The Prophecy Of Hope Read online

  The Prophecy of Hope

  The Immortal Huntress Book 4

  Kelly Hall

  Laurie Starkey

  Michael Anderle

  BrixBaxter Publishing

  Contents

  Description

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Continue the Saga

  Author Note

  About Seven Sons

  About The Author

  Copyright

  Description

  Why is Ignis keeping secrets from Rebekah? Can her life of secrets get much worse than she thought?

  To make matters worse, Talia’s missing sister reappears with news about the Stigmata. Is it a sign that death marks her friends?

  Will Rebekah ask for Kayne’s help to save a friend? Can she convince her hunters that it is the right thing to do? Or will it hurt her relationship with the fellowship even more?

  While their defences are down, it’s the perfect time for an enemy to strike. Will all be lost when Rebekah and the person she once trusted must face off?

  It is time to jump back into Rebekah’s life. Go up and click Read Now to grab it and find out the truth!

  Chapter 1

  The cold stone floor bit into Rebekah’s bones as she rolled over in a daze. For a moment, she thought she was back in Arcadius until she opened her eyes and saw the white gauzy curtains hanging nearby.

  Still wearing her clothes from the night before, she sat up, and her world began to spin, her brain growing foggy until she regained her balance. Have I been hit on the head? She raked her fingers through her hair but didn’t feel any lumps, and there were no sharp pains from being struck; no blood.

  One minute, she had been prepared to climb into her silk sheets, and the next, she lay on the hard, stone floor in a strange place.

  A large ornate bed stood not two feet away, and she wondered for a moment if she had fallen out of it, which was entirely possible. Rebekah took a deep breath and slowly got to her feet, determined to force away the fog and fight through the dizziness. Have I been drugged? As the room came into clear focus, she didn’t think so. Just a bit out of sorts, but where am I?

  She reached for her weapons, but they were gone. In her mind, she had just sat on her bed to take them off but hadn’t gotten that far. While she knew that her enemies would have a hard time dealing with them, she could also feel that Stella wasn’t so far away. But being stripped of her weapons was worse than being stripped naked in public, and equally humiliating.

  The nearby bed was still made, the pristine white duvet was smooth and unwrinkled, and every one of the pillows seemed to be perfectly in place. She hadn’t fallen off the bed after all. On the wall over the bed, a painting depicted nymphs luring a young man to the water. Naiads.

  To her left was the door, and while she already had a feeling it wasn’t going to open, she tried it anyway. She could break the thing down possibly, but before she went barging out into an unknown situation or let her captors know she was awake, she needed to figure out where she was.

  She listened carefully and heard nothing but the trickling sound of water. When she looked across the room to find its source, she saw how it opened up, leading to what appeared to be an atrium of sorts, with a large windowed ceiling that let in light to an array of plants. They surrounded a large garden-style tub which was filled with waterlilies, the water brown and unclean. A deep inhale of breath revealed the faint trace of a familiar scent that lingered in the air.

  Her nose led her back across the room and over to a small vanity where she found a silver-handled brush. Pale blond hair, shimmering and pearlescent, was stuck in its bristles. Talia?

  The sound of the lock as it disengaged and a rattle of the knob brought her head around and put her on alert. When the door opened, revealing her captor, a different level of rage went through her.

  “Ah, you’re awake, Tauntress.” Kayne walked into the room like a force of nature, his presence more effective than an electric charge. His suit was black with blue stitching and had been tailored perfectly for his muscular frame. Rebekah cursed herself for taking notice.

  “You couldn’t even lay me on the bed?” He had left her on the cold floor instead, just to be an asshole. She didn’t know why that had been her first reaction, but his response came as no surprise.

  Kayne’s black eyes met hers as he stepped forward, crowding her. “I could bring you to mine right now if you like.”

  Pig. She didn’t have time for the angry, flirting thing he liked to do and took a step back, her legs hitting the bed behind her. That served as a grim reminder that she was in a bad position. The Church had sent her out on an impossible task, and Kayne had beaten her to the punch. “What am I doing here?”

  “I heard the word of your release and your sentence. That was days ago, and yet I haven’t seen you yet. I figured you were scrambling for a plan. It is, after all, a terrible position that Church of yours has put you in.”

  Rebekah didn’t want or need his advice. “They were never my Church. I don’t own them.”

  “Clearly. But they own you, don’t they, Rebekah? They have finally pushed you aside and now are attempting to take everything you’ve worked so hard for. It must sting a little.”

  “My first priority is my hunters and keeping my Fellowship strong. You and I are Immortals. We have all the time in the world for strategy and war, don’t you think?”

  “You have none, though. Am I right?” His arrogance was more insulting than his words. “We both know someone without a plan cannot lead. You’re liable to lose them all before you figure it out.”

  The threat of that happening did sting, a lot, but she wasn’t going to let Kayne stop her from keeping what was hers; her Fellowship. “If you think for one minute that my issues with the Church are anything new, or a shock to me, then you haven’t been stalking me as badly as this would appear. As for my men, they’ll stay loyal to the blood that created them, just like yours, and if they don’t, then they can die traitors. But I will not let anything or anyone stop me from proving to my hunters that I’m not what the Church has accused me of.”

  “You mean being in bed with the enemy? And yet, here we are, alone in a bedroom. It would be so easy to seduce you right now and prove you wrong.” He stepped closer, giving her a smoldering look.

  But she was stronger than he estimated. “Wishful thinking won’t make it happen, Kayne. Do you really think I’m so weak that I’d fall that easily? Or do you think you’re that charming?”

  He moved toe to toe with her, whispering close to her ear. “If I’ve proven anything today, it’s how easily I can take you.”

  He had known she was back home at her castle, and she wondered if he had a direct link into her mind as she often suspected.

  “I just thought you should see what an impossible task you’re facing,” he said.

  “Do you really think I don’t know what kind of fool’s errand they’ve given me? The only thing I’m out to prove is that I will remain loyal to my Fellowship, and if that means proving that
I have no interest in you, all the better.”

  “You are so concerned with clearing your name that you’ve left yourself vulnerable. Do you know how easy it was for me to come in and take you, Rebekah? To see when you’re vulnerable and strike at my whim?”

  “You’ve proved your point. Just get out of my way so I can go home.” She tried to push past him, but he gripped her arms and turned her so fast, she didn’t know what happened until her back was against the wall and his body was pressed against hers.

  She relaxed for a moment, and when he did the same, a growl ripped from her throat as she pushed him back and pinned him to the floor. She straddled him, gripping his thighs with hers, and she held his throat, baring her teeth as she looked into his eyes. She wasn’t some weak little girl.

  His cold, black stare turned to blue, and the world seemed to still around them. She never understood how that happened with him, but it made her wonder if there was more to him than anger, hate, and cruelty.

  Kayne looked into her eyes. Rebekah was so goddamned beautiful, and having her above him, if only in anger, he couldn’t help being turned on. Her full lips, that pouty fucking mouth. He could imagine the taste, and before he knew it, his hands were twined in her long, black hair, and his mouth was only a breath away from hers. This time, he would take what he wanted.

  “Don’t.” The word escaped her pretty mouth just before his lips touched hers, but it was too late. He wasn’t going to stop.

  As their lips mingled, Rebekah made no struggle to get away. She knew he wouldn’t listen, but if she didn’t at least try to protest, it was the ultimate betrayal to herself and her hunters. As she relaxed against him, kissing him deeply, she could feel the guilt building in her heart. It wasn’t fair. Why did it have to be this way?

  But like it or not, Kayne was her enemy. She pushed away, and Kayne, in one swift movement, picked her up and put her on her feet. She straightened her clothes and stepped back, punching him in the arm.

  “Why did you do that?”

  He wasn’t fazed by her soft tap. “Because you wanted me to.”

  “Why would I? Stop being Mr. Cryptic Vampire, and tell me what you meant back at Arcadius.”

  He walked over to sit on the bed, and Rebekah knew better than to join him.

  Kayne looked up at her, knowing that there was so much she’d been kept in the dark about. He could have Ignis’s head on a spit for being such a dick. “You’re a smart girl, Rebekah. I really thought you’d have figured it out by now.”

  “Figured what out?” She knew the room was designed to make her wonder, but she wasn’t about to let on. She was curious as to why Talia had been seeing Kayne, and she was trying to push aside the sting of what could be jealousy from her mind. She had learned in the days with Ethan that jealousy only made you weak, and she was anything but that.

  That asshole Ignis hasn’t told her a damned thing, Kayne thought. “Now I know why Ignis chose you to be the Immortal Huntress. You are the beauty, and he is the brains. It’s easier to keep you in the dark, knowing you trust him.” He hoped to be insulting, and Rebekah’s expression didn’t disappoint.

  “If you’re trying to stir up trouble between Ignis and me, you’re wasting your time. But you know that. So, what’s your game, vampire?” She spat the word out like she had chewed it up first.

  “You don’t have a plan, do you?” he asked. “You’ve thought about it until you’re blue in the face, but you can’t figure out how to deal with me. I’m only pointing out how ironic it is. Ignis has never had any problems. Perhaps you should put him in charge of strategy.”

  “What are you saying? That you and Ignis have made deals?” She knew Ignis had a long past before they met, but if he had a friendship with Kayne, he would have mentioned it. And he probably wouldn’t have wanted to design a weapon like herself to kill his old friend.

  “My Immortal,” he whispered, shaking his head as if he pitied her. “He really does keep you blind.”

  “No blinder than you have. Tell me, do you hear my thoughts? Can you look into my world as easily as you can drop in?” She wondered just how much of an invasion she had to deal with.

  “Why would I tell you such things when you’ve made it clear we are enemies? It’s not like I’m your best friend, someone who had been with you since the beginning, by your side, acting as your faithful sidekick and companion.”

  She wasn’t impressed as he reduced Ignis to a pet puppy. “What the hell is going on? Do you think I don’t see what you’re trying to do? All beauty, no brains? Is that what you think of me?” He had not only brought her into a room that proved he had some type of relationship with Talia, but he was going out of his way to discredit Ignis. She remembered what Talia had said about bargaining with her blood. What kind of bargain had they made?

  “No,” he said. “I don’t think that at all. But I would be sure that your beloved mage doesn’t think that. His actions speak loud to me.”

  Her blood boiled. “That’s it. I’ve heard enough of your shit for one day. I want my weapons. I know Stella is close. I can feel it.” She wasn’t even concerned with how he had managed to disarm her. He probably had used his mind for that too. If not, she hoped it burned one of his little, fanged minions to a crisp.

  Kayne smiled and held out his hand. “Come with me.”

  She rolled her eyes and gestured to the door. “After you.”

  “Actually, we’re going this way.” He walked over and pushed against the wall, which opened up and led to another room.

  Rebekah walked in behind him to find it dimly lit, not bright and sunny like the room she’d just left. The smell of sex and the coppery scent of blood stung her nostrils. Her vision quickly adjusted. The candles that burned around her were all on large candelabras, and a huge black-iron bed jutted from one wall, with red sheets that puddled like blood to the floor. They matched the crimson walls, which were interrupted by heavy black curtains that darkened the windows. “Is this your room?”

  “One of them, but yes. I spend most of my time here. The dark helps me think.”

  “Why put me in the other room? So that I could see Talia comes to visit? Do you think I care?”

  “Surely, a woman like you of such great strength and confidence wouldn’t trouble yourself with something as petty as jealousy.” He could see the look in her eyes. She had daggers for him, two of them, and they were not Stella and Luna.

  Rebekah’s teeth clenched, and if she had fangs, she’d bite him. “Not in the least.”

  His eyes narrowed, feeling her aggression. “She hasn’t come in ages. I keep the room as a reminder.”

  She knew he was only leading her to ask, so she released a long breath and looked up at him, sighing to show her boredom. “Go ahead. Tell me. A reminder of what?”

  The corner of his mouth turned up in what was almost, but not quite a smile. “She did this thing with her tongue.”

  Rebekah huffed. “Give me my weapons.”

  “I was going to say, it wasn’t at all as special as what you just did with yours.” His lips peeled back, revealing his fangs.

  “You disgust me.”

  She was such a terrible liar, and her words brought a smile to his face. “Tell me, how did I taste? Like the blood of your hunters? Or the weak, little humans you protect?” He hoped to make her angry. He fed off her anger in a way that quenched his hunger.

  “Not as good as the last man I kissed,” she lied. “But you probably already saw that, right?”

  His eyes grew even blacker, his anger so intense that he felt the urge to rip out every man’s heart until he got the right one. “And yet you gave into me, melted against me like a lover.” He searched her eyes, trying to see if she was bluffing, but her jaw was set tight, her eyes trained on him with determination.

  “Surely, a strong, angry, badass vampire bastard like yourself isn’t going to trouble yourself with jealousy. Especially over a weak little human like me.” He needed reminding that while she was re
made into something much more powerful and strong, she was still, at her very core, human.

  He turned and went to a large wardrobe across the room and opened it up. Then he picked up Stella and carried it across the room. “Luna is back at your castle.”

  Rebekah’s eyes went wide when she saw that he handled her blade with no issues, and even after he placed it in her hand, she watched his, wondering if it would rot away and turn him to a pile of ashes.

  But nothing happened.

  Kayne had gotten the reaction he expected, and when her eyes trained on his hands, he knew he had proven his point. “Is something wrong?”

  Rebekah wasn’t sure she should say anything or not. “My enemies cannot touch Stella and live.” She had seen what it could do to all of her enemies, and while the legends said that no one could touch them but her, she knew the truth was more specific. She hadn’t ever thought to correct the gossip because it kept others from touching her weapons. Stella knew every intention of every man or woman, shifter or vamp, friend or foe, and had its own way of handling them.

  Kayne’s black eyes met hers. “I’ve told you many times, My Immortal. I am not your enemy.”

  Chapter 2

  Liam ran through the castle with Jarreth, opening doors and peeking into dimly lit rooms and shadowed corners and corridors. He hadn’t thought that exploring the castle would pay off, but it sure cut down on their time spent searching for Rebekah.