Amari and the Night Brothers (2024)

Amari and the Night Brothers is the first book in the Supernatural Investigations series by B.B. Alston. It was published by Balzer + Bray on January 19, 2021.

Blurb[]

"Amari Peters has never stopped believing her missing brother, Quinton, is alive. Not even when the police told her otherwise, or when she got in trouble for standing up to bullies who said he was gone for good. So when she finds a ticking briefcase in his closet, containing a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she's certain the secretive organization holds the key to locating Quinton—if only she can wrap her head around the idea of magicians, fairies, aliens, and other supernatural creatures all being real.

"Now she must compete for a spot against kids who've known about magic their whole lives. No matter how hard she tries, Amari can't seem to escape their intense doubt and scrutiny—especially once her supernaturally enhanced talent is deemed "illegal." With an evil magician threatening the supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she's an enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn't stick it out and pass the tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton."

Plot[]

Chapter 1[]

Amari Peters is in the principal's office. She is frequently in trouble. She has been caught shoving classmate Emily Grant.

While Amari's mom and Emily's mom talk with the principal in the hallway, Amari looks around the principal's office. She sees a picture behind the desk of Quinton. Quinton is holding a trophy he won in a math competition.

Mrs. Grant, Amari's mother, Emily, and the principal join Amari in the office. The principal wants to be lenient because it's the last day of school, but Emily's mom demands Amari's scholarship be revoked.

Ms. Peters admits that Amari messed up, but reminds everyone that Emily and her friends have harassed Amari in the past. She says that she has considered closing Amari's social media accounts because of the harassment.

The principal says the girls all received written warnings for their behavior once it was reported. Mrs. Grant tells Amari and her mother that they should be grateful she isn't pressing charges against Amari.

The Grants leave.

The principal tells Ms. Peters that taking away Amari's scholarship is the least harsh punishment he can give. He then states that he knows Amari's behavioral problems stem from her brother's disappearance and Amari should speak with a counselor.

Amari explains that the altercation broke out because Emily thought it was funny to say Quinton is dead. She insists her brother is alive and she will find him.

Quinton has been missing for 6 months. After he left high school, he got a fancy job he couldn't talk about. Quinton was the valedictorian of his class at Jefferson Academy, and received two scholarship offers from Ivy League schools. He turned them both down and pursued the job instead.

Amari believes Quinton's mysterious job is the reason he is missing, but the detectives working on the case thought Amari and her mother were crazy when they talked about the job. Due to a lack of tax records, the officers believe Quinton was unemployed and that he lied about his job. Ms. Peters tells them that Quinton used to send money home. The officials think that Quinton was obtaining the money illegally. Amari thinks they don't believe the story because her family is from the Rosewood Low-Income Housing Projects. She notes that people are always suspicious of people from her neighborhood.

As Amari and her mother drive back into their neighborhood, Amari notices Jayden, a boy she went to elementary school with, hanging out with some older boys Amari views as thugs. Amari and Jayden haven't spoken since Jayden started hanging out with the older boys—Jayden made a promise to Quinton that he would stay away from them.

Ms. Peters breaks down sobbing; she feels like she is failing Amari. She works 12 hours a day, 5 days a week. She feels like she needs to be home for Amari, but the family needs the money. Amari tells her mother she is fine. Amari's mom is distressed because the scholarship was Amari's one chance at getting into a good college so she could build a good life. Amari feels bad that her mother is upset, but states that she never fit in at Jefferson, anyway. She retorts that she isn't like Quinton. Ms. Peters doesn't want Amari to be like Quinton. She just wants Amari to understand that there is a whole world beyond the 'Wood. She doesn't want Amari to be stereotyped as just another "poor black girl from the 'Wood." Amari feels frustrated because her mother has discussed this with her many times already. Ms. Peters counters that Amari has more problems than just her behavior at school—Amari constantly uses her computer when she is at home. She feels that this is not healthy for Amari. Amari just wants a place to escape, and a way to help with the search for Quinton. Posting photos of Quinton on the Internet gives her hope.

Ms. Peters puts her foot down—until Amari improves her behavior, she is confiscating the laptop. Amari's mom drops her off at their house before returning to work. Angry, Amari enters the house and reflects on her day before grabbing the computer. The laptop is a hand-me-down from Quinton, who won it at an international science fair many years ago. Quinton passed it on to Amari after he won a better one the next year. The laptop is old and finnicky, but Amari finally gets it to work. She logs onto the free neighborhood WiFi and proceeds to post Quinton's photo on missing persons websites. She considers checking Quinton's email (she discovered some time ago that the password is Amari-Amazing, an old nickname Quinton had for her), but ultimately decides to check Emily's Instagram page. Emily has posted a photo of Amari along with the caption: "We finally took out the trash at Jefferson. Expelled!" Many other students have posted mean comments. Amari slams the laptop shut, brooding over the fact that Emily lied about her getting expelled and said her brother was dead. Then she decides to post a comment of her own. When she opens the laptop, however, she gets a notification: Quinton has received an email. Curiously, the message is from Discreet Deliveries. Amari is puzzled. Quinton never gets new emails. She's been checking his email since she discovered his password. The email mentions a package that has been delivered, and goes on to say that once "Amari Peters" has signed for it, another email notification will be sent. The sender thanks Quinton for using Discreet Delivery Service. Then: "This email will self-destruct in 3...2...1..." The email vanishes. Amari can't believe what she just read, but she has no time to ponder it, because just then, someone knocks on the door, saying, "Delivery!"

Chapter 2[]

A man in worn-out clothes stands in the doorway. He is hunched over. Amari peers past him, expecting someone more official-looking. She thinks the man is homeless and tells him she has no money. She offers him the Hot Pocket in the freezer, explaining that her mom hasn't gone shopping yet and there's nothing else. The man is offended. He says he's not homeless and has just come from a fancy restaurant. He wonders why Amari assumed he was homeless-Amari gives herself away by eyeing his clothing too closely. He pushes the matter aside and asks if she is Amari Peters. Amari is alarmed that the man knows her name. The man points to the screen he has bent over and tells Amari that her name is on it. He explains that he's there to deliver a package. Amari is stunned, asking if the man is really there to deliver a package. The man replies that he has a package from a "Q. Peters." Amari can't believe the package is from her brother. She asks if the man is joking. Again, the man is offended. He says that he only delivers part-time, but he takes his job seriously. Amari is curious, so she agrees to take the delivery. Then she notices that the man isn't carrying anything other than the tablet. She asks where the package is, but the man refuses to tell her until after she signs for it. Overwhelmed by curiosity, she signs. The man then tells her that he left the package in Q. Peters's old bedroom. Amari is shocked the man has been inside the apartment. The man says he was given permission to enter by Q. Peters. Then he tells Amari he needs to take her memory of the encounter and the package delivery, but she'll still receive the package. She will suddenly decide to clean the closet later that day and thus find the package. Amari is scared. The man pulls out a strange device that resembles a TV remote. He checks his tablet again. He tells Amari he was mistaken—she is on his Memory Intact List. He says she must be off to the, and comments that it was the best 30 years of his life. He says goodbye and leaves a mystified Amari behind.

Despite the fact that she hasn't been inside his room in months, Amari enters to find the package. She says the investigators tore the place apart after Quinton disappeared but didn't find anything. Amari and Ms. Peters put the room back exactly the way it was, hoping they might find something only someone close to Quinton would understand the significance of. But there was nothing to find. Amari and her mom have left the room untouched since then. Being inside the room is too painful for them to bear. Amari is hit by a flood of memories. She mentions that she and Quinton were close. They used to listen to music together, and they both wanted to show their deadbeat father, who left their mother, that they were worth his attention. Quinton was 10 years older than Amari, but they were still tight.

Amari realizes something is ticking. She makes her way toward Quinton's closet and realizes that's where the sound is coming from. She wonders if he sent her a clock. Inside is an ugly chest Quinton got from a thrift store trip. Quinton claimed he needed it to hold his "master plans." Amari realizes the package is inside and opens the chest. She digs through a bunch of junk and finds a black briefcase at the bottom of the chest. The briefcase is ticking. It's also covered in a series of Post-Its. The first says "For Amari's Eyes Only." The next says "Will open at midnight, after the last day of school." Amari recognizes the handwriting as Quinton's. She hopes the package will explain where Quinton is and what happened.

At 11:58p.m., Amari checks the hallway. Ms. Peters' light has been out for several hours and Amari thinks she is asleep. Amari is relieved, as the note Quinton left was clear that no one else was supposed to see what was inside the package. At midnight, there is a loud click and a hiss from the briefcase. Amari freaks out. Once she's calm, she opens the briefcase to find a green-and-purple striped suit jacket. It's the ugliest thing she's ever seen, and she says it matches Quinton's sense of humor. There is also an envelope and a pair of sunglasses inside the package. A few Post-Its hang off the sunglasses. The first says " #1 Please lie down before putting these on," the second, "#2 I'm serious about lying down," and the third, "#3, Pinkie-swear level serious!" Amari can't imagine what is so dangerous about the sunglasses, but she lays down anyway.

Quinton's voice says, "Amari?"

Chapter 3[]

Quinton is standing in Amari's room. Amari hugs him and he says he's missed her too. She asks him where he's been and he says he will explain everything, but she needs to trust him. Amari follows Quinton out of the room. In the hallway, she hesitates. She wants to tell her mother that Quinton is back. Quinton says there's no time. Then he leads Amari to the roof. Quinton and Amari used to sneak up to the roof, but their mother disapproved.

Once they reach the roof, Amari sees that a boat the size of a school bus is waiting for them. Amari is mystified; how did a boat get on her roof? Quinton insists that they have to hurry and Amari follows him onto the boat. When she touches the wheel of the ship, Quinton comments that she needs to get some more altitude. Amari is still in disbelief, so Quinton steers the ship. They rise into the air and get a good view of the neighborhood. Amari is nervous about falling, but Quinton tells her that it's impossible to fall off. Amari asks him why he's acting as if flying on a boat is normal, and he responds that maybe it is.

The ship speeds up and eventually stops over the ocean. Quinton tells Amari to look down at the ocean through the boat's telescope. At first she just sees ocean, but as her eyes adjust, she sees moving lights, and eventually, the image sharpens: there are glowing trains on the ocean floor. Amari thinks there must be thousands. Quinton calls them The International Railways of Atlantis.

Amari says she doesn't understand. Quinton replies that wants her to see how big and beautiful the world is. He tells her that everything she's seeing is real, except for him. He explains that she can only see him because she's wearing the sunglasses, and refers to their meeting as a Wakeful Dream. He left instructions for it to be delivered if something happened to him. Amari asks what happened to him, but the recorded Quinton does not know. He says that the sunglasses were only supposed to be sent to Amari if the Bureau declared him missing or dead. He tells Amari that despite the fact that he's gone missing, he wants her to continue exploring the world of the Bureau. Then he tells her that he's left her a nomination with instructions on it. Amari asks what the nomination is for, but he says, "Time's up Chicken Little. I love you." Amari tells him that she loves him to and she's going to do whatever it takes to find the real Quinton.

Chapter 4[]

The next morning, Amari's mom wakes her up so they can have breakfast together. Amari briefly wonders if the Wakeful Dream was real, but once she sees the briefcase's other contents, she's convinced. She muses that her brother must have come from a powerful place if he's able to send her something like that. She resolves to find out.

Amari is too quiet. Her mother questions how she's doing, and Amari says she is fine, but it's not convincing. Amari wants to tell her mother about the Wakeful Dream but believes her mother will think she is crazy. Furthermore, her mother has just gotten to a point where she does not constantly cry about Quinton. Amari decides not to say anything.

Ms. Peters tells Amari that taking the computer away was for Amari's own good. Amari says she understands. Her mother tells her she is grounded, and Amari protests. Her mother replies that she knows better than to shove people, even if they deserve it. Then she tells Amari that she has to go into work early to cover for a coworker. She tells Amari not to let her find out that she's been out the door. Amari says "Yes, Ma'am," which makes her mother suspicious. The only time Amari calls her Ma'am rather than Mama is when she's up to something. Ms. Peters tells Amari that the neighbor, Mrs. Walters, will be watching her, and Amari knows that Mrs. Walters has nothing better to do, so she'd better stay home. Amari says she understands, but privately thinks that her mother only warned her against her being caught leaving—she didn't actually say Amari couldn't leave the house.

Amari goes back to her room and takes everything out of the briefcase: the ugly suit jacket, two pieces of paper, and the sunglasses. The sunglasses no longer work, so Amari pulls out the sheets of paper. The first page is covered in warnings against reading the next page, and lists "death by bottomless pit, being locked inside a metal canister and shot into space, being fed to a certain creature, in a certain underwater lair, that shall, for the purpose of keeping its existence a secret, remain nameless," and a host of other unspecified punishments as the penalty for reading the paper without "proper permissions." Amari reads and rereads the warnings. The paper then goes on to give instructions for how to return it, unread ("and we'll know if you've peeked"), if you do not have proper permissions to read it. The paperwork is to be sealed in an envelope, then wrapped in no less than three yellow blankets, preferably of the same shade, stuffed in a box, taped shut, and then mailed to: None of Your Business, Don't Ask Which St., New York, NY 54321." Finally, the sender instructs anyone who has "been deemed special" and has the proper permissions to read the following page. The letter is signed C. Kretts.

Amari says that before the previous night, she would have thought that all of the warnings and punishments were a joke, but she now believes that the mysterious people Quinton works for mean every word. Because Quinton made it very clear that the paperwork was for Amari and further wrote a note saying "For Amari's eyes only," she feels safe to read the next page.

The next page is a "nomination for consideration" by the nominating party Quinton Javon Peters, on behalf of Amari Renee Peters. The nomination is to be used no sooner than Amari's 12th birthday and no later than her 18th, and is to be brought, in person, to 1440 N. Main St., Atlanta, GA 30305 for an interview. The letter instructs the receiving party to enter the leftmost elevator alone once he or she has arrived at the specified address. Once the elevator doors close, the basem*nt button, B, should be pressed 26 times, and further instructions will be issued.

Amari thinks that the envelope and its contents are scary, but there is something even scarier in the briefcase: a note attached to the leg of the pantsuit that says "wear this suit to the interview." Amari thinks Quinton has lost his mind. Everyone in the neighborhood will make fun of her if she wears the suit, and she can't afford to get in another fight. Amari thinks everything she's experienced since Quinton sent the package is crazy. She can't risk the chance that it might be real and she could find Quinton, so she resolves to go to the interview and wear the suit.

She sneaks out of the house. A bunch of younger children run out the next building over and spot her. They point and laugh at her, which distracts Amari. Amari forgets to duck as she passes Mrs. Walters's window, and Mrs. Walters spots her. Amari is scared about what will happen when her mother finds out, but she continues on to the bus stop. Just before the bus is scheduled to arrive, a fancy red car stops in front of Amari. The windows roll down and some older teenage boys gawk at her. They tease her and laugh at her. Amari gets angry. Then one of the car doors opens, and Amari's friend Jayden gets out. He tells the other guys to leave Amari alone, which leads to more teasing and insinuations that Amari and Jayden are dating. The other boys leave and Jayden joins Amari. Jayden tells her she looks good and calls her 'Mari. Amari is glad to hear the nickname. Jayden says she doesn't hang with him or their friends anymore even though they are in the same grade. Amari reveals that all her friends were people Quinton knew first.

Jayden asks Amari about the suit. Amari says it's hard to explain. It's for an interview. Jayden asks if she's trying to get a summer job and Amari says "something like that." Jayden offers to loan Amari some cash as a thank-you for helping him out in the past. Jayden has always had it worse than a lot of the kids in their neighborhood. His mother was constantly absent and did not leave food for him. Amari always shared whatever she had, even if it was only a candy bar. Amari is tempted to take the money to help her mother out with the bills, but she declines because of where the money was obtained. She says that Jayden is part of a group of boys who are into bad things, and that the money came from them. She comments that the boys are always getting arrested. Jayden puts the money away and says that she doesn't know anything about them. He insists that unlike other people, they care about him.

Amari remembers Quinton telling her that she couldn't change the world unless she hung out with world-changers. He told Amari that fast money that was obtained by hurting others is no good, and she should be better than that. Amari tells Jayden that her brother cares about him. She asks Jayden if he dropped out of school to hang out with the older boys and Jayden says "I do what I gotta do." He explains that grades won't help him get food, and the people who replaced Quinton in the tutoring program always make fun of him and never teach him. Amari realizes that other people have been suffering without Quinton around, too. She asks Jayden if he would go back to the tutoring program if she could bring Quinton back. Jayden wants to know if she knows where Quinton is. Amari says she doesn't, but she has an idea about how to find him. She makes Hayden promise that he won't do anything to mess up his future and disappoint Quinton. The bus arrives and Amari gets on. Amari looks out the window, and Jayden mouths, "Okay, 'Mari."

Chapter 5[]

Amari arrives at 1440 North Main Street, and is surprised that despite is warnings about secrets, it's a busy office building. The place is packed. Amari panics when she notices a security guard but she is not questioned. Amari notes that the elevator she was told to use is the busiest, which is unfortunate because she needs to be alone when she enters. She waits for a while and finally enters, but is joined by a bald man. Amari makes up a story about being sick and fakes a few coughs to get rid of him. The man decides to wait for the next elevator and leaves in a hurry. Amari presses the basem*nt button 26 times. The lights dim and a red beam scans her. A voice says "Nomination form detected. Please proceed." There's a click, and the back of the elevator opens to reveal a winding hallway with metal walls.

Amari follows the hallway to a waiting room. A receptionist asks Amari what she's come for, but when Amari says she was nominated, the woman cuts her off and tells her that the recruiter isn't in. Suddenly, there's a loud crash. The woman says that the recruiter has arrived and tells Amari to go through the door on the left. Amari finds the recruiter's office, which is in shambles. Pieces of a desk are scattered on the floor. The recruiter is tall and skinny with gray streaks in his hair—he looks perfectly normal. But he's wearing funny clothes—bright orange pants and an orange shirt with orange and brown feathers on it. The man tells her he was just cleaning up and comments that he told the transporter to put him at his desk, not in his desk. Amari feels nervous and wonders what he means by transporter. The man introduces himself as Mr. Barnabus Ware and tells her that full introductions are not necessary. He tells Amari that the summer program has already started and the rooms will all be full by now.

Amari is disappointed. She tells Mr. Ware that she just received her nomination. He says that her nominator should've filled out a waiver if her school year was longer than the others'. Then Mr. Ware looks up and notices the suit Amari is wearing. He asks her if she's wearing a genuine Duboise. Amari doesn't know what that means. Mr. Ware says that Duboise is the most brilliant clothing and accessories designed in the world. He asks if she would allow him to try the jacket on. Amari thinks Mr. Ware is really weird but lets him try the jacket on. The jacket fits him perfectly, which shocks Amari because he is a foot taller than her. She says, "How?" Mr. Ware says only genuine Duboise have the "one size fits all feature." He and his wife swear by the brand. He tells Amari that his outfit is from a Duboise collection called "Essence of a Sandy Parrot." He says that he and his wife were on vacation, but he received a message from his supervisor about a child being added to the list. He says that no one else was in the office, and he expected a coworker to pick up the slack while he was on vacation. Amari starts to ask about the jacket, but he cuts her off. Mr. Ware says Thesda Greengrass experienced a breakdown because she lost her cat. Thesda can't understand why her neighbors don't like her keeping tigers and she'll get another one by the end of the month. Amari's ears are about to explode. She interrupts him and asks how her jacket was able to fit him. Mr. Ware says it has a patented enchantment on it. Amari says, "As in magic?" He says yes, and asks how Amari got the suit. Amari says her brother left it for her. Mr. Ware says he understands and asks if her brother was the first in the family to go into "this line of work." Amari says probably, but she doesn't know what line of work he's talking about. Mr. Ware says he doesn't usually bend rules, but since she has such exquisite taste in clothes, they will proceed. He asks her to sit down and begins to explain. It's his job to offer her a spot in their "unique" summer program, but he can't tell her what the summer camp is for until she's agreed to attend. He tells her to think carefully, and if she doesn't want to attend, the meeting will be over. He says that the reason the meetings are held in that building and not at the Bureau is so that anyone who rejects an offer to attend the camp can go back to living their normal life. Then he tells her that if she says yes, she will be obligated to attend the camp. Amari asks if the interview is just her being offered the spot and Mr. Ware says she is correct. He asks if she would like the interview to be more difficult and says he could always throw in some algebra. Amari shakes her head.

Amari wants to say yes, but she remembers what Quinton said about his job being dangerous. She asks Mr. Ware if it's true. He says that it could be. Amari gets nervous and asks if he can tell her anything else, but Mr. Ware says he's said too much already and can't answer any questions until she decides. Amari remembers the trains and says that Quinton has always wanted the best for her. She realizes that this is probably her only chance to find him. She accepts Mr. Ware's offer to attend the summer camp.

Chapter 6[]

Mr. Ware shakes Amari's hand and congratulates her. He says that she's made a wonderful decision and it's always a pleasure to bring a fresh face into the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Amari asks him about the Bureau and he tells her that tales of the supernatural are everywhere, and adds that all the beings from the myths are real: trolls and sphinxes, mermaids and other "oddities." Not only are supernaturals real, he tells her, but they also live alongside humans, although some also have their own hidden cities. The Bureau is the link between humans and the Supernatural, and its mission is to keep supernaturals secret from regular humans.

Amari is skeptical. She tells Ware that humans should have the right to know about supernaturals if they are in danger, making up a hypothetical situation about sitting next to a werewolf on a bus. Ware clarifies that the Bureau exists not just to keep the supernatural world a secret, but also to protect humans who are not part of the Bureau. He says that people fear things they don't understand, and the situation works both ways—humans are often afraid of supernaturals, but supernaturals are also often afraid of humans. The Bureau's job is to keep both safe from one another.

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