Page 45 of Dead

Theis closed the file. “First, I need to petition the king… and see what he wishes to do with you. If I can get him to release you three into my care, I can have your memories restored and allow you to see Hart and Reese.”

“And if you can’t get the king to agree?”

Theis’ face fell. “I don’t know how to answer that. You weren’t supposed to come back… yet we can’t seem to get you guys to leave. No one’s been wiped more than twice in our past.”

“So I hear,” Jeph said. “I’m really not interested in becoming a vegetable.”

Theis frowned a moment before laughing, as if he just got the joke.

“Are you… one of those… things?” Jeph asked him.

“Things?”

“A… monster.”

Theis frowned. “There are no monsters here.”

“The last guy that came in here… he… he turned into a beast. Or am I going crazy?”

Theis moved a little closer, and Jeph froze in fear. “Midnight is a place where non-humans live. We aren’t like you, but we’re not monsters. Valen is a gorilla shifter. That is what you saw.”

“And you’re like him?”

“Sort of. I’m a bear shifter.”

“So you turn into a bear.”

Theis nodded. “We have all forms of shifter in Midnight. Witches, sprites, nymphs… all the things most humans think are myths.”

“And vampires,” Jeph added.

Theis met his stare. “Do you know anything about the vampires, Jeph?”

Jeph shook his head. “The only vampires I know are the ones I’ve seen in movies or dressed up for Halloween. That gorilla guy pushed, demanding I tell you him about vampires and I don’t know anything.”

Theis grimaced. “Did he hurt you?”

Jeph shook his head. “Just scared the life out of me a few times.”

“I know that Valen can be a bit of a dog with a bone at times. While I’m angry at him, I also understand why he did it. He only wants to keep Midnight safe… and we’ve been having an issue with vampires coming in through illegal portals. It started about the same time you and your friends arrived here the first time. He saw a possible connection that I know doesn’t exist. I’ve already told him to stay away from you and your friends…” Theis moved to the door. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you back to Griffin and Nick and then go on to meet with the king.”

Jeph hesitated a moment before following Theis outside the room he’d been kept captive in for hours. Once outside it, he spied everything around him with a healthy dose of fear.

The moment he saw Nick and Griffin, he felt some relief. Theis stood in the doorway as Jeph moved inside.

“Is there anything you guys need? Food? Something to drink?” Theis asked.

“How about getting out of here?” Nick asked.

“I’m working on it,” Theis said. “Jeph can fill you in. Until then, hold tight and I’ll be back with news as soon as I can.”

As the door closed, Nick and Griffin turned to Jeph, expectant looks on their faces.

He had a story to tell, that was for sure.

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