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

by W. J. May

  The rest of the afternoon passed incredibly slow. Meeting up with her friends offered no answers to the questions she sought, nor did it speed time up in any way. She didn’t see Julian at dinner and assumed he had gone to meet Devon. Later that evening, she lay in bed, arms folded with her hands tucked under her head. Who would want the journal bad enough to steal it? No one knows about it and it’s more a collector’s item or family memento than a book of hidden secrets. She sat up. Would the Privy Council do this? Carter? Nah, she shook her head, he’ll be getting it eventually, and pretty much knows that. She punched the mattress. This is driving me crazy. I don’t know what to think – or what to do.

  She pushed herself out of the bed and checked her phone. Still nothing from Devon. Might as well go for a walk, or shift… do something. I can’t sleep. The clock radio said half past one. She could slip outside and just walk for five minutes.

  Using Devon’s tatù it took ten minutes to slip down the stairs and past Madame Elpis’ room. Once outside the cool air helped lower her racing heart. I don’t know why I get so paranoid; I know how to move quieter than a mouse.

  “Rae?” The low male voice made her jump and levitate in surprise. She whirled to the bench under the light. Julian sat in plain sight. How had she missed him the first time? Too busy lost in her own thoughts to notice him, apparently.

  “What are you doing out here?” she asked him.

  “Waiting for Devon.”

  “So you’ve spoken to him tonight?”

  He shook his head. “No. I, uh, got locked out of the building. I didn’t get back till after doors closed. I can’t get in and I figured Devon was with you. I saw your light on when I walked around Aumbry.”

  “I saw Devon at lunch and told him about a journal my uncle sent. It’s got stuff from my dad while he was here, at Guilder. We went back to my dorm to grab it and it was missing. Devon thinks someone took it.”

  Julian stood. “Who?”

  “No clue. No one knows about it. My uncle told me about it when Molly and I were in New York for Christmas. I told Devon today and now you know. That’s all.”

  “Devon left?” Julian’s forehead crinkled with lines. “Where’d he go?”

  Rae shrugged. “I assumed to the Privy Council. He left in the car.”

  “In the car?” Julian shook his head. “It doesn’t make sense.”

  “I know. I haven’t heard back from him and he obviously hasn’t contacted you yet. Aren’t you guys like official partners or something?”

  “Yeah. Something’s up.” Julian grabbed the phone in his back pocket. “I’ll let you know if I hear from him. Go back to your room.” He took off running.

  She went back inside the building and up to her room. Back in bed she sighed. No way I’m getting any sleep tonight.

  Devon didn’t reply to any of her messages and by mid-morning, Rae was living on pins and needles. I’m going to go crazy if something doesn’t change. An exceptionally quiet morning class in the Oratory made time feel like it stood still. Carter’s absence didn’t help calm Rae’s nerves either.

  “Where’s Kraigan?” Rae asked Nic while they pretended to be discussing a topic the supply teacher had set for them. Rae didn’t even remember what it was.

  “He’s got the flu or something. Heard him throwing up in his room when I knocked on the door.”

  Guilt filled her on top of all her worry. She needed to talk to him and explain that she hadn’t been avoiding him. Better wait a day if he’s sick.

  “Rae?” Maria tapped her lightly on the shoulder. “Do you have a minute?”

  “Of course. What’s up?”

  Maria played with the button near her collar. “I finally went to see the doctor yesterday. I know I told you I’d go back around the time of the dance but I’d been feeling fine since then. I went because the doctor actually called me.”

  “Do you have mono or something?” Nicholas asked.

  “No. It’s strange though. He only called because the blood work results had been faxed to him way back in September and they’d been misfiled. One of the nurses stuck them into someone else’s file by mistake and mixed theirs up with mine.”

  “Everything came back normal?” Rae asked. Something about the confused look on Maria’s face gnawed at her.

  “No. There were trace amounts of chlorine and some other gas. It’s what knocked me out.”

  “What?”

  “I couldn’t remember what happened that day but when the doctor told me I remembered I had been looking for you and stepped into the Oratory to see if you were there. As I went in, I got hit by some mist that I assumed was the air conditioner reacting with the heat outside. I never thought anything more about it…until the doctor started asking me a bunch of stuff.”

  “That’s really, really strange. Are you sure?” Rae didn’t like questioning her friend but who would want to hurt Maria?

  “The more I think about it, the more I’m sure.” Maria glanced at Nicholas and then turned back to Rae. She sent Rae a mental message. I’d been looking for you. I think the gas was meant for you to walk through, not me.

  Rae knew her mouth hung open but she couldn’t tell her brain to tell her body to close it.

  Nicholas put his arm around Maria. “Have you told Carter? Maybe something’s off with the AC system in here. The place is as old as the hills. Look what happened to Alecia.”

  Had that been an ‘accident’ too?

  “I’ll talk to him as soon as he gets back.” Maria nodded and glanced at Rae. I won’t say anything to anyone. I just thought you should know.

  I appreciate it. I hope it’s just a mishap of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Rae didn’t want her friend to worry even though something in the pit of her stomach seemed to be telling her to be very worried. There were just too many strange incidents for it all to be random.

  Friday afternoon crawled by at a snail’s pace and when the final buzzer of day rang, Rae hurried out of class to check her phone—hoping for a message from Devon. On her rush to get out, she bumped into Dean Wardell in the hallway. The very last person in the whole wide world I want to see, and he has to be right here, in my way.

  “Sorry, sir.” Rae kept her head down, continuing on her way back to the dorm. I have no desire to talk to you right now. The dean’s shoes stayed in her line of vision, keeping pace with her. She slowed her gait, hoping he would walk right on past her. Yet, when his larger shoes slowed to match hers, she sighed in frustration, a little louder than the she had intended to.

  Outside the building, Dean Wardell cleared his throat several times. Head still down Rae rolled her eyes, stopped walking and waited for the dean to speak. Irritated, she began tapping a sneaker against the heel of her other shoe. Great. A lecture from Dev’s dad is the last thing I need today.

  “Come to my office now—” He cleared his throat. “Would you—Do you mind stopping by my office—please?”

  Something in his tone drew Rae’s eyes to his face. His complexion was sickly pale, hair mussed, he appeared exhausted—and nervous. “S-sure.” This has something to do with Devon, not me.

  Neither spoke during the ten-minute walk to the main building. Once inside, their footsteps echoed on the marble stairs, each step making Rae more anxious. The school secretary smiled at the two of them when they came through the stairwell then went back to putting files away. The dean held his office door open for Rae.

  Rae stood by the Oriel windows, staring out at Guilder’s grounds. Again out of habit, she began banging her sneaker against the floor. Rae watched the dean’s reflection in the old leaded glass window.

  “Could you stop that?” His reflection pointed to her foot. She froze, foot poised in mid-air to drop, instantly irritated by his request. He must have sensed it. “Sorry. I appreciate you coming here. I—I—I’m not sure,” the dean spoke, running his fingers through his hair like Devon did. “I’m, uh, shoot. I—we—we need your help.”

  Rae’s heart rate ki
cked into overdrive. She spun around to face him. Something’s wrong. Really wrong. “You what?”

  “Devon’s missing. He contacted the Privy Council yesterday with a high emergency and then that’s it.”

  Rae inhaled sharply. “What?”

  “They’ve been searching for him. His mustang was found this morning, abandoned near a wooded area not too far from here.”

  The bottom dropped out of Rae’s stomach and she didn’t think she could find the words to respond. Devon missing? She had been paranoid with him gone, but not that paranoid. He had been away without communication for most of the school year. This really wasn’t that incredibly different. Except her heart told her she was just fooling herself. Who knows who has him or the trouble he might be in…or if he was alive. No, she wouldn’t let herself think like that.

  “The Privy Council asked if I might have a word with you to see if you were willing to help. They…I need your help to find my son.” Dean Wardell leaned against the edge of his desk, clenching and unclenching his hands.

  “Kidnapped?” Rae’s eye grew as wide as the window behind her. She had to save him.

  “That’s what the Council thinks.” The dean puffed out a short breath. “Carter disappeared after the morning class and then called to inform me. The Council believes you have a journal. Devon left to bring it to them and–”

  Oh no, no, no! She couldn’t let him continue with the accusation, and decided to set the record straight. “The journal’s gone. Devon thought it’d been stolen. I’d just gotten it and only read a few pages before someone took it. When I went to tell Devon about it at his dorm, someone must have broken into my room. He…” Rae didn’t know why she babbled; she simply couldn’t focus her thoughts. Devon kidnapped? “Do you think he’s been hurt?” Rae bit a hangnail, wincing when she pulled too much skin and ripped it off. The burn distracted her momentarily. She sucked her finger and then used the healing tatù to mend it.

  “I don’t know. I hope he’s alright.” Dean Wardell blinked rapidly, his eyes bright. “I’d like to ask you to work with the Council to find my son. You’ve a very powerful tatù and I believe you can help them and keep him alive.”

  “I don’t know what I can do to find him.” Might Devon be dead? She felt numb with the thought.

  “You’ll come up with something. After all, you’re responsible for his disappearance.”

  Rae’s breath caught. She blinked in disbelief. “Pardon?”

  The dean sighed in frustration and angrily crossed his arms. “Come on, Kerrigan. This either has something to do with you, or your father. Don’t tell me you don’t feel partially, if not fully, responsible for putting Devon in danger? Just get him back here, preferably alive. That’s all I ask.”

  The man had changed from loving father to an emotionless crazy nut in a millisecond. She was totally shocked and blindsided by the change, but first and foremost, she wanted out of the room. “I’ll do what I can.” Rae stormed past him, no longer caring what he thought of her. She needed fresh air and time to think. She strode for the staircase, jumping the last six steps in her rush to get outside. As much as he was a jerk, the dean spoke the truth. Somehow, someway, I’m responsible for Devon’s disappearance.

  Chapter 22

  Demi-Frére

  Rae sprinted across the school grounds, back towards her dorm. Whatever happened to Devon would be her fault, through her own doing or her family’s, and she wouldn’t stand for it. She vowed to fix this, whatever the cost. Too angry with the dean to think straight, she barged past someone on the sidewalk and then realized after she had passed him, who it was. She stopped and called out. “Julian!”

  “You okay?” The concern on his face appeared genuine.

  “The dean told me Devon’s missing. Does the Privy Council really think he’s been kidnapped?”

  Julian nodded. “I was on my way to find you. At the moment, it looks that way. Or he’s gone AWOL with the journal.” The last part came out mumbled but Rae didn’t miss it. He paused and dug his hand into the pocket of his jeans. “I’ve been with the Privy Council all day. I came back to shower and grab a few things and got summoned back. I’m going to head over to the Privy Council’s main office.” He looked around to see if anyone was watching. “I can’t take you, but I know we’ll be looking for Devon. Why don’t I leave you my keys? I’ll text you if we find anything and…maybe, just by chance, you’re in the same area.” He winked, pressing the metal into her hand.

  Rae took the keys. “Won’t you need the car to get there?” She glanced down at the weight in her hand, realizing Devon’s keys were also attached to Julian’s. The Swiss Army Knife she had bought him for Christmas lay in her palm. A lump formed in her throat and her eyes turned glossy. She held her breath, terrified the tears would fall. Rae quickly shoved the key chain in her pocket.

  “I’m…uh…getting a lift.” Julian rubbed his neck.

  Rae glanced around the empty sidewalk. She understood his urge to do what was required of him, and appreciated his need to help her. She loved him for that. He also knew more than the Privy Council how much help she would actually be to them. She checked the empty fields around them and noticed the quiet of the early evening. “The grounds are deserted.”

  “It’s Friday. I think everyone’s headed into town to catch a movie or go out for dinner.” Julian checked his watch. “Will you be alright?”

  “I’ll be fine. I’ll wait for your text…maybe go for a drive.” She shrugged and turned to go.

  “We’ll find him. Hey, Rae?” The worry in Julian’s voice stopped her. He tugged his hair into a ponytail. “This isn’t your fault.”

  She stared at the worn rubber on the front of her sneaker. “It sure feels like it. The dean seems to think so, too. It’s either because of me or my father.”

  “Don’t blame yourself.” Julian shifted his weight. “I’m gonna pass on some information the president of the Privy Council taught me. We were talking about the future and the past with my drawings. He explained how the past can be a tricky thing.” He paused and rubbed his chin. “In your case, your dad left quite a destructive wave. You may always have to deal with it in your life, but that doesn’t make it your fault.” He came over and pulled her into a tight hug. “Dev’s strong and very smart. He can look after himself.”

  Silent, Rae squeezed Julian firmly, wishing she could believe him, trying to take comfort from his stalwart support and presence. With startling clarity, she realized Julian was the one person she had trusted without reservation, ever since her arrival at Guilder. The realization made her feel guilty that she couldn’t really say that about Devon, even if it wasn’t important now.

  “Uh—Ra-Rae—That’s too tight—” Julian huffed.

  “Oh, sorry.” She dropped her arms to her sides. “I kinda forget about my tatù when my emotions run high.”

  Julian rubbed his side. “No worries. I like bruised ribcages.” A small smile touched his lips, but then he turned serious. “I really need to get going. You sure you’re okay walking to your dorm?”

  “I’ll be fine. It’s not like anybody’s going to magically appear and grab me. I’ll just hug and crush ‘em.” She smiled, not even attempting to laugh at her own bad joke. “Get going and let me know the minute you hear anything.”

  Julian nodded and jogged away. Rae slowly walked towards Aumbry House. The early night seemed even more quiet now. The dark clouds hanging heavy with rain made it seem darker than normal. Her hands deep in her pockets and her head down, she made her way up the path. She concentrated on taking two steps between the cement squares on the sidewalk avoiding the cracks, anything to avoid reality. The more she tried not to think, the harder she thought, the faster her heartbeat and the more her soul tugged her in the direction she really wanted to go. “Screw this,” she finally mumbled, breaking into a run. She would figure out a way to find Devon herself, no waiting.

  Using the levitation tatù, she flew up the stairs to her room, glad n
o one was around to talk to her or slow her down.

  She froze when she got to her bedroom door. Unlocked and slightly ajar, she heard rustling and a desk door slamming shut. Her first reaction was to scream, but she held back when she thought Devon might be inside. She shoved the door open and ran in, wildly glancing around. Her heart almost stopped when Nic, sitting in her chair, leaned back and dropped his feet onto her desk.

  “I’ve been waiting for you.” He smiled; a menacing shadow crossed his face.

  “You can’t break into my room,” Rae shook her head. She never expected this. “Nic, I don’t know what’s up with you but you need to get out. I’m kinda busy.”

  He interlaced his fingers behind his head. “I’ve got time. Tell me about it.”

  “No!” she shouted, the rage inside of her boiling over. “Get out of my freakin’ room, asshole!”

  His jaw dropped. “Wow. Guilder’s most sacred daughter has a potty-mouth.”

  “Just get out of my room before I make you leave.” Then a thought struck her. The idea of him possibly going through her personal belongings sparked more anger. Has he been here before? Did HE take the journal? He couldn’t have, how would he know about it? Her hand still on the doorknob, she didn’t realize she had broken it off until she glanced down and saw it in her palm. “So help me, Nic, if you’re pulling a Lanford.”

  His eyebrows went up. “Pulling a Lanford?”

  “You know, pretending to be the good guy, pretending to be my friend.”

  “I came here to see if you needed my help. My skills. What’s with the bad mood?” He put a hand to his face in mock horror. “Whatever could be the problem? A fight with your boyfriend?”

  This was totally not Nicholas. Something about the way he moved, and his facial expressions didn’t seem like his own. He looked like Nic but—Oh no! It can’t be. Could it? Camouflage could be done in many different forms. “What’s with you?”