Dark Nebula (The Chronicles of Kerrigan)

by W. J. May

  Rae stopped and reached for Molly’s arm. “How do you know?”

  “Know what?” Molly raised her eyebrows, and went back to sipping her hot chocolate.

  “Know he’s the one.”

  “Oh, I don’t know.” She shrugged.” I just can’t imagine being with anyone else. I know I’m young but he makes me feel like his moon rises and sets because of me.”

  Rae laughed, half-heartedly and corrected her. “You mean his sun. His sun rises and sets.” Her heart ached at her friend’s words. She thought of Devon, and believed her sun rose and set because of him.

  Molly giggled. “I know I can be a bit of a chatterbox, but he doesn’t mind. He’s the first guy I’ve ever been around who hasn’t told me to be quiet.”

  “That is something.” Rae pushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

  “I made the moon-thing up. I should write it down so I can remember to say it to Reece tomorrow night over dinner.” She tossed her empty cup into a trash can. “I can’t believe you and I are flying out on Sunday to spend Christmas in New York. I can’t wait for the Boxing Day sales.”

  Rae held the door open as they headed into George Henry Lees, deciding to leave the moon versus sun thing alone. However, American holidays and sales, now that needed correcting, or Molly would be disappointed. “There’ll be sales, but as I told you before, there’s no Boxing Day in America.” Rae hit the button for the elevator. When they stepped in, she pressed the floor for sporting goods.

  Molly grimaced. “Tell me again why you want to buy something for Devon and Julian? Dev’s just your tutor, and he’s hardly been around this term to help you.”

  “I just thought it’d be nice,” Rae said. “Julian’s a good friend as well. They both are.” She fidgeted with the button to close the lift door faster.

  “It’s nothing more?” Molly dropped her head to meet Rae’s downcast eyes. “You and Devon seem pretty close after last year. You couldn’t miss the connection between you and him at the dance. Plus, you tend to talk about him.” Molly puckered her face. “Devon says this—and Devon says that—” She grinned.

  Rae blinked and thought furiously. Should I tell her? She really wanted to. But if Molly gets in trouble for knowing, or worse, kicked out—what if she got mad at me for liking him? Or not telling her sooner? But don’t I need to tell her eventually? She’s my best friend! But—would telling her be more selfish than not telling her? “He helped me through a lot last year. Especially when I knew nothing about our tatùs. Or anything about my father. I mean, I knew him as my dad but had no idea about all these awful plans and bad stuff. Devon explained things which no one wanted to talk about. It helped, especially when people treated me like an evil outsider and I had no real understanding of why. ” She shrugged. She meant everything she said. Part of her hoped Molly would read further into and ask. If she does, I’ll tell her. I won’t have a choice. “He’s been a good friend.”

  Molly harrumphed. “Mark my words, that boy like-likes you. He’s got the hots for you.” Molly stared and frowned at the floor numbers above the door. “This lift is ancient. It’ll be New Year’s Eve by the time we get to sporting goods. We should’ve taken the stairs.” She began tapping one of her expensive dress shoes against the floor, the sound reverberating against the lift’s walls.

  Guess that’s the end of that discussion. Rae sighed, not sure if she was glad or frustrated. Molly had opened the door with her comment about Devon having feelings for her, but at the same time, Rae felt totally incapable of simply coming out and telling Molly, and Molly seemed to be happy to let the subject drop for now. Another time then. “I thought you said you hated physical activity?” She laughed at Molly’s cross expression.

  “I do.” Molly crossed her arms over her chest. “Which is why, for once, I’m not going to be much help with your shopping.” She rolled her eyes, and then a sly grin snuck onto her face. “Well, there is one physical activity I do like. If that was considered a sport I’d—”

  “Please, don’t go there, Molls.” Rae closed her eyes, trying to erase the nasty pictures forming in her head.

  Molly leaned close, not speaking until Rae opened her eyes again. “If I was you, and you were me, I’d be asking you hundreds of questions. You’re not even remotely curious about what it’s like?” She stared intently at Rae’s face. “You know. It’s a lot better if you’re prepared. I don’t mean prepared in the protection sense. I mean prepared in knowing what to expect—and what to do.” Molly tilted her head and gave her a knowing wink. “Shoot, you might as well try some stuff with ol’ Devon. I’m sure he’d be willing to tutor you in that department, too. You know what they say, practice makes perfect.”

  Rae held her hands up in mock surrender. “Enough!” Her face felt as red as Santa’s suit. “I’m not ready.” She had been taught to wait–preferably till she was married—for someone special, who she loved, felt safe with, trusted, and meant the world to. Aunt Linda said she would know, without having to question it, when she was ready. While she had her doubts about that, the embarrassment the subject caused her made it not worth the struggle with her self-conscious to continue. She mouthed a silent thank you when the ancient elevator door finally slid open. It took physical effort not to use a tatù to push the door open faster. Stepping onto the sporting goods’ floor, she knew where she wanted to go. Without checking to see if Molly followed, she headed for the fishing and hunting section.

  They walked down an aisle that displayed torches. Without Molly’s usual chatter, Rae stopped and glanced back. Did I hurt her feelings? Molly followed a bit further back, in her own little world, checking to make sure no one was in the aisle with them, and then using her tatù, flicked assorted lights on and off. She giggled when she flashed a large light directly in Rae’s eyes.

  Rae squinted and held an open hand close to her face, trying to block the brightness.

  “Sorry. I’ll be good.” Molly gave a mock salute.

  Rae struggled to keep a straight face. “You know I can get you back, right?”

  “You an’ pay backs! Okay, okay I’ll stop.” Molly dropped her head against the five lights Rae had levitated and turned on right above her. She rubbed her stomach. “Can we hurry up and pick something out so we can grab a chili pasty? I’m starving.”

  Rae bit back a retort. Just as a stranger appeared in their aisle, she grabbed the flashlights and set them on the nearest self, and then quickly walked to the glass counter in the next row. She dropped to her haunches to look through the case.

  Molly stepped beside her and glanced into the case. “You’re going to buy him a compass? You know he’s got a pretty good sense of direction from his tatù, right?”

  “I know. I’m not buying him one. I thought I might get him a cool army knife.” She shrugged. “Maybe that one there, the Swiss Army one.” She pointed to a special edition one, complete with a little leather case that could attach to a key chain.

  “Get it and let’s eat.”

  “You think it’ll make a good gift? Or should I buy him a jersey instead?” Lying in bed last night, the key chain knife had seemed like a good idea. She had even considered putting DR initials on the blade. He could tell people it meant doctor instead of Devon and Rae. Of course that’s only if he’s not avoiding me on purpose. Bless Molly, she stepped in and yanked Rae out of what could have become a deep pit of despair if she had kept thinking along that track.

  “Get it. You can get Julian a shirt. Isn’t he a big Liverpool Football fan? Last time I was in his car, he had some Ferry Cross the Mersey song playing and went into some spiel about the city of Liverpool. I saw loads of racks by the checkout.”

  Rae smiled. Devon liked LFC, not Julian. He supported Everton, which would make the LFC jersey the perfect gift for Julian. Time for payback. Maybe she would buy him the poster of Bill Shankly she had seen earlier. She made her purchases and they headed to Sayers for a pasty and sausage roll.

  When Rae got back to her dorm room, she check
ed her phone. She had left it in her dorm to charge. One call—Devon. She listened to the message several times, taking comfort in his voice.

  “Rae, it’s me, Dev. I’m in Land’s End right now. Julian and I are heading back tomorrow or the day after. I’ll get to see you before you fly out. Sorry for not calling sooner. We’ve been…busy. Look forward to seeing you. I—Uh—You can’t reach me on my cell. It’s best not to call. Um—See ya. Bye for now.”

  Land’s End? She glanced at the UK map above her desk and tapped a finger against her lip. A couple of weeks ago he was up in Scotland. She brought her finger to the map, tracing the two places he had called from. One looked to be the most southwestern point, and the other the most northern point. Hadn’t Carter said something about the four corners of the Britain? Oh yeah—It all came back to her in a rush, her father’s HOC plan, the brainwashing, the Machiavellian plot to steal all four pieces of the video and reassemble it. However, she wasn’t sure she could accept even that explanation. Dean Wardell’s demand still made her heart shrink with fear. What if this is all about staying away from me? He doesn’t want me to try calling. What if his father told him I’m off limits? It didn’t bear thinking about. Feeling overwhelmed by her isolation from Devon and the possibility that her relationship with him might be over, she had to forcefully shut off her emotions. It didn’t matter; she would see Devon before she flew home to New York. Hopefully, he’ll tell me everything’s fine.

  A few days later Rae hurried up the stairs to her room, trying to avoid Molly. She had just finished one of their final exams and, after two days of shopping with her best friend, she needed a break.

  She slowed her pace when she got closer to her dorm room. She paused when she saw the door slightly ajar. She could have sworn she had locked it before leaving for her exam. X-ray tatù—really need one. I should ask Carter about that, because it would really come in handy right about now. Quiet as she could manage, she gently pushed the door open with the palm of her hand and peered into the room.

  Exhaling a long breath, she relaxed when she realized that nothing appeared messed up or displaced inside. She hadn’t been robbed or spied on; she had probably just forgotten to lock the door.

  Shoving it open further, she stepped in and tossed her book bag on the bed. Hoping Molly wasn’t on her way up, Rae turned to shut the door with her foot and lock it. The shadow of someone half hidden behind the door showed on the floor. She swallowed, immediately sensing the hum of a tatù, but having no idea who was in her room. On guard, she thought back to the training she had been doing. They’re dead. Whoever they are.

  Ready to drag the intruder from behind the door and throw them across the room, she sucked a sharp breath in when Devon stepped out from behind it. Finger held to his lips, eyes twinkling with mischief, he had never been a more welcome sight.

  “Don’t panic. It’s only me.” One step and he stood in front of her, wrapping his arms around her tightly and closing the door with his foot. “I sneaked in, wanting to surprise you.”

  Rae hugged him back, relief and excitement coursing through her veins. Then she pulled back from his hug and punched him hard on the shoulder. “You scared the crap out me!”

  He laughed. “Sorry. I honestly didn’t mean to.”

  “I could’ve killed you!” She stepped around him to bolt the lock. “How’d you get in?”

  Devon dropped down on the bed and grinned. “You don’t need a tatù to jimmy a lock, you know.”

  She settled beside him, too excited to have him back to care. “I missed you.” She rested her hands on his chest and bent over to kiss him. He tasted and smelled awesome.

  “Me, too,” he mumbled between kisses. He pulled his head back and grinned.

  Not sated from tasting his lips, Rae made a mental note to savor them later on. At the moment, she was ecstatic to have him back at Guilder. She leaned back on an elbow and rested her head in her hand, unable to take her eyes off Devon. “How was work?”

  “Interesting, challenging—and crazy.” He rolled his eyes. “What about you? Anything exciting happen while I was gone?” He slipped his hand underneath her free hand.

  Your father knows about us and threatened to keep us apart. I made a new friend and he told me in not so many words that Carter probably knows about our relationship. I almost told my best friend about us and still feel guilty that I didn’t. “Not really, just exams, shopping with Molly and being bored out of my mind.” She stared at the fennec fox tattoo on the inside of his forearm, tracing it lightly with her finger.

  Devon brought her chin up with a gentle hand. “What’s up? You’re avoiding something. I can tell.” He didn’t release her chin until she made eye contact with him.

  She sighed, tracing the fox’s ears over and over. Should I tell him? “I—after you left—I—” Now with the moment of truth in front of her, she wasn’t sure if she had the courage to lay it out for him. Losing him was the one thing she feared above all others, and here it was, a very real threat she had not really thought she would ever have to face. He, being the stickler for rules that he was, well—what if he didn’t choose her? I’m asking him to rebel against EVERYTHING he’s ever been taught. Suddenly, fear overwhelmed her. Too chicken to come right out with it, she hedged. “What if people knew about us? What would you do? Hypothetically I mean?”

  “That’s what you worry about?” Devon gave her a quick kiss on her nose. “We’ve hardly seen each other this semester. I highly doubt anyone’s got a clue.”

  “What if someone did?” She wanted to tell him, she just really needed some kind of reassurance that her fear was irrational, that he would choose her, that no one could separate them.

  “Who? Has someone said something?” He sat up.

  “No! Well, Molly thinks you’ve got the hots for me.” She didn’t bother telling him the rest of that conversation.

  “Good ol’ Molly, she’s brighter than she pretends to be.” He grinned and patted her knee before getting off the bed. “Don’t worry so much, sweetie. Nobody’s going to say anything, nor can they prove it. We’ve done nothing in public. No one around here would suspect it. Look at Carter. He’s clueless. Molly’s your best friend and if she doesn’t see that you like me, no one will. Julian knows but he’ll never tell a soul. I think he’s more loyal to you than me.”

  You’re wrong, she thought. Carter might appear clueless, but that was impossible to tell. She hadn’t yet proven Kraigan’s statement about Carter true or false, wasn’t entirely sure where to even begin with that, but Molly knew something. She saw the attraction, which meant it was there to be seen by others. But wait—he’s denying anyone could know…Rae decided then, either Devon already knew his father knew and was pretending that he didn’t for reasons unknown, or he truly hadn’t spoken to him yet and was totally unaware there was a problem. As chicken as she was, Rae decided it didn’t matter which, as long as Devon was back, and safe.

  “Did you know Carter can see stuff in your past without you knowing?”

  “Seriously?” Devon blinked then looked worried.

  “Kraigan mentioned it.”

  “When? How would he know?”

  “The other day we were talking.” Is he jealous? Rae tried to suppress a smile. Even if she didn’t feel anything for Kraigan, it felt good to know it kind of bothered Devon a little. “He asked if I’d mentor him. We have stuff in common, like not knowing about tatùs.” She flipped her wrist. “But what if Carter knows? What if he’s touched me and saw it. Or if he thought he saw it and then checked you to confirm it?”

  “Kraigan’s probably wrong. Sounds like he’s making crap up to impress you.” Devon snorted. “Or have an excuse to talk to you.”

  “Never mind that.” She leaned toward him. “Even if it’s a slight possibility, it’s easy enough to hide. You take a memory or thought you don’t want him to know, or someone else with the ability, you just have to mentally put the memory under lock and key. Visualize it and it’s supposed to
work.”

  “Oh,” he said looking relieved. “You figure that out on your own?”

  Great! Now if I wanted to check on this Anna chick, Devon will be able to hide the memory from me. Not that I would do that, of course. Right?. “Sorta. Back to the previous topic, what if someone’s already figured us out?”

  “We’re fine. The Privy Council doesn’t know. That’s all that really matters in the end. You’re leaving in a few days and I don’t know how much time we’re going to get to spend just the two of us. I kind of wanted to surprise you with your Christmas present today. So, if you don’t stop worrying for a sec, you’re going to ruin the moment.” He winked at her and bent down to reach under her bed.

  “Present?” Suddenly, agonizing over getting caught seemed irrelevant. She scrambled off the bed, ran to her desk, and opened the bottom drawer. “I got something for you, too.” The thought of Devon taking the time to buy her something made her feel giddy.

  Rae held out the shiny silver wrapped gift, almost tossing it at Devon as she reached for his. Bouncing on her toes, she ripped the wrapping off his small gift and threw the garbage on the floor.

  Devon laughed. “Slow down! It’s like you’ve never had a present before. I’ll have to remember to buy you stuff more often.” He scratched his hair behind his ear, looking a bit nervous. “It’s nothing big. I just thought you might like it.”

  “It’s from you! That’s awesome enough for me.” Rae kissed him and then lifted the lid off the box. Her breath caught. Inside lay a beautiful, antique necklace. Made of rose gold, the pendant was a locket. “It’s gorgeous.” She pulled it out and opened the locket. Remembering her manners, she added, “Thank you.”

  “Here, let me put it on you. The locket’s empty right now except for the tissue under the frames. I wanted to get a picture of your mom to put inside but didn’t have time.” He linked the clasp together as she held her hair out of the way. “Plus, I figured you probably had a special photo.”