3 Minutes to Midnight: Urban Fantasy Midnight Trilogy Book 1

by L. M Hatchell

  At first the body remained unresponsive and Ethan feared they’d reached the vampire too late. But then suddenly, like an electric shock, the body jolted, and a pair of razor-sharp fangs latched onto his arm like a vice.

  The pain he expected never came. Instead, as the blood was sucked eagerly from his vein, the rhythmic pull lulled Ethan into a calm daydream; the ebb and flow of his blood formed a hypnotic wave of motion for him to float upon as his muscles relaxed with each passing minute.

  His wolf growled.

  The sound was the nudge he needed, a reminder that he needed to stay conscious of their surroundings. They’d been underground too long already, and though his body would quickly replenish the lost blood, he couldn’t afford to be light-headed if he was to get them all out in one piece.

  With that thought in mind, Ethan moved to pry the vampire’s fangs from his arm, expecting a fight for the much-needed food source. Instead, he found himself meeting a pair of warm, brown eyes. Fangs swiftly – and willingly – retracted from his arm.

  For a moment, he just stared at the vampire before him, filled with an awed respect for Phoenix’s father. It was glaringly obvious that he’d been starved for a very long time. The strength it would have taken for him to willingly relinquish the blood was beyond comprehension.

  A split second later, Phoenix flung herself at her father, tears streaming down her face as she met Ethan’s eyes over her father’s shoulder. What Ethan saw in her eyes made him more uncomfortable than even the feeding, and he turned away from the gratitude he didn’t deserve.

  Giving them as much space as he could within the cramped room, Ethan pressed his earpiece. “Nate?”

  Nothing.

  “Nate? You there?”

  Silence. Shit.

  Quickly assessing their options, he turned to Phoenix’s father. “Can you walk?”

  In truth, even with the Supe’d up blood, the man still looked like a corpse with limbs so thin and fragile they looked liable to snap, and a face little more than a skull covered in skin. But there was an awareness to the eyes that hadn’t been there before, clearly reflecting the healing power of the werewolf blood. And a determination that said the man would fight to his last breath. So Ethan wasn’t surprised when he nodded.

  As Phoenix helped her father gingerly to his feet, Ethan turned once again to meet the bright, green eyes that reminded him so much of Phoenix’s.

  “I have nothing that will give you strength, but I have more than enough strength to carry you if you’ll allow me to?” Reluctant to take all choice away from a woman who had very clearly been refused her dignity for a long time, he kept his tone patient and respectful, despite the niggling feeling that time was against them.

  The smile he received in return was like sunshine itself, and there was nothing but gratitude in the woman’s eyes as he bent to lift her small frame.

  ***

  Phoenix’s head was a dizzying mix of questions and disbelieving shock as they made their way back towards the boiler room. Her father’s arm rested limply across her shoulder, its meagre weight very clearly confirming he was real. Yet she couldn’t quite bring herself to believe it.

  They had been here all this time.

  She choked on a sob, but forced herself to put one step before the other. While her and Ethan might have found an excuse for being in the lair beforehand, the presence of her parents would quickly rule out any false pretences of a surprise visit. It would be a death sentence, or worse, if they were caught.

  The comms had stayed silent from the time Ethan tried to contact Nate. But more worryingly, the lair was silent too. Unnaturally so.

  Phoenix knew Nate’s original distraction wouldn’t have lasted this long. She could tell by the tension around Ethan’s eyes as he carried her mother that he’d come to the same conclusion. So, they moved quickly, praying to a god they didn’t believe in that the clever shifter had somehow bought them more time.

  It was with surprise that she registered the sound of the boiler in the distance. They’d somehow made it back to their entry level without incident. If they could just –

  “Stop!”

  Ethan’s soft curse told her all she needed to know before she turned around. A single vampire stood in the hallway behind them, dressed in the non-descript black of the lair’s security uniform. He had no visible weapons, but being a vamp, he didn’t really need any.

  “Did you have a nice nap?” Ethan asked, voice friendly and stance relaxed.

  The vamp growled – actually growled – and Phoenix very quickly surmised that he must have been the vamp guarding the server room.

  “Phoenix,” Ethan said quietly, keeping his eyes on the guard. “Why don’t you take your mother and head on home? I think I have some apologising to do here.”

  He shifted his weight to pass her the frail form of her mother, and at the same time, her father pulled his supported weight from her shoulder with obvious effort.

  Phoenix hesitated.

  Ethan was a good fighter, and he was damn strong, but she couldn’t leave him alone in the middle of a vampire lair. It would be a death sentence.

  As if sensing her reluctance, Ethan turned serious brown eyes to meet hers. “Phoenix, you need to get your parents out of here.”

  Dammit! There has to be another way.

  And just to prove that fate can be a cruel bitch sometimes, two more vampire guards took that moment to step around the corner and into the hallway, grinning.

  Ethan didn’t give her any more time to argue. Pushing her mother into her arms, he turned and launched himself at the vampires, claws extending even as he moved.

  She didn’t want to leave him, but the feel of her mother, so light in her arms, made her turn towards freedom. The sounds of fighting followed them with every step as they moved closer to the boiler room, and it took all of Phoenix’s willpower not to turn back.

  Ahead of her, her father stumbled, but kept one hand on the wall for support as he continued forward with focused determination.

  A strange clunk was the only warning they had. Suddenly the hallway filled with smoke, completely obscuring their view. Flashes of blue flame were the only break in the smoke, and the flames were so bright in their intensity that they were almost blinding.

  Amongst the chaos, Phoenix could make out the sound of a woman chanting. Male voices shouted over one another, and the sound of footsteps running towards her made Phoenix huddle close to the wall, turning her body to protect her mother as best she could.

  “Phoenix,” a muffled voice said, close to her ear, “put this on.”

  A large black mask was shoved in front of her face, and before she knew what was happening, her mother was taken from her arms.

  Her only thought was to stop them. There was no way they were taking her parents from her again. But then a hand landed on her shoulder, and Ethan’s large frame was beside her. His scent filled her senses even through the haze of smoke and the acrid smell of burning.

  “It’s okay. We’ve got her,” he assured, taking the mask and quickly fixing it around her face.

  The difference was instantaneous.

  Phoenix hadn’t even realised she was having trouble breathing until all of a sudden she wasn’t struggling anymore. Her view, though still hazy, cleared significantly, and even with the black masks covering their faces, she could now make out the forms of Lily, Shade, and Nate standing not more than five feet away. Her mother was held safely in Nate’s arms, and her father slumped against the wall beside them.

  The chanting and flames were coming from Lily in an impressive light show that was quite effectively holding back any vampire guards attempting to join the party. However, it was obvious from her slumped shoulders that she was weakening and wouldn’t be able to keep up the onslaught much longer.

  When Ethan urged her towards the boiler room, Phoenix ran to help her father. Just as she bent to lift him, determined to carry him out of the lair, Shade was there beside her. Without meeting her
eyes, Shade lifted her father and was gone in a blur of speed towards the tunnel. Nate wasn’t far behind as he carried her mother to safety.

  Phoenix followed their lead, dragging Lily with her as Ethan pulled up the rear. The thunderous sound of footsteps and snarls echoed in her ears as she ran. They weren’t going to make it.

  Smoke was replaced by the thick, earthy smell of the tunnel, followed seconds later by a brief glimmer of light. They’d barely cleared the exit when a loud explosion rang and Phoenix was flung through the air.

  She landed unceremoniously amongst the trees, her ears practically vibrating from the ringing that sounded in them. Ethan lay on the ground beside her, shaking his head as he pulled off his mask. Phoenix followed suit and turned to look back in the direction they’d come. All that was left of the tunnel entrance was a pile of rubble. Nate stood nearby, mask removed with a huge grin on his face, holding a small black handheld computer. Her mother was by his side, being tended to by Lily.

  It took her a moment to realise that the night sky around them was no longer dark. While they had been in the lair, the subtle light of daylight had begun to fill the world around them, chasing away the shelter of the night.

  Fuck, where’s Dad?

  He was a powerful vampire, and at full strength could easily withstand the weak morning sun. But he wasn’t at full strength. He wasn’t at any strength at all. Even the slightest hint of sun would kill him.

  Phoenix scrambled, frantically trying to get her feet under her as she looked around. The world tilted viciously and she fought back the urge to throw up. She had to confirm he was safe. Ethan was by her side in a split second, steadying her. He was mouthing something at her, but Phoenix could hear nothing other than the ringing in her ears.

  Shade. That’s what he was saying. Shade had taken her father to safety. Her heart both calmed and clenched tight at the reassurance. Shade, as a pure vampire, was faster than the rest of them, but did she trust him with her father’s safety?

  Unable to do anything more than hope, she rushed to her mother’s side.

  The light touch of her mother’s hand against her face made Phoenix suddenly aware of the tears streaming down her cheeks. There was so much love in the green eyes staring back at her that Phoenix had to swallow past the sob threatening to choke her. Gently, she lifted her mother into her arms and followed Ethan back to the car, clinging for dear life to the precious weight she carried.

  As soon as Ethan’s apartment came into view, Phoenix flung the car door wide, completely ignoring the spray of gravel as the car skidded to an abrupt halt.

  Please tell me they made it okay.

  The relief when she found her father’s pale sleeping form in one of the blacked-out bedrooms brought her to her knees. He was so still it would have been easy to assume he was dead, but she could feel the weak threads of his signature, as familiar to her as her own even after all this time.

  He would sleep until darkness fell again; his body was far too weak to fight the daylight hours, even here, hidden from the sun’s touch. And while he slept, he would heal. Physically at least.

  As Phoenix stared at the man she thought lost to her forever, she tried in vain to wrap her head around everything. They’d been alive this whole time. Her parents had been mere floors from her, suffering, and she’d done nothing to help them.

  Her thoughts continued on along this vein, swamping her in guilt, until Ethan’s scent filled her nose and pulled her out of the useless ramblings of her mind.

  “Your mother would like to talk to you.” His brown eyes were full of concern as he helped her up from her kneeling position.

  “Aria,” Phoenix responded automatically.

  Ethan’s look of concern turned to confusion.

  She shook her head to clear her thoughts. “I never told you her name,” she clarified. “My mother, her name is Aria.”

  “Aria.” He nodded, as if the name somehow fit for him. He glanced towards the still form of her father in question.

  “Marcus.”

  Her chest constricted as she remembered back to the lair, back to Ethan feeding her father his blood. He’d saved her father’s life. Emotions choked her and she fought to find words that might begin to express how grateful she was.

  “Ethan … I can never thank –”

  “Shh.” He stopped her words and pulled her close for a brief hug before pushing her towards the door of the bedroom. “Go to your mother. She’s on the rooftop. I’ll keep watch over your father.”

  ***

  Phoenix found her mother sitting on a soft blanket on the flat roof of the warehouse apartment. From her position, she had a perfect view of the morning sky with the most beautiful mix of reds and oranges splashed like watercolours across a backdrop of the city.

  Aria wore a look of pure bliss on her face as she angled it towards the emerging sunlight. Her hair was tied in a knot at the back of her head, but the orange and blonde strands still flared like flames as the sun’s rays hit them.

  With the dirt now gone, her mother’s skin once again looked flawless. But the natural glow Phoenix had envied so much as a child was missing. In its place, a pale, thin frame that acted as a stark reminder of the truth behind the peaceful scene in front of her. She knew it was an illusion, and it made her heart ache.

  But, illusion or not, Phoenix was reluctant to disturb it. So, she merely watched. Her keen eyes noted the slow return of colour to her mother’s cheeks; the healing power of the sun swift and astounding to behold when the fae was finally returned to her natural element.

  Eventually, Aria smiled, pushing a loose strand of hair over a pointed ear as she turned towards Phoenix. “You turned out more beautiful than I ever could have imagined.”

  Suddenly self-conscious, Phoenix attempted to smooth the clothes that were now beyond ruin after the night’s adventures. She made her way to her mother’s side and sat hesitantly on the blanket, wondering where to even begin.

  Before Phoenix could say anything, Aria reached out a trembling hand towards her. The hand lightly touched the medallion that hung around Phoenix’s neck, as tears glistened in her mother’s eyes.

  “You kept it.” The words were barely more than a whisper.

  Phoenix looked down to watch as delicate fingers traced the embossed sun emblem. She swallowed hard and nodded. At fifteen, she’d understood enough to know her parents wouldn’t leave her willingly. She’d known when she left her childhood home that she wouldn’t be returning, and she’d needed to take some part of them with her. She chose her mother’s medallion and, hidden in the depths of her wardrobe, her father’s sword.

  More reluctantly than she’d have liked to admit, Phoenix moved to take the medallion from around her neck. She intended to return it to its rightful owner, but her mother stopped her with a shake of her head and a loving smile. Phoenix looked at the still youthful face in front of her. Even having lived it, it was so hard to believe ten long years had passed since she last saw that smile. Ten years lost forever.

  And just like that, reality hit like a frying pan to the face.

  “Have you been there this whole time?” Phoenix asked.

  The thought alone almost broke her and she clenched her teeth against the burning pain in her throat. The smile wavered on Aria’s face and a sad understanding filled her green eyes as she nodded. Phoenix hugged her knees tight to her chest and focused all of her attention on keeping her breathing steady.

  “We all trusted him, sweetheart.” Aria’s words were soft, and tinged with an unspoken pain as she laid a comforting hand on Phoenix’s shoulder.

  Darius had been their friend for many centuries before Phoenix was even born. He’d stood by them when their families banished them. He’d encouraged their relationship. He’d been family.

  Covering her mother’s hand with her own, Phoenix took a deep breath. “Tell me.”

  Aria gazed out at the city, saying nothing for a very long time. “How much do you remember?” she asked finally
.

  Phoenix gave this some serious thought. The feelings were so clear to her, even ten years later: the unsettled niggling in her belly, the feeling that time had slowed to a complete halt as she waited. But the details had blurred over time. Small images had become symbols for the whole, while the bigger picture was only the hazy memory of a child.

  “I remember … you coming home. You were upset.” Phoenix nodded to herself. “You and Dad were talking about something, but you wouldn’t tell me what was going on. You just said you had to go out and that you’d be back soon …”

  Aria’s face remained expressionless, but her grip on Phoenix’s shoulder tightened for a brief moment before relaxing. “I was out shopping that day, and a woman bumped into me, accidentally, I think. Anyway, the woman was a Seer –”

  Phoenix nodded her understanding of the term at her mother’s questioning look. A pang of sadness hit her as she thought of all the hours spent in Darius’s library, learning things from a book that she should have learned from her parents.

  “The woman,” Aria continued, “started speaking in tongues. She spoke of a prophecy, and a hybrid that would bring an end to humanity.”

  At the mention of the prophecy, Phoenix froze. Her mother gave her a knowing look.

  “Needless to say, I was upset. Your father and I had been so far removed from the Lore by that stage that we had no way of knowing if she spoke the truth. And we knew of only one hybrid …”

  “So, you went to Darius.”

  Aria sighed, a sound filled with so much regret it made Phoenix want to weep. “So, we went to Darius. As it turns out, he was all too familiar with the prophecy. I don’t know what he used, but somehow he drugged our wine, and when we woke up, we were in the cell where you found us.”

  Phoenix’s thoughts were in turmoil as her mother grew silent. She’d seen the evidence of Darius’s betrayal, had seen the truth of her mother’s story, but she still couldn’t wrap her head around it. How could she reconcile such evil with the man she’d loved like family?