A paranormal/fantasy/supernatural/contemporary book review blog. I review both Young Adult (YA) novels and Adult novels. I only accept review requests from established publishers.
Mac can’t lose
another friend. Even if he doesn’t want to be found.
The ripple effect caused by Mac’s best friend Amy’s murder has driven Mac’s new
love, Kyle, to leave Hemlock and disappear from her life forever. But Mac knows
that Kyle plans to enroll in a rehabilitation camp, where he can live with
other werewolves. She refuses to accept his decision, especially since the
camps are rumored to be tortuous. So she sets out in search of Kyle with a
barely sober Jason—and Amy’s all-seeing ghost—in tow.
Clues lead Mac to find Kyle in a werewolf den in Colorado—but their reunion is
cut short by a Tracker raid. Now Mac and Kyle are trapped inside the electric
fences of Thornhill, a camp for young werewolves. As she devises an
escape plan, Mac uncovers dangerous secrets buried within the walls of
Thornhill—and realizes that the risk to the people she loves is greater than
ever before.
About Kathleen:
Kathleen Peacock spent her teen years crushing on authors
and writing short stories about vampires. She put her writing dreams on hold
while attending college, but tripped over them when office life started leaving
her with an allergy to cubicles. Her debut, HEMLOCK, is coming May 8th, 2012
from Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of Harper Collins, and will be published
in the UK under the title DEADLY HEMLOCK from Simon and Schuster Children’s
Books.
Characters usually come easy—at least to me. Plot and pacing
are tricky, but characters stride through my mind like they own the place. They
flop down on the sofa and put their feet up on the coffee table like old friends
with bad manners. I may not know everything about them right away, but I
usually find out what I need to know as it becomes important.
Until Eve.
For Thornhill, I knew I wanted a female
character who would antagonize Mac, one who would reminded her of the childhood
she had tried so hard to forget. An ally she didn't want but would need. I
could catch glimpses of her—I knew she was short and had red hair and looked
like a teenage Thora Birch—but where other characters walked right in, she
always hovered on the other side of the threshold.
I barely knew anything about her—heck, I didn't even know
her name—but I knew that I liked her. I liked her a lot, and more importantly,
I knew that the story needed her. I knew Mac needed her.
Through months of writing and thinking, I figured out her
name and a slice of back-story and the role she had to play in the book. I
managed to pin her down on the page—this tough, elusive character—and I thought
getting her there would be enough.
It wasn't.
I handed in the first draft of the book and waited. When my
edit letter arrived, it contained a big, Eve-shaped problem. As much as I loved
her, everyone else found her flat and undefined. They didn't understand her
relationships or motivations, and she seemed like a plot device. They couldn't
picture her as they read—it was like she was a photograph taken out of
focus.
And they were right.
Getting Eve on the page had been such a struggle that I
hadn't stopped to question whether or not she was working once she was there.
I could have cut her. Parts of the plot would have changed,
but in some ways, cutting her might have been the easier option. It would
definitely have been the less scary one. I had never had to work at creating a
character—I had never felt like a character was fighting me before—and I wasn't
entirely sure how to flesh one out.
But I had to try. There were snippets—paragraphs and
sentences—where Eve was working, and those snippets were enough to confirm that
I didn't want a Thornhill without her.
So how did I build Eve up? There are books on character
development and online character profiles and quizzes, and I'm sure those are
often helpful—heck, I've done the character profile thing a few times just to
see how well I really knew my characters—but with Eve, I felt like there were
two very specific problems with two specific solutions.
Problem One: Readers couldn't understand Eve's motivation
and felt like she was a plot device.
What did Eve care about? In the first draft of the book, she
only cared about one character and the debt she owed him. She kept everyone and
everything else at arm's length. The problem? That character disappears a third
of the way into Thornhill, taking huge chunks of Eve's motivation with him. The
solution? Eve needed more than one thing—and more than one person—to care
about. She needed more depth and part of that depth came from giving her deeper
relationships and more complex goals.
Problem Two: Readers couldn't picture Eve as they read.
Eve didn't have any distinctive characteristics—other than
her red hair. To help combat that, I started thinking about how Eve carried
herself. How did she walk into a room or sit in a chair? What was her body
language like when she was angry? Defensive? Vulnerable? Did she fidget or have
any nervous habits? How did she speak and what were her interactions like with
others.
Weirdly enough, a misheard song lyric helped me unlock the
answer. I love the song "Burn" by The Cure, but the first time I
listened to it, I misheard the lyric "This trembling, adored, tousled,
bird mad girl" as "This trembling dove, tousled, birdlike
girl." Even now, almost twenty years later, I tend to substitute my
lyric for the real one. I was listening to the song and thinking about how much
it suited Eve, and I realized that I wanted her to be a "tousled, birdlike
girl." I went back through every scene and looked for ways to subtly
incorporate that idea. It comes out in the way Eve rocks back on her heels as
though poised on the edge of flight and how she perches on surfaces. It's in
how she tilts her head to the side and how she prefers to wear her hair pulled
back like a crown of feathers. In the book, Eve wears a wrist cuff to hide her
scars—an idea which came from the strips of leather falconers tie to the legs
of their birds to tether them (though it doesn't come out in the book, Eve sees
her scars as a tether to her past).
The result? A character which passed the standards of my
editors and one who I hope readers will connect with.
Giveaway Details:
For First Place (International):
"Unlock the wolf within" Thornhill necklace
(engraved stainless steel pendant on a silver-plated chain http://instagram.com/p/cIGkoowOJq/#)
Signed copy of Thornhill
Signed swag
Runners Up (International)
3 runners up will get swag packs (stickers,
bookmarks, signed bookplates)
Pet peeves of the publishing industry In the course of my writing career, I’ve had almost 50 books published by mainstream publishers. Publishers include Penguin, Macmillan, Pearson, Oxford University Press and Cengage. These, admittedly, are mostly educational books for children and books to help teachers teach the writing process. In terms of my commercial fiction, I’ve recently become an indie writer. My Rapture Trilogy was published by Pear Jam books, a small publisher based in New Zealand. I got my rights back in January, 2013 and decided to go Indie because of the trouble a small publisher faces in terms of distribution. They struggle to get their books in mainstream bookstores. Many of these bookstores are reluctant to take on stock not produced by a major publisher.
Not only that, but my books are difficult to buy in print where they need to be – the U.S. The Rapture Trilogy is set in the States and I believe the content appeals more to American audiences than any other. It’s also difficult to get reviews in popular review spots such as newspapers, magazines etc. I had many reviews by bloggers and in all fairness, bloggers target my demographic much better. It’s a fantastic way to get word out to potential readers. But still – it would be nice to see my books in the review pages in the Sunday papers.
There are so many good books out there by small presses and indie authors but many people have never heard of them. I believe the industry is changing however – for the better. Indie and self published authors have a lot more control now, especially with the advent of the e-book and the ability of these authors to sell their books on-line. Mainstream review sources are starting to sit up and take notice but it’s still very difficult. Kirkus, for instance, offers a review service for Indie authors but it’ll cost you. From memory, I think it costs around $500 for a Kirkus review. I know it’s impractical for them to review every book but it would be nice if they offered the same free service they offer to mainstream publications. Perhaps when a book has received enough attention, Kirkus could produce a free review. Maybe the criteria could be a certain amount of reviews from bloggers or a certain amount of ratings from sites like Goodreads. Food for thought. Regardless, I have fully embraced my Indie status and I’m looking forward to publishing my next few books myself. With Apocalypse, I will have five novels available as e-books. I’ve got one chapter book that I want to put up as well as two picture books. In addition, I’m currently working on my sixth novel. It’s going to be a busy year!
About the Novel:
Genre: YA Dystopian
Date Published: 12/01/2011
Synopsis:
The Rapture has occurred - the end of the world. The faithful have risen up to Heaven. Those left behind are in a living hell. Armed only with his swords and his wit, a teenage boy wanders this post-apocalyptic world alone, separated forever from everyone he loves. Cursed by his demonic heritage, he must now embark on a quest that will take him across the US to the City of Angels.
As soon as this thought entered his mind, it was interrupted by a demonic presence to his left. A cluster of Lemure surged out of what had once been the local coffee house, screaming as they advanced. Sam sprinted around a wrecked SUV to give himself some breathing room, drawing both swords.
He swung around to his left, still at full stretch. Whether by good luck or by displaying a higher than usual level of intelligence, three of the Lemure hadn’t fallen for the ploy. They met him on the other side of the SUV, running as hard as he was. Sam didn’t even pause. He struck high then low and spun around to deliver a double blow to the third Lemure. All three turned to ash in his wake.
He kept sprinting, skirting around the wrecks in the middle of Main Street, heading east. It was opposite to the direction he wanted to head in but he would double back later in order to confuse his pursuers.
Sensing that the demons were falling behind, Sam slowed to a fast jog. He could keep this pace up for hours if he needed to. Before the Rapture, he had often run into the Rockies and back before the sun had even snuck up over the horizon. Night-time was when he always trained, away from prying eyes. He always felt stronger in the dark. Hikari had told him that his night vision was much better than any other humans, something he had suspected when he realized he could see almost perfectly in all but the most absolute darkness.
It was just as well because now the only light came from the moon, which was hardly a great source of illumination. Normally, street lights, the frontages of residential homes, the odd shop open for a late night and the occasional car would provide ample light for the average resident. It was odd running through the small town like this, guided only by the malevolent red glow from above.
Disturbingly, despite his injuries, Sam felt even stronger right at that moment, almost as if the moon was energizing him. He looked up, hoping to catch a glimpse of a star in the now cloudless sky. There were none. Had been none since the Rapture. The stars, once beautiful and sparkling in the clear country air, had all fallen. Where they had landed, Sam had no idea. He just knew that they weren’t in the sky anymore.
Suddenly a shadow fell across the moon, a strong wind buffeting him from above. He’d sensed the presence of the Astaroth but he was far, far too late. Too late and too slow. Cursing himself for his lack of concentration, Sam attempted to roll but felt something lift him off his feet with a powerful jolt. It was the Astaroth alright. Clearly, those wings weren’t for show, he thought wryly as the Astaroth slowly gained height. Luck had been on his side though. Instead of those mighty talons piercing his skin, they had merely jagged his backpack.
Then Sam remembered what were in his hands. What had been in his hands all the way down Main Street. His swords. He swept both up at the same time, each aiming for a different leg, and felt a savage surge of satisfaction as the iron weapons both connected and bit deeply. The Astaroth roared so loudly that, if Sam had been able to, he would’ve covered his ears.
Instead, he found himself falling. Surprisingly quickly. He thought, rather belatedly, that he hadn’t actually planned this out very carefully.
Music whilst writing.
I listen to various types of music when I write different scenes—modern pop music mostly with a dash of rock and a hint of punk. It’s like a recipe in a way. I use music to get me in the mood for various scenes. A lot of people prefer listening to instrumentals or some kind of classical melody because there are no vocalists to distract them. Not me. I love listening to the lyrics as I write. It helps me deepen the characters relationships and emotions.
Whilst writing Your Guardian Angel, I played Your Guardian Angel by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus over and over again. That song pretty much created the series and so it became my little theme song for the entire Guardian Angel series. Nowadays, my playlist is a lot longer and consists of many different artists: Evanescence - My Immortal
Bruno Mars - When I Was Your Man
Ron Pope - A Drop in the Ocean
Boys ll Men - I’ll Make Love to You
Maroon 5- Payphone
Ingrid Michaelson- Turn to Stone and The Fray- You found me. My playlist doesn’t stop there, I also have artists by the likes of T-pain, Lil Wayne, Eminem, Green Day, Tupac, Nirvana, Metallica—the list is endless, really, and it all fuels the different scenes and emotions my characters experience. If you’re a writer and you haven’t tried listening to music whilst writing, try it. You’ll probably find that it stretches your imagination one step farther than where it is now.
About the Novel:
Genre: Young Adult
Date Published:12/4/12
Synopsis:
For Ruby Moore life is far more complicated than that of your average teen,
for she is in no way average. Ruby is a vampire and her life as a vampire is far
from traditional...
It has been one year since her normal life was brutally taken from her. Still adjusting
to the shock of the change from mortal to immortal, her world is rocked again and
she is taken under the wings of a guardian angel back to Sage Sanctum, a school
beyond reach from the vampires that are determined to destroy her.
There, she is freed from her vampire chains and her normal needs and urges return.
However, a new urge arises... Lust. A forbidden lust toward her savior, her guardian
angel.
Attempting to control these desires is difficult, very difficult and when things
couldn't possibly get any worse, her situation becomes life or death as someone,
somewhere in the school is aiding those who want her dead.
Skyla Madi was born in the small town of Port Maquarie, New South Wales in 1993. She spent half her life growing up in Wauchope, a thriving rural town at the heart of the Hastings River Valley before making the leap to the busy city of Brisbane.
Whenever this young Australian writer isn’t changing diapers, watching cartoons, cooking for her husband or doing other motherly-wife things she is actively working on her writing and improving her writing skills.
Skyla loves to read just as much as she loves to write and since discovering that YA/paranormal romance/urban fantasy/ are her favourite genres, she has embarked on her own writing journey and is currently working on a YA series titled ‘Your Guardian Angel’.
Glass hit my face and Darren was knocked into the wall, he didn’t move. He was out cold. A hard object hit my chest and I was pinned to the floor. The smell and the feel of it made it obvious, it was another vampire. Hank? No. this vampire was an old one. The older vampires get, the stronger they are.
“Hello, half cast,” he whispered. Fear shot down my spine, my body was shaking. There was a bitter taste in the back of my mouth that I couldn’t seem to swallow. My breath was coming out in uneven gasps. I didn’t know what to do and I could barely think over the rising tide of cold fear in my chest. My eyes began burning with tears and I realized they were squeezed shut. I opened them slowly and my heart leapt into my throat. His face was white; his eyes were black and sunken deep into his skull. The veins that ran under his skin stood out and his wry smirk exposed two big fangs.
“What do you want?” I cried.
“I know what you are, goddess,” he growled. “I’m not the only one that knows, either. Last I heard, Hank was after you as well.”
I flinched at Hank’s name.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m a vampire, not a goddess.”
I have a secret. It’s a tad bit of a silly secret but it is one none-the-less. I’m nervous because I’m about to share it with you. Not only you, but everyone who reads this post and now that it’s in writing, it can never be hidden and the secret is out. My heart rate’s just pumped up a few notches and suddenly I want to the turn the fire place off… Is it warm in here, or just me? I’m stalling. It’s blatantly obvious I’m babbling to avoid spilling. Okay, here it is:I’m an in-the-closet tattoo fanatic. I LOVE tattoos. I only have one (that is not available to the public) but if I was still in university, I’d have more. I have young kids now so I use that as my excuse to not get more. Maybe I’m chicken. Though I’m not sure why. I’m not afraid of pain and getting inked doesn’t really hurt that bad. Maybe more so by the neck or behind the ear but still, not excruciating. I don’t know what my excuse is. I used to say if I made the Olympics I’d get the rings. I used to high jump and made World Championships and represented Canada but I never made the highest Athlete dream of the Olympics. Bummer but not the end of the world (and I’m getting off topic). This fascination of tattoos spilled into my first published series, The Chronicles of Kerrigan. Tattoos – or tatus in the book – show up on their sixteenth birthday. Boys are marked on their forearm and girls are inked on their lower back. It is only a select few and these tatus create a supernatural-like power within them that is similar to their ink. It’s a load of fun. I get to come up with unique tattoos and abilities co-related to them. One male character has an adorable fennec fox. A fennec fox is a desert animal that tends to be more nocturnal, can run fast and leap high. Great ability, but kind of embarrassing for a guy to have a cute little fox with big floppy ears. A female character is given a tattoo of a large busted but beautiful woman. She has the ability to increase the sexual tension between two people – in other words, she can make people horny. I bet her dad wasn’t too impressed when he found out his daughter, instead of his son was given that tattoo! So instead of adding tattoo’s to my skin and having to explain to my seven year old that she’s too young to get them (even though I will never say no to temporary one, I got to think of great tattoo’s and have fun with them. Will I ever get another one? I hope so. The likelihood? That is to be determined.
About the Novels
Rae of Hope
The Chronicles of Kerrigan
Book One
W.J. May
Genre: Young Adult – Fantasy (Paranormal, Romance, Suspense)
How hard do you
have to shake the family tree to find the truth about the past?
Fifteen year-old
Rae Kerrigan never really knew her family's history. Her mother and father died
when she was young and it is only when she accepts a scholarship to the
prestigious Guilder Boarding School in England that a mysterious family secret
is revealed.
Will the sins of
the father be the sins of the daughter?
As Rae struggles
with new friends, a new school and a star-struck forbidden love, she must also
face the ultimate challenge: receive a tattoo on her sixteenth birthday with
specific powers that may bind her to an unspeakable darkness. It's up to Rae to
undo the dark evil in her family's past and have a ray of hope for her future.
Dark Nebula
The Chronicles of Kerrigan
Book Two
W.J. May
Genre: Young Adult – Fantasy (Paranormal, Romance, Suspense)
Leery from the
horrifying incident at the end of her first year at Guilder Boarding School,
Rae Kerrigan is determined to learn more about her new tattoo. Her expectations
are high, an easy senior year and a happy reunion with Devon, the boy she’s not
supposed to date. All hopes of happiness turn into shattered dreams the moment
she steps back on campus.
Lies and secrets
are everywhere, and a betrayal cuts Rae deeply. Among her conflicts and
enemies, it appears as if her father is reaching out from beyond the grave to
ruin her life. With no one to trust, Rae doesn’t know where or who to turn to
for help.
Has her destiny
been written? Or will she become the one thing she hates the most—her father’s
prodigy.
About the Author:
Wanita May grew up in the fruit belt of Ontario -
St.Catharines. Crazy-happy childhood, she always has had a vivid imagination
and loads of energy.
The youngest of six -- four older brothers, and a
sister -- taught her at a young age to be competitive in all aspects of life.
At sixteen, she began competing in athletics
(track and field) and before she turned seventeen, she was representing Canada
in high jump. She continued to compete, breaking Canada's JR High Jump record
(1.92m - 6' 3 1/2" for those metric-ly challenged). She attented
University of Toronto, and Kansas State University - winning CIAU's and
becoming All-American 6x - NCAA Indoors Runner Up + more.
But you're not interested in her athletic career -
unless of course you're curious to know she stands 1.70m (5'7") and has
jumped 20cm over her head on more than one occassion. She's represented Canada
at the World Championships, World Jrs., won Francophone Games, and loved every
minute of every competition. From the grueling workouts, the crazy weights she
lifted on her back, the days she thought her lungs were going to spit out of
her mouth for lack of oxygen, the travelling around the world and the
opportunity to read - her favourite past time.
Wanita and her husband now run an online business,
dealing in antiques and collectables - particularly jewelry and porcelain.
After her father passed away in 2009, from a
six-year battle with cancer (which she still believes he won the fight
against), she began to write again. A passion she'd loved for years, but realized
life was too short to keep putting it off.
She is currently represented by Dawn Dowdle of
Blue Ridge Literary Agency. Wanita is a writer of Young Adult, Fantasy Fiction
and where ever else her little muses take her.
Click read more to read excerpts from both Rae of Hope and Dark Nebula!
Excerpt from Rae of Hope:
Chapter 1
Guilder Boarding School
“You can’t undo the past. The sins of the
father are the sins of the son, or in this case, daughter.”
Uncle Argyle’s ominous words had echoed in
Rae’s head long after he dropped her off at the airport. “A proverb of truth”
he had called it. Who spoke like that nowadays? Some good-bye. Tightening her
ponytail and futilely trying to tuck her forever-escaping dark curls behind her
ears, she looked at her watch, then out the bus window at the tree lined
countryside. It seemed strange to see the sun. All she remembered was rain when
she had lived in Britain nine years ago.
Trying to get comfortable, Rae tucked her
foot up on the seat, and rested her head against her knee as she looked out at
the scenery flashing by. A sign outside the window showed the miles before the
bus reached Guilder. It’d be another twenty-five minutes. She popped her ear
buds in, blew the bangs away from her forehead and stared out the window across
the rolling farm fields, trying to let the music from her iPod distract her.
It didn’t work. Just when she felt the
tension begin to ease from her shoulders and she started to get into the song,
something caught her eye. Black smoke billowed just near the top of a lush
green hill. Rae stared, her heart fluttering as an old memory began to take
hold. She knew what that smoke meant. She’d seen it before, long ago.
Someone’s house was burning.
Crap, crap crap, no I don’t want to go
there. Her heart started racing and her stomach turned over, making her feel
nauseous.
Dropping her knee, she gripped the seat in
front of her, burying her face in her hands taking deep breathes, like the
therapists taught her to do. She’d gone through years of therapy to treat what
had been called “panic attacks”. It didn’t matter what other people called it.
To her, it was simply hell; like being sucked back in time against her will, to
a place she never wanted to revisit. So she breathed the way she’d been taught,
slow breathe in, all the way, then slow breath out, all the time chanting it’s
not real, it’s not real in her head.
It helped calm her racing heart and made
her feel more in control, but it didn’t erase the memory. Nothing on Earth
could do that. Being back in England for the first time and seeing the strange
smoke, Rae felt six years old all over again.
She’d been in the living room coloring with
new markers before bed when her mother told her to take them to the tree house
her dad had built for her and play there until she called her in. That call
never came. The blaze bounced horrific shadows around the inside of the tree
house. The stinky black smoke slithered in and scared her little six year old
self in ways the monsters under her bed never had.
Rae shuddered and lurched upright,
forcefully bringing herself back to the present. Could this school be any
further into the sticks?
Glancing around the now vacant bus, she
wondered if the driver had purposely left her until last. She’d watched the
last few people get off at a school about fifteen minutes ago, Roe-something or
other. They all looked the same, all pretty girls with blonde hair, not one of
them thin, pale, and tall like her. They hadn’t been friendly. Big surprise
there… She was used to it. She tended to fly under the radar at best. So she
handled them the way she always handled the ones who instantly didn’t like her
for no reason she could come up with. Rae avoided making eye contact and tried
to appear immersed in the Guilder Boarding School brochure. It wasn’t that she
didn’t want to make friends. She’d just never really had any. Most kids her age
either didn’t like her or didn’t notice her.
Another weird thing that she couldn’t seem
to find an answer to was why Guilder would choose her? How did they even know
she existed? Her uncle boasted how big a deal it was for her to be selected,
but he’d never once explained how they’d even come to know about her in the
first place. She had the grades, the brain part always came easy for her, but
she didn’t have any extra-curricular activities at all, nothing to make her
stand out. So, how had this amazing school she’d never heard of before decide
to take her on? It didn’t make any sense. She tried a few times before she left
to corner her uncle and get him to explain part or all of it, but he’d always
seemed to be busy.
While this wasn’t exactly abnormal behavior
for him, it still left her with a sense of foreboding, something that had clung
to her ever since she got the letter. She couldn’t figure out why, but she had
a strong sense that something big was coming. Whether it was good or bad, she
didn’t know.
A movement out of the corner of her eye
caught her attention, pulling her mind out of the endless circle of questions
in her head. She turned to look out the window, and was stunned to see the
largest bird she’d ever seen in her life. Maybe an eagle? The thing flew
parallel with the bus, right beside her. Pressing her face against the cool
glass, her gaze focused intently on the curious sight. She jerked back when its
large wings flapped, brushed the window, and then veered away. She watched its
graceful flight as it soared and then swooped to settle onto the limb of a
large tree just ahead. As the bus passed by, the bird seemed to lock eyes with
Rae and she was mesmerized. Rae had always wondered what it would feel like to
be a bird, to fly so free, go anywhere the wind took her. She continued to
watch the bird until she couldn’t see it anymore, then slumped back into her
seat as the bus sped onward down the long road.
Guilder Boarding School. She gnawed at the
cuticle on her thumbnail a little too hard and ripped the skin, drawing a wince
from her. She couldn’t help it, she always did this when she was nervous. She’d
be the only American girl. Well, not really American. She held a British passport
but had moved to New York after her parents died in the fire, leaving her
orphaned. So…not really American, not really British; a little of both, but
belonging to neither.
The bus cruised by an aged stone sign.
Guilder Boarding School, Founded 1520. One of Britain’s Finest Educational
Institutions. Rae read the sign and wondered how a school could be that old and
not be featured in stories or online. She found nothing when she tried
researching it. They drove under an old, leaded window arch that connected two
round, red-brick towers. The stream of people coming and going from the doors
at the bottom made her think it must be some kind of office. She craned her
neck to get a better view. The buildings were old but were well kept and held
an almost magical aura of their original Tudor era. She half expected to see
men in tights and codpieces strutting down the road, leading their horses, with
corseted ladies perched delicately atop them. The mental picture amused her and
she absent-mindedly smiled. Her eyes were drawn to the ornate, brick chimneys
along the buildings’ roofs. She glimpsed the other buildings beyond. This place
looks huge…hope I don’t get lost.
The driver pulled to a halt in front of a
building with an embossed plaque that said “Aumbry House”. The ancient building
had ivy growing all over it. It looked like it was probably older than Henry
VIII, leaving Rae with horrifying visions of chamber pots dancing in her head.
It better have indoor plumbing…
The bus door slid open with a hiss. Rae
gathered her two small suitcases and her book bag, clambered down the aisle and
finally, blessedly, off the bus.
“Welcome to Guilder, Ms. Kerrigan.” Rae
awkwardly spun around to face the voice, finding that a tall, thin woman stood
on the concrete steps of the building, her eyes darting left and right, pausing
on Rae for barely more than a few seconds.
Rae stared, wondering where the lady had
come from. She wasn’t there a moment ago. Rae looked at the woman’s long, wool
skirt. This might be England, but today is sweltering. How is she not melting
in this heat?
“I am Madame Elpis, your house mistress.”
The lady darted down the large concrete steps, pausing on the last step and, in
one fluid motion, tucked her clip board under an armpit and extended her hand.
The woman’s features reminded Rae of a bird
– her jet-black hair, dark eyes, and especially the jutting nose. Rae nodded
and dropped a suitcase so she could return the handshake, her fingers crushed
by the woman’s claw-like grip. Ow, ow, ow! So you’re freakishly strong, got it.
“Come along. No time for dilly-dallying.”
She turned and marched up the steps, not checking to see if Rae followed or
needed any help with her bags.
Huffing out a breath, Rae grabbed her
things and clambered to follow, hearing the bus driver chuckle as he closed the
door behind her. I’m spending the next two years here? What joy. What freakin’
bliss.
Hammering and drilling noises from above
greeted Rae as she came through the entrance. The clamor echoed throughout the
building.
“Fifteen and sixteen-year-olds are on the
second floor,” Madame Elpis shouted above the noise. “Your room is the last
door on the left.” She checked the chart she’d been holding under her arm.
“Molly Skye is your roommate. I assume you can find the way.” The last part was
more statement than question.
“Thank you,” Rae replied uncertainly, not
knowing what else to say.
Madame Elpis pointed to a door on her left.
“The study hall’s through there. The glass doors lead to the game room. The
door to your right is to my living quarters. You are not permitted there.” She
led Rae to the winding staircase made of black and white marble. “Juniors are
on the second floor, seniors on the third and fourth.” She glanced at an old
pocket watch hanging on a chain around her neck and, if possible, straightened
even more. “Dinner is at five o’clock, sharp.” She turned, her skirt swirling
as she darted into her room, and with a kick of her boot, slammed the door.
Rae exhaled the breath she hadn’t realize
she’d been holding. The banging of hammers and screeching whine of electric
saws reverberated through the hallway. She was so nervous, the hammering could
have been coming from her heart and she wouldn’t have been able to tell the
difference.
Rae took her time up the marble stairs and,
once on the landing, headed left to the end of the hall. Biting the inside of
her cheek, she gave a light knock at the slightly open door and peered in.
Empty. Rae cautiously pushed the door open and surveyed her new room.
Thick, lush brown carpet covered the floor.
Two beds, with matching duvets and tan suede pillows, rested against the
opposing walls. One of which already sat full of half-empty suitcases. Modern
closets with ample space matched perfectly with the antique desks built into
the wall by each oriel window. Rae inhaled deeply, taking in a mingled sense of
fresh paint and the unique scent of antiques.
Finally! It’d been one helluva long day of
traveling. Much of the tension ebbed from her shoulders and she cracked a smile
for the first time in hours.
Rae dropped her suitcases on the
uncluttered side of the room. Her roommate, Molly, must have stepped out
halfway through unpacking. Her closet doors were spread open, with hangers
already full of clothes and more shoes than Rae had owned in her entire life.
She’d never been big on dressing up, but she still knew designer labels when
she saw them and she saw an awful lot of them in that closet. Hopefully, her
roommate didn’t end up being superficial. Rae stood there wondering how she’d
deal with it if she had to room with Guilder’s Next Super Model. Visions of her
roommate stomping up and down the room in heels practicing her “walk”
distracted her. She didn’t hear the footsteps walking down the hall to the
door.
“What are you doing in me room?” Rae jumped
and dropped her purse. A fashionably dressed girl stood in the doorway. She had
dark, mahogany red hair, the kind women paid insane amounts of money to try to
copy. Oh great…well, here we go.
“Molly?” Rae swallowed. “I’m your new
roommate.”
Molly stared Rae up and down. “You’re Rae
Kerrigan? I pictured someone totally different. You’re not scary at all!” She
laughed as if at some private joke. Scary? Me? What is she talking about?
“Name’s Molly Skye. I’m from Cardiff, in
Wales.” She shoved one of her suitcases onto the floor and dropped into the
small, open space on the bed.
Rae watched, confused. Why would anyone
think of her as scary? Because she lived in New York? She had a terrible
premonition of being the odd one out, and school hadn’t even started yet.
“You’re not sixteen, eh? No ta’too?” Molly
pointedly dropped her gaze down to Rae’s waist, as if she expected Rae to show
her something.
Tattoo? Rae squinted, trying to listen
closer to Molly’s accent. The way she spoke, some of the words were hard to make
out. Why would she ask if I have a tattoo?
“My birthday’s in three days. It’s going to
be so awesome!” Molly leaned back on her elbows. “When’s yers?”
“My birthday? Uh…not ‘til November.”
Straight into the personal info. Okay, I think I know what my roommate is going
to be like.
“November? You do have a long wait.” Molly
grimaced and shook her head. “Poor you. You’ll be the last one inked for sure.”
She jumped off the bed. Rae noted the strange comment, but Molly’s motor-mouth
went speeding on, so she filed it away for examination at a later time.
“What’d you think of our room? Pretty cool,
eh? Aside from the construction on the floors above us.” She shot the ceiling
an annoyed look. “I just talked to one of the workers. He said they finish at
four. They start again at like eight in the morning! Can you believe that? Who
gets up at that time, anyway?”
Wow. Molly can talk without pausing for
breath. Rae nodded and tried to keep up. She watched Molly roll from the balls
of her feet to her heels, back and forth continually. It was a typically
nervous gesture that Rae attributed to meeting new people. Everybody has their
issues, but it’s still surprising, considering how fast she’s talking.
“Can you believe we got invited to Guilder?
We’re two of sixteen females within a landmass of rich, supposedly
unattainable, handsome boys.” When Rae didn’t respond, Molly squinted at her.
“You do know why you’re here, right?”
Rae shrugged. Jet lag seemed to be eating
her brain cells. “To be honest, I don’t really know what you mean. I haven’t
been in England since I was six and I know nothing about Guilder.” Despite
numerous Google searches at home and having my nose buried in the brochure for
an hour on the ride here.
“You’re not slow or something, are you?”
Rae shook her head slowly wondering if her talkative new roomie had just
insulted her. Molly stared, scratching her head. “You really don’t know, do
you?” She looked up and to the left, obviously recalling something important.
She straightened, as if quoting some bit of brochure from memory. “Guilder’s a
highly sought after educational institution, but it is primarily a school for
the gifted. People who get to go to Guilder know why. The rest of the world has
no idea!”
Rae curled her fingers tight, her nails
digging into her palms. She felt stupid and also irritated at herself for
feeling stupid. It wasn’t something she wanted to deal with, especially after
such a long day of travel. “What makes us…gifted?”
Molly’s eyes grew huge. She paced the room.
“Oh, my... Me da’s never going to believe this. You seriously don’t know
ANYTHING?!”
Rae felt her blood pressure rising. She
knew she was tired, confused, and nervous. None of that it was helping her
temper, but she was determined not to lose it on what amounted to a total stranger.
She pressed her lips tight to stop any snappish comment that might escape.
Can’t the ditz just answer a simple question with a straight answer?
Molly swung around in front of Rae,
dramatically squared her shoulders, and put on a serious face. “When we turn
sixteen, we receive our ink blot.”
“What?”
“A ta’too.” She leaned forward and
whispered, “It gives us special powers.”
Pause…say what? “P-Powers?” Rae tried not
to laugh. Had her uncle sent her to an institution for the insane? “You’re
kidding, right?” Uncle Argyle had told her the experience would change her
life, but hadn’t said how. Rae figured he meant she’d do some growing up – like
a maturity thing. And, of course, there was that silly proverb. But perhaps
he’d mistakenly sent her off to a giant rubber room.
Molly waved a hand. “I’m serious. The gift
is passed down from generation to generation.” She blew out an exaggerated
breath. “Any guy around here who’s sixteen has a ta’too on the inside of his
forearm.” She dragged Rae toward the window and pointed to the building across
from them. “That’s the boys’ dorm. Let’s go outside and walk around. I’ll get
one of them to show you what I mean.”
Her eyes dropped down to Rae’s clothes, her
lips pursed tight together. “Do you fancy a quick change before we go?”
Rae laughed, despite her roommate’s serious
expression. Molly definitely was crazy, but she had a point. She’d dressed
comfortably for travel, and even though she wasn’t big on fashion, even she
drew the line at meeting her new classmates looking like a worked-over hag. She
could use some freshening-up. “Yeah, give me a moment.”
“I’m off downstairs to try and find some
cute boys. Meet me outside when you’re ready.” Molly left, still chattering
nonstop with no one in the hall to listen.
Rae opened the closest suitcase and grabbed
the first pair of jeans and top within reach. She hesitated and dug a little
deeper into her suitcase. The jeans were fine, they were new, but a white
t-shirt seemed too plain. She found a pink Converse tank top with ONE STAR
written in sparkles. She pulled out her hair tie, wishing her unruly black
curls were straight like Molly’s perfect hair. She never bothered with makeup
because she had crazy-long eyelashes that mascara seemed to only want to clomp
up against, and almost everything else just made her look kinda like a sloppy
hooker. Keep it simple, that’s what her aunt had always told her. She settled
for lip gloss, and deodorant, and then grabbed a pair of sandals before tossing
her purse under her pillow. Now, time to find out what Molly’s been babbling on
about, or at least, maybe meet some cute guys. She might be invisible most of
the time, but eye candy was eye-candy, no matter which side of the Atlantic it
was seen on.
Once outside, she shaded her eyes against
the bright sunlight with her hand and searched for her new roommate.
Molly stood further down the sidewalk,
talking to a very hot guy with chestnut brown hair, dark eyes and a dimple on
his right cheek. It disappeared when he stopped smiling and began talking
again, making Rae a little sad. She wanted to see that dimple again. Rae
bounded down the steps, and then slowed down, trying not to appear too excited.
She flinched and covered her head when a loud crashing noise sounded from
above, and a large piece of debris flew down from the fourth floor and landed
in the blue bin beside her. Face burning, she pretended it hadn’t bothered her
and continued walking. Molly and the boy turned to stare in her direction.
Rae heard someone holler from above, but
couldn’t make out what the guy said. Embarrassed by her reaction a moment
before, she ignored the shout and kept walking. Molly’s eyes grew big, her
hands flew to her cheeks and her mouth dropped open. She screamed. Rae stared
as Molly frantically pointed above her head. Rae tipped her head up. She froze
in horror when she saw a huge, severed piece of wood paneling balanced like a
seesaw on the window ledge several floors above.
The wood scraped against the windowsill,
and teetered as if undecided which way it should fall. Oh crap! A gust of hot,
dry wind blew by, knocking the severed beam into final decent. It spun as it
fell and all sound was just gone.
Fight or flight. Rae dropped her gaze, her
eyes darted about. The guy beside Molly moved toward her frozen frame. Everything
moved in slow motion except for the guy running like a freight train. He was
greased lightning, moving faster than anything Rae had ever seen. It didn’t
seem possible for a person to move so fast. And why am I focused on him when
I’m about to be squashed like a bug?
Excerpt from Dark Nebula:
A
dark nebula is a type of interstellar cloud that is so dense it obscures the
light from the background emission or reflection nebula so that it blocks out
background stars.
The
form of such dark clouds is very irregular: they have no clearly defined outer
boundaries and sometimes take on convoluted serpentine shapes. The largest dark
nebulae are visible to the naked eye, appearing as dark patches against the
brighter background of the Milky Way.
(Wikipedia)
Chapter 1
Tatù
A lifespan is spent, seeking success and
happiness. People chase after dreams, careers, ambitions, faith, partners, and
money; all in the hope of finding the success and contentment they so long for.
The only place we need to search is within ourselves. Our inner powers will
move us forward--we must show the world our tatùs. Our capabilities and
potential are far greater than anything man has ever done, or will do. We are
above mankind--above the law which rules over them.
Notes from Simon Kerrigan’s Journal—two
decades ago
“The motto of the Privy Council is ‘to
protect at all costs’.” Devon walked a little taller and straighter than he had
the last time Rae had seen him, his chest puffed with pride.
“The what? Who?” Rae raced to keep pace
with Devon’s long strides as the two of them wove their way through the
airport’s parked cars with the sun beating down on them.
Devon stopped, let go of one of the
suitcases he pulled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “The Privy
Council. I know it sounds old-fashioned, but trust me, it isn’t.” He slipped
the sunglasses off the top of his head and onto his nose before he started
walking again. “It’s the elite of the elite tatùs.”
Rae hustled to keep up. “I get that there’s
a company that works with our…talents.” It had been a year since she had
learned about the unique group of individuals that she was now a part of. When
she had turned sixteen the previous year, she had woken up with a tatù. A fairy
covered her lower back with Celtic design and a sun inset throughout. In
certain light, the fairy’s wings appeared to sparkle. Different from a tattoo,
it had gifted her with supernatural power. Devon was also gifted with a tatù, a
fennec fox, giving him heightened senses, super speed, and agility. However,
Rae’s power was unique, even in their already exclusive and insular world. She
could mimic another individual’s tatù. No one else could do that. Huge,
big-time ability. Because of her singular ability, Rae knew she was “of
interest” to the shadowy Privy Council, the ruling body of the tatù community.
Everyone knew “of” it but no one actually knew anything about it. To have Devon
suddenly working for them gave Rae pause. They’d barely emailed or talked over
the summer. Strange for two people just starting a relationship…then again, the
pesky societal rules against tatùs and romantic relationships might have
hampered the communication also. Unsure whether to outright ask Devon why he
had been so distant over the summer or leave it be, Rae squinted and tucked a
curly highlighted strand behind her ear to buy herself some time. “I don’t
understand what the company does, or why you’re working for them now. You’re
only eighteen. Are you an intern or something?”
He grinned. “You’ve barely learned about
your tatù, while most of us have known before we started school. It’s totally
understandable you’re confused.” His warm hand grazed the small of her back.
It sent tingles across the fairy tatù,
making it feel like the fairy’s wings were actually fluttering. A pleasant
shiver ran up her spine from the contact, and Rae paused to enjoy it.
Devon, who probably knew exactly how his
touch made her feel, winked at her before he turned serious. “The agency works
to protect those of us tatùed and, if needed, Britain. It kinda works like the
James Bond movies. Did you know that the prime minister and government have no
idea what the Privy Council actually represents? They only know that it does a
darn good job. We seldom, if ever, make a mistake.”
We? Rae nodded, not sure if she liked that
her boyfriend considered himself part of this group already, when he had told
her nothing about it. Don’t normal dating couples talk about stuff that excites
them? Boys are supposed to drone on and on about manly things and girls are
supposed to—oh I don’t know—something. He’s so different, it’s like he changed
without me. Feeling insecurity rise up, Rae shifted uncomfortably and fought to
push the emotion out of her way. She scolded herself, Don’t be so sensitive.
Just be glad to be back. She had missed everything at school, not just Devon.
Well, mostly Devon, but not only him.
She followed him, zigzagging through the
parked cars, trying to keep her heavy suitcase on its little wheels. They
stopped in front of a shiny, sleek, black car, which had obviously been created
for speed.
“What do you think?” Devon let go of the
two suitcases and spread his arms. He looked up and down the car, a smile
playing on his lips.
“Whose is this?” She tilted her head
sideways, pretending to admire it, all the while trying to figure out the make
of the car.
Devon laughed, “It’s mine. My dad and I
made a deal. I could pick out a car I liked, and he’d pay for it.”
“I doubt your dad, the new dean of Guilder,
would agree to this.” She laughed, playfully elbowing him in the ribs.
“Well, you’re half right.” He held his
hands up in mock defense. “I paid for half of it with the money I made working
with the Privy Council this summer. My dad offered to pay the other half. A
graduation gift, he said.”
“What kind of car is it?” It looked like he
had taken it right off some futuristic race track.
“It’s a Lotus.”
“A Lotus?” Rae squinted, trying to place
the name.
“They make formula cars and a few road
ones. It’s a Lotus Exige Cup two-six-zero.” He stood grinning like a kid in a
candy store.
Big boy needs an expensive toy. Rae gently
touched the black paint, careful not to let her fingernail scratch it. She half
expected Devon to pull out the bottom of his shirt to buff her fingerprints out
of his paint job. Instead, he just winked at her and moved to the back of the
car.
Devon began loading her suitcases into the
boot and back of the car. “If I recall, you only had half this amount of
luggage last year.”
Rae shrugged and stretched the kinks out of
her back from the long flight, ready for the drive to Guilder Boarding School.
To the rest of the world, Guilder was an ultra-exclusive, all-male boarding
school deep in the unpopulated English countryside, which had only opened its
doors to women the previous year. What they didn’t know, was that Guilder
catered only to the tatùed community. Rae had successfully navigated the tricky
waters of both a new school and a totally new way of life, despite being the
focus of almost everyone’s attention, be it for good or ill. She actually had friends
at Guilder, something she could not say of her old school in New York. It helps
that everyone at Guilder’s kinda like me. Maybe not exactly like her, but
enough that they had something in common. She had missed that over the summer,
the sense of camaraderie. It felt good to be back— in England and with Devon.
“What can I say?” She held up her palms, trying to make her face look innocent.
“Molly taught me how to shop, so I took advantage of the great sales in New
York this summer.” She opened the passenger door and climbed in. The expected
new-car smell mingled pleasantly with the scent of expensive leather. Molly had
been her roommate the previous year, and they had become best friends.
“Speaking of new changes…I know we’re keeping our boyfriend-girlfriend-thing a
secret,” to say any romantic relationship between tatùed individuals was taboo
would be a categorical understatement, “but how come you didn’t email me a pic
of the car…Or something?” Anything. Or contacted me more than twice this
summer? Two short and basically meaningless emails had been his only attempt at
communication. She didn’t say it, but even seeing him now didn’t erase her
disappointment. Typical guy.
“I wanted to surprise you with something
cool when you flew in. You know how hard it is to get a Lotus?” He leaned over
and planted a quick, hard kiss on her lips before starting the engine. “Missed
you. I’m glad you’re back.” He drove out of the airport and onto the motorway
with precision and ease.
Either you really wanted to surprise me or
you just made that up and you’re avoiding the loaded question. Rae straightened
in her seat. Why do I always have to notice and question everything? I’m only
making myself miserable. She forced herself to change the subject. “You just
graduated last year and already you’re working for this Privy Council?” She
still couldn’t grasp his job description. Maybe some sort of private eye or
intern superhero? It wasn’t like he had actually answered the question either.
“Hey, what can I tell you? I aced all the
tests; they offered me the job. They know at Guilder I’m acting as your mentor,
so I got the green light to continue here. Your protection is one of their top
priorities.”
Rae stared at him. Part of her was happy to
know he would be around. The other part was stunned that the Privy Council
would be that interested in her welfare. It creeped her out a little. “You’re
pulling my leg. How’d they know about me?”
“Come on, the daughter of the infamous
Simon Kerrigan?” He glanced at her and reached over to pat her knee when she
rolled her head to look out the window. Fabulous, the one thing about me I want
most to forget is the one thing that makes me interesting to the secret
squirrels. Devon, mistaking her reasons for withdrawing from the conversation,
set out to reassure her. “Don’t worry. No one knows about our relationship, so
it’s all good. If the Privy Council found out, they’d definitely send me far
away from you.” He shrugged. “Look, this is something I’ve dreamed about doing.
Who wouldn’t want to help their country? I’ve spent my entire life following
the rules others have set out. Now it’s fun bending them to save the day.”
“It sounds dangerous.” Even with the
abilities of his tatù. Not to mention, these dreams of his weren’t something
they’d ever talked about. She didn’t understand the fascination or the
inclination.
A deep chuckle erupted from his throat.
“Now you sound like my mother.”
Ohhh, I can’t resist this one. “I don’t
think she wants to protect the same body parts I’m interested in.” She gave him
a sly look, fighting back the urge to smile.
“Yuck!” He pretended to gag. “I hope not.”
Rae chuckled, despite her worry. “I don’t
want any part of you getting hurt, or in danger. Your mother doesn’t know half
of what this world is capable of–”
“Any more than you do. You’re sixteen,
newly initiated and only beginning to grasp a hint of your talent. I can take
care of myself, and I’ll take care of you as well. It’s my responsibility and
my job now…though I can’t consider hanging out with you, work.” He grinned. The
adorable dimple Rae loved appeared on his cheek. Yup, definitely missed that.
“Fine.” She breathed out through her nose,
a calming technique she had learned long ago. She had just returned and didn’t
want to argue. “You win.” She shifted in her seat, taking in his thin, muscular
outline. He looked even more handsome since she had gotten off the plane. “Tell
me more about the jobs you’ve done over the summer. It all sounds pretty cool.”
“The rush is amazing, and the pay,
incredible. Bet I’ll be loaded before I’m twenty.”
Not if you spend money on cars like this.
Devon grinned, his thumbs tapping against
the steering wheel. He talked the rest of the drive about the training he and
Julian, their friend, had done over the summer.
Rae listened, fascinated, but also noticed
he didn’t give specifics about anything. Either the jobs were a secret or he
had just spent the summer training and there were no specifics to give.
Hopefully it’s the latter of the two.
The motorway turned into a slip road and
soon they were driving along the countryside, towards the familiar grounds of
Guilder College.
The football fields were full of male
students scrimmaging. The oriel windows on the old Tudor buildings were wide
open, airing out the rooms in preparation for the arrival of the students who
would live there for the next school year. The ivy on the red brick and wood
danced in the wind, as though in anticipation. Rae could not wait to get to
Aumbry House and to her dorm room. She wanted to see who had already arrived. Molly
had e-mailed to say she would arrive the next day. Finally emerging from her
own reverie, she realized her cheeks hurt because she had been grinning for a
while.
“Happy to be back?” Devon teased.
“Maybe a little.” She shrugged and tried to
act like she didn’t care, but the look on Devon’s face told her he didn’t buy
it. “Okay, I’m very excited to be back.”
“You’re all right?” Devon tugged at his
ear. “You know…with everything that happened… with Lanford, before the summer?”
Rae’s smile slipped and she turned silent,
staring out the window as they drove under the bridge that connected the two
round towers of the main building. She fought the sense of betrayal and fear
that she had kept a lid on all summer long, determined not to think about it. I
don’t want to feel like this. She tried to laugh, but it came out wrong, more
like a harrumph. “You mean, the headmaster who fooled me into trusting him and
let me believe he was on my side?” She didn’t wait for a reply and pointed at
one of the towers they’d just passed. “Or do you mean the part where he trapped
me in there and tried to force me to finish something my good-for-nothing
father started? Or the part where he tried to shoot me and ended up slipping on
ice and breaking his head?” She forced herself to stop talking, feeling a tide
of emotion starting to well up inside her and fearing the consequences of
letting it out.
Devon’s raised eyebrows and hanging mouth
made her realize what she had just said.
She reached over and touched his leg. “I’m
okay, honestly. I was trying to make a joke; and apparently, I failed. After
everything I learned last year, I shouldn’t have let my guard down for anyone.”
Tucking an escaped curl behind her ear again, she added, “Except for you, and
Julian… and Molls.”
“You’ve just ranted like that, and then say
you’re totally fine?” Devon’s voice carried nothing but gentle concern and the
promise of support. She had missed him over the summer.
She sighed, pushing her shoulders back and
sitting up straighter, mentally pulling herself up by the bootstraps. She
needed to reassure Devon that everything was fine. Fake it ‘til you make it,
right?
“I can still hear my father’s stupid voice
in my head, but I’m going to be fine.” We are above mankind--above the law
which rules over them. She dropped her head and squeezed her eyes shut tight
for a moment forcing her father’s words out of her thoughts. “Who knows, maybe
I’ll be able to get a job with the Privy Council, or act as some secret agent
for the government, like you.” And make up for my father being the Hitler of
the tatù world. Great job, being the daughter of the world’s evil genius.
Devon chuckled. “I think being away made
you a bit crazy. How about you get that massive talent of yours under control
before you decide to save the world? And for the record, that’s my job at the
moment.” Devon grabbed her hand and gave it an affectionate squeeze.
“You can keep the job…for now. When I
graduate, I’ll let you work with me.” She stuck her tongue out at him. She
hated to admit it, even to herself, but he was right. My tatù ability is
powerful and I barely know how to use it. I might be able to mimic other tatùs,
but using them properly is the challenge.
“Thanks for the offer, but secretly dating
you is all I can handle at the moment. I don’t know if I could handle working
side by side day in and day out and pretend I didn’t have feelings for you.”
Devon pulled into the parking area by Aumbry House. He jumped out of the car
and opened Rae’s door before she unbuckled her seat belt.
Now that’s the kind a thing a girl likes to
hear “Thanks. I–”
“Devon! Ms. Kerrigan!” A pleasant-sounding
male voice shouted from across the parking lot, near the Refectory Hall. Rae
turned and saw the new dean, Devon’s father, waving as he walked over.
“Hey, Dad.”
Devon stiffened and moved a few inches from
her.
“Hello, Mr. Wardell. I mean, Dean Wardell.
Congratulations on the new position.” She shifted her weight, making a
conscious effort not to look at Devon.
Dean Wardell raised his eyebrows, his gaze
shooting back and forth between them. He smiled and rubbed his hands together.
“Glad you brought our star student back in one piece. I just wanted to say
hello and let you know Headmaster Carter wants to speak with you both, as soon
as you’ve unloaded Ms. Kerrigan’s suitcases.”
Rae nodded, still afraid to look at Devon.
He had gotten his fennec fox tatù from his father so sharp eyes ran in the
family. The last thing she and Devon needed was for anyone to guess at their
relationship. Instead, she looked straight at his father. He looks
uncomfortable. I must be making it obvious how hard I’m trying not to look at
Devon. Have to think of something else. So Carter is staying around as
headmaster? That’s…interesting…I guess. She felt her head tilt to the side as
she tried to figure out her feelings about Carter’s continued presence on the
campus. She had spent most of the previous year convinced he was the enemy,
until he had come to rescue her from Lanford. The Dean seemed to relax as she
pondered. Crisis averted.
“Julian’s looking for you, Devon. He’s in
the room opposite yours. He arrived earlier today.” Dean Wardell turned and
smiled purposefully at Rae before heading across the football pitches. “Have a
nice afternoon.” Hmm…maybe not so much averted just yet.
Devon and Rae pulled her suitcases from the
boot of the car. They walked towards Aumbry House.
“Is it going to be this awkward every time
we’re in public together?” Rae whispered.
“I bloody hope not.” He rolled his eyes.
“It’s probably ‘cause it’s my dad. he would kill me if he knew there was
anything more going on between the two of us besides mentoring.”
My thoughts exactly. But we need positive
reinforcement, not agreement on future mutual destruction. “You do have an
excellent track record of being the faithful, obedient son. I doubt he’ll
suspect a thing.” Rae nudged him with her elbow.
He bent forward towards her, but
instinctively straightened up a second before Madame Elpis entered the main
lobby.
“Welcome back, Ms. Kerrigan.” Madame Elpis
smiled genuinely, her voice a pleasant, almost sing-song tone. “You’re the
first here, so you can pick a room on the third floor. I’ll see you both at
dinner.” Madame Elpis whistled as she strolled outdoors.
Rae’s eyebrows went up and her mouth hung
open. She watched the tall, hawk-nosed, normally austere and perfunctory woman
walk with a light skip down the path outside until she disappeared from sight.
It’s the twilight zone. I’m in the twilight
zone. Any second now, I’m going to hear that theme music. “What the –?” Rae
sputtered. Madame Elpis had been rigid with her strict demeanor the previous
year, and her magpie-crow tatù suited her to a tee. She had always been “in the
know” and quite cranky at the best of times. Now it seemed as if someone had
switched her personality for a that of a happy little songbird.
Devon gently put his fingers on Rae’s chin
and closed her mouth. He smiled as he leaned forward and kissed her quickly on
the lips. Rae closed her eyes to savor the feeling, Madame Elpis completely
forgotten.
“She fell in love.” Devon pulled away. He
grabbed two suitcases, dragging them towards the black and white marble
staircase.
“She did, and she’s waiting for another
kiss.” Rae puckered her lips, eyes still closed.
“Not you, silly. I’m talking about Madame
Elpis.” Devon laughed from several feet away.
Rae opened her eyes, heat rising to her
face. She grabbed the remaining case and ran to catch up with him. he had
already gone halfway up the first set of stairs.
“Holy smokes, Rae. Is half of New York in
these suitcases?”
She ignored his question. “Who’s the lucky,
or not so lucky, guy?”
“Madame Elpis? Do you remember the English
Professor from your first term?”
“Professor Lockheed?” Rae stared at him
incredulously. She knew she and Devon were breaking the rules of the tatù world
by dating but she simply could not imagine the ornery Madame Elpis stepping
even one toe out of line.
“Yeah. Well, not him, but his brother
Donald.”
“Donald?” Rae repeated then started
smirking.
“What’s so funny?”
“Do you know Madame Elpis’ first name?”
“Not off the top of my head.”
“It’s Daisy.” She had to stop when they
reached the first landing, she couldn’t stop laughing.
“I don’t get it.” Devon shifted his weight,
one foot on the next set of stairs.
“Donald and Daisy.” She raised her eyebrows.
“You know, on Disney? Donald Duck?”
Devon still seemed lost. “She’s got a
magpie, not a duck.”
“I can’t believe you’ve never watched
cartoons as a kid,” Rae muttered under her breath before following him up the
next flight with her head down. She might as well keep quiet. How come no one
ever gets my jokes? They’re not that bad. She brought her head up about to
explain the joke.
What the—? She froze midstride, startled
when a blurry picture began to flash behind her eyes. Small choking noises
escaped as her breath caught in her throat. She squinted, trying to get a
clearer glimpse of the fuzzy scene. She felt the handle of her suitcase slip
from her hand but barely noticed it tumble down the stairs. This had never
happened before. Could someone be trying to kill me? Or contact me?
Devon rushed to her side. “What’s wrong?
Are you hurt?”
She heard the fear in his voice but could
not reply. She gave her head a slight shake and focused on the mental picture.
The old dean, now new headmaster, Carter, paced in his office, his hand
nervously running through his dark hair as he talked on the phone. Rae could
not hear what he said, but the agitation in his body language worried her. The
caller on the other end must not be giving him good news.
She blinked. As fast as the image had
appeared, it disappeared. Dazed, she realized Devon had an arm wrapped tightly
around her waist, gently shaking her shoulder with his free hand.
“Rae…Rae…Can you hear me? Kerrigan! What’s
going on?” Alarm filled his voice.
Slowly she turned her head to focus on him.
“Sorry. I’m okay. I—it—” She pressed her lips, trying to make sense of what had
just happened. Then something clicked. “I had some vision-thing of Carter.
That’s never happened before. Right out of the blue, it popped up. I saw him—just
now—” She swallowed, wondering if it would happen again. Taking several deep
breaths, she relaxed and let her shoulders drop. “I don’t know where I picked
the tatù ability up. Not sure if it’s new or a development of another I already
have. It was freaky.” She reached her hand around his neck and stroked her
fingers through his hair. She had really missed him this summer, and now here
he was. He smelled and felt so good. Focus girl, focus. “I didn’t expect it.”
His bright blue eyes stared deeply into
hers. After a few moments, he released his hold on her waist and slowly stepped
back.
She knew he was not convinced. “Honest, I’m
fine. I’m not gonna pass out, or anything.” As she spoke, her mind replayed the
mental picture of Carter. He had gotten his haircut, and almost appeared a bit
younger.
“What did you see? Is Carter okay?”
“He seemed angry or upset, or maybe both.”
She closed her eyes, trying to remember every detail, but it was like trying to
remember the details of a dream. She could taste the fear from the vision but
could not remember where it had come from. “I don’t know if the image is
happening now, if it’s in the past or something that hasn’t happened yet. I
don’t get it.”
“I got a bad feeling.” Devon shook his
head, his forehead creasing with lines. “Let’s toss your suitcases in a room
and go see him right away. Something’s going on, and I’m willing to bet it’s
pretty important.” Quick as a flash, Devon ran down the stairs to grab the
fallen suitcase and back up ahead of her before Rae could reply.
