2 Minutes to Midnight: Urban Fantasy Midnight Trilogy Book 2

by L. M Hatchell

  Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Abi frown. An uncomfortable knot twisted in her stomach, and she dug her nails into the palms of her hands to stop herself from backtracking. She hadn’t said anything really, just a distraction; that’s all.

  “Shade was abandoned by his Sire when he was turned, wasn’t he?” Abi chewed her lip thoughtfully. “Where was it you said he’s from?”

  She shrugged. “Dublin, I think.”

  “So, he was sired in Darius’s territory.”

  Silence hung in the air between them and Lily dug her nails in harder.

  Abi plastered a smile on her face. “I better check in with Phoenix; I haven’t heard from her since last night.”

  Heavy black clouds rolled across the sky, and Phoenix’s hands clenched involuntarily on the leather steering wheel at a sudden bang of thunder. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been driving for, but at some stage between leaving the B&B and navigating the winding country roads, the bright morning sun had shifted to an ominous and oppressing sky that mirrored her mood.

  Ethan had yet to move as he lay across the back seat of the car, and fear had her heart tightly in its clutches. If it wasn’t for the fact he remained in wolf form, she’d have long ago succumbed to her fear and brought him to the nearest hospital. Since bringing him to a vet was also out of the question, she took what comfort she could from the steady beat of his heart and kept driving. He’d wake up. He had to.

  The question now was where was she driving to? The logical thing would be to contact the others and get their help. But what if she led the danger right to them? The Mist had almost killed both her and Ethan. She couldn’t ask anyone else to put themselves at risk.

  She couldn’t stick to their original plan either; if the Mist found them at the last B&B, it would be stupid to assume he wouldn’t find them at the next. Which only left Ethan’s pack.

  They’d be in the best position to help with Ethan’s injuries, and Cormac had already offered her his protection. But still she hesitated. The whole point of their little jaunt around Ireland was to limit how much trouble they were bringing to the pack’s door. If she headed there now, she’d be bringing a whole lot more than trouble; she’d be bringing death.

  So, she drove in the general direction of north, sticking to back roads and isolated locations, all the while urging Ethan to wake up so she didn’t have to make the decision alone.

  Another clash of thunder sounded overhead and moments later, thick droplets of rain pelted her windscreen. The pounding beat was so deafening, she almost missed the ringing of her phone on the passenger seat beside her.

  She glanced at the screen and her breath caught when she saw “unknown number”. Her old phone had been left back in Dublin as a temporary decoy for anyone who might be tracking it. Only a handful of people had this number, and all of their names should have come up on the screen.

  The phone continued to vibrate insistently, and she swung the car into a gravelly lay-by that came up on her left. She fumbled to pick it up and pressed the answer button before the car had come to a complete stop. Heart pounding, she said nothing as she lifted the phone to her ear.

  “I know you’re there, Phoenix.”

  The familiar voice that came down the line sent a wave of nausea flooding through her and the world spun.

  “How did you get this number?” The words came out in a whisper rather than the furious demand she’d intended.

  Darius’s rich laugh sent shivers down her spine and the nausea faded, only to be replaced by a confused mix of sadness and anger.

  “I have my ways. Don’t worry. I’m not looking to hurt you. I could’ve done that long before now if it had been my desire.”

  She sneered, his words adding fuel to her anger. “Of course not. You need me alive for the prophecy, after all.”

  “Exactly.”

  Her free hand clenched the steering wheel so tightly, the leather creaked in protest under her grip. Why was she even humouring this conversation? She already knew he was insane. But before she could force herself to hang up, Darius’s tone shifted from chilling psychopath to the charming persuasion she’d always known him for.

  “I’ll admit I’m quite impressed you managed to survive Shayan’s attack. That’s no meagre feat. The Council, however, were less impressed and intend on sending the next Mist.” He let the statement hang in the air for a moment. “I wish to offer you my protection.”

  She choked, his words causing a shocked laugh to bubble up in her throat. “Your protection?”

  “You were lucky with Shayan. Maj is neither as naive or careless. And, should you by some miracle survive her, Jannah will crush you like a bug. As you quite succinctly pointed out, it is in both of our interests that you survive. Therefore, I propose a temporary truce.”

  “You seriously think I would ever accept help from you?”

  “I think you want to live. I’ll give you some time to consider my offer, but I advise you do so quickly. I’ll be in touch.”

  With that, he hung up and Phoenix was left staring numbly at a blank screen as her hands trembled.

  ***

  Phoenix huddled over the cup of coffee, as if its warmth might somehow chase away the chill that had settled in her centre. The watery brown liquid tasted like scorched piss and did little more than burn her tongue, but still she clung to it.

  The rain had grown even heavier, teeming in sheets of water that made visibility non-existent, and when combined with her frazzled nerves, turned the treacherous country roads into a death trap. So, when she’d come across the ramshackle building that passed itself off as a petrol station, she’d done the sensible thing and pulled in.

  Her automatic response after the call from Darius had been to drive, as if by doing so she could put distance between herself and the memories conjured from the mere sound of his voice. Some things you just couldn’t outrun, however, and now that she’d been forced to stop, she felt lost.

  Was what he said true? Was the Council sending another Mist? The first had been bad enough, and she couldn’t deny it had been anything other than pure luck that kept them alive, but a second one just added yet more unknowns she wasn’t ready to deal with alone.

  She blew out a breath and rested her head on the steering wheel. Hell, when had she become so reliant on other people that her biggest fear out of that whole scenario was the part where she was alone?

  As if in response to her thought, her phone vibrated on the passenger seat. Her stomach did a full three-sixty and threatened to return its contents for visual inspection as she flipped the phone over to see the screen. This time, a name flashed persistently back at her and her head swam with relief.

  “Abi,” she answered breathlessly.

  “Phoenix? Are you okay?” Abi’s cheery voice immediately turned panicked, and Phoenix forced herself to take a slow, deep breath before answering.

  “Yeah, sorry. I thought it was someone else calling. I … It’s just good to hear your voice.”

  “What’s going on? And don’t say nothing. I can tell you’re upset.”

  Phoenix leaned back in the driver’s seat and closed her eyes for a moment. “The Council found us. They sent one of their assassins. We barely managed to escape. And then Darius called. He said they’re sending another one to finish the job. He wanted to offer me his protection; a temporary truce, he said. Is he completely insane? How could he ever think I’d trust him after everything he’s done?”

  The flood of words came to an abrupt halt, and she was suddenly aware of the stunned silence on the other end of the phone.

  “Shit,” was Abi’s only response.

  Phoenix started laughing. And as her friend joined her, an invisible weight lifted from her chest. The laughter turned to a hysterical fit of giggles until tears were rolling down her cheeks and she was no longer sure if they were good tears.

  “I’m afraid, Abi,” she whispered when she was finally spent and the energy drained from her body.

>   “It’s okay to be afraid, just as long as you don’t stop fighting. Now, first things first, where are you?”

  She looked around at her grey, nondescript surroundings and suddenly felt the heavy weight of exhaustion settle over her. “I’m not sure. Up north somewhere. I just kept driving.”

  “Okay, let’s start by getting you guys somewhere safe. Can you find a B&B nearby? Text me your location. I’ll fill the others in. Nate hasn’t managed to get past the Council’s firewalls yet, so we can’t verify what Darius said, but maybe he can find out how Darius got your number.”

  Abi rattled off orders, asking questions about the assassins and the Council’s attack. Phoenix could tell that the calm, assured tone was an act for her benefit but at that moment, she was immensely grateful for her friend’s strength.

  “There’s something else,” she said once she had answered all of Abi’s questions. “Ethan –”

  A flash of lightning lit the sky and the line went dead. She gaped at the “no signal” sign on the phone and cursed. She was jinxed; she had to be. There was no other explanation for it.

  A shuddering gasp from the back seat made her jump, and she spun around to see the final patches of fur fade from Ethan’s now human body. His eyes fluttered open for a brief second, then closed, leaving her alone once more.

  Lily methodically folded her clothes and placed everything into a neat pile, ready to go. Surely it wouldn’t be long now. Diana would call to give her the green light, and she’d take the Ouroboros to the Council. They’d show her how to tap into its powers and she’d fix everything; it would be over.

  The door to her room burst open, and she looked up in surprise at a frazzled Abi. “The Council found them,” Abi blurted before turning on her heel and disappearing.

  Lily froze in terror. It was done?

  Heart racing, she ran out into the hallway to find Abi banging on Nate and Shade’s doors. She ground to a halt as she searched the other girl’s face for any sign of grief, only to fine none. How could there be no grief? If Phoenix was dead, there should be grief.

  When there was no answer from either room, Abi swung back towards her. “How could they have known?”

  “Wait, wait –” Lily held up her hands as much to pause her own racing thoughts as to calm the other girl down. “What are you talking about? What happened?”

  Abi quickly relayed her conversation with Phoenix. “How could they have known?” she repeated. “We didn’t tell anyone the plan. No one knew where they’d be.”

  Lily’s pulse pounded so loud she was sure even Abi’s human hearing would pick it up. Phoenix was alive. The Council failed.

  “What about Darius?” she suggested, grasping for anything that might seem remotely plausible. “You said he contacted her. Maybe he’s really working for the Council?”

  Abi shook her head, but before she could say anything further, footsteps sounded at the far end of the hall. Nate and Shade turned the corner, deep in conversation. They pulled up short when they spotted the two girls, and the scowl on Shade’s face deepened. His frosty gaze focused accusingly on Lily.

  Nate hurried to their side, his lips pinched in concern. “What’s going on?”

  Lily’s hands grew clammy as Abi filled them in. She watched the cogs turning in Nate’s head; any minute now the pin would drop and they’d all realise what she’d done.

  “Okay, first things first. We need to assume the Council knows our plans,” he stated, jolting her out of her panicked thoughts. “Which means we need to change them. Let me make a few calls. You guys get your shit and be ready to leave as soon as I’ve got another safe house sorted.”

  “What about Ethan and Phoenix?” Shade’s eyes remained fixed on her, but he didn’t voice the accusation that was so clearly visible in their icy blue depths.

  “Phoenix sent you their new location?” Nate looked to Abi for confirmation. “They should be safe for now, but I’m not so sure it’s a good idea for them to be on their own anymore.”

  “They need more help,” Shade agreed quietly.

  A strange look passed between Nate and Shade, and Lily’s stomach lurched. Had Shade said something to Nate? Did they know?

  “We don’t have much time. We need to move.” With that, Nate hurried off to make arrangements. Shade gave her a final glare and followed after him.

  Lily watched them go and tried to calm the panic that was bubbling up inside of her. “Excuse me,” she muttered to Abi, mumbling a vague excuse about needing to do something before they left.

  She made a beeline for the nearest exit and pushed through the door. The cold hit her with a sharp slap, and through her muddled thoughts, one fact came into sharp focus: it wasn’t over. Needing answers, she pulled out her mobile and pressed the call button, only dimly aware of the ringtone as she wandered aimlessly around the property’s grounds.

  “Lily, I was going to call you later today,” Diana answered, her voice warm and friendly.

  “What’s going on? Why isn’t it done?” Lily could hear the frantic edge in her tone, but she couldn’t seem to calm the emotions that raged through her.

  There was a long pause, then Diana sighed.

  “I’m afraid there was a slight miscalculation in our tactics. But it’s nothing for you to worry about. It’s all in hand. All I need is the next location from you and I’ll get it sorted. This horrible mess will all be over.”

  Lily hesitated. She wanted so much to feel reassured. The Council had it all under control; she just needed to let them handle it. So why didn’t she feel relieved?

  “I know how hard this is for you.” Diana’s voice softened. “But I need you to be strong a little while longer. Annabelle needs you to be strong. You can do that, can’t you? For Annabelle?”

  Her throat tightened at the sound of her sister’s name. Where was Annabelle now? So much time had passed. Too much. Had her soul already passed on to a new life? Would she be too late?

  Before she could think any further, she spurted out the address that Phoenix had sent Abi and hung up without saying goodbye. Hot tears pricked the back of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Tears wouldn’t help her now.

  Everything went white. Then there was only darkness, never-ending darkness. Ethan could hear Phoenix’s voice, whispering to him, begging him to come back to her. But no matter how hard he tried to pull himself out of the murky swamp of his thoughts, reality remained just out of his reach. The harder he tried, the more fatigue washed over him and brought with it the emptiness of oblivion.

  A light touch to his cheek sent a jolt of awareness through him. His skin tingled as fingertips trailed along his forehead and smoothed the tension from his brow. The warm scent of sunshine flooded his senses, and his eyes fluttered open to meet the most striking green eyes he’d ever seen. They tightened with worry until they registered his own brown ones staring back.

  A small smile lifted the corner of Phoenix’s mouth and she sat back, taking her hand and her warmth with her.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey.” His response came out as little more than a croak, and she jumped up to grab him some water.

  The room tilted at an odd angle as he watched her, and it took a minute for the fuzziness to clear enough for him to realise he was lying down. The magnolia walls blended into the magnolia ceiling above his head, and the musty smell that filled his nose was unfamiliar. Where were they?

  Phoenix came back into his line of sight with a glass of water in hand. He made a weak attempt to shift his body to a sitting position, but she glared a warning at him. Quickly and efficiently, she propped a pillow up behind him and moved him enough that she could hold the glass to his mouth for a few sips.

  “You will not so much as blink until we know what damage has been done,” she ordered as she fussed about to make sure his body was fully supported.

  Her words triggered a flash of memory: a hand reaching into his chest, and pain, blinding pain. He winced.

  “The Mist –”
He swallowed with effort past the uncomfortable dryness in his throat. “I’m guessing you didn’t win him over with your charms. How are we alive?”

  She arched an eyebrow at him and the tension that had tightened her features was instantly replaced with a challenging smile. “Are you sure? I’ll have you know that I can be very charming.”

  He choked on a laugh. “I’ll believe it when I see it.” The memory of the fist clenched around his heart flashed into his mind again and he grew sombre. “Tell me.”

  Her eyes darkened and she quickly averted her gaze from his, but not before he caught a glimpse of her haunted expression.

  “I don’t know. I just remember grabbing you and calling the sun. There was a burst of white light and next thing I know, I woke up in the woods to find you unconscious beside me. The Mist was gone.”

  “Dead?”

  “What are the chances we’d be that lucky?”

  He sighed. She was right, and going by what she said, it was little more than a miracle they were alive. In fact … he took a mental inventory of his injuries: crippling fatigue unlike anything he’d felt before, phantom ache in his chest, raw throat. But no sign of burns. If she was holding him when she used her powers, he should have been incinerated. How was he alive?

  “Where are we?” Too exhausted to think on it further, he focused on the practicalities.

  Even if the Mist was by some miracle dead, there were two more at the Council’s disposal; it was only a matter of time before they came.

  Phoenix looked around, dazed, as if his question confused her.

  “A B&B up north. I got a call and … when you changed back, I thought it was best to get you some place comfortable.”

  He studied her closely. Why had she hesitated?

  “Do the others know what happened?”

  She shook her head. “The storm knocked out my phone signal when I was filling Abi in. The weather seems to have gone a little bat shit crazy all of a sudden. I texted her our location when the signal came back, and I was just about to give her a call.”