by Kelly Hall
“Okay, ladies. Help me look for our friends. If you see them, let me know. There’s a chance they’re onto this car. And if I have to lose them, I will.” He was headed back to the bayou the only way he knew and hoped that the shifters weren’t somewhere watching their every move, waiting to follow them.
“I think we lost them,” said Talia. “I don’t see them anywhere.”
Ignis knew better than to underestimate the shifters, so he stayed alert as he drove the ladies home to the bayou.
Once he got to the turn off, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, knowing it would have been hard for them to have made it that far on foot. And while the traffic had been atrocious, he hadn’t seen any car following him.
As he pulled into the nearest back road that led to their house, he looked for a good place to stop where he wouldn’t get stuck. He undid the child locks on the car, and the two sisters jumped out of the car and ran for the water, giggling all the way as if no one had been after them.
“They sure do bounce back,” he said.
Talia giggled. “You know them. They are so carefree, it’s dangerous.”
“I love my little cautious naiad.” He leaned over and kissed her. “Make sure to have Gus and Grim on the lookout. I need to return home, and I want you to be safe.”
“You’re not staying? Not just for a little while?”
“No,” he said, trying to resist her pleas. “I want to get this car out of here, just in case. I didn’t like us having to use it. I wish my misting powers worked for us all sometimes. Besides, I need to get Stella and Luna home. I don’t like having the weapons out.” He had made the compromise to get her sisters off of her back for a while, but he didn’t want the weapons out of his sight.
“Thank you for dinner. They’ve been so cooped up.”
“Anytime, gorgeous.” He leaned over, and she brought her cool fingers to his face as they kissed. “I love you. I’ll see you later. I’ll come by and pick you up if you want.”
She gave him a lazy smile. “I’d like that. I love you too.” She got out of the car, and even though she knew she’d see him soon enough, she always hated saying goodbye to him.
Ignis hated it too, but that was what their relationship was. One long goodbye. He loved her more than life itself, and it never got any easier driving away from her.
He headed out and decided to take the long road, just in case he had any visitors waiting at the road he took in.
He eased back in his seat and adjusted the rearview, and before he could focus on the road ahead, a car pulled out of a trail right in front of him. He swerved to miss them, his car fish-tailing as he lost control. He tried to right himself, but it was no use. He overcorrected and ended up heading for a tree before he had time to react.
Fucking shifters.
It was the last thing that went through his mind before the impact.
The shifters were so excited to have finally caught their prey that they whooped and exchanged high-fives.
“That’s the way you do it, boys,” said Oz from behind the wheel. His faithful brothers from his pack, Dip and Duhon, doubted he’d find the car again after it turned off the road. Oz was sure it had been pure dumb luck, but he wasn’t going to let the others know it.
He pulled over to the car, where the redhaired man inside was slumped over the steering wheel and the deflated airbag.
“He took that tree at just the right angle,” said Dip, trying to get a look inside the cab.
Oz took off his seatbelt. “Let’s see what we’ve got. I haven’t smelled anything like them, but I know they’re not human. With any luck, this will tell us who killed Snoot.”
They had first come upon the smell about a month before when they’d found one of their friends lying like a lump, nothing but a pile of skin, hair, and teeth, in an alley behind the dumpster near their den. They had recognized his tattoos on what used to be his arms, but other than that, he was unidentifiable.
They had no idea what would have that power, and knowing they’d stumbled onto something new, they decided to track the scent. Turning up no leads, they’d given up until they picked up the same scent earlier while heading through the restaurant parking lot.
When they had noticed the smell, they tried to go inside, but the bitch at the counter wouldn’t let them. So, they decided to wait in their car for them. They’d seen the group once he started his car, and even though they’d missed them coming out, the shifters caught up pretty quickly.
“Where are the chicks?” Dip’s shoulders slouched. The car was empty, except for the man. He had hoped to capture at least one of the girls after they killed the guy, and with any luck, they’d figure out just what they were and what they’d done with his friend.
“He wouldn’t have dumped them off out here,” said Duhon. “There isn’t a house for miles.”
Oz slammed his car door. “Well, they aren’t in there, man. I’m going to check it out.” He walked over to the crumpled car and peeked inside. There wasn’t anything in the back, not the two beautiful women they’d seen drive away, nor the third who had been in the front. Their faint scent remained. “Dammit!”
He was about to turn away when something shiny caught his eye. Between the man’s feet on the floorboard was a pouch, and the open flap revealed metal. He waved his buddies over. “There’s something in the car. I think it’s a gun, and if not, we’ll at least take his money.”
They couldn’t get to the driver’s side from the angle but instead opted to pull the car away from the tree and out into the road, which was secluded enough that they wouldn’t be seen.
Then Duhon pried open the door and pulled the man out. He was a scrawny ginger, about twenty-seven years old, and the blood dripping down his face didn’t have the same strangely sweet smell as the scent they’d followed, which was the biggest disappointment of all. Duhon left him crumpled on the ground and searched his pockets. He found a money clip and some bills. “Jackpot.”
Dip narrowed his eyes. “You’re splitting that three ways, brother. So, don’t get any ideas.”
Duhon gave him a glare and then a curt nod. He’d share what he felt. The others be damned.
Oz went right for the bag and peeked inside. “There’s a couple of blades in here. We’ll look them up online when we get back to the others. Maybe they’re worth something.”
Duhon walked up and stood toe to toe with Oz. “I don’t mind you showing off a couple of fucking knives, but you keep your goddamned mouth shut about the money. I’m not splitting it more than three ways, you hear me?”
Oz was loyal to his pack, but he wasn’t stupid. “Who the fuck said I was showing them the knives? This shit stays between us, or I’ll use one to cut your fucking tongue out.” He reached out, and the others slapped his hands and chuckled wickedly.
“What do you want to do with this asshole?” asked Dip.
“Leave him. He doesn’t look so special to me, and you know how I feel about gingers. Fucking bastards.” They spat on the ground at the man’s feet, and then after another quick sweep of the cab and taking Ignis’s boots, they jumped in their car and drove away, throwing dust up as they left.
Minutes later when the dust settled, Ignis stirred. His head swam with pain, and he reached up to feel the fucking knot he had there. He winced at the dull throbbing and pulled his hand back to see the blood. The sun beat down on him, and once he realized his boots were gone, panic shot through him. He hadn’t been knocked out of his boots on impact. Someone had robbed him. He got up off the ground and hobbled his way over to the car, dropping to his knees just feet from the open driver’s side door. He crawled his way over, dragging himself up to see the floorboards.
The pouch was missing.
Panic filled his head, causing a sharp pain. He tried to look around, but it was no use. He could barely see from the blood in his eyes, and he needed to lay down. Magic was out of the question. He took a deep breath. Then he reached up, and with all the might he had in him, he called out for help.
“Talia!” As the world grew dark, he hoped what little magic he’d mustered had worked.
Chapter 6
Rebekah felt a sharp stab of pain in her temple that brought her to her knees. She’d been just about to lay down for the night when it hit her, and now the pain was so great that she couldn’t open her eyes.
As soon as it came on, it ebbed, but then a dull pain lingered. She took a deep breath and got to her feet, hoping whatever had taken her down didn’t happen again.
It was possible the Church was up to something, but then, she’d felt that pain before.
It had been years ago, back when she’d been captured by the wolves. They’d taken her down, stripped her of her weapons, and then locked her away.
As soon as Stella and Luna were taken into the hands of her enemy, the pain had come, and even when it wasn’t sharp, it was there, like a splinter stuck in Rebekah’s brain.
As the Immortal Huntress, she didn’t get aches and pains for no reason, and she wondered if this was the product of something more than the isolation and being away from Ignis and her weapons.
She missed the mage so much it hurt, and though they’d been apart a couple of times through the centuries, it had never been for more than a week vacation with Talia or the time she’d been locked away.
There was no telling how long the Church would have her put away, but with the trial coming, she hoped it wouldn’t be for long.
She walked the few steps to her cot and sat down, hoping the pain didn’t return. With any luck, it hadn’t been Ignis. He had ways of reaching her, but considering the level of pain, it didn’t seem like it was anything good. With the Church acting out, she knew if they found him, they might try and trap him and take him in. Even if they had, they wouldn’t tell her. They certainly wouldn’t put him in the cell next door.
She had been brought to this section of the prison to be away from everyone, so thankfully, no one had witnessed her go to her knees. The guards stayed at the entrance of the hall, and none of the other four cells in the isolation block had been filled. Considering how many of the scumbags she’d helped put in Arcadius, it was a good thing not to see a familiar face glaring at her from the cell across the hall.
She laid down and tried to get comfortable with the nagging pain still lingering in her head. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine a place more beautiful.
She could see herself lying in a meadow of green grass, her white horse, Ebony—a clever name Ignis thought was hilarious at the time—grazed nearby as she lay among the flowers, letting the sun kiss her face.
It was a quiet time then, and even though she still had the stain of blood under her nails, the stench of death permeating her hair, and the satisfaction of her last kill, she felt as if she could give it all up and become a maiden of the nearest village. Take on a new identity for a while and just be someone and something else.
She loved those times away from the camp when she’d wander off alone and daydream. It was all she could do to keep her sanity. Now, she’d trade the sun for her freedom.
She thought about that a minute. What an odd thing to dream, considering what treason she’d been accused of. She looked around, still quite certain her thoughts were private. That was the one thing they couldn’t tap into, no matter how hard they tried.
She closed her eyes and let her wicked thoughts take her in another direction. She still imagined herself in that meadow. Only this time, she wasn’t Rebekah the Immortal Huntress. No, this time, she was only Rebekah. A girl who had been born in a local village across the hill, plain and mortal.
She sat up, peeking over the grass and flowers that grew tall around her. That was when her imagination took a strange turn.
If she wasn’t the Huntress, then she was the prey.
She heard the footsteps coming closer in the distance, the smell of the wolves’ stench lingering in the air. But would she be able to smell it? Know the warning of what it was? No. She was merely human in this dream and totally unsuspecting of anything that might bring her danger.
She imagined how vulnerable she’d be. How weak. She’d hear them only when they were dangerously close, only smell them when they were upon her. She opened her eyes, not liking where the dream could take her, back to the enemy cell where she would still be a prisoner, with only a pack of rogues who had no honor or decency.
Imagining herself weak and vulnerable had reminded her of one thing, that she’d have never made it this far. She tried to imagine her life without Ignis. Without Kayne for that matter. She closed her eyes, and knowing that the dream could still turn, she imagined herself running, terrified of the wolves. Her feet took her as fast and as far as they could, bringing her into the shabby little village where there were no familiar faces.
But no, they would have known the girl in the meadow. They would have known that Rebekah, but they wouldn’t have been able to save her either. She imagined that version of herself standing in the middle of the village, looking for Ignis. But he wasn’t the hero in this story, was he? No, he wasn’t. He wasn’t a mage either. Not in this scenario. They were all but mortals here. Ignis would be a farmer or a blacksmith, not a mage.
She closed her eyes and imagined another man. He was dark and handsome, and instead of black damning eyes, his were as blue as a deep ocean or a dark midnight sky. He would run to her aid and pull her to safety. Hold her close and touch her in all the right places. Just two ordinary people making love like it was the end of the world.
She felt her body warm. Thinking of Kayne like that had always turned her on.
She opened her eyes and pulled her hand from beneath the blanket where she had begun to explore herself.
She looked around the room. Those thoughts could get her into even more trouble, and she wondered if Kayne could feel the ache between her legs and the pain in her heart as she thought of him. He’d always told her that he’d feel her pain, that she could call out to him, and she still hadn’t figured out how he’d known where to find her. Who could have told him? Who would have?
What had he meant by his words? You can’t help but desire me, Rebekah. It’s inside you, like it or not.
What was inside her? He made it sound like she hadn’t had any choice, as if it were her natural instincts. She knew better. That couldn’t be it. She was designed to hunt and kill his kind. It could never be any other way.
She rolled over and closed her eyes, trying to push away the longing she felt for him. Lust was a dangerous emotion.
The next morning, Rebekah heard the cell doors open at the end of her block and wondered who it could be at that hour. She looked at the shadow shining through the small window and realized it was still early morning in Rome.
Sitting up on her cot, she scrubbed her face with her palms and rubbed her eyes. The noise down the hall increased, and not only could she hear the footsteps of three men, she could also hear the rattle of chains. Either she was getting a new neighbor, or they’d brought in reinforcements to take her downstairs to see someone. Since it wasn’t visiting hours or time for another shower, it could only be the former.
She got to her feet and walked closer to see who they’d brought in and if it had anything to do with her trial. Surely, they wouldn’t put anyone up with her that she could conspire with, so that meant it was probably one of her enemies.
When she got to the bars at the front of her cell, she could see the guards leading a prisoner in. His head was down, his long hair hanging in his face, and the sleeve of tattoos was visible where he’d ripped out the arms of his blue and white-striped jumper.
Rye looked up and saw Rebekah standing on the other side of her prison bars. “Wait, why are you putting me in here with this bitch?”
“We thought you could use some company,” said the guard.
Rebekah looked over and realized the piece of shit guard was talking to her. She narrowed her eyes and wondered what the hell game they were playing. She had gotten used to her solitude, and now if anyone wanted to pop
in on her, they couldn’t. Had they known Kayne had been by? Had they caught Ignis trying to sneak in? It didn’t seem likely, but it was the main reason he had stayed away. That, and he was supposed to be guarding her weapons with his life.
Another sharp pain hit her brain, and she clutched the bars, hoping no one would notice. But Rye did.
He waited until he was good and locked up, the guards down the hall and gone, before he said anything. “You look like shit, Huntress.”
“I guess we’re two of a kind,” she said through gritted teeth. The nagging pain wasn’t as bad as it had been the night before, and she didn’t know if it was because she was better prepared for it. She wondered how long it would linger this time.
Rye smirked. “I figured you’d be living it up in a fancy suite. I had no idea they treated their leader this way. Kind of shows what they think of you, doesn’t it?”
“I know what they think of me. What I can’t figure out is why they put a mutt like you in here to see it firsthand. Maybe they wanted you to tell your friends. Or maybe this is just some kind of punishment.” She shrugged. “I guess either way, I don’t give a fuck.” Rebekah had had enough of the shifter already.
Rye belted out a laugh. “Is that the kind of mouth a pretty thing like yourself gets when you’ve been killing for centuries?”
Rebekah glared at the man as she took a deep breath and tried to stand without support of her prison bars. Once she felt like she could keep her balance through the throbbing pain, she shuffled her feet over to the cot and sat down.
She could feel his eyes on her and knew Warden Hollow had probably put him there to taunt her.
He walked over to the bars and licked his lips, his eyes still giving her the up and down like she was some kind of feast. “Are they mistreating you, sweetheart?”
Rebekah gave him a dead stare. “Before you walked in, I would have said no.”
Chapter 7
Grady Gimble couldn’t remember which way they’d gone the last time he’d seen the hollow log, but he was sure that he’d been here before. “We’re walking around in fucking circles, man. I thought your GPS said this was where the camp was.” He gave Bull a nudge.