Last One Standing: Dark Paranormal Tattoo Taboo Romance (The Chronicles of Kerrigan Book 11)

by W. J. May

He might have been a monster, but Mallins gave his final breath to keep us safe. The least I can do is keep his secret.

  She cleared her throat and glanced down at her lap. “Actually, I have no idea, sir.”

  Carter’s eyes flashed, and for a moment he looked profoundly proud. Then he turned back to Keene—business as usual. “So, Mr. Keene. As acting-president, what is it the Council has decided to do?”

  Keene glanced at his counselors, before shaking his head. “You’d have to ask them yourself. You see, my first order of business as acting-president…is stepping down as acting-president.”

  There was a small gasp from the Knights’ side of the table, but the PC looked calm and certain. Only Carter was at a loss.

  “Louis,” he urged quietly, “now is no time to divide the ranks with some kind of vote for your successor. We need to move on Cromfield now. Time is of the essence!”

  Keene regarded him calmly. “Oh, there’s not going to be a vote. We did the vote already, you see. At the end of our last meeting last night. My successor has already been unanimously voted into place.”

  Carter threw up his hands. “Then who the hell should I be talking to right now?”

  Keene smiled. “You.”

  This time, the PC reaction was just as strong as the Knights—a table’s worth of people expressing their support and united agreement.

  Only Carter remained on the fence. “Louis…this isn’t what—”

  “I never wanted this, Andrew,” Keene cut him off. “I lost the vote to keep you here, and then I was forced into it when you left. You know what to do with these people, and you know how to handle Cromfield a hell of a lot better than I ever could. I will, however, offer my services to assist you in whatever way I can.”

  Carter looked as though he was about to refuse, but this time it was Rae who cleared her throat sharply. The entire table chuckled appreciatively as he gave her a look of exasperation.

  “Fine,” he conceded. “For at least the time being, I would be honored to steer us through this transition. Granted, that you agree with what I have to propose.”

  Rae and her friends leaned forward in their seats. Here it was…

  “The time for the Privy Council to discard some of its more antiquated traditions is long overdue. It’s time for us to cast aside the heavy burden of needless secrecy and the lines of division that follow. From this day forward, every student at Guilder and every agent on the Council is free to tell whomever they deem appropriate about their abilities. Everyone they love. Everyone they trust. As long as these people can be sworn to secrecy themselves, there’s no need for the rest of us to live in perpetual isolation.”

  A controlled explosion followed this statement as a whole new world of possibilities opened its door. As Rae glanced around the table, she could see the surreal excitement of it dancing in her friends’ eyes. Sons could finally tell their mothers. Daughters could finally tell their fathers. Entire families would be brought together tonight.

  But Carter wasn’t finished. As he stared around the table, he made sure that everyone seated there looked up and met his eyes. “My reasons for saying this are two-fold. The first you just heard and the second is this: If we are to weather the storm that is coming, we are going to need all hands on deck. Young and old. Inked and not. Hybrid…or otherwise. We must all unite together, or we will fall.”

  A silent gasp caught in Rae’s throat and she realized she had tears in her eyes. She shifted in her seat to wipe them discreetly on her sleeve, but even as she was doing so Carter called her name.

  “Miss Kerrigan.” His voice rang out over the table as he locked onto her with a singular smile. “All hands on deck. What does that mean?”

  A feeling of indescribable warmth spread through Rae’s entire body as her eyes glowed with a long-awaited victory.

  “Take us to the dungeons.”

  Chapter 13

  “I’m not sure this is the best idea,” Keene murmured, holding his hand even higher to light the way down the darkened corridor. Six of them were heading to the prison cells, similar to the one Rae had been in not too long ago. Others behind Keene were carrying cell phones, some carrying torches, depending on the age bracket. Keene was carrying what looked to be a handful of liquid lava, but Rae had a sneaking suspicion that had something to do with his tatù.

  She followed silently, originally not sure that the PC actually had hybrids in prison, and then as they followed Keene, she grew more and more anxious. Someone like Mallins could have easily taken a hybrid and hidden them in this dark hole. The president of the PC could have offered them a job—students left Guilder before graduation all the time—and no one thought anything of it. She was the only hybrid she knew of while she attended Guilder, besides Kraigan, but… could there have been more? Could Carter have known and let this happen? Could the ones down in the cells all be dangerous? She shuddered, not wanting to think too long about it.

  Carter followed closely by Keene’s side, along with Fodder. “We agreed we needed everyone. The people down here are the ones likely to be of the most use in the battle to come.”

  “Yeah,” Keene muttered, approaching the first door, “but they’re also likely to be the ones most likely to battle us first,” he shook his head. “And they have every right.”

  Rae exchanged a look with Devon, her eyes flashing in the dark. He was holding his cellphone up to light the inscription carved out above the door.

  ‘A2LHI4.’

  She blinked in disgust. They didn’t even have names?

  “When I open it up, let me do all the talking,” Carter instructed softly.

  The only people down in the giant stone cavern were him, Keene, Fodder, Rae, and Devon. They were joined by one of Fodder’s men to balance them out. It had taken over twenty minutes speed-walking beneath the foundation of the school just to get there, and no matter how quietly Carter spoke, the sound of it echoed back a thousand times.

  “You also might want to switch out of your fox tatù,” Carter added, sensing her distress. He shot a sideways glance at her boyfriend. “Sorry, Devon.”

  Devon shook his head dismissively, and Rae suspected that he was just grateful to be dealing with only one set of ink at the moment.

  “So who is this?” Fodder asked carefully, similarly struck by the carving on the door.

  Carter looked up with a sigh. “This is Harriet Mills. Father had the ability to manipulate water molecules, mother had the ability to create electricity—very much like Miss Skye. When she was first gifted with the ink, the combination proved deadly—killing two agents and a member of the Guilder teaching staff who was trying to help her.”

  The group of them took a small step back as he searched for the correct key.

  “So you locked her up for that?” Rae demanded incredulously. “Water and electricity—no one could control that. It wasn’t her fault. You locked her up in there with all that guilt?”

  “Not me, Rae, no.” Carter sighed as he selected the correct one. “In fact, since I was named president, I made repeated efforts to see those who were wrongfully incarcerated set free. I was voted down every time. A certain member of the Council kept a handful of key votes in his pocket.”

  Devon folded his arms across his chest and stared down the darkened cavern with a shudder. “And who was that?”

  Carter glanced behind him before springing the lock free. “Victor Mallins.”

  The door swung slowly open with a low creeeeak, groaning under the weight of years of rust and disuse. The six of them peered tentatively into the darkness—lifting their phones.

  “Harriet?” Carter called cautiously. “My name is Andrew Carter. I work for the Privy Council. We’ve come to set you—”

  Rae’s hand whipped out and caught the bolt of white hot lightning before it could strike him through the heart. Slipping into Molly’s tatù, she absorbed it simultaneously, wringing her fingers to shake of the burning sizzle in her hand.

  Both Carter and Fo
dder turned to her in silent shock. They exchanged quick glances before Carter cleared his throat briskly. “Nice catch.”

  Devon rolled his eyes while Rae stifled a grin. “What are daughters for?”

  The six of them peered into the darkness once more, banding a bit closer together as they waited for a response. This time a woman ventured forth, hands raised in front of her.

  “Where’s Avery?” she demanded in a shrill voice, eyes darting frantically between them. She flinched as Carter took a pacifying step. “Where’s President Avery?”

  “Harriet,” he said calmly, “I’m President Carter. Wilson Avery died three years ago—and retired long before that. My associates and I represent the new Council, along with a contingent from the Xavier Knights. We’ve come to get you out of here.”

  Rae couldn’t tell how much of this she was absorbing, and how much was lost in years of shock. Whatever the case, Harriet certainly wasn’t reassured, that much was sure. She kept her hands raised in between them like a shield, fingers flickering occasionally like Molly’s did when she got angry or nervous.

  “I want to speak to Avery,” she said again, unable to believe that this wasn’t some sort of trick. “I have rights, you know. I can’t be kept in here indefinitely without so much as a trial—”

  “Harriet…”

  Ignoring the fierce look of warning from Carter and the equaled look of exasperation from Devon, Rae stepped slowly forward. The woman watched her carefully. Growing up in the world of tatùs, you learned not to judge someone’s capacity based on just their age. She kept her eyes trained on Rae’s face, until Rae decided to do something that was both very trusting, and very stupid.

  After sucking in a deep breath, she turned slowly around.

  “Rae! What the hell are you doing?” Devon hissed, his face alight with fear.

  But she calmly shook her head. “It’s okay.” Then a little louder to Harriet, “It’s okay. You see? I’m just like you.” Offering a silent prayer that now wasn’t the moment Harriet might decide to shoot more lightning, Rae lifted up the bottom of her shirt. She heard Harriet’s gasp behind her as she saw the glistening fairy—a tatù like no other before it. There was the soft padding of footsteps, and the next moment Rae felt a pair of cold fingertips graze her lower back.

  “You’re a hybrid,” came a rough whisper from behind her.

  “Yes.” Rae turned around with a huge smile. “Just like you. And it’s time to get you out of here.”

  They opened the rest of the cells together, one by one, their little band growing bigger with every door they unlocked. Most of the reactions went the same way as Harriet. There would be a warning shot or two—justifiably so—followed by a demonstration of trust and solidarity on Rae’s part, which ended up bringing most of them around.

  It was actually easier than she thought it would be. Most of them were so frightened of their own powers that they’d actually welcomed some level of isolation. And even those who were forcibly imprisoned understood that the people responsible for putting them there were long gone.

  There were one or two who could not be persuaded. Who had been down in the darkness for too long and had resigned themselves to it. From these, Rae got an earful of profanities the likes of which she’d never heard, as well as a burning spray of what looked to be green slime.

  She was still wringing it from her sleeve with a look of disgust, when Devon came up behind her and kissed her on the cheek. “I’m really proud of you,” he murmured into her ear. “Walking into all these cells like you’re doing. Showing them you trust them by showing them your ink.”

  Rae flung the remaining drops of slime from her fingertips. “Hey, I’m just glad I didn’t wear a dress today, or this whole show and tell thing really could have gone the other way.”

  He was still chuckling as they came to a stop in front of the last door. This one looked a bit more foreboding than the rest—set apart at the end of its own hall in complete and utter isolation. An extra hedge of stone had been built up around it, and, unlike its counterparts, there was no inscription written above the door.

  Carter stared up at it with a look of confusion before glancing down at his papers. “I don’t understand,” he murmured. “There’s no record of this ever being in use… Louis, do you have any record of this?”

  Keene shook his head. “I was told the last cell on the level belonged to Thomas.” He gestured behind him to a man who was cheerfully conjuring what looked like giant bubbles.

  Carter turned back to the door, looking a bit hesitant to discover who or what was inside.

  “I’ll open it,” Rae volunteered, swallowing hard. This room was meant to be a secret. Maybe someone like her was imprisoned behind these walls. Her offering to open it would give Carter a way to save face with the others, not to mention the fact that Carter’s ability was in no way defensive. Whatever firepower was in there, he’d have no way to protect himself.

  “Mallins must have locked someone in here without anyone’s knowledge.” He glanced at Keene before pressing his lips tightly together and turned to Rae. “Thank you, Rae, but I’ve…I’ve got it.” He stepped bravely forward, but both Fodder and Keene caught his arm at the same time.

  “Let her do it,” Fodder instructed, tossing Rae a little wink. “Better her than us.”

  “Thanks,” she said frostily, but she returned the wink to Fodder. “Just remember, though, Kerrigan paybacks can be a deadly.” She smiled when his face faltered and he hesitated. “I’m kidding,” she told him.

  Everyone stood in front of the door as Carter handed her the keys. She played with a few, trying to calm the shaking inside of her, hoping she appeared collected on the outside. She heard the other hybrids murmur worriedly behind her. On the third key, she heard the distinctive click that it was the correct one. She hesitated a mere second.

  “Be careful, Rae,” Devon murmured, coming to stand by her side and ready to protect.

  Rae took a deep breath and turned the key in the lock. “Step back, everyone. Please.” She readied herself, her tatù understanding the signals her brain was sending as it jumped from tatù to tatù, trying to figure what ability would be the strongest to use.

  She unlocked the door and held her breath as she pulled open the heavy door. She braced herself for some bolt of attack, and stepped forward hesitantly when nothing happened immediately.

  All the air was sucked out of her lungs as a man ventured out of the darkness, eyes glowing in the torchlight like some sort of predatory beast. His chest heaved as anger covered his features. A man to whom she bore an uncanny resemblance.

  Her jaw dropped in shock as her phone clattered to the floor.

  “Kraigan?”

  Chapter 14

  There was a beat of silence. A frozen moment where no one seemed to know what to do.

  Brother looked at sister. Sister looked at brother.

  But then her brother looked at the man he believed was responsible for locking him up. “You’re a freakin’ dead man!” he roared as he flew past Rae, sending her flying into the wall. She hit the stone with a sharp crack and a painful scream, clutching at her stomach as she crumbled to the ground.

  The scream was most likely the only thing that saved Carter’s life.

  The second he heard it, Kraigan froze in his tracks, looking back at Rae like he didn’t think she was capable of making that kind of sound. When she didn’t get up off the floor, he ventured cautiously back and bent close to her, as if she was playing some sort of prank. “What the hell happened to you? Why are you acting like this?”

  “She got stabbed, you son of a bitch!” Devon growled, crouching down beside her. “Honey, are you okay?”

  “Stabbed…” Kraigan shoved Devon aside with complete disregard, torchlight flickering in his eyes as he focused on his older sister. “Where the hell is he?”

  “Who?” Rae panted, clutching at her sides.

  A strange emotion flitted across Kraigan’s face. One Rae was wi
lling to bet he was feeling for the first time. He looked almost…protective.

  “The man who did this to you,” he snarled. “Where the hell is he?”

  “Dead, I’m afraid. Apparently took his own life,” Carter answered, surprisingly calm considering two seconds ago he was about to be ripped in half.

  “You’ll get your turn, president!” Kraigan warned before turning back to Rae. “I’m serious, where is he? We’ll hunt him down together.”

  “The president’s right.” She winced as she pushed herself cautiously to her feet. “He’s dead. And he was the guy who locked you up in here—not Carter.” Kraigan’s eyes flashed murderously behind Rae, and she put a cautious hand on his arm. “Kraigan, really. Mallins put you in here. Carter didn’t know. Neither did with the rest of us. We had no idea you were in here. If we did, I’d have come a lot sooner. I’m so sorry.” Tears threatened to fall. “I’m didn’t know. I’m so sorry.” She angrily swiped at an escaped tear, ignoring the pain shooting across her abdomen. “How long? Did they hurt you? They didn’t give you needles or serum or anything, did they? I’ll kill ‘em. If there are any more involved in this… in this… crap!” She gasped and tried to catch her breath, not sure what to say.

  A year ago, Kraigan would have laughed in her face. But as it stood, he just gave her a measured stare before nodding slowly. His eyes then flicked over the curious crowd behind them before his lips turned up in a wicked smirk.

  “So these are the other residents of Cell Block D, are they? Tell me…” his eyes narrowed as he stared around the group, “which of you is the one who always sings…”

  As Thomas, the unfortunate bubble-maker, shrank back into the shadows, Rae grabbed Kraigan’s arm and started pulling him back up through the cavern.

  “Come, brother,” she said quietly, but not before switching to a tatù she knew she didn’t need—just to be safe. “Let’s get you back into the sun.”

  * * *

  Kraigan explained as they walked that he hadn’t made it more than forty-eight hours after he took off from the farm in Scotland before he was captured. He had actually been intending to go back—or so he said—when he popped up on a surveillance feed, and the next thing he knew a dozen or more agents had him surrounded.