The Paranormal Research and Rescue Institute Books 1-3: Books 1-3 in the Paranormal Research and Rescue Institute Series

by Lora Edwards

  “Yes, you could say the murders are a pet project of mine.”

  “The mission would involve you. It has come to our attention recently that a supernatural has gone back in time and murdered the human man that was Jack the Ripper. He has continued to murder in his place and is drawing attention to himself due to the gruesomeness of the murders. Jack the Ripper, the human, committed the first murder attributed to the Ripper, but the others—the more gruesome of the murders—were committed by the rogue supernatural.

  “We believe the murders end so abruptly because the team we will send now will be successful in stopping them. We believe you would be an integral member of that team due to your immense knowledge of the Ripper crimes. If he is allowed to continue his rampage unchecked, we are concerned he will eventually be caught and reveal his supernatural side, which cannot be allowed.”

  “Do you know his identity,” Teagan asked.

  “No, we only know that he is a vampire, recently turned and abandoned by his master. A vampire does not have to kill his victims to feed, and it is not necessary to kill them in so grotesque and flashy a manner. He needs to be stopped. We could train another historian and have them travel on this mission, but it feels like fate having you come back to the institute; as you already have a wealth of knowledge on the subject. What do you think Teagan, are you willing to take the assignment?”

  “This is a lot to process. First there is a supernatural element to the world, and other worlds, and I am part of it, and now you want me to go back in time and stop Jack the Ripper? Alone?” Teagan shook her head violently.

  “Not alone. Bran will accompany you, as will your friend Ovidia. They have traveled back together many times and have worked on many missions.”

  “Does this mean the world will know the identity of the Ripper?”

  Armand sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers. “Sadly, no. It is because of our upcoming work that the Ripper killings stopped. I know it is hard to wrap your mind around the fact that something we have not accomplished has already happened in the past. Due to the supernatural element of the crimes, it will have to remain a mystery. It is this mystery that drew you to the case in the first place, yes?”

  Teagan nodded and stood. “Thank you for the offer, but I think I will decline. I can help to train the person you want to send on the mission, give them a crash course in Ripper lore, but with everything going on in my life right now, I do not want to add one more thing to my plate.”

  “As you wish. I am saddened by your refusal, but I understand.” Armand gestured toward the door, which Teagan was already marching toward.

  She opened the door and took one last look at Armand. “Thank you for thinking of me. It would be an amazing opportunity, but it’s not one I can wrap my head around right now.”

  He nodded once more in her direction and turned back to Bran, presumably so they could come up with a plan B.

  Making her way across the outer office, its gold lining and sumptuous furniture almost too much for her eyes, Teagan glanced at Cleo, who was still filing her long gold nails. She thought she saw a roll of the eyes and a smirk, as if she’d heard the entire conversation and thought Teagan weak for not taking the opportunity.

  Opening the door, Teagan started down the hallway but someone grabbed her arm, bringing her to an abrupt stop.

  “Are you kidding me? This is the chance of a lifetime! You would be able to see the Ripper for real and experience history as you have always wanted to.”

  Teagan whirled around and found Ovidia at her elbow.

  “Word travels fast in this place, I take it. Vid, I just learned about all of this and now you want me to find a place in my mind to believe in time travel? And not just believe, but participate? What about Duke, my job? My friends? My life? This is all new to me and I don’t even know if it’s something I want! Can you not understand that?” Teagan found herself yelling into her friend’s face, her chest heaving from the emotions rioting around in her chest.

  “Don’t worry about it Vid, we will find another person to round out our mission. She is right, she is too human still, and she can’t hack it. She probably wouldn’t be able to learn everything and be mission ready in two weeks, anyway. If we use someone experienced, we can move up our timeline.” Bran said all this, casually, as he walked up behind Ovidia, placing his hand on her shoulder and giving Teagan a pitying look.

  “Some are just not cut out for this life. She can go back to her dusty books and teaching, and we will do the hard stuff, to make sure our kind stays hidden and humans stay safe.”

  Ovidia looked sad but nodded in Bran’s direction. “Maybe you’re right Bran, maybe it is too much too soon.”

  Teagan stood there listening to them discuss her as if she was not even there and found herself becoming more and more angry. Can’t hack it, huh? Not smart enough or good enough to learn what she needed to in a short time? The frustration and confusion in her seemed to boil and seethe like an angry sea.

  A loud clap of thunder echoed outside and the windows in the hall showed flashes of angry lightning that seem to glow in Teagan’s eyes.

  “If you will excuse me,” she said to the pair with clenched teeth, turning around and marching back through the polished obsidian doors.

  Ignoring the start of a protest from Cleo, she held her hand up as she swung open the door to Armand’s office.

  He looked up in surprise, a phone to his ear, and paused midsentence at her sudden appearance.

  Crossing her arms over her heaving chest, she looked him straight in the eye. “I’ll do it. I will go on your mission.”

  “Let me call you back,” Armand said into the phone before hanging up.

  “Very well, I am glad you have changed your mind. Meet Bran in the training room at 10 AM sharp tomorrow morning. Afterward, you will go to the library where your grandfather will help you with magic and assist you with time travel. Welcome to the team, Teagan.”

  “Thank you,” she said tightly as she turned to leave.

  “Oh, and Teagan, stop by the outer office—Cleo will give you the standard employment contract and the key and directions to your new apartment at the institute. I will have someone bring over your things and check you out of the Savoy.”

  Teagan nodded again before softly closing the door, but not before hearing Armand chuckle as he picked up the phone to resume his call.

  Looking over at the desk, Teagan turned toward Cleo.

  “Yes?” Cleo asked, arching an eyebrow and continuing to file her already perfect nails.

  “Mr. Draconus said you have an employment package for me?” Teagan asked softly, trying to ignore the curl of smoke that was currently wafting out of Cleo’s nose.

  Sighing loudly and putting down the file, Cleo reached into the desk and pulled out a manila envelope. “It’s all here, including the key to your new apartment. They are furnished and come with room service and housekeeping. Directions are in with the key. Sign the documents inside and bring them back to me. The non-disclosure is sealed with magic and there are some nasty consequences that are spelled out if you break it. Make sure to read that.” Cleo said all of it in a monotone voice and slid the envelope across the desk. She then returned to her file, signaling to Teagan that she was dismissed.

  Staring down at the envelope, Teagan picked it up with shaky hands. She gave Cleo one last look, which was ignored, and walked to the door to quietly let herself out.

  “Teagan, what did you do? What was that all about?” Ovidia asked, hands on her hips.

  Holding up the packet, Teagan gave her a shaky grin. “I am now officially an employee of the institute.”

  Chapter 6

  Teagan looked down at the paper in her hand that read 416, then at the cherry-wood door with the same numbers on it in ornate swirling silver. This was the one. Teagan looked down the hall at the row of identical doors on each side. Based on the number of doors, the apartments must be small. That was okay; Teagan didn’t need a lot of
space.

  Unlocking the door with the key, with a matching swirl design, she stepped inside and gaped. Letting the door shut behind her, Teagan looked around the room in shock until she saw a short, round woman with curly brown hair and twinkling blue eyes standing in front of her.

  “I apologize, I didn’t see you there.”

  “I know, you were too busy putting your eyeballs back into your head, a common reaction when we get a newbie here at the institute—though with you being a princess, I would have thought you would be used to luxurious accommodations. I am Fiona Kendrick, and I will be your housekeeper and assistant. I am a brownie, here to help with anything you need.”

  “How is this place so big? There are so many apartments and it looks like it should be the size of a shoebox from the outside.” Teagan was too caught up in the wonder of the place to pay attention to what the woman was saying.

  “Magic, my dear, magic. You will soon adjust as it is everywhere in this place. Now why don’t you get unpacked? Your things have already arrived from the Savoy, and I will see about making you some supper.”

  “Okay, thank you. Are you sure you want to do that? I can just order some takeout.”

  Fiona looked at Teagan, shocked. “No self-respecting brownie is going to let her charge order takeout. Just get your things situated to your liking and settle into your new place. I will take care of the food.” Fiona marched off to the kitchen, leaving Teagan standing in the foyer, mouth open, purse hanging from one hand and key dangling from the other.

  Shaking herself out of her stupor, she set her bag down on the beautiful entry table and placed her key in a glass bowl of swirling colors.

  The apartment was stunning, done up in an elegant Victorian style that suited Teagan perfectly. She wandered into the living room where there was a huge fireplace covered in carvings of flowers and vines, and when she wandered closer, she could see faces peering from among the foliage, curious faces with pointed ears. Pixies, she would suspect, thought she didn’t know much about them.

  The mantel held a cut crystal vase filled with sterling silver roses, the dew still clinging to their petals. The flowers lent a slight floral scent to the room. On either side of the vase were two large, silver dragon-shaped candlesticks, each holding a hand-dipped candle in the same silvery purple as the flowers.

  There was a large overstuffed sofa upholstered with plush purple coverings, and a cherry-wood mantle carved in the same theme as the fireplace curved across the top face of the fireplace. Two overstuffed chairs covered in the same plush fabric stood on either side of the fireplace, offering a cozy place to read. Tiffany lamps graced wooden tables on either side of the sofa, and matching standing lamps flanked the fireplace, which had been lit with peat. The smell of her grandpa’s study filled the room. With the lamps lit and the fire going, Teagan felt herself relax. It was cozy and inviting, exactly what she would have designed for herself. It was very similar to the living room at her apartment back at Duke; she wondered if that was a coincidence.

  After lingering a moment and dragging her fingers across the back of the carved wood of the couch, she continued her journey. There were four closed doors on the other side of the room. The first led to a bathroom with a glassed-in shower, a gilt oval mirror hung over an oak vanity with a marble top, and a lavender glass bowl sink. Discretely tucked in the corner was the toilet and bidet. Thick purple rugs were scattered about the marble floor, and thick silver towels were rolled and stored in an ornate wooden shelf.

  She stepped out, opening the next door to find a study decorated in an almost masculine style. A large desk, again in cherry, dominated the room with a high-backed, brown, leather chair behind it. The walls were lined with bookshelves, a few of them full. As she wandered over to run her hands over them, she saw a mix of the classics, a few modern fiction books, and books about witches, vampires, and other supernatural races. Great books for research, Teagan thought to herself. The curtains were heavy red velvet, and a small bit of murky sunlight crept through the slit. The walls were done in heavy cream wallpaper and Teagan could imagine herself working away with the curtains open as she listened to the rain come down outside. Large rectangular desk lamps with metal bases and red glass shades anchored the desk, the room again giving her that sense of coziness she loved.

  Smiling and leaving the room, she opened the final door, and inside she found the master. Her suitcases were lined up near the door as promised.

  The room was large with a four-poster made of pecan, the posts carved with dragons. The bed was draped with cream silk hangings that were mirrored in the damask comforter, and the sheets were a dark red Egyptian cotton, adding a bit of drama and color. A sitting area off to the side featured a fireplace, and Teagan wandered closer and noticed it was decorated with carved dragons, their jeweled eyes glittering in the lamplight. A tall bronze fireplace sat on the stone hearth, and tools’ tops were the heads of dragons, their red eyes twinkling in the firelight from the peat fire. There were also two overstuffed chairs covered in cream with soft red throws thrown over them, flanking the fireplace and inviting her to sit down with a cup of tea and contemplate the flames dancing in the fireplace. Someone had put some thought into this and had taken her love of dark furniture, dragons, and old-world style into consideration.

  Teagan was itching to grab a book, change into pajamas, and just relax and enjoy. Across from the bed sat a huge armoire and, upon opening it, Teagan saw a large television. Closing the doors again, she walked across the room to one of two closed doors.

  Opening one, she found a closet fit for a queen. A room in and of itself, it held drawers and cubbies made of teak, a shoe rack, and two long bars for hanging clothes. To one side was an old-fashioned vanity with a large mirror, its small red and white padded chair delicate and elegant. A small loveseat upholstered to match the vanity chair sat in the center of the closet, facing the large shoe rack.

  Teagan laughed; this was a closet much more fit for Ovidia than for her. The wardrobe she’d brought, and the few things Ovidia had talked her into on their shopping trip, would only fill a small corner of this enormous closet.

  Closing the door on the closet and shaking her head, Teagan reached for the door she assumed would lead to the master bath. She stepped in and found herself in paradise. The room was decorated as an underwater grotto. The light was almost watery on the floor, which was a tiled mosaic of a mermaid, her blue and green scales glittering in the light, her head thrown back, and her long hair a mix of purples, blues, and greens flowing down her back.

  The walls painted in the melting shades of the ocean soothed, and a large marble jetted tub occupied one corner. Across from that, Teagan stepped up to a tiled mosaic shower built to hold at least four with a long bench running its length.

  A long, green, marble counter covered the far wall, and in the center sat a blown-glass bowl of swirling greens and blues, which served as the sink. Apothecary jars in the same blues, greens, and purples of the mermaid’s hair, lined the counter.

  Teagan chose a lavender jar and opened the top, the smell of jasmine spilling out into the room—a body cream in one of her favorite scents. Opening the others, she found her brand of face cream and a jar of bubble bath in the same jasmine scent, along with other creams in different scents, all ones she favored.

  Leaving the bathroom, Teagan could smell the intoxicating scent of garlic and spices and her stomach grumbled. Quickly putting away her meager wardrobe in the closet and storing her suitcases, Teagan wandered back through the apartment to take a look at the kitchen and dining rooms.

  Teagan followed her nose to the kitchen and walked through an archway to see Fiona bustling around. The air was redolent with delicious aromas, and there was some kind of red sauce cooking on the stove. The kitchen was a good size with long granite countertops in a dove grey with flecks of silver in it, and the silver was mirrored in the top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances. Teagan may not have cooked much, but she knew good appliances; g
rowing up with a mother who did love to cook and only did so with the best.

  The kitchen cabinets were pickle wood, some with glass doors. Teagan smiled. “That smells so good. What are you making?”

  “I heard from your grandpa that you love Italian food so I thought an eggplant parmigiana with a nice green salad and garlic bread would be just the thing,” she said as she stirred the sauce, the smell causing Teagan’s mouth to water.

  “That’s perfect, my favorite meal. I cannot wait,” Teagan said, smiling again at Fiona.

  “Brownies are the most content when caring for others,” Fiona informed her. “Now young lady, you must be exhausted from everything, so go on through to the dining room and I will have this out in a jiffy.” She pointed toward the opposite alcove with her sauce-covered spoon.

  Teagan walked through yet another archway and straight into Tuscany. The walls were the color of warm baked bread, and a large mural of a Tuscan villa graced one side. A small round table in dark mahogany with four, high-back, padded chairs sat in the center of the room under a small crystal chandelier. Along the opposite wall sat a matching sideboard, and a cut-glass carafe where a nice red had been set out to breathe. Teagan filled one of the matching wine glasses then chose one of the padded chairs and sat down. The past few days had passed in a blur, and she now was going to travel back in time and stop Jack the Ripper. That didn’t sound real—it sounded like the plot of a bad, made-for-TV movie.

  Teagan laughed at herself. Who would have thought her life would ever read like a bad TV movie?

  “Okay miss, here is your dinner. If you need more, there is plenty where that came from, or I can pack it up and place it in the fridge for leftovers.”

  Fiona set a huge steaming plate of eggplant parmesan with a crisp green salad and a basket of warm garlic bread in front of her.

  Teagan almost fainted from just the smell. “Are you not going to eat any? You made this wonderful meal, you should be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor.”