The Born in Flames Trilogy
Born in Flames (Born in Flames Trilogy, #1)
Embracing the Flames (Born in Flames Trilogy, #2)
From the Embers (Born in Flames Trilogy, #3)
The Night Watchmen Series
The Gramm Curse (Night Watchmen, #0.5)
Everlasting (Night Watchmen, #1)
Evernight (Night Watchmen, #2)
This book is a work of fiction. Any reference to historical events, real people-living or dead, real locales is entirely coincidental and used fictitiously. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, any place, events or occurrences, is purely coincidental. The characters and story lines are created from the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
The Gramm Curse. Copyright © 2014 by Candace Knoebel
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes. If you are reading this book and you have not purchased it or won it in an author/publisher contest, this book has been pirated. Please delete and support the author by purchasing the ebook from one of its many distributors.
Cover design by Ravven.
Interior book design by Candace Knoebel.
Edited by Kendra Gaither @Kendra’s Proofreading, Line Editing, and Reviewing.
ISBN-13: 978-1499218763
ISBN-10: 1499218761
First Edition
Published by Candace Knoebel
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
To every soul searching for acceptance-
know that you are beautiful just the way you are.
Never give up;
for even rivers someday
w
a
s
h
dams away.
- ARTHUR GOLDEN
MY FATHER ONCE TOLD ME that loving someone is the easiest part of our job as a Primeval. He was wrong. They were, at one time, wise words coming from a wise man, but that was before I found out that loving someone would destroy them.
Before I realized that opening my heart was lethal.
As sure as the sun rises each day, this is my reality...my curse...and there’s no escaping it. I know this because it has destroyed my family, and as much as I’d like to believe I’m wrong, there’s not a single thing I can do to fix it. That was made painfully clear when my dad became another victim of the Gramm curse.
So screw feeling.
The leaves ruffle above the tree I stand under, shielding me in scattered shadows. It’s windy as shit, and I really don’t feel like standing around waiting in the freezing-ass cold for the next hunt. Waiting only leads to thinking, and thinking always leads to the past, and I’m tired of thinking about the shit I can’t change; about time ticking away the brittle minutes of what little life I have left.
Jezi pulls up to the curb and gets out of her small, beat-up car. My chest tightens at the sight of her. Years upon years I’ve spent building four steel walls around me, boxing me into a safe, small room with no outlet; no way for anyone to get in and get hurt. It’s the only way to protect myself, and to protect others from myself.
It would take someone stronger than diamonds to cut through what I’ve constructed, someone stronger than me, and Jezi just doesn’t have that kind of strength.
I push my shoulder harder into the tree I’m leaning against and welcome the sharp pain digging in my back. The pressure helps shift the gears in my head and reinforce the strength of my walls. I need to stay in the present. I’m not here to dwell on my problems. I have a job to do, and as long as there’s a breath in my body, I’ll keep fighting to protect humanity because at the end of the day, protecting others is the only thing I can devote myself to entirely without fear of killing them.
It's the only thing in my life I can safely love.
“So, uh…when should we make our move?” Jezi asks as she drops her duffel bag in front of me and rummages through the contents.
“Now.” I kick off the tree I’m perched against and shove my hands deep into my pockets, keeping my eyes trained on the building across the street. “You sure your contact got it right?”
She looks up at me with a raised eyebrow before shoving a loaded clip in her gun. “Yes, I’m sure. Josie said the Succubus they trapped a couple days ago told her about this place during their interrogation. It’s where they all come, humans and Demons alike, all for the same purpose. Feed on or be fed on.”
I groan. “A feeding brothel. Awesome.” I’m sure the place is stocked full of crazies. I skim back over to the brownstone inn across the street, and my fists clench at my sides. The small sign printed on the rounded awning overhanging the front door reads, “Indulgence Inn.”
Why do they insist on infecting my city with an insatiable lust for danger?
Jezi clears her throat and straightens out her slim leather jacket when she stands. Her eyes fall on me, waiting for my lead. “You gonna do your thing? Give me some numbers to work with?” she asks with an even tone. “I don’t want to stand out here all night.”
That, we at least agree upon.
I close my eyes and inhale. The chilly night air swells with more natural electricity than I could use in a lifetime. It carries a charge I can’t resist. Every fiber in my body sparks with a primal need to put the power of volation flowing through my veins to use. It allows me to use the electricity around me, and it's the only feeling I live for, the only feeling that snuffs out all the rest of the soul-sucking, bleeding heart emotions I try so hard to avoid.
Focusing on the electrical currents in the air, I pull in just enough to feed my volation and send it out on an invisible voltaic wave. Like clockwork, the web-like wave wraps around the building, and the distinct colored energy of every being in the building materializes. Numbers systematically rattle off in my head.
“Four Incubi on the first floor with five humans.” The wave continues to ripple under my command, allowing me to see what the human eye cannot. “Two Succubi and three other Demons on the second floor.”
“How many humans?”
I crack my knuckles. “Eight.”
She huffs. “Shit. This can’t be done alone. What about the third and fourth floor?”
I tilt my head back. “Third floor only has one Incubus, and the fourth floor is clear.”
“Must be the guy,” she says surely, pulling her phone out of her pocket.
“Maybe.” I glance down at her. Her fingers move a mile a minute over the screen, typing out a message. “Is that Cassie?”
“Yeah. She said they’re on their way. They were around the corner at a deli grabbing a bite.” She pauses typing and looks up at me with her rounded hazel eyes. The way she looks at me always makes me feel like I’m tending to a wounded bird, like I’m words away from shattering her made-up fantasy of what we are.
It makes me want to run.
“Should I get anyone else?”she asks, biting her lip to draw attention to it.
I look away and back at the building, shoving the thought down deep into a tiny, impenetrable box with all the rest of the crap that tries to hurt me. I wrap my hand around the hilt of my flux that’s strapped around my waist and squeeze. The thought of plunging it through each and every one o
f those blood-sucking Demons sends a thrilling spike through me.
“Nah. Gav and I can handle it.” Truth is, I don’t want to share my kills with anyone else.
“Fine.”
My jaw clenches. In her tone, I know she means the exact opposite, but I don’t bother with taking the bait. I’m not in the mood for an argument.
She shifts a little, the movement bringing her a step closer to me. The scent of her floral perfume clogs the air around me. “Should I alert Mack?”
“No.” I take a small step back.
She tucks her phone back in her pocket and crosses her arms. Quiet beats of her fingers drum against them, filling the awkward silence. It grates against my composure. I want to ask her to stop, but that would mean speaking. Speaking opens a door to conversation, so instead, I turn back to the building. A shadow moves lithely behind the blinds of the Inn, and then another follows, reaching for the first one’s hand.
I can only imagine where they’re headed and what’s about to transpire; teeth and blood and pain that sickeningly borders pleasure. I look down at Jezi. She stares at the tips of her boots, her dark hair shielding her face from me.
“Why do you think they sign up for this shit?”
She jerks her gaze up to mine, her eyes creased in confusion. I think it takes her a moment to realize I’ve actually asked for her opinion. This realization stings a little.
“Who? The humans?” she quickly recovers.
I nod.
She shrugs and glances over at the Inn, eyes flitting across the building. “Maybe because they enjoy it? I’ve heard the Incubus’ bite is ten times more pleasurable than a Vamp's.”
The thought of being bitten makes me shudder. I follow her gaze back over to the building, scanning over every curtained window, and wonder what secrets lie behind them. How many countless lives have been willfully given just to escape the pressures of this jacked up universe? A thought occurs, and before I can stop it, it slips out.
“Or maybe it’s to escape their shit-hole lives. Maybe to forget the things that eat away at their humanity, the things that eat away at their souls.” I can’t help but think of the hell that resides in my mind that I can never escape, all built around the four words that slingshot my brain whenever I’m left in silence; the four words my mother spoke the night she left us.
Never fall in love.
When I glance back down at Jezi, her face is paralyzed in shock, frozen just like every other time I’ve let a little of my inner demons sneak past my lips and surface in the common world.
“Maybe,” she says strangely, searching my face and stepping through the door I’ve carelessly left open.
I sigh and turn away, cursing myself for speaking. The affinity mark in the crook of my elbow heats up. The jagged, heart-shaped birthmark is one of the only things I share with Jezi, given to us on the day of our Culling. It’s the mark that links our powers together, the mark that ties her to me against my will.
Her mind brushes the edges of mine the way it always does when she wants to understand me better, but I close myself off to her, building the walls within higher and higher. The instant I do, she huffs louder than necessary. I catch her forcefully re-crossing her arms out of the corner of my eye. This just annoys me further.
She doesn’t realize that it’s my duty to be reserved, to keep my distance. It’s my code, and it's all to protect her and keep her from being condemned to a death she never asked for. If I fall in love with her, her life will surely end, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to be responsible for that. I’m not going to sit back and let someone else carry the burden meant for my shoulders to carry.
The wind kicks up, carrying fallen leaves along with it. I lean forward, eyeing the end of the street. Where the hell are you, Gav? He should be here any second, and then I’ll be relieved from this awkward shit.
“Lights,” Jezi says a second later, pointing to the Hummer that just turned down the road.
I pray it’s Gavin.
The Hummer pulls up to a stop a few buildings down. I already know by the sleek black color and custom chrome spinners that it’s Gavin. Loud, thumping music blares through the night the moment his door swings open. Leave it to him to arrogantly announce his arrival. He hops out of the driver’s side carrying a duffel bag and jogs across the street in my direction.
A feeling of relief comes when Jezi strides past him to meet up with his Witch, Cassie.
“Yo,” Gavin says when he stops in front of me, dropping the bag full of weapons.
I wince at the word. “Took you long enough. Trying to alert the whole neighborhood?”
He shoves my shoulder, wearing a grin that always reaches his blue eyes…eyes that too closely resemble our dad’s. “It’s not my fault you can’t handle a small feeding operation. Seriously, man, what’s up with your game? Your quota numbers are slacking. Maybe I should inform Mack. Throw your ass back in training or something.”
“Jezi needed reassurance,” I mutter flatly.
His grin widens. “Sure she did.” He shoves his chin in the air. “So, who’s going first?”
“You.”
“No way.” He juts his hands out, and then rolls up his sleeves in a dramatic fashion, bouncing from foot to foot. “Let’s settle this shit fairly.”
I look to the sky and shake my head, agreeing because, with him, there is no other option. Three calculated fist slaps to the palm and I reveal paper. He’s rock. My heart jumps to the beat of a victory dance. I just freaking won.
His eyes widen as he stares between our hands. “Well, that’s a first. I call do over.”
I try to maintain a straight face. “No way, man. That was fair and square,” I say, internally enjoying my small win. I think I might even be smiling. I feel the corner of my mouth begin to lift.
He grunts out a chuckle. “Don’t hurt yourself attempting that,” he says, pointing to my mouth with a stupid grin. “I know how much it pains you to feel even a sliver of happiness.”
The smile disappears. “Whatever.”
“You boys ready?” Cassie calls in a husky voice as they cross the street.
I can’t help but notice the stark contrast between the two. Jezi is beautiful in the standard kind of way. She’s all hips, and curves, and cinnamon-colored skin any guy would kill to touch. There’s an air of innocence in the way she perceives the world, a childish yearning to cling to hope that everything always works out. But Cassie...she's wild and too smart for her own good. Too smart for even Gavin sometimes.
“Well?” Cassie asks again, batting her lashes. She tosses her curly red hair over her shoulder and sticks her leathered hip out.
Gavin turns to her, looking her up and down, and releases a throaty growl under his breath. I think I throw up a little in my mouth. He always goes crazy when she tosses around her hair and sticks out her ass. I just don’t understand why. To me, she oozes mistrust. Every move she makes screams for attention, but he swears by her, and I have to stick by him.
“Gavin’s on his way in,” I say, smirking on the inside.
He groans when he looks back at me and drops to a squat. After unzipping his bag, he pulls knife after knife out, sliding them into their holsters along the sides of his pants. “If I’m running this shit, then it needs to be a clean sweep. I go in, pose the distraction, and you three follow with the ambush.” He pulls out a small revolver and a tin filled with sanctified bullets meant for killing Incubi and Succubi. “Cassie has the humans. Make sure Jezi sticks with us.” He puts the bullets in the chamber, closes it, slides it in its holster, and repeats the steps with another revolver. After standing, he hands me the other revolver and grins. “I want to be done in time to catch the morning infomercials. You know, the ones with the sexy chicks on the exercise shit.”
“I heard that,” Cassie says dryly, both hands cupping her hips.
“And I was kidding,” Gavin tosses over his shoulder with a laugh.
I connect to Jezi mentally and shove a brief t
hought at her. “Be ready and be on it.”
“Okay,” she responds shortly through our link, and then closes herself back off. I stupidly look over at her. She quickly looks back at Cassie, pretending she was never even looking at me. High school shit. It’s obvious she’s upset with me. Oh well.
“She’s good,” I tell Gavin, letting my eyes follow my words. “And you won’t miss your infomercials, perv.”
He smirks and claps his hands together. “All right then. Let’s run a tally on this one. Whoever kills the most wins a round of beer. Deal?”
“I don’t drink,” I state plainly.
He slaps my back, his smirk deepening. “I know. It’s beautiful, right? See you on the flip side.” After whispering something to Cassie, he kisses her cheek and jogs across the street with his flux in his hand, laughing smugly the whole way. I can’t help but think of all the days I spent under his watch, studying his moves and envying his ability to let go of what happened to our parents, envying his ability to live his life.
Stop it, I command myself, gripping the hilt of my flux tighter. I pull it out and cross the street. The Witches are already on the steps, guns in hand.
“He has their attention,” Cassie says, her eyes seeing past the front door. “I’m going to spell the exits to keep anyone from leaving when we get in. Jezi, keep the boys safe in case they miss.”
Jezi sucks her teeth. “Which really means I get no action. Awesome.” She pulls her chocolate-colored hair back into a ponytail, making sure to throw angered glances in my direction. I brush it off and look away from her.
“They’re cornering him,” Cassie says, anticipation diving off each and every syllable.
I drop my gaze on the door as volation ripples down my arms in electric spikes.
“Good, let’s go.”
THE MOMENT I RUSH THROUGH the door, I spot Gavin pressed up against the wall by one of the Succubi. “A Gramm,” she hisses hotly. “How lucky am I?” Her tongue flicks out, grazing the side of his cheek, burning the top layer of flesh away as she rubs her body seductively against him.
The Gramm Curse (The Night Watchmen Series) Page 1