondered if he’d sprinkled rose petals, lit candles, and poured wine somewhere in the castle for them.
“Well, thank you for not blindfolding me now,” she said, as she walked into the dimly lit front room, her own hunter vision making it possible to see better in the dark than her human eyes ever had. “I would have probably tripped over this shag rug and hit my head on the pea-green credenza.”
“I know. It’s pretty bad, right? Whoever lived here last probably died of poor taste. I wondered why Rebekah didn’t choose this wing to renovate, but she said something about making it a guest house.”
“I guess it wouldn’t be too bad for that. It functions. So, where are we going?”
Canter laughed. “You’re not going to give up, are you?”
She smiled slyly and followed him to the east-wing cellar. He had every intention of keeping Ignis’s secret library a secret but wanted to take Katie up to the top of the tower, where the stars seemed close enough to touch, to share a special moment with her. Ignis was long gone to Talia’s, and who knew if he’d ever be back? Something big must have happened between him and Rebekah, and he’d never seen her so lost as he had in her study. Hopefully, she wouldn’t regret giving him the ring, which felt like a heavy stone in his pocket, even though it weighed no more than a coin.
As they went along, Katie willing to trek the dark and damp tunnels with him, he mapped out their future in his mind.
Together, the two would have a long, happy life packed with action and excitement. They’d help Rebekah figure out what to do about Kayne, earn top ranks in the Fellowship, and when the mission was over, they could be reassigned somewhere together, perhaps to lead one of the hunters’ camps, or maybe command an academy of their own.
He could think of nothing better than being in the field, working actively against their enemy, but training young hunters, teaching them his moves? That could be nice too. He and Katie could live there in the commander’s quarters, and with any luck, they’d be assigned to one of the better facilities, or maybe he’d rather have a challenge like the Nevada Academy.
He realized one thing, that it didn’t matter where he went or what the future held, as long as he had her by his side.
As they made their way, she gave him a sideward look. “You take me to the nicest places, Canter Jackson.” They shared a laugh, but he knew she was going to love it when they finally got to the end of their journey.
Katie trusted him more than anyone, and her mind sparked one idea after another about where they were going. Would it just be another room or someplace magical?
When they had made their way farther, she and Canter sloshing through some of the leaky parts, even hearing the skittering of mice and the occasional rat, she realized where they were going. “This leads to the south tower, doesn’t it?”
He smiled. “Yeah, I knew you’d figure that out.”
“But it’s a wreck, isn’t it? I mean, it’s totally destroyed and there is no way in?”
“Not exactly. I think Ignis wanted everyone to think that because he likes to have it all to himself, but there is a really cool place I want you to see.”
“You know, a normal girl would have already turned around and made you take her home. But I’d go anywhere with you.” She stopped, forcing him to stop too as she tugged his hand. They fell into an embrace, and Canter took the moment for a long, deep kiss.
The hope and dreams of their future would all come true, and in that moment, any shred of doubt that might have been underlying somewhere deep inside vanished. This was right.
He pulled away, stroking her cheek. “You’re so beautiful.” He ached to tell her everything that was on his mind, but he wanted to give her the stars first. “Come on. I can’t wait to show you.”
They hurried along the last leg of the tunnel, and when they got to the tower’s dungeon, Katie’s eyes widened.
“Wow, this place is crazy.”
“Wait until you see the rest.” He led her up the stairs and to the hallway.
“This certainly makes the east tower look like a mansion, but I like it.” She looked down at some of the rubble at her feet. “It’s a shame it was destroyed.”
Canter led her as far in as he could and then stopped to take the blindfold, a black bandana, out of his pocket. “Here, you’re going to have to wear this.”
Katie sighed. “Why? You’ve brought me this far.”
“It’s more about my loyalty than anything else. Just wear it. I’ll take you through to the place I want to show you.”
Katie giggled. “Okay, mystery man. But it’s pretty obvious that this is where you were coming for the Huntress. It smells just like you did when you’d return.”
“I knew you’d figure it out,” he said with a nod, “but I also knew you’d respect the mission enough not to ask too many questions and play along with me. No one understands my position like you.”
“You’re lucky I’m not a jealous woman, or else I might have a problem with secrets, but I understand that you have another woman in your life, Canter. Well, I guess we both do.”
“I never thought of it that way, but you’re right.” He held up the bandana, and Katie turned around. “You’re going to love this.”
She took a deep breath as Canter gently tied the bandana over her eyes. Then, after taking her arm, he led Katie through the library and to the next set of stairs that led to a floor with no ceiling, the night sky still dark and beautiful and full of stars.
He couldn’t wait to show her, so he stood her in front of him to give her the best view and removed her blindfold.
&nb
sp; “We’re already here?” she asked as he pulled it away, and when she opened her eyes to the sky, she gasped, taking it in. The broken tower revealed more stars than she’d ever seen, and as she tried to take it all in, she turned and found Canter on his knees. “Canter?”
He looked up in her eyes with the ring pinched between his two fingers. “I wanted to sit awhile and take it all in with you, but I can’t wait another second.”
A wide smile spread across Katie’s face. “Yes,” she said eagerly.
Canter laughed. “I haven’t even asked you.”
“I know, but my answer is going to be yes when you do.” Her eyes pooled with tears, and she was so happy that she felt like her life had somehow just begun when she saw the ring. Suddenly, as if it were magic, she could see the dreams she’d always had of the two of them becoming a reality, and it was the most magical moment of her life, even more than the moment she’d become a huntress.
“Well, I’m going to ask you anyway, if you give me a chance.” Canter, humored by her reaction, cleared his throat and looked up into her eyes. “I love you, Katie. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Be my partner in the hunt and in all of my life?”
“Yes!” she screamed. She held out her hand, and the ring he slipped on her hand was so perfect and beautiful, she couldn’t believe she got to wear it forever. “I love it. Thank you for making this perfect. The sky is beautiful. I want to stay here a while.”
“That’s the plan.” He kissed her hand and then turned her in front of him, resting his head atop hers as they stared off into the sky. “You know about Stella and Luna, don’t you?”
“You mean Rebekah’s daggers? Of course.” She turned to glance at him, and Canter stepped up beside her, tucking her under his arm. “Well, then you know that Atticus gave her the moon and stars. I wanted to do the same for you.” He pointed to the small sliver of the moon. “It’s just like the one on Luna’s pommel.”
“I’d give you the stars too, Canter. The entire universe. I’m so happy that I get to live the rest of my life with you.”
“The only stars I need are in your eyes, Katie. And we’re going to have a thousand more nights like this one together. Thank you for saying yes.” He was so afraid she wouldn’t.
“I know that I’m right where I’m supposed to be. Not many people can say that about their lives.” She flattened her palm against his cheek and looked into his dark eyes. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” He took a deep breath, and even though he had a million questions, all he really wanted to do was hold her and make love to her under the starry sky.
Katie gestured to the pack on the floor. “Please tell me that you brought a blanket.”
“Hey, a hunter is always prepared.” He pulled out the soft blanket he’d swiped from Rebekah’s linen closet and prayed it wasn’t anything important as he laid it on the windswept floor.
Katie offered him her hand, and they sat together, just watching the sky.
They sat there for a while, and then Katie couldn’t stand it any longer. She slipped her fingers along the hem of his shirt and then pulled it up over his head. She let her hands explore his muscles, the curve of each bulging muscle, the dip where it ended only to find another one.
Canter wasted no time returning the favor. He unbuttoned her top, revealing her bra, and leaned in to kiss her breasts. The sky was starting to grow lighter, and he knew they’d make love until the sun came up.
But something sounded below, catching Katie’s attention. “What’s that?”
“It’s just a cat. I think he’s Ignis’s pet.” He brought his mouth back to hers, but then, something moved, making a much louder sound like a whole stack of books had been toppled. Or perhaps the table.
“I don’t like that,” said Katie, pulling her shirt closed. “We should check it out.”
Canter let out a deep breath. He was ready for action, but this wasn’t the type of action he needed. But he couldn’t refuse her anything, and he hoped it wasn’t Ignis returning from Talia’s. “Fine, I’ll go. Stay here.”
“Are you kidding? I’ve got your back.”
“And I blindfolded you for a reason, Katie. I’ll be fine. I have my blade. You don’t.” He grabbed his knife, and after another kiss, he walked down the stairs to check it out.
Another sound, this time obvious destruction, and he expected to find an angry Ignis, clomping around in his library, perhaps looking for something.
Canter took another step and peeked around the wall, only to see a dark shadowy form. Even with his hunter’s vision, he couldn’t make out any features. But what did catch his eye was Ignis’s phone, still lying right where he left it. Either the mage had left it, or he had never left. Just when he thought he should get Katie and get out of there, the orange cat screeched and hissed. Then it bolted out in front of him from where it had been hiding.
Suddenly, the room filled up with a great energy, and the broken tower rumbled beneath Canter’s feet. He ran back up to get Katie, the floor cracking underneath him. “We have to go!”
She got up and left the pack. “I wish I’d brought my sword.”
“It wouldn’t do any good against the stigmata. Look, I couldn’t make out who it was, but if it’s the stigmata, it could take on other forms.”
“Okay,” she said. “Is there another way out of here?”
“No, the only way is down, but maybe we could scale what’s left of the outer wall.” They had abilities that made long jumps survivable, and they could use some of the rubble to their advantage.
Before they could make it to the edge of the tower, the wind kicked up, and the force crumbled the floor beneath them. The last thing Canter saw, besides Katie desperately reaching for him as they fell, was Grady looking down at them from high above, the crumbling tower doing nothing to affect him.
Chapter 28
The bed rumbled, and for a moment, Rebekah expected to open her eyes and see Ignis lying beside her, staring over her like a worried father and friend. But then the ground shook again, and she bolted out of bed as Sister Frankie ran into the room.
“Rebekah! It’s an earthquake!”
But the Huntress knew better than that. “No, it’s not. Get back to your room. Stay with Father Timms.”
She grabbed her weapons from under her pillow, stripped off her sleep pants, and pulled on her fighting leathers and boots. Then, strapping on her weapons as she ran down the stairs, she passed Jarreth, who had his weapons ready to fight.
“Was that an earthquake?”
“Not likely. It came from the south tower.”
“Do you think it collapsed even more?” he asked.
“That certainly would explain a thing or two. But we have to be prepared if it’s not. Where’s Canter?” She suddenly worried that he might have gone to the other tower. “Check his room!” As Jarreth ran to check, Rebekah hurried down the stairs.
Lulu stood at the bottom of the stairs, no doubt hearing the commotion and feeling the vibrations from her bed. “Is it another vampire attack?” She gripped her wooden spoon tightly, and Rebekah wondered if the woman slept with it like a hunter did his weapons.
“I’m not sure what it was, but I need you to go and warn Mace.”
Just then, Mace came out from the dungeon room where she liked to sleep. “What’s going on?”
“Take Lulu and stay in the basement. I’ll handle this.” The last thing she needed was Lulu and Mace to look after. Even though they’d both held their own, she had a feeling they were dealing with more than a crumbling old tower.
Jarreth came down the stairs with Delilah behind him. “They aren’t in their room! Neither him or Katie.”
Delilah came running down to the first floor. “Aziel’s gone too.”
She had a feeling the couple slipped off somewhere together. “I bet Aziel didn’t wait for orders. He’s probably already checking on things. I think Canter and Katie could have
gone to the south tower.”
Rebekah made her way out of the house and into the courtyard where the morning sun was dawning over the tower, which appeared a lot shorter, the dust of debris still settling. It appeared like smoke.
Jarreth panicked when he saw the thing, looking a lot worse than it had before. “Why would he go there?”
“How would he get in? We couldn’t even scale the wall upward to get in it before.” Delilah looked at the tower with a sense of hopelessness. If Canter had gone in there with Katie, they might have triggered the collapse and been buried in the stone. Aziel probably sensed it. “We have to help them!”
Rebekah still had the stigmata on her mind. If it was the cause, they might be up against something that none of them could handle. “Go back inside.”
“Are you out of your fucking mind?” Jarreth turned to go find his friends.
“Stop, Jarreth. That’s an order.”
He spun around, his eyes pegging her with a hard glare. “You better have a damned good reason for stopping me.”
“I do. If this is Grady and the stigmata, we need to be prepared. And if Katie and Canter did make this happen by being there, they are probably on their way back through the tunnels now or injured in one. Start in the east tower’s dungeon, and make your way down to the south tower.”
Delilah took off, and Jarreth followed, not waiting on anything else.
Rebekah hurried across the yard, looking to the tower which was still crumbling. Rocks fell now and then as if they hadn’t found their place. Something caught the corner of her eyes, and Ignis stepped out of the shadows.
“Ignis!” She had never been so glad to see him as she made her way over. “I’m so glad you came back!” He stared at her with wide eyes as if he was lost for a moment. “Ignis, are you okay? What happened?” He must have been in his library when it happened. He’s probably been there all along.
“Stay back, Rebekah.” He held out his hand, and she stopped running, still closing the distance between them.