Once Upon A Midnight

by Stephanie Rowe

  Unable to tell my sister that her little friend is a lying asshole, I only nod. “It’s fine, Rebekah. Go on now, get the ice.”

  She doesn’t move, though. Her eyes are locked on mine, pleading. “Promise me you won’t say anything to him. Or start a fight.”

  Oh, I won’t start a fight. Or say anything to him. I can promise her that, but I won’t promise that I won’t kill him because that guy is not who he says he is. Looking to my sister, though, I smile as I say, “Promise.”

  She doesn’t go right away, but finally, she turns, heading to the back, and I stand, tapping JJ’s arm. “That fucker isn’t who he says.”

  “What?” JJ asks, standing up too as I text Cyrus and Jonas to get down to the Clandestine ASAP.

  “The only person who knows I dated Christiana Kelley is her brother Ryland who caught us screwing around in her room. He’s dead, so how does this guy know that? Especially when he is supposed to be a vampire. Why would he know shifter business?”

  “You dated Christiana?” JJ asks as Killian moves around the bar, cleaning and straightening things, but I notice he is watching us too.

  “I did, but no one knew, which is my point. We gotta take this guy out of here and question him.”

  “Okay,” JJ agrees just as Jonas and Cyrus come up beside us, neither of them out of breath, though I know they both ran hard to get here. Extra lungs do a body good.

  “Cy, stay down here and watch Rebekah. Jo, I need your help getting this guy out of here.”

  They agree just as Killian comes toward us, trying not to make eye contact, but I stop him. “Hey, Killian.”

  “Hey.”

  “Why don’t you come with me?”

  His eyes are cautious, looking from me to JJ to Jonas and then Cyrus. “Why?” he asks, and I smile.

  “I need to ask you some questions,” I say, but he doesn’t move.

  “Is that right?”

  “Yup, so come on.”

  “I rather not. I have things to do,” Killian says coyly, and I glare.

  “You can go easy, or you can go bloody. Either way is fine by JJ here.”

  JJ glares at him, and I can tell Killian’s mind is running a thousand miles an hour. A minute passes, no one moves, and I know he is thinking of running. I go to ask him once more, but then he jumps on the bar with ease. When he tries to jump off, JJ grabs him, twisting him around and pressing Killian’s back into his own chest before his knife appears at the base of Killian’s throat. Jonas and I grab him quickly, trying not to make a scene before we take him out the side door of the Clandestine.

  Once in the hall, JJ scoffs, “Told you.”

  I nod. “You certainly did, but I’m pretty sure this guy isn’t going to tell us who he is.”

  When Killian looks up at me, his eyes are challenging, and I know I’m in for a long night.

  And it doesn’t involve Taegan.

  ***

  “Who are you?”

  Killian looks up at JJ, his eyes red and swollen from where he has been hit one too many times. The air around me is thick with tension, but also with the smell of burning flesh. JJ’s assumptions of Killian being a shifter were right because as soon as we slapped on the silver shackles, his skin started burning and sizzling. Unlike most shifters, though, he hadn’t changed back to his true form when the silver hit his skin like it would any others of his kind. Instead, he is still a vampire, and that makes everyone in the room uneasy.

  Especially my father.

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?” Killian says back, his eyes bright and his pride still intact. If I didn’t think he was sent here to kill my sister, I would be impressed because JJ doesn’t hit softly. It hurts. Speaking of his punches, he lands one on Killian’s jaw once more, just as my father stands.

  “Why hasn’t he changed back?”

  None of us has the answer, and all I can do is watch as JJ stalks him, glaring and asking who he is.

  “I won’t say,” Killian says, but when JJ pulls back to hit him, I stop him.

  “Why won’t you say?” I ask, and Killian’s eyes cut to my own.

  “I have to protect my family,” he mutters, but I don’t think he wanted to be heard.

  “Who is your family?” I ask, and he rolls his eyes.

  “He won’t tell you,” JJ says as I stand up, coming toward him.

  “Were you here to kill my sister?”

  “Yes,” he says simply, and I inhale sharply.

  Something is bothering me, though. “You’ve had plenty of opportunities to do so. Why haven’t you?” When he doesn’t answer me, only looks away, my brows pull together in confusion. “Did you not have the chance I assume you did?”

  “I did,” he barks at me, glaring, and I eye him.

  “So why didn’t you?”

  Shaking his head, he yells, “Why don’t you just kill me? Get it over with!”

  “That seems like a good idea. Let’s do that,” Jonas says, but I shake my head.

  “No, we need to find out who he is,” I say, turning my back to him and looking to my father. “Can we call on the witches? Surely they have some spell or something that can ascertain who he really is.”

  JJ nods in agreement as my father taps his chin. “Yes. Let me call her,” he says, speaking of the high witch, but when he turns, Killian looks right up at me.

  “It won’t work.”

  I eye him. “No?”

  “Nope,” he says smugly. “I’m not what you think I am.”

  “I think you’re a shifter.”

  “You’re wrong.”

  “Then what are you?”

  “Something that your father has tried to prevent,” he says matter-of-factly, and with that, my father looks over at us, an expression of panic in his eyes before he turns, speaking to whoever is on the phone.

  A chill runs down my spine as I watch Killian. As I really look into his eyes, trying to figure out what he is, I start to notice something. His wounds are slowly but surely disappearing, and soon all he has is blood on his face, but no wounds.

  “JJ, what creature do you know that can heal like that?”

  Coming up beside me, he glares. “Only one I know,” he says before looking over at me. “And that’s a wolf.”

  Yeah, I was afraid of that.

  Chapter Eleven

  “If he isn’t a shifter, does that mean he’s a wolf? Did we lose our loyalties from the Conners?” Jonas asks, his eyes a little crazy. But Killian, or whoever the hell is he, is just laughing. He finds this mighty comical. “Or did the Kelleys hire from another clan? I thought we were good with everyone. Who else did we lose?”

  Shaking my head in annoyance, I look to my brother. “Don’t go jumping to conclusions. I’m sure we haven’t lost anything.”

  “Yeah, surely the wolves wouldn’t betray you, Anus. Why would they when you’re screwing their princess?” Killian says, and I whip around, my eyes going dark as anger floods my whole body.

  “Watch your fucking mouth,” I warn, and he grins.

  “Aw, don’t like when I speak of your precious wolf? Heard she’s marrying another. Wouldn’t it be something if the Kerrigan family were the ones who hired me? Trying to kill off everyone you love before their heir marries your bitch.”

  My body roars with anger, but just as quickly as I was ready to rip his head off, I swallow it back. He’s trying to piss me off; he’s trying to put incorrect assumptions in my head. My family is fine with the Kerrigans. Even if that dog is marrying my love. “They didn’t send you.”

  “No?”

  “No, they wouldn’t. But we’ll find out who.”

  He nods very condescendingly. “Sure you will, Anus.”

  Irritated, I look back at my brother, only to find that he is laughing. “He called you anus. You know, ’cause your name is Oceanus.”

  “Are you done?” I ask, and Jonas grins.

  “What? It’s funny!”

  “Dumbass,” I mutter before looking to my father, who
is approaching us. “Any word?”

  “She’s on her way,” he says, glancing to Killian. “I want to know more about what you assume I’ve tried to prevent in my community.”

  Killian shrugs. “Think real hard and maybe you’ll figure it out.”

  Father looks to me as I look to him. “Mixing of the clans?”

  “A hybrid, then?” he asks, and I shrug.

  “But don’t you kill all of them?”

  He nods. “I do. I don’t understand.”

  Before I can say anything more, something along the lines of maybe Killian was made in secret, I hear Rebekah in the hall.

  “And I ignored you. Let me go!”

  “Someone deal with that,” Father says dismissively, and I roll my eyes. Not because I know it will be me to take care of it but because he never wants to do anything that involves dealing with Rebekah. Opening the door, I find Rebekah and Cyrus struggling with each other against the wall. They don’t see me or hear me as they argue.

  “Now, brother, we both know I’m stronger than you,” she yells before slamming his face into the wall, her elbow digging into the back of his skull.

  That’s when Cyrus sees me. Reaching for Rebekah, I take her by the back of her arms, threading my arms through hers and holding her back as she yells out in frustration

  Laughing, Cyrus says, “Yeah, but you aren’t stronger than Oceanus.”

  With displeasure in my voice, I ask, “Rebekah, why are you assaulting our brother?”

  She tries to shake me, but I’m not letting go. With a sigh, she says, “He won’t tell me where you went or what happened to Killian.”

  I don’t want to lie to my sister. It’s the last thing I want to do. It will make me like everyone else in our family who treats her as a child, but I know if she finds out he is behind the door we are standing in front of, she’ll lose her shit. She’s all about saving people. Fool girl will go after him, and I’m not sure what my father will do if that happens.

  “I had to meet Father, and Killian left before we did,” I say, and she struggles against me.

  “Can you let me up?”

  “Are you going to attack Cyrus again?”

  “Not at this moment.” I nod and let her go. She turns, stretching her arms out. “Did Killian say where he went?”

  I shake my head, looking to Cyrus, hoping he can tell that we are hiding everything about Killian. “Nope, he said he had to go. I said, whatever, and then Father called for us.”

  She looks at me like I’m lying, like she can see right through me, but I stand tall, sticking to my guns. That is, until I see Irvina Kovalchik, the Grand High Witch of the Works. I haven’t seen her in years, and I expected her to be old and scary by now, but I was so wrong. Irvina is breathtaking. Like a beautiful sprite, with white skin, long black hair, and catlike green eyes. No one would expect her to be a day over thirty, but she is actually a hundred and thirty.

  Also, she’s the second most powerful person in the Works.

  She scares the shit out of me, but she is our only hope right now. We need her to tell us what Killian is. Without even looking at us, though, she walks into my father’s office.

  I look back to Rebekah, and our gazes meet as she asks, “What in the world is Irvina doing here?”

  More lies. “I don’t know, Rebekah. Go on to bed.”

  “No! I want to know what is going on.”

  Holding on to her, I urge her with my eyes as my fingers bite into her arms. “Please go to bed. Don’t fight me on this. Tomorrow, we’ll talk.”

  She doesn’t seem convinced, and she glares at me. Trying to come off as unfazed, I smile as I say, “It’s no big deal. Just some witchy shit.”

  Holding my gaze, she asks, “Does it have to do with Killian?”

  Swallowing hard, I shake my head once more. “No, Rebekah, he left. Seriously.”

  When she turns without saying more, I know she is pissed, but I can’t deal with that right now. I have to know what Killian is. I need to know more, but before I can enter my father’s office, my phone vibrates in my pocket. Pulling it out, I see it’s a text from Taegan.

  Taegan: Where ya at?

  Me: Family shit. Rain check?

  Taegan: You suck.

  Me: Yes, you’re right, but please understand. I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you.

  Taegan: You better. Text me when you’re done. I’ll come over.

  Me: Awesome. Love you.

  Taegan: I love you.

  I stare at our words. The three words that hold so much meaning between us. Should I even be telling her I love her? Won’t it just make it worse?

  Who am I kidding? I’ve completely fucked up with her, but I can’t quit her.

  Tucking my phone back into my pocket, I open the door just as Irvina’s hands lift from Killian’s head. Her head is hanging back, her eyes rolled up in the back of her sockets, while Killian looks up at her like she’s the scariest thing he’s ever seen. I, too, think she looks terrifying, but apparently, I’m the only one because everyone else is watching her, mesmerized.

  “So, what am I?” Killian asks, but Irvina is still doing whatever she is doing. “A monster? Ooh, no one has seen one of those, huh?”

  Her eyes haven’t rolled back into place, nor has she moved, and it’s sort of freaky watching as she stands there, swaying from side to side. Walking up beside Jonas, I whisper, “What happened?”

  “She put a truth spell on him so she can read him,” he whispers back. “Don’t know if it is working.”

  “Shouldn’t you know what I am by now? If not, you kind of suck,” Killian says then. Man, this guy is annoying. He reminds me of someone, though; I just can’t place him.

  Suddenly, the lights flicker, and when I look back to Irvina, her head is upright and she’s looking at my father. “William, I have no clue what this creature is. I can’t read him.”

  “Oh, no,” Killian says, looking around the room. “What are youse going to do now?”

  “This guy is funny,” Jonas whispers to me, but I’m too busy trying to listen.

  “What does that mean? Does that happen a lot?” Father asks, and Irvina shakes her head.

  “Almost never. I don’t know what he is doing, but he’s blocked me. I’m sure he is a shifter, though,” she decides, and I stand up.

  “Well, we knew that from the silver. But silver can burn wolves too,” I say, and she nods.

  “Yes, but it takes wolves a while to heal from silver cuts. He’s healing and burning, then rehealing and reburning. It’s odd, but all I’m sure of is, he is a shifter.”

  “So you couldn’t see who sent him?” JJ asks. “The Kelleys?”

  “No, nothing. He’s blocked me out. It’s ridiculous. Let me try one more thing,” she says, and that must have surprised Killian because his eyes widen as she comes toward him, a vial in her hand from her bag.

  “What the hell are you doing?” he yells as she takes out a knife, and for the first time, his smugness is gone—replaced by fear. She pulls his shirt down and then cuts him clean across his shoulder. He doesn’t react, only watches what she is doing. Quickly, before he heals, she pours a purple powder into his wound. Within seconds, it starts to spark with a green light. I’ve never seen something so bizarre. But then it’s gone, and he’s healed.

  “He’s a Kelley, but not a full Kelley.”

  My face scrunches up in confusion as I look to my father. “What does that mean?”

  The room is eerily quiet as Killian looks around the room. “Means I’m the monster that goes bump in the night, I guess?” he laughs before shaking his head. “Listen, no one sent me. I came to kidnap Rebekah for the possibility of a reward from the many clans that want her as leverage.” I don’t believe him, not in the least bit, but then he continues, “But then I thought about it, and it was dumb. It isn’t like anyone can kill her, and I couldn’t get past the hired monkeys anyway. So I let it go.”

  “Or you started to like her,” I say, and his
eyes widen as everyone looks at me in confusion. “I saw the way you look at her.”

  Glancing down at his lap, Killian shrugs. “Guess it doesn’t matter now, huh? I’m a dead man.”

  I look to my father, and he is glaring. I fully expect him to agree, but instead, he shakes his head. “You’re a vile piece of trash, and until I can figure out what the hell you are, or who really sent you, I will not give you the satisfaction of death. Instead, I am sending you down to the bastille.”

  Horror is all that is in Killian’s eyes as he looks up to my father. “Bastille? What’s that?”

  Before he can get an answer, though, JJ has him up and out of the chair, leading him out of the office. I guess he is about to find out. When the door shuts, I look to my father as he kisses the palms of Irvina’s hands.

  “I thank you for your help.”

  She nods, her face still twisted in confusion. “He sparked a bit of yellow, William. That means he has Conner blood in him.”

  My stomach drops. Why did he spark the Conners? Father’s face twists like hers as he says, “Hm, I wonder.”

  “He’s dangerous, William. He is resistant to everything. You should just kill him,” she stresses, and for the first time, I agree that death is the answer for this guy. I’ve never seen someone so unaffected by things that are meant to torture them. It was crazy to see, and I worry that if he can withstand that, what will happen when he gets down into the bastille?

  Before I can voice that, Father says, “Not until I know what he is.”

  And I see it in his eyes, he sees Killian as a science project he has to fix, which is so idiotic of him. We have to protect Rebekah.

  “We will leave, go to our neighboring clans, and see if anyone has any information,” he says then, looking to Jonas and me. “We leave in the next few days.”

  “What about Killian?” I ask frantically. “I don’t think leaving him with Rebekah in the house is a good idea.”

  “She’ll be fine. I’ll heighten security because JJ will need to go. He knows some of these clans better than I,” he says, visibly thinking before he looks back to me. “We will figure this out.”