Rachel tried to see where they were, but the night combined with the Jeep's tinted windows prevented it. "Can you tell us where we are now?" she asked, trying to sound politely interested rather than annoyed. She'd asked before. The answer had been empty and patronizing.
"My, my." The Hunter surveyed her in the rearview. "You really have no idea where I'm taking you?"
No, you snobby asshole.
Next to her, in the backseat, Daniel raised his head out of his hands. "We're in Italy, Rach. The Vatican, to be more precise."
Rachel turned to him. They hadn't spoken since being picked up in Paris. He'd asked for privacy, and did nothing but clutch his head all through the two hour flight and the ride from the airstrip. Rachel had a feeling the months of no brain use had taken their toll and he needed to sort his head out.
"Yes, that is right." The Hunter cut off the engine and unlocked the doors. "Follow me." He climbed out of the car.
Rachel clutched Daniel's wrist. He flinched, but didn't pull away.
How are you feeling? Should we try to escape?
Before he could answer, their guardian opened the door and indicated that they should get out. Rachel did so. They'd stopped in front of a white, renaissance-style chapel. A set of tall, wooden doors led the way inside.
Daniel put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. We couldn't escape even if we wanted. This place is crawling with Hunters.
"This way, ladies." The Hunter pushed the doors open, revealing marble floors and ornate walls.
Rachel and Daniel stepped inside. The place was empty. No pews, no people. Only a small altar lined the back wall. Rachel swallowed hard. She hated the idea of a closed, dark, unfamiliar space. Daniel took her hand, obviously trying to soothe her. She pulled back. This was not the time to be calm. She'd rather be uncomfortable if that gave her more motivation to fight for her life.
The Hunter closed the doors and strutted to the altar. He kneeled in front of it, crossed himself and pulled at something. A marble slab on the floor slid across, revealing a narrow staircase.
Daniel sighed and started down the stairs. Rachel followed, her stomach a tight knot. Her heart hammered a warning of impending doom.
Blazing torches cast shadows on the stone corridor below, like something out of a horror movie. They stepped to the side and allowed the Hunter to lead the way through the maze-like tunnel.
Rachel leaned in close to Daniel. "Have you ever been here?"
"Nope." He smiled humorlessly. "I've heard of this place. Not happy to be here."
She wasn't happy to be there either. The creepiness of the place indicated that what followed wouldn't be pleasant.
The Hunter stopped as they came up to a set of handsome, engraved wooden doors. Rachel squinted. It appeared to be Latin writing, probably warnings spelled in ancient, golden letters.
The doors opened, revealing a massive room with a dome ceiling. Hundreds of candles and torches illuminated the scenes from history carved in the white walls. Just like in the chapel above, pinkish marble covered the floor. A huge painting depicting the gardens of paradise - Rachel thought it was a Michelangelo - dominated the back wall. What could only be a judges' bench stood under the painting, engraved in gold.
The Hunter led the way through rows of marble seats, toward a bar that separated the room in two sections. Rachel followed, looking at the people filling the seats. She could sense they were Hunters, they produced the same bitter aura. There were no women in the room.
Seven men awaited them behind the bench, their faces appearing carved out of stone. Rachel blinked. These people seemed to have no age. And their eyes were cold enough to send shivers down her spine. They looked ready to hang her and Daniel right there and then. She could almost feel a noose around her neck.
The blond, bearded man at the center of the bench motioned for them to approach. As they did, Rachel tried to find a trace of human emotion in his light-blue eyes.
"I assume you are familiar with protocol?" Even his voice sounded like a prerecorded message.
Daniel nodded and put his hands behind his back. Rachel shook her head.
The judge raised his eyebrows at Daniel. "You've left her in the dark completely, haven't you, Paxton?" He turned his head to Rachel. "Young lady, when in the presence of the High Council, one must hold one's hands behind one's back and one's gaze averted form the members' eyes. It is a sign of respect and good manners."
Rachel shifted her gaze and stared beyond the Council members, at the painting on the wall. As she put her hands behind her back, she felt like a punished kindergartner.
"Head Hunter," said a redheaded judge on the bearded man's right. "Shall we begin the procedure?"
The Head Hunter nodded and leaned back in his chair. A hooked-nosed man, furthest to the left, stood and cleared his throat.
"In the presence of these witnesses, we shall pass judgment on Daniel Paxton and Rachel Giuliani. Common charges: being outside division control, killing without reporting, endangering human lives, breaking the oath of secrecy and hunting without a permit."
Rachel did a double-take. Hunting without a permit? These people had to be joking. Were they being condemned for poaching?
"Further charges against Daniel Paxton: turning a human into a Hunter, not registering said new Hunter, and not reporting the death of his partner to the High Council."
Rachel stared from the painting to Daniel. He only shrugged as though to say, 'Eh, shit happens'.
"The Prosecutor for the Council suggests the following measures be taken," he raised his voice.
"Exclusion from the order of the Silver Wolf for Daniel Paxton, punishment by death for both accused."
"What?" Rachel stepped forward, completely forgetting not to stare straight at the council members. Every inch of her skin prickled, as if to make her aware that her body was alive and wanted to stay that way. "Kill us? For doing our jobs?"
"Watch your tongue, girl!" a dark man on the Head Hunter's left snarled.
"Look." Daniel took a step forward. "There's no reason for all this. Yes, I've breached protocol. I haven't reported like, ever. And I didn't tell you that Max died, but that's only because—"
The dark man waved him away. "The Council is not interested in petty excuses."
"You didn't believe Max about Vlad." Daniel raised his voice above the murmurs in the room. "I think it's worth investigating."
"You defiant imbecile!" The dark Council member stood and banged his fists against the table. His curtain of greasy hair flopped around his sunken face. The other members of the Council stared at him as if they'd never seen him before. "Chasing stupid legends is not what Hunters do. Our job is to protect humans from the creatures of the night."
"Oh, yeah, and that's working out just fine." Daniel clenched his fists. "When's the last time any of you actually killed a vampire? All you do these days is sit on thrones and forbid others from doing something useful."
"The prosecution will add defying the High Council to the list of accusations against Daniel Paxton." The hooked-nose prosecutor noted something down on his piece of parchment.
"Bullshit! Since when is the stupid protocol more important than actually doing something about the vampires?"
Voices swept the room, angry, animated. The Head Hunter banged his gavel on the bench, his face still expressionless. Silence fell over them like a blanket. Daniel put his hands behind his back again, but didn't avert his eyes from the Head Hunter's gaze.
"You insubordinate little—" the dark man growled.
"Angus, please." The Head Hunter tilted his head to one side. "You believe your actions were justified. Why?"
Daniel breathed deep, as though trying to calm down. "Max said the vampires were too organized, he thought there was someone behind it. So, he did some research and traced the vampires back to Vlad. The first historically attested vampire. Max said he'd heard some legends. If Vlad was killed, the vampires would—stop functioning. I'm not sure if that means they'll all blow up or what, but it might make our job of rounding them up much easier."
"What makes you think this... story is worth our attention?" asked a bald man on the far right.
Daniel balled his fists again. "Because if it's true, we could get rid of the vampires!"
Rachel grabbed his wrist. She agreed with him – these Hunters were useless – but it wasn't a good idea to get them angry. Her fate as well as Daniel's rested in their malevolent hands.
Seriously, how stupid are these guys? Max was right to break away from them. Even Daniel's thoughts seethed with anger.
"That may be true." The Head Hunter leaned back. "If there is something to this legend. What makes you believe it would hold some truth?"
"I didn't pay much attention to it, either." Daniel regained his composure. "As long as we hunted vampires, I didn't care why we were doing it. But Max was killed after trying to pull some information about Vlad out of one of the head vampires of Canada."
"Bah! Coincidence." The one called Angus yawned. "Let's get this over with."
The Head Hunter put his hand on Angus's forearm as though to quiet him. "Why didn't you report Max's death so we could pair you with another Hunter?"
Daniel lowered his gaze and shifted his foot. "He warned me before he left. Before he was killed."
Rachel stared at him. This couldn't be good. Anger at him momentarily replaced al other feelings. Things were bad enough without him hiding things.
Angus scoffed. "Warned you? This should be good."
Daniel stared him straight in the eyes. "There is a traitor amongst us. He told me to tread lightly."
The room filled with voices again, most of them outraged. Rachel looked around, her mind spinning wildly. She had no idea this world existed, and seeing Daniel be such a big part of it made her gut clench. Why had he kept her in the dark like that? Why hadn't she asked? But how could she even begin to imagine all of this? She'd always thought Hunters were roamers like the two of them.
"Order!" The Head Hunter hit the desk with the gavel again. "We will consider your statement when we make our decision. Now, young lady. Anything you want to say in your defense?"
Rachel's answer struggled to pass the knot in her throat. "I—" She shouldn't feel guilty. She'd done nothing wrong. She should tell them about Vlad, about how dangerous he was, what he'd done to her and Daniel. But, for some reason, the Head Hunter's bright blue gaze blocked her airways.
"She has nothing to do with this," Daniel said. "She had no idea you guys existed, let alone that she was doing anything wrong."
"So be it. We will consider this as well."
The members of the Council stood and exited the room through a door behind the bench. The other people in the room remained seated, talking amongst themselves and pointing at Daniel and Rachel.
"What now?" Rachel whispered. Half of her wanted to lash out at Daniel. The other half wanted him to hold her and assure her they would be fine.
"Now they argue about us. Max said they do it pretty fast. They all agree most of the time." Daniel sighed. "I'm not sure what's going to happen, Rach. I'm sorry about not telling you any of this before. I hoped they wouldn't find us. This whole protocol thing is a pain in the ass."
"What's this oath of secrecy we apparently broke?"
"Chris and Cheryl weren't Hunters, were they?" Daniel shrugged. "We weren't supposed to tell them vampires exist."
"But that's—" Rachel pinched the bridge of her nose. It made sense. Of course, the Hunters would want to keep their existence a secret. She and Daniel had always kept their powers in check around humans. Cheryl and Chris had been the only ones they'd ever revealed their secret to. "Why was it wrong to turn me? I would've become a brainless bride if you hadn't."
"I know. It was the right thing to do." He smiled. "You're the best partner I could've hoped for. Whatever happens, I want you to remember that."
Rachel took his hand. I will. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. Warmth spread through her, calming her down.
Daniel squeezed her hand and watched her, his head tilted the slightest bit. Your feelings are amazing.
She yanked her hand away, her heart beating wildly. What feelings? She'd put nothing through. She'd thought the warmth was coming from him. What did it mean?
He frowned. "What's up?"
Before she could answer, the door behind the bench opened. The judges poured out, their faces grave as though at the bedside of a dying relative. They sat and surveyed Daniel and Rachel with cold, calculating eyes. Rachel completely forgot to lower her gaze.
"After careful deliberation," the Head Hunter started, pressing his palms together, "the High Council has reached the following decision. Rachel Giuliani." He picked up the gavel and pointed its round stump her way. "You were born outside our laws, unaware of them. We believe your maker when he asserts he has not taught you our ways. Therefore, we consider your breach of the laws unintentional. No punishment will be passed."
"This time," Angus mumbled from his side.
Rachel exhaled. She hadn't even noticed she was holding her breath.
"Daniel Paxton." The Head Hunter sighed.
Rachel stared at him with wide eyes. For the first time, his marble face showed a shadow of emotion. Was it pity? Sorrow? She couldn't tell.
"For your crimes and continuous defiance of the ways of the Hunters, the High Council hereby excludes you from the noble order of the Silver Wolf and sentences you to death. Your execution will take place at dawn."
Rachel's brain jammed. Her vision blurred and everything caught a dream-like appearance. Their accusations were nonsense. How could they kill him for that?
Daniel raised one eyebrow. "Really?"
"And he keeps defying us," Angus snarled.
"No, you can't do this!" Rachel stomped forward. It felt like a dormant beast had awoken inside her chest and was trying to claw its way out. "There must be another way!"
"Ignorant girl," said the man on the far right. "You know not of our laws. That is what saved you."
"You can't kill him. Even if there's nothing to this legend, killing the leader of the vampires is a good move!" Her legs carried her closer and closer to the bench.
Angus laughed. "See, Gabriel, she is begging for an execution," he said to the Head Hunter.
"You idiot! I'm not—"
Daniel grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. "Rachel, shut up."
"You stupid little girl," Angus thundered. "You are nothing but a fleck of dust in the great scheme of things. You don't understand anything. He," he pointed at Daniel, "has broken our rules, our laws, destabilized our system."
Daniel raised his eyes. "By not reporting?"
"You undermine the importance of the system. You disregard out way of life. And if you're not with us, following our rules, you're against us."
"Angus, enough. It has been decided." The Head Hunter nodded at Rachel. "You will be assigned a partner from our California division and return home."
"No!" Rachel yanked herself free. "Why wouldn't you want Vlad dead? Do you like him?"
"Stop it!" The anger in Daniel's voice made her wheel around. He looked ready to slap her. His hand trembled when he grabbed her wrist. Are you trying to get yourself killed?
I can't let them kill you just because they're idiots! Fuck their system! She tried to break free from his grip, but he held on. The beast in her chest tore through its bounds even more viciously. Tears flooded the corners of her eyes. I don't want another partner. I want you.
No one is tearing us apart. That's a promise. Trust me on this. I'll find a way.
Rachel stared at him, her body finally relaxing. She trusted him. But her heart broke all the same as two Hunters grabbed Daniel and dragged him away.
Another couple of guards put their hands on her shoulders.
Daniel smiled weakly. "I'll come for you."
She wanted to believe, but it struck her that, if his plan didn't work, this could be their last moment together. The last time she'd see his eyes, his smile, hear his voice.
"No!" She darted toward Daniel. Before she was halfway there, an arm wrapped around her waist and hoisted her off the ground. "Let me go, you bastards!" Rachel growled and kicked in the air, trying to break loose.
She'd be damned if she let them kill Daniel. The other guard grabbed her arms and pulled them back. Her bones cracked. Pain rammed through her entire body, and something hot filled her veins. They'd injected her with something, she was sure of it. Her legs buckled, her vision blurred and the last thing she saw was the mad smile on Angus's face.
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