Page 1 of Midnight Kingdom

CHAPTER ONE

DRAGAN

The Castle in the Sky

Instantly the smell of old books hits me in the face when I step inside the old and forgotten library.

Cambion slips through the door to the dilapidated hovel which was once a three-story, beautiful library. I remember this library—it was the location of the most important books—those that categorized the history of all things. Once upon a time, to enter this library was a privilege and there were those who would have put their lives on the line to protect the tomes herein.

Actually, they did put their lives on the line and in turn, they lost them…

Over time and due to neglect, the walls have eroded and the shelves are all busted or missing. Books litter the floor and piles of them take up the corners—all left here to rot. The second floor above our heads is intact in two places, and the stained glass panels high above us are broken and jagged.

Cambion scouts ahead, searching for any possible threats. He emerges from behind a broken wall a moment later, giving his nod of approval. “So long as we stay away from the parts of the floor where time has rotted the wood, it looks safe.”

“I wonder what Pyre wants us to find?” Eilish asks as she trails a slender finger along the spines of five books that still hold their place on the shelf before her. She moves on from them, being careful where she steps. Flumph plucks a large tome about Fae creatures from a pile and sits down beside me uninvited. His legs swing as he flips through the pages.

“Why ain’t you in here?” Flumph asks.

“In where?”

“In my butt,” he responds and then rolls his eyes. “In this fuckin’ book!”

I shrug. “Gargoyles aren’t Fae.”

“What is they, then? Butt ugly, pig-faced flyin’ monkeys?” the little reptile asks. “‘Cause that how they looks to me. All grumpy-like with they little black eyes and snarly lips.”

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll vacate your spot,” I growl at the annoying thing. It flits away, joining Cambion in the back room.

It hits me then that not much is known about my kind. We exist like all the rest, but most of our lore was lost or distorted through the ages. Some thought of us as guardian angels while others believed we were made to serve the Fae kings. No one knows for certain how or where the gargoyle originated.

In some ways, I’m as much an enigma as Eilish and Revenant. The only one of our ragtag group of misfits that actually belongs anywhere is Cambion. He retains his name, his royal crest, his lineage, his home, his owl, and his faeries to look after, and a place in the Fae realm once all of this is over. If we stand victorious against Variant, I don’t know where I will come home to. The Shadow Realm, of course, but not the Gorge. The Gorge only represents a prison to me and one I have no interest to return to.

And where would Eilish return?I think to myself.At least I have the Gorge. She has nothing.

“Hey, Stone King,” the sprite continues as it appears from behind a somewhat intact bookshelf. “Fairy-boy want to show you somethin’,” he says and then motions me into the back room.

“Shut up, pest.” I turn and try to tune out the nagging little voice.

“Dragan!” Cambion calls, further shattering my mood.

“Son of a,” I start as I run my hand through my hair and try not to trip over the books on my way to the back room. “What?” I thunder at him.

“Come take a look at this,” he says as he holds up a leather bound edition and I lean forward to read the title.

“The Conquests of King Variant?” I repeat.

“It’s a historical account, if that’s what you want to call it,” Cambion begins as he flips through the pages with a mixture of angry hostility and curiosity. “About the Great War and written by someone withinsideknowledge of what happened. Inside as in… the author was clearly hired by Variant to write a historical account according to Variant’s perspective.”

“Not according to the truth,” I continue.

I notice Eilish as she comes up behind me, intently listening. I can still smell her need on the air and it’s becoming more and more difficult to ignore. But, ignore it I must. I don’t know how Cambion does it—but somehow he seems to have built up a resistance to her. It’s as though he can’t even smell the scent of her desire in the air. I’ll say one thing for him—he’s fucking lucky. I haven’t enjoyed walking around with a fucking hard cock for the last few days.

Cambion nods. “Apparently, Variant has been trying to convince people that he killed Baron in self-defense and that you,” he stops to look at me, “And I, walked away from our oaths and that’s what hurled the realms into chaos.” He shakes his head against the injustice of the whole thing. “The book says that we lead a revolt and attempted to slander Variant’s name.” He looks down at the bound lies and continues shaking his head as he leafs through the pages. “Everything I’ve read in this piece of shit tries to justify Variant’s tyranny.”

“There will be those who know better,” I argue. “Those who remember what really happened.”

“Yes, but what voice do they have, if they’re even still alive?” Cambion asks as he looks up from the book and frowns. “Of course there are people who have seen Variant’s wrath and maliciousness for themselves, but…”

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