Chasing Starlight: Cassandra's Story (The Daughters of Night Chronicles)

by Jennifer Siddoway

  The child looked up at me with an impish grin before running off to meet up with our class. His behavior was as if I was now aware of some playful secret. I stared after him, dumbfounded, and felt my mouth fall open in shock. Most adults would have just laughed it off as a childish whim, but I knew better. Seeing auras was not a common skill, and you had to have magical blood—it meant that he was fae.

  Worse, he could be fae and not even realize it.

  While I was still reeling from the implications of the encounter, Alice and the other teachers brushed past me into the cafeteria. They were all thinking about food and what they would do when they got home from school, but I was too distracted to consider those mundane details. If one of my students was fae it could present a problem for me, I couldn’t afford to be outed—not that the boy was dangerous, but his acumen was an unexpected obstacle. I fished my phone out of my purse and sent a text to Michael.

  “You’re not going to believe this, but I think one of my students might be fae.”

  He responded a few moments later. “What makes you think that?”

  “He told me I was glowing.”

  “Uh-oh…”

  “Exactly. Does that sound familiar to you? Do you think I should be concerned?”

  There was a long pause as I crept through the back door of the cafeteria and slipped into the teacher’s lounge.

  “Not unless he tells someone. Keep an eye on him, just to be safe.”

  I exhaled nervously. “Okay. Call me later?”

  “You know it.”

  I slipped my phone back into my purse and sighed. The door was still open to the noisy cafeteria, and I checked on my students. As I glanced across the crowd, I caught sight of shaggy blond hair and recognized it as Henry’s. He looked over at me and smiled before turning back toward his meal. I felt my stomach knot.

  This cannot be good.

  Anonymity was rule number one for the fae in the Mortal Realm—no one should ever know about us. Children were not great at keeping secrets, so I worried I was no longer safe. Henry saw me, and he recognized that I was different.

  I couldn’t eat; I couldn’t think. When the time came for outdoor play, I followed my students out to the playground and watched them run until recess ended. We got back into the rhythm of the school day, and I forgot Henry’s claim, distracted with teaching once again.

  The last school bell rang, and Alice and Marsha took over separating the children into bus riders and parent pick-up. I was relieved to be done with my responsibilities and glanced at the daisies Michael sent me with a smile. They were so bright and cheery. I loved everything about them. I couldn’t believe Michael did something so sweet and thoughtful without even talking to me first. Then again, he was always one for making gestures, even as a gangly teenager.

  The school was empty of students when I made my way to the parking lot. I was tired and had a lot on my mind during the drive home. I needed something to help me compartmentalize before Halle called, or I’d be a total mess. She’d have a thousand questions that I didn’t have answers to.

  Catchy pop music played through my radio as I pulled into my designated parking space at our apartment complex. Samantha was still at work, so I had the apartment to myself for an hour until she got back. I turned off the ignition and grabbed my purse and exited the car. As I let myself inside, the scent of my lavender oil diffuser hit me like a wave.

  Yes! Aromatherapy. That’s exactly what I need.

  I kept the diffuser running all day, but it rarely struck me this hard. I breathed the fragrance and closed the door behind me. Samantha and I kept a well-stocked drawer of teas, so I made myself a mug of chamomile and went to work creating a relaxing paradise. I put on Celtic music in the background and sipped blissfully at the herbal drink while putting the last touches to my retreat from the world. It was everything I needed to help me unwind. When I finished with the tea, I turned my attention to the dishes and sang along with a familiar tune while rolling up my sleeves. I was having a delightful time and halfway done with the chore when Samantha came home.

  I glanced over when I heard the door open and said, “Hey, girl! How was work?”

  Samantha grinned. “It was good. What’s all this?”

  I shrugged and scrubbed another dish. “I felt the need to clean.”

  “Best roommate ever,” she declared. “I hope you’re hungry because I’m making BLTs.”

  “That sounds delicious.”

  We chatted for a while, exchanging stories about our day. She asked me about my first day on the job with the students and I told her everything I could remember. It was nice to unwind with her and enjoy a grown-up conversation while she cooked. After spending the day with kids, it was a refreshing change of pace, and I was grateful for adult interaction. Rob came over as we finished eating, and Samantha cast me a pleading look. I still had a mouthful of food and knew they wanted privacy.

  Laughing, I waved a hand. “Go have fun. I’m expecting a call from Michael anyway.”

  “Thank you, Cass!”

  I shook my head indulgently and headed back to my room. I had no desire to see or hear whatever sweet nothings they said to one another. Knowing them, it would escalate into something not meant to be viewed by anyone else. When I shut my bedroom door behind me and checked my phone, I saw I had two missed calls from Michael.

  Crap.

  I’d forgotten to take my phone off mute when I left school. The most recent call was from twenty minutes ago, so I called him back and crossed my fingers he would answer.

  It only rang once.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey! It’s me, sorry I missed your calls. My phone was on silent.”

  “No worries, I just wanted to hear how your day was, especially after that text message earlier. Did you find out anything else about that kid?”

  Henry.

  “Nope. He didn’t mention anything else after that. I’m hoping it was a fluke.”

  “Maybe. Seeing auras is rare, even for our kind.”

  “Yeah, but it’s not unheard of. I’m worried about is whether Henry even knows he’s fae. Sometimes fae are aberrant and don’t have any lineage to go on.”

  “Well, like I said, just keep an eye on him. It could be nothing.”

  I sighed, laying back against my mattress, and said, “I know. You’re right.” There was a long pause before either of us spoke. I caved. “What are you thinking?”

  He clicked his tongue. “Not much, just wishing you were here.”

  “You know, that could be arranged.”

  “Don’t tempt me, Cass. I might take you up on it.”

  I chuckled.

  “It’s nice to hear your voice again,” he murmured.

  I covered my face with my hand, a few seconds away from a full-bodied blush, and smiled. “It’s nice hearing yours too.”

  An electronic chime sounded from my computer, and I glanced over to see that Halle was trying to Skype. For a moment, I was torn; did I ignore the incoming call and continue my conversation with Michael, or be diligent in responding to my sister? The decision was more difficult than I expected, but I knew there was only one right answer. I closed my eyes and said, “Michael, I have to go. Can we talk tomorrow?”

  He sighed, and I could hear the disappointment in his voice. “Sure. Bye, Cass.”

  “Bye.”

  I hung up the phone and sighed before reaching over to accept the incoming video chat. “Hey, Halle. Long time no see…”

  Midnight Kisses

  Chapter Four

  T hat Friday night, I ate dinner at my parents’ house.

  Mom hummed to herself as I skirted around her to set up the table in the dining room. Her hair was pulled into a banana clip and she had my baby sister, Elsie, wrapped in a sling across her chest. Michael Bublé played a jaunty tune as she bobbed up and down with the music to calm the squirming infant.

  She and my stepfather, Fred, guilted me into family dinners once a week now that I wa
s back in town, and this occasion took place on a Friday. They were so supportive of my teaching career and everything I accomplished that I didn’t mind seeing them in the slightest. Fred was the sweetest and most attentive father I could ask for. He raised Halle and me like his own children from the minute he started dating Mom and loved us just the same. I couldn’t have loved him more if I tried.

  Fred was more of a paternal presence to us than Ellyllon ever would be. However, there were things about Halle and me that he would never understand.

  Magic, for example.

  As I cleared the table to set down placemats, my thoughts drifted to the flute in my purse.

  Mom eyed my quizzically and asked, “Something on your mind, Hon? You don’t seem like yourself today.”

  I shrugged as I finished setting out the silverware. “It’s not a big deal. I’ve just been thinking about stuff.”

  She frowned. “Come on, Cass. Talk to me.”

  I glanced at her from the corner of my eye and said, “Well, I ran into Michael a few weeks ago, and it got me thinking about how nice it is to be my authentic self sometimes.”

  “What do you mean? You know you can always be yourself around us, we’re family.”

  “Yeah, but there are still some things that you and dad don’t like to talk about.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like…magic,” I admitted sheepishly. “You guys are good at listening whenever I bring it up, but you don’t know how to help me when I’ve got questions. It’s just nice to talk to somebody and not have to hold back. I didn’t realize how much I needed it.”

  “What about Halle? You know she’s going through the same thing you are.”

  “Yeah, but sometimes I need to get an outside perspective.”

  I felt embarrassed even mentioning it, but it felt good to get off my chest. Magic, and being fae, was on my mind now that my powers were growing.

  My mother nodded thoughtfully. “I understand, having your Oh, honey. I’m so sorry you’ve been dealing with that alone. It’s times like this I wish your biological father was around. I’m sorry he’s not more present.”

  The mention of my father caught me off guard because she rarely mentioned him. Mom didn’t like to talk about her past, or their relationship—it was another taboo subject.

  “That’s okay,” I told her soothingly. “I wasn’t trying to complain, I just meant it’s nice having someone else to talk to now.”

  She smiled at me. “Well, I’m glad you ran into him. Michael was always such a nice boy. It’s a shame the two of you broke up.”

  I felt my cheeks getting hot and looked away from her, embarrassed. “You know why.”

  Mom nodded, saying, “I do, but it’s still unfortunate things turned out that way.” She made a slight humming noise while rocking the baby back and forth and said, “I wish I could be more help, but I’m not as familiar with the Fae Realm as your father.”

  I shifted my feet uncomfortably. “How did you become involved with the Lord of Night anyhow? Where did you even meet? You’ve never shared that with us.”

  She gave me a cautious smile. “Oh, Cass. I was young and got swept away in the moment. I was nineteen and in love with the idea of being in love; Ellyllon was romantic and handsome, like something of out a dream. What happened between us was a fleeting moment—it was never going to last.”

  “Did you know he was fae when you were with him?” I asked her.

  The skin around her eyes crinkled. “Not at first, but the first time he kissed me, I knew something was different.”

  “How did you find out?”

  “It was like pulling on a thread, and once it came undone, everything fell apart. By that point, I was already pregnant. His obligations kept him from staying here, and I would have had to give up everything to be with him–my family and friends, my career, my life in the Mortal Realm. Even though I knew it was the right thing to do, leaving him was the hardest decision I ever made.”

  “Do you have any regrets?”

  She smiled and walked around the counter, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and kissing me on the forehead. “No, because he gave me you and Halle. I wouldn’t trade that for the entire fairy kingdom.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  Just then, my phone rang, and I disentangled myself from my mother’s warm embrace to pull it from my pocket.

  Michael Godwin.

  I couldn’t help the smile on my face when his name flashed across the caller ID. “Speaking of Michael, that’s him calling me right now.”

  “What are you waiting for? Answer it!”

  I nodded, sliding my finger across the device and holding it to my ear. “Hello?”

  “Hey, Cassandra? It’s Mike.” His voice came dark and husky from the other line. I could almost hear him smiling.

  “Hey! How’s it going?”

  Mom smiled as I wandered around the room.

  “I was wondering if I could take you out this evening. Maybe a milkshake?”

  “Oh, I’d love to, but I’m at my parents' tonight for dinner.”

  “What? I thought you were going over there on Sunday.”

  I exhaled a nervous laugh. “No, we had to reschedule because they have a thing at church that day. I’m sorry. I wanted to see you too.”

  “That’s okay. Maybe we could do tomorrow instead?”

  “Yeah, of course.”

  From the corner of my eye, Mom attempted to catch my attention, and my eyebrows knit together in confusion. “Er…Michael, hang on a sec.”

  “Okay.”

  I lowered the phone and turned to my mother, demanding, “What?”

  “Ask him if he wants to come over! There’s plenty of food, and you were just saying how much you wanted to see him. He could take you out afterward.”

  “Really? You don’t mind?”

  She smiled, tucking a blonde curl behind my ear. “Of course not.”

  I mouthed a thank-you and brought the phone back to my ear. “Actually, would you like to come over? My mom just told me to invite you.”

  “Oh, tell him we have cherry cobbler,” she interjected.

  “…and apparently we have cherry cobbler.”

  “Uh, sure. If that’s not too much trouble. Are your folks still at the same address?”

  I smiled. “Yep. Do you remember how to find it?”

  “You’d be surprised what I remember,” he murmured in a low voice. “We have a lot of memories at that house.”

  The way he said it made my heart beat faster. My cheeks felt hot again, and I knew my blush was returning. For once, those damn splotches didn’t bother me. “Yes, we do,” I agreed. “Some very pleasant ones.”

  “Mm, I would be very interested in revisiting some of those.”

  I caught sight of my mom in my peripheral vision and immediately snapped out of the intimate conversation. I blurted out, “So does that mean you’re coming?”

  He cleared his throat at my shift in tone, saying, “Yeah, of course. I’ll see you in fifteen minutes.”

  “Bye.”

  When I hung up the phone, Mom cast me a meaningful look. “What?” I demanded.

  “Oh, nothing.”

  Fred waltzed into the room with a giant smile on his face. “Hey, there my favorite girls are! How ya doing, hon? The food smells delicious.”

  She glanced up at him and smiled. “Dear, I hope you don’t mind, but Cassandra has a friend coming over. He’ll be joining us for dinner.”

  My stepfather turned to me, surprised, and said, “Sounds good to me. The more, the merrier. Is it anyone I know?”

  My cheeks warmed. “Yes, actually. It’s one of my old friends from high school, Michael Godwin.”

  “Your old boyfriend?”

  “The very same,” I confirmed. “Mom invited him.”

  She laughed. “Oh, hush! You were dying to see him, and I just helped you make it happen. Besides, he’s a sweet boy. I like that your spending time together.”

  Fre
d shrugged, helping unstrap my little sister from the baby sling, then bouncing her lightly against his shoulder. “Alrighty. Oh, let me know when Michael gets here.”

  As Mom and Fred got swept away in last-minute food preparations, I rushed to the bathroom to check my reflection in the mirror. I was suddenly panicked and hadn’t planned on seeing Michael in my current state. The unexpected visit sent my anxiety into overdrive and I felt the desperate need to make myself presentable. After taking a few moments to fix my makeup and smooth a couple of flyaway strands of hair, I returned to the dining room once deemed my appearance acceptable.

  I busied myself with setting drinks beside each place setting, and my heart raced, knowing that he’d arrive any minute. Before I knew it, there was a knock at the door and I rushed to answer it. Michael stood there with a glorious smile spread across his face and deep brown eyes staring back at me.

  “Hey,” I stuttered.

  His smile widened. “Hey there, Butterfly Girl. Sorry, I’m late. I tried to get here as fast as I could, but traffic was at a standstill.”

  “No worries. I’m glad you came.”

  I let him into the entryway and he said, “Thanks for inviting me.”

  He’d barely made it across the threshold when Mom walked up behind me, saying, “Michael! It’s so nice to see you again. How lovely you could join us.”

  She embraced him, and he obliged her cheerfully. “Good evening, Mrs. Williams. It’s nice to see you too.”

  My mother beamed. “Come right inside and make yourself comfortable. I want to hear all about what you’ve been up to these past few years.”

  “Well, I finished my degree at UCLA and then got my doctorate in veterinary medicine. Now I work at the San Diego Zoo with some of the larger animals.”

  Fred nodded his approval. “That’s a prestigious line of work. We’ve got one of the most competitive markets in the nation. I’m glad to hear everything turned out so well for you.”

  “Thank you, sir. I’m fortunate to be there. I really enjoy the work.”

  We made our way into the dining room and sat down at the table while Michael spoke about his work with animals. He delighted them with tales of the antics in the zoo. My baby sister, Elsie, was usually shy around strangers, but she extended her chubby arms to Michael and gave him a slobbering kiss. He laughed and cooed at her. I sat back, watching him interact with my family.