House Of Cards s3n60

House of Cards

The Chronicles of Kerrigan, Volume 3

W.J. May

Published by Dark Shadow Publishing, 2014.

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

HOUSE OF CARDS

First edition. July 10, 2014.

Copyright © 2014 W.J. May.

ISBN: 978-1501474941

Written by W.J. May.

Also by W.J. May

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Watch for more at W.J. May’s site.

The Chronicles of Kerrigan

House of Cards Book III By W. J. May Copyright 2014 by W.J. May

THIS BOOK IS LICENSED for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual person, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. All rights reserved. House of Cards Book 3 of the Chronicles of Kerrigan Copyright 2014 by W.J. May Cover design by: Book Cover by Design

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.

Have You Read the C.o.K Series?

The Prequel series is a Sub-Series of the Chronicles of Kerrigan. The prequel on how Simon Kerrigan met Beth!! book 1 for FREE:

THE CHRONICLES OF KERRIGAN: PREQUEL – Christmas Before the Magic Question the Darkness Into the Darkness Fight the Darkness Alone in the Darkness Lost the Darkness

THE CHRONICLES OF KERRIGAN Book I - Rae of Hope is FREE! Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gILAwXxx8MU Book II - Dark Nebula Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca24STi_bFM Book III - House of Cards Book IV - Royal Tea Book V - Under Fire Book VI - End in Sight Book VII – Hidden Darkness Book VIII – Twisted Together Book IX – Mark of Fate Book X – Strength & Power Book XI – Last One Standing Book XII – Rae of Light

THE CHRONICLES OF KERRIGAN SEQUEL Matter of Time Time Piece Second Chance Glitch in Time Our Time Precious Time

The Chronicles of Kerrigan: Gabriel Living in the Past

Present for Today

Staring at the Future

KERRIGAN CHRONICLES

Book 1 – Stopping Time Book 2 – A age of Time Book 3 – Ticking Clock Book 4 – Just in Time Book 5 – Time in the City Book 6 – Ultimate Future

The Kerrigan Kids Series

Book 1 - School of Potential Book 2 - Myths & Magic Book 3 - Kith & Kin Book 4 - Playing With Power Book 5 - Line of Ancestry Book 6 - Descent of Hope Book 7 – Illusion of Shadows Book 8 – Frozen by the Future Book 9 – Guilt of My Past Book 10 – Demise of Magic Book 11- Rise of the Prophecy Book 12 – Deafened by the Past

The Kerrigan Memoirs COMING SOON!

The Chronicles of: Book 1 – Devon Book 2 – Angel Book 3 – Julian Book 4 – Molly Book 5 – Gabriel Book 6 – Rae

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Website: https://www.wjmaybooks.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-WJ-May-FANPAGE/141170442608149 Newsletter: SIGN UP FOR W.J. May's Newsletter to find out about new releases, updates, cover reveals and even freebies! http://eepurl.com/97aYf

House of Cards Blurb

BOOK III IN THE CHRONICLES of Kerrigan by USA TODAY bestselling author, W.J. May Rae Kerrigan is three months away from graduating from Guilder Boarding School. She is now moonlighting as an operative for the Privy Council, a black ops division for British Intelligence. She's given a mento, Jennifer, who fights lie a demon—fast, tough, and incredibly strong-willed. Rae finds a strange maternal bond with her. At the same time, she finds a new friend when Devon disappoints her once again. Childhood memories surface and evoke hidden secrets she is determined to solve. When the Privy Council ask for her help, she is forced to try and find a link to the Xavier Knights—another agency similar to the Privy Council. Through the mysteries and secrets, she begins to question what the PC represents and where she stands. Will she lose herself in the confusions of the past and present? What will it mean for her future?

Contents

Have You Read the C.o.K Series? Find W.J. May House of Cards Blurb Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14

Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Royal Tea Blurb Find W.J. May Have You Read the C.o.K Series? More books by W.J. May TUDOR COMPARISON

Prologue

RAE GIGGLED AS HER mother playfully dabbed frosting on the tip of her nose. She was ten years old, and they were making cupcakes for her birthday party in a bright, sunny kitchen. The sun glinted off her mother’s thick, shoulderlength hair. They were wearing tiaras, gown costumes, and pretending to be princess and queen. It was a perfect moment. It didn’t matter to Rae that it had never happened. She knew she was on the verge of waking but fought hard to stay in the place between dreaming and waking, this perfect place where she could pretend she had grown up with her mother by her side, playing dress up, having princessthemed birthday parties, having her mother call her by pet names like “pumpkin” or “monkey”, telling embarrassing baby stories to her friends and their mothers at gatherings, like a normal girl. These small bits, things that other girls took for granted, were precious to Rae. Not having them left a hole in her life, which made her feel vulnerable. After her fight to the near death with her half-brother, Kraigan, while she had been healing she had thought a lot about family and memories and how the two things shape a person. She looked at her best friend Molly, and saw how her relationship with her mother and father directly affected the person she was today, even if Molly couldn’t see it. Rae felt like she was lacking this seemingly vital part of her personality, that having it would make her stronger. While she couldn’t turn back time to avoid the horrible fire that ended her father’s reign of terror and unfortunately claimed her mother’s life, she could pretend in these quiet places in time, where no one would know that it wasn’t real. So she clung tightly to these stolen moments with her fictitious memories.

Chapter 1

Nervous “YOU READY FOR THIS?” Rae stared at Julian as they stood in front of the large wooden door, his hand on the knob, about to bring her into the completely chaotic world she had not known existed until two years ago. Just before turning sixteen she had come to Guilder Boarding School with no knowledge of tatùs or the fact that she would receive an ink mark on her sixteenth birthday. One minute she was the parentless kid being raised by her aunt and uncle in New York, and the next she was the center of unwanted attention at Guilder. Now she was about to a secret agency because they wanted her, not the other way around. The child deep inside, who had been orphaned at a young age and never quite healed from the experience, now demanded answers. The sudden realization that her perceptions of reality had shifted so drastically in such a relatively short period of time momentarily stupefied her. She blinked, and then blinked again, trying to force her focus back on the present. “I’m re—” A sudden crashing against the other side of the door, followed by an inhuman howl, cut her off. Julian jumped back at the impact, then flashed his supermodel-gorgeous grin with a twinkle in his dark brown eyes, and tightened the ponytail holding his long dark hair when the door stayed intact. Aside from Devon, Julian was one of Rae’s closest friends. He glanced at her, the door, and then her again. “You sure?” She knew him well enough to recognize when he was taunting her. Rae shot what she hoped was her dirtiest look and stepped in front of him, determined to quell all nervousness. Could the butterflies in her stomach be blamed on the fairy ink-art on her lower back? Along with waking up to some unknown marking on her sixteenth birthday, she learned it had some kind of supernatural power which she would need to figure out. If that hadn’t blown her mind, Rae also learned both her parents had tatùs, whereas almost everyone at the school only had one parent inked. She and her tatù were both on edge. With forced determination she grabbed the handle of the door and yanked it open. Before she had a chance to check out the room, some kind of Frisbee disc flew

toward her. Tatù reflexes kicked in naturally and she ducked just in time. She couldn’t stop the giggle upon hearing the deep “oof” reverberating out of Julian as the unidentified flying object nailed him in the chest. It bounced off him harmlessly and landed on the floor at her feet. She leaned down and picked it up. Surprisingly heavy. I bet Julian will have a bruise. Speaking of which... She straightened and grinned. “Thought your tatù gave you the ability to see the future.” She couldn’t hold back the laughter as she handed him the disc. “Even I saw that coming a mile away.” Obviously winded, Julian shook his head. “I-I’ll g-give you that one...s-since it’s your f-first day.” What had Heaster Carter said? Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life. The first day of preparing to be one of the best covert agents in Britain under the special training and watchful eye of the Privy Council. A secret operative. It sounded official and important. She imagined she should be feeling very accomplished right about now. The problem was, she didn’t. At that moment, Rae felt like she had a year and a half ago when she had first arrived at Guilder Boarding School and been the odd one out. Everyone had stared, whispered, and treated her like a leper. It had been awful. Don’t do this, she told herself, imagining her mother standing behind her and giving her a pep talk. You are not the same girl anymore. You know who you are now. You’re powerful in your own right. You’ve got this! Forcing her shoulders back she put herself in the present, not the past. She had proven them wrong then, and judging by the fact that the large, noisy room had suddenly gone silent as a tomb she would have to prove them wrong again. Time would prove that she was up to it. She knew it would. She would prove that she belonged here if it was the last thing she did. She had to because she also had another agenda. A personal one. Over the past few months she’d lost sight (or maybe her eyes had been opened) of who to trust. Her mentor, Carter, was acting secretive. Her boyfriend had betrayed her in the line of duty. Some of her friends had been proven to be anything but. Her half-brother Kraigan had screwed everything up. At least he

hadn’t succeeded in killing me when he tried. She had won that battle, though she barely ed how. Carter and Julian had shown up at the very end and cleaned up the mess, sweeping Kraigan off to an undisclosed location. She had no idea where he could be right now, and she was at least half sure that would be a bad thing. She detested the guy, but he’d kept her father’s journal a secret when he had the opportunity to screw Rae over. Now everyone was searching high and low for the darn thing, and had no idea she’d hidden it the night Kraigan had tried to kill her. Has it really only been a week? She had recovered and accepted a position working for the mysterious organization that seemed to be pulling all the strings in her strange little world, but remained determined not to share her father’s journal. Not yet anyway. Everyone she knew kept things from her. She was determined to keep this one thing to herself, at least until she had wrung every last bit of information out of it that she could get. For that she needed time, and for the time being that meant that assimilation was key. “That’s Kerrigan? She’s so thin; fragile-looking.” “You know she’s got her father’s ability? Bad blood only breeds bad blood.” Whispers from the room abruptly cut off her thoughts of the journal. “Did you know she’s got a half-brother who can do basically the same thing? Heard he’s locked up. The guy’s a danger to himself and everyone else. How much you want to bet she’ll end up the same?” “Privy Council only wants her here because of her father’s stuff.” “Nah, they want her here to see what happens when you cross two tatùed people.” Someone laughed. “They’ll put her in a special room with a spinning wheel, pellet food, and a bottle with a water dripper. She’ll be the Privy Council’s very own guinea pig.” She turned off her heightened hearing, a skill she had copied from Devon. That was enough for now. The words stung, but she needed to hear them to know where she stood, what preconceived notions she would need to overcome, and how close to the truth people actually were.

Rae’s tatù was unique. While she did have her father’s gifts and her mother’s, she was ultimately even stronger than the two combined. Where her father could mimic other tatù abilities when he touched someone with ink, Rae could do the same but also recall those abilities whenever she needed them, while her father had only maintained those skills until he copied another tatù. She briefly recalled when she had learned that little tidbit, when she was locked in the tower at Guilder by then-Heaster Lanford. He had been the one person she truly trusted when she had first arrived at the school, and in the end had proven himself to be her enemy. She regretted the trust she’d mistakenly placed in him, but she couldn’t regret how the experience had unlocked the next level of her powers. Her body was becoming so in tune with her ink it would automatically switch to whatever she needed to use. Like being able to hear whispers from across the room. It was an involuntary action she’d tried to explain to her boyfriend, Devon. He’d gone on some secret mission but had managed to call her last night, and this was what they had talked about. Except he seemed to think her reactions needed a stimulus and argued her tatù had become more of a reflex not a switchboard. I’d like to give him a bit of a reflex right now. He had promised he would be here when Julian brought her. Just because no one, aside from Julian, knew they were dating, was no excuse. Even though tatùed people were forbidden to date, he had no excuse, in her opinion, not to be there. A promise was a promise. Plus, she needed all the she could get. Even if she couldn’t quite figure out whose side everyone was on, the old saying “the evil you know is better than the evil you don’t know” applied here. She knew it wasn’t an exact fit for the situation she was in, but close enough. She had learned the hard way that trust and friendship didn’t necessarily go hand in hand. In accepting the position with the Privy Council she knew she was stepping even deeper into the shadows, where the truth would be harder to discern not easier. So while she cherished the friendships she had already, she was constantly holding back just enough to make her feel safe. She held back from everyone: Carter, Devon, even Julian. Strangely, she only felt guilty about Julian. He’d been nothing more or less than the perfect friend every step of her journey. It seemed wrong to doubt him. However, she couldn’t afford to make a mistake just now. So she valued his friendship, but held back just as she did with everyone else. A gentle nudge from her good friend reminded Rae she needed to move. Taking a deep breath, she stepped further into the brightly lit gymnasium and focused on the surroundings instead of the people, with a perfect smile plastered on her face.

Mask on, time to work. Bone-white walls with the odd spot having a black smudge, blue mats surrounding the bottom third of them. The high ceiling made the mats appear small, but they had to be at least ten feet up the wall. Even a few spots on the ceilings, in between the fans, had mats. Interesting... Julian chuckled, following her gaze. “So this is where we spar and train in our free time. There are also several rooms through those doors,” he told her, pointing to blue doors that matched the color of the mats, only several feet shorter, “where you’ll personally have your one-on-one prep.” “Like one-on-one training?” “Sort of. You’ll have a Botcher and you’re the Dagonet.” Rae cocked an eyebrow and looked at Julian questioningly. “The what and what?” Julian grinned. “Privy Council loves using Tudor references. The Botcher is basically a mentor. I actually looked the term up. A Botcher back in King Henry’s time was a mender of old clothes. So I questioned Carter about it. Apparently it was a secret term back then to hide the trainer of tatùed people back when the whole school and Privy Council started. Their job was to fix and mend tatù abilities to perfection.” “Then what’s a dragon net?” “A Dagonet.” Julian laughed. “Ironically, it refers to a foolish, young knight.” “One in need of teaching and training?” Rae pulled on her shoulder-length hair. She’d gone and had it nearly all shaved off and bleached blonde almost a week ago. It had seemed like a good idea at the time but Molly, her best friend, had freaked when she saw it. That same afternoon, she had dragged Rae to a hair salon out of town. Molly found a girl with a tatù who had hair and supposed nail ability. She had turned Rae’s hair color back to its natural dark brown. When Molly pulled the girl aside and asked her about her ink, the girl smiled and said she could do more. So now, Rae could mimic the ability. She now knew how to return her hair to its original color and also lengthen it. The ability might prove handy if she ever had an undercover op to do. Or a need to disappear.

Right now, every night her hair grew about an inch longer. Rae knew how to stop the rapid growth when it reached the length she wanted. She planned to go back to its original long length. “Rae? Are you listening?” She blinked and stared at Julian. “I’m sorry, what did you say?” He shot his eyes in the direction to her right. “Carter’s coming.” “What?” She straightened and realized the room still remained quiet, but everyone was now watching the man walking toward her. Does everyone here know he’s the president of the Privy Council? “Rae, follow me.” Carter nodded. His face revealed nothing, but the sharpness in his voice startled her. She glanced at Julian, who shrugged in surprise. She had no choice but to follow the tall man across the gym to the blue doors on the other side. The butterflies returned, and it seemed to take forever before she finally stepped through the door Carter held open for her. The bright hallway contained a long row of doors on each side, with a fire exit at the end. “This hall doesn’t lead back to Guilder, does it?” she joked nervously. Then, annoyed at herself for feeling as she did, she forced the anxiety out of her system. The Privy Council had asked her to work for them, not the other way around. She had agreed to the job in order to find answers, and today was the perfect time to start. “The underground ageways are not connected to the training facility. This building is newer, originally built in the sixties and then revamped several times.” He must have sensed the change in her attitude and stuck his hands into his pockets. “I wonder if a tunnel dug here and connected would save students some time—the ones working here and trying to get to class.” Rae walked beside him down the hall, noticing windows in some rooms; others with loud noises, both mechanical and human, coming from them. “Why keep the Privy Council’s building locations a secret from students at Guilder?”

“Fair question. I used to ask it myself when I first started.” He paused at a door with a window and frowned at the vacant interior. He glanced down the hall and sighed before opening the door and stepping in. “It’s safer for the students, and for us. It also holds an allure about keeping it hidden.” He wouldn’t say more. He sat down at the oval table so his chair faced the window and door. He pointed to the chair closest to Rae. She pulled it out and sat down with her back to the door. Carter sat silent, watching her and glancing to the window and door behind. He tapped a thumb impatiently against the tabletop. After a few moments, it grated on Rae’s nerves. “Who are we waiting for?” Rae hoped it was Devon. Carter seemed to like the two of them working together. Maybe he would be her Botcher-instructor-thingy. Carter opened his mouth, about to answer, but stood instead and walked over to the door. He opened it. Rae turned in her chair, expecting to see Devon. Instead a beautiful, tall, lean woman dressed in tight black leather pants stood in the doorway. Her long brown hair pulled tight in a ponytail swung as she strode into the room. She stopped short when she saw Rae. “You have got to be kidding!” she exclaimed to no one in particular. Carter cleared his throat. “Jennifer, I’d like you to meet Rae. Rae, this is Jennifer.” Rae stared at the woman. She didn’t mean to, but it was hard not to. The woman held a power that could still an entire room with one hip swing. The tight clothes showed off muscle and strength Rae could only dream to having. What’s her tatù? Jennifer crossed her arms over her perfect chest. “Stand up.” Rae rose from her chair and pulled her shirt straight. She suddenly wished she had worn the Lululemon outfit Molly had bought for her to train in instead of her comfy grey jogging pants and old Converse t-shirt. She stood awkwardly beside her chair.

Jennifer looked her up and down, glanced at Carter, and then gave Rae the onceover one more time. She shook her head. “I can’t believe it!” “I told you.” Carter pointed to Rae’s hair. “She cut and dyed her hair a week ago and must have changed her mind. When I saw her today with the shoulder length, I thought it was her for a moment.” Hello? I’m still in the room. Who were they comparing her to? Jennifer cocked her head to the side. “How do you know she won’t end up like the bastard?” Rae stiffened with indignation. She didn’t know who this woman was, but she’d had enough of people pre-judging her based solely on her parentage for one day. “I am not my father.” She gave the woman the same once-over Jennifer had given her. “And who are you?” Jennifer actually smiled. “You sound like her, but with a lousy accent.” “I don’t have an accent.” Rae knew she sounded childish and petulant, but didn’t care. Carter finally moved and sat down at the table, motioning for them to sit down. Rae sat back down in her seat. Jennifer came around and leaned against the wall. “I prefer to stand.” “Fine,” Carter said. “Rae, Jennifer has offered to be your Botcher.” Seriously? I didn’t catch the “voluntary” vibe from this Lara-Croft-wannabe. Carter smiled. “This is a huge compliment, Rae. Jennifer’s pulled herself out of the field and wants to train you.” “You’ll be working with the best.” Jennifer looked like she couldn’t care less. She stood there, head bent, checking her phone. Where did she pull that out of? The tight leather couldn’t hide a thing. Rae couldn’t even detect panty lines, so the question remained. “To make me better

than the best?” Again, the childish dig came out of her mouth before her brain could process it and warn her to shut it down. Jennifer’s eyebrow rose. “I offered because you’re Bethany’s.” Mom? “How do you know my mother?” “We were best friends and partners here at the Privy Council.”

Chapter 2

Tete en Tete WHAT? Jennifer seemed nothing like the type of person her mom would have hung out with. Wait a minute... Mom worked with the Privy Council? Rae couldn’t imagine her mother knowing about the Privy Council, or wearing the leather outfit, but these days nothing should really surprise her anymore. She pictured her mother and pretended she was in the room so she could talk to her. Mom, why didn’t you tell me you worked for the Privy Council? What would her mom say? Sorry dear, it never came up. Rae rolled her eyes. Wake up, Rae, she told herself. You didn’t know your mother. You were so young when she died, how can you have any concept of her as a person? You never really knew her. “How could...? But my father... wanted to destroy...” She looked at Carter, hoping the confusion she felt showed clearly on her face. “There’s a lot you don’t know, Rae.” Carter’s voice carried sympathy but also something else. Mystery? Could he be hiding something? Did it matter? It only served to make her temper flare. This was exactly the reason she had to hold back. How could she truly trust anyone until or unless they told her everything? Every time she turned around someone was confessing that she had not been told about something, that they had withheld information for one reason or another. It didn’t matter why anymore. She didn’t feel protected. She just felt betrayed. If anyone in the entire world deserved—no, needed—to know the entire story of her parents’ lives from start to finish, including every tiny little incident or coincidence, it was her. After all, she was judged by it. It was only fair she at least know about it. “I’m getting a little tired of living in this constant shroud of mystery.” She inhaled and forced the air through her nostrils. The Privy Council wanted her here. Correction, they needed her. “Start filling me in.” Jennifer whistled. “You are your mother’s daughter.” She sat on the table and pushed the chair out beside Rae to rest her knee-high boots on. “What do you want to know?” “Careful,” Carter warned.

Jennifer threw him an annoyed look. “Really? She’s working for you now. You think hiding information from her is going to keep her on your team?” She crossed her long legs and turned to Rae. “Bethany and I met in Scotland. I was working undercover and she approached me. How she knew I worked for the Privy Council I can’t tell you.” “She came to you?” When Jennifer nodded, Rae continued. “How old were you?” “I was seventeen. Same age as your mom.” “Same age as me.” The thin eyebrows went up again. “Really?” She waved a hand as if to dismiss Rae’s comment. “Bethany wanted to know more about the Privy Council. She and Simon were dating pretty seriously, and he hated the PC.” Rae interrupted, “What were you doing in Scotland?” “Spying on your mother.” “Jennifer!” Carter shook his head. “What? I was. It’s not some horrific secret. Bethany was dating the one person who everyone was terrified of. Why wouldn’t she be a person of interest?” She pointed her thumb at Rae. “The girl’s no dummy. She’s going to figure it out.” Rae sat back in her chair. “What did you find out?” “Your mother wanted to help the Privy Council. She understood that protecting the innocent was most important.” Protecting the innocent? Her mom loved her dad. “She shared intel. She got close to Simon, worked with us when he went away. She was amazing. And her tatù...” Jennifer laughed at some private joke. “That girl had some serious talent.” Rae’s heart began racing when she considered the risk her mother had taken. If her dad had found out, what would he have done?

Jennifer glanced away, staring intently at the wall. Rae sensed she was seeing her past. Her face softened, sorrow tinting the corners of her eyes, and a slow blink carefully erased the glimmer of tears that would never be allowed to fall. “I miss her. It’s never been the same.” The moment of vulnerability ed as quickly as it had come. Jennifer’s face locked away her emotion. “Then everything changed.” Rae leaned forward. “When?” “When she had you. She continued working while she was pregnant, but when you were born she changed her mind. She would share intel but she wouldn’t leave your side. She refused to leave you alone with Simon.” Rae glanced back and forth between Jennifer and Carter. “You knew how dangerous he was, and you guys didn’t try to pull her out? You could have hid Mom and me. Put us in witness protection or something.” Jennifer snorted. “You think hiding would have saved your mom? Come on, kid. Simon would’ve found the right kind of tatù to track you two down. Then he’d have killed you both.” “Enough!” Carter stood, snarling. The sudden outpouring of anger shocked Rae. Carter was almost always under control, but apparently while she had been carefully scrutinizing Jennifer’s every facial tick Carter had been seething. He put his hand on Rae’s shoulder. It was a protective gesture. “Don’t blame her. She’s the victim.” “Victim?” Jennifer threw her head back and laughed. “Look at the girl! She has no bloody idea.” What the heck is she talking about? Rae shoved her chair back and stood. She met Jennifer’s gaze without blinking and then realized what leather-lady had insinuated. She spoke low and articulately: “I know who I am, and I know exactly what potential I have. If you can’t handle the fact that I’ll be stronger and better than you, then I suggest Heaster Carter find me a new Botcher.” Jennifer slid off the table and stood inches away from Rae. With her boots she was about two inches taller. She bent slightly so they were eye level. “I can handle it—if you can, Dagonet.” She enunciated each syllable, using the pronunciation to remind Rae that she was the student and Jennifer the teacher.

“Put your claws away, ladies.” Carter put his hands on their shoulders and separated them. Rae instantly jumped back, just out of his reach. She ed Kraigan’s warning about Carter’s tatù. She didn’t want him running through her memories without her knowing. Focusing on Jennifer could make her vulnerable, and Carter could sneak in. How did she know that wasn’t their intention from the get-go? Careful...I need them. I can’t be so obvious about my lack of trust or I’ll be out before I even get started. She needed to be alert and aware of everything around her. She swallowed and pretended to relax. Let it go, be loose. She shrugged. “I’ll give it a try.” Carter smiled. “Good.” He turned to Jennifer. “And you?” Jennifer threw her hands in the air dramatically. “That’s why I’m here.” No one’s forcing you. Rae bit back the comment. “I’ve got to get back to school. There’s a board meeting regarding the alumni dinner that I’m already late for.” He double-checked his watch. “Can I trust you two to get along without me acting as ref?” They both nodded. Carter sighed, buttoning his suit jacket before leaving. Jennifer pulled her ponytail tight and headed for the door. “Shall we get started, then?” “Sure.” Rae followed her Botcher back down the hall to the gymnasium. The noise level inside had risen since Julian had brought her. Jennifer swung the door open and seemed oblivious to the sudden silence when she stepped in. Every male in the gym stared at the black-leather-dressed goddess. Rae grinned. Maybe everyone would stare at Jennifer instead of her. It would be nice not to be the center of attention for once. “Are you coming?” Jennifer called. She stood near a barrel full of long wooden sticks.

They reminded Rae of the time Devon and Julian had trained with sabers at the beginning of the school year. Hard to believe that had been only six and a half months ago. Rae jogged over to Jennifer. The noise and action in the gymnasium slowly started up again. Rae could still feel eyes on them, but chose to ignore it. If Jennifer could do it, she could do it as well. “How much fight training have you done?” Jennifer unzipped her top and pulled it off. She wore a black tank top underneath. Her lean, muscular arms grabbed two sticks, holding one in each hand. “Some from school. Devon and Julian trained me a bit as well.” The big fight with Kraigan had taught her more than school and stolen training sessions combined. She knew she had weaknesses, but she’d also learned her strengths. “Good. I want to see what you know.” Jennifer tossed Rae a stick. “Do you plan on fighting in the frumpy shirt?” Rae caught the stick and examined it. “I’ll take it off after I warm up.” The stick had a sharp end like a pencil and a rubber end on the other, kind of like an eraser. She held it in both hands, trying to determine the weight and best way to hold it. “What’s your tatù by—” Jennifer rushed at her before Rae could finish. She threw the stick up perpendicularly to Jennifer’s to block the blow at the same time Devon’s fennec fox tatù kicked in. The wood vibrated against her hands and she felt the jostle up her arms. Devon’s tatù let Rae move with more blinding-fast agility. Thank goodness her tatù seemed to know which one she would need before she did. It sucked that she’d lost almost all of them since Kraigan had stolen them. She only had a limited selection now. “You need to always be ready.” Jennifer took one step back to switch the position of her baton-stick, but she sprang back almost immediately. Instinct, and the natural need to survive, helped Rae fight back. She mimicked Julian’s tatù, trying to foresee Jennifer’s moves before she made them. The only problem was that the moment she switched she couldn’t move fast enough to

keep up. She swung her stick like a baton, fast and accurate. Rae switched back to Devon’s tatù. She swore under her breath as she fought to keep up. She needed a plethora of abilities and the ability to use them all at the same time! Jennifer continued to combat Rae, trying to knock the stick out of her hand. She didn’t appear to be trying very hard. On the balls of her feet, Rae countered each move as best she could. She managed to block Jennifer but couldn’t make any ground. Jennifer had her moving backwards until she ended up in the corner of the room, only blue mats on each side and the pointy end of Jennifer’s stick aimed at her neck. “Again.” Jennifer walked back to where they had started. Rae followed, pulling her shirt off and tossing it against the wall. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. She wore a red tank top underneath, making herself an obvious target. “You come at me this time.” Jennifer crouched down and waited. Rae set the rubber end of her stick on the gymnasium floor and straightened. “What is your tatù?” Jennifer charged at her again. Rae barely managed to block the attack. “What the—?” Annoyed, she refocused and watched Jennifer’s hands, searching for a pattern. Right, right, swing, left, upper cut, lower body swing. Right, right, swing, left, upper cut, leg slap. Rae countered, and when Jennifer went to swing for the third time Rae dropped low and jerked the stick so the rubber end connected to the back of Jennifer’s knee. It buckled and she went down. Rae did a one-handed cartwheel, turning her stick so the sharp end pointed out. When Jennifer somersaulted, Rae was ready. As Jennifer straightened to attack, Rae stood facing her with the point near her right shoulder. “Gotcha.” She didn’t dare smile or show a hint of smugness. She had the feeling Jennifer wouldn’t appreciate it, and the next bout would be ten times harder. Gingerly she lowered her stick. “Good.” Jennifer tossed the stick like a javelin and it landed perfectly back into

the bucket holding the others. “What did you do to beat me?” Her question reminded her of Devon’s style of training. Rae realized now that Devon always held back when he fought her. Either that, or this woman could fight like a demon. About to answer, Rae paused and asked instead, “Do you want me to tell you, or are you testing me to see if I share my abilities.” Jennifer grinned. “Nice answer. I’m the only person you will ever share your abilities or strategies with again. Never trust anyone else. Ever.” Okay. Little hard-core. “That’s why I’m still alive, and most of the people I’ve fought aren’t.” Rae’s mouth fell open. Jennifer turned around and lifted her shirt to her lower back. If even possible, Rae’s jaw fell farther. A pair of yellow eyes, so life-like, stared at her. The cat’s snout curled into a snarl that made Rae even scared to touch it, for fear it might bite her. The tatù was terrifying and beautiful. “Wow,” she whispered. “It’s a leopard.” Jennifer dropped her shirt and spun around. “Cats in general are the stealthiest and most agile. Cheetahs, like your old friend Riley, go for pure speed instead of stealth. Jaguars are stockier, and therefore unable to execute maneuvers as quickly. Lions and tigers have their size to contend with, but the leopard has it all.” She reached her hand out and ran it up and down in the air, like it was running through fields. She slowed its pace and two of her fingers moved slowly. She suddenly made a fist. “Leopards are able to sneak up within yards of their prey. Then they pursue it with incredible strength, speed, and agility. Half the time the prey doesn’t even know what’s chasing it.” An unfamiliar yet familiar feeling spread through Rae, starting at her elbow. She felt the zing of a new tatù coursing through her before she realized Jennifer had touched her. Everything Jennifer had described, she understood clearly. She shivered, not from the touch but her body’s desire to try the new ability out. Like a primal need to figure out and know this new ink inside and out. She glanced around the room, suddenly very eager to try everything. “What are we going to

do next?”

Chapter 3

The Journal THE NEXT MORNING, RAE sat at the desk in her dorm room in Aumbry Hall, finishing her breakfast. She had woken early from a dream about her mother. Her mother had hid Easter eggs out in the yard. Rae had searched and searched but couldn’t find any. Her mother, an encouraging smile on her face, had sent her back outside and told her to look again and not give up until she had them. The dream had ended, but Rae couldn’t fall back asleep so she had gotten up. She set the empty bowl of cereal off to the side of her desk. There were still three months left of classes before she officially graduated. She may be working for the Privy Council, but she still had to her regular classes in order to graduate. Guilder had offered to let her move to one of the larger rooms on the other side of the wing, but she hadn’t felt the need. She planned on renting a flat somewhere close, but off-campus, during the summer. No need to accept the special consideration and then make that move. It might raise suspicions. The plan was to build her independence slowly, until moving off-campus seemed only logical. And I’m going to need to buy a car. The salary the Privy Council offered would easily take care of all her expenses, and then some. The only part of the contract she had made them change was the renewal. They wanted three years, but she convinced them to change it to one year. That would hopefully give her enough time to figure things out and find some answers to the questions gnawing at her insides. She didn’t want to be locked into anything longer than necessary. She realized that, ultimately, when she had all the answers she sought she might decide to stay. That didn’t bother her. It didn’t excite her either. It didn’t make her feel anything in particular. Oddly enough, the fact that she wasn’t bothered or excited by the idea of staying with the PC is what bothered her. Was she perhaps taking this “will trust no one” thing too far? She flexed and relaxed her ankles repeatedly. Her muscles were tight from yesterday. Jennifer had worked her hard. She’d spent too much of her time on her toes and now her legs were paying for it. The healing tatù could fix it, but after her ordeal with Kraigan she’d made the mental decision that pain wasn’t a bad thing. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. If she constantly fixed things that hurt, she feared she’d end up like her father, or Kraigan. Weakness

had made her a victim, but she planned to never be one again. She checked her watch. Six-thirty on a Saturday morning. Two and a half hours before she needed to be at training. She’d gone late to bed and hadn’t slept enough. Too much homework, too much thinking and ing. “That damn journal,” she mumbled to herself. She’d tossed it into a hidden room in the Oratory the night Kraigan had tried to kill her. Pressing fingers against her temples, she tried to relax. The journal belonged to her, not the Privy Council. So why did she feel so guilty about keeping its location a secret? Standing up, she threw her shoulders back and exhaled a long breath. Hardly anyone would be around right now, and even if she bumped into anyone she could say she needed to catch up on some work. “It’ll be easy. Just go to the Oratory, use a speed tatù to the secret room. Get in, grab the journal, and get out.” She rubbed her hands against her black tights. “Easy peasy.” After a quick tug to tighten her ponytail, she turned and walked out the door before she lost her nerve. As expected, the hallway and stairs were deserted. Thankfully the door leading outside stayed squeak-free. Rae jogged down the steps and glanced around. A catering truck’s beeping as it reversed into a loading dock seemed the only unusual sound. Her chest tight, she stood on the balls of her feet and slowly turned her head left then right. No one. Go. Now! Switching to Devon’s tatù, Rae raced down the steps and all the way to the Oratory. She continued to look and listen for anyone she might see. After last year she wasn’t sure who to trust, or if the tatù world actually trusted her. The Privy Council had been desperately trying to locate the journal. They’d be ticked if they found out she had known where it was this whole time, and even angrier if they ever found out she’d been the one who had actually hidden it. She slowed her pace to a walk when she came to the path leading to the Oratory. Not winded, she still took deep breaths to slow her racing heart. Quit with the guilty feelings. She didn’t plan to keep it secret forever. Once she photocopied the journal, she could give it to the Privy Council. When she did, she knew she would need to explain how she had come to be in possession of it. Maybe she could force them to let her see Kraigan and then she could come up with some plan that he told her where it lay hidden. I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. At the door, she found the hidden key pad and punched in Devon’s code.

Hopefully it hadn’t changed. He used her actual birthday date numbers as his . Kinda cute. Secret boyfriend’s secret code. “Crap!” She hissed when the door didn’t unlock and glanced back at the little screen. A single line blinked on and off. Leaning forward, she let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. The last digit hadn’t been entered. She probably hadn’t hit it hard enough. Pressing the number seven again, this time harder, she grinned at the churning sound of the lock moving. Without daring to glance behind her, and using her tatù’s strong sense of hearing, she slipped inside. She leaned back against the heavy oak door and stared into the darkness of the Oratory’s great room. Devon’s tatù rocks! The fennec fox gave him speed, agility, great hearing, and fantastic night vision. She’d use Devon’s tatù over Jennifer’s at the moment. She knew the fennec fox inside out. She may still be low on abilities, but it didn’t matter. At the moment she only needed one. The intricate wood carvings along the walls blended together in the dimness of the morning light. The oriel windows were high up, but the grey clouds kept the sun from having any chance to show that sunrise had even happened. She pushed against the door, determined to move forward and also move the guilty feelings aside. Just get it and get out. Cocking her head to the side, she tried to concentrate on the possibility of Carter coming from one of the hidden doors. King Henry VIII built the Oratory and added hidden Tudor rooms. The Privy Council, who knows when, had added hallways that led to their facilities. A secret ageway here, a hidden room there. No one knew, except for a few people who worked for the Privy Council. Rae hadn’t known about it until— Stop it! she yelled inside her head. Just get the bloomin’ journal! Devon had been so horribly injured and she had been unbelievably scared. It was not a memory she cared to dwell on. As she came to the far wall, she reached out and ran her fingers lightly along the hand-carved cameo and scenic images. She closed her eyes, finding it easier to concentrate on what she needed to find. The changes in texture from smoothness to rough, jagged to rippled along the wood brought back no memory of the small little piece of wood that so intricately fit into the carvings but stuck out just

enough to open the door to one of the hidden rooms. Her breathing hitched when her feet bumped into the wall at the end of the hall. Rae opened her eyes, a carving of a man with a raised axe inches from her face. The rapid beating of her heart distracted any other noise she might hear, like the noises she actually needed to be listing for. She dropped to the floor and leaned her head into her hands. Moistness covered her palms. She’d been sweating. She had no idea if the sweat came from her forehead or her hands. Probably both. Flashes of the battle with Kraigan flashed through her head like lightning. Kraigan lifting her up and tossing her against the wall, spinning her like a ragdoll, stealing all her tatùs so she had nothing left to fight him with. He’d broken her arm, cut her face, slapped her, and worse. It had been done with such hatred and malice, from a half-brother she’d never known existed. Forcing a shaky breath through her lips, she forced herself to get up. She had never thought she would be scared coming back in here. She shook her head. “I’ve been through enough crap in my life, I should know better. I should’ve come later in the day, when the room was full of students.” She snorted. “Great. Now I’m mumbling to myself out loud.” Her hand brushed against a strangely familiar piece of wood. She had been walking without even realizing it. With two fingers gently holding the tip, she pushed the wood up. Stale air filled her nostrils as Rae slipped inside the opened door and pulled out her mini flashlight. The light bounced off the walls and illuminated the small room with shadows and small bits of round light. She went straight to the bed and dropped down to look underneath it. Dust bunnies the size of Texas filled most of the space. “Guess the cleaning lady doesn’t make regular visits here.” She leaned down on an elbow and concentrated on finding the spot where the settled dust had been forced to dance, which would indicate a recent disturbance. The flashlight moved back and forth in one fluid motion. “Bingo,” Rae whispered when she saw some slide marks in the dust beneath where the pillows lay. The journal lay partially open and angled against the far bedpost.

Rae stuffed the stem of the flashlight into her mouth and stretched out her arm, trying to reach the journal instead of some dust bunny family member. The tips of her fingers brushed against one corner. “Crap!” The book slid away as she tried to grasp it. She tried unsuccessfully again and again. Flipping onto her back, she figured she would be able to get her shoulder under the narrow space between the bed and floor. No go. Of course the bed was against two walls meeting with the journal right in the corner. Rae sat up and tapped her fingers against the floor. What tatù to use? She only had about a dozen to choose from. That was next to nothing compared to her inventory pre-fight to the attempted death with Kraigan. Devon’s tatù wouldn’t help, nor would Julian’s, Carter’s, or Jennifer’s. “I could use Lanford’s levitation right now,” she muttered. “The only thing that was good in him.” Pursing her lips she quickly went through her list. Electricity...wind... crow...leopard... Hold it, wind? She lay back down and rolled her head sideways to see under the bed with the flashlight. What if she sent wind against the wall? Could it bounce back and push the journal within reach? She tried a small burst. Nothing. She pushed the image of a breeze out of her head and focused on a gust. A big one. She flicked her hands and went flying across the room to the other wall, banging her back and head hard against the wood. “Ow!” She rubbed the sore spot and sat up. Her flashlight lay on the floor next to the bed, its light shining on the journal just peeking out from underneath the bed. Goose egg forgotten, she scrambled over to it. She froze when she heard a noise in the Oratory. Who would be here on a Saturday? Her tatù automatically switched to Jennifer’s leopard as she tucked the journal into the back of her shirt and tights. Sneaking to the hidden door, she rested her ear against it and listened as hard as she could. Footsteps echoed, moving away, and then nothing.

Slowly, and with a grimace, she opened the secret door. She almost giggled out loud as she wondered how her scrunched-up face would prevent the door from creaking. Surprising her, the old wood slid open without a sound. She glanced around the Oratory, her heart racing, but didn’t see anyone. Pulling the door closed, she jumped when it clicked shut. She spun around the room and cocked her ear for any sound. Only the building’s natural noises greeted her. As fast as she could, and beyond humanly possible thanks to the leopard tatù, she ran to the entrance and out the door. Slowing to a jog on the sidewalk, it was only then she ed the door code. She hadn’t stopped to enter it. What if there was an alarm rigged to the lock code? Wouldn’t whoever was in the Oratory have set it, instead of turning it off? Or maybe they knew someone was inside and were checking the back rooms? Who had been there? Would they still be in the area? There were too many questions and no answers. Rae picked up her pace again. She had no intention of finding out or getting caught. She stopped to catch her breath just outside Aumbry Hall. While sucking air in and out of her lungs, she stretched her calf muscles using the edge of the steps as her base and dropping her ankles low toward the previous step. She held on to the railing for balance. It felt incredibly good to stretch her sore muscles. It occurred to her that simply having sore muscles from actual physical exertion felt pretty good, too. “Taking up running now, Ms. Kerrigan?” Rae slipped mid-stretch at the sound of Madame Elpis’ voice. “Uh... yeah. I couldn’t sleep.” Madame Elpis stood by the door, looking down her long noise at Rae. She wore her usual wool skirt and white blouse. Arms crossed over her chest, she frowned at Rae. “I know you’ve taken an early position with the Privy Council,” she said in a quiet voice. “I suggest you worry less about training and more about school work. Don’t think your professors will be lenient because you choose to try to juggle both.” Rae didn’t know what to say. Was Madame Elpis giving her crap? She never had before. At least she believed her and wasn’t questioning the early run on a Saturday morning.

“I can appreciate you finishing school. I think it’s a very smart decision.” Madame Elpis, the heistress for her dormitory, frowned. “You’re young and it’s easy to get caught up in the glamour of the job. However, it’s not all as beautiful as it sounds. The Privy Council was silly to push you into service so soon. You’ve been through enough the past two years.” She shook her head, staring down at Rae. “They should have waited. I told the Guilder board of directors the same thing, but nobody listens these days.” Elpis was giving advice against her sacred Guilder Boarding School and the Privy Council? What other crazy thing was going to happen today? “I appreciate your concern, Madame Elpis. And your advice.” Rae felt the journal slipping slightly down her back and thought of Madame Elpis’ crow tatù; it wouldn’t take the woman long to figure out something was amiss. She needed to get upstairs before someone noticed it or it fell out. “I think I’ll do a bit of that studying now.” She trotted up the steps, facing Madame Elpis as she stepped by her. As she turned to open the door, she pulled the journal out of the back of her shirt and held it close against herself so Madame Elpis wouldn’t see it. “Thanks again,” she called out over her shoulder. Rae took the stairs two at a time to her room. Inside she tapped the journal against her hand as she glanced around the room, trying to find the perfect hiding place. She needed to shower and change. Not my room, she thought. This is too important. My room would be the first place anyone would look if they thought I had it. She checked her watch. Had it really only taken thirty-five minutes to collect the journal and get back to her room? It had seemed like hours. If she jumped into the shower now, she could spend an hour studying the journal before heading over to train with Jennifer. She lifted the mattress of her bed and hid the journal under it, near her feet. She figured it was a stupid spot, and nobody would look there. At least until after she showered. She would think of a good spot while in the shower. She quickly made the bed and grabbed her toiletries along with a change of clothes. As she closed the door she noticed her phone on the desk, flashing. She must have missed a message or call. It could wait ten minutes. Even less if she used her tatù. It might be Devon, after

all.

Chapter 4

Fractured Aorta

SHOWER DONE IN RECORD time, body dry and dressed, Rae had finally taken a moment to check her phone. Devon had sent the message. He wanted to come by her dorm this morning. Rae tossed on her new dark blue Lululemon outfit, compliments of her best friend, shopper extraordinaire, and former roommate, Molly, and quickly dried her hair. She left it down and slipped a ponytail holder onto her wrist to use later. Devon hadn’t said much in the text, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t wait to see him. He’d been badly injured as part of Kraigan’s plot to force her into a battle to the death, but in the end Rae had won and saved Devon’s butt in the process. She smiled. When they had been in the infirmary, she had made a comment about his cute derriere. It was pretty hot. Rae jumped from her chair and ran to open the door when she heard him on the stairs. Devon stood there, about to knock on her door. “That was quick.” He grinned. She hugged him tight but quickly let go when Devon kept his arms at his sides. “Oops.” They nearly stood in the hallway, door open for the whole dorm to see. No tatù dating. She pulled him inside and closed the door. He reached for her, and kissed her forehead. “Missed you.” She stepped back so she could drink in his handsome face. “Me, too.” Devon ran his fingers through his hair. “I wanted to—” “Hey, guess what?” Rae interrupted, so excited to see him. “I met my Botcher yesterday.” “Really? Who is it?” “Jennifer.” “Leather Jennifer?” His brows went up. She laughed. “Yeah! Did you know she worked with my mother? I had no idea

my mom worked for the PC.” Devon blinked and his eyebrows shot up higher. “Seriously? She was a PC agent?” “You didn’t know either?” She wondered if that information was supposed to be classified. “I know you won’t say anything, but maybe don’t tell Julian. I don’t know if I’m supposed to share that.” Classified or not, she made a mental note to pay close attention to whether or not that information surfaced later. She cared deeply for Devon, but even he had not been forthcoming with vital information from the beginning. It didn’t matter right now. For this moment, she was determined to simply enjoy being with him. If later he proved to be untrustworthy she would deal with it, even if she secretly doubted she could handle that level of betrayal. It simply didn’t bear thinking about. He crossed his hand over his chest and grinned. The cute dimple appeared. “Your secret is safe with me.” Rae hugged him again. She wanted to kiss him, to feel his soft lips on hers, but she suddenly felt shy. In the past, she would have pushed that feeling away and rushed headlong into her desires. However, with time, she had learned to listen to her emotions. They were powers all on their own. “Are you training today?” She nodded. “In a couple of hours. Want to hang out? Julian let me borrow his car today. It took a bit of begging, but he finally said okay. He just got it all fixed up.” Since I wrecked it. She wisely left that part unspoken. Devon had been witness to her epic bout of road racing, which had left poor Julian’s beloved Jag in less than pristine shape, but he might not have been conscious for all of it. There was no need to remind the poor guy of the trauma he had previously suffered with her behind the wheel. Devon’s eyebrows went up, but he didn’t say anything. “Want to go for a drive?” Some secluded, quiet street? He cleared his throat and glanced down. “I’m actually on my way to the train station. Another job.”

“Seriously?” Rae’s excitement fizzled out like a wet sparkler. “You just got back in last night!” Frustration brewed in Rae’s chest. She had a nagging feeling and wanted to spend some private time with Devon, hoping that would quell it at least for a little while. However, it seemed the PC would come between them yet again. “I know. Julian’s already left.” He reached for her hand but dropped his arm before touching her. “I told him I needed to see you first.” Ahhh... She straightened at a thought. “I’ll drive you to the train station!” That nagging feeling was quickly gaining in intensity. “Y-You don’t have to drive me. You should rest. You’re probably exhausted.” “Oh, no you don’t. I’ve barely seen you since, you know, and I have two hours to kill before I have to meet Jennifer.” “I was planning on taking my own car. Using the Park N’ Train. Then I could just drive back here when I’m done.” “Nonsense. I’ll pick you up when you get back. Just send me a text or call me when you’re half an hour away.” Rae grabbed Julian’s keys off her desk. She was determined to do this, to carve out what time with him she could. Devon raised his hands and smiled like he’d just lost an argument. “I’ll meet you in the parking lot. I just need to grab my bag from my place.” Rae chattered about training as they drove the forty minutes to the station. Devon sat quietly the entire ride, nodding now and again when Rae tossed a question his way. Now standing in the busy train station, everything seemed uncomfortable. She knew she had to ask, even though she really didn’t want to know the answer. “What’s going on?” she asked. “Nothing.” “Liar.” Rae smiled, then nudged him with her elbow. Devon’s expression remained serious. He seemed to be debating some inner

turmoil. He glanced up at the station clock and then back at her. “Spill it, Dev,” Rae said, setting her feet shoulder-width apart. “It’s better out than in.” He paused and dropped his duffle bag at his feet. “I planned to wait till I got back, but I’m not sure how long the Privy Council needs me away.” He stared vacantly at the people walking by. “I don’t know how to say it...” He dropped his gaze to the ground. “This isn’t working.” “What’s not working?” Goosebumps covered her. Her body seemed to comprehend better than her brain. Everything was muted except his voice. His next words dropped like a bomb. “It’s... I’m... We need to give each other some space.” Devon finally raised his eyes and met her gaze. “I don’t know how much I’ll be around now and throughout the summer. You need to focus on you right now. Plus, the Privy Council’s got me pretty busy. I don’t want you to have to wait around for me. It’s not fair.” Rae rubbed her arms, trying to dispel the horrid feeling of cold acid running through her veins. Fear, anger, pain... It all mingled in the pit of her stomach. Where had this come from? She didn’t understand why he suddenly felt this way. “I would never leave you, even if you couldn’t stay. I’d wait for you... forever.” She desperately tried to put the feelings inside her into words. Devon took a step back, sliding his bag along with him. “It’s not about me leaving you or vice versa. What we want is bigger than who we are. We need to put our feelings aside and think about what’s best for everyone: for the Privy Council, our families, friends... Guilder.” “You know people never accept things they don’t understand, right?” Rae swallowed. She went to touch his arm and realized he’d stepped out of reach. “People are scared of what they don’t know... of different possibilities. We’re different. We could prove to everyone that they have nothing to fear.” She thought about the things her father had written in the journal about marked tatùs being together. She knew Devon, knew at heart that he was loyal to the Privy Council and their ideals. She sniffed and wiped away the tear running down her cheek. Deep down she knew, no matter what she argued he wasn’t going to change his mind.

“I’m not here to prove anything to the world.” Devon raked his hands through his hair. “I’d really like to concentrate on my career at this point in my life. And you... you need to focus on your gift. You need to figure out how it works, find all its weaknesses and strengths.” He ran his tongue over his lips and added in a quieter tone, “You also need to protect yourself from your father’s actions.” Rae straightened. “I think I can protect myself just fine.” She crossed her arms, ticked that he thought of her as weak. She had saved his life! “I know you can.” He smiled, but then his face turned serious. He suddenly seemed older. “You’re stronger than you think, and it has nothing to do with your tatù. I know you’ll get through this... get over the idea of us.” “I’d wait for you.” She tried again. Seeing the frustrated look on his face she tried a different, more desperate, approach. “When your dad told me to stay away from you, I didn’t know what to do or say. I didn’t want to lose you then, like I don’t want to now. Then Kraigan took you. I was willing to risk everything to keep you safe.” I saved you. “I know... Julian told me everything that happened.” Devon stepped toward her and reached for her face. He gently rubbed his thumb against her cheek, wiping the tears away. “You’ll always be special, Rae. To everyone. I hope I can still be a part of your life, just not your center. It’s best for you—for both of us.” The crowded train station jostled and moved around them. To Rae it felt empty, like her broken heart. Devon was breaking up with her and nothing would change his mind. It didn’t make sense. She needed him in her life, but as more than just friends. How could she block the sound of a heartbeat she’d know anywhere? This was what she had been feeling, what her subconscious had known was coming and been trying to warn her of. She felt sick to her stomach and empty at the same time. This couldn’t be happening. They were meant to be together. She couldn’t accept this. Things would change and he’d see he needed her. They had to. The station speakers announced Devon’s train would be departing shortly. The monotone voice crackled through the amplifier like a tatù hum through Rae’s body. She made a half-hearted attempt to smile and tried to swallow the baseball-sized lump in her throat. She shifted her weight so his hand dropped away from her face. She’d be damned if she broke down in front of him here. He

didn’t deserve to see her tears if he was going to do this to her. “Shoot, I gotta go. I can’t miss this train.” Devon grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder, his eyes never leaving hers. “I’m sorry I hurt you. It was never my intention.” Then don’t! Take it back! her heart begged him, but she wouldn’t let the message shine through her eyes. If he was looking for it, she wanted to deprive him of it. He didn’t deserve it. Thoughts rushed through her mind now. If she hadn’t pushed him into letting her take him to the station, when would he have done it? Did I bring this on myself by pushing him? Or has he been meaning to do this for a while and never had the balls to just say it until now? Why now, you jerk?

They stared at each other, neither of them speaking. The monotone voiced the final boarding call. “Go do your duty and serve your country.” She winced at the hardness in her voice; it reminded her of the way her father talked. She didn’t care. “It’s all about being top with your precious Privy Council, isn’t it?” Well, I work there now, too. Let’s see how long you stay at the top. He opened his mouth then closed it, his lips now in a tight, thin line. Rae let out a long, slow breath, trying to release the tension still tight in her throat. Impulsively she reached out, but stopped herself. She dropped her arm, turned, and walked away from the guy she had thought was the most important person in her life. Outside the station she ran to Julian’s car. She slammed the door shut and buried her face in her hands. Normal girls in the normal world would go call their best friend and/or mother, and sob into pints of ice cream to get over a broken heart. As far as Rae knew, girls in the tatù world did the same. Her problem was that she wasn’t quite in either world. She couldn’t tell anyone she’d just been dumped. Her best friend didn’t know, couldn’t know, that she had been dating Devon. She didn’t have a mom to wrap her arms around her and tell her everything would be okay. She had only had Devon, but now she had no one. It hurt. More than any physical pain she’d ever endured. Whoever said that there

was life after love, lied. They’d lied big time, and no healing tatù was going to fix it.

Chapter 5

Denial

RAE KNEW THE FIVE STAGES of grief. She had gone through the whole process with a therapy counselor when her mom and dad died. She’d been six. This, weirdly, felt the same. The end of their relationship felt like she was experiencing a death of sorts. It just seemed surreal. Could she have dreamt it? She forced Julian’s sports car into the next gear and muttered the stages, “Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.” As a child, she had skipped the bargaining phase. She had been too young to understand the concept so she had gone straight to accepting the loss, but it had taken years due to the horrific events. Now she had to go through the stages all over again. It felt so unfair. “This is bull!” she yelled at the uncooperative, grinding gearshift. It couldn’t be happening. This had to be a bad dream. They had barely just started. She loved him. No way he didn’t feel the same! Something had to be up. Maybe the Privy Council had found out and told him to end it. “That has to be it,” she whispered to herself. She would talk to him when he got back. Or maybe sooner. She glanced down for her phone. How soon was too soon? She didn’t want to appear desperate, but losing him wasn’t an option. A car horn honked behind her and she realized the light had turned green. She pressed the gas and gunned the car through the intersection. The clock radio said she had about thirty minutes before she had to meet Jennifer for training. She angrily wiped the tears coursing down her cheeks. She shouldn’t be crying. This was her fault; her family, her curse. It seems she was always destined to lose what she held most dear, one way or another. She pulled the car into an empty parking space and went through her purse for a tissue. She blew her nose and concentrated on her breathing. Red eyes and runny nose would only invite questions and attention. No freakin’ way! I’ve had enough of that! She wiped her eyes one more time, checked the mirror to make sure her mascara hadn’t turned her into a raccoon, and tuned into the healing tatù. It wouldn’t fix her heart, but it might fix her red eyes, puffy nose, and the headache trying to crack her skull open.

Amazingly, it worked. Molly had bought her makeup, so the mascara was probably waterproof. She had never bothered to check. Trust Molly to think ahead enough to buy waterproof mascara. Her stomach growled. The bowl of cereal she had downed that morning before stealing back her father’s journal had long ago been burned off. The journal! That bloody thing only brings bad luck! She needed to get that thing out of her room! She bent down and glanced out the enger window. She had parked right in front of a café. Grabbing the keys and her purse, she inhaled one last time and shook her head. The cool air would dry whatever tears she’d missed. She ran into the café, casually clicking the button on the key ring that would lock the car. Julian wouldn’t be too impressed if she got his expensive sports car stolen. “That’s yours? Impressive!” Rae glanced down her arm and realized her fingers were inches away from someone’s head. The head belonged to a boy with a long, muscular body. Hello, eye candy. That’s what Molly called cute guys. The boy had light brown, almost blonde, brush-cut hair. It was so thick, she wondered for a moment if his scalp actually got wet when he showered or swam. She blinked and forced the silly thought out of her head. “It’s actually a friend’s. He let me borrow it.” The boy turned around. Hazel green eyes met her gaze. They slid over her very quickly before meeting hers again. “Your boyfriend is very trusting.” He rested his right arm on the back of his chair as he grinned at her. He had to be close to her age. Fitting term that...eye candy. No, my boyfriend just dumped me ten minutes ago. Well gee, can’t say that. Out of habit, Rae glanced down to see if he had a tatù. There were tattoos on his arms, but none of them were a tatù. Nothing. “He’s actually not my boyfriend. Just a friend.” The good-looking boy chuckled. “Then he desperately wants to be your boyfriend.” Julian? No way. “I highly doubt it. He’s more like an older brother.” “Does he know you feel that way?” The boy grinned.

She smiled despite her horrible morning. His humor was contagious. “Definitely.” He rose and held his hand out to her. “I’m Luke, by the way.” She checked his arm again before shaking it. He seemed friendly and honest, but she wasn’t about to trust a perfect stranger. The only tingle she felt came from the small shock when she touched his skin. His hand was warm and firm in hers. “I’m Rae.” He blinked, as if confused she had a boy’s sounding name. “Unique name. Very cool. It’s nice to meet you, Rae. And your car.” He winked and pointed to his empty cup. “I’m about to grab another cuppa. Can I get you something?” “Are you in the habit of offering strangers something to drink?” He didn’t miss a beat. “Only beautiful ones my age who drive fast cars.” She laughed. “Thanks, but I can get my own.” She walked to the short line and Luke followed her. She read the menu options and glanced at him from the corner of her eye. He stood, his hands in his pockets, grinning, not even trying to hide the fact that he was watching her. His boldness tickled her. She pretended to ignore him. After ordering a coffee and croissant to go, Rae paid and turned to leave. Luke touched her elbow. “Can you wait a sec?” Rae glanced at her watch. “I’m in a bit of a rush.” He smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry. I...I...” He cracked one of his knuckles. “You don’t know me and I have no idea who you are... I just...” He sighed and then straightened. “Screw it,” he mumbled to himself, but Rae heard him clearly. “Can I give you my number? I’m not some crazy stalker. I promise!” He chuckled. “Though I kinda sound like one at the moment.” He grabbed a receipt off the counter that someone must have left, and found a pen. He wrote down his number and handed it to her. “Here. Toss it or keep it or whatever. I would just regret it for the rest of my life if you walked out of here and I didn’t give it to

you.” Rae stared at him. Could this day get any crazier? “Thanks.” She didn’t know what else to say. Awkward. She slipped the receipt into her pocket and headed for the door. She glanced out the car window at the café before driving away. Luke sat at his table with his hand on his forehead, shaking his head like what he had just done embarrassed him. Poor guy. Her phone vibrated inside her pocket. She grabbed for it. Maybe Devon wanted to beg her to forget everything he had said. She set the phone on the holder Julian had installed in the car so it would be hands-free. The phone picked the call up before she had a chance to check the caller ID. “Rae! Where are you?” Molly spoke with a froggy voice, like she had just woken up. “I’m on my way to training.” “With the Privy Council?” Molly was the only one, besides Julian and Devon, who knew she had signed a contract to work with them. She blew an exasperated breath into the phone; it sputtered against the expensive speakers of Julian’s car. “Is this going to be every weekend now?” “It might be. I have no idea what the set-up’s going to be. I’m probably going to be pretty crazy busy till the end of the school year.” Molly sighed. “Tell them you need to spend time with your best friend.” Rae smiled. “I don’t know how understanding they’ll be.” She took a sip of her coffee and Luke’s image popped into her head. She couldn’t tell Molly that Devon had just broken up with her, but she could mention the boy without a tatù. It would make Molly’s day. “You’ll be proud of me.” “Why?” She forced the image of Devon out of her head and tried to exactly what Luke looked like. The more she tried, the more he looked like Devon. “A super cute guy just gave me his phone number.”

Rae cringed when a loud crash sounded through the speakers. Molly jumped back on the line. “Sorry, I dropped the phone. I was that shocked! Where did you meet him? Not at Guilder, I hope. He doesn’t have a tatù, does he? Did you get a picture? Send it to me right now!” Rae turned the car in to a gated driveway. She flashed her new badge at the screen and the large iron gates began sliding open. The drive looked like it led to a mansion house, but just as the drive veered to the right for the house there was a small, nearly hidden gravel drive that led to the left. Rae followed the gravel and waited patiently as Molly continued to drill questions without letting Rae respond. She knew it would wind down eventually. “Well, who is he?” “I grabbed a coffee and he was there. His name’s Luke.” “Where does he go to school? Or is he older?” Rae glanced in her review mirror. No one had followed her. She wasn’t sure why she thought someone might have. The Privy Council had surveillance everywhere. No one could get in here without proper accreditation. “He’s about our age. Maybe a year or two older. Julian let me borrow his car this morning, and when I walked into the café Luke made a comment about the car. He asked if it was my boyfriend’s.” Just saying the word made her think of Devon again and her heart hurt. She wished there was a tatù to turn off emotions. “And you told him you were single, right? Thank goodness. I was beginning to think you were either going to enter a monastery or start pining after Devon. I mean, I know you guys have some weird, close relationship, but I figured no way you’d ever go down that road.” Rae stared at the phone. Thank goodness Molly couldn’t see her face. She quickly started babbling so Molly couldn’t mention Devon again. Then the rest of Molly’s words clicked and she laughed. “I think you meant convent. Women go to a convent and become nuns. Men go to a monastery and become monks.” “Really? You sure?” She’d just magically breezed by the Devon confrontation with Molly. “Positive. Anyway, as I was leaving he gave me his number. He said he would regret it for

the rest of his life if he didn’t give it to me.” “He’s either very cheesy or very sweet. Considering you’re mentioning him to me, I’m thinking the latter.” Molly sighed, a different sound to her usual one. “He sounds like a hopeless romantic. When are you going to call him?” “I don’t know. I wa—” “You know for sure he doesn’t have a tatù, right? I don’t want the guy to be another Kraigan, or worse.” Holy smokes, Molls. Why did it always feel like talking to Molly was like watching a table tennis match? Ping-pong, ping-pong... “He has ink art but definitely no tatù. Nothing there for sure. When our hands touched I didn’t have a transfer.” “Then why haven’t you sent him a text? Something short and sweet. Ohhh! I got it! Something like: Thanks for brightening my morning. Or, you’re sweeter than my coffee.” Rae started laughing. “That’s cheesy, Molly. Even for you.” “I’m trying to suggest something you would say.” “Not that!” Rae shifted the car to a lower gear and hit the automatic window button to let it down. She rolled to a stop and entered the four-digit code into a screen that could have easily been missed. The gravel road trailed through a thin forest, which was hidden from the main road. At the code entry place, there lay a covered path that opened when you entered the correct code. “Molls, I’m sorry but I gotta go.” “Call me on your way back. Text the hot guy! I want to check him out. If he’s—” The phone automatically cut out when Rae drove past the hidden entrance. She turned it off and pulled into the underground garage to park Julian’s car. There were a lot of fast, expensive cars already there. She double-parked to be on the safe side and grabbed her backpack out of the trunk of the car. “You’re late!”

Rae nearly sent a bolt of lightning toward the accusing voice. She dropped her bag. “What the heck, Jennifer!” She checked her watch as she bent to grab her bag. She forced her heart to settle its crazy rhythm. “And I’m not late.” Jennifer stepped out from behind a yellow pillar she’d been leaning against. She wore tight black leather pants and a matching jacket similar to yesterday’s outfit. “You’re not early.” Rae grabbed her backpack and threw the strap over her shoulder. “I’m ten minutes early!” “No. It’s going to take you fifteen minutes to find the gym, your locker, and then you still have to warm up.” “I don’t need to warm up.” She tapped her back. “I also have a speed tatù which works perfectly fine.” Jennifer came closer, her eyebrows and nose scrunching up. “What happened?” “Nothing.” Rae wiped her right eye, paranoid her mascara had smudged and she’d missed it. “You’re a lousy liar.” Jennifer continued to stare her down. It seemed like minutes before she finally huffed and threw her hands in the air. “Leave the boy troubles at the gate. If you can’t focus a hundred and fifty percent on what I’m teaching you, we’re wasting our time.” Am I that transparent? “I’m fine.” Jennifer started walking, obviously assuming Rae would follow. “I told Carter you weren’t ready. I told him to wait until you finished school. But noooo... he had to push to get you in right away.” She stopped suddenly and Rae had to jump to the side to avoid crashing into her, making her feel even more defensive than she did already. Rae suddenly felt the need to prove herself to Jennifer. “I’m more than ready.” “No.” Her face scrunched into a scowl. “You think you are, but you have no idea whose house you’re stepping into. There’s so much you don’t know. Your pretty little head can’t even comprehend what I’m talking about.”

Tension from the long morning burned into frustration. Rae stepped close to Jennifer. They were nearly the same height since Jennifer wasn’t wearing highheeled boots, so she met Jennifer’s unblinking stare. “Don’t assume you know everything about me. You don’t.” She put her hands on her hips. “You’re not my mother. I don’t need your concern for my personal life. You made it quite clear you offered to train me. Just do your job.” Jennifer stood undeterred, but Rae didn’t miss the slight catch in Jennifer’s breath when she mentioned the word ‘mother’. “I will, if you show up on time,” Jennifer snapped. Lousy comeback. Rae’s tatù tingled up her spine as she switched to Jennifer’s leopard ability. “I’ll be in the gym, ready and warmed up before you get there.” She took off with more determination and speed than she had ever used before. She left Jennifer still standing in the middle of the garage.

Chapter 6

Anger

WHAT WAS THAT WOMAN’S problem? Rae did a few high knees in the gym and threw the long sleeve shirt she had been wearing against the wall. She didn’t understand why Jennifer seemed so annoyed to be working with her. She had chosen to be her Botcher, not the other way around! If Rae had any say, she would have gone with someone younger... someone like Devon. Stop it! I don’t want to think about you right now! No hurt, only anger. Anger feels good, feels strong. Rae forced herself to watch the gym door and focus on getting ready to work with Jennifer. She wanted to prove she deserved to be working with the Privy Council. Whose house do you think you’re stepping into? Isn’t that what Jennifer had said? Rae snorted. Like she didn’t know. She realized suddenly she was the only one in the gym. There had been two guys doing some kind of combat fighting training, but they must have left through the door Carter had taken her through yesterday. Hopefully she hadn’t scared them off with her pacing and whatever else she might have been doing. For all her power, she still had a slight issue with control when she wasn’t paying attention. The main doors swung open, and in swept Jennifer. Literally. Rae had read the term in books a dozen times but never understood what it really meant until this moment. Jennifer’s arms were spread wide from pulling the doors and remained outstretched as she stepped into the gym. She would have drawn more attention from the full gym Rae had walked into yesterday. Unbelievable. Jennifer’s eyes scanned the room in an instant. “Good.” She marched over to Rae, pulling out her phone and typing something furiously fast into it. She harrumphed. “Carter feels you’re ready to get into the field. Apparently you don’t need training.” “What?” “Carter wants you on assignment.” She glanced down and scrolled through her phone. “Partnering you up with some guy named Julian. He thinks getting your feet wet is a waste of time... better to just jump right in head first.” “Julian? He’s on assignment right now.” With Devon. Rae put her hands on her

hips but it felt awkward, so she tried crossing them over her chest. That stance also felt wrong. She settled with dropping them at her sides, clenching her hands. Jennifer watched her with a slightly amused look on her face. “So you know Julian?” “Yeah. He’s a year older than me. He graduated Guilder last year, but stayed on to help as a mentor or something.” “Your mentor?” Rae shook her head, terrified Jennifer would ask who her mentor was. The last thing she wanted was to have to say Devon’s name. She didn’t think she could do it without crying. “What’s his tatù?” Devon’s? Whoops, Julian’s. Rae unclenched her fingers and felt the familiar strings of Julian’s tatù run through her. “He draws. He can draw a future event before it happens.” “That’s it?” She threw her hands in the air. “And Carter wants you on an assignment with him? Why doesn’t he just stake you out in a field like a sacrificial goat?” “There’s more.” She didn’t know why she felt the need to defend Julian. This woman was obviously a pessimist, and it just grated on her last nerve. How Carter had thought Jennifer would be the perfect Botcher for her... What the heck had he been thinking? “Julian can see into the future.” Jennifer’s eyebrows shot up. “Now, that’s handy.” “It is. Except it isn’t consistent. It seems to work best when the situation is super-intense, like when I’m fighting or sparring. And it’s only a move or two ahead of the other guy. It—” “You?” Jennifer cut her off. “I’ve mimicked his tatù. He probably controls it better than I do. Earlier this school year, we sparred and trained a bit in the Oratory. The tatù is handy, but

since I can only use one at a time I think it leaves me pretty vulnerable, and I tend to switch to Dev—to another tatù that’s better for the situation I’m in.” “I don’t get this mimic thing. I mean, I know you have it, but it confuses me. I’ve spent most of my life making sure I understand what type of tatù I’m up against. I even understood your father’s tatù.” She looked Rae straight in the eye. “Now you come along with your pretty little fairy and screw the whole damn thing up.” Rae inhaled a long breath and slowly let it out, counting to five at the same time. She couldn’t make it to ten. “I haven’t screwed anything up! I didn’t ask for this tatù. You want to blame someone? Why not start with my father? And my mother!” Jennifer’s even stare turned into a glare. “Don’t you dare blame your mother!” “Why not?” Anger from every direction flooded her thoughts; the lousy morning, the impossible teacher, her mother dying, her stupid, bad dad. “No one forced her to marry my dad. If she’d had any brains she’d have run away from him. Not married the idiot!” Jennifer opened her mouth to speak but Rae didn’t let her. “Guilder and the Privy Council all cower in fear at the mention of two tatùs marrying. But did that stop her? NO! She went and got pregnant with me!” Rae grabbed some balls out of a bin nearby and began drilling them against the far wall. They flew across the room and landed two bricks above the gymnastic mats every time. She had switched tatùs, but her body had done it unconsciously. “Who would do that? What mother would want to make their child’s life next to impossible?” She threw the balls harder. “Then willingly die, and leave her sixyear-old daughter all alone in a world that can’t freakin’ wait to see her either fail or turn into her father!” She drilled a ball harder and didn’t even pause when it exploded against the far wall with sand spilling everywhere. “She dies and doesn’t bother to explain to her daughter that she might get a tatù on her sixteenth birthday, she might get her father’s jacked-up ability, she might spend the rest of her life running from people trying to kill her, she might never be accepted anywhere because of her ability, her past, her family, none of which she has any control over or choice in...” Rae sucked in a giant breath and grabbed the last ball in the bin. “Instead,” she drilled the ball against the far wall and felt a

small hint of satisfaction when it exploded as well, “she leaves her vulnerable daughter with no information, no protection, and no answers. Nothing.” “Your mother didn’t know she was going to die.” Jennifer pulled the ball bin out of Rae’s reach, probably to make sure Rae didn’t chuck it as well. “BULL!” Rae jabbed a finger toward Jennifer. “Don’t defend her! You want to know what she did? She wrote me a letter for my sixteenth birthday, ten years before I turned sixteen! She knew exactly what was going to happen!” Rae’s shoulders and chest heaved as she tried to suck in as much air as she could. Jennifer began gathering the balls on the other side of the gym. She worked quickly, using her tatù. “She did? I’d like to see that letter.” Seeing the look on Rae’s face, she must have decided to drop suggesting that idea. She spoke, using her hands to emphasize her point. “I’m not defending her, but you have to understand she was one extremely brave woman.” Jennifer bent down to grab two balls, but Rae heard her mumble, “I couldn’t have done what she did.” She straightened. “One day you’ll understand.” “One day?” Rae laughed sarcastically. She wanted to tell Jennifer to try walking in her shoes and see what it felt like to be Rae Kerrigan. She was about to unleash on Jennifer some more, when she finally looked her in the eye and saw the look. Rae knew when she was being assessed. She hated it. Jennifer was not trying to talk her through a tough time, she was sitting back and seeing what Rae could do. That quickly, she was reminded that she couldn’t trust this woman. Jennifer was never going to understand anyway. Rae bit her tongue. Jennifer, for her part, realized the show was over and resumed the mantle of Botcher. “Go grab a broom out of the closet just outside the gym.” Rae marched to the door and jerked it open. Her eyes burned with tears and she angrily wiped away the ones that had snuck past her guard. She’d just gone and opened herself up to scrutiny from the person she knew the least about in her world and had absolutely no reason to trust. All her careful withholding of information and opinions, and it meant nothing now because Jennifer knew practically everything about her. And Rae knew nothing about Jennifer. So not only had her boyfriend dumped her, but she had lost what little hope she had fostered of gaining the upper hand in her Botcher–Dagonet interaction. She had not just lost it, she had duct-taped C4 to it and blown it to smithereens for shits

and giggles. Today sucked. Royally. She found the janitor closet and tucked the broom with its sweep cup under her arm. It took several deep breaths to calm down. “I’m here to train. Just focus on that. It’s like, three hours. That’s all,” she told herself. “I can get through this.” She walked back into the gym, relieved Jennifer was still the only one in the room. In the back of her mind she figured there were hidden cameras and microphones everywhere. Had anyone been around to hear the conversation, she was sure they would have a psychologist or some sort of therapist in there to speak with her. Or maybe the Privy Council would just file it all away to use against her later, should the need arise. It didn’t matter. She couldn’t undo it now. Jennifer had pulled out some equipment. A punching bag and a bunch of other stuff Rae didn’t recognize were set up in a corner. She stood tying some contraption together. Rae hurried over to the mess and began sweeping up the sand. What should she say? Should she apologize? Pretend it hadn’t happened? Act like it was no big deal? She dumped the tray of sand into the garbage can Jennifer had conveniently placed by the exploded pieces. She swept up another pile and dumped that as well. Trying to get the rest as best she could, she finally spoke, “I think we’re going to need to vacuum the last bit.” “It’s fine. The floors are cleaned and polished every night here.” Jennifer stepped back from the rectangle she’d just put together. Rae glanced at the big blue mats surrounding it and realized it was a trampoline. Jennifer wiped her hands on her pants. “Can we just settle for a training session now? Put the drama on the backburner for a few hours?” “Sure.” The concession burned Rae’s gut coming from Jennifer, but she couldn’t see how she could have possibly turned anything to her advantage after her outburst anyway. Rae set the broom inside the garbage can and pushed it against the wall. “What do you want me to do?”

Jennifer tossed her a package, which Rae easily caught. Inside was a pair of gloves, minus the fingers. “Put those on and let’s start at the punching bag.” Jennifer wore a similar pair. “Have you ever tried one of these before?” “Never.” The small balloon-shaped bag looked easy to hit the first time, but from what Rae had seen in the movies keeping the hits connecting would be next to impossible. Jennifer squared her feet and began punching the bag. Her fists found a rhythm while she hit. It barely made any sound. “The speed bag is an indispensable tool. It’ll improve your hand-eye coordination, quicken your reflexes—though I believe those are quite fine-tuned right now. More than anything, for you it will increase arm strength and endurance.” She stepped aside and caught her breath. “It’s a great cardiovascular workout as well.” She adjusted the height of the bag slightly. “It can be a little difficult at first, but I think it won’t take you long.” She rolled her eyes, as if trying to make an effort to be friendly but not being very successful. “You can then dazzle your tatùed friends with your lightning speed.” Rae walked over, standing slightly away from the bag. She looked at Jennifer. “Face the bag with your feet shoulder-width apart. Your whole body... No, the whole body from head to toe has to face the bag. Yes.” She moved Rae’s shoulders and checked her distance from the bag. “Be close enough that you don’t need to extend your arm more than a few inches to hit it. It’s the same when hitting someone or making to protect yourself. With the bag you have to be close enough to make solid , but far enough so you don’t hit your head on the rebound.” She stepped back. “Now hit it.” Rae made a lousy attempt at hitting the bag. It swung wildly. Using both hands, Jennifer stopped its motion. “You need to keep your fists at chin level, or just slightly lower. Also, have your elbows parallel to the floor.” Rae tried again, hitting it two times in a row. “Try circling your fists as you hit. Circle them down and back up again to hit the back. You’ll find a rhythm, and when you do it’ll click. Then you can start changing hands or hitting the bag a different way. Now go!”

Her fists couldn’t find a rhythm. Rae wasn’t about to let Jennifer know that her store of tatù abilities was low after her fight with Kraigan. She had a feeling it was something she would have to it eventually, but for now she just couldn’t face showing any more vulnerability. She switched to Julian’s, hoping a bit of foreknowledge would help. It didn’t. When Jennifer sighed, Rae took a step back and shrugged. “It’s not going to happen today.” “Yes it is. Focus. Concentrate on the bag and connecting with it. Drop everything else from your mind. When you were talking before and getting angry, you managed to hit the same brick consistently. Nobody does that without having skills. Try it again.” Rae closed her eyes and stepped forward again. She tuned her ears to the sound of the metal slightly grating as the bag swung. The sound seemed to tell her brain that everything moved in slow motion for that moment. She searched for the frustrated anger she had felt earlier and tried to bring the feeling to her core. The tatù sent a shiver up her spine as it came forward when she needed it. Eyes squeezed tightly shut she began hitting the bag, two times one fist, two times the other. She let the speed increase faster and faster, switching hands or just using one hand, and when it got tired she switched it to the other. She pretended the bag was every person who had managed to disappoint or frustrate her. There were a lot of them. Sweat collected near her hair and ran down her face. She grew warm and finally gave the bag one final hard hit before opening her eyes. The bag swung at breakneck speed back and forth on its hinge. She grinned, proud of herself. “Well done.” Jennifer clapped her hands. “Do you switch tatùs as you punch?” “I just used one.” “Which one?” “Devon’s.” Rae’s face grew warmer. She cringed, waiting for the tears to start. “Wardell’s?” Jennifer pressed her lips tight and nodded to herself. “I can see that. Good choice.” “I didn’t actually choose it,” Rae said honestly. “My body automatically picks the tatù I need before I can even decide what’ll work best. It wasn’t like that in

the beginning.” “Interesting.” Jennifer tapped a finger against her chin. “All right,” she said, clapping her hands together. “Let’s get working on the next drill. I just set the punching bag up because I figured you needed it. When I’m stressed, I find a good ass-kicking releases the frustration. When the bad guy’s not around to destress, I use the punching bag. I suggest you set one up at your place.” Why does that not surprise me? Rae liked the idea, though. It made sense to her. “I’m still in the dorms. I’ll have to ask Madame Elpis if I can put one up. It’s not a bad idea.” “I forgot you’re still in the dorms. There’s no living quarters on-site with the Privy Council, so you should start thinking about where you want to live in three months. With the car you’re driving you’re going to need a place with a garage.” “It’s Julian’s car.” Rae followed Jennifer to the trampoline and watched her stack plyometric boxes on top of each other on one end. “Can I help?” “I’ll be done in a sec.” Quick as a cat, Jennifer climbed the tall tower and placed one more box on top. “It’s a bit rickety, but just focus on balance as you climb up.” She climbed to the top box and pointed to the trampoline. “Then I want you to jump.” “Why don’t I just get on the trampoline and start jumping?” Rae put her hands on the edge and started to lift herself up. “No! I want you to do this...” Jennifer jumped and landed in the center of the trampoline. Her jump arced away and she flew through the air toward the other side of the gym. She spun around in two perfect flips and straightened to land on her feet. “Just like a cat.” She grinned at Rae. “Your turn.” “No way! I can’t do that. I’ll break a leg!” Or, worse, my neck and end up paralyzed. “Get up there. This isn’t a request.” Jennifer’s face hardened. Rae started climbing, fear curdling her stomach as she went. At least she had a healing tatù to use—hopefully before she killed herself. Rae made her way up the stack of wooden boxes and stood precariously on the top. She looked down

and closed her eyes. Big mistake. The boxes trembled and shook with her loss of focus on her balance. She shifted and spread her legs a little further apart, her eyes flying open and frantically looking around. Jennifer stood, motioning for her to jump. Rae gave a small shake of her head. Not going to happen. She didn’t have a choice. The boxes began to give way. She leapt off before the meager tower toppled, and managed to land on the edge of the trampoline. Her body flew into the air, her arms and legs flailing in every direction. She went twice as high as Jennifer, at least it felt like that, and headed straight for the wall. The leopard tatù activated, and just before she hit it face-first she managed to get her feet running in front of her and pushed off the wall with both of them. She back- flipped and finally landed on the floor with her feet and hands. “L-Like a c-cat.” Jennifer’s mouth hung open and her eyebrows had disappeared under her bangs. Rae straightened and wiped her sweaty hands on her pants. She grinned. That had been freakin’ scary, but she’d landed on her feet. She had to it it had felt kind of thrilling. “Why don’t we call it a day?” Jennifer blinked rapidly, her eyes still huge. Rae wanted to laugh but held it in. It must have looked a lot worse than it had felt. “I’ll clean up. We’ll meet tomorrow afternoon. I’ll text you the time and place.” “Sounds good.” Rae jogged over to grab her jacket and bag. She glanced to see Jennifer’s hand press against her temple as she surveyed the mess.

Chapter 7

Depression

RAE LEFT THE GYM AND headed back to her dorm room. As she drove, she couldn’t stop running the session with Jennifer over and over in her head. She wished she could hit stop and switch to a different train of thought, but it seemed impossible. Back at the dorm, she slipped into her room and grabbed her toiletries. In the shower, even the hot, hot water didn’t erase the tension in her shoulders. She tried thinking about school. Had it only been yesterday she’d had classes? It felt like so much had happened in the past few days. Three months of school left and she would be done. Hard to believe. Maybe Monday in the Oratory I’ll talk to Carter and see. Wait! The journal! The Oratory reminded her of her father’s journal that she still hadn’t had a chance to read. She jerked the shower handle to off and stepped out. Barely bothering to dry herself off, she threw her clothes on and headed back to her room. She wanted to see what everyone wanted to see in that stupid journal. Burning it in a fire might be the smartest thing to do. Then no one would ever know what was in it. Molly crashed into Rae’s room. “Did you text him? What did he reply?” Her gorgeous mahogany hair swung side to side from the ponytail she had put it in. It seemed like the thick, wild mane was trying to escape. Rae had always envied her hair. She idly wondered if she could mimic it somehow now that she had a little power over hair. Hmmm... what would I look like with red hair, though? Rae’s mind wandered a little from the topic of conversation as she waited for Molly to take a breath and let her respond. “Text who?” Rae pretended not to . The moment before Molly burst in she had grabbed her father’s journal, hoping to have a look at it and then hide it in a very good hiding place. No chance of that now. She slid the journal between two textbooks on her desk as nonchalantly as she could. Molly was superobservant, though, and she half expected to be called out on it. “Luke, of course!” “Oh yeah, I forgot.” She grabbed the top textbook and the journal and put them into her school backpack, zipping it up tight. Better on me at all times than haphazardly hidden in my room.

Molly shook her head, her ponytail swinging wildly again. “Come on, Rae.” She held out her hand. For one wild second Rae thought Molly was asking to see the journal. Her heartrate kicked up as she wrapped her arm around her backpack possessively, trying to come up with a good excuse not to show Molly. “Give me your phone.” She beckoned with her fingers. Rae sighed with relief and plopped onto the bed, tired from the crazy morning and suddenly hungry. The cafeteria had closed half an hour ago, so she’d missed lunch. She would have to settle for the rest of her croissant and a bowl of cereal till dinner time. Rae pulled her phone out of the front pocket of her backpack and held it just out of Molly’s reach. “You’re not texting him.” “Why not? You won’t.” Molly tried to grab the phone but missed. “I’d send you a zinger of electricity, but I did that to Nic this week and fried his phone.” Molly thought hard for a moment. It always amazed Rae how Molly’s mind worked. It barely took a moment before she snapped her fingers and pointed at Rae. “You let me text Luke for you, and I’ll give you the parcel that came in the post this morning for you.” Rae sat up. A parcel? “You didn’t open it, did you?” Molly pretended to look hurt. “I’m not that nosey! Really. It’s from your uncle. He shipped it from New York. It’s kinda heavy. I shook it but it wouldn’t move. It’s heavy and packed tight.” “Where is it?” Not nosey, eh? “I’ll give it to you when you hand me your phone and Luke’s number.” “That’s blackmail.” Molly grinned mischievously. “Phone. Package. That’s the deal.” Rae tossed Molly the phone and went to her coat to dig out Luke’s number. “You should work for the Privy Council in the negotiations department.” She glanced at her phone. “Please don’t say anything embarrassing. And DON’T tell him where we go to school!”

Molly ignored her, so Rae watched over Molls’ shoulder ready to rip the phone out of her hand if necessary. Molly put Luke’s number into the s and clicked on the SMS message link: HI LUKE, IT’S RAE and added a smiley face. She sent the message. “That’s it?” Rae was puzzled. She tucked the phone into her pocket when Molly handed it back to her. “Yup. Why write more? He gave you his number, now you’ve given him yours. The ball’s in his court.” Molly opened the door and dragged a box from around the corner into the room. “Here’s the parcel.” She sat in Rae’s desk chair. “If Luke replies right away with some flirty message, he’s a womanizer—like, he gives his number to every pretty girl he meets.” “It might also mean he’s excited I sent him a text. Now I don’t if I told him my full name.” She ed shaking hands, but did she say her name was Rae Kerrigan? No, she had told him Rae, but not her last name. It had happened right after Devon... Rae didn’t finish the thought. She stared at the box her uncle had shipped with blurred vision. Please don’t start crying. Please not now. I can’t explain that to Molly. It still hurt that she couldn’t even tell her best friend about the love of her life, not even now that it was over. It was all a mashup of worrying what Molly would think and do about it and worrying that, by telling her, Rae would put her in an uncomfortable or possibly dangerous situation. The one really important reason, though, that Rae only half itted to herself, was that she was afraid Molly would turn her back on her. She couldn’t lose her best friend. Molly can’t know, she can’t see. It helped stem the tide of tears before they started to fall. “Do you need scissors?” Molly opened the desk drawer and handed Rae a pair of scissors. She grabbed a nail file out of her purse and began filing her fingernails. Rae sniffed and concentrated on opening the box and not slicing her skin. She opened the top part and looked inside. There were hundreds of little bubblewrapped things with one large bubble- wrapped item. A white piece of paper lay taped to the large item. Rae opened it and saw her uncle’s handwriting: Rae,

Hope school is going well. Hard to believe you will be finishing soon. Congrats on the job offer with the Privy Council, I’m very proud of you. I told Aunt Linda that you have a job already lined up for graduation and you probably won’t be coming home this summer. She has it in her head to redecorate your old room. I thought you might like to have these with you. Love, Uncle Argyle Rae set the letter on her bed and used the scissors to open one of the small bubble-wrapped pieces. Inside lay a little porcelain gingerbread man. Uncle Argyle knew how much they meant to her. It was nice of him to send them. She’d have to call him later to thank him. “Cute!” Molly dropped onto the floor beside Rae. “It’s those little figurines your mother collected, right?” Rae nodded, afraid to speak, now ready to cry for a completely different reason. Molly, bless her, sensed it, too. “Oh, Rae.” Molly hugged her tight. The dam burst. Tears flooded her eyes and coursed down her cheeks. She buried her head against Molly’s shoulder and cried. Molly patted her back and let her weep. Devon had broken her heart and then she’d gone and spoken terribly about her mother to Jennifer. The little figurines were like Uncle Argyle’s unknowing message of making sure she knew who her mother was and how much she had sacrificed. She sniffed and leaned back to grab a Kleenex off her desk. “Sorry, Molls,” she mumbled, and blew her nose. “It’s okay. Why don’t I help you get these unpacked? You want to set them up here in your room? Keep the box and package them back up when you move. They’ll be easy to repack. What we should do is ask one of the cooks if they get egg cartons. They’d be so much easier to move that way.” They worked together in comfortable silence. Rae’s phone vibrated a few times but she didn’t feel like checking it. She just wanted to focus on doing this. She

needed this little moment of calm. Everything else could wait. When Rae set the last figurine into the miniature china cabinet and closed the door, Molly pulled her own phone out of her purse and started searching the internet. “There’s got to be information on these things. What did you say they were called again?” “Uncle Argyle called them whimsies. Whimsy figurines or something like that. There are nursery ones and animals, and a couple of really old ones.” She opened the little door again and pulled a figurine out. They’re called Wade.” “Here they are!” Molly waved the phone. “They’re made in Stoke-on-Trent. They still make them today.” She scrolled through the website. “Holy smokes! They’re pretty popular. There’s a Wade Club and everything... links to eBay, pictures of people’s collections.” Rae put the little animal figurine back into the case, and as she clicked the door closed a crinkling sound caught her attention. She moved her fingers, pressing against the back of the case. She’d just thought to hold it so she didn’t push too hard closing the door and topple the whole thing over. Another crinkle sounded. She stood on her toes and glanced at the back of the cabinet. Something was wedged between the case and its backing. There were two sheets of wood ing, one for the back and one to hold the mirror on the back wall of the cabinet. She pinched the little yellow triangle sticking out and pulled. A piece of paper came out, folded and yellow with age. “Hey,” Molly exclaimed, oblivious to what Rae had just found. “There’s a book called ‘The World of Wade’ and it has loads of photos on sets and collections. You can find out what your set is worth and if you need any figurines to complete the sets.” Molly paused when she noticed the paper. “Where did that come from?” “It was hidden in the back of the case. I’ve never seen it before. Maybe it came loose from shipping it from New York to England.” “What’s it say?” Rae unfolded the paper carefully, worried she might tear it. A small key fell out

and dropped to the floor. She picked it up and looked at it, then back at the paper. “There’s some code, I think.” “Maybe it’s a combination for a lock box somewhere.” Molly set her phone to camera. “Set it on the desk and I’ll take a picture. Maybe we can figure it out.” Rae held the paper close. She knew the writing was her mother’s. “I’m not sure.” Immediately realizing that Rae was worried it might have something to do with her father and his evil, Molly rolled her eyes. “I won’t tell anyone. Just keep it between you and me. You may work for the Privy Council, but they don’t own you.” Rae smiled. It never ceased to amaze Rae how Molly understood stuff sometimes. She set the paper on the desk and held the corners to try and straighten it. Molly took a few shots. “I’ll print this off and then delete the pictures. No one will know about it.” She tucked her phone into her purse and threw it over her shoulder. “Why don’t you write the Wade company in Stoke-on-Trent? Or we can drive over there and see if we can purchase a book? I’m sure they’ve got some kind of shop in town. That place is like home to all the potteries.” “I’d like that. I just don’t know when I’ll get the chance to go.” She had that mysterious assignment coming up with Julian. She had a feeling one of the phone vibrations she’d felt might be a message from Jennifer, or the Privy Council, on what they would be doing. “Easter’s coming up soon. You’ll have a few days off for sure and we can go then.” “You’d come with me?” She smiled when Molly nodded. “Of course! Now let’s head to the library to see if we can decipher the cryptic message.” Molly rubbed her hands together. “It’s like a secret mission. What if I solve some super-secret code, or it links us to loads of money or a Swiss bank , or a Nock List! You know, like Mission Impossible? I could be some secret undercover bolt of electricity. Maybe I should apply for a job at the Privy Council. This is so exciting!”

Rae nodded, her mind racing. She grabbed her backpack and had an idea of where to hide her father’s journal. Secrets from her mother, secrets from her father... if everything kept piling up, eventually it was going to have to come crashing down like a house of cards.

Chapter 8

Acceptance

RAE AND MOLLY HEADED down to the library on the first floor. Thankfully, everyone had better things to do on a Saturday afternoon and the place was empty. Molly printed off an enlarged copy of the note and handed it to Rae. “I’m deleting the pic from my phone now.” She giggled. “It seems like the double-ohseven thing to do. Wouldn’t want anyone to trace it. Make sure you hide the paper in a safe place where no one would look.” Rae nodded, trying to resist the urge to smile. It was hard not to. Molly would make a terrible spy. Or maybe Rae had it completely wrong and she would be perfect. “I’ll keep it in a safe place.” She planned to slip it into her father’s journal. Now she only needed to find the perfect hiding place for that. “Can you double-check that nothing is on the computer? I’m going to have a look for a book I need for a report I have to finish.” She headed absent-mindedly down an aisle while Molly went back to the computer. The moment Molly’s back was turned, Rae raced to another aisle and found herself in front of a row of Oxford English dictionary books. She grabbed the W to Z one, and with super speed stuffed her father’s journal inside it and then replaced it back on the shelf. Nobody used dictionaries these days. The internet was ten times faster and words beginning with W, X, Y or Z were probably the least searched. “Did you find it?” Molly called out. “Find what?” Rae slapped her forehead. “Yup, right here.” She grabbed a random book at the end of the row, near the top shelf. Molly shoved the chair back against the computer desk. “Nothing’s on here. I can’t wait to figure out the code.” Rae set the book she’d grabbed onto the desk. Organic Blueberries. “Don’t get your hopes up, it’s probably nothing.” “What’s nothing?” a male voice called from the doorway of the library. Rae and Molly stared at each other and mouthed at the same time. “Nic.” “A crappy sale on boots.” Molly pointed dramatically at the printed page and

Rae’s jacket. “Stuff it somewhere, I’ll stall him,” she whispered, then added loudly, “I thought the shop was clearing out, but it’s all crap.” She pretended to turn off the computer monitor. “What are you up to, Nic?” “Not much at the moment.” Nic found them and leaned against an antique case full of mismatched library books. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and tried to appear casual. Rae didn’t miss his over-trying. He had either heard them, or was hiding something himself. She threw her purse strap over her shoulder and felt her phone vibrate again. She’d forgotten to check her earlier messages from before as well. “Rae, how are you doing since everything... you know.” He looked at her but his eyes darted away when she met his gaze. “I’m all right. Still trying to get restocked on tatùs, but it’s coming along.” He held his arm out. “Do you need mine?” He pulled his arm back quickly and held it with his other hand. “You, uh, don’t have Kraigan’s ability to take a tatù now, do you?” Rae shook her head. “No, I’m just boring old me.” He grinned and finally met her gaze with his. “I’m glad.” His smiled faltered. “Not that you’re boring, you’re far from that. I just meant I’m glad you’re back to you.” He thrust his hand out again. “Just copy it. I’d be honored if you used my tatù.” Rae had a moment to wonder what was up with Nic, but when he offered for her to copy his tatù she was so relieved she didn’t question it. As soon as they touched, Molly stepped forward and slapped their hands away. “What’s up with you, Nic?” “Nothing. What’s up with you, Molly?” She shook a finger at him. “Don’t try to distract me. I’m on to you.” She glanced back at Rae and smiled, “This detective-thing is fun!”

Rae rolled her eyes at Nic, but Molly’s interruption had served to remind her that he seemed to be acting strange. Probably because of what had happened to me. She put the blueberry book into her backpack and slipped the printed pages Molly had done inside it. She slung her bag over her shoulder. Nic straightened and cleared his throat. “Do you guys want to go into town to grab something to eat? We’re heading out and figured we’d ask you if you wanted to come.” “How did you know we were in the library?” Molly tried raising one eyebrow, but she ended up having to hold the other one down with her finger. Rae coughed to hide her laughter. “I tried your dorms and then figured I’d check here.” Nic gave her a strange look, as if to show he had no idea what she was implying. “Who’s we? You said we.” Molly crossed her arms and began tapping her foot. Nic’s face burned a slight shade of red. The dim lights hid most of it, but Rae didn’t miss it. Suddenly Rae tuned into Devon’s tatù to hear his body’s response. If his heart sped up, she knew he was lying. “Just me. Look, you guys don’t have to come. It was a stupid idea.” “Ignore Molly. We’d love to tag along.” Rae shot Molly a warning glance. They followed Nic down the center aisle and out into the foyer of Aumbry Hall. The black and white marble floor sparkled in the late afternoon sun. A large rectangular part caught the brightness from the front doors. It made the center of the room bright and the sides unusually dark in the shadows. Rae froze when she sensed someone else in the room. She shot in front of Molly, squared her shoulders and dropped into a crouch, ready to pounce. “It’s okay, Rae. It’s okay.” Nic waved his hands to catch her attention. “Who’s here?” she demanded, her eyes narrowing. A ball of electricity formed in her hand. She hid it so the others wouldn’t see.

A chuckle echoed off the walls and the shadows merged into a single male. Riley. Rae glared at him. “What the heck are you doing here?” Molly pushed past Rae and tapped Riley on his chest. He’d bulked up since Rae had last seen him almost a year ago, since he’d betrayed her and pretended to hand her off to Lanford. She’d had the whole thing all screwed up, but Rae couldn’t be blamed. No one had seen it coming. Nearly everyone would have agreed with her that Lanford had been the good guy, except no one had ever bothered to ask what side he was on. “I’ve got the weekend off and figured I’d stop by and see the gang.” Riley stood, one foot on a bench. “Didn’t expect to find you two here on a Saturday night. No hot dates? Or are all the good-looking ones out of town?” Rae’s heart stuttered. Seeing him brought back memories of being imprisoned in the tower and nearly getting killed. She swallowed, trying to calm the anxiety creeping up and tightening her throat. She knew exactly what he implied when asking about the good-looking ones out of town. He had figured she had a crush on Devon back in her first year. That’s all he had, though. A hunch. She had no intention of giving him the satisfaction of knowing Devon was no longer interested. “My boyfriend lives out of town.” Molly crossed her arms over her chest and gave him the once over. “I didn’t know the Privy Council let rats out of their holes.” Rae blinked and nearly laughed out loud when Riley’s mouth dropped. He recovered quickly enough. “Did Rae give you an exaggerated of what happened before I left?” He glanced at Rae before shooting a grin at Molly. “When did you become her backbone?” Molly threw her hair back and laughed. “Oh, you’re so funny,” she faux-flirted, and tapped him on the shoulder. “Did you learn that at the Privy Council Academy?”

Riley shot back and hit the wall. It took Rae a moment to realize Molly had shocked him with her tatù. He straightened and moved out of Molly’s reach. “I’m not here to start a fight.” He held his hands up. “I just came over to have a good laugh. I’ve been stationed out of coun— town, and wanted to see my mates.” No one said anything. Rae focused on not having a panic attack and trying to think of ways she could “accidently” beat him. An idea popped into her head. Nic coughed, cleared his throat, and finally spoke up. “Do you guys want to come out for dinner with us? Riley’s treating.” He shot Riley a look for . Riley shrugged. “Whatever, I’ll treat.” Rae saw Molly glance at her for approval out of the corner of her eye. She tried to make her face as unreadable as possible. “Sure.” Nic smiled, his relief clearly evident. “Where do you want to go?” Riley led the way to the main door of Aumbry Hall as Molly slipped her purse over her shoulder and began walking with Nic, discussing where to eat. As Rae went past Riley, she slowed her gait so he could catch up. “You going to the Privy Council tomorrow?” she asked quietly. “I was just there. Had to debrief and go over a few things.” Riley’s eyes darted ahead to Nic and Molly. “Can they hear us?” Rae shook her head once, briefly. “I believe congratulations are in order.” “Yes, the Privy Council finally has me under their wing.” “More like the long arm of the law.” Rae pressed her eyebrows together. What did he mean by that? Last time she was around him, he had basically been willing to do anything to be a part of the PC team. Anything.

“Let’s just say it isn’t everything I thought it would be.” He pulled his keys out of his pocket. “I thought there’d be a lot more action. More excitement. It’s all kinda... boring.” Rae smirked. “I can spice it up.” Riley stumbled over his shoe, but quickly caught himself. “You’ve got my attention! I figured you’d be too ticked to talk but, wow Kerrigan, you’ve really changed. For the better, I might add.” It took everything not to roll her eyes. “Do you want to go to the PC gym tomorrow and do a little sparring?” The stupid glint in his eye annoyed her. “I’m trying to see if you want to do some training. You teach me a little. I teach you a little.” Riley threw his head back and laughed. “What are you going to teach me? I’ve got almost two years’ experience on you.” “I’m a Kerrigan, sweetie. You have nothing on me.” Rae knew exactly how to play her cards right. His eyebrows went up and he grinned. “Tomorrow?” He pulled his phone out and began texting. “I’ll get the gym reserved for us.” “Hey, Riley?” Molly called from where she and Nic stood, about fifty feet ahead of them. She pointed to the four-door Volvo beside her. “You going to unlock the doors for us? Or does this old family wagon not have an automatic locking system?” Riley grumbled and pulled the keys out of his pocket. “At least it’s paid for. Volvos are expensive, you know.” “If you ever have any car problems, let me know. My dad’s a mechanic.” “It runs fine!” Riley pressed his eyebrows together and looked at Nic. “You’re sitting in the front with me.” Molly and Rae got into the back seat and Riley headed away from the school and down the road. Rae listened to the conversation floating around her, her eyes drawn to the gates that led to the Privy Council as they drove past. She felt

Riley’s eyes on her and glanced at the rearview mirror to see him watching her. The other two engers were oblivious. She wasn’t sure what this was all about, but she was on her guard. “How’s school, Kerrigan?” Riley asked, cutting Molly off mid-sentence. “It’s fine.” “I heard you have some unexpected extended family.” Nic punched him in the arm. Always the gentleman. Rae shifted in her seat, wondering if she should ignore the comment or deal with it head-on. Devon wanted her to deal with her family and focus on the Privy Council. That was his reason for breaking up with her. She might as well accept what had happened and start focusing on herself. “You referring to Kraigan, my half-brother?” Molly’s eyes grew big, and Rae didn’t miss Nic’s shoulders tightening. Riley, having a disposition similar to his cheetah tatù, appeared unfazed. “Guess your father had a few more tricks up his sleeve, didn’t he? How’s your brother doing?” Maybe he doesn’t know the whole story. Or maybe he knows more and is testing to see what I know. These days it seemed everyone had an ulterior motive or was hiding something. She refused to be the victim. “I wouldn’t know. The Privy Council stepped in before I could kill him.” She ignored the gasp that escaped from Molly. “But not before I took his tatù.” Molly leaned forward, her eyes even bigger than before. Rae wondered if they might pop out of her head. “You tried to kill him?” At the same time, Nic said, “You took his power?” Rae shrugged, suddenly not sure if she might have just gotten in over her head. Molly knew bad stuff had happened, but she knew very little detail. Nic knew even less. She had no idea what Riley knew. Did the Privy Council talk about their people behind their backs? She doubted it. They probably preferred secrecy. Knowledge was power. She exhaled slowly and stared blankly out the window at the darkening sky. “Kraigan pretended he didn’t know what his tatù did. I think

he had a tattoo,” she emphasized the word so they could understand the difference, “put over top to cover his. I figured it out when he came after me.” After he went for Devon, she didn’t bother to add. “What was Kraigan’s ability?” Nic swiveled around so he could face her. “He could copy tatùs like my dad, but instead of mimicking them he stole them. Until he touched the next tatù.” “What happened then?” Molly asked. “Do you at the dance when Desiree was all upset?” Molly and Nic nodded. Riley asked, “Who’s Desiree?” “Kraigan took her tatù. I found her in the bathroom and she thought she’d lost her tatù. It came back when Kraigan touched someone else. I didn’t know until the night he came after me.” Molly’s hand covered her mouth as if a horrific thought just crossed her mind. “What did he do to your tatù?” She hesitated a moment too long; she could see it in their actions and facial expressions. “Nothing... now.” The car slowed and Riley turned in to an empty parking lot. He slammed on the brakes and the engine stalled. He didn’t seem to care. “What do you mean, now?” Rae rubbed her shoulder where the seatbelt had dug in from the sudden stop. “It’s no big deal. You didn’t have to stop the car.” Nic drummed his fingers against the dashboard. “It is a big deal. We’ve got these abilities, but have to be so hush-hush about it. Then when something bad happens, no one is allowed to ask questions. They tell us we can’t bother you or —” “Who says you can’t bother me?” Rae interrupted. “The school staff, the heaster.”

Rae pounded the seat. “I’m not a fragile kid! I’m not going to snap and turn into my father!” “We know.” Molly lightly touched Rae’s fist. Rae stopped punching the leather seat and took a deep breath, forcing herself to relax. “When did you find out Kraigan was my half-brother?” Rae asked Nic, thinking back to him punching Riley a few moments earlier. She hadn’t told anyone but Devon, Julian, and Carter. “While you were in the hospital, they held an assembly and told us.” “What else did they say?” Rae looked at Molly. Why didn’t you tell me? “They barely said anything. Only that Kraigan was Simon Kerrigan’s son and he’d tried to attack you. He died as a result of his injuries.” “What?” Rae yelled. She grabbed at the door handle. She had to get outside. The world began spinning and dots flitted across her vision.

Chapter 9

Distrust

KRAIGAN WAS DEAD? IMPOSSIBLE. The guy had been beaten up pretty badly, but nowhere near death. Rae finally got the door open and jumped out of the car. She began to pace, ignoring the other three as they stepped out of the car as well. Riley grabbed her hand. His tatù transferred to her and she felt his nervous energy. Like someone who had too much caffeine running through their system. She reacted instantly and shot a bolt of electricity at him, then wrenched hers free. He shook his hand but didn’t back down. “Slow down, Rae. Stop a moment.” Her chest heaved in and out as she glared at him. “I didn’t kill him!” “Nobody said you did.” Riley stood with his back to Molly and Nic. “It’s a cover-up. A lie,” he mouthed. Rae buried her head in her hands. Why hadn’t she thought of that? Idiot! She dropped her shoulders and stopped pacing. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to overreact.” “What did Kraigan do to you?” Nic shook his head and came around to hug her. “If he wasn’t dead, I’d kill him myself.” “Thanks, Nic.” His tatù zinged through her. She felt the familiar strings that had been missing the past few weeks. It felt good to be slowly filling the holes Kraigan had created. Rae tried to smile and had to fight to keep the tears inside. She thought of Devon, and knew if he were here he would be standing where Nic was. She appreciated Nic’s concern, but needed Devon’s arms. Riley tossed his keys in the air and easily caught them. “Doesn’t seem like quite the atmosphere for us to be sitting in a restaurant now. Maybe we should order take-out and head back to Guilder?” Molly shoved her hands into her pockets. “There’s a fish and chips take-away not far from here. We could do that?”

“With beer I hope,” Riley muttered. Rae’s tatù switched and she heard him clearly. She had no intention of letting him bring any booze onto campus, especially if they ended up in her dorm room. “What did you say?” Riley glanced up and quickly looked away. He walked back around the car to the driver’s side. “I said ‘I hope it’s beer-battered’.” “It is!” Molly followed him into the car, sitting behind him again. “Their batter recipe is sooo good. Good chips, too. I think they use peanut oil or almond or something like that. You aren’t allergic to nuts, are you? I have an uncle who is and this one time he ordered fish from some fry guy at the market and next thing you know, his tongue is the size of a cow’s...” Nic looked at Rae and rolled his eyes. Thankfully the car door closed and muffled Molly’s voice. “You going to be okay?” “I-I think so.” Rae stepped back, embarrassed by the scene she had just made. Here she had been trying to act all cool and show off in front of Riley, and it had all backfired. “You’re going to be working for the Privy Council soon, right?” Nic made no move to get into the car. “I’ve already started training.” Rae didn’t care if he knew. He’d be there by graduation, if not before, with his MacGyver tatù. “Do they set you up with a counselor or someone to talk to?” Nic looked at her with sincerity and concern in his eyes. He is so sweet and gentle, she thought. “I don’t think so. They haven’t mentioned anything.” With her family history and recent events, one would think they’d have ten doctors lined up for her. “Well, I’m not a psych guy, but I am a friend. If you ever need... you know... you can talk to me. I won’t tell a soul.” Rae felt herself smile. “Thanks, Nic. I appreciate it. I may take you up on that.” He glanced back at the car. “Good. You don’t babble like Molly, do you?”

“I might, once I get started.” She shivered. “Let’s go get some food before Riley throws Molly out.” Once inside, Riley turned the Volvo around and stopped just before pulling back onto the road. “What did Kraigan do to your tatù? If you answer, I won’t bug you again about it tonight.” “Ignore him,” Nic said to Rae. To Riley he said, “You’re still going to bug her.” “I kind of want to know, too,” Molly piped in. “Is your tatù broken now? Did he take yours and then die? No wait, you still have your abilities. I—” Rae cut her off. “Kraigan went to mimic my tatù but something went wonky. Each time he touched me, he could mimic the tatù I was using. I don’t know if it’s because our dad is the same guy or what, but each time he went to copy one of my abilities I would lose it completely. It wasn’t like with the others. They didn’t come back.” “Seriously?” Riley asked. “Yeah. I basically ran out while we fought. I’m not some indestructible machine. My tatù has weaknesses just like everyone else’s.” “But you still have abilities. I’ve seen you use them.” Molly pointed to herself, referring to her tatù. “I have to restock, I guess. Each time I touch someone, their tatù comes back to me. I picked up Nic’s and Riley’s while we were outside.” “I didn’t even notice!” Nic shook his head. “You could have mimicked it right away, I wouldn’t have cared.” “Some people might. Plus, I don’t want everyone to know what happened. I don’t think sharing about my weakness is the smartest thing.” Molly nodded, concern and determination on her face. “Especially with your bad track record of people coming after you. Who knows who else your dad created to go after you.” “Molls!” Rae stared in amazement at her friend. She’d never said anything so

negative to her before. Molly patted her knee. “I’ll keep your secret. You can count on me.” Riley cleared his throat, probably trying to hide his laughter. He shifted the car into drive and flipped his blinker on. After they ordered dinner and drove back to the dorms, Molly and Nic began arguing if they should eat in her room or his. Rae tuned out the discussion and pulled her phone out. She made sure the copy of the note her mother had made stayed hidden and then checked the messages on her phone. There were four. Her heart sped up and she quickly clicked on the oldest one. Jennifer sent the first: Rae, you need to get in touch with Julian. Carter said you have his info. He will pick you up Monday at 0500hrs. That’s AM. Don’t be late. I want to train tomorrow at 1000hrs. See you then (don’t be late again). Rae glanced up at Riley. She wanted to train with him. She smiled. “Hey, Riley? Does ten tomorrow morning work?” She figured she shouldn’t say anything else and hoped Nic and Molly wouldn’t start asking questions. Thankfully they didn’t. Riley looked at her in his rearview mirror. “Sure.” Then he turned to Nic and asked how classes in the Oratory were going with Carter as the new teacher. Rae replied to Jennifer with an ‘ok’ and skipped to the next message. It was from a number she didn’t recognize. Hi, Rae! So glad you kept my number. She realized it was from Luke and continued to read. A couple of friends and I are going to the Twisted Cork in town to hang out tomorrow night. It’s a bar/club that has a dancefloor n stuff. Do you and any gal-pals want to meet there? LUKE If she didn’t know what to do with Jennifer’s text, she had absolutely no idea

what to say to Luke. Maybe Molly... She tapped her friend on the shoulder and held the phone up so Molly could see the message. Molly squealed and pounded her feet against the floor. “I told you he would reply!” “Who? What?” Riley asked. “No one.” Rae tried to grab the phone out of Molly’s hand, but she kept it out of reach. Molly gave her the phone back and grinned. “It’s a guy who likes Rae.” “Is he tatùed?” “Riley!” Molly hit the back of his headrest. “Of course not! Do you not know Rae?” “I guess not.” Riley glanced at Rae from the corner of his eye. Rae ignored him and leaned toward Molly. She whispered, “I was just going to ask you what I should say.” “Tell him we’ll go. I want to meet him.” Rae cringed. Why did Molly not have a quiet button? “I can’t tomorrow,” she said firmly, hoping Molly wouldn’t ask why. Riley pulled into Guilder’s drive. Rae went to put her phone away. Her thumb swiped across the screen and it flashed on. She still had two unread messages. She checked who they were: Julian, and Jennifer again. Riley parked the car and everyone got out. Molly and Rae led the way with the boys carrying the food just behind them. Nic and Riley were having some silly argument about a football match. As they walked toward Joist Hall ing Aumbry Hall, Rae’s tatù switched. Her hearing and sight sharpened. The others were oblivious, even Riley. She quickened her pace ever so slightly so she was half a step ahead of Molly. Her heart increased its rhythm as her eyes darted everywhere. She noticed the

shadow in the gardens and bushes just past Aumbry Hall. She pretended to turn her head to ask the boys a question, her eyes on the spot where she’d seen the person hiding. They rounded the corner and the image disappeared from her vision. When they crossed the road to Joist Hall, Rae slapped her forehead. “You guys go on up, I’ll be there in a moment. I just have to make a call from my dorm room.” Molly elbowed her playfully and winked at Nic and Riley. “Might as well give her fish and chips to her. Chances are she won’t be back for a bit.” Luckily Nic didn’t argue and handed her a brown paper bag. She darted back to the sidewalk and the way they had just come, and when the others disappeared into Joist Hall Rae used the leopard tatù to move fast. She ran around the small building beside Aumbry Hall and along the grass to where the person had been hiding. No one was going to hurt her friends. Not on her watch. The person stood hiding in the same spot as she approached, but she couldn’t make out who it was because of the dark sky and thick bushes hiding their face. Plus, their back was to her. She raised her arm, switching to Molly’s tatù, ready to throw something electric at them the moment they moved. The person finally turned around when she was a few feet away from them. She froze when she recognized who it was. Her hand hung poised to throw, while the other dropped her food into the garden.

Chapter 10

Ground Control

DEVON. One part of her wanted to throw the ball of electricity, the other wanted to wrap her arms around him. She blurted, “What’re you doing here?” He had the decency to look totally embarrassed. “I don’t normally take off and hide in bushes.” He glanced at her right hand. “Do you mind putting that down? You’re making me kinda nervous.” She looked and realized she had glowing blue and yellow lights sparking out of her fingers forming a ball. “Oops.” She fizzled them out and dropped her hand. It felt warm so she shook it in the breeze. Devon walked the short distance between them and Rae’s breath caught in her throat. It felt like she hadn’t seen him in ages and he looked so good. “I’m sorry,” he said. Her heart wanted to burst. He’d realized the mistake he had made and had come back to ask her to forgive him. He bent down and straightened, trying to hand her something. “Sorry. I hope I didn’t ruin your dinner.” Oh. Oh! She could feel her eyes grow big as she realized his apology had been meant for that. “I-It’s fine.” She swallowed. “Why are you back? At the train station...” She trailed off, unsure if talking about it might be taboo. “I thought you were going to be gone for a while.” “So did I.” He shrugged, looking as uncomfortable as she felt. “It got cut short. Carter needs Julian to go on some mission with you, so I came back with him.” Rae nodded, trying not to focus on his bright blue eyes and handsome face. If she could get him to smile, maybe she’d get to see his dimple one last time. Stop it! Just act normal. “Why were you spying on me?” Real normal, Rae. Real normal. “Spying?” He pointed his thumb behind him to where he had been standing and

looked back at it. “I didn’t... I wasn’t... I-I needed... I went for a walk and heard you guys coming up the sidewalk from the parking lot. I got nervous and didn’t know what to do. I panicked.” “So you hid?” Rae stared at him. Devon, of all people, knew she would sense something was off. “I thought it would be better if you didn’t see me. I wasn’t sure how you were doing and didn’t want to upset you.” “I’m not some delicate flower.” She didn’t know how she would have reacted if she’d seen him on the sidewalk with the others around, but knowing that he hid from her made her angry. Maybe he hid not for her but because of her. Maybe he couldn’t handle seeing her. “I never thought that. I just...” He shrugged and shoved his hands into his pocket. “I didn’t expect you to ambush me and then come after me with an electric shock ball.” He grinned. “Nice move by the way. Is that from Molly?” Rae nodded. “Did she teach you that?” “No. I don’t even know if she knows she can do it. I didn’t know. Tonight’s the first time. I thought you were somebody else.” Devon’s eyebrows pressed together and he tilted his head slightly. “Who? Did Carter say someone’s after you?” “No.” Rae’s chest tightened. “Did he say that to you? So help me, if people are keeping secrets from me again...” She clenched her hands, letting her nails dig into her skin. It hurt, but at least it felt real. “It’s okay, Rae,” Devon said softly. “I haven’t heard anything. I was just worried... for a sec.” The kindness in his voice hurt because she knew they weren’t meant to be special words just for her. Not anymore. Suddenly she didn’t want to be here, alone with him, for a second longer than she had to. “You don’t have to anymore. I’m fine.” She took a wide step in an effort to move around him, not

trusting herself to hold it together if she smelled his cologne or touched him. “I’m going in. Crazy busy day tomorrow.” “Sure.” He stepped away as if scared they might touch as well. It only served to add to the ball of anger and hurt feelings rolling around inside her. She knew there was no point in dragging this out, and what she really wanted was to be alone to have a chance to let it all out. She wanted to be done with all the feelings, hurt or otherwise. Maybe if she could get rid of all the feelings, she wouldn’t feel so awful anymore. Rae headed past him and toward Aumbry’s concrete steps. “Hey, Devon?” “Yeah?” He stood on the sidewalk, quickly swinging around when she called out. “You don’t have to try to avoid me. We both live at Guilder and work with the PC, so it’s going to get tiresome trying to look the other way. Maybe we can figure out how to be friends somehow.” “Okay.” He looked at her a long moment. “Goodnight, Rae.” He turned and began walking away with his head down. Rae wished she could see inside that head and see what he was thinking. “Goodbye, Devon,” she whispered, not sure he heard her. Inside Aumbry Hall she raced up the stairs using a tatù, and once inside her room leaned her back against the closed door. Her body slid down to the floor and she buried her face against her knees. She had no idea how she was going to get through the rest of this year. It seemed utterly impossible. She dug through her backpack to find a Kleenex, her fingers brushing against the organic blueberry library book. She pulled back and popped her finger into her mouth when she got a paper cut from a corner that was sticking out. She stretched her backpack completely open and saw the piece of paper sticking out from the book, realizing that it was a copy of her mother’s note. She pulled it out, unfolded it, and then laid it between her knees. Knowing now that her mother had worked for the Privy Council, she wondered if this was a secret message supposed to go to them years ago. Or could it be something else?

She stared at the weird marks and tried to find some kind of pattern. Nothing. Concentrating on this and trying to figure it out seemed a lot easier than dealing with Devon and her feelings for him. She turned the paper upside down and then sideways, but still no luck. It was like trying to read ancient Egyptian or some foreign language. Rae tilted her head and got up from sitting on the floor. She went over to the desk. What if it’s a code? Maybe only some of the markings are the important ones. She seriously considered taking the copy to Jennifer the next day, realizing having an ally would speed up the process of deciphering the code, but then decided against it. Riley would be there as well, and she had no intention of letting him see it. She told herself that the code had been in hiding for who knows how long. It probably meant nothing now. If it sat for another week or two, nothing bad would come of it. She stared hard at it again, trying to will the answer to come to her. “I give up.” She opened her desk drawer and put in the printed copy and the book on top of it. Her stomach growled. The fish and chips! The brown paper bag lay on the floor, dirt on the bottom of the bag and oil stains making their way through the thin paper. She pulled out the newspaper- wrapped box which contained the fish, and made a face. It was cold and no longer had the freshly fried smell from the chip shop. However, hunger was hunger. It just needed a little heating up. She put the fish and chips on a plate and warmed it in the microwave, and also reheated the curry and poured it over top. It didn’t taste as good as it should, but it wasn’t half bad. She put the leftovers and garbage back into the paper bag and slipped down the stairs to throw the bag in the bin outside. Not going to stink up my room. “Rae!” She jumped at the sound and swung in the direction of the voice, the fennec fox tatù automatically kicking in. “Molly?” Molly walked up the concrete steps. “You okay?” “I’m fine. Just tired.” “I thought so, but I came back to check on you.” They walked into Aumbry Hall

together. “What time we going tomorrow night?” “Tomorrow night?” “Yeah, to the Twisted Cork to see Luke.” Shoot! Forgot about that. How bad is it that my best friend is more excited about the boy who hit on me than I am? “Oh, yeah. I forgot. I have to leave early Monday morning, so I wasn’t planning on going.” Molly linked her arm with Rae’s as they walked up to their floor. “You are not missing this opportunity.” An image of Devon popped into her head. She wondered what he was doing right now. “I’m not—” “We’re going.” She didn’t have the energy to argue. “Fine. But we’re not staying late.” “You still have Julian’s car?” Rae nodded. Devon said he came back with Julian. She should text Julian later tonight or tomorrow. Maybe she would talk to Carter about getting a car. She didn’t need something fast or fancy, but she would need one. “Awesome!” Molly danced down the hall to her room just down from Rae’s. Rae unlocked her room. “Molls, I’m heading to bed. I’ll see you after my morning training session.” “Call me when you get in. I’ll help you pick out what you’re going to wear.” Rae laughed to herself. “Help” nothing. Molly hadn’t changed since her first days at Guilder. She was still the fashion queen. Rae knew Molly would have all the control in the clothes-choosing. Rae barely needed to be there for it.

IN THE GYMNASIUM THE next morning, Rae rubbed her eyes and yawned. She had slept lousy, woke early, and decided to head over to the gym early so Jennifer had nothing to complain about. But once there, all she wanted was to go back to bed. She stretched her arms over her head and yawned again for the hundredth time. The clock on the wall showed it just half-past nine. As if on cue, Jennifer came through the doors that led into the PC building and Riley walked through the main entrance doors. Both stopped short and eyed each other up and down. Jennifer, wearing spandex instead of the usual leather but still in black, spoke first, “What’re you doing here?” Riley glanced at Rae so quickly she almost missed it. “Rae asked me to come. She said she needed help.” I did not! Rae pushed away from the wall and walked so she stood in the middle of the two of them, but she quickly realized if she didn’t play along she wouldn’t find out what Riley was trying to pull over. “The more the merrier, right?” Jennifer flicked her hand. “Whatever. Let’s get started.” She turned and headed toward a storage room door that Rae hadn’t noticed the last time she was in the gym. She realized some of the blue padded mats on the wall were down and behind two of them stood the steel doors. Jennifer went inside and pulled out a cart. She obviously came here last night to get stuff ready. Rae glanced at Riley, who grinned and rubbed his hands together. “This should be fun,” he said. “What kind of combat have you done?” “Besides fighting Kraigan?” Rae asked. And fighting to save Devon’s butt... “None. I did some sparring with Devon and Julian a bit at the beginning of the year, but haven’t had much else.” Jennifer had gone back into the storage room to grab some other items and came back out with some wooden sticks that looked like bamboo nunchucks.

Rae’s forehead furrowed in confusion. Those things aren’t going to last five minutes. Jennifer tossed one at her and one at Riley. “Button’s on the bottom, Rae.” She turned to Riley. “Don’t go easy on her. If she gets hurt, she can heal herself.” She grabbed a stool from the top of her cart and set it on the floor before sitting on it. Rae turned the light bamboo stick over and shook her head. “It’s hollow and empty. What am I supposed to d—” An odd humming sound came from Riley’s stick, cutting Rae off. He grinned wickedly at her. “Laser swords.” He held it with one hand and swished it through the air. “You’re holding it upside down.” As he spoke he began charging toward her, laser aimed right at her. Rae’s tatù switched to match Riley’s and she began running away from him in a zigzag line so he wouldn’t slice her in half. The guy had a weird gleam in his eyes, like he enjoyed scaring the crap out of her. A moment of dread erupted in the pit of her stomach and it felt like Kraigan chasing after her all over again. Argh! Riley! He probably likes scaring everyone. Psycho! She quickly veered right before she crashed into the wall. She managed to turn the bamboo stick over and felt the nearly invisible rubber button with her thumb. She pressed it hard and felt a vibration down the stick as the laser sword slid out. She increased her speed, and concentrated on where she was heading inside the gym. I wanted Riley here to exact payback from last year... not to be running away from him like a scared rabbit. A noise cut through the air close behind her. She didn’t have time to glance back, but knew he was closing in. She needed to be the hunter, not the hunted. Frantically she tried to figure out what options she had in the rapidly diminishing space between herself and the corner of the gym. She cut a wide right and curved back around to the corner of the gym. Riley snorted conceitedly behind her. She could almost picture the smirk on his face, and planned to wipe it off. She drove her knees high and ran three steps up the wall before rolling into a back flip. She landed just behind him. Perfect. Riley skidded and stumbled as he tried to stop. Even with his tatù he couldn’t get his hand with the laser sword around fast enough. His wrist crashed into the

corner of the gym and the laser sword went flying from the impact. Rae touched his shoulder with her sword. “Gotcha.” He howled then dropped to the floor, writhing and grabbing at his shoulder. Jennifer pushed past Rae and dropped down beside Riley. “Calm down. Stop screaming like a little girl!” She moved his hand. The smell of burnt flesh filled Rae’s nostrils. She gagged and covered her mouth and nose with the inside of her elbow, at the same time dropping her laser to the floor. It shut off instantly, as if automatic. Riley’s shirt was torn at his shoulder and singed into his skin. His wailing had turned into moans, but he let Jennifer check his shoulder. Oh crap, did I do that? “I’m so sorry, Riley. I didn’t know these things were real.” She glared at Jennifer’s back. “You’d think the instructor would have warned the student.” Jennifer effortlessly sat Riley up. She pointed to the cart she’d pulled out earlier. “Grab me a towel and the first-aid kit, will you?” Rae stomped over to the cart and found the requested materials. She forcefully stuffed the towel into Jennifer’s hand and dropped the first-aid kit onto the floor by her feet. “This kind of training has to be illegal! You told Riley to show no mercy to me!” Jennifer had opened the first-aid kit, and put some weird cream then some gauze on Riley’s shoulder. She pressed the towel on top and pulled a roll of wrapping tape out. Using her teeth and one free hand, she unrolled a stretch and taped it diagonally from Riley’s shoulder, around his ribcage, and over his back. She repeated it a number of times before tearing the tape and tossing the roll back into the first-aid box. Then, and only then, did she turn to face Rae’s anger. “Of course I did. You can heal yourself.” “Not if he killed me! What if he stabbed me in the heart or cut my head off by mistake?” Her mouth dropped and her hands automatically went to the sides of her face. “What if I had done that? I would have killed him!” She had wanted him to suffer for tricking her before, but not this kind of suffering.

“You didn’t. That’s not in your nature. You’re not going to the dark side anytime soon.” “I had no idea these things were actually real! I could have done it as a joke and his bloody head would be rolling on the floor right now!” She realized she was beginning to hyperventilate, and she couldn’t stop picturing the other gruesome possible outcomes of the situation. She focused on slow breaths through her mouth and forcing them out her nose. Riley chuckled, and grinned at her. “It literally would’ve been a bloody head.” He raised his eyebrows when she didn’t laugh. “You know, you said bloody head and my stumping head would have blood gushing out of it.” “It’s not funny!” Rae shook her head. “You people are crazy.” Jennifer stood, wiping her hands clean with a towelette-looking cloth. “I apologize. I guess I should have warned you. I didn’t think you’d get the first hit in, let alone corner him so easily.” She looked at Riley as if to ask him how he let Rae beat him, like he should be ashamed of himself. Riley stood, favoring his injured shoulder. “I should have realized she wouldn’t be that easy to catch. It’s hard to get past thinking of her as anything but sweet, naïve Rae. If you met her last year you would never have thought of her as a Kerrigan—as the Kerrigan.” “I’m not naïve, or sweet, and don’t you ever refer to me that way again.” Using her foot, she tapped the end of her bamboo stick on the floor. It flew up and she kicked it high enough to catch it. She flipped it on and spread her feet shoulderwidth apart, feeling her shock and anger still coursing through her system. She figured why not use it “I see you’re feeling better. Do you wanna go again? I’ll even give you a three-second head start.” Rae was shocked by the ferocity of her desire to keep going. Where was this ferocious demon inside her coming from? Did it really matter? She liked the power she felt from behind it. It burned deep inside her. I’m not afraid. I have nothing to lose anymore. Jennifer moved from where she stood. It took Rae a moment to realize she had done an aerial and landed mere inches away from Rae. With incredible speed, she grabbed Rae’s wrist and easily twisted the sword out of her grasp. “No need to show off your skills anymore. You’ve proven you’re ready to go out in the field.”

Rae rubbed her aching wrist. “I got lucky. I haven’t proven anything.” She knew it was the truth. Jennifer smiled—a real smile. Rae realized that little gem didn’t happen very often. She suddenly wanted to earn that approval more than once. “You’re ready,” Jennifer said. “Either natural instinct guides you, or your tatùs do. Doesn’t matter which. It works.” Riley cleared his throat. “If you don’t need me for any more training today, I’m going to shower and see if the ointment cauterized the wound.” “We’re done.” Jennifer’s military, unreadable facial expression returned. Rae turned to follow Riley. “Not you, Rae. I want to talk to you.” Crap! Rae stopped and touched Riley. “Sorry again.” He shrugged, grimacing and touching his shoulder. “Don’t be. I kinda deserved it. Think we can call it even now?” “For now.” Rae winked. Riley leaned close to her ear. “I’ll be fine. That salve stuff was made by the guy who created the laser swords. The cut and burn will be gone by supper. I’ll be a hundred percent for the Twisted Cork later.” He jogged away before she could reply and disappeared through the door. Great. Molly asked him to go. Who else is coming along? Hopefully not Julian or, worse, Devon. “Earth to Rae! You still here?” Rae blinked and blinked again. She turned back to Jennifer. “I’m here.” Jennifer picked up Riley’s laser sword and tossed it perfectly onto the cart. “Tomorrow’s mission shouldn’t be too difficult. You and Julian are going to

break into a museum and retrieve an item.” “What?” Not difficult? “With Julian’s ability, he’s going to guide you in and disarm the security code. You run in, grab the item, and basically dash back out.” “I have Julian’s ability. He can’t disarm a code with it.” “Apparently he’s done it before.” Jennifer walked over to the cart and retrieved a rolled-up poster. She squatted down on the floor and unrolled it to reveal blueprints for a museum in London. “You guys will drive to the train station tomorrow, take the train into London, and visit the museum during the day to do recon. Then you’ll leave. Once the museum closes, you’ll go in.” Rae stared at the architectural drawing. “What the heck am I supposed to be stealing?” “Borrowing. You are going to borrow it and the next night go back in and return it.” Rae shook her head. “Seriously?” Jennifer glanced up from where she was. “Of course.” Is she crazy? Maybe this would end up being some kind of initiation test. “Fine.” Jennifer tapped a circled item in one of the rooms on the blueprint. “There’s an old book here. You need to retrieve page thirty-seven. You’ll tear it out and take it with you.” “Why can’t someone just go in and take a photo of the page with a phone or something? Seems a whole lot easier.” “The book’s in a glass cube to protect it from the elements. And it’s not opened to page thirty-seven.”

“So I’m just going to go in, lift the glass, take the page, and go?” Stupid, stupid mission. “And put the glass back on. Don’t forget to turn it back to the page it’s on. Next night you’ll return it. Or the same night if you’re quick enough.” There was the slight gleam of a challenge in her eye. “We’ll see.” Thank goodness Julian would be there with her. “You think you can handle this?” “Do I have a choice?” Jennifer’s look went from light challenge to darkening thunder clouds in about two seconds. Whoops, wrong answer. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.” Jennifer clapped her hands. “Good. Then we’re done here. I’ll see you Tuesday or Wednesday for the debriefing.” As much as Rae wanted to ask Jennifer what the debriefing involved, she held off and decided asking Julian would be a hundred times easier. “Okay. See you... next time.” Jennifer began moving the cart back into the storage room, so Rae waved goodbye to her back and headed out of the gym. She had heavy things on her mind anyway. She had to go meet a boy and pretend to like it.

Chapter 11

The Twisted Cork

“LET’S DANCE!” MOLLY yelled above the music. Rae had survived Molly’s dressing her and the ride to the place without showing any of the heartache she was still feeling. She had arrived actively seeking an early escape. However, the longer she let the beat pound through her the less she felt like escaping. She stared at the people around her, waiting to see how the battle of wills between Molly and the boys played out. The three boys shook their heads. Nic and Charlie looked mortified at the thought. Not so much Riley, but he seemed to still be favoring his shoulder. A twinge of guilt ran through Rae. “Suit yourselves.” Molly grabbed Rae’s hand and pulled her to the dancefloor. “Shame the boys don’t want to dance.” Rae moved and enjoyed the loud music bouncing against her chest. Between today’s training incident and tomorrow’s breaking and entering job, she needed to let loose. She fixed her skirt, trying to pull it down a bit more. Molly had picked out something shorter and tighter than Rae felt comfortable in. She had held her tongue when Molly gushed about spending the whole morning shopping for clothes for them to wear tonight. “Not really.” Molly’s eyes ran across the club, in time with the flashing lights. “It’s a real shame Luke isn’t here yet. He did say he was bringing some friends, right?” “That’s what the text said.” Rae tried unsuccessfully tucking a chunk of hair behind her ear. Molly continued to follow the lights around the room, turning around to see the other side of the benches and by the bar. She swung her hips to the beat of the music. A strange, slightly creepy guy about Rae’s age strutted over to her. He began dancing with them and raised his hands in the air. “A pretty little thing like you should wear your hair up, show off your face.” He reached over and touched her hair. Rae jumped back, startled that the guy had touched her. He, however, didn’t miss a beat and recovered the distance between them.

“All right, pal,” another male voice said from behind the weirdo. “It’s time to leave.” A hand grabbed the guy’s shirt near his collar and tried to pull him away. The creepy guy jerked out of reach and ended up pushing himself right into Rae. She stumbled and fell forward, managing to hold her balance by grabbing a nearby railing. “I’m so sorry, are you okay?” Rae, her hair covering her face, thought she recognized the voice. He wasn’t one of her Guilder friends. “I’m fine.” She straightened and flipped her hair back. The creep elbowed past her and went after the knight who had come to her defense. He managed to connect his fist to the knight’s jaw. “Hey!” Rae yelled. As the creep turned around she punched him hard in the face, somewhere by his nose and eye. Maybe both, she wasn’t quite sure, but by the sudden stream of blood gushing from his nostrils she had the feeling she had broken something. Especially since she’d added a bit of a tatù when she’d connected, hoping to knock him off his feet. Two large bouncers appeared and dragged the creep away. The knight who had stood to protect her rubbed his jaw and looked at her. “Thank you for defending my honor.” It was Luke. Café Luke. Rae grinned and shrugged, exhilarated that the freaky moment was over. “Pretty little thing like you, it’s the least I can do.” He grinned. “I recognized you from over there,” he explained, pointing to where a group of people sat laughing, clapping and pointing at him. “That guy’s a bit of a regular. We call him the ‘groper’ and when he headed over toward you...” He smiled, his lower lip swelling slightly. “It’s nice to see you, Rae.” Rae smiled, liking the way he said her name. “I think we should get you some ice, Luke.” Molly suddenly appeared at her side again. “Luke? You’re Rae’s Luke? I’ve been scanning the club looking for you.” She popped her head over Rae’s shoulder and squinted. “You are cute.”

Luke grinned, looking quite chuffed. Rae felt her cheeks burn and was suddenly thankful for the semi-dark room and flashing blue strobe lights to hide it. “I’ll go get you some ice,” she said again. “I’m fine, but I could use something cold to drink.” He rubbed his jaw and smiled at her. “I think I bit the inside of my cheek.” “Get Rae to kiss it better.” Molly giggled, saying it quietly so only Rae would hear her. Rae elbowed her in the ribs and smiled at Molly’s ‘oof!’ Luke and Rae walked to the bar while Molly made her way back to the table where the Guilder boys sat. Rae could only imagine what tale she was telling them. Everything had happened so quickly Rae wondered if they had even seen it. Surely Nic would have been there ready to fight if he had. Luke ordered a Coke with extra ice. “Do you want anything?” “Maybe a lemonade?” Thank goodness he ordered something non-alcoholic. Less pressure for her. He ordered her a lemonade and pulled two stools over for them to sit on. He took a swig and crunched on an ice cube a moment before speaking. “The guy you borrowed the car from, is he here?” He nodded in the direction Molly sat with Nic, Charlie, and a scowling Riley. “No.” Rae turned her back so she couldn’t see them. Luke smirked. “Then apparently you have a list of irers. Guess I should just get in line.” Horrified, Rae shook her head hard. “No! They’re all buddies from school.” “That was my next question. What year are you in?” “I graduate in a couple of months.” “Cool. I bet you’re looking forward to that. Do you have plans when you

graduate?” He made a face. “I mean, of course you have plans. Ignore my question. It sounds like I’m drilling you on your future.” He took a long drink and crushed another ice cube. Poor guy. He’s trying. Rae totally understood the awkwardness and not knowing the best way to say things. “It’s fine. I am looking forward to being done with schoolwork, but I like school at the same time.” If he asked her where she went, should she tell him? I guess it doesn’t matter. Everyone here thinks Guilder’s super prestigious for all the wrong reasons anyway. “What about you, are you still in school?” He gave her an appreciative smile. “I graduated last spring. I ed the work force right away, actually a couple months before I finished school. And when I graduated, they offered me a full time job.” “Where do you work?” He chuckled. Rae tilted her head, confused. She hadn’t asked him a funny question. “I’m sorry. I love your accent. It’s super cute. You sort of sound American, but with some kind of hidden Scottish or English bit mixed in. I feel like asking you a million questions just to hear you talk.” Rae knew she was blushing again. She could feel the heat on her cheeks and the weird inner feeling that came along with it. “I was born in England and moved to New York when I was a kid.” “So your family’s in America? Are you going to stay here or head home?” His face turned concerned that he might miss out on the opportunity of hanging with her. “I’m staying. I’m kinda like you and have a job lined up... when I graduate.” She blinked, worried he would ask her what kind of job. She quickly covered her tracks. “Or I might just go to university and hang out at school for another four years. I have no idea what I want to do, except I know I don’t want to go back to America.” There. That should turn the conversation in a safe direction. “Cool. I’m glad you’ll be around.” He winked at her. “Just in case the “groper”

comes back and I need your services again.” Molly sidled up and put her hand on Rae’s shoulder. “I’m totally sorry to interrupt...” Rae and Luke both looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to finish the sentence. Rae made a conscious effort not to roll her eyes heavenward. “Molls, this is Luke. Luke, this is my best friend, Molly.” She held her hand out and Luke shook it. She gave him a huge grin. “It’s great to meet you, again. When Rae told me some guy had given her his number at a café, I was a little skeptical. There are a lot of weirdos out there, so I wasn’t sure she should even respond, but she was all gung-ho about sending you a text. I even suggested getting a burner phone to be on the safe side.” Her head moved up and down as she chattered away. “I’m glad she ignored my warnings and sent you a message.” She put a hand to the side of her mouth. “She managed to save your ass tonight. Not bad, eh?” Rae leaned forward and tapped Molls on the shoulder, sending a little electric shock through her finger to her friend. She smiled innocently when Molly jerked in surprise. “Whoops. Sorry about that. The air must be dry in here.” She planned to send a few more of those on their ride home as payment for the tall tale Molly had just weaved. Luke’s eyes flitted back and forth between the two girls. Like most of the human population, he obviously didn’t know how to respond to Molly. “I-I’m glad she texted me.” A quiet cough sounded from behind Rae. She turned around and saw Nic. Molly slapped her forehead. “Oops! I forgot.” Nic cleared his throat again. “Hi! Sorry to bug you guys.” He glanced at Luke. “I’m Nic, by the way.” “Luke.” Nic nodded. “I feel bad interrupting you, but we need to get going. Riley’s feeling like trash.”

Rae glanced around Nic to the table where Riley had been sitting. It sat vacant now. “Is he okay?” She slid off her seat. “I think so, but Charlie took him outside.” “He looked like he was going spew everywhere a moment ago.” Molly pretended to shudder. “That’s why I came over here.” It’s from that stupid laser sword. Rae chewed her fingernail. An old habit she obviously hadn’t broken. “We should go, then.” “I can give you and Molly a lift back if you want to stay,” Luke offered. “That’s super nice of you,” Molly chirped. Rae wanted to swat her on the back of the head. “Thank you, but we’d better head back all together.” She wanted to see if Riley’s shoulder was all right and if she needed to get a hold of Jennifer or get more ointment for him. “No problem.” Luke stood. Nic grabbed Molly by the elbow and began dragging her toward the exit before she could start babbling away. “Nice meeting you, Luke!” Nic called over his shoulder. Rae didn’t miss him hiss, “Ow!” and jerk his hand away from Molly. She owed him one. “Well, I should get going, too, then.” She tugged on her skirt. “Do you have plans next Friday?” Luke pulled his phone out. “Maybe we could catch a movie or do dinner, or both... if you want.” She nodded. “S-Sure.” That was part of the reason she had stayed behind and not left with Nic and Molly, right? She thought about Devon and a surge of guilt ran through her. “I’ve saved your phone number, but I’m not sure how you spell your name.” “R-A-E.” She watched him erase Raye and type Rae. “My last name’s Kerrigan if you want to add it.” She bit her lip. Should I have told him that? She waited for him to cringe or drop his phone and run away.

He didn’t even blink. “Cool,” he said. “With a K?” She nodded, wishing the thunder rushing by her ears would mute. She pulled her phone out of her little jacket pocket and found where Molly had saved Luke’s name. “What about yours?” “Fodder. F-O-D-D-E-R.” Rae giggled. Luke raised his eyebrows and gave her a questioning look. “Has anyone teased you about that? You know, ‘Luke, I am your Fodder?’” Luke laughed—a deep, pleasant-sounding one. “Nope. You, my dear, are the very first.” He held his hand up. “Scout’s honor. I kid you not.” She smiled. “Sorry.” Why do I have to have the lamest sense of humor? “Don’t be. That was a good one.” He stuffed his phone into his pocket. Scratch that. I’m a little bit funny. “I had better get going before they leave without me.” “I can walk you out.” Very chivalrous. “Thanks, but I’m okay. I probably should hurry.” If Riley or any of them were using their tatù, the last thing she wanted was for Luke to see it. “I’ll text you... or call you?” Thinking of Riley’s shoulder distracted her again. “Sure.” She leaned forward and hugged him. Her face burned instantly again by her random action. She quickly pulled away. “See you.” She avoided looking him in the eye and dashed for the door. She had never had this awkward feeling with Devon. Ever. But it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

Chapter 12

Memory Work

THE SECOND RAE STEPPED out of the club she raced to where Riley had parked his car. Nic, Charlie, and Molly stood on the enger side, their faces grim. “What’s going on?” Rae skidded to a stop right beside them. “Where’s Riley?” She shifted and glanced behind Nic into the car. Riley wasn’t there. Nic, using his thumb, pointed behind him and made a face as if to say, ‘don’t go over there’. A retching sound erupted from near the boot of the car. Riley stood, half keeled over, his face hidden by the trunk. The sound continued a few more times before he spat and slowly straightened, leaning against his car for . “Nic, you’re gonna have to drive home.” He lamely tossed his keys in Nic’s direction. Rae walked over to him, being careful to stop far enough away to avoid smelling or seeing anything. “We need to get you to the infirmary,” she whispered, knowing pale and slightly green- looking Riley would have no problem hearing her. “Your shoulder could be poisoning you. I am so sorry.” Riley half smiled, his eyes glassy. “Shoulder’s fine. Totally healed.” He swallowed and grimaced. “I think I’ve got the freakin’ flu.” He leaned over again and heaved. “Oh!” Rae stepped back. Thank goodness it wasn’t from his shoulder. I’d better not catch it if I’m supposed to be doing some mission tomorrow. Just the sound of him heaving is making me nauseated. She’d never been a sympathetic gagger, and there was a good chance she never would be, but she didn’t think it was a good time to test the theory. She opened the car door to the back. “I think I’m just going to wait in here.” “Me, too.” Molly squeezed in close behind. “Why don’t you come back here with us, Charlie? Put Riley in the front seat, close to the window. Whenever he’s ready.” Thankfully made it back to Guilder without having to pull over for Riley. The guys helped him out of the car and toward Joist Hall, while the girls split off and headed to Aumbry Hall. Rae checked her watch. Half-past ten. Not too late, but

she had to meet Julian tomorrow at five and didn’t want to be worn out. Rae suddenly realized that she didn’t even know where exactly they were supposed to meet up. She assumed just outside of Aumbry, but now that she thought about it she’d rather have confirmation. She could walk over to his dorm on the top floor of Joist except then she risked seeing Devon, who lived across the hall. She pulled her phone out as she and Molly trudged up the black and white marble stairs. She sent Julian a text arranging to meet him in the lobby of Aumbry at four-forty-five. “Texting Luuuu-ke?” Molly said his name in a sing-song fashion. “Julian, actually.” Rae finished her message and sent it. “I’m going to be gone for a couple of days; can you email me any work I miss or whatever I need to read?” “Sure.” Molly stared at her before finally speaking again when they reached the top of the stairs. “PC stuff?” “Uh-huh.” “Just be careful.” Molly hugged her and headed down the hall to her room. “’Night, Rae.” That’s it? Rae expected the Spanish Inquisition from Molly, not a simple understanding with no questions. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, Rae. Just enjoy it. “’Night, Molls.” She unlocked her door and pushed it open. It resisted slightly, so she pushed harder. The sound of crinkling and ripping paper made her pause. She slipped through the narrow opening and checked behind the door. A manila envelope lay wedged slightly under the doorframe. She closed the door, locked it for safety, and picked up the package. The torn corner revealed papers and a note stuffed in, written on the back of a receipt. She tore the envelope open and spread the information on her bed. The handwritten note was from Jennifer. Rae, stopped by to drop this off and go over it with you. Apparently, a night out before your first big job is what you believe to be a good idea. Enclosed are the blueprints and information of what you need to retrieve. Know it like the back of your hand before tomorrow morning. Good luck, Jenn.

“Crap!” Rae muttered. She grabbed her phone and started to type a text out to Jennifer. Halfway through she hit the delete button and erased the message. She really didn’t want to go through this yet again. She might be a straight-A student and a quick study, but so far with Jenn she hadn’t shown her best and it really got under her skin. Instead of apologizing for probably the billionth time, she decided to memorize everything and show how competent she really was. Unrolling the blueprint, she set books on the corners to keep it from curling and found a comfortable spot to sit so she could study it. She had a momentary wild thought about Molly bursting through the door to interrogate her about her mission, “Shoot!” She snapped her fingers and ran to the door to double check she had locked it then closed her curtains, peering outside into the darkness at nothing. Even with her room on the top floor there were tatùs that could fly, or shift, or who knew what else. She also changed out of her short miniskirt into a pair of jogging pants. Feeling somewhat protected, safe, comfortable and ready, she grabbed a blank notebook and pen to take notes and began reading the map. The top corner had a legend titled LAMB. It took Rae a moment to realize the London Art Museum Building was the target. Her heart sped up and felt like it suddenly decided to move to her throat. This was not a small job. This was huge. What on earth are they doing, sending me in on something like this? Yet more reason not to trust anyone. What she needed to do was be more than ready for whatever might happen. She studied the building, trying to memorize all the entrances, exits, elevators, shafts, and anything that led to the outside of the building. The blueprint was just a map, but whatever the plan was, in the event that it went south she wanted a picture of this map burned into her brain so she could hopefully improvise. The only problem was that she had no idea how in the world she was going to get in and out without setting off the alarms. Ah! Those other papers must be the plan. Crawling over to the bed, she reached for the folder and began reading the papers. According to the plans Julian would rig the alarm and then, using his ability, help her get to the Tudor manuscript. She needed to retrieve page thirtyseven. In, out, and on their way home within twenty minutes. Easy peasy. Ha!

Hours later Rae had memorized everything in the file, had a complete mental image of the blueprint, and felt she had a pretty good grasp of every detail. The manual had basically covered every possible scenario, and how she should react to each situation. She rubbed her eyes and then checked her watch as a long yawn escaped. Three o’clock? Where had the time gone? Crap! I have to meet Julian outside Aumbry in two hours. She grabbed her backpack and stuffed clothes, makeup, and her iPod with its charger inside. She crawled on top of the sheets on her bed and set the alarm to go off in an hour and a half. A moment later, or so it felt, the annoying beep of her alarm woke her. Tempted to hit the snooze button, she groaned and kicked off the covers. Forcing herself out of bed she slipped down the hall to shower, still managing to get herself dressed and down the stairs about five minutes before Julian would be there. She had grabbed the folder with the information and hoped to go over it with Julian to make sure everything was in place. The quietness of Aumbry Hall and her earliness had Rae wondering if she should sneak into the library to get the journal. She pushed aside the thought when she noticed Julian waiting outside near the bottom of the steps. She went out to meet him. “Rae!” he whispered, a big smile on his face as he opened his arms to hug her. She savored the warmth he offered and squeezed him back. “I missed you.” He coughed. “B-Bit too tight.” She dropped her arms. “Oops, sorry.” She mentally switched her tatù to the healing one, not realizing her body had tuned into Jennifer’s leopard tatù as she had descended the steps. Maybe the healing will make up for my lack of sleep. She yawned despite the thought. “How are you doing?” The concern in his eyes showed her that he was referring to Devon. She shrugged, letting the toe of her black sneaker bounce against the pavement as she tried to figure out the right response. Would he tell Devon? Or is Devon

the one who’s asking? “I’m okay. A bit surprised, a bit bummed, but I think I’ll be okay.” He slipped his arm over her shoulders in big-brother fashion. “Want me to beat him up for you?” “Yes,” she joked, suddenly very glad Julian was the operative the Privy Council had chosen as her first partner. Maybe Carter had something to do with that. She might owe him her thanks after this. He nodded toward the parking lot and they began walking in that direction. “How’s my baby doing?” He grinned, as if eager to change the subject. “You do realize the only reason I let you borrow my car is because I know you can afford to fix it now.” Rae stuttered to a stop and faked a worried look on her face. “Who told you? It’s only a tiny ding... and the scratch I covered with matching nail polish. You can hardly see it now, just in the bright sun.” “What?” Julian stumbled, but quickly recovered as he increased his pace and began dragging her along. “What happened?” Laughing, Rae struggled to keep up. “Nothing! I promise.” He looked at her with raised eyebrows but continued to pull her along at nearly breakneck speed. “What?” “Nothing happened. Your car is fine! I was just pulling your leg.” They had reached the parking lot. Julian walked around his baby, inspecting every nook and cranny. He finally snorted and unlocked to doors. “Your jokes stink, Kerrigan.” Rae didn’t miss the smile he tried to hide as he slipped into the car. She got into the enger seat. “I’m glad you’re back.” “Me, too.” He started the engine and patted the dashboard when it gunned to life. “Now that we’re away from possible prying ears, how is everything? The PCs, training, your mentor, school, even Molly. How is Molly?”

Rae settled into her seat. “Molls is good. She’s determined to set me up with Luke...” Her head shot up as she realized what she had just said. Julian cut in before she had a chance to recover. “Who’s Luke?” “Just a guy.” Rae swallowed. Screw it. Why should she have to hide it? “I bumped into him the day... the day Devon broke up with me. He liked my—your —car. Now Molly’s determined to play Barbie and match me up with a Ken doll.” Julian harrumphed. “Sounds like Molly, trying to stir up electricity.” Rae wanted to ask what he thought, or what Devon would think about Luke. She really wanted to ask if Devon had told him anything about them breaking up. To know if he was as miserable as she felt inside. Or if he had found someone else. She stayed quiet and stared at the folder in her hands. She wouldn’t ask Julian anything. He was friends with them both, and she didn’t want to put him in the middle. “What do you think of this little mission we’re going on?” “Could be super easy, or extremely complicated.” “It seems strange to just be sent. It’s like your answer, completely elusive. I don’t get it. Is all Privy Council stuff like this?” Julian glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “Sometimes.” He chuckled when she snorted. “If they think you’re ready for a mission, or don’t need the training, they won’t go over it. You’ll get a folder like the one you’re holding, and they assume you’ll request any info if needed.” “Jennifer was upset the PC was sending me out already. She doesn’t think I’m ready.” “Jenn’s bad-ass. Nobody’s good enough unless it’s her.” Rae turned in her seat so she could watch him as he drove. “You’ve worked with her?” “Not yet. Devon has. She’s very good. Probably one of the best. Trained by the best.”

She nodded. Of course, why wouldn’t Devon have worked with one of the best already? She needed to stay clear of that subject. “What’s our plan?” Avoiding, Rae? A little voice inside bugged her, and she imagined her mother sitting behind her, whispering to her to face the hardest issues head-on. Skirting only swept things under the rug until they piled up high enough that you would trip over the rug and fall flat on your face. “Rae? Are you falling asleep?” “Sorry, pardon?” “You asked me about a plan. We’ll walk around the museum today and make sure the blueprints are current. We don’t want any unforeseen surprises.” “Then do we both go in to get the page?” Julian shook his head. “No. I need to disable from outside the building and the sensors will pick us both up inside.” He paused and then cleared his throat. “I have a question for you: Are you able to use two tatùs at once?” Rae glanced at him, and for a split second wondered if it was Julian asking her or the Privy Council. She decided on the first because Julian wouldn’t ever trade her in for opportunity. She chewed her lip and tried using Jennifer’s tatù and at the same time she tried to get electrical sparks from her fingertips. “Nope. Just one at a time.” “I didn’t think so, but I wanted to ask.” “I can switch without having to think about it.” She didn’t know why she felt the need to defend herself, especially in front of Julian. He trusted her completely and knew her ability. “That’s just as good. I just wondered if your tatù evolved, kinda like mine did. At sixteen I was drawing the future and now I’m seeing the future. Things change.” He glanced at her, but quickly looked away. Rae watched him but Julian refused to look at her, concentrating on the road instead. She wanted to ask what the look was about. She stared at him hard, waiting for him to cave even though he gave no signs of weakness. She gave up and decided she would ask him another time, when they didn’t have a job to do.

“Well, since Kraigan messed everything up, I’ve been more focused on trying to get tatùs. I haven’t noticed any other changes, but if you’re worried about today don’t be. I’m ready. I’ve been ready for a long time. You needn’t worry about me.” Julian turned the car in to the train station parking lot. Rae lost focus as she thought about the last time she had been there. When Julian parked the car she grabbed her bag and jumped out, heading straight for the station, pulling out her ticket from the file still in her hand. Julian followed close behind and the two checked onto their train, which was already there. They found seats near the middle and settled into them. Rae leaned against the headrest. As the train pulled out of the station she felt herself relax and begin to drift. She was glad Julian didn’t try to force conversation. Besides, she had the feeling talking about the mission would be taboo on a public train. She popped her head up once to see Julian in the same position. Feeling safe and comfortable, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Chapter 13

Mission Impossible

“RAE. RAE.” SOMEONE gently shook her shoulder. “We’re here.” She popped her eyes open. Everything was sideways. Wait. No. She was sideways, lying across two seats on the train. She sat up, wide-eyed and slightly dazed, like when you wake up for school and think you’re running late. “Sorry. I fell asleep.” Julian chuckled. “So did I, but obviously not as good as you.” He pointed to the side of her chin. “I think you’ve got some drool going on there.” “No!” She frantically wiped the side of her mouth and checked her hand. There was nothing there. “Bugger,” she muttered and swiped at his hand, planning on sending him a small Molly-bolt in retaliation. He easily foresaw her intentions and casually moved his body so she missed him. “Shall we go? London waits for no one.” She grabbed her backpack and noticed her file stuffed neatly inside. “Yes, I did that,” Julian answered before she even had a chance to ask the question. “Can’t leave it so easily out in the open, especially when the owner is dead asleep and drooling.” “I wasn’t drooling!” She rubbed her eyes, and casually tried to wipe her face one more time—just to be on the safe side. Julian chuckled. Does the guy miss anything? Feeling a little grouchy, Rae swung her backpack over her shoulder and followed him off the train toward the subway. “What are we doing first?” Julian checked a poster on the wall. “Heading to the museum.” The thrill of the situation was starting to get into her. It made her feel pumped and jittery. She bounced up and down on her toes as she read the subway schedule. “Awesome! I’m super excited to do this but kind of nervous at the same time.”

Julian continued to stare at the poster. “Funny, I couldn’t really tell.” Rae let her shoulder bang into his. Not hard, but just enough to let him know she could handle him. “Let’s go. The subway’s going to be here shortly.” Julian stood with raised eyebrows as she paused after a few steps and turned around to see why he wasn’t following. “How do you know?” “We need the District Line and the train’s about to come in.” “Did you study the lines of the Tube last night?” She shook her head and waved her hand to hurry him. She could feel the rumble of an approaching train under her feet. “No. I just looked at the map now.” She had the feeling of déjà vu, but couldn’t the last time she’d been here. She began walking as Julian caught up to her. “We’re at Upminster Bridge so we’re going to need to take the District Line to Bakerloo. We can get to Piccadilly Circus. Or we can take the Jubilee Line, to just past Piccadilly, to Green Park.” She waited as Julian pulled es out of his backpack. “Is the museum closer to Green Park or Piccadilly?” The subway train rushed by, whipping Rae’s hair across her face. She tucked it behind her ear, ignoring the weird stare Julian gave her. She brushed it off, unsure why he suddenly felt the need to gape at her. Julian blinked several times and gave his head a small shake. “I’ll have to check the map. I’m not sure which one’s closer.” He held his arm out to two empty seats beside each other. “Were you joking when you said you didn’t study the underground map?” “No. I didn’t study the tunnels. I just looked at the map on the wall and checked the quickest route. It’s not that big a deal.” “But you did it so fast. I bet you know how long it’ll take to get there.” He leaned in and whispered, “Did you use a tatù?” She bent her head toward him, pretending to be super secretive. “No. Just using yours at the moment ‘cause I’m trying to figure out why you’re acting all jacked up. Are you on drugs?”

Julian straightened. “Never!” She laughed. “I know, Jules. I’m just teasing.” The train lurched to a stop and engers got off and on. Several stops later Julian and Rae stood and moved to the door. They switched trains, and when they crossed by Piccadilly Julian ushered her off the train. Minutes later they were heading up the stairs, back into the daylight of cloudy skies. “Typical English weather,” Julian muttered. He shifted his backpack and Rae noticed it had a lot more weight to it than hers did. “I like the rain.” “Watch your mouth,” Julian said as he elbowed her. “It’s not raining yet.” He pointed. “Let’s cut through Piccadilly toward the museum.” He checked his watch. “The museum opens in half an hour.” “Cool. So we can do a bit of sightseeing? I don’t the last time I was in downtown London. I don’t even know if I came here as a kid or if I just think I did because I’ve seen the pictures so many times.” “Sorry, Kerrigan. No tourist stuff here. We need to scout the outside of the museum building and set up.” Rae pulled on the strap on her shoulder to tighten it. “I know.” She glanced around the monument of Piccadilly as they cut across the concrete and sighed with regret. She really wanted the freedom to explore, but she understood that the job came first. She focused on picking up her pace and showing Julian she meant business. “Are you staking out in a van or something?” Julian smiled. “You are such a rookie.” “I can still kick your butt.” She elbowed him, sending a gust of wind with her light touch. He sidestepped to regain his balance. “I bet you could give me a good fight. However, no hideaway van. I’ll be hanging out at the pub or café across the street. Something with Wi-Fi.”

She paused mid-step. “Really? What happens if someone sees you?” “Then they’ll see a guy sitting having a coffee, and hanging out on his computer. Maybe talking on his phone. No one’s going to pay any attention to me.” His plan sounded too simple. “What happens if I need help?” “You’ll be fine.” He pointed to a large light grey stone building with a slate roof. The steps led up to large pillars that seemed out of place among the other buildings. Like an ancient Roman had come and decided to set up camp. “Let’s walk around to the other side of the building. You memorize all the exits?” He rolled his eyes and muttered to himself, “Stupid question. The girl’s got a photographic memory.” “I don’t have a photographic memory. I wish I did, but I don’t.” “You knew the subway map with just one look.” She had no idea why she knew that. “I don’t have a photographic memory,” she repeated. As they moved along the side of the building, Rae pointed to a café across the street. “Let’s grab a coffee. You can see if the location is good there.” The place had large front windows, with counters for customers to sit and have full view of the museum. “Let’s go.” Two hot chocolates to-go later, Julian agreed the place would be good for him. They played tourist, continuing to move around the old museum building. They found a pub on the side of the building with a decent view. That gave Julian two options if he needed to move. The museum doors were open when they finally came back around to the front of the building. “What’s on the page the Privy Council wants so dearly?” “I don’t have a clue.” Julian purchased tickets for them while Rae waited back near the entrance. She scanned the cameras in the front room, and checked the guards and

protective measures around the inside of the building. There were a lot of warning signs but not nearly as many cameras as she thought there would be. Julian linked his arm through hers. “Shall we look around, love?” He winked at her and pointed to a tall statue situated near the wall of the main hall. “The artifacts in here are beyond impressive.” He pulled off the boy-trying-impress-agirl act to a ‘T’. Rae pretended to giggle and moved closer to him as they ed a set of seriouslooking guards. She could play the part just as well as Julian. Her face turned serious when they ed the guards and were out of hearing range. The hall was nothing like she had expected. The black and white marble that seemed to be in every building at Guilder covered the floor here as well. The hall was massive. A long corridor of carved white pillars, probably slate, sheltered display cases with fascinating objects behind glass and who knew what else. Rae only glanced past the first set of doors, but couldn’t fathom where all the pieces had come from. Tall windows, running from the floor up to the incredibly high ceiling, filled the spaces between the doors and pillars. The hall had no displays, no tables, chairs, or even art on the walls. However, just the hall itself proved museum-worthy. As they walked along Rae noticed the rooms were darker, but the hall, even on a cloudy day, was bright and cheery. It was simply breathtaking. The Oratory at Guilder impressed her every time she stepped inside it, but this... she didn’t even have words to describe the beauty. Julian grabbed her hand and pulled her toward one of the open doors on their right. The room had quite a few people viewing the items on display. A school class followed behind a museum patron, leading them on a guided tour. Julian grabbed a pamphlet near the door and slowly walked down the left side of the room. Rae could hear him counting as he moved. He stopped at fifty-three, and turned to face the case stacked against the wall with red velvet ropes to warn visitors not to cross too close. “It’s not in there, is it?” Rae stood on tiptoe to see over his shoulder. She knew the blueprints, and was pretty sure this wasn’t the right room. “No. But if you could walk through the wall, you’d be directly behind it.” He

turned his head slightly. “Can you walk through walls?” “No.” She laughed at him. Does he think I’m Wonder Woman or something? “If you find me someone who can, I promise I’ll be able to do it next time.” “I’ll see what I can do.” A guard stepped in and stood by the door, so they continued moving about the room. Rae figured his presence was meant to keep down the noise and craziness of the young students. He barely spared Rae and Julian a glance. Julian eventually led her out of the room and into the one right beside. Rae held her breath as butterflies rioted in her stomach, and she stepped through the door. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the exact place where she knew the book would be, a stunning podium made of a wood light in color with large streaks of grain. Oak. Her gaze travelled up the ornate stand to the item inside the glass case on top. Rae felt Julian reach for her, trying to pull her in the other direction—probably to appear less obvious if the cameras caught them later—but Rae ignored him. She wanted to know why some five-hundred-year- old book had the Privy Council so enthralled. She slowed her gait as she approached. The room looked exactly as the blueprints and photos she had studied the night before had shown, but only now so real and beautiful. Who would have thought? The glass protected the book from human touch and the elements. She spread her fingers over the wood and stood on her toes to get a better look. The pages had browned with age, but the dark ink on the pages seemed a work of art on its own. There was a drawing of some kind of past scientific thing. She had no idea what it could be. It fascinated her nonetheless. Ultimately, however, it was not the page she needed. Two pages behind it lay the details of something very important. Julian leaned over beside her. “Anything interesting?” “Old book. The flower on the one side looks Tudor. Like some you see on the walls of the Oratory at Guilder.”

He pointed to the brass plaque in front of the book. “Check the date, it’s definitely Tudor. Ol’ King Henry is probably furious he never found the guy who wrote this book.” “Who did write it?” “No idea. Or so the story says on the wall behind the book.” She side-eyed him to see if his face revealed whether or not he knew more. It showed nothing. The school kids from the room next door began filing into the room. Julian and Rae stepped back from the book and moved absentmindedly to the next display. They pretended to study the other artifacts but Rae’s mind continually studied the room, the cameras, the sensors, and the book. The book’s binding was frail. It didn’t take a forensic scientist to figure that one out. The needed page would be easy to pull from the book; it was getting into the museum and removing the glass case that seemed the impossible part. “Let’s go grab some lunch.” Julian’s voice brought Rae back to the here and now. Silent, they left the museum and headed to the café. They settled into a booth off to the side and ordered lunch. “So what do you think?” Julian asked her. “Let’s say I get into the room, how in the world do I get the glass case off?” “There are sensors along the podium that line up along the base edge of the glass.” Sure, Julian. Throw in another web to complicate the whole thing. “Seriously?” He nodded and reached into his backpack. He slipped his hand under the table when the waitress came by with their fresh-made pasties. When she left, he slid a rectangular box along the table toward her. “This’ll help.” “What is it?” Rae opened the box and stared at some weird red stickers and a little pen-like object. “Did Nic make this?”

Julian smiled and shook his head as he bit into a French fry. “Nope. But I’m sure he will be doing stuff like this next year. He’s already signed on to work with the PC once he graduates.” Happy for Nic, Rae pushed her excitement aside to focus on the box. “What does it do?” “You place the stickers in front of the places where the sensors are for the weight. They’ll balance the scale under the book while you use the stick to lift the glass. It works like a miniature version of a car jack. Press the button on the end and it’ll pump the glass case up on one side. Don’t forget to do the stickers first. I’ll have the main alarms and sensors for the hallways and into the room disabled, but I don’t have access to the security of each individual piece. You have a onetime shot with this thing and then, poof, it’s done.” “How am I going to get in?” “Service entrance. I’ll show you after we eat. You’ll go in through there at twenty-hundred hours.” He grinned at the confusion on her face. “That’s eight pm. Get used to the twenty-four-hour clock; everyone thinks by it in the field. There’s a guard who goes for his smoke break. He’s the only guard on at that time of night. Everything else is done via video and security monitoring.” I should just wear a red bullseye on my back and run through a paintball area. “Don’t look so skeptical, Rae. I’ll have the alarms and everything turned off for three minutes. You’ve got more than enough time to get in and back out again.” Rae blinked and straightened. More than enough time? Julian nodded, as if he had heard her thought. “Use a speed tatù to get in and out. Just switch to whatever tatù you need. You’ll have an earpiece to hear me or talk to me while you’re inside. You just have to be extremely quiet. There are sound sensors and motion sensors around some of the artifacts.” “Does the book have these sensors?” Julian shook his head. “No, it’s not something that has a lot of monetary value. It’s more a collector’s item from the past. Other countries aren’t really interested in it.”

“How do you know that?” She couldn’t help but be skeptical. Her gut was telling her there had to be something important inside, and if one page interested the Privy Council there would be more... like her father’s journal. Shoot, she had to get around to reading that when she got back. “Okay, I don’t know for sure.” She leaned toward him, knowing nobody could hear them but wanting to be on the safe side nonetheless. “If the PC is interested in this book, you can be damn sure there are tatùs from other countries that are as well. If King Henry knew about tatùs, and Guilder exists because of King Henry, it’s not hard to put two and two together. Do the math, Julian. It’s more obvious than you think.” Julian looked at her strangely. It made Rae uncomfortable, but if she couldn’t be blunt with him who could she share her concerns with? “Rae,” he said slowly, “the PC is not the only tatù black ops division in the UK. And you’re probably right: if they want the same information we do, so will foreign countries. It’s not our concern, though. It’s not our job to take on the worries of the entire country. We do what we can.” “You mean we do what we’re told to do? Don’t ask questions?” “No! None of us is doing this blindly. We—” “What do you know about the Xavier Knights?” She cut him off, but didn’t care. She was nervous about the op, and desperately wanted to trust the PC. It would make her life so much easier if she could trust them. She just didn’t know how. Julian sighed. He sat quiet for a moment. Rae waited and ate a few bites of her hamburger. Maybe she had pushed him too far. “The Xavier Knights are the other black ops working for British Intelligence. I’m telling you because you have every right to know. It’s not a secret. However, they work differently than we do... more like the way your father worked.” That caught her attention. She had a pretty good idea what Julian meant by the last part of his sentence. She asked him anyway: “They don’t fight fair?”

“From my experience, no. They’ll do whatever it takes to get what they want, no matter the cost.” Kraigan. Rae didn’t know why he popped into her head, but it made sense when she thought about it. “Have they approached you?” “What? No! No, not at all.” It was her turn to be surprised by Julian’s question. “I’ve heard about them but never asked anyone before you.” “Be careful, Rae.” Julian didn’t say any more. The waitress came by to see if they needed anything else, and Julian turned the conversation to the weather. They finished their lunch in silence. When they left they walked around the museum again, and he showed her the service door that would be her entrance. “You’ll have to be quick. The guard is going to exit for his smoke break and you have to be fast enough to get by him and in through the door before it closes.” “What?” There was a single cement path and then the five stairs that led down to the door. “How? Can we wedge the door so it’s unlocked or something?” “The door is on a sensor. If it’s opened, the alarm goes off and all the doors to the rooms go into lockdown.” Rae flashed on a mental image of the area and followed Julian as he began walking. “I thought you were going to disarm the alarms.” “Inside the building, but I can’t override the external doors without triggering the sensors. You’ll think of something. I’m not worried.” He checked his watch. “We’ve got a few hours before it starts getting dark. Anything you want to do?” “Find somewhere we can sit and go over everything where people can’t hear us.” Julian pressed his lips in a thin line. “There’s an apartment about twenty minutes from here that the Privy Council owns. We can go there.” “Let’s go.”

Julian led the way and they spent the rest of the afternoon and into the evening going over everything. Rae covered every detail again and again. She grew confident that once she was inside the building it would be easy. She had three minutes once inside to grab the required page and then get back to the door the guard would come back through when he finished his smoke. She would have to get through the door again before it closed. The entering and exiting of the building were going to prove the hardest. Julian gave suggestions, but Rae had a feeling she would be winging it when the time came.

Chapter 14

Taking Candy From A Baby

RAE TUCKED A CHUNK of hair behind her ear, the soft black material of her long sleeve top brushing against her cheek. Silently she moved along the grass, avoiding the sidewalks and street lights. She had changed at the apartment, and now wore a tight-fitting black outfit. Not the leather Jennifer would wear but a soft, stretchy material that would move quietly and not restrict her movements. She walked at a brisk pace, but her heart raced like she was running a marathon. Her body had the urge to break into a run, but Julian had warned her to act natural on the city streets. His last words before she left him at the café had been: “No trace, no face”. Which meant if she blended in and left no evidence behind, she would be home-free. She had every intention of doing just that. The museum’s façade loomed over her like a dreary castle against the starry sky. The entrance had loads of pot lights to shine down on it, but on the side and around the back there were only a few sparse, dim lights. She climbed a fence and landed silently on the grass. Switching into Riley’s tatù she sprinted across the lawn, dropping into a roll when she heard a noise. Crouching by a tree for cover, she carefully surveyed the area for the source and nearly laughed out loud when she realized the sound had come from a pair of squirrels scurrying up an old tree nearby. She tried her watch, but needed her other hand to hold her wrist steady. Nerves! It was nearly eight. She inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly, her body switching from Riley’s cheetah tatù to Devon’s fennec fox. The shaking and high-strung feeling left, and she sighed in relief. No wonder Riley is always such a pain in the arse. His tatù mixed with adrenaline seemed impossible to manage. Devon’s tatù gave her better night-vision, and she was able to check her watch without having to turn on the backlight. Nearly eight o’clock. She had about a minute to get to the stairs and have something planned. She could shift into a bird and wait on the stairway’s bar. Dumb idea. She threw caution to the wind, racing as fast as she could to the stairwell and diving down behind it as she heard the door open. She peered over the railing and held her breath. The guard stood leaning against the door as he lit his cigarette. His heavy weight pushed the door back as far as it could go. The door hinges groaned in protest.

He pushed himself off and started up the stairs. Rae swung herself over the metal bar, landing soundlessly on the cement below. She slipped through the closing door and flattened herself against the wall. When the door clicked shut she jerked, the noise jarring her strained senses. Biting her lip, she stood frozen, expecting the guard to come tearing back inside. He never came. “You in?” Julian’s voice echoed through the small earphone plugged into her ear. “Yes,” she whispered back. “Good. I knew you could do it.” “Easy peasy.” She giggled, probably more out of nervousness than anything. “Okay... give me one sec... all right, go!” She burst into a fast sprint, running up the darkened stairwell to the main floor. “Alarms are off. You’ve got about two minutes forty seconds.” Rae nodded, and sprinted down the marbled floor of the main room the moment she pushed open the stairwell’s fire door. She had never pushed herself this fast, and could feel her heart and body protesting the strain. She reached the room with the book in no time. Rae didn’t even pause, pulling the little contraption Julian had given her out of her back pocket. She went to work, setting the little round stickers where they needed to be and exhaling a quick breath as she wiped her hands over her black tights. “Here goes,” she mouthed to herself. She closed her eyes and lifted the front end of the glass case. It didn’t budge. She opened her eyes and tried again. “It’s not moving!” She heard nothing in reply. There was only radio silence on the other end from Julian.

Crap! She knew the seconds were ticking away. Rae scratched her eyebrow, wracking her brain for a solution. She went through the motions again, as she had practiced them in her head over and over, and in the process noticed the pen-like object inside the little case of stickers. Of course! How could I forget? She grabbed it and twisted. A sharp wedge appeared. She pushed it between the wood and glass and then put her weight on top of it. The glass lifted, but not enough. Rae switched to a strength tatù, and held the case up. With her left hand, she turned the book two pages back. What was revealed was another one of the weird drawings like the one from the page on display. She couldn’t quite tell what it was, but it didn’t look like anything special. Is this the right page? The pages weren’t numbered, but it had to be the correct page. She pulled gently but the book twisted, all of it preferring to come instead of just the single page. Seriously? Why can’t this be easier? She wedged her bicep against the glass, groaning from the weight of it against her muscle. Crap! This thing is heavy. What is it made out of? Oh yeah, now that I’m stuck in this situation I think of all the good questions I should have asked earlier. Fabulous. Using both hands, Rae steadied the book with one and pulled the page out with the other. It finally came free, and she quickly put the book back as close to the original spot as possible. She pulled the paper out of the case and lowered the glass. Switching back to Devon’s tatù, she let her eyes readjust to the darkness as she pulled a plastic sleeve from the small pouch on her hip. She unrolled it and slipped the paper inside of it. Almost out of here. Tick tock Rae. She shoved it under her shirt, tucking it into the waistband of her tights. Pulling the round stickers off as fast as she could she stuffed them back in the little pencil case, along with the pen-object, which closed with one simple twist. “One minute, Rae. The guard’s heading back,” Julian whispered calmly in her ear. She double-checked that she was leaving nothing behind before sprinting out of the room and back to the stairwell. She flinched when the door clicked shut behind her, but by that point the thundering of her heart would have drowned out the sound of an alarm going off.

She nearly fell on the second to last step, just barely catching herself and using the railing for balance. Back near the door, Rae frantically looked around for a place to hide. Nothing! Nothing! Where’s a handy pile of boxes when you need it? Through the little glass window, she could see the guard walking down the steps outside. She pressed herself tight against the wall on the left side of the door. I am so screwed. Oh, man! Think! There has to be something. She thought back to when the guard had lit his cigarette, and in a flash realized he was left-handed and the door opened left to right. He would come through with the left side of his body first. He would be just slightly angled, but his left eye would skim the room. She bent down and twirled over to the right side of the door, pressing her lips tight. She spun around so her face was against the cool wall. She shut her eyes tight and froze. Please let this work. She heard the key in the lock, and felt the door open. A moment later, the guard stepped in. Go! She slipped right behind him, and using Jennifer’s tatù tore up the stairs and across the small field of grass. She heard the door click shut, but didn’t stop. All Rae wanted at that point was to be done with it. She ran as fast as she could till she reached the fence. Without slowing she leapt into the air, hurdling the six-foot metal barrier. In a single bound! Ha! Rae landed on the grass near the sidewalk and slowly stood. She let out the breath she had no idea she’d been holding, and let her hands fall to her knees. After several big gulps of air, she forced herself to calm down and began walking. She stayed in the shadows until the sidewalk met up with a street. She stepped under the street light and hit the pedestrian crossing button. As she waited for the light to change, she heard someone calling her name. She turned around, but didn’t see anyone. That voice...Julian? Why can’t I...? She felt her ear, realized the earpiece had wiggled out and pressed it back in, lucky it hadn’t fallen out. “Hey, Jules.” She could feel herself grinning, but didn’t care. “You okay? Where are you?”

The panic in his voice made her smile more. She couldn’t help it. She had just broken in and stolen something for the Privy Council without getting caught. What a rush! Holy bloody smokes! “I’m almost at the café.” She crossed the road and quickened her pace, making a conscious effort not to use one of her tatùs. “Look out the window, toward your left.” She waved at him and gave him the thumbs up. Julian grabbed his computer and iPad, stuffing them into his backpack. He threw it over his shoulder, and grabbed Rae’s backpack before racing out of the café and grabbing her to hug her tight. “Thank goodness you’re all right.” Julian quickly stepped back and straightened, his face turning into a mask to hide his feelings. “Sorry. I knew you could do it. Just glad you’re all right.” Rae ignored his awkward reaction and grinned, too excited to care. She patted her stomach. “I got what we came for.” “Then we’re good to go?” “No trace, no face.” He glanced at her sideways as they began walking back to the subway. “We can stay tonight or, if you want, there’s still a last train out of town. We can be back at Guilder just after midnight.” “Sure. Let’s go home. Back. Let’s go back to Guilder.” Sometimes Guilder felt like home. She just wished she hadn’t said it out loud. “You did good, Rae.” She punched him in the arm as he handed her bag back. “Do you want to see the paper?” She glanced at the near empty street. “No one’s going to see us, and if they do it won’t mean anything.” He looked around and shrugged. “Sure, why not?” Rae pulled the paper out from under her shirt. The plastic reflected the light of the street lamp above them so she held it up toward it to get a better view. Julian’s gasp sent prickles down her spine. “What’s wrong?” she asked him. He pointed to the paper and she followed his finger. “It’s like a module of some

kind. Do you know what it is?” Julian shook his head. “Look at the light through the paper. You can see the other side.” Rae moved slightly so she stood under the picture and did as she was told. She froze when she saw what had made him gasp. There was a drawing on the other side of the page. The reflection of the street light showed it through the old paper. It was a picture of her mother.

Chapter 15

More Questions

“THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE.” Rae flipped the paper over and stared in disbelief. The hand-drawn image was a portrait of her mom. Oddly, she thought of her mother’s note. The one in her room at the back of the Whimsy case. A memory surfaced about building blocks or puzzles she ed doing as a child. It’s a link to the past. She had no clue how, but somehow the note and this five-hundred-year-old drawing were connected. “How can that be?” Julian’s question brought her out of her deep thoughts. “I have no idea.” She decided to go with the truth. “I’m pretty sure it’s my mother.” Julian looked skeptical. “It looks...” He tilted his head. “I don’t know since I’ve never met your mother.” “The picture’s hand-drawn and super old.” “No wonder the Privy Council wanted you to get it.” Julian reached for the picture. “Let’s put this in your backpack and get out of here.” She nodded and stood still as he unzipped the bag on her back, waiting as he stuffed it inside and closed the bag. They walked in stunned silence to the subway. “I should probably change,” she said as they ed a public washroom. She slipped into the ladies’ and switched back to her street clothes. Julian handed her a sandwich when she came out. “Grabbed these from the deli over there.” He began eating his. They couldn’t sit next to each other on the subway, as it was crowded with people. There were only two separate seats, one near the front and one near the middle. They did the same thing when they boarded the train. She sent him a text from her phone:

What time do we get in? Just before midnight. We debrief with PC ASAP. Okay. She had no idea what that meant, but figured she would find out shortly enough. She leaned back against her seat and let her eyes close. The gentle sway of the train helped her fall asleep. She dreamt she was a child again. She and her mother were sitting outside on a blanket in the backyard. Her mother had a picnic basket, but instead of food there were odd toys and things inside. Rae played with the pieces, trying to fit weird-shaped blocks together to build a tower. It didn’t come out right. Her mother laughed and put the completed piece back in the basket. Rae continued to play with each building toy, and her mother kept putting everything she made into the basket. When all the pieces were done, she closed the lid and put the clasp on it so Rae wouldn’t be able to open it again to play with the pieces. There were two letters on the top of the picnic basket: PC. When her mother picked it up to carry it into the house, Rae saw two letters on the bottom XK. Rae woke with a jerk and vacantly stared around. She sat hugging her backpack tight while people were getting off. Where they still on the subway? Her dazed brain took a moment to . Julian shook her shoulder slightly. “Train’s stopped.” She yawned and rubbed her eyes before slinging her bag over her shoulder and following Julian off the train and to his car. They drove to the PC training facility. Neither spoke. Rae’s mind raced back and forth between the dream and the drawing in her bag. As Julian punched the code to get into the PC’s training facility, a sudden thought struck her. “Julian, do you think the person who drew that image of my mother had your drawing ability? Like seeing into the future?” Julian sat back in the driver’s seat and closed the window. He drove the car through the gates as they opened slowly. Just when Rae thought he might not have heard her Julian answered, quiet and thoughtful. “I’ve been wondering that. A Tudor scientist with the tatù ability to see the future?”

Not liking Julian’s serious tone, Rae tried to joke, “Could have proven pretty handy in keeping one’s head connected to their neck, especially in those days.” Julian didn’t even crack a smile. “But to see this far into the future? I get seconds, and only if I focus solely on it. Otherwise it’s barely a second.” “But you draw the future. Your drawings are further than a second.” She thought back to the time he’d given her a drawing that had warned about Lanford. He hadn’t known what it meant, but he had drawn it days before it happened. “I guess so... but five-hundred years into the future?” “Maybe I have a great-great-ka-gillion-great-grandmother the artist had a crush on?” “Maybe.” Julian parked the car in the underground garage and gathered his stuff. Rae did the same. They walked side by side into the training facility. He led her into a conference room just before the gymnasium. Rae had never noticed the door before. Jennifer and Carter sat inside, with several other men Rae didn’t recognize. Jennifer gave Rae a critical stare, as if assessing Rae’s body for injury or something out of the norm. When Jennifer nodded, Rae had no idea if it was directed at her or simply to herself. Rae sat beside Julian at the far end of the table. Weird set-up. Not so employeemanager- friendly. Julian cleared his throat and pulled his iPad out of his pack. He used it to illustrate as he explained in detail how they assessed the museum, ran through every possible scenario while at the safe house, and then what he did while Rae was inside the museum stealing the page. Julian opened a notebook as he talked and Rae saw he had listed off everything they had done, minus any conversations that did not involve the page. Rae noticed little drawings and doodles in the margins and blank parts of the book. One or two of them kind of looked like her. She wondered for a moment if he had known about the picture inside the ancient book. Maybe they were just coincidental.

Carter asked several questions, as did two of the three men sitting at the table. Julian answered everything. Jennifer interrupted Carter when he commented on the unique hall. She waved her hand. “The hall’s not important. Rae, tell us what you did to get to the manuscript.” Rae looked at Julian, who nodded in encouragement. “I didn’t have to do much. From the sounds of it, Julian had his hands full. A lot more than I did.” She reached under the table for her backpack and paused when Julian’s hands stopped her. She didn’t know why, but she got the feeling he didn’t want her to pull out the page yet. Julian was one of the few people she trusted without conscious thought. So, she continued her debriefing. “Once I was through the door I raced up the stairs and ran into the hall, then into the room and used that tool-thing Julian described to you to get the page from the manuscript. Then I got the heck out of Dodge and met up with Julian.” One of the men leaned over to Carter and whispered loudly. “Where’s Dodge?” Seriously? Maybe it was the lack of sleep, or the long day, or everything, but Rae couldn’t stop her flash of irritation. “It means I got out of there as fast as I could.” “How?” the clueless man asked. “What tatù did you use? The same one the entire time?” Everyone at the table leaned in. Even Julian seemed like he wanted to know. So this is a debriefing. Seems more like an excuse to ogle my abilities. “I started with Riley’s tatù as I approached the museum, except—” “What’s a Riley tatù?” Oh my freakin’ goodness. They were going to be here all night. “Riley has a cheetah tatù, but it’s like being strung out on about a billion cups of coffee, so I had to switch to another. I used Devon’s— I used a fennec fox inside the building. It gave me speed, and better night-vision and hearing. I left using Jennifer’s tatù.” She didn’t bother explaining that one, as she was sure everyone at the table knew Jennifer’s ability. She was right. “You retrieved the paper?” Carter asked.

Rae unzipped her backpack, but just before she slid him the plastic cover with the sheet of paper inside it she hesitated. The paper had the portrait drawing on the side facing the table. Now was possibly the only time she would have to ask questions and get halfway-honest answers. It was a gamble, but she had something they wanted. At that point in time, she knew something they didn’t. She might not get another chance like this. So she went for it. “Do you know what’s on the pages?” “Rae!” Julian hissed. The table went silent. A full minute ed before one of the unknown men answered her. Rae found it interesting that it wasn’t Carter who replied. “We have an idea.” “None of you has seen it?” she pressed. It took a moment but everyone at the table shook their heads. “Why didn’t you get one of the historians or English teachers at Guilder request to have a look? I’m sure the museum would have gladly let a professional in, or at least let you look at other pages. It seems silly to have to break in.” Julian kicked Rae’s shin as a warning to close her mouth. She pressed her lips tight to stop herself from responding. Carter nodded. “Your question is a valid one. We did not want to raise suspicion. Trust me when I say this was the best method of retrieving the page before someone else did.” Like the Xavier Knights? Rae held the question in and leaned back against her chair. She didn’t miss Julian’s sigh of relief. She leaned forward and slid the paper across to Carter. It stopped perfectly in front of him. “Why is there a drawing of my mother on the other side?” Jennifer grabbed the paper and flipped it over before Carter had a chance. “What the...?” She gasped and looked at the portrait and then at Rae. “That’s not your mother, that’s you.”

All the men at the table stared at the portrait and then at Rae. What? What is she talking about? “It’s my mother,” she repeated dumbly. “No,” Jennifer said slowly. “It’s you. The hair is curly; your mother had straighter hair. I knew your mother when she was nearly the same age as you. This isn’t her.” It was Rae’s turn to feel confused. “Why would an artist draw a portrait of someone five-hundred years in the future?” “Cromfield worked for the monarchy at the time. Because of his, uh, talent, he had a lot of free time to work on his inventions.” Carter held the paper up, his eyes flitting back and forth from it to Rae. Cromfield. The name had been on the brass plaque by the book. Rae ed it now. ‘His talent’ obviously meant a tatù. “Why did he draw that portrait?” Carter shrugged. “We’re not exactly sure. We intend to pool our resources and find out.” “Maybe stealing the entire book would be better,” the man beside Carter muttered. “Before the Xavier Knights do,” another man said, and glanced meaningfully at Rae. Rae took exception to the strange expression on his face. Look away, Kemosabe. Ain’t nothing for you over here. Carter, obviously sensing Rae’s temper was very close to the surface, cleared his throat. “I believe this conversation can take place tomorrow. I think these two have gone over what they need to share with us. Thank you, Julian. Rae.” Julian stood. “I’ll drop my gear off tomorrow if that’s all right.” Carter nodded before turning to Rae. “I’d like to speak to you tomorrow. Come to my office at the house after classes.”

The sternness in his voice caught her off guard. Oh, am I in trouble? Rae’s ears burned. “Me?” She pointed at herself. Why did she feel like she was in trouble? “Yes. The house office.” “Okay. Where’s that?” Rae should have just asked Julian but she was too tired to edit herself anymore. The strain of hiding her distrust of almost everyone around her, the lack of sleep, the after-effects of her adrenaline high from the heist, and the lack of real answers had her on edge. If Carter was annoyed, he didn’t show it. “When you come through the main gates, the road veers to the right and leads up to the Tudor mansion. My office is second on the left. I’ll be there. After school.” “Okay.” She followed Julian, who seemed more than ready to leave, to the door. She paused when Jennifer came by and touched her arm. “Good job today. I’ll see you tomorrow, after you talk with Carter.” Rae nodded and smiled at Jennifer, thankful for the kind, simple words. She was grateful Jennifer didn’t push her. She couldn’t take any more tonight. “Sounds good.”

Chapter 16

Never In a Million Years

THE NEXT DAY, RAE JOGGED by the gate and checked both directions of the road for any sign of traffic. She had spent most of the day trying to figure out what she had done wrong. She assumed she wouldn’t be called up to Carter’s office if she wasn’t in trouble. She had to it she had been out of line the night before, to hold everyone hostage for her questions. She circled around and around the argument that she had a right to ask questions juxtaposed against the fact that she signed on with the PC knowing that answering questions wasn’t what they did. She had gotten herself so worked up over it, she had decided to burn off her nervous energy on the way to her meeting. She was regretting that decision. “Jogging here was a dumb idea,” she muttered to herself. She switched to Devon’s tatù and listened up the road. Nothing. She walked by the gate entrance and entered her code. A moment later the heavy iron gates opened and she jogged through. Instead of heading to the left toward the training facility, she veered right and followed the old cobblestone drive toward the Tudor mansion. Carter had said his office was the second door on the left when you stepped inside the house. What were the chances there would be a code to the building and she’d set off a slew of alarms? When she reached the steps she pulled her earbuds out and stuffed her iPod into her pocket. Her ponytail held her hair up, but she still checked to see if any locks needed a tuck behind her ear. As she walked up the steps she let her eyes wonder at the architecture of the old building. It seemed vaguely familiar, but she figured it most likely had something to do with the fact that half the buildings at Guilder looked nearly the same. The door was unlocked, but Rae didn’t miss the security camera hidden neatly in the stone fixture by the door. It looked like a worn down gargoyle, but the glass eyes shouted “camera” to her. The entrance had the same black and white marble floor as Aumbry Hall. Rae’s eyes quickly adjusted to the dimness with the help of Devon’s tatù. She straightened and pushed back her shoulders. Whatever Carter wanted, she

was prepared to defend herself. The second door to her left did not have the typical Tudor wood design like the others facing the hall. It had been built with some kind of very modern metal. Rae didn’t have any problem guessing why. She raised her hand to knock then hesitated. Using a number of different tatùs she ever so lightly pressed her fingers to the door, hoping to sense what was behind it. No luck. She shrugged and pounded on the door. It must not have been clicked shut properly, as it opened halfway. Inside, Carter sat behind a large oak desk similar to the one she had seen him behind her first week at Guilder. He still carried that same dominance now, but without the hostility toward her. Maybe she wasn’t in trouble. Carter glanced up from his desk. He sat bent over, g papers and flipping through some files. “Have a seat, Rae.” She settled into the nearest wooden chair and waited, fidgeting nervously. Finally, after what seemed like a long time but was probably only about three minutes, Carter motioned just behind him with his hand. An older man standing in the shadows near the wall, wearing a uniform Rae didn’t recognize, stepped forward. Carter handed the file of papers to him. “It’s done.” “We’ll process this right away,” the bulky man said in a brisk manner. Rae tried to read the badge on his chest, but he covered it with the manila folder before she had a chance. A strange feeling in her gut suddenly made her want to stand, not sit. She rose and wiped her hands against her jeans, glancing at the door the officer had just exited from. “Sit, Rae. You are not excused.” Carter closed his pen and tossed it onto his desk. He leaned back and put his feet on its edge. “I wanted to speak with you.” He dropped his feet back to the floor and leaned forward. “There are events about to unfold which you should—you deserve to know.” Hairs rose on the back of her neck. “What’s going on?” “Please sit,” he repeated again.

Rae clenched her fists. Her nervousness came out as anger. “No!” She puffed her cheeks and forced out a long breath. “Please just tell me what’s happening.” Carter’s eyes met hers and he stared at her a long moment. He stood and came around his desk, leaned against it and crossed his ankles as his hands gripped the edge of the desk. Rae took in every detail of his posture. He’s trying to appear casual. Whatever he has to say can’t be good. He shifted and set his feet shoulder width apart. “We’re releasing Kraigan.” Blood rushed past Rae’s ears, drowning any noise momentarily. Kraigan? “WhWhat?” She cleared her throat. “What? You can’t do that!” “We don’t have a choice.” “Of course you do! You don’t let him out!” Maybe the Privy Council did want her dead after all. “Things are already in motion. I can’t stop them.” Rae threw her hands up in the air. “Yes, you can. You’re the bloomin’ president!” She had no idea how in the world the Privy Council thought this was a good idea. “It’s not that simple.” Rae stared at him in disbelief. “He tried to kill me! Not that simple, my arse!” Her heart hammered at an erratic beat. Kraigan would hunt her down and finish what he’d started. He would never stop, and Carter was the one to let him out. The one who signed her death warrant. “Why?” Carter folded his hands, his long fingers perfectly laced. “We don’t know how, but someone, or some group, knows who I am. No one knows who the president of the Privy Council is... there’s either a mole within, or we’ve been infiltrated.” “So how does releasing Kraigan from prison help?” Another thought crossed her mind. Carter’s tatù. “Why don’t you just check everyone here? Your tatù would show if anyone has something to hide.”

“I can’t put our entire team in a line-up and interrogate them! It’s unethical.” He’d used his ability on her, and now he wanted to say it was wrong? Bull! “You can do it without them even knowing.” Kraigan had taught her that. He had even showed her how to block memories she didn’t want Carter to see. “How do you know that?” Carter watched her suspiciously. Oops. How do I cover this one? She faked a shrug. “I just assumed...” “You’ve mimicked my tatù?” Rae blinked. Of course! Not that I’ve actually, really tried it. “Yes. That’s how I figured it out.” Carter nodded. He pushed off his desk and began pacing. “I’ve tried to use my ability on Kraigan. I hoped to find out who had taught him everything and had my suspicions that he knew I was the PC president. He’s figured out how to block me. To prevent me from seeing anything in his past.” “Everything?” Had his tatù disappeared the night she mimicked his tatù and took it away from him? “Does he still even have his tatù?” Carter stopped pacing. “Why do you ask that?” Kraigan obviously wasn’t saying anything to the PC. “I just thought I might have taken it away from him when we fought. I used his tatù last and mimicked it. He hollered and cried like a baby.” She shrugged, trying to play it cool. “I figured I stole it from him and he lost his ability.” “I don’t know.” “Pardon?” “I don’t know. We haven’t tried to test him to see if he’s using his ability.” Rae stared at him in disbelief. “Bullcrap! You were pretty much ready to skin my tatù when I got inked. There is no way you wouldn’t be doing the same thing to Kraigan.”

Carter had the decency to look guilty. “I’m sorry about that,” he said quietly. “Sorry about what? Treating me like a lab rat instead of a human being? Or not getting the answers when you wanted them?” Rae planted her fists on her hips, and she began tapping the toe of her sneaker against the floor. “What do you know about Kraigan? And tell me the bloody truth!” “There’s not much to share. He won’t talk. You know more about his tatù than we do. You probably know more about him than anyone.” Because I’m related? Not by bloody choice! “He’s just waiting for the right moment. Don’t let him out. No good will come of it.” She sounded like her Uncle Argyle. “He’s already being transferred and the paperwork’s been filed now. It’s too late.” Rae shook her head. None of this made sense. “I don’t get it. Do you want me to die? Is this because I was a brat at the debriefing last night? Talk about harsh!” Carter walked around his desk and pulled a weird-looking metal object out of a drawer. He set it on the desk and pressed the side button before checking his watch. “We have about a minute before they’ll figure out how to clear the scrambler. Listen carefully. I can only say this once.” Rae leaned in as Carter’s voice lowered. “Kraigan’s involved in whatever is going on. His tatù is still there even if he hasn’t used it. He knows something or will lead us to whoever took care of him before he arrived at Guilder. Someone like him didn’t plan his implantation into the orphanage and Guilder heist all by himself. He has connections. Those people are responsible for trying to assassinate me. They are trying to tear down this house we’ve built.” Whoa, change gears. “And expose us?” Her father was right, the Privy Council was like a house of cards. She had been so worried about whether or not to trust the Privy Council, she was starting to think like her father. She needed to choose to be with them, or against them. There was no way she would be able to sit on the fence for too long. At the least, she needed to figure out what the other side wanted from the PC... or her.

She needed to get back to her dorm and read that journal. There had to be something in there. Some kind of clue. She had let other things get in the way, but now there was no more time to delay. “That’s why we need Kraigan released. No matter the risk.” “What am I supposed to do?” Carter stared at her, his face solemn. Suddenly Rae knew what he was thinking. A slight glimpse into the future with Julian’s tatù and she knew. “No! He won’t believe me.” “He might.” She shook her head with emphasis. “No. He won’t. There’s no way he is going to believe I’d switch sides. That I’m becoming my father.” Her last words came out as a whisper, as if the mere thought of saying them aloud would jinx it and make them true. “I’m not going to have my friends think it might be true.” She couldn’t bear to hurt Molly, Julian, or Devon—even for a short while. “There’s got to be another way. I’ll find it. I’ll figure something out.” Carter sighed. “He’s being released tomorrow. Think it over tonight. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Chapter 17

Need You

IT DIDN’T SEEM POSSIBLE that life could get more complicated. But it had. Rae left Carter’s office and walked across the cobblestones in a daze, buried in her own thoughts, trying to make sense of what Carter had just told her. Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and partly on auto-pilot she pulled it out and answered it without checking caller ID first. She presumed it was Jennifer. “I’m on my way.” “Really?” a male chuckled. “That’s impressive.” “Luke?” She paused beside the iron gate that led to the training facility. This is so not a good time. “Hey, Rae. Whatcha doing?” She smiled, despite all the stuff running through her head. “Not much.” “How was school today?” She laughed. School had been the easy part. “Good. What’re you doing?” “Working. Just taking a break at the moment.” Rae didn’t know what to say next. She knew now was not the best time to be on the phone with a boy, but this little bit of normal felt like a lifeline. She wracked her brain and imagined seconds turning into moments. Molly never had this problem. “What do you do?” Lame, but at least it wasn’t silence. “Sometimes I crunch numbers, or gather data. Mostly I try to make sense out of nonsense.” Rae walked to the gate keypad and entered her number, the heavy iron gate slowly opening. “Sounds like the most exciting job in the world.” He chuckled. “I bet I can surprise you. Meet me for dinner tonight and I’ll tell you all about it. Even show you where I work.” Dinner? Like a real date? After her long day yesterday and then the crappy news she had just heard? She didn’t think she could fake happy. She still had training

with Jennifer to go through. “I’m not sure I can make it tonight.” “How about just an ice cream cone, then? Half an hour and I promise I’ll leave you alone.” The slight pleading in his voice made her smile. “I’ll try. I have to meet some— I need to see a professor. I’m not sure how long the meeting will be. How about I text you when I’m finished?” “Sounds good. I’m working a bit late so I’ll text you where to meet. Do you still have a car to borrow or would it be better if I picked you up at Guilder?” “I think I can borrow one.” Julian probably wouldn’t mind if she borrowed his one more time. I need to buy my own car soon. I can’t go on borrowing vehicles. She slipped through the door that led down the hall to the gymnasium. “I gotta go. I’ll text you later.” Rae pushed the door open to the gymnasium and stood watching several groups of people training. One group was scaling a crazy-looking wall with little knobs on it. Rae watched and realized they were throwing the knobs and then climbing on them. Totally cool! Behind them, partially hidden by the wall, stood Jennifer. Her hands moved in simple motions as she spoke to someone Rae couldn’t see. She seemed pretty intense. A gasp of surprise slipped out of her mouth when Rae moved past the wall. Devon. No, no, no, no, no! I can’t do this right now! His head turned to shoot her a quick glance. He had obviously heard her before noticing her. There might still be a chance to escape... But then Jennifer paused and turned to follow his gaze. Rae swallowed and tried to appear relaxed and normal. Devon must have been somewhere sunny. He had a good tan, which made his blue eyes even brighter. He smiled then quickly tried to hide it, but not before Rae noticed his dimple. She wished she could make him smile again to see it one more time, and at the same time wished he wasn’t there. “Hi,” she said, trying to not appear awkward.

Jennifer looked at Rae, then at Devon, and back to Rae. “You spoke to Carter?” Rae sighed, nodding once. “You know?” They both nodded. “You okay?” Devon asked. Rae’s eyes snapped back to his face. Why do you care? As much as she wanted to be anywhere but there at that moment, she coached herself to act normal. “I guess.” She glanced behind her. “Can we not talk about this here?” Please, can we just make Devon leave? It hurts too much. “We probably shouldn’t. It’s classified info.” Jennifer pointed to the doors that led to the offices. “We can talk in there if you want.” What’s there to talk about? Her feelings? She had spent enough time with a counselor back when her parents died to never want to go through that again. Plus, the thought of being in a room alone with Devon and Jennifer seemed like the worst possible move at the time. “There’s nothing to say. He’s out.” “We’ll stop him, Rae,” Devon said fiercely. He’s not going to hurt you. She could almost hear him say the last words before he thought them. Shock ran through her. How? She realized Julian’s tatù had kicked in and given her a small glimpse. She quickly forced her body to switch to Jennifer’s tatù, anything so she wouldn’t hear Devon’s feelings; feelings he should not even have considering he had dissolved their relationship. What right does he have to feel that? He can’t feel that! Life was confusing enough at the moment. She didn’t need any more mysteries to solve. She was overbooked as it was. “Do you feel like doing some training today?” Jennifer interrupted her thoughts. “Is this a trick question?” Rae couldn’t be sure whether or not Jennifer was testing her, wanting to see if she would back down when things got tough. Jennifer shook her head. “If you don’t feel like training, it’s fine. Yesterday was a long day. I’m impressed with how you handled yourself—at the museum and during debriefing. There are some who still aren’t a hundred percent sure whose side you are on. You’ll earn their trust and respect... they just don’t easily give it

out these days. Old men, new tricks.” She shrugged. “You know how it goes.” She pointed at Devon. “He’s still trying to prove himself, and he’s one of the best recruits we’ve had in years.” Rae smiled automatically because Jennifer and Devon were smiling. She felt nothing to smile about, but she needed to appear normal. “How about we take today off? I have a feeling something will come up tomorrow so an early night might be a good idea.” Jennifer pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket as it rang, checking the caller ID. “I need to take this. Devon, can you make sure Rae gets back to her dorm?” “S-Sure,” Devon stuttered. Rae stiffened immediately. I don’t need an escort. I definitely don’t need him. Jennifer moved away from them and through the doors to the offices faster than any normal human being could move. Rae stood staring even after the doors had closed behind her. She just could not believe she had been stranded with Devon. “Did you drive here?” Devon asked. “I jogged. I haven’t bought a car yet.” “Of course.” He slowly began walking to the exit doors, waiting for Rae to follow beside him. “Do you want to walk back or drive back to Guilder?” Her phone vibrated inside her pocket, reminding her of Luke. “We should probably drive.” “Okay.” They walked out of the building and to his car in the parking garage in silence. She grudgingly itted to herself that she’d missed this. She had always liked how Devon didn’t try to force the conversation or make small talk. He always did know how to make me feel comfortable. The anger and hurt churning in her gut started to subside a little. She took a few deep breaths as they settled in and he started the car. Rae leaned her head back and hoped for a quiet and quick ride back to the school so she could hurry up and be alone. She had a lot to process. He turned left out of the driveway instead of right, which would lead them back to Guilder. “Want to just go for a bit of a drive?”

Rae wanted to argue, but Molly immediately came to mind. If she went back to the school now, Molly would be on her in seconds. So she nodded, leaned back against the comfortable seat, and stared out the window. He knew her, and she appreciated it at the moment. He drove through the countryside, and when he pulled the car into a closed gated driveway to turn back around he asked quietly, “Are you worried?” Rae watched him from her peripheral vision. She wished he would pull the car over and wrap his arms around her, just as she wished she could scream at him and have a cathartic, loud fight. Both urges were wishful thinking. As much as she wanted him to hurt the way he had hurt her, she lacked the energy and focus required to wage war with him at the moment. There was too much else going on, too many fires that needed to be put out or managed. “About Kraigan? Should I be?” She had to wonder if he knew something that she didn’t. “I think the moment he’s free he’s going to go after you.” “I don’t think so. I took his tatù.” She couldn’t be sure, but pretending to believe it had to count for something. “Even more of a reason he’ll want to.” Devon focused on the road as he went around a tight bend. “I’ve asked to be on your detail. To act as a bodyguard.” “What?!” Rae had not meant to yell the word. It just slipped out. “Don’t worry. Carter refused. He said it would only make you more of a target.” He glanced at her before turning back to the road. “He also mentioned that you didn’t need help; that you could hold your own.” Rae turned the full force of her stare on him. Is that doubt I hear in his voice? Is he seriously doubting me? “What do you think?” It took a moment before he replied. “He’s probably right. I just...” “Don’t. Please don’t.” She knew she was about to ruin any chance of them getting back together. However, Devon had pissed her off, broken her heart and done her a favor all at the same time. She had needed to find herself, to come to with her family history and her past in order to proceed into the future. She was finally starting to accomplish something in that regard, but she was back to

feeling like there was no one in her world that she could trust completely. And having Devon acting like he cared and wanting to protect her was both pointless and painful. “I’m okay. Carter’s right, I can handle whatever Kraigan wants. Let me do this on my own.” She paused a slight moment and, in a sense, pushed the knife though his heart. “I don’t need you.” The car slowed slightly as Devon’s foot came up off the gas. He accelerated suddenly, as if he had had enough of her company and couldn’t get back to Guilder fast enough. Rae felt the same. The car grew stuffy and she wanted out. When Devon pulled into a parking space, Rae unlocked her door and jumped out before the car was even in park. “Thanks for the ride,” she called out as she ran toward Aumbry Hall. She blamed the tear sliding down her cheek on the wind pushing into her eyes as she raced along the sidewalk. She slowed her pace inside Aumbry and pulled the phone out of her pocket. Luke had sent a text with the address for some dessert café in town. She replied that she would be there in half an hour. A non-tatù boy could be just the right distraction—at least for a couple of hours. Tonight, while lying in her bed, she could try to figure out what to do about Kraigan. Right now, she needed ice cream.

Chapter 18

A Walk in the Park

RAE DIALED JULIAN’S number. It took three tries before he finally picked up. His excuse was that he had been drawing. Julian sounded uncomfortable when she asked to borrow his car. Rae chalked it up to his poor estimation of her driving skills. He grudgingly met her outside Aumbry and just tossed her the keys before apologizing, saying he wanted to get back to his drawing. He refused to look her in the eye. Rae watched him jog away, puzzling over his behavior. He hadn’t asked about the meeting with Carter. By his awkwardness, she figured he knew. Strange that he hadn’t said anything about it. He usually had a positive word of advice to make her feel better. She shrugged and headed to his car. Right now she had ice cream to consume and a normal life to pretend she had. She carefully drove downtown. She slowly pulled into a double parking space. She wasn’t taking any chances. She bought two parking meter vouchers, hoping it would prevent any ticket from appearing behind the windshield wiper. Luke stood outside the shop, leaning against the old brick. He waved when she saw him. In his other hand he held a leash to a very patient, sitting, yellow Lab. Rae grinned. “Your dog?” The dog’s tail swept the sidewalk and she gave a short bark as Rae approached. Luke held his hand in a loose fist in front of the dog’s head. “Quiet, Sandy.” The dog immediately obeyed but her tail did not stop wagging. Rae bent down so Sandy could smell her hand. She patted Sandy’s head. “Good girl.” Sandy’s wet nose tickled her forearm. She straightened. “How old is she?” Luke haphazardly tied the leash to the bike rack beside the shop. “She’s three.” He used his hand again, this time held flat to the ground and then sideways in front of Sandy. The dog sat again and stayed put. Luke turned and opened the door for Rae. When she hesitated, he chuckled. “Sandy’s fine. She won’t move till we get back. There’s a dog park a block from here. She can run while we eat our ice cream cones.” Rae followed him inside and peered out the window several times while they

waited in line and ordered. Sandy sat perfectly still, only her tail wagging when people walked by. “She’s very good.” Luke smiled. “I trained her myself. My father runs a kennel, breeding and training dogs.” “Neat! You grew up with dogs, then?” Luke paid for their cones and chatted as they walked out of the dessert café. “All my life. I can’t imagine not having them around. I’m in a bachelor flat at the moment, but Sandy doesn’t mind. It’s got a decent sized backyard.” He picked up Sandy’s leash and tucked the one end loosely inside his pocket. Sandy followed perfectly at his left side, not a step ahead of Luke. Rae watched in awe. “When I’m done with school, I’d love to get a dog.” “If you do, I’ll help you train it.” “That would be cool.” Something occurred to Rae. She had never told Luke where she went to school. But hadn’t he offered to pick her up at Guilder earlier? The thought stopped her in her tracks. “What’s up?” He licked his cone to stop a dribble of ice cream from running down his hand. Molly’s tatù flared up inside Rae, ready to protect at all costs. Rae felt her eyebrows press together as she clenched her jaw tight. She inhaled and forced herself to exhale slowly. “I never told you where I went to school.” She grabbed his wrist and wrenched his arm over, his ice cream dropping to the sidewalk beside Sandy. The dog never noticed the food, but the hair raised along her spine let Rae know Sandy had noticed what Rae had done to her master. A low growl rumbled in the dog’s chest. Luke gave Sandy a hand command and Sandy sat, but not before another growl gave warning to Rae. Rae didn’t bother checking his arm for a tatù. There wasn’t one there. She would have absorbed it already.

“I don’t have one.” Luke didn’t try to pull his arm free. He didn’t resist. Rae let go of him and stepped back. She switched to Jennifer’s tatù, ready to run and risk being noticed in public if it meant saving herself. “What do you want from me?” Luke gave her a sympathetic look. “Your friendship. Honestly, that’s it.” He grinned sheepishly. “Maybe a little more than friendship, but I’ll start with that.” She blinked. What the heck is going on here? “Will you give me a chance to explain?” Luke held his hands up. “We can just walk Sandy at the park. You can listen and just leave if you don’t like what I have to say. I’ll never bother you again if you want. I promise.” It only took Rae about five seconds to decide that listening and gathering information was better than storming off angrily without any. She just didn’t have to be nice about it. She started walking again. “You have one bloody chance. I’ll freakin’ beat the crap out of you if this is some kind of set-up.” Luke jogged to catch up to her, Sandy right at his side. “It’s not.” “How do you know?” “About you? Or about...” He glanced toward her lower back. “Me. And that.” They reached the park. The Lab waited patiently for Luke to free her from her leash, and the moment the metal clicked she took off running over the open fields. “Don’t you go chasing any rabbits,” Luke called out quietly after her. As he watched the dog run, he said, “I honestly didn’t know about you when we met.” Rae thought back to that day. Could someone have been at the train platform who knew about Devon and her? It was possible. Not really believable but possible. “Really?” “I didn’t. It wasn’t till the night in the club I realized. The friends I was with actually told me who you were. They have tatùs.”

“Seriously?” “Yeah.” “Did they go to Guilder?” Luke shook his head. “No. We work together.” Rae shook her head. What was he talking about? “I work for the Xavier Knights.” She stumbled and nearly fell. “You have got to be joking!” He worked for the enemy? This day couldn’t get any worse. She tossed her melting, uneaten ice cream in a garbage bin nearby. Luke shook his head. “That’s why I know about tatùs. I heard about you, but didn’t realize you were the Rae Kerrigan.” “So what’s your plan? Earn my trust and then stab me in the back?” Rae’s hand clenched into a fist. “No! Crap!” He brushed his fingers through his hair. “I just wanted to tell you that I knew about tatùs. That I didn’t care.” “But you know I go to Guilder and about the Privy Council.” She didn’t it she worked for them, just in case he didn’t know yet. If he worked for the Xavier Knights, he could be friends with Kraigan. He could be setting her up right now. “That’s why I wanted to tell you. It’s not a big deal.” She scoffed. “Not a big deal? What do you know about Kraigan?” She reached for his hand and switched to a tatù she had never used before, Carter’s. “Don’t move.” Luke stood still, his eyes wide. She flashed through his memories, knowing Luke could see them as well. She ignored his “What the heck?” She didn’t know how to hide the intrusion the way Carter did. He could search through someone’s memories without them even

knowing. Kraigan had taught her how to block him from searching, but this side of the ability she had never used before. She watched Luke at the Twisted Cork when his friends bugged him after she left and teased him about who she was. She saw him convince them not to say anything. Could the vision of the past be trusted? Rae blinked and let go of his hand, only to grab it again and try to search further back. She saw glimpses of kennels in the countryside, him working in a large office on his own. Nothing to show he had been assigned to her. His job was problem-solving, cleaning up messes, trying to hide other mistakes made by the tatùed people he worked with. She let go of his hand. He didn’t know Kraigan. She was sure of it. “That’s freaky.” Luke whistled and Sandy came racing back. “I’ve seen different tatùs in action, but never like this. I think I know what you were trying to find.” Rae’s heart sped up. Did he know about Kraigan? Had she been that obvious? “You were trying to find out if I knew about you before the café, weren’t you? I didn’t. Honest.” Luke pulled a tennis ball out of his pocket and threw it. “What other kind of things can you do with your tatù? I’ve heard it’s got loads of abilities.” He grinned and winked at her. “I’d ask if you would show me it, but that’s kind of inappropriate... being in a public park and all.” Sandy picked her already furious pace up a notch. She caught the ball midbounce and came trotting back to Luke, her tail wagging like mad. He tossed Rae the ball and nodded at the field. Sandy barked to hurry her up. Rae added a zing to her throw with a tatù. The ball flew across the field. “Oops!” Luke laughed as Sandy chased after it. “That’s some arm. I should hire you to walk her.” His face turned serious. “What are your plans when you graduate?” “Work.” She couldn’t believe he wasn’t angry that she had just searched through his memories. He seemed completely cool about it. Rae, on the other hand, felt so freaked out that it seemed a miracle she wasn’t yelling. “With the Privy Council?”

“Of course.” She looked at him. “What about working with the Xavier Knights?” She snorted. She was pretty sure he was clean, but that didn’t mean she had to trust him. “Would you trade sides and come work with the Privy Council?” It’d be like giving up Coke for Pepsi, or vice versa. “Touché.” Rae watched Sandy, judging Luke based both on what she had seen in his memories and the happy, loyal dog trotting back their way with a ball in her mouth, and decided to push the issue. “Are we supposed to be enemies?” Luke shrugged. “I don’t think so.” “Then I don’t get why there has to be two sides.” She shook her head. Everything seemed to either be super secretive or somehow political. “You say you want to be my friend. If we can get along, why can’t everyone else?” “It’s not that simple.” “Why can’t it be?” Luke rubbed the back of his neck. “The Knights see things differently than the PC. You guys are old-school.” Rae rolled her eyes. She let her guard down. Luke had no intention of hurting her—at least not tonight—and she was worn out trying to maintain a façade of strength. “Really? You think we’re old- school?” She realized she now had an opportunity to see inside the Xavier Knights. Why would she throw it away? Luke grinned. “I don’t think you’re old-school, just the company you work for. For example, I know all about tatùs and I’m not inked. Would the PC ever hire someone like me?” “Probably not.” “So they want all inked to only associate with themselves? Like a cult?”

“No.” She thought of something to argue back with. “What’s the motto of the Xavier Knights?” It had to be something similar to the PC’s. Imperfect and flawed, but full of good intention. Luke looked skyward for a moment. “Secret Society of Investigators. The company acts as private investigators.” Rae grinned. She had him. “A secret society? And you want to call the PC a cult group? You’re basically the same thing!” Luke raised a finger and opened his mouth to speak. Nothing came out. He closed it and shook his head. “Beauty, an awesome tatù, and I keep forgetting the darn brains. Must be too distracted by the other two.” She nudged him with her elbow. “Don’t try avoiding the subject.” She had to it, she liked that he didn’t care about her tatù. She couldn’t imagine herself in the future, married to someone who didn’t know the ink on her back gave her a unique ability. An image of Devon appeared in her head. She tried to push it away. While Luke wasn’t Devon, he was nice. “I just think you would enjoy working for the Xavier Knights.” He bent down to give the patiently waiting Sandy a good rub. “You don’t seem happy... I mean, you are happy, I just think you’re guarded and protected about everything. It doesn’t have to be that way.” “You don’t know anything about me.” From his kneeling position, he raised his head and looked her straight in the eye. “I’d like to.” Rae held her breath. That was a loaded statement, and she had no idea how to respond to it. Luke seemed unfazed by her lack of response. “I’ve read the reports about your father. I’ve heard all the stories, but always kind of figured they were just tales. Your father may have started the Xavier Knights, but he sure didn’t finish it. His vision was nothing of what we are today.” “What?” Her sharp response startled Sandy.

Luke straightened. “I don’t believe his intentions for the Xavier—” “My father started the company?” “Yes. It’s no secret.” Rae shook her head. Would her father ever stop surprising her? “I’m sorry. I assumed you knew.” “I didn’t.” “See? I told you the PC was backwards in their thinking!” The wheels in her brain started churning fast. If her father started XK, then she was willing to bet Kraigan was involved with them. Luke might be her way in. He might hold the key to the door that could trap Kraigan. “It’s not the PC’s fault. I haven’t mentioned you to them.” “So you’re keeping secrets from them?” He grinned, his eyes twinkling. “No! Well, I guess maybe. I don’t know.” She threw her hands in the air. “I didn’t realize you were a threat! There was no reason to mention you!” “I’m no threat. I promise you that.” He tossed the tennis ball one more time. “I have to it I’m a little disappointed you haven’t run a background check on me.” “I never said I didn’t.” She didn’t plan on telling him she hadn’t. “Did you do one on me?” “I didn’t have to. I knew who you were.” A warning went off in her head. Rae took a step back and let her tatù find the right protection she needed. “You knew that day in the café? The day you gave me your number?” Why hadn’t she seen that with Carter’s tatù? Luke seemed confused a moment, then his eyes went wide. “No! I had no idea that day. It wasn’t until the Twisted Cork. I didn’t know before. And I don’t care. Why does it matter what your name is?”

Rae hesitated, unsure if he was telling the truth or trying to cover his tracks. “I don’t know, Luke. I’m not sure I should trust you now.” She felt a twinge of guilt. He seemed pretty sincere, but here she was, planning on using him. She needed him to get into the Xavier Knights, but if she gave in too easily he would wonder what was up. “I think... I think I’m going to head back. I need some time to think this over.” “I’m sorry, Rae. I should have called you over the weekend or right after the club. It just took me a couple of days to figure it out. I can’t imagine how it seems on your end.” She absorbed his kind words, not sure what to think about them. “Thanks.” She gave Sandy a good scratch behind her ears and turned to go; part of her prepared to fight, the other half surprised to hear Luke throw the ball again and tell Sandy to get it. He had no intention of coming after her. Rae walked back to Julian’s car in a haze of confusion. Should she trust Luke’s answers? What would happen if she used him to get inside the Xavier Knights or find Kraigan? What would Carter do if he knew she was consorting with the XKs? What would Devon think? Did she care about the answers to these questions?

Chapter 19

Loyalty

SHE SAT IN JULIAN’S car for a long time after she had parked it at Guilder, running the past few days over and over again in her head. Rae began questioning her own loyalty. Did the Privy Council have her best interests at heart, or were they only after self-gain? That question had stood since her first year at Guilder. Three years later, she was no closer to an answer. The motives of the Xavier Knights were a new question she didn’t expect to get an answer for without infiltrating them first. At least, not an answer she could trust. Luke... He was normal, but he worked for the Xavier Knights. Immediate marks in both the pro and con columns. He knew who her father was and he didn’t seem scared of her, which was very attractive to her. She couldn’t decide if that was a pro or just information without weight in the argument. Nobody would think twice if she started dating someone without a tatù. However, what would the Privy Council say if they knew he worked for the Xavier Knights? What would the Xavier Knights think? Could she effectively infiltrate both organizations, get the information she needed to answer questions about herself and her family, and get out in one piece? Did she trust one side more than the other? She forced herself to move and got out of Julian’s car. “I have no idea what the answers are to any of those stupid questions,” she muttered as she slammed the car door. With determination she stomped to Aumbry Hall. It sure seemed like the days were getting longer. Was that possible? Her pace slowed and quieted when she reached Aumbry’s front entrance. She cringed as she opened the door, terrified it would creak, bringing Madame Elpis rushing out. Rae glanced across the room, letting out a quiet sigh of relief when the door didn’t creak. She hurried to the library, trying to appear casual in case someone was watching. Her hearing tuned with Devon’s tatù, a light tap, tap, tapping could scarcely be heard above the sound of the fans and lights above. Rae barely noticed, except the noise was inconsistent. She arched her neck and tried to get a clearer view between the rows of books. Nothing. She slipped between the bookcases toward the sound, and paused when she reached the row where she had hidden her father’s journal. She slipped down

the aisle and pulled the large dictionary of WXYZ down. “Rae?” a voice hissed. She dropped the leather-bound dictionary but caught it just before it hit the floor. From her crouched position Rae’s eyes followed the knee-high leather boots up to the tight leather cat suit. There was no mistaking who it could be. “What are you doing here, Jennifer?” She straightened, trying to appear natural, knowing full well Jennifer would hear her heart hammering away inside her chest. She slipped the dictionary under her arm and pretended to clutch it to her chest. “You totally scared me.” Jennifer’s eyebrows rose. “You didn’t hear me typing?” She wasn’t buying it. “I heard the clicks on the computer but figured I would see who it was after I grabbed the book—books I needed.” She glanced at the other large leatherbound volumes and pulled the UVW off the shelf. “Weird English assignment, don’t ask.” Jennifer didn’t. Thank goodness. “I came by your dorm, but your friend Molly didn’t know where you’d gone.” “I went out for an ice cream.” Do I mention Luke? “Just needed a break. Clear my head.” Jennifer nodded. She leaned against the end of the bookcase and crossed her arms over her chest. “Everything all right?” “It’s fine. I just figured if Kraigan’s released tomorrow, I won’t be doing much stuff off campus that isn’t Privy-Council-related.” “If he comes after you, you’ll be ready. We all will.” “You don’t know him.” “I knew his father—” “That’s not enough.” She held a hand up. “You didn’t let me finish. I also knew his mother.”

Rae felt her jaw drop. She didn’t think she could handle any more surprises today. “Hi-Hi-His mother? Did my mom know her?” Jennifer checked the manicure on her hands. “No. She didn’t. At least not personally. They may have met, but she wouldn’t have known who she was. The girl was a couple years older than your mom. Nothing like your mom, in looks or stature. She had some kind of cloaking tatù.” “Like camouflage?” That makes sense. I couldn’t figure out Kraigan’s tatù until our fight. “Something like that. She was sneaky. Now she’s just dead.” Rae blinked in surprise. “You killed her?” Jennifer straightened in surprise. “No! But I wouldn’t be surprised if your father set the hit on her. When he took the kid, she came to us for help. Well, that’s what she said. Some of us think it was all a plan... some kind of ruse.” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter anymore.” She glanced toward the main doors at the same time Rae heard the click of the doorknob and a grunt as someone pushed it open. Jennifer’s tone changed. “If you’re good then I’m going to head out. Have fun doing your assignment.” With her boot, she pushed herself off the antique wooden bookcase and headed around the other side of the row Rae stood in. Rae didn’t hear or see her Botcher leave because Molly came into her field of vision and squealed in delight. “Here you are! I met your trainer. She was looking for you earlier. I didn’t know where you had gone because I thought you were actually training with her. Man, she’s the image of empowerment. I bet she doesn’t take nothing from nobody. You are so lucky! Anyways, she came by and like I said, I thought you were supposed to be training with her so I didn’t know if you were playing hooky or what had happened. Luckily, I didn’t have to play dumb because I had no clue where you were. Where were you?” As Molly continued on and on, not giving her a chance to respond, Rae wondered for the millionth time how Molly didn’t need to pause for breath. She finally just cut Molls off. “I did train. Then went out for ice cream with Luke.” Molly’s mouth dropped—for a mere millisecond. “You did? Oh, that’s so cute! He seems really nice and totally into you. Did you guys kiss? I mean, I know you aren’t the first date kind of girl, but he is easy on the eyes. Did I tell you I’m

single again? I think Luke and you would be perfect together. He seems kinda slow like you, so you guys would be perfect.” Rae held her hand up. “Hold on!” “Sorry, I didn’t mean you or he are slow. You’re just not in a rush to get to third base... or first base, or even up to bat for that matter.” Rae fought the urge to burst out laughing. It would only draw Madame Elpis into the library to tell them to be quiet. “Molls, I know what you mean. When did you break up with—” “About a week ago. I know I should have told you. I just figured you had enough on your plate. It’s no big deal. The whole distance thing stunk big time. I was bummed for about an hour.” She smiled, her eyes sparkling, almost like a bolt of electricity ran through them. “Honest. I figured if you’re okay with being single I can be, too. Plus, the Privy Council is interested in me ing on after graduation!” She stomped her feet and squealed. Then quickly stopped and glanced at the library door. In a lower tone she said, “Imagine us working together! Out in the field. You and I might be partners!” Rae couldn’t imagine the Privy Council letting them work together, nor could she imagine Molly out in the field. However, she was no expert so she kept the thoughts to herself. Molly pointed to the dictionaries hanging heavy under Rae’s arm. “What’re those for?” Rae glanced down. “Assignment.” Molly winked and nodded at her knowingly. “I get it. Of the Privy kind?” she whispered. “That why your trainer was looking for you? Do you want me to help?” “Thanks, but this is one I have to do on my own.” “No problem. Do you want me to guard the door for you?” Rae pressed her lips tight to stop the smile trying to push through. “That’d be great.”

Molly gave her a thumbs up and raced down the hall. She stood, feet spread shoulder-width apart and her arms crossed, guarding the closed library doors. Rae quickly pulled the journal from inside the one dictionary and rolled it slightly. She stuffed it against her back under her shirt and returned the large books. She walked back to Molly. “I got what I need. Want to head upstairs together?” “I’ll act as your bodyguard. It’ll be good practice for me. It’ll help show the Privy Council a spectrum of things I’m capable of doing.” She pulled open the door and dramatically glanced around the hall. She was being more obvious than Rae would have been on her own, but Rae would never say so. It would only hurt Molly’s feelings. She turned and beckoned Rae to follow. “The coast is clear. By the way, you never answered my question.” Rae stepped through the doorframe and double-checked the room and stairwell. From her hearing tatù, a few younger girls were chatting in the hallway on the floor above them but would pay no attention to the two of them. “Which one?” “Which one what?” Molly climbed the stairs beside Rae, still glancing behind them and all around. Rae chuckled. “Which question didn’t I answer?” Molly paused a moment on the stairs, then quickly resumed her pace. “I asked if you and Luke kissed. Did you?” They ed the group of girls camped out on the hallway floor, poring over textbooks. Exam time. Rae made a mental note: she had several of those coming up in the next two weeks, and needed to carve out time to study. “We didn’t.” She thought of the Xavier Knights and Luke. Then she thought about what it felt like when Devon brushed his lips against hers. She sighed. Molly nudged Rae with her elbow. “Ahh, you want him to. Maybe you need to make the first move.” Rae shook her head. “We’ll see. Things are, uh, pretty complicated at the moment.” She wished she could tell Molly about Kraigan, or Devon, or anything. It sucked having a best friend that she couldn’t talk to. Maybe one day... just not today.

They reached their floor, but not before Molly held her arm out and made Rae wait while she checked both ways of the hall to see if anyone was about. Once she was sure the coast was clear, she turned to Rae. “Go get your work done. Want to meet for breakfast tomorrow?” she asked. By breakfast time tomorrow, would Kraigan be racing here to kill her? Or maybe running as far away as he could? Either way, could she afford to break cover? No. Not yet. “Sure. Breakfast sounds good. Seven-thirty?” Molly groaned. “How about eight?” Rae laughed. Molly had never been an early riser. “I’ll come knock on your door.” “Sounds good. Sometimes I miss rooming with you.” Guilt washed through Rae like a tidal wave. In all the stress and questions and mysteries she had uncovered in the last two and half years of her life, Molly had been her stalwart er through every second of it. Yet she’d never really been able to share her thoughts and feelings. She didn’t deserve such a loyal friend. “Maybe next year we can get a flat together or something.” Molly snapped her fingers. “Great idea! We can drive in to work together and everything! I might just skip studying and Google what’s available in the area. I mean, if the Privy Council is around here. Are you allowed to tell me that? Or am I even allowed to ask? Crap! What if they have little itty-bitty microphones set up all around here and are listening to all our conversations?” Molly ended in a whisper and held her finger up in front of her lips in the universal sign for silence, making Rae giggle. “Goodnight, Molls.” Rae unlocked her door and closed it firmly behind her. She kicked her shoes off as she listened to Molly head back down the hall to her room. Dropping onto the bed she sat up immediately, ing that she had the journal tucked in at her back. She pulled her father’s journal out from behind her back. She stared at the old worn leather. How long had the Privy Council been searching for this book? All along it had been with her uncle, who had never realized its importance. She flipped through the pages randomly. There wasn’t much. The first part had been written by her uncle. Then her dad had started writing a few things, but they were the ramblings

of a group of boys. Her dad hadn’t been much older than 18 when he had written the other parts. What was so special about it? She held the book up by the outer cover and back flap and shook it, wondering if anything might slip out. The copies of the strange page she had found in her mother’s old Wade cabinet fell out. They floated to the bed like a feather, except they were upside down. The angle of light, or the thin paper, or who knows what, triggered something in Rae’s memory. She saw it but couldn’t quite grasp it. “Come on!” she growled to herself. She stood and began pacing, trying to force the hidden connection. She stared at the cabinet of Whimsies. Why had her mother hidden the paper in the back? Backwards! That’s what was on the tip of her tongue. “But why?” she said out loud. Her eyes shot left to right like a pendulum as she struggled to something without knowing what it was she was looking for. She walked to the miniatures cabinet and carefully slid the paper out of the back. She unfolded it and turned it upside down. Nothing. She turned it over. Blank. A strange thought struck her. Slowly, she turned the page back upside down and on the backside. With shaking hands, she held the thin paper up against the light and gasped. Somehow her six-year-old brain had processed what she stared at. The strange markings were symbols for words. Her mother had taught her to read them when she had been little. Every day she had taught Rae the symbols, like learning the alphabet. When they went to the beach, her mom would draw them in the sand and then quickly erase them. Rae stared at the wall. How could she have forgotten? She focused on the page again, slowly making out some of the words. Her heart thundered in her chest. The discovery excited her, but she was still frustrated that she didn’t know what it all meant. Her mother had hidden this for a reason, knowing Rae would inherit it one day. Could her family secrets get any more complicated? No amount of shaking was ever going to reveal everything.

Rae moved to her desk, taking out a blank piece of paper. She couldn’t all the markings, but made lines on the paper and began trying to fill in what she did know. An address began to take shape. She figured that out by the numbers. She opened her laptop and tried to see if the postal code would give her a location or something... anything. An hour later she had managed to decipher only a tiny bit. There was a disc or something hidden in Stoke-on-Trent. Something the Privy Council needed to see. The one line she had sorted had Jennifer’s name in it. Rae thought it said to bring the hidden item to Jennifer, or for Jennifer’s eyes only. This code was something her mother had made up for Rae only. The Privy Council wouldn’t have a clue. Should she ask Jennifer? As soon as she asked herself the question, her gut told her the answer. Not yet. Rae Googled the postal code again with one different letter and her heart nearly stopped when an address showed up on the screen. The Wade factory. In Stoke-on-Trent. Or rather, by the images Google showed, it must be the old factory. Closed down quite a few years ago. Somewhere inside, there was a message from her mother. She intended to find out what it was. Tomorrow.

Chapter 20

No Tomorrows

RAE SPENT MOST OF THE night decoding the message, using memories of her mother to help her how, talking to her mother as if she sat right beside her, trying to help her figure it out. “Mom, what’s the round symbol with Pi inside it mean again?” As if in answer Rae flashed to a memory of a day when she had been on a beach with her mother, drawing symbols in the sand and playing until the tide came in and washed it all away. She didn’t realize she was crying until a wet drop landed on the scribbled and scratched sheet of paper she had been working on. She’d nearly gone through an entire pad of paper, brainstorming on it. She couldn’t go to Stoke in the morning. She needed a bit more planning and organizing. Where in the factory was the hidden clue? She had figured out it was a disc or some kind of data, but beyond that she knew next to nothing. Googling the word Wade and its factory she learned that the company was still in business making porcelain collectables, but had built a new factory and closed the old ones. The land had been sold for housing developments. The factory Rae wanted hadn’t been torn down yet. It was closed, windows boarded up and fenced off, but it was still standing. A few hours before dawn, Rae tossed her pencil onto the desk and rubbed her eyes. She needed to sleep. Slipping her father’s journal and the sheets of scribbled paper from her mom’s hidden message into the bottom of her backpack, she tossed her school books on top. In the morning she would try again with a clear head. Maybe tomorrow she could talk to Devon. Scratch that. Just more complications. Julian would be better. She would need to borrow his car one more time. Rae rubbed her eyes. Everything seemed to be coming at her all at once. Devon, the ancient portrait drawing, Kraigan, her father’s journal, her mother’s clues. It felt overwhelming. She yawned, a big, long one. Enough, girl! Go to sleep! She crawled into bed, too tired to even bother changing or brushing her teeth. She dreamed of her mother, her father, weird drawings, old factories, talking porcelain animals, Kraigan chasing her down and laughing at the hidden messages she painted on the walls.

Crazy dreams, all with a hint of truth to them. A pounding on her door brought her back to reality. She sat with a start and checked her watch. Nearly eight o’clock. She glanced around the room. Luckily she had hidden everything. She winced when another round of hammering on the door started. Her heart leapt into her throat. Kraigan! Could he be free already? Surely the Privy Council wouldn’t let him come straight here for her. They probably didn’t realize how much he wanted her dead. “Rae! Are you in there?” Molly’s loud voice actually calmed her thundering heart. Rae jumped out of bed and unlocked the door. She absorbed a shock of electricity when she turned the doorknob. She jumped back, swinging the door open at the same time. Molly flicked her wrist and laughed. “Was that you or me?” Rae shook her hand. “Not sure.” She smiled, ing now that the Privy Council wanted to hire Molly. She was glad. She wanted her best friend beside her next year. “Hey, Moll? We still moving in together when school’s done?” Molly raised an eyebrow and tossed her loose hair over her shoulder. “Of course. I’m not staying here another year like Julian and Devon did. They’re idiots.” Her eyes ran up and down Rae. “You plan on going to breakfast like that?” “Give me three minutes. I’ll meet you downstairs.” Using a speed tatù, Rae was ready in less than two. She raced down the stairs and met up with Molly. For once, the sun was shining. Bright and hot. The sense of dread that had been dogging Rae for days now seemed to burn away in the bright, happy sunlight. It filled her with a sense that maybe the day would be all right. They had breakfast, and Rae didn’t even mind Molly’s constant chatter throughout. Somehow, Rae agreed to go through papers to see available places. Molly had gabbed on and on and talked Rae into at least looking to see what was out there so they would know what they wanted when school finished. Molly figured even finding a place near school grounds would be good for the summer.

The morning blurred slowly into the afternoon as Rae went through classes, trying to focus on what the instructors were saying. Exams were around the corner. Ironically, Rae didn’t care. She had secured a job, and at the moment had no intention of even thinking about university. During lunch, Jennifer sent several texts to ask how she was doing. When she suggested taking the afternoon off of training, Rae agreed. Jennifer made her promise to check in with her throughout the rest of the afternoon and evening. She would be in a meeting with Carter but would keep her phone on. Perfect. Rae could skip the rest of classes and drive to Stoke. She could be there before it got dark. She stuffed her phone into her back pocket and used the speed tatù to race over to Julian’s dorm. She sort of hoped he wouldn’t be in. She could just tape a note to his door. Then he couldn’t stop her from going. At the top of the stairs in Joist Hall, just before the fireproof doors, Rae stopped and tried to tame her unruly hair using the glass reflection. She hadn’t bothered to check it that morning. Tucking a loose strand behind her ear, she gave up and shoved it into a ponytail. She pushed through the heavy metal doors. How she hadn’t heard the shouting while playing with her hair surprised her. The fire doors must have muffled the sound of the two male voices, which were clearly coming from Julian’s dorm room. Using the cheetah tatù, Rae raced down the hall. As she ran, she nearly stumbled when she realized it was Julian and Devon who were hollering at each other. “You back-stabbing scum!” Devon shouted. “Me?” Julian scoffed. “I wasn’t the one who screwed up! You did that all by yourself.” Rae paused behind the half-opened door. Maybe she shouldn’t be here listening. Then again, they couldn’t see her. “Yeah, I screwed up.” The disgust in Devon’s voice couldn’t be missed. “I thought I was doing what was best for me and her. She deserves a chance to

figure things out on her own.” Rae blinked. Did Devon mean her? “By dumping her basically minutes after she ed the PC?” Julian must have pounded a fist against a chair or table or something. “I always thought you were a decent guy, Dev. Whatever your intentions were, you sure did a lousy job. I’m just glad I’m not the selfish prick who’s pretending to try to please everyone.” Devon snorted. “I’m not selfish! Rae needs to focus. On training. Her dad, her mom...” He paused and Rae imagined him running his fingers through his hair. “She doesn’t need me as a distraction.” Rae clenched her hands into fists. He was an idiot. She had needed him the most. He was supposed to be the one person who she could go to, spill everything, and never be judged. He’d simply dropped her when he realized she had crazy complications in her life to deal with. Just two months ago, with no combat training or PC training, she’d risked her life to save him. Julian was right: Devon was being a selfish prick. She slipped through the half-opened door, ready to confront him. Neither Julian nor Devon noticed her. They were too busy staring each other down from across the desk. Julian stood straight, his arms crossed, frowning. He had bags under his eyes and he looked exhausted. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, dude.” Devon leaned forward, his hands spread across the wood top. “You wouldn’t know about sleep, would you? You now spend your nights plotting, drawing, and obsessing over my girlfriend.” “She’s not your girlfriend. You dumped her!” “You’ve been in love with her since the day she arrived at Guilder!” Rae’s mouth dropped and she could feel her eyebrows rise so high her ponytail shifted. A noise escaped her lips. Both boys’ heads swung at the sound. It couldn’t be true. Devon was spitting accusations in anger. Besides Molly, Julian was her next best friend. He had been acting strange the past few days but that didn’t mean... it couldn’t. Julian seemed to recover first. He stepped toward her, his hands open, palms up.

“Rae. It’s not what it sounds like. Dev—” “It’s exactly what it sounds like!” Devon shouted. “You’re fascinated by Rae. Don’t freakin’ lie!” “I’m not lying!” Julian glared at his PC partner. “What the heck’s going on?” Rae’s heart pounded hard against her ribs. She shifted and set her feet shoulder-width apart, feeling an extreme need to find solid ground. Devon leaned down and grabbed something from behind the desk and then stomped toward her. He tossed Julian’s drawing portfolio at Rae, which she caught. “Open it,” he demanded. “Please don’t.” Julian’s face went from anger to horror. Devon swiped a notebook off the top of the desk. He held it up like a teacher reading a story to her class. “Trying to hide something, Julian?” He began flipping through the pages, showing Rae. Drawings covered the pages, in charcoal, pencil, pen, marker, or apparently anything Julian had handy. On every page were images of Rae. Every single page was covered with a picture of her face, her silhouette—fighting, reading, or something. Julian groaned. “Rae, it’s not what you think...” Rae blinked several times. Her gaze trailed back and forth between both boys then down to the large leather portfolio in her hands. She set it level on top of her left hand and unzipped the case, trying to balance it and look at the drawings inside at the same time. There had to be at least a hundred drawings. All of her. Julian moved toward her at the same time Devon leapt over a chair to try to get to her faster. Rae stepped back and pressed herself against the wall. Julian tried to grab the portfolio but Devon was quicker. His hands swept underneath the case, knocking it out of Rae’s hand. Drawings fluttered everywhere across the room. Julian’s arm drew back and he landed a solid punch on Devon’s jaw. “You

bastard! You don’t know anything!” Devon’s upper body twisted from the impact of Julian’s fist. He stumbled but managed to catch himself before falling. Wiping his cut lip, he shook his wrist and fresh blood sprayed over the drawings. “Cat’s out of the bag, Julian.” Then he lunged at his best friend. With that, the fight was on in earnest.

Chapter 21

Run, Rae, Run!

JULIAN’S TATÙ GIVE him the heads up to move out of the way, but Devon must have expected it and shifted as well. The two fell back, knocking over a chair that protested with a loud crack. Rae watched in horror. She had seen them fight against each other in training, but never like this. They rolled on the floor, grunting and grabbing at each other. A small table toppled over as Devon threw Julian off of him and lunged immediately after him. Devon’s fist landed in Julian’s side. Rae swore she heard a rib break. They were going to kill each other. “Stop fighting!” she screamed. Neither guy paid any attention to her. Using Jennifer’s tatù Rae raced over to them, and not one hundred percent sure it would work she switched to Molly’s ability, forcing herself between them. She had to duck to miss a punch that landed on Devon’s shoulder. She spread her hands on both their chests. It took more concentration than she anticipated, but she only had a millisecond before they would push her out of the way or end up nailing her. With eyes shut tight she pushed as hard as she could. Using her strength and electricity, she sent both of them flying in opposite directions. Both of them released an “Oof!” as their bodies crashed into opposite walls. “Enough!” she hissed, glaring at both of them. “What is the matter with you guys?” Devon stood, panting, and swiped his lip. Julian leaned forward with his hands on his knees, heaving for air. “Are you finished?” she spat at Devon. He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not, but Julian is.” “Freeze!” She waved a finger of warning at the approaching Julian. He hesitated a second. Rae looked at both of them and suddenly felt tears well up in the back of her eyes. “You guys are idiots. I thought you were my friends.” She turned

and fled from the room, not bothering to look back. She switched her tatù back to Jennifer’s, knowing Devon could try to run after her but would have no chance of catching up. Outside she raced to Julian’s car, pulling the keys out of her backpack as she ran. She glanced once behind her, but didn’t see Devon. It didn’t mean he wouldn’t follow; she just had a massive head start. The moment her feet hit the parking lot, she hit the unlock button to Julian’s car and swung the door open as soon as she reached it. The car revved to life as she shoved it into first gear and lurched forward. She peeled out of the parking lot. She sped down the country roads, not sure at first where she was going, partially blinded by tears, anger, and confusion. There had to be a reason Julian had drawn all those pictures. How long had he been drawing them? Why had Devon freaked out? They weren’t dating anymore. What right did he have to get ticked over anything involving her? When the motorway came into view, Rae pulled onto it and headed toward Stoke-on-Trent. She never bothered to look back. Mentally calculating the miles, she figured if she drove fast she would have around two hours to try to forget the scene she had witnessed. The muffled sound of her phone vibrated from inside her school bag. She ignored it. She had no intention of talking to either Julian or Devon at the moment. Instead she flipped on the radio and cranked up the volume. An hour and a half later, with no answers and no rest from the thoughts pushing through her mind, she turned the music down and switched Julian’s touch screen radio to his built-in GPS. She pulled over at a rest station and found the address for the old Wade factory in her backpack. Westport Road. She didn’t want to, but couldn’t resist checking her phone. Devon had called three times, and Julian had called and sent a text. Molly had sent a text, too. Rae ignored them all. The only message she wrote was to Jennifer. Rae knew she was in a meeting with Carter and might be with him for hours, so she just let her know everything was fine. Hopefully, Jennifer wouldn’t reply for quite a while. Rae also doubted Julian or Devon would be eager to let the Privy Council know what had just happened—if they were even worried about her. Rae didn’t have her mother’s original coded message, just the scrap pages she had been working on. She closed her eyes to see if she could picture it. She

pulled a blank sheet of paper out of a binder and frantically scribbled down what she saw behind her eyelids. As she worked, she realized a picture was also forming in her head. A large room filled with rows and rows of porcelain teapots and things on shelves. If it was an old, forgotten memory, she didn’t know. It just appeared in her head. The large planks of wood on the floor and high, unique-patterned windows would be her map. She just had to get inside the factory. Her gut told her she would know the room when she saw it. How to find what was in there was another matter. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten lunch. She ran inside the rest stop and bought a sandwich to eat on the road. Checking the GPS, she grinned when she realized she had made unbelievable time. I’m probably about twenty minutes away from Stoke-on-Trent! Her phone sounded again. Rae grabbed it and switched it to vibrate. She glanced at the ID. Jennifer had replied ‘OK’ to Rae’s previous text. Rae didn’t bother reading the rest of it; she would check it later. As she maneuvered Julian’s car back onto the motorway, she tried not to think. Of course, that was impossible. She wanted to rewind and erase Devon and Julian fighting, erase all the drawings of her, the ancient drawing of her. Could she go back even further? Erase her mother dying? What would things be like now? How different would her life be? Rae shook her head and focused on the exits and GPS. What had her uncle told her once? Things fall apart so things can fall together. One of his silly proverbs of truth. “Whatever that means,” she grumbled. She switched lanes, flipped on the turn signal, and exited the motorway. A sign welcomed her to the City of Potteries. She went through the roundabout, and continued on as the streets narrowed. It took a while to find the correct way, but she slowed the car to a crawl when she saw the fence and realized the closed factory lay behind it. Parking the car up the road near a supermarket she grabbed her backpack, locked the car doors, and tucked the keys in her pocket. Rae walked along the sideway to Westport Road, and from there up to the red

brick front of the old building. At the corner there was a boarded up, graffiticovered sign that had once read “Reception”. The small-paned windows above the door sported broken glass from kids throwing stones at them. She moved down the road and turned left toward the front of the factory. This part of the building had once been grandiose. There were six creamy white pillars that stood out against the red brick behind them. The original entry doors had been closed off with newer red brick, and fences now prohibiting people from trying to use the crumbling steps. She jogged to the low fence entrance with the word WADE painted in yellow. Looking around to make sure no one was about, she easily hopped over it and landed softly. Riley’s cheetah tatù kicked in without conscious thought. Probably because I’m nervous. She sprinted across the uncut, overgrown drive, staring at the boarded windows for an opening. The doors were all either locked and boarded, or bricked up. Next to impossible to break through. So much help. She ran along the decrepit parking lot. The long, red brick building had five, maybe six, stories. The higher windows weren’t boarded. Kids had taken to throwing more stones and who knows what else at the glass, and most of the windowpanes were broken or missing. Maybe she could scale one of the halfmissing fire escape stairs and try to open a window. A bottle-shaped chimney caught her attention. An old wood door with a weak-looking padlock had been built right beside the chimney. It stood mostly hidden by the chimney’s base. A crow cawed in a tree near the chimney, as if telling her to try the door. Rae slowed her jog to a walk and shoved her hands into her pockets. She forced her nerves to calm and switched to Devon’s tatù. This isn’t like breaking into the museum. Nobody would be here except the cops, if some local thought she was causing damage. There would be no alarm system to override. Nothing of value would have been left here. Except for the thing her mother had left her. Whatever it was.

Chapter 22

Windows

THE DOOR PROVED EASY to open. Using Nic’s tatù she pried the lock open with a paper clip from inside her backpack and slipped through, coughing as dust and dry wood filtered into her nostrils. Rae waved her hand in front of her face and squinted into the dimness. She debated leaving the door partially open, but decided it would be best to close it. If a local called the cops, she had no idea what she would say to Carter or Heaster Wardell. Devon’s father would probably be thrilled to have something on her. Hopefully, that wouldn’t happen. She didn’t plan to be there long. With the door closed, she switched to Devon’s tatù to see better. It didn’t help as much as she had hoped. What if she stepped on a rotting floorboard and ended up in some kiln or cellar, buried in debris? Maybe she should tell someone where she was just in case. She reached for her phone, only to realize that she had left it in the console of Julian’s car. Crap! She grimaced. She had to it this was not a well-thought-out plan. Of course, she wasn’t exactly helpless. If I do get stuck, it’s not like I can’t use my mental tatù to Jennifer or whoever I need... As long as I’m not ed out or something. That wasn’t a pleasant thought. She rubbed her fingers together, Molly’s tatù automatically flicking into action. Sparks flicked from her fingers and she thought back to the night she had seen Devon and nearly heaved an electrical ball at him. Concentrating, she made the ball again and held her hand up by her shoulder. Light reflected off the walls, showing weird-shaped shadows, sparkling spiderwebs, and bits of pottery and dust everywhere. The floors looked a lot sturdier than she had imagined. “Good,” she whispered. She headed slowly down the hall, toward where she figured reception would be. Large worktables built into the floor still stood in rooms. Broken, unfired, and unpainted pottery lay piled up in places as she walked. She imagined the place full of painters and potters, and smiled. For some reason, she pictured it all in black and white. Like an antique photograph. She nearly stumbled when a thought struck her. She had seen pictures of the room before, and the bottle ovens. Her mother had shown them to her. Rae quickened her pace as she realized the first image she’d had was the bottle oven, then this room. Her mother had shown her the pictures in order.

Like a map. She rounded a corner and found a set of narrow wooden stairs. Her mother had been in this photo with an older man. That photo had been in color. Rae’s heart raced with excitement. She couldn’t believe this weird sense of déjà vu was actually happening. Somehow, her mother had given a probably fiveyear-old Rae this picture map, knowing she would use it. Rae checked the stairs and made her way down another labyrinthine hallway. She opened doors to several rooms that must have once been offices, but none of them seemed to hold whatever she was looking for. She turned around and headed down the other section. A large oak door caught her attention. The door was wider than all the others in the hall and had a rectangular mark at eye level, obviously where a door plaque had once been. Rae reached up with her left hand and touched it. “Art Room,” she whispered, seeing the brass plaque that had once been there inside her head. Another picture clue. Rae reached for the knob before she realized that it, too, had been removed. She kicked the door with her foot to see if it would open. It protested with a groan, but slowly creaked as the hinges moved for the first time in ages. Rae pushed again until the opening was wide enough, and then stepped through. She let the little ball of light fizzle out. She didn’t need it. Windows, with beautiful tiles surrounding them, cast warm light from the setting sun. Another door on the far side stood partially open. Shelves with rusted paint cans and brushes were visible. Probably a storage room or supply closet. She strolled to the middle of the room and slowly twirled around, picturing the room with drawings, easels, a large mahogany desk, potters tables, and other supplies that artists would have needed to design figurines and test paints. She knew exactly what it had looked like, even down to the little whimsy figurines and tiles being painted the day her mother had taken the photo. Déjà vu again. Her head swung to the windows, and the beautiful tiles surrounding them. Third window. Her legs moved toward it before her head told her to go. She ran her fingers over the amethyst purple, emerald green, and sapphire blue tiles that still held their lustre in the face of so much neglect. Third row. She dropped her

backpack and crouched down to trace the third tile from the bottom on the left. It held fast. She moved to the other side of the window and counted to the third row. That tile also stuck fast against the cement, or whatever had been used to set it. She paused when she noticed the third tile in stuck out just slightly. She tapped one corner and noticed it shift slightly. Tapping harder she jumped when it fell to the floor, face down. The tile stayed intact. Rae flipped it over and was disappointed to find absolutely nothing on it; no written clue or anything taped to it. Not wanting to ruin the beautiful window, she turned to push it back into its place and gasped. A key lay wedged into the spot where the tile belonged. Using her nails, she managed to pry it loose. She replaced the sapphire blue tile and stood closer to the dirty window glass to get a better look at the key. It looked like it belonged to a lock box or something. It wasn’t super old, but definitely not a car or house key either. She turned it over a few times and squinted to try to see it better. The sun had set and the last rays of light were little match against the grime-layered window glass. Time to go anyway. Rae stuffed the key into her back pocket. The secret code back in the dorm hidden behind the miniature cabinet would tell her more. She just needed to get back and figure out what the rest of the symbols meant. She was halfway across the room when she realized she had left her backpack by the window. She walked back and slipped it over her shoulders. She turned around and jumped back when the silhouette of a man by the door scared the crap out of her. Hand covering her mouth, she barely managed to hold back a scream. Kraigan.

Chapter 23

Doors

SHE REALIZED THAT SHE probably should be scared. Instead, all she felt was anger. Deep, seething, fiery-hot fury. Kraigan held a crow bar, smacking it menacingly against his free hand. “I’m sick to death of you, Rae.” He stared at her with murder in his eyes. “You’re the thorn in my side that needs to go.” Rae met his glare with mutual feeling. “I’ve done nothing to you! You created this mess yourself. The Privy Council freakin’ frees you, and what do you do? Instead of running, you bloody come after me!” Had he followed her since she left Guilder? He hadn’t been in the room when she found the key. She felt certain of that. He must have slipped in when she turned to grab her backpack. Kraigan scoffed as he made his way around the room toward her, staying close to the wall. “You’ve done nothing? First, I end up at Guilder and have to put up with you. Then, just when I have the chance to rid myself of you, Fate steps in and saves you with those stupid, hidden doors in the Oratory.” He shook his head, his entire body ready to pounce if Rae even twitched. “I only had one thought while in that cell. You...dead.” One hand behind her back, Rae began to form a ball of lightning. She paid no attention to it, her body automatically switching to the tatù she needed. It grew hot against her skin, but didn’t hurt. “Does it suck to be without your power?” She smirked, imagining she looked like her father, and also knowing exactly what her mother would think of her at this moment. The thought undermined her anger, giving her a bit of focus. She tried to make her face unreadable. “I didn’t ruin your life. You had a choice. It’s not my fault you let our father’s anger consume you.” “He hated you!” Kraigan roared. Rae clenched her hand and the ball fizzled out. She refocused and began forming it again, stalling for time. “How do you know? How much time did you spend with dear ol’ Daddy? I grew up with him. He tucked me into bed at night, read me stories, and played with me. If he hated me, why didn’t he kill me himself?” It was at that moment that several details clicked into place in her mind. She sucked in a sharp breath when she realized she had been the leverage her father had used against her mother. Just a pawn in one of his plans. The knowledge

neither hurt nor affected her much. She had never particularly wanted to connect with him, not since she had learned he was the monster of the Tatù world. However, the realization did also give her insight into his strategy. He had wanted her alive, to see her tatù and learn what she would be able to do with it. She smiled at Kraigan as she said the final thought out loud. “He never wanted me dead.” Kraigan’s face burned crimson red. “Yes, he did!” His shoulders rose with each angry breath he took. Rae slowly shook her head. “You’ve been jealous of me since you were a child. You wanted to be the first-born.” “I was!” Kraigan jabbed at his chest. “I’m the son! He wanted a boy. I’m the first male born!” “You’re not the first.” Rae actually felt sorry for Kraigan. He, too, was just another pawn in her father’s schemes. “I am, and you will never replace me.” Rae tilted her head and stared at him. The knowledge swelled inside her, giving her power. “Who do you work for?” Kraigan blinked and stared at her. “What?” “You’re with the Xavier Knights, aren’t you? Do they want me dead?” By the way his brow furrowed and his face turned another shade of red, she knew she had hit a nerve. “There’s no hit out on me, is there? You’re the one who has the personal vendetta against me. The Xavier Knights want me alive. You don’t even hate the PC. You just hate me. I took your father, your family, even your tatù. I took everything away from you.” A deep, guttural growl erupted from Kraigan’s throat. He raced toward her like a bull charging a matador. “I never lost my tatù, you idiot.” He raised the crow bar high over his head with both hands. Rae threw the lightning ball at him and began to run toward the door she’d come through to find an exit, her body automatically running through tatùs to find the best one. She watched in horror as Kraigan easily ducked away from the burning yellow and blue ball she’d thrown. It hit the floor and burst into flames. Fire? The old,

dry floorboards cracked and snapped in protest from the heat and fire. The flames spread quickly, as if rushing madly to steal the wood and air. They raced toward the door Rae was heading for. The flames licked up the doorframe and door. She stumbled as she changed direction, and used Jennifer’s tatù to race to the other side of the room to the only other door. Smoke filled the air. Rae covered her mouth and nose to avoid inhaling it. Kraigan seemed unfazed. He laughed as he chased after her. He was a man. Something tangled underfoot and she lost her balance. Pain shot up her leg from her ankle as she tumbled to the floor. The crow bar flew across the room and landed in the fire. Kraigan had thrown it at her feet and caught her dead on. At least she’d sent it flying out of reach as she fell. Using her healing tatù, she focused on her ankle and tried to push herself back up. The sprain healed, but the healing ability disappeared as Kraigan grabbed her and wrapped his hands around her neck. He dragged her away from the heat of the flames, into the middle of the room. She clawed and struggled against him. Using Riley’s tatù, she used the cheetah strength to force his hands off her throat. The fire had made a square around them, trapping them in. “You want me dead,” she rubbed her neck, “but you’re stuck here, too. You’re going to end up killing yourself as well.” She heard sirens far off. As she felt Riley’s tatù disappear, she immediately switched to Jennifer’s. They were the closest match at the moment, but she had a slight advantage until Kraigan stole it from her. Kraigan coughed and stepped back from her. Smoke streamed heavy above them. He bent low to try to avoid inhaling it. Ironically, Rae didn’t taste the smoke or feel it in her lungs. She still lay on the floor and assumed it was the best spot to be. She rolled onto her stomach, ready to sprint for the door. She froze when she realized she had ended up nearly in the fire. Yet it didn’t burn or hurt. She felt its warmth, no hotter than a bath. She glanced down at her foot and lurched to the side. Her foot had been standing in the fire! What the heck? Kraigan may or may not have noticed. In that freakish moment, Rae had

forgotten all about him. Until he slammed her to the floor face first, his hands grabbing her backpack. Rae struggled against him and thrashed on the floor. She managed to free herself by slipping out of the straps on her shoulders. She scrambled away from him, terrified that he had touched her and would steal her tatù. She waited, unable to look away from him. Kraigan stooped low and angrily drilled her bag directly into the flames. “Nooo!” Rae screamed as she watched in horror. The bag instantly caught on fire. Rae didn’t think, she just ran straight after it. Kraigan stepped in front of her, blocking her view of the bag and ready with his hands out. Rae skidded to a stop just out of his reach. “You idiot!” she shouted. “The journal was in there!” It was too late. She knew it. Whatever secrets were inside that book had been licked away by the flames. Kraigan straightened and glanced behind him. Rae didn’t miss the opportunity. She hissed at Kraigan, “Tell our father I said ‘Screw you’ when you see him.” She turned on her heel and, using Jennifer’s tatù, sprinted through the flames. She held her breath, terrified of the pain the inferno would bring to her. She no longer had her healing tatù, and if she survived would have to bear the pain until she could mimic it again. She kicked the blazing wooden door apart and jumped through. The fire had started down the hall in both directions. She panicked, unsure which way to go for a moment. Clenching and unclenching her fists, she looked both ways. As she recognized the way she had come, she noticed something else. The flames danced to the movement in her hands. I’m controlling it? Impossible. She heard a shattering crash from inside the room. Kraigan must have broken the window to escape. He couldn’t have come through the fire the way she had. No one could. She was using Jennifer’s leopard tatù, and she didn’t have a fire-resistant tatù to do that.

As she jogged toward the stairs, she thought furiously. She didn’t know anyone who had this ability, and even if she did Rae couldn’t use two tatùs at the same time. She knew that for sure. But how was she able to resist the burning? Flames began to reach the stairwell. She swiped her hand in the air, partially hoping it would send the blaze back. It did. It actually worked. She laughed out loud when it worked. It didn’t kill the fire, but her hand was actually keeping it at bay. And she still had Jennifer’s tatù. Fire trucks pulled into the yard. Rae heard the fire begin to sizzle as the hoses from the trucks were turned on it. There were shouts from outside, one clearly stating that they had seen a boy jump from the burning building and race away. Rae didn’t wait to hear more; she tore through the abandoned building back to where she had entered on the opposite side. No one was around there yet. They were too concerned about the front part of the building. She forced the door near the kiln open and sucked in the cool night air. Glancing back to make sure no one was around she raced through the shadows, scaled the fence, and abruptly stopped her mad dash. Shoving her hands into her pockets, she tried to keep her breathing slow and walked back to the shopping market with her head down. People walked by her, too engrossed in the dying fire to pay any attention to her. Rae smiled to herself, feeling exhilarated that she had made it through and very happy that she had the good sense to shove Julian’s car keys into her pocket instead of into her backpack. She dug deep into her jeans and pulled the keys out as she entered the parking lot. Kraigan had most likely taken off in the other direction. They would meet again, she was sure of it, but not tonight. She opened her hand clutching the keys and realized there was one more resting against her palm. She stared with wide eyes at it as she stood under the parking lamp. Her mother’s key.

It slipped from her hand when Rae gasped. Not because she had the key, but because of what else she had.

Chapter 24

Sun

SHE HAD HER MOTHER’S tatù. Just the thought sent a burning sensation against her lower back, exactly where the sun and its rays were on her fairy tatù. She knew it instantly. Her lungs could handle the smoke; her skin, the flames. Because she had her mother’s fire ability. Rae dropped down to find the key and clutched it tight in her hand, close to her chest. Tears poured down her cheeks. She was only a few feet away from Julian’s car, but couldn’t force herself to stand from her crouched position to sit inside it. She closed her eyes as misery and loss filled her. She didn’t want the tatù, she wanted her mother. “Rae!” Her breath caught at the sound of her name. She jumped, half-expecting to see her mother in that moment. She turned in the direction of the sound. Jennifer raced toward her and wrapped her in her arms. “Are you okay?” Rae collapsed against Jennifer’s strong grip and let the tears fall against the soft leather of Jennifer’s jacket. “I have...” She hiccupped and tried again. “I have my mother’s...” Jennifer pushed her away and held her at arm’s length. She shook Rae. “What? What do you have?” “Her tatù.” Rae stared at Jennifer, waiting to see the shock enter her face. “What?” Jennifer’s eyebrows shot up and together, clearly not understanding what she meant. “Julian asked me if I could do two tatùs at once. I knew I couldn’t. But this... this is completely different. I’m not trying to mimic two tatùs at the same time. I have my mother’s ability along with my father’s! I can use hers.” She raised her right hand and rubbed her thumb over her pointer finger. A small flame burst forth. Jennifer jumped back slightly.

Rae grabbed the flame and squashed it in her hand to prove her point. “I can control it. It can’t hurt me.” “You started this fire?” The disbelief was clearly evident in her tone. Rae glanced back behind Jennifer. Only smoke filled the sky now, no flames were left to fight. “I had to.” “What?” Jennifer’s arms crossed over her chest and she began tapping her foot. “Kraigan came after me.” Jennifer’s hand went to her hip. “He still here?” She sucked in air that made an “oh-no” kind of sound. “Is he still in there?” Rae shook her head. “I think— I’m pretty sure he went through the window.” What was she going to say about the journal? “He... He... He had the journal! I managed to get it from him and hid it in my backpack. When I tried to escape, he ripped the pack off of me and threw it into the fire. The journal’s gone. Up in flames now.” She squeezed the key tight in her fist, its metal cutting into her skin. She tried to casually put her hand into her pocket, leaving the key inside it as she pulled her fingers out. “The journal?” Jennifer looked back, as if considering going into the factory to try and find it. “Oh hell, Carter’s not going to be happy.” Rae tilted her head. “How did you know I was here?” Jennifer nodded to Julian’s car. “He’s got GPS tracking on it. He told Carter you had gone off in it. Carter sent me.” At least Julian hadn’t been killed by Devon, or vice versa. “Is Devon all right?” Jennifer gave her a weird look. “He’s fine.” “Good. Can we get out of here?” She was missing a few tatùs and wanted them back. Jennifer held out her hand. “Give me the keys, I’m driving.” She coughed and covered her mouth. “I’ve heard about you behind the wheel,” she said behind her

hand. “Where’s your car?” “Doesn’t matter.” She unlocked the car doors and opened Rae’s for her. Rae wondered if she’d used her tatù and just ran there. It wouldn’t surprise her. “Let’s go. I need to let Carter know what’s happened.” She started the car and revved the engine. It purred like a kitten. She gave Rae a warning look. “I hope you’re ready.”

Chapter 25

More Secrets

RAE SAT QUIETLY DURING the drive. When they first started driving, she grabbed her phone to stall having to talk with Jennifer. Julian had messaged to apologize for what had happened and asked if they could talk. He messaged again half an hour later, asking where his car was, and then began calling. Scrolling through the list of missed calls, she noticed after Julian’s third try Devon had called. Nervous fingers and slightly erratic heartbeat, she put the phone to her ear and listened to her voicemail. The first one was an apologetic Julian, then an angry one, and then a worried message from him. Devon’s message came next. The anger and frustration Rae had witnessed from him in Julian’s dorm room wasn’t there. She knew him well enough to know he was very worried about her. She pressed the phone tight against her ear. “Rae, it’s me. I’m sorry about what happened. You of all people shouldn’t have had to witness that. It was stupid and dumb. I was an idiot. I’m so sorry. I’m... I’m trying. It’s harder being apart from you than I thought it would be. I don’t know why I got so jealous of Julian. He’s always got my back, and I should have trusted him instead of just acting out.” There was a pause but Rae could still hear him breathing into the phone, probably running his fingers through his hair as he grew frustrated with himself. He sighed. “You don’t have to worry. Julian and I are good. We talked and everything’s fine. But he wants to chat with you and clarify some things. He’ll explain it so it all makes sense. Come back, Rae.” The need in his voice pulled at her heart. He tried to cover his feelings by chuckling. “Please don’t wreck Jules’ car. He’s scared you’re going to do a number on it like last time.” His teasing tone turned serious again. “Please call or come back. Let us know you’re okay.” Rae stared at the ing cars on the other side of the highway. She was glad they hadn’t killed each other. She also wanted to know what Julian had to say about the drawings. She intended to find out when she got back... if Jennifer and Carter didn’t strangle her first. She sent him a text: On my way back. Everything’s ok. Jennifer’s driving Julian’s car. Will talk after I speak to Carter.

A moment later her phone vibrated in her hand. Devon replied: I know. With Carter. Get back fast. His cryptic response made Rae a little nervous. Why would he be with Carter? Did he already know about Kraigan? Or the journal? Rae glanced at Jennifer from the corner of her eye. She kept waiting for Jennifer to start drilling her on what had happened and give her crap for taking off on her own, but she never did. It began driving Rae nuts. She wished Jennifer would say something— anything. When they finally pulled off the motorway and began driving on the smaller country roads back to Guilder, Jennifer shifted the car into a lower gear and pulled to the side of the road, keeping the engine running. She turned to Rae. “We need to jet but I have a couple of things to say before we see Carter. One, you were an idiot to go off on your own. Tatù or no tatù.” She poked Rae on the forehead with a finger. “You need to start using this. You’re a smart girl, but stupid. I’ve been trying to figure out why you went to Stoke.” “I told you—” “I’m not finished. I’ve been going over everything you said. If I don’t get it, Carter and his Council are going to be even more confused. You’re in shit for going off and not letting them know what you were up to.” Rae straightened in her seat and stared straight at Jennifer. “I didn’t know I had to let people know every move I made. I’m pretty sure I can take care of myself.” She tossed her phone and threw her hands in the air. “Oops. Was I supposed to tell you I was going to do that?” “Almost eighteen?” Jennifer huffed and then sighed. “I’m not the enemy, Rae.” “I never said you were.” Jennifer pulled on the collar of her leather jacket. “That’s your problem. You don’t say much. And then when things go out of control, you cry father.” “I do not!” Rae crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ve never blamed him for who I am or what’s happened to me. I could, but I don’t. You’re the one who has it in

for me. Like it’s my fault my mother died.” “Excuse me?” She tutted. “Don’t you take that tone with me, missy. I am not your equal. You speak to me with the respect I’ve earned—” “I know nothing about the things you’ve done! You haven’t earned my respect yet.” She knew as the words came flying out of her mouth that they were wrong. It was frustration, fear, and anger speaking. She huffed and dropped back against her seat. “You want to blame me for what happened as much as I want to blame you for not stopping what happened.” Jennifer opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. Rae shrugged. “Look. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause any problems.” Jennifer laughed. “Girl, you’ve been causing problems since the day you were born. Why in the world did you drive to Stoke-on-Trent?” Should she mention the key? Rae could feel it digging into her thigh as she sat. Like a burning reminder. She had hidden the journal from Jennifer and everyone. Look where it had gotten her. Now she was trying to hide more secrets? She didn’t have to trust everything, but hiding everything from everyone wasn’t working out either. Time to share a little intel and see what she got for it. “I found a note from my mother.” Somehow, telling Jennifer felt right now. Maybe it was time. “My mother had hidden it in a display cabinet filled with tiny little figurines. She had given it to my uncle before she died. There’s a code on it.” She slapped her forehead. “Crap!” “What?” “Kraigan threw my backpack into the fire. The journal was in there, but also the note! It’s gone.” Rae could feel the pressure of tears building. “What was on the code?” “I don’t know exactly.” Panic made Rae’s voice rise. “I decoded some of it. That’s what led me to Stoke and the Wade factory. I don’t know the rest of it.” She pulled the key out of her pocket and showed it to Jennifer. “This was hidden there. I have no idea what it’s for!”

Jennifer stared down at the key in Rae’s outstretched palm. Slowly she reached under Rae’s hand and curled her fingers under Rae’s so they closed around the key. “That’s something your mother wanted you to have. I think you should find out what it’s for. It belongs to you.” Rae hesitated. Is Jennifer saying to keep it a secret from the Privy Council? As if reading her thoughts, Jennifer spoke. “Your mother left that for you. It might, or might not, have anything to do with the Privy Council. But I think you should find that out for yourself first.” The answer, a confirmation of sorts, that she shouldn’t trust the PC with everything stunned Rae silent for a moment. “I lost the code. I don’t think I’ll be able to find what it’s for without it.” Jennifer put the car into gear and pulled out onto the road. “Give it some time. I think you will.” “What do I tell Carter, then? He’s going to want to know why I went to Stoke.” “Kraigan came after you and burned the journal. Tell him what he needs to hear.” She didn’t offer Rae any more advice. They drove the rest of the way back in silence. When Jennifer pulled into the Privy Council’s headquarters instead of continuing on to Guilder, Rae felt butterflies flutter in her stomach. What were the chances it would only be Carter, without his Council?

Chapter 26

Royalty

JENNIFER PARKED JULIAN’S car right in front of the Tudor house where Carter’s office was. “Wait here,” she commanded, turning back into the Botcher Rae was used to seeing. Rae sat down on the steps to wait as Jennifer disappeared inside the building. Julian came out a moment later. He sat down beside Rae, his head down as he stared at his shoes. “You okay?” “I’m fine. Sorry I took your car without asking.” He glanced up and squinted at his baby in the dark. “I kind of deserved it.” She rubbed her shoulder against his, hating seeing him feel so uncomfortable around her. “You okay?” He leaned against her and spoke, still staring straight ahead and refusing to look at her. “I guess. I should have told you about the drawings. I just... I didn’t know what to say.” “Why are you drawing them?” Rae figured that was a good place to start. “It started after we got the paper out of the museum. Carter thinks they’re visions. Stuff that’s going to happen in the future. He thinks you’re the key to some cataclysmic event. I didn’t tell anyone. I should have...” Rae rested her head on his shoulder. “I have that same problem. I need to start telling people stuff, too. People I can trust.” “You can trust me.” “I know.” She smiled. “I should’ve ed that when I saw the drawings. You guys threw me when you started fighting.” Julian chuckled. “That was pretty stupid.” “I won’t argue there.” The door opened behind them. Someone cleared their throat.

Jennifer. Rae stood. “I guess they’re waiting for me.” “Good luck.” “Thanks. I think I’m going to need it.” Rae followed her Botcher inside. Neither spoke as they entered Carter’s office. Carter sat behind his desk while Devon sat in a chair across from him. The flat screen television above the fireplace was on, tuned to a news station. A reporter stood talking in front of Buckingham Palace, announcing the engagement of the queen’s grandson, the Prince of Wales. Apparently he would be marrying a commoner. The reporter was calling it a fairytale wedding. Carter turned it off with the remote sitting on his desk. Rae glanced around his office. No one else, just the two of them? Plus Jennifer and me? Devon flashed an apologetic smile as she sat down beside him. “Jennifer informed me that you believe Kraigan escaped. He came after you?” Straight into the thick of it. Here we go. “He did. I... He... He must have gone to get the journal or something.” Rae sucked at lying. Devon’s head shot up as he obviously caught on, and he watched her. She could see he wasn’t buying it. She cleared her throat. “He wasn’t too impressed when I questioned him about the Xavier Knights. They weren’t after the journal or me. Kraigan was. I believe he acted on his own. He wants me dead. It infuriates him that we share the same father.” She waited for someone to say something. No one spoke, so she continued. “He trapped me in a room and came after me. He still had his tatù and started going after my abilities again. I-I threw a ball of fire at him.” She looked at Devon, knowing he would understand. “ the ball of electricity I made a while back?” When he nodded, she turned back to Carter. “I thought it was electricity, but it isn’t. It’s fire. I have my mother’s tatù.” “Impossible.” Carter shook his head. “I started the fire, and when Kraigan tried to grab me he ended up with my backpack instead of me. He threw it into the fire, not realizing the journal was in it.” “Hold on,” Carter commanded. “The journal?” His face grew anxious. “Please don’t say—”

“It’s gone. Kraigan didn’t know I had hidden it in there. He was coughing and trying to locate where he had thrown it. I didn’t realize I had my mother’s ability so I took off, terrified I was going to be burned alive. I didn’t know I wouldn’t get hurt from it. Not till I ran through the flames.” “You ran through the fire?” Devon whispered. She nodded. “That’s when I realized I have two tatùs. My mother’s and my father’s.” Now I’m an even bigger freak than before. “Then Cromfield was right. He predicted there would be someone with the ability to use two tatùs at once.” Rae stared at Carter. “He predicted that?” When Carter nodded she continued, “Is that why you had me steal the page from the book?” “We have not had anyone with the ability to have or use two. Your father couldn’t. Even though both his parents had tatùs.” What? My grandparents were both inked? Rae needed to stop being surprised by surprises. She focused her attention back on Carter, who was still speaking. “It was rumored Cromfield had sketched the person.” “So what now? You start running me through a battery of tests? Put me back in the lab like a rat?” Carter shook his head, ignoring Jennifer’s hiss of warning to Rae. “No. We give you space. Trust you. Let you work at your own speed.” He turned the television back on. “You need to be around people you know... are comfortable with. Like Devon, or Molly, or whoever you feel will make a good team with you.” Jennifer’s warning to tell Carter what he needed to hear rang loud and clear in her head as Rae took in Carter’s words, which sounded a lot like the first half of a sentence that ended badly. It also seemed rather tame, considering what she had just put everyone through. Rae stared at him, dumbfounded. That’s it? No yelling or threatening to take her job? No inquiry? No more questions about tonight? She was off the hook that easily? How was he not pouncing on her bad lie about Kraigan and the journal?

Back up a minute... Was he hinting that he wanted her to lead her own team? Or was he giving her the boot from being in the field and maybe giving her some office job? Or worse, what if he was going to fire her? She straightened, suddenly very keen to hear what Carter had to say. Carter pointed to the TV. “There’s going to be a royal wedding next year. You interested in going undercover? Maybe play bodyguard to the princess-to-be?” “Pardon?” Rae looked at Jennifer and then Devon. “You still want me to work for you?” Carter laughed. “Of course! Now more than ever. Our Prince of Wales doesn’t know it, but he’s about to marry a commoner with a very special talent. She’s one of us.” Rae glanced at the television. She couldn’t help it. Her interest was definitely piqued. “What kind of tatù does she have?” Carter smiled. “If you’re interested in the job, I’ll fill you in on the details.” “Fine. I’ll do it. What’s her ability?” Carter rubbed his hands together. “Perfect. You and Devon can pick up the files regarding the contract in the morning. All the details will be in there.” “Devon?” Rae looked at her ex-boyfriend in surprise. Is that why he’s here? “The job requires a couple. I want you to work with someone you’re comfortable around. Devon is perfect, and he’s been your mentor.” “What about Riley?” “He refuses to work with you.” Jennifer snorted at Carter’s comment. Rae tucked that response away in her memory, promising to have a talk with Riley in the near future and figure out what that was all about. “Julian?” “Devon’s the perfect partner.”

There was no getting out of this one. She tried one last grasp of a straw. “I’m seeing someone. What am I going to tell him?” She refused to look at Devon. Carter shrugged. “The same thing I told Devon last year when he mentioned he was seeing someone. Job first. That girls can wait. Your boyfriend will survive. You’re an undercover operative for British Intelligence. What’s more important?” Job and country first. She had sworn that when she took the oath and signed the contract to work with the Privy Council. “When do we start?” “Tomorrow morning.” Carter stood. “You’re dismissed.” Devon turned and headed for the door without a word or glance at Rae. She didn’t miss the tightness in his shoulders. Rae followed at a much slower pace behind him. Maybe it was just exhaustion buzzing through her veins. She hadn’t slept well in weeks. A lot had happened. Something was clicking in her head, slowly, methodically. It had started at the factory and it had been working ever since, trying to make sense of something her brain wasn’t focusing on. In one blinding flash that nearly dropped her to the floor, it hit her. “Wait!” she exclaimed, the sudden realization shocking her. Even Devon paused in the hallway. “My mother’s tatù made me fireproof. If flames don’t burn or hurt me, they couldn’t have hurt her. If she killed my father with her tatù, there’s no way she...” Adrenaline coursed through her veins. Rae couldn’t stop the flood of excitement. “She could still be alive!”

THE END Royal Tea Book IV of the Chronicles of Kerrigan

Royal Tea Blurb

THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND has requested the help of the Privy Council. Someone is trying to kill her son's fiancé. The HRH Prince plans to marry a commoner, and his bride has a secret no one knows but the Privy Council. She has a tatu. When the Privy Council turn to Rae for help, she can't possibly say no; not even when they make Devon her partner for this assignment. They are to pose as a couple and work undercover, as bodyguards, to protect the soon to be Princess of Wales. Rae would rather be anywhere but with Devon, especially since she believes her mother is alive, despite the Privy Councils assurances of the contrary. The question is, how can Rae find proof of life for her mother, come to with her feelings for Devon, and manage to save the princess, all the while dressed for tea? When the enigma, the secrets and the skeletons in the closet begin to be exposed, can Rae handle the truth?

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THE CHRONICLES OF KERRIGAN: PREQUEL – Christmas Before the Magic Question the Darkness Into the Darkness Fight the Darkness Alone in the Darkness Lost the Darkness

THE CHRONICLES OF KERRIGAN Book I - Rae of Hope is FREE! Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gILAwXxx8MU Book II - Dark Nebula Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca24STi_bFM Book III - House of Cards Book IV - Royal Tea Book V - Under Fire Book VI - End in Sight Book VII – Hidden Darkness Book VIII – Twisted Together Book IX – Mark of Fate Book X – Strength & Power Book XI – Last One Standing Book XII – Rae of Light

THE CHRONICLES OF KERRIGAN SEQUEL Matter of Time Time Piece Second Chance Glitch in Time Our Time Precious Time

The Chronicles of Kerrigan: Gabriel Living in the Past

Present for Today

Staring at the Future

KERRIGAN CHRONICLES

Book 1 – Stopping Time Book 2 – A age of Time Book 3 – Ticking Clock Book 4 – Just in Time Book 5 – Time in the City Book 6 – Ultimate Future

THE KERRIGAN KIDS SERIES

Book 1 - School of Potential Book 2 - Myths & Magic Book 3 - Kith & Kin Book 4 - Playing With Power Book 5 - Line of Ancestry Book 6 - Descent of Hope Book 7 – Illusion of Shadows Book 8 – Frozen by the Future Book 9 – Guilt of My Past Book 10 – Demise of Magic Book 11- Rise of the Prophecy Book 12 – Deafened by the Past

The Kerrigan Memoirs COMING SOON!

The Chronicles of: Book 1 – Devon Book 2 – Angel Book 3 – Julian Book 4 – Molly Book 5 – Gabriel Book 6 – Rae

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TUDOR COMPARISON

AUMBRY HOUSE - A recess to hold sacred vessels, often found in castle chapels. Aumbry Hall was considered very special to hold the female students—their sacred vessels (especially Rae Kerrigan). Joist House- A timber stretched from wall-to-wall to floorboards. Joist Hall was considered a building of where the male students could and help each other. Oratory - A private chapel in a house. Private education room in the school where the students were able to practice their gifting and improve their skills. Also used as a banquet/dance hall when needed. Oriel - A projecting window in a wall; originally a form of porch, often of wood. The original bay windows of the Tudor period. The majority of windows at Guilder are oriel. Rae often felt her life was being watched through one of these windows. Hence the constant reference to them. Refectory - A communal dining hall. Same termed used in Tudor times. Scriptorium - A medieval writing room in which scrolls were also housed. Used for English classes, and still store some of the older books from the Tudor reign (regarding tatùs). Privy Council - Secret council and “arm of the government” similar to the CIA, etc. In Tudor times, the Privy Council was King Henry’s board of advisors and helped run the country.

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Did you love House of Cards? Then you should read Christmas Before the Magic by W.J. May!

Learn how it all began … before the magic of tatùs. When Argyle invites his best friend, Simon Kerrigan, home for the Christmas holidays, he wants to save Simon from staying at Guilder Boarding School on his own. Simon comes along and doesn't expect to find much more excitement in the tiny Scottish town where Argyle's family lives. Until he meets Beth, Argyle's older sister. She's beautiful, brash and clearly interested in him. When her father warns him to stay away from her, Simon tries, but sometimes destiny has a hope of it's own. The Chronicles of Kerrigan Prequel is the beginning of the story before Rae Kerrigan. This Christmas Novella is the start (but it may not be the end...) Prequel Series: Christmas Before the Magic Question the Darkness Into the Darkness Fight the Darkness Alone in the Darkness Lost in Darkness The Chronicles of Kerrigan Series Rae of Hope Dark Nebula House of Cards Royal Tea

Under Fire End in Sight Hidden Darkness Twisted Together Mark of Fate Strength & Power Last One Standing Rae of Light The Chronicles of Kerrigan Sequel A Matter of Time Time Piece Second Chance Glitch in Time Our Time Precious Time The Chronicles of Kerrigan: Gabriel Living in the Past Present for Today Staring at the Future Read more at W.J. May’s site.

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Hidden Banished Converted

Royal Factions The Price For Peace The Cost for Surviving The Punishment For Deception Faking Perfection The Most Cherished The Strength to Endure

The Chronicles of Kerrigan Rae of Hope Dark Nebula House of Cards Royal Tea Under Fire End in Sight Hidden Darkness Twisted Together

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Standalone Shadow of Doubt (Part 1 & 2) Five Shades of Fantasy Zwarte Nevel Shadow of Doubt - Part 1 Shadow of Doubt - Part 2 Four and a Half Shades of Fantasy Dream Fighter What Creeps in the Night Forest of the Forbidden Arcane Forest: A Fantasy Anthology The First Fantasy Box Set

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About the Author

About W.J. May Welcome to USA TODAY BESTSELLING author W.J. May's Page! SIGN UP for W.J. May's Newsletter to find out about new releases, updates, cover reveals and even freebies! http://eepurl.com/97aYf Website: http://www.wjmaybooks.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-WJ-May-FANPAGE/141170442608149?ref=hl *Please feel free to connect with me and share your comments. I love connecting with my readers.* W.J. May grew up in the fruit belt of Ontario. Crazy-happy childhood, she always has had a vivid imagination and loads of energy. After her father ed away in 2008, from a six-year battle with cancer (which she still believes he won the fight against), she began to write again. A ion she'd loved for years, but realized life was too short to keep putting it off. She is a writer of Young Adult, Fantasy Fiction and where ever else her little muses take her. Read more at W.J. May’s site.