Bloodbath (The New Order 1)

Chapter 58

 Chapter 58

I rose to my legs and placed a peck on his cheek before wrapping my arms around him. He calmed down and his wolf disappeared. His eyes changed and his breathing became even.

"I can't even think about letting you go, Candice." He sniffed my hair.

I rubbed his back. "I'm not going anymore. I promise. I don't know what's wrong with my Dad though. I had repeatedly stated I wouldn't be returning yet he's budging me over it and I hate it." I grunted in frustration and then rolled my eyes.

We stood outside the bedroom, in the hallway while Cain slept in without any worries.

"There has to be a reason behind it..." Knox pulled himself away from me. He paced back and forth, hands over his hips and his brows furrowed and tensed. "Something. Your sister was here for the sole reason to take you. There were a few other men sent as well but they returned when your sister decided to come, right?" He asked me.

I nodded. Suddenly, something felt wrong.

My gaze went back and forth at Knox as he moved across the hallway. He took a minute of silence, saying nothing. Another minute passed by and he froze.

He walked right to me and stated with a grin, "Your parents are hiding something from you. You were never aware of your sickness and you were barely able to leave your old town."

"Yes." My heart rate rose.

Knox drew me closer, "They are protecting you, Candice. You mean something. The gem wouldn't work on anyone's hold. It worked with you for a reason." His eyes darkened, he came closer to a conclusion—one I couldn't understand. His hands clasped either side of my face and he continued, "It's not the gem—you are the key to the weapon."

"What..." I tried to make sense, I tried to think. "No, no."

"How else are you alive?" He asked, lowering his hands to my shoulders. "It has to be the reason—there has to be a reason."

"The gem is the reason!" I whispered loudly, careful enough to not wake up Cain who was sleeping a few inches away from us.

The gem was the sole reason I wasn't killed—nothing else.

"No, Candice, it cannot just be the gem." His face turned and he grew oddly concerned before pulling the gem out of his shorts.

The gem shined like never with its new, never-ending energy. It had a different color and was much more pleasant to look at it.

Knox sprinted away from me and down the spiral staircase where his every step made an echo across the estate.

"Where are you going?" I muttered, sleepily.

When I received no response, I returned to the room and grabbed a robe off the couch before wearing it to cover my cold, naked body. Goosebumps continued to rise. Before leaving, I glanced at the clock.

It was three in the morning—nor I or Knox had gotten an ounce of sleep since yesterday.

The extreme soreness between my legs was still there. My body continued to ache but the pain was sort of pleasing. It wasn't the pain of anger and death, it was the pain of love and pleasure.

"Knox. Wait for me!" I exclaimed, crossing my arms and holding the robe together.

The house was dark, nothing could be barely seen. The curtains were shut closed and so were the lights. There wasn't a single presence roaming around at this time of the day.

I felt an erratic rush as I headed down the stairs, following Knox.

The entire night was a rollercoaster—beginning with the rogues being killed and ending with a very sleepy and tired Knox entering the basement alone.

I quickly understood what he was doing. He was putting the gem to the test, to learn if the weapon could be finally restored and used.

Could it be?

"Knox," I placed my hand against the rusty walls of the basement while slowly walking inside and calling his name. There was only a single fire lit up and it provided me enough light to see where he was headed. "What are you doing?" I asked as I stepped inside the room where the weapon was.

The tip of the sword laid buried inside the ancient rock. I pulled my robe tighter and rubbed my hands back and forth across my shoulders as it began to get cold.

"Your encounter with the dark creature was long enough to restore the rest of the power. If the weapon can be used, it should be used immediately." Knox explained, circling around the sword.

He carefully picked up the gem and placed it in the hole of the pommel. His large fingers then wrapped around the hilt. He took a deep breath. The atmosphere tightened as he gave the gem a minute to work on its magic before picking up the sword.

My heart pounded fast, carelessly but it stalled when Knox failed to separate the sword from the stone.

Disappointment spread over his face. He locked his eyes tightly, forbade his anger to purge, and moved his hand away from the sword.

"I'm sorry." My voice echoed. It was heartbreaking to see that even after everything that was sacrificed, the weapon couldn't be used.

I had lost my saneness in midst of all this and yet, nothing was availed.

Nothing.

Knox was as frustrated as I was. He trod back and forth, hands on his sides, and an angry smug spread over his face. His features tightened, jaw clenched and he groaned while swinging his head.

"This was not supposed to happen." He said, pointing his index finger at the weapon that still couldn't be released from the stone.

Raising his leg, Knox kicked the stone as if it would break by itself.

I didn't move.

All this for nothing?

The dark creature had taken his place in my head and it took up all of my energy to keep him away from my thoughts. I couldn't bear him for another week, let alone another second.

"It was supposed to work. You had enough time with him. He should've been weakened. The gem should've gained its powers from him." Knox said, moving his clenched jaw.

I shrugged, "I don't know. I thought it would too. Something must've gone wrong." The failure was clear in my voice.

"No, no, nothing went wrong. We probably just need some more time with the dark creature." He carefully removed the stone from the sword and placed it back inside his pocket.

My heart thudded, I shook my head, "No, I can't do it again!" I said, voice clear as the sky outside. "I'm not going to, Knox. It almost killed me."

"But you made it out alive." He responded.

"No, no!" I yelled, my head spinning and aching again. "You don't understand. I cannot do this again. I will not, no matter what you or Cain say, I will not step out there or even be near to that awful monster."

"You need to, Candice." His voice lowered but mine didn't.

Beads of sweat dribbled down my back. Horror seized me and my body. I felt weak and on the verge of sobbing.

Knox wasn't aware of the whole story and neither was Cain. They hadn't faced the dark creature nor had caught a glimpse of his bloody eyes. They hadn't seen what I had. They hadn't done what I had.

No one really had.

I marched forth and inched his face. "I'm not going to do it." With tears in my eyes, I stated. "I'm not going to and I'm sorry about it. You'll have to find someone else to do your work."

"Candice—"

His voice cut when I stepped out of the room where the weapon was sealed in. The rest of Knox's words didn't reach me as I quickly sprinted out of the basement and left.

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