Dark Nebula (The Chronicles of Kerrigan)

by W. J. May

  Julian snapped the black wire so it went straight as a rod. Then he slapped it on top of Kraigan’s wrists. It wrapped itself again and again on Kraigan’s lower arms and wrists.

  It was over.

  Rae bit her lower lip. She squinted at an ancient crack on the wall and concentrated on trying to find another tatù. “May I?” She reached out and touched Julian’s elbow before he could answer. His tatù flowed through her, running alongside Carter’s memory tatù.

  Carter swung around, his hair wild for the first time Rae had ever seen. “What the hell happened?”

  “Kraigan’s tatù is like mine.” Once Rae spoke, she realized how much she needed to explain. “He’s my brother…Half-brother…From my dad. He’s got the same ability. But different.” She took a deep, shuddering breath. “I mimic, but…but he’s a thief… Takes tatùs away from people…leaves them powerless. Until he touches someone else or someone touches him. He screwed with my tatù.” She shot Kraigan a dirty look, then turned back to Carter. “But you already knew about his ability, right?”

  Carter blinked in surprise. “I knew very little. I assumed Kraigan knew as much as I did, certainly no more. If he could hide things from me, it seems he’s got a few other abilities.”

  As do I. Or I hope I still do. Had Kraigan actually told her the truth about hiding things from Carter? Maybe it had been an attempt to win her trust. She was such an idiot.

  Julian pulled Kraigan a few feet away with the black wire-thing.

  Rae leaned against the wall. She dropped her hands against her knees. “He’s somehow taken my tatù. It’s kinda back, but something’s wrong. It’s—like, busted.” She blew on her broken, swollen wrist. The pain seemed to be getting worse by the millisecond. Must be my adrenaline wearing off. The need for fight or flight’s over now.

  Carter ran his fingers through his hair, which refused to go back into its usually perfect style. He patted her shoulder, but the concern didn’t leave his face. “Don’t worry. We’ll get you checked out.”

  A sudden, horrifying thought occurred to her. She had Carter’s tatù and Kraigan’s but nothing else that she could feel. What if? Oh no—She rocked herself off the wall and wobbled towards Carter. “I’ve got your tatù. Did I steal it?”

  Using his hand, he knelt down and touched Kraigan. “There’s nothing.” He held up his free arm when Rae stepped toward him. “Wait.” A minute later his eyebrows shot up and he shook his head. “He’s able to block me, but I still have it. Though I fear if we remove the stalling bar from Kraigan, it could be dangerous.” Carter looked at Julian. “Call for the others to get him. Don’t let him touch anyone with his hands. Better to be safe than sorry.”

  Julian nodded and pulled a walkie-talkie off the back of his belt.

  Rae inched closer to Kraigan, planning on asking him one more question before they dragged him away.

  Before speaking into the device, Julian turned to Rae. “What did Kraigan do to your tatù?”

  “I think I’ve still got my tatù ability, but he took all the powers I had gathered up to this point. They’re gone. Erased.” Guess she wasn’t as all powerful as Kraigan had said. She stared at his brooding eyes, seeing her father’s face. As Julian began shouting orders into the walkie-talkie, she leaned close to Kraigan’s ear. “Where’s my journal, loser?”

  He snorted and when she pulled back, he spit in her face.

  Rae gagged but swallowed her own bile back down. Wiping her cheek with the sleeve of her shirt, she tried to control the anger boiling inside. Ticked, she grabbed his shirt, forced him to sit, and in doing so, used Carter’s tatù to find where he had hidden the book. It has to be on him, he showed it to me upstairs in the Oratory. Whether he didn’t have the ability to block her, or he showed her the location because he would rather she have it than to let it be taken by the Privy Council, she didn’t know – she saw the image of him slipping the journal in the back of his jeans. She stood, scooted behind him. Rae glanced down and grinned. She made a show of looking down the hall. “Is that the cavalry?”

  When the others looked down the hall, Rae leaned behind Kraigan, pulled the journal out of his back pocket, and shoved it behind her, tucking it into the back of her jeans, and hastily pulling out her shirt to make sure it was fully covered.

  “Cavalry?” Carter raised his eyebrows, creating lines on his forehead.

  “I figured when I sent you the telepathic messages, you and the PC army’d come to my rescue.”

  Carter nodded. “I received your messages and we rushed to the hotel, only to be too late. When we knew you were in the Oratory, we rushed to the Privy Chambers to get the weapons and plan the assault.”

  “You went to the Privy Chambers instead of coming here?” Rae couldn’t keep the frustration out of her voice.

  Julian laughed. “Rae, you’re in the Chambers. It’s directly below the school.”

  “What?” She scratched her head and glanced around.

  “This part is more like the bowels of the chambers. It’s an older hallway. The Training Academy is a couple of miles from here but the main offices of the Privy Council are here.”

  Rae looked at the headmaster, who nodded. “So—” she said slowly, “the Privy Chambers are like some underground chambers? The bowels of the building?” She laughed at the irony. “Privy Chambers is a toilet, you know? You have some Batman cave underground for the Council?” She laughed again, this time it sounded almost hysterical. “I’m sorry. It’s been a really, really shitty day.” She tried to stop giggling by covering her mouth with her hand.

  Clicking the walkie-talkie to his belt, Julian put his boot on Kraigan’s chest and knocked him over. Then he began climbing the stairs.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Carter asked.

  “Devon’s upstairs.” Julian didn’t stop, or even pause as he continued up. Good for you, Juls, Rae thought as she feebly tried to follow.

  “I already notified the medical staff. There are men in the Oratory with him on a stretcher. The doctor says he’s going to be alright.”

  “To the school Infirmary?” asked Rae.

  “The Training Academy has a top-notch hospital. The best tatù doctors are on call there.” He murmured into his walkie-talkie. “We’ll explain more to you later. Right now, we need to get you and Devon there. You need looking after.” He pointed to her swollen wrist.

  Men appeared at the top of the stairs. Two of them carried a stretcher. Several others carried cuffs, chains, and more strange-looking weapons.

  “I can walk up the stairs. I want Devon to be alright. Leave me be a moment.” She held her hand up to stop their offers of assistance and barely made it up on her own. She moved into the room she had put Devon in, now empty of people. Rae glanced around and saw no one at the door. They’d all stayed away. Probably scared ‘cause I’m a Kerrigan. She sat on the bed and as quickly and quietly as she could, she slid the journal far under the bed. Knowledge for a later day. Not sure why, she didn’t want anyone to know she had the journal back in her possession. When she felt better, she would decide what to do.

  Releasing a groan, she rolled away from the bed and closed her eyes. The pit-patter of shoes on the marble floor let Rae know someone was coming to help her. She had a million questions to ask but now wasn’t the time.

  She could barely stand but stumbled towards the door. Knowing Devon was safe; she collapsed on a stretcher and allowed herself to fall into the darkness once again.

  Chapter 27

  An End and Beginning

  Rae woke with the glare of the sun shining through the window. It seemed like she had slept for days, but she still felt exhausted. After that first coherent thought, confusion set in. Then everything came flooding back: Kraigan, her bruises, her missing tatùs and the realization that her tatù was not as invincible. Depressed, she scowled at the cheery morning outside and rolled away from the picturesque view. She grimaced as pain shot through her body. However, her breath caught when she noti
ced Devon in the infirmary bed across the room.

  He sat leaning against pillows, reading some kind of document. His face had faded purple and brown bruises around his eyes and mouth. His nose was straight, with only just some slight swelling left behind. His injured shoulder had been bandaged, and his arm was tightly wrapped against his chest. But he looked—healthy and alive and like the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

  “’Bout time you decided to come back to the land of the conscious.” The dimple on his face shone through the bruises. He set the papers aside.

  “M-Morn-n-ing.” Her voice cracked and she swallowed to saturate her dry mouth.

  Devon swung his legs over the side of his bed. Rae couldn’t help but notice he only wore light green hospital bottoms. His bare chest had a few light bruises but the sight of his muscles made Rae tingle. His delicious body brought the water back to her mouth.

  She tried to focus her thoughts. “Be careful. You might fall.”

  Devon laughed. “I was wobbly this morning, but the doc here has some kinda magic healing vitamins. His tatù can help speed up the healing process. I should have this wrap off by tonight.” He raised his sore shoulder, grimaced then smiled.

  Rae tried to push herself into a sitting position and discovered a cast on her left wrist. She stared at it in wonder. “How long have I been…out?”

  “A few hours then you fell asleep and snored all night.” Devon laughed and shuffled over to the chair beside Rae’s bed. “You needed stitches in the back of your head and your broken wrist set. I’m not sure if you or I came out worse for wear.” He leaned forward and caressed her cheek.

  “I think I did, but not because of the beating.” She searched for her tatù and only felt its quiet hum. It still felt different—wrong. “Seems Kraigan knew how to screw my tatù up.”

  Devon gave her a sympathetic look. “Carter filled me in. I’m sure it’ll all come back, or you’ll figure out a way.”

  Rae grabbed his wrist with her good hand. The familiar hum, ran through her. “I can feel your tatù.” She checked to see if anyone was about. “I actually got it when you touched my cheek but I figured any excuse to touch you was good enough for me.”

  Devon leaned over and, after glancing towards the door, kissed her. Not a soft, gentle touch, but one full of desire. His lips melted her insides and made her stomach flip pleasantly. Slowly, he pulled away and rubbed his nose against hers. “By the way, thanks for saving my ass.” He smiled, his adorable dimple showing.

  Still staring at his lips, she said, “Anytime. It’s an ass worth saving.” She grinned. “I kinda like it.”

  He reached above her by the wall and then stood straight. “I just pulled the call button for the nurse. You…uh, should let them know you’re awake. Carter’s probably gonna want to know.”

  Rae nodded. He was right. Yet, at the same time, she worried more how bad her breath smelled or how chapped her lips were. She watched Devon’s muscular back and derriere as he made his way back to his bed. “Glad I saved that nice ass.” She smirked when Devon turned around with a surprised look on his face.

  The nurse and doctor came in, followed shortly after by Carter. While the medical staff checked her over, Devon spoke quietly with the headmaster. He then got up and began stuffing his things into a duffle bag.

  “You’re being discharged?” Rae tried to make her tone joking but heard the pleading in her voice. She leaned sideways to see around Carter.

  “’Fraid so. I’ve got some reports to write up and the Privy Council needs me back in action.”

  Carter turned and made his way to Rae’s bed. “Sorry, but you’re staying. We want to run a few more tests and make sure your tatù continues to absorb other powers.” He patted her leg. “If all looks normal and functional, we’ll get you discharged first thing in the morning. I’ve asked Raymond—the student with the healing tatù—to pop by after lunch. The doc here has already done wonders, but it won’t hurt to have that ability back.”

  “Is it okay if he comes here?” Where ever here is.

  “Raymond knows about the Privy Council, about the Academy’s training facility and the infirmary. He works for us, I mean the Privy Council now.”

  Devon let out an intentional “A-hem.”

  Rae watched him sling his backpack over his good shoulder. Something about Devon leaving made her chest feel tight. She wanted to beg him to stay and wished Carter would leave the room. She knew she was being silly, but after the fiasco with Kraigan, she wanted him close by.

  Devon lingered, waiting for Carter to finish. He finally walked over to Rae’s bed and touched her shoulder, his hand pausing a second longer. He shifted slightly to block Carter’s view and lightly brushed his fingers along her chin. “I’ll pop by your dorm tomorrow around noon, before I head out to the train station. Have a fun night.” He winked and then was gone.

  Carter stepped to the side of Rae’s bed and blocked her view of the door. “I’ll be off as well. I just wanted to ask a quick question.”

  “Sure.” Rae hoped it had nothing to do with Devon.

  “Kraigan had your uncle’s journal. The Privy Council tried to question him…”

  Shoot, had Kraigan told them she took it? Had they found where she had hid it? Rae’s heart beat erratically. “Where is he?”

  “In lockup. He won’t be bothering you or anyone else for a very long time.” Carter chuckled. “It appears his tatù has not come back. He’s simply stuck in a room with no power.” He shifted his weight and tugged his shirt cuffs into place. “We haven’t been able to locate the journal, nor is Kraigan giving us any information. Did he happen to tell you?”

  “Have you tried your tatù on him?” She didn’t know if he wanted her to tell or if he simply didn’t know. Her breath caught as she had another thought. It seemed Kraigan had two tatùs last night. He stole people’s tatùs, but in my room, he’d pretended to be Nic. No one here has that ability. Could he possibly have been able to camouflage and steal tatùs? He has two tatùed parents. Could I have two abilities? She had no intention of sharing her thoughts out loud at the moment.

  Carter coughed. “I have a very useful ability, unfortunately it has limits. I don’t know why but I’m completely useless on Kraigan. I can get no past memories from him. I don’t know what’s happened.”

  Well then, it seems like the lock and key approach actually works. This may be the only information I’ve garnered from Kraigan that I’ll be keeping to myself.

  “Did he say anything last night?” Carter asked.

  Rae stared at her hands neatly folded. She planned on sharing the journal eventually, but she needed to read it first. Guilt flooded her chest though she lied despite it. “S-Sorry, he didn’t tell me anything.” Heat rose to her cheeks.

  The room was quiet. Rae couldn’t look at him. Carter finally spoke. “Not to worry. We’ll find it.” He squeezed her shoulder and left the room.

  Why didn’t Kraigan tell them? She sighed and dropped her head back onto her pillow. She had suddenly grown exhausted.

  Rae sat at her desk flexing her previously broken wrist, happy to have the healing tatù back. She had asked a few friends to allow her to mimic their tatùs. Each touch had put the familiar hum rushing back through her body. She only had a few powers compared to before Kraigan’s altercation, but it was a hundred times better than none. I need to get into the Oratory and get the journal before someone finds it. I’ll go early to class one morning next week and hide it in my backpack. Sometimes plain site is the safest place for something to be kept hidden.

  At exactly twelve, Devon came by as promised.

  Like clockwork. Rae jumped from her chair and ran to open the door when she heard him in the hall.

  Devon stood, knuckles midair about to knock. “That was quick.”

  She hugged him tight but quickly let go when he grunted. “Sorry, I forgot you’re still sore. Raymond came by and I mimicked his healing tatù. I feel awesome.” She shook her wrist, t
o show him. “Sorry I can’t transfer the healing to you.”

  “That’s great. About you, I mean. I feel good, too.” Devon ran his fingers through his hair. “I wanted to–”

  “Hey, guess what?” Rae interrupted, so excited to see him. “Julian let me borrow his car so I can take you to the train station. It took a bit of begging, but he finally said okay. He just got it all fixed up.”

  Devon’s eyebrows came up. “You don’t have to drive me. You should rest. You’re probably exhausted.”

  “Uh-uh. I can drive.”

  “That’s super nice of you.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I was planning on taking my own car. Using the Park N’ Train.” His eyes looked everywhere, but at her.

  “What’s going on?” Rae grabbed his chin, forcing him to meet her gaze.

  “Nothing.” Devon shifted.

  “Liar.” Rae nudged him with her elbow.

  Devon brought his arms up, palms facing her. “I remember some of your driving the other night. I…I think you should stick to driving on the right side of the road.”

  “Hey, I saved your life!” She punched his open hands but couldn’t hold back a giggle.

  “I’m eternally grateful, but, Rae—your driving sucks.”

  “What? That’s bull. I—” she paused and exhaled a breath. “Fine. You can drive us to the station, and I’ll drive myself back.”

  “I’ll say okay to that. Since it’s Julian’s car, not mine.” Devon kicked the door shut and kissed her before she could respond.

  Ten minutes later, both of them breathing heavily, they slowly pulled apart.

  “I hate to tell you this,” Devon whispered into her hair. “The Privy Council has me going on an undercover mission. I don’t know how long it’s going to take.” He sighed. “It could be a week, a month, maybe two. You know I can’t tell you the details, and I’ll be pretty deep undercover so I won’t be able to e-mail or call you till it’s done.”

  They want you to find the missing journal. That’s probably the mission. Rae stood perfectly still. The thought of not knowing if Devon was safe or not seeing him tore at her heart just as much as not knowing the details of the mission. Secrets—he’s keeping secrets. “It’s alright. I get it.” I now have a few secrets of my own.