Second Chance Doom: a paranormal romance adventure (Second Chance Academy Book 5)

by Ella J. Smyth

  Years ago, Ma had taught me a simple meditation I used to do daily. It might work. I sent my awareness into my feet and slowly worked my way up through the different body parts. My shin, my knees, my upper thighs, my quads, my hips… and bingo.

  There it was. Right inside my pelvis rested a ball of fluctuating energy, dark red, like a dying sun. I’d never noticed it before. But then I hadn’t done this exercise since before puberty. My incubus power clearly hadn’t come in by then.

  I carefully poked at the sun, and it flared just a tiny bit. I tried again. The more I nudged it, the brighter it grew.

  Wow, this was amazing. It was so bizarre to find something I hadn’t even known was inside of me. I prodded it until it had gone from a dull, dark red to a bright orange.

  “Stop. Kiernan, you have to stop.” Callahan sounded wrecked. I pulled my awareness out of my body and opened my eyes.

  Callahan stared at me as if I was a dangerous animal. His back was pressed against the wall. But that wasn’t the thing that drew my attention. An angry erection threatened to break through his suit pants.

  His face was bright red, and there was a layer of sweat pearls on his upper lip. His tongue crept out of his mouth, licking his lower lip, before biting down hard.

  My eyebrows hit my hairline. Jamie was draped over her chair, moaning loudly. Under her blouse, her nipples stood out like little bullets. Her regulation ponytail had come loose, and strands of hair were sticking to her sweat-drenched face.

  She had one hand inside her top and the other in her open pants as she flung her head back, eyes squeezed shut.

  I jumped up, nearly as flustered as the agents. “Right, that’s enough for today.”

  And then I ran out of the room. “Holy shit. All I did was play with that power ball inside my pants.”

  I stopped and mentally played back what I’d just said out loud. Then I burst out laughing.

  As far as I was concerned, the experiment had been a total success. Maybe next time, those two would think before following stupid orders from my mother.

  Some time later, I lay on my bed in the empty room, reading a Dashell Hammett novel. I’d just gotten to the bit where the detective meets the femme fatale when somebody knocked loudly.

  Annoyed at the interruption, I was about to get up when the person outside stuck a key in the lock and pushed it open.

  My mother stormed inside, her face distorted with fury.

  “Kiernan Patrick Hennessy. I did not offer you a position in my agency so you could make a mockery of the training schedule and of your future colleagues.”

  I put my book down, carefully marking the place where I’d stopped reading. Then I rolled onto my feet. “I’m sorry, Ma. What exactly did I do now?”

  She folded her arms, tapping her foot. “Don’t play cute with me, Kiernan. I sent Agents Callahan and Brewer to train you. You overwhelmed both of them with your filthy pheromones, then abandoned them.”

  I was gobsmacked. She’d never, never talked to me like this. With great effort, I kept my temper under control. “How exactly do you make this my fault? You’re the one who jumped this stupid idea on me, without ever asking me. And for the record—I didn’t abandon anybody. I just left them to… I don’t know. They’re adults, for fuck’s sake.”

  If her eyes were lasers, I’d be a steaming pile of ashes. Her voice dropped to a threatening low. “You will not destroy what I built. You’re my son and I love you, but either you fall in line, or I’ll treat you like a threat to the agency and yourself. Do you understand me?”

  I lost sight of my surroundings as her face, twisted with anger, became my sole focus. The shock of her words froze me to the spot. My emotions warred against each other while I couldn’t make up my mind whether to fight back or crumble under her fury.

  She didn’t wait for my response. Keeping me pinned under her glare as if I were a cockroach in her food, she said, “Step out of line again, and I’ll forget you’re my son. Consider this your last warning.”

  12

  MACHA

  The artificial daylight inside the compound was messing with my perception of time. I was pretty sure it was late morning, but I couldn’t be certain. There were enough personnel in the hallway to assume it was at least the beginning of a workday.

  I’d been following a tall man for several minutes. I’d seen him before, but every time, he’d disappeared somewhere where I couldn’t follow him.

  “Come on. Turn your head,” I whispered.

  From the back, he resembled my father. The agent was broad-shouldered, maybe in his fifties, as far as I could tell. He continued walking at a fast pace.

  Eventually, I ran out of patience. I broke into a sprint and touched his shoulder. “Excuse me, Sir.”

  He turned around, and my hope fizzled out. He was the right ethnicity, the right height and built, but he wasn’t my dad. I stepped back, raising both hands in apology.

  Two women walked towards me, both wearing blue running shorts and bright yellow shirts with “FBMA” printed on the front. The one on the left sized me up, then whispered to her friend. They giggled as they passed me, although the older one’s gaze lingered on my physique longer than strictly necessary.

  I pulled up my shoulders, stuck my hands into my pockets, and sped up until I rounded the corner, out of their sight.

  When I was sure I was alone, I kicked the wall hard. The pain in my toe distracted me from my burning eyes. I didn’t want to break into tears where any of those assholes could see me, no matter how much my heart ached.

  I leaned my forehead against the surface, inhaling the chemical smell of the cheap government paint until I felt calmer.

  Maybe Callahan was right. Maybe I missed my dad so desperately, I’d imagined seeing him. People did that when they lost someone. When my uncle had died, my aunt had sworn she’d seen him while out shopping. Even though he’d been cremated two weeks before.

  I pushed myself upright, my nose tickling from the dust. Nobody had ever wiped down the walls, it seemed.

  I need to tell Amber. She’ll know what to do.

  Deep down, I knew Amber would help me make sense of it. Was it a hangover from being a cat? I had no clue. Didn’t care, either.

  I turned on my heels, ready to make my way back to our quarters. I didn’t get far.

  A few yards ahead stood a man, speaking to Kiernan’s mother. My eyes nearly popped out of my head with shock. There was no doubt in my mind. His hair was a little grayer, his face a little haggard, but I’d recognize my dad anywhere.

  Anger bubbled up as I realized that once again, Hennessy had lied to us. I stepped back around the corner, patiently waiting until their conversation was done. Soon, heavy steps came towards me.

  When my dad turned the corner, I stood right in front of him, blocking his way. I wanted to throw my arms around his neck and hug him, but something in his eyes stopped me.

  There was no recognition. I didn’t know what I’d expected after finally finding him. But it hadn’t been this blank expression of polite disinterest.

  He stepped to the side, intent on walking past me.

  I squeezed out, “Dad?”

  He stopped. “I’m sorry?”

  I cleared my throat and tried again. “Dad. I’ve been searching for you. It’s me. Macha.”

  He shook his head. “I’m sorry. You must be mistaking me for someone else.”

  And then he walked away from me as if I wasn’t his son. I rushed after him and grabbed his upper arm. “No, please.”

  He stopped, looking pointedly at my hand, and I pulled it back. “Look. I don’t know what’s your problem, son. But I’m not your dad. I don’t have any children.”

  My knees shook until I was afraid my ass would end on the ground. He didn’t know me. What was wrong with him? There hadn’t been a flicker of recognition, nothing to tell me he was lying for some reason.

  No. The man walking away from me believed every word he’d said. I’d chased after his mira
ge for days, only to be frustrated every single time. Now I’d found him, the disappointment slugged me like a fist to the stomach. It was too much. This time, I didn’t bother stopping my tears from flowing.

  * * *

  AMBER

  I replayed the fight with Lance over and over again. The tension was thick enough, it made it hard to breathe when we were in the same room.

  We couldn’t carry on like this. The argument was poisoning the group dynamic. I hadn’t seen Macha for hours. Kiernan was meeting his mom, but Julian was the one who worried me most.

  He lay on his bed, staring into space. Suddenly, his gaze followed something only he could see. Occasionally, he lifted his hand to slap at it. But there was nothing there.

  I checked under our beds in case the guys had dropped an apple and left it to rot. But there were no fruit flies Julian might be swatting. It was just him acting stranger than usual.

  His black hair had grown so long, it touched his shoulders. He was losing weight again. Still devastatingly handsome, his pallor was scaring me. When he slept, sometimes I crept over to check he was alive.

  The door opened, providing a welcome distraction from my morbid thoughts. Lance entered, glancing at Julian with a worried expression. So it wasn’t just me who’d noticed the change. But the infuriating man didn’t say a word to me.

  Right. This had to stop. “Lance.”

  He stilled, his gaze avoiding me stubbornly.

  “Lance,” I repeated. “Come on. We’ve got to talk.”

  Was that relief flashing across his features? I couldn’t be sure, but it gave me hope. I sat down on the smaller of the beds, waiting for him to join me. He lowered himself onto the mattress, leaving two feet between us.

  My irritation with his behavior grew. Obviously, we were diametrically opposed. I wanted to save the kids, and he didn’t.

  I suppressed a sigh. Maybe brutal honesty was the way forward. “You know why I was brought to the Academy, right?”

  Lance glanced at me, clearly surprised at my statement. Then he nodded reluctantly.

  “I can’t forget it was my power that struck down those people. One of them was a neighbor. I knew him all my life. And then I killed him. At the time, I didn’t even realize. Farkas showed me a magical recording of it.”

  I had his attention. His eyebrows rose in surprise. “I knew something happened, but I didn’t know the details.”

  “I still dream about it. I can’t ever make up for that loss of life. But I’m damn well going to try. We fought off the Fae at the safe house.”

  I turned towards him, my voice getting louder. “I used my lightning power to stop Farkas after she killed—”

  I stopped myself. We hadn’t mentioned our former teacher, Justin. None of us was ready for the wave of grief and guilt we’d have to deal with if we talked about him.

  Later. Not now.

  “After the Soul Weave ritual, we’re unstoppable, Lance. It’s like, we have all this power that nobody else has. I know we can go and save those kids.”

  He opened his mouth, but I raised my hand and continued. “I know. Of course, we’d benefit from their training, but can’t we go and do this one thing together first? I know we can do it. I also know if we spend three months in a training camp, there won’t be anybody left to bring home. I can’t bring the people I killed back to life, but I sure as hell can save my friends.”

  And then I waited. While I’d been talking, Julian had stopped staring into space and listened. Now he went back to catching imaginary flies. I shuddered at his intent expression as he squinted at an area above me. He was freaking me out so much, but I couldn’t deal with him right now. First, I had to fix this thing with Lance.

  Lance scooted next to me. “Okay. I get where you’re coming from. Thank you for being so honest. I think we should go to the assistant director and tell her what you just told me. I want to find out more about their training before making a final decision.”

  I was disappointed that my moment of truth hadn’t convinced him entirely, but at least his position had shifted a bit.

  We sat side-by-side, silently. But it wasn’t that dense, awkward, I-don’t-want-to-talk-to-you silence any longer.

  Lance’s hair was growing back, although it would take weeks to return to its former length. I rubbed over his stubbly scalp.

  He grinned. “What does it feel like?”

  “Like a very soft hedgehog.”

  “Do you want me to keep it off? I could always shave my head.”

  “God, no.” I laughed. “Maybe when you’re old and wrinkly. But I miss burying my fingers in your hair.”

  “Old and wrinkly? Are you planning ahead, Amber?” He put his arm around me and pulled me against him. Then he kissed my temple in a gesture so sweet, my chest ached with longing.

  Yes, I wanted to share my life with Lance and with the other boys, but deep inside, I knew it might not happen. I hadn’t changed my mind about saving the kids. Lance’s answer had helped me come to a conclusion.

  This afternoon, I would make a plan how to return to Faerie to run a rescue mission. My chances, doing this by myself, weren’t great. But I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t try. Even if it meant I might not come back alive.

  13

  KIERNAN

  After my mom had left, I stood rooted to the spot, seething. Honestly, if she hadn’t been my mother, I would have given her a piece of my mind she wouldn’t have forgotten.

  Instead, all I could do was clench my fists and take her condescension. I had no clue whether she was an asshole on purpose. Or whether was she in on the conspiracy?

  The artery in my temple beat so hard, I felt it like the tik-tok of a timer, primed to detonate if I didn’t calm down. I took a deep breath, trying not to jump to conclusions.

  “I love her. She’s my mother,” I said out loud, as if to remind myself she hadn’t always been awful.

  I closed my eyes and dove into memories. Coming home from school to buttered soda bread and a mug of hot, milky tea. Her sitting at the table, smiling indulgently as I wolfed down the sweet treat.

  But I wasn’t that kid anymore. I was an adult, thrown into an impossible situation. If my mother was part of the conspiracy, I’d have to deal with her sooner or later.

  But I needed clear evidence that put her at the center of the plot.

  Today had taught me I had some powers of persuasion. “Time to put it to good use.”

  I pulled on my shoes and set off to her office. With a bit of luck, she wasn’t there, and I could convince her assistant to look the other way.

  I was in luck. When I reached the room, I knocked. The lock hadn’t snapped fully closed, and the door swung open.

  I peeked into the room. No sign of the secretary. She’d probably hadn’t pulled the door shut hard enough when she left.

  “Careless,” I muttered before slipping inside.

  This was my chance to do some snooping. A few steps carried me through the anteroom to the main office.

  In front of my mother’s PC was a beige manila file with “Top Secret” stamped across the top. Could it be that simple? I’d assumed I’d have to search for digital files on her desktop. But the longer I stared at the folder, the more sense it made.

  The Fey weren’t a technologically advanced people. We hadn’t seen a single electronic item while we were stuck in their realm. If there was evidence my mother was involved in this whole thing, it might be right in front of me.

  My mind made up, I moved to the other side of my mom’s desk and opened the file. Bingo. The very first piece of paper was a letter addressed to HRH, signed by Farkas.

  I stared at the signature, overwhelmed by the strength of the loathing rolling through me. The rushing of blood in my ears was as loud as if I stood under a waterfall.

  I felt nothing but pure, unadulterated hatred for the woman who’d abused her students’ trust and sold them to their deaths. I didn’t know how long I stayed there, caught in a quagmire o
f emotion.

  When the office door clicked, my head flew up. I’d waited too long. The assistant was back. Cursing silently, I closed the file. But I didn’t have time to move to the other side of the desk to pretend I’d only just arrived. So I sat down in my mother’s chair and grabbed a pen as if I had every right to be here.

  A blonde woman in her forties entered and stopped, immediately at high alert. “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

  I looked up, as if surprised by her sudden appearance. “Oh, hello. I don’t think we’ve met yet. I’m Kiernan, Assistant Director Hennessy’s son. I was about to leave her a note.”

  The woman’s expression didn’t soften. “How did you get in here?”

  I gestured in the general direction of the exit. “The door was open. I was hoping to meet my mom for lunch, but I forgot about a prior commitment. Could you let her know I was here?”

  Her gaze fell on the top secret file on the desk. She seized it with surprising speed and clutched it with both hands against her chest. “Of course.”

  I got up and gave her my most charming smile, adding a hit of my incubus power. “Thank you. I’m sorry I didn’t catch your name.”

  Her eyes glazed as she returned my smile. She shifted on the spot, the remains of her misgiving draining from her features. “I’m Mrs. Banks, but please, call me Annie.”

  I didn’t think Mrs. Banks would offer up her first name easily. Not even to the son of her employer. This was my chance to get some information from her while I had her whammied.

  “Have you been working with my mom for a long time?”

  “A couple of years.”

  I put on a sorrowful expression. “That thing with Farkas? That was bad business.”

  She nodded. “Yes. I understand you were caught up in it. Have you recovered from your injury?”

  “Pretty much. The Academy healer did a great job.”

  She asked autonomous questions. Not a good sign. Her gaze became clearer, more focused. She still held the file against her chest, not willing to release it while I was in the room. The compulsion was wearing off.