Phoenix grimaced at the nickname she detested. Looking down, she was surprised to realise the cloth in her hand had turned to tatters; her aggressive cleaning of a single spot causing the threads to wear through. With a sigh she threw the cloth in the bin and rushed upstairs to where Abi was waiting, surrounded by a sea of puffy cushions in the sitting room of their apartment.
The apartment that occupied the upper floor of the pub wasn’t the largest, but Abi’s unique flair had given it a homely feel not many could have replicated. Quirky pictures hung on the wall, and each room was a strange mish-mash of colours, but it worked somehow. It was the antithesis of the vampire lair where she’d spent so much of her teenage years and Phoenix had loved it from the moment Abi took her in as a lodger.
“So, what did we settle on?” Phoenix asked, dropping into the oversized sofa and grabbing a handful of popcorn from the bowl in Abi’s lap.
“Well, Mary – you know the one with the black hair? Well, she was telling me about this TV series called True Blood. It’s like Twilight, but for grown-ups, if you know what I mean.” Abi’s blue eyes twinkled as she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
Phoenix choked, a popcorn kernel lodging in her throat at the wrong moment. “I didn’t think vampires were your thing,” she spluttered, when she could finally speak again.
Abi shrugged. “The main guy is kind of cute. Figured it’s worth a look.” She grabbed the remote control and pressed play before adding, “Afterwards we can decide what your New Year’s resolutions are going to be.”
Covering her face with a cushion, Phoenix groaned. Going back to the vampire lair suddenly didn’t seem like such a bad idea.
***
Watching the crowds around him, Ethan shook his head. Even midweek, Temple Bar was heaving with tourists. Lairy stags and cackling hens stumbled from pub to pub, seemingly oblivious to the almost freezing temperatures and cutting wind. The rain-slick cobblestones were proving too much of a challenge for many a high heel, and more than once he winced in sympathy for the ankles that paid the price.
He’d been patrolling the city since the last attack on New Year’s Eve, and so far, things had been quiet. But it wouldn’t last. It never lasted.
As if to prove his point, a high-pitched scream pulled Ethan roughly from his thoughts. He took off at a run, heading for the shadowed alley the sound had come from. The sense of déjà vu that washed over him was becoming frustratingly common.
What will it be this time?
The putrid smell of rubbish, mixed with the fresh scent of human excrement, assaulted his senses before he even reached the mouth of the alley. It made him wish, not for the first time, that his senses weren’t quite so heightened.
Sticking to the shadows cast by the graffitied brick walls, he could hear the muffled sounds of terror punctuated by low growls in the darkness. But it was the sharp scent of fear that sent Ethan’s pulse racing.
He worked hard to control the wolf inside him. He knew his eyes would be glowing yellow from the adrenaline, and the last thing he needed was to scare the woman even more.
A number of industrial bins lined the wall ahead, partially blocking his view. Quietly, he leapt on top of the closest one and took in the scene before him. Rage flared through him at what he saw.
Five large wolves had a woman surrounded. Though they weren’t in full wolf form, their beasts were clearly in control; madness visible in their yellow eyes, razor-sharp fangs and fully extended claws.
Well, that explained the fear anyway.
The largest of the pack had the woman pinned to the wall, one huge hand holding her by the throat as he slowly sniffed the length of her neck. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she held herself rigid. The scent of her fear was only driving them wilder and Ethan knew he didn’t have long before they would tire of their teasing and attack.
The numbers were against him, and even though none had signatures strong enough to be an Alpha, five-to-one odds were not good. But walking away wasn’t an option either. So, he extended his claws and allowed his wolf to come to the fore just enough to give him a fighting chance.
Moving so fast he appeared as little more than a blur, Ethan grabbed the closest wolf from behind and raked his claws clean across his throat. The element of surprise gave him enough time to turn towards the second wolf before anyone could react. Grabbing him by the throat, he lifted the large frame two foot in the air and slammed his body into the hard concrete, stunning him.
And that was where his luck ran out.
By this time, the remaining three wolves had turned their full attention to him, and the woman, finally coming to her senses, fled to the safety of the street beyond. The snarling wolves surrounded him, their obvious show of logic and organisation posing a strange contrast to their crazed looks and bloodthirsty behaviour.
Ethan braced for the attack.
With his body in a half-crouched position, he was able to quickly shift to the left as one of the wolves lunged at him. The first strike missed him, but it was followed immediately by a second. A sharp claw raked across his bicep, sending a burning sensation down his arm and seriously pissing him off.
Using the offending wolf’s momentum against him, Ethan turned and aimed a kick at his ribs, sending the wolf stumbling with a grunt into the large bins.
The next wolf came for him and he dropped low, sweeping the wolf’s leg. But as he began to rise, Ethan was caught from behind in a strangling chokehold. His airway was quickly cut off and pressure began to build behind his eyes.
Using all his weight, he shoved back against the wolf and slammed him into the wall behind. Despite the crushing sound of skull hitting brick, the pressure around his throat refused to let up. He pushed back again, weaker this time, as the blood flow to his head slowed and he started getting woozy.
Through his now blurring vision, Ethan could see the largest wolf stalking towards him. Foam dripped from the corner of its mouth and the whites of his crazed eyes were mottled a strange red colour.
Something is seriously not right with these wolves, Ethan thought numbly as he tried in vain to loosen the ironclad grip around his neck.
Suddenly, the wolf stopped his advance. A look of surprise widened the wolf’s eyes, and without warning, he slumped forward onto the ground. A large knife protruded from his back.
The wolf holding him growled in confusion, and as he tried to peer around his captive, his grip loosened just enough for Ethan to suck in some air. Taking advantage of the brief reprieve, Ethan launched an elbow into the wolf’s gut and twisted out of his grasp. Barely a second later, he heard a guttural yelp and a second knife lodged in the wolf’s throat.
“C’mon, big guy. They won’t be out for long.”
Ethan turned to see Nate’s wide grin and the laughter evident in his amber eyes.
Dammit. That was the second time Nate had saved his ass from his own kind. The kid was going to be even more insufferable now.
***
“What is it with you wolves and all that aggression? Did mammy and daddy not cuddle you enough as pups?”
Ethan took a long sup from his pint, savouring the cool freshness as he ignored Nate’s playful ribbing. Now that they were away from the crowds of Temple Bar, he could think a bit clearer, his wolf finally content to take a back seat once the danger had passed. Cocooned in the cosy darkness of the small pub they’d found, he analysed the scene in his head and tried to pinpoint exactly what it was about the encounter that bothered him so much – aside from the fact he needed saving, of course.
“That wasn’t normal wolf behaviour.” He sighed, rolling his head from side to side until his neck gave a resounding crack.
Hell, he didn’t even know what normal was any more. Ever since he started tracking the vamp that killed Sean, it seemed things were just getting weirder and weirder.
Nate looked at him sceptically, one eyebrow raised. He said nothing, merely took a mouthful of his own pint.
Ethan grimaced. The ac
hes were starting to set in as his body healed itself and he wasn’t feeling better for it. “The last time was different –”
“Ye mean the last time I saved your hairy ass?” Nate interjected, and a wide grin conveyed just how pleased he was with himself.
Gritting his teeth, Ethan ignored the taunt. “That was about territory. This was just mindless violence.”
“They were controlled though. Organised.”
Ethan nodded. “And none of the wolves were Alphas. They shouldn’t have been that strong.”
As he played with the pint glass in front of him, he didn’t miss the flash of concern that passed in Nate’s eyes; he was pretty sure it mirrored his own. And not for the first time, he wondered what the hell they’d gotten caught up in.
The two sat in companionable silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. All Ethan had wanted was a break from the pack. Some time to be free of everyone’s expectations and the constant weight of responsibility. But Sean had to go and follow him. Had to go and get killed.
Ever since, it seemed like things had completely gone to shit.
Tracking the vamp responsible for Sean’s death had been a lesson in dead ends. Yet somehow, he kept finding himself in strange situations like the one tonight; it couldn’t be a coincidence. More and more innocent people were getting caught in the crossfire of the Lore, and it only appeared to be escalating.
The Lore may not have been known for peace, love, and bunny rabbits, but it was one of their most solemn edicts that humans were to be kept ignorant of their existence. The mistakes of the past had been hard-learned and the Council decreed death to anyone stupid enough to defy them.
“So what, aside from luck, brought you down here tonight?” Ethan eventually asked. He looked sideways at the kid next to him, because that’s all he was really, little more than a kid.
Guilt gnawed at Ethan. At barely twenty-one, Nate hadn’t even settled into his immortality yet – something that normally happened later for shifters – he shouldn’t have been caught up in this mess.
Nate shook his floppy brown hair out of his eyes and perked up. “I came to find you ’cause it looks like we might’ve finally gotten a lead.”
Ethan’s hand froze, pint midway to his mouth. “And you’re only telling me now?”
“Well, you seemed a bit preoccupied back there –” Nate ducked just in time to avoid the clip across the ear. “Okay, okay. Lily’s gotten some info from a witch friend of hers. Someone with connections to the Dublin coven.”
Ethan smiled to himself at the way Nate’s voice changed when he mentioned Lily’s name, but refrained from interrupting.
“Apparently word on the grapevine is that there’s some kind of prophecy at play, and it’s causing all this bad juju.”
“A prophecy?”
Ethan heard the scepticism in his own tone. The witches were often more clued in than the rest of the Lore. Without the strength and speed benefits of other species, their resilience relied on knowledge. But blaming everything on some random act of fate just seemed too convenient to him.
“Yeah, something about a hybrid and the end of humanity,” Nate said, knocking back the remainder of his pint. “All sounds like something from a bad movie if you ask me.”
It took a few seconds for the words to register with Ethan, and another few seconds for the shock to follow. “A hybrid? How in the Lore would a hybrid have been created?”
“Well you know when two people love each other …” Nate gave a cheeky grin as he highlighted his not so subtle point with even less subtle hand gestures.
Ethan’s head was spinning.
Nate was right. If a hybrid existed, there had to have been an inter-species relationship. One that produced an offspring. Not only was that breaking Council edict, another crime punishable by death, but it was also unheard of. Hell, their very nature made it near impossible for members of the same species to procreate – an unfortunate trade-off for being difficult to kill, or nature’s culling mechanism, who knew. He couldn’t even imagine how challenging it would be for two members of different species.
Something niggled at the back of Ethan’s consciousness, a fleeting memory that wouldn’t quite solidify. Pulling himself from his own thoughts, he forced himself to focus on one thing at a time.
“So, if the witches know what’s causing this, why aren’t they doing anything about it?”
Nate shrugged. “That’s the million-dollar question, I guess. It all seems pretty sketchy to me, and Lily’s friend was pretty nervous talking about it.”
“Did the witch give any more details about the prophecy?”
“She was pretty vague according to Lily. But she did say that a hybrid would bring about an ‘eternal night and the end of humanity’.”
Ethan drummed his fingers on the table, trying to piece it all together. “Is this why we’ve been seeing so much crazy shit with the Lore lately?”
Nate shrugged again. “Maybe. Either way I’m guessing we’re in for a bumpy ride.”
Phoenix puffed out a cold gust of air and rubbed her hands together briskly as she stepped into the warm cocoon of the restaurant. A low murmur of conversation surrounded her, almost as if the soft candlelight encouraged the patrons to speak in hushed, intimate tones. The occasional clink of glasses added harmony to the almost musical flow of voices.
For the second time in less than a week, she’d left the warm comfort of home to trek into the city. And just like a few days ago, the possibility of her immortality was weighing heavy on her mind. She could only hope Darius would have useful advice for her.
Looking around the lavish space, she tugged self-consciously at her black dress as she searched the room for Darius. Bella’s was the newest in a range of high-end restaurants that had been popping up along the quays. She’d heard it was so in demand that few, other than the stupidly rich and famous, could even hope to get a reservation. Phoenix was neither, and as she stood awkwardly in the doorway, she wished Darius had chosen somewhere a little less impressive for her annual birthday dinner.
A maître d’ wearing the obligatory black and white suit came to greet her, pausing for a second to assess her windswept appearance before plastering a welcoming smile on his face.
“Welcome to Bella’s. Do you have a reservation?”
It was at that moment she heard Darius’s rich, seductive voice, followed closely by a girlish giggle. Seeking the sound with her eyes, she spotted him by a large window that looked out at the picturesque lights of the city.
“I’m here to meet my uncle.” Phoenix returned the fake smile and pointed in Darius’s direction.
“Oh, of course. You’re most welcome, Ms. Crawford.” The maître d’ flushed as he took her coat.
Not waiting to be shown the way, Phoenix made a beeline for the table where Darius sat. All this yes Ma’am, no Ma’am, can I take your coat Ma’am, just made her feel awkward and out of place. Give her a nice dingy pub any day.
Darius appeared extra suave in his charcoal, tailored suit, most likely made by some designer she’d never heard of. The look perfectly accentuated his thick, black hair and pale, flawless skin. He was clean shaven like always and the epitome of class as he graced the waitress with one of his most charming smiles – fangs retracted, of course.
Phoenix cringed as the woman again dissolved into a fit of girlish giggles, just short of fanning herself with the white cloth she held. She’d love to see the waitress’s reaction if she found out she was talking to one of the most powerful vampires in Ireland. Hell, probably in all of Europe. Then again, with the way movies had been romanticising vampires and werewolves lately, it would probably only make the woman worse.
Rolling her eyes, she took the last few steps and moved into Darius’s line of sight. He quickly stood from the table, shifting his charming smile to her. His dark eyes were the only thing that showed his amusement as he kissed her on both cheeks in welcome.
The blustering waitress had the grace to loo
k embarrassed as she quickly pulled out Phoenix’s chair and offered her a glass of wine. Declining the expensive vinegar, she ordered a rum and coke and shook her head as the woman left the table with a mere fragment of her composure intact.
“You didn’t give her a chance at all, did you?” Phoenix attempted to give Darius a disapproving look, but she couldn’t stop her lips from quirking up in amused fondness for the man before her.
He really hadn’t changed much in all the years she’d known him. Being as old as dust tended to make people set in their ways. The charming sophistication never faltered, and even his expensive fashion tastes had a timeless quality. He didn’t have the softest disposition, but he’d stood by her parents when everyone else turned their back. That made him family.
“Oh, Phoenix, darling, I really wasn’t trying in the slightest. Merely passing the time.” He raised one perfectly manicured eyebrow as if to say, “What can I do if they find me irresistible?”
With a resigned laugh, Phoenix focused her attention on the menu. The reprieve from her troubled thoughts had been brief, and as her amusement faded, she found herself once more distracted by the concerns of recent days. What if Darius couldn’t answer her questions? She had no one else to ask. But the memory of their conversation on New Year’s Eve was fresh in her mind, and she suddenly found herself reluctant to broach the subject. Instead, she forced herself to focus on the insanely expensive food options.
Once the waitress had taken their order – two steaks, extra rare – they settled into their usual routine. Darius asked about the pub and her friends, and she diverted his prying by asking about his many business ventures. Before long, she was finding it hard to concentrate and he quickly noticed.
“What’s wrong, Phoenix?” Darius looked disapprovingly at the half-eaten steak she was pushing around her plate.
“Do all fae become immortal at twenty-five?”
There was a long moment of silence, and Phoenix forced herself to meet his gaze. He regarded her closely, a stillness to him that only vampires could achieve.
3 Minutes to Midnight: Urban Fantasy Midnight Trilogy Book 1 Page 2