The halls were empty as I made my way to where they waited. There was not a single soul at the lobby desk or in any of the classrooms I passed. Their doors sat open, but the rooms were dark and silent. Behind the giant wooden doors to the hall, there was no indication that anyone else sat inside. I couldn’t hear a thing as I stood with my feet firmly on the ground.
One deep breath and I shoved them open.
Hundreds of people were inside the room. They all stood for me and applauded. My breath caught in my chest as my eyes widened. It was an incredible sight.
I walked down the center aisle to where the Head of the Chamber of Darkness waited by a podium. Every eye followed me, some with tears in them. I spotted Holly standing by the twins. They cheered the loudest as they waved their arms and hollered from the front row.
Head Buhari reached out and grasped my hand in hers to shake. Her voice boomed over the din of the cheering crowd.
“I would like to begin the ceremony with a very special and talented young lady, who overcame all obstacles thrown her way and ended up saving not only this Chamber, but the world itself. Kamlyn Ann Paige, would you please step over here?” She held out her hand to her other side to place me at the very center of the crowd. “I would like to be the first to congratulate you on becoming a member of the Chamber of Darkness and an official Huntsman.”
Applause erupted again and filled the hall. The Head raised her hand to pin the silver crest of the Chamber of Darkness to the collar of my jacket. I looked out at the sea of people, their proud faces touching my heart and reminding me that I was still alive—there were still people around worth fighting the Darkness for. Danny was gone, but I was still there to make sure no other mother went through what I did. I would save as many people as I could on my way to getting my revenge.
Don’s face stood out among the rest. His mouth was a straight line, but his eyes turned upward to reveal the smile hidden underneath. He clapped his hands together strongly as he watched me with pride etched into the lines of his face.
I ran over to him and threw my arms around his neck. The soft pressure of his hands at my back filled me with warmth. He was the sole reason I ever came to know this place. He gave me the possibility of avenging my son’s death. I loved him deeper than I could ever say aloud. But when we parted and he looked into my eyes, I knew he felt the same way.
We formed an unbreakable bond over the last six months since he found me crumpled on the grass in front of his house. He helped me in so many ways, I could never convey just how much I appreciated all he had done for me.
“What do you say we go home?” he said as he threw his arm around my shoulder.
“Really?” I asked, looking around at the other initiates receiving their pins.
“Yeah, there’s no need to stick around. Go pack your stuff and we’ll get out of here.” He pulled me in toward his body for another squeeze.
“Sounds perfect,” I sighed. “I just have to say goodbye to a few people.”
He nodded his head and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I’ll be waiting for you in the lobby.”
I walked over to Holly, Atticus, Achilles, and Lance who were all grinning excitedly over the new addition to their uniforms. Holly threw her arms around me and hugged tightly.
“We did it!” she exclaimed as she bounced on her feet.
“You deserve it,” I said as I pulled away. I held both her hands in mine. “You really do. You’re a great Huntsman.”
“Aw, stop it. I’m gonna cry.”
“You better grow some tougher skin, Paige.” We both laughed, remembering the words Ryker Alexander had spoken months ago.
“My savior!” Atticus cried out as he ducked down to hug me around my waist. He picked me up and twirled me around.
“Okay, okay, put me down,” I laughed.
“Whatever you command, my queen.” He placed his palms together and bowed low to the ground.
I pulled him up by his collar with a heavy sigh. “Knock it off before I punch you.”
We all laughed together. A quick pinch of sadness hit me. It was probably the last time the five of us would ever be together like this. Achilles came up and took my hand in his.
“I hope you know what an amazing woman you are, Kamlyn Paige.”
My cheeks flushed red. I smiled up at him awkwardly as his hand tightened around mine.
“I’m going to miss you,” he said as his brown eyes glistened.
“I’m going to miss you, too. All of you.” I hugged each of them again. “I hope to see you around soon.”
I left the hall for the last time. The urge to look over my shoulder overwhelmed me, but I kept my eyes forward. If I saw them watching me leave there would be no stopping the tears.
I went straight to my room and threw everything I had into my duffel bag. With the extra binders of information, I had to shove it in good to get the zipper to close. I took off my uniform, folded it up, and placed it in the bag. I wanted to return home the way I left, with my mother’s oversized, hand-knit sweater over my heart. I took it out of the plastic bag I had placed it in my first night there.
As I emerged from the hallway that opened into the lobby, I realized that headquarters wasn’t that scary and confusing of a place after all. In fact, it was one of the few places in the world that made sense anymore. Don smiled as he leaned against the wall next to the elevator.
“You ready?” he asked as he took my bag from my shoulder and threw it over his.
I nodded and stepped in with him once the doors opened. The climb up to the surface passed quickly. Before I knew it, the sun was shining on my face through the tall windows of the main floor lobby. I raised my hand to shield my eyes. It was the first time I had seen sunlight in six months.
Outside, the world looked different than I had left it. The clouds were still white and moved slowly across the blue sky. The pine trees still swayed in the slight cool breeze. But it wasn’t the same. It was no longer a world that had been around for millions of years, immortal and indestructible. It was now a world that had narrowly escaped its end—a world that knew it could not go on forever while both the Light and Darkness inhabited it.
“Are you excited to see Cara again, be back in your own home above ground?”
I climbed into the passenger seat of the rented car. My eyes gazed out the window for a moment before I turned to look at Don—my mentor, friend, and family.
“I am, but I think I want to get started hunting as soon as possible,” I said, more certain than ever. “There’s still something out there I need to take care of.”
Don patted my leg and then started the car. It felt weird to be going back to Indiana after my time spent in headquarters with the Chamber of Darkness. The people I met and the things I learned would carry with me forever. But all I could do now was move forward, find Danny’s killer, and bring the demon to justice. I wouldn’t rest until I did.
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ISBN 978-1522888987
Text Copyright © 2016 by Alex Apostol
Cover Design Copyright © 2016 by The Quivering Quill Press
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means- electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other- except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior written permission of Alex Apostol.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.
First Edition, February 2016
Broken Angel is dedicated to my daughter, Charlotte
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the second book in the CHRONICLES OF A SUPERNATURAL HUNTSMAN (Kamlyn Paige) serie
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Kamlyn Paige travels the country overcoming evil while searching for revenge. On the way to freeing her son’s soul, she comes across new and old friends who help her to learn new things about herself and point her in the right direction to vindication. Every moment for the past year of her life has been leading up to this and now that she is aware of who she is, she may have a chance at survival.
Broken Angel (Book 1 in the Chronicles of a Supernatural Huntsman series) Page 39