“I found this in Lily’s room.”
A solid gold plaque gleamed up at Phoenix, the serpent mocking her from its wooden resting place. Bile rose in her throat and she blinked, her head trying to make sense of what she was seeing.
“Is that –”
“The Ouroboros.”
“She had it all along,” she whispered in disbelief.
Tentative fingers reached out to trace the symbol that could have saved her parents. Her skin tingled where she touched the gold, the relic’s magic tangible even to her. She pulled her hand back as if burned and clasped it in her lap.
“We don’t know that it would have made a difference,” Ethan said softly.
The image of her parents stepping into the void flashed into her mind, stealing her breath. Even now she could remember the gut-wrenching pain in that moment of realisation; time hadn’t dulled its sharp edge, and she doubted it would ever heal. It was that understanding that brought clarity.
She looked up at Ethan and saw the conflicting emotions warring behind his brown eyes: anger, hurt, betrayal, pain, grief. They’d all experienced so much loss in such a short time, and none of them were really equipped to deal with it. Could she blame Lily for wanting the relic? It was obvious why she’d taken it. If Phoenix had a chance to bring back her loved ones, she’d grab it with both hands.
None of it mattered now. What was done was done.
“It needs to be destroyed,” she said finally. “No one else can be allowed to use it.”
He nodded and closed the box with a firm click, reminding her of the reason she’d come to find him.
She gave him a sad smile. “I don’t have the box for the Ritual. It was burned in the fire.”
His eyes searched her face, as if trying to understand what she was feeling. “We’ll sort it out, don’t worry. We’ll make sure she finds Annabelle,” he said eventually.
Tears burned at the back of her throat, but she swallowed them. If she let go now, she wasn’t sure she’d ever stop. She needed to be strong if she was going to do what had to be done.
“If we can’t find an alternative soon, I’m ending this, Ethan. I can’t let anyone else die for something I could stop.”
He jerked around to face her, his hands grasping her shoulders in a bruising grip. “No!” The one word was filled with command, but his eyes were desperate and pleading as he dropped his guard and let her see the fear and need hidden under the surface.
And that was her undoing.
His lips found hers, and she hesitated for only a second before she gave in to the firm pressure. The fire was instantaneous as it consumed her. She pressed herself closer, needing the heat of his body against hers. All the while terrified he’d pull away. More terrified he wouldn’t.
Her body came alive with sensation, and for once, she let go of the doubt. When he pulled her back with him onto the bed, she didn’t resist. She met his need with a hunger of her own, consequences be damned.
Darius stalked through the corridor of the Council headquarters, a mask of indifference hiding his deadly intent. Following the Council’s decree to confine William, it was decided prudent to keep all Witnesses on site to save on the need for constant portalling. That didn’t mesh with his plans, however, and he was damned if he was going to be grounded like a school child while Phoenix ruined centuries of hard work by getting herself killed.
Unfortunately, as much as the Council was full of idiots, they were still powerful idiots, and Diana’s barrier spell wasn’t one he’d be able to easily break through unnoticed. Which left only one option: he had to kill her.
A sense of anticipation increased his pace and helped to dull the rage he’d felt at their order. This was just another test on the path to claiming his rightful station. And truth be told, the witch had it coming to her. Hers was merely a token position on the Council, and the loss would have no great impact; her species was barely a step above humans anyway.
He headed further into the depths of the building, noting a slight downward slope to his trajectory as he moved silently over the marble floor. Each of the Council members had private high security chambers below ground level that were off limits to Witnesses, with only rare exceptions. For the duration of Il Maestro’s reign on the Council, Darius had been one of those exceptions, and so he proceeded through the private quarters with a confidence that allowed him to blend into his surroundings.
He slowed when the sound of low voices from a nearby room reached him. The two voices he recognised immediately, but it was only when the conversation grew more heated that they spoke loud enough for the words to become clear.
“Tell us where they’ll go,” Vlad demanded. “If your loyalty truly lies with the Council, tell us where he’ll take the hybrid.”
The hybrid? The Council had Phoenix’s location; did that mean Maj had failed?
There was a long silence before William responded. “He’ll take her to Donegal, to the pack. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”
“Indeed.”
“The pack will stand with him; that’s why he’d go there. They won’t let you kill her.”
“Then they will be destroyed as well.”
Vlad’s response held no emotion, but Darius could almost feel the satisfaction oozing from him on the far side of the door. The rumbling growl from William said the werewolf could clearly feel it, too.
Both men stalked out of the room, only to come to an abrupt halt when they saw him. Vlad barely acknowledged his presence. Instead, he straightened his suit jacket and bid William farewell with a friendly smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, before continuing down the corridor. William, on the other hand, narrowed his gaze.
“It seems odd that mere days after we last spoke, the CLO have brought my relationship to the attention of the Council, don’t you think?”
Darius inclined his head but met the man’s gaze without flinching. “I appreciate how it must seem, but I assure you that information was held in good faith and passed my lips to none other than you. Unfortunately, it seems Vicktor is a little greyer on the matter of loyalty. With his considerable resources, it’s actually surprising it took him this long to discover the connection.”
William regarded him closely, his nose twitching subtly as he searched for a lie in the words. “The second Mist failed,” he offered eventually.
Darius raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
“Needless to say, the Council is less than happy.” His careful tone clearly implied he wasn’t including himself in that statement. “Jannah will be sent, the others alongside him. She won’t stand a chance. My cousin’s pack won’t be enough to protect her and my hands are tied.”
The words hung heavy in the air, their implication clear. With that, William turned and disappeared down the corridor.
Well, that was a curious turn of events. Phoenix had managed to evade yet another Mist? She was proving more resourceful than he’d given her credit for.
It wouldn’t matter though. Jannah was one of the most powerful Supes Darius had ever encountered; only the bonds of the Council, and his own misguided sense of morality, held him in check and prevented the Mist from being a terrifying force to reckon with. What a waste.
With a renewed urgency, he pulled out his mobile and stepped into the recently vacated office beside him. The phone rang once before being cut off by a robotic answering machine.
“Phoenix,” he chastised. “There’s really no need to avoid my calls when I’m trying to help you. It seems the Council have reached the limit of their patience. They are sending all three Mists, and they will destroy anyone that chooses to stand with you. My offer of protection still stands. The pack aren’t strong enough to survive what you bring to their door, but I am. You have less than twenty-four hours; I suggest you make your decision quickly.”
He hung up and immediately called the next number on his list: the Omega.
“Sean, I think it’s time you take a little trip home. Just make sure you
’re not seen. I wouldn’t want to have to kill your old pack.”
With that task done, he strode out of the office and continued down the corridor. His fangs descended as he walked. He needed a stiff drink.
Phoenix kept her gaze firmly on the car ahead of her. Ethan and Nate were leading the way to the pack lands in Donegal and if she lost sight of them, there was every chance she and Abi would end up back in Dublin; her sense of direction was questionable at the best of times. It also helped to focus on something so mundane as the car bumper. The fact that car currently contained the dead body of a young girl was something she was trying hard to forget.
For a short time, she’d been able to block it all out – the warmth of Ethan’s body chasing all thought away – but then she’d gotten Darius’s voicemail, and reality had come rushing back so fast it had nearly given her a concussion. Warmth and comfort had been replaced by a chilling sense of fear, and awkward conversations with Ethan had been replaced with strategic group discussions.
The general consensus was that they needed to get to the safety of the pack as soon as possible. She couldn’t argue with the logic, but a sickening sense of dread had set up camp in her stomach and she couldn’t shake the certainty that she was bringing death to Ethan’s home.
“Are you nervous?” Abi asked, after a long stretch of silence.
She clutched the steering wheel with sweaty palms. “I don’t want anyone to get hurt for me.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Phoenix sighed. She knew exactly what her friend was asking; she just didn’t want to think about it. Anyway, meeting Ethan’s parents wasn’t a big deal. What happened the night before had been a one-off. There was no need to make this into something bigger than it was.
“What if they blame me?” she blurted out, her mouth obviously not on the same wavelength as her head.
“For what?”
She waved vaguely. “For everything. Ethan being hurt. Lily and Annabelle getting killed. Oh, you know, the upcoming apocalypse.”
Abi let out a snort of laughter. “Then they’d be idiots. I know there’s a big bad prophecy trying to lay all this shit at your feet, but none of this is your fault. Besides, we both know that’s not what you’re really worried about.”
Shrewd blue eyes met hers, and she squirmed. Not a big deal, she reminded herself again. So what if they don’t like me?
Only, it was a big deal. She was going to the pack because of Cormac’s offer of protection. Would he rescind that offer when he realised she’d tainted his son? Would she have to look his parents in the eye and face their disgust?
Brake lights glowed from the car ahead. Ethan took a sudden left turn and disappeared between a row of trees. She followed his lead, holding her breath as she swung into an opening barely wide enough for the car. The suspension shuddered and groaned as they bounced over rough terrain and trees engulfed them. With no other option, she continued up the winding trail.
After a couple of teeth-chattering minutes, they emerged from the forest to find themselves surrounded by lush green fields and rolling hills. An occasional dot of colour marked the landscape, hinting at civilisation buried within the untamed wilderness.
“Wow,” Abi said on an exhale.
Phoenix stared open-mouthed, her attention split between following Ethan and gawking at the stunning scenery.
They rounded a bend and a small hill came into view. A glorious house composed equally of brick and glass sat at its peak, looking like something from those designer shows that she’d binge-watched with Abi last summer. Ahead of her, Ethan indicated and turned into a gravelled area at the bottom of the hill before killing the engine. She followed suit and climbed out of the car, still staring in awe at the house.
Ethan grinned and walked over to her. “You like?”
She just nodded, dumbfounded, and his grin widened. He grabbed her hand and tugged her up the path. “Come on. I’ve a few people I want you to meet.”
Suddenly panicked, she turned back to look for Abi. When she spotted her friend lending support to Nate as he gently lifted Lily’s body from the car, she sighed and straightened her shoulders, resigned to her fate. If Ethan noticed her reluctance, he didn’t comment on it, even though the hand he held was clammy by the time they reached the house.
The front door flung open and a blur of wild brown hair was all Phoenix registered before a woman threw herself, mid-run, at Ethan, breaking the grip he had on her hand. She could hear him laughing as he picked the woman up – not an easy feat considering she was almost as tall as him – and swung her around.
A strange twinge of jealousy stabbed her in the gut, and she crossed her arms around her midsection. It was only when Ethan finally set the woman down and Phoenix got a proper look at her that relief loosened her arms. The face was more feminine, and had significantly less stubble, but the eyes were a mirror image of Ethan’s as they assessed her shrewdly.
“Phoenix, this is my twin sister Sasha. Sash, this is Phoenix.”
The other woman tilted her head and looked her up and down. Sasha’s expression gave away nothing of her thoughts, so Phoenix did the only thing she could: she met her gaze head on, attempted a friendly smile, and offered her hand, not too sure whether it would be accepted or bitten off.
After a moment, a wide grin broke out on Sasha’s face, making her look even more like Ethan, and she shook the offered hand. “Thanks for bringing my big bro home.” She pulled him to her side for another hug.
Ethan rolled his eyes but gave her a tight squeeze. “I’m only four minutes older, Sash.”
“Four of the most painful minutes of my life,” came a voice behind them.
Phoenix turned to see a man and woman walking in their direction. Energy thrummed from them in waves. There was no doubt in her mind that she was about to meet Ethan’s parents. She sucked in a breath and subtly wiped her hands on her trousers.
“Mo Faolán.” The woman opened her arms and pulled Ethan into a loving embrace.
His mother’s hair was long and wild like Sasha’s, with only a smattering of grey visible through the rich auburn. At a glance, she could easily have been mistaken for Ethan’s sister, if not for the light lines around her brown eyes as she smiled and a calm confidence earned only from life experience.
Ethan returned the embrace for a long moment before breaking away. “Mam, this is Phoenix. Phoenix, my mother, Fia.”
Phoenix suddenly found herself enveloped in a hug. Not quite sure how to respond, she patted Fia awkwardly on the back. A small bubble of warmth settled in her chest at the unexpected gesture and she pulled away with a shy smile.
When she looked at Ethan once more, he was standing straighter and the gentle fondness he’d shown for his mother was now replaced with uncertainty as he faced his father. She held her breath, suddenly feeling uneasy.
“Dad –”
He was stopped in his tracks as his father closed the distance between them and grasped him in a firm embrace. They stayed like that for a moment, and then some manly clearing of throats ensued as the two separated with a slap on the shoulder.
The large open space seemed so much smaller to Phoenix as she took in the combined energy of both men. Ethan’s father was a solid wall of muscle. His strong jaw and sombre grey eyes gave him a serious, unyielding air. Like Fia, threads of grey crept from the edges of his hairline and his skin was nicely weathered, but he wore his years well. She could easily imagine him leading the pack. Hell, she almost felt like bowing her head in supplication herself.
“Phoenix.” Ethan turned to her. “This is Cormac, my father and Alpha of the Donegal pack.”
She gave him what she hoped was a confident smile and held out her hand. He didn’t accept it, just looked at her appraisingly. She bristled and squared her shoulders, never flinching from his gaze.
Eventually, he nodded. “You’ll do.”
He gave her a wink and cheeky smile before wrapping an arm around Fia’s shoulders and turning
back towards the house.
“Come on, you two. We have things to discuss.”
***
Ethan followed his parents into the cosy sitting room that had been his favourite part of the house growing up. Phoenix trailed in after him, her head swivelling from side to side as she took in his family home. Her gasp made his chest expand with pride.
Floor to ceiling windows formed one corner of the room and revealed the most breath-taking views of the surrounding land. A stone fireplace covered another wall, and oversized grey sofas begging to be sprawled on filled the space. He managed to restrain himself as they all politely took a seat and faced each other.
“You have a beautiful home.” Phoenix earned herself a glowing smile from Fia as she fidgeted beside him.
“Maybe one day you can explore it in less stressful circumstances,” Cormac offered, before his steely gaze turned serious once more. “Now, tell me everything.”
Ethan had already given him the headlines, but he went through it all again: what they knew of the prophecy, the assassination attempts by the Council, Darius’s warning. He could feel the tension radiate from Phoenix with each detail.
“I’m sorry. I should never have come here,” she blurted, jumping to her feet.
He grabbed her hand in an attempt to stop her from bolting, but it was his father who responded.
“It’s my choice who I offer protection to, lass, and I do so freely.” Cormac turned a weighted gaze to Ethan. “The pack, however, must also be free to choose. They’ll stand with you, but it must be you that asks it of them. I won’t do it for you.”
He’d expected his father to say as much, but his stomach still tightened with the implication of the words. The thought of facing the pack after everything that had happened … It would be so much easier to just leave and face the Mists alone, but that would be the coward’s way out. He looked at Phoenix, the warmth of her hand seeping through his skin. He nodded.
2 Minutes to Midnight: Urban Fantasy Midnight Trilogy Book 2 Page 15