Guilt Of My Past: The Kerrigan Kids, #9

By W.J. May

It's hard to see a cage until the door finally swings shut…

 

When Aria and her friends wake up after the deadly explosion, they realize the nightmare they thought was over has only just begun. The cards have finally been laid upon the table, and the evil they thought they'd been chasing, has been in front of them the entire time.

 

Trapped in an underground bunker with no way out, the gang is locked in an epic struggle against their former mentor—a man whose plans for them are just getting off the ground.

 

Can they figure out his terrible secret? Can they find a way back home?

 

When the dust settles, will there even be a home to go back to…?

 

Kerrigan Kids

Book 1 - School of Potential

Book 2 - Myths & Magic

Book 3 - Kith & Kin

Book 4 - Playing With Power

Book 5 - Line of Ancestry

Book 6 - Descent of Hope

Book 7 – Illusion of Shadows

Book 8 – Frozen by the Future

Book 9 – Guilt of My Past

Book 10 – Demise of Magic

Book 11- Rise of the Prophecy

Book 12 – Deafened by the Past

 

READ THE WHOLE SERIES:
Prequel Series:
Christmas Before the Magic
Question the Darkness
Into the Darkness
Fight the Darkness
Alone in the Darkness
Lost in Darkness

 

The Chronicles of Kerrigan Series
Rae of Hope
Dark Nebula
House of Cards
Royal Tea
Under Fire
End in Sight
Hidden Darkness
Twisted Together
Mark of Fate
Strength & Power
Last One Standing
Rae of Light

The Chronicles of Kerrigan Sequel
A Matter of Time
Time Piece
Second Chance
Glitch in Time
Our Time
Precious Time

The Chronicles of Kerrigan: Gabriel
Living in the Past
Present for Today
Staring at the Future

 

Kerrigan Chronicles

Stopping Time

A Passage of Time

Ticking Clock

Secrets in Time

Time in the City

Ultimate Future

 

USA Today Bestselling author, W.J. May brings you a continuation of the international bestselling series, The Chronicles of Kerrigan! Come back and enjoy the famous characters, or step into the series right here. You won't be disappointed!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dark Shadow Publishing
• Release date: Mar 31, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393454939

W.J. May

About W.J. May Welcome to USA TODAY BESTSELLING author W.J. May's Page! SIGN UP for W.J. May's Newsletter to find out about new releases, updates, cover reveals and even freebies! http://eepurl.com/97aYf   Website: http://www.wjmaybooks.com Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-WJ-May-FAN-PAGE/141170442608149?ref=hl *Please feel free to connect with me and share your comments. I love connecting with my readers.* W.J. May grew up in the fruit belt of Ontario. Crazy-happy childhood, she always has had a vivid imagination and loads of energy. After her father passed away in 2008, from a six-year battle with cancer (which she still believes he won the fight against), she began to write again. A passion she'd loved for years, but realized life was too short to keep putting it off. She is a writer of Young Adult, Fantasy Fiction and where ever else her little muses take her.

Book preview

Have You Read the C.o.K Series?

The Prequel series is a Sub-Series of the Chronicles of Kerrigan.

The prequel on how Simon Kerrigan met Beth!!

Download for FREE:

C:\Users\wanitajump\Documents\aCoversNew2016\2016-17summercovers\Heistdom+\Cok Prequel Poster.jpg

THE CHRONICLES OF KERRIGAN: PREQUEL –

Christmas Before the Magic

Question the Darkness

Into the Darkness

Fight the Darkness

Alone in the Darkness

Lost the Darkness

C:\Users\wanitajump\Documents\CoK Series\CoKBanner.png

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

C:\Users\wanitajump\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCacheContent.Word\Poster TCOKS.JPG

THE CHRONICLES OF KERRIGAN SEQUEL

Matter of Time

Time Piece

Second Chance

Glitch in Time

Our Time

Precious Time

The Chronicles of Kerrigan: Gabriel

Living in the Past

C:\Users\Wanita\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\Content.Word\Living in the Past Facebook Cover Art.jpg

Present for Today

C:\Users\Wanita\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\Content.Word\Present For Today Facebook Cover Art.jpg

Staring at the Future

C:\Users\Wanita\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\Content.Word\Staring at the Future Facebook Cover Art.jpg

Kerrigan Chronicles

Book 1 – Stopping Time

Book 2 – A Passage of Time

Book 3 – Ticking Clock

Book 4 – Just in Time

Book 5 – Time in the City

Book 6 – Ultimate Future

The Kerrigan Kids Series

Book 1 - School of Potential

Book 2 - Myths & Magic

Book 3 - Kith & Kin

Book 4 - Playing With Power

Book 5 - Line of Ancestry

Book 6 - Descent of Hope

Book 7 – Illusion of Shadows

Book 8 – Frozen by the Future

Book 9 – Guilt of My Past

Book 10 – Demise of Magic

Book 11- Rise of the Prophecy

Book 12 – Deafened by the Past

Find W.J. May

Website:

https://www.wjmaybooks.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-WJ-May-FAN-PAGE/141170442608149

Newsletter:

SIGN UP FOR W.J. May's Newsletter to find out about new releases, updates, cover reveals and even freebies!

http://eepurl.com/97aYf

C:\Users\Wanita\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\Content.Word\W.J. May Logo Black.png

Guilt of My Past Description

IT'S HARD TO SEE A cage until the door finally swings shut...

When Aria and her friends wake up after the deadly explosion, they realize the nightmare they thought was over has only just begun. The cards have finally been laid on the table, and the evil they thought they'd been chasing has been in front of them the entire time.

Trapped in an underground bunker with no way out, the gang is locked in an epic struggle against their former mentor—a man whose plans for them are just getting off the ground.

Can they figure out his terrible secret? Can they find a way back home?

When the dust settles, will there even be a home to go back to?

Contents

Have You Read the C.o.K Series?

The Chronicles of Kerrigan: Gabriel

Kerrigan Chronicles

The Kerrigan Kids Series

Find W.J. May

Guilt of My Past Description

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Demise of Magic Description

The Kerrigan Kids Series

TUDOR COMPARISON:

Find W.J. May

The Chronicles of Kerrigan

PREQUEL –

SEQUEL –

The Chronicles of Kerrigan: Gabriel

More books by W.J. May

Chapter 1

Aria opened her eyes slowly, feeling like she’d been dipped in molten lead.

No part of her had escaped it. The sensation was everywhere, a confounding mix of sharp and agonizing pain rippling over a body that felt heavy and numb. She tried to lift her head, but that was a mistake. She started with something smaller. Maybe a foot, or a hand.

...Dad?

The word croaked out in a belated echo, the last thing she’d been trying to say before...

Her lips parted as the memory filtered back in little bits and pieces. So scattered and unlikely, it could hardly be real. They had been in a car. There had been an explosion. Hot enough to burn her skin. Bright enough to burn her eyes. And then?

Nothing.

She twisted around weakly, trying to see anything through the veil of dark hair that was fanned across her face. The ceiling above her was domed and smooth but it was shadowed, with nearly no sunlight. The air was heavy with the deep, musky smell of the earth.

Why am I not in a hospital? Where are the beeps and tubes?

The only hint of warmth was leaning hard against her shoulder. Comforting, but an extra weight all the same. She tried shifting against it, only for Benji’s head to fall into her lap.

His eyes were closed and his hair was matted. Something red was trickling from his ear.

Ben, she whispered, trying to rouse him.

He didn’t move. He was barely even breathing. Her fingers scrabbled weakly at the side of his shirt, then the word explosion circled back suddenly and her blood ran cold.

Where are we?

You’re in a bunker, a clear voice rang out from the shadows. A second later, a tall man stepped into view. He spread his arms wide with a little smile. What do you think?

She stared back in silence. Then she blinked.

...Dorian?

It crept up on her slowly, like something out of a dream.

They had been arguing with their parents. They had stormed out of the house. Benji had been driving, her hands were full of smoke. But why—

I can’t...I can’t heal.

She couldn’t move either, and now the two seemed frightfully connected.

Dorian nodded silently, dropping into a casual crouch on the other side of the room. He seemed bizarrely accustomed to the shadows. He barely gave them a second glance.

You can’t do anything here. He pointed up towards a dull gleam of silver, a row of tatù inhibitors half-submerged in the stone wall. That’s the whole point.

She stared back in a daze, unable to grasp anything he was saying.

The point...of what?

A faint groan caught her attention, and she lifted her hands quickly as Benji stirred on her legs. In spite of his best efforts, he seemed unable to open his eyes. His fingers were trembling, and each time he gathered the strength to move a fresh stream of blood poured down his face.

He’s pretty banged up, Dorian murmured, almost to himself.

Yeah, so why aren’t you DOING anything about it?

Benji, she rasped again, trying to shake him.

His eyes fluttered open, dilated pupils inside rings of the clearest blue. He blinked once at the ceiling, then slowly lowered his gaze—leveling it upon the man crouched in the darkness.

...are those...my sunglasses?

Aria followed his gaze, staring in confusion across the room.

Now that her eyes were adjusting, it was clear to see that someone had been living there. Or at the very least spending a significant chunk of time. There were books and stacks of clothes. A large desk submerged beneath a sea of messy papers. Lots and lots of coffee.

Dorian nodded with the hint of a smile.

You left them in my car. I kept forgetting to give them back to you.

Silence.

For the second time, Aria tried to clear her head—already forgetting about the inhibitors in the stone. The tips of her fingers were tingling. It hurt every time she pulled in a breath.

Is this stuff yours? she panted, lifting herself a little higher. Why is—

"Arie."

She froze as a pair of cold hands grabbed her. Even without the use of his ink, Benji was still faster than anyone she’d ever met. His face paled as he examined her, those enormous eyes dilated in fright. When his fingers brushed lightly across her forehead, she jerked back with a sudden wince.

What happened to you? he panted, one hand still cupped around the nape of her neck. I don’t... A second later, he twisted around to see his girlfriend lying on the floor. "Shit!"

In a disoriented flurry of limbs he untangled himself from Aria and forced his body across the room, kneeling on the cold stone beside the lovely shifter. Her face was bleeding and her eyes were closed. One arm was twisted at an improbable angle behind the rest of her body.

Dorian, he called shakily, trying to feel her pulse. She needs a hospital.

The teacher watched calmly from the shadows. Yes, I would imagine most of you do.

Benji lifted his head a fraction of a second, giving him the same blank look as Aria, then he returned to his girlfriend, murmuring under his breath. Sophie, wake up. Open your eyes, baby.

The dizziness was overwhelming, but Dorian’s words had struck a chord.

Most of us.

A sudden chill swept over Aria as she rotated clumsily, scanning the rest of the room. There were a few file cabinets, a bathroom, a forgotten toy chest with a giant crack up the side...

...and two more people.

Jason. Lily.

They were propped up against the wall, heads tilted together like some grim fairytale—as if Hansel and Gretel got lost underground. Their eyes were closed and their skin was ghostly white. In a bizarre twist, their fingers were actually laced together—like they’d found each other in their sleep.

Aria let out a strangled gasp, rushing towards them.

At least, that’s what she tried to do. Every limb was shaking beyond her control, and no sooner had she made it to the center of the room than her legs crumpled beneath her.

Easy there. Dorian pushed to his feet in a lithe motion, sweeping forward and lifting her off the ground. His arms supported her effortlessly, squeezing a little as he stared into her eyes. A quiet look passed between them, then he smiled. We don’t want to hurt that pretty face.

Put. Me. Down.

Dorian, Benji called again sharply, still holding Sofia in his arms, "what is this place? What the hell is going on? She needs a doctor. Why are we still—"

This is the place I took you after blowing up your car.

Both teenagers froze at the same time.

It was the nature of every volatile lifestyle that certain lines would be crossed. And while those lines might be different, the moments of realization were exactly the same. The little prickle of dread on the back of your neck. The tiny surge of fear as you found yourself on the wrong side.

Aria and her friends had experienced many such moments with Dorian. So many that they’d become reflexively accustomed to the sensation every time they saw his face.

But none of them had felt quite like this.

You... Aria finally managed, flinching involuntarily as the memory of burning metal shot back across her mind. You blew up...

Their eyes met and a heavy silence descended upon the room.

She pushed away from him a second later, falling hard onto the floor. He made no effort to catch her. He showed not a hint of concern, although both she and Benji were bleeding freely as they spoke. In a way, it was the most panicking thing of all. Even more than the explosion. Even more than the claustrophobic suspicion they were somewhere underground.

It was the feeling of those who’d drifted a little too far away from shore.

...why?

Even to Aria’s own ears, the question sounded scared and small. She didn’t want to ask it in the first place. She felt as though something might break apart if she did.

But it was broken already. Broken by their own hands.

To kill us? Benji asked in astonishment. You wanted to kill us?

In a way, it wasn’t so surprising. Hadn’t they recently come to the conclusion that he’d done the same thing before? To another group of talented children? Five unsuspecting teenagers who’d been forever immortalized in the middle of foot-traffic on a Sussex school lawn?

No, it wasn’t so surprising.

But for the first time, Dorian’s face showed a hint of life. He shook his head sharply, staring at each of them in turn. I didn’t want to kill you. I wanted to bring you here.

...why does that sound worse?

Another silence fell over the bunker as they tried to absorb it. A silence that lasted a lot longer than any was aware of at the time. Perhaps the worst part of all was that it seemed as though the game was already over. As though there were no more moves left to play.

Or maybe not.

We didn’t tell them, Benji said quietly. Our missions, the map, all those people we helped you track down...we didn’t tell them about any of it. They think you trained us. That’s it.

She didn’t know why he was making the distinction. It wasn’t until her eyes flitted to the heavy deadbolt on the door that the gravity of their situation began to hit home.

He’s not going to let us go.

Dorian leaned back on the desk, surveying him with an affectionate smile. Of course you’re trying bargaining. I could have predicted that.

A flicker of panic stirred in Benji’s eyes, but he did everything in his power to remain calm.

They have no idea you had anything to do with the car. There’s no reason they ever have to know. You could still walk away from this. You could—

You could let US walk away.

Dorian smiled again.

If I was worried about them finding out about the car, why did I blow it up fifty yards away from your homes? On a central London street, within view of a hundred cameras?

Aria shook her head, unable to get off the floor. But...why would you want that? Then they’ll know you have us.

Exactly, he replied. They’ll know I have you.

And as long as that’s true...we’ll stay alive.

He turned abruptly, making his way up a little flight of stairs to the door. A key whipped out in a flash, slipped back into the safety of his pocket.

Try to get some rest, he advised. I’ll be back with food in the morning—

Wait!

Benji and Aria called out at the same time, but only he was able to stand. He did so with a shocking lack of coordination, taking a moment to find his balance before staggering after him.

Dorian, you can’t... He approached slowly, both hands in the air. "You saved my life in Caracas. With that guy on the balcony. We’ve cooked food together. You’ve let me borrow your car. You can’t...you can’t keep us here."

He spoke in short, breathless sentences. Eyes shining and sincere. But even as he said it his body tensed with anticipation, as if some small part of him was terrified it wasn’t true.

Sure enough, Dorian looked at him with something akin