by Jamie Summer
The Last Keyholder
A Keyholder Series Novel
Jamie Summer
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Jamie Summer
The Last Keyholder
First published in 2018
Copyright © 2017 by Jamie Summer
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork herein is prohibited without the express written permission of the author.
Facebook: Jamie Summer
Cover: Concierge Literary Designs
Editing: Kim’s Fiction Proofreading and Editing Services
Formatting: The Graphic Shed
Prologue
I glanced at the graveyard in front of me, the sight bringing tears to my eyes. I knew it was a bad idea to come. The ache in my stomach made that readily apparent. The procession was in full swing, and while I knew people probably wondered where I was, I couldn’t bring myself to take another step. Making it this far had already taken up all my strength. I didn’t have any more to give.
Mourners dressed in black started moving, stopping by the grave before walking away. They all put a rose down. A little bit of dirt. The custom. Yet none of them understood what it truly meant to put the one person who meant the most to you into the ground. They would never understand.
No one would.
I turned away, the shaking in my body evidence enough that I needed to leave. I got into my car, which I had parked across the street, and stared out the windshield for a few minutes before deciding on my next course of action.
The buildings before me blurred together as I drove, no more than nameless places I couldn’t care less about. I needed to put as much distance between myself and here as possible. There wasn’t any town far enough for me, yet as I eventually stopped, unable to ignore the need to use the bathroom, I noticed a few changes to the scenery around me. There was a little more green than back home. More people around.
Maybe that was exactly what I needed. To get lost in a crowd. I tended to stay away from big cities, but maybe a city similar to this one was exactly what I needed.
I walked into a truck stop, went to the bathroom, then got myself some snacks before continuing on the road. I had no idea how much time passed. It could’ve been minutes, hours, even days. Time wasn’t a concept I truly understood anymore. Or really cared about.
After hours of aimless driving, I stopped. The town of my choosing had one main road, a few leading off of it, but not much else. I saw a grocery store, a small flower shop, as well as a bakery and coffee house. There was a quaint inn on my left where I parked. Honestly, I had no idea why I chose this area. Whether it was the fact there were quite a few people on the streets, despite the small-town feel, or that this was as far as I was willing to go for now, I didn’t know. Or care.
I got out of the car, grabbed my backpack, and walked up the stairs to the entrance. It felt final, as if I were saying goodbye to the past and welcoming the present.
I needed to leave everything and everyone behind, needed to start anew. I only had one wish for this new place—to make me forget where I came from.
The past never forgets, though.
It always catches up with you.
Chapter One
“Emlyn Cavanagh, you’re late.”
I sighed and turned toward my locker, trying to ignore my boss’ voice coming from my right. It was always the same. Every. Freaking. Day. Being late was somehow ingrained in my personality. I couldn’t help it. I tried to leave my apartment on time, but something always delayed me. It was almost as if the universe were playing some kind of joke.
“I know, Jeff. But I’m here now and will be out in two minutes,” I called out, knowing he stood in the door of our employee dressing room. The small space in the back of the bakery wasn’t anything fancy. It contained a wooden bench and enough lockers for all five of us. That was it. Nothing else.
It took me a mere thirty seconds to open my locker, switch my black leather jacket for my white work coat, then lock up my bag and coat. As a last attempt to look decent, I pulled my brown hair up into what was probably a messy bun. At this point, I was just glad I could put it up. After I’d walked out of the hair salon a few weeks ago, I wanted to punch something. The lady cut off way too much, suddenly giving me chin-length hair I never wanted. Thank goodness it always grew quickly.
The bakery didn’t officially open for another twenty minutes, but a few of the regulars already sat there, downing their morning coffee. That was one thing I liked about Jeff. If somebody stood outside, waiting, he let them in. He was an amazing boss, even if he liked to give me a hard time about being late.
“Emlyn, I can see you lazing around.”
I shook my head. There was no way he actually saw me. The lockers blocked his view. “Get moving.”
I stood and made my way to the front of the shop, looking at the clock. Five forty a.m. Definitely not a time I ever dreamt of being at work. I knew exactly what I was getting into when applying, but considering it was the only one available, choices were limited. At twenty-four, you’d think I’d have something better to show than a job at a bakery, but here I was, living the dream.
“Ah, there’s our late bloomer.” Jeff’s smile was welcoming and warm. He tried.
“That is way too inappropriate for this time of day,” I shot back, giving him the evil eye.
“You know he loves you,” Tom, one of our regulars, said, a grin on his face as he sipped from his cup.
“I know, but he has a funny way of showing it sometimes.” I walked behind the counter. While I sucked at baking, I was really good at taking the customers’ money.
The day got off to a slow start, so I followed the usual routine—made several pots of coffee, sorted the donuts, cookies, and whatever else Jeff baked for the front display, and made sure the prices were listed.
“Hey, Emlyn. How did your date go?”
Groaning, I turned around and busied myself with putting out the various donuts. I ignored Seth, another one who tended to come in early.
“That good, huh?”
Hearing the grin in his voice, I kind of wanted to punch him. The date I had with one of my neighbors was a complete bust. I’d much rather forget it ever happened than be reminded of the huge failure it turned out to be.
“It was okay. Not much to say,” I lied, shrugging, hoping it would get him to drop the subject. I also hoped no one noticed I talked about an octave higher than usual. I was a really bad liar.
“So there’ll be a second one?” Apparently, Seth didn’t get the memo and wanted details. But there just weren’t any.
“Nope, there won’t, and that’s the end of it.” Hoping they’d all let it go, I walked around the counter and filled up everybody’s cups, ending the conversation.
As the day went on, it got busier. I welcomed
the conversations with customers, as well as the quiet times I was able to take a breather from the constant movement.
“Excuse me. Are you Emlyn Cavanagh?” somebody asked as I put another pot on.
I turned, my eyes widening. The guy looking at me expectantly was the perfect image of a god. His short, blond hair shimmered in the sunshine streaming through the windows. The bright silver of his eyes held a certain depth I felt myself getting lost in without meaning to. He was taller than I was, towering over my small frame of 5’3’’ by at least half a foot. I didn’t see his outfit completely, but he wore a white dress shirt, which fit nicely around his arms. I figured he sported black business pants because it was what I expected to complete the look.
It wasn’t what drew me to him, though. There was a certain air around him that was equally mesmerizing and dangerous. I might’ve been staring a little.
Okay, a lot.
He raised his brow. “Are you Emlyn?”
I had to snap out of it or risk looking like an idiot. “Yes... Yes, I am.” I was surprised at how normal my voice sounded under the circumstances. I shouldn't be this affected by a stranger, yet here I was, throat dry and hands clammy.
“I have a letter for you,” he said, holding out his hand. I couldn’t help but notice the velvet tone of his voice.
Reaching out and taking it, I looked at the envelope. It was made from parchment that could very well have been from the Middle Ages. Its weight was much more than I would've expected from such a tiny piece of paper. I shivered, a cloud of darkness clinging to me so suddenly, a small gasp escaped my lips. Then it was gone again.
Who would send me a letter like this?
“Who is this—” I stopped when I glanced up, finding him gone. “Hey, Jeff, did you see the guy who was just here?”
My boss turned from the oven in the back and arched a brow. “Who?”
“The guy who gave me this letter.” I held up the envelope.
“No idea who you’re talking about.”
Great. I eyed the few customers in the bakery, but none seemed able to help me out.
But he had been here. Right in front of me. I held the evidence in my hand.
“Jeff, I’m gonna take a five-minute break. Okay?” He waved me off, letting me know it was fine.
I didn’t stick around long enough for him to rethink his decision as I made a mad dash for the door and walked over to the coffee shop across the street. I had been a regular since I started working at the bakery, and Gwen, one of the baristas, greeted me with a nod. She held up her fingers in a “V”, signaling she knew exactly what I wanted—a venti latte. I have had better coffee than what they brewed here, but since our own wasn’t very pleasant, I was grateful for the opportunity to get some rather decent magic brew just on the other side of the street. No one could live without coffee, right? If they did, I’d really love to know how.
Sitting on one of the couches in the corner, I studied the envelope far longer than necessary. I had no idea why the mere fact I received a letter made me run out of the bakery the way I did, but something about this felt…off. I couldn't put my finger on it, but knew I didn’t want to open it. After all, the stranger who gave it to me disappeared. If that wasn’t strange, I didn’t know what was.
I gave the outside of the letter another once-over. The color wasn’t white. More like the typical off-white you see in wedding dresses these days. Or so I heard. How old was that paper?
“Whatcha got there?”
I hadn’t heard Gwen approach, so I jumped. Looking over my shoulder, definitely invading my space, she unashamedly stared at the envelope in my hand. Early on, I realized the woman had no respect for people’s privacy. At least she brought coffee.
“Nothing important,” I replied, hoping it would appease her. Not Gwen’s style, though. The woman was like a terrier.
“Looks old and important.”
I tried to come up with reasons it wasn’t as exciting as she made it out to be, but failed. What exactly was I supposed to tell her? That I had a secret admirer and he liked to write me old-school letters? Considering Gwen knew about my dating disasters, that option was out of the question. I laid it on the table and turned to face her.
“I got it from a stranger and am rather reluctant to open it.” Yep, I went with the truth. After all, I couldn’t lie to save my life.
“What?” Her shriek pierced my eardrum. “Are you serious? Oh, my gosh, girl. You have to open it. Now. Want me to sit and hold your hand?” This woman had a flair for the dramatics.
“No, Gwen. Go back to work. I’ll be fine.” I was confident she wouldn’t listen to my demand, so was surprised to see her put my latte down and walk off. The letter stared at me from the table, daring me to open it, teasing me with the possibilities of what could be inside.
“Emlyn, get over yourself,” I whispered.
Taking a deep breath, I picked up the envelope, ripping it open. What was the worst that could happen? It didn’t look like there was a bomb in there, waiting to explode. However, somehow, I felt afraid to look at whatever was inside. I had no idea what it was, but my stomach clenched at the thought of revealing the letter’s secret.
I realized I was being way too dramatic and shook my head. Was Gwen rubbing off on me? Since when had I turned into such a scaredy-cat?
Since the day I wanted to forget more than anything.
I took one last deep breath and opened it a bit further. A single piece of paper fell out. It looked to be the same texture as the envelope, and when I carefully picked it up, I saw only a few words. I gasped.
Go. Find it.
It’s your only chance.
Live or die.
Chapter Two
The words stared back at me. I turned the paper over, trying to find the joke to go along with it. Something to tell me this was some crazy dream. There was something written below, but nothing that made much sense to me. Just a bunch of letters strung together in no order whatsoever. I tried to find an anagram in it—yes, I watched enough crime shows to know what I should look for in coded messages—but failed.
“What does it say?”
I glanced up at Gwen, who had used her ninja skills to sneak up on me again. There was no other explanation as to why I hadn’t heard her approach. Her voice soft for a change, I looked up and saw her brown eyes watching me carefully, as if she weren’t sure whether the note had made my whole world crumble.
It hadn’t. Then again, I wasn’t sure what it had done, either.
“Does this make any sense to you?” I held out the note.
Gwen leaned down a little, her brows furrowed in concentration. “Nope, not at all. What is that website? Is that even a word?” I followed her gaze and saw what she’d noticed that I hadn't. The scramble of words did have a .com ending, signaling it was, indeed, a website.
“Not as far as I can tell. It’s just a bunch of letters,” I explained.
“Well, have you checked the website?”
I thought about pointing out the fact I only opened the letter a mere two seconds ago, but refrained from doing so. Why bother?
“No, I didn’t. I’ll do it when I get home.” I had no idea if that were a lie or the truth. Something told me I should check it out sooner rather than later, yet the more rational part of me said to wait until I got home. My eyes found the short text once more and read it. Live or die. It sounded way too serious. Who would send me a letter like that? And why? Was it a new game I had no idea about?
“Don’t wait too long, okay? It could be important.” Gwen interrupted my thoughts, her tone hanging in the air as she walked away. Her voice had a foreboding quality about it and, quite frankly, I didn’t like it. The shiver running down my spine attested to that.
Shaking my head, I mentally reminded myself who I was talking about. There wasn’t anything foreboding about Gwen. The girl didn’t have a mean bone in her body. She was good through and through. Crazy, sometimes a little too passionate, but she was one of
the only friends I had in this place.
I caught sight of my venti coffee on the table, happy for the distraction. I grabbed the cup and took a few long sips, welcoming the warm liquid running down my throat.
“Nice, isn’t it?”
The voice startled me, just like the first time I had heard it. It was him. The guy who gave me the letter. He looked the same…except the fact that his clothes were different. His dress shirt and black pants had been exchanged for a loose white t-shirt and washed-out blue jeans.
“It’s… What are you doing here? Where did you disappear to?”
“Did you read the letter?”
“It’s not a letter. It’s more of a note, and yes, I did. Care to tell me what it means?”
He shook his head.
I wasn’t the least bit surprised by the gesture. I hadn’t expected him to give me any answers. Where would the fun be in that? “Why give it to me in the first place? I don’t even know you,” I remarked, realizing my hands had started to shake slightly. The coffee I held was close to spilling, so I put it down.
“I know you. That’s enough.”
Yelling at him was my initial response, but I figured it might ban me from the coffee shop, which was the last thing I wanted.
I mumbled, “Not creepy at all.” Rolling my eyes, I turned away when he sat down on the chair opposite me.
“It’s not creepy, just a simple fact.”
His silky voice made me wish I could stick cotton into my ears so the sound wouldn’t affect me the way it did. The intensity with which his eyes drilled into me, paired with the way he leaned his arms on the table, bringing him closer, made me swallow hard.
