by W. J. May
“Have you tried your tatù on him?” She didn’t know if he wanted her to tell or if he simply didn’t know. Her breath caught as she had another thought. It seemed Kraigan had two tatùs last night. He stole people’s tatùs, but in my room, he’d pretended to be Nic. No one here has that ability. Could he possibly have been able to camouflage and steal tatùs? He has two tatùed parents. Could I have two abilities? She had no intention of sharing her thoughts out loud at the moment.
Carter coughed. “I have a very useful ability, unfortunately it has limits. I don’t know why but I’m completely useless on Kraigan. I can get no past memories from him. I don’t know what’s happened.”
Well then, it seems like the lock and key approach actually works. This may be the only information I’ve garnered from Kraigan that I’ll be keeping to myself.
“Did he say anything last night?” Carter asked.
Rae stared at her hands neatly folded. She planned on sharing the journal eventually, but she needed to read it first. Guilt flooded her chest though she lied despite it. “S-Sorry, he didn’t tell me anything.” Heat rose to her cheeks.
The room was quiet. Rae couldn’t look at him. Carter finally spoke. “Not to worry. We’ll find it.” He squeezed her shoulder and left the room.
Why didn’t Kraigan tell them? She sighed and dropped her head back onto her pillow. She had suddenly grown exhausted.
Rae sat at her desk flexing her previously broken wrist, happy to have the healing tatù back. She had asked a few friends to allow her to mimic their tatùs. Each touch had put the familiar hum rushing back through her body. She only had a few powers compared to before Kraigan’s altercation, but it was a hundred times better than none. I need to get into the Oratory and get the journal before someone finds it. I’ll go early to class one morning next week and hide it in my backpack. Sometimes plain site is the safest place for something to be kept hidden.
At exactly twelve, Devon came by as promised.
Like clockwork. Rae jumped from her chair and ran to open the door when she heard him in the hall.
Devon stood, knuckles midair about to knock. “That was quick.”
She hugged him tight but quickly let go when he grunted. “Sorry, I forgot you’re still sore. Raymond came by and I mimicked his healing tatù. I feel awesome.” She shook her wrist, to show him. “Sorry I can’t transfer the healing to you.”
“That’s great. About you, I mean. I feel good, too.” Devon ran his fingers through his hair. “I wanted to–”
“Hey, guess what?” Rae interrupted, so excited to see him. “Julian let me borrow his car so I can take you to the train station. It took a bit of begging, but he finally said okay. He just got it all fixed up.”
Devon’s eyebrows came up. “You don’t have to drive me. You should rest. You’re probably exhausted.”
“Uh-uh. I can drive.”
“That’s super nice of you.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I was planning on taking my own car. Using the Park N’ Train.” His eyes looked everywhere, but at her.
“What’s going on?” Rae grabbed his chin, forcing him to meet her gaze.
“Nothing.” Devon shifted.
“Liar.” Rae nudged him with her elbow.
Devon brought his arms up, palms facing her. “I remember some of your driving the other night. I…I think you should stick to driving on the right side of the road.”
“Hey, I saved your life!” She punched his open hands but couldn’t hold back a giggle.
“I’m eternally grateful, but, Rae—your driving sucks.”
“What? That’s bull. I—” she paused and exhaled a breath. “Fine. You can drive us to the station, and I’ll drive myself back.”
“I’ll say okay to that. Since it’s Julian’s car, not mine.” Devon kicked the door shut and kissed her before she could respond.
Ten minutes later, both of them breathing heavily, they slowly pulled apart.
“I hate to tell you this,” Devon whispered into her hair. “The Privy Council has me going on an undercover mission. I don’t know how long it’s going to take.” He sighed. “It could be a week, a month, maybe two. You know I can’t tell you the details, and I’ll be pretty deep undercover so I won’t be able to e-mail or call you till it’s done.”
They want you to find the missing journal. That’s probably the mission. Rae stood perfectly still. The thought of not knowing if Devon was safe or not seeing him tore at her heart just as much as not knowing the details of the mission. Secrets—he’s keeping secrets. “It’s alright. I get it.” I now have a few secrets of my own.
“What’re your plans when school ends?”
“I haven’t thought too much about graduation or anything past.” Rae let her eyes drop. That much is true at least. “There’s still four months of school left. I’ll talk to Carter and see if I can stay on as a mentor. I don’t mind going to New York for the summer, but I’m not staying. England’s my home now.”
“Good.” Devon pulled her into a one-armed hug, still favoring his injured shoulder a bit.
“Maybe I’ll look into working with the Privy Council.” Rae paused, waiting to see what his reaction might be. “Maybe I can send my resume to them.” She stepped back and looked at him.
Devon pressed his lips tight and crinkles appeared by his eyes. He nodded. “Good idea.” Rae immediately got the feeling that despite his words, Devon did not like the idea of her joining the Privy Council. Considering how she felt about him working for them, she couldn’t really blame him; except that, she had a feeling his objections were totally different from hers. Whose side is he on? Mine, or theirs? Today however, she didn’t want to deal with any of that. She just wanted to pretend a little longer.
She checked her watch and grabbed Julian’s keys off her desk. “Shoot. You’re train’s leaving at two. We gotta get going.”
Devon opened the door. “You should go to your uncle’s place for the summer. I like knowing you’re safe there. No one knows who you are in America. Plus, I can also send you the odd postcard without getting caught.”
Rae preceded him out the door. Then I’m also out of the way...
A week later, Rae waited in a lavishly decorated lobby underneath Guilder. The balls of her feet bounced faster than the human eye could keep up with. Tapping her thumb against the arm of her chair, she checked the clock and glanced around the waiting room. Still adjusting to her new look, Rae did a double take when she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror. The day after Devon left, she had gone to a salon for a drastic makeover, having her long, curly hair chopped to just below her ears, straightened and dyed platinum blonde. The length was barely long enough to make the ponytail she had stuffed it into this morning.
“Miss Kerrigan?” the receptionist called from her desk.
Rae jumped up; all the anxiety of the past week still had her nerves on end. “Yes.” She cleared her throat.
“They’re waiting for you in the Chamber meeting room. If you go through those main doors, it’s the third set of doors on the left. You comfortable walking in on your own?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” She wiped her sweaty palms on the back of her jeans and headed through the main doors. She paused a moment, hand on the doorknob and gathered her courage. This was the job she wanted. She had known it for sure when she had left Devon at the train station. I need to find out what things my father all created. I have to stop the Kraigans and Lanfords. They exist because of me.
The Privy Council needed her. They made that clear with the salary and contract they offered, presented to her personally by a representative. This was a chance, to finally see the big picture everyone had worked so hard to keep her from seeing, to hunt down any other children of Simon Kerrigan before they came hunting for her, to be on the inside of the mystery that was the Privy Council, to see who she truly could and could not trust, and maybe to watch over Devon to an extent. It was a job that enabled her to be part of something bigger than just h
erself, to fight the crazies trying to make her father’s delusional megalomaniac dreams a reality, and learn more about her father, and hopefully, her entire family at the same time. How could she say no? It’s time I become a dark nebula.
She took a few deep breaths, opened the door and stepped inside. The room was the same as the picture Kraigan had used for their presentation. At the round table sat five men, including Carter. Huh—didn’t see that coming.
Raising an eyebrow, she looked directly at him.
Carter smiled and ran a hand through his perfect hair. “I’d like to introduce you to my council.”
“Your council?” The words were out before she could stop herself.
The gentleman to the right of the headmaster, scowling at her outburst, spoke. “His council. He’s President Carter, head of the Privy Council.”
The president grinned at Rae. He spoke, his tenor voice loud and clear, “Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life, Miss Kerrigan.”
THE END
Read the next installment of:
THE CHRONICLES OF KERRIGAN
HOUSE OF CARDS
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LPIAFL0
Book 3 – House of Cards
The Chronicles of Kerrigan
House of Cards
Book III
By W. J. May
Copyright 2014 by W.J. May
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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.
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The Chronicles of Kerrigan
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
Coming June 2016
PREQUEL – Christmas Before the Magic
Chronicles of Kerrigan Prequel
A Novella of the Chronicles of Kerrigan.
A prequel on how Simon Kerrigan met Beth!!
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Preface
Rae giggled as her mother playfully dabbed frosting on the tip of her nose. She was ten years old, and they were making cupcakes for her birthday party in a bright, sunny kitchen. The sun glinted off her mother’s shoulder length, thick hair. They were wearing tiaras, gown costumes and pretending to be princess and queen. It was a perfect moment. It didn’t matter to Rae that it had never happened.
She knew she was on the verge of waking, but fought hard to stay in the place between dreaming and waking, this perfect place, where she could pretend she had grown up with her mother by her side, playing dress up, having princess-themed birthday parties, having her mother call her by pet names like “pumpkin” or “monkey”, telling embarrassing baby stories to her friends and their mothers at gatherings, like a normal girl.
These small bits, things that other girls took for granted, were precious to Rae. Not having them left a hole in her life, which made her feel vulnerable. After her fight to the near death with her half-brother, Kraigan, while she had been healing, she had thought a lot about family and memories and how the two things shape a person. She looked at her best friend Molly, and saw how her relationship with her mother and father directly affected the person she was today, even if Molly couldn’t see it. Rae felt like she was lacking this seemingly vital part of her personality, that having it would make her stronger.
While she couldn’t turn back time to avoid the horrible fire that ended her father’s reign of terror and unfortunately claimed her mother’s life, she could pretend in these quiet places in time, where no one would know that it wasn’t real. So she clung tightly to these stolen moments with her fictitious memories.
Chapter 1
Nervous
“You ready for this?”
Rae stared at Julian as they stood in front of the large wooden door, his hand on the knob, about to bring her into the completely chaotic world she had not known existed until two years ago. Just before turning sixteen she had come to Guilder Boarding School with no knowledge of tatùs or the fact that she would receive an ink mark on her sixteenth birthday.
One minute she was the parentless kid being raised by her aunt and uncle in New York, and the next she was the center of unwanted attention at Guilder. Now she stood about to join a secret agency because they wanted her, not the other way around. The child deep inside who had been orphaned at a young age and never quite healed from the experience now demanded answers. The sudden realization that her perceptions of reality had shifted so drastically in such a relatively short period of time momentarily stupefied her. She blinked, and then blinked again, trying to force her focus back on the present. “I’m re—”
A sudden crashing against the other side of the door, followed by an inhuman howl, cut her off. Julian jumped back at the impact, then flashed his super-model gorgeous grin with a twinkle in his dark brown eyes, and tightened the ponytail holding his long dark hair when the door stayed intact. Aside from Devon, Julian was one of Rae’s closest friends. He glanced at her, the door and then her again. “You sure?”
She knew him well enough to recognize when he was taunting her. Rae shot what she hoped was her dirtiest look and stepped in front of him, determined to quell all nervousness. Could the butterfly wings in her stomach be blamed on the fairy ink-art on her lower back? Along with waking up to some unknown marking on her sixteenth birthday, she learned it had some kind of supernat
ural power which she would need to figure out. If that had not blown her mind, Rae also learned both her parents had tatùs, where almost everyone at the school only had one parent inked. She and her tatù were both on edge. With forced determination she grabbed the handle of the door and yanked it open.
Before she had a chance to check out the room, some kind of Frisbee disc flew toward her. Tatù reflexes kicked in naturally and she ducked just in time. She couldn’t stop the giggle upon hearing the deep “oof” reverberating out of Julian as the unidentified, flying object nailed him in the chest. It bounced off him harmlessly and landed on the floor at her feet. She leaned down and picked it up. Surprisingly heavy. I bet Julian will have a bruise. Speaking of which… she straightened and grinned. “Thought your tatù gave you the ability to see the future.” She couldn’t hold back the laughter as she handed him the disc. “Even I saw that coming a mile away.”
Obviously winded, Julian shook his head. “I-I’ll g-give you that one…s-since it’s your f-first day.”
What had Headmaster Carter said? Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life.
The first day of preparing to be one of the best covert agents in Britain under the special training and watchful eye of the Privy Council. A secret operative. It sounded official and important. She imagined she should be feeling very accomplished right about now.
The problem was she didn’t. At that moment, Rae felt like she had a year and a half ago when she had first arrived at Guilder Boarding School and been the odd one out. Everyone had stared, whispered and treated her like a leper. It had been awful.