Midnight Reynolds and the Agency of Spectral Protection

by Catherine Holt

  Then she let out a strangled gasp as hundreds of inky-black daggers shimmered into life, all cast from spectral energy. The buzzing in her ear increased and the temperature dropped, turning their breath to steam.

  “Don’t freak out, but you need to start crawling for the stairs. Right now,” Midnight yelled as the daggers began to slowly sway.

  “Okay.” Tabitha scrambled to the stairs as Midnight followed, holding the baseball bat high in the air. One dagger launched itself at them, and Midnight swatted it away. Then another one.

  Her heart pounded as Tabitha reached the staircase, Midnight right behind her. Another dagger came toward them. She tried to swat it, but it nicked her skin and ice-cold pain ran up her arm. The room went deathly silent. All the daggers were swaying from side to side.

  “Tabitha. Stand up and go as fast as you can. Do it now,” Midnight said. Tabitha didn’t bother to reply. Instead she raced up the stairs. Midnight followed her, taking the stairs two at a time until they reached the top. They slammed the door shut just in time to hear the thud of the daggers pounding into the wood.

  By silent agreement they ran from the kitchen, quickly locking the door behind them and grabbing their raincoats. They didn’t even dare to look at each other until they were back in the safety of Midnight’s bedroom.

  “We need to call Peter Gallagher right now,” Tabitha said grimly. “Because whatever that was, I don’t want to have to go through it again.”

  That would make two of them. Midnight reached for her phone and tried not to notice that her hands were still shaking.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  “Dominus means ‘master’ in Latin,” Peter Gallagher said in a tight voice. For once, he’d answered his phone on the second ring, listening in silence as Midnight tried to explain what had just happened. “Which means somehow he’s managed to bind the planodiume from the Black Stream to his will.”

  “Like a weapon?” Midnight whispered.

  “That’s right. It would seem that the more he’s used the weapon, the more he’s managed to harness and control the planodiume, despite the ruptures. The flames that burned the security guard at the country club. The ice surrounding the jewelry store. But this final attack…” He paused, as if remembering that it was a bad idea to freak out the twelve-year-old spectral protector. Well, too late for that.

  “So, what happens now?” Midnight gulped.

  “We’ll be there in eighteen hours. In the meantime, you’re not to approach Dylan Staunton or try to retrieve the particle realigner. This is a Code Black,” he said as the line started to break up.

  Midnight flinched, remembering page ninety-three of the manual:

  Code Black is only issued in the direst situations. When there is a high likelihood of civilian or protector death. It is vital that only highly trained personnel deal with such situations.

  “What about Taylor? I’ll need to tell her something, just to make sure she doesn’t go near him.”

  “Absolutely not. I know it’s difficult, but remember the rules. Unvetted civilians can make a dangerous situation worse. Keep her away from him, but don’t, under any circumstances, tell her why.”

  “Easier said than done,” Midnight said, but the crackling got worse and then the call disconnected. Midnight put her cell phone down and turned to Tabitha, who was sitting cross-legged on Midnight’s bed. Her black skirt was fanned out around her, and her face was pale.

  “I take it the call went dead.”

  A Code Black meant that it might not just be the call that ended up dead. Midnight swallowed, her stomach tight with nerves. How was she going to last for eighteen hours until the ASP team arrived?

  The only good news was that her mom still refused to budge on Taylor going to the party, which meant as soon as they’d returned from their trip to the market, Taylor had stormed into her room and hadn’t come out since.

  “I still can’t believe that your sister’s boyfriend is the villain. I mean, he’s only eighteen, and according to our research, his family has always given him everything he wanted.” Tabitha flipped open her MacBook and looked at the spreadsheet they’d spent the previous night compiling. Along with Dylan’s connection to the museum and country club, he’d also had a part-time job at the jewelry store before getting fired for being rude to a customer. Tabitha had stopped to see Elsie Perkins earlier in the morning and shown the old woman a photograph. Elsie had confirmed that Dylan was the one who’d gone into the attic.

  It also explained why there’d been planodiume ruptures in the headphone section of the department store, and Midnight had since discovered the pizza parlor was where Dylan and Taylor often went. As for why he’d stolen earrings, all Midnight could guess was that they were a present for Taylor.

  Her worry increased.

  “Apart from paying for his gap year.” Midnight said as a sound came from the hallway. She raced out just as Taylor emerged from her bedroom. Her long, blond hair was pushed over one ear, and she was wearing a jacket, as if she was planning to go out.

  Not good.

  “Hey,” Midnight said, trying to ignore the stink eye her sister was giving her.

  “What do you want?” Taylor snapped. Her mood obviously hadn’t improved from yesterday.

  “N-nothing.” Midnight shook her head as Tabitha joined her at her door.

  “Hey, Taylor. Cute jacket. Are you going out?” Tabitha asked with a surprising amount of finesse. Her friend had definitely improved her interpersonal skills.

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m going to Donna’s house.” Taylor swung toward the staircase. Midnight and Tabitha followed her.

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea? The rain’s still pretty heavy,” Midnight said, which earned her a get-out-of-my-way look. At the same time, the ghost app went off, and Taylor took the opportunity to stalk out the back door without another word.

  “Okay, how’s this for a plan,” Tabitha said as she reached for her coat, which she’d left on the hook by the doorway. “I’ll follow her, ninja style, and wait outside Donna’s house, while you go and dispose of the spectral energy.”

  The last thing Midnight wanted was to let her sister out of her sight. But short of telling Taylor what was going on, there wasn’t much else she could do.

  * * *

  Midnight paused to wipe the rain out of her eyes as she climbed off the bus. It hadn’t taken her long to reach the parking lot where some spectral energy had been trapped in the rearview mirror of a Toyota. She’d quickly released it and made the return trip.

  CARA was a deadweight in her backpack, and the sky was bullet gray. Thunder rumbled all around her, closely followed by crackling bursts of lightning so bright that Midnight had to look away. Torrents of water ran down the sidewalk as she hurried toward Donna’s house, where Tabitha was hunched miserably behind an oak tree across the road.

  “Every now and then I catch a glimpse of her by the window,” Tabitha said as Midnight handed her the cup of hot chocolate she’d picked up after she’d released the spectral energy. Another peel of thunder echoed around them, causing them both to jump. “The good news is I’ve downloaded a flight app so we can follow Peter Gallagher’s progress.”

  “Excellent.” Midnight looked at her friend’s phone while Tabitha gratefully took a sip of the warm drink. Peter’s flight was somewhere over Europe and still on track.

  “Hey, Midnight, Tabitha. What are you guys doing here?” a voice asked, and Malie appeared before them. She had an oversize umbrella in one hand and leashes attached to two small dogs in her other. Gone were the colored cosplay dress and the tiara, and her awesome dark curly hair hung down around her shoulders. Droplets of rain clung to her jacket, and the two small dogs at her heels were covered in miniature raincoats.

  “Um, Malie. Hey.” Midnight’s mind whirled as she tried to come up with a suitable explanation of why they were hiding behind a tree in the pouring rain. None was forthcoming.

  “It’s a long story,�
� Tabitha said with an intimidating shrug before her gaze honed in on the two small dogs. “I didn’t know you had dogs.”

  “I don’t.” Malie shook her head, and the dogs yelped. “They’re Veronica and Mr. George. It’s my new business. I’m a dog walker. First one in Berry.”

  Midnight’s mouth dropped open. “When I saw you at the mall that day, you said you were going to make a lot of money. Is that what you meant?”

  “Well, yeah.” Malie nodded. “I had already started handing out flyers, so I knew it wouldn’t take long. Why? What did you think I meant?”

  “Nothing.” Midnight quickly shook her head, not wanting to admit the truth. “I’m glad it’s working out for you.”

  “Thanks,” Malie said as the two dogs began to protest at standing still for so long. “Okay, that’s my cue to go, but I just wanted to say sorry for being so mean to you both. I’m pretty embarrassed. I’m not spending time with Sav and Lucy anymore. Well, I should say they’re not spending time with me anymore. I took your advice and acted like myself. It didn’t go down too well.”

  “It’s their loss,” Midnight said in a fierce voice, though Tabitha was still eyeing Malie with a frosty gaze. “Life’s so much easier when you’re hanging out with people who actually understand you.”

  “Yeah, I’m starting to get that,” Malie said before giving Tabitha—who was still scowling—a shy smile. “And I’m really sorry I ignored you in the library when I first started at the school. I was worried that you might think I was a dork for researching my mom’s family tree. Plus, Sav and Lucy had warned me against you both.”

  Tabitha’s animosity unfurled. “One, I don’t judge. And two, if I did judge, I would’ve been impressed. I might’ve even helped you.”

  Malie nodded. “Tyson said that. He sits next to me in math, and when he saw I had a map of the cemetery, he suggested I talk to you because you are smart and awesome.”

  “He really said that?”

  “Totally.” Malie nodded, her wild curls bouncing around her shoulders. “So he decided to ask you himself. I think the fact he had a reason helped give him courage.”

  “I’m not that scary,” Tabitha muttered, in contrast to the smile on her face. Then she wrinkled her brow. “What were you hoping to find out? Tyson only talked to me about the Irongate mausoleum. I can’t see how your mom could be related to them, because I’ve studied their family tree in depth.”

  “We’re not,” Malie said. “I’ve been trying to track down my mom’s long-lost great-uncle. His name was Reginald Ironguard, but he’d been using another last name. I saw Irongate and was grasping at straws. Apparently, he lived here in the seventies, but we haven’t been able to track him since he went to the Vietnam War. My mom’s an orphan, and I wanted to give her something. That probably sounds stupid.”

  “Not at all,” Midnight said before letting out a gasp as she turned to Tabitha. “You don’t think Reginald is Reggie, do you?”

  Tabitha’s eyes sparkled as she reached for her phone. “I’ve got no idea, but I’ll definitely find out.” Several moments later she looked up. “I’m sorry, but I think the guy you’re looking for is Reginald Stephen Ireland who died in Vietnam. But Midnight and I know someone who’d love to meet you and your family, and she’d be more than happy to tell you all about him.”

  “Really?” Malie’s large brown eyes filled with tears. “You don’t know what this will mean to my mom. Thank you both so much. I guess this has taught me once and for all that I really need to listen to my instincts and not worry so much about what everyone else thinks.”

  “The good thing about learning the hard way is that you don’t tend to forget it.” Tabitha gave her a rare smile as the dogs started to bark again. Malie wrinkled her nose and tightened her grip on the umbrella.

  “Okay, I really have to go now. But I’ll see you both at school tomorrow?”

  “You sure will,” Midnight said as they watched Malie and the dogs jog away. Tabitha’s eyes were still shining, though it was hard to tell if it was because she’d just solved a local history riddle or because Tyson Carl really did like her. Either way, it was nice to see her friend happy. But before she could say anything, Donna’s front door opened and Taylor stepped out. A flash of lightning burst through the sky, clearly showing Midnight’s sister’s face.

  All thoughts of Malie disappeared as they waited until Taylor reached the end of the street before they stepped out from behind the oak tree. They carefully followed her three blocks, and it wasn’t until Midnight’s house came into view that she allowed herself to let out her breath. If Taylor had decided to meet Dylan, she wasn’t sure what they would’ve done. Instead, they watched her walk through the back door. They waited until the light in her upstairs bedroom went on and headed in.

  “Not you too?” Midnight’s mom said with a frown, taking in their drenched clothing. “Honestly, I don’t know what’s gotten into you all today.”

  “Er, it was a hot chocolate emergency,” Midnight said as she pointed to Tabitha’s cup.

  “That’s right.” Tabitha nodded her head in agreement, sending a splatter of water out around the kitchen. Midnight’s mom just shrugged.

  “Well, you’d better both go upstairs and get dry. And like I’ve just told your sister, with the way the weather is going, I think you should stay in for the rest of the day or get me to drive you. Okay?”

  As long as Taylor stayed in, Midnight would too.

  “Sure.” She nodded as they hurried up the stairs. Music blared from Taylor’s room, and she could hear her sister speaking on the phone. She didn’t sound happy, but then again, lately she never did. And right now all that mattered was that she was safe.

  It didn’t take them long to get into dry clothes, and they then settled down to stare at the flight app. As the plane passed over Europe and began to cross the Atlantic, some of the tightness in Midnight’s stomach decreased. It was five in the afternoon, which meant in seven hours ASP would arrive, and it would all be over.

  Peter Gallagher and his team would swoop in and fix everything.

  Dylan would be caught and given the antidote.

  The particle realigner would be confiscated and taken into safekeeping. Life would return to normal. Her spreadsheets would no longer be blurred and confusing. It would—

  “Midnight.” Her mom burst through the door, her face lined with worry. “Have you seen your sister?”

  Midnight jumped to her feet, her brow wrinkled. “What do you mean? She’s in her bedroom. She’s been there all afternoon.”

  “No, she’s not.” Her mom’s eyes filled with horror. “And her Vespa’s gone. I’ve just called Dylan’s parents, but he’s not at home. They said he’d been acting out lately—refusing to speak to them because they wouldn’t fund his gap year. I can’t believe she’s really disobeyed me and gone to that party.”

  “What?” The blood drained from Midnight’s face as she hurried to her sister’s room and flung open the door. But her mom was right. The room was empty. Taylor really had gone.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  “Are you sure you don’t mind staying here?” Midnight’s mom asked, deep lines etched into her face as she stood at the door. Phil was already in the car, setting the GPS for their journey. The sky was inky black, and trees were bent sideways with the wind.

  “I’m sure,” Midnight assured her. Her mom had already called the party, and there was no sign of her sister and Dylan. But since the police refused to register it as a missing person’s complaint until Taylor had been gone for twenty-four hours, her mom and Phil had decided to make the one-hour drive. Their main worry was that if they did find Taylor and Dylan, there wouldn’t be room in the car for everyone.

  Midnight had reluctantly agreed to stay at home.

  Besides, what if Taylor wasn’t there?

  What if she was still somewhere in Berry? With Dylan. The crazy guy who was pumped up with planodiume and capable of anything? Midnight bit her lip. The only thin
g stopping her from confessing everything was the worry her mom wouldn’t believe it, and that would make Midnight’s chance of saving Taylor even more difficult.

  “We’re going to find her,” Tabitha said in a low voice as soon as the taillights disappeared from sight. “I was thinking. What if we look for some different ghost apps. Something that could pick up high levels of spectral energy…like a metal detector. Then we can cover more ground.”

  “Okay,” Midnight managed to answer, guilt eating at her stomach. They hurried back into the house and packed everything they might need before heading out. ASP had given her plenty of expense money, so Midnight booked a taxi while Tabitha downloaded an array of electromagnetic apps in hope of picking up any trace of Dylan.

  They’d also made a list of possible places where her sister and her crazy boyfriend might be. No stone left unturned.

  Their ride turned up ten minutes later.

  Doris was a nice lady who chatted about knitting as she took them from location to location. She was happy to wait at each spot as Midnight and Tabitha climbed out, desperately searching for any sign of Taylor. But by seven o’clock that night, Midnight was starting to panic. They’d visited all of Taylor’s friends and favorite places, and they still hadn’t even had a whiff.

  Where was she?

  Her mom had sent a frantic text, letting Midnight know that they’d arrived at the party and Taylor wasn’t there. They were going to drive around the area, stopping everywhere they could, and could Midnight stay with Tabitha for the night? Even Phil had started texting, telling her that he was sure everything would be okay.

  But what if it wasn’t?

  Midnight called her sister’s number for the zillionth time but just got the same message. It’s Taylor. Leave a message. Or, whatever.