Shadow Master: The Nightwatch Academy book 4

by Cassidy, Debbie

  The militia had taken the brunt of the attack. “I need to find Balan and Draka. I need to thank them.”

  Orion shook his head. “Balan didn’t make it.”

  Oh, shit.

  “Harmon is administering to Balan’s troops now.”

  The ashes of the dead could wait. We had wounded to administer to, and we had an army to feed.

  “Let’s get to work.”

  Epilogue

  ONE WEEK LATER

  I padded into the shadow cadet dorm lounge in my gray slippers and fluffy white gown, rubbing sleep from my eyes. That was the first full night’s sleep I’d had all week. But it had been worth the wait. I adored sleeping with the guys; after all, the extracurricular activity was great, but I’d needed one night with the bed to myself.

  The cadets were back at the Academy, and Brunner had restarted lessons. Her reasoning—we needed to get back to normality, even if the port was still closed. There’d been no word from the outside yet, but Helseth and Latrou were convinced it was only a matter of time. The council were making themselves at home in the weavers’ dorms for now, and the cadets had helped Brunner take inventory of food stock. We had another three months of food if needed, but the herbology tutor had already set students to work planting vegetables in the greenhouses just in case.

  I yawned and stretched before popping the coffee pot on to boil. The guys would be up soon. They’d been pandering to me for the last two days by making coffee and pancakes in the morning. It was about time I returned the favor.

  I started on the batter and was giving it a good beating when Hyde entered the room, bringing the aroma of citrus body wash with him. I grinned. Yeah, I’d been tempted to join him in the shower, but then I’d have been late to make breakfast, and hell, I’d have probably gone back to bed.

  “Pancakes?” he asked, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing my neck. “You should let me do that.”

  “Why, because you think I’ll burn them?”

  He chuckled. “No, because I like taking care of you.”

  “It works both ways. But you can fry some bacon.”

  “Our last packet?”

  I nodded. “It’ll go off if we don’t eat it.”

  He released me and set to work.

  The past week had been … different. The barriers between us were down. There was no more pretending. Hyde and I accepted that there was no point fighting what we felt. Orion knew about us, and when he left here, he would do what he wanted. We couldn’t control his actions. But we could make the most of the time we had. With the stress stripped away, Hyde was warm, loving, attentive. All the things I’d known he would be. All the things I loved.

  Brady entered the room a moment later, looking grumpy. Hyde poured a cup of coffee and handed it to him. Brady grunted and took a huge gulp.

  His face relaxed. “Thanks.”

  “You want bacon?” Hyde asked.

  “Dumb question, Archer.”

  Hyde chuckled.

  I was still getting over this buddy thing with these two. Ever since I’d told Brady and the rest of the guys about Orion and his law, their attitude had shifted. I’d thought, what the hell, Orion already wanted me and Hyde dead, he couldn’t kill me any harder, and I doubted he’d be able to kill all the guys and manage to cover that up.

  Plus, I was fed up with the whole fucking thing. It felt minute and insignificant in the face of the shit we’d just gone through. I was done with walking on eggshells.

  “I don’t like fucking bullies,” Brady had said. “And if he wants to touch you or Hyde, he’ll have to go through me and the guys.”

  It was weird, but the threat of the consequences of breaking Orion’s law had brought us together. Made us stronger.

  Kash padded in a moment later, his hair all mussed from sleep, lips all pouty and in need of kisses.

  “Food,” he groaned. “Please.”

  Brady chuckled and plucked a slice of bacon off the plate Hyde was loading and held it up over Kash. Kash tipped back his head and opened his mouth like a baby bird, and Brady dropped the bacon in before ruffling Kash’s hair.

  Yeah, that was another development. Brady taking Kash under his wing and playing big brother. It was kinda cute.

  Kash grabbed a mug and poured coffee before planting a kiss on my cheek.

  The troop ambled in next, taking their usual spots, and breakfast was truly underway.

  * * *

  With breakfast over, no one wanted to move. We lounged on the sofas in our PJs, enjoying the quiet time.

  “Lessons start tomorrow,” Devon said with a groan. “I don’t see the point.”

  Neither had the rest of the cadets, but Brunner had been adamant and allocated them all dorm rooms in the main Academy. She’d capitulated to me, though, allowed me and the guys to keep the shadow cadet dorms. She hadn’t commented on the fact Hyde was staying with us. Everything was fucked up because technically the shadow cadets were graduated. Done. Hyde was no longer our tutor. But now … Everything was up in the air.

  “I guess they’ll want to train us as Nightwatch agents now,” Aidan said.

  “We would so kick ass,” Devon said.

  The thought of sitting behind a desk for five hours a day studying made my head ache, but there was no need for shadow knights any longer. The militia had mostly retreated to Fomoria; only the wounded remained, and Harmon was helping Abram and the league take care of them. We’d housed them all in barracks for now.

  “We’re stuck here until the port is opened from the other side,” Hyde said. “When Orion got here, he told me that they’d given a special key to the head weaver. Once the threat is clear, she’ll unlock the port from that side. The weavers here will sense that and bring down the wards.”

  But there was no way of knowing when that would happen. Not everyone was trapped, though. Larkin and Payne had gotten out, not into our world, but into another reality. Staying here was too dangerous for them both, but they’d be back. I was sure of it.

  Meanwhile, we’d play the waiting game.

  The intercom buzzed, and Hyde arched a brow. “Anyone expecting visitors?” he asked.

  There was a chorus of no.

  Hyde left his seat to get the call, and then Orion’s voice filled the room.

  “Hyde. I’d like a word, please,” he said, his tone clipped and businesslike.

  I tensed, and Brady sat forward in his seat.

  “I’ll be right down,” Hyde said.

  “I’m coming with you.” I stood and tucked my feet back into my slippers.

  “No.” Hyde looked to Brady. “Keep her here. Keep her safe.”

  He walked out of the room quickly, leaving me breathless with panic. “Orion can’t hurt him. He can’t do anything right now, not without it being obvious he did it, right?”

  Brady stood beside me and put an arm around my waist. “No. Hyde will be fine.”

  Then why had he asked Brady to keep me safe?

  Kash headed to the exit. “I’ll go check.”

  I nodded gratefully.

  Long minutes passed, and then the door slammed, and the sound of footsteps approached. Kash entered first, his expression unreadable.

  I stared at him. “What? What happened? Where’s Hyde?”

  Hyde entered the room, looking shell-shocked.

  “Hyde?” Brady prompted.

  “He released me,” Hyde said. “He released me from his bloodline.” He let out a small, incredulous laugh. “I’m no longer a Hyde.”

  “Wait …” Devon said. “Does that mean …”

  “Yes.” Brady grinned. “It means you guys are free of Orion’s law.”

  Joy fluttered in the pit of my stomach, but I needed to understand. “Why? Why now?”

  Hyde locked gazes with me. “He didn’t say. I didn’t ask.”

  “Who cares why?” Kash said. “You guys are free.”

  Brady cracked his knuckles. “Shame, I was looking forward to busting some Tuatha bones.�
�

  We were free. Truly free. I bridged the distance between Hyde and me and fell into his arms. He hugged me tight, then lifted me off my feet and swung me around, his laughter echoing around the room.

  “Fuck, this calls for a celebration,” Aidan said. “I think I have a bottle of something in my room.”

  * * *

  The guys were still celebrating with the bottle of lethal grog Aidan had produced. Damn, the stuff was strong. But there was one person missing from the celebrations, and I needed to understand why.

  The moon was high as I made my way to the barracks. Harmon hadn’t been back to the Academy since the war. I hadn’t spoken to him for a week, and my messages had gone unanswered. He was here. Hyde had checked in on him. But Harmon hadn’t come to see me. I’d waited, but no more.

  I slipped into barracks six to find him sitting at the table nursing a mug. He was alone.

  He looked up, but there was no surprise on his face. “I knew you’d come.” He smiled, but it was a sad smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

  “Harmon?”

  “Sit down, Indie, we need to talk.”

  I knew that tone and those words … They never meant anything good. My heart ached because I knew. I’d known for days, and I’d ignored it. But his absence, his need to be here rather than with me, had said it all.

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. “You’re leaving, aren’t you? You’re going with them … the militia.”

  He nodded slowly. “Yes.”

  “Why?” I gripped his arm. “Harmon … I don’t understand. Don’t you love me?”

  His jaw clenched, and he took a shuddering breath before fixing his emerald eyes on me. “Do you really doubt that?”

  My throat pinched painfully. “No.” I knew why he was leaving. There was only one reason.

  “I don’t belong here any longer,” he said gruffly. “And we can’t be together, not while I’m like this.”

  I wanted to say we’d fix it, but there was no guarantee about that. “I don’t want to lose you, and I don’t care if we can’t … consummate.”

  He made a sound of exasperation. “Fuck, Indie, I care. I can see you with them, and not taste you, touch you, be inside you. I need to be that close to you too.” He twisted in his seat and reached up to cup my face. “I have to go, but I’ll be back. I’m going to find the bastard who did this to me, and I’m going to make him reverse it. I will come back.”

  I nodded mutely, my vision blurring as tears slid down my cheeks.

  He wiped them away with his thumb. “Abram has agreed to help me. I leave tomorrow.”

  “You were going to leave without saying bye?”

  He pulled something from his pocket. A note. And then crumpled it in his hand. “Pathetic … I know. I just …” He leaned in and pressed his forehead to mine. “I wasn’t sure I’d be able to leave if I saw you again, but I knew you’d come.”

  I wanted to tell him not to go. I wanted to make him stay, but he’d be staying for me, not for him. If he stayed, he would be stuck this way, more fomorian than moonkissed, and that wasn’t what he wanted.

  I pulled away. “You better come back. I mean it. If you don’t, I’m coming after you.”

  He grinned. “I don’t doubt it one bit.”

  * * *

  “Justice?” I turned back from the dorm entrance to find Orion standing in the foyer. He was kissed by moonlight, his hair unbound and falling about his face in silken tendrils.

  “Can’t sleep?” I turned to face him.

  He sighed. “Sleep will be an elusive mistress until our world is safe once more.”

  My stomach quivered with tension. “Maybe the shadow cadets should go and help. We don’t belong here doing lessons. We belong on the battlefield.”

  “True.” He smiled. “Words and pages are no use to you, but I have instructed Brunner to bring you up to speed on the Nightwatch law. Once the port opens, all cadets will join the force.”

  So, the Academy and lessons were a temporary measure. “But why not now? Just open it, and let us through to help.”

  His eyes crinkled. “You think the Nightwatch agents on the other side will fail? You have no confidence in them.”

  “It’s been weeks.”

  He walked closer until his presence was an invasive pressure on my personal space. “Maybe if you knew who was heading up the operation?”

  I took a step back. “I doubt that will—”

  “Kat Justice.”

  I snapped my mouth closed.

  He nodded. “Yes, Indigo. My Miss Justice knows how to kick ass too, and I have full confidence in her abilities.” He turned away and headed to the main staircase. “Sleep well, little nightblood.”

  “Wait!”

  He paused halfway up the steps.

  “Why did you free Hyde?”

  He kept his back to me. “You saved my life on the battlefield. You could have let me die, but you saved me. I owed you a debt. Consider it paid.” He climbed the rest of the stairs and was gone.

  A debt. He’d paid a debt.

  I could live with that.

  I opened the door and headed back to the dorm, my chest lighter than it had been all week. Out there, in the mortal world, Kat was in charge, and if anyone could fix the shit that was going on, it was my cousin.

  I’d won my fight, and I had three hot men to get back to.

  I wouldn’t be sleeping alone tonight.

  The End

  Indigo’s adventure is over, but Kat still has some monsters to slay in the Nightwatch series. (This series does not feature a Whychoose Romance)

  You can started the series HERE

  Or if you’re already up to date, grab the final book in Kat Justice’s adventure HERE

  If you want more Whychoose Romance, then grab Reaper Unexpected, book 1 in the Deadside Reapers Series.

  Grab it HERE

  Other books by Debbie Cassidy

  The Gatekeeper Chronicles

  Coauthored with Jasmine Walt

  Marked by Sin

  Hunted by Sin

  Claimed by Sin

  The Witch Blood Chronicles

  (Spin-off to the Gatekeeper Chronicles)

  Binding Magick

  Defying Magick

  Embracing Magick

  Unleashing Magick

  The Fearless Destiny Series

  Beyond Everlight

  Into Evernight

  Under Twilight

  The Chronicles of Midnight

  Protector of Midnight

  Champion of Midnight

  Secrets of Midnight

  Shades of Midnight

  Savior of Midnight

  Chronicles of Arcana

  City of Demons

  City of the Lost

  City of Everdark

  City of War

  For the Blood

  For the Blood

  For the Power

  For the Reign

  For the Hunt (novella)

  Heart of Darkness

  Captive of Darkness

  Bane of Winter

  Fate’s Destiny

  Heart of Oblivion

  Deadworld

  Deadworld

  Dead City

  Dead Sea

  Dead End

  The Nightwatch Academy

  Shadow Caster

  Shadow Weaver

  Shadow Warrior

  Shadow Master

  The Nightwatch Series

  Ghost of a Chance

  Give up the Ghost

  Ghost at the Feast

  Lay the Ghost

  Dragon Guard Series

  Dragon Trial

  Survivor’s Heart (Planet Athion world)

  Novellas

  Rogue

  Rebel

  Survivor

  Standalone Novellas

  Blood Blade

  About the Author

  Debbie Cassidy lives in England, Bedfordshire, with her three kids and very supportive husband. Cof
fee and chocolate biscuits are her writing fuels of choice, and she is still working on getting that perfect tower of solitude built in her back garden. Obsessed with building new worlds and reading about them, she spends her spare time daydreaming and conversing with the characters in her head – in a totally non psychotic way of course. She writes High Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Space Fantasy, and Reverse Harem. Connect with Debbie via her website at debbiecassidyauthor.com or twitter @authordcassidy. Join her Facebook Reader Group, or sign up to her Newsletter to stay on top of the new releases.