Evernight (The Night Watchmen Series Book 2) (10 page)

“I’m fine, really,” I say.

“Thank the Goddess,” Cassie shouts out desperately from in front of us.

I look away from Jaxen to find Clara standing outside the Training Facility with trays of steaming coffee in her hands. Her smile is tight. Her stance is even tighter. Quaintly poised. Effortlessly elegant.

Dressed in an all-white skirt suit with the flags dancing behind her, she could be the face of this Coven. The face on every poster that rallies up enough Watchmen to head into battle against the unknown in the Underground. Even her aura holds a sense of power—a bright orange color that flares like the sun.

And I don’t know if this scares me or sets me at ease.

“You brought us caffeine?” Cassie asks hopefully, stopping in front of Clara. Her fingers are twitching, hovering over the cups as if she’s trying to decide which one she wants, and then she pulls back hesitantly. “It’s not… it’s not poisonous, is it?”

Clara’s smile flattens. “No.” 

“Oh, good.” Cassie smiles pleasantly and grabs two, handing one to Gavin. Her eyes roll back when she takes her first sip, and she lets out a small, heavenly moan. “Boy, did I need this,” she says gratefully. We all step up and take ours from her, whispering our thanks.

But even with it not being poisonous, I still don’t want to drink it. Not when it’s from her.

“I had the brewer add a little Moonwart as a blessing to the Goddess herself, and a little chamomile to calm your nerves for the big day,” Clara says. “I thought bringing a peace offering for any wrongs you’ve felt from me in the past would be a nice way to start your day.” Shifting her stance, she straightens her back. “I know what it feels like to be in a new city, to not know what to expect, and I don’t want you all to feel afraid. I’m here for you.”

Weldon snorts. I didn’t even hear him approach.

Her head whips in his direction. “Do you have something you’d like to say?” she asks, her gaze slicing over him.

“Yeah,” he says, sticking his chest out. “I call bullshit.” He steps up to her, his posture stiff and his shoulders squared. “My power might not rest in reading auras and seeing the future, but I can smell a lie better than anyone here, and nothing irks me more than when someone lies straight through their teeth. Right to my face.”

“Well,” she says, bearing her teeth a little, “I guess it must be hard for you to live with yourself then, because all I’ve ever heard from you are lies.”

His fists clench and unclench at his sides. The cords in his neck protrude. Hate permeates the air between them and, for a moment, I’m scared of what he might do. Terrified he might morph right here and take it all out on her. But he doesn’t. He just steps around her and heads into the facility without saying another word to anyone.

Clara’s body shakes as she watches him pass by her. When she looks back at us, it’s as if she forgot we were there. Like she just woke from a nightmare she can’t escape from. She inhales deeply, and then replaces her frown with an uneasy smile. Clears her throat. “Let’s get on with it, shall we?” she says, recovering with the perfected diplomacy of a leader. Turning on her heel, she heads into the building.

We all exchange glances. I lean into Jaxen. “I’m worried about him… about what she could do to him. He’s so full of hate.”

Jaxen sighs heavily, like he knows too many truths. “Sometimes, hate is all you have to hold on to, Faye. Sometimes, it’s the only thing that can keep a person going when everyone and everything else has let you down time and time again.”

Once we pass through the sliding doors, my eyes find Weldon’s. He’s leaning against a wall, wearing a grimace that could kill on the spot. There’s so much pain in his eyes. So much weight that seeks a place to finally rest.

I want to hug him. I want to fix all the wrongs he’s faced.

He joins the rest of us after Clara passes by him, pretending like she doesn’t know he’s standing there.

“Being in shape is a major requirement as an Elite. You’re all physically fit, but you must maintain that,” Clara says. “You’re required to spend a minimum of one hour in the gym every day, which is located on the eighth floor in this building. Your appearance there will be logged by your badge.” She walks us into an elevator made of glass and pushes the button for the first floor.

“You’ll be taking different classes every day until it’s time for the mission. Classes such as Tactical Thinking, Advanced Weaponry, Supernatural Communications, Advanced Defense… things of that nature.”

The door slides open to the first floor. The hallway is busy with Elites in training walking in and out of doors. Early morning chatter fills the gaps between us. People in lab coats and men in ranked uniforms shuffle by, rushing to their classes.

“All first-level Elites train here. This floor is where all of you, save Faye, will be trained.”

My eyes jerk to hers.

“What do you mean—except for Faye?” Jaxen asks, his entire body going stiff.

“I mean, I will oversee her training personally, and the rest of you will train with the other first-level Elites,” she says rather calmly, precisely.

Weldon snorts and looks away from us all, shaking his head.

The blood drains from my face as my stomach does a weird little twist that makes me want to scream out. I don’t want to train with her. Not alone.

“I thought we were going to be kept together,” I say defensively, backing away from her. “I don’t want to be separated again. I won’t be.”

“Got that right,” Jaxen adds, looping his arm around my waist.

The protests erupt behind me from Gavin, Cassie, and Jezi, all claiming that we saw this coming. That not a single one of us will take another step until she explains herself. It takes her a good, solid few seconds to regain control over the flaring tempers.

“This is just training,” she assures with a confident smile. “All of you will have different classes at some point. This is just a part of your training that needs to be kept separate until Faye can learn to control her powers.” She looks directly at me. “You wouldn’t want to hurt them, right?”

I look over at my friends and swallow. No. I wouldn’t want to hurt them.

“Shoot for the Achilles, why don’t you?” Weldon kicks off the wall. Moves in next to me.

Clara takes baby steps toward us all. “I don’t understand why you are all getting so bent out of shape. I have done nothing to show you that you can’t trust me.” Her tone is calm, and her voice careful.

“Aside from breathing,” Cassie says under her breath.

I’m not sure if Clara heard her or not, because she doesn’t acknowledge the remark. “Faye is the main reason you’re all here, correct?” She stops right in front of us, her eyes switching back and forth between the group. Even taking the time to lock eyes with Weldon.

There’s a brief, hesitant nod from everyone.

“Then you all must understand that Faye’s abilities differ from the rest of you. So much so, that in order for us to help her, we must first understand all she is capable of. And like every new discovery, we have only scratched the surface with her. This is strictly for your protection.”

My hands twist in front of me. I hate that she’s right. I hate that I’m drastically different.

Jaxen’s grip tightens around my waist. “I don’t care what your reasoning is, Clara. I won’t be split from her again,” he says firmly. I smell his volation waking inside him, already feeling the little bits of energy he’s pulling from all around us.

I think she does too. She reaches out. Places a careful hand on his arm.

His eyes jerk down to her touch, and then back up at her.

She smiles, but it’s strained, as if her patience is wearing thin. “You’ll still be with her, Jaxen,” she says softly. “Every day. You’ll only be apart for the training portion of your day.”

Jaxen moves in front of me, shielding me with his body. “That aside, I still don’t understand why we need to be split up again. Accidents or not, wouldn’t it be in all of our best interest to train together? To learn from each other so when we’re out there fighting for you, we’ll know how to work together?”

“Taking the smart approach has never been Clara’s strong suit,” Weldon bites off, his arms crossed.

Gavin chuckles behind me, trying to cover it up with a weak attempt at a cough.

Clara frowns. “Yes,” she says to Jaxen diplomatically, her eyes peering over his shoulder at Gavin, shushing him. “That is the goal. Once Faye learns her capabilities and shows control, then you will all be placed back together so you may learn to work together.”

Relief floods my system.

“Sure. That’s what you say now,” Weldon shoots off. “Sooner or later, that mask will fall off.”

The tension in the air is electric, and something inside of me snaps. “Cut her some slack already,” I say harshly. “She’s right about me. About needing to get my powers under control. We agreed to come here, and this is who has been assigned to us. What other choice do we have?”

He looks at me like I’ve just kicked him in the gut. As if I’ve just betrayed him in the worst way possible. “Slack?” he repeats, sounding appalled, like he can’t make sense of the word.

I cringe, biting the inside of my lip. “Weldon, I just meant—”

He shakes his head, like the motion itself will sling my words away from him. “You know what?” he says, cutting me off. “Go for it. Fall into her graceful, slippery words. Don’t listen to your
partner.
The one that matters. The one you should trust! No one ever does.” He shoves past me and heads down the hall, bumping into Elite after Elite, putting as much distance as he can between us.

I think I’ve just screwed up. Royally.

“And there he goes,” Gavin says, watching Weldon disappear. He looks over at me. “I’ll calm him down. Get him a tampon or something. Don’t worry.” He looks to Clara. “Which room are we in first?”

“Room 113,” Clara says, straightening her blazer and pushing her chin up in the air. “Your teacher will provide you with your schedule. I planned to escort you all, but I can see that you might need your space.”

“Yeah,” Cassie says. “We’ll talk to him.”

My heart feels torn between being angry with him, and upset for hurting him.

Clara straightens the front of her jacket. “I’d appreciate that, Cassandra. We’ll all be better off if we can work together.”

“So long as you keep your word about putting us back together, we won’t have problems,” Gavin says. There’s a mild threat underneath his words. He means it.

For a split-second, I swear anger flares up in her lavender eyes, but then she blinks and plasters on another smile, nodding in agreement.

Jezi doesn’t say anything. She looks up at Clara from under her lashes, and then follows Gavin and Cassie.

I turn to Jaxen. “I didn’t mean to hurt him,” I say, feeling lost and confused. Feeling as if I break more than I mend.

“He’ll be okay,” he soothes. “He’s just being sensitive.”

“Your classes end at four pm, Jaxen. That’s when you will see Faye again,” Clara says, cutting us short. “We really should get going,” she adds. She plants a smile on her face, like it will ease the meaning behind her words.

I hate the conflict that takes hold of his green eyes, dulling them. I don’t like the defeat that stares so plainly back at me, as if I’ve taken every bit of his strength and squashed it. He runs the back of his hand down my cheek. Takes a step back.

“Okay,” he relents.

Clara smiles at me, but it’s strained. “Good,” she says, sounding slightly relieved and just a little bit annoyed. “This will only benefit you all. The stronger Faye is, the better chance you’ll have at completing this mission.”

“I sure hope so,” he replies, looking her in the eyes. He kisses my forehead, and then turns from us. I watch as he makes his way down the hall with heavy steps.

Clara puts a hand on my shoulder and directs me back to the elevator. “We’ll be on the top floor.”

“What kind of training will I have?” I ask, following her into the elevator.

“Real-life simulations. We need to see how you work under pressure. It seems that’s the only time your powers have come out.”

“Oh,” I say. I feel nervous… and just a little bit stupid for walking away from the safety of my friends without batting a single lash. “And… you think that’s going to help?”

The door slides open. It looks just like the wing I was kept in at the Correctional Facility. White walls. Large glass viewing windows. Cold metal tables. Scientists dressed in lab coats with shiny objects in their hands.

I think I’ve lost my voice. I’m sure of it, because I want to tell her I need to go back. That I don’t want to be tested on anymore, but the words won’t form. She keeps walking ahead, unaware I’m slowly breaking down. My feet feel like they have concrete blocks tied to them. My breath keeps growing shorter and shorter.

She stops in front of a door, and I can barely see it. Panic seems to have blurred my vision. Made my mind dizzy.

“This way,” she says, pushing the door open. She waits for me to walk in, and then the door clicks shut behind us.

Four metal walls. One small camera in the far left corner of the room. It’s just like all the other rooms I visited since my arrival to Ethryeal City… just like when I was kept apart from everyone. I swallow hard, trying to keep my heartbeat under control. Trying to keep my chest from giving away just how much this situation gets to me.