Registry's Secrets (The Mengliad Series Book 2)

by Jana Janeway

  “The Registry told your children you were dead,” Marcy added, “because they knew Jessica and Shea would want to remain in your lives, and they saw that as a possible complication. They imprisoned you guys for a similar reason. They knew if your children just up and disappeared, you wouldn’t stop until you found out why.”

  “And the Registry is what again?” Zack now seemed more irritated than anything else.

  Jeramey huffed derisively. “Once upon a time, they were an agency whose sole purpose was to help all of Mengliad kind with various needs and situations. Now, they’re a power-tripping group of elitists, who think they can just go around sticking their crooked noses into everyone’s business.”

  Appalled, Jill huffed as well. “If they’re so crooked, then we should call the police on them!”

  “No, Mom, you don’t understand.” Shea’s patience was waning. “And you’re missing the point.”

  “Point seems pretty plain to me,” she muttered.

  “What’s the point, son?” Zack asked.

  It was easy to see which parent Shea got his temperament from. His mother had a disbelieving edge to her tone and expression, while his father seemed willing to hear them out, attempting to make sense of things.

  Jessica, however, was a mix of the two personalities. She certainly had her mother’s fiery side, but she also had her father’s open-mindedness.

  “Mengliads,” Shea answered. “Mengliads are the point.”

  “And the Registry doesn’t answer to Human authorities.” Marcy sounded absolute, rather than opinionated. “You would be amazed how many agents they have strategically placed in positions of power. Police chiefs, mayors…” She trailed off when Shea gave a subtle hand gesture, requesting that he be allowed to explain.

  “Mengliads are a species of people that have evolved side by side with Humans, since the beginning of time.”

  “Or we were created by God,” Elsa interjected, making her beliefs known.

  “Let’s leave the evolutionism versus creationism debate alone for now, okay?” Wade suggested respectfully. Elsa nodded, giving Shea the floor once again.

  As Shea continued, Jessica watched her parents’ reactions carefully. They were skeptical, of course, but at least they seemed to be listening. She wondered how willing they would be to do so when it came time to tell them about Craddock and the baby.

  ‘It’ll be okay, Jess.’ The hand that was still resting on her knee began to caress.

  ‘Maybe we should wait to tell them. All this will be hard enough to get a handle on.’

  One of the reasons why she was so nervous was suddenly at the forefront of her thoughts.

  ‘Baby, we didn’t even have a ceremony. We couldn’t very well invite them to something we didn’t have. Plus, we thought they were… deceased. They’ll understand.’

  ‘Exactly. We didn’t have one. At all.’

  ‘So you’re worried because you think they won’t see our marriage as valid?’

  ‘And that it happened so fast. We knew each other for days only.’

  ‘Yeah, but we’re actually in love! We have Chimie!’

  ‘They don’t know anything about Chimie, Craddock. That won’t be any kind of selling point for them. That’ll only confuse them further.’

  ‘We’ll explain it to them. Make it less confusing.’

  ‘They’ve already been through so much. I’m afraid too much more and it’ll break their brains.’

  ‘If they’re half as strong as you are, they’ll be okay. They seem to be handling what Shea is telling them.’

  She glanced at her parents before returning her gaze to her lap. ‘They’re shell-shocked, most likely.’

  ‘With the last year and all, they’ll probably be more open to things they might not have been otherwise, ya’know?’

  ‘Maybe, but you don’t know how they are. Nothing I ever do is good enough.’

  ‘Shea says that’s all in your mind. They love you, Jess.’

  ‘They do, but they’re more critical of me than they are of Shea.’

  ‘Sounds more like sibling rivalry.’

  She huffed quietly, exasperated. ‘It wasn’t just imagined, Craddock. If I got good grades on my report card, they’d pat me on the head and send me on my way. If Shea got a good report card, they would throw a parade in his honor!’

  ‘You’re exaggerating.’

  ‘Only a little bit! That’s the messed up part!’

  Craddock stifled a laugh. ‘Well, you’re not in competition with him anymore. Love and marriage isn’t a contest.’

  ‘It shouldn’t be, but they’ll deem him the winner, you watch and see.’

  ‘If they’re so horrible, why did you want to rescue them?’

  ‘They’re not horrible, they just played favorites. They’re still my parents! Just because they love Shea more, it doesn’t mean I don’t love them!’

  ‘Why did they favor Shea?’

  ‘I don’t honestly know.’

  It was easy to carry on their conversation while Shea was talking – his voice was calm, almost monotone – but when Zack spoke up, it broke through and gained their attention.

  “I’d say you’re talking crazy, but it fits with stuff we overheard.”

  “Like what?”

  Elsa’s question was posed simultaneously with Wade’s.

  “What kinds of things did you overhear?”

  “Just random things,” Zack answered. “BTR, late convert–”

  “They sometimes spoke in another language,” Jill interrupted. “At first I thought they were speaking French, but I took two semesters of French in high school…”

  “It wasn’t French,” Jessica said when her mother trailed off. “It was Menglianese.”

  Jill’s eyes settled firmly on hers. “And all this started because you got bit by a mosquito?”

  Sensing Jessica’s unease over the question, Craddock replied in her defense, “This isn’t her fault, Mrs. Mitchell. There’s no way she could have foreseen all this happening.”

  Jill stared at Craddock for several tense moments, almost as if sizing him up. She didn’t appear to be angry with him; it more seemed like she was perplexed by him. Finally, in a tone that confirmed his impression, she asked, “And you are?”

  Chapter Twenty

  The time was upon them, and it made every muscle in Craddock’s body tense. It wasn’t due to the Mitchell parents, however, or their potential reaction.

  The moment her mother had posed the question, Jessica’s anxieties elevated tenfold. Whether real or imagined, she clearly believed that, on some level, her parents thought her a failure. That belief caused her to tense as well, and to dig her nails into Craddock’s palm as she gripped his hand tighter.

  Wanting to spare her the initial awkwardness of the announcement, and to save his flesh from further damage, he decided to start things off.

  “My name is Craddock, and I’m… your son-in-law.”

  Shocked, Jill asked, “Since when?”

  Answering honestly would make the situation sound worse than it was. Knowing this, he opted for vagueness. “Since soon after you and your husband were imprisoned.”

  “You had a boyfriend and never told us?” mother asked daughter directly; Jessica cringed at the disappointment in her tone.

  “No, Mom, it wasn’t like–”

  “She was planning on telling you,” Craddock interrupted Shea, shooting him a discreet, pointed look, “but then all this started happening—”

  ‘Why did you say that?’

  ‘If she thinks we knew each other for longer, maybe she won’t be as upset.’

  ‘That’s optimistic. And even if true, she’ll care that we didn’t have a ceremony, and I don’t think we should lie and say we did.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Shea. He’s a momma’s boy. He won’t like it if we lie to them, and will probably rat us out if we do.’

  ‘Maybe you should take over. You’ll know better how to word t
hings, since I don’t know them.’

  ‘There’s no right or wrong way to word this. She’ll react negatively no matter how we phrase it.’

  ‘I’m getting the impression that your dad isn’t the problem, so much as your mom.’

  ‘He’s more open, but he usually follows her lead. If she gets upset, he will, too.’

  “What are you doing?”

  Jill’s question caused both Craddock and Jessica to jump. With their focus of attention being solely on each other, they hadn’t seen the perplexity in her expression.

  ‘We must be really obvious, if a Human can sense what we’re doing.’

  ‘She doesn’t understand what we’re doing,’ Jessica surmised. ‘And she won’t believe us if we tell her.’

  ‘Not even if we explain things?’

  ‘Probably not. If it can’t be proven…’ Her thoughts trailed off, but then she said out loud, “I just don’t care anymore. Mom, Dad…” She glanced back and forth between the two of them. “I married Craddock after only knowing him for five days. And we didn’t have a ceremony, either. It’s all just on paper. And none of that matters to me, because I love him. If it matters to you, I’m sorry, but it doesn’t change anything if it does.”

  “So you’re living in sin?” Jill challenged.

  “What do you mean, it’s just on paper?” While seemingly as baffled, Zack’s tone held no sign of irritation, like Jill’s did.

  “In order to protect them,” Marcy answered, “when relocating them, we changed their names and listed them as married.”

  Jill sat a little taller. “Then you’re not really married,” she said firmly, with a nod of finality. Her words and body language implied the discussion was closed.

  Annoyed, Jessica shot back, though respectfully, “Yes, we are. Marriage is about commitment, and we have that with each other. We also have Chimie,” she added, knowing the term would mean nothing to her mother. For the briefest of moments, she enjoyed holding the upper hand. Her gloating was short lived, however.

  “Chimie is unique to Mengliads,” Shea explained, “and is like a mental connection, of sorts.”

  “Couples who have Chimie can feel each other,” Bibi said. “They can sense the other’s feelings, thoughts, and emotions.”

  “With Craddock and Jessica,” Wade added, “it goes beyond even that. They can have actual conversations with each other, telepathically.”

  When Jill shook her head, disbelieving, Jessica’s patience snapped. “With everything that’s happened to you, with everything we’ve explained, you’re honestly going to do this?”

  Hoping to ease tensions, Shea offered, “I had trouble believing it all at first, too, but it’s true, Mom. It is.”

  “What would your daughter have to gain by lying to you?” Marcy asked.

  ‘I have an idea, Jess, if you’re willing.’

  ‘Depends on what it is. You don’t know my mom like I do.’

  ‘True, but this is a pretty simple plan.’

  “I don’t think she’s lying,” Jill answered, “but there’s something weird going on here.”

  “We can try,” Jessica said aloud, after the basic aspects of Craddock’s idea flitted through his mind, “but she might just consider it a magic trick.”

  Jill’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

  “I was speaking to Craddock.” Jessica glanced at him before dropping her gaze to her lap.

  Permission given, Craddock whispered, “I’ll be right back,” then stood and headed for the kitchen. Marcy followed.

  “What’s up?”

  Craddock continued on task as he answered. “I have an idea. Jessica’s not sure if it’ll work, but it’s worth a shot.” When he located what he was looking for, he held it up for Marcy to see.

  “Paper and pen?” she asked, scowling.

  “You’ll see,” was all he said.

  “You think I’m lying.” The hurt in Jessica’s tone masked the irritation she was still feeling.

  “I don’t,” Zack countered, “but I am confused.”

  Craddock handed Jill the pad of paper and pen he had just retrieved. “Hopefully, this will help you not to be.”

  “What am I supposed to do with this?” she asked. A scoffing sound followed, but Craddock ignored it.

  “I want you to write something down, but keep it to yourself. Then hand it over to me.”

  “Why?”

  Zack, taking the items from his wife’s hands, muttered as he put pen to paper, “I think I see where this is going.” Several seconds later, after jotting something down, he ripped the paper from the spiral binding and extended it towards Craddock.

  ‘Weird.’

  ‘What’s weird? What does it say?’

  ‘It says: Lie. Please. For your mom’s sake.’

  Jessica shifted her attention onto her father; the intensity with which he stared back at her was unnerving.

  ‘Lie about what?’ Craddock asked. ‘Lie about the Chimie? Our relationship?’

  ‘I don’t know, but how can we? We already said it.’

  ‘I don’t know.’

  Sighing heavily, she pushed off the couch and onto her feet. “I need some air.” ‘Follow me.’

  “What just happened?” Bibi asked. The question was directed at Craddock, since Jessica was already at the door and leaving, but he didn’t respond. At least not verbally.

  ‘Right behind you.’ Handing the note he still held over to Wade, he shared a meaningful look with him before racing after Jessica.

  She hadn’t gone far. As he navigated the winding concrete path that led away from the house, he spotted Jessica inching herself up onto the hood of the car that was parked in the driveway. The way she slumped back into a reclined position and stared up at the sky told Craddock where her mood was at. He slowed his approach.

  ‘I guess your dad is handling all this better than your mom?’

  ‘I’m not surprised. Dad is a roll with the punches kind of guy. Mom is more resistant to change. Like Shea.’

  He gave a nod as he pushed up onto the hood to join her. ‘Lying to her outright might not be the best of ideas. Eventually, we’ll have to tell her the truth. What then?’

  ‘I know. That’s why I left. What I don’t get is, why did Dad suggest it? It’s not like him.’

  ‘With the kind of hell they’ve been through… People change, Jess.’

  ‘Maybe. I mean, I’m sure they have changed, but he’s always abhorred lying. Growing up, we’d always get in more trouble if we lied than we would for whatever it was we did wrong. Yet here he is asking me to. It doesn’t make sense.’

  ‘Maybe you should talk to him, so that you can make sense of it.’

  ‘I’m scared to.’

  ‘Why? Why scared?’

  ‘I think this past year might’ve messed up my mom. If I’m right… I don’t think I can deal with that right now.’

  That wasn’t her only fear, Craddock realized. Once again, she was feeling guilty for her supposed part in how things had unfolded.

  ‘You’re not to blame for this, baby. The Registry would have imprisoned them anyway, even if you hadn’t left Dr. Brady’s apartment and gone back to yours.’

  ‘Maybe.’

  ‘Not maybe. Definitely.’

  ‘Still, it all comes back to me. Sure, I didn’t ask for this to happen, but that doesn’t matter, does it? If that fucking mosquito hadn’t bit me in the first place, none of this would have happened!’

  She was angry. She didn’t normally curse otherwise.

  ‘That’s true. But ya’know what? I’m glad that fucking mosquito bit you. Sure, if it hadn’t, then none of the bad would have happened, but that also means none of the good would have, either. Would we have met? Fallen in love?’

  Sighing, she sat up like he was, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs. “Probably not.”

  “The bad sucks, I know, but the good will see us through, okay?”


  ‘I wish it was as simple as you make it sound.’

  ‘It can be.’

  ‘For us, maybe. What about everyone else?’

  ‘What about them?’

  ‘As I see it, there isn’t much good for anyone besides us. Shea and Stacy are together now, yeah, but they might’ve gotten together anyway. Bibi and Josiah have been uprooted. My parents have been through hell and are now uprooted as well. Wade, Marcy, and Jeramey are seen as traitors. People have risked their lives. We’re the only ones reaping any kind of good from all this.’

  ‘Wade, Marcy, and Jeramey would have left the Registry eventually. They didn’t leave because of you. Your situation was just the final straw.’

  Shrugging dismissively, she leaned into him, resting her head against his shoulder. ‘I have to talk to them, don’t I? My parents.’

  His arm snaked around her waist, pulling her tighter to him. ‘I think you should, yeah. Better to know where we stand.’

  “Meaning what?” she asked, but then his thoughts on the matter made the question unnecessary. “They wouldn’t do something like that.”

  “They think we’re a cult, Jess—” When she shook her head, he dropped the subject. Insisting she consider the notion would only upset her further. ‘We should go back inside.’

  ‘I need another minute. I have no idea what to say to them now.’

  ‘Take all the minutes you need.’

  He kissed the top of her head, allowing his lips to linger there. Effortlessly, he pushed his thoughts away from the problems they were facing and onto his love for her. In doing so, she began to relax, which was exactly what he had been hoping to accomplish.

  ‘When all of this is over, we’ll have a ceremony, okay?’

  Her tension returned slightly. ‘This won’t ever be over with. The Registry will never stop hunting us.’

  ‘There will come a point when they’ll have bigger problems. We’ll become a faint memory to them.’

  Startled, she shifted positions, staring at him curiously. ‘What do you know that I don’t?’

  ‘I’ve heard snippets of conversations here and there, but it was something Elsa said, when they were cleaning and tending to your wound. She wanted Kiff to take pictures. She said it was for evidence. I think they’re planning to out the Registry. Expose them for what they are. What they have become. If I’m right, we’ll be the least of their worries.’