Brittle Midnight

by Harper, Helen

  He probably didn’t want me to answer that. After a moment’s indecision, Monroe nodded reluctantly.

  Theo stepped forward – and Maggie’s reaction was completely unexpected. She rose up and tried to back away, her chains jangling violently and her backside slamming into the wall. When she realised she had nowhere to go, she opened her mouth and snarled. Saliva bubbled up in the corners of her mouth as if she were a rabid dog.

  ‘Stop that!’ Monroe ordered, his words imbued with imperious command. They didn’t make any difference: Maggie continued to snarl and froth.

  ‘She’s been like this ever since she killed Philip?’ Theo asked.

  ‘Yes,’ Monroe bit out, treating her inability to transform as a failure on his part.

  ‘So the last thing she did was taste his blood,’ Theo mused. ‘Maybe she needs another taste to bring her back.’

  I stared. ‘I really don’t think that’s a good idea,’ I began. It was too late; Theo had already reached into his pocket and drawn out a thin knife.

  Monroe wasn’t happy. ‘Weapons are not permitted here,’ he said. ‘Not anywhere in our community.’

  ‘Your body is a weapon,’ Theo answered unequivocally. ‘I need something to defend myself with.’ He raised the blade and sliced it across the palm of his hand. Then he held it out, letting a few drops of bright blood splash on the floor.

  Maggie’s nostrils flared as she scented the blood and she looked even more scared than before. Her whole body was quivering, as if she couldn’t control it.

  ‘Go on,’ Theo urged. ‘Have a taste.’

  A hundred to one this would never work. Why would it? All the same, I watched, fascinated, as Maggie’s tongue darted out and she lapped tentatively at the nearest drop.

  At first it seemed that nothing was happening but then an expression of oddly lupine confusion crossed Maggie’s face and her body contorted and spasmed. She had to be in great pain. The chains holding her in place clanked violently and I drew in a sharp breath. Her tail whipped wildly from side to side and she threw her head back in a keening howl. I made the mistake of blinking and, when I looked again, she was on all fours, her curved naked back presented to us.

  ‘Shit,’ I whispered. ‘It worked.’

  Maggie raised her face and looked at us with tear-stained cheeks. Her human features were strangely reminiscent of her wolf form. I gazed into her pain-filled eyes for a moment then I sprang into action. ‘Get those chains off her,’ I barked. ‘And find her some clothes.’

  ‘We don’t treat nudity with the same fear that you humans do,’ Monroe said.

  Theo spoke at the same time. ‘She might look human,’ he said, ‘but she still killed one of mine.’ At his words, Maggie’s head jerked up.

  ‘We are not interrogating a young woman who is manacled and naked,’ I said. ‘Regardless of the circumstances.’ I didn’t care what was encouraged by werewolf culture or what Theo thought. We were better than that; we had to be.

  Soon clothes were found and Maggie was released from her shackles. Julian appeared while she was being allowed some privacy to dress, his expression a grim mask. ‘So she finally shifted, did she?’

  ‘It was the vampire,’ Monroe grunted, pointing at Theo. ‘He worked out what to do. One taste of his blood was all it took.’

  I watched Julian’s face carefully. There was no indication that this was an expected outcome. ‘Is that normal?’ I asked. ‘Is it something to do with vampiric blood?’

  All three men shook their heads. ‘It’s not anything I’ve heard of before,’ Monroe said.

  Theo agreed. ‘We’ve clashed with werewolves before. There have been deaths before, but nothing in our records suggests that such a thing adversely affects the werewolf concerned.’

  Julian’s body was tense. ‘Your kind have killed ours in the past, too. This is not a one-sided conflict.’

  ‘I wasn’t saying that it was,’ Theo shot back. ‘And I wasn’t implying that werewolves are bloodthirsty monsters, even if you deserve that reputation more than we do.’

  ‘I think you’re forgetting that a vulnerable human woman was the first to die,’ Julian replied.

  I didn’t think that the Valerie I knew would have been too enamoured of being called vulnerable. ‘Whatever is going here,’ I said, ‘it’s clearly out of the ordinary. What we have to find out is if it’s a result of the magic in the atmosphere or if something else is going on. We have to speak to Maggie and find out exactly what she did and why.’

  Monroe put his hands in his pockets. ‘And the sooner the better.’

  Chapter Seventeen

  If anything, Maggie was more cowed and scared than before. Two hulking werewolves, albeit in human form, skulked behind her; Theo, Julian, Monroe and I faced her. It seemed like security overkill to me but I refrained from commenting. I was out of my depth amongst the vampires and werewolves but, if Maggie continued to appear so intimidated, I wouldn’t be able to keep quiet. I reminded myself that, whether he’d drained Valerie of all her blood or not, Philip had been torn to pieces by this terrified woman. There was more to her than fear.

  ‘Her alpha has been out on patrol since Tuesday and we’ve not been able to contact him,’ Julian said. ‘I’ve got people looking for him now. Until he shows up, I can speak for him.’

  Monroe nodded. In an aside to me, he explained. ‘There are seven packs in total. Each one is loyal to their own alpha and individual wolves will ultimately follow their alpha’s lead. But beta wolves will follow another alpha’s lead as well, unless there is conflict across packs.’

  ‘And some alpha wolves are more powerful than others,’ Julian added. ‘For example, Monroe might not have a pack of his own any more but the other wolves here will still do as he commands, especially in the absence of their own alpha.’

  Monroe did have a commanding air about him, even if he winced at Julian’s words. ‘That only happens when I’m not being threatened with eviction from the community,’ he said, with a steely edge.

  If Julian was discomfited by Monroe’s words, he didn’t show it. ‘I had to do something,’ he said simply. ‘We need you fit and well.’

  Before this descended into a squabble, I changed the subject. ‘Maggie’s alpha must have noticed that she’s missing. Why didn’t he get back here and sort out a search party?’

  Julian and Monroe exchanged looks. ‘Each pack serves a distinct unit,’ Julian explained. ‘Although we all live together as a community, and tasks are allocated, each pack is only responsible for its own members’ safety. They’ll have been looking for Maggie but they wouldn’t have come back here to get help with the search.’ He paused. ‘Each to their own, so to speak.’

  I stared at them. ‘So if one pack is decimated then what? You just shrug your shoulders and get on with things?’

  ‘We’ve been through this,’ Monroe said. ‘We have to work on the survival of the whole community, not the individuals. People die.’ His tone was flat. ‘We should all get used to that.’

  I knew he was still thinking about his own pack but it didn’t matter. Nobody would survive if we didn’t look out for each other. ‘That’s not how a community works!’ I spluttered.

  I thought he would argue with me as he always did, but instead his gaze slid away. ‘You might be right.’

  Both Julian and Theo looked at him in surprise. Monroe tutted in dismissal and folded his arms, ending the conversation.

  I rubbed my neck and focused on Maggie. ‘Why don’t you start by telling us what has happened over the last few days?’ I said to her. I glanced at the others. ‘Then we can ask other questions to fill in any gaps.’

  ‘Good idea. And,’ Theo added smoothly, ‘if you don’t tell the truth, I’ll—’

  I interrupted him. ‘She’ll tell the truth.’ From Maggie’s body language and submissive pose, I was fairly certain she wasn’t capable of lying, even if she desperately wanted to. ‘Right, Maggie?’

  The werewolf nodded. She licked her lips
and kept her eyes trained on a spot somewhere to the left of my feet. ‘We all went out as a pack two days,’ she began tremulously. Her accent was pure Essex and it was difficult for me to believe that this was someone who’d viciously clawed away chunks of a vampire’s pale flesh. She sounded like she’d be better suited to downing Prosecco and canapés at a garden barbecue. ‘It was our turn. There’d been trouble with some creatures who’d settled in a street not too far away from here. We were going there before, scouting further afield for any shops or warehouses that still have supplies. I was feeling out of sorts. It was my turn for a bath before we left, but there was blood coming out of the taps so I couldn’t clean. It sounds like a small thing but…’ She sighed. ‘I’d been looking forward to it.’

  I glanced at Julian. ‘Her turn for a bath?’

  ‘We ration water,’ he explained.

  I frowned. ‘You know that’s not really necessary. It rains so often that the reservoir is full. Our combined populations aren’t so great that there will be a problem.’

  ‘Until the taps start bleeding,’ he murmured.

  I scowled. ‘We fixed that.’ Clearly, Julian – and the other alphas – were somewhat draconian in the way they ran things. If someone wanted a bath, they should be able to have a damned bath.

  Maggie appeared faintly embarrassed by the increase in tension and continued speaking. ‘Anyway,’ she said, ‘we cleared out the creatures. It was a nest of rat-like animals. They stank to high heaven and they were rather vicious. There were several other animal carcasses nearby from their recent kills. It was clear that, if we hadn’t done something to get rid of them, they’d soon have become a problem for us. There were more than we’d anticipated so it took longer than we expected and it was getting dark by the time we got to Yarburgh Street.’

  I stiffened. Yarburgh Street was in the south. That was my territory. While I’d never had a proper discussion with any of the northern dwellers, not even with Monroe, about who could take supplies from where, I was unimpressed to hear that they’d been targeting one of my spots. I suppose that I shouldn’t have been surprised; the faster food ran out, the more these things would occur. Monroe had always been adamant that this new world was about survival of the fittest instead of looking after everyone.

  Maggie’s hands twisted together in her lap before she raised them to scratch at her forearms. ‘Mia and I went into an Indian restaurant to check their shelves. There wasn’t much there but we grabbed a few old tins and some sauces. She started to carry them out. I was on my way to join her but…’ Her voice trailed off.

  ‘Go on,’ Monroe prompted, in a surprisingly gentle fashion.

  She swallowed. ‘I heard a noise. It was somewhere towards the back of the shop. I went to investigate it. It was dark and I couldn’t see much. Then,’ she shrugged awkwardly, ‘I think something hit me on the back of the head. I don’t really remember anything else until you were there and there was a dead vampire and I could taste blood in my mouth…’

  Theo snorted in disbelief. ‘You’ve lost your memory? Well, isn’t that convenient?’

  ‘I remember flashes,’ she said hesitantly. She scratched her arms again. She was leaving long red welts on her skin without realising it. Maggie seemed uncomfortable talking about her own state of mind. I had the distinct impression that, although most of her words rang true, she was definitely lying about something – or at the very least omitting some information. I was certain of it. I didn’t think she was lying about Philip’s death per se, but there was something going on with her.

  ‘Feelings. Not much else. I remember seeing a vampire and thinking that he was evil and that I had to kill him or we’d all suffer. I think he attacked me.’ Her eyes filled with tears. ‘I’m not sure, though. I don’t know.’ Her head dropped further. ‘I know I wanted to hurt him because if I didn’t the others in my pack would get hurt. I had to protect my pack from that vampire. I didn’t intend to kill him. I’d never have wanted to kill him. I wanted to keep my family safe. He was going to hurt my pack ‘

  ‘But,’ Monroe said softly, ‘you’d been separated from your pack. You didn’t know where they were.’

  Maggie’s whole body sagged. ‘I can’t explain that,’ she whispered. ‘I can’t explain where the feeling came from. All I knew was it was me or him. It was survival at all costs.’

  Survival at all costs. That sounded dreadfully familiar. I avoided sending Monroe a pointed look. ‘Can you remember anything the vampire might have said? Anything he did? Just the smallest detail might help.’

  Maggie’s mouth moved but I couldn’t hear what she said. The others did; I felt Monroe stiffen beside me and Theo grew stonier faced.

  ‘Pardon?’ I asked. ‘What was that?’

  ‘He said he was sorry,’ she said in another whisper. ‘That’s all I remember. He said he was so very, very sorry.’

  ***

  We questioned Maggie for what seemed like hours but her story didn’t change and she had very little other useful information. When we emerged into the cool night air, all I could do was grind my teeth in frustration.

  ‘We have more questions than answers,’ I said. ‘It’s like one step forward and twenty miles back. We’re no closer to an explanation for what Philip did, or even real proof that he did it. And unless Maggie starts to remember properly, she can’t explain her actions. Most of what she’s saying seems true but I’m sure there’s more to her story than she’s letting on.’ I shook my head. ‘Her and Philip. They’re both connected and through more than his death – but I can’t see how. All I keep thinking is that there’s far more to this than any of us realises.’

  ‘Maggie has to answer for what she did,’ Theo said, although there was little conviction in his words

  Monroe ran a hand through his dark-red curls. ‘There’s nothing more we can do tonight,’ he said. ‘We should sleep on it and re-group in the morning.’

  Theo raised an eyebrow. ‘Sleep? The night is getting started. This is hardly the time for sleep.’

  ‘We’ll sleep. You can…’ Monroe waved a hand around ‘…do whatever you want.’

  Julian glanced at me. ‘There’s room at my place. Both you and that teen girl you’re with can stay with me. It’s too dangerous to return to your home in the south right now.’

  Monroe bristled and drew himself up. ‘Charlotte will not stay with you,’ he said icily. ‘My quarters are perfectly adequate.’

  ‘You live on the outskirts,’ Julian replied mildly. ‘She’ll be more assured of her safety with me.’

  ‘Safety?’ Monroe growled. ‘What exactly are you trying to insinuate? That I’m incapable of keeping her safe?’

  ‘There’s only one of you. There are dozens in my pack.’

  Monroe’s hands balled into fists. ‘And I don’t have my own pack because I let them all be killed. Just like I’d let Charlotte be killed. That’s what you’re saying, isn’t it?’

  ‘I’m not saying anything of the sort,’ Julian responded.

  Theo looked at me. ‘I think what both of them are saying is that with the big bad vampires out on the streets all night long, it’s not safe for a vulnerable little woman like you anywhere here. Don’t forget,’ he sniped sarcastically, ‘we’re evil monsters.’

  ‘Neither of us said that, vampire,’ Julian hissed.

  Theo sniffed. ‘I have a name, you know, wolfie.’

  Unbelievable. I threw up my hands and glared at all three of them. ‘Don’t you see that this bickering is what got us here in the first place? If we worked together more effectively, there wouldn’t be loners like Philip out on the fringes. There wouldn’t accusations flying around which are close to causing World War fucking Three! Survival at all costs, right? Even if that cost involves the complete destruction of everything any of us ever knew? I understand that tensions are high, believe me. But this is the time to work together, not to argue and spit.’

  I jabbed a finger at Theo. ‘The actions of one vampire don’t defi
ne your entire race.’ I turned to Julian. ‘In the same way that the actions of one werewolf don’t define yours, whether Maggie deliberately killed Philip or it was self-defence. And you,’ I hissed at Monroe, before he started looking too smug, ‘you can’t let the past continually define who you are and how you behave. Learn from it, but don’t let it rule you. This is a new world, but it will be a good one if we work to make it that way. All of you, stop worrying about your egos and your self-interest and start behaving like we’re all in this together. Because we are!’

  I’d probably vented a tad too much. Monroe, Julian and Theo stared at me in open astonishment.

  Julian flicked a glance towards Monroe. ‘I thought you called her sunshine because she was a happy, optimistic woman who always had a smile and a kind word and she brightened up your days. She doesn’t seem very happy.’

  ‘She’s not smiling,’ Theo added.

  Oh for goodness’ sake. Patronising, much? ‘Nobody is one thing all of the time,’ I half-yelled. ‘We’re all complex. We all have issues. And, as you all keep pointing out, we all should be looking out for ourselves.’ I put my hands on my hips. ‘I’m going to get my girl and we are going home together on our own. You lot can keep to your enclaves and hidden communities and barely concealed spite. Cath and I will protect ourselves and survive without any of your grudging aid. And don’t any of you dare try to follow us or you’ll get zapped by full-strength enchantress magic.’

  ‘Charlotte—’ Monroe began.

  ‘No. Don’t you Charlotte me. It’s not one rule for one and something different for everyone else. You can’t try to protect me and ignore everyone else.’

  ‘I care about you. I don’t care about everyone else.’

  I rolled my eyes. ‘If you really felt that way, you wouldn’t be spending all this time investigating Valerie and Philip and Maggie.’ I spun on my heel. I was getting out of this godforsaken place. Then I thought of something else and turned back. ‘One other thing,’ I spat. ‘If this really is survival at all costs and looking out for number one, then stay the hell away from the south. The supplies there are for my community. Not yours.’ I gave the three of them one final irritated sweep of my eyes and whirled off. Enough already.