The Midnight Man (The Mancer Trilogy Book 2)

by Alan Scott

  “Yes, darling?” came the quick reply.

  “Come to me now.”

  “Is it important?”

  “Yes, Mother.”

  “I am rather busy.”

  “Mother!”exclaimed the Midnight Man.

  “Well, if it is important, my darling boy.”

  “Mother, I want you to wipe out an entire civilization here under the Star Mountains.” sent an exasperated Midnight Man.

  There was a few seconds of silence, then she said, “I will be right there. Let me see through your eyes.”

  “Of course, Mother.”

  The Midnight Man watched as a shadow-door opened ten feet away from him, and his mother and another woman stepped through.

  “I take it, son, that you have destroyed the Chosen.”

  “Yes, I have, Mother, and the Draken Amulet is now mine.”

  “That’s nice, dear.”

  “Who is this woman, Mother?”

  “Oh, she is my Dark Herald. Her name is Maria Clough.”

  The Midnight Man stared hard at Maria before saying, “Welcome to the true Brethren, Maria.”

  “Thank you, my lord.”

  “You shall have an opportunity to show your devotion soon.”

  “I look forward to it, my lord. “

  The Midnight Man gave a short smile, took his mother's arm, and led her a few feet away. “Mother, I have another small task to do today.”

  “Oh, what is that, darling?”

  “I’m going to kill a god.”

  “Ah, yes, I remember you saying that you were going to challenge the gods.”

  “You remembered - that is nice. Anyway, I need to strike now, whilst they are unaware. Gideon Sandhu and Miriam Gregorious will be coming with me, along with a number of others.”

  “I want to come with you!” demanded Joanna Harris.

  “No, Mother.”

  “It will be dangerous and you need someone to protect you.”

  “I said no, Mother.”

  “Tom.”

  “Don’t use that tone of voice with me,” snarled the Midnight Man.

  “You need...”

  “I need you to do as I say, Mother,” snapped the Midnight Man as he backhanded her.

  Joanna’s eyes flashed with anger. “Don’t you ever...”

  “What? Don’t I ever what?”

  Joanna closed her eyes, then opened them. “Nothing, darling. You know your mum will do anything for you.”

  “I know that, Mother.” Tom laid a gentle hand on his mother’s cheek. “I know that.”

  “Good,” smiled Joanna.

  “Mother, I want you and your Dark Herald to destroy and raze to the ground all the settlements that take shelter under the Star Mountains. Once I finish with my little escapade, I will be able to send you additional troops.”

  “Of course Mother will do that for you,” smiled Joanna. “Just one small thing. Why?”

  “A good question, Mother, with a rather boring simple answer – revenge. These are the people of the man known as Nathaniel West, the man whose body I was trapped in for those many long years.”

  Joanna smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Son, revenge is never boring. I shall make them pay for every second you were trapped.”

  “I knew you would understand, Mother.” Tom gave his mother a huge hug. “No one else would.”

  “No one else loves you like me, darling.”

  Releasing his mother, Tom took a few steps backwards, opened a shadow-door, and stepped through.

  Joanna Harris looked sadly at the empty space where the shadow-door had been. “Sons - they always break their mother's hearts.”

  “Such is the way of the world,” replied Maria Clough.

  “True. Right, let’s get on to the important issues.” Joanna looked up at the darkening sky. “Let’s see how many pretty eyes we can gather tonight, my Dark Herald.”

  “Many,” said Maria, eagerly.

  “Let’s hunt, my Dark Herald!” screamed Joanna as she raced off into the growing darkness.

  ***

  It was early evening and Jacob Pace sat behind his desk studying the report which currently lay open on top. Slowly and carefully, he licked the end of his middle finger and used it to turn the page over. The scent of jasmine wafted in through the open window as the breeze picked up for a moment. He paused in his reading.

  Jacob raised his head and sat back in his chair as two slight muffled thuds sounded outside his door. “You might as well come in!” he called out.

  The door opened and in stepped the Midnight Man. “Good evening, Jacob.”

  “Cloud Chaser.”

  The Midnight Man gave a weak smile. “Really?”

  Jacob stood up. “You will never be more than a jumped up Aer’ver.”

  Two loud explosions sounded out, causing both men to look out the window.

  “Ah,” said the Midnight Man, “that will be the God’s Fire.”

  “Father?”

  “Grandfather?”

  The two calls came in almost immediately from Lucas and Kimberley.

  “Both of you, go to Oceania. Seek shelter in the cathedral.”

  “You look distracted, Jacob,” observed the Midnight Man.

  Jacob’s right hand started to disappear as he reached into the ether for his sword; however, just a fraction ahead of him, the Midnight Man whipped out his changing right arm. The purple and black tentacles struck Jacob just as his hand returned with his sword.

  Jacob screamed as the deadly tentacles leached out his life energy. Fighting through the pain, he swung his flaming sword and cut a deep, long, and bloody groove across the Midnight Man’s chest.

  Both creatures fell back.

  Jacob dropped to his knees as his body succumbed to the damage done to it. Through his failing eyesight and the agony which was racking his body, he saw the Midnight Man straighten up and prepare to attack him again. “I served well. My only regret is that it was not longer.” Opening his mind, he shouted out, “Oceania, you are now the head of the family! Protect your brother and niece.”

  “My only regret is that I could not have done this sooner,” spat out the Midnight Man as his tentacles wrapped themselves around the prone Pace. “Die, Jacob Pace! You were a god and I’ve now killed you. Soon, other gods will die and only I shall be left. Then, and only then, will I come for your master, Lord D’Edlup, Emperor of the Eternal Forest, lord of those across the sea.”

  Jacob’s screams only lasted a few seconds.

  The Midnight Man stepped out of Jacob’s office to a burning inferno. “We only have a few moments, then we need to be gone,” he informed Gideon Sandhu, who was standing outside the entrance to the office. “Losses?”

  “One Brethren, four Midnight Guards, and almost all the fanatics.”

  “Acceptable,” stated the Midnight Man. “Where is Miriam?”

  “She is by the harbour, causing mayhem.”

  “Inform her to return home quickly.”

  “Yes, my lord.”

  Looking up at the mountain which overshadowed the entire town, the Midnight Man blew a kiss. “The time will come, my darling Oceania. I am not worthy of you yet.” Turning around one hundred and eighty degrees, he looked towards the grand palace of Lord D’Edlup, Emperor of the Eternal Forest, lord of those across the sea and showed his middle finger. Turning his attention to Gideon, the Midnight Man said, “Time to go. Let us leave this place.”

  “Yes, my lord,” replied Gideon as he took one final look around before obeying his masters command.

  ***

  The cold piercing wind howled as it battered the wooden house, which stood just outside the small village of Breet. Inside, Nick and Sue Twotrees sat at the table, having dinner with their three children, Colin - aged five, Stella - aged nine, and Kenneth - aged eleven.

  “It’s blowing a gale out there,” stated Sue as the wind howled again.

  “Lucky we have a roaring fire, Mum,” said Stella.


  “Yes, we are, darling,” smiled Sue.

  “Best not take any chances, though,” commented Nick. “Kenneth, put another few logs on the fire.”

  “Yes, Dad,” said Kenneth as he rose up.

  A loud bang sounded on the front door, startling everyone.

  “What was that, Mummy?” asked Colin.

  “I don’t know, darling,” replied Sue as she gave a questioning look to her husband. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”

  “Yes, most likely nothing,” agreed her husband.

  The front door bowed slightly as another loud thud sounded out. Nick rose swiftly and strode quickly to where his wood cutting axe lay near the door.

  “Kids, to me!” called out Sue as she moved to the opposite end of the room, making sure to pick up the long sharp carving knife that was on the table.

  As she moved, she heard a sound coming from the chimney. Turning her head, she saw a huge amount of snow plummet down and smother the fire, causing the room to plunge into darkness. At more or less the same time, the front door swung violently open. A female figure stood silhouetted in the door frame and, for a fleeting moment, seemed to stand still. Then the illusion was shattered violently as the creature screamed, “The Midnight Man cometh!” and it charged into the room.

  Colin cried. He was scared. It was dark and people were screaming. His mummy had let go of his hand, and something hot and wet had sprayed across his face. Seeing the silvery moon through the open doorway, he ran towards the light as fast as his little legs would carry him.

  As Colin left his warm house, the cold wind raked across his face, causing him to cry out, “Mummy!” He ran towards the hypnotic moon, sobbing his little heart out, but only a few feet later, he tripped and fell face first into the snow. Cold, terrified, and just wanting his mummy, Colin turned around and looked at the black scary portal that was the entrance to his home. “Mummmmmmmmmy!” he screamed.

  A noise made him look up and he saw a figure leap from the roof. “My, what big delicious eyes you have,” said Maria Clough as she smiled at the boy.

  Almost too scared to talk, little Colin managed, “Mum?”

  “No, darling, not your mum,” replied Maria as she grabbed Colin by the throat and pulled him back into the house, “but let’s see if we can find her, shall we?”

  Maria dragged Colin inside the house, which now resembled an abattoir. Joanna Harris looked up from feeding on Kenneth.

  “He is looking for his mummy,” stated Maria.

  Wordlessly, Joanna reached down and picked up a decapitated head by its hair and waggled it.

  “Look, boy, there is your mummy,” said Maria in a sing-song voice. “I don’t think she will give you a cuddle, though.”

  Colin's eyes widened in fear and despair.

  “Oh, my, you have such beautiful eyes, child,” Maria commented as she noticed the change. “I really must have them. They will taste delicious.”

  Joanna dropped Kenneth’s carcass to the floor and quickly made her way to Maria. Staring into Colin’s eyes, she gasped, “Such pain, such loss, such innocence.”

  “A true treat,” whispered Maria.

  The small boy-child of five screamed as the two vampyres ripped out his eyes and popped them into their mouths. He carried on screaming until one of them ripped out his heart and ate that, as well.

  ***

  The Midnight Man stepped from the shadow-door and back into his own room inside the hidden fortress. Striding forward, he went to his desk and grabbed the bottle of wine that sat on it. Raising the bottle high in salute, he said, “To me,” before taking a long drink.

  Moving to the window, he looked out into the cold night and a single tear trickled slowly down his face. “My people are no longer the Chosen. They are, once again, just the Aer’ver.” The Midnight Man took another swig from the bottle before wrapping his arms around himself. “It was their own fault. They should have rescued me.” The Midnight Man’s eyes hardened, “They should have rescued me. How dare they accuse me of wanting to be trapped inside a mere human’s body for years at a time.”

  “My darling,” Joanna’s telepathic message interrupted the Midnight Man’s thoughts.

  “What?” snapped the Midnight Man.

  “Don’t take that tone with me!”

  “Mother, would you just tell me what you want?”

  “You were going to send me some help.”

  “Shit… yes, I was.” The Midnight Man massaged his brow with his free hand.

  Smug silence.

  “I will send you some soon.” With that, the Midnight Man cut the connection. “At times, I could quite happily kill her. She always calls just as I am in the middle of something,” he told the empty room. Taking a deep calming breath, he called out, “Miriam!” telepathically.

  “My lord?” came the quick response.

  “Contact my mother and see what additional help she needs, and then assist her.”

  “Yes, my lord.”

  Finishing the bottle, the Midnight Man casually dropped it on the floor, barely noticing the smashing noise it made as it hit the floor. “Right, time for round two. Lord Skeal, it is time to bring you true death.”

  “Gideon.”

  “My lord.”

  “Are you ready for round two?”

  “Yes, my lord. We have a few bottles of God’s Fire left. However, more importantly, we have many bottles of Church Water.”

  “And Brethren that are willing to die in my name?”

  “We have thousands of those, my lord.”

  “Very well, then; let’s bring true death to those across the sand.”

  “As you command, my lord.”

  The Midnight Man laughed lightly to himself as he caught his reflection in a mirror. “I love being me. I have so much imagination, so much to give, and all the time in the world to give it.”

  ***

  Lord D’Edlup, Emperor of the Eternal Forest, lord of those across the sea surveyed the smashed room slowly, before allowing his eyes to rest on the small and broken body of Jacob Pace. He gave a gentle sigh. “Goodbye, old friend. You served well.”

  Leaning on his cane, Lord D’Edlup closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Ah, the scent of jasmine. It is very calming.” Lord D’Edlup stayed lost in the moment until it was interrupted by one of his personal guards. “My lord.”

  “Yes.”

  “They are here, as you commanded.”

  “Excellent, send them in.” Lord D’Edlup opened his eyes.

  The first to enter the room was a stunningly beautiful woman with long luxurious green hair, perfect high cheekbones, and bluish-gray eyes. She was dressed in a loose flowing gown which changed colour as she moved; however, it was currently a dark and stormy gray. Behind her came a huge man dressed in a simple shirt and trousers.

  “My thoughts are with you, Oceania, and your husband,” said Lord D’Edlup.

  “Thank you, my lord,” responded Oceania.

  Next walked in Kimberley, escorted by her uncle Lucas. Kimberley was trying to control her tears, which were betraying her as they streamed unending down her face.

  “My thoughts are with you, Kimberley and Lucas.”

  “Thank you, my lord,” replied Lucas.

  “Jacob Pace dedicated his life to his duty and the safety of our people. For that, I shall always be grateful,” said Lord D’Edlup.

  “Thank you, my lord,” said Oceania.

  “However, your house has been greatly weakened and there will be those who seek to weaken you more.”

  “I am my father’s daughter and he taught me well, Lord D’Edlup. I shall not let House Pace fall,” answered Oceania.

  “Good. Do you still have the boy, Cameron, locked away in your temple?”

  “I do.”

  “Then take good care of him.”

  “I will, my lord.”

  “When do we get our revenge?” blurted out Kimberley. “When do we kill the Midnight Man?”

  “We don�
��t,” said Lord D’Edlup.

  “WHAT?” screamed Kimberley.

  “Shut up, child,” demanded Oceania.

  “Kim, be quiet,” urged Lucas.

  “I said, we don’t. Did your grandfather teach you nothing?”

  “He taught me a great deal,” spat back Kimberley.

  “My lord, my apologies for my niece's behaviour,” said Lucas as he grabbed her arm.

  “It is quite alright, Lucas,” dismissed D’Edlup as he moved towards Kimberley.

  Kimberley stood her ground and barely flinched as Lord D’Edlup reached out and lifted her chin up so that he could stare directly into her green eyes.

  “You are so much like your mother.” D’Edlup gave a small sad smile. “She was very emotional as well.”

  “Everyone tells me that I am like my mother, but no one will ever tell me who she was. All I know is that I had an idiot of a father.”

  “Now, now, Solomon was not a total idiot,” said D’Edlup. “Yes, he was a bit headstrong, and had an anti-establishment element to him, but an idiot? No.”

  “How can you defend him? Grandfather hated and despised him.”

  “Oh, Jacob did not hate and despise Solomon. He was just greatly disappointed in him. That disappointment was made all the greater by the one thing Solomon accomplished, something that no other man had done before nor ever will again.”

  “What?” sneered Kimberley. “What did my father, Solomon Pace, do that was so great?”

  “Why, my dear, he stole my daughter's heart and married her.”

  Kimberley's eyes widened and she staggered back as much as she could with Lucas’s hand around her arm.

  “I am surprised you did not know. Solomon Pace was married to my daughter, my daughter who died in childbirth having you. You have inherited her red hair and her mouth, maybe a bit of her nose.” Lord D’Edlup smiled briefly before turning away and making his way to the exit. “There is to be no revenge attacks upon the Midnight Man. He shall be dealt with, but not by you. At this moment in time, you will need to concentrate on matters closer to home. Defend your house and keep it strong. “