Whispering Evil (Midnight Guardian Series, Book 2)

DEDICATION

To Jason, my husband, best friend, and soul mate. Thank you for being my first and loudest fan.

A child born of sun and moon will

impart a human gift to bring forth

the fall of the house of Gammen.

— Hayes Prophecies

Prologue

You’re never going to believe this, but I’m a tooth fairy. See. I knew you wouldn’t believe me. Well, it’s true…sorta.

My name is Keira Ryan. I live in a beautifully quiet, river town in southern Ohio. I have a friend named Ann that can time travel and my boyfriend, Colby, is as brave as he is smart. I also just turned sixteen, which is awesome.

Well, back to the supernatural stuff. I’m not technically a tooth fairy. I’m a guardian, one of the keepers of a special power called the vox. The vox are given to humans that are destined to set the course of history for the good. Each of these destined humans, called charges, receive three vox from their guardian.

The first vox is the Voice of Passion or one might say emotion, or maybe more accurately, devotion. It’s given in infancy, right after the child cuts their first tooth.

The second vox, the Voice of Truth, is bestowed when the kid passes from infancy into childhood. This happens when they lose their first baby tooth.

The third and most precious vox is the Voice of Wisdom, given at the sunset of childhood when the last baby tooth is lost.

Because of the timing of the vox, it’s believed that guardians are the foundation for the tooth fairy legend.

A little more than a year ago, I told Colby that I was a guardian. Yeah, that was major, but he dealt with it like a pro. Of course, I couldn’t tell him everything. I couldn’t share with him the little fact that I’m believed to be the child of sun and moon.

Together, we took down the emperor of a kingdom of gremlin-like creatures called mogdocs. The mogdocs are the original inhabitants of Atlantis. Centuries ago, the guardians banished the continent of Atlantis from the Earth in order to protect humankind. Untouched by the Mogdoc Empire, the guardians still keep watch over the banished continent from the village of Elsted located in the mountains high above the city of Atlantis.

Even though we defeated their emperor, his daughter, Broo Gammen, quickly took the throne. Her shapeshifting abilities and talent for controlling human emotion make her just as dangerous as her father, maybe more so. Worst of all, she spent last year as a friend in our tight circle. Under the guise of Brooke Banes, she learned our secrets and then she betrayed us.

She wasn’t the only one. Her brother, Brun, had also taken a turn undercover. He revealed the truth about himself to me in order to save my life. In gratitude, I promised not to share his secret. Then I said goodbye. After all, he’s a mogdoc, one of the most vicious and manipulative species to ever live.

After Emperor Gammen’s death, news of my existence spread pretty quickly. It was too much for my custodian and trainer, a kitsune named Nana. So, a few days after her 500th birthday, she packed up her belongings and left me in the care of the parents I barely knew.

I was raised in secret as a human for my protection. Now, a whole new world is opening up to me.

Let’s give this piñata a whack and see what shakes out.

Chapter 1:

Lost in the Woods

Keira’s heart pounded as the rustling from the undergrowth before her grew louder. They would find her and she would let them.

She pulled her jacket tighter. It wasn’t because of the cold. She had built a fire to draw their attention. Keira was quite proud of it actually. It was the first fire she had ever built on her own. Sure, she probably used a bit too much lighter fluid. It almost seemed like cheating. However, the fire served its purpose all the same. The flames had burned bright and fast. They were now gone. Only hot coals remained among the ashes.

No, neither her jacket nor the dying fire would help her against this particular type of cold. It was the chill of fear. She had planned for this to happen, but it was still unsettling.

They were coming. Their howls sent chills down her spine and made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She hadn’t taken time to consider how it would feel as the creatures descended upon her.

Keira tried to distract herself with random thoughts; wondering what it would be like to live in this world without seasons or even daylight. When the guardians of long ago banished the continent, this punishment wasn’t their intention, but it’s not as if they could banish the sun, moon, and stars too. Therefore, Atlantis stood without them, from the tallest tree to the smallest creature, frozen in time and trapped in a land of endless black midnight.

Her time here was worth it or at least it would be. She had to see it through. She couldn’t stand by and watch Broo take over. She couldn’t wait any longer. She couldn’t let it come to the point where she would have to sacrifice a human to stop the Empress. She had to do something, no matter what the guardian Council of Elders said. After all, patience was a skill she never learned.

It was a couple of days ago when Keira first came up with this plan. It was a way into the mogdoc citadel, a way to get close to Empress Gammen. Once she was close to the Empress, she could end it. Maybe. It did mean taking Broo’s life. This was Broo, the same girl she once knew as her sorta-friend Brooke.

So much had changed since then. Broo had unveiled her true identity. She impersonated a human and used her ability to control emotions to betray Keira’s best friend, Colby. A few months ago she used that relationship to lure Keira into a trap. It ended badly for Broo’s father, but in the end, Broo ended up as Empress of the Mogdoc Empire.

Keira’s thoughts then turned to the guardians. Why hadn’t the mogdocs stormed the guardian village of Elsted? The village was located on the banished continent, so it was accessible to the mogdocs. They had disregarded it before, not believing that a siege on the small guardian outpost was worth their time and effort. Apparently, the death of their leader didn’t change their minds. Mogdocs were not known for their loyalty.

Eerie silence interrupted her thoughts and brought her back to the mission at hand. Everything stopped. The howls stopped. Even the trees held their leaves still. She listened hard, but couldn’t hear the unseen mogdocs that now had her surrounded. There was just silence, chilling quiet night.

In the hushed forest, her breathing was the only sound. She couldn’t hear anything else. She tried in vain to slow it by inhaling deeply, but it was no use as her heart thundered in her chest.

She hadn’t expected this. Their advance was slow and deliberate, meant to terrify and panic their prey. It was working.

Next, came the whispers; low and nearly undetectable at first, but growing like the roar of an ocean wave. Keira tried to ignore them. She tried to pretend like she was a lost lamb. She closed her eyes for a moment to prepare herself. When she opened them the mogdoc royal guard was upon her.

Where am I? Keira asked.

Weapons drawn, they cautiously closed in. Not one of them spoke to her. Their evil whispers continued steady and growing.

Please, help me. I don’t know…

Quiet! one of them yelled and the others silenced.

Keira put her head down. The one that had spoken approached her and sniffed the air. In that moment her nervous fear evaporated replaced by the urge to smile.

She certainly smelled the part. She was exceptionally pleased with herself for thinking to borrow clothes from Ann. Of course, if Ann had known why she really wanted them, she never would have let her have them.

Ann’s scent, human scent, clung to the fabric and was more than enough to cover up Keira’s guardian half. The mogdoc couldn’t tell. It shrieked with delight in having a human to present to the new Empress.

Keira didn’t put up much of a fight. She was gagged and bound by ropes around her waist and neck. They took her shoes and forced her to crawl, always staying lower than the shortest mogdoc in the group.

They gradually made their way through the woods toward the city. Twigs and rocks cut into her knees and palms with each move forward. When she slowed they would drag her. The coarse rope dug into her neck each time she let herself fall behind.

Very soon, her body began to ache. The ropes rubbed her skin raw. She worked to settle her mind, telling herself that these wounds were superficial. She tried to focus on the prize at the end. It was all for security and a chance at freedom from the prophecy. That’s what she really wanted. If she stopped now, well, she wouldn’t let herself think about that.

The group had traveled for about twenty minutes when they reached a ravine. The woods parted for a narrow footbridge. Keira breathed a sigh of relief. The wooden planks of the bridge would be a welcome break from the roughness of the forest floor. The leading mogdoc let out a whistle and they all stopped. Three broke rank and jumped ahead.

Keira took advantage of the stop to quickly check her hands. They were bleeding and dirty. She wiped them clean of the small, sharp pebbles she had collected. Her knees faired a little better. Ann’s jeans offered at least a thin layer of protection, but they were already wearing thin.

The group was still stopped when she finished. Keira dared not lift her head, but eased her eyes up so that she could check things out. She spotted a dark figure on the bridge. Standing much taller than the typical three-foot mogdoc, it appeared human.

The mogdocs were slowly edging toward it…whatever it was. Keira squinted at the bridge. It didn’t help. The sky was pitch black like it always was on the banished continent. She could just make out a silhouette, but nothing more.

She gave up and lowered her eyes just in time. There was a brilliant flash of light followed by the clash of swords as more mogdocs rushed the party from all sides.

Okay? Keira whispered to herself in disbelief of the fighting that had erupted.

The creatures bounced and swung through the air around her. Their movements had switched to inhuman speed. The ropes around her neck and torso loosened. She jerked around to see that there was no longer a mogdoc holding the other end.

She came to her feet and ran for the bridge. The citadel was within sight. She was so close. She hit each stride hard, biting down on the pain and using it to drive harder.

As her bare feet touched the wood, a blanket fell from nowhere. It covered her. She couldn’t see. Someone scooped her up and tossed her over their back like a sack of potatoes.

Keira kicked, but to no avail. Her captor was now running with her, in the opposite direction, away from the mogdoc city. She wriggled her arms free and reached into her sleeve. Fortunately the royal guard had mistaken her for a scared little girl. They hadn’t searched her for weapons. Her dagger was still neatly tucked in its sheath strapped to her wrist.

She pulled the dagger back as far as the blanket would allow and thrust it downward into her captor’s back. He groaned and his knees buckled, throwing her roughly to the ground.

Keira rolled out of the blanket and up to her feet. She grabbed him by the hair and demanded, Take me to the Empress.

As she yanked his head up, he smiled.

I don’t think I’m the best person for the job.

She let go and stepped back. For crying out loud, what are you doing here?

William rose to his feet, his hands reaching in vain for the dagger still in his back.

It’s nice to see you, too, he said. Me? I’m saving a human from Broo, or at least, that’s what I thought I was doing five minutes ago. But enough about me, what brings a nice girl like you to an evil lost city like this?

Keira just rolled her eyes and turned him around. His breath caught as she pulled the dagger from his back in one smooth motion, wiped it on her pants, and slipped it back into its sheath. She felt a bit of guilt about it, the stabbing that is, but then remembered what he was. He was one of them, a mogdoc. He may be able to make himself appear human, but she knew his true nature.

Stay out of my way, mogdoc.

I don’t think so. You’re mine, remember? he smirked. There’s no way that I’m letting her have you.

Well, I see you’re still delusional, but I have to get going.

She turned to leave, but he grabbed her hand. She winced. Her palms were cut up pretty badly from her crawl through the woods.

Really, Keira, are you okay?

She let down her guard a little. After all, she knew, somehow, that he wouldn’t harm her.

Just a few scratches, it’s nothing that won’t heal. Listen, I do need to...

Something occurred to her. It was a something so strong that her train of thought completely derailed. Wait. Are you rescuing humans?

Well, yeah. I mean, I want to prove to you that I want something more for my people. I don’t want to live like this anymore. I want to be the kind of man that you need.

With that she grunted. That was exactly the problem between them. He could never be that man. He wasn’t a man at all.

William, she shook that name away. Brun, we are not friends or allies or anything. Now, I’m going home. I suggest you go back and help your friends before they get their butts handed to them.

Their butts are fine. The guards have already retreated. Listen, no fighting.

He was right. There was nothing but the wind and crickets chirping in the dark.

We have to get moving though. They’ll be back with reinforcements, he said.

There is no ‘we’, Brun.

Please call me William…like you used to.

Oh, this night just gets better and better, she mumbled sarcastically. Shoes.

What?

Give me your shoes.

He complied. They were boots and she slipped them on too easily. They seemed almost like clown shoes on her feet. She didn’t care. She had