The Cornelius Saga Series (All 15 Books): The Ultimate Adventure-packed Supernatural Thriller Collection

by Tanya R. Taylor

  Mona Kirkpatrick was buried in a lovely cherry casket and was laid out in a stunning white gown—exactly like the one Mira, Ashley, John and Cindy had seen her in that night when all was revealed. She looked like a princess and Mira knew she was finally at peace.

  John could not bring himself to attend the funeral for fear that Mona’s loved ones were bitter against him for the irreversible actions of his wife. The day of her funeral, he sank into a deep depression, only coming out days later when he remembered what Mira had told him Mona needed in order to rest in peace. Ashley never blamed her father, but tried her best to comfort him since she knew he’d held himself responsible for the destruction of his family and the tragic end of Mona’s life.

  John and Ashley Morrison remained in the house opposite the Cullens’ residence. There were no more instances of paranormal activity and they went on with their lives.

  May the soul of thirty-six-year-old Mona Kirkpatrick rest in peace.

  ~ The End ~

  ‘Til Death Do Us Part

  Cornelius Saga Series - Book 13

  1

  _________________

  She was the last one left. For some reason, she could not bring herself to get up from the pew just yet. Outside under a gloomy, overcast sky, Rosie and Sara Cullen stood near the doorway of the church, watching as Mira sat quietly with her head lowered, where they’d left her. It was the first time they’d seen her behave that way—as if she needed more time to be there alone with her thoughts.

  Rosie proceeded up the center aisle toward her mother who was seated a few rows down from the altar.

  The architectural design of the one hundred-year-old edifice was captivating to the human senses. Stained glass windows were near the ceiling and in principal spots around the perimeter of the building. Dark brown marble tiles covered the floor from the mahogany-stained front doors straight to the altar and beige ones topped the steps leading up to the front doors of the church stopping right before the threshold. Every time Mira entered the cathedral, her feeling of being there was “new”, yet completely familiar. There she felt protected in some way, though she never was really sure from what.

  “Are you okay, Mom?” The teenager leaned in from the end of the pew.

  Her thoughts interrupted, Mira glanced at Rosie and quickly nodded. “Yes…I’m all right.” She pulled a ring of keys out of her purse and handed it to Rosie. “You and Mom go to car. I’ll be out in a minute.”

  As Rosie started back to rejoin her grandmother, Father Bob was heading the opposite way.

  “See you next Sunday!” He said as he walked by.

  “Yes, Father.” Rosie smiled.

  From the door, Sara noticed the priest had sat down with Mira, which comforted her. Her daughter had not been quite herself ever since she and Bobby had started planning their wedding a couple of months earlier.

  “She said she’s fine and we should go to the car,” Rosie told Sara.

  “Okay. Let’s go then.” Sara cleared her throat. “She can take as long as she needs. It’s a cool day; we won’t melt in the car.”

  Rosie giggled and gave her the keys. “You come up with the strangest things to say, Nana.”

  Sara looked her way as they headed to the sedan. “You think so? Your grandfather used to say I had a colorful mind. I guess strange is what he really meant.”

  Using the remote key, she unlocked the car and Rosie opened the back door and hopped inside. Sara eased in behind the steering wheel and rolled the windows down.

  “The homily was right on point,” she said. “We’re living in such difficult times and desperation often drives people to do all sorts of crazy things.”

  Rosie was fiddling with her cell phone. “Uh huh...”

  “But the way Father spoke of faith really must’ve hit home for Mira. I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Maybe that’s where she’s struggling right now.”

  She looked back at Rosie whose fingers were prancing around the tiny keys. “Are you listening to me, young lady?”

  Rosie’s eyes met Sara’s the second after she’d hit the SEND button under the message box. “I heard every word you said. But what makes you think Mom is struggling with faith? I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about.” Then a thought hit her. “Wait a minute! Do you think Mom has second thoughts about marrying Bobby?” She stared.

  Sara shook her head. “I don’t know. Mira won’t open up to me about what she’s really feeling. You know how she gets sometimes. The thing is we usually talk about any and everything, but sometimes, she shuts down and there’s nothing I can do to get her to open up.”

  Rosie was gazing out the window. “Yep. Mom sure is strange sometimes; but then again, this whole family is strange.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Look at us, Nana…you have a daughter and a granddaughter who see dead people—ghosts! We’re not normal. And because we see ghosts, that means something’s off about you too because without you, none of us would be here. Even more, you have a relative who was hanged because the townspeople thought she was a witch. Freakiness runs rampant in our family; there’s no denying it.”

  Sara chuckled. “You, little girl, are too much! Must you have painted such a dreadful picture? You’re just wrong for that, Pumpkin.”

  “You know it’s the truth!” Rosie exclaimed.

  * * * *

  “Mira… are you all right?” Father Bob asked in the gentle, compassionate tone of voice he was known for.

  “Hello, Father.” Her fingers were interlaced atop her lap. “Yes, I’m fine.”

  The seventy-year-old priest studied her for a few moments. He’d known the Cullen family for decades. When he’d transferred to St. Mary’s in Mizpah forty years earlier, Sara and her husband Michael were already parishioners. As a matter of fact, Michael had been baptized in that very church as an infant.

  “Are you sure?” he prodded. “Is there something you’d like to share with me, child?”

  Her throat suddenly felt dry and she rubbed the front of her neck before her hand fell into her lap again.

  “No.” The shaking of her head was slow and unconvincing. “I just felt I needed a little bit more time here; that’s all.” She grabbed the straps of her purse and started to get up. “I’d better get going. Mom and Rosie are waiting for me in the car.”

  Father Bob crossed his legs and sighed. “Mira, will you sit down...please?”

  She looked back at him, a tad stunned by his firm request, but sat down again.

  “You didn’t drag Bobby along this morning?”

  She managed a half-smile. “He got home late from work last night and had to get some rest before his flight this afternoon. Going to Chicago to purchase some machinery for a special project his company is doing.” She glanced at her watch. “His flight’s scheduled for two-thirty, so he should be at the airport by now.”

  “I heard he was promoted to Manager at the mill, huh?”

  She nodded.

  “He deserves it after putting in so many years of dedicated service.”

  Mira was silent. She knew the priest hadn’t asked her to stay for trivial conversation.

  He shifted slightly toward her. “Mira, your mother expressed to me after service today that you haven’t been quite yourself lately. Are you having reservations about the wedding?”

  Just then, she felt her heart beating faster than normal. “I love Bobby, Father and I do want to marry him. I never, ever thought I’d feel about anyone the way I feel about him.” She lowered her head again. “Yeah, I know it took a long time for me to get to that point—to really trust a man with my heart, but I’ve never regretted the day I surrendered; the day I realized I loved him back.”

  “So what is it, child? What’s troubling you?” he asked.

  Her heart was racing now. The words she feared to utter had been restrained literally for months. Words so frightening that keeping them shut in was the reason for her rapid weight loss—an entire ten pounds gone ef
fortlessly from her already slender frame.

  She felt safe there in that space nonetheless and Father Bob was human representation of that security.

  “He’s going to die!” she blurted while forcing back the willful tears.

  The priest faced her completely with a bewildered gaze in his eyes. “Who’s going to die?”

  “Bobby! Bobby’s going to die, Father! I’ve known it for a while, but couldn’t bring myself to say it—to admit it. And there’s nothing I can do!”

  Deciding to keep the conversation at a logical level, the priest replied, “But we’re all going to die someday, child. Dying is a part of living.”

  “You don’t understand.” Mira shook her head vehemently.

  “Well then, explain it to me.”

  “It started after the accident when I was in the hospital.” She gulped. “I’d never seen anything so formidable before—this thing that represents death. It showed up just before several patients passed away and when Bobby came to see me, it went over to him.”

  “But that was at least three or four years ago—the accident. Wasn’t it?”

  She nodded.

  “Mira, I know you have a special gift and that gift over the years has helped a lot of people—those who have passed on, our police force in solving certain crimes, and even law enforcement outside of this community. That graveyard thing I heard about comes to mind. Without a doubt, you have a remarkable gift. But I said all of that to say this: Maybe this time you’re wrong when it comes to Bobby.”

  She was hanging on his every word at that point, wishing if only he could’ve been right.

  “You, yourself, said when you saw the dark angel—I presume you’re referring to the death angel—that after he appeared to patients, they all died,” he continued. “But even though you saw him in close proximity to Bobby, a few years have since passed and he’s still here. Doesn’t seem like he had the same intention for Bobby as he did the others.”

  “I understand what you’re saying and it makes sense, but in my heart I know what I feel is true,” Mira asserted. “I don’t know why it appears around Bobby so often...”

  “Wait! You mean, you’ve seen the angel around him more than that one time?” Father Bob asked.

  “Yes. At least a few times since I left the hospital. And every time it shows up, I’m afraid that’s when it will finally snuff the life out of him.”

  “But it hasn’t happened, child.”

  “No, but I almost feel taunted by its presence.” She looked at the priest intently. “Do you think I’m being punished for something, Father? Might that be why I’m taunted like this?”

  He sighed. “I don’t believe that, Mira. If you are seeing this death angel over and repeatedly, and each time he hasn’t done the job that we know he’s mainly sent to do, in this case with Bobby, there has to be some sort of explanation. Maybe it’s a warning...I don’t know...that he might be ill or something and should get a check-up.”

  “I’ve thought of that, but that’s not it. Without revealing why, I’ve convinced Bobby to come to the clinic and have a thorough check-up with all the blood work, EKG—everything every year since then and he’s as healthy as a horse!”

  “Well, you’re not being punished, child. Get that out of your head. The enemy would want you to believe that.” He shifted in his seat with his back against the pew, looking straight ahead at the statue of Jesus hanging on the cross. “There are some things in this world that we don’t understand, but it would do us good to have faith that it will all work out the way it was predestined to.” His eyes met hers again. “Ask God to strengthen you for whatever lies ahead. At some point, we all must go and those we leave behind must be strong in face of the reality that life must go on. I don’t understand why you’ve been seeing what you’ve been seeing periodically, but I do know that God’s Hand is upon you, child. He hasn’t given you the gift without first equipping you with what you needed in order to handle it. Trust the process because once you do, the fear will go away.”

  For a few moments, she allowed his words to sink in, then she picked up her purse and got up to leave. “Thank you, Father.”

  “I’ll see you next Sunday.”

  Before she got to the end of the row, she stopped and looked back. “Father...”

  “Yes, child?”

  “I would really appreciate if you didn’t mention the details of our conversation to anyone, including my mother.”

  “No need for concern,” he replied. “My lips are sealed.”

  The priest remained where he was and this time appeared to be in deep contemplation of his own as Mira headed for the front door.

  * * * *

  As she walked toward the parking lot, she noticed three people standing near the hood of the car. No—four!

  “Bobby...” she uttered softly; her voice quivering.

  He hadn’t immediately noticed her while he stood there talking and laughing with Sara and Rosie. But Mira could see the tall, pitch-black, horrid form of a man behind him that caused her to stop in her tracks and almost shriek in terror.

  “Hey, honey!” Bobby finally spotted her and dashed over to meet her. He hugged her tightly.

  “What are you doing here?” She asked, relieved to find the unwelcome visitor had quickly vanished. “Shouldn’t you be at the airport by now?”

  “I should, but I couldn’t leave without seeing and holding you one last time. I’ve been calling your phone, but couldn’t get through. When I tried your mom’s, she said y’all were still here.”

  Mira glanced down at her purse. “Oh, right. My cell’s still on silent. I’ll adjust the volume in the car.”

  They started walking toward the others.

  “You act as if you’re leaving for good.” She hoped his utterance of the words, last time would not turn out to be prophetic. “You’ll only be gone for a couple of days.”

  “I know.” He held her hand and they both stopped where they were. “Can you believe that in three weeks, we’ll be walking down the aisle of this church as husband and wife?”

  “Unbelievable, huh?”

  “Considering what all you’ve put me through!” He grinned. “Nah; just kidding. Without a doubt, I would’ve waited for you no matter how long it took. Thankfully, I still have some youth left in me.”

  She smiled and slapped his arm.

  “I’m so glad you agreed to spend the rest of your life with me. I will be proud to have you as my wife.”

  Her eyes welled up with tears and she quickly shook her head in protest. “What’s with this sentimental stuff, Bobby?”

  “Is there something the matter?” he asked, attentively.

  “No. Everything’s perfect. I’m looking forward to that special day too, Bobby.” Her smile was captivating. “You’d better head to the airport before you miss your flight!”

  He glanced at his watch. “Okay. I’ll call you after I land in Chicago.”

  “Okay.” She nodded.

  He held her again and kissed her passionately, then hurried off toward his jeep, bidding Sara and Rosie farewell.

  Mira continued on to the car. “You want me to drive?” she asked Sara as Bobby sped away.

  “No, I’ve got it!”

  They all hopped in.

  “So, did you and Father Bob have a good discussion?” Sara asked as they headed toward the intersection.

  “Yes, we did,” Mira said.

  There were lingering moments of awkward silence.

  “Anything you’d like to share with me?”

  “No. Not right now,” she replied.

  2

  _________________

  “Hurry, dear! We must catch this flight!” Barbra Cooley exclaimed as she and her daughter Vanessa ran with their luggage through the airport terminal.

  Barbra was forty-nine and still in great physical shape. She’d been an all-around athlete in both high school and college, and Vanessa’s seventeen-year-old long legs were no match for hers. Beneath
the tail-end of Barbra’s dress, the bulge of her muscular calves were in plain view.

  “Think Dad’ll be surprised?” Vanessa asked as she felt herself gasping a little for air. They were almost at the ticket counter.

  “When he sees us, he’ll think we’re a pair of ghosts, for sure!” Barbra replied.

  “Hello! You’ve made it just in time, huh?” the ticket agent said as Barbra rested their traveling documents on the counter in front of her.

  “You won’t believe what it took for us to get here!” Barbra replied, wearily. She noticed the badge on the agent’s lapel; the name was Alice.

  Vanessa stood next to her mother. Thankfully, there was no queue at the ticket counter, which also meant that everyone else had gone ahead toward the plane. They both had heard the departure call the moment they’d stepped into the airport. The area was basically empty, aside from a number of ticket agents who were standing by idly or peering into their computers. To her right all the way down to the G Terminal, Vanessa noticed several people hurrying ahead. She figured they were the last ones rushing toward the departure gate.

  “Oh, I know how that can be!” Alice told Barbra. “Oftentimes when we’re in great haste is when everything seems to get in the way.”

  “Tell me about it!” Barbra shook her head.

  The agent was a short, curvy blonde with a cheerful smile. As she took her own slow time perusing the documents, she seemed unfazed by the fact that the Cooleys had just a few minutes left to board the plane. Barbra kept glancing at the oval clock on the wall just above the ticket counter.

  “So, you guys are looking forward to your trip today?” Alice glanced up at Vanessa.