Novels by Rachel Holt

Ben Tate waited until Elizabeth and Kelvin had left the study before turning back to Richard Morrison. The private investigator was gathering his documents, preparing to leave, but Ben raised a hand to stop him."Wait. I want to see that comparison again. Just the two of us."Morrison hesitated, then pulled out the photographs once more. He placed them side by side on the desk—the young Jacob Krigg from fifteen years ago next to the recent image of Jacob Spencer.Ben studied them in silence, his experienced eyes noting every detail. The shape of the jaw, the set of the eyes, the way the mouth curved slightly to one side when relaxed. These were not similar features. They were identical features aged by fifteen years of life."How certain are you?" Ben asked quietly."About the identity match?" Morrison pulled out additional documents. "I ran facial recognition software using multiple algorithms. The probability that these two individuals are the same person exceeds ninety-eight percen

Elizabeth Tate stared at the expensive vase on her mantelpiece, fighting the urge to throw it against the wall. The phone calls had started three days ago and had not stopped since. Every influential family in Seron seemed suddenly interested in her daughter's mysterious husband."That was the Chen family," she announced as she hung up her phone. "The third call this morning. They want to know everything about Jacob Spencer—where he came from, what his business involves, how we met him."Kelvin Tate looked up from his own phone, where he had been reading increasingly threatening messages from business associates. "The Keaton family just sent word that if we do not cooperate with their investigation, they will terminate all contracts with our company. That represents thirty percent of our annual revenue.""Investigation into what?" Elizabeth demanded. "Jacob paid for Anna fair and square. He has been nothing but respectful to our family, despite how we treated Anna. What do these peopl

The conference room at the top of the Nico Tower had been built specifically for meetings that required absolute secrecy. Soundproof walls, signal jammers, and security measures that rivaled government facilities ensured that whatever was discussed within these walls would never reach unwanted ears.Tonight, the room was filled with men and women who rarely gathered in one place. Their combined wealth could buy small countries, and their combined influence controlled nearly every aspect of Seron's economy, both legal and illegal.Bishop Nico sat at the head of the long mahogany table, his expression grave as he surveyed the assembled faces. To his right sat Henry Keaton, looking older than his fifty years, his hands clasped tightly on the table. To his left, Michael Forno chain-smoked expensive cigars despite the no-smoking policy, his nervousness obvious to everyone present.Around the rest of the table sat representatives from a dozen other families—the ones who had participated dir

"Have you heard the rumors spreading through the underground?" The question echoed through the smoky back room of the Dragon's Den, Seron's most notorious criminal gathering place.Dozens of conversations paused as the speaker—a mid-level information broker named Chen Wei—stood up with a tablet in his hands. The dim lighting cast shadows across the faces of men and women who controlled various illegal enterprises throughout the city."What rumors?" asked a woman in expensive jewelry who ran Seron's largest gambling operation. "We hear a dozen new stories every week."Chen Wei tapped his tablet, and a grainy photograph appeared on the wall screen. It showed a young man with brown hair and determined eyes, standing in what looked like an auction house. The image quality was poor, clearly taken from security footage, but the man's face was visible enough to identify."This man appeared at the Keaton auction three weeks ago," Chen Wei explained. "He outbid Marcus Nico for a Krigg family a

Dust and debris rained down around them as Jacob and Anna sprinted through the collapsing tunnel. The ancient passage groaned under the force of strategically placed explosives, each detonation sending new cracks racing through the stone ceiling. "Keep moving!" Jacob shouted, shielding Anna's head as a chunk of rock crashed down beside them. They had covered perhaps fifty meters when the explosions suddenly stopped. The silence that followed was somehow more terrifying than the noise had been. Jacob pulled Anna behind a support pillar, both of them breathing hard and covered in dust. Then a sound cut through the darkness—a crackling static followed by a familiar voice that made Jacob's blood freeze. "Hello, Jacob Krigg." Bishop Nico's voice echoed through speakers that had been installed throughout the tunnel system. The sound quality was crystal clear, meaning Bishop had prepared this trap meticulously. "I must admit, I am impressed," Bishop continued, his tone conversational

The tunnel entrance swallowed them into complete darkness. Jacob led the way with Anna close behind, their headlamps casting narrow beams through the musty air. Leo monitored their progress from the safe house, his voice crackling through their earpieces. "Signal is strong. You are approximately two hundred meters from the compound perimeter," Leo reported. Jacob moved carefully, testing each step before committing his weight. The tunnel was narrower than the maps suggested, forcing them to crouch in several sections. Cobwebs brushed against their faces, and the smell of stagnant water filled their nostrils. "Grandfather's meeting started ten minutes ago," Anna whispered. "Bishop will be focused on him now." "Good. We need that distraction to last another thirty minutes minimum," Jacob replied. They reached the junction point Anna had identified on the historical maps. Three passages branched off in different directions, each disappearing into deeper darkness. "Left passage," A

The observation deck at the top of the crystalline spire had become Jack's favorite place to think. From here, he could see the entire city spread out below—rebuilt stronger and more beautiful than it had ever been, filled with people living lives that would have been impossible without the protection his network provided.But tonight, as the dual moons cast silver light across the transformed skyline, Jack wasn't admiring their achievements. He was remembering where it all began."Hard to believe it started with Charles Oliver's execution," he said aloud, knowing his friends would hear him through their permanent mental link even though they were scattered across different dimensions on various missions."You mean it started with a weak boy nobody wanted," Lucy's voice replied warmly through their connection, her protective instincts wrapping around the memory with fierce affection.Jack smiled, pressing his hand against the medallion that had become part of his chest. The golden sur

The war room deep within the crystalline spire had become the nerve center for the most ambitious defensive project in dimensional history. Holographic displays showed the status of their entire universal cluster—thousands of realities connected by the portal network, each one now monitored by their expanded consciousness.Jack stood at the center of it all, no longer the weak boy who had once struggled to survive in a world that saw him as worthless. The medallion had become so integrated with his being that its golden surface was visible beneath his skin, pulsing with the rhythm of dimensional currents across countless worlds. But unlike the corrupt artifacts that had consumed previous wielders, his medallion was sustained by the bonds that connected him to his friends."Protocol Seven is now fully operational across all monitored dimensions," Sierra reported, her tactical awareness coordinating defensive measures on a scale that would have been incomprehensible months ago. "Early w

Six months after the dimensional crisis, their city bore little resemblance to the place that had nearly been destroyed by Vale's invasion. The rebuilding hadn't simply restored what was lost—it had created something entirely new.Where the old council headquarters had stood, a crystalline spire now reached toward the sky, its faceted surface designed to detect dimensional anomalies from hundreds of miles away. The building served as headquarters for the Dimensional Monitoring Initiative, the organization Jack and his friends had established to prevent future crises."Seventeen minor rifts detected across the northern sectors this week," Sierra reported during their morning briefing, her tactical awareness processing data streams that would have overwhelmed any individual mind. "All within normal parameters, but the frequency is increasing."Jack nodded, his consciousness simultaneously monitoring the reports while maintaining awareness of dimensional currents across their entire real

As the final seconds of his transformation ticked away, Jack felt his consciousness crystallize around a revelation that changed everything. The medallions' power didn't have to choose between perfect guardianship and human connection—it could create something entirely new."What if the burden doesn't have to be mine alone?" he said through their shared mental link, his voice carrying wonder despite his fading physical form. "What if we've been thinking about this wrong from the beginning?"Through their psychic connection, his friends felt his idea taking shape—not one guardian managing impossible responsibilities, but a network of consciousness that could handle the dimensional network's complexity while remaining anchored to humanity."You mean permanent integration?" Sierra breathed, her enhanced understanding immediately grasping the implications. "All of us linked directly to the dimensional network?""The ancient guardians failed because they became isolated from the people the

Jack's consciousness spread like spilled mercury across the dimensional network, his awareness touching worlds he'd never imagined. He could feel the pulse of life on countless planets, sense the delicate balance that held reality together, perceive threats to dimensional stability that existed light-years away.It was overwhelming and magnificent and terrifying all at once.Through his expanded perception, he could see their own world as just one node in an infinite web—small, fragile, but pulsing with the fierce determination of beings who refused to surrender to despair. He could feel Mrs. Sophie organizing relief efforts in the ruined city, Lord Rasmus's surviving soldiers helping with rescue operations despite their old conflicts, even the corrupted treasure hunters slowly recovering their humanity as the dimensional toxins were purged from their systems.But he could also feel himself slipping away from all of it. His connection to individual human concerns was fading as cosmic

The moment Jack's hand closed around Vale's dark medallion, reality screamed.Two opposing forces—one meant to protect, one designed to consume—collided within his consciousness with the fury of colliding stars. Jack felt his sense of self being torn apart and rebuilt simultaneously, his awareness expanding beyond the boundaries of single-dimensional existence.Vale's eyes widened in shock as his dark artifact began resonating with Jack's medallion, the two pieces fighting for dominance within the same host. "What are you doing, you fool? You'll destroy us both!""Maybe," Jack gasped, feeling the competing energies threaten to tear his mind apart. "But at least I'll take you with me."The dark medallion's hunger crashed against Jack's consciousness like a tidal wave of pure malevolence. It whispered promises of power beyond imagination, showed him visions of ruling infinite realities, offered him the ability to reshape existence according to his will. The corruption was overwhelming,