The Chronicles of Kerrigan Box Set Books # 1 - 6: Paranormal Fantasy Young Adult/New Adult Romance

by W. J. May

  “Rae! Congratulations on graduating! That’s amazing!” She leapt upon Rae in a huge hug, oblivious to the Dean watching just a few steps behind. “I don’t know what I’m going to do without you next year. I can’t imagine finding a better mentor.”

  Rae shook her head with a smile. “That’s crazy, Ellie, you’ve already got your ink down better than I do. You’re going to do incredible things with it.”

  “But it’s not just that.” The little girl’s eyes welled with tears. “You helped me with…well, a whole lot more this year.”

  She reached suddenly behind her and tugged forward a middle-aged man. He looked a lot like her, the same dusty hair, the same sprinkling of freckles. Before Rae knew what was happening, he reached out and shook her hand. A new ability coursed through her body, yet, it felt very similar to one she already had. Understanding. This had to be Ellie’s father, where one half of her tatù came from.

  “Mr. Bellings,” she said automatically, “it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  He cupped a second hand over hers, refusing to let go. “The pleasure is all mine.” He stared at her with wide, earnest eyes. “Ellie told me about everything you did for her this year,” his voice dropped several decibels, “everything you did for our entire family. Miss Kerrigan, I really can’t thank you enough. It’s made all the difference. Ellie’s mother and I…well, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

  Rae’s eyes teared up, but she held them back with a gracious smile. “It was my pleasure. Ellie’s an amazing girl. Anything I can ever do to help—anytime—you just let me know.”

  “We might just take you up on that.” His eyes twinkled as he led a euphoric Ellie away, inadvertently leaving no one standing between Rae and Dean Wardell.

  She spun on her heel to make a hasty exit, but he caught her arm with a gentle hand.

  “Miss Kerrigan?” It was the first time he didn’t say her name with revulsion and disgust. “Do you mind if we…took a walk?”

  Rae hesitated. Big time. Was it betraying Devon to talk to this monster? After a few seconds deliberation, she decided she might as well hear what he had to say, and she followed him outside.

  “I know you don’t think much of me,” he began bluntly, leading her through the gardens.

  She blinked in surprise. But if honesty was the name of the game, so be it. “I don’t like how you don’t think much of your son,” she replied. She had more on the tip of her tongue to spout out but caught herself.

  She was expecting a fight, but he simply bowed his head and nodded. “It certainly must seem that way, I suppose.” Once they were a safe distance away, he pulled her to a stop. “Rae, let me be honest with you.”

  She shifted nervously. “Um…all right. You seem to have been pretty brutally honest since I met you.”

  “When I was a student at Guilder, I developed an infatuation…with your mother.”

  What the hell?! Did everyone have a crush on dear old mom?! Rae struggled to keep hold of her emotions and nodded calmly as he continued.

  “Of course, she wasn’t interested in me. She was interested in your father. When the two of them got married and all their trouble began, I took it as a strange consolation. I told myself: this was what happened when you mixed two tatùs.” He shook his head in shame. “After the fire, when she was presumed dead, I, of course, felt terrible about my reaction. After all, I’d never meant it with any harm, it was only ever intended to shield my own feelings from rejection. But needless to say, I latched onto the law of our community with a vengeance. That mixing ink and producing hybrids was strictly forbidden—an abomination.” He glanced up quickly, worried he’d offended her, but she kept her face free of emotion.

  “It’s how I raised Devon,” he confessed. “Although my son has always been more open-minded and compassionate than me. I remember the first time I saw you two together. The undeniable attraction.” He shook his head. “It felt like there was a storm inside of me. Not only had my son repeated my mistake and forsaken one of our most important laws, but he’d fallen for Beth’s own daughter. I suppose, in a way, I thought that by keeping you two apart, I was protecting him somehow.”

  “You weren’t,” Rae said softly. “You were hurting him beyond belief.”

  The Dean bowed his head submissively, a deep sadness in his eyes. “I see that now. You see, my feelings for Beth were never as profound as Devon’s are for you. How could they be? It was nothing more than a childhood crush. But you and Devon…” He sighed. “What you have is special. You are the best thing in his world—the thing that makes him the happiest. Whatever you may think of me, Miss Kerrigan, whatever judgments I may rightly deserve, know this: I value my son’s happiness more highly than anything else.”

  There was a sudden pause in the conversation and Rae looked up at him cautiously. “Sir, what exactly are you saying?”

  His eyes warmed and he reached out suddenly and extended his hand. “I’m giving you my blessing. If you still want it, that is.”

  Rae blinked in astonishment. Could this be happening? Could this be real? Or was this some kind of trick? She never felt like she could wholly trust anyone. She glanced down at his hand for a full five seconds before she reached out and shook it in her own. His ink was the same as Devon’s, less developed and yet she could tell it was almost the same. “Thank you, sir, I…I appreciate that. I know Devon will too.”

  “I hope so,” the Dean replied nervously, “I’m planning to speak to him tonight but it looks like he’s gone. Maybe tomorrow, then?”

  “He’ll be thrilled.” Rae smiled, desperate to see the look on Devon’s face when he heard the news.

  The Dean nodded briskly, obviously unaccustomed to so many emotions in just one night. “Well, in that case, you kids enjoy your evening. Congratulations again Rae, on graduating.”

  “Thank you, sir.” She bid him goodnight with a wave and headed back up to her room, grinning from ear to ear. She’d woken up expecting to have a day full of surprises, but she certainly hadn’t counted on this. She was still smiling happily to herself when she pushed open the door to her room and stopped short.

  Devon, Molly, and Julian stood in front of her, decked out head to toe in black.

  “What’s this?” she asked, momentarily forgetting herself.

  Julian grinned. “We have a church to get to.”

  Molly held out a matching jumpsuit. “Happy graduation.”

  Chapter 14

  “So, what exactly are we supposed to be looking for?” Molly asked again as the four of them stomped across the lawn to the parking lot.

  There were still a few stragglers dressed in their graduation finery, most students wouldn’t be moving out until the following morning, but no one took any notice of their black spy gear as they crossed campus. When you went to a school like Guilder, you learned not to ask those sorts of questions.

  “I don’t know.” Rae shook her head. “Anything—everything. Stuff that can link us to Cromfield. Something to tell us what he’s up to or where he’s going next.”

  “What if Cromfield’s there in person?” Devon asked softly. “Have you thought about what we’re going to do if that’s the case?”

  Rae glanced at Julian who shook his head with a frown.

  “I don’t see that happening.”

  It was a temporary condolence, but hardly a long-term fix. By now, all of them knew exactly how quickly the future could change. It was a house of cards, teetering with every slightest decision.

  “I doubt he’s even alive. It seems impossible.” Molly huffed, “Okay, so what’re we going to do if—”

  “Hey! Where are you guys going? You’re missing the after party!”

  The four of them stopped in their tracks as Rob and Andy came barreling up, followed closely by a slightly inebriated-looking Haley. Both groups stopped and stared at each other for a moment, sizing each other up, before Devon cheerfully answered Rob’s question.

  “Oh, you know. Just off to s
ave the world.”

  Andy and Rob clinked beer bottles before raising them Devon’s way. “We salute you for that, we really do, man. So, you guys need any help?”

  Andy hiccupped and Rae tried not to smile. “Actually, we got it this time, but thanks. We’ll see you guys tomorrow morning, okay?”

  “Right-o,” Haley giggled loudly, pulling the boys along after her as they headed to rejoin the party.

  Rae watched them leave for a moment before glancing at Molly. “You sad that we’re not going to the after party?”

  Molly’s eyes narrowed in disapproval as she watched Haley tripping up the stairs. “Actually, no. Not in the slightest.”

  Rae grinned and grabbed her arm as they headed to the car. “Me neither.”

  When they got to the lot, Devon reached automatically for Julian’s keys, but Julian held them up above his head, walking casually to the driver’s side. “Not this time bro, but thanks.”

  Devon pulled up short, clearly uncomfortable with what he imagined would blow up into a full-blown confrontation. “Look man, we’re going to have enough problems on this trip without—”

  “You mean the cop that’s going to try to pull us over on Hillhurst Drive? Or the fact that the seventh stair leading up to the sanctuary is cracked down the middle?”

  The group looked up in astonishment and Julian stared into Devon’s eyes. “I got it,” he said simply.

  Devon stared at him for a moment, still rather blown away, before nodding and sliding into the passenger’s seat. “I believe you do. Good job, mate.”

  Molly scampered in behind him, and Julian gave Rae a wink before joining them as well.

  The drive to the church was quiet and uneventful. Molly, the usual conversational hub, spent all her time texting. Rae figured it was to Luke. Julian carefully avoided driving anywhere near Hillhurst Drive. Rae and Devon silently held hands, wondering what was to come. When they finally pulled up in the deserted lot, they looked up at the abandoned church with more than a little trepidation.

  “How’re we going to get in?” Molly asked quietly as they walked to the back door.

  “Don’t worry about that.” Rae held open her hand and the air shimmered above it. “All we need is a key.” She inserted the newly created key and the lock clicked open with a reverberating boom they could hear echoed all throughout the sanctuary.

  The kids looked around nervously before slipping inside, one by one. Rae worked Ethan’s ink again and four flashlights appeared in their hands. The beams of light darted around this way and that, taking in the magnificence of the old cathedral six bright inches at a time.

  “It’s beautiful,” Molly finally murmured.

  Rae nodded as a strange emotion tightened her chest. “My parents got married here.” The others turned to her in shock but she kept her eyes fixed on the pulpit. “Their marriage certificate was in that box I opened with Luke. Performed by a Father Amos. I wonder if he’s still here?”

  “Let’s hope not,” Julian said quietly. “Come on, let’s split up and hurry. There are too many people in this part of the city for me to get a clear vision of what’s going to happen.”

  He and Molly went one way, while Rae and Devon went another. Between the four of them, they had the bulk of the church searched in no time. There was simply nothing out of the ordinary. No hidden doors, no secret locks—no hint to point them to Cromfield. About thirty minutes after setting out, the four of them met back in the sanctuary.

  “Nothing?” Molly asked with disappointment.

  “Nothing,” Devon replied. “We checked everywhere except the groundskeeper’s shed, and I seriously doubt there’s anything left out there in the elements.”

  Rae sat down abruptly on a pew. She couldn’t find words to express her disappointment. After months of researching, months of trying to track this man down, this was literally the only lead that they had. If there was nothing here, she had no idea where to go next.

  “What do you want to do, Rae?”

  She rubbed her eyes and shook her head. “I don’t know. I guess we’ll just come back in the morning and try to talk to someone who works here. See if they remember seeing anyone that looks like Cromfield, or Jennifer, for that matter.”

  With heavy hearts, they headed to a hotel two streets over. Devon paid for the rooms in cash and the four of them bid each other a subdued goodnight before heading off to bed. But just a few minutes after Rae shut the door, there was a soft knock.

  “Come in,” she called quietly.

  It opened and Devon walked inside. “You don’t lock your hotel room door?” he asked accusingly. “I could have been anybody. You don’t know.”

  She sat down on the bed with a careless shrug. “I’m pretty sure I could take anybody who was stupid enough to try to rob me in the middle of the night.”

  “I could have been Kraigan.”

  This made her pause. “I wonder if he’s made any progress,” she mused aloud. “You know, I don’t even know if he’d tell me if he’d already found her. In his mind, it’s not like he owes me anything.”

  Devon’s eyes grew hard as he locked the door pointedly behind him. “To tell you the truth, I honestly don’t care which one of them makes it out alive. Either way, I’m coming after the one who’s left.”

  Rae considered this for a moment. “I agree, but…”

  “But what?”

  “I don’t think I can be so quick to dismiss family.”

  Devon’s jaw dropped open. “You have to be kidding me. He tried to kill you, Rae.”

  “But that’s him, not me. He is my half-brother, after all, and I don’t have much family left.”

  Devon was quiet for a long while before he muttered, “Family’s overrated.”

  Rae glanced over at him before stifling a sudden smile. “We’ll see.”

  He cocked his eyebrows sarcastically. “We’ll see?”

  She grinned. “I’ll ask you again tomorrow.”

  He sat down on the mattress beside her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing. It’s not for me to say. You’ll find out soon enough.”

  “Is that so?”

  She shrieked and leapt away, but he caught her by the ankle and dragged her back, tickling her mercilessly until she begged for reprieve. They curled up under the blankets without another word, each lost in their own thoughts.

  It wasn’t until the clock struck midnight that Devon wound his arm around her shoulders. “I love you, Rae.”

  Her heart literally skipped a beat as she snuggled deeper back into his arms. She didn’t think she’d ever get tired of hearing those words. “I love you, too.”

  They woke up at the crack of dawn and headed downstairs to see Molly and Julian already waiting for them at a café in the lobby. The only problem was, they weren’t alone.

  “Luke?” Rae asked incredulously.

  “Hey guys,” he greeted them nervously, downing his espresso in a single shot.

  “What the hell is he doing here?” Devon asked directly. His eyes fell on Julian, but Julian merely shook his head and shrugged.

  “Don’t look at me. He was here when I came down this morning.”

  “Luke,” Rae asked tensely, “what’s going on? Why are you here?”

  He held up his hands innocently. “I was invited.”

  All eyes turned to Molly.

  “Oh, come on,” she defended herself, “the guy went into a coma. It’s his fight, too. Plus…I got him a beanie already.”

  Devon shook his head. “I swear Molls, this isn’t—”

  “Devon,” her usually playful voice was suddenly serious, “it’s his fight, too.”

  There was no denying that. Cromfield was everybody’s problem.

  Before anyone could say anything else, Rae held up her hands for peace. “She’s right. He’s coming. We’re going to need all the help we can get.”

  A muscle in Devon’s jaw twitched, but he said nothing.

  Luke, on the ot
her hand, was grinning from ear to ear. “Finally,” he exclaimed, “I get to do some actual fieldwork—real spy stuff. Not just staying behind and manning the computers.”

  “That’s fine, but if we run into any…” She glanced up at the approaching waitress and edited quickly. “Uh…tattooed trouble?” The table snickered as the waitress refilled their coffees and left.

  “I know, I know! I heard it all last night,” Luke finished her thought. “I’m to stand behind Molly and not move for any reason whatsoever.”

  Rae raised her eyebrows and looked at her friend, but Molly quickly buried her head in her cappuccino. It looked like someone’s date had ended on a good note after all. Speaking of which, what had happened with Julian’s date? Or whatever it was he had said… something about other plans? She’d have to ask him about that later. Maybe the girl he was interested in couldn’t make it, or had broken things off.

  They finished breakfast in a hurry and chose to walk the two city blocks back to the cathedral. They were in luck, the only cars in the parking lot appeared to belong to a priest and the groundskeeper. The last thing they needed was a stray member of the congregation coming in for some ill-timed counseling.

  “Okay, so here’s the deal,” Rae muttered as the five of them walked inside, “we’re going to pretend like we’re students, okay? Just doing a research paper, trying to track down some old people and files. We’re absolutely not going to use our real names. We’re absolutely not—”

  “Bethany?”

  Rae jumped in her skin and spun around to find herself staring into the confounded eyes of a priest. He was staring back at her with equal astonishment, and with an urge she couldn’t explain, she found herself speaking without thought.

  “Father Amos?”

  The father took a step forward. “Yes, but…it can’t be you. You haven’t aged a day.”

  A warm flush spread through Rae’s chest as she walked down the aisle to meet him. “I’m not Bethany. I’m her daughter, Rae.”

  “Bethany and Simon had a daughter!” The priest threw up his hands in delight. “That’s wonderful news. So, how are they doing then? Are they still living in London? I haven’t seen them in years.”