3 Minutes to Midnight: Urban Fantasy Midnight Trilogy Book 1

by L. M Hatchell

  Phoenix rolled her eyes. “She’s convinced I’m seeing someone.”

  “So, tell her you’re seeing me,” he offered, surprised when his wolf took that moment to perk up its ears.

  Nudging him with her shoulder, she laughed, “Yeah right, then I’d really never hear the end of it.”

  He shrugged nonchalantly, wondering in the back of his mind why her response bothered him. “Just thought it might help get her off your back –”

  The loud smashing of glass stopped them in their tracks and was quickly followed by a screeching alarm. Phoenix met his look of surprise with one of her own before they set off at a sprint to the end of the street. They made sure to keep close to the shadows as they peered around the corner.

  Across the road, just off another dark side-street, they could see two black forms highlighted by a flickering streetlight. Whoever it was stood arguing as a number of other shadowy forms leapt through the broken window of a shopfront.

  Angry words drifted to Ethan and Phoenix over the din of the alarm: “Idiot”, “Kill us”.

  Ethan sniffed the air and found the unmistakable scent of incense and herbs. “Witches,” he growled.

  Phoenix grabbed his arm and pointed to a dark sign above the shop that read Ulysses Rare Books. “What would they be doing breaking into an old bookshop?”

  “Looking for some light reading?” He edged forward, gesturing for her to follow behind him.

  The two witches in front of the shop were so busy arguing that they didn’t hear his approach. Ethan grabbed the largest of the two from behind and his arm snaked across the witch’s throat, cutting off the man’s air supply before the slightest curse could be uttered. A quick glance assured him that Phoenix had the other witch under control, and they dragged the unconscious bodies into the shadows.

  Standing this close to the bookshop made his fur prickle as his wolf shifted closely beneath the surface. This was definitely more than just an old bookshop.

  Conscious that the alarm would have notified the Gardaí, Ethan stepped carefully over the jagged edges of the window into the shop. The jolt of electricity only lasted a second as he crossed the threshold, but it had him shaking his head to clear the static from his ears.

  One look at Phoenix told him she’d felt it too. He waited for a nod to confirm she was all right before he continued forward silently.

  The dark of the night, coupled with the flickering streetlight outside, gave the shop an eerie feel. Looming bookcases cast long shadows and seemed to come alive as they stood watchfully on guard.

  Aside from the large tomes strewn across the glass-littered floor, the only sign of intrusion was the murmur of voices coming from a room at the back of the shop. A strange glow seeped out from under the closed door and the closer he moved towards it, the heavier the air felt.

  His wolf clawed restlessly and tried to take control. Ethan fought the urge. Something was not quite right with the feeling. Instinct told him it would be a bad idea to let his wolf loose.

  Without warning, the door at the back of the shop flung open and he was blinded by a scorching white light. Beside him, he heard Phoenix curse, followed by a loud crash. As the spots began to clear from his vision, someone barrelled into him from behind. He twisted his body to avoid face-planting the floor, but his shoulder hit the ground with a bone-jarring thud.

  The body that landed on top of him was female. Small and unnaturally strong. Her features were twisted and ugly, any sense of humanity long since gone. Pinned beneath her small frame and the floor, Ethan struggled to free his arm. He only just managed to turn his head and miss the dagger she plunged towards his face.

  Using the witch’s momentum against her, he pushed up through his lower body and threw her off. But just as he tried to rise to his feet, Ethan’s legs buckled beneath him.

  The loud crack of bone sounded in his ears and, against his will, his body started to shift.

  His wolf howled in agony at the unnatural change being forced upon him. Tendons popped as his limbs contorted. Muscles elongated and tore. Sharp fangs pierced his gums and fur sprouted from the backs of his hands.

  Through the fog of pain, he heard Phoenix scream his name. Adrenaline surged at the fear in her voice, and he fought to gain control. His eyes searched wildly until they finally found her grappling on the floor with a male witch.

  Ethan tried to move towards her, but his knees buckled again and he fell forward onto his hands. His sharp claws dug into the wooden floor as his spine twisted and arched.

  Phoenix met his eyes, and in an instant, her expression changed from surprise to steely resolve. With a surge of power, she flipped the witch off her, sending him careening into a wall. She made to move towards him, her hand reaching out, but he pulled back, not trusting his control under the forced change.

  “Witch.” He ground out the syllables painfully, his now misshapen jaw making speech almost impossible.

  The flash of understanding on her face was the last thing he saw before everything went black.

  ***

  Phoenix’s blood ran cold as she watched Ethan collapse to the ground. Every instinct in her screamed to go to him, but she ignored the pull and forced herself to look for the witch responsible.

  She found him shrouded by shadows in the corner. He stood tall with his head back and palms wide open as a continuous stream of chanting oozed from his barely moving mouth. For a moment, it seemed as if the witch was oblivious to her presence, but then his head lowered, and Phoenix was met with the whitest eyes she’d ever seen.

  Her previously cold blood began to ice over as the witch fixed her with an unwavering stare. She felt her limbs grow heavy, and her body refused all commands to move.

  The image of Ethan slumped helpless on the floor flashed into her mind, and anger at the violation flooded her system. Anger not just at the violation of her body, but of his, and his wolf’s.

  She strained against the invisible bonds that held her and channelled all of her anger. With her eyes fixated on the witch, something snapped, allowing her to move forward.

  The witch’s strange eyes widened in shock just before Phoenix lengthened her fangs and plunged them deep into his jugular.

  A sharp gasp drew her attention back to Ethan. She dropped the now lifeless body and spat out the poisonous blood that tried to slide down the back of her throat. Rushing to his side, she slid down beside him, the fear that gripped her heart only beginning to ease when she could feel the rise and fall of his chest beneath her hand. A sheen of sweat covered his skin as his body slowly, and agonisingly, started to realign itself.

  Not knowing what else to do, Phoenix held him close and gave him whatever strength she could while he worked through the pain.

  Eventually Ethan lifted his head. His eyes were still strained but they were now a clear brown and showed no sign of his wolf. “The witches?” he asked hoarsely.

  His question brought her sharply back to their surroundings as she realised her carelessness. She hadn’t even checked if anyone was left alive.

  Strangely though, the store appeared to be empty. Even of bodies.

  She shook her head and mentally berated herself. “Gone.”

  Ethan listened vaguely to the chatter of voices that filled his apartment. His head was still pounding as he gingerly stretched out each finger and checked for any lasting damage. Phoenix’s concerned gaze burned into him. He wanted to reassure her, but he couldn’t. In truth, he was shaken, even more than he’d like to admit. Each aching joint reminded him of the violation he’d been helpless to defend against, and the idea made him want to punch something.

  How the hell had the witches been able to control his change? Nothing other than the moon and his Alpha should’ve been able to do that. And he was even strong enough to fight those.

  “Do we have any idea what they were after?” Lily paced the length of the living room for what seemed like the hundredth time since joining them.

  Ethan looked at the young witch
and noticed the stiff set of her shoulders and limp lifelessness of her long blonde hair. She’d latched on to the prophecy and the witches with a determined focus that was growing unhealthy. She hadn’t taken time to grieve, and it worried him what would happen when the distraction was gone.

  The comforting tempo of Nate’s keyboard tapping suddenly stopped, breaking Ethan’s train of thought.

  “Maybe …” Nate waved Lily over to the table where he sat.

  Ethan watched impatiently as the two whispered and pointed at something on Nate’s laptop.

  “Are you going to share with the rest of us?” he snapped as he stood to continue the pacing where Lily had left off.

  “Sorry, we were just looking at something.” Lily looked up from the screen, the luminescence highlighting the concerned set of her mouth.

  Phoenix and Shade both edged forward on their seats in response to the obvious tension. Ethan stopped his pacing with a sigh. Could it not just be good news for once?

  Everyone gathered around the table as Nate turned the laptop to face them. The screen was full of small thumbnails, each with a single line of text underneath. The pictures were difficult to make out, but all showed an object of some type. Most were old, some looked ancient.

  “I found our bookshop owner on the dark web,” Nate explained. “It seems he specialises in old and extremely powerful relics.”

  “So, the witches were after one of these relics?” Phoenix asked.

  Ethan could see her mentally connecting the dots as she moved closer to the screen with interest.

  Lily nodded. “It would seem like a logical assumption.”

  “Do we know which one?” A bad feeling settled in the pit of Ethan’s stomach, and now, even his wolf was pacing.

  Nate clicked on one of the thumbnails, enlarging the image so it filled the screen.

  “What the hell is that?” Shade asked, a frown etched on to his features.

  Ethan felt a similar sense of confusion as he looked more closely. The image showed a small plate of what appeared to be solid gold. There was a symbol carved in the middle and it looked well worn with its edges fading. From what he could make out, the symbol showed some kind of serpent or dragon eating its own tail. It didn’t look familiar to him, but something about it made his skin crawl.

  “This is the relic we think the witches might have been after.” Lily’s voice was grave as she directed her answer to them all. “It’s a very powerful talisman called an Ouroboros. It was believed to represent the endless cycle of time. Some say that whoever possesses it can gain control of this cycle and bend it to their will.”

  “Shit,” Ethan muttered under his breath.

  “Um … that doesn’t sound good.” Phoenix’s worried eyes met his over the laptop and he looked away, yet again unable to reassure her.

  His earlier sense of foreboding increased and his wolf shuffled restlessly. What the hell were the witches up to? Blood sacrifices, dark magic, and now this? Although they were a powerful faction within the Lore, witches were never a leading force for change or upheaval. They usually preferred to align themselves with a stronger contender or stay out of the spotlight altogether. That meant they had to be working for someone. And they had to believe that someone had the upper hand.

  “So, what’s the plan, boss?” Shade had resumed his trademark slouch against the wall and was watching him closely.

  Ethan tried to organise his thoughts as he rubbed a rough hand over his face. They needed information, and aside from the witches, there was only one person that could give it to them.

  “Take Lily, and go speak to the owner of the bookshop,” he said, directing his comment to Nate. “We need him to confirm what was taken. I doubt there’s any point checking the police report if he’s dealing on the black market.”

  Nate saluted, shut down the laptop, and packed away a random assortment of gadgets.

  Ethan looked at Phoenix, finally able to meet her eyes. Other than the persistent concerned glances she threw his way, her features showed no lasting strain from the night’s events. But every time he closed his eyes, he could hear her scream his name.

  She’d been left to face the witches alone, and he’d been powerless to help her. The knowledge caused an ugly, painful knot in his gut that wouldn’t unravel; it also made him angry.

  Despite everything, she still hadn’t used her powers. Sure, she’d torn the witch’s throat out with her fangs, but physical strength and a bit of extra speed weren’t going to keep her alive. Not against other Supes. Or demons.

  How could he keep her safe if she wouldn’t fight?

  Realising the room had gone quiet around him, he looked at the expectant gazes and wondered who else he would fail before this was over.

  “Tomorrow,” he said, “we train.”

  ***

  Phoenix looked at Ethan standing on the mat across from her. His face said he meant business. His yellow eyes said his wolf did too.

  As soon as Nate and Lily had confirmed their suspicions with the shop owner, Ethan had ordered them all to the gym to train at the break of dawn. Even as a half-vampire who thrived at night, the lack of sleep was starting to wear on her.

  “We need to up your training.” Ethan gestured impatiently for her to move towards the middle of the mat. “We don’t have time to take it easy anymore.”

  “Hey! I saved your ass, remember?” Sure, she’d been scared as hell, but she’d held her own and that had to count for something.

  “What’s that, boss?” Nate turned from the target that was playing victim to his knife skills with a wide grin on his face. “You’re getting your ass saved by girls now too?”

  Irritation clouded Ethan’s face, and Phoenix noticed with amusement the rhythmic twitch in the muscle of his jaw. Curiosity tempted her to ask for clarification, but a low growl from his direction made her rethink, and she moved to the centre of the mat with a sigh.

  “You were lucky last night,” Ethan cut straight to the chase. “The witches won’t let you get that close next time. You need to start using your other powers.”

  She felt herself tense. Her body became utterly still as she fought to slow her breathing and control the involuntary reaction to his words. This wasn’t the first time he’d broached the subject, but something about his tone said he wasn’t going to let it drop this time.

  “I told you before, I don’t have any. That light thing was just a weird fluke. I can’t do it again.” Phoenix dug her fingernails into the palm of her hand. He was expecting too much of her. She couldn’t do it. Wouldn’t do it.

  “It’s okay.” Ethan held his hands out in a placating gesture. “We’re going to start slow. But we are going to start, Phoenix.”

  Without warning, he leapt for her, giving her no chance to prepare or gather her defences. For the first time since they’d begun training together, she sensed a difference in his intensity. His eyes glowed yellow and he moved with an animalistic grace. More than ever, his energy screamed predator.

  She fought with everything she had. Her vampire speed, she used. Her vampire strength, she most definitely used. Hell, her fangs even made an involuntary appearance at one stage. Still, it wasn’t enough.

  Ethan pushed her relentlessly and nothing she did satisfied him. The harder she fought, the more frustrated he seemed to become. Obviously convinced that she was holding out, the expectant look in his feral eyes pleaded silently with her.

  Eventually, her endurance failed, and with a final tackle, Ethan pinned her beneath him. His body was firm against hers, yellow eyes searching her own for … something.

  An uncomfortable silence filled the gym around them, and Phoenix was suddenly very aware of Ethan’s hips pressed tightly against hers. Squirming under the unseen scrutiny of the others, she wriggled out from under him and tried to ignore the unintentional friction it caused.

  He followed her up from the ground, eyes no longer meeting hers as he grabbed his towel from the side of the mat.

  �
��Let’s leave it there for now,” he called over his shoulder on his way to the door. “I want everyone back here tonight for more training.”

  Phoenix scrubbed her hand over her face. What the hell just happened?

  Needing some air, she turned to find the gym empty of all but Shade.

  “It’s not going to work, you know.” The animosity was clear in his expression as he stalked towards her.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Phoenix sighed wearily and tried to step around him. Her body was already aching from the training session with Ethan and she was in no mood for a confrontation.

  Shade moved to block her retreat, pressing himself close as he let her see the full force of hatred behind his icy blue eyes. “Ethan might not see you for what you are, but I do.”

  Tiredness, frustration, and confusion all caught up on her at once, eroding any patience she might have had for the situation.

  “I don’t give a fuck what you think of me, Shade. Just get out of my way and let me go home.” She squared her shoulders and looked him dead in the eye, not willing to be intimidated by his attitude.

  Tension filled the air between them, causing the hairs on her arms to raise. Could she take him on if she needed to? She’d never really seen him fight, but as a full vamp he would likely be faster than her at the very least.

  Just when Phoenix thought she might have to test the theory, Shade stepped to the side and opened his arm in a wide sweep towards the door. She hesitated for a moment before walking past him.

  “He’ll never feel the same about you.”

  Her feet faltered just as she made to step through the door.

  “We don’t want you here, Phoenix,” Shade said softly. “Why don’t you go back to your cushy little life and stop pretending to be a hero? You’ll never be one of us.”

  And with that parting blow, he pushed past her and disappeared from sight.

  ***

  Phoenix shoved open the heavy door of the pub and took a deep breath, letting the familiar scent of home wash over her. She’d broken the speed limit the whole way back in an attempt to get as much distance as she could from Shade and his words, but still they rang in her head.