Dark Nebula (The Chronicles of Kerrigan)

by W. J. May

  “That’s really, really strange. Are you sure?” Rae didn’t like questioning her friend but who would want to hurt Maria?

  “The more I think about it, the more I’m sure.” Maria glanced at Nicholas and then turned back to Rae. She sent Rae a mental message. I’d been looking for you. I think the gas was meant for you to walk through, not me.

  Rae knew her mouth hung open but she couldn’t tell her brain to tell her body to close it.

  Nicholas put his arm around Maria. “Have you told Carter? Maybe something’s off with the AC system in here. The place is as old as the hills. Look what happened to Alecia.”

  Had that been an ‘accident’ too?

  “I’ll talk to him as soon as he gets back.” Maria nodded and glanced at Rae. I won’t say anything to anyone. I just thought you should know.

  I appreciate it. I hope it’s just a mishap of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Rae didn’t want her friend to worry even though something in the pit of her stomach seemed to be telling her to be very worried. There were just too many strange incidents for it all to be random.

  Friday afternoon crawled by at a snail’s pace and when the final buzzer of day rang, Rae hurried out of class to check her phone—hoping for a message from Devon. On her rush to get out, she bumped into Dean Wardell in the hallway. The very last person in the whole wide world I want to see, and he has to be right here, in my way.

  “Sorry, sir.” Rae kept her head down, continuing on her way back to the dorm. I have no desire to talk to you right now. The dean’s shoes stayed in her line of vision, keeping pace with her. She slowed her gait, hoping he would walk right on past her. Yet, when his larger shoes slowed to match hers, she sighed in frustration, a little louder than the she had intended to.

  Outside the building, Dean Wardell cleared his throat several times. Head still down Rae rolled her eyes, stopped walking and waited for the dean to speak. Irritated, she began tapping a sneaker against the heel of her other shoe. Great. A lecture from Dev’s dad is the last thing I need today.

  “Come to my office now—” He cleared his throat. “Would you—Do you mind stopping by my office—please?”

  Something in his tone drew Rae’s eyes to his face. His complexion was sickly pale, hair mussed, he appeared exhausted—and nervous. “S-sure.” This has something to do with Devon, not me.

  Neither spoke during the ten-minute walk to the main building. Once inside, their footsteps echoed on the marble stairs, each step making Rae more anxious. The school secretary smiled at the two of them when they came through the stairwell then went back to putting files away. The dean held his office door open for Rae.

  Rae stood by the Oriel windows, staring out at Guilder’s grounds. Again out of habit, she began banging her sneaker against the floor. Rae watched the dean’s reflection in the old leaded glass window.

  “Could you stop that?” His reflection pointed to her foot. She froze, foot poised in mid-air to drop, instantly irritated by his request. He must have sensed it. “Sorry. I appreciate you coming here. I—I—I’m not sure,” the dean spoke, running his fingers through his hair like Devon did. “I’m, uh, shoot. I—we—we need your help.”

  Rae’s heart rate kicked into overdrive. She spun around to face him. Something’s wrong. Really wrong. “You what?”

  “Devon’s missing. He contacted the Privy Council yesterday with a high emergency and then that’s it.”

  Rae inhaled sharply. “What?”

  “They’ve been searching for him. His mustang was found this morning, abandoned near a wooded area not too far from here.”

  The bottom dropped out of Rae’s stomach and she didn’t think she could find the words to respond. Devon missing? She had been paranoid with him gone, but not that paranoid. He had been away without communication for most of the school year. This really wasn’t that incredibly different. Except her heart told her she was just fooling herself. Who knows who has him or the trouble he might be in…or if he was alive. No, she wouldn’t let herself think like that.

  “The Privy Council asked if I might have a word with you to see if you were willing to help. They…I need your help to find my son.” Dean Wardell leaned against the edge of his desk, clenching and unclenching his hands.

  “Kidnapped?” Rae’s eye grew as wide as the window behind her. She had to save him.

  “That’s what the Council thinks.” The dean puffed out a short breath. “Carter disappeared after the morning class and then called to inform me. The Council believes you have a journal. Devon left to bring it to them and–”

  Oh no, no, no! She couldn’t let him continue with the accusation, and decided to set the record straight. “The journal’s gone. Devon thought it’d been stolen. I’d just gotten it and only read a few pages before someone took it. When I went to tell Devon about it at his dorm, someone must have broken into my room. He…” Rae didn’t know why she babbled; she simply couldn’t focus her thoughts. Devon kidnapped? “Do you think he’s been hurt?” Rae bit a hangnail, wincing when she pulled too much skin and ripped it off. The burn distracted her momentarily. She sucked her finger and then used the healing tatù to mend it.

  “I don’t know. I hope he’s alright.” Dean Wardell blinked rapidly, his eyes bright. “I’d like to ask you to work with the Council to find my son. You’ve a very powerful tatù and I believe you can help them and keep him alive.”

  “I don’t know what I can do to find him.” Might Devon be dead? She felt numb with the thought.

  “You’ll come up with something. After all, you’re responsible for his disappearance.”

  Rae’s breath caught. She blinked in disbelief. “Pardon?”

  The dean sighed in frustration and angrily crossed his arms. “Come on, Kerrigan. This either has something to do with you, or your father. Don’t tell me you don’t feel partially, if not fully, responsible for putting Devon in danger? Just get him back here, preferably alive. That’s all I ask.”

  The man had changed from loving father to an emotionless crazy nut in a millisecond. She was totally shocked and blindsided by the change, but first and foremost, she wanted out of the room. “I’ll do what I can.” Rae stormed past him, no longer caring what he thought of her. She needed fresh air and time to think. She strode for the staircase, jumping the last six steps in her rush to get outside. As much as he was a jerk, the dean spoke the truth. Somehow, someway, I’m responsible for Devon’s disappearance.

  Chapter 22

  Demi-Frére

  Rae sprinted across the school grounds, back towards her dorm. Whatever happened to Devon would be her fault, through her own doing or her family’s, and she wouldn’t stand for it. She vowed to fix this, whatever the cost. Too angry with the dean to think straight, she barged past someone on the sidewalk and then realized after she had passed him, who it was. She stopped and called out. “Julian!”

  “You okay?” The concern on his face appeared genuine.

  “The dean told me Devon’s missing. Does the Privy Council really think he’s been kidnapped?”

  Julian nodded. “I was on my way to find you. At the moment, it looks that way. Or he’s gone AWOL with the journal.” The last part came out mumbled but Rae didn’t miss it. He paused and dug his hand into the pocket of his jeans. “I’ve been with the Privy Council all day. I came back to shower and grab a few things and got summoned back. I’m going to head over to the Privy Council’s main office.” He looked around to see if anyone was watching. “I can’t take you, but I know we’ll be looking for Devon. Why don’t I leave you my keys? I’ll text you if we find anything and…maybe, just by chance, you’re in the same area.” He winked, pressing the metal into her hand.

  Rae took the keys. “Won’t you need the car to get there?” She glanced down at the weight in her hand, realizing Devon’s keys were also attached to Julian’s. The Swiss Army Knife she had bought him for Christmas lay in her palm. A lump formed in her throat and her eyes turned glossy. She held her brea
th, terrified the tears would fall. Rae quickly shoved the key chain in her pocket.

  “I’m…uh…getting a lift.” Julian rubbed his neck.

  Rae glanced around the empty sidewalk. She understood his urge to do what was required of him, and appreciated his need to help her. She loved him for that. He also knew more than the Privy Council how much help she would actually be to them. She checked the empty fields around them and noticed the quiet of the early evening. “The grounds are deserted.”

  “It’s Friday. I think everyone’s headed into town to catch a movie or go out for dinner.” Julian checked his watch. “Will you be alright?”

  “I’ll be fine. I’ll wait for your text…maybe go for a drive.” She shrugged and turned to go.

  “We’ll find him. Hey, Rae?” The worry in Julian’s voice stopped her. He tugged his hair into a ponytail. “This isn’t your fault.”

  She stared at the worn rubber on the front of her sneaker. “It sure feels like it. The dean seems to think so, too. It’s either because of me or my father.”

  “Don’t blame yourself.” Julian shifted his weight. “I’m gonna pass on some information the president of the Privy Council taught me. We were talking about the future and the past with my drawings. He explained how the past can be a tricky thing.” He paused and rubbed his chin. “In your case, your dad left quite a destructive wave. You may always have to deal with it in your life, but that doesn’t make it your fault.” He came over and pulled her into a tight hug. “Dev’s strong and very smart. He can look after himself.”

  Silent, Rae squeezed Julian firmly, wishing she could believe him, trying to take comfort from his stalwart support and presence. With startling clarity, she realized Julian was the one person she had trusted without reservation, ever since her arrival at Guilder. The realization made her feel guilty that she couldn’t really say that about Devon, even if it wasn’t important now.

  “Uh—Ra-Rae—That’s too tight—” Julian huffed.

  “Oh, sorry.” She dropped her arms to her sides. “I kinda forget about my tatù when my emotions run high.”

  Julian rubbed his side. “No worries. I like bruised ribcages.” A small smile touched his lips, but then he turned serious. “I really need to get going. You sure you’re okay walking to your dorm?”

  “I’ll be fine. It’s not like anybody’s going to magically appear and grab me. I’ll just hug and crush ’em.” She smiled, not even attempting to laugh at her own bad joke. “Get going and let me know the minute you hear anything.”

  Julian nodded and jogged away. Rae slowly walked towards Aumbry House. The early night seemed even more quiet now. The dark clouds hanging heavy with rain made it seem darker than normal. Her hands deep in her pockets and her head down, she made her way up the path. She concentrated on taking two steps between the cement squares on the sidewalk avoiding the cracks, anything to avoid reality. The more she tried not to think, the harder she thought, the faster her heartbeat and the more her soul tugged her in the direction she really wanted to go. “Screw this,” she finally mumbled, breaking into a run. She would figure out a way to find Devon herself, no waiting.

  Using the levitation tatù, she flew up the stairs to her room, glad no one was around to talk to her or slow her down.

  She froze when she got to her bedroom door. Unlocked and slightly ajar, she heard rustling and a desk door slamming shut. Her first reaction was to scream, but she held back when she thought Devon might be inside. She shoved the door open and ran in, wildly glancing around. Her heart almost stopped when Nic, sitting in her chair, leaned back and dropped his feet onto her desk.

  “I’ve been waiting for you.” He smiled; a menacing shadow crossed his face.

  “You can’t break into my room,” Rae shook her head. She never expected this. “Nic, I don’t know what’s up with you but you need to get out. I’m kinda busy.”

  He interlaced his fingers behind his head. “I’ve got time. Tell me about it.”

  “No!” she shouted, the rage inside of her boiling over. “Get out of my freakin’ room, asshole!”

  His jaw dropped. “Wow. Guilder’s most sacred daughter has a potty-mouth.”

  “Just get out of my room before I make you leave.” Then a thought struck her. The idea of him possibly going through her personal belongings sparked more anger. Has he been here before? Did HE take the journal? He couldn’t have, how would he know about it? Her hand still on the doorknob, she didn’t realize she had broken it off until she glanced down and saw it in her palm. “So help me, Nic, if you’re pulling a Lanford.”

  His eyebrows went up. “Pulling a Lanford?”

  “You know, pretending to be the good guy, pretending to be my friend.”

  “I came here to see if you needed my help. My skills. What’s with the bad mood?” He put a hand to his face in mock horror. “Whatever could be the problem? A fight with your boyfriend?”

  This was totally not Nicholas. Something about the way he moved, and his facial expressions didn’t seem like his own. He looked like Nic but—Oh no! It can’t be. Could it? Camouflage could be done in many different forms. “What’s with you?”

  “I’m pissed off. And I’m tired off all the bull-shit,” He punched the top of the desk.

  You’re tired of the bull-shit? Get in line buddy. “Why don’t you go and find your new girlfriend? Lay your problems on her.”

  “Nah.” He laughed, leaning the chair back so it rested on its rear legs. “So you know it’s me?” Nicholas’ body seemed to shiver and shake so fast he looked blurry. Mere seconds later, Kraigan sat in the exact same spot. He grabbed an apple Rae had left on the desk. He tossed it into the air. “She’s probably with your boyfriend.”

  “Screw off.” I can’t freakin’ believe this. My life is one bloody nightmare.

  “How’d you know it was me?” He didn’t even wait for her reply. “I just picked that up the other day. It’s wacked.” Kraigan grinned and bit into the apple. “You know what they say—”

  Rae forced air through her nose and willed herself to stay calm. “Look. I’m sorry for the other day. I don’t know what ticked you off—”

  He tutted loudly and cut her off. “They say: keep your friends close—and your enemies closer.” His eyes narrowed as he stared at her.

  When did I become your enemy? I’m the only one around here whose been helping you. She checked her watch. She needed to get out of here and start figuring out where to find Devon.

  Tempted to use a wind tatù and send him flying backwards, Rae hesitated when she pictured him going through the window to his death. That wouldn’t be good. My emotions are too messed to try anything without thinking I’ll screw them up. She clenched her jaw tight and hissed. “I’ll try to remember that. Now get out.” She gestured to the door.

  “Now—now, is that any way to treat family?” Kraigan grinned darkly, while Rae’s mind spun, trying to make sense of the words.

  “We’re not family, dickhead. Get out!”

  Kraigan stared at her intently. “Look closely. Don’t you see it? Don’t you feel the connection?”

  This—this is madness. It has to be. Yet, Rae’s gut told her that this, finally, was truth. Where she had been denying her gut instincts all year, finally, she knew this was truth, even as her brain struggled to find a way to refute it.

  He jumped up and stepped towards her. On instinct, she moved back, bumping into the wall. “Haven’t you clued into anything, yet?” Kraigan snapped. “Or are you really that stupid?”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Rae glanced behind his shoulder. She had allowed him to block the doorway. Dumb move, Kerrigan.

  “You’re a bit dense, but I never took you for a full-fledged idiot.” He shook his head and threw his hands in the air. “I guess I need to spell this out for you.! Look at me! I’m your brother! Half-brother—and not the stupid half.”

  “What?” Blood rushed to her ears, deafening her for a moment. She sank back against
the wall, thankful it was there to support her as everything clicked into place. “I don’t have a brother.”

  Staring at him and taking in the familiar hair and other characteristics that suddenly seemed so blatantly obvious, she saw it. He looks like Dad. She smiled, despite the disgusting truth of the situation. He had been using her, like everybody else. Everything had been a game to him, just a move to get into the right position. She was oddly relieved. Her constant war with her conscience and her gut now made sense. She had instinctively known that he was out to screw her over. Well, screw you too. “Shame he left you in an orphanage. Seems he cared less for you than me.”

  Kraigan barked a harsh laugh, which sounded like her father’s. How had she missed it? How had everyone else? “Nah, that’s just my cover. I had to spend two an’ a half freakin’ years in that hell-hole, pretending I had no idea about tatùs. Then I had to come here, to this crappy place.”

  “You’ve always known?” she whispered, not wanting to believe the truth standing right in front of her. Why hadn’t he told her sooner?

  “That you’re my half-sister?” He nodded and let out a loud breath. “It’s so annoying. Dad never meant to have a daughter, but when your mom refused to have more kids, he took matters into his own hands. He figured out how to guarantee tatùs and lineage.” Kraigan pointed his tatù, hidden under his sleeve. “My mother’s tatùed as well. It guaranteed I’d get a crossbred tatù, the stronger tatù being the dominant carrier. He’d been planning it all since his days here at Guilder. That is, until your bloody mother screwed everything up and went off and killed him.” His voice rose with his anger.

  “He knew about you?” This is unbelievable!

  “Hell, yeah. I’m willing to bet there are more of us out there.” He sneered. “You were his only mistake, though. I was like five when he got murdered, but I can still remember him telling me as a kid what a blunder you were. I vowed I’d make him proud.”