Carbon (The Watcher Series Book 2)

by AJ Eversley

  Max sighed deeply as he pulled me into his chest. I relaxed into the warmth of his body and breathed in the pine scent wafting from him despite the burning wreckage around us. He spoke into my hair, “Okay then, what’s your plan?”

  ~

  There was a mound of dirt before us where Anthony’s body lay below. The small one beside it was sprouting tiny flecks of grass, an ironic sight next to the ruined city. Chevy lay below that one. Lena stood close to the grave as she held Anthony’s staff in her small hands. She kneeled down beside him and placed the staff across the mound of dirt.

  The scene was all too familiar. I face was drawn as I thought back to the day when I had said the same goodbye to Kenzie. I no longer felt the tears that threatened to spill, I had cried too many for all the people I had lost.

  “Anthony saved me many years ago. He had been my confidant, protector, and best friend ever since.” Lena placed her hand over the soil. “I am sorry I could not do the same for you, my love.” A tear dropped down her nose.

  Captain Lankey lit a candle in his hand and passed the flame down the line until all of our candles were ignited. I passed the last one to Lena, who stood and wiped away her tears.

  “Forever in our hearts, you will not be forgotten.” She softly blew out her candle, and we all did the same until we were left standing in the darkness.

  Chapter 34

  The last of the ships were set out to sail away from the United Isles as Max and I stood at the end of the dock. Lankey helped the last civilian onto his ship before he turned around with an arm outstretched to me. “Aren’t you comin’ aboard, miss?” Confusion spread across his face when I took a step away, not forward.

  “No, sorry, Captain. We have our own ride back,” I said. He looked between Max and I before he tipped his hat. We retreated a step as he raised the bridge connecting his ship to the dock.

  They were setting sail for another land that Lankey knew about. From there, the captain and his men would meet up with Murray where they’d help in whatever way they could.

  “I sure hope you know what you’re doing,” Max mumbled beside me. We made our way off the dock and walked toward the castle.

  “I do.” I gave him a crooked grin.

  Lena gazed over the edge of the cliff, watching the last boat drift out of the bay. “I should have known you wouldn’t leave.” Lena didn’t startle as we approached.

  “I made you a promise. I intent to keep it,” I said.

  Her lips pressed together, and she turned to the castle, brushing past me. The palace was in ruins, but the one room that had managed to stay mostly intact was her study. Books were sprawled across the floor, but other than that, it was no worse for wear. I followed her into her study where she sat behind the round table with a tablet before her.

  “One of Captain Lankey’s men was able to set up a Link that will connect me with Coleman,” Lena stated. “I am not sure you want to be here when he is linked in.”

  “We’re fine.” I plopped into an oversized chair, sending a cloud of dust in the air. Max stood behind me.

  Lena threw her hands up in defeat. “Could you at least hide or something, so he doesn’t know you’re here?”

  “I’d much rather stay and say hi.” I gave a lazy smirk.

  Lena sagged in defeat. “Fine,” she said as she pushed the button to link in.

  The image in front of us flickered before it focused in on a man standing before us.

  “Well, hello Sawyer, Max, and the esteemed princess.” The man did an awkward bow. He stood before Lena in a ghost-like projection.

  “Who are you?” she asked.

  “Sam at your service, ma’am.” He did a half-salute before turning to me. “We received your message and coordinates, and we have a shuttle on its way now.”

  “Thank you,” I smiled.

  “What is this? What have you done?” Lena demanded. She curled her fists into a ball and shook them with rage. It was the first time I’d ever seen her mad.

  “Exactly what I said I was going to do—protect you. And right now it seems you need protection from yourself.”

  “You don’t understand. You don’t know what you’ve done,” she stood, sending her chair skittering away from her.

  “No, you don’t understand.” I marched over to her with equal rage. “Coleman only ever wants one thing—power. And you have something he needs. With you, he could be unbeatable. I can’t let that happen. I won’t let that happen.”

  “She’s right. Coleman is a bad dude,” Sam chimed in. “No offense though, princess. Sawyer did mention you were his daughter in the message she sent us, and I am sure he was a nice dad…or maybe he wasn’t. I’m not sure. I can’t really picture him being the fatherly type—”

  “Sam!” I shouted.

  “Right, sorry. They’ll be there in thirty minutes.” He nodded. “Over and out.”

  The Link ended, and Sam disappeared.

  “You seem to think I will go willingly.” Lena stepped back, sat down, and crossed her arms.

  “I was quite certain you wouldn’t.” I gave a nod to Max, who had snuck behind Lena without her noticing.

  “What the—” she said.

  Max placed a cloth over her mouth, and within seconds she was unconscious. Sedation was the only way we’d get her onboard.

  Max leaned her head back into a more comfortable position. He sat across from me, and we waited for our shuttle.

  “Still hope you know what you’re doing,” Max said.

  “You know I do.” I winked.

  Chapter 35

  The shuttle didn’t take long to arrive. We heard the soft crack in the distance of it breaking through what was left of Lena’s shield. The shuttle lowered over the only open spot left mostly untouched, the courtyard. It blew earth and sand in the air so I covered my eyes. A cloud of debris hung in the air as the shuttle doors lowered.

  “I’m glad to see you’re all in one piece, although I can’t say the same about this place.” Murray stepped down the ramp, frowning at the destruction.

  Max tensed beside me.

  “Come, let’s get her inside.” Murray motioned to Max, who gently picked up Lena and walked past Murray without glancing his father’s way.

  The awkwardness I noticed was lost to Murray, who walked over and rested his arm across my shoulder. I followed behind Max. My eyes gazed at Chevy’s grave before I climbed up the ramp. This would likely be my last time to say goodbye, and I struggled to contain my emotions.

  Reluctantly, I turned away, saying a silent goodbye to Chevy and to the island. I sat next to Max, who had his chin tucked down and his gaze at the floor.

  “How have you been?” Murray asked, bringing my attention back. The shuttle quaked briefly before it departed the island and soared away. Murray hadn’t changed much at all since I’d last seen him. He still commanded the room with his presence. His graying hair was longer, and he’d grown a stubby beard. Other than that, he still looked like the same man I’d grown to respect and trust.

  Max was stiff and distant beside me, and I wanted to ask if he was okay, but I was aware it wasn’t the right time or place to pry. He had returned to the pouting child I met back at camp, no longer the confident tease I’d grown to care for. In the presence of his father, Max was a different man.

  “Good, fine.” I answered, absently looking at Max. He was wringing his hands in his lap.

  The shuttle wasn’t big. Two pilots sat in the front cockpit with the rest of us lining the remainder of the shuttle on metal benches. There were four guards, all doing their best not to stare at me, though I felt them lurking. They’d clearly been made aware that I was a Carbon.

  Lena rested on a cot at the rear of the shuttle with an attendant by her side. The only person I recognized was Murray.

  “Sam filled us in on everything. So you believe Kenzie is working with Coleman by his own choice? He’s not being controlled?”

  “No, he couldn’t be controlled. He was too far a
way from Coleman when he saw me. He’s working for him on his own, I’m sure of it,” I said.

  “Well, it’s a good thing the princess was there to save you,” Murray said.

  “It wasn’t just Lena; Max saved me. He risked his life, and it almost cost him his.” I nodded to Max.

  Murray looked to his son, sizing him up. “Is that true, son?”

  Max shrugged.

  “Well, I am just glad you’re okay.” Murray looked down at his hands as he spoke and I wasn’t sure who he intended the comment for.

  “What have you found out since we left?” I asked, changing the subject as the shuttle sped across the ocean. It flew at such a dizzying speed I had to avoid looking out the window for risk of getting sick.

  “Sam is very eager to fill you in on everything, but we can wait to discuss that when we arrive. It shouldn’t be much longer.” Murray stood and made his way to the front, saying something to the guards.

  Once Murray was out of earshot, I leaned in closer to Max. “You okay?” I brushed my hand against his leg.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s not like I expected a big hug and a welcome home banner.” His lips pressed together in a slight grimace. He was holding something back.

  I grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. He smiled faintly before a scowl reappeared.

  “We’ll be about another ten minutes.” Murray glanced at our intertwined hands.

  For some reason, I pulled away.

  “Best buckle up,” said Murray. “The landing’s a bit rough.”

  ~

  “Bit rough” was an understatement. The landing was so rocky I found myself saying thank you to the stars above when we had stopped shaking. My stomach was in my throat.

  I walked off the shuttle, and before my feet even hit the ground, something tackled me from the side. I was ready to put up a fight when I realized it was Sam with his arms around me.

  “Sawyer!” He pulled me in tight as I stood there stiff and awkward. Eventually, I gave him a pat on the back, indicating I’d had enough. He pulled away but stuck by my side as we walked toward the main building. Max trailed behind us.

  “Oh, I’m so glad you’re back. It’s been so boring around here without you. Well, not entirely boring. We had a lot to do of course,” he whispered in my ear as he laced his arm through mine, “but you know, most of these guys are a bunch of dullards.”

  I glanced at him, and he stopped short, dropping his arm and moving a short distance away.

  “Sorry. Forgot you’re not much of a hugger. I’m a bit too much of a hugger, or so I’ve been told. My mom always warned me not to hug so much, but did I listen—” Sam said.

  “Sam!” I interrupted his babbling with a chuckle. “It’s good to see you too.”

  He smiled and gave me a funny, head bob salute.

  “Let me show you around.” He bounced toward the village.

  I was brought back to a world I vaguely remembered. It felt like the last few months had been a dream on the United Isles. Almost like that place didn’t even exist, well…it didn’t really anymore. I glanced over my shoulder to see them carrying Lena into the main building.

  In the distance, the abandoned city of Kuros lay in ruins. A vast forest separated the village from the city in the valley below. The village sat high atop a hill overlooking it, and the dense forest surrounding us filled the air with that pine scent I’d grown to long for.

  “As you can see, we’ve built a rather large garden, thanks to Theresa of course.” Sam pointed to an oversized garden at the center of the village. All kinds of vegetation sprouted from it. “To the left and right are the houses. There’s one for each person or family. Small but sufficient. Most people spend their time outside, anyway.” Row after row of tiny houses surrounded the outskirts of the village. The space didn’t feel large, but the village held a few thousand people. Rows of houses extend further than my eye could see.

  “At the back here is the good stuff. Our headquarters as it were. The control room, the weapons bay, Adam and Doc’s spaces, they are all here.” Sam continued the tour, circling around the garden and turning back toward the building into which they had brought Lena. The headquarters was a long, tin-metal building with multiple entries into different areas and a flat, square-topped roof.

  “We’ve been working on a few things lately, that shuttle being one of them. You got to experience its maiden voyage,” Sam exclaimed.

  “I think it might need a little more tweaking,” I said, thinking back to that landing.

  Finally, when we entered the control room, I saw a face I recognized. It was hard to miss the streaking white hair and goofy smile.

  “Sawyer, it’s so good to have you back,” Tenason bobbed up to me with a half-hug, half-handshake.

  “It’s good to be back,” I replied.

  “I’m going to go check on Lena,” Max said from behind me as he pushed past. I’d forgotten he was even with us; he’d been so quiet.

  As Max lumbered off toward Doc’s quarters, Sam gave me a nudge. “Bet you’re glad to be rid of him, aren’t ya’?”

  “Who, Max?” I diverted my eyes from where they followed Max as he walked away. “He’s not so bad.” I shrugged.

  Sam stopped in his tracks, causing Tenason to nearly bump right into him. Sam’s eyes widened as he slowly spun around to face me.

  “What?” I asked.

  He looked between Max and me. His eyebrows rose so high they nearly met his hairline. “Are you two…?”

  “What? No,” I said quickly. “I don’t know. It’s complicated.”

  “Oh boy.” Sam smiled as he resumed leading me. “This is better than an episode of that Days of Our Forever Tomorrow Cablenet soap.”

  “Shut up,” I gently punched his arm.

  He winced, but it didn’t wipe the smile off his face. Tenason shook his head with a smile beside me. We watched Sam mumble and muse to himself about some episode he had recently watched of the former Cablenet show. How Sam found a way to watch the show was beyond me, but he had me smiling and blushing none the less.

  “How have you been?” I asked Tenason, who looked weary and older.

  “It’s been…different. Not like it was back at Cytos,” he said, keeping his voice low for only me to hear.

  I searched him. “In what way?”

  “Well, these guys are trained for a much more complicated role than you or I. Murray doesn’t really need…our skills here—a Watcher’s skill.”

  I nodded, watching the men work on their tablets and screens. They were fighting this war with more than just the brute strength and honed skills like we had in Cytos.

  “Well, I’d want you at my side when things went down, that’s for sure,” I said. “Not some computer lackey.”

  He smiled. “See, that’s why I’m glad to have you back. A little bit of appreciation goes a long way,” he joked.

  I felt the truth behind his words. Things were much different from how they’d been only a few months before. I wondered if Max felt that change too?

  Chapter 36

  After a thorough tour of the headquarters from Sam, I was caught up to speed on what they’d been doing in my absence. I made my way Doc’s room to check on Lena, who probably would be awake and furious.

  There was a crowd of people standing outside a closed door to Doc’s building, including Max who gave me cautious look that said, “I told you so”.

  “She won’t let anyone in,” Doc said when I approached. “She put up her shield thing and locked us out.” He ran his hands through his shaggy hair. I figured she was going to be upset, but this was ridiculous.

  I pushed my way through until I stood outside the door. I tried the knob, but it didn’t budge. Peeking through the small window in the door, I saw Lena sitting in a cot across from the door with her arms crossed. She aimed a hefty glare my way.

  “Lena, let me in,” I said.

  “No!”

  “You can’t stay in there forever. You’ll have to come
out, eventually.”

  “And who’s going to make me?” She sounded like a petulant child, throwing a temper tantrum, and I was the angry parent, ready to lose my cool.

  “Okay then, I tried to be nice.” I stepped away from the door, glancing behind me as people scattered out of my way. “Sorry, Doc.” I raised my hands, and with one quick pulse of my energy, I ripped off the door. Lena’s lips tightened into a scowl, and her eyes narrowed in defiance. Gasps came from those who stuck around to see what I was about to do. Gently, I placed the steel door down beside me.

  I stepped into the room, but Lena pushed her shield forward, making me retreat a few steps. As I braced myself for more, she pushed forward again. I was ready this time and swung my right arm toward her. I felt for the energy pulsing from her shield. It was like a solid wall that my own energy grabbed a hold of and pushed out of the way. It sent Lena toppling onto the cot in a heap of golden hair and limbs.

  I swept in fast before she had a chance to fight back, and I grabbed both of her wrists.

  “How did you—” Lena mumbled. She looked to my hands and reluctantly relaxed, admitting defeat.

  “Easy.” I smiled. “Your shield creates an energy that my powers can grab on to, even if it’s invisible.”

  She looked curious for a moment before she released a breath and turned to me. “You don’t know what you have done. He will find me here, and your people will all be killed.” She was so quiet I almost didn’t hear her.

  “I think you underestimate us. We aren’t as fragile as you think.”

  She shook her head, and the tone in her voice caused me to stumble. “He won’t stop. You can’t stop him.”

  I collected myself. “We will beat him,” I said. “Now stop fighting and let me take you to your room. It’s not as nice as your castle, but it’ll have to do.”