Midnight

‘I cannot tell how many,’ Ezzie whispered. ‘Two, I believe.’

Hugo reached down and wrapped his fingers around a fallen branch the size of a baseball bat. He caught Ezzie’s look. ‘Yeah, I know. It won’t kill ’em, but it’ll still hurt.’

James, Kris, and Vincent found their own pieces of wood. We waited. I kept anxious eyes on the truck, praying that Katie would stay put. Ezzie leaned forward in her crouch, fingers splayed wide against the ground in a posture that reminded me of Sebastian. I clutched the knife tighter.

Ezzie closed her eyes and took in one smooth breath. Then, her eyes snapped open. She pointed with both hands, at two different trees directly above us. A wild snarl erupted from a cluster of branches. Something dropped to the ground. Ezzie shoved me aside.

The thing hissed, shuffling into view. I cringed in disgust. A grotesque. It was at least the size of a horse. A body and head like some medieval serpent, with black liquid dripping from its venomous-looking fangs. It scrambled closer, moving on multiple legs.

From out of the darkness, a winged creature slammed into Hugo from behind. He kicked at the beast as James bashed its scaly head with his branch. Kris and Vincent jumped into the fray, but my attention snapped immediately back to the shadowen in front of us.

Ezzie made a snarling sound, and inky mist appeared around her body. The creature lunged. Ezzie reappeared in another clump of mist several feet away. The grotesque roared in fury, its solid silver eyes gleaming, as it whirled around. It backed me up against a tree.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Esmeralda move into view. The creature reared back like a coiled snake. As it went for my head, I ducked and rolled to the side. With accuracy I’d learned over years of Circe training, I tossed the knife in Ezzie’s direction. She caught it and stabbed the creature, right in the middle of the back. The blade buried itself in the grotie’s flesh, all the way to the handle. The creature shuddered and dropped to the ground.

‘Ezzie!’ yelled Hugo.

Ms Lucian spun and aimed my knife at the other grotesque. It screeched and went down. Hugo wasted no time. He yanked the blade free from the creature’s wing and plunged it into the thing’s scaled chest.

Both shadowen collapsed, dead.

I leaned against the tree, gasping for breath. Hugo pried my knife free from the winged grotesque just as its body solidified into stone. Within seconds, both shadow creatures became nothing more than statues lying on the leaf-covered ground.

‘Is everyone okay?’ Hugo asked.

Suddenly, panic gripped me. ‘Katie!’

I rushed back to the truck. I could see her tear-stained face pressed against the window. I wrestled open the door, and she stumbled out, shaking all over. She stared at me with enormous eyes.

‘I believe it,’ she whimpered, clutching my arms. ‘I believe all of it.’

Then she was sick all over the tops of my shoes.

*

James and Kris hid the bodies of the grotesques in the brush, while Hugo supervised. I waited anxiously next to the car, with Katie by my side. She took small sips from a water bottle James had given her. Her face was pale, and she was unusually quiet.

Hugo emerged from the trees, wiping his hands off on his jeans. The others followed behind. His face grew darker as he approached us, and he sized me up with one long, penetrating stare. I met his gaze, unblinking, though inside, I felt close to crumbling.

‘How much does she know?’ Hugo asked me.

‘Everything,’ I replied.

Hugo paused long enough to give a definitive huff. Then he turned to Katie and held out his hand. ‘Well Katie, I guess you’re in.’

Vincent’s mouth gaped open.

James grabbed Hugo’s shoulder. ‘I don’t think that’s a good—’

‘No arguments,’ said Hugo brusquely. ‘If Josephine trusts her with our secrets, then so do I. Katie Lewis, consider yourself diddikoi from this point forward.’

‘Friend of Gypsies,’ I said, for her benefit.

Katie shook Hugo’s hand with the confidence of someone handling a snake.

‘How did you know we were following you?’ I asked.

‘It was Ezzie,’ he answered, watching as Ms Lucian walked the perimeter of the gas station, her head tilted upward. ‘She saw a couple of girls in a shiny SUV, hanging out in the back of our parking lot before we left. It didn’t take a lot of brainwork to put the rest together. Ezzie’s had the scent of groties on our tail for the last hour. When you two pulled off the Interstate, I got worried.’

I felt heat rise to my face. ‘Thanks for coming back.’

His expression softened somewhat. ‘I don’t reckon Sebastian would forgive me if I let you get yourself killed,’ he replied. ‘And since you’re obviously not going to listen to our advice about staying home, I’m offering you a place to stay in Savannah. The Corsi clan owns a B&B in the Victorian District. That’s where we’re heading.’

I nodded as Ezzie approached, ending our conversation.

‘Anything?’ Hugo asked.

‘No,’ she said, her attention still on the dark trees beyond the lights. ‘I don’t sense any other shadowen in the area. But we should be on our way. I’ve never seen grotesques so bold before. To attack Roma in public as they did is highly unusual. I fear this was not simply an isolated incident.’

‘Agreed,’ said Hugo. He turned his sharp eyes towards Katie. ‘Since you’ve been following us for three hours, I’m sure it won’t be too much trouble to continue on into the city.’

Katie nodded weakly.

‘I’ll drive,’ Ezzie said to her. ‘If you don’t mind.’

Katie dropped her car keys into Esmeralda’s outstretched hand without the slightest hint of argument. I looked at our former teacher curiously, but she only smiled, an oddly tight expression.

‘Try and keep up,’ said Hugo wryly. ‘And no more pit stops.’

We pulled out onto the Interstate once more, Hugo in the lead. The rest of the guys maneuvered behind us on their motorcycles. Katie took the passenger seat, and I retreated to the back. I didn’t try and explain anything more to her. She’d seen enough by now to be convinced– at least of everything that mattered at this point. But there was nothing I could do to make it any less horrible.

I turned the diamond-coated knife over in my hands. The grotesque’s black blood had cleaned off easily, but nausea lingered in the back of my throat. I hadn’t wanted Quentin’s weapon – he’d only given it to me to protect myself against Sebastian – but now I was glad I’d brought it. His weapon had saved our lives.

A lump of conflicted emotion rotated in my stomach. My feelings for Sebastian, however new and undefined they might be, weren’t going to change. But neither, I hated to admit, were Quentin’s. In his eyes, he was a Marksman and Sebastian was a shadow creature. There was no middle ground.

‘Josie?’

I leaned towards Katie. ‘Yeah?’

‘Does Sebastian … look like that?’ She shuddered visibly. ‘Like them?’

‘No,’ I said firmly. I focused on the windshield, finding myself once more at a loss for the right words. ‘I mean, not exactly. It’s like I told you before, he’s still Sebastian. Mostly. Just different.’

‘Different,’ she repeated numbly. Katie rubbed her eyes. Her mental conflict and exhaustion were etched clearly on her face. She was still pale, even through her rosy-pink makeup. ‘So why did they attack you?’

It was Ezzie who answered. ‘Roma blood. Grotesques smell it. The scent draws them in, like a predator seeking its prey.’

‘Prey?’ said Katie. ‘You guys are their prey?’

Ezzie gripped the steering wheel. But she didn’t answer. Instead, she frowned through the rear-view mirror at me. ‘Josephine, did you bring the book I gave you?’

It was at that moment that I realized why Esmeralda had insisted on driving our car. She wanted to talk.

‘Yes, I packed it when I left the Circe.’

‘Good,’ she replied. ‘Markus’ book may be of use to us in Savannah.’

Pain flickered behind Ezzie’s eyes when she mentioned her charge by name. I felt my own pain welling up inside of me. Maybe it was only a fraction of hers, but the source was the same. What if I couldn’t save Sebastian? What if I failed?

Katie looked between us. ‘What book?’

‘One similar to those stolen from Karl Corsi,’ answered Ezzie. ‘Markus believed it to be important to the future of the shadow world when he entrusted it to my care. I must confess, I had not thought of it until Sebastian’s awakening last autumn. I have felt a strong upheaval in the shadow world the last few months. The increase in shadowen activity and the timing of Sebastian’s awakening cannot be treated as mere coincidence.’ She paused as she checked the side mirrors and changed lanes. ‘His difficult adjustment as a gargoyle has concerned me. I can’t explain it, but Sebastian is not the same to me as other shadowen. Even the way he smells—’

Katie made a sound in the back of her throat.

‘His scent,’ Ezzie continued, flashing a silvery glare at Katie that made her cringe. ‘Since his transformation I have been at a loss to figure it out. It is my hope that Zindelo and Nadya will be able to answer our questions.’

‘Hugo’s parents? But I thought no one knew their whereabouts.’

Esmeralda almost smiled. ‘That’s not entirely true.’

I swallowed past a sudden lump in my throat. ‘What does Hugo think about Sebastian?’

‘He denies anything openly,’ Ezzie replied. ‘But Hugo Corsi is an intelligent man. Unfortunately, I believe his attachment to Sebastian as his brother clouds his clarity.’

‘What about you?’

‘I am a guardian,’ she answered. ‘Or at least, I was. Guardians do not form attachments outside of our charges.’

‘That’s not true of you,’ I said. ‘Or Sebastian.’

Esmeralda paused. ‘No, it’s not.’

I stuffed the diamond-encrusted knife into my bag and closed my eyes. I wasn’t sure when I drifted off or how much time passed, but the sensation of slowing down woke me up. Katie had also fallen asleep; her head resting against the window and her mouth slacked open.

The skies were still dark, with dawn at least another hour away. I nudged Katie awake as we passed the Savannah city limits sign. We entered the coastal city, surrounded by palm trees and large oaks dripping with Spanish moss. Even in the darkness, it felt like we were passing into another world. Hugo led us down several roads, driving by numerous hotels and restaurants, before we ended up on a small cobblestone street lined on either side with eclectic, Victorian-style houses. He pulled into one and drove around the back.

‘Whoa,’ Katie breathed. ‘This is seriously gorgeous.’

The brick house was three stories tall, with a massive porch, lined with white columns. There were even balconies on the second and third levels with several brick chimneys sticking out from the roof. Thick trees, their limbs heavy with clumps of moss, populated the courtyard.

‘Josephine, Katie,’ said Esmeralda, turning off the car. ‘Welcome to The Dandelion Inn, headquarters of the Corsi clan in Savannah.’

4. Sebastian

[17 hours ago]

Rocking.

Like a boat – Katie’s boat, out on the lake. Out with her family. Waves lapping the sides. Dipping in and out. Up and down. Sideways. Lulling and sleepy; a lullaby without song. Constantly repeating.

Repeating …

Repeating …

My body awakened with a start. Every sense was flooded – with an overwhelming, pinpoint clarity that still shocked me. Noises and smells exploded inside me full force, and I registered exactly where I was before I even opened my eyes.

The cage.

I coughed out a mouthful of hay and pushed up onto my elbows. The paralyzing Vitamin D I’d been injected with was out of my system, freeing me to move again, but the rush of blood to my head made me dizzy. I blinked, using my gargoyle night vision in the darkness. My cage had been loaded into one of the Circe’s equipment trailers. Heavy locks clanged against the bars as we moved at a decent speed down the road.

‘Brilliant, Sebastian,’ I muttered. ‘You really thought this one through.’

It had seemed like the best solution – allowing myself to be taken by Augustine to keep Josephine safe – but now doubts crept along the edges of my vision. The separation from Josephine felt like a constant throbbing ache, a wound that wouldn’t heal.

The pang intensified as I began to fully realize the deal I’d made with Augustine and what it had cost. This was far from over. Coming up with a decent plan on an empty stomach, however, wasn’t going to be easy. Now that I was conscious again, hunger ate not only at my stomach, but also at my mind. I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head to clear it.

‘Stay focused,’ I whispered.

The wheels of the trailer came to a stop, and an engine shut off. My heart thrummed nervously. I was having serious second thoughts about everything. I didn’t regret getting Augustine away from the Romany camp, but I had no idea what to do next.

The heavy trailer door slid open and clanged into place. Faint light from the highway spilled through the opening, and my eyes instantly adjusted. Cold ice lodged in my chest, and a nasty burning smell singed my nostrils. Quentin Marks walked in. He was still in head-to-toe black, typical Marksmen attire, but his bow and quiver were gone. A snarl played across my lips. He stopped at the door to my cage, and it was at that moment another scent hit me.

Meat. Dried and spiced.

My mouth instantly watered. I curled my body into a tense crouch to keep from moving forward. Quentin smiled – thinly tight, like a piece of stretched rope. He pulled out a pouch of jerky and tossed it through the bars to the far side of the cage.

It took everything inside my head to force myself to stay where I was. My claws, my teeth … everything strained for the meat. The hunger was very close to controlling me completely, and it was disgusting. Utterly and thoroughly disgusting. I hated being under the command of this thing, this dark, murky part of me. I managed to turn my head away.

‘No thanks.’

‘Oh, you’re going to want to eat,’ said Quentin. ‘We’re still a couple of hours out of Savannah, and from what I hear, you don’t fare well on an empty stomach.’

I glared at him. ‘So why are you feeding me, then?’

‘It’s not my call,’ he answered. ‘I could care less if you starved. But Augustine wants you coherent when we arrive.’

Coherent.

Augustine not only knew about my gargoyle weaknesses, but also about my particular appetite as well. The knowledge of that made me feel sick. ‘And if I refuse to eat?’

Quentin leaned closer to the bars. ‘Trust me, you don’t want to do that.’

He leapt from the trailer and the door slammed shut again. I waited until we were moving again before I scrambled across the cage and ripped the meat free from the plastic wrapping. My instinctive reaction was embarrassing, and I was thankful no one was here to watch, especially Josephine.

Josephine.

Her name was like a punch in the gut.

I didn’t want to imagine what she thought of me now. I clamped my teeth together and shoved Josephine from my thoughts. But the farther away we drove from the camp, the more off-centered I felt. I didn’t know how I’d function separated from my charge, but I had to find a way to manage. She was safe in Sixes, and that’s what mattered.

The meat’s tangy scent was overwhelming. I wiped dribble from my chin. Eating would lighten the cloudy brain haze, but the thought of doing anything Quentin told me to was downright revolting. I gripped the package so tightly my knuckles burned. The jerky was probably tainted with something. That would explain why they wanted me to eat. No, I’d keep my head clear – not by eating their food, but by using my own force of will. I was not going to be Augustine’s pet.

I summoned my strength and flung the meat as far away from me as I could. The package thumped against the trailer wall and landed unceremoniously in a pile of old woodchips.

My stomach hated me immediately.

Underneath the thick manacle on my wrist, the dandelion tattoo burned. I tried prying my claws underneath the metal, but the spikes lining the inside of the cuff ground deeper into my already raw skin. The shadowen-proof diamond coating had zapped my energy and rendered my limited shadowing abilities useless.

‘Karl,’ I whispered. ‘I’m sorry.’

My stomach twisted, but not from hunger. If I’d listened to the old circus trainer more, if I’d managed to get past my trepidation of what I was, maybe I could’ve done something to save him. I’d failed him, and I’d failed the Corsis.

The Corsis.

I reached for my jeans pocket before remembering I no longer had my phone. Would Hugo realize something had happened if I didn’t answer his texts? Would he even text at all? Our communication had gradually waned the longer I’d been at the Circe, sometimes going a week between calls.

Josephine.

She didn’t have any more control over this situation than I did. Besides, I’d seen the way she’d clung to Quentin after I went completely nuts. I saw the horrified look on her face when they carted me away. Even if she had felt something for me, it meant nothing after tonight.

I leaned my shoulder against the metal bars of the cage. A year ago, I’d been a senior in high school, looking forward to the freedom of graduation. Now, freedom sounded like a foreign word. My head dropped heavily to my chest. I had no idea what kind of Gypsy trial awaited me when I got to Savannah, but I was going to have to face it alone.

*

The next hour slogged along. The cage rocked and jolted as we made various turns. I lay on my stomach, my face pressed into the rotting hay. I rolled my shoulders and cringed. My old set of nylon straps may have been uncomfortable, but they were nothing compared to the thick cords the Marksmen used to bind my wings. Each time I moved, all the muscles along my back cramped.

At last, the trailer rolled to a stop. I rose as the door opened once more. I smelled Quentin’s unpleasant scent, but after that, came the smell of saltwater, moss, and stone. We were parked in an alley of some kind. Streetlamps shone between branches weighted down with Spanish moss.

Quentin ascended the stairs and sauntered around the cage without acknowledging my presence. Then he knelt beside the pile of woodchips and retrieved the beef jerky. He held it between two fingers, as though it were contaminated.

‘Just like he said you would,’ Quentin remarked.

I snarled as another scent reached my nose.

‘Not very wise, Mr Grey.’ Augustine entered the trailer. ‘I know for a fact it’s been at least six hours since your last meal. Very likely even longer than that, since I can only speak in regards to my arrival at the Circe. I assumed you understood your shadowen needs by now.’

I clutched my stomach as a wave of nauseous hunger slammed into me. My legs wobbled, and I found myself on my knees, gritting my teeth, fighting against the thickness in my head. I had to keep my rational thoughts, no matter what.

‘Yeah, I’m hungry. But if you think I’m going to trust anything you give me, you’re delusional.’

‘I’m just trying to help you,’ Augustine replied.

‘I’m fine,’ I growled.

‘Well, then. Suit yourself. We’ve just arrived in Savannah,’ he continued. ‘But before we begin this next part of our journey together, let’s go over a few … expectations I have for you.’

I wrapped my fingers around a cage bar and hoisted myself to my feet. My upper lip twitched uncontrollably. I felt the jagged edges of my teeth; the hideous things could make short work of a rib-eye steak but remained stupidly ridiculous to talk around.

‘Like what?’

Augustine pulled a wooden stool from the corner of the trailer and set it down with a loud bang. The sound stung my ears. ‘Well, I can’t exactly bring you any further in this cage. It’s a bit conspicuous. So I am going to need your cooperation. When they come to escort you to the Court of Shadows, I expect you to go calmly, quietly, and without a fuss.’

I stared back at him.

‘The Court of Shadows is the hub for all Outcast Gypsy activity, not only in Savannah, but for the entire kumpania,’ he explained. ‘Its location is a carefully guarded secret, so we must take precautions.’

‘Since when did you care about keeping secrets?’ I demanded. ‘Or care about anything to do with the Roma.’

‘You misunderstand me,’ Augustine answered, propping his elbows on his knees. ‘Despite my current status among the Outcasts, I continue to have a deep respect for our traditions, and for our very rich and unusual past.’

‘No offense, but that’s not really coming across.’

Augustine chuckled. ‘It’s a shame we won’t be having many more of these conversations, Sebastian.’ He stood and tapped the corner of my cage. ‘I’ve quite enjoyed them.’

As soon as he left the trailer, Quentin approached. I caught sight of a long knife tucked through his belt. The diamonds glinted like deadly sparks – a grim reminder that he knew exactly how to end my gargoyle-y existence.

‘Time to go,’ he said.

‘Don’t guess you’re going to tell me where.’

Quentin whistled sharply. Thomas and Ian, my Marksmen guard dogs since the kris, stomped into the trailer. Ice exploded in my gut, but my blood heated in my veins. Quentin pulled out a key. I stared hard at the lock as it clicked. Instincts skittered up my spine like a colony of ants. Red seeped into my vision, but I ground my teeth even harder, pushing it away.

Augustine was desperate to see the Queen. If I went quietly, maybe I could find out what was going on. I blinked everything into focus as the cage door swung open. Besides, even if I could fight them off, where would I go?

Thomas clamped a short chain to my manacles, pinning my arms in front of me. A long cloak was thrown around my shoulders and the hood was pulled up to obscure my face. The three Marksmen surrounded me, keeping my form hidden as we stepped from the trailer into the night.

5. Sebastian

The narrow street where we’d parked was deserted. Streetlights cast a yellow sheen on the cobblestone and drew long shadows from between the close-set buildings. I tilted my head and glanced up as we stopped at a three-story brick storefront. A dark-green canopy stretched across the length of the ground floor. Printed on the canvas flap were the words Tea and Spice.

Augustine came alongside me. ‘May I remind you, if you want Josephine to remain safe, you will behave yourself. We have many loyal to us within the Marksmen ranks. It would only take a word from Quentin, and her circus career would be finished. Accidents are unpredictable that way.’

I flashed my teeth under the hood. ‘Don’t you dare.’

‘Don’t give me a reason to,’ said Quentin.

‘See now?’ Augustine’s broad smile made me want to retch. ‘We all have an understanding. None of us wants my niece to come to harm, and she doesn’t have to. Let us simply conduct ourselves in an orderly manner, and all will be fine.’

White-hot anger boiled inside me, heating up my protective instincts. I grit my teeth until the sensation cooled enough to answer. ‘Alright.’

Quentin approached the green painted door with a CLOSED sign in the window. He rapped on the wood in a series of short and long knocks. I sniffed the air, catching the smell of another Gypsy. After a few seconds, the door opened. An elderly Roma woman motioned us inside.

Floor-to-ceiling shelves lined every wall of the sparsely lighted store, filled with assortments of cooking spices and various loose teas. The aromas made my sensitive nose burn, and mixed with the pungent scent of Marksmen, added to my headache. I switched to breathing through my mouth.