Nexus

by C. L. Parker

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  About Author

  Acknowledgements

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Ch 1

  Ch 2

  Ch 3

  Ch 4

  Ch 5

  Ch 6

  Ch 7

  Ch 8

  Ch 9

  Ch 10

  Ch 11

  Ch 12

  Ch 13

  Ch 14

  Ch 15

  Ch 16

  Ch 17

  Ch 18

  Ch 19

  Ch 20

  Ch 21

  Epilogue

  First published by The Writer’s Coffee Shop, 2012

  Copyright © C.L. Parker, 2012

  The right of C.L. Parker to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000

  This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  The Writer’s Coffee Shop

  (Australia) PO Box 447 Cherrybrook NSW 2126

  (USA) PO Box 2116 Waxahachie TX 75168

  Paperback ISBN- 978-1-61213-119-1

  E-book ISBN- 978-1-61213-120-7

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the US Congress Library.

  Front cover image by: © Katie Little

  Back cover image used with permission of Scott Nova http://www.scottnova.com, photographed by Annette Batista

  Cover design by: Jennifer McGuire

  http://www.thewriterscoffeeshop.com/cparker

  Nexus is defined as a connection or link among a group or series. I could go on and on about how utterly perfect that word is to describe this saga, especially the ending. It not only refers to the happenings and relationships in our story, it also refers to those who have surrounded me to offer their support while I have immersed myself in all that was, is, and will ever be the Supernova Saga. Obviously, this page is dedicated to acknowledging those people, so let’s get on with it, shall we?

  My “never-say-die” pre-readers: Bobbie Butler, Jessica Manley, Melanie Edwards, and Maureen Morgan. I have to give a special nod to Maureen here. She was my constant muse who listened to me ramble on incessantly. When I was stuck, all I had to do was shine the proverbial bat signal in the sky and Maur was there to save the day like the heroine she is—and she looks pretty damn good in tights, too. Her only weapons were an ear and the patience to let me talk it out until I finally came up with whatever solution I was trying to find at the time. Now, I’ve said in the past that I write what I see, but sometimes, these characters don’t show me scenes in order—and that confuses the bejeezus out of me. As a result, my pre-readers suffered through countless rewrites, and they did it with smile . . . mostly. Way to hang in there, troops!

  My fantastic editor: Lauren Schmelz. She has had my back throughout the entire saga and has trusted me implicitly to know what was best for my characters and their story. She’s smart, that one. I think I’ll keep her.

  My loyal readers: You took a chance on a no-named, fresh-on-the-scene author, fell in love with the story, and devoured every page as if you could literally take it into yourselves. For an author, this is the peak of success. It’s not the sales, the number of zeroes on the check, or how many articles are being written about how they came to be; it’s knowing the characters, their stories, and the lessons they learned will live on in somebody else’s heart—that these things will never be forgotten once the final page has been turned and the book is closed.

  I believe in giving credit where credit is due and, as such, I must thank Kevin Gaines. Nexus was his title suggestion, and as you can see, it couldn’t have been more perfect for the last book in the Supernova Saga.

  Thank you all. FLYAS!

  This book is dedicated to my mother who reminds me more and more every day how important it is to exercise the free will that has been given to us all.

  Life is too short not to live it to its fullest.

  Live, Mom . . . just live.

  Looking out over the garden in the early morning, Kerrigan Cruz smiled to herself. It may not have been the mystical refuge she had grown accustomed to, but it was at least an acceptable surrogate to her sanctuary—about as close as she would come to what used to be her once sacred place. The gift of the Light that had been passed down from generation to generation of women in her bloodline was gone. She had traded it for the life of her lover, Dominic Grayson, when they had shared their souls in an attempt to survive an impending threat of a life without one another. They were each part of one whole, no longer divided, just as it had always been meant to be. Watching him as he played with their daughter, Tori, she couldn’t bring herself to regret making that sacrifice.

  They were her world now, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

  Victoria Milena Cruz-Grayson was a miracle child, to say the least. Her auburn hair hung in ringlets around her cherub face, setting off the unusual teal color of her eyes and the natural bronzed tone of her skin. Her features were an even mixture of both Dominic and Kerrigan, but that hair came from her grandmother, Sarah Grayson.

  Over the short three years of her life, Tori had given unfathomable joy to everyone who had made her acquaintance. In return, she had been spoiled rotten. She was Auntie Gabe’s life-size doll, Uncle Colton’s partner in crime, Daddy’s baby girl, and Mommy’s little sunshine. Grammy and Pappy were wrapped around her tiny finger so tightly it was a wonder she had any feeling left at all. Monthly visits weren’t the norm; they were a requirement as far as Hudson and Priscilla were concerned. Pappy Hud had even started to look for real estate in the St. Augustine area so they could be closer to their grandbaby. The hard-nosed retired drill sergeant jumped through hoops like a trained pup for Tori.

  No one was immune to her charms.

  Despite her parents’ immortal bloodlines, Tori was perfectly normal—or so they thought. Really, it was Dominic who was positive she had been spared the burden of carrying Kerrigan’s gift of the Light and the curse of his demonic bloodline. Kerrigan wasn’t so sure. Something was amiss, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

  Kerrigan took a sip out of the piping hot cup of coffee nestled between her hands. She never used to be a java lover, but late nights spent tending to her darling little girl necessitated the jump-start a jolt of caffeine provided. Just the night before, Tori had awakened from her sleep, screaming with a look of pure terror in her eyes. It wasn’t the first time; the nightmares had started when she was a baby. Although they were few and far between, her fear was palpable. A protective mother ready to go to war to protect her daughter, Kerrigan had assumed the worst, but Dominic was sure the hell they had been through was behind them. He thought it was best not to dwell on the few nightmares their daughter had had and blow them out of proportion. Dominic was in denial; Kerrigan was sure of it, but she had no proof and having lost her gift, no way to know for sure.

  Dominic’s mother was a Guardian Angel, but his sire had been an incubus demon named Drake, so he should have been able to cross into his daughter’s dreams. When Kerrigan had asked him to take a peek, he was offended for multiple reasons. He didn’t think it was right to go snooping around in someone else’s head, but most importantly, he didn’t want to be anything like his father. Using that cursed gift would hit way too close to home for
his comfort. He had begged her to let it go, to just be happy that they were alive, and to stop trying to find drama where there was none. Definitely in denial.

  Not even Lucy could see what was troubling Tori. Each time she held the baby in her arms, a big roadblock—or what appeared as a pitch-black wall—was thrown up to keep Lucy’s seer abilities from taking a look-see into Tori’s past, present, and future. The black wall was a concern by itself, but what lay behind it? That was what they really needed to get to.

  Dominic still hadn’t believed there was an issue when Lucy couldn’t get a read on Tori. Lucy had said that some had the natural ability to put such a block in place, and with Tori’s mixed heritage, it stood to reason why she would be one of those people. Kerrigan still wasn’t convinced. She needed to find some way to prove it—before it was too late.

  She was shaken from her thoughts when Dominic jogged through the backyard to the porch to greet her. The sun reflected off the gold wedding band he wore and the resulting glare was just as bright as the breathtaking smile on his face. No longer the brooding, self-loathing man he had been when she first met him, he finally had what he had always wanted—a happy, functional family.

  “Good morning, Querida.” He dipped at the knees and gave her a passionate kiss. His breath was warm, the minty taste no longer a residual effect from his ghostly curse but from his mouthwash. “What are you doing up so early? I was trying to let you sleep in today.” He took the cup of coffee from her hands and sipped.

  “I haven’t slept a wink since the episode with Tori last night.” Kerrigan had stayed in bed with Tori once she had finally calmed down. “After you went back to bed, she kept telling me about the little boy and the monsters. She was so hot she slept without the covers all night, but she didn’t have a fever. It was the weirdest thing.”

  Dominic handed her coffee mug back and walked behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. In the garden, they watched their daughter laugh when a butterfly landed on her finger. She had inherited her Grammy Availia’s laugh and it warmed Kerrigan all over to hear it. She missed her grandmother.

  Availia hadn’t appeared to her since the night she, Drew, and Kerrigan had confronted Drake in the cemetery. Although, there was one night that Kerrigan could’ve sworn she caught a glimpse of Sarah and Availia standing next to Tori’s crib. It had given her comfort to think they were watching over her daughter. But she couldn’t help but wonder if Drake might have made a comeback from the pits of Hell to do the same, maybe lurking just out of sight and waiting for his chance to strike. After all, Tori was a special child—the reason Dominic and Kerrigan had been destined to cross paths. Exactly what her purpose was, no one knew, but it was Kerrigan’s job to make sure Tori would be able to fulfill that purpose.

  “You worry too much, Querida. I think maybe we need to put our foot down with Auntie Gabe. You know how he likes to snuggle up with her while they watch Supernatural. Of course she’s going to have nightmares.”

  Kerrigan smiled to herself. Thanks to Gabe, Tori was already a huge Jensen Ackles fan. He was her boyfriend and she was going to marry him when she grew up. She was also going to marry her daddy and her homosexual uncle, Colton, as well. When Dominic told her Jensen wasn’t good enough for his baby girl—because no man ever would be—she had thrown a hissy fit the likes of which only Gabe could’ve taught her, and said, But I wuv him, Daddy! An’ if he don’t wuv me back, I’m just gonna died. She was too adorable with her fists on her hips as she stomped her tiny foot. Then her chubby little hands cupped her father’s cheek, and those big, teal eyes welled up with tears as her bottom lip quivered. Pwease, Daddy . . . you can’t keep me fwom him. You just can’t!

  Kerrigan smiled at the memory. She wanted her daughter to have so many more great love affairs, and yes, even arguments with her daddy over them. The only way to make sure that happened was to keep her protected, and the most effective way to do that was to anticipate problems before they became too much to defend against.

  “Maybe you’re right, but I still think we need to be careful. What if Dr—”

  Dominic suddenly reached over Kerrigan’s shoulder and put his hand over her mouth. “We don’t say his name, Querida, remember?” Whether saying his name out loud would actually bring him back, they didn’t know, but they were taking every precaution. He removed his hand when she nodded her understanding.

  His demeanor made a sudden change from protective father to attentive husband—each as sexy as the other in Kerrigan’s opinion. He was going for the distraction, a technique he had more than mastered. One hand discreetly yet brazenly slid down the front of her sleep shorts, and his voice became full of lust next to her ear. “I’m going to go grab a shower. On my way, I think I should find Auntie Gabe and have him keep our beautiful daughter busy so you can join me and I can have some quality playtime of my own with Mommy.” Having found his mark, he cupped his hand between Kerrigan’s thighs and pressed his erection against her ass. “What do you think, Querida? Does some playtime with me sound like something you’d be interested in?”

  A soft moan from her lips was all the reply he needed.

  They had been married for over three years, but it still felt like they were on their honeymoon—not that they ever really had a honeymoon. Every moment they spent together was cherished as if it might be their last. A near brush with death had that effect on a person.

  Both of their physical forms had nearly been lost the night they had ascended from Kerrigan’s sanctuary to what they could only call the Bosom of Abraham to see their past lives play out before them. The kiss that had sealed the gift Kerrigan had given him had also sealed their fates, but instead of finding themselves in Heaven when they opened their eyes, they found themselves back in their bedroom. It was because of Tori, because she had to live and fulfill her destiny—a destiny that could only be realized if she had been born. And so she was.

  Dominic removed his hand and stepped away, swatting Kerrigan’s ass and giving her a suggestive look before disappearing into the house. He would be sure to rouse Gabe. Besides, Gabe didn’t really have much going on with Colton finishing up his last year of residency at Flagler Hospital, so his whole world revolved around Tori.

  Kerrigan turned back to watch Tori, and froze when she saw that a dainty swarm of butterflies had appeared from out of nowhere and fluttered around her. Tori beamed in amazement and giggled so hard she was nearly breathless.

  “Look what I did, Mommy! Butterfwies are pretty an’ they make me ticklwy all over.”

  Stunned, Kerrigan barely registered putting one foot in front of the other to go to her daughter. “Tori? Tori, baby, did you do this?”

  Tori nodded, the soft ringlets of her auburn hair bouncing with the movement. “Uh-huh. Does it make you happy, Mommy?”

  Was it possible she had inherited the gift of the Light after all?

  Kerrigan took Tori by the waist. “How did you do it, baby?”

  She shrugged. “I just thinked it, an’ now they’re here. He told me I could do it, an’ I did, Mommy. I did it. See?”

  “Yeah, I see, baby. Who said you could do it? Daddy?”

  Tori shook her head. “No. The boy, Mommy. The boy in my dweams.”

  Kerrigan stared at her, confused by what she was saying.

  “Mommy? Did I do somefin bad?” Tori looked ashamed. She had performed a miracle, had been given the greatest gift in the universe, and she felt ashamed.

  Kerrigan hugged her tight. “No, baby, you didn’t do anything bad. This is . . . wonderful. Come on. Let’s go tell Daddy so he can be happy, too.”

  Eighteen years later . . .

  Cruising at an altitude of thirty-seven thousand feet at four hundred and eighty knots with an ocean deeper than the scientific community could even fathom beneath you should be enough to make anyone feel isolated from the world, like zilch could touch you. There was nothing but skies the color of Carolina blue with clouds the shade of bleache
d cotton as far as the eye could see. The steady hum of the engines, quiet murmurings of fellow travelers, and the kiss of fresh oxygen blowing across your cheek were about as serene as it could get.

  Serenity wasn’t helping Tori’s situation. She was exhausted: sick and tired of being sick and tired.

  Regardless of how tranquil her surroundings, she knew a storm loomed on the horizon. She had been groomed for it since she was a young child. The carrier of mixed bloodlines, she was the key. Whatever in the hell that meant. During her many training sessions with her mother, Kerrigan, Tori was constantly reminded that she wasn’t only a Guardian of the Light from the Cruz bloodline, but also a Guardian Angel from her father’s. It had been foretold by her great-grandmother, Availia Cruz, that Tori’s destiny would be to carry out something monumental, something that might affect the future course of everything they knew. Her mother believed that also made her the Guardian of Mankind. No pressure.

  Where her mother acted as if the fate of the world rested in Tori’s hands, her father, Dominic, treated her like she was just any other normal teenager. Sure, he was overprotective, but he was also the buffer between his wife and daughter when things got a little too intense around their house. Tori resented the pressure Kerrigan had put on her. It was too much for a teenager to bear. Dominic understood what that felt like, having been in a position similar to that himself at her age. Her parents didn’t believe in keeping secrets. She had been told about all the events that led up to her birth, and as overcome as she was by the circumstances of her existence, as special as it made her feel, it was a burden that had been thrust upon her shoulders—one she hadn’t asked for in the first place.