The Gramm Curse (The Night Watchmen Series)

by Candace Knoebel

  “You mean my curse,” I say bluntly. I risk looking at Clara and immediately regret it. Her judgmental gaze bores into me, digging and searching. “I told him no,” I say, keeping my gaze locked on Clara’s. Damn her for thinking less of me; for thinking I would actually agree to something so beneath our kind. Jezi tenses next to me.

  “Well, it seems we have a problem then,” Mack says authoritatively, tucking his hands behind his back.

  My eyes jerk over to his. “What?”

  His steps carry him around the back of the couch, each one beating through my chest. “Your new assignment is to follow a Witch we believe is in cohorts with a Demon. The same Witch Russell and Mary have been monitoring. We believe he’s conspiring against the Coven. Because this assignment will be your most difficult to date, Gavin and Cassie, and Russell and Mary will also be accompanying you. Should this Witch be found guilty, you are to eradicate him on the spot.” His eyes shift over to Clara, who hisses under her breath, and then back to me and Jezi. He drops his voice, his eyes disappearing beyond his brow line. “Should the need arise to use this Witch for other means that would better this Coven, there will be no punishment.”

  Clara slams her tea down on the table.

  “Mack, that’s an Elite’s job. I’m not an Eli…” I start to say, but he cuts me off, lifting a firm finger in the air. Changing tactics.

  “If you ever want to see yourself as one, then you will complete this mission. Remember your oath and your duty to this Coven. Do not give in to your emotions.”

  My fingers flex at my sides. “The oath has nothing to do with this. Neither do my emotions. This is wrong, and you know it. I don’t want to use another…”

  He leans forward, unyielding in his glare. “It will be done,” he says in a low tone. “Your life is worth ten of that Witch’s life, Jaxen Reade Gramm. Do not think for one second that this makes you any less of a Hunter. Surviving is what makes a Hunter. If this spell works, then you have done your job.”

  My fists ball at my sides, ready to crush something, anything, but he is too quick. He knows me too well.

  “I will call when it is time for you to begin. You are dismissed.”

  I leave the room without another word. Jezi’s right beside me, already pushing against my thoughts.

  “Say something.”

  I stop and spin on her. “This is a bunch of bullshit, Jezi. Not only is this a stupid move, because one or all of us could get killed, but he could lose his position as an Elder. You know damn well that he doesn’t have the High Priesthood’s permission. What else could they have been fighting about? And why do you think Clara was mean-mugging me?”

  She crosses her arms and looks away from me. “Who cares what she thinks? She’s out for herself anyway.”

  “I care!” I yell, getting in her face. “If she’s willing to dump her partner for her own advancement, don’t you think she’s capable of ratting us out? She could use this against us down the road.”

  She faces me, never backing down. “She wouldn’t. She’s not that low.”

  “But we are?” I counter incredulously. “You’re willing to kill another Witch just to use a spell given by a Demon that might not even work?” I plow my hands through my hair and pace, trying to keep the anger brewing in me under control, busying my hands to keep them from slamming through a wall.

  She grabs my arm and stops me, forcing me to face her. “If it means saving you, then yes, Jaxen. You’re my partner. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”

  I pull my arm away and huff, bringing my fingers to my mouth. There’s barely any nail left to chew, but I chew anyway. “This isn’t going to work…mixing emotions with a mission… This is asking for a screw-up, a royal one.”

  “We won’t know until we try.” She sounds nervous, like she’s trying to make herself believe her own words.

  I look over at her and drop my hands. “That seems to be the answer for everything now, isn’t it?”

  A HASTY KNOCK SOUNDS AGAINST my door. I cross the living room and grab a twenty out of my wallet. The tantalizing smell of pizza lingers in the air. My stomach growls in return. I gaze through the peep hole, and then open the door.

  “Hey, man, you order a large supreme?” asks the kid delivering my pizza.

  “Yeah.”

  He hands it to me, and I give him the twenty. “I don’t have any change,” he says, staring blankly at me.

  “Of course you don’t. Keep it.” I shut the door. By the time I set the pizza down on the counter and open the steaming box, my phone vibrates in my pocket. I groan and pull it out.

  “Yes, Gavin?”

  “Hey to you too,” he replies. There’s no laughter in his tone this time.

  “What? What is it? I just ordered a pizza.” I open the box and lean in to smell it.

  “Sweet, but you’re going to have to wait ‘til later to eat.”

  My grip tightens around the phone. “And why is that?”

  “It’s go time. Mack just gave the call.”

  I glance down at the pizza and sigh heavily. “Fine. Where are we meeting?”

  “Outside of Mack’s Wiccan shop. The Witch is in there now, buying supplies. Pretty ballsy to show his face there if the accusations are correct.”

  “It’s the only supply shop in the city for our kind,” I remind him. “Maybe the fact that he’s there means that he’s innocent.” I can only hope.

  He snorts into the phone. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Anyway, Russell and Mary are raiding his apartment right now, looking for anything that will support the accusations against him. We’re going to tail him in the meantime.”

  “Can I eat my pizza first?”

  He chuckles. “No. The girls are already in there with him.”

  I crack my neck and close my eyes, taking in a sharp breath. She’s already working the freaking mission...without me. I could kill each and every one of them. “She’s doing this to force me into it. She’s being stupid and making careless decisions…letting her emotions drive her.” I close the lid to the pizza box and snatch my keys off the counter.

  “Jax, she just-”

  “How could you let them go out without us, Gavin? They’re powerless right now.” I lock the door behind me and take the stairs two at a time.

  He sighs into the phone. “I didn’t know until after they were already there. Cassie told me they were just going out shopping. She didn’t say for what though.”

  “You’ve got to get your Witch in check. You let her run all over you like a pansy.” The setting sun leaves a pink glow peeking through the many buildings lining my street. “Wait…how did she know the Witch would be there? We were supposed to be waiting on Mack’s call.”

  He takes a second too long to answer. He’s pissed. I can hear it in the tightness of his tone. “I guess they worked a locater spell. They probably thought you would have found a way out of it, so they took the initiative. Believe me, I am pissed.”

  “Damn it,” I say, pulling the phone away for a minute. My argument with Jezi flits across my mind. Save me. She would risk tailing a possible traitor Witch to try and save me, to save someone who doesn’t need to be saved. I want to crush the phone in my hand. How could she? Manipulation was never a part of our deal. Forcing me to agree to something by putting her life on the line is so beneath her.

  I put the phone back to my ear and hop into my truck. “I’ll meet you out front of the shop in ten.” I hit end and toss the phone onto the passenger seat. It takes me a moment to find the right key to put into the ignition. I can barely see past the anger. This doesn’t feel right. This isn’t right. Nothing comes this easy. Answers aren’t just given to people like us. Everything in me screams that we’re walking into a trap. We’re setting ourselves up for something way out of our league.

  I decide to park a block away from the shop to keep a low profile. I grab a couple of hot dogs from a vendor, and then turn the last corner. Gavin’s already out front, blowing into hi
s hands. The minute he sees me, his eyes fall to my hot dog.

  “Where’s mine?”

  I hand him the other hot dog. He grins.

  “So, what’s the plan?” I ask before shoving the last half of the hot dog in my mouth.

  “They’re still inside. I figure we can wait across the street over at that deli. Order a drink and sit outside.”

  “Okay.”

  Jezi brushes the outside of my mind as my power slowly pumps back through me, allowing me to breathe again. “Don’t be angry with me.”

  “We’ll talk about it when this is over.”

  “Jaxen-”

  “Just let me know when he leaves and keep yourself from being spotted.” I throw my walls back up before she can answer, cutting her out. As angry as I am with being manipulated, I still don’t want to argue with her. It won’t change anything. It won’t remove us from this situation.

  We cross the street, and I pull out one of the chairs around an outside table facing Mack’s shop. Gavin heads into the deli and returns with two cokes. After devouring his hot dog and downing his coke, he shifts his eyes onto me and stares. At first, I ignore him. I know what he’s doing...he’s waiting. He’s baiting me to ask him what’s on his mind. If I just pretend like I don’t notice, maybe he’ll leave me alone.

  “So, how was the meeting with Mack?” he asks, shifting in his seat.

  I should have known better. I side eye him, raising a brow.

  “Good, then?”

  I exhale loudly and pull my eyes off the shop so I can face him. “If you really must know, it was shitty. Mack and Clara fought, and then Mack shot down any chance of hearing me out.”

  “Tough go, Brother.”

  “Yeah, no thanks to you,” I say, scowling at him.

  He grins and, reflexively, my fists ball up against the table.

  “It’s so unlike Clara and Mack to fight,” he says with sarcasm intertwined within his words. “What did they fight about?”

  “It was about her campaign, and I think about this mission. I don’t think she agreed with it.”

  He snorts. “Of course she didn’t. Going against one of our own- it may be noble, if he is in fact a traitor, but being noble doesn’t go far in the Priesthood. She’ll look untrustworthy.”

  “It isn’t noble. She is untrustworthy. And don’t say things like that about our Elders.”

  He burps, and then exhales.

  “Assnugget,” I mutter under my breath.

  He shrugs and leans back in his chair, scratching the back of his head. The sun disappears beyond the buildings around us. “How long does it take to buy ingredients?” he asks, looking over at the shop.

  I close my eyes and brush against the edges of Jezi’s mind. She lets me see what she’s seeing. “He’s at the register now.”

  Gavin sits up when I open my eyes. “What the hell is he buying?”

  “I don’t know. Ingredients for something.”

  “Duh.”

  “The essence of a sloth, a yellow candle, a jar of sand, and a bowl,” Jezi says, her tone drifting in confusion. “I think he’s going to cast a time loop spell.”

  My heart slams into my throat. I have to swallow twice before I can spit out the words. “Jezi says it’s stuff for a time loop spell,” I repeat to Gavin.

  The shakiness in my tone catches his attention and forces his eyes on mine. “What the hell would he need that for? And why the hell would he buy that here, knowing it’s an Elder’s shop?”

  “I don’t know,” I breathe out, trying to ease the clench of my stomach.

  He smiles a little, completely uncaring and completely oblivious. “I told you this cat is ballsy.”

  I clench my jaw. “Or just really stupid. Look, this isn’t funny, Gavin. Witches don’t just cast time loop spells. It’s against our laws. You know that. We’re not supposed to mess with time.”

  “Exactly. Which means we have the right guy. Mack was right. This guy is definitely up to something.”

  “Gavin, we can’t…”

  He leans across the table, his voice low and sharp. “Give up? Yeah, I know. We can’t, because that would make us sissy jack asses.” He stares at me for a moment, letting his words sink in. “Now, put your fear in check and man up. You’re letting your emotions rule you, and now is not a good time. We’re following him until we find out what he’s up to.” He shifts his eyes back over to the shop, gritting his teeth.

  I bite my tongue. I want to reach over the table and strangle him. I want to hurt him because he’s right. I am getting out of control. These past few days have done a number on me. I breathe in and switch it all off.

  “He’s leaving. Be ready,” Jezi says.

  I look back to the shop. The door opens halfway, and a leg appears under the dim light. Gavin sets his drink down, his back straightening out. A moment later, the Witch emerges. He’s a short man, dressed in the Night Watchmen uniform. A long, burly reddish-brown beard stretches down to his chest. He looks behind him and then up the street, searching for something.

  I don’t know why, but warning bells go off in my head...a second sense that screams for me to pay attention.

  “That’s him,” Gavin says. I take one last sip of my coke and set it back down. The man checks the street both ways, and then crosses, heading in our direction.

  “Act natural,” Gavin says under his breath.

  I reach for the coke. Act natural, I tell myself, trying to keep the adrenaline from making my hand shake. Every inch of me is alive and thriving with a need to grab Jezi and go.

  Gavin’s eyes fall on me and widen just enough to tell me to relax. He pulls out his knife and picks at his teeth. “So uh…what’d ya think about the game the other night?”

  I shift, trying not to seem so stiff. “Your team won. What do you think I think?” I feel the Witch approaching behind me without having to look. Every hair on my body raises…a sign of dark magic. I grip the handle of my chair and squeeze, trying to keep myself in place. They were right. He’s a traitor.

  Gavin gives nothing away. “And that adds like what to the pot…another twenty bucks?”

  “Something like that,” I say as the Witch walks by our table. He stumbles into the back of me, knocking my coke can over.

  “Sorry!” he says quickly, his voice awkwardly high-pitched. His brows scrunch a little when he recovers himself, and then his eyes trail down to my shoulder. “A Night Watchman?” He looks over at Gavin, seeming surprised. “You too?”

  Gavin nods, his palms flat against the table, ready to pounce should he need to.

  The Witch offers his hand, wearing an artless smile. “Name’s Joe.”

  Gavin flicks his eyes over Joe’s hand and lifts a brow. “Where’s your Hunter, Joe?”

  Joe’s eyes drop along with his hand. “She’s still getting ready. I’m actually heading to meet her right now.” He glances down at his watch. “Shoot. I’m running late.” He looks up at us and sighs. Everything about him feels forced, showy…wrong. “Well, it was nice bumping into you.”

  Gavin and I both nod at the same time as Joe walks away. I feel Jezi’s eyes on me across the street, taking the situation in. “Something isn’t right,” she warns as she passes a trail of headlights.

  “I know. He reeks of dark magic.”

  “If he knows, he didn’t raise any suspicions,” Gavin says on an exhale. “Did you smell the dark magic on him?”

  I nod. “He couldn’t have bumped into me by chance, Gavin. Come on.”

  “Just give him a minute, and then we’ll follow him,” Gavin says, keeping his eyes on me. He’s chewing on his lip. I dart a glance behind him, filtering through the nameless faces for the traitor. My eyes are drawn like magnets to his deceit. Joe prepares to cross the street again, but before he does, his dark eyes find mine. A small, unmistakable smile crosses his lips.

  “He knows.”

  Gavin jumps out of his seat and bolts down the sidewalk, already reaching for his flux. Shouts an
d curses erupt from the humans we slam into and shove out of the way. I know Jezi’s behind me, working spells to erase our disruption. I push harder, almost on Gavin’s heels. The Witch stops in the middle of the sidewalk, his hands extended from his side.

  “Spell!” I shout at Gavin, but I’m too late. Gavin ducks, and the spell slams into my chest, knocking my senses out of whack.

  “We’re right behind you,” Jezi says.

  I shout for Gavin, but his name won’t seem to pass my lips. Joe must have hexed me. “I think I’m hexed.”

  “I’m almost there. Stay put.”

  Gavin glances back over his shoulder at me. Indecision weighs in his gaze. I try to nod, to tell him to keep going, but I can’t move anything. I’m frozen in place with too many human eyes watching me. Gavin growls and spins on his heel. He’s feet behind the Witch, pushing and shoving his way through the early evening crowd. Joe worms into the stopped traffic, disappearing behind the line of cars.

  “Hold still. I’m working a counter spell.”

  “But Gavin!” Fear pumps through my blood like ice cold water.

  “Cassie’s got him. Hold still.”

  I’m still fighting the hex, still trying to run, when Cassie breezes by me. Joe disappears into a dark alley with Gavin right behind him.

  “Jezi, hurry. There’s no time.”

  “Got it!”

  I’m on autopilot the minute I feel the hex lift. I cross the road, my heart thundering against my chest. What if they’re ambushed? What if Joe’s dark magic is stronger than them both? Panic settles in my ribcage, rattling everything in me. By the time I make it across the street, Gavin jogs out of the mouth of the alley.

  “Dude, where the hell were you?” he asks with Cassie following behind him. She’s holding her arm to her chest.

  “Hexed. Thanks for ducking.”

  He rolls his eyes and shoves his hand through his hair. “He freaking crossed through a shadow with a Demon. He called the Demon to him by name. What the hell is going on?”

  “You heard the name?” I ask, the acid stirring in my stomach. He got away. We freaking let him get away.