Evernight (The Night Watchmen Series Book 2) by Candace Knoebel Page A
Authors: Candace Knoebel
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sensitive skin, sending a small chill down my spine.
“Faye, tell me. What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“No,” I force out against every part of me that wants to say yes.
“Then what’s wrong? Why are you shaking?” He lets go of my waist and forces me to step back so he can look at me. His eyes are taking stock of every body part, stopping just at my lip. His brow dips. “You’re cut.” Anger flashes within his pupils. “Who the hell—?”
Tears push behind my eyes, so I force them on the wall. Anywhere but on his face. The face that offers me safety… offers me a kind gaze I know I can confide in.
“Faye, tell me,” he says, gentler this time, and I think my heart has withered away.
I want to cut my tongue out because I’m scared I won’t be able to keep the truth in. That I won’t be able to stop myself from spilling every awful moment that has transpired since I left him this morning.
This isn’t about me. This is about him. About all of them and their safety.
I steel myself, grab his hand, and pull it from my mouth, swallowing past the desert that’s managed to lodge itself in my throat. “Fight training,” I say, my voice as brittle as glass. “I… I was clumsy.” I cover my mouth with my hand and use just enough magic to make the mark disappear. “See? All better.”
His brow presses into a hard line. His lip twitches, and I know I’m in for it. I know he doesn’t buy it, and he’s not going to give up until I spew every last secret Clara wants me to keep. Until I’ve dug his grave for him, six feet under, fresh and ready for her vengeance to send him into the next life.
“Jaxen, I’m telling you, I’m fi—”
“Look who it is!” I hear from behind me.
My sigh of relief is louder than I want it to be, but thankfully, Jaxen doesn’t notice.
Gavin slaps my back and squeezes my shoulder. “I see you made it through your first day in hell. Can’t say the same for myself.”
He has a shiner. A large one on his left eye. “Wha—what happened?” I ask, feeling a small bit of relief in his wound, and a large amount of guilt for having that feeling. But it will help my case… my lie. It will help Jaxen believe me when I tell him that Clara isn’t a… isn’t a monster.
“Well, you see, what happened was…” he says, adjusting the hem of his pants and brushing a hand through his hair.
Cassie starts laughing as she and Jezi walk up behind him. “Is he trying to tell you stories?” she asks as she slides her hand over Gavin’s shoulder. She rests it on his chest, stopping right in front of him. “What happened was… Gavin’s finally met his match.” She passes her hand over his eye and, with the movement and a little bit of magic, the shiner is gone.
Gavin huffs loudly, looks off to the side, and then back over at me. “In all fairness, the dude was like bred from giants or something.”
“It’s okay,” Cassie says, patting his chest. “I still think you’re man enough.”
Jezi snickers, and it warrants a heated glare from Gavin, which does little to nothing in curbing her laughter.
He rolls his eyes, and then looks back at us. “Look, I don’t know about you, but I’m covered in sweat. I need a shower, and then dinner,” Gavin says.
“And maybe a healthy dose of humble pie,” Jezi adds, pretending to examine her nails.
“No,” Gavin drags out, “that was already served to me at practice, thank you very much.” He kisses Cassie’s forehead, and then sets his eyes on Jaxen. “Want to meet up later for dinner?”
Jaxen looks over at me. He’s asking me without asking me.
“Yes,” I say, even going as far as adding a smile. “I’m famished.”
Just the thought of food makes my stomach turn, but they can’t know that. They can’t suspect a single thing, and judging by the easy smiles on their faces, I don’t think they do. Even Jaxen seems to be loosening up a little in his stance.
Success tastes bitter.
I never knew I could be
“Faye, tell me. What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“No,” I force out against every part of me that wants to say yes.
“Then what’s wrong? Why are you shaking?” He lets go of my waist and forces me to step back so he can look at me. His eyes are taking stock of every body part, stopping just at my lip. His brow dips. “You’re cut.” Anger flashes within his pupils. “Who the hell—?”
Tears push behind my eyes, so I force them on the wall. Anywhere but on his face. The face that offers me safety… offers me a kind gaze I know I can confide in.
“Faye, tell me,” he says, gentler this time, and I think my heart has withered away.
I want to cut my tongue out because I’m scared I won’t be able to keep the truth in. That I won’t be able to stop myself from spilling every awful moment that has transpired since I left him this morning.
This isn’t about me. This is about him. About all of them and their safety.
I steel myself, grab his hand, and pull it from my mouth, swallowing past the desert that’s managed to lodge itself in my throat. “Fight training,” I say, my voice as brittle as glass. “I… I was clumsy.” I cover my mouth with my hand and use just enough magic to make the mark disappear. “See? All better.”
His brow presses into a hard line. His lip twitches, and I know I’m in for it. I know he doesn’t buy it, and he’s not going to give up until I spew every last secret Clara wants me to keep. Until I’ve dug his grave for him, six feet under, fresh and ready for her vengeance to send him into the next life.
“Jaxen, I’m telling you, I’m fi—”
“Look who it is!” I hear from behind me.
My sigh of relief is louder than I want it to be, but thankfully, Jaxen doesn’t notice.
Gavin slaps my back and squeezes my shoulder. “I see you made it through your first day in hell. Can’t say the same for myself.”
He has a shiner. A large one on his left eye. “Wha—what happened?” I ask, feeling a small bit of relief in his wound, and a large amount of guilt for having that feeling. But it will help my case… my lie. It will help Jaxen believe me when I tell him that Clara isn’t a… isn’t a monster.
“Well, you see, what happened was…” he says, adjusting the hem of his pants and brushing a hand through his hair.
Cassie starts laughing as she and Jezi walk up behind him. “Is he trying to tell you stories?” she asks as she slides her hand over Gavin’s shoulder. She rests it on his chest, stopping right in front of him. “What happened was… Gavin’s finally met his match.” She passes her hand over his eye and, with the movement and a little bit of magic, the shiner is gone.
Gavin huffs loudly, looks off to the side, and then back over at me. “In all fairness, the dude was like bred from giants or something.”
“It’s okay,” Cassie says, patting his chest. “I still think you’re man enough.”
Jezi snickers, and it warrants a heated glare from Gavin, which does little to nothing in curbing her laughter.
He rolls his eyes, and then looks back at us. “Look, I don’t know about you, but I’m covered in sweat. I need a shower, and then dinner,” Gavin says.
“And maybe a healthy dose of humble pie,” Jezi adds, pretending to examine her nails.
“No,” Gavin drags out, “that was already served to me at practice, thank you very much.” He kisses Cassie’s forehead, and then sets his eyes on Jaxen. “Want to meet up later for dinner?”
Jaxen looks over at me. He’s asking me without asking me.
“Yes,” I say, even going as far as adding a smile. “I’m famished.”
Just the thought of food makes my stomach turn, but they can’t know that. They can’t suspect a single thing, and judging by the easy smiles on their faces, I don’t think they do. Even Jaxen seems to be loosening up a little in his stance.
Success tastes bitter.
I never knew I could be
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