Redemption (Night Marchers #2) Written by: Rebecca Gober and Courtney Nuckels

by Nuckels, Courtney

  "Well then you could have grabbed a smaller knife! Geez Kaylee. That giant butcher knife is really freaking me out."

  She turns if upside down and hands it to me handle first. I gladly accept it. She then clarifies herself. "A broken leg healing in a matter of days? That's comic book stuff. Maybe something crazy is happening to you. I mean, obviously it's something good, but it's still crazy nonetheless. Don't you want to know if you are still healing that rapidly and why?"

  I think about it for a minute. The anxiety of what happened to Kai has been stuck in the forefront of my mind so I really haven't allowed myself too much time to dwell on my fast healing. I have no idea what's going on or more importantly what’s causing it. The only two things that I can think of is perhaps it has to do with the curse that I struck or the drink that Kai gave me. But, Kaylee is right. I do need to find out if I'm still healing fast or if it's slowing down. "Okay, but a small cut and I will do it myself." I say resolutely.

  "Um, of course Emma. I don't feel like slicing up my best friend. I'm not that much of a lunatic." She says laughing.

  I just look at her nervously and position the knife over the inside of my forearm. I take a deep breath and make a slow slash. It's no deeper than a paper cut but it stings like the dickens.

  We both stand there for five minutes staring at my bleeding arm. Kaylee hands me a few tissues when some of the blood starts dripping over. Both of us are so silent that you could hear a pin drop. After a few more minutes we both look up at each other and then start cracking up uncontrollably. My arm is still covered in blood, but what did we think? That we would just stand there and watch it close up like on some kind of crazy sci-fi movie?

  Laughing with Kaylee is one of the first normal moments that I've had in several days. When our giggling dies down, Kaylee suggests, "Why don't you go clean that off. I don't want to get your blood all over my nice pink rug."

  "Yeah, we wouldn't want that." I say smiling, then turn towards her attached bathroom to rinse it off. As I'm washing my arm off I steal a glance of my reflection in the mirror. I look pretty haggard. My dark hair is oily and flat and my brown eyes look red and tired. I desperately need to get some sleep.

  When I go to turn off the water I look at my arm and my breath goes whooshing out of me. I barely find myself able to stutter, "Kkayllee."

  She comes running in and we are both stunned into complete sober silence as we stare at my bare forearm. Other than a fading white scar, there is no evidence that I just cut myself a few minutes before. I look at Kaylee in complete shock. I'm grateful that she has the same shock on her face, which tells me that I'm not crazy. After all if I were crazy, she would not be as surprised as I am that my arm has healed so quickly. I pick up the tissue that has my blood on it, proof that my arm had been bleeding.

  "OMG, Emma. This is totally nuts. Do you know what this means?"

  I look at her in question and answer, "No..."

  "You’re immortal! Maybe you’re a vampire or something. Or a werewolf or something as equally impressive!" She says, her words spitting out a thousand miles a minute.

  Raising my eyebrows I give her a serious look and then bust out laughing. I laugh so hard that I can't stand. I sit down on her bathroom floor unable to contain my hysterical cackling. "Yeah, or maybe I'm Wonder Woman now. Maybe I can fly!" I can't help myself I'm cracking up so bad.

  "Hey!" Kaylee says hands on her hips, trying to act annoyed even though I can tell she's doing her best to suppress her giggles. "Okay, okay, maybe you aren't a super hero. But, you have to admit, this is pure craziness."

  Calming down a little, since laughing is now making my side hurt, I reply, "Yes, it's crazy but Kaylee, you have been reading way too much paranormal teen fiction. I am quite positive that I'm not immortal or some type of new breed. I'm not certain what is going on with me, but I have much bigger fish to fry." Thinking about the last part sobers me up completely.

  Kaylee sees my change in mood and sits down next to me. She traces over the scar on my arm with her finger as if she needed to do that to really believe that what she saw was reality. Then turning towards me she says assuredly, "It's all good, whatever it is Emma. I think it's pretty cool, but I know that this is the least of your problems. We are BFI's though and now your problems are my problems. We’ll get through this. We just need to brainstorm...What's our game plan?"

  It doesn't take me long to come to terms with what I need to do. "Well, one things for certain Kaylee, I need to go back."

  "Okay, but you do mean we need to go back, right?" She asks.

  I think about it for a moment weighing everything out. I want Kaylee with me, but do I really want to put her in danger. I mean risking my life is one thing, but to risk hers too? I don't know if I'm okay with that. I look at her in the eyes and can tell that she's reading my thoughts because her face is all scrunched up in that, 'oh no you don't' look of hers. "I just don't want to put you in danger Kaylee, that’s all."

  "Okay, let me clarify this for you Emma. If you are going back to Kauai, I will be going back with you. I am not asking you, I am telling you. I will not let you do this alone and you will not shut me out. Understand? "

  I have known Kaylee long enough to understand that there is no more discussing this. When she is set on something, she is immovable. I can however put in my own stipulations. "Fine. You can come with me, but, if I am ever in a situation of danger, you will listen to me and not follow me into it if I tell you to stay put. Now, I have had more training than you and obviously I can heal quicker than you so this is non-negotiable. Capiche?"

  "Capoosh! So what's the plan? Hi-jack a boat or stow away on a cruise ship?" Kaylee says excitedly.

  "Nah, I get sea sick." I reply jokingly while simultaneously raising an eyebrow at her. "How about an old fashioned plane ride?"

  "So practical Emma. I would be more into a more modern plane ride though, I heard those old fashioned ones tend to be really bumpy in the sky." Kaylee says.

  I've really missed how natural and fun it is to jump into witty chatter with Kaylee. "Here's the problem, Kaylee, those modern plane rides cost mucho dinero and I don't have any." I watch as Kaylee ponders this dilemma.

  "Well, would you consider this an emergency?" Kaylee asks.

  "Of the highest sort, yes." I reply.

  "I agree. Then I would say that this would be a good reason to dip into my emergency college fund. Now, I know you like to roll in style, but this girl can't afford first class tickets." Kaylee says with a laugh.

  Instead of laughing though, my eyes start tearing up. They are good tears though. I have an amazing friend. Kaylee realizes that I've gone into 'serious mode,' and it doesn't take long before her eyes go all watery too.

  She grabs two Kleenex’s from her nightstand, hands one to me and then uses the other one to dab at her eyes. "Thank you so much Kaylee. I don't know what I would do without you."

  "I don't know either." She says lightening up the mood a bit with her quick wit. "Anyhow, we are family and family helps each other."

  I nod and then blush when my stomach lets out a ferocious growl.

  "Well then," Kaylee jokes, "I guess it's time to scrounge up some dinner."

  We both head to the kitchen. Kaylee's mom has already gone to bed since she has to get up at four a.m. for her flight tomorrow. So with her asleep, we are left to fend for ourselves. After carefully weighing out the option between cereal and ramen we decided on ramen.

  Kaylee fills me in on all that's been going on at our high school, senior pranks and all as we slurp our noodles. After dinner we head back to her room, open up my laptop and hunt for deals on last minute flights. We consider trading in Kaylee's ticket that the Kealoha's purchased for her, but decide that it could end up tipping them off on our plans. We check out numerous sites and finally end up settling on one that only costs an arm and half of a leg. Rates on flights must be exponentially higher this week because Texas is out on spring break. We use Kaylee's debit card to purcha
se and confirm our flights.

  With plane tickets set up for tomorrow, I'm exhausted with jet lag and feel sleep calling to me but I have one last thing to do before getting some shuteye. Pulling out my IPhone I send a quick text letting Tristan know the details of our flight. A minute later my phone vibrates; I open it to see the response.

  "R U sure? I think perhaps u r safer in Texas." Tristan texts back.

  I take a deep breath and try not to be frustrated by his response. "So are u sayin u don't want me 2 come back?" I know I’m being a total girl and twisting his words, but I can’t seem to help it.

  A few seconds later he responds, "No! Of course I want u back. I just also want u safe."

  Kaylee looks at me and raises her eyebrows in question when she sees me rolling my eyes at the phone. I ignore the question and text back, "Understand. So do u want 2 help or not?"

  He doesn't respond. I wonder after a few minutes if he's going to even bother. As I'm about ready to throw my phone out the window in frustration, he says, "K. What do u need me 2 do?"

  Using my two thumbs I type out my game plan to Tristan and in the end, the only response I get from him is, "K."

  I can tell that he's not too thrilled about how secretive we will have to be, nor is he happy that I'm going to be back in the line of danger. While I care about Tristan and what he thinks, I'm not going to waver on what I need to do. Kai is in this spot because of me. I can't just sit back and let him stay that way while I go on with my life. It's not possible. I send Tristan a final text, "Thx. G Night."

  He doesn't text back, but that's okay. I know he's upset and probably feels like I'm pulling his arm since he knows that if he doesn't help me, I will still do this without him. Just call me stubborn. But, tonight, I can't worry about that. I'm too exhausted to worry about it. She sets her alarm for five in the morning, both for making sure her mom is gone, and because we have a flight to catch at nine. As I fall asleep, I can't help but wonder what Kai is going through tonight and if he's thinking about me.

  Chapter 4

  It seems so bizarre to be loading luggage back into the car so soon after I’d just arrived. Kaylee is sleep walking over to the coffee maker to get her breakfast. She is pretty much useless in the morning until she has had her first cup of jo. We sit at the counter sipping our coffee and I watch as Kaylee comes alive. The dawn is becoming apparent as the first rays of light seep in from the window.

  “We better get a move on Kaylee if we’re going to catch our flight.”

  Kaylee nods in response. “You know Emma, I don’t know if it has just hit me until now that I am actually going to Hawaii!” Yep, she woke up. “I mean, that is so cool!”

  I watch her as she jumps off the bar stool and runs into her room. Struggling to catch up to her, I find her packing several different swimsuits, sundresses, flip flops etc. into her suitcase.

  “You know, I hate to be a killjoy Kaylee, but I don’t think we are going to have a lot of time to sit around and soak up the sun while we’re there. Remember what this is all about!” I am trying not to be a Debbie Downer, but I can’t help but squelch her spirits if she is thinking of this as some exotic vacation.

  Kaylee stops mid pack and looks up at me. She exhales softly looking deflated. “Sorry Emma, it’s just—ever since I was small I’ve always wanted to go somewhere like Hawaii, I’ve just never had the chance, what, with my mom being the sole provider and all.”

  Feeling utterly horrible I kneel down to Kaylee’s level. “Trust me Kaylee, if there was any other way…” I leave it at that. I know I really don’t have to explain myself, because in a few hours time she will be immersed in it as well.

  Getting to the airport doesn’t take long when Kaylee is driving. If there were ever open auditions for NASCAR I would sign her up myself. My hand remains glued to the ‘Oh Crap’ bar as we drift into the nearest parking spot. I cringe just knowing she’s going to be paying $20 a day to park here.

  Standing in line for the ticket counter to pick up our boarding passes feels like the longest wait of our lives. Not because the line itself is long, but because we know that when we get to the counter, they will need to check our IDs. They could technically say something about us being minors and that could put an end to our trip before it has even begun.

  Once we finally get to the front of the line an older woman behind the counter calls out, "next!" I start to head forward but Kaylee grabs me abruptly by the arm and then kneels down, pretending to mess with her shoelace. Since she's stalling for some apparent reason, I turn around to a young couple behind us and offer them to go ahead in front of us.

  Once they move ahead Kaylee stands up and gives me a mischievous look. That's when I hear a man at the far end of the counter call out, "Next!" This airline employee is somewhat young; I would say early twenties if I had to guess. Kaylee turns slightly towards me whispering, “Let me do the talking.”

  Oh boy, I have no idea what she intends to do, but she better not blow it! We finally get to the front of the line when I see Kaylee’s hair flipping back flirtatiously as she cocks her hip. Oh. My. Gosh. Is all I can think right now. She bats her eyelashes as she waltzes up to the ticket counter and leans forward over it, leaving only about a foot of space between the two of them. I look at the young man who is paying no attention to me. I can tell that he is a little shocked by Kaylee's audacity, but I can also tell he is enjoying every second of it.

  Kaylee places our confirmation print outs we got online in between the two of them. Then she begins in a throaty soulful voice, “Hey handsome, have we met before, you look familiar?”

  “Um, I don’t think so,” the man hesitantly replies. He methodically places each print out under the bar code reader without even looking down.

  “Hmmmm,” Kaylee ponders. She twirls her hair around the tip of her finger. “Maybe it was just in my dreams.” I see a smirk little smile etch across her face.

  Oh brother…

  I hear a flirtatious giggle before she continues. “It looks like you have a very important job.” She reaches for his nametag tracing the name Tad with her index finger. She turns to me and grabs my arm bringing me to her side. “And this is my friend Emma. Emma and I are on our way to Hawaii!” She giggles again.

  My face is probably beet red and I am so over this moment wishing it would end soon. I could only imagine what the people behind us are thinking right about now.

  "Sounds like fun," He says flirting right back. Kaylee hands over her ID while she tries her best to distract Tad. He only steels a quick glance to confirm that the name matches the computer. It takes an agonizing moment before he gives it back to Kaylee.

  “You ladies have a good trip,” Tad says while giving Kaylee the once over. He quickly checks mine but is still looking at Kaylee out of the corner of his eye. I do a mental eye roll as he hands me back my ID along with our boarding passes. I have no idea how he processed and printed them without even looking at the screen.

  Kaylee takes a sharpie out of her purse then grabs his hand and places her digits on his palm.

  “It was nice to meet you Tad,” I say while pushing Kaylee past the ropes and towards the security area. Kaylee reaches her hand up extending her thumb and pinkie finger to her ear, call me, she mouths back to Tad.

  “Okay, seriously Kaylee, I think you might have just taken that a little too far.” I say giving her a playful shove.

  Kaylee laughs, “I got us through didn’t I.”

  She has a point, so I just nod in mutual understanding as we make our way through the security checks.

  Once we make it through, I check my watch seeing we have about 30 minutes or so until our flight boards. It’s just enough time to stop at Starbucks and get a steaming cup of coffee. I grab a pastry as well knowing all about the revolting food they serve in coach. This should tide me over for a few hours at least, I hope.

  ***

  Kaylee unscrews the air nozzle above her in the plane letting out a burst of cold air.

&
nbsp; “Hey,” I chide as Kaylee turns it back down.

  “Sorrree,” she chides back.

  To say I’m a little on edge would be an understatement. I feel like I’ve been running in circles uselessly since I last saw Kai, and I’m not sure what to do with myself. I go to recline my seat only to be stopped just inches back. I push the button and try again only to get the same resistance. I look behind me and get a very dirty look from an overly large woman. I let out a long sigh and settle in for the remainder of the long trip ahead.

  Chapter 5

  As Kaylee and I exit onto the air bridge I shoot her a semi-dirty look. She looks so refreshed from her five-hour nap. I on the other hand am as stiff as a board from sitting straight up for eight hours. I shrug off my annoyance; after all, I wouldn't have been able to sleep anyhow, even if I was laying all the way back in first class.

  As we walk through the terminal I catch a glimpse of my reflection in a poster frame. My hair looks affright; so I reach up to try to straighten it out a bit with my hands. Kaylee smirks at me then pulls a brush out of her purse. I gladly accept it and start pulling it through my tangled mane.

  When we near baggage claim my heart starts doing the quick step. Knowing Tristan might be there is one of the things that have kept me wide-awake throughout the entire plane ride.

  Kaylee looks at me knowingly and gives me a reassuring pat on the back. "Breathe Emma, it will be okay."

  "Easy for you to say," I mutter. I have no idea how Tristan is going to act when I see him. That is, if he even comes at all. He was none too pleased about my asking for his help. Not that he doesn't want to help me, he just doesn't want me in danger. He made that perfectly clear when I was awoken around two a.m. this morning by the sound of his text. He obviously didn't think about the time difference. Anyhow, he was pleading with me to stay put in Texas. We argued back and forth until I sent a final text to him saying: Never mind, I don't want your help. I will do this on my own. I then shut off my phone and haven't turned it back on since.