“Eleanor, I can’t believe it—it’s been so long. How are you?”
“Oh, I’m fine. And I have good news for you…all was not lost. There were spores in the catacombs. The siphon had grown into the other chambers below the castle—it wasn’t fully destroyed! Great-Grandfather has forgiven you, and all is well once again. Everything has returned to its rightful order.”
“Eleanor, you…you don’t sound okay. You mean to tell me you went back to Blackrock Island? Back to the castle?” The memories that rushed back to Nikki filled her with horror as fresh as her last moments on the island, a pulse pounding fear that pulled at deep roots, misting her eyes, aching in her heart.
Great-Grandfather?
No, he was dead. She had seen the hammer in his skull with her own eyes. The man had died by her hand. But now she was questioning what she had seen. Had it really been over two years ago?
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“We’re fine, dear.” She thought she could hear a smile in the old woman’s voice. “He’s a good man, you know. The people we’ve helped ... well, you surely know. Things were hard when you were here. I misunderstood what he had become, and I took it all the wrong way. He’s explained it to me fully. And just look how well you’re doing now!”
Nikki’s expression froze on her face. She tingled from the inside out. Had they been watching her?
“Don’t be afraid. We’re only calling because the time has come for your cycle to complete.”
Nikki stared at the dark shapes of furniture in her bedroom. The moon glowed blue against ghostly curtains. She sat straight up in bed, listening in disbelief.
“My cycle?”
“Your young friend Audrey has been chosen, dear.” At the mention of Audrey’s name the implication of it all finally sunk in. Nikki pulled the phone slowly away from her ear, but she could hear the tinny sound of Eleanor’s voice. “Please send her our way.”
About the Author
Christopher Fulbright’s fiction has been published by Elder Signs Press, Bad Moon Books, Dark Regions Press, Delirium Books, PS Publishing, DarkFuse and others. He’s a former journalist turned technical writer, but his real job is raising kids with his wife and sometimes collaborator Angeline Hawkes. They live in North Texas with their four children, one fickle feline, and a house full of lurid pulps. For news and information, please visit www.christopherfulbright.com.
About the Publisher
DarkFuse is a leading independent publisher of modern fiction in the horror, suspense and thriller genres. As an independent company, it is focused on bringing to the masses the highest quality dark fiction, published as collectible limited hardcover, paperback and eBook editions.
To discover more titles published by DarkFuse, please visit its official site at www.darkfuse.com.
Table of Contents
THE MIDNIGHT ORDER
Connect With Us
Other Books by Author
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Epilogue
About the Author
About the Publisher
The Midnight Order Page 9