Page 3 of Midnight Kiss

Had I imagined the noise? Probably just the janitor. I checked the time, and sucked in a breath. Only five minutes until the doors were locked for the night.

Hurriedly, I stowed my phone in my tote and shouldered it, considering the book.

I turned to leave but stopped. A whisper in the back of my mind, a hint of intuition, nagged at me to take the book home.

It was the weirdest feeling. I wasn’t permitted to take it home, not that there was anyone here this late to stop me, but it wasn’t like anything would happen to the book at the library. This was literally the “home” for books. And taking it meant potentially losing my job.

So why did I feel this urgent pull to take it?

When I’d lived in the foster home, I’d learned to trust my gut instincts. The times I’d ignored that instinct, I’d wound up hurt. It was like I had a sixth sense for when trouble was on the way, and every cell in my body screamed at me to turn back.

I took another step, then shook my head and returned to the strange book.

I lifted it from the desk, torn between breaking the rules—totally not my thing—and saving it from … From what? There was nothing to?—

The lights overhead flickered and went out.

I let out a muted scream then fumbled my phone out of my tote and switched on the flashlight. The beam sluiced through the darkness in the library.

I tucked the book under my arm, taking two steps back.

A noise came from my right, and I spun toward it, trembling so hard that the light danced across the caged shelves. “W-Who’s there?” I called out. “This isn’t funny.”

A creak from my left.

Again, I spun toward it, taking more steps back, my palms growing clammy, my mouth dry. Nothing again.

“Y-You can’t be in here,” I called out, squaring my shoulders. “This is a prohibited section of the library and?—”

A figure, swathed in a black cloak, dropped from the ceiling and landed a few feet from me. Burning blue-white eyes glared at me from underneath the hood, and something glinted in his hand.

I screeched, turned, and sprinted for the exit. My lungs burned, my heart pounding against the inside of my throat as I banged out of the doors and slammed them shut behind me. I scrambled the key out of my pocket and locked the doors, just as the person banged into the other side of them.

“What the— What the—?” I backpedaled, my heartbeat frantic.

What were they going to do?

The thought scudded through my mind, but I ignored it and ran for the exit, my phone flashlight sweeping across the darkened floors. I descended the stairs instead of taking the elevator, heedless of the scope or beauty of the library, and burst out onto the front steps.

Immediately, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed 911.

“911, what is your emergency?”

“Yes, hi, I’m at the New York Public Library. I’m one of the librarians, and I was just attacked by a man in a cloak. I—I—managed to lock him in the rare book division. I think he’s still in there. Can you please send the police. Send someone? Please?”

“All right, ma’am, I’m going to need you to calm down. Can you repeat what you?—”

A hand closed on my shoulder, and the phone fell from my grasp, clattering to the stone steps below.

2

ALEXANDER

“If you’re unwilling, I can relegate the task to Cassia.” Haldren’s golden gaze bit across his study, even though his words were cool and even.

He knew exactly what to say to get me to do what he wanted. Bringing Cassia into this infuriated me, but I didn’t show it. “That won’t be necessary,” I said, keeping my tone and facial expression impassive. “I’m happy to perform this duty. My issue lies in the execution. You, of all of us, know the dangers of entering a situation without first assessing all of the facts, the necessary information.”

Before he’d been turned, Haldren had been a member of the Navy SEALS. It was the reason he’d risen in the ranks rapidly since he’d joined the United Covens’ military and operational division.