Wizard Hall Chronicles Box Set

by Sheryl Steines

  “No. I had business to take care of and I thought I’d see how you were doing.”

  Annie felt nothing when she looked at Emily. She never expected she would. She would, though, protect her mom. Annie summoned a bouquet of flowers and handed it to her.

  “These are beautiful.” Emily walked to the small sink and reached for a glass. After filling it, she placed the flowers inside and put the bouquet on the table beside Annie.

  “What’s the weather like outside. They told me it was July… July, that’s your birthday.”

  “It is,” Annie said curtly, though she smiled at her mother as she said it. If Emily read her coolness, she didn’t react to it. “The weather’s lovely.”

  “Are you doing anything fun?” Emily giggled. It was off putting. Annie didn’t want to discuss anything of consequence or share anything personal with her.

  “Just dinner and cake,” Annie said as she fidgeted with her fingers.

  “Well, have fun. I would so like to join you.” Emily sat and stared through Annie to the bars on the door and sighed.

  The Wizard Guard, the VAU, and the hospital had spent the last year debriefing her, in an attempt to undo twenty years of brainwashing. The process had been incredibly slow. In the end, Emily would either be lucid or far more confused than when they started. Once in a while, her assassin tendencies would reveal themselves.

  Like she did every month, Emily began to tear up. Annie knew she’d be asking about Shiloh. Annie held the edge of her chair in anticipation.

  “How’s Shiloh?” Emily asked.

  Annie thought carefully, before she answered. “He’s good. He’s in summer school, catching up in math and science.” Shiloh, of all of them, was much more conflicted where his mother was concerned. He was young and loved her and yet she had left him to die in the basement of Antique Symposium. He was working very hard to overcome what had been done. As of yet, he had no desire to see her.

  “Tell him I love him and miss him terribly.”

  Annie handed Emily a picture of Annie with Sami and Shiloh. Emily smiled and wiped away her tears. Her lucidity didn’t last, though. As Emily sat, her body tensed, she clenched the edge of her chair as her smile turned to a look of disgust.

  “I should have killed you,” she said.

  Annie held her breath. Her grip on her own chair was so tight, her knuckles were white. This wasn’t a one-off incident. Every time Annie visited, her mother said the same thing, and yet, it took her breath away and filled her with fear every time.

  But as quickly as Emily made her pronouncement, she settled back and lovingly placed the picture on the table. “I’m so glad you’re here. When can I see him?”

  Emily asked the prison guards every day when she could see her children, and every day her children told the prison no. In her mental state, she seemed unaware that she had asked already and unaware they hadn’t come to visit.

  Emily stuck her hand inside her sweater pocket and held out a picture for Annie. “This is Shiloh’s father.”

  Annie stared at the picture of a tall young man with clear blue eyes and light-brown hair. Both he and Emily had wide smiles on their faces. They looked truly happy as they held their baby son.

  “What happened to him?” Annie asked as she put the picture on the table. It was the first time Emily had been willing to speak of him.

  “Jeff worked in the lab. He arranged to get my body out of there, keep me safe. He brought me to the Fraternitatem. I couldn’t help but fall in love with him.” Emily held the picture and smiled, a tear sliding down her cheek.

  “He’s dead?”

  Emily nodded and stood, walking to her cot to lie down. She wrapped herself in the blanket. Annie knew her mother’s brain had just gone somewhere else that was safe, that wasn’t here, and that didn’t involve her children.

  Annie pocketed the photo and left her mother alone in the cell, keeping her safely inside where she was unable to harm any of them again.

  *

  Annie stared at the list of all employees that worked in the lab twenty years ago, the one that Perkins gave her a year ago. She found a Jeff Silver working there. Even though it most likely no longer mattered, Annie texted Bucky and asked him to look for the man. She sent along a picture of him.

  “How was your day?” Cham asked as he entered the den.

  “Do you want the weird or the weird?”

  “Hit me.” Cham walked to the couch as smoothly as if he wasn’t wearing a state-of-the-art prosthetic leg, then sat beside her.

  “I saw Mom.” Annie glanced at her phone.

  “And how was Emily today?”

  “Much of the same. Loving, homicidal, worried about Shiloh.” Annie handed him the picture of Emily, Jeff, and Shiloh.

  “Is this who I think it is?” Cham asked as he stared at the picture.

  “Supposedly, that’s Shiloh’s dad, if that’s what you were asking.”

  Cham handed the picture back. “Bucky’s looking for him?”

  Annie nodded. “She claims he’s dead.” With perfect timing, her phone rang. “Hey Bucky,” she said, answering it.

  “I wish they were all this easy,” Bucky said. “Emily never married him; she was technically still married to Jason. They had a baby named Shiloh and Jeff died when Shiloh was about four. Was there something you wanted in particular?”

  “Not really. I just want to keep Shiloh safe. I don’t want to be looking over my shoulder worrying someone will come for him or us.”

  Annie could hear the sounds of Bucky typing on his computer. “Well, if that’s what you want, you shall have,” he said. “According to the death certificate, he died of cancer. I just pulled up the old autopsy reports and did a quick comparison. He’s the same man in the picture you sent. I think you can relax.”

  “Thanks, Bucky.” Annie ended the call and turned to Cham. “The dad is dead, so no chance someone’s coming after Shiloh.”

  Cham kissed her. She sunk against him, always grateful when he could protect her. Sometimes she just wanted to be taken care of, and today was one of those days.

  “And the other weird?” he asked.

  She summoned a large bag and placed it on the ottoman.

  “A bag of ashes. What’s that?”

  “Better question is, who’s that?” Annie smirked. She couldn’t help how light she felt without the vampire.

  Cham looked at her with raised eyebrows. “Sturtagaard?”

  Annie laughed. “He begged.”

  Cham let out a loud and long laugh, his own stress seeming to melt away. It was followed by footsteps that entered the house and headed to the den.

  “Hey, Shiloh. How was magic school?”

  He held his palm up, summoned a puddle of water, and floated it above his hand, warming it. When he was done, he gracefully poured the water back into the bottle.

  “I think it was good.” He smiled broadly.

  For the last year, Shiloh had lived with Annie and Cham. This was partially because shortly after Shiloh’s rescue, Samantha had announced that she was pregnant. Between the pregnancy and the baby boy she gave birth to, she had her hands full. The other reason Annie had been chosen to take care of Shiloh was that she was a teacher and far better trained to catch him up on magic.

  “You think I can go to Windmere this fall? Please?” he mock begged.

  Annie laughed. “You, my dear, are a nut. Your evaluation is next month. After that, you can go.”

  “Awesome!” he shouted and pumped his arm. He grabbed his backpack and headed upstairs to his room.

  “Don’t forget! Grandma Gloriana is coming for dinner soon!” she reminded him.

  “I know!” he shouted back he entered his room.

  “You think he’s okay?” Cham asked.

  Annie nodded. “I think he’s as okay as he can be for now. School should help. Being around kids his age will be good for him.”

  They sat in silence. Annie chuckled when he blared his speakers. After a moment,
Shiloh began to sing along to his favorite song. Annie leaned against Cham as they watched the news, content in the course their life had taken and how it all seemed to fit into place.

  “Two weeks until you’re a married lady. Are you ready?” Cham asked a few minutes later.

  “You have no idea how ready I am.”

  The End

  Acknowledgements

  This is the last installment of The Wizard Hall Chronicles. I write this with a heavy heart.

  I lived with these characters in my head for the last ten years. Thinking for them, breathing for them, crafting their lives, all in hopes of entertaining readers and making them think,or feel or simply enjoy.

  I couldn’t have done this without the help of A LOT of people.

  This is for me, then, a thank you letter to the following people:

  Thank you to:

  Joy Meredith, you are the one who re-sparked my desire to become an author because you were published and I was green with envy. I took that jealousy and turned it into my first book.

  Pavarti Tyler, believe it or not, meeting you changed my career as an author. Because that day, you introduced me to other authors, marketers, editors, and book cover designers. I am where I am today because we met.

  Melissa Storm and Briana Clark, my earliest marketing help. You are still in my corner and offer encouragement when asked.

  Ashley Egan, Kira McFadden and Rachel Porter, my editors. Each of you has supported me on my journey. I trust you more than I trust anyone else with my work.

  Chrissy, Alisha, and Damon with Damonza.com and Mallory Rock with Rock Solid Designs, you bring my vision to life in brilliant, beautiful ways.

  Ed and Jamie White. While we have never met in person, I trust you with my babies as ARC readers and reviewers. You’re always supportive and there when I need an extra set of eyes.

  Marilyn Mages, Jim Pearson, and Bonnie Litch, my friends and marketing help. For EVERYTHING, I am grateful.

  My brother, Brad Aronson, for being my first editor and making my books less Harry Potter-ish.

  To my friends and family for purchasing the books, attending events, liking my posts, and sharing them with everyone they know. I appreciate the time and support.

  For without all of you, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

  Sheryl

  If you enjoyed The Wizard Hall Chronicles, please leave a review. I always appreciate the help help and I hope you enjoyed the series and Annie Pearce’s journey. I enjoyed writing it and sharing with you.

  For more information about me and any upcoming books, you can find me at:

  www.Sherylsteines.com

  Facebook: Sheryl Steines Author

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/SherylSteines

  Instagram: SherylSAuthor

  Amazon: The Wizard Hall Chronicles

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  About the Author

  I’ve known since the age of 7 years old that I wanted to be a writer. Unfortunately, life zig zagged me down a path so far from that dream that it took meeting a former classmate and published author, for me to finally find the focus and rekindle the passion to write my first book.

  When I’m not writing, I’m hanging with my kids and husband, tooling around in my convertible, reading, or pretending to be an interior designer.

  If you like Annie and Cham, Like me on Facebook at Author Sheryl Steines, follow me on Twitter @SherylSteines and let me know what you think of The Wizard Hall Chronicles on my website at www.Sherylsteines.com.