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  All Rae could do was wait. Wait and watch as her best friend, and the girl intent on killing them all, gazed together into the unknowns of the future.

  * * *

  It seemed to take forever for them to come out of it. Rae knocked out each guard who started to stir or wake up. She walked a large circle around Julian and Samantha, keeping everyone incapacitated. She was sure Devon would come racing back in the room at any moment. It terrified her that the guard might fire the gun. She’d gone over a hundred different scenarios of taking him out. Every time, the risk of Julian’s life was too great and it stopped her. Instead, she focused on how she’d catch Samantha and what kind of punishment would befit the girl. Death was not out of the question.

  When the glow around Julian and Samantha began to subside, Rae watched as they began to recognize the place where they were standing. Even as they did, they didn’t drop hands. It was a bizarre detail they seemed completely unaware of themselves.

  Julian was safe. The more intense the vision, the more it tended to take its toll. Miraculously, this one had left him standing.

  The next thing Rae noticed was the look on his face.

  Never had she seen such an expression on his face. It wasn’t tinted with any sort of emotion, at least not one that she recognized. It was past such things. All life, and fight, and hope had gone out of his eyes. Making him appear almost…dead.

  Rae’s breath caught as she froze in place. What had they seen?

  “It can’t be,” Samantha whispered. There were tears running down her face, and for once there wasn’t a bit of malice. She simply stared up at Julian with wide, horror-struck eyes. Clearly unable to come to terms with what she’d seen. “Something like that…can’t be possible.”

  Rae stared between them in horror, her eyes darting back and forth like a tennis match.

  “You saw it for yourself,” Julian’s voice trembled, and it looked like it was taking everything in him just to stand. “The future never lies.”

  But Samantha couldn’t believe it. Whatever nightmare she had seen, her mind wasn’t able to process it the way Julian had. Every time she tried, it looked like she was being torn in two. “But the camps…the experiments…” She looked down suddenly and grabbed at a specific spot on her side, feeling the skin through the fabric in absolute horror. Rae suddenly wondered if she’d seen herself die. “That was something Simon Kerrigan and Cromfield did. The world… they wouldn’t do that. Something like that wouldn’t happen now—”

  “It will.” Julian sounded as exhausted as Rae had ever heard him, aching with a fatigue that seemed to resonate from his very soul. “If you go down this road…it will happen.”

  It was then that he realized the barrel of the gun pressed into his skin. He straightened up with a silent gasp, his eyes darting to Rae as every muscle in his body stiffened to attention.

  It’s okay, she said telepathically. It’s going to be okay.

  Then she turned to Samantha. She was the female version of Cromfield. The girl just hadn’t realized it yet. “You need to make them forget,” Rae said quietly. Whatever Julian had shown her, it was clear it had to be prevented at all costs. And this was their only chance. “Everyone here—the prince, the princess—everyone. You need to make them forget everything that happened here today.”

  Samantha looked up in surprise, almost as if she’d forgotten Rae was there. Then she glanced around the room with a shudder, realizing everyone was gone. She had no back-up except for the guard with the gun on Julian. “You’ll come after me,” she muttered, almost to herself. “You already took out the rest of the guards. You’ll come after me and—”

  “So, leave one guard,” Rae said quickly, inching ever closer to Julian. “Leave one guard with one gun behind. Put him on some sort of timer. We won’t be able to move until you’re gone.”

  Samantha’s eyes flashed, wide with fear, then settled on Rae. “I’m tired of doing this,” she said softly. “I’m tired of dancing around the end.”

  The end. She means MY end. “Then let’s finish it,” Rae answered calmly, ignoring the fluttering little stab of warning in her stomach. “But not here. Not like this.”

  There was an unending moment of hesitation as Rae and Julian held their breath…then Samantha nodded once. “I’m going to finish this.” Her voice hardened as she spoke. “This might not have worked, but I won’t make the same mistake again. I know how to stop you, Rae. You and all your friends. You don’t deserve the title you carry. I hope you’re ready.”

  Rae dove to knock Samantha off her feet. At the same time, Julian turned and moved out of the line of fire from the guard and took the man down, collecting the gun in the process. Rae swept her arms tight, grasping as she rolled. Except she knew instantly that she’d somehow missed. Samantha had jumped or moved out of the way at the same moment Rae had attacked. Rae scrambled to sit up, empty-handed, trying to see where her nemesis had gone.

  Samantha was flying through a pair of doors in the room opposite to the way Devon and Molly had gone. She raced like the hounds of hell were on her trail. Rae could hear her shoes echoing on the tile floor, until another door opened and shut and the sound vanished completely.

  “Uh, Rae?”

  She spun around to Julian. Three guards had somehow gotten to their feet, their revolvers pointed straight at Julian’s head and heart. An expressionless look covered all three guards’ faces. She could maybe take out two of the guards while Julian went after the third. But more guards were rising and pointing their guns at Julian. Red laser dots appeared on his forehead and chest.

  A shaky sigh ripped through Rae’s chest, and she reached out to take her friend’s hand. “What do we do now?”

  He stared evenly back at her. Not daring to move. Not daring to breathe. “We wait. However long it takes.”

  Rae started counting in her head, One… Two… Three… She watched as the room began to fill with PC members, filing in through the door that Devon and Molly had disappeared through earlier. She grinned. Guess we won’t have to wait that long.

  * * *

  The royal wedding proceeded as planned. None of the attendants had any idea what had transpired behind closed doors. Sarah and Philip walked back down the aisle together, with beatific smiles, as a hundred bottles of Champagne popped their corks into the air.

  The four friends stood on a balcony above the clamor. Watching silently as the party got underway. Their hands were tight on the railing, but other than the occasional stirring of their hair in the passing breeze none of them moved a single muscle.

  It wasn’t until after the bouquet toss, when the happy couple was getting ready to depart, that Devon took a silent step back. “And that’s the ball game,” he said quietly. “The mission was…a success. I guess.”

  Julian and Molly glanced over at the same time, but didn’t say a word. They simply gathered what was left of their things, and headed silently for the door.

  Devon made to follow them, but then turned back to Rae. “Are you alright?” He swept her hair back with a gentle hand. “You haven’t said much since Samantha took off.”

  Rae simply stood there, lost in thought.

  The truth was, after the PC agents had rushed in to save them, she hadn’t given much thought to what came next. The royals were safe, the villain was gone—for the time being—and her mind had been focused on other things. More personal things.

  How many times had she been about to die? How many times had she been forced to breathe through that feeling, trying to find a way out?

  And yet…there was something different about it today. An abstract sort of caution that she couldn’t put her finger on. This whole time, she’d been trying.

  “Rae?”

  Her head snapped up to see that Devon was staring at her curiously. “I’m sorry—what?”

  His brow creased for a second before he smoothed it with a deliberate smile. “Let’s get you back home. Nothing else we can do here.”

  “Yeah
,” she nodded, tucking her hair behind her ears, “I’ll be there in a minute. I just… I just need a moment.” She forced a smile. “I’m okay. I just need… a moment alone. Please?”

  He stared at her curiously for another second before heading off after the other two. The door closed behind him, and for just a moment Rae was standing alone on the balcony.

  She gazed out over the remains of the party, glowing silver under the light of an English winter moon, and closed her eyes.

  She didn’t know what made her do it. Maybe it was the fact that Julian had shown Samantha a world with tatùs exposed. Maybe it was that the risks just kept getting bigger. She had no idea what had even put the idea in her head. But for the first time since that sparkling fairy had first appeared on her lower back, she took a deep breath, held open her hand, and let every other tatù simply fall away.

  The world went quiet. The party below muffled into a low hum and the night sky seemed to pick up nature’s song like a lullaby.

  She was a blank slate. A clean canvas. Waiting for whatever ink her body might select.

  It took a minute. A full minute of standing there. Then a soft humming warmed the blood just beneath her skin. She opened her eyes in surprise as Alicia’s diagnostic power floated gently to the surface, vibrating with anticipation in her trembling hands.

  Then, before she knew what was happening, her hands drifted down to her stomach.

  A strange new bit of magic was waiting.

  Her head snapped up. Her knees locked. She felt every ounce of color drain from her face.

  Oh, crap.

  THE END

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  PRECIOUS TIME BLURB:

  THE FINAL CHAPTER!

  The stage is set, the players are ready, and the battle is about to begin…

  After years of fighting, Rae Kerrigan and her friends find themselves at the end of the line. Only one remaining person stands in the way of them getting everything they’d ever wanted. Peace, safety, the chance for a normal life. But in Rae’s case, that ‘normal life’ might include a little more than she bargained for…

  Upon discovering she’s pregnant, Rae finds herself in the most dangerous game of cat and mouse yet. The stakes have never been higher, the risks have never been greater, and when the gang squares off against Samantha Neilson once and for all—some difficult choices will have to be made.

  What will it mean to have a baby who’s not only a hybrid, but has three separate sets of ink? Should she tell Devon—knowing that the two of them are about to go into battle and risk losing it all? Can she keep it a secret, but marry him at the same time?

  And as the day of judgement approaches…who can she really trust?

  The Chronicles of Kerrigan

  Book I - Rae of Hope is FREE!

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  Book Trailer:

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  Book II - Dark Nebula

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  Book Trailer:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca24STi_bFM

  Book III - House of Cards

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  Book IV - Royal Tea

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  Book V - Under Fire

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  Book VI - End in Sight

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  Book VII – Hidden Darkness

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  Book VIII – Twisted Together

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  Book X – Strength & Power

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  Book XI – Last One Standing

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  BOOK XII – Rae of Light

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  PREQUEL –

  Christmas Before the Magic

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  Question the Darkness

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  Into the Darkness

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  Fight the Darkness

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  Alone the Darkness

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  Lost the Darkness

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  SEQUEL –

  Matter of Time

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  Time Piece

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  Second Chance

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  Glitch in Time

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  Our Time

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  Precious Time

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  More books by W.J. May

  Hidden Secrets Saga:

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  Book Trailer:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-_vVYC1gvo

  Like most teenagers, Rouge is trying to figure out who she is and what she wants to be. With little knowledge about her past, she has questions but has never tried to find the answers. Everything changes when she befriends a strangely intoxicating family. Siblings Grace and Michael, appear to have secrets which seem connected to Rouge. Her hunch is confirmed when a horrible incident occurs at an outdoor party. Rouge may be the only one who can find the answer.

  An ancient journal, a Sioghra necklace and a special mark force life-altering decisions for a girl who grew up unprepared to fight for her life or others.

  All secrets have a cost and Rouge's determination to find the truth can only lead to trouble…or something even more sinister.

  RADIUM HALOS - THE SENSELESS SERIES

  Book 1 is FREE: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IFSS4ES

  Everyone needs to be a hero at one point in their life.

  The small town of Elliot Lake will never be the same again.

  Caught in a sudden thunderstorm, Zoe, a high school senior from Elliot Lake, and five of her friends take shelter in an abandoned uranium mine. Over the next few days, Zoe's hearing sharpens drastically, beyond what any normal human being can detect. She tells her friends, only to learn that four others have an increased sense as well. Only Kieran, the new boy from Scotland, isn't affected.

  Fashioning themselves into superheroes, the group tries to stop the strange occurrences happening in their little town. Muggings, break-ins, disappearances, and murder begin to hit too close to home. It leads the team to think someone knows about their secret - someone who wants them all dead.

  An incredulous group of heroes. A traitor in the midst. Some dreams are written in blood.

  Courage Runs Red

  The Blood Red Series

  Book 1 is FREE

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  What if courage was your only option?

  When Kallie lands a college interview with the city's new hot-shot police officer, she has no idea everything in her life is about to change. The detective is young, handsome and seems to have an unnatural ability to stop the increasing local crime rate. Detective Liam's particular interest in Kallie sends her heart and head stumbling over each other.

  When a raging blood feud between vampires spills into her home, Kallie gets caught in the middle. Torn between love and family loyalty she must find the courage to fight what she fears the most and possibly risk everything, even if it means dying for those she loves.

  Daughte
r of Darkness

  Victoria

  Only Death Could Stop Her Now

  The Daughters of Darkness is a series of female heroines who may or may not know each other, but all have the same father, Vlad Montour.

  Victoria is a Hunter Vampire

  TUDOR COMPARISON:

  Aumbry House --A recess to hold sacred vessels, often found in castle chapels.

  Aumbry House was considered very special to hold the female students - their sacred vessels (especially Rae Kerrigan).

  Joist House -- A timber stretched from wall-to-wall to support floorboards.

  Joist House was considered a building of support where the male students could support and help each other.

  Oratory --A private chapel in a house.

  Private education room in the school where the students were able to practice their gifting and improve their skills. Also used as a banquet - dance hall when needed.

  Oriel -- A projecting window in a wall; originally a form of porch, often of wood. The original bay windows of the Tudor period. Guilder College majority of windows were oriel.

  Rae often felt her life was being watching through one of these windows. Hence the constant reference to them.

  Refectory -- A communal dining hall. Same termed used in Tudor times.

  Scriptorium -- A Medieval writing room in which scrolls were also housed.

  Used for English classes and still store some of the older books from the Tudor reign (regarding tatùs).

  Privy Council -- Secret council and "arm of the government" similar to the CIA, etc… In Tudor times, the Privy Council was King Henry's board of advisors and helped run the country.