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

by Lora Edwards

  “Don’t worry, fish girl, you have nothing to worry about…that is, unless you cross me,” Ovidia said, letting go of the other woman’s arms then sauntering out of the castle and down the path that led to the docks.

  “I would tell you she is all bark and no bite, but I would be wrong,” Erik said, patting Delphine on the shoulder. “But you don’t have anything to worry about. These people who have sided with Stanton—now they better watch their backs,” Erik said, giving her a wink before hurrying to catch up with Ovidia.

  Delphine took a slower pace, soaking in the familiar sights of the island she had spent her whole life on. She would miss it, but she was excited to start a new adventure.

  Delphine heard the deep smooth voice of Blackbeard behind her. “I hear we will have the pleasure of your company on the voyage back.”

  She turned, waiting for him to catch up to her.

  “I hope you are not angry. I know you sailed here to bring me home just for me to decide to come back with you.” Her smile was apologetic.

  “No, you needed this closure. Your father and mother needed to see you, to make sure you were all right, and you needed to be home one last time to be sure this is what you want. What is two more days? Besides, now we go back, I fake my death, and the real fun starts,” he said, his eyes twinkling.

  “Fake your own death,” She looked at him strangely.

  “Yes, I originally came here as the real Blackbeard was accidently killed before his time, skewing the timeline. It is now the time for the original Blackbeard to die, and I get to go back to my normal self,” he explained.

  “Are you afraid it will go wrong ” she asked.

  “Nah, I have Ovidia and Erik to help me, and the illusionist that made my fake head for them to fly from their battlements is a true genius. It is the same individual who made the cabins on the ship.”

  “Then you should be safe—the cabins on your ship are fantastic,” she said, smiling.

  As they neared the crowd waiting to see them off at the end of the docks, he leaned down close to her ear and whispered, “I’m glad you’re coming with us—I was going to miss you.” He then strode off toward the ship, shaking the hand of her father before boarding and barking orders at his crew.

  She saw that Blackbeard had lost two more pirates to the Sirens; they stood next to younger women who had claimed them. She hoped he was able to steer the ship with his crew so diminished.

  Delphine stopped and hugged Amora and Michael.

  “I will miss you my friend,” Amora said with tears in her eyes.

  “I will miss you Amora, my dear friend. I have to go—I have to see.”

  “Yes, it is the human in you,” Amora said, smiling through her tears.

  Delphine turned her gaze to Michael. “Take care of my friend, or you will have me to deal with,” she said, trying to look stern.

  He just smiled. “Yes, princess. I will take good care of her. You be safe.” He hugged Amora to his side, the love he had for her obvious.

  Delphine stopped and greeted a few more people, hugging her twin sisters, and then she was in front of her father.

  She had told herself she would not cry at that moment, that it was not goodbye forever, that she would come home again, even if only to visit.

  “Delphine, be careful. I love you and I hope this is everything you want and hope it to be,” he said, hugging her close.

  She then moved on to her mother. While her father had stood stoic, her mother was freely weeping, the tears making tracks down her perfect face.

  “Thank you for always being the mother to me that you didn’t have to be. I love you and I will miss you,” Delphine said before being grabbed in a tight hug.

  “You will always be the daughter of my heart, if not my body, Delphine—never doubt that,” her mother said fiercely before letting her go. “Come back and see us. I want to hear the tales of all of your grand adventures.”

  Delphine just nodded, not trusting her voice, the tears she had held back now tracking down her face. She blew one more kiss to her sisters and parents then turned and boarded the ship.

  Ovidia gave her arm a quick squeeze as she passed.

  Chapter 18

  Delphine stood at the bow of the ship as it cast off. Due to some of the crew deciding to stay on the isle of the Sirens, others on the ship had been called on to help. The Norse were sailors, and Ovidia and Erik both had experience so were drafted into service.

  Delphine waved until her arm hurt and the island was a tiny speck on the horizon.

  “It will get easier leaving home, that is. I went to the institute as a child, and even now it is hard to leave home and come back, but it’s worth it.” Ovidia stood next to her, watching the waves.

  “What is it like, the institute,” Delphine asked.

  “First of all, it’s huge. You will get your own apartment, and they have an uncanny way of making it just as you would want it, anticipating your every want and need. When Teagan came to the institute, I thought I would never be able to drag her out of her apartment. It was like a nerd reading paradise with a splash of dragon thrown in, as Teag has always loved dragons. She even married one,” Ovidia said, smiling.

  “You two sound close. She only recently came to the institute,” Delphine asked.

  “Yes. It’s a long story, but the short version is that her parents, a fae prince and a powerful witch, took her away due to infighting between the fae and the witches. They put a spell on her to block her power and her memories of the institute. Not too long ago, she reached the age when the block dissolved, and it all came back. She came to the institute to help us hunt Jack the Ripper and fell in love with Bran in the process. Since Teag is more the bookish type, she now works at the institute doing research with her grandfather.”

  “It sounds wonderful,” Delphine said, the excitement starting to erase some of the sadness that had plagued her when leaving the island. She knew it was the right choice for her, but she was still having trouble with adjustment.

  “Yep, it is amazing there. You will learn to fight and use your special abilities to the best that you can, to hone them so when we go after Stanton again, you will be ready,” Ovidia assured her.

  “All of that sounds like exactly what I need,” she said as her eyes strayed over to where Blackbeard manned the ship, his legs spread apart to counterbalance the sway of the vessel, his hands sure on the wheel.

  “I wonder what he really looks like. We only were able to see that short glimpse before he changed back at the manor house,” Delphine said then quickly looked away as Blackbeard caught her staring.

  “I don’t know, but from the look I got, he was cute.” Ovidia smirked. “You interested?”

  “No, I have too much on my plate for romance right now,” Delphine said as she took another peek up at Blackbeard.

  “Maybe when things aren’t so crazy and new,” Ovidia agreed.

  The next day was calm as they all relaxed into the routine of being on the ship. As the shore came into sight, Ovidia sighed. She was ready to go home, sleep in her own bed, see Teagan, and tell her all about what had happened on the mission. She was so thankful that she could now share everything with her best friend. She would even endure listening to all the boring information from the research Teagan had been into while she had been away. Yes, it was time to go home and sort things out, and then they would come back and hunt down that bastard Stanton and break up his little group.

  “Ovidia, how do you feel about one last pirate fight?” Blackbeard called to her from the deck of the ship.

  “Bring it on. I’m ready!”

  She hurried to the cabins to find Erik. In the distance was a colonial fleet coming their way. It was time for Blackbeard the pirate to die so the shapeshifter could go back to his own time.

  Pounding on the door to Blackbeard’s cabin where he was studying, Ovidia shouted, “Erik, it’s time to fight.” She couldn’t keep the glee out of her voice.

  Turning, she s
aw Delphine open the door to her cabin. “Delphine, come in here where it will be safe. Erik, Blackbeard, and I will meet you here and then we will use that mirror to transport us back to the institute.”

  “What’s happening,” she asked.

  “Blackbeard the pirate dies in a raid conducted by the colonials. This is the right time for him to die, not the earlier time that caused the schism in the timeline. We will reenact the last battle and then we will jump back to our own time, leaving the illusionist’s body of Blackbeard behind. You need to stay here and out of the way—we wouldn’t want you accidently captured or harmed,” Ovidia explained.

  Erik came out of the door just at that moment and Ovidia shoved Delphine into the room, cutting off her protests. She then used the small bit of magic at her disposal to lock the woman inside.

  “I’m sorry Delphine, but until we get you trained, we can’t risk anything happening to you,” Ovidia shouted through the door.

  The sounds of cannon fire rocked the ship and she pulled a cutlass out of the air beside her. A fierce grin lit her face and she turned to Erik.

  “Time to play, love,” she shouted as she ran up the stairs and into the fierce fighting that was already happening on deck.

  Ovidia dived into the melee, her berserker war call frightening the British soldiers momentarily. Erik just grinned and dived in behind her, and soon the two were parrying and thrusting and having the time of their lives.

  Ovidia glanced over and saw that it was time. Blackbeard was locked into battle with the appropriate commander. She saw him grip the chain beneath his shirt and step back. It was fascinating to see an illusion of Blackbeard continue the fight. A warm glow covered the other man, and there stood a different man, standing behind the illusion. He grinned; it was perfect. He fought his way to Ovidia and Erik just as a mighty cry came out of the British officer. They turned to watch the illusion lose its head.

  “That’s our cue,” Ovidia said, and with one last parry and thrust, the three ran down the steps and into the study. They heard the clatter of soldiers follow them and Ovidia quickly lifted the spell on the door, hurrying in with the two men right behind her.

  “Ovidia, I can’t believe you locked me in here! Of all the dirty—” Delphine started.

  “No time.” Ovidia panted as she locked the door the regular way.

  “We have to get out of here.” She grabbed Delphine by the arm and hauled her to the mirror. Muttering the incantation, she watched as the familiar library of the institute appeared. They could hear the British soldiers fighting their way in and the crack as the wood of the door began to splinter under their attack.

  Ovidia pulled Delphine through the mirror, followed immediately by the shifter and Erik. Ovidia turned and again said the incantation, shutting the door to the ship just as the British soldiers crashed in, their faces immortalized on the stained glass, the surprise at finding an empty room evident in their expressions.

  “That was close. Welcome to the institute, Delphine,” Ovidia said with a sweep of her hand.

  “Hello, Delphine, I’m Flynn, the man formerly known as Blackbeard. Happy to make your acquaintance.”

  He was even more handsome in this form, tall with broad muscular shoulders that tapered down to narrow hips and muscular legs. His hair was the color of a raven’s wing, his eyes green with specks of amber. She found herself unable to take her gaze off of him.

  “Come on Delphine, we have a meeting with Armand.” Ovidia pulled her out of the room. Delphine took one last long look at those green eyes before the library door shut between them.

  As they walked, Ovidia pointed out the different parts of the institute. The organization and building was massive, and she was soon overwhelmed with all she would have to learn.

  “Vid!” A beautiful redhead called out and started walking swiftly toward them.

  “Teag!” Ovidia shouted then gathered the smaller woman in for a hug when she got closer. The two started chatting, and Delphine took the time to look the woman over. She was striking with her deep red hair and creamy skin. Her emerald eyes sparkled with intelligence and happiness. As she talked, she gestured animatedly, and Delphine caught the glint of something on her left hand. There, under a massive diamond engagement ring and a wedding band, was a tattoo: a red dragon winding around the finger, the scales glinting in the light.

  This must be the infamous Teagan, the one Ovidia talked so much about on the voyage, Delphine thought. Delphine had read about the dragon mating ceremony and how at the end, the mate was tattooed with the image of their mate in dragon form, ensuring that the dragon would never love another throughout their long life. It was a good thing Teagan was half fae and half witch and would thus have a comparable life span.

  “I’m sorry, we’re being rude. You must be Delphine. I’m Teagan Dragos,” she said, bringing Delphine out of her reverie.

  “It’s good to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you from Ovidia.” Delphine shook the proffered hand lightly.

  “Vid, you up for drinks and dinner at our favorite place,” Teagan asked her friend.

  “You know it,” Ovidia replied.

  “Delphine, you are more than welcome to join us. Welcome to the institute!” Teagan waved and continued to walk briskly toward the library.

  “Come on fish girl, it’s time to meet the dragon at the gate.”

  Delphine frowned; apparently the new nickname was going to stick—and also, what dragon? At what gate?

  They walked up another flight of stairs then down a short hallway before stopping at two onyx doors carved with silver dragons.

  Ovidia pushed them open and Delphine gaped at the room beyond. It was a cross between a woman’s sitting room and a bordello. Red and gilt was everywhere, and in the center was a large glossy black desk. Behind it sat one of most alluring-looking women Delphine had ever seen.

  Her skin was a dusky color and matched the silky fall of jet black hair that cascaded down her back, her almond-shaped eyes a brown so deep they were almost black. Her sensual mouth was outlined in deep red that matched the corset top she was wearing, and tight black pants ended in tall boots with a lethal heel.

  The woman did not look up as they came in, just continued to file long lethal-looking nails.

  “You must be the new mermaid. You can go on in, Armand is waiting for you,” she said, her sultry voice matching the rest of her.

  “Actually, I am a Siren.”

  The woman looked up, pinning her with those dark deep eyes. “Siren, Armand is waiting for you.” A sneer crossed her perfect lips.

  Beside her, Ovidia rolled her eyes. “Cleo, there is no need to be such a bitch,” she said before striding to another set of double doors beside the desk.

  Delphine watched as Cleo’s eyes narrowed and a stream of smoke slithered out of one nostril.

  Then she crossed the threshold into the next room and received another shock. The room she entered was comforting, a study out of Sherlock Holmes but updated for the modern world.

  Delphine had lived her entire life on an island filled with beautiful people. There were not any unattractive Sirens, but the people of the institute—they had magnetism, including Cleo, who was most certainly a dragon, and now there was the man behind the desk. He lifted his head and smiled at her, a dimple coming out on either side of his face, his pale skin a perfect match for his dark hair.

  “Hello, Delphine. I am Armand. Welcome to the Institute for Paranormal Research and Rescue.” His cultured French accent melted her. “Please have a seat.” He gestured at the chair in front of his desk not occupied by Ovidia.

  “You’ll get used to it,” Ovidia whispered as she cut her eyes toward Armand.

  Delphine glared at her, and Armand pretended he hadn’t heard a word.

  “First, let me say how thrilled we are to have you. I believe you will make an excellent addition to our team. Ladies, debriefing will happen tomorrow morning at 10 sharp. Delphine, on the way out, you can collect your welcom
e package from Cleo. It contains all the information about your employment with the institute, including the key to your new apartment. If you have questions or do not find something to your satisfaction, please feel free to let me know.” Armand looked at her, flashing his dimples one more time. “Thank you for your time ladies,” he said, effectively dismissing them before going back to his paperwork.

  Delphine walked out of the office in a daze.

  “Here’s your welcome package. It includes an NDA that is magically sealed, so know if you break it, there will be hefty consequences. It also includes information on your salary, benefits, and the key to your new apartment,” Cleo told her in a bored tone while thrusting a large envelope at her. She then picked up the file from her desk and resumed filing her nails.

  “Cleo, was that painful—having to actually work?” Ovidia sneered at the dragon.

  “Valkyrie, do not push me,” Cleo said, her eyes blazing silver for one moment and smoke curling out both of her nostrils.

  Ovidia just sneered at her once again and sauntered to the door, Delphine following behind her. She looked back one more time at Cleo; as they left, a small smile flitted across the dragon’s mouth.

  “All right fish girl, here comes the best part. Be prepared to be blown away,” Ovidia said, handing Delphine an ornate brass key.

  “Ovidia?”

  “Yes?”

  “What’s an NDA?”

  Ovidia’s laughter could be heard echoing down the hallway.

  “I sometimes forget that you come from a little island in the middle of the ocean. NDA stands for non-disclosure agreement, and it just means if you tell humans about us or endanger the supernatural community in any way, something nasty happens. It’s different for each of us and will be spelled out in the paperwork you were given, but believe me, it will not be good.”

  Ovidia stopped in front of a wooden door.

  “Okay, this is your new home.”

  Delphine slid the key into the lock and it opened soundlessly. Delphine walked down a short foyer with Ovidia right behind her and then stopped so abruptly that Ovidia ran right into her.