Midnight Child (Midnight Guardian Series, Book 3)

By Bryna Butler

A child born of sun and moon will impart a human gift to bring forth the fall of the house of Gammen. - Hayes Prophecies

So you read the prophecy. It’s all mystical, but pretty vague. Am I right? Those three, short lines are absolutely frustrating. Lucky me, I’m the one who’s supposed to figure it out. I’m the child born of sun and moon.

Join Keira Ryan as she chases her destiny in this exciting third installment in the Midnight Guardian Series. While Keira searches, her enemies draw closer. A history of trust is tested. A promise of passion turns deadly. A surviving evil creates doubt and there’s only one way to stop it...Find the Gift.

Just what do you get the spoiled gremlin queen that has everything?

Ready for a new kind of teen paranormal romance?
Also look for:
Of Sun & Moon, Book 1
Whispering Evil, Book 2
Book 4, Shadows Rising, coming Fall 2012

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bryna Butler
• Release date: Feb 9, 2012
• ISBN: 9781465811066

Bryna Butler

Butler's young adult mystery novels feature strong female leads and are woven from elements of horror, suspense, comedy, and mystery, all in a modern, small town setting. She is best known for her Midnight Guardian Series (YA Paranormal Mystery) and Mothman Mysteries (YA Sci-Fi Mystery).Butler is inspired by writers like Cassandra Clare, Jennifer Armentrout, Rachel Caine, Joss Whedon, and Patricia Briggs. Her work contains no profanity or explicit scenes, making it appropriate for pre-teen as well as teen readers.

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Midnight Child

Midnight Guardian Series, Book 3

By Bryna Butler

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2012 Bryna Butler

All rights reserved.

Any trademarks used are the property of their respective companies and are used without permission. This is a work of fiction. All people, places, and situations described are used fictitiously or are the result of the author’s imagination. No portion of this book shall be reproduced or transmitted without the author’s prior written consent.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given way to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Midnight Guardian Series

Book 1, Of Sun & Moon

Book 2, Whispering Evil

Book 3, Midnight Child

Book 4, Shadows Rising, Coming Fall 2012

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Series List

Dedication

Prologue

1: Early to Rise

2: Silent Night

3: Point of No Returns

4: Welcome Home

5: Magically Sealed for your Protection

6: Lights Out

7: Lunch with a Zombie

8: For All Time

9: Tea with a Lunatic

10: Just Three Floors

11: Just Three Days

12: The Amazing Jumper Johnson

13: The Ill-Fated Field Trip

14: Nothing but your Skivvies

15: Among the Rows

16: A Dog Called Duck

17: Good Things Come

18: Lighting the Serpent

19: Sit, Good Girl

20: Red Light, Green Light

21: Prom Sans Ruffles

22: Rise of the Serpent

23: He’s Learning

24: Scribbles in a Book

Links

Sneak Peek

About

Dedication

To my sister, Beth. You are as strong and unshakable as an oak with the gracefulness of a teacup.

To my brother, Barney. You make friends easier than breathing with your insane sense of humor and undying loyalty.

Keira’s world is inspired by your talents: strength, grace, loyalty and humor. Thank you for sharing them with your big sis.

Prologue

A child born of sun and moon will impart a human gift to bring forth the fall of the house of Gammen.

- Hayes Prophecies

So you read the prophecy. It’s all mystical, but pretty vague. Am I right? Those three, short lines are absolutely frustrating. Lucky me, I’m the one who’s supposed to figure it out. I’m the child born of sun and moon.

My name is Keira Ryan. I live in a beautifully quiet, river town in southern Ohio. I’m lucky to have some pretty cool friends. Ann is a ‘traveler’ able to travel to any place in the present or past. Arden, my mentor, is wicked smart and swings a sword like nobody’s business.

There’s also Colby. He’s my oldest friend; my best friend. He can see tiny bits of the future. He trusted me and I really messed things up with him, but we’re working on it. I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are well on our way to being best friends again. I hope.

As for me, some would call me a tooth fairy. In the Spanish-speaking countries, I would be called ratón de los dientes and that’s a bit closer to my true nature. In reality, 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 during infancy and childhood. Because of the timing of the vox, it’s believed that guardians are the foundation for the tooth fairy legend.

Guardians don’t usually know their charge. It’s not like they exchange phone numbers. However, my charge happens to be little Drew Hayes, Colby’s nephew. It’s my job to bestow his vox. What would life be without the vox? It’s like trying to get through an underground tunnel without a flashlight. You may still find your way out, but it will take a lot more time and effort.

I promise you, I’m not the tooth fairy from your momma’s bedtime storybook. Together, my friends and I took down the emperor of a kingdom of gremlin-like creatures called mogdocs, the original inhabitants of Atlantis. Centuries ago, the guardians banished the continent of Atlantis from the Earth in order to protect humankind from these evil things.

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 freshman 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. Even though he’s a mogdoc, true heir to the throne, I count him as a friend…even though he wants to be more.

Exactly 39 days ago, I passed the test. No, it wasn’t some clandestine, star-crossed destiny thing. I passed my driver’s test. It took me three times, but, hey, you can’t rush perfection.

So, if you’re keeping score, I now have my driver’s license, my best friend’s back, my training’s complete, my charge and my family are safe, and I’m ready to face the Empress. There’s just one thing I have to do first. I need to find the gift. Just what do you get the spoiled gremlin queen that has everything?

Chapter 1: Early to Rise

Drew Hayes screamed. His bloodcurdling cries, more than a toddler’s tantrum, punctured the darkness. He was not alone.

His innocent, blue eyes opened wide with true fear as a hand reached out of the darkness and grasped his. Drew was pulled forward with so much force that he couldn’t resist. The hand’s owner, concealed in the darkness, did not say a word.

Drew choked on his cries. He kicked and struggled, but it was of no use. The toddler slid across the floor and into the darkness.

It was Saturday morning when Colby Hayes woke up in a cold sweat. His dream was vivid…alive. He could still hear his nephew’s screams echoing in his head. He knew that it wasn’t a dream, not really. It was a vision; one that he had been having over and over for the past several weeks. It was a vision of the future.

Yet, it was vague. Its lack of detail forced Colby to inaction. He could sense the danger, but was blinded to the cause; always waking up before he could see the person in the shadows.

He tried to go back to sleep. He wanted so desperately to pull himself back into the vision. If he could only see Drew’s assailant’s face, he could devise a plan to stop it from happening. Colby laid his head on the pillow and closed his eyes. Meditating upon his nephew, he tried to summon the vision. He wanted to see more. He needed to see more, but it was impossible. His glimpse into the future was already gone.

Restless, Colby sat up into dawn’s light as it streamed in his window and hurt his waking eyes. As he wiped the sleep from his eyes there was a knock on the door.

Colby, time to get up. We’ll need to leave soon, his mother chimed.

I’m up, Mom.

She took that as a cue and opened the door, setting down a plastic laundry basket on the floor just inside. It was loaded to the rim with folded shirts and jeans.

Merry Christmas Eve, she smiled. Now, hurry up. You need to take the trash out before we leave.

With that, she turned and was gone. Colby knowingly chuckled to himself as he pulled on a fresh pair of jeans from the basket. He already had his bags neatly packed and waiting at the front door. The trash would only take a minute, so he had a little time to spare before they departed for his brother’s house.

A farmer’s field away, Keira Ryan tossed beneath the covers of her bed. Her alarm went off, but she smacked the snooze button and resumed her forty winks. Ten minutes later, it went off again, and again she reached over with eyes still closed and took a whack at the clock. The fifth time it went off, August opened her bedroom door.

Does Mr. Claus need to get you a new alarm clock for Christmas? I don’t think this one is working.

Dad, I told you before, it’s Santa Claus or just plain Santa. No one calls him mister, Keira grumbled into her pillow.

But the female is called missus, correct? Mrs. Claus?

Yeah, so?

Well, it just seems to me that it’s only polite to call him mister.

Keira ignored him. Maybe he would go away.

I just don’t want to offend him, he smirked trying to get a rise out of Keira. August sat on the end of her bed and she pulled the covers over her head.

He paid her no mind and continued. I mean, if this Santa shows up here with a carriage full of gifts, I wouldn’t want to give him a reason to leave.

Keira sat up and looked at him. Her face betrayed her and cracked a smile. It’s a sleigh. Better get your human mythology straight, Dad.

Oh, sleigh. All right, I’ll try to remember so that I don’t earn a block of mineral in my sock.

Now he was putting on a show. She shook her head, laughing.

Okay, he said slapping his hands on his knees before standing. Enough of my holiday etiquette lesson; it’s time to get up. You had better get moving if you don’t want to miss out on your trip to see your charge.

Keira kicked the covers aside and proceeded to her dresser to fish out clothes to pack. August made sure her alarm clock was completely off before letting himself out.

She threw a few essential items on the bed: her favorite red hoodie, a few pairs of jeans, a couple of shirts, a handful of underwear and socks, and her cowboy boots. Satisfied, she yanked a backpack out of the closet and proceeded to shove the items inside. Once she was all packed, it was time for a shower.

She didn’t have enough time to wash and dry her long hair. Her snooze button had seen to that. So, she pinned it up and hopped in for a quick scrub. The water was cool and energizing and when she emerged moments later, she felt ready for the day.

Keira clumsily pulled on a pair of jeans and a button-up shirt. She nearly fell over the toilet putting them on. The bathroom was on the small side and not ideal for changing. She had brought her clothing anyway. Some days, her bedroom wasn’t a private place.

Today was one of those days.

Hey, gorgeous, Brun Gammen said.

He was standing just inside her bedroom window. His sudden greeting startled her, but she had the presence of mind to close the bedroom door behind her as she stepped inside.

The morning light provided a halo around his slick, short black hair. He was a vision in dark blue jeans and fitted ice blue sweater. A devilish grin stretched across his face.

Hey, she said back.

She stepped to him and hugged him, hoping that he hadn’t noticed the backpack on her bed. However, her worry was in vain. He had.

Goin’ on a trip?

Yeah, she said pulling away. Jamie Hayes invited me to his house in Cleveland for Christmas. I think he just did it because he needs a free babysitter. They’re having family in from all over. It’s going to be a little crazy for his wife, Mary Sue.

Nervously, she started straightening the drawers she left open in her rush to pack.

But this is your first Christmas with your parents. Isn’t that important?

She shrugged her shoulders.

It’s awkward. That’s for sure, she said, trying to shut a particularly stubborn drawer. Then, she stopped and looked at him. "I mean, decorating gingerbread men on Christmas Eve, placing my plastic frog princess ornament on the lowest branch; those are traditions that Nana and I started together. And now, she’s not here. They can’t just step in. They shouldn’t have to try. It’s better this way…a clean slate. Then, next year, I’ll be up for some new traditions.

Frog princess, really?

Yes, really, dork! she said throwing a pillow at him.

He snatched it from midair with lightning reflexes. The movement was so bold, so sudden, it startled her and she jumped. He noticed and cleared his throat, trying to brush it off as he carefully set the pillow down.

When are you leaving?

Uhhmm, Keira said looking at her wrist. She had forgotten that she didn’t have a watch on. In a little bit. I’m following Curt and Lila up.

And Colby?

Yeah, he’s going too, she replied, purposely holding back that Colby would be riding with her.

I’ll come with you. You never know when Broo may try to attack.

No, you don’t have to.

I insist.

Really. I got this.

Keira, it may be dangerous.

Brun, it’s a family Christmas…of course it will be dangerous, she laughed.

Keira had been calling him by that name, Brun Gammen. It was his true name, the name of mogdoc royalty. To her surprise, he hadn’t protested as he did a few months ago. She was glad. She had come to realize that using the name William was like perpetuating a lie. A wonderful lie where he was human and she didn’t have to worry about being with him, but a lie all the same.

I take it that I’m being a little too protective, he said.

She smiled, but didn’t reply.

I don’t like it, but I get it. I’ll see you as soon as you get back.

He opened a threshold right before her and left as quickly as he had come. She was relieved; glad he didn’t protest more. She knew what he thought, but he didn’t really get it. This wasn’t about a relationship moving too fast or independence. This was about keeping a mogdoc, no matter how trustworthy, away from her charge.

She was equally thankful for his quick exit. Between them, the line separating friendship and romance was blurred by the pressures of real life. The prophecy regarding the child of sun and moon, according to him, meant that he and Keira would have a child together. That baby would be the human gift and eventually rule over the Mogdoc Empire, ending the tyranny of the Gammen line for good.

Keira didn’t believe his theory. Still, even if it wasn’t true, it was the ever-present elephant in the room. It was the thing so huge that it made the here and now downright awkward. Do they shake hands? Do they hug? Do they kiss? Goodbyes were the worst as far as she was concerned. It was better when he just disappeared.

Chapter 2: Silent Night

An hour later, they