Protector of Midnight

by Debbie Cassidy

  The room began to buzz with conversation again. The Protectorate were coming here? Wow. That had happened like...never. No one I knew, aside from Nolan, had ever directly interacted with the Protectorate. There was a general air of excitement in the room which ratcheted up a notch with this revelation, but my stomach clenched in anxiety. Protectorate were nephs. And nephs were demons. And demons had abilities. I couldn’t be around when they showed up. I couldn’t risk them finding out I wasn’t entirely human. Okay, so I’d fake being sick and go home, hide under the duvet until this was over, I’d—

  “Serenity,” Nolan said.

  My head whipped up, eyes wide. “Yeah?”

  “I want you to run point on this one.”

  My mouth went dry and my throat closed up. Did I just squeak?

  Nolan frowned. “Are you all right?”

  No, I wasn’t. I was sick. Terribly, horrifically sick. Not just with fear but with a taint I didn’t fully understand. My mouth worked, but the words failed to make it past that dastardly lump in my throat.

  Someone slapped me on the back. “She’s lost for words, Nolan.” Bellamy chuckled. “Come one Harker. You know you’re the woman for the job. If anyone can keep those trumped up Protectorate in line, it’s you. This is our district and they better not throw their weight around.”

  “Serenity?” Nolan was watching me cautiously.

  He’d made a bold call by putting me in charge. Henry was my senior on staff by two years, if anyone should be running the case, it was him, and, from the stormy look on his face, he thought so too. This was Nolan saying he believed in my training, my commitment and just, well... in me. If I turned tail and ran, claiming illness, he’d end up looking like a twat for picking a weakling. He’d been my mentor, my supporter, my shoulder for the better part of seven years. There was no way I was letting him down. I’d just have to strengthen my shields and hope for the best.

  I fixed a cocky smile on my face. “You got it, boss. When do they arrive?”

  His shoulders relaxed and he grinned. Tires screeched outside the window.

  “About right now.”

  Seats were pushed back and the window was suddenly the focus of all attention. Everyone’s except Henry’s.

  “You sure you can handle this, Harker?” he asked snidely. “I’m happy to step in for you. I know Nolan has a special spot for you in his pants, but...” He shrugged. “This is business.”

  “What the fuck are you implying?”

  His lip curled in a knowing smile. “Nothing the whole department isn’t thinking.”

  This was news to me. He was lying. He had to be.

  He chuckled. “Oh, man. You really didn’t know, did you?”

  The urge to punch his stupid smug face was almost overwhelming. Instead, I clenched my fists and offered him a close lipped smile. “No. I didn’t. Thank you so much for enlightening me. Now how about you piss off and let me do my job. After all, I have worked so hard to get this far.”

  His expression shuttered and I turned on my heel and headed out of the room.

  ***

  The office had two washrooms, one for the ladies and one for the gents, and even though there were only three females working for the department, they’d given us the larger washroom. Magnolia tiles, clean linoleum floor and toilets that actually flushed. Nolan had even had them install those sanitary towel dispensers. Nolan...shit, why had I said that stuff to Henry? He’d probably twist it and take it as some kind of admission to an affair that never happened. Urgh. It made me sick how he’d taken something so innocent and turned it into something sordid. And did everyone really think I was banging Nolan? Probably. Especially because they knew I certainly wasn’t banging anyone else. A woman my age who didn’t date, didn’t have a special someone... Shit. They were probably thinking I was saving myself for trysts with Nolan.

  The water from the bathroom tap was cool on my fevered skin. My face, bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun, was drawn and tense.

  Pull it together Harker, you can do this. Just batten down the hatches and act natural. Forget Henry and his stupid jibes. Focus on the Protectorate. If only I’d had some in depth knowledge of these nephs, then maybe I’d know what to watch for, what to shield against. The door to the washroom opened and Julie clipped in on her four-inch heels. She paused and looked me over as if she was assessing me.

  “You okay, babe? You look flushed.” Her brows shot up and she gave the toilet stall a quick glance. “Flushed, get it.” She snickered to herself.

  I shook my head and sighed. “Seriously, Julie. You need some new material.”

  She plonked her purse on the counter by the sink, fluffed her auburn hair, and rifled through the bag for her lipstick. “I don’t need any new material.” She applied the plum shade and then pouted. “I look like this.” She winked, her thick dark lashes casting shadows on her cheeks. “Besides, men love it when you make them feel superior intellect wise.” She leaned in conspiratorially. “And then you can control them without them suspecting a thing. Make them think that everything they do is their own idea, when in reality, you’re the one planting the seed.” She tapped a perfectly manicured nail to the side of her head. “It takes work.”

  Her face was suddenly more angular, her gaze more focused and shrewd. This giggling ball of fuzz who was constantly telling dumb jokes and getting in a tiz so the guys had to help her out was an act. So who was the real Julie?

  She zipped up her purse. “But this isn’t for you, is it? Some of us are meant to be taken care of and others are meant to do the heavy lifting. Good luck out there, Serenity.”

  “Wait.”

  She arched a perfectly waxed brow and sighed. “Don’t worry about what the big lug said. Henry is an arsehole, and so is anyone else who thinks you’re sleeping with Nolan. But,” she said. “I’d doubt that Nolan would be averse to the notion. He wants you, Harker. Wants you balls deep. I can’t believe you haven’t noticed the guy has a serious hard-on for you.”

  Blood roared in my ears and my cheeks heated. “No.”

  She snorted. “You may be kick ass in the field, but, hon, you have a helluva lot to learn about men.”

  She clipped out of the washroom leaving behind a trail of floral perfume.

  Nolan...No. I shelved the thought and pulled my reddish auburn hair up into a ponytail.

  It was time to get out there and rally the troops.

  It was time to meet the Protectorate.

  Chapter 5

  The reception was ogle center as I strode out to meet the Protectorate representatives. Two huge males stood by the notice board, their massive bodies eating up space. So, it was true what they said about nephs being giants. And, damn, did they have a penchant for leather or something because those trousers should be banned. Julie was practically drooling all over her keyboard and Henry stood, stiff and stern by her side, his hand on the small of her back as if protecting his investment.

  My attention was captivated by a pair of awesome butts, broad shoulders and hair that I’d die for.

  I cleared my throat. “Hello?”

  They turned in unison and the term heart in mouth was suddenly a reality. The blonde haired dude with blue eyes stared steadily at me and then blinked rapidly and averted his gaze. The dark haired, dark eyed one glanced at his companion and then graced me with a sexy smile.

  “Well, hello there. You must be our escort for the day.”

  Escort. Yeah. My shields quivered under his heated assessment. Careful Harker. “I’m Officer Harker. You’ll be on my team. Officer Bellamy and Fulstrom will be joining us. If you come through, we can formulate a search plan.”

  The dark haired neph’s smile widened, showcasing perfect white teeth. “I like it. Straight to the point. I’m Drayton. his is Ryker. He doesn’t talk much.”

  “Is that because you do enough talking for the both of you?” Shit where had that come from? I coughed. “Sorry, that was uncalled for.” I lifted the counter barrier. “Ple
ase, come through.” I stepped back to allow the neph entrance and then strode quickly down to the corridor to our special ops room. It was probably in need of a good dusting, the damned space was rarely used.

  I pushed through the double doors to find Nolan setting up the projector. A map of the city flashed up on the white screen.

  “Thanks.” I smiled. “I can never get that damned thing to work.”

  “I know.” His gaze was soft. Intimate. Shut it! No, that was Henry getting into my head. This was Nolan—my mentor—who’d never been inappropriate to me in his life. But that didn’t mean he didn’t like me. Urgh. Damn Julie and Henry with their stupid theories.

  The room swelled with the presence of the neph, and I realized with a start that our seats would probably be like kids chairs to these guys. Matchstick chairs that would smash under their muscular bulks.

  Fulstrom, an aging operative with heaps of experience and a penchant for paperwork, joined us, followed by Bellamy, cap in hand. The nephs took a stand, leaning up against the wall at the back of the room, and Nolan stepped back to give me the floor.

  Shields tight, I took the limelight and flicked through the reports of the sightings that Nolan had handily fetched for me.

  “Okay, so they’ve hit one school, the bowling alley and the Sunset club by the coast. It’s Saturday today so the schools are out. But I have a list of other public family spots they might hit. I say we split up into two teams and check them out.”

  Drayton raised his hand, an amused smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Ryker and I come as a package. We do not split up.”

  “Um, okay. Bellamy can go with you. He knows the city inside out.”

  Bellamy’s eyes widened a fraction. His knuckles tightened on his cap and then he nodded. “Sure thing, Harker.”

  Drayton shook his head. “I have another suggestion.”

  I cocked my head. “Go on?”

  “You ride with us.”

  His colleague, Ryker, shot him a disgusted look.

  What the heck was going on here? “Why me?”

  He grinned, flashing his dimples. “Because I work better when surrounded with eye candy, and between you and Ryker, I should be set.”

  Was he serious?

  Nolan stepped forward, but I held up my hand to stall him. He’d given this case to me and I was gonna handle this idiot.

  I placed my hands on the table in front of me. “Is this a joke to you? Huh? We have a serious problem here. It may not be a big deal to you where you come from, Midnight is probably crawling with crap and you’ve gotten used to stepping in it on a daily basis, but this is my district and we keep our streets clean. The Order is your shit, so stop pissing around, roll up your sleeves and get to cleaning it up.”

  Nolan made a choking sound, but I barely registered it. I was too busy vibrating with rage. How dare this neph belittle our investigation with his sexist comments.

  “I will ride with Miss Harker,” Ryker said. His voice was gruff, almost hoarse. “You go with the others.”

  Drayton blinked in shock, his mouth parting and then he let out a bark of laughter. “As you wish.”

  My shoulders unknotted. “Okay, let’s get to it.” I handed Bellamy a list and took the other.

  “Bellamy, is it?” Drayton said. He slung an arm around Bellamy’s shoulder dwarfing the man. “You want to drive or shall I?”

  Fulstrom looked from me to Drayton. “Go with them. I’ll be okay.” There was something solid and safe about Ryker, gut instinct and all that. I didn’t mind getting in a vehicle with him.

  “I’ll be in the van,” Ryker said and followed the others out of the door.

  I sagged against the white board. “Well, I wasn’t expecting nephs to be so...”

  “Rude?” Nolan supplied.

  “Yeah. And Normal. I mean they’re big and look pretty intimidating but...yeah, they’re just guys.”

  Nolan shrugged. “Guys who happen to have Black Wing blood in their veins.”

  Yeah, there was that. That blood unlocked abilities. The back of my neck prickled with the reminder of what I was. What I didn’t want to be. I wasn’t sure how it worked, and I didn’t care. Their world wasn’t mine, and the quicker this hunt was over the better.

  ***

  The van idling outside was a monster in itself. The wheels were almost as tall as me, and I’d have to jump to climb up into the passenger seat. The door swung open and Ryker held out a hand. I reached up and then faltered. Checking my shields were tight, I placed my hand in his huge one and allowed him to tug me into the vehicle. Whoa, he was strong.

  Door closed, I buckled up. Ryker waited, his sun-shaded gaze fixed on the road, fingers drumming a rhythmic beat on the steering wheel. It was sunset, not high noon, definitely not bright enough for sunglasses.

  “Can you even see with those shades on?”

  He snorted. “I live in Midnight.”

  Huh? Then the penny dropped. His eyes were used to the night, to the pitch black depths of Midnight. Sunset to him must be the equivalent of midday.

  “Sorry.”

  He pulled onto the road, the ride smooth and silent.

  I unfolded the sheet of paper with the list of locations we needed to scope. “We’ll hit the shopping center first. It’s a Saturday. Families will be out in force today.”

  He nodded. “Directions.”

  “Drive to the end of the road and take a left.”

  And we were off. We drove in silence for ten minutes, aside from my barking out directions. But even with the lack of conversation, there was something soothing about Ryker’s presence.

  “It’s serene,” he said softly.

  “Yeah. I guess it is.”

  “It’s...nice.”

  Damn, what was life like for him in Midnight? I’d always thought of the MPD as stuck up. Looking down on us, but maybe I’d been wrong. What had they got over us really? Special abilities and super strength? But they lived in a district where danger stalked every corner. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of stuff they had to put up with. We had the sun, even if it was always setting. We had relatively safe streets and we had community. There was nothing for them to look down upon.

  We’d entered the strip that led to the mall. Salty sea breeze filtered in through the vents and tickled my senses. The ocean was still a mile or so out but the breeze was strong.

  I waved a hand at the windscreen. “Just drive along this road, the mall will be on your left.”

  The blonde Adonis inclined his head, his cerulean eyes sincere and solemn. “Forgive my colleague, Drayton. Beautiful women are his Achilles heel.”

  Had he just called me beautiful? My neck heated “Oh. No. That’s okay. I just can’t be dealing with all the cocky macho shit, you know?”

  His lips twitched. “Yes. I know.”

  He pulled into the car park, and slid into a spot. The engine died. He stared at the vast building before us. “This place is for shopping?”

  “Um, yeah.”

  “The building is huge. How many things do you humans need?”

  I studied the mall, as if for the first time, as if through his eyes—a three story monolith stretching east and west with a thousand doors swallowing people and spitting them out. It was something I’d always taken for granted, and yet, to Ryker it seemed like an alien concept. For the first time since living in Sunset, I felt a pang of shame for our excesses. The fact that even with all this at our disposal, people chose to upgrade to Dawn.

  I unlocked my door, needing to get away from the reflective thoughts. “It’s not always about need. It’s more about want. I guess having stuff makes people feel safe.”

  He nodded slowly as if digesting the fact. “Does it make you feel safe?”

  Did it? “No.”

  We exited the vehicle and headed toward the shopping complex. Ryker, in his leather and kick the shit out of you boots, drew every eye in the parking lot. Women pulled their children closer, men stepped in fr
ont of their wives and teenagers gawped, and for those few minutes, I was utterly and completely invisible.

  We pushed through the glass doors into the air-conditioned interior of the mall.

  I turned to him. “Why all the leather?”

  He paused and glanced down at himself. “This isn’t leather.” And then he was striding off, cutting a path through the wide eyed humans. “Come, this place is vast we must work fast.”

  He wasn’t wrong and it took the better part of two hours to check out the first two floors. Ice-cream parlors, restaurants, the kids zone filled with arcade games and mini-golf. No Order of Merlin here.

  I parked my butt on the edge of the ornate but useless waterless fountain on the second floor. “I don’t think they’re here.”

  “No. I agree.”

  “Why are they here?”

  He glanced at me, his brows meeting in confusion. “I thought we agreed they weren’t here.”

  “No, I mean here, in Sunset. It’s not like we have it as bad as the humans of Midnight. You’d think they’d have their hands full recruiting there, where people actually want to leave.”

  Ryker smiled thinly. “Midnight has its charms. We have our community just as you have yours. We may not have huge shopping malls, but we have other diversions.”

  Riiight. “So people don’t want to leave?”

  “What do you think the Order wants?”

  Answering a question with a question? What was he hiding? Never mind. I shrugged. “I don’t know. To fool people into believing there’s a way out of Arcadia.”

  “And what makes you think they’re lying?”

  Now he was toying with me, but he wasn’t smiling. Damn, I wish I could see his eyes, read what he was thinking. “You’re saying there is a way out of Arcadia? That by joining the Order humans can seriously be free?”

  “No. I’m not saying that.” He glanced to his right, at a young woman in the wedding boutique window fingering a cream embroidered wedding dress. “We should move on.”