“I don’t want to hear about bloody ears, salted earth, or anything other than why I’m here. Because honestly if you all are going to sit there, bickering, and bouncing your damn leg, I’m outta here.”
“Cassidy.” I looked at Cash when he called my name.
I sat back on the chair and said, “Please. Tell me why I’m here.”
He took my hand in his and rubbed his thumb across the back of my hand. “As you know, we are called the Watchers of the Night, right?”
I swallow hard. The rhythm of his thumb on my skin is creating a shock wave throughout my entire body. So strong, that I forget that the others are in the room.
“Ah... yes on YouTube.”
He winced. “Yeah. Well sort of. That is just basically a front.”
“A front?” I send him a dubious look. “You have millions of followers; I highly doubt that.”
“It’s true.” Peter chimed in. “I set up the account.”
“Why?” I ask.
Peter shrugged. “To not raise suspicion.”
I feel like I’m living in a fricken riddle. Which is something I don’t do. I rub my temples and start to hum. Something I’ve always done since I was a child whenever I feel out of control.
“Is she casting?” Ivan asks in a hushed whisper.
“No. She is not casting,” I say. “She is sick and tired of this bullshit!” Dropping my hands into my lap I look around at them, then point at Mickle. “You! Cut to the chase and tell me what the hell it is you want with me.”
Mickle gets up off his chair and shoos Cash aside. Sitting directly in front of me he begins.
“It’s simple really. You are here because we need you... the world needs you.”
“That’s it. I’m done!” I put my hands on the arms of the chair and go to push myself up. Only to be shoved back down.
A low growl comes from Cash. “Touch her again like that and I’ll end your life myself, Mickle.”
Mickle waves his hand like he’s swatting a gnat. “As I was saying. Humanity needs you... and so do we.”
Still reeling from what Cash said to him, my mouth starts working like a fish out of water and when I realize it, I snap my jaw shut. Taking a deep breath, I look at Mickle. “No, you don’t, and it doesn’t either.” I go to get up again, but his next words have me freezing on the spot.
“All your life you have wondered why some people have all the luck and why some people struggle to put food on their table for their children and yet others have an endless supply of money,” Mickle said. “Your marriage failed since your husband couldn’t handle the fact that he would never be a father because you’re barren.”
I’m numb. Absolute mind-blowing numbness spreads through my veins, chilling me to the core. There is no way they could have known any of that.
“You’re a fucking asshole Mickle,” Cash says, shoving him off the table.
Mickle stood and brushed himself off before planting his ass in his chair. “She asked for the truth, not your pussy footing around.”
Ignoring him, Cash looks me in the eyes and softly says, “You have been cursed your whole life, Cassidy. Your twenty-sixth great grandmother who was born in 1424 was a witch, a very powerful dark witch, who cast a curse on her entire offspring and future generations.”
My eyes are brimming with tears, threatening to spill over and I know they will, but I have to know. “Why? Why would she do that?”
I can tell Cash doesn’t want to tell me as he sighs and looks at his hands.
“Please.” I beg as the first tear rolls down my cheek.
“Because... she was an old woman of 99 years, which is absolutely remarkable back then, but she wanted to live forever. And so, she came up with a powerful spell that no one has been able to break in over 500 years.”
He takes my hands. No tantalizing stroking like he did earlier, he just holds them in his strong hands, letting me know that he’s there, as he continues. “Having outlived her first husband, she cast the spell on her second one to see if it would work. Not only did it make him 50 years younger, but it also made him immortal.”