Half her attention remained on keeping the portal open, the other half contemplating how to convince them to hurry through.
"They're afraid." Elis's arms extended around her waist, his bare chest pressed against her wings.
"Of what?" The answer hit the second the words left her lips. "Oh." How could she prove it?
Seconds ticked away, seconds they couldn't afford.
Dar Lorel's reappearance couldn't have come at a better time. She scanned the black figures lying still. "It…is safe," she said hesitantly.
"Stunned temporarily," Nare said.
The Risaal had returned, but an uneasy feeling transformed Raea's relief into caution. Something was wrong.
Dar Lorel motioned to the others. {"Go now."} One by one, they stepped through, until only Dar Lorel remained. "I am sorry for the trouble we caused." Despite her words, the tone of her voice had dropped.
Raea grabbed Dar Lorel's arm, stopping her before she stepped through. "You're upset."
"You're very observant. Too long have I lived on this world, adapting to human ways." Sadness lingered over the Risaal, her eyes down. "We…will rebuild."
"Oh." Raea was afraid of that, especially since neither Elis nor Nare had ever heard of their world. "I'm sorry."
Dar Lorel said nothing but stepped through the portal.
Raea stared after her, the blackness swirling in the chamber.
She sighed and let the resonance fade, sealing the portal. None of the Risaal would return, although a part of her had held out for them. They could have taught her so much.
"You did well, Crystal Keeper Raea." A warm kiss on her cheek granted small consolation to the pity she felt for the Risaal.
His warm breath on her neck sent a shiver down her spine, returning her attention to what mattered most. They were free again to live. She had learned her lesson. Atia was right—no more taking any second for granted. Each was precious. She would make the most of them. If the Shirukan came again, or some other alien race, or even the agency Anita worked for—and that would likely happen soon given the situation there—she wanted no regrets.
The three of them stood in the chamber with several dead aliens and more than a dozen sleeping soldiers around them, and a destroyed antiquity. Anita was going to have a field day over this. Now she'd never leave them alone.
The sooner they left, the more time they would have before Anita was all over them. "Let's go home." Maybe she could pretend this was all a bad dream and the Shirukan were nightmares.
"Yeah."
A gentle kiss on her neck stole away some of the sorrow clouding her emotions.
"Let's get out of here." Nare lifted her wings slightly and marched out.
"No argument here." After finding Elis's hand and twining her fingers through his, she led him through the bodies and out into the corridor.
Her leg aching reminded her of his injury. "You can't avoid getting hurt. Can you?"
He stopped and looked down at the blood on his jeans. "It's not bad."
There was that. They'd been through much worse.
In a surprise move, he pulled her close. She gasped but breathed easy with a smile a moment later. She'd missed this, being in his arms. It seemed like forever since she had seen him die, but it had never happened. His skin, cold to her touch from the room, burned through her emotions. His gentle kiss on her lips touched her soul, and the warmth of his soul disintegrated the cloud of loneliness that had settled upon her.
The kiss was only a quick greeting, though. That was neither the time nor place to find total comfort.
Raea lifted her fingers to those deep purple eyes and swept aside the wild black strands of hair over them. "Can you fly?"
Black wings lifted behind him and stretched. "I've been hurt worse and flown with extra weight."
His touch reached through her from his caress of her cheek. She remembered the vision when he'd carried her unconscious body home after fighting with the Shirukan to rescue her. That vision had shown her his love for the first time. She had taken it for granted all this time, but that would change now. Atia had taught her to appreciate what she had while she had it.
"Let's go. I don't trust Nare with Torres."
Yeah. He didn't know yet. "That's a funny thing about the Eye."
"What?"
He was going to hate it. Maybe it could wait. "Nothing. Let's get the poor guy and take him home." What was one more portal that night?
Perceptions and Misconceptions
"Tell me I'm dreaming."
Poor Elis. He sounded mortified. Raea rubbed his back in sympathy. Nare stood in the foyer with her arms crossed and a smug look on her face, which Raea would have gladly wiped off if not for the respect due a Crystal Keeper.
After leaving Torres at a hospital in Bismarck, they had flown home and left a message for Torres' family to let him know his task was done. Together, she and Elis had fallen asleep in the early hours of the morning in his bed, while Nare had crashed in the other bedroom. They slept in as long as they could and, after he showered and changed, had come down to breakfast to run into Nare, who had just finished and couldn't resist rubbing his nose in her new status.
"Nope." Nare held up the one-inch shard between thumb and forefinger. "No dream. Nightmare maybe…for you."
Elis turned to climb the stairs, his gray tee-shirt hiding the scar on his chest. "I'm going back to bed for good dreams."
"Yeah. Whatever. Good riddance."
For the sake of all they fought for! Raea couldn't take it anymore. This was their graduation. "Lighten up, Nare. Will ya?" Sheesh! What got into her? When she thought Elis was dead, she had said only good things about Elis. Since he had turned up alive, her tune had changed. She could at least be happy he was alive.
"He's been through a lot. A lot more than you." They both had; Raea was exhausted and couldn't imagine what he must feel like after coming so close to death. "And he's a wonderful person. He was out helping people since he came here to protect me. He never asked for fame or attention. All Elis has ever wanted was to serve others. He is a true Keeper and deserves that shard more than you. He's a true angel among men, which is more than I can say for you." Damn, that felt good to say!
Nare's lips pressed together, her blue eyes on the shard in her hand. She stood silent for once. About damn time.
"Raea." The soft voice came from close above.
Elis stood halfway up the stairs. She hadn't even noticed that he'd stopped to listen to her vent, but she warmed under the glow of that smile descending closer.
"Thank you." He stopped on the step where she stood and bent down for a kiss. It drained away her frustrations, replacing them with a brightness and warmth for which she had thirsted even before she saw him die.
"Um…Okay. I guess that's my cue to go. I'll see you later…at your commencement."
Raea pulled away at the flashes of the school gym in her head. Graduation commencement. Her speech. Dear God. She hadn't practiced her speech.
Raea groaned and fell against that firm chest beneath the shirt. Not even his supportive embrace could erase the anxiety gnawing at her insides. She could face death but not an audience of several hundred staring at her and waiting on every word.
When a knock came on the door, she closed her eyes. Couldn't they just skip all the commotion and have one day of peace?
"Elis, dear, could you get that?" The voice cracked with age came from Evelyn in the kitchen, where she baked several dishes for the party after the ceremony.
"That's all right. I was just—" Nare cut off the moment she opened the door.
Anita and Debbie stood on the stoop outside in casual clothes.
Oh, no. As if the Risaal weren't bad enough, she had the government to deal with yet. She'd almost been able to forget last night.
"Raea. Elis!" Dressed down for once in jeans and a sweatshirt, Debbie stepped inside with Anita close at her heels and threw her arms around Raea in a tight squeeze. Before Raea could object, her
aunt released her and embraced Elis. Tears glistened in her eyes as she stepped back. "After everything that happened, you don't know how happy I was to get the call last night. I was so afraid, Raea. Then to find out you were alive, Elis…I couldn't believe it." She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "It was the answer to my prayers."
Debbie… Her aunt was way too emotional, but Raea understood. She'd hardly had time to let it all sink in, talking as she had with Elis over the tri-comm link the whole flight home. He'd told her what happened to him and she told him about Atia and Lantis. They hadn't yet touched on their feelings about the whole ordeal.
"We're all right," Elis assured her.
Raea swore her aunt was going to full out bawl, but Debbie's lip only quivered with the restraint of tears.
"You should have informed me where you went." Anita's scolding tone broke the spell of emotions.
"Oh, yeah. How is Major Shuler?" Sarcasm dripped heavily from Raea's voice.
The stern look that had sharpened the lines of Anita's face disappeared. "Fine, but more than a little upset."
"The Starfire isn't for you, or anyone." Raea put a hand over the pendant at her chest and her other arm around Elis, whose hand at her waist slid around her further to pull her close to the security of his body.
"Who are you?" Suspicion darkened his voice.
Anita extended a hand, a forced smile on her face. "Anita Cross. It's a pleasure to finally meet the Dark Angel haunting this town."
Elis took her hand, a look of confusion on his face.
["I told you about her,"] Raea whispered. ["She's the one who contacted the Army unit."]
"I'm with a small division in the Homeland Security office monitoring your activities. It's because of us that you're allowed to stay." The flick of her eyes sparked a fire of defiance in Raea. That threat was back.
"You knew?"
"We knew about Raea and that it was a matter of time before others came for her, but if she won't listen, we will have to take stronger measures." Still holding his bare hand, she turned it over to expose the Starburst mark on the back. He'd forgotten the gloves, unlike Nare, who had opened the door. Anita didn't know about her latest status as a Crystal Keeper, and Raea preferred to keep it that way.
"I've been watching for some time. In fact, I was behind your application being approved."
Could Elis turn whiter, she would have thought him dead. A couple seconds later, his face flushed from his cheeks to his ears. That look she'd seen once before, when standing up to Nina Russet. He pulled his hand away. "What do you want from us?"
"The same as you." Anita glanced aside at Nare, who stood with her arms crossed. "To keep your precious Starfire out of the wrong hands…or to be sure you don't decide to misuse it yourself." At the last part, her eyes fixed on Raea.
"It will never be used against Earth." That was her home, or one of them.
Anita huffed quietly. "In any case, you've been targeted by those who want it. It's time you start following a few rules if you hope to stay off the radar."
No more rules. Raea just wanted to be herself and be with Elis. Man, he smelled good in a clean shirt after a hot shower. She pressed her forehead to his chest and sighed. ["Maybe we should move back to Inar'Ahben."]
["Too dangerous."]
Mmm…That rubbing made her more agreeable. She couldn't wait until later, when all the commotion died down. Still… ["At least there I know who the enemy is."]
["You're still safer here."] His warm breath in her hair tickled down her neck. He was no fun. Since when did he prefer to stay on Earth?
["Wherever you are, I am."] She buried her face in his chest and wrapped her arms tight around him, afraid to let go and absorbing the closeness of him into herself as if they could merge into one. She could forget all her troubles for a few seconds.
Anita's forced cough grated on her nerves. Deal. Raea didn't want to miss a second with Elis.
"Miss Cross." Debbie and her firm mother voice. For once, Raea appreciated it. "Surely this can wait until later. They have to get ready; it's almost ten, only a few hours before graduation. And they've had a long week. You do want them to maintain a low profile as regular humans."
Thank you, Debbie! She'd give her aunt a big kiss on the cheek for stepping in like that, but it would have to wait.
Although her eyes were shut, Raea could imagine Anita's face. After a couple seconds of silence, the woman spoke. "I suppose it can wait…but I will need to speak with you, Raea…and Elis."
Not if Raea could help it.
"She's not going anywhere," Debbie said. "Except home. Come on, Raea. You have to get ready. Mom and dad'll be here soon."
Raea lifted her head. "Grandma and grandpa?" For a moment, her life was normal again, alighted by memories of the love of her grandparents when she was younger. Like Debbie, they never cared that she wasn't born into the family. She'd been blessed to have them.
Debbie's smile warmed her as the door shut behind Anita's back, leaving Debbie inside with them.
"Go on. This is your day," Elis said. "Crystal Keeper Shartrael Raea. You've earned more than a high school diploma."
She hadn't thought about it like that. He really knew how to put things in perspective. Man, she loved him for that, and took the opportunity to let him know with a quick kiss.
"All right, you two love birds. You can do that later." Debbie's teasing made Raea smile and she followed her aunt out, although her eyes didn't leave Elis, who stood at the bottom of the steps in the foyer, until Nare closed the door between them.
Her aunt led the way across the few feet of lawn separating Evelyn's yellow house from their larger blue house. Debbie stopped before opening the door, a smile on her face. "And to think almost three months ago, you wouldn't give him the time of day."
Yeah. Things sure had changed, and all because of one little crystal. Without it, she could have lived a normal life, but she wouldn't have Elis.
* * *
The ceremony couldn't go quickly enough, but speaking was easier than she expected, especially while focusing on Elis in his blue cap and gown in the front row of her classmates before the stage. The words she had prepared meant far more to her than she intended when she put them down two weeks ago. The words came out with two messages—one for the audience and one for her and Elis. Their future was uncertain, but they would always have memories of the past and experiences that would guide them in whatever came their way.
For a while, she forgot she was anything but a normal teenager. Her friends posed with her for pictures and pulled a somewhat miserable-looking Elis into the shots. After all the commotion, the crowds dispersed and Raea stood with only Josh and Elis.
"One final walk home?" Josh looked from her to Elis and back.
She wore heels with her dress under the blue gown, but it was a warm spring day and they weren't in any hurry. "Why not?" She'd walked that path for many years with Josh. This would be the last time they walked any path together. Her life had changed. Although she didn't want to say good-bye to Josh and her friends, it might be necessary for the security of the Starfire.
Tree branches laden with new green leaves swayed in the breeze. The cars that had lined the streets not twenty minutes ago had departed, leaving it mostly deserted and quiet, but the three of them had waited until they were almost the last ones left at the school.
"It's so funny, you know, how it all started here?"
Did Josh mean what she thought he meant or something else? "What?"
"Us. You. You and Elis."
Yup. That's what she thought. Raea looked up at Elis and tightened her fingers twined in his. "Yeah. Strange how things work out."
"So…um…Everything did work out, right? I mean, these Risaal aren't coming back for you or anything?"
"They're gone, Josh." The thought of Dar Lorel and the last of her group from Earth starting over as the last of their race sobered her. When the Risaal had attacked Inar'Ahben twelve thousand years ago, they could have wi
ped out the Inari, but they failed.
"You didn't—"
"No. Not all of them. They fought amongst themselves mostly. A few survived and I sent them home."
"You did the right thing."
"I'd like to think so." She had Elis back and the Risaal had a chance to start over. Maybe they would accept help from the Inari this time. That was something she could suggest next time she spoke with Saffir. This time, the Inari might be welcomed. A fresh start for both.
"But let's not think about that. We're here. We're alive. School is out. We survived it all!" Whatever came next would be another matter, but in the present, Raea could enjoy herself. Every moment was precious.
"Yeah. I don't know how you did it, but I'm glad you both made it." Josh blew his tassel from his face and came up behind them with an arm over each of their shoulders.
"Me too."
Josh chuckled and let go, changing the subject to the last week of school and the finals that just about killed him, and what she had missed.
A crowd had already gathered at the house at the end of the street, but Josh parted with them at the usual place. "I better get home. Lots of family waiting. You know how Mom is."
"Yeah." Raea let go of Elis to hug Josh. "You're welcome over anytime. We'll always be friends."
"Thanks." Josh let go, his lips pressed into an awkward smile before he turned and walked down the cross street.
Elis's hand found hers while she stared at Josh's back. He'd always been there for her but they were only friends. She hated to tell him, because he was a great person, but her heart belonged to Elis.
"Ready?"
"Ah…Yeah." She hoped the day went fast. The last thing she wanted was to smile and greet everyone. At the end of it all, she only wanted a quiet snuggle with Elis. No more people wanting something of her or aliens trying to kill her. Just her and Elis alone.
* * *
At last!
They had evaded Anita all day, thanks to Debbie.
Elis threw his shoes into the closet and she slipped out of hers. Evelyn was at the gathering next door in deep conversation with Raea's grandparents. They had the house to themselves, and they would take advantage of it.
Crystal Tomb (Starfire Angels: Dark Angel Chronicles Book 3) Page 25
