Dark Nebula (The Chronicles of Kerrigan) (36 page)

Rae
shoved her hands in her pockets
.
What happened to him over the break?
Before she had a chance to ask,
Carter
returned
to the hall
. Whatever had drawn him out
, with tension in his body language
, he appeared completely relaxed
when he returned
. She watched him
while she
listened to Kraigan
, wishing he would just
be quiet.
If he’s trying to tell me something
, he should just
say it or tell me
later. What’s the big deal?

The
buzzer
for the end of class rang out and Rae felt like it was a warning. She
grabbed her bag
, threw her slicker on
and
then
made a beeline
for
the exit.
Devon
better be back soon. I need to talk to someone.
She should talk to Carter but
she still didn’t trust him completely.
Angry at the weather
, at herself, at life in general
, she forced her umbrella open
a little too hard
and swore when it went inside out.
She glared at the sky
when she had to
wipe her face and
then
stared at her hand in surprise.
It was raining and snowing at the same time.

“Bad sign
,” she mumbled to herself.
What’s Uncle Argyle saying?
R
ain and snow equals a
dreadful
omen
.
“
How’s this week going to get any worse?” She stomped through a puddle and winced when freezing cold water sloshed
inside her shoes
.
I know, I shouldn’t have asked.
Now she had
to go back to
her dorm
to
change her pants and socks and try to find time to grab lunch before her geography class.
Grrr
—

Dashing into
Aumbry
House
, she grabbed her mail and used a speed tatù
to go
up the stairs to her room.
She tossed the
mail
on her desk
, kicked
one
shoe
off
and
then
hopped around the room on one foot, trying to
get her soaked pants
to slide down faster.
Lo
sing her balance, she tumbled and fell
,
bash
ing
the back of her head against the
edge
of her desk.

“Dammit
!
O
uch
,” s
he shouted.
She kicked her
remaining
shoe
off
, taking satisfaction in
the
thunk and
splatter of mud it made against the opposite wall.
She rubbed the goose egg already forming
on the back of her head
.
Great
.
N
ow
she had a headache and a dirty wall to clean after class.
Staring at the blobs of mud,
she jerked her head back when a thought hit her. She had to wince from the sudden movement, but
she clued into something Kraigan
had
said.

Sitting upright, she drummed
her fingers against the floor.
H
e had
said his new girl was
Annabelle
.
W
hich could be Anna for short.
Devon
had
dated an Anna
with a brother
this summer.
This Randy could be the guy
Devon
had been looking for at the beginning of the year.
And she’s got a tattoo…
Heaven help
Devon
if he knows where it is
.

Now that she thought about it,
Kraigan
’s
hint
ing had been
blatantly
obvious
.
He’s mad
at me. Why? Could h
e know about
Devon
and me
?
Rae rubbed her forehead.
Or, is he trying to make me jealous?
Devon
seemed pretty sure the guy liked me. Could I have been leading him?
These thoughts were giving her a headache on top of her sore head.
Maybe he’s just putting two and two together like I just did.
Wow my head hurts
—

She
smacked
her forehead when she remembered the healing tatù she
had
absorbed
the previous year
.
Focusing on the correct hum, she mended the sore spot and her headache instantly disappeared.
Unfortunately, it didn’t erase the worry about Kraigan
.
I need to talk to
him
. Something’s up.

Rae
buried the
thoughts
for the time being
and managed to get through the rest of afternoon classes.
T
he last class of the day, as
she passed Kraigan on her way out
the door
, she mumbled, “Meet me
.
F
ifteen minutes.”

She didn’t wait for a reply, just continued on
to
wards
Aumbry
House
. She
skidded to a
stop when
Julian
stepped out of
Joist House
on the walk ahead of her
.

“
Y
ou’re back!” Her heart leapt in excitement.
“Is
Devon
in his room?”

He came down and hugged her.
“Nice to see you, too. Dev’s not back yet.
He stopped by his folks place to see his
mom
and sister.
He’ll be back
tonight or tomorrow morning
at the latest.”

“Oh.” Rae
’s
shoulders
dropped
.
Talk about letting the wind out of
her
sails.

“Hey, don’t look so disappointed.
I’m here.
How about we head into town for a hot chocolate or something?
There’s
a dive of a
pub that makes a wicked
Friday fish n’ chips
.”
Julian checked his back pocket.
“Heck, I’ll even pay.”

Rae glanced at
Aumbry
House.
Kraigan would be waiting.
I
don’t have my phone. I
can’t even email or text him.
Rain began falling from the sky again. She decided to try mental messaging him.
She had no idea where he might be and
she had
never had physical contact with him. The message might not send. She tried anyway.
Kraigan. It’s raining. Let’s meet tomorrow.
She smiled at Julian.
“
Well
, if you’re paying, I’m in.”
She held her backpack over her head
.
“I could use a good laugh, and I’m starving
.”

“Let’s go.
I was about to head out.
I’ve got three paychecks I need to deposit.”
They
speed
-walked
to his car in a comfortable silence
and determination to get out of the wet
.

“
D
id you like
the
Liverpool
jersey
I
got ya
for Christmas
, by the way?” Rae asked when they pulled out of Guilder’s parking lot.
She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling.

Julian stared straight ahead, concentrating on the road.
“I
—
uh
—
yeah, thanks.
I appreciate the thought.”

“The thought?
It took me forever to find the new away jersey in your size.”

Julian fidgeted with the stereo.
Jerry and the Pacemakers started blaring through the speakers.
Rae covered her ears and burst out laughing
listening to the lyrics
.
He w
a
s suffering. Forced to wear red when he should be blue–Everton blue.

“Sorry,” Julian turn
ed
the volume down.

“Is something wrong with the jersey?” Rae tried to keep her voice sounding innocent.

“Yeah, no, no.
The
jersey’s
in great condition, still brand new.” Julian pulled into a parking spot outside
a
pub.
“Still got the tags on it.”
A light rain
made
pling-pling
sounds as it
hit the roof of the car.

“Don’t you like it?” Rae glanced out the window.
“We’d better get inside before this drizzle turns into a downpour.
”

Julian opened his door and mumbled something as he got out.
He slammed it and
jogged
around the front of the car.

“What’d you say?
” Rae got out of the car and
ran
to the covered entrance of the pub.
She held the door open for Julian.

“I said, I appreciate the gift, but I support Everton.” He turned and looked her directly in the eye
, his attitude firmly resolute and apologetic at the same time
.
“I
wouldn’t
be caught dead in red
.
”

Rae
burst out laughing.
The few patrons ins
ide the pub turned at the loud noise.
Everyone staring at her suddenly
seemed
funny
too
. S
he
grabbed her stomach and doubled over
.
Her sides were killing her.
“I
—
I
—
kn-know
—
” She leaned against the wall, trying to catch her breath.

“You know?” Julian’s brows came together.
“I don’t get i—” He straightened and crossed his arm.
“You bugger! You
bought it
on purpose?”

“
Heck yeah!” She laughed. “
Payback
.” She wait
ed
till his eyebrows rose. “F
or your bet with Desiree.
You’re lucky I w
ent
easy on you.”

Julian shoo
k his head
and grinned.
“Funny
—
”
He rumpled Rae’s hair.
“
If you
r
fit of giggles is over, can we go eat
now
?
I’m starving
.”

Relaxed, t
hey settled into a booth
by a window, both ordering
fish and chips.

“How’
re things with
Devon
?” Julian asked while they waited for their food.

Rae took a sip of her
Coke
,
slightly on guard and wondering why Julian
had
asked
.
“Good
—
I think.
” Her heart stuttered. “
Is there something you’re
not telling
me
?”

Julian blinked and
started playing with his napkin. “I’m kinda wondering the same thing.”

“What do you mean?” She had no clue what he was talking about.

He slid the tiny ripped napkin pieces in a pile. “You know my
tatù
lets
me see small bits of the future?” He continued when she nodded. “But I still draw things and while we were away…twice actually
—
I drew you.”