The Twelfth Keeper Boxed Set: Books 1-3

by Belle Malory

  I belong here.

  She may not be one hundred percent happy about it, but she was exactly where she needed to be.

  Before their morning run, Alanna greeted her with a hug. “I was so afraid you were gone forever.”

  “Nope, I’m here for good.”

  “They told us what happened. And it’s all over the news.” Alanna scrunched her lips, letting Kennedy know just what she thought about it. “The Commissioner is goin’ away for a long time. I hope he rots in prison.”

  Leaning over, Kennedy stretched out her calves. “I hope so too.”

  Lexie approached them, joining in on their conversation. “I think we all owe you an apology,” she said.

  Kennedy felt her brows draw together.

  “Yes, I agree with dat,” Alanna said. “We’re really, really sorry.”

  “For what?” she asked. “You guys didn’t do anything.”

  “Exactly,” Lexie said. “Save for Phoenix and Nika, none of us did anything while Dr. Sigly, you know. And we feel terrible. It’s not who we are, not to protect our own.”

  Kennedy smiled. Their apology was heartfelt, and it meant more to her than they would ever know. “Thanks guys, and no worries. I understand.”

  Swaggering up from behind them, Fang appeared, her skin damp with sweat. She scanned Kennedy from head to toe derisively while taking a long swig from her water bottle.

  Oh well. Guess it was too much to hope that everyone would welcome her with open arms.

  “Look who finally decided to return.” Fang capped the bottle and crossed her arms over her chest. “Did you come to turn any more keepers against their planet?”

  “Fang, stop it,” Lexie said, rolling her eyes. “You know as well as everyone they tried to drown her.”

  “Oh, that’s too bad.” At first, Fang sounded sincere. But that was quickly ruined, because when Fang turned to walk away, they all heard her mutter over her shoulder, “Too bad they didn’t succeed.”

  Kennedy’s hands curled into small fists.

  Within a matter of seconds, Fang’s water bottle burst, splashing everywhere. She whipped around, looking between the three of them accusingly. Her eyes pierced into Alanna. “Did you do this?”

  Piecing itself back together, the water formed a small bubble and sprayed Fang’s face, leaving her coughing and sputtering.

  Kennedy took a step forward. “I did it.”

  Fang’s eyes widened a moment, looking completely shocked. Nobody had known Kennedy was capable of something like that. She took a few deep, seething breaths before marching away.

  Lexie held her hands over her stomach, laughing hysterically. “Priceless.”

  “Dat was the best ting I’ve seen all week,” Alanna said between chuckles.

  It was horrible, and Kennedy knew it. But she couldn’t help the tiny bit of smugness she felt. Or the tiniest of smiles she tried to hide. Her satisfaction lasted the entire five-mile run, and especially every time she and Fang crossed paths.

  By the end of the run, her muscles were screaming, but in a good way. Kennedy still finished last, but not by much. In fact, she made it to Professor Mason’s class on time. Amazing, since she’d never come close before.

  He was waiting for her outside the door. “No class for you today.” He handed her a key card. “Take this to room twenty-seven. The telephone room. I’ve notified your family and they should be waiting by the monitor.”

  A brilliant smile found it’s way to her lips. “Really?”

  “Yep, kiddo, but I expect you back before Biology.”

  Biology was her third subject before lunch and almost two hours away. She bounced on the balls of her feet, ready to squeal. “Thank you.”

  “Go on now. You don’t want to waste any time, do you?”

  Kennedy didn’t spare him another second. She turned, and even after that long run, she found herself running again through the halls of Level 3, trying to scout out Room 27.

  As soon as she found it, she dialed her mom’s number. Waiting for an answer was the most excruciating part, and she found herself tapping her fingers against the chair and staring at the monitor.

  Answer already!

  When their faces appeared, Kennedy could hardly believe her eyes. They were all there. Mom. Reagan. Lincoln. Even Hunter was there in the background.

  She waved to them all. “Hi, guys!”

  Ashley’s big brown eyes teared up. “Oh, baby. Look at you. You look great.”

  Lincoln pointed at the screen and excitedly squealed, “Kenny!” He had grown since she had last seen him, and his tufts of dark brown hair were longer.

  Kennedy spoke to all of them for the entire two hours, enjoying every minute.

  She didn’t tell them about her almost-drowning with Dr. Sigly or the one with Plaffle. There was no point. Worrying them wouldn’t do any good now that she had decided to stay.

  Instead, she told them about life on Olympus, and in turn, they told her how much their lives had changed. “A certain someone got accepted into Dartmouth.” Ashley proudly squeezed Reagan around her shoulders. “And now that her younger sister is footing the bill, she’ll actually be able to go.”

  Hearing that brought tears to Kennedy’s eyes. She swallowed, clearing her throat. “Good for you, Rea.”

  “Don’t know how it happened. The girl’s got no smarts whatsoever.”

  Reagan lightly punched Hunter in the arm. “Listen, just because I don’t know the difference between a palmetto bug and a cockroach, it shouldn’t count against my intelligence.”

  Hunter rolled his eyes. “It does when you scream at the top of your lungs just because you saw one in your kitchen. I mean, it’s not like they can actually kill you.”

  Reagan let out an exasperated groan. “For the hundredth time, Hunter, I could’ve squashed it on my own. You just got to it before I did.”

  Kennedy giggled, and for a moment she thought their chummy banter was amusing. But as her laughter died down, she realized how much she missed living next to Hunter, and how it was unfair that she couldn’t be there…and why was he in her kitchen when she wasn’t home? Hunter was her friend, not Reagan’s.

  “All right, for Pete’s sake, enough you two,” Ashley ordered. “Give me and Kennedy some privacy.”

  “See ya, Kenn.” Hunter and Reagan waved goodbye, taking Lincoln with them.

  As soon as they were gone, Ashley said, “So is everything okay? Truly?”

  She nodded. “I’m fine, Mom.”

  “You promise?”

  Kennedy suppressed a smile. “I’m fine, Mom.”

  “Okay, okay. I just wanted to make sure.” She bit down on her lower lip, looking like there was a question on the tip of her tongue, but was unsure about asking. “So, when do you think you’ll be coming home?”

  Shrugging, Kennedy said, “I don’t know. I’m hoping around Christmas.”

  “And will it be…permanently?”

  Ah, so that was the information she was pining for.

  It was a bittersweet moment when Kennedy realized what she needed to say. Slowly, she shook her head. “I am what they say, Mom. I am the twelfth keeper.”

  Ashley sucked in a deep breath. She nodded again, trying to accept that, but it looked like she was having a difficult time doing so. “How do you know?”

  Because I can manipulate an element with my mind.

  Because I feel a deep need to keep Earth safe.

  “I just do.”

  “Okay then.” Ashley swallowed, taking another breath. “My daughter is the twelfth keeper.”

  “Are you going to be okay, Mom?” Kennedy asked. “You look like you’re having a nervous breakdown.”

  Ashley let out a small laugh. “I guess I just hoped…I don’t know. I only want you to be happy.”

  “I’m getting there,” Kennedy promised. “For now, I’m content with being what I am. If I have something to offer the world, I will.”

  Ashley moved closer to the screen. “I’m p
roud of you, you know that? And I wish I could give you a big hug.”

  “Me too.”

  “I love you, Kennedy.”

  “I love you too, Mom.”

  Epilogue

  “Saved you a seat.” Phoenix patted the spot on the sofa beside him.

  Kennedy smiled and fell into the cushion. As usual, the two of them were the recipient of several stares. The other keepers hadn’t yet gotten used to them being…well, being a them. Kennedy hadn’t gotten used to it either, and defining whatever they were was somewhat tricky.

  So she didn’t. And neither did Phoenix.

  Which was perfectly fine. Whatever they were sent butterflies into her stomach on a daily basis. She smiled at the most random of moments, and it had her thinking about Phoenix even when he wasn’t around, waiting in anticipation to see him again.

  So indefinable was perfectly fine by her.

  “Where’s Mason?” she asked, trying to brush off the lingering awkwardness with casual conversation.

  “Running late.”

  “He’s never late for the morning meeting.”

  “Got a wave from him earlier. Some important news, but he should be here shortly. Coffee?” He held out a mug for her.

  “Did you make it?”

  He frowned. “Not nice. And no, I think Alanna might’ve.”

  “In that case, sure.” Kennedy took the mug from him, grateful for the caffeine. She would need that extra burst of energy later for running.

  Professor Mason appeared a few moments later, looking abnormally flustered. He walked to the middle of the room, calling for everyone’s attention. The mild chitchat between the other keepers faded into silence as they waited for him to speak.

  Mason hedged, stroking his beard. Whatever he was about to say was something he didn’t want to. This couldn’t be good. Kennedy shared an alarmed glance with Phoenix.

  Professor Mason cleared his throat. “Late last night we received intel from an outside source.” He paused, swallowing. “It distresses me to tell you we received a message from Sae-yer ships. The message was encrypted within our own system. In other words, we don’t know how they broke through, but they did.”

  Silence permeated the room, laced with a certain dread.

  Kennedy could hear the sound of her heart pounding in her chest. The memory of that awful noise came to mind. Almost mechanically, she lifted her hands to her ears, remembering how painful it had been.

  It was no prank. Now she was sure of it. At the time, she hadn’t wanted to believe it could be anything else, but deep down she sensed the truth. Nothing human could make a noise like the one she heard come from the wave-reader. It had to have been something else.

  Lexie was the only one with enough composure to speak. “What did the message say, Professor?”

  They had all been wondering the same thing, and yet no one seemed like they really wanted to know.

  Professor Mason took a deep breath. He looked like he didn’t want to know the things he did. Slowly, his eyes roamed over all of their faces. “They say they’re coming here. They want access to our planet, and if we don’t give it to them, they will retaliate with necessary force.”

  At first, the words took a while to sink in. Mason’s voice swirled around in Kennedy’s head, until she could piece each part together, one by one.

  Sae-yers coming here?

  Impossible. They couldn’t come here. Their composition didn’t match Earth’s.

  And then it occurred to Kennedy they were coming here. Not Earth. Here, to Olympus.

  What was it Phoenix had told her that day in the atrium? Take out the space center, and you’ve pretty much secured control of the planet.

  Everyone else must have come to this realization around the same time, because within moments, the room was in an uproar. They argued and debated and deliberated, and Kennedy could hear the panic within each of their voices. She blocked everyone out, forcing the buzz of their talking to the back of her mind.

  It was difficult enough training to be a keeper. Now she would have to act the part. She would have to fight. Maybe.

  The thought should have terrified her. And perhaps if she’d found this out months ago, it might have.

  Instead, she felt angry. Furious at this alien race who had obliterated China. The same alien race who murdered billions of innocent humans, and for what? Vengeance? Retaliation because they weren’t allowed free access to Earth?

  It wasn’t good enough. Someone needed to make an example out of them. They needed to pay, to be shown Earth wasn’t at their disposal.

  Let them come, she thought, seething. We’ll be ready.

  END OF BOOK ONE

  CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE

  BOOK TWO

  “I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.”

  -Vincent Van Gogh

  Prologue

  For Penelope Little, Thursday afternoon was like any other. She’d finished her morning errands, went to her ten o’clock Pilates class, and watched her favorite daytime soaps. A pan of butterscotch cookies cooled on the stovetop—Mr. Little’s favorite. He would assume she baked them herself, along with completing all the household chores. In actuality, she hired out help for tedious things like mopping and baking, because regardless of what her husband might think, it wasn’t possible to do it all and look as good as she did. Manicures and washing dishes didn’t mix, and if she had to choose, the manicure would win every time.

  Looking around her gleaming kitchen, breathing in the combined scent of soaps and butterscotch, Penelope gave a satisfactory nod. Everything was just as it was should be. Shining and perfect.

  Problem was, now that the day’s list of must-do’s were accomplished, the routineness of it all soaked in, causing her to fidget anxiously.

  She was bored.

  Tapping her fingers against the counter, Penelope wondered how she could fill the time until her husband came home. She could call the spa—see if they could squeeze her in last minute.

  No, she thought. She was in no mood to sit still. Restlessness flowed through her veins.

  Shopping, she decided, was the perfect fix. A new Hermes Birkin was rumored to have hit the local mall, and she wanted to beat all her friends to it. Yes, the purse was just what she needed!

  Grabbing the keys to her Maserati, Penelope headed out the door, excitement building in her chest at the thought of showing off the Hermes on Thursday’s charity luncheon. Envious eyes warmed her in a way nothing else could.

  She stopped dead in her tracks.

  There, on her doorstep, was a giant package. Why, it must have been at least four feet tall, and about the same width too.

  Penelope scanned the labels, unable to remember purchasing anything recently. She kept records of her husband’s bank statements as well, and she hadn’t noted any unusual purchases on his part. Pressing her palms to its sides, she tried moving the box. It barely budged.

  Hmm…heavy. It must be a gift.

  The urge to tear it open grew within Penelope as her fingers searched for the opening. A hesitant glance at her polished fingernails and she ran back inside the house for a pair of scissors. Breathless, she returned to her doorstep with them and tore the blade down the center of the masking tape in long, quick strokes.

  Once the tape was cut, she threw the flaps open. Inside was another box, this one with a giant bow adorning it.

  So it was a gift then! And a big one by the looks of it.

  The bow tore off easily, and so did the next lid, which Penelope tossed aside. She came back to the box quickly…

  And instantly backed up.

  The gun clicked as the safety came off, and the masculine voice that held it leered with amusement. “Surprise, surprise.”

  Slowly, the man stood. He was tall, built like a bull, and wore a hat that shaded his eyes.

  Heart racing, Penelope’s eyes darted to the door, wondering if she should make a run for it. She could probably get away.
He didn’t know her house like she did, and if she could get to a phone in time, help would be there in minutes. Less than that in this neighborhood.

  “Don’t even think about it.” His voice was gravelly, and there was something sinister about it, like it was about to crack at any given moment. “I’m here to talk, Mrs. Little.”

  He stepped out of the box, one leg at a time, keeping his gun trained on her chest.

  Penelope’s back hit the wall of her house. She winced, shying away. She hated guns. Despised them, even in movies. “If you wanted a conversation, what did you bring that for?”

  “To ensure your cooperation. Inside,” he ordered.

  She did as she was told, keeping her trembling hands held where he could see them. Maybe if she played her cards right, she could still get away. Running was a risk, and she didn’t want to get shot in the process. But oh God, she didn’t want to be raped either! She had heard of that happening before—unsuspecting housewives getting raped and murdered in broad daylight. Not in this neighborhood though. This guy was ballsy to come after her here in Islesworth.

  “Sit there, at the table.”

  Penelope looked one last time towards the stairs before sinking miserably into her dining room chair. She didn’t have enough guts to run.

  Damn her husband to hell. If he had only allowed her to hire security like she’d suggested, then she wouldn’t be in this mess. But no, he assured her they lived in one of the safest, most exclusive neighborhoods in the world. No need for extra security.

  “You see, Mrs. Little, I tried to make an appointment with you. A civilized one, where no guns were involved, but you refused.”

  Make an appointment…wait a second. Did she know this guy? Her mind spun, trying to piece it all together. He took off his ball cap, and she immediately recognized the pale green eyes that pierced her, the military cut of his dusty brown hair, and the lean muscles pressing against his collared shirt. “Ryder,” she spat in disbelief.

  “So you do know I’m alive.”

  “Of course I do, you imbecile.” The last note of her insult wavered, remembering the gun that was still in his hands. But good God almighty, Maxwell Ryder?