“So, you banished him.”
“So, I banished him. Every instinct in me told me it was wrong, but it was too late. I had no idea where Marcus had gone. It was only when Shade contacted me that –”
“Shade?” She jerked her head up in surprise.
“He came to me requesting my help. Demanding it, actually. I didn’t know about you, that Marcus and Aria had had a child. I didn’t even think such a thing was possible. Shade told me about the prophecy and the Council’s vendetta. He asked me if I was finally willing to do the right thing.” Lucas looked at her, his grey eyes haunted. “I failed your father. I won’t fail you.”
She bit her lip and nodded before hopping down from the stool. His apology had come too late for the person it was intended for, and it reminded her that she had her own apology to make. She left him lost in his memories and went to find Shade.
A quick check with Nate sent her to the large garage adjoining the house. She found him there, viciously punishing a weathered punchbag. He stilled at her approach but didn’t turn to look at her.
“I owe you an apology.” She pulled at the sleeve of her top, a childish voice in the back of her mind sulkily pointing out that he’d been a dick to her, so it wasn’t surprising she’d suspected him.
He shrugged.
“Lucas said you sought him out. Why?”
The question finally caused him to turn. His expression was unreadable as he met her gaze with his icy, blue eyes. “He loves you.”
“Lucas?” She furrowed her brow in confusion.
His unreadable expression morphed into the irritated glare that was so much more familiar to her.
“Ethan. I don’t want him to get hurt, so you need to stay alive.” It was an order, not open to discussion or subject to emotion. He turned back to the punchbag, connecting with a solid left, right combo.
She stared at his back for a moment, confounded by the sullen vampire, but turned with a sigh to leave. His words stopped her in her tracks.
“The real fight is still to come, Phoenix. You’ll need as many people on your side as possible if this world is to have a chance of surviving.”
The vampire strained against his silver bonds. Foam dripped from his mouth as razor sharp fangs snapped at nothing. Crazed eyes turned fiery red and cast the metal walls of the sterile chamber in an eerie glow. A body lay slumped on the ground just out of reach; its lifeless eyes stared at the ceiling with a now permanent look of terror.
Darius walked a slow circle around their newest test subject, and a satisfied smile settled on his face as he stepped over the body without a glance. Everything was finally falling into place. Phoenix was alive, despite her continued stupidity, and for now, the Council posed no threat to his plans. It was time to take fate out of the equation.
His head of security stood quietly in front of the vampire, waiting for Darius to rejoin him before speaking.
“You were right,” Erik confirmed. “We just needed to find the right kind of demon for the hosting to take. This one seems to be a good match for the vampire.”
As Darius watched, shadows swirled behind the red fire of the vampire’s eyes and the snarling quietened. The straining stopped and the crazed look turned into something altogether more terrifying. The vampire tilted its head and regarded them with curiosity. Darius’s smile widened.
“Let’s test the other species to confirm their matches. Once we know the right combinations, we can move to the next phase.”
The door to the chamber opened and Darius turned to the white-haired wolf who stood reluctantly in the doorway.
“Ah, Sean. How was your trip home? You weren’t seen, I hope.”
The Omega’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t answer. Instead, he averted his gaze to take in the chained vampire and lifeless body. His hand clenched around the door handle, and it snapped off with a crack.
Darius raised an eyebrow.
“I need you to bring me one of the wolves. I’ll leave the choice up to you, though I suggest you choose one that’s easy to control. They can become very unpredictable when the demon takes hold.”
*****
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Author Note
Thank you for joining me on this new adventure through Ireland’s hidden supernatural world. If you enjoyed this book, I would be very grateful if you could leave a brief review (it can be as short as you like) on the site where you purchased your copy.
As an author, reviews are the most powerful tools in my arsenal when it comes to getting attention for my books. Honest feedback goes a long way in increasing visibility and helping me to reach other readers like you, so thank you in advance!
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A Quick Thanks
You would think that after writing one book, it would get easier. But, nope. It was a big challenge to sit down and face that blank page again. So, I’m eternally grateful to the people that helped to bring this story to life.
For my guinea pig Sandra, who gets to read the worst version of my stories (or at least, the worst version that I let anyone see), and can still be guaranteed to be my best support. And for the Beta Bitch, who has been with me since book one but proved particularly invaluable for this story.
One of my favourite parts of the writing process is working through edits as the book reaches completion. It’s at this point that I really start to fall in love with the story and see its potential come to life. I have my fantastic editors at Three Point Author Services to thank for that. With their feedback, I’m growing as a writer, and you get saved from some of my more annoying writing quirks :).
Lastly, I owe a huge thanks to my partner and baby girl for keeping me on my toes and making sure I come back to the real world from time to time.
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2 Minutes to Midnight: Urban Fantasy Midnight Trilogy Book 2 Page 19
