The Kairos Makers: Books 1-3

By C.A. Gray

Join Gabe, Marty, and Elizabeth as they travel through time and space with the help of Thrylos the magician. Thrylos sends Gabe and his two best friends to various critical "kairos" moments in world history, where the future hangs upon one small decision or event. Can they make sure that world events unfold as they are meant to do?

This set contains Books 1-3: Christmas Night 1776, Jamestown's Deliverance, and The Tunguska Asteroid. The end of each story also summarizes the real historical events upon which the books are based.

• Language: English
• Publisher: C.A. Gray
• Release date: Apr 18, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005699383

C.A. Gray

C.A. Gray is the author of three YA Amazon bestselling trilogies: PIERCING THE VEIL (magic and quantum physics meet Arthurian legends), THE LIBERTY BOX (dystopian metaphysics and mind control technology), and UNCANNY VALLEY (dystopian coming-of-age with neuroscience and super intelligent A.I). She starts with some scientific concept that she’s interested in learning more about herself, and then creates lots of epic chaos and high-stakes action to go along with it. Her stories are free of gratuitous violence, language, and sexual content, and she abhors depressing endings... but they’re not all kittens and rainbows either. She also reads and reviews audiobooks on her website (www.authorcagray.com), Goodreads, Instagram, and on her podcast, Clean Audiobook Reviews, where she also occasionally interviews other authors.By day, C.A. Gray practices naturopathic medicine, podcasts, and writes medical non-fiction under her maiden name (Dr. Lauren Deville). She lives in Tucson, AZ with her husband Frank, and together they maintain an occasionally contentious film review blog (under her real name: Lauren Baden. Three names. Yes.) She’s kind of the queen of multitasking—so in her spare time, she creates whatever meals or crafts she found most recently on Pinterest, drinks lots of coffee (Aeropress btw) and occasional wine (reds—and she saves the corks for craft projects), works out (while listening to audiobooks), and studies the Bible—about half of the podcasts on Christian Natural Health are scripture meditations. She does sleep, too. Promise.Join her newsletter for best-of-the-month reads, freebies and giveaway information, as well as new releases! http://eepurl.com/F3rof

Book preview

The Kairos Makers,

Books One, Two, and Three

C.A. Gray

www.authorcagray.com

Copyright and Disclaimers

The Kairos Makers, Books One, Two, and Three

By C.A. Gray

Copyright 2020, C.A. Gray

All Rights Reserved

No Portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including, but not limited to, audio recordings, facsimiles, photocopying, or information storage and retrieval systems without explicit written permission from the author or publisher.

Published By:

Wanderlust Publishing Tucson, AZ

Also by C.A. Gray:

Intangible: Piercing the Veil, Book 1 Invincible: Piercing the Veil, Book 2 Impossible: Piercing the Veil, Book 3

The Liberty Box: Book 1

The Eden Conspiracy: The Liberty Box, Book 2 The Phoenix Project: The Liberty Box, Book 3

Uncanny Valley: Book 1

The Silver Six: Uncanny Valley, Book 2 Jaguar: Uncanny Valley, Book 3

Dreamscape Adventures, Inc. The Atlantis Bloodline

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Acknowledgements

To my husband, Frank Baden: thank you so much for your editing, and for all your recommendations for revisions to make it better!

To Cyndi Deville, thank you for your edits, your support, and the continued use of your maiden name!

To Jim Strawn, thank you once again for all your editing recommendations, great catches, and insight.

To my READERS: thank you for choosing to invest your time in my work! I’d write even if no one ever read what I wrote, but it’s such a blessing that they do!

And Lord, thank you for the opportunity to put my work out there. I’m grateful that I happen to be writing at a time when the publishing industry has become so egalitarian. I can write what I want without a publishing house telling me what I need to insert or what I need to remove, I can do it on my schedule, I can control my own cover art, and I can publish when I’m ready. This is unprecedented in the history of publishing, and I’m so blessed.

Christmas Night, 1776:

The Kairos Makers, Book One

C.A. Gray

www.authorcagray.com

Chapter One: A Real Magician



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Gabriel Jordan dreamed of being a magician. He spent all of his allowance money on new  magic tricks, and for his tenth birthday, his godmother had given him a real black cape and matching top hat to make him look the part. He invited all his friends and neighbors to watch his performances—but they never seemed to work out quite right. Once he tried to pull a coin from Elizabeth’s ear, but everyone could see that it had really come from his sleeve. He tried to guess what card his friend Marty had chosen from a deck, and after six tries, he gave up. His godparents always clapped politely and tried to encourage him, but Elizabeth and Marty could always be counted upon to tell Gabe exactly what he’d done wrong.

You’re just not fast enough, said Elizabeth.

"You’re just not clever enough," Marty added.

Gabe slumped, feeling discouraged as he packed up his suitcase filled with illusions. His audience trickled out of his godparents’ living room. His godmother Melinda lingered, and approached Gabe once Elizabeth had gone up to her room and Marty and his parents had gone home. She put an arm around his shoulders.

Don’t give up, Gabe, Godma told him. It’s in your blood. Your mother and father were both born performers.

Gabe looked up, hopeful again. They were? He always loved hearing Godma tell him about his real parents. He’d been so young when they died.

Godma nodded. Yes. Your mother used to perform in school plays when she was about your age, and your father was an attorney, and that’s kind of like performing. And don’t let Marty tell you you’re not smart enough, she made a face at where Marty had been sitting. He’s just jealous. You are clever enough to do anything you set your mind to!

He’s not jealous, Gabe slumped again. Marty is the smartest person I know. He’d have no reason to be jealous of me.

"He is jealous, Godma insisted, because you are kind, and everybody likes you. And because you are hard-working, and you don’t give up. You know what that means? You will eventually succeed. Hard work trumps natural talent every time. You just remember that. When Gabe still looked unconvinced, Godma sighed, and pulled Gabe to sit down on the couch beside her. Did I ever tell you about Thrylos, Gabe?"

Gabe frowned and shook his head. What’s a Thrylos?

" Who is Thrylos, Godma corrected. He’s a great magician. Probably one of the greatest who ever lived. Most magicians will announce their shows and sell tickets well in advance, but not Thrylos. He just pops into a city unannounced, and performs impromptu shows for whoever happens to be there. He always packs out his shows, and then disappears again. Nobody knows where he’s from, or where he goes, but that just adds to his mystique. Rumor has it, he does real magic!"

Gabe arched an eyebrow at his godmother, skeptical. "There is no real magic, Godma."

Godma flashed him a conspiratorial grin. Maybe not, but he’s so good that nobody can prove it isn’t!

Boy. I’d like to see one of Thrylos’s shows, Gabe murmured wistfully. But if nobody knows when or where he’s going to appear next, I don’t see how I can.

Godma patted his knee. Tell you what. I’ll see if I can track down where he’ll be next. He’s just a man, so somebody has to know where he is. In the meantime, you keep practicing your magic tricks, okay? You promise?

Gabe forced a smile, even though his heart wasn’t in it. I promise.

Godma was as good as her word. She tried to find out Thrylos’s last name, a website, a travel schedule—anything. But the magician turned out to be even more elusive than she had first thought. The best she could find were fan websites, who collected photos, timelines, and maps of Thrylos’s appearances so far. Godma sent letters to Thrylos via the contact form on these websites, but she knew they would never reach the man himself. Then she studied the maps, and sent letters care of the Town Magistrates of cities where Thrylos had performed. Surely someone, somewhere knew how to contact him. She sent each place the same letter:

Dear Mr. Thrylos,

I realize this is unusual, but I am writing to you about my godson, Gabriel Jordan. His mother was my best friend, and my husband and I took custody of him when his parents passed away five years ago. We worried about him a lot, until he discovered magic tricks. The hobby seemed to bring him joy again, and we even saw his old personality from before the accident begin to return. But the truth is, he isn’t naturally talented at magic, and he’s grown discouraged of late.

I was hoping that if he could meet a real magician like yourself, it might rekindle his excitement. I know it’s a big ask, and you can’t make an exception for every little boy you hear about who needs encouragement. But if there is any way you could consider adding our small town in Indiana to your itinerary, I’d be eternally grateful. I know it would mean the world to Gabe.

Sincerely,

Melinda Lovejoy

Meanwhile, Gabe tried to keep his word to his godmother, too. When he got home from school, after he’d finished his homework, he’d pull out his trunk of magic tricks and play with them halfheartedly. Whenever Elizabeth knocked on his bedroom door, though, he’d stuff them away again so she wouldn’t see and make fun of him.

Want to play house explorer with me? Elizabeth chirped eagerly. This was Elizabeth’s favorite game, combining the traditional house (mommy, daddy, child) with an adventure game. The family always found themselves in a new mansion filled with secrets, trapdoors, revolving walls, and trick stairs. But they had to care for their baby, clean up, and make food at the same time. Gabe was the only boy in the house, aside from his godfather, so unless one of Elizabeth’s younger sisters wanted to play the daddy role, it was always him. He was very tolerant of Elizabeth and usually agreed, but today, he just wasn’t in the mood. He shrugged.

Sorry. Not feeling very adventurous today, Bet.

Elizabeth, used to getting her own way, stuck out her lower lip in an exaggerated pout. Then she got on her hands and knees and crawled right up in Gabe’s face. Please? she simpered, a teasing smile underneath. Please please please please…

This always worked. Elizabeth was only two years Gabe’s junior, but she’d had him wrapped around her little finger since she could crawl, long before he’d come to live with them. She could not remember a time when Gabe denied her—not when she pulled out the big guns. 

But today was different. Gabe scowled, and snapped, Leave me alone, all right? I said I don’t feel like it!

Elizabeth recoiled like he’d slapped her, her cheeks flooding with color and her eyes filling with tears. But her redheaded temper flared first, masking her disappointment.

Fine! she retorted, ignoring the tears gushing over her cheeks. Who wants to play with you anyway! You can sit up here and sulk over your stupid magic tricks that don’t work, for all I care!

Elizabeth Anne Lovejoy! called Godma’s voice from down the hall, who could not help but overhear this exchange. "We do not talk to each other like that in this house! You apologize right now!"

No! I won’t! Elizabeth shouted back, storming out of Gabe’s room and slamming the door.

Gabe sighed and buried his head in his hands as he heard Godma’s and Elizabeth’s muffled shouts. He knew Elizabeth would come around and apologize on her own within the hour—she never stayed angry for long. But her words still stung. Your stupid magic tricks that don’t work .

Who am I kidding? Gabe thought. I’ll never be a real magician .

But just then, the doorbell rang.

Chapter Two: Thrylos Comes to Visit

Gabe! called Godma from downstairs, and he could hear that her voice was filled with excitement. This seemed odd, considering just a few moments earlier, she’d been shouting at her daughter. Someone at the door for you!

His first thought was that it must be Marty, since Marty was his only friend, aside from the Lovejoys. But Godma wouldn’t be excited to see Marty—he was just Marty. Roused from his sulky mood by curiosity, Gabe went downstairs and paused halfway down the landing.

There before him was the strangest looking man he’d ever seen. He was very tall and very thin, dressed in an old-fashioned black suit that might have belonged to the late 19th century, complete with a top hat and tails on his coat. His shiny black shoes were polished to a high sheen, and he wore a red vest beneath the black coat, with a gold chain apparently hiding something in his vest pocket. It was hard to place his age, but to Gabe he seemed very old. For all that, though, his green eyes sparkled with youthful excitement, and he had a very wide mouth filled with perfect, white teeth. He used all of them now to grin at Gabe.

This, he pronounced, in a voice much softer than Gabe had expected, must be Gabriel! He took a step toward him, both hands extended.

Er, Gabe began, with a hesitant glance toward Godma, whose eyes shone with tears. He looked back at the old man. Yes, and—sorry, but—who are you? He had the impression he should know already.

My name is Thrylos, he said.