Page 22 of The Darkest Night

The corridors of the hospital were unusually quiet, the subdued atmosphere a reflection of the mood inside the place. Though many of the injured had been transferred to other facilities across the city, Grandview General was still operating most of its services.

Mae soon found herself on the rooftop of the medical block.

Inky clouds billowed above her, the ozone in the air carrying the promise of rain. She walked over to the railing spanning the east edge of the building and looked out over the river. Lights twinkled brightly across the water, the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens teeming with life and noise.

She hesitated before heading left, her legs growing heavy with every step she took.

Bar the spotlights erected by the contractors, the surgical block was dark. The beams highlighted the cracks that had torn down the south and west sides of the building, the areas worst affected by the destruction Mae’s powers had wrought upon it. Almost all the windows had been smashed, the empty frames gaping holes in the night.

A chill danced down Mae’s spine.

Did I really do all of that?!

Movement far below caught her eye. She glimpsed bright yellow letters spelling out NYPD on the jackets and protective suits of the figures milling around the base of the building. This was still an active crime scene, even though no one really knew what crimes had been committed or by whom. She’d been told to expect a visit from a couple of detectives tomorrow. Mae grimaced.

“That’s gonna be interesting,” she muttered.“Hi, officer, sorry about what I did to New York. I got possessed by something and couldn’t help it.”

The words rang hollow in her ears. She had no doubt where she’d end up if she actually said that to them. Mae turned, leaned her elbows atop the railing, and closed her eyes. A cool wind ruffled her hair as she raised her face to the sky.

Are you there?

The voice who had been with her that fateful night remained silent. Mae’s jaw tightened. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected but, still, some kind of reaction would have been nice.

Look, I know you weren’t just a figment of my imagination. So, do something. Anything, so I know I’m not going crazy!

Warmth bloomed inside her chest, a wave of recognition that made her soul tremble. She blinked, startled, her heartbeat a loud thump in her ears. She felt…different. And she’d only become aware of that fact in that very instant.

It was as if the one who had awakened inside her was now an integral part of who she was. Mae shuddered.

She did say that I was her and she was me. Does that mean we’re—we’re one and the same being now?!

There was a noise somewhere on the rooftop. Mae tensed, stomach lurching. She scanned the shadows around her wildly. There was no one there.

A low mumble reached her ears.

She clenched her fists and made her way carefully around the bank of elevator shafts and air vents crowding the north end of the building.

Chapter 12

Violet Nolan chalkedout a circle in the middle of the hospital rooftop. Her rabbit Trixie sniffed curiously at her hand, pink nose trembling. Violet stroked the familiar absent-mindedly as she carried on tracing the outline of the ring.

Miles Nolan fidgeted where he squatted next to her. “How long is this going to take?”

“Five minutes. Ten, tops.”

Violet finished the first circle, drew a second one inside it, and started linking them with complex symbols. Though it was her first time mapping out the greeting ritual, it hadn’t taken long for her to learn the spell. She had an eidetic memory and could retain anything she’d read or seen once. Her brow furrowed.

It helps that Bryony is a good teacher.

Miles pursed his lips. “Should we really be doing this?”

Violet sighed and met her older cousin’s anxious gaze. “Seeing as the woman who should be carrying out this ritual is A, incapacitated, and B, wouldn’t have a clue how to do it, yes. Besides, who knows what that thing will do if he lands on Earth and doesn’t find his mistress? This city doesn’t need another disaster.”

“I still think Bryony should have asked someone from her own coven to take the risk,” Miles grumbled. “I mean, what the heck are we supposed to do with this thing when it gets here?”

“Ideally, convince it not to rip our hearts out and listen to our explanation,” Violet muttered.

Miles paled. “That sounds like a bad idea.”

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