Everlasting (Night Watchmen, #1) (40 page)

“They cursed this bullet,” Jezi says, her voice shaking. “If I pull it out, he’ll die. I need your help Cassie. I can’t break this curse alone. It’s stronger than anything I’ve seen before.”

“What are you…” I’m fighting Cassie, pushing her off of me, but no matter how hard I push, she’s stronger. This pisses me off. She shouldn’t be stronger. She can’t be. I shove her, and she shoves me. Words trail off her lips and wrap around me, and then I feel tired. The pain is leaving. His screams are leaving. Everything and nothing. I am nothing. Just a dark void drifting.

Drifting into the unknown.

Two days pass before I’m
allowed to wake. When I do, I roll, immediately searching for Jaxen. His bed is empty. I throw the sheets off my legs, and for a moment, I look down. There are bandages, just like before. With my heart in my throat, pounding its way through my esophagus, I pull the bandage back.

Scars. Scars in every shade of pink. I reach out, hesitate, and then touch them. They don’t hurt at all. They feel like they’ve been there forever. They will be there forever as a constant reminder that I’m not invincible, a constant reminder that Bael will never stop. He won’t stop until he has me and the Dagger.

I kick my legs the rest of the way over the bed and grab the neatly folded uniform from the foot of my bed. Someone suspected I’d wake and left these for me. Whoever they are, I could hug them. I slide black leather pants on, taking my time to pull them up around my scars. I reach for the loose-fitting soft black t-shirt and pulled it over my sports bra. The last thing is my leather jacket, and then a pair of socks and boots.

Feeling more like myself than I have in a long time, I walk into the hallway, and then follow the trail I’d previously been down. As I near the savory smells of the kitchen, voices pick up, the voices I’m looking for. My heart beats all over the place. I swallow my nerves and push the doors open. Jaxen, Jezi, Gavin, Cassie, and Weldon are huddled around a table talking. They all turn and look at me.

Jaxen stands up and is at my side, holding my hand with caution. “You’re awake,” he says, which sounds more like ‘how are you?’ He looks worlds better, and I want to hug him. I want to disappear in his kiss, but I remain still. Solid. Strong.

I pull my hand out of his and smile up at him. “I feel pretty good. You look great. How’s everything here?”

“We’re leaving in an hour,” Gavin says. He doesn’t sound happy, but he looks better. There isn’t a single scratch on him.

“Mack says we have to go now if we’re going to make it without being targeted. Bael’s threats have died down almost completely. If you can believe it,” Jaxen says, sitting me in his spot.

I can’t. “That’s good,” I say instead. “So, you’re all coming with me.”

“Mack wouldn’t have it any other way. It seems we’ve been through it enough that they feel we’re the best to protect you. For the time being,” Jaxen says. I don’t like the lingering fear in his voice.

“You know the real reason,” Weldon says over a cup of something that resembles blood. I look away and swallow down bile.

“What’s the real reason?” I ask, my voice slightly shaking.

“Because, we’re the only ones dumb enough to go along with you the rest of the way. You know what they will ask of us,” he says, looking up from his cup at me. He’s wearing a tired grin, and I’m grateful for it. I’m grateful for him and all that he’s done, and I know he sees that in my returned smile. “Going to Ethryeal City isn’t for your protection. It’s so they can experiment on you before they send you out to finish what we’ve started, before they send you out to finish breaking the Seals so they can get into the Underground.”

“Wow. You’re killing me with optimism and good news,” Jezi says, pulling her pack of cigarettes out of her pocket. She lights one and inhales, then looks at me. “Look, I know we don’t see eye-to-eye on certain things, but you’ve been through hell.” She snorts. “Hell, we’ve all been through it. Don’t worry about the fundamentals as to why we’re going. It won’t do you any good. Just know we’ve got your back and you’re not alone in this.” She takes another drag, and then her eyes find Jaxen’s. Something personal passes between, an understanding long needed.

He squeezes my shoulder and smiles down at me. “She’s right. We have your back.”

“All of us,” Cassie says with a warm smile.

The door opens, and Mack walks in wearing his traditional red robe. “It’s time.”

We stand, and together, we form an impenetrable line, a force that can’t be reckoned with, a force that won’t back down. I smile because I know I’m safe.

I smile because I know, despite the circumstances, I’m right where I need to be.

The Gramm Curse

(A Night Watchmen Novella, #0.5) -Coming Soon

Everlasting

(A Night Watchmen Novel, #1)

Candace Knoebel is the award-winning
author of Born in Flames-book one in a young adult fantasy trilogy. She discovered in 2009 through lunch breaks and late nights after putting her kids to bed, a world where she could escape the ever-pressing days of an eight-to-five Purgatory. She had found a home in writing. Published by 48fourteen in 2012, Born in Flames went on to win Turning the Pages Book of the Year award in February of 2013. In January of 2014, the last book in the trilogy, From the Embers, was released, thusly completing the trilogy she has worked so hard on.

You can visit her online at www.candaceknoebel.wordpress.com or
https://www.facebook.com/candaceknoebel

I’d like to thank Sonya
Loveday for all the hour-long phone calls discussing why this book couldn’t be possible, only to have her tell me to shut up and write the damn thing. Without you, who knows what would be in the garbage. I’d like to thank my street team for always being supportive and encouraging. You ladies keep me going. I’d like to thank Staci Pylant Brillhart for opening my eyes. I’d like to thank every blogger I’ve come into contact with. Without your encouragement and selfless promotion, we Indies wouldn’t have the awesome platforms we have. I’d like to thank my children for letting mommy work, and for always being understanding. I’d like to thank Ravven for being a patient and fantastic cover artist. I’d like to thank my husband for always putting a smile on my face when the stress arises. I’d like to thank my mom for always being there for me. And lastly, I’d like to thank all of my friends just for being there and for being awesome.

You ROCK!