The 5th Anniversary Special

This Week, I'm deviating from my normal newsletter and giving you a short story that takes place between The Kalista Chronicles: An Angel Falls (Book 6), which released last year, and An Angel Enraged, which released today!

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⚠️If you've not read An Angel Falls,⚠️

Scroll to the Summary, announcements, and art to avoid spoilers!

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If you've not read any of The Kalista Chronicles, enjoy this little glimpse into her series, but also, it will spoil some things which happen in An Angel Falls.

~ Family, College, and Burn Out ~

     Hosting Beryx’s brother Vincent Cromwell and his family at our house in Angelus Oaks turned out to be a Maker’s send. It helped our home feel much less empty. The only problem was Vincent had to go to the Agency every day, and my father kept trying to manipulate him into bringing me back with him. Thankfully, I was rarely home when he left, due to my working with the Agency overseas.

     My father, the slimy git wasn’t taking me ignoring him well, but I had better things to do than entertain his idiocy. He blamed my grief over Katerina’s death. When Vincent told me that, I scoffed.

     “He’s always been good at ignoring the blatantly obvious,” I muttered as I sipped at my coffee. I’d been up all night again, due to Paris being nine hours ahead of Los Angeles. Working with Director David Scott and Foresti on the case while Vincent compared notes with my father.

     “Do you plan on ignoring him forever?” Vincent asked as he sat at the breakfast bar. I shrugged and sipped. Ignoring him hadn’t really been intentional. When I wasn’t in Paris, I was either helping Julian and his mom, Karen Maxwell, with Elijah and Katerina’s funerals, babysitting Elara, or at college. It also left me little time to be a good hostess, but Beryx was picking up my slack.

     “It’s not been her fault, Vince,” Bella, Vincent’s wife, said as she breastfed their daughter in the seat beside him, “She’s been busy.”

     I lifted my mug to her in silent thanks. She was ever the understanding truly kind woman everyone painted her as. She even gave me a lot of pointers on taking care of Elara. I hated not getting more time with Bella and baby Hailey, but again, she understood. Vincent kissed her cheek, and Beryx smiled at them from where he was cooking breakfast. He turned the smile to me and leaned toward me. I kissed him then pushed off the counter.

     “You know my schedule, Vince,” I said as my watch vibrated with the warning alarm for class, “That being said, I have psychology in forty-five minutes.”

     “You’re going to burn yourself out,” Vincent commented into his mug. Bella elbowed him with a glare, and he sighed. He opened his mouth to apologize but I didn’t let him.

     “It’s only for another day or two. Katerina’s funeral is tomorrow, and after that, life will be a bit calmer,” I said before downing what was left of my coffee. Beryx plated the egg, potato, and cheese concoction he’d made this morning, and gestured to the one with a tortilla underneath.

     “Another breakfast burrito on the run,” he said, levitating the plate from beside the stove to me. I grabbed it from the air as I set my mug in the sink.

     “Thank you, Bear,” I said, rolling the tortilla into a burrito. My temprakinesis wrapped around it, cooling it enough to eat, and I took a bite.

     “Would you at least stop by the agency and…” Vincent trailed off as I slowly turned to him. He shuddered under my withering glare and averted his eyes. “Never mind, I see you’re dead set on ignoring him.”

     I chewed slowly, letting him think what he wanted, and Beryx set a plate in front of them. He wrapped an arm around me and kissed my forehead.

     “Do you have your lunch packed?” he asked, and I summoned my coffin shaped backpack.

     “Lunch and some of the cookies you made yesterday for Director Scott,” I said, slipping it on before he handed me a thermos of more coffee for me, “You’re the best.” I kissed him again as I took it and wished we had time for a quickie before class. I grabbed my keys from the counter and looked to our guests, “And I’m off. I’ll see you for dinner. We’re still meeting at the Solar Eclipse, right?”

     “We are?” Vincent asked, looking to Bella who nodded.

     “Uncle Korah arranged it, and one of my favorite singers is performing tonight,” she said, brows rising in the middle, “Did you really forget?”

     “Temporarily,” he admitted, setting his hand on her thigh, “I’ll meet you there. I promise.”

     “I’ll text Beryx when I’m done with classes and if he’s not there yet, I’ll pick him up myself,” I volunteered before thinking about it fully. Vincent watched me walk around the counter to the door. “Don’t look at me like that, Director. Your wife and my mate spoke the truth. I’m not avoiding my father. I just don’t have time for his idiocy.” I took another bite of my burrito as I opened the door. He met my eyes and I projected my next question, “You coming with me or are you going to have Beryx send you when you’re done with breakfast?”

     “I’m not a fan of riding bitch,” Vincent answered, and Bella rolled her eyes. Oh, I had several things I could’ve said to that, but I kept them all to myself and dipped my head. If I didn’t leave now, I wouldn’t be able to talk to Professor Jacquiline Hyde and Merida before my first class. As it was, I would need to teleport part of the way there and ride the rest of the way. It wasn’t ideal, but it wasn’t horrible.

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     I walked into Professor Hyde’s classroom with ten minutes to spare. It was usually the perfect amount of time to catch up with the gingers. I stopped just inside the door and watched Professor Hyde write a few words on the blackboard. Some professors used slides and computers, but Professor Hyde preferred to do things by hand. It made things more personal. Her words, not mine.

     “Good Morning, Kalista,” she said, not moving from the board though her green eyes slid to me for a moment, “Are you feeling well?”

     “A little tired, but nothing out of the ordinary,” I said, tucking my thumbs into the straps of my backpack, “No Rid today?”

     “She slept at Paul’s last night,” she said a bit quieter. A smile lifted my lips and I thanked the Maker they’d talked everything out after we got her back. Meridaed need his strong guiding presence. Professor Hyde stopped writing and set the chalk on the little shelf next to the eraser before turning to me. Her eyes slid over me seeing more than skin deep and her face fell as her eyes flickered purple, “You’re going to burn yourself out.”

     “It’s only two more days, and then life will settle down more,” I repeated what I’d said at the house, but her eyes changing caught me. She usually hid her preternatural eyes behind glamour. What power just sparked, and why was this coming up again?

     “If you wanted, I could put in a good word for you with one of the professor’s at the Institute of Criminology and Criminal Law in Paris. They’d be happy to have you, and you wouldn’t have to juggle two time zones,” she offered, setting the book she’d been holding down. It wasn’t our psychology book, but one by Honoré de Balzac, which she was going over in her second class, Classic French Literature. Maybe the Maker was trying to get my attention, or perhaps it was just a coincidence due to my looking tired after five days of this heavy schedule.

     “I’ll think about it, but I won’t be able to transfer until the spring,” I said, walking to my spot halfway up along the right wall, “Like I said, my schedule will ease up after Kat’s funeral.”

     She was silent for a moment, fingers brushing the textured cover of her book, and her mouth scrunched. Worry blossomed in her aura as her eyes glowed dimly and didn’t go back to green. I tilted my head and gently reached my powers to hers, but they were too guarded for me to see anything. She didn’t react either, which was also odd.

     I thought about walking back down to her and touching her, but that might cause a scene if someone walked in. My brain kicked into logic gear as her eyes swirled between pink and purple as if it were a cursor hovering over a busy program. Being the creation of my brother, she had visions much like we did, and that fact made my heart skip a beat. Had she seen something about me burning out?

     “Professor Hyde,” I said as the bell rang warning that there was five minutes to class. She startled, blinking, and her eyes were green again. She tucked a red curl behind her ear and ducked back behind her desk.

     “If you should change your mind, I’ll write the letter,” she said, picking up the conversation again. More students poured in and she greeted them while I stared at her. I let it go and enjoyed the time to learn again.

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     Three classes and lunch later, I walked into Angelology, my last class of the day with Katerina’s grandmother, Professor Zion DeLateo. I knew her better as Alkyone, Torture Master of the Council of Fire and their third prophetess. She looked up as I passed through the door, and her reddish brown eyes roved me.

     “Still not sleeping well?” she asked, and I shook my head. “I haven’t been either.”

     “I’m sorry,” I said, unsure what else to say. She was the first one not to blame my overworking myself and gotten to the root issue. My schedule allowed for sleep, but I hadn’t slept well since Sunday when Katerina died while I was in control of her body. I’d extended her life a grand total of five minutes, which was enough to birth her daughter, Elara, but I couldn’t do it forever. Tears blurred the room and I walked over to the seat I’d chosen at the far right.

     “Grieving is necessary to move on, Kalista,” Alkyone said as I set my coffin in the seat beside me. I looked from the bag to her as she walked around her desk to stand five rows in front of me. “The longer you push it off, the worse it will be when it finally hits you.”

     “Speaking from experience?” I asked as I pulled out my laptop. She lifted an eyebrow, and I fought back another sarcastic response. “I’ll grieve when I have time.”

     “You’re burning yourself out,” she said, and I stopped with the lid of the laptop halfway open, “You should consider transferring to the Institute in Paris. Your sister, Tatiana always liked it there.”

     “I’ll think about it,” I said before the warning bell rang. Three times… Though, it hadn’t been the same each time. So, I dismissed it. I didn’t have the mental capacity for filling out more forms while I was dealing with funerals, college, and work. It could wait.

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     After class was over, I walked back to the parking lot and straddled Libby, my custom build motorcycle. It was time to see if my father let Vincent out on time or not. I started her up before opening my messages to Beryx but didn’t get a chance to send one because he was typing.

     ~ He’s not here yet. Bella tried calling, but his phone went straight to voicemail. ~ My stomach dropped at the thought of having to actually go inside and get him. Maybe I could just pull up outside and reach out to him.

     ~ I’ll go get him. ~ I sent back before slipping my helmet on and the phone back into the zipper pocket. The ride to the agency was shorter than I remembered, but I was far too busy trying to come up with a plan to get him out without going in or contacting my father.

     As I turned into the parking lot, my phone buzzed against my hip. I slipped into a compact parking spot and pulled it out. It was a message from Beryx. ~ Be careful. ~

     ~ Always am. ~ I flipped to Vincent’s messages when another came in. It wasn’t from Beryx, but Vincent using the work application.

R.D. Cromwell: Your father won’t let me come out until you come talk to him.

     Of course, he was going to pull this bullshit. I didn’t bother messaging him back. I pulled my helmet off, smoothing my braid, and dismounted, sending both bike and helmet home. He wanted to play dirty, and I’d oblige.

     I exchanged my coffin backpack and leathers for my black evening gown as I walked inside. The moment I passed into the lobby, Resee Spiriter, the normal receptionist, looked up from her computer. Her jaw dropped as she took in my outfit and reached for the phone on her desk.

     “Don’t bother calling,” I said as I walked around the desk toward the elevators at the back of the lobby, “he knows I’m here.”

     “He’s in the conference room with Director Cromwell,” she warned, and I dipped my head.

     “Thank you, Resee,” I said as I stopped at the elevators. At least she was helpful, unlike her sister Morgana who also worked here part time. I hated the bitch and she still had it out for me. That didn’t bother me. Her being my soul enemies lapdog did. I tapped my foot as the elevator descended.

     Thank the Maker, it was empty and no one else accosted me. Perhaps it was my woman on a mission energy or they remembered the last few times I’d been here. I didn’t want to be here, but it, like the courthouse back in Lashdanôke, was a source of all the idiocy in my life.

     I stopped at the conference room doors and one of them opened. My father looked me over and raised an eyebrow.

     “Miss Angelic, thank you for coming,” he greeted being far too formal. I stared at him but didn’t enter.

     “I came to retrieve Director Cromwell and nothing more. We have a dinner date with our soulmates across town and you’re making us late,” I said, stretching the truth a little. We had at least ten minutes until we were officially late.

     “I won’t keep you long. I simply need to ask you a question,” he said, sweeping his arm for me to enter. I stared into his crimson eyes and refused to move.

     “Just one?” I asked, lifting my eyebrow ever so slightly. A tick started in his jaw but he dipped his head. I walked in as I continued, “One question is all I’m answering then I’m taking Director Cromwell and teleporting.”

     A question sprang to his mind, but it was a sarcastic jab not what he wanted to know. I maintained eye contact and slipped on my metaphysical muffs so I couldn’t hear his thoughts. Director Cromwell walked around the table to stand beside me, backing me up. I hooked my arm in his and waited for the question.

     “Are you ignoring me because of what happened to Merida or the lack of evidence gathered by those who went to Murphy Ranch?” my father asked, and I dropped my eyebrow. Well, I wasn’t expecting an either-or question. He’d asked it in such a way that he thought I’d have trouble getting out of it. Unfortunately for him, I had a streetwise mentor who taught me that clipped answers were best when dealing with Chief Douchebag of the Universe.

     “Yes,” I said, before teleporting the two of us to the Solar Eclipses front steps. Beryx and Bella were standing at the top near the doors and her aura brightened with relief as she saw us. Beryx, however, took one look at me, and his aura burned with passion, love, and a hunger that burned through me.

     I picked up the skirt of the gown as Vincent walked me up the steps arm in arm. When we reached the top, Vincent greeted his wife, and I seductively smiled at my soulmate.

     “See, everything’s fine,” I said, placing my hands on the lapels of his leather jacket. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me gently.

     “Nothing is ever that easy with your father,” he said, and I shrugged.

     “I just used the Max Method,” I said as we parted, and he tucked my hand in the crook of his arm.

     “Short, clipped, and confusing answers?” he guessed, knowing us too well.

     “But of course,” I said, resting my head on his shoulder, “Now, let’s forget about everything for a couple hours and enjoy the show.”

     “As you wish,” he whispered, kissing the top of my head as Vincent held the door for us. “Lou’s not going to let that slide.”

     “He doesn’t have a choice.”

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To find out what stunt Lucifer pulls next, Go get the newest book:

An Angel Enraged!

All the links are listed on the books page under the blurb! 

Summary, Announcements, & Art

     A basic summary of this week: I wrote 20,002 words (including the 2.8k words above), edited 10 chapters of A Broken Redeemer, promoted the Anniversary Rerelease like a mad woman becuase of the limited edition extras, and made several pieces of art, including this glorious pinup style photo of Kalista with her fiery wings out. I love this picture so much, she's just so stunning and plus I love the gothic elements in the background like the skulls, candles, and pentacle on the back wall.

Also, the goal for this months sales wasn't met ($280 of $400 helping toward medical bills), because Pre-Orders don't count toward that goal as all the money for them goes directly into product or  shipping and handling. So there will be no Chaos Short Story, or art raffle, this month. Them's the breaks.

Thanks for reading!

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Love and Light, 
~ Jenn (aka Born Angel Author)