Seconds to Midnight: A Maiden of Midnight Prequel
Cain- Day Five

Cain- Day Five

Pacing back and forth in my bedroom, I eyed the clock on my wall, grimacing in worry. Destiny’s Guardians hadn’t returned yet, a full two days after leaving. I would have to explain their absence to the Sins and my mother if they didn’t show up soon, not to mention Joseph was still making himself into a pain.

Another ten minutes, and I was expected down in the throne room to attend one of my first meetings as General of the Caliem Armies. I would be required to give a full, detailed report about the Manor, the Guardians and my cousin’s army.

Lillian shifted around me, tidying the room, sweeping up dust and clearing away the remnants of the meal I’d eaten earlier. I watched her, using her presence to try and ground myself in the moment, rather than let myself panic.

‘They would be here,’ I told myself, ‘They had to be.’

Destiny’s Guardians were smart, capable Demonic-beings, trained to handle themselves. Nothing would have happened to them- The door opened in the main chamber, sending me hurrying out, Nym, Lydiav and Bal’gag emerging.

Snow was still melting in their hair and on their clothes, and all three of them carried books under their arms, exhausted looks on their faces.

“Where were you? Are you all okay?” I questioned worriedly, Lydiav falling dramatically onto one of the chaise lounges, groaning, “Don’t ever send us out there again.”

“Primitive savages,” Bal’gag muttered, pulling out a chair and pouring himself a glass of ale from one of my personal bottles, while Nym slid the collection of books across the table to me, “We stole some books about the world. Its history and everything.”

“Did something happen?”

“We met an Assassin,” Lydiav sighed, “Reece O’Connor, his name was. Did you know Karla worked for him, at one point? As something called a ‘Maiden of Midnight’.”

I arched an eyebrow, and Bal’gag added, “It’s like a second-in-command for a group in Ordeallan called the Night-Hunters.”

They launched into a lengthy explanation about everything they had encountered, including the Night-Hunter House that they’d followed Reece to after stealing books from an Academy in Ordeallan. They spoke about Darcie and his desperation to better his prospects, and how Ordeallan was so much worse in person than it was in theory.

I flicked through the first of the books while they spoke, making notes in a case file of everything they said, and before long, it was time for me to leave for my meeting.

“Thank you for your help. Des will appreciate it when she gets back, I’m sure. I need to go to a meeting, but get some rest.”

All three of them looked to me gratefully, shuffling to the various couches and lounges across the main room, Lillian dimming the lights.

By the time I had packed up and left, they were all deep in sleep…

*

Seated at my desk, I read the books cover to cover, one after the other, time ticking by outside. Alishan was sprawled at the end of my bed, while Lyna was seated on the floor, painting her toenails a viciously bright shade of hot pink.

Destiny’s Guardians were still recovering from their impromptu trip to The Borderlands, and Karla was yet to make a reappearance. Joseph had also been notably absent recently. He was still in the Manor, as far as I could tell, but he hadn’t been around to interview me again yet.

“What are you reading?” Lyna craned her neck to try and see. I buried the book cover in the folds of my bedsheet, grinning as I replied, “Nunya.”

“What? Tell me!” She whined, brandishing the nail polish brush at me. Destiny would have been smart enough to try and get a subtle look before outright asking. But the difference between my two cousins was why Destiny was an Assassin, and Lyna just a Princess.

“None of your business.”

Lyna rolled her eyes.

“Whatever. Keep your secrets.”

“You have the biggest loudmouth out of all of us,” Alishan said coolly, her eyes locking onto her sister, “So keep out of it.”

“Do you know what he’s reading? It smells weird.”

“I’m surprised you can smell anything over that awful nail polish,” I teased. The smell of it permeated the entire room, overpowering the reed diffuser Lillian had planted on my desk earlier to try and hide the smell of Nym, Lydiav and Bal’gag’s secret mission. Their clothes had been taken to be immediately washed, using the strongest-smelling soap she could replace, but even I knew it wouldn’t be enough. The Sins were full-blooded Demonic-beings. Their sense of smell would be able to pinpoint the smell of The Borderlands over even the strongest perfumes or reed diffusers.

“Yeah, and it’s not age appropriate.”

She wrinkled her nose, returning to her nail polish with a mumbled, “Gross, Cain.”

“I’m a fully grown man, Lyna. I can read, and watch, what I like.” She flapped her arms like a wild bird, sending pink flecks flying across the room, shouting, “Okay, enough!”

If I told Lyna about sending Destiny’s Guardians to The Borderlands, I might as well tell the Sins and my mother, because sooner or later, Lyna, or one of her lovers, would blab.

Alishan knew, but I trusted her enough not to tell anyone about it. That, and I’d made her swear she wouldn’t. Not a Blood-Oath or anything dramatic like that, but her word was enough for me.

With Lyna here, I couldn’t make any notes on what I was reading, but it was… eye-opening.

The history of this new world, Dimension Three, was a long one, rife with wars, deceit, times of peace, and more warring.

The most interesting thing about it all, however, was the mention of Archangels.

Surely not the same Archangels that had opened a portal for us from Earth to here, in Korath.

Grabbing my phone, I texted Alishan despite her sitting at my feet, not wanting Lyna to here, writing out, ‘Can you ask Dinial about The Borderlands?’

Her eyebrows rose on her brow, and with an inward sigh, knowing I had to show her the book, I announced, “Alishan, I think you would like this part.”

“Ew, okay, that’s enough!” Lyna cried out, scooping up her nail kit and standing, “It’s bad enough that you’re reading it while we’re here, Cain, but it crosses into a whole new territory of gross when you share it with my sister.”

Lyna swept out of the room, slamming the door behind her, and a moment later, she left Des’ and I’s quarters entirely, closing the chamber door, too.

“Alright,” Alishan grinned, sidling up and sitting at my side, grabbing at the edge of the book, trying to tug it out of my hands, “What is it?”

Handing it over to her, I pointed to the chapter, titled ‘Divine Deities’, and explained, “This is a history book the Guardians took from a library in The Borderlands, but if you read here, it mentions the Archangels.”

“Does it mention their names?” Alishan read over the paragragh, going back to the start of the chapter and reading it from the start. I shook my head, “Not all of them. It only mentions one.”

Alishan looked curiously to me, and I sighed heavily, “I think it’s time we visited the Queen of the Archangels.”