Silver at Midnight: A Paranormal Romance Urban Fantasy (The Keepers of Knowledge Series Book 5) Bridgette O'Hare (ebook offline .txt) 📖

it looked. Between the warmth of the fire and the solace of Uncle Lachlan’s presence, I relaxed for the first time in nearly two days. But not so much that I wasn’t about to choose my words carefully.

“I s’pose I’ve been fairin’ well,” I offered and took a sip from my tea. It wasn’t a lie. Until the moment the invitation to Pyreshore arrived at my door, life had actually been a bit mundane for a couple of months, since I’d removed myself from the last assignment I had been working. “The invitation threw me for a bit of a loop, though,” I admitted, hoping he’d start talking so I wouldn’t need to start lying about what I’d been doing with my life.

“Aye. I can imagine it did. But I know yer more than prepared and qualified for the job,” he stated with an air of parental confidence and pride. “I’ve kept an eye on ya, lass. And when the Council came to inform me that you’d be offered the position as our new Keeper, I couldn’t have been prouder.”

“I honestly didn’t even know this was a job passed down through the family. Grams never told me.”

“I’m sure there are a lot of things Evie never shared about our family,” he said. “But you’ll be learnin’ all about it soon enough.”

Evie. I hadn’t heard her name spoken aloud in quite some time. In fact, the last time I had, he had said it. I pulled in a deep swig from my tea and contemplated just what it was I might not know about my family. Grams had trusted me with secrets I was certain Uncle Lachlan didn’t know about, but had there been more? Just how many secrets could one family possibly hide?

“Uncle Lach, what happens if I decide this isn’t a good fit fer me, bein’ a Keeper? Or if I don’t pass their qualifications?” I asked, genuinely wanting to know.

He placed his mug on a small table next to his chair and steepled his hands in front of his chest, lacing his fingers together. He seemed to think for a moment.

“Well, Aish, my dear girl. I feel confident before your month of training is complete, you shall see that failure to qualify or choosing to forsake the role is not an option. And not because you are being forced into the position of Keeper, but because there is too much at stake. Not just for our family, but for the Fae race. Possibly for every race.”

It was clear that he wholeheartedly believed what he said. I suddenly wanted to dive straight in and learn whatever secrets Grams had held back. It was a weakness for me—curiosity. The saying about it killing the cat, one day I was likely going to be that cat. I’d probably already spent through a few of my nine lives.

Uncle Lachlan glanced at his watch. “You should probably check in with Nira before it gets any later. She’s a kind soul, but if you show up at her house after eight in the evening, she can get a tad testy,” he chuckled. “And I want t’ make certain ya start out on e’ryone’s good side,” he winked.

“Aye, as do I,” I replied and drank the remaining tea in my mug. “Thank you for the tea and the chat, Uncle Lach. I’m sorry it’s been so long since we’ve done this.”

“Nonsense, lass. You’ve had a lot a goin’ on. Besides, we have plenty of time t’ catch up now,” he assured me as he took my mug. “Now, here’s Nira’s address. I’ll let her know yer on yer way. Her house is the large two-story just across from the Farmer’s Market. If ya get turned around, give me a call.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine but thanks, Uncle Lach. I s’pose I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, I’d love to have supper and see how your first day in town went.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I announced and gave him a hug.

My immediate plan, though, was to find the mysterious Nira Garrison.

I wasn’t one to be easily intimidated, but I could see how Nira Garrison might have that effect on a person. The moment she opened her door, she was an overwhelming presence—elegant and sophisticated with an air of badassery lurking beneath the surface. I knew better than to let her Pantene shampoo commercial worthy, chocolate brown hair and perfectly bronzed complexion fool me. She was lethal.

“You must be Aisling,” she stated with a warm smile. “I’m Nira. Please, come in.”

“Thank you,” I replied. “My apologies for being after office hours, I hadn’t originally planned on arriving today.”

“Well, we are glad to have you here. Welcome to Pyreshore,” she extended hospitably and turned back to reenter her home. She practically floated across the hardwood floor toward a granite topped bar against the far wall. If she had been any race other than a Sphynx, I might have considered her poise and overwhelming elegance to be a red flag. But almost every Sphynx I’d ever met had been blessed with an abundance of gracefulness. “I trust you had pleasant travels.” She tried to be friendly and thwart any awkward silence. I could appreciate that.

“As pleasant as an international flight can be, aye,” I offered in reply and immediately began surveying her home. There was always a lot to be learned about someone by paying attention to the things they surrounded themselves with.

Nira Garrison’s impressive collection of wine behind the bar was an obvious giveaway that she preferred her alcohol to be a touch more sophisticated, and the lack of clutter said she liked simplicity in her life.

A pair of red soled stilettos recklessly kicked off by a chair near the fireplace told me that while she had no qualms spending eight hundred dollars on a pair of shoes, she wasn’t such a prima donna that she couldn’t kick them off and let her hair down a bit. In this house, comfort ruled over luxury and