by Kelly Hall
“I’m yours as soon as I find Delilah. Come with us first though, and then we’ll all go find Ignis and help you. I need you to help me convince her.” He knew that Rebekah could make the strongest case. She had much more experience at it and more experience with rogue camps.
Rebekah nodded. “Okay, I’ll help you track her down. I’ll have Ignis meet us halfway with Stella and Luna, but then I want to go home to Ireland to regroup. We’ll use it as home base.”
“Count me in,” said Canter. “I’ll have better training with you than in this place.” He thought of Katie. They still hadn’t made things right. “There’s nothing for me here.”
She turned to Aziel. “I know it’s a lot to ask you, Aziel, and I understand that you’re stuck here, but if there is any way, I’d love for you to come along.” She knew Jarreth had been right. It was going to take a lot to convince the angel to leave his post.
Aziel still hadn’t figured out what to do about his assignment and knew if he got out of line in any way, he’d be dealt with in a swift, painful fashion. “I can’t say this is some academy mission, Rebekah. Going to Ireland indefinitely will never be approved. But if I talk to Michael, he might let me go on a different mission, something other than the Warrior program.” The thought of having to ask made him anxious. “Or he’ll strip my wings and skin me alive.”
“Isn’t it easier to ask for forgiveness than permission?” asked Jarreth.
The angel sighed. “That kind of logic might work for your kind, but it won’t fly with mine.”
“No pun intended, right?” teased Jarreth, though he’d never seen Aziel fly before. The angel was supposed to do his best to fit in with the others at the academy.
Aziel gave him a cold stare. “Right.” He turned back to Rebekah. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“That’s all I can ask. And thank you. Thank you all for sticking with me.” It meant more to her than they’d ever know.
Chapter 13
Delilah had planned her trip so she would arrive at the rogue camp before dark, but if she didn’t find it soon, she was going to be in trouble. She had her Uber drop her off at the state park entrance, but she had walked miles already in the direction she’d gotten from the map online. She was taking a chance on it being the right one, but if her research had been correct, which she’d done most of the day before at the Las Vegas Public Library and in the comfort of a cheap motel, she should be close.
She followed the trail northeast and came to a freshly cut path. She examined the area and went through the path and was surprised to find a clearing. “This isn’t right,” she whispered, noticing how the trees were cleared in a big circle. The place was odd in the thick of the forest, and she had a feeling it was some kind of trap. She looked across the clearing and saw a rope hanging from the trees and then noticed that some of the ground looked like it had been raked.
She decided to avoid those areas and stayed well away from its perimeters. Something was on the other side, and she would take her time getting there. She stepped around the circle, through the brush, only chopping what she needed with her machete so she remained as quiet as possible. As she rounded close to the tree with the rope, she looked up to see if she could figure out why it was there.
But she should have been looking ahead.
A twig snapping in the distance grabbed her attention, and when she raised her head, she stared right down the barrel of a gun. Her eyes widened with fear as her heart pounded.
“What have we here?” the long-haired man asked. “A little girl.”
“I’m not a girl. I’m a young lady and a huntress.”
“She’s got quite a mouth on her, Gill,” said a voice from behind. “Reminds me of you.”
Delilah tried to stay calm, even though she knew she was surrounded. She had known that it was probably not going to be easy entering the camp and would have been disappointed if it had been. “I’m Delilah Miller. I’m looking for—”
The one behind her moved suddenly, pressing himself against her back and breathing his hot breath into her ear. “We don’t care who you’re looking for, girlie. You shouldn’t have come here.” He moved his hips against her, pressing his hard bulge into her back. “Do you know what we do to your kind here, little one?”
The one in front of her seemed surprised. “Man, come on. You know the boss won’t like that.” He gave a snicker as he shook his head.
“He’ll never know. And you have to admit that she’s the hottest thing that’s come along to this camp in ages.” His hand came up, and he trailed a finger along the back of Delilah’s neck where her hairs were standing on end. “I’ll even let you go first. I like to watch. But you make sure you save this tight little ass for me.”
Delilah prayed her mother had been right. “Brock Barnes,” she said with a bored voice. She wasn’t about to let the assholes know she was shaken.
“How do you know him?” asked Gill with the gun in front of her.
The one behind her walked around and pointed his sword in her face. “Who did you say you are?”
“I told you already,” she said through gritted teeth.
“What are you doing here?” he snapped.
“If you two would shut the hell up and stop being perverts, I’d have told you.”
The one behind her sneered. “Now listen here, princess. I’m still not convinced I shouldn’t take out my aggressions on your fit little body.” He looked her up and down, licking his lips.
“Hey, that’s enough, Port. She asked for Brock, man. I think we should take her to camp.” Gill put his gun away, and then he reached and took Delilah’s machete, which she let him have.
“That’s the smartest thing you’ve said since I walked up. He wouldn’t like it if you hurt me.” She could judge by the size of these two imbeciles that Brock was much bigger, but she still wasn’t convinced that he was here. Not until she laid eyes on him.
The one called Port took her by the arm and jerked her through the woods alongside him. When they reached the camp, Delilah’s eyes widened. There were not only tents everywhere tucked into the forest, but there was a large makeshift pavilion and a group of men sitting around a fire. Others split logs and some sharpened blades and practiced throwing their stars.
Their voices hushed as she was dragged past the campfire, and suddenly, everyone took notice.
“Where’s our fearless leader?” asked Gill.
“Holy shit,” said a familiar voice from behind her. “Delilah?”
“You know this cunt?” asked Port.
Grady stepped up, his eyes hard and narrow. “Her name is Delilah. She’s from my academy.” Grady stepped up and got in her face. “Is your boyfriend with you?”
“No, he’s not. And I didn’t come here for you, Grady. I came to see Brock Barnes!”
“Barnes?” Grady hadn’t known Brock’s last name. “As in Jarreth Barnes?”
Suddenly, there was movement behind her, and she turned to see Brock step out of a large tent just feet away. “Delilah?”
She turned around, and her heart sank. Her mother had been right all along.
“Take your hands off of her!” Brock ordered as he walked over and backhanded the loudmouth with the sword.
Gun boy backed up, and Grady did the same, still trying to put two and two together.
“I’m sorry if Gill and Port mistreated you.” He had a pained look in his expression, and she could tell how the past couple of years since she’d last seen him had worn heavy on his features.
She glanced at the two men. “They didn’t.” She looked up at Brock, and even though she wanted to punch him in the face, a part of her just couldn’t. She stepped forward and fell into his arms.
He hugged her close. “We have a lot of catching up to do, kiddo. Is my son with you?”
She looked up. “No. He doesn’t know I’m here.”
He pulled away and cupped her face with his strong hands. “Is everything okay? At home? At the academy?”
“No.” She wiped a tear as it rolled down her cheek. Seeing his father made her realize how much she missed Jarreth.
Brock looked down at Delilah and let out a long breath. Then he turned to the camp, a rough-looking bunch of men and a few women, all who looked like they wanted to chew her up and spit her out. “This girl is practically my daughter. I’ve known her all her life. If anyone dares lay a finger on her, I’ll feed it to them. Are we clear?”
The men looked around at one another and agreed.
Brock turned back toward Delilah. “You must be tired. Hungry?”
“I’m fine.” She looked over at Grady, who was still sulking. He and Bull were whispering to one another, and she knew from his reaction that he had only just started piecing two and two together.
“Come to my tent, and I’ll have the cook make you some soup.”
“Thanks.” She followed him into the tent, and the others started talking amongst themselves again.
Brock entered behind her and offered her a seat on his cot. The tent was large, and she figured it was because he was their leader. “You can sleep here tonight. I’ll drag a bed in near the door.”
“Thanks.”
He sat on the floor and passed her a pillow. “You shouldn’t have come here, Delilah.”
“I had to see if it was true. My mother said you were the leader of a rogue camp. I thought that couldn’t be possible after the way you’d taught Jarreth about honor. And telling your people that I’m practically your daughter? Really? Two years ago, I was just some girl who was a distraction to your son.”
“I’m not going to apologize for wanting what was best for you both, Delilah.”
“We wanted to be together. What was wrong with that? You were only worried about him and his studies. You didn’t even care that I wanted to join. That I wanted to be a huntress like my mother.”
He glared down at Delilah. “Don’t you dare mention that woman to me. Why would I want you to be like her? You could have been anything else in the world.”
She pulled her shoulder strap out of the way and revealed her mark. “I’m a huntress and a damned good one. I’m proud of that.”
Brock nodded. “I wondered if I’d missed the ceremony. I didn’t expect an invitation, but knowing would have been nice.”
“If you’d been around, you’d have known. Instead you’re here? Playing leader to a rogue camp, turning your back on your vows. It is going to kill him when he finds out. He thought you were living and working in the field at a regular hunter’s camp, not a rogue one.”
Brock looked up. “You don’t know me at all. I haven’t turned against my vows. I turned against the Church.”
Delilah didn’t know what to say to that. “Well, it doesn’t matter. The Immortal Huntress is just as bad.”
“Ah,” said Brock. “That’s why you’re so angry. You heard about the Huntress and Kayne.”
“You say that like they’re a couple.” Delilah felt sick to her stomach.
Brock laughed. “I’ve never had the honor of meeting the Huntress, but my friend, the last commander of this camp, he did. His name was Patrick, and he used to fight in one of her hunter’s camps back when she was still active.”
“So? What does that have to do with anything?”
“Patrick told me about the Huntress. Stories about her fights. I became obsessed with learning all I could about her. She became my mistress, I guess you could say. I mean, I spent enough time up here at the camp listening to those stories that it put a strain on my marriage. Cost me my wife. But I got to know how the Huntress thought, how she operated to honor the Fellowship. And if she says she met the man at the bar to find out information, then I believe her. She’s been around enough to know how to work her enemies. If it took some slutty dress to do it, so be it. From what I hear, she accomplished her goal and killed the mage that had killed her men.”
Delilah blushed. “The dress wasn’t that slutty. She borrowed it from me.”
Brock bit his lips to keep from smiling. “If you’re angry at the Huntress, you’re misplacing your anger. She’s not the enemy. When you get away from the academies and into the hunter’s camps, you start to see the truth.”
Delilah was floored. She had always been taught that the rogues were traitors, lowly pieces of scum that had turned their backs on the Fellowship. “So, rogues aren’t hunters gone bad?”
“Well, some are. They abandon the hunt to go on their own, and while I wouldn’t say me and the Huntress would see eye to eye on the way I do business, I’d never allow her to be disgraced. Your friends out there had to learn that the hard way.”
Delilah wondered what happened to Grady and the others, but she wasn’t afraid of Mr. Barnes. “I’m not sure I can support her, not with all I know about that night.” She was the only one who had talked to her about where she was going.
“When it comes down to choosing a side, you better know which one you’re on. Because there’s a shift coming, Ladybug.” He gave her a warm smile and got to his feet.
“You haven’t called me that in years.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“I know what happened. All of it. I don’t blame you for leaving. I just wish you’d told me and Jarreth the truth. Someone should have. I found out a long time ago, actually, and kept it from him. I stopped seeing him too, but we stayed friends.”
“That had to be hard,” he said.
“You have no idea. And just when we got back together, he caught Cindy and Mom together. Mom said they’ve been trying to get you to give her a divorce. Why don’t you?”
Brock’s back stiffened and his eyes narrowed. “Is that why you’re here?” He stepped closer, and Delilah felt his anger like static in the room.
“No.” Delilah shook her head. “I just don’t see why you don’t.”
“They humiliated me. Why should I give either of them what they want?” His voice had gotten so loud that Delilah backed away, and it made him realize it was not her fault. “I’m sorry. I’ll go see what’s taking the soup so long.”
As he walked out of the tent, she sighed and sank back against the pillow to cry. Even a huntress needed to shed a few tears now and then.
Chapter 14
After Jarreth and Canter left, Aziel hung back to speak with Rebekah. Per orders, he hadn’t let her know anything about Michael’s visit. He had to pretend it had never happened. “I wanted you to know that I’ve decided to ask Michael to let me go. There’s a chance I can be reassigned, and with the changes here, I might be more useful elsewhere.”
Rebekah lay back on the couch, still worried about Ignis and feeling the nag from the last pain which had come on just after Canter had closed the door. Luckily, it wasn’t as bad as before. “If Michael did let you come with me, he could appoint someone new to the academy. It’s not like it doesn’t give someone else the opportunity and still complete the goal.”
“I know. I think he’ll listen to reason. The most important thing is not to worry. What is meant to be, will be.” Aziel raked his hand through his dark hair and sighed, wishing he could just tell her the truth.
“You’ve certainly had an adventure being here.”
“Yeah, more than any of the other Warriors my age. That’s for sure.” He chuckled half-heartedly.
Suddenly, Rebekah’s phone rang, causing her to startle. She glanced at the phone and hit the button. “Ignis!” She bolted upright and even Aziel was on alert.
“Hey, Bexy. How’s my favorite huntress?” His voice was a little rough, but he was otherwise feeling better.
The nonchalant attitude rubbed her the wrong way, considering she’d been worried sick about him. “Where the hell have you been, and why haven’t you answered the phone?”
Ignis swallowed the huge lump in his throat. “There’s been a little problem, and well, don’t be angry, but—”
“Don’t tell me you lost my weapons.” She got to her feet and started to pace the room.
Aziel’s eyes widened, thinking of Stella and Luna being lost. He felt sorry for the mage who had to face her wrath. Surely, he wasn’t that stupid.
Ignis was offended. “Of course, I didn’t lose them!” Technically, they’d been stolen.
“Good, then tell me where you are, and we’ll make arrangements to meet. I have to leave the academy. I can’t stay. They have a new second commander and have already started making changes to erase me from the program across the board. I’m hiding out in the commander’s quarters, and only a few people know I’m here. They banished me from the academies and stripped my rank and title. Temporarily, also known as forever. At least until I bring them Kayne.”
Ignis hadn’t realized how bad things were until she said that. “You have to find Kayne and bring him to the Church?”
“Yes, and I’m sure it’s not going to be as easy as you’ve made it sound.” She gave a short laugh.
“Fucking hell,” he said. “Okay, Bex, do not panic, and promise me that you won’t kill me.”
Naturally, her heart raced, and she couldn’t help but panic. “I’ll make no such promise. Ignis, you’re scaring me.”
Suddenly, she heard a struggle through the phone and then a faint, angry voice. “Ignis! Let go of the phone! I’ll tell her myself!”
Talia struggled with Ignis for the phone, and while he put up a brave fight, Rebekah knew he would lose. She let out a breath and figured she may as well sit back down for the news and brace herself.
“This is Talia,” said a syrupy voice. “Before you get angry, you have to know that Ignis was attacked and left on the side of the road. I’m sorry, but what he’s trying to tell you is that your daggers are gone!” She hated to see Ignis so upset, and it had taken him forever to feel better. He’d been so worried.
Rebekah tried to breathe as she let all of that sink in. Then her heart started to pound, and the sudden, sharp pain took her down to the floor. “Stella—” She dropped the phone to the floor and held her temple.
Aziel jumped to his feet and crouched down beside her. He picked up the phone. “Ignis?”