Rise of Midnight

by SARA FREITES

  I took my first step lightly, then burst into a full out gallop toward the edge. Blake kept up without missing a beat. The ledge disappeared under me in the blink of an eye. Together, we lunged. Our bodies sailed through the air. I could already feel my wings forming before I even had a chance to fall. This was a good sign. I was gaining some kind of control over them.

  After a few test runs like this, just the mere thought of falling caused my wings to sprout. I soared with Blake tailing just behind me almost unable to keep up. Knowing I could outrun an evnaut had to be the most accomplished I’d felt in a long time—knowing that if I needed to, I could outrun the evnaut brothers. Along with the way Blake showed me how to pivot my wings to dodge a mid-air attack, I finally felt like I had a chance in this fight instead of running around in circles like a baby bird, depending on Blake to protect me. From that point onward, my newly found flight was no longer a leisurely activity but an asset to my survival in the coming days.

  We flew across the city together for a while longer when Blake’s phone rang in his pocket. We landed and my keen ears listened in on the other line as Thade asked that we return to the Sanctum. I bit the side of my tongue to return to my human self while Blake slipped his phone into his back pocket.

  “We have to get back to the Sanctum,” he said. “They’re having a meeting about fighting the twins. Thade wants to take care of them tonight and get it over with. That way, we can return to London and deal with Arlos. Something wrong?”

  “No. Just tired,” I replied, trying to hide my nervousness.

  He took me in his arms. “I bet you are. I am so proud of you, Autumn. That was amazing.”

  “Thank you.” I smiled, feeling myself blush.

  When Blake and I arrived on the roof of the Sanctum, Thade was already there dialing numbers into his phone. He was on and off of it while Blake and I waited on the building’s edge.

  “Did you get a chance to talk to Terry?” I leaned closer to Blake, speaking in a hushed voice as we waited for everyone else to arrive.

  I’d secretly hoped Terry would talk to Blake alone about everything, about their newly found relation.

  “Yeah, he stopped me before we left the Sanctum tonight,” Blake replied as if surprised

  I knew about it. “He wanted me to know that he didn’t have any ill feelings toward me and that if I ever needed anything, he would be there for me. He also wanted me to tell him as much as I could about the time I spent with Rosetta. It’s endearing. After all this time has passed, he still loves her.”

  “I just can’t believe he’s sort of your step-dad,” I said.

  “I can’t get passed that, either,” he admitted. “It’s weird to think of him that way. I told him he’d probably make a better father than my real one.”

  “I’m sure that made him feel really good to hear you say that,” I replied. “I can tell he’s already protective of you.”

  “I’m thankful he’s been so accepting. I’m sure, given the circumstances, it wasn’t the easiest thing he’s ever done. Oh, I meant to tell you.” He faced me completely. “I have to show you something else I’ve learned to do.”

  I waited. At first, nothing happened, but then, I thought back to the night Blake and I slow danced at my prom. I sat still while the memory of us as we swayed to the music, which I could even hear playing in the background, continued. I could even smell the faint perfume and cologne of the couples around us. The memory became so vivid I swore I was there again, slowly turning on the dancefloor with him. When the memory faded, I wasn’t sure what had brought it on until a smile tugged at one corner of Blake’s lips.

  “That was so real. How are you doing that?” I wondered aloud.

  His smile grew proudly.

  “No way,” I doubted.

  “I can make you think or see whatever I want,” he boasted.

  “Are you serious? That’s a little scary,” I giggled. “Okay, show me...I don’t know. Show me what your favorite color is.”

  And then, I pictured a glossy, vibrant and deep blue sports car. It sat parked alongside an empty street with what were probably illegally tinted windows and matte black rims.

  “Is that a Lamborghini?” I asked as my jaw dropped. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen one outside of pictures.”

  “I saw it parked in a newer part of town last year. It was in my favorite color,” he confirmed.

  “This is incredible! Do it again,” I pleaded. “Whatever you want.”

  My vision blurred, then dimmed before clearing up. A girl with wavy hair, a mixture of light-ash and taupe blonde, appeared in my peripheral vision. She walked on while fading in and out behind thin blackened voids. A dark red aura embedded the outline of her being wherever her skin showed. I stared down at my hands. They were larger than I remember and bound at the wrist. There, I noticed some familiar scarring. It took me a few seconds to understand what I was seeing, what was going on—I was in a cell seeing from Blake’s point of view of the first time we ever talked. The vision faded away, and I grinned in awe again.

  “That’s—” I began, speechless. “Blake, that’s amazing!”

  “Thanks,” he responded, visibly bashful with his cheeks blushing a light shade of pink.

  His new abilities astounded me but were just the same as what Arlos could do—seeping into people’s minds and placing thoughts and suggestions into them, even visions. That one little thought was all it took for the anxiety to return. We sat while my mind wandered. All the worry of this upcoming fight kept plaguing my thoughts.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Are you scared?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” Blake whispered back. “Are you?”

  “Very,” I admitted. “I’m thankful we have new ways to defend ourselves. I just hope it’ll be enough.”

  “I kind of feel the same way,” he told me. “But I think we’re both better off now than we were a few hours ago. I think we’ll be okay.”

  While Thade talked on the phone, the rest of our usual group joined us.

  “Let’s lure them in. Ambush ‘em,” Garrett announced when he landed on the roof.

  “We’ll have to stick together,” Terry cautioned.

  “We don’t have a set plan as of now,” Thade said into his phone. “I’ve had men searching all over the city tonight with no sign of the twins. My team didn’t even seem to grab their attention whilst flying about the city earlier. Garrett just had an idea. Drawing them in might be an option. Listen, I’ll call you back in a bit. Neil just arrived.”

  Neil, who’d flown in from London to aid us, jumped to the roof. His unannounced arrival scared the hell out of me.

  “Greetings! A grueling flight, that was. I’d forgotten how much I despised flying,” Neil sighed as he and Thade shook hands.

  “Just let the human walk the streets by herself,” Harper jeered.

  Both Terry and Blake shot him a look of disgust.

  “I bet they’d show their ugly faces then,” Harper snarled with pleasure in his voice. “They said before that they wanted to kill her off. I’m sure they’re waiting for their chance to do it without the rest of us in the way.”

  “That might actually work,” Terry agreed. “Maybe there was no sign of them tonight because we never left Autumn’s side. It will be the quickest way to find them since we know they’re on the lookout for her.”

  “I don’t like it,” Thade spoke up after taking a long drag on his cigarette.

  “If we do it this way, we’ll have to stay pretty close by. Won’t we?” Eden asked.

  “Right. But won’t the evnauts sense that we’re near?” Garrett pointed out.

  “Good question. Let’s ask the half-demon,” Harper said, looking to Blake.

  His abrasive suggestion caught my attention.

  “Are you able to sense vampires?” Terry asked Blake.

  “Yes,” Blake confirmed.

  “Figures. A half-demon like you could—” Harper started to say, his voice harsh
.

  “Then, Blake,” Thade cut in. “What about you? Can they sense you? I mean, can you half-demons sense one another?”

  “No. Or at least, I can’t sense them,” Blake answered.

  “So,” Eden jumped in. “Blake follows her through the city while we fall back. But what do we do when the twins show up?”

  “Autumn can transform and outrun them, lead them somewhere where I and maybe a few others can take them out,” Blake replied.

  “That’s a little too risky. Don’t you think?” Thade asked. “For Autumn?”

  “It is,” Blake responded. “But you haven’t seen her in flight yet. She can easily evade the twins.”

  “Are you sure of this?” Neil asked.

  “She can outrun me, and that means she’s faster than Vex and Scythe,” Blake explained. “If something goes wrong, she can also fall back and forth between forms and heal her own wounds.”

  “Is Autumn going to fight, though?” Eden questioned. “I don’t think we should risk it.”

  “We won’t risk that. Will we, Blake?” Thade asked as if he and Blake had discussed this earlier.

  “We definitely want to keep her out of the actual fight,” Blake answered.

  “I still don’t like this, but it looks like we have no other choice,” Thade dragged out his words. “It seems we’ve had no choice in anything lately.”

  “Welcome to my world,” I muttered.

  “Lead the evnauts straight to us, huh?” Harper questioned. “This is going to be like leading a wolf pack into a herd of sheep. There will be casualties everywhere if we do it this way.”

  “Look,” Blake said. “I know it sounds careless. They aren’t physically stronger than I am now that I’ve awakened my demonic abilities, but it’s their abilities that concern me. If we stick together—”

  “Just because we have the numbers doesn’t mean we have the upper hand.” Harper again. “Are we really going to listen to the half-breed on this?”

  At the word half-breed, Eden, Blake and Garrett looked up, probably offended.

  “We are vampires,” Harper rattled one. “We know our strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else.”

  Terry politely asked Harper to shut up.

  “What else is there to do?” Eden asked hopelessly.

  “No one fights them alone or head-on except me,” Blake ordered. “We’ll only need a handful of vampires to do this. Maybe three or four of your best fighters.”

  “That’s it?” Eden asked sharply. “Won’t you need more help?”

  “No.” Blake shook his head. “The more of you that get in the way, the more of you will end up hurt or even killed. Not to mention, it will hinder my attempts to fight. However, I do suggest having a hidden, much larger group on standby just to be safe. But I think we can handle this without the extra help.”

  “When will you have time to heal, Blake?” Thade asked. “They will wear you down pretty quickly if you don’t step away to rest.”

  “It won’t take me long to rejuvenate...thirty seconds, maybe a minute at the most,” Blake answered. “Having those few of you there will help me. If you all jump in and take them on for just a few seconds, I’ll have time to heal and jump back in the fight. Just be sure everyone moves out of the way as soon as I do.”

  “Once Blake gives a signal and moves away, each vampire can attack vulnerable spots, then back away,” Terry suggested.

  “What are their vulnerable spots?” Eden piped up.

  “Same as the rest of us, I’d imagine. Right, Blake?” Terry asked.

  “Throat, stomach, ribs…” Blake responded.

  “Yes,” Terry went on. “We can slowly wear them down until healing isn’t possible for them anymore.”

  “Exactly,” Blake affirmed.

  “Then, we lop off the heads using the Soleil Dagger,” Neil added, “which Blake will use to wear them down with beforehand.”

  “Right. We can do that, no problem,” Garrett assured us.

  “Those few fighters have to be vampire. The twins can overpower havidens too easily. I don’t want to risk it, Eden and Garrett,” Thade inserted.

  “He’s right,” Blake agreed.

  Garrett groaned. Terry opened his mouth to say something, but Garrett jumped in. “Blake, we let you do most of the fighting? Let you handle the Soleil Dagger? Is that what you’re saying?”

  “Don’t go letting your thirst for a fight cloud your judgment on this, son,” Thade cautioned. “Blake is quite stronger than we are, especially now with his new powers. The smartest thing to do is to let him go in ahead of us.” He looked to Blake and said, “Just don’t get yourself killed, kid. We need you. I’ll have Terry take a vile of your blood before we do this. It may seem cold, but I don’t want to risk not having you around when we need your blood to unite the daggers.”

  “I understand,” Blake said.

  “What we probably need to do is lead the twins out of the way where the humans won’t notice all the fighting,” Terry offered.

  “Precisely,” Thade approved. “It’s unfortunate, but there will be risks no matter what we decide to do. Blake, take the Soleil Dagger. You and Autumn lead them to the abandoned building just north of the city closest to the lake. It’s the building I always take you to for our sparring sessions. We all know that building inside and out. Autumn, I know you’re nervous, but you don’t have to be. The evnauts won’t kill you out in the open, but when they move in, Blake will pull you off the street. Then, use your guardian spell. Since you’re so fast in that form, take Blake in flight and lead the evnauts to us in the building Blake will point out. They shouldn’t be able to catch you but will probably keep up pretty closely. Once there, Blake will draw them away, and you’ll be escorted to safety. Under no circumstances will you have to fight. Understood?”

  “I’d rather be the one who rips them apart,” I said under my breath.

  “No, Autumn. We can’t risk losing you,” Thade scolded me.” I know they are responsible for taking your family’s lives, but you don’t want the evnauts taking yours, as well. Are we clear?”

  “Got it,” I muttered halfheartedly.

  “Good,” Thade said with a sigh. “I think this is going to work. Now, let’s get it over with.”

  Chapter 22

  Blood for Blood

  I walked the streets alongside my own kind—a nice change. I missed being around humans, missed feeling like one.

  Thade and five others waited in the abandoned building they’d picked out on the outskirts of the city. As I walked in that direction, I felt Blake’s eyes on me. Knowing he was just a few yards behind made me feel safe. At this point, I wasn’t nearly as afraid as I should’ve been. I walked along the sidewalks for about forty-five minutes, moving nonchalantly through a steady stream of people. I felt like I was the only one walking in that direction when my phone vibrated in my pocket.

  “Hey,” I quietly answered it.

  “I think they know what we’re doing,” Blake said. “They should’ve shown their faces by now. There’s no way they haven’t detected you after this long.”

  My eyes skimmed the sky. I hoped not to spot the twins flying overhead.

  “Well, that’s not good,” I replied flatly. “I guess they aren’t as stupid as we hoped. What if they’ve already seen me, and they’re following us right now?”

  “No. I hung back pretty far for a while. I would’ve seen them if they were on your trail. We’re just going to have to try something else.”

  An explosion of sound emitted from far ahead. I must’ve come ten feet off the ground in shock along with everyone around me. We all stared on as a building in the distance caught fire—the abandoned building where the vampires waited. Smoke and strikingly blue flames billowed from the bottom story windows. Before I could think, Blake came out of nowhere and wrapped his arms around me. He took us high above the streets. The crowd of panicking people grew below.

  “What the hell just happened?” I barked th
e second Blake set us on top of the nearest building.

  “I don’t know,” he responded.

  He pulled his phone out to make a call. I couldn’t take my eyes off the fiery building on the horizon. The smell of burning embers filled my lungs even from this distance. Bright blue flames flickered blinding against the night sky.

  “Why does the fire look like that?” I asked myself, my voice pitched with worry and confusion.

  Blake’s face fell blank of expression as his call went unanswered.

  “Didn’t they say they’d be in the basement there?” I asked him. “Can fire kill a vampire?”

  “No, but that’s not normal fire. It’s being drawn straight from hell,” Blake said deliberately while he dialed another number. “Very deadly, even to vampires.”

  “What?” I bellowed.

  “Separated from the herd?” a voice rose from just over our backs.

  We spun around. A man floated on the building’s edge with his shoes barely an inch off the ground. Blake’s arm slowly rose across my waist. He guided me behind him.

  “That should keep those damn vamps busy for the time being,” Vex growled.

  Another voice rose from behind. “They can be quite pesky, especially in large numbers.”

  Spinning again, we came to face Scythe as he dropped from the sky before us. Seeing them caused my palms to sweat, and my heart to pick up a faster pace. I could feel my stomach burning with hate.

  “Yes. Quite. Better to be rid of them,” Vex agreed.

  “Oh, but what a hindrance it is,” Scythe groaned, “to not have the strength to call upon the fires of hell whenever we want to. Yet, in this case, I don’t feel it was a waste.”

  “Neither do I,” Vex agreed.

  “We felt it rude of you to cut and run in the middle of our last quarrel. We weren't finished spilling blood,” Scythe said through bared fangs. “However, I see you have our dagger. We appreciate you bringing it back to us. So thoughtful. Now, if you'd so kindly hand it over—”

  “Talking doesn’t work with them, remember?” Vex retorted.

  “Autumn, go,” Blake said coolly yet sternly.

  Paralyzed by fear, I couldn’t move.