Chronicles of Devon

by W. J. May

  Tristan laughed softly, looking up at the stars. “Is that what happened on the course? You never wrote back to me.”

  Devon stared for a moment, then bowed his head.

  “How did you do it?” he murmured, almost too softly to hear.

  His father glanced down in surprise. “Do what?”

  Devon threw up his hands with a hard laugh, like it couldn’t be more obvious.

  “Rise to the top of the agency. Be a terrific dad.” He shook his head slowly, lifting his gaze to the tree. “I’m giving it everything I have, but I’m just...just barely missing the mark.”

  A sudden silence fell between them—one that lasted so long he tore his eyes away from the branches, only to see his father staring at him in surprise.

  “Dev...why on earth would you be asking me?

  Devon stepped back with a frown, like he was playing a trick of some kind. “You were the best in the PC—”

  “Yeah,” Tristan interrupted, “me and my partner, Simon Kerrigan.” He shook his head slowly, staring into his son’s eyes. “I broke a psychopath out of prison, spent the next decade crippled with guilt, and as a result...I was a terrible father.”

  A burst of color reddened Devon’s cheeks, and he suddenly regretted bringing it up.

  “No, you weren’t,” he argued half-heartedly. “You were just—”

  “I was distant and cold,” Tristan said decisively. “I thought I was protecting you, but I ended up blowing the whole thing. And you know it took me four months to nail that course, right?”

  Devon’s head snapped up in surprise.

  Carter certainly kept THAT to himself.

  “If you’re looking for a role model, you’ve got the wrong guy,” Tristan concluded. “I’d be far more interested to see what things you manage in the next few—”

  “Are you and mom getting a divorce?”

  Devon blurted it without thinking, then flushed as he held his father’s gaze.

  “What? No!” Tristan exclaimed. “What in the world gave you that idea?”

  “You,” Devon countered defensively. “You and your weird cryptic comment when I got here.” He slipped into a brooding impression. “Your mother and I have something to tell you...”

  Tristan threw back his head with a sparkling laugh.

  “Dev...your mother and I are renewing our vows.”

  Devon blinked in surprise, utterly speechless. A few minutes passed, long enough to make it unforgivably awkward, then he finally managed a soft, “...oh.”

  Tristan shook his head with an incredulous smile. “You thought we were splitting up? Why in the world—”

  “I don’t know!” Devon cried, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “Because everything’s terrible, all right? Because bad things always seem to be happening, so I thought...”

  He trailed off helplessly, feeling very much a child in his father’s coat.

  “Okay...so this is the level.” Tristan’s eyes sparkled with affection as they surveyed him in the dark. “Julian warned me it was bad—”

  “I wish you guys would stop talking about me.”

  “Never going to happen.” Tristan gestured to the house, pulling him along. “Now let’s get you back inside. With any luck, we can get there before anything bad happens.”

  Devon grinned in spite of himself, falling into stride. “Shut up.”

  They walked in silence a while before Tristan chuckled under his breath.

  “That was a terrible impression.”

  “It was a great impression.”

  “It was terrible.” Tristan slipped an arm around his shoulders. “You’ve got a long way to go.”

  THE LITTLE FAMILY HEADED back to London early the next morning, arriving just in time to drop the children off at both daycare and school. Devon waved goodbye from the car, smiling as they clambered up the steps, then slowly drove back to the house.

  He’d just stepped through the door and set down his things, when his phone rang. He dug around in his pocket and answered without looking at the number.

  “Hello?”

  Carter’s voice drifted through the line.

  “Guess what I’m looking at right now?”

  Not my case reports, I hope...

  “Mason Ross is training in the Oratory.”

  Devon’s head snapped up in surprise. “You’re kidding.”

  “Nope,” Carter intoned, a note of pride in his voice. “I don’t know what you said to the kid, but something got through.”

  Yeah...I guess it did.

  “In that spirit, I have something for you as well,” Carter continued. “Are you home?”

  Devon frowned, glancing around the house.

  “Yeah, I just got here. But what—”

  “Look out the window.”

  He turned just as a taxi pulled up in front of the house. A beautiful woman stepped out a moment later, spotting him through the window and waving with a beaming smile.

  Rae!

  “She got finished early, so I sent her home. Nice work, Wardell. We’ll see you on Monday.”

  “Yeah,” Devon breathed, grinning from ear to ear, “see you Monday.”

  He was out the door half a second later, throwing his arms open as his wife threw her body into the air. They collided with the force of a nova—kissing and grasping and hugging—until they were finally forced to pull away for air.

  “Never leave again,” he panted, gripping the back of her head. “It was terrible. We have too many children. They set traps for me, and I couldn’t—”

  She burst out laughing, silencing him with another kiss.

  “Don’t be ridiculous—I knew you’d be fine.” Her fingers traced his temple, sweeping back dark locks of hair. “Devon Wardell, at your least capable you’re still better than everyone I know.”

  He stared down at her, a smile still lingering on his face.

  “And that’s good enough, huh?”

  “Good enough for me.”

  Her eyes lit up with mischief as she abruptly went limp in his arms.

  “Now enough about the children,” she said theatrically. “Your wife has been freezing alone in Austria for a small eternity, and I have quite a few ideas for how we can pass the time—”

  He pressed a finger over her lips. “...how about we sleep?”

  Her eyes twinkled with a smile. “Sleep sounds nice.”

  THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON passed quickly and the children were overjoyed to see their mother waiting at the car. The little family celebrated at their favorite Italian restaurant before returning home just in time for homework, baths, then bed.

  Devon sat alone at the kitchen table as the rest of them slept—typing at a relentless speed, until at long last he slipped the last of his case reports back into the file. His joints cracked as he stretched, then he marched slowly up the stairs—desperate for a long and hard-earned rest.

  At least...that was the plan.

  “Dada?”

  He paused at the top of the stairs, glancing towards his son’s room. Quieter than a ghost he drifted down the hall and pushed open the door, to see those blue eyes staring up at him in the dark.

  “Hey, buddy.” He lifted him out of the crib with a smile. “Can’t sleep?”

  The child made a cooing sound and rested his head on his father’s chest.

  Devon rocked him back and forth—falling into the same rhythm he’d done a thousand times. He might have tucked him right back to bed, if a sudden sparkle hadn’t caught this eye.

  Is that...?

  He stared in amazement at the starry mobile he’d seen in Aria’s classroom, dangling above the baby’s crib. It had been awkwardly hung—she must have climbed onto the bookshelves to achieve it—but every so often it would twist and show him the inscription on the other side.

  For James

  His lips parted in silence before he pressed a sudden kiss to his son’s head.

  “I have an idea...”

  FIVE MINUTES LATER, fat
her and son were sitting in the park—leaning against each other on the bench as they stared up at the stars. Every so often one would lift his thermos, the other would lift his bottle, until at long last Devon set him down upon the grass.

  “Let’s try this again, okay? Together, this time.”

  The boy stared at him, eyes lit with the stars as they got into position—one kneeling in front of the other, gripping lightly on to a pair of mittened hands.

  “You just hang on to me. I’ll hang onto you.”

  He lifted those tiny fingers as James toddled forward precariously.

  One step at a time...

  THE END

  Watch for Angel’s book coming next!!!

  The Chronicles of Angel

  WHAT STARTED AS A NIGHTMARE, turned into a fairytale.

  Some might argue, Angel Cross was doomed from the start. Born to a life of servitude and raised to be an instrument of death, the girl was never comfortable unless there was a gun in her hand.

  Then she went and did the craziest thing of all...she fell in love.

  While the rest of her friends slip into a simple routine of domesticated bliss and saving the world, Angel has a harder time finding her footing. Instead of explosives, she finds herself toting a car-seat. Instead of midnight homicides in Berlin, she finds herself sitting in back of the PTA.

  An accidental touch of arson sentences her to Carter-appointed therapy, throwing a spotlight on all that dissonance, but things at the PC are growing rocky as well. Case files are being altered and prisoners are going missing. An inside-person may be working behind the scenes.

  How long can she pull a thread, before the whole thing unravels? Was such a venture destined to fail from the start? What happens if you realize...happily ever after isn’t enough?

  Kerrigan Memoirs Series

  The Chronicles of:

  Devon

  Angel

  Julian

  Molly

  Gabriel

  Rae

  The Kerrigan Kids Series

  Book 1 - School of Potential

  Book 2 - Myths & Magic

  Book 3 - Kith & Kin

  Book 4 - Playing With Power

  Book 5 - Line of Ancestry

  Book 6 - Descent of Hope

  Book 7 – Illusion of Shadows

  Book 8 – Frozen by the Future

  Book 9 – Guilt of My Past

  Book 10 – Demise of Magic

  Book 11- Rise of the Prophecy

  Book 12 – Deafened by the Past

  TUDOR COMPARISON:

  Aumbry Hall –A recess to hold sacred vessels, often found in castle chapels.

  Aumbry House was considered very special to hold the female students - their sacred vessels (especially Rae Kerrigan).

  Joist Hall – A timber stretched from wall-to-wall to support floorboards.

  Joist House was considered a building of support where the male students could support and help each other.

  Oratory –A private chapel in a house.

  Private education room in the school where the students were able to practice their gifting and improve their skills. Also used as a banquet - dance hall when needed.

  Oriel –A projecting window in a wall; originally a form of porch, often of wood. The original bay windows of the Tudor period. Guilder College majority of windows were oriel.

  Rae often felt her life was being watching through one of these windows. Hence the constant reference to them.

  Refectory –A communal dining hall. Same termed used in Tudor times.

  Scriptorium –A Medieval writing room in which scrolls were also housed.

  Used for English classes and still store some of the older books from the Tudor reign (regarding tatùs).

  Privy Council –Secret council and "arm of the government" similar to the CIA, etc.... In Tudor times, the Privy Council was King Henry's board of advisors and helped run the country.

  Find W.J. May

  Website:

  https://www.wjmaybooks.com

  Facebook:

  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-WJ-May-FAN-PAGE/141170442608149

  Newsletter:

  SIGN UP FOR W.J. May's Newsletter to find out about new releases, updates, cover reveals and even freebies!

  http://www.wjmaybooks.com/subscribe

  The Chronicles of Kerrigan

  Book I - Rae of Hope is FREE!

  Book Trailer:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gILAwXxx8MU

  Book II - Dark Nebula

  Book Trailer:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca24STi_bFM

  Book III - House of Cards

  Book IV - Royal Tea

  Book V - Under Fire

  Book VI - End in Sight

  Book VII – Hidden Darkness

  Book VIII – Twisted Together

  Book IX – Mark of Fate

  Book X – Strength & Power

  Book XI – Last One Standing

  BOOK XII – Rae of Light

  PREQUEL –

  Christmas Before the Magic

  Question the Darkness

  Into the Darkness

  Fight the Darkness

  Alone the Darkness

  Lost the Darkness

  SEQUEL –

  Matter of Time

  Time Piece

  Second Chance

  Glitch in Time

  Out Time

  Precious Time

  The Chronicles of Kerrigan: Gabriel

  Living in the Past

  Present for Today

  Staring at the Future

  More books by W.J. May

  Hidden Secrets Saga:

  Download Seventh Mark part 1 For FREE

  Book Trailer:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-_vVYC1gvo

  LIKE MOST TEENAGERS, Rouge is trying to figure out who she is and what she wants to be. With little knowledge about her past, she has questions but has never tried to find the answers. Everything changes when she befriends a strangely intoxicating family. Siblings Grace and Michael, appear to have secrets which seem connected to Rouge. Her hunch is confirmed when a horrible incident occurs at an outdoor party. Rouge may be the only one who can find the answer.

  An ancient journal, a Sioghra necklace and a special mark force life-altering decisions for a girl who grew up unprepared to fight for her life or others.

  All secrets have a cost and Rouge's determination to find the truth can only lead to trouble...or something even more sinister.

  RADIUM HALOS - THE SENSELESS SERIES

  Book 1 is FREE:

  Everyone needs to be a hero at one point in their life.

  The small town of Elliot Lake will never be the same again.

  Caught in a sudden thunderstorm, Zoe, a high school senior from Elliot Lake, and five of her friends take shelter in an abandoned uranium mine. Over the next few days, Zoe's hearing sharpens drastically, beyond what any normal human being can detect. She tells her friends, only to learn that four others have an increased sense as well. Only Kieran, the new boy from Scotland, isn't affected.

  Fashioning themselves into superheroes, the group tries to stop the strange occurrences happening in their little town. Muggings, break-ins, disappearances, and murder begin to hit too close to home. It leads the team to think someone knows about their secret - someone who wants them all dead.

  An incredulous group of heroes. A traitor in the midst. Some dreams are written in blood.

  Courage Runs Red

  The Blood Red Series

  Book 1 is FREE

  WHAT IF COURAGE WAS your only option?

  When Kallie lands a college interview with the city's new hot-shot police officer, she has no idea everything in her life is about to change. The detective is young, handsome and seems to have an unnatural ability to stop the increasing local crime rate. Detective Liam's particular interest in Kallie sends her heart and head stumbling over each other.

  When a raging blood feud betw
een vampires’ spills into her home, Kallie gets caught in the middle. Torn between love and family loyalty she must find the courage to fight what she fears the most and possibly risk everything, even if it means dying for those she loves.

  Daughter of Darkness - Victoria

  Only Death Could Stop Her Now

  The Daughters of Darkness is a series of female heroines who may or may not know each other, but all have the same father, Vlad Montour.

  Victoria is a Hunter Vampire

  Don't miss out!

  Click the button below and you can sign up to receive emails whenever W.J. May publishes a new book. There's no charge and no obligation.

  https://books2read.com/r/B-A-SSF-HVZOB

  Connecting independent readers to independent writers.

  Did you love Chronicles of Devon? Then you should read Mending Magic Box Set Books #1-3 by W.J. May!

  USA Today Bestselling Author, W. J. May brings you the first three books of the Mending Magic series - an anthology of magic, fantasy and romantic suspense that'll keep you reading.

  Your curse is your biggest strength.

  ...I just didn't know it yet.

  Book 1

  Jamie Hunt's the high school quarterback in his senior year. He's popular, smart, got the prettiest girl in the school chasing him. Everything couldn't be more perfect.

  But a single mistake changes everything. His new "ability" puts in the middle of a war he doesn't want to be a part of, protecting a girl he barely knows and running from the one thing he loves—his family.