After a stint in college in Iowa, K.G. moved back to her home in Michigan to work in emergency medicine. She's currently raising three small ghouls and is married to a vampire overlord (not really but maybe he could be someday).
K.G. is the author of The Everlasting Chronicles series, Emissary of the Devil series, The Chronicles of Winterset series, The Middle Road (with co-author CM Lally) Black Falls High series and Seven Minutes in Heaven with a ridiculous amount of other series set to be released.
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Church
The Boys of Chapel Crest
Prologue
Eight Years Ago
“Do you want to know a secret?” Seth’s dark eyes raked over me as we stood in the old shed at the back of his parents’ property. The cool air from an early Autumn pushed through the cracks in the old wooden walls, the rays from a setting sun spilling in through the dirty windows.
“I don’t know. Do I?” I looked from the small white mouse in his hands to Seth’s face, apprehension rushing through my body.
Seth Cain was my neighbor and my best friend. We played together every day after school, and we often spent the nights together on the weekend, both of us beneath our blanket fort, giggling over ghost stories and talking about the latest video games. He’d been getting weird over the last few months after his dad moved out though.
Hateful. Cruel. Terrifying.
But he had been my best friend since we were in diapers. If anyone could help him, it was me. Whenever Seth got into a fight at school or got mean, I was there for him. I swore to him I always would be.
I let out a shaky breath.
“C-Can I hold Oscar?” I asked, cupping my hands to hold the mouse his mother had purchased for him for half a dollar down at the pet shop. Seth said it was her way to keep his mind occupied and to teach him responsibility. Seth was already responsible as far as I was concerned. He practically raise
d himself since his parents were always working. And with his dad gone, now his mom worked two jobs.
Seth cocked his head at me and narrowed his hazel eyes, his dark hair falling across his forehead, before handing me the tiny mouse.
Breathing out a sigh of relief, I took the mouse. “Hey, little fella,” I cooed into my cupped hand, hoping whatever dark thoughts going through Seth’s head would go away.
Seth continued to watch me wordlessly. I could see the wheels practically spinning in his nine year old mind.
“We’re moving,” he said after a beat. “That’s the secret. Mom doesn’t want me to tell anyone. She met someone new. His name is Phillip. I hate Philip. We’re leaving in the morning.”
I looked up at him in surprise. “Where are you going?” Seth hadn’t mentioned a Philip before. He hadn’t let me in his house in two weeks either, citing his mom said she was cleaning. I guess that meant packing. It was unlike Seth to keep secrets, especially big ones like this, away from me. My tummy ached when I realized I might be losing my best friend.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Somewhere. It won’t be anywhere good. Phillip is a bad man.” His eyes darkened with his words. “I don’t think we’ll be able to see each other anymore.”
“Maybe you’ll go with your dad?” I gave him a hopeful look. His dad still lived on the other side of town. If he stayed with him, we’d still be able to see one another.
He scowled and looked away. “No. Screw him. Mom said he left us for someone half her age. I guess I’m getting a brother or sister and a new mom and dad because of the people they left each other for. It’s messed up.”
I winced. My dad left my mom when I was seven. I remember wondering where he went and why he never came back. Mom told me he was dead to us and to never think of him again.
As if reading my mind, Seth spoke. “It’s different for me, Rinny. Your dad just disappeared. Mine found someone better and decided I wasn’t good enough, so he’s having a whole new baby. Then my mom started seeing Philip. He touches. . . “ His voice trailed off as he schooled the pain on his face. “I’m going to get revenge.” His tone darkened as a storm cloud passed over his face.