“I was born ready,” Lukah says strongly, pulling his T-shirt over the top of his head and tossing it toward Harper, who nearly drops it. “I just ask that you don’t hold back out of guilt.” He’s looking straight at Chett, all signs of amusement vanished.
A hush rolls over everyone.
Chett stops bouncing from foot to foot. Meets Lukah’s gaze with an equal amount of sobriety. “I won’t.”
“It’s settled then,” Weldon says excitedly, trying to hype the energy back up. “You can use your powers. First one to say uncle or be knocked out is the loser. Got it?”
They both nod, bouncing on their toes and wriggling out their arms.
“Anyone want to place bets?” Weldon calls out. “Now is your chance.”
Whispers spread as everyone leans into one another, each choosing who they think will win.
“I got my money on Lukah,” Gavin says to Jaxen. He looks over at me. “I’ve seen Chett beaten by a girl. Lukah will own him.”
A solar flare ignites my cheeks.
Jaxen chuckles as Chrissa looks between the two, trying to figure out who they could be talking about. She follows Gavin’s gaze to me, and then her eyes grow wide.
“You?” she asks me in astonishment.
I bite the inside of my cheek. Bend over to her level. “Yes.” I can see the excitement and shock bubbling up like balloons inside of her, but I burst each and every one of them by adding, “But it wasn’t my finest moment. He had hurt my friend, and I sort of lost control over my emotions. I took it too far.”
Her cheeks blush. “How?”
“She gave him a good couple of punches for laying hands on her friend. He deserved it,” Gavin says, looking me sternly in the eyes.
“So then how did you take it too far?” Chrissa asks, looking back at me.
I inhale, trying to choose the best answer. “Because I hit him rather than using my words,” I admit, feeling shame fill my pores. “Not everything has to be settled by violence.”
“But you did the right thing,” she says, her head cocked to the side.
“What do you mean?”
“You stood up to a bully. You did the right thing by protecting your friend,” she says earnestly. “My mother always tells us that if someone is being hurt by someone else, we should do whatever it takes to protect the victim. If he was hurting your friend, then you did the right thing by standing up to him. And some people don’t listen to words. Some people listen to these.” She holds up her fists, flexing her small arms.
Jaxen runs his hand through her hair, laughing a little. “Is that what she’s been teaching you, kid?”
She spins around to look up at Jaxen. “What? Someone has to teach people!”
“All right, everyone,” Weldon calls, pulling our attention back to him. “All bets have been made. It’s time to start.” Sarabeth throws the last dollar in the hat that was passed around, and then Weldon says, “Begin!”
Nothing exciting happens at first. They just circle each other for a few seconds, testing each other out as random calls of certain moves are shouted out by both sides. Anticipation grows like ivy around us, weaving and tightening our circle closer and closer to the ring. Every eye is glued on the two forms moving around the makeshift ring, and I can’t help but feel my heart speed up as we wait for someone to make a move.
Both know how to predict moves now, which makes this fight even, and both have something to prove to one another, which always makes a fight more intense.
Arianna yells out, “Lunge for him, Lukah!”
It’s like her words flip a switch in Lukah’s head. He’s the first to make a move. He fake swings a hook from the right, using the distraction to land a gut punch from the left.
Chett stumbles back a step, and then recovers, volation flowing freely down his arms.
Lukah smiles tauntingly at him, his eyes shifting to yellow as he opens himself to his wolf side.
Everyone absently moves closer to the ring.
Chett’s volation forms into a whip that flows from his hand. He circles it in the air, trying to distract Lukah as he uses his other hand to throw a volation web at him, but Lukah is good. Really good. In the blink of an eye, he shifts, leaps to the side, and undercuts Chett’s legs.
Cheers and whistles erupt from those who have their money on Lukah.
I’m just hoping they both make it through okay.
Chett lands on his back, his volation sizzling out as Lukah shifts back into his human form. He straddles Chett’s ribcage, landing punch after punch that rattles my teeth. It takes Chett a second to grasp what’s happening, but as soon as he does, he kicks Lukah in the back of the head and rolls out of the straddle, jumping back to his feet.
Blood pours from his unsightly crooked nose, and I almost gag for him. Even with it broken, he doesn’t give, and I admire that, because we all know now just what kind of a fighter Lukah really is. Dangerous. Composed. Fearless.
Lukah picks himself up off the ground, stalking cockily across the ring with no guard up and a look of revenge in his eyes.
Chett’s eyes dart over to Katie, who can’t find one position to stand calmly in, and then back to Lukah. I’m waiting for him to hop out. To give up, but he doesn’t. He stands solid and, when Lukah swings, he ducks and lands a right hook against Lukah’s ribcage. He uses the advantage and uppercuts Lukah in the jaw, using volation to pack power into the punch, and a shift in the air spreads around the ring.
Those who bet on Chett begin to smile.
Lukah flies backwards, shifting back into his wolf form in mid-air, and then lunges for Chett as soon as he lands on his feet. Chett slams into the ground, unprepared for Lukah’s lunge, and then does his best to protect himself against the punches Lukah lands with the strength from his wolf form. But he’s no match for Lukah, and rather than getting angry and fighting until he’s dead, he raises his hand up.
“Uncle,” he cries out.
The word spreads around the ring, silencing everyone. The smiles on Chett’s betters vanish. I can hear my heart pounding in my ear as Lukah stops punching. He shifts back into his human form. Stands over Chett for a minute, whose face is covered in blood, and we all wait to see what will happen next. What will be said.
Nothing.
He offers Chett a hand, and then Chett takes it, letting Lukah pull him to his feet.
“You fight hard,” Lukah says seriously. “Not bad for a sissy Carter.”
“Thanks,” Chett says, pinching off his nose as Weldon makes his way back into the ring.
“What a fight, right?” he says, patting both Chett and Lukah on the back.
I watch as Lukah and Chett exchange glances, and I can see that Chett now respects Lukah more, and Lukah now has peace of mind knowing he delivered the punishment he felt Harper deserved to see.
As they exit the ring, Weldon calls for new fighters. Arianna and Joanna both head into the center as more bets are placed. They start to circle each other as soon as Weldon says begin, and then Joanna throws a punch that even I would cringe from.
But the punch never lands.
Joanna’s hand stops mid-air from the sheer power behind Evangeline’s voice as she shouts, “Just what in the hell is going on here?”
We all turn, unwillingly, as she and the other council members make their way across the yard.
“We leave you alone to train for an hour, and this is what you do with your time?” Sterling says, though I don’t hear a lick of disappointment in his tone.
“We were practicing our fighting skills,” Weldon says defensively.
“By beating each other to a pulp?” Evangeline asks, walking over to Chett. She checks his nose and tells Katie to heal him, despite his pleas to leave it be.
“It was all in good fun,” Lukah says, pulling his shirt back on.
“And it was needed,” Gavin adds in, raising his brows.
Little by little, the voices of everyone pick up, all agreeing with and defending Weldon’s idea.<
br />
Evangeline is about to yell at us when Mack takes a small step back. A smile lifts his cheeks. “Look at all of you,” he says, “defending one another.”
Everyone looks over at him. Evangeline looks at him like he’s lost his mind.
“This is what we wanted—for all of you to find camaraderie—and you’ve done it. You’re ready.”
“Ready?” Jaxen asks.
“We have all the information we need,” Mack says, making sure to address everyone. “As we speak, the microchip and a detailed speech are being sent to my contact on the inside of the Night Watchmen News. By this time tomorrow, the entire Primeval population will know of Clara’s deceit, and all the Watchmen on the outside who have joined the Rebellion will begin pointed attacks against the Darkyn hideouts we now know of.”
“War will begin,” Evangeline says, looking to everyone, rolling off Mack’s words. “Clara will most likely retreat from Ethryeal City, and we’ll have Watchmen on the ready to secure her and bring her back here for interrogation.”
“We expect to make a move for the Exanimator within the week, should she or Seamus give us the information we need,” Sterling adds as he throws his arm over Ava’s shoulder. “So get your showers and rest up. You’re going to need it.”
It takes everyone a moment for the information to sink in. Clara is finally meeting justice, and I don’t know how to feel. Elated? Nervous?
Everyone cheers and shouts. Bodies begin to move away from the ring as excitement sizzles through the air. All that we’ve trained and planned for is finally happening. Our dreams are finally becoming a reality. This time, there will be no mistakes.
This time, I will finish what we’ve started.
“I CAN’T BELIEVE IT,” I say.
Together, Jaxen, Gavin, Jezi, Weldon, Cassie, Katie, Chett, and I form a circle just outside of the ring.
“This is finally happening,” Jaxen says, following my train of thought.
“And it couldn’t come at a better time,” Gavin says, his arm looped over Cassie’s shoulder. “Everyone is starting to get a little stir crazy.”
“Agreed,” Jezi says, pulling her hair up into a ponytail.
“I thought I told you I could help you work that pent-up aggression out,” Weldon says, eyeing Jezi up and down.
The left side of her mouth lifts a little. “And I thought I told you that will never happen.”
“Never say never,” Weldon says, his eyebrows raised.
“Anyways,” Gavin chuckles out with an eye roll, “I’m going to go grab a shower, and then chill out in front of the television with a beer. A much-needed beer. You’re welcome to join me.” He looks around the circle, extending the invite.
“In the shower?” Weldon says in mock surprise. “Why, Gavin, I didn’t know you swung both ways.”
Jaxen and Chett laugh a little.
“You always have something to say, don’t you?” Cassie says, trying not to smile in Weldon’s direction.
“Can’t fault a man for keeping it light,” Weldon says, blowing on his nails smugly.
Gavin shakes his head, looking up to the sky. “Later, asswipe.”
“Jaxen!” Chrissa calls out as Gavin and Cassie head toward the house. “Want to play tag with me?”
Jaxen looks over at me, smiling, and I grin back as he spins so fast on Chrissa that it has her screaming in elation. She turns and runs as fast as she can, screaming out every time he nears her with hands extended.
“I’m so glad he has her,” Jezi says as we watch them zigzag across the yard. “He needed this.”
“Yeah,” I agree, feeling like my heart will burst at any moment.
Jezi turns back to us. “I guess I’ll get my shower too. I promised Joanna and Bianca that I’d help them gather some more reagents to fill up the cabinet. See you guys later.”
“You want help?” Weldon says desperately as Jezi starts to walk away. “I’m an expert massage therapist.”
She doesn’t turn to answer him. She just puts her hand up, shutting him down, and struts away.
“What is it with you two?” I ask as he watches her walk away with his head turned sideways.
“Huh?” he says.
“You and Jezi. Are you ever going to be a thing, or is it just a joke between you two?”
“I know the sexual tension is palpable,” Katie remarks. “You’re always ogling each other. It might do her some good to be with you.”
Weldon turns back to us. “Truthfully, if she asked me to, I’d be with her in a heartbeat.”
“But…” Katie drags out.
“But,” Weldon says, running his hand up and down the back of his neck. “She isn’t looking for anything right now, and I can’t say I blame her.”
“It’s obvious she likes you,” Katie says. “She’ll come around.”
Weldon’s smile vanishes. “Maybe if we weren’t in this situation, but we are. We’re getting ready to fight the biggest battle of our lives. Starting something now would be unwise. Love does funny things to us. As much as it can heal us, it can also hurt us—sometimes even kill us when stuck in the middle of a civil war. Believe me, I know.”
My heart crumbles at the thought of Claire, his affinity partner, stuck somewhere in the Underground.
He drags in a breath and says, “So for now, we’ve agreed without having to say it that flirtation will be as far as it goes. It’s all we can afford to invest.”
I rub his arm, wishing I had the power to make the world better in just one blink. Wishing he could have what I have with Jaxen.
“Catch you later?” he asks me.
I nod and smile as he jogs away.
“That’s so sad,” Katie says as Chett pulls her closer. “People shouldn’t have to ignore their hearts.”
“That’s war, babe,” he says, kissing the top of her head.
“Hey,” I say, turning to her. “What ever happened with your mom?”
Katie’s face pales. “I don’t know yet. She hasn’t responded.”
My stomach twists. “I’m sorry, Kat. Maybe she’s waiting until she has a safe moment.”
“Maybe,” Katie says, though she doesn’t sound like she believes it. “But the longer she takes, the longer they’re both without power.” She pauses, looking at me with huge, sad eyes. “And what will my dad do when this war starts and he’s powerless?”
“He’ll manage,” I say, rubbing her arm. “He’s strong and smart, and there are a lot of members here in the same predicament. Besides,” I say, smiling at her, “your mom loves your dad. You’re probably worrying over nothing.”
“You’re right,” Katie says, her mood lightening a little. “I probably am.”
“Hey,” Jaxen says as he runs up to us, covered in sweat. A strand of dark hair is plastered against his forehead. An easy smile dresses his lips. I haven’t seen him look this truly healthy, well, ever, and it makes my heart expand larger than I think my chest can hold.
Katie’s eyes drop as we turn to face him.
“So,” he says when he stops in front of me, grabbing me by the waist and pulling me close.
I smile up at him. “So?”
“So I talked to my mom and Chrissa, and they both agreed to a sit-down tonight.”
“A sit-down?”
His smile fades a little. “Yeah,” he says. “She—she says there’s something she wants to talk about.”
“What do you think it is?”
He looks down at my forearm. At my affinity mark. “The curse, I think. She mentioned something to Cassie and, well, Cassie freaked out.”
My gut clenches up.
“Oh,” I say, looking down at my feet, trying not to think about how my hands have suddenly clammed up. Or how my breakfast has found its way up my throat.
Katie clears her throat. “Hey, I think my dad said he needed help repairing some of the carriers,” she says, touching my arm. “I’ll see you at dinner?”
I nod.
“So, do you think yo
u’re up for it?” Jaxen asks as soon as they’re out of earshot, moving my chin up so our eyes can meet.
I offer my best smile. Swallow thickly. “Of course,” I say, glad that my voice doesn’t break even though my insides are.
“Good,” he says. “Hopefully, she has a solution.”
He’s trying to be strong for me. I can tell by the way his smile is so perfectly even. His eyes so clear, the shadows shoved to the side.
“If she doesn’t, then maybe together we can find one,” I say, trying to sound strong. “There’s always a way. Maybe she knows the Witch we need.”
“Yeah,” he says. Kisses my forehead. “But before that happens, I’m going to take you up those stairs and scrub every inch of your skin clean before I take what I’ve been thinking about all day.”
“And that is?” I ask as heat fills my insides.
He smirks. Winks. Gives me a small kiss that’s packed with enough heat to put the hottest summer day to shame.
“Follow me,” he says huskily, “and you’ll find out.”
I don’t think twice.
“GET IN.”
He’s holding the door open to the steaming shower. The heat in his gaze smolders over every inch of my bare skin, leaving trails of goose bumps I wish his fingers would travel. Wish his lips would explore.
I step in as a thousand wings flutter around inside my stomach. As a fever catches inside my brain. I’ve never felt so awake before. So aware as water droplets form along my skin. Slide down the nape of my neck, over my breasts that crave his touch.
Hunger fills my pores.
The glass door shuts behind him. My heart hammers against my chest as I feel his body near mine. Dies when the soft caress of his lips presses gently against the dip where my neck meets my chest. Explodes when his hands skim down my sides and grab my hips, pulling me against him.
I match his desirous gaze as he backs me up under the warm spray from the showerhead. Close my eyes, enjoying the slick warmth flowing over my body. Relish in the quiet that comes with the sound of water thundering over me.
He pulls me slightly forward until my eyes are open again and water is dripping off my lashes.
Everlost (The Night Watchmen Series Book 3) Page 27