The Fall of The Fellowship

by Kelly Hall

  “I know, but it was a private trip, and I needed to go alone.”

  “Is that why my cameras caught you and Mr. Barnes riding out together?” His brow raised with more accusation.

  “I can assure you there is nothing going on with me and Jarreth. He’s a friend, and he invited himself along. I tried to make him stay behind.”

  “So, he’s privy to your personal rendezvous?” Hoyt jotted down Jarreth’s name on his paper.

  Rebekah could see what was happening. Hoyt thought that she must have gone out to meet up with Kayne. At least, that was what it seemed. “And just where do you think I was going, Hoyt?”

  He leaned back in his chair. “I don’t know, Rebekah. Why don’t you tell me? Specifics. I’ve come to help you here. And mostly to get answers. I’d like to think that the woman I’ve devoted my life to isn’t in bed with the enemy.”

  Rebekah sat up taller, posturing over the man, and though she wasn’t taller, she lifted her chin and looked down her nose at him. “I went to visit an old friend. She lives in your area, and it’s a bit tricky to get to in a car. I do have many friends, Hoyt. Of all walks of life. That’s what happens when you’ve lived as long as I have.”

  “Is this woman a vampire?” Hoyt held his breath, waiting for the answer.

  Rebekah laughed. “No.” Talia and her sisters were not the enemy, but if she tried to explain the woman was a hideous water creature when submerged, who could rip a man apart in two seconds if she wanted, it wouldn’t help her case. Naiads weren’t from the earthly Realm, and she wasn’t sure how the Church would feel about their kind inhabiting earthly waters. “And she’s not a shifter either, in case that’s your next question.”

  Hoyt’s shoulders slumped a bit, and his hard expression softened. “I’ve been so worried about you, Rebekah. This is no place for you.” He leaned in closer and took her hands on the table. “When I heard that no one else wanted the honor of defending you, I knew I had to come right away.”

  Rebekah’s back stiffened. “Are you saying that none of the other commanders are going to support me?”

  “No, that’s not accurate. You do have some support from your commanders, which will help sway some of the Fellowship to remain on your side. But they didn’t want the responsibility of handling your case.” He gave her an apologetic look and squeezed her hand.

  “Then I suppose I owe you a thank you.”

  “Rebekah, as your friend and someone who admires you deeply, I have to know what those pictures are about.”

  “Just what I said and nothing more. I know what it looks like. But I’ve been around the world and back more times than I count. I know my enemies on a much different level than many of my hunters. What am I supposed to do with an enemy I cannot kill? What would be your strategy?”

  “I wouldn’t dress up and try to seduce him.” He opened his briefcase and took out the stack of photos. “That’s what this looks like. Help me defend against it.”

  “I know what this looks like, but trust me, it’s nothing more than two old enemies sitting down to talk. I had a huge problem I was facing, a mage that took out an entire squad of hunters with one fell swoop of magic. Am I supposed to ask the Church or the Elder’s Council about that? Are they going to give me sound advice on what they’ve heard or what they know? I arranged the meeting with Kayne to get answers from someone who has been around longer than me. I should think the Church would be happy I’m brave enough to do so for the good of mankind. And not many could, I promise you.”

  “I understand that, but why the sexy red dress, and why not meet him at Styx? The place is neutral ground. It’s designed for business, is it not?”

  “The place is swarming with the enemy, and I didn’t need anyone seeing the Nevada Academy as vulnerable.”

  “So Kayne was the only enemy?” He gave her a sideward glance.

  “Kayne isn’t interested in a war, Hoyt. And I’d choose to take on one enemy instead of many any day of the week. As for the dress that everyone is so offended by, I borrowed it from a girl in the academy because all I had were my fighting leathers, and I wanted to blend in.”

  Hoyt let out a long sigh. “You have to know how that looks.”

  “What I want to know is why Elder John and the Council had me followed like I was the enemy and couldn’t be trusted in the first place. I’m the Mother of the Hunters. And me and the Church have an agreement that goes back centuries.”

  “I know, and I mentioned that, and Elder Wick made it clear that he and the Elders’ council are not on trial here.”

  “So, they don’t have to be accountable? Elder John is the one who had me followed for his own selfish gain. He was trying to dig up dirt on me so he could keep control of the academy because he was embezzling funds through it.”

  “I know. I mentioned that, and all Elder Wick had to say about that was that he’d stand trial as well and had already been arrested. They’ll make it a tough defense, Rebekah.”

  “I know, and I know why. They’re not the first council I’ve dealt with. The Church has been trying to push me out for years. They had me renovate the academies in the year two thousand to take me out of the field. They’ve had me tied up with administration for years too. I didn’t complain because I wanted my identity to be private. After years of living in a spotlight that made me a target, I had to. But they still think I have too much power and could use it against them.”

  “But you’re our honorable leader. We all swear our oaths to you, Rebekah.” He looked at her with admiration.

  “Exactly. And the Church thinks that gives me too much power. The Church stopped seeing me as their champion ages ago. They’d overthrow me in a heartbeat and have the Fellowship all to themselves.”

  “But surely, they know that will divide them. That’s the hope of my case, to prove it.”

  “Then I’m afraid to tell you, but there is no hope, Hoyt. They will get their way. They will divide the Fellowship, and everyone will have to choose a side.”

  He looked down at the table, and Rebekah wondered if he still felt like he’d made the right choice by stepping up to defend her. “I won’t blame you if you want to bail,” she said.

  He lifted his head. “Are you insane? Bail on you, Rebekah? I think the council is made up of fools if they think they can win against you. I don’t know what road any of this will take, but I know where it leads. You have my vow, Huntress. I will always honor it.”

  They exchanged a warm smile, and a moment later, a guard stuck his head in the door. “It’s time.”

  Warden Hollow was waiting on the other side of the door. “Stand still,” he said to Rebekah as two of the guards stepped forward with more chains.

  “Is this necessary, Warden?” asked Dixon. “The Huntress has not tried to escape, and she’s been cooperating.”

  “Let them make their show, Commander Dixon.” Rebekah wasn’t about to call him Hoyt in front of the other men, or she’d be accused of fucking the commander as well. She held still and let them chain her, the heavy links nothing she couldn’t handle. She knew it was all to make her look like a threat. But no matter how many chains they draped on her and even though she was a sturdy five-foot-seven, she still looked like a young woman, which made their attempts ridiculous.

  Elder Wick ignored her remark and led them down the long hallway to an elevator that went down to the first floor. She was led across a room and through a door.

  When she entered, she was in the courtroom. The room was packed with the Elders, and while there was a turnout of commanders, including Father Timms who was up front with a longing look on his face, there wasn’t the kind of turnout she expected.

  “Right over here, Huntress,” said Hoyt, who had stepped up to take her arm. She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin, making sure not to appear too arrogant but not wanting to look too weak either. She walked in like a queen wearing a heavy robe instead of chains and took a chair that had been placed front and center. Hoyt sat at a long ta
ble across the room, with Elder Wick on the other end.

  One of the guards stepped forward. “All rise for Bishop Crowe.”

  Everyone stood, and Rebekah’s chains rattled as she did the same. Bishop Crowe walked in wearing a long, black robe. With his broad nose and jet-black hair, which was slicked back, his name suited him.

  He made his way over to a small set of steps that led to a large platform that would put the Bishop high up above everyone else, as if he were perched up in the clouds like God looking down on all the sinners.

  Rebekah tried very hard not to roll her eyes or make any face that might make the others think she was being disrespectful.

  Finally, he was settled, and everyone else was seated.

  “Good morning, all. We are here this morning to hear the claims of treason brought against the Immortal Huntress, nee Rebekah Cornelia Ward.”

  She rolled her eyes upon hearing her middle name. Cornelia had been a way for her father to give her his name and still not give away their secret. She was surprised and impressed that the Church still had record of that, though she figured it was just to make her seem less important.

  Crowe continued. “Huntress, considering your high standing in the Fellowship and the serious charges against you, we’ve decided to allow you a chance to speak in your own defense, as well as assigning you a representative for trial.”

  Rebekah tried hard not to show her emotions, but the words were simply the Bishop’s way of making her look like a common higher-ranking hunter while trying to make the Church look like they were doing her a favor. Any hunter who was accused of treason had a fair trial, but she was supposed to look appreciative.

  She forced a smile. “Thank you, Bishop Crowe. It is nice to see that you’re upholding the traditions of the Fellowship.”

  He didn’t like her clever retort. “I think we should get right down to the heart of the matter, Huntress. You’ve been accused of consorting with the enemy, Kayne, the Father of the Dead, and the original vampire from who all of our vampire enemies were created. The evidence supports this accusation. What do you have to say in your defense?”

  “If I may,” said Hoyt, getting to his feet. “The Huntress will hold to her previous statements. She was simply meeting with Kayne to see if he had any information on the mage who killed not only her nephew, but his second in command and an entire squad of hunters. Being the Immortal Huntress, I would beg the Council to trust in her decisions, for they are solely designed to work in favor of all mankind, which is what the Fellowship is designed to protect, as well as the Church, which she has served graciously for centuries.”

  “Nicely spoken, Commander Dixon, but the meeting didn’t take place in a sanctioned location, and it was done in secret, without the Council’s or the Church’s knowledge, while wearing a dress that quite frankly only a prostitute would wear and completely unbecoming of a commander of an academy. Furthermore, it is our belief that she was in fact trying to entice the Father of the Dead into scandalous, treasonous acts, including sabotage, treachery against the church, and fornication with an abomination.” His voice had grown louder with each word, and by the time he was done, the room was full of murmurs and whispers of outrage.

  Rebekah was sick of that fucking dress coming into play. What did it matter? “The dress was borrowed because I had nothing else to wear. I hadn’t planned on staying on at the academy. Furthermore, I wasn’t a commander when I wore the dress.”

  Elder Wick stood to his feet. “Excuse me, Bishop Crowe, but while treason was her gravest offense, I think it’s best to point out that she was also charged with leading an unsanctioned mission against the mage in retaliation, a mission that not only left many of her men injured, but offended Michael with the defilement of one of his Warriors.”

  Dixon stood to his feet. “Rebekah already went before the Elders for that.”

  Wick scoffed at Dixon. “At which time, she pulled her weapons on the Elders and threatened to slice off one of their heads. She and that mage of hers, Ignis Fatuus, both left after threatening the council.” He turned and looked at Crowe. “But that isn’t the mission I’m referring to. Once back home, she led her personal group of hunters on another unsanctioned mission, where she not only allowed one of them to be injured, but also took a shifter into custody, holding him in the academy where she put all of the unmarked and first-year trainees in danger.”

  “Danger?” Rebekah couldn’t believe what she was hearing, and while Dixon tried to deter her from making an outburst, she continued, talking over him. “The hunters are not some classroom of children, and the holding cells were installed in every academy to hold our enemies for examination and interrogation. It is the commander’s right to use them as he or she sees fit, and considering the mage we destroyed could no longer provide us with much-needed information, it made sense to hold him.”

  “It’s the commander’s right, you say?” Bishop Crowe smiled slyly.

  “Yes, at the time, I was acting commander. I’d decided to stay on at the academy and take Merik’s position. As the Huntress, I have that right, as you well know. I also hold the right to seize any command position, as I hold authority over the commanders, something I’ve never done before.” She looked across the room to the commanders, many of who were nodding. Others whispered. She hoped that they were going to stand true to her.

  Elder Wick walked around the table where he’d been sat and began to pace in front of her. “So, you can just do whatever you want to then, am I right? You can choose when you are commander and when you’re not?”

  Rebekah shrugged, rattling her chains. “I guess, if that’s the way you want to put it. I hold the highest rank of all hunters, yes.”

  “So, I guess you think you get to decide when the rules apply to you and when they don’t,” said Wick. “Is that right too? It’s all your choice. When you’re a commander, when you’re the Immortal Huntress, or just a young woman named Rebekah Ward.”

  A low growl bubbled from Rebekah’s throat. “I am always the Immortal Huntress, Elder. Do not forget that. I have sacrificed my life for this cause.” It wasn’t like there was ever any going back. She had died to fight with Ethan, and while she hadn’t asked for it to be her burden alone, she had done what was right when he abandoned her. She’d taken on his bucked responsibilities.

  For a split second, Elder Wick looked like he might shit his pants. But then he stood up straight and stuck out his chin. “Let the record show that Ms. Ward has showed aggression here today.” He turned and looked at Rebekah. “And I stand by what I said.”

  “Well, what you said is wrong. But considering that I’ve run this show a lot longer than you and managed to keep the enemy from overtaking humanity, and I’ve killed more of the enemy than any of you combined, I’d like to think that the Church and the elders could see that I’ve got mankind’s interest at heart. But then, maybe you and the elders aren’t concerned for mankind above everything else?” She looked across the room to the elders. “Maybe you all have your own agendas?”

  The courtroom whispers grew louder as those in the audience were shocked and some were impressed by what she’d said. It was a valid point, and she knew it was true with all of her heart. The days of their agreement were coming to an end, and if she had to use this time to point out their flaws, then so be it. They should have been smarter than to fuck with her in the first place.

  The whispers grew louder, so Bishop Crowe shouted across the room. “Order!” He turned to Elder Wick and gave him a hard glare for even mentioning the damned holding cells. “While I agree that the other charges against Ms. Ward are worth noting, I’d like to get back to the crime in question. Treason is a serious offense. Punishable by death. And since Ms. Ward is an immortal being, incapable of dying, if found guilty, it would be on the Church to decide what kind of punishment would be fitting.”

  Bishop Crowe glared down at Rebekah, who had turned her head to look at him. “Do you have anything to say for yourself before we take
this to deliberation?”

  Rebekah made sure to keep her voice strong. “I am not guilty of the things you and your peers have accused me of. All I’ve ever done is right by the Church and the Council and for the best interest of my Fellowship and mankind.” She turned her head and looked across the room. “I have fought for centuries killing vampires and shifters and anything else that tried to come against humanity. My loyalty did not falter that night nor any other.”

  Her eyes hardened, training on Bishop Crowe. “But if it is the will of the Church to come against me, to make me the enemy, then so be it, but my actions over a lifetime speak to my honor. Before any of you in this room were even born, I stood for what was right, and I shall do so long after you’re all dead, whether it be sanctioned by the Church or not.”

  There were a few more gasps, and she could see her commanders whispering, which made her a bit nervous.

  “Then let us waste no more time. If the Elder officers would join me for deliberation, we’ll wrap this up. I know many of you fine commanders have come a long way.” He looked at the guard nearest him. “Take the Huntress and her representative to holding. We’ll call them back in once we’re finished.”

  The man nodded and walked over to where Rebekah sat weighted down with chains.

  Rebekah took a deep breath to stand. Her trial was practically over. Bishop Crowe and the elders would come back out and she would learn her fate.

  As she walked out, she thought that with any luck, what Father Timms had heard was just a rumor designed to make her worry, and she really hoped for the sake of her hunters that the Church would end this witch hunt and let her be. If they really did intend on having her hunt down Kayne, then they had better be prepared for what that meant.

  Chapter 9

  Bishop Crowe led the officers of the Elder’s council into a room, including Elder Wick who walked over and greeted him with a friendly handshake.