2 Minutes to Midnight: Urban Fantasy Midnight Trilogy Book 2

by L. M Hatchell

  With a glance towards the witch, she ran back to Abi’s room and lifted her carefully from the bed. Hoisting her over her shoulder, Phoenix shoved back the panic that rose like bile in her throat. The rise and fall of Abi’s chest was shallower now, her breathing laboured. She was suddenly aware of the tightness in her own lungs. Each inhale caused an ache of protest between her ribs and burned a path down her windpipe.

  Abi wasn’t much smaller than her, and though her friend’s weight was easily manageable, the mechanics of carrying a person proved difficult. She risked a quick glance into the hallway on the off-chance of an easier escape route, but when she saw the witch begin to stir, she turned back to the window with a grimace.

  A single, full-force kick and the glass shattered. The gust of wind that blew through the opening caused the fire to explode into a violent furnace behind her. She ignored the shards of glass that stuck into her bare feet and took a running leap, clutching Abi tight to her.

  The jarring thud as she hit the ground sent her tumbling and she barely managed to twist enough to protect her friend from the fall.

  An abnormal blue hue filled the night around her. The sounds of nearby yelling had her on her feet and running within seconds. She didn’t look back. Not once. Not even when a loud explosion shattered her hopes of ever returning home.

  Darius snapped the neck of the second witch just as an upper-storey window exploded and a flash of red leapt through the night. He watched as Phoenix rolled and stumbled to her feet with a pale human-sized form clutched in her arms.

  The fucking human? He snarled. Had he taught her nothing about her weaknesses?

  Three more witches still surrounded the pub; their yells confirming they, too, had spotted her. He moved in a blur, careful to keep to the shadows as he tore out their jugulars one after the other and left them in a gurgling heap on the ground. Five down, one to go.

  Behind him, blue fire continued to devour the building, casting an eerie halo into the night. That meant the sixth witch was still alive. And powerful, if the magic blaze was anything to go by. Vicktor hadn’t pulled his punches when he arranged the hit.

  From the shadows, he watched Phoenix adjust her human baggage and make a hasty retreat, no doubt heeding the previous yells as warning of further pursuit. Well, she needn’t worry; he wasn’t letting her die that easily.

  Just as she cleared his line of sight, a pale face appeared at the broken window. Even with the distance between them, he could see the fury etched into the witch’s features.

  The man’s descent from the upper floor was far more graceful than Phoenix’s had been on account of her bleeding-heart loyalty to her friend. A black cloak billowed behind him as he landed on the ground in a crouch, a trail of blue flame following his descent.

  The man stood, his tall frame creating an imposing silhouette against the backdrop of destruction. He glanced at his fallen comrades, then clicked his fingers. A loud explosion rippled through the night.

  As he stalked into the darkness after Phoenix, Darius followed. Impressive as the man’s powers were, he couldn’t be allowed to live.

  ***

  Stones ground into Phoenix’s bare feet, pushing the shards of glass further in with each step. She gritted her teeth and bent her head against the biting wind that scorched her exposed skin.

  Mental note: get more practical pyjamas.

  The baggy t-shirt skimming her thighs offered little protection against the freezing February temperatures. Over her shoulder, she could feel the goosebumps covering Abi’s ice-cold skin through the silk nightwear she wore. Her gut twisted as she added hypothermia to the list of possible things liable to kill them both before the night was over.

  Abi hadn’t stirred at all. Not when Phoenix had leapt with her from the first storey window, and not now as she was being jostled about like a ragdoll. She could only hope that her friend’s slumber was some strange side-effect of the magic fire and would lift once she’d gotten them far enough from the source.

  Tears pricked her eyes as she forced herself to keep moving. The witch would be coming for her. Besides, there was nothing to turn back for; their home was gone.

  The night was quiet and the streets empty. Anyone with an ounce of sanity had long ago succumbed to the safety of their beds, and for that, she was grateful. Still, she was conscious of being seen. A half-naked woman carrying another unconscious woman would definitely raise some questions.

  She looked around, debating her options. The shop fronts afforded her some shadow, but while she stayed on the main street, she was exposed. Soon, she’d run out of shops and hit the residential areas, which would only increase the likelihood of attracting attention. Not to mention the potential for collateral damage if the witch caught her.

  At the end of the street, she turned the corner, and was debating her next move when a sound from the main street made her freeze. Her heart pounded so loudly that she had to concentrate to hear past it.

  The sound came again, faint and almost imperceptible. The scuff of cloth against stones maybe? The witch’s cloak?

  Her fight-or-flight response sent a burst of adrenaline through her system, clearly telling her she was going to bloody well fight. But even as it did, her hands grasped reflexively, pulling Abi tighter. She couldn’t fight like this.

  Desperate, she looked around for somewhere to place her friend that would keep her out of the crossfire, but there was nothing but an empty path as far as the eye could see.

  Another sound, louder this time, followed by a grunt.

  With no other choice, she lowered Abi to the ground and edged cautiously along the wall, back the way she’d come. She paused at the corner, her body tense as she waited for the witch to appear.

  A full minute passed, and nothing happened. Very slowly, she crouched down and peered around the corner.

  The main street was empty, as silent as it had been when she’d made her way down it only minutes before. There was no sign of the witch and no material dragging along the ground. Was her imagination playing tricks with her?

  She couldn’t shake the feeling that someone would jump out at her any second, but when another survey of the street showed no movement, she ran back and hefted Abi over her shoulder once more. She needed to get help for her friend.

  Turning another corner, she followed a winding path back to the main road. Hopefully anyone following her would get fed up and go home … Yeah, because she’d be that lucky.

  She’d left the pub in such a hurry that she hadn’t thought to grab her phone and she wracked her brain, trying desperately to remember Ethan’s number – or if phone boxes even still existed. What other options did she have? Could she figure out a route that would get her to Ethan’s apartment without attracting attention? Her chances were slim to none, and something told her Abi didn’t have that much time.

  She turned the final corner and barrelled straight into the broad chest of a shocked pedestrian. The man’s expression was almost comical, eyes flitting between her and the body she carried as he instinctively took a step back. His mouth opened and closed multiple times before he managed to formulate any words.

  “Are you okay?”

  The red hue of dawn broke over the city horizon as Ethan stared out his living room window. His eyes were heavy with sleep, but his body was restless and his head wouldn’t shut up. He’d gone to bed fuming after his fight with Phoenix, and the fact that he was awake at stupid o’clock only made his mood worse.

  Nightmares had plagued him all night, each of them involving some kind of horrific death for Phoenix while he watched on, unable to act. The last had been the worst, and he’d woken in a pool of sweat with the image still burned into his mind: her walking into an inferno of blue flame, a serene smile on her face.

  It was her fault, of course. He was only trying to help because he cared. If she wasn’t so determined to push everyone away, she’d see that. Maybe he should just accept that he was fighting a losing battle?

  His wol
f growled at the suggestion and he dropped his head into his hands, letting out a low rumble of frustration. He was a bloody pushover.

  Screw this. He grabbed his leather jacket from the back of the sofa and stood. After a quick check for the keys to his bike, he stalked out of the apartment, not bothering to lock the door behind him.

  The matte black Harley sat waiting patiently for him just inside the shuttered doors of the converted warehouse. The mere sight of its sleek curves made him smile and the tightness in his chest eased a little. He slipped on his jacket and pressed the button to raise the metal doors.

  The cold morning air hit him and he took a deep breath, relishing the freshness. Maybe he’d head for the Wicklow Mountains. He’d been spending too much time in the city lately. His wolf was getting edgy.

  Plan set, he swung his leg over the bike. His mobile phone chose that moment to start buzzing insistently and he swore. Memories of his nightmares flashed through his mind as he struggled to free the phone from his jeans pocket and his body tensed.

  The number on the screen was unfamiliar, and he hesitated with his finger over the answer button. A twist of anxiety in his gut refused to let him ignore it, however, so he brought the phone to his ear with a longing glance at the door.

  “Ethan?” Phoenix’s harried voice came down the line before he even had a chance to speak. “Yes, yes, I’ll be quick,” she said, voice muffled as she spoke to someone beside her.

  In the background, he could hear a strange rhythmic beeping and the distant sound of wheels squeaking on linoleum.

  “Phoenix? What’s going on? Where are you?”

  For a moment, she was quiet. The distant sound of shouting reached him through the phone, followed by the sudden blaring of an alarm. A deep sense of dread hit him and his mouth dried as if filled with sawdust.

  “I’m in the hospital,” she finally answered, a sob choking its way free. “There was a fire.”

  ***

  The stench of disinfectant and disease assaulted Ethan as soon as he pushed through the doors of the hospital. The smell clawed its way down the back of his throat, nearly choking him. Everything was white and sterile, from the walls, to the floors, to the people, and he shuddered at the cloud of death that hung in every fibre of the place.

  Phoenix had assured him on the phone that both she and Abi were safe, but his pounding heart refused to calm until he saw for himself.

  A quick glance at the overhead signs pointed him in the direction of their ward. He ignored the protests from the hospital security guard as he took the first right turn and ran down the corridor.

  Even at the early hour, the hospital was a buzz of activity; workers hurried past him in scrubs, their expressions varying between haggard, determined, or a mix of both. The occasional patient shuffled about in their dressing gown, and a young couple sat on distorted plastic chairs, clutching hands as they sobbed. They all ignored him, focused only on whatever situation had brought them there.

  He knew he’d found the right room when he turned a corner and spotted two uniformed Gardaí talking quietly outside a closed door. Both seemed too young to shave, let alone guard anything, but their presence gave him pause.

  Phoenix hadn’t mentioned the police when she rang. Their involvement probably stood to reason given the fire, but surely they didn’t need to be at the hospital?

  As he approached the room, he waited for them to stop him and question his presence since visiting time wasn’t for another three hours, at least. Instead, they both gave him a sympathetic look and nodded politely before moving to the side to allow him clear access to the door.

  It was then he noticed the sound of arguing coming from the room, and he groaned as he realised just what the sympathy was for. Phoenix’s stubborn tone was as familiar to him as his own by now, and in a strange way, it eased some of the tension that had been bubbling up inside.

  He braced himself and pushed open the door to find her sitting on a stiff metal chair beside a hospital bed that looked equally as comfortable. A dirty t-shirt was the only thing covering her and blood coated her feet. Other than that, she appeared unharmed. Abi sat propped up by pillows in the bed and though her skin had a slightly grey tinge to it, her blue eyes were alert and sparkling with barely restrained laughter.

  “I told you, I’m fine. I don’t need to be checked out.” Phoenix looked up as he stepped into the room and gestured desperately towards an old man in a white coat who stood glaring at her from the end of the bed. “Ethan, can you please tell this nice doctor that I said thank you, but I don’t require his assistance. He doesn’t seem to want to listen to me.”

  Before he could say anything, the doctor tapped his clipboard pointedly, nodding towards her feet. “It says here you had broken glass in your feet; you may need stitches.

  “Nope, no stitches needed here,” she insisted, crossing her arms over her chest and tucking her feet under her on the chair. Her jaw was set firm, but her eyes were pleading as she turned to him for help.

  He couldn’t stop the smile that caused his lip to quirk up as he watched her squirm. A small part of him was so tempted to draw it out. But she was right, of course, they couldn’t let the doctor check her out. Who knew what their human tests would show, or wouldn’t show, as the case may be.

  With an apologetic look back to the doctor, he shrugged. “Sorry, doc. She’s a stubborn one.”

  The doctor shook his head and shoved the clipboard towards Phoenix. “If you insist on being so stupid, you’ll need to sign this release to confirm you refused medical attention.”

  She took the clipboard from him and quickly scrawled her name before handing it back as if it might burn her.

  “What about me, doctor?” Abi chimed in.

  The man turned to her and frowned. “All of your tests have come back normal, but I’d like to keep you in for observation. Smoke inhalation can be very serious.”

  Abi nodded in understanding, then pushed the blanket off and swung her legs over the side of the bed, wearing nothing more than a paper-thin hospital gown. She looked around the room in confusion before turning to Phoenix.

  “Don’t suppose I’ve got any clothes here?”

  Ethan handed over the rucksack that Phoenix had asked him to bring and politely averted his eyes to allow Abi some degree of modesty. He’d borrowed the clothes from Lily so they should more or less fit. Either way, they couldn’t really be too picky right now.

  “What are you doing?” the doctor spluttered as Abi pulled on a pair of blue jeans.

  “Discharging myself.” She gave him an innocent smile and continued dressing. “You said all of my tests were fine.”

  The man’s face turned a worrying shade of red, and Ethan almost felt sorry for him. He obviously recognised a lost cause when he saw one, however, as he turned on his heel, muttering something about preparing the paperwork as he stalked from the room.

  When the door closed and they were once more alone, Ethan immediately shifted his attention back to Phoenix. He scanned her from head to toe, the tension he felt only fully unravelling once he was satisfied she was unharmed. Dark circles ringed her eyes, and a subtle mix of fear and sadness shadowed her features, but she seemed to be holding it together out of sheer stubbornness.

  “Okay, what happened? Why are the police outside?”

  In a toneless voice, she relayed the events of the night before: waking up to the blue flame, her battle with the witch, escaping with Abi.

  “Needless to say, the good Samaritan was a bit concerned about the fact I was carting around an unconscious body and called the police,” she finished with a wry smile.

  An uneasy feeling settled low in his stomach at the mention of the blue fire, memories from his nightmare flashing to mind. He pushed them away.

  “Have they questioned you?”

  She nodded. “I managed to convince them that shock and adrenaline turned me into Superwoman, and that’s how I was able to carry Abi to safety.”

  He snorted.
It was amazing the things humans would believe while completely ignoring the obvious signs right in front of them. “Why are they still here? Is it because of the fire?”

  Her cheeks coloured and she looked sheepish all of a sudden. Abi sniggered beside her.

  “I may have had a minor argument with the doc when he tried to examine me. They said they have to wait for their boss to give them the go-ahead to leave, but I think they’ve been told to stick around in case I cause any trouble.”

  He put his head in his hand and took a deep breath. It had been a long night. The last thing they needed was to draw attention from the human authorities.

  “Let’s not give them reason to hang around any longer.” He waved at the bag of clothes and indicated for her to follow Abi’s lead and get changed.

  He turned his back, mentally berating himself for the sudden urge to peek. Instead, he focused on the details of Phoenix’s story. Blue flame equalled witch. A strong one. He had a hard time believing the witches themselves had organised the attack, which left Darius or the Council. Neither option was appealing.

  When the rustling behind him stopped and the room fell silent, he deemed it safe to turn back around. Phoenix and Abi stood together watching him, both looking more vulnerable than he’d ever seen them before.

  “Ready to go?” he asked gently.

  Phoenix looked at Abi, her green eyes haunted.

  “We have no place to go anymore.”

  Darius wove between the gathered Witnesses, drawing closer to the centre of the amphitheatre where Vicktor kneeled before the Council. Large candles bordered the raised platform upon which the five Council members stood, their hoods lowered. Shadows flitted across their impassive faces and he smiled in anticipation of their judgement.

  Vicktor had kept the details of the attack short and sweet: pub burned down, casualties sustained, hybrid still alive. A heavy silence fell over the chamber in response to the news.