Champion of Midnight

by Debbie Cassidy

  Orin made a strangled sound, part pain, part rage. Fucking hell, how many times was she going to break his heart? But when I turned to him, his face was composed and stoic.

  “Let’s get out there. It’s about to start,” he said evenly.

  I nodded and followed.

  ***

  We gathered under the stars, our dark clothes blending into the night, heads bowed in deference to our fallen officer. This was the Protectorate’s farewell to one that had been with them for a long time. It was a farewell to Drayton.

  We couldn’t hold a funeral without a body, so this memorial would have to do. We hadn’t needed to go far, just out back into the grounds, where an obsidian pillar etched in golden script had been erected in memory of Drayton.

  Bane walked up to the pillar and turned toward us. His face was shadowed with sorrow. “Drayton was an honorable neph. A moral man. He was our friend, our brother, our family, and he will not be forgotten. His death shall not be in vain, and The Breed will pay for what they have done.”

  A murmur of agreement rose up from the crowd.

  Ryker laced his fingers through mine, and Orin slid an arm around my waist. Rivers stood on the other side of Ryker, his gaze fixed straight ahead.

  “Drayton, you will forever be in our hearts,” Bane concluded.

  There was a long moment of silence and then slowly the gathered began to disperse, and then it was just Ryker, Rivers, Orin, Bane, and me.

  “We’ll get them,” Orin said softly. “We’ll make Max pay for what he did.”

  Ryker squeezed my hand.

  Bane walked toward us. “We will. But not tonight. Tonight we say goodbye to our fallen comrade. There’s a bottle of single malt in need of emptying, and a lasagna in need of preparation.”

  Yes. Tonight was goodbye, and there was someone else who should be here saying goodbye. Except she couldn’t be. I’d need to go to her.

  I looked up at Orin. “Hey, fancy driving me somewhere? There’s something I need to do.”

  ***

  The cemetery arch stared back at me from beneath a starry sky. It was clear up here, fresh and peaceful.

  “Would you like me to come with you?” Orin asked.

  I shook my head. “No. I think I need to do this alone.”

  He crossed his arms and leaned back against the car. “No problem. Shout if you need me.”

  I walked up the rest of the incline and under the arch into the cemetery proper. A hush fell over me like a comforting blanket, and the ache in my heart seemed to ebb just a tiny bit. The mausoleum stood open in front of me, surrounded by pretty fireflies, and distant music played, drifting out like tendrils of smoke to meet my ears.

  “Viola? Viola, are you there?”

  The fireflies hovered toward me and then veered away into the mausoleum. What had Viola said the last time? Something about the fireflies telling her that Drayton was here? Were they delivering a message to her now? Telling her I was looking for her. Okay, maybe I was just being fanciful. Should I go into the mausoleum?

  I took a step toward it.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” a male voice said.

  I spun to find a young man leaning up against an elaborate gravestone. His clothes were strange, old-fashioned, and his hair was combed to the side in a style that hadn’t been used for decades.

  “Why not?”

  “It’s invite only. I could invite you, if you like?”

  “And why would you do that?”

  He shrugged. “Curiosity. Why do you want to see Viola?”

  “That’s between me and Viola.”

  “Is it about Drayton?”

  “Who are you?”

  “Name’s Lennie.”

  “And you’re dead.”

  He laughed. “Well, yes. Can’t you tell?” He went all see-through.

  Funny. “I just need to speak to Viola.”

  “You do?” Viola said from the mouth of the mausoleum.

  I turned to her. “Hi. Thanks for coming.”

  Her gaze slipped over my shoulder. “You came alone?” She blinked in confusion.

  “Yes. I have … I have some news.” Oh, shit. How to say this.

  Her eyes widened. “It’s Drayton. Something has happened … He’s hurt.”

  I licked my lips. “Viola, Drayton is dead.”

  Her hand flew to her mouth and she stared at me in horror. “No. You’re lying. He sent you here to lie to me. To force me to move on and forget. How could he? How could you?”

  My eyes grew hot and my nose began to run. “I wish I was lying. I wish it hadn’t happened, but it did. He died, and I killed him.”

  She shook her head in horror. “No.”

  So I laid it on the line: the kidnapping, The Breed, the cage, the beating. I told her it all. She fell to her knees and Lennie picked her up, cradling her against him as she sobbed as if her heart would break.

  “That must have been hard for you,” Lennie said. “You didn’t have to come and tell her.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. “She deserved to know. He’d have wanted her to know that he loved her.”

  It may not have been entirely true, but if it gave her comfort then what was the harm. She turned her face into Lennie’s shirt and sobbed harder.

  “I’m sorry.” I turned to go.

  “Wait,” Viola called out, her voice thick.

  I glanced back.

  “It wasn’t your fault. Drayton wouldn’t have wanted to hurt you. You did what you had to.”

  I’d heard these same words so many times since Drayton’s death, but for some reason, coming from her, they were like a soothing balm on my fractured soul. This time, when I walked away, she didn’t call me back.

  Orin greeted me by holding open the passenger side door. “Done?”

  “Yeah. I’m done.” I climbed in and tucked my hands into my pockets. It was cold, even with the heater on. Something hard brushed my fingers. I pulled it out of my pocket, stared at the white business card in my hand. So much had happened. My power was evolving, and with Ambrosius being silent, it was impossible to tell what aspects of my power were related to my demon and what were related to the daggers. Marika had promised answers. The Order knew what the daggers really were. The question was: Could I truly trust her?

  Orin started the engine. “Bane’s cooking tonight.” He shot me a cheeky grin. “If we get home on time, we may catch him in his apron.”

  I gripped the dashboard. “Then what the hell are we waiting for. Step on it.”

  To be continued …

  Join Serenity as she continues her adventures in Secrets of Midnight. Scroll down to check out the first chapter, and then click the image and grab your copy now!

  CHAPTER 1

  The assembly room slowly filled with humans. The district council had provided cheap plastic chairs that scraped over the floor as attendees seated themselves. Langley, the head of the MED, stood by the entrance that would admit the chief council members, his lips turned down in disapproval. Several other MED officers dotted the room—a precaution, just in case proceedings got volatile.

  “This is your fault,” Bane grumbled.

  Urgh, this again. I rolled my eyes. “I do not control the minds of humans. Not one of my skill sets.”

  He made a harrumph sound. “You should have shut her down immediately. As soon as she came to you with the preposterous idea.”

  “It’s not preposterous to want to take your fate in your own hands, to want to protect yourself.”

  He made a sound of exasperation in the back of his throat. “They’re humans. Fragile, mortal beings, easily crushed, chewed up, and spat out.”

  “All the more reason to give them the power to fight back. Come on. You must see the benefits for Midnight if humans could fight back against the scourge and The Breed.”

  He sighed, his powerful chest rising and falling, stretching the fabric of his shirt so taut I was afraid it would tear under the strain at any mom
ent.

  “Seriously? Do you get your clothes custom-made?”

  He shot me an are-you-fucking-kidding-me look.

  I shrugged. “It’s a reasonable question.”

  The humans had settled down, waiting eagerly for the proceedings to commence. Bane and I leaned up against the wall opposite Langley, halfway down the room. The door beside Langley swung open, and five humans came striding in. They climbed up onto the podium at the front of the chamber and settled down behind a long desk. It all looked very official, but it was a farce, because how the heck were they gonna stop the kind of movement that one woman was starting—a movement that I was totally behind, by the way, and if I was honest, I was developing a serious crush on the instigator of this event.

  The doors at the back of the room slammed open, and the woman in question entered. Ava strode in, tall, blonde, and defiant, her head held high. This was the woman who’d fought back against Dorian, who’d broken his compulsion and moved me to help liberate the contracted humans from House Vitae’s grasp. It had been almost six weeks since that day, but we’d been in contact ever since, and she’d come to me over a week ago with this idea, this venture that was a passion shining in her emerald eyes. Man, how she’d changed from the scrawny thing Dorian had been feeding from. She’d put the weight back on, turned it into muscle, and was looking pretty kick ass in the threads I’d helped her pick out for the event. The boots were kick-the-shit-outta-you hot, and the leather jacket was just sexy. Eight other humans walked behind her, dressed in black, hair slicked and coiffed, and looking dangerous. Yeah, they certainly looked the part they were asking permission to play—a human Protectorate. Fuck the MED who sat behind desks and pushed paper. Fuck waiting for the MPD to show up to save the day. No. These humans wanted to take action, and damn, I needed pom-poms and a cheerleader outfit real bad right about now.

  I recognized several faces, all humans that had been held hostage by Dorian and his Sanguinata. They knew what it was like to feel truly powerless, and they were here to demand authority to do something about it. They wanted to form a unit, to train with the MPD, and work alongside us in keeping Midnight safe. Bane, being Bane, was less than impressed. He saw it as having to babysit humans while trying to save all the other humans. The man was most definitely a glass-half-empty guy.

  But empowering the humans was surely the way forward? And if we were all about the free will, then surely we needed to support the humans in this.

  Ava walked past us, dropping me a wink on her way to the front of the room.

  Bane snorted in disgust. “Yep, this is your fault.”

  Okay, so maybe I’d encouraged her a smidge. But where was the harm in that? In my humble opinion, there should be no need for jumping through hoops. If humans wanted to band together and form a unit to fight back against the terrors of Midnight, then fair play to them. I was all about the empowerment, and Bane could carry on looking like he’d sucked on Lilith’s sour tits for all I cared.

  “The council won’t approve it,” he said smugly.

  “God, you sound like that wanker, Langley. They can’t stop us from moving forward with this.”

  “Us?”

  “I’m helping no matter what the outcome.”

  “Of course you are, Harker,” he said dryly. “Because insubordination means nothing to you, does it? Why don’t you teach them that, eh? And then watch them get killed, because a unit is only as good as its chain of command.”

  Ouch. He had a point. Time to swallow my pride. “I’d like to help them regardless, if that’s all right with you, boss.”

  “We’ll see.”

  Was that a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth?

  The room fell into silence, and the central council member, a somber-looking, middle-aged woman, began to speak.

  “Ava Love, you have petitioned the council for the authority to form a defense unit made up of humans. Is this correct?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Ava said.

  The councilwoman scanned a piece of paper on the desk before her. “Permission to use lethal force against hostile nephilim, including, but not limited to, the scourge and The Breed.”

  “Yes.”

  “And you state that you have the support of the MPD in this endeavor?” She glanced across at Bane, who remained impassive.

  I nudged him sharply in the ribs, and with an exasperated sigh, he nodded.

  The councilwoman turned her attention back to Ava. “Miss Love, you are asking the council to permit you to put your life and the lives of your fellow humans at risk.”

  “It’s better than being powerless and getting picked off every month,” Ava replied tersely.

  The councilwoman’s lips tightened. “It is also extremely dangerous, like agreeing to send a group of lambs into wolf territory. So, tell me why should we grant such a petition?”

  Ava crossed her arms under her breasts. “With all due respect to the council, this is merely a formality that the MPD insisted I go through. Whether you give your permission or not, we, as the citizens of Midnight, have the right to protect ourselves.”

  Oh, man. This was specifically what I’d advised her against. Ava Love had a tendency to get mouthy, and her recent stint as Dorian’s blood bag had lit a fire of vengeance and determination inside her that could easily flare out of control. It was one of the reasons why, when she’d come to me asking for help on this project, I’d agreed. She was a laser without a focus, a weapon without a target. Yeah, she needed this, but challenging the authority of the council was a dumb move, and the downturn of the councilwoman’s mouth told me she was about to deliver a smackdown.

  It was time to step in, but a member of the public beat me to it.

  “And what if your actions rile up The Breed and the scourge?” a young, heavily pregnant woman said. Her face flushed, whether with embarrassment from all the eyes on her or in indignation, I wasn’t sure. “What if the change prompts them to increase their attacks on Midnight? Why try to fix what’s working? The MPD and the MED have been keeping us safe for years. The Houses provide ample protection during scourge runs and from The Breed.”

  Ava’s shoulders tensed.

  Bane snorted. It was his I told you so snort. The man didn’t have to speak to communicate his annoyance, derision, or disappointment. He had snorts to do that for him, and the fact that I could decipher them was kind of worrying.

  The councilwoman waved the pregnant lady down, but a man at the back stood up. “She’s right. This is the last thing we need. We have things under control. The casualties are minimal. Why rock the boat?”

  The councilwoman raised her brows and sat back. “Well, Miss Love, would you care to respond?”

  Ava pressed her lips together, her eyes flashing dangerously. She turned to face the crowd. “Why rock the boat?” Her tone was incredulous. “This isn’t a boat, this is our home, and we need to stand up and protect it. The MPD can only do so much. They can’t be everywhere at once. Have any of you stopped to wonder how hard it must be for them to cover the whole district every month when the scourge attacks?” She focused on the guy. “Minimal casualties doesn’t cut it. There should be zero casualties, and with our help, the MPD may be able to achieve that. I’m done being a victim, and it’s about time you stopped thinking like one too.”

  A low murmur skittered over the crowd and several heads began to nod in agreement. The councilwoman’s lips twitched.

  Bane sighed. “Damn it.”

  “Ava Love, the council grants you authority to form a unit, but active duty will only commence once the MPD has signed off on your training.”

  Langley’s face was a picture of incredulousness.

  The councilwoman scrawled something on the paper and then held it out to Ava. “There you go, Miss Love. I look forward to hearing about your progress. It’s about time we made some changes in Midnight. Less paperwork and more action.” She slid a glance Langley’s way, and his eyes narrowed.

  Ha. Looked like I’d misju
dged the councilwoman and the council, but for once, I was glad about being wrong.

  The council representatives filed out and Langley followed, probably eager to try and change their minds. It wasn’t that he disagreed with the unit. It was more the fact that its existence made the MED look bad. Like, why hadn’t they come up with this idea? Or why was it necessary in the first place?

  Ava strolled toward us, her face alight with excitement. “Did you hear that?”

  Bane pushed off the wall and brushed past her. Damn, he was so not happy. He’d probably been banking on the council shutting this down. Great. I’d have to soothe the bear. Shame he didn’t like honey.

  “You did great, Ava.”

  She winced. “I almost blew it, didn’t I?”

  “Yeah, but you pulled it back.”

  “So, when can we start training?”

  “Come by tomorrow. We’ll make a start. The scourge runs again in three weeks. I think we can have you ready by then.”

  “Why not today?”

  I glanced over her shoulder at the door that Bane had just pushed through. “I have a few things to sort out first.”

  She followed my gaze. “Boss still not completely on board, eh?”

  I winced. “Sorry.”

  She pushed back her shoulders. “Well, we’ll just have to show him that we mean business.”

  Yeah, and I needed to make sure he was going to be there to see it.

  Click the image and Grab your copy now!

  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

  Chronincles of Midnight

  Protector of Midnight