by W. J. May
Desiree wiped her tears with toilet paper. “No more than since school started. What should I do?”
Get help. “Wait here. I’ll go get the headmaster. Carter’s pretty cool about stuff like this. He actually helped me last year when I didn’t know…when I didn’t understand my tatù. I’ll go find him.” She didn’t bother to mention that he had acted like a prison warden when she had first gotten her tatù. Or how the old headmaster, Lanford, had been the one to really help her out until—She forced the thoughts out of her mind. This was about Desiree right now. She stepped out of the stall. “I’ll be right back.” She turned and ran towards the dimly lit Oratory, her heels tapping on the marble tile.
Using Devon’s tatù, which allowed her to see better in the dark, she found Carter chatting with one of the female professors from Roe Hampton. She debated between using a speed tatù or interrupting Carter with a message in his head. She paused, knowing they weren’t allowed to use their ability where it might arouse suspicion from normal people.
“Rae,” Desiree’s voice came from behind, followed by a warm hand on her shoulder. “I’m okay. It’s back. I can feel it. It’s back.”
Rae swung around. Desiree looked perfect. Her mascara had been wiped away and her eyes were full of fire again. “You sure?” She didn’t need to hear the answer since she immediately felt the hum from Desiree’s warm fingertips. Her tatù was definitely back.
“Yeah.” Desiree dropped her arm. “Please don’t tell anyone. I don’t want to get sent away.”
“You won’t get kicked out!” Filled with sympathy for her friend, Rae still worried. Nobody had their abilities disappear last year. Something isn’t right. She just couldn’t pinpoint what. “I really think you should tell Carter.” I’m getting kind of tired of being asked to keep all these secrets. It’s not normal. Then again, she couldn’t claim to be normal herself. Who was she to judge?
“I will. I will. Just not tonight. Let’s have fun and I’ll talk to him after class on Monday. If it happens again, I promise I’ll go see him sooner.”
Rae sighed, but nodded. It’s not my place to tell her what to do. “It’s up to you.” They walked over to their group of friends, now hanging out by the punch bowl and snack tables. Rae searched for Devon but didn’t see him. She half listened to the conversations going on around her, checking her watch every few minutes. Finally, she couldn’t take it any longer. “Nicholas, have you seen Devon?” She swept the room one more time. “Or Julian?”
“Yeah, I forgot. Devon came in about ten minutes ago. I think he was trying to find someone, but he didn’t say who. He got called into work. Julian, too. Something for the Privy Council.”
“Oh.” Disappointment filled her. In helping Desiree, she had missed him.
“Ms. Kerrigan?” Dean Wardell’s voice intruded on her thoughts.
She straightened, self-consciously tugging on her shawl. “Yes, sir?”
“I’d like to have a word with you in my office tomorrow morning. Please come by around nine thirty.” He turned and walked away, telling Rae nothing more.
What the –? Rae played with a braid in her hair, trying to remember if she had done something wrong. Maybe it had something to do with Devon and his being called to the Privy Council. Now anxious, she wanted to know if he was safe and wished the dean would speak to her now. Waiting was torture.
The evening slowly drew to a close. Rae left early, feigning a headache, and headed back to her dorm before most of the other girls. She immediately checked her blackberry, noticing a short message from Devon:
Hey Rae, ot called out on an emergency + tried 2 find U. I’ll call U when I’m back. Not sure when. D
Rae stared at her phone, long after the screen had gone black. She knew they couldn’t afford any hint of their relationship getting out, but it still hurt not seeing anything emotional in the message. At least he left me a message. He didn’t have to do that. Hopefully the dean would explain things tomorrow. He knew Devon mentored her, and he had always been nice. He had helped calm her nerves.
She changed and crawled into bed. It took forever for her to finally fall asleep.
Long after the sun had risen, Rae headed up the round staircase from the Main Building towards Dean Wardell’s office. She shivered as she recalled her less than cordial visit there the previous year. The building still held the memories she would rather forget. First time coming here since Lanford—
When Rae arrived at the top of the stairs, Dean Wardell stepped out of his office. He glanced at his watch and then at Rae. “Ms. Kerrigan, perfect timing. Please come in.”
“Thank you, sir.” Rae followed the dean and shot a quick glance at the other end of the hall, at the door leading to the other round tower room. The image of Lanford lying unmoving on the ground flashed in her mind. Rae forcefully turned her attention to the room the dean had ushered her into, trying to resist the nausea trying to overcome her.
The office followed the round shape of the tower. However, it had been refurbished and completely redone inside. It still had the dark reddish-grey brick and mortar but everything else inside the office was decorated in light colors. The chairs, carpet, and even the furniture’s wood seemed ten shades lighter.
Rae wondered if changing the furniture could alter the entire mood of the room. She momentarily considered it might have something to do with who now occupied it. “You wanted to see me, sir?” She stood awkwardly in front of his desk, not sure if she should sit or wait to be offered a chair.
“Yes.” Dean Wardell fidgeted with some paperclips on his desk then straightened a stack of already neat papers, before hiding his hands under the desk.
Feeling edgy herself, Rae tried to prepare herself. While not totally sure what this was all about, she had a feeling she wouldn’t like what he had to say. Please don’t let this be about Devon…please let him be alright.
The dean cleared his throat. “I like you, Miss Kerrigan. You’re good for this school--for the faculty and our students. You’ve a very bright future and a chance to make a difference in this world of chaos.” He glanced towards the parking lot window and frowned.
“Thank you, sir.” Okay...This obviously didn’t have anything to do with where Devon had gone. But—
“But, I want you to stay away from my son.”
Rae’s mouth fell open, momentarily stunned. It was her worst fear, fully realized, and she couldn’t respond. She didn’t even know where to begin.
“Listen closely.” His eyes narrowed at her. “You’re a good kid, but you’re not what my son needs—plus, and you need to get this through your pretty little head, tatùs don’t date. They. Can’t. Marry.” Rae felt his emphasis of each word drill through her being. “Don’t fill your head with silly notions that it might work for you because of who your father was.” He pounded the desk with his fist and leaned forward, making Rae edge back to maintain distance between then. “Devon deserves more than you can give him. He doesn’t need someone who’s broken and carrying a lifetime of baggage. He needs to meet a normal girl and have my grandchildren!” The anger, so evident in every fiber of his being, became more than she could stand. She had feared this exact scenario, or some form of it, for so long, now that it was actually happening, her brain couldn’t process it.
She tried to focus on the painting behind Devon’s father, the room now spinning. Breathe, girl, breathe. “Sir.” Rae ran her tongue over her dry lips. “I-I’m not sure wh-what you’re trying to imply. Devon and I are friends–”
“Please!” He snorted, his eyes shooting towards the window again. “I see the way he looks at you and the way you can’t take your eyes off him. You two are playing with fire, and we know what happened to your parents when they took that route.” The fear receded just a bit, enough for a lick of anger to enter the mix. This particular argument was a sore point with her. Yeah, they made me. If he resented her parents’ union, he must also resent her very existence, which to Rae, was just plain rude. The dean must have
sensed that she had worked up the gumption to strike back. He held his hand up in the air to stop her from replying. “You’re both young. Go find someone, anyone, but my son.”
“Sir–”
“Stay away from my son, Miss Kerrigan,” he hissed. “This is not a request! I’ll remove him from Guilder if I have to.” He stood, his chair creaking in protest against the abrupt movement. “I’ll not mention this again. Good day.” He hit the remote and the door behind them swung open.
Too stunned to say anything, Rae surrendered and fled the office. I’m never going back to that stupid, round room! Nothing good ever came from her visits there. Rae raced back across the campus, straight up the stairs of Aumbry house and directly into her room. She had an almost instinctual need to hide, like a wounded animal going to ground.
Chapter 16
Disclosure
The weather changed overnight. Dark, dreary clouds full of rain and cold drifted in by the wind. What had felt like Indian summer turned into instant bitter winter. Rae spent the weekend in her dorm room, not bothering to answer the door when any of her friends knocked. She needed time alone to think and decide what to do about Dean Wardell.
There had been no contact from Devon. The only e-mail she had received came from her uncle. Argyle had bought a desktop computer and was making an effort to learn how to use it. He wrote a short message, saying he looked forward to seeing her at Christmas and Aunt Linda thought it would be lovely if she brought a friend. Molly was more than welcome to come to New York. But, he warned in italics, please no tatùs in front of Aunt Linda.
When Monday morning arrived, Rae debated feigning illness but knew it would only bring more people to her door. Going to class would be easier, even if it meant forcing herself to face other people. The one thing that made leaving the room seem not quite totally unbearable was that over the weekend, it had become clear and Dean Wardell had not told anyone else about his conversation with her. If he had, the news would have spread all over campus and there’s no way she would have been left alone. That meant that all the knocks on her door, and kind entreaties to come out were due solely to the fact that her friends cared about her. Unfortunately, it didn’t really make her feel better.
What difference would it make if friends are worried about me? I can’t mention Dean Wardell’s threat, nor can I talk about me and Devon with anyone but Devon--and, well, maybe Julian. But both of them were gone and since she hadn’t heard anything from them since the dance, who knew when they’d return?
Sighing, Rae slipped her rain jacket on and headed out of Aumbry House’s main doors. She timed it perfectly: early enough for class, but too late for breakfast. It allowed her to avoid her classmates at the tables in the cafeteria. She had no appetite anyway.
She slipped into the Oratory, pleased to be the first one there. The Grand Room always made her feel better. The Tudor decorations from the dance had been taken down, but the room still held its ancient appeal. Remembering her feelings as she had danced with Devon, she walked along the edge of the black and white marble floor, tracing her hands along the carvings on the wall.
Three quarters of the way down the far side, her fingers snagged on a loose piece of wood. She stopped to push it back into place, and jumped back when a soft rustling noise disturbed the silence of the room. Timid, she glanced back and blinked in surprise. A secret door had opened and a gust of musty air swept past her.
Checking over her shoulder to make sure no other students had come in; she turned her attention to the secret compartment. Unable to resist, she stepped into the short, narrow opening. Presuming there would be some sort of light, she reached for a switch or something to make the darkness disappear. She couldn’t find anything on either side of the tiny door, so she used the hum of Molly’s tatù and flickered her fingers towards the ceiling. She breathed a sigh of relief when an antique, brass light flickered on. The ornate light had once been oil but someone over the years had wired it for electricity.
Rae stepped farther into the space, the musty, stale air not nearly as strong as it had been since the door had first opened. The room was quite large, probably the size of her dorm. She harrumphed when she saw the Tudor bed, fit for a king, on the far side of the room. All the furniture also matched the same pattern with King Henry’s royal emblem carved in each. She slapped her forehead when she remembered Devon joking about King Henry building a private bedroom for his personal use back when Carter had appeared from a different hidden door.
A pang of guilt reminded her that she shouldn’t be inside here. She slipped back out, wondering how Carter managed to squeeze through the other door with his tall frame. As she reached for the loose piece of wood on the wall, she snapped her fingers to extinguish the light. She spun round to check if anyone had seen her and relaxed when she realized the Oratory was still empty. She traced her fingers over the detailed scene trying to remember something about this picture that would set it apart. It looked so similar to all the others.
She walked back along the same wall, trying to spot other tiny pieces of jutting wood. They were impossible to find. She reached the second corner of the Oratory and still hadn’t found another hidden room. Then she noticed it, another tiny piece of wood standing out. She started to reach for it.
Rae jumped when a cold hand squeezed her shoulder.
“There you are!” Molly’s voice bounced off the walls and floor like a shout.
Startled, Rae reached for Molly’s hand and accidentally sent a strong shock between the two of them. Molly hopped back, surprise written across her face.
“Sorry.” Molly laughed, shaking her wrist. “I figured you heard me come in.” She blew on her hand. “Remind me not to sneak up on you, ever. I think that shock of yours is three times stronger than I can do.”
“I’m so sorry,” Rae gushed. “Are you alright?”
“Fine, just feels like I caught a baseball in my bare hand. Good thing it was me. If you did that to someone else, you’d probably stop their heart.”
Rae glanced at the tiny piece of wood sticking out. It seemed so obvious to her. “I must’ve been lost in my own little world.”
Molly patted her arm. “I didn’t see you all weekend—and you’re pale. Everything okay?”
Rae shrugged, in no mood to lie or tell the truth, but she knew Molly wouldn’t let it be. She had to come up with something. “Maybe I’m coming down with a bug. I felt exhausted all weekend and didn’t feel up to breakfast this morning.” Rae figured that would stop Molly’s tirade of questions before they started. She hoped.
“Are you pregnant?” Molly crossed her arms over her chest. She leaned in and sniffed Rae.
“No!” Rae swatted at Molly’s nose. “That’s impossible and for the record, you can’t bloody smell if someone’s pregnant.”
Molly shrugged and stepped back. “I’ve got an aunt who can tell if someone’s knocked up just by smelling them. She says pregnant women have a certain glow about them, a tenderness and they smell radiant. She says she’s guessed as many pregnant people right as she’s guessed wrong. I didn’t think you could be, but I figured I’d ask anyways.”
Rae couldn’t help it. She laughed. It was adorable that Molly didn’t realize the flaw in her aunt’s logic. Crazy Molly could brighten anyone’s day without even trying.
“Don’t know why you’re laughing, but good.” Molly slipped her arm through Rae’s and dragged her towards the center of the room.
“I got here early and was checking out the carvings.” Rae had to show Molly the hidden room. It was too cool to keep a secret. She giggled, knowing what Molly would want to do with the room. About to show her best friend the tiny piece of misplaced wood, she stopped when three students came rushing in from the rain.
It would have to wait for another day.
That evening Rae returned to her room after studying in the library. Someone had slipped a note under her door. She didn’t recognize the hand writing on the envelope so she opened it cautiously
and checked the signature.
Meet me at 9pm. Same spot outside.–K
Kraigan
She checked her watch. Almost nine now. Rae stood in the middle of her room, undecided what to do. Devon might call but was she the kind of girl to wait for him to contact her? His record wasn’t too hot in that category. Maybe Kraigan needed to get something off his chest. It would be silly not to go. However, what if Dean Wardell thought she was sneaking out with another guy, he would accuse her of cheating on Devon or something worse instead of being happy she wasn’t with his son. This is ridiculous! Kraigan’s just trying to discover who he is as a person, like I had to last year.
Tossing her backpack and books on her bed, she closed the door behind her. Not seeing anyone in the hallway, Rae dashed down the stairs and outside without stopping. She slowed when she hit the sidewalk and turned right to walk along Aumbry’s building. Using Devon’s tatù ability, she spotted Kraigan leaning against a tree. She glanced behind her and saw no one so she burst into a sprint using a tatù and stopped easily in front of him.
“I just got in from studying and saw your note. What’s up?”
He dropped his backpack off his shoulder and unzipped it to pull out papers. “Nothing really.” He looked uncomfortable.
“What’s going on?” Rae could tell he wanted to say something or ask her a question and apparently didn’t know how to start. “Hey, if I’m going to be your mentor, you need to be willing to ask me stuff you want to know. Even if you don’t think you’re going to like the answer.” He needs a mentor. The least I can do is try to help.
Kraigan hung his head, shuffling the toe of his sneaker into the dirt, a nervous habit Rae immediately recognized as one of her own. “I heard the headmaster last year was a good guy. What happened at the spring dance last year? No one wants to say exactly, but the way people talk, it’s not hard to figure out something happened between him and you.”