Dark Nebula (The Chronicles of Kerrigan) (7 page)

Great. Now I’m talked about
internationally
.
“How come I haven’t been taught any of this?”

“You will
.
M
ost
of the
politics
are
taught during your s
enior year.
The years prior are spent on preparing for your
sixteenth
birthday.”

“
Ohhh…
”
She sighed,
tired of worrying about what she
did not
know.
Most kids in the
tatù
community started learning about their special place in the world and what their future might hold at a young age, around
eleven
or
twelve
. They had a parent sit them down and answer their questions
;
they had years at Guilder to prepare for their powers. She had not had any of that. She had been unceremoniously thrust into this world the
previous year
. The constant reminders that she had a lot of catching up to do weighed on her more than she let on. Right now, it was the last thing she wanted to think about.
“
Do
you
want to
head downstairs
? G
ive me a few minutes to change my clothes and freshen up?
”
She had
just spent
ten
hours on a plane
, a car ride
,
sweatin
g over what
Carter
told them
,
and then the scare with Maria
.
Q
uite the
first day on my return to Guilder.

Devon
bent down to gently run his lips and nose along
her
neck.
“
You look and smell awesome. I’m glad you’re back.
I’ll go
find Julian and meet you in front of
Aumbry
H
ouse in, say,
twenty
minutes?”
He disappeared down the hall
, giving her the space she needed
.
Silly boy…only twenty minutes?

Thirty minutes later,
Rae ran down the black and white
marble
stairs and out the front doors
.
Devon
sat
on the steps chatting with Julian
.
She
paused by the door and smiled as she watch
e
d the two of them.
Julian seemed to have
gotten lean
the same way
Devon
had.

He
jumped
up
when he saw her
and
released a low
whistle
as he
spread his arms wide
.
“You look awesome
.
A tan and
New York
ha
ve
done you good.
”

“How was your summer?” Rae
hugged him tight
.
He had
kept his dark hair long and still had
a mystical appeal about him,
like an artist who
had
already
discovered
himself.
The d
ifference
in his face came from his eyes
;
they held a
mischievous
glint that hadn’t been there the last time she had seen him.

“
Awesome
.
I mean, Dev’s my best bud
and all
,
but hanging out with him the entire summer at the PC Academy made it drag a tad.” He sidestepped
the
playful swing
Devon
sent his way. “I’ve been asked
to do some free
lance work for
the
Privy Council
.”

Devon
chuckled
. “I’m not sure
if
they want
your
talent or
your
artwork.”
Though he was s
till learning how to use his
tatù
,
Julian
had the ability to draw pictures of future ev
ents
.

Rae laughed.
“Maybe they own an art gallery and are putting your pieces up under an assumed name
, making millions
.” She smiled, happy to see
Julian
again.
Another Privy Council worker?
Devon
and Julian are so young!
Sound
s
like
the secret squirrels are in dire need of
new recruits.

“You two are real comedians.” Julian shook his head.
“So, how’d you survive
without him?
”
He
nodd
ed
towards
Devon
.
Julian was the only person who knew
of their
relationship
; the only one they had trusted with the knowledge.
Although considering his gift, it might have been impossible to hide it from him.

“Just fine, goof.” She
rolled her eyes pretending to be all ticked off and also wondering if Julian knew
Devon
had barely contacted her over the holidays.
He must…if they worked together.

Devon
stepped over and put his arm around Rae, pausing
there
a moment longer than a friend would
. “
Julian, y
ou
still up for some training tonight
?
I
got
the
security password for the Oratory
.”

“
Hell yeah
, but
wouldn’t you rather
hang out with Rae tonight?” Julian grinned as he
stared
at the two of them
.
Rae resisted the urge
to
send a gust of wind
in
his direction and knock him
, and his silly
smirk
,
off his feet
.

“I
bet
Rae
’
d be int
erested in coming along with us,
”
Devon
said.

Me?
“Train?
”
Forgetting about
knocking Julian over
, she
turn
ed so she could see them both at the same time.
They had better not be joking
.
“Does this involve
combat with our powers
?
I
’m
up for that!”
She
bounced
on the balls of her feet
,
and
then
crouched down into a fight
ing
position. “I’m ready
. L
et’s try it now.”

Julian
snorted, pretending to take on a defens
ive
position
,
and shift
ing
his feet apart
.
“
I’m in
,
as well
, but I think I’ll wait ’til
tonight
.
” He walk
ed down the steps, calling
over his shoulder
,
“Plus,
who
would
want to
miss
watch
ing
Devon
get his butt kicked by a girl
?
”

“
I got
a
feeling Rae
’s gonna kick yours first.” The corners of
Devon
’s mouth
twitched
.
“I think we
’ve
got
a
couple
of
minutes now.
If you’d like her to wipe the floor with you.
”

Julian turned around and took a step back towards them.
“
I
’
d hate to
beat a girl
in public, but if you’re up
for the challenge
…
”

Flicking her fingers, Rae sent
a burst of wind that had Julian stumbling backwards
, fighting
to catch his balance.

Devon
put his hands up
between them
.
“Let’s save it for
later
then, shall we?”
His attempt
to keep
a straight face broke when he winked at Rae.

Hours later,
Rae whispered to
Devon
and Julian as the three headed to the Oratory after dinner.
“So, do you guys train every night?”

“Why are you whispering?
T
here’s no one ab
out.
” Julian
tied
his hair into a ponytail.

“Sorry
. I
t just
seems
like I should
,
” Rae
continued,
still whispering.

“We don’t
get to
spar
every
day now
, but
it
’
s
fun.
”
Devon
opened the door to the Oratory.

He headed across the large room to switch
on
the lights
,
but Rae decided to save him the trouble.
She summoned Molly’s
tatù
and flick
ed
her index finger.
The room
flooded with
brightness
.
Devon
paused mid-stride.

Julian chuckle
d
.
“You may
be able to see in the dark
, Dev,
but she’s got you beat.”
Devon
’s
f
ennec f
ox
tatù ga
ve him speed and agility, excellent night vision and an incredible jumping talent
to boot
.

“She’s got both of us beat, Juls.”
Devon
winked at her
.

“Sorry, just trying to help.” Rae
blushed,
glad
Devon
didn’t care if her tatù was
more powerful
than his.

“
Wait till you see the gadgets we get to use
.” Julian
nudged Rae before walking
to the cent
e
r
of the room to face
Devon
.
He stopped about ten paces away from him.

“Why don’t you have a seat by the wall,
Rae?
Nothing should go flying, but you never know.”
Devon
’
s eyes and body
were
focused on Julian.

Sh
e walked over to the wall.
Using
the old headmaster Lanford’s
tatù of levitation, she effortlessly sat
in
midair
.
She swung her feet, enjoying the feeling of sitting w
eightless
.
It never got boring, this tatù life.

She crossed her ankles and clasped her hands together.
Fascinated to be watching the boys for the first time, she
could not
wait to see
Devon
in action.
It
s
eems
incredibly
heroic and
so
romantic at the same time
.

Devon
and Julian
each
dropped into a crouch and
began circling each other
.
Julian took a step towards
Devon
,
who
counter
ed.