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Authors: Malorie Blackman
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Rainbow.
‘Nova has. I like to walk around the grounds. I love it up here. I hope that’s OK?’
Raye shrugged. ‘It’s fine with me. So how come you know my name?’
‘I made it my business to find out. I’m Liam.’
Raye held out her hand. ‘Hi, Liam.’
Liam put his hands behind his back. Raye’s hand dropped to her side. What was this guy’s problem?
‘I’m sorry. My hands are dirty,’ said Liam quickly, his hands now lightly clenched at his sides.
Raye glanced down. Hmm! His hands didn’t look particularly dirty to her. ‘Why did you make it your business to find out my name?’ she asked.
‘I just did. Look, there was something else I wanted to talk to you about.’
‘I’m list —’ Raye’s head snapped back with sudden shock. For the briefest of moments she could’ve sworn she could actually see through Liam. She shook
her head and blinked heavily. The light in the reception hall was playing funny tricks with her eyes.
‘I don’t have much time,’ Liam said in an enigmatic rush. ‘Just watch out for Andrew, OK? He’s a liar.’
‘I beg your pardon?’
‘He wants to use you to win a stupid bet.’
‘How d’you know that?’
‘I just know, that’s all.’
Raye regarded Liam. ‘You’re just trying to stir things, aren’t you? What’s your game?’
‘I’m not the one playing games, Andrew is. Look, I have to go now,’ Liam said apologetically. ‘But I’m not lying.’
‘And I’m not listening. The nerve of some people!’ Raye turned and stormed off towards the dining room.
She turned to laser Liam with one last glare, but he’d vanished. Raye looked around, annoyed. He must’ve gone down the same rat hole he came out of. How come he knew Andrew? And why
was he trying to make trouble between them? And if he lived round there, how come she’d never seen him before? Raye thought she’d thoroughly scouted out all the local talent – not
that there was that much! So she would’ve definitely noticed someone like Liam.
Next time she saw him, he wouldn’t get off so lightly. She’d have a few choice words of her own to say and Liam wasn’t going anywhere until he’d heard every single
one.
14. Nova
Nova sat on her favourite bench beneath a pergola at the far end of the hotel grounds. The pergola separated the bench from the direct gaze of the hotel and all around were the
scents and sights of autumn – damask roses and late honeysuckle. Not that Nova was there to admire the flowers. Her head turned first one way, then the other, the expression on her face alert
and watchful.
‘Liam? Are you here?’ Nova whispered. ‘I’m sorry – OK?’
Nothing. Nova had been right through the hotel, calling out to Liam and looking for him. She’d even tried the guest rooms – at least, the ones that weren’t locked or occupied.
For all she knew, Liam could’ve been sitting right next to her at that moment. Nova reached out a tentative hand, only to drop it back down by her side. No, he wasn’t there. Even as he
had faded out in her room, she could still sense him. She’d known the moment he was no longer present and that had been several seconds after his voice had faded. He wasn’t here. As far
as Nova could tell, he wasn’t anywhere. Nova heard footsteps turning the corner, crunching on the gravel path. She sprang to her feet.
Liam . . .?
‘Oh, sorry. I didn’t know anyone was here.’ Mr Jackman was already turning round.
‘It’s OK,’ Nova said quickly. ‘I was just leaving.’
‘You don’t have to leave on my account.’
‘I’m not. I really was going. I just like to sit here sometimes. It’s peaceful.’
‘I like it here too.’ Mr Jackman nodded, looking around. ‘And you can smell the sea, even if you can’t see it from this spot!’
Nova was surprised at the sudden volunteering of information. She knew she should probably leave him to it, but for some reason her feet didn’t seem to want to move.
‘Don’t you
‘Nova has. I like to walk around the grounds. I love it up here. I hope that’s OK?’
Raye shrugged. ‘It’s fine with me. So how come you know my name?’
‘I made it my business to find out. I’m Liam.’
Raye held out her hand. ‘Hi, Liam.’
Liam put his hands behind his back. Raye’s hand dropped to her side. What was this guy’s problem?
‘I’m sorry. My hands are dirty,’ said Liam quickly, his hands now lightly clenched at his sides.
Raye glanced down. Hmm! His hands didn’t look particularly dirty to her. ‘Why did you make it your business to find out my name?’ she asked.
‘I just did. Look, there was something else I wanted to talk to you about.’
‘I’m list —’ Raye’s head snapped back with sudden shock. For the briefest of moments she could’ve sworn she could actually see through Liam. She shook
her head and blinked heavily. The light in the reception hall was playing funny tricks with her eyes.
‘I don’t have much time,’ Liam said in an enigmatic rush. ‘Just watch out for Andrew, OK? He’s a liar.’
‘I beg your pardon?’
‘He wants to use you to win a stupid bet.’
‘How d’you know that?’
‘I just know, that’s all.’
Raye regarded Liam. ‘You’re just trying to stir things, aren’t you? What’s your game?’
‘I’m not the one playing games, Andrew is. Look, I have to go now,’ Liam said apologetically. ‘But I’m not lying.’
‘And I’m not listening. The nerve of some people!’ Raye turned and stormed off towards the dining room.
She turned to laser Liam with one last glare, but he’d vanished. Raye looked around, annoyed. He must’ve gone down the same rat hole he came out of. How come he knew Andrew? And why
was he trying to make trouble between them? And if he lived round there, how come she’d never seen him before? Raye thought she’d thoroughly scouted out all the local talent – not
that there was that much! So she would’ve definitely noticed someone like Liam.
Next time she saw him, he wouldn’t get off so lightly. She’d have a few choice words of her own to say and Liam wasn’t going anywhere until he’d heard every single
one.
14. Nova
Nova sat on her favourite bench beneath a pergola at the far end of the hotel grounds. The pergola separated the bench from the direct gaze of the hotel and all around were the
scents and sights of autumn – damask roses and late honeysuckle. Not that Nova was there to admire the flowers. Her head turned first one way, then the other, the expression on her face alert
and watchful.
‘Liam? Are you here?’ Nova whispered. ‘I’m sorry – OK?’
Nothing. Nova had been right through the hotel, calling out to Liam and looking for him. She’d even tried the guest rooms – at least, the ones that weren’t locked or occupied.
For all she knew, Liam could’ve been sitting right next to her at that moment. Nova reached out a tentative hand, only to drop it back down by her side. No, he wasn’t there. Even as he
had faded out in her room, she could still sense him. She’d known the moment he was no longer present and that had been several seconds after his voice had faded. He wasn’t here. As far
as Nova could tell, he wasn’t anywhere. Nova heard footsteps turning the corner, crunching on the gravel path. She sprang to her feet.
Liam . . .?
‘Oh, sorry. I didn’t know anyone was here.’ Mr Jackman was already turning round.
‘It’s OK,’ Nova said quickly. ‘I was just leaving.’
‘You don’t have to leave on my account.’
‘I’m not. I really was going. I just like to sit here sometimes. It’s peaceful.’
‘I like it here too.’ Mr Jackman nodded, looking around. ‘And you can smell the sea, even if you can’t see it from this spot!’
Nova was surprised at the sudden volunteering of information. She knew she should probably leave him to it, but for some reason her feet didn’t seem to want to move.
‘Don’t you
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