Midnight Falls (Sky Brooks Series Book 3)

by McKenzie Hunter

  Once Kelly confirmed their story, he walked over to the table and looked at the jar that contained the creature. He examined it for a long time in silence, showing a growing appreciation for it with each passing moment.

  “It’s a sleeper,” Gavin offered.

  “Yes, a Tod Schlaf,” he responded, keeping his attention on the creature briefly shifting his attention to Gavin, “but the boorish translation would be sleeper.”

  Bernard’s attention focused on the wall as he relaxed into his thoughts, his arms placed in front of him as his thumbs rolled methodically over each other.

  “Madame, you are not cursed, are you?” he asked, his back still to her as he addressed her.

  Her brow furrowed, she shrugged and then looked at Sebastian; confused.

  “No, she isn’t a were-animal,” Sebastian stated.

  Biting down on his bottom lip, he looked at everyone in the room briefly. “But you consort with the cursed. Would it be too much to ask why?” he said, finally giving Kelly his undivided attention.

  “I work here,” she said softly.

  “Are you indentured?” he asked.

  “No.”

  Pushing his glasses further up his nose, he seemed befuddled. “If you work here, I doubt your skills are substandard. Could you not find employment among the civilized?” he asked.

  “I think calling them uncivilized and behaving as you are is rather hypocritical.” Her soft voice and limpid eyes tempered her harsh words. “I chose to work here because I like them and I like my job,” she said.

  He made an attempt at a smile, crooked and forced. “You seem wise, but your choice in associates has shown a true lapse in judgment. I hope once this is over that is remedied and you find that your love of this job isn’t worth what you will endure by sheer association,” he shot a disparaging look in Sebastian’s direction, “with certain people.”

  Maybe she had grown tired of justifying her association with were-animals or she too was questioning the downfall of choosing to be part of this world. If she had dwelled in the world among the insipid, she wouldn’t have been in this predicament.

  “And your connection to Claudia, may I ask the particulars?” he asked.

  I was positive Kelly didn’t know Claudia, but without missing a beat, she smiled pleasantly. “Does it matter?”

  His curiosity was snuffed by his irritation. “Yes, I am curious why a woman of such power and means, who chooses a position of abject neutrality, is so interested in your survival. Why have you been given such favor?” he said.

  I didn’t bother to look at Ethan, whose face was probably expressionless, or Josh, who probably attempted to display the same. Hmm, I guessed there was in fact more to Claudia than art, high tea, fancy gloves, tailored suits and a soothing maternal accent. And I added finding out what she was to the top of my list of things I needed to know.

  Bernard waited for a while, and when he didn’t get an answer from Kelly he turned to Abigail. “Do you know how to get to Elysian?” he asked.

  Her face flushed red as she shook her head.

  “You’ve never been considered worthy of an invitation?” he asked derisively.

  Her lips were pressed closed as her gaze dropped to her hands, which she had wrung so roughly they had red marks on them.

  He handed her a piece of paper. “These are the directions to Elysian. There, if granted admission to the dark forest, you should find what you need to help her. I can’t offer any more than this, but it should help you. Whether or not you will be allowed entrance will be up to you. It would be in the interest of both parties that you choose the one among you all that would be considered least offensive to ask for admission.”

  “I will go with her,” Gavin offered.

  Our self-righteous helper laughed, a deep, hearty sound that would have been musical if it hadn’t been doused by his derision. “If you wish to receive cooperation, I advise you not to flaunt the more unflattering aspects of their history to them. He would not be a good choice.”

  Gavin’s gaze narrowed. “Why didn’t they just get rid of me instead of sentencing me to the bowels of the world and holding a grudge that will outlive my existence?” he snapped, his Brooklyn accent thickening with his anger.

  Okay, Middle America wasn’t New York, but “bowels of the world” was just downright offensive.

  Bernard smiled. “You hate it here? Perhaps the intended justice has been served.”

  Gavin ground his teeth so hard I waited to hear them crack. “Screw. You.”

  Gavin bumped his shoulder as he left the room. Bernard’s lips were spread so wide into a grin he looked comical. “So eloquent and refined, I see why Jessica was so enthralled by him. Worth the shame her betrayal and infidelity caused Conner.”

  “Yes, Gavin should have been penalized for the loose morals of the New York council wife. Gavin is truly responsible for him not choosing a more suitable and monogamous spouse. And it definitely is Gavin’s fault that elves are so simple that the actions of their spouse reflects upon their ability to remain on the council. No, it’s not their flawed system that should be held accountable, it is definitely the fault of Gavin’s libido that is responsible for the crumbling government of the New York elves,” Dr. Jeremy chimed in, far more irritable than I had ever seen him. His face flushed with each word as his words spilled through clenched teeth. “Are you going to offer assistance or continue to pass judgment, Bernie?”

  “Bernard,” he responded with tension.

  “Okay, Bernard,” Dr. Jeremy responded.

  “Your phone, sir,” he said to Sebastian.

  When Sebastian handed him his phone he rummaged through a binder from his satchel and took a picture of a photograph in it. “Find this and you will find the cure. It often camouflages itself among the trees, but will find shelter behind what it perceives as the most vile predator. This is how it survives because its defenses are weak in comparison,” he said.

  He pulled out a pen and paper from the satchel. He scribbled something on it, then handed it to Abigail. “I wish you success in this endeavor,” he said, and then he looked at Kelly. “It was a pleasure meeting you. I hope you maintain your favor with Claudia; it will serve you well in the future,” he said.

  The curiosity that I saw in Gideon had been ignited in him as well. I wasn’t sure why they didn’t understand that everything revolved around one thing—guilt. It was the catalyst for all that had occurred. An emotion that worked better than a threat, promise, or even passion because it gnawed at your very being until you exhausted all avenues you had just for the chance to relieve it.

  “Thank you for your help,” Kelly said genuinely.

  We all should have shown some form of appreciation because we were further than we ever would have been on our own, but it was really hard to be appreciative to a man that was such a raging ass.

  CHAPTER 11

  The next morning Abigail and Gideon led us through a wooded field. Thick, mature large trees and bosk crowded the area. Twenty minutes we had traipsed through the thicket, following the directions that Bernard had given us.

  “Why do they live separately?” I asked as we continued through the secluded, desolate land that would need severe construction before it could be habitable.

  It took her a while to gather her words, and when she spoke, it was slow; each word was chosen with great consideration. “They are different than those of us that populate this world. Most of us are products of a relationship with someone other than an elf. Gideon and I are one of the few that are considered ‘unchanged’ that do not live in Elysian,” she stated.

  “Unchanged?” I asked.

  “They are full elves, from a pure line,” Sebastian offered.

  There was a hint of envy in her voice, as though she had been deprived. Had she been spurned and never invited to live in Elysian?

  Gideon snorted. “They’re snobs, the strongest of our kind, and they do not care to descend from the ivory towers to ever conside
r associating with the likes of us. A world of only self-professed royalty. They are arrogant, narcissistic jerks that my sister and I would never join no matter how sweet the offers were. They make the vampires seem humble.”

  So they had been invited, but it must have been a package deal, and Gideon couldn’t be persuaded to join them.

  We stopped in the middle of the woods. The trees looked dull, unkept, and barely alive, the greenery and soil spoiled as though someone had salted the land so nothing could truly flourish. There was no way this was Elysian—the celestial land; their nirvana. No one would willingly live here, let alone a society of people. The sky paled, smothered by the clouds that filled it. All noise seemed to cease, silence—immense bleak silence. Abigail began to read the supplication on the paper. Whatever it was—which I assumed was a very extravagant glamour—dropped. A slit in the area opened wide enough for a passage of one body at a time, forcing us into a single file line.

  As soon as we were in Elysian we received a king’s welcome, or rather a king’s mortal enemy welcome. Nearly ten uniformed guards met us at the entrance, faces impassive and cold. They moved in unison, a well-regulated militia, dressed in glaucous blue button-down tunic jackets with large single-breast pockets similar to Swiss Army jackets, complete with epaulets on the shoulder.

  They parted, forming a pathway as a gray-haired gentleman came through. His intense silver eyes complemented the color of his graying hair. There weren’t any signs of aging on his deep taupe skin. Standing nearly six-five, he was slender but solidly built. His attire was a little too gentle for his stern appearance: a tailored two-button ash gray linen suit that hung neatly off him and would have washed out his appearance if not for the contrast of a striped pear-colored shirt. Gideon hadn’t exaggerated about the snobbery. If he had looked any further down his nose at us, his eyes would have crossed.

  “Sebastian, what brings you here?” the shrewd man asked.

  “He is here on my behalf. I am humbly requesting entrance into the dark forest,” I said in the most polite, reverent tone I could manage, just as Abigail had instructed me. She said he would take offense if we didn’t acknowledge his importance and that he was the only person that could allow us entrance.

  He laughed, “You? Who are you, little one?”

  Please, be more condescending.

  “I am Skylar Brooks,” I said.

  He smiled at my effort and repeated my name several times. It lost its intensity with each vocalization. By the time he finished, my name sounded flat and dull. As I suspected, he decided I wasn’t anyone. Being polite was getting a little harder. I was getting tired of people assuming I was defenseless, incompetent, and innocuous. No one would dare question Winter wanting entrance to the dark forest. “They will accompany me,” I said, pointing to Ethan and Sebastian.

  “Perhaps he should go instead of you. The dark forest is not fit for someone like you,” he said as his gaze cruised over me in flagrant disregard and fixed on Sebastian.

  “Liam, I do believe that would be best,” Sebastian stated diplomatically.

  I forced myself not to shoot him dirty looks, but one slipped by. Was that my purpose? To have Liam scoff at the ludicrous notion of me going into the dark forest only to suggest that Sebastian save me from my delusions of grandeur and protect me from myself by going in my place? I was itching to say something and nearly sliced my tongue in half trying to bite back my words.

  “So you will be the one requesting entrance into the dark forest. May I ask why?”

  “My friend, a human, was bitten by a Tod Schlaf,” I said.

  His eyes narrowed and I am sure he wondered how this had happened and, more importantly, how a human had come in contact with it. But I doubt he would ask because then it would reveal that either he had a traitor among his people or someone had slipped into Elysian without his knowledge. People like him would never admit to such a flaw.

  “Then it is you that is actually asking for entrance,” he said as he directed his attention to Sebastian. A newfound interest accompanied his Cheshire smile.

  Sebastian nodded.

  “Excellent.” He whispered something to the man next to him, who left and returned with a scroll—a contract. “If I allow entrance, then you must acknowledge you are indebted to me.”

  “Of course.” Sebastian looked down at the scroll. “We usually use an honor system. It is widely known that if you renege, there are severe consequences.”

  With unnecessary pomposity, Liam sneered. “The honor system among those that have proven to have very little. How trite. You will not be offended if I choose something a little more official.”

  Poor Gideon; he obviously didn’t know the difference between a snob and a condescending jerk and Liam was definitely the latter.

  Liam handed Sebastian the scroll and he read over it carefully. “There is no way in hell I’m going to sign this,” he said. “You do not think we have honor; however, no one I’ve ever been indebted to would dare ask these things, nor would I to someone else. You want this signed, then take these things out.” His hand pointed to several things on the list.

  Liam looked at them carefully and glared. “You are requesting a favor of me and yet you make demands of what you are willing to do to fulfill it,” he asserted incredulously.

  “What you are requesting is beyond reason,” Sebastian responded, standing taller as he met Liam’s austere glare with derision.

  Sebastian stepped closer to him, his features as hard as stone, amber rolling over his eyes in waves. The man that initiated this deal had stepped aside, and allowed the predator to finish it. “I will gain entrance. The only question now is whether it will be over the dead and badly injured bodies of your people or on more amicable terms. I would prefer on good terms. But the choice is up to you.”

  Liam considered Sebastian for a long time. The sour look on his face would not relax. “Save your energy for the forest, you will need it.” He whispered a few words, his finger ran over the lines, and the letters vanished from the scroll. “Better?” he asked as he turned it toward Sebastian, who looked at the new contract and nodded.

  One of Liam’s guards handed Sebastian a knife. He hesitated, his grin spreading the length of his broad face. I'm sure he was imagining shoving it into Liam’s chest, but instead he pricked his finger and signed the blood contract.

  Liam said, “You do realize you will have more than just cross words to contend with if you ever default on this.”

  Sebastian simply nodded, brushing off the implied insult in a manner that only he could—by making someone he had obligated himself to seem inconsequential.

  “Very well, a guide will be by to escort you.”

  I could have stayed there forever. The trees were tall and so green they looked artificial. I touched several of the leaves to make sure. Many of the trees around the vast area bore fruit and avocados. The thick grass was neatly manicured. Small scenic lakes were surrounded by stout trees. I really hated to admit it, but this place was a nirvana, perfect right down to the temperature: just a couple of degrees warmer than outside. A herd of animals that were a cross between a horse and an okapi trotted towards us, guided by two riders, a male and a female.

  The woman dismounted first. “Abigail, Gideon,” welcomed the woman with a smile. Like staring through a contrasting mirror, our guides looked like Gideon and Abigail. The fact that they were twins was undeniable. The male features were soft—effeminate—and the female look was striking and androgynous. Her long titian hair was pulled back into a French braid, his hair a neatly cut coif, that looked like he had taken a great deal of time making sure every strand was in place. They looked out of place dressed in their finest J. Crew apparel, as the beautiful landscape made them look like a digitally enhanced picture. Their apparel was just a little too trendy for this place. He wore a white shirt, pinstriped tie, and dust gray chino pants. She wore a deep gray cardigan sweater, pink camisole and light gray slacks. It wouldn’t have been my first c
hoice of clothing for riding bareback on a pseudo-horse.

  Abigail was quite friendly when she greeted her elite twin counterparts, but Gideon didn’t care to be bothered with such niceties. His eyes rolled in their direction—his frown hardened his appearance.

  It had been nearly twenty years since my mother thought it would be adorable to photograph me on a Shetland pony. She never got the picture of me happily riding the animal, but instead settled for a photo of a red-faced girl scrambling as fast as she could to get off the pint-sized menace. I had planned to go a lifetime without ever reliving that experience. The horse-like creature didn’t have a saddle, just a long mane that draped along its elongated neck. There wasn’t any way I was going to be able to ride this animal without a saddle. “I don’t know how to ride,” I admitted.

  “She can ride with me,” Ethan suggested. I looked around the group for options, Ethan and I were playing nice, but I didn’t want to cozy up to him while galloping through elf land. The male guide smiled. “She will be fine, they take very little skill.” He patted his animal, then made a simple command, and the odd okapi/horse bowed down so that I could mount it. Once seated, it shifted until I was placed squarely on its back.

  We rode for a long time before we stopped abruptly at a line that clearly delineated Elysian from the dark forest. The forest wasn’t just dark: it was stygian and gloomy. The apparent ward that separated it from the mainland was strong; the hairs along my arm stood on end. The elves possessed strong magic, and I had underestimated them.

  Our female guide got off her elven horse. “This is as far as we go.” She handed Abigail a small scroll. “This will allow you entrance and exit. The words can only be spoken twice, don’t lose it or…well, you know what will become of you.” She smiled politely.

  She stroked her okapi/horse before she got on the animal with her brother. “My animal will guide you on your return.” Her brother patted the horse and it galloped quickly away, traveling double the speed it had with us. The animal’s stride increased to a speed so fast it looked airborne as it whisked them away.