by W. J. May
Alone in the Darkness
The Chronicles of Kerrigan Prequel, Volume 5
W.J. May
Published by Dark Shadow Publishing, 2016.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
ALONE IN THE DARKNESS
First edition. October 15, 2016.
Copyright © 2016 W.J. May.
ISBN: 978-1536558722
Written by W.J. May.
Also by W.J. May
Bit-Lit Series
Lost Vampire
Cost of Blood
Price of Death
Blood Red Series
Courage Runs Red
The Night Watch
Marked by Courage
Forever Night
The Other Side of Fear
Daughters of Darkness: Victoria's Journey
Victoria
Huntress
Coveted (A Vampire & Paranormal Romance)
Twisted
Daughter of Darkness - Victoria - Box Set
Hidden Secrets Saga
Seventh Mark - Part 1
Seventh Mark - Part 2
Marked By Destiny
Compelled
Fate's Intervention
Chosen Three
The Hidden Secrets Saga:The Complete Series
Kerrigan Chronicles
Stopping Time
A Passage of Time
Ticking Clock
Secrets in Time
Time in the City
Ultimate Future
Mending Magic Series
Lost Souls
Illusion of Power
Challenging the Dark
Castle of Power (Coming Soon)
Limits of Magic (Coming Soon)
Omega Queen Series
Discipline (Coming Soon)
Paranormal Huntress Series
Never Look Back
Coven Master
Alpha's Permission
Blood Bonding
Oracle of Nightmares
Shadows in the Night
Paranormal Huntress BOX SET #1-3
Prophecy Series
Only the Beginning
White Winter
Secrets of Destiny
The Chronicles of Kerrigan
Rae of Hope
Dark Nebula
House of Cards
Royal Tea
Under Fire
End in Sight
Hidden Darkness
Twisted Together
Mark of Fate
Strength & Power
Last One Standing
Rae of Light
The Chronicles of Kerrigan Box Set Books # 1 - 6
The Chronicles of Kerrigan: Gabriel
Living in the Past
Present For Today
Staring at the Future
The Chronicles of Kerrigan Prequel
Christmas Before the Magic
Question the Darkness
Into the Darkness
Fight the Darkness
Alone in the Darkness
Lost in Darkness
The Chronicles of Kerrigan Prequel Series Books #1-3
The Chronicles of Kerrigan Sequel
A Matter of Time
Time Piece
Second Chance
Glitch in Time
Our Time
Precious Time
The Hidden Secrets Saga
Seventh Mark (part 1 & 2)
The Kerrigan Kids
School of Potential (Coming Soon)
The Queen's Alpha Series
Eternal
Everlasting
Unceasing
Evermore
Forever
Boundless
Prophecy
Protected
Foretelling
Revelation
Betrayal
Resolved
The Senseless Series
Radium Halos - Part 1
Radium Halos - Part 2
Nonsense
Perception
Standalone
Shadow of Doubt (Part 1 & 2)
Five Shades of Fantasy
Shadow of Doubt - Part 1
Shadow of Doubt - Part 2
Four and a Half Shades of Fantasy
Dream Fighter
What Creeps in the Night
Forest of the Forbidden
Arcane Forest: A Fantasy Anthology
The First Fantasy Box Set
Watch for more at W.J. May’s site.
The Chronicles of Kerrigan Prequel
Alone in the Darkness
Book V
By
W.J. May
Copyright 2016 by W.J. May
THIS E-BOOK IS LICENSED for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual person, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
All rights reserved.
Copyright 2016 by W.J. May
Cover design by: Book Cover by Design
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.
THE ENTIRE CHRONICLES OF KERRIGAN SERIES:
THE CHRONICLES OF KERRIGAN: PREQUEL –
Christmas Before the Magic
Question the Darkness
Into the Darkness
Fight the Darkness
Alone in the Darkness
Lost the Darkness
THE CHRONICLES OF KERRIGAN
Book I - Rae of Hope is FREE!
Book Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gILAwXxx8MU
Book II - Dark Nebula
Book Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca24STi_bFM
Book III - House of Cards
Book IV - Royal Tea
Book V - Under Fire
Book VI - End in Sight
Book VII – Hidden Darkness
Book VIII – Twisted Together
Book IX – Mark of Fate
Book X – Strength & Power
Book XI – Last One Standing
Book XII – Rae of Light
THE CHRONICLES OF KERRIGAN SEQUEL
Matter of Time
Time Piece
Second Chance
Glitch in Time
Our Time
Precious Time
The Chron
icles of Kerrigan: Gabriel
Living in the Past
Present for Today
Staring at the Future
Kerrigan Chronicles
Book 1 – Stopping Time
Book 2 – A Passage of Time
Book 3 – Ticking Clock
Find W.J. May
Website:
http://www.wanitamay.yolasite.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-WJ-May-FAN-PAGE/141170442608149
Newsletter:
SIGN UP FOR W.J. May's Newsletter to find out about new releases, updates, cover reveals and even freebies!
http://eepurl.com/97aYf
ALONE IN THE DARKNESS BLURB:
SIMON KERRIGAN IS STANDING at a crossroads. Torn between two paths.
The life of a Privy Council spy: complete with friends, white picket fences, and an undisclosed relationship with the girl he loves. Or another life. A life in untested waters, pushing the boundaries to see what lies beyond—no matter the cost.
While playing the role of dutiful boyfriend and crazy-talented spy, Simon finds himself sinking ever deeper into the darkest part of his consciousness. What happens if you mix different kinds of tatùs? Why was it so wrong? What if he left the PC? Who would stand by him? Who would join him in the inevitable fight? Could it be possible that such a little device could bring an entire country to its knees?
More importantly, who is this mysterious C?
In a twisted quest for knowledge and a growing obsession with the ‘ultimate power,’ he crosses one line after another. Until finally he crosses so many, he has to ask himself the question...
...Can he ever go back?
Contents
Chronicles of Kerrigan Prequel
The Chronicles of Kerrigan
Find W.J. May
ALONE IN THE DARKNESS BLURB:
COMING SOON
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
Lost in Darkness Blurb
A Matter of Time Blurb
Prequel #1 Blurb:
Prequel #2 Blurb:
Prequel #3 Blurb
Prequel #4 Blurb
Prequel #5 Blurb
View the Covers of the Prequel Series
Note from Author
The Chronicles of Kerrigan
More books by W.J. May
TUDOR COMPARISON:
‘There are some qualities, some incorporate things, that have a double life, which thus is made. A type of twin entity which springs from matter and light, evinced in solid and shade.’
Edgar Allan Poe
Chapter 1
“SIMON—ON YOUR LEFT!”
There was a loud crash, followed by a muffled cry as a body-shaped indent suddenly burst through the brick wall. Tristan grimaced apologetically as bits of plaster settled around him.
“—Your other left!”
Simon Kerrigan whirled around, his fists held high. The ground behind him was littered with the bodies of countless security guards, some with ink, some without it. All had recently felt the wrath of the new tatù Simon had picked up just a day before. One that was coursing with dangerous delight just beneath his skin.
“I swear on everything good and holy, Tristan,” he leapt high into the air and spun around with a lethal kick, felling a man running towards him, “the first thing we’re going to do when we get back to the Oratory is ‘Directions 101: Left versus right.’” He ducked down to avoid a swinging crowbar and grabbed the attacker by the wrists, flipping him upside-down before smashing him into the tile floor. “I’ll have Jason write up a course outline for you.”
A trickle of crimson seeped out from the man’s mouth, and Simon took a step back to avoid getting it on his shoes. Across the narrow hallway, Tristan was fending off attackers of his own, albeit with a bit more leniency than Simon.
Tristan caught one in a choke-hold and used the momentum of his body to sprint in a looping arch straight up the curved wall. The men he left standing on the floor were still staring up in wonder as he flipped through the air and came down behind them, knocking them all senseless with a single roundhouse kick.
Perfect form. Flawless execution. And they would wake up from it in a few hours. The men Simon had fought...? They might be a slightly different story.
“You turned around,” Tristan panted, grinning despite the fact that one of the guards had just pulled out a semi-automatic weapon. Before the barrel was loaded Tristan had the thing disassembled, tossing each piece back in the man’s stunned face before knocking him to the ground with a searing blow to the forehead. “It was on your left just a second before.”
Simon shook his head, ignoring his friend’s excuse. There was a new group of men racing towards him now, and without stopping to think he dug his hands inside the wall itself and pulled out two bricks—using them like boxing gloves to knock his opponents down, one by one.
It’s pathetic really, he thought as he gazed down at them. How weak they are. This was the best security the firm had to offer? It’s like swatting at flies.
“A likely tale, but you’re not fooling anyone.” Simon body-slammed a sixth man into the wall before grabbing the final one by the neck, lifting him effortlessly into the air. “I’ll have to write it on your hands for you. A big ‘L’ for left and big ‘R’ for right. That way, we leave nothing to chance.” He squeezed slowly, savoring the look of terror that clouded the man’s eyes. He could feel every broken layer of hurt in the man’s throat as his hand tightened. The torn skin, the bruised tissue, the stymied veins trying desperately to pump the life-saving blood. Trying and failing.
“Simon,” Tristan said quietly.
Simon looked around to see his friend watching him from across the hall. All the remaining security guards had been successfully neutralized, and Tristan barely had a scratch on him. But that didn’t mean he looked at all well. In fact, he was staring at Simon with a slightly foreboding expression. In the twelve months they’d been working together, it was already an expression that Simon had come to know and dread.
He dropped the man quickly, stepping back as he slumped unconscious to the floor.
“Sorry,” he muttered, not meeting his friend’s eyes.
Then, with methodical precision, he knelt down and began rolling up the mangled guards’ sleeves one by one, careful not to touch their skin.
He didn’t want to pick up anything accidentally. Not until he knew how good it was.
A faint line of disapproval creased Tristan’s forehead as he watched his friend go through his post-battle ritual. He would never say anything outright—Simon’s eclectic collection of ever-changing tatùs had saved his life too many times over the last year they’d been working together for him to complain about it now. But the thought of ‘copying without permission’ unsettled him. It always had. The two of them had established an open-door policy out of both friendship and professional partnering. The men at the agency volunteered their abilities for use. But total strangers? Tristan saw it as a violation.
Fortunately for Simon, he cared about his friend more than he did for the rights of strangers.
“Find anything good?” Tristan asked in a clipped voice.
Simon shook his head. “Nothing better than this.” He flexed his arms again without even thinking about it, feeling the raw, primal power coursing through his veins.
It was rare that he found an ability he liked fighting with better than Tristan’s. He had gone through a ‘flame-thrower phase’ with Beth’s some months back, after he finally got over his holdups about copying her ability from her. But the damage caused by such a fire proved more hassle than was worth and not only did Tristan h
ave one of the most powerful abilities Simon had ever seen, but he had also grown to know it like the back of his own hand.
Today, however, was a bit of an exception. Today, they had been tasked with breaking into a vault in the heart of the London underground. A vault that could only be opened with either a passcode they didn’t have, or sheer brute force.
Simon had opted for sheer brute force. And fortunately, there was a man who worked for the PC who had just such an ability on hand.
At first, Simon thought it had been a joke when the guy volunteered. He was only seventeen, after all, and was about as scrawny as they come. What could he possibly have to offer? But Jason, ever the teacher, had stepped back with a wry grin.
“Tell you what, Simon,” his eyes twinkled with anticipation, “just take the ink. If you can.”
It was then that Simon realized what the tiny reverberating fist tatùed on the kid’s arm was able to do. After the third time he’d been thrown through the practice room mats, he lifted his hands in surrender.
“Okay,” he’d panted, shaking his head, “you win.” The kid puffed up his chest proudly, but no one looked more excited than Simon. “Now give it here.”
Like all good ink, it was worth the pain to acquire it. It had certainly come in handy already.
“Probably for the best anyway, right?” Tristan remarked off-handedly, flexing his wrist in front of him with a bit of a wince. “We’re going to need it for the vault door.”
“If you can get us there,” Simon challenged, eyes flickering with a grin. Then he nodded at the wrist. “You okay? Did something get you?”
Tristan lowered his hand with a quick nod. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
Simon shot him another teasing glance from the corner of his eye as the two boys made their way cautiously down the hall. Injuries of all shapes and sizes were basically a part of their job description. But after the excruciating, near-fatal encounter the two of them had back in Munich last year, they had been forced to regard them with a wry, if sometimes bitter, sense of humor.