Minutes to Midnight by Phaedra Weldon Page A

lasted two weeks. "So…is
time different in a Cairn as opposed to the Peripheral itself?"
    "Yes. Cairns are the worst. I wouldn't let
her remain there much longer. But it's not just the crazy she has
to worry about or the sickness she'll have to endure when she
returns. It's the other things banished inside the Peripheral. And
a lot of them like human flesh. Nothing from this World survives in
the Peripheral for very long unless it's overshadowed. Which is why
once something goes in, it's my job to keep it in or kill it. My
original purpose in coming here was because about a month ago a
breach in that World was detected: a hole opened up and stayed open
for a while before it closed. I suspect many things escaped during
that breach, namely this Djin. Having that kind of thing running
free in the Material World isn't acceptable."
    "But I thought things turned to ash if they
came to this world. You know, those safeguards?"
    "Some do. Faerie are the
most susceptible to the preventative magics. Many of the other
creatures there will die if they attempt to cross over in
their natural form.
Most beings in the Peripheral can overshadow living things and ride
them over. But once on this side, they must stay attached to
something living or they will become ash."
    I had a thought. And I didn't like it.
"So…all those old stories about the Faerie taking kids…"
    "It was the easiest way for them to find a
conduit back. Children are the most susceptible to their control
and the easiest to heal from the safeguards. A Faerie can destroy
its 'Pheral form and possess a child—but they can't stay in that
child. Once the child matures, puberty forces it out and it has to
find another child."
    Something about this bothered me.
    A lot.
    I just couldn't get a clear grip on what.
"And this has nothing to do with Changelings?"
    "Fae? No. Those monstrosities are completely
different."
    Mike spoke up. "That Djin was overshadowing
Officer Jones. It told Dags it was hired to take him. And it took
Stella to get to him. Now, if it's a thing that's been locked in
the Peripheral all this time, then how would it know that Stella
meant something to Dags? That he would react the way he did?"
    "It wouldn't. Which means
whatever hired him— hired being another word for summoned —knows Dags. And knows him
intimately." She refocused on me. "What kind of enemies do you
have?"
    I winced. "Take your pick. I got humans who
think I should be in a cage. Or dead. I got Dark things that think
the book should be returned to the Darkness and screw what happens
to the vessel—that would be me." I thought about Gabriel and made a
decision. "And I got Angels who think the book is a weapon of some
kind. So, any of those could be pulling the strings. Hell, we still
don't know where the zombies are coming from or why."
    Raven looked from me to Mike and then back
to me. "Zombies? You've seen zombies? Ethereal Powers?"
    "No. Not those. Real zombies." Mike
settled back against the wall. "You haven't seen the
papers?"
    "You mean the mutilations? Those were done
by zombies?"
    Mike nodded slowly. "Do you know a lot about
zombies?"
    "I'm afraid I do." She pushed herself up and
then leaned over to offer me her hand. I took it and grunted as she
pulled me to my feet, though I kept a hand on the wall. Mike stood
as well. "But I'd like for you to take me to where you last saw
them. I'll get changed and we can take my car."
    "I can't." I headed to the changing room. "I
got a shift tonight. I already pushed it back just to come here and
have all this fun."
    "You think that's a good idea?" Mike
followed me down the hall. "Someone's out to drag you into the
Peripheral. Might be safer if you stick with us."
    "Mike." I turned and looked up at him. Raven
stood a few feet away. "I've had enough zombies and thinking for
the day. And we need the money." That wasn't really true. I had a
lot of money I hadn't told Mike about. I just…I just wanted a night
of normal.
    Raven moved up behind Mike.