Catching Stardust

by Heather Thurmeier

  “Well from Orion, of course. It says here that if a god has a child with a goddess, the child will be immortal.”

  “Is that it?” Maia flopped back onto the couch. “We’re practically immortal as it is. I have lived an eternity already and so has Orion and Zeus and everyone else in the universe. I don’t get it.”

  “True. But you can all still be hurt on Earth. Your child, should you have one with Orion, would be immune to even death on Earth. A child like that could have ruling power in the universe, far more than you and your founding sisters do. Far more than even Atlas. A child created between you and Orion would be very powerful indeed. And in turn, you and Orion would be powerful too.”

  “First, stop talking about Orion and me getting busy because creating a child together is not something that’s ever going to happen, nor is it something I want to think about. Second, Orion is powerful enough on his own, why would he need me or my sisters to give him a child?”

  “Because as powerful as he is, he is nothing compared to your father and as long as Atlas is around, no one will ever be more powerful than him. And since your father doesn’t often travel to places where he could leave himself vulnerable to getting injured or worse, then Orion must see no choice but to find another way to put himself in power—have a child with a daughter of Atlas and gain the universe. Simple really. I’m surprised it took him this long to think of it.”

  “This is Orion we’re talking about, remember? It can take him a year to remember his own name. If he’s in a hunting kind of mood that’s all he thinks about—hunting.” Maia sighed. “Damn it to Hades. I’m his prey, aren’t I?”

  “It would appear so. It would be my best guess that Zeus sent you here as a way to protect you since Orion’s tracking abilities are weakest here on Earth.”

  “Weaker than in the stars sure, but he could still find me if he tries.”

  “True, but that would involve a greater risk to himself and you. He probably isn’t going to come here looking for you. He’s probably going to lay in wait until all this blows over and you come home on your own. Then he’ll approach you again. My advice would be to think about what you really want and be ready when he comes looking.”

  “I don’t need to think about anything. My mind is made up. I’m not going to be with an overbearing oaf like Orion and I’m not going to let my sisters settle for him either. So he can get over it and go pester someone in another galaxy for a while.”

  Castalia quietly replaced her book back into the cabinet before returning to her chair and her tea. “It’s about time you admitted to yourself who you really are. You and your sisters are the closest thing to royalty the universe has. You’re like the princesses of the cosmos. Ignoring it is not going to change how people view you and your family.”

  “Nope. No way. Do not make me into a cartoon princess.”

  “Think about it. If you marry and have a child with someone like Orion, the whole universe will see you two as the new power couple. There’s big benefits to that, and I don’t only mean for Orion.”

  “None of those big benefits has anything to do with going to bed with Orion.”

  “I don’t know about that. You know what they say about the size of a hunter’s club.”

  Maia choked on her tea. “No. Seriously, I’m not talking about this anymore. And I’m not—nor are any of my sisters—going to get into bed with Orion and his club.”

  “At least we know why you’re here now. But sadly I still don’t know how to get you home.”

  “Thanks for your help. I’m not about to let him get away with his plan for me or for my sisters. I’ll find a way home. And then I’ll find a way to stop him, once and for all.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Zander opened the car door for Maia, offering her his hand as she climbed out of the low front seat. Thankfully, she’d managed the feat without flashing the valet attendant, a trick most women would have failed at given the length of her skirt tonight.

  He loved borrowing his brother’s sports car—on the rare occasion he needed to drive anywhere—and getting it onto the open road, but the car was not conducive to a girl in a short skirt kind of situation. Maia looked smoking hot in her tight blue cocktail dress, the hem of which barely graced her mid-thigh, and a pair of sparkling silver heels that had to be three inches high. The combo made her legs appear deliciously long. It had taken everything in his power not to run his fingers along her bare skin as they’d driven down the Long Island Expressway.

  Maia held his hand even after the door was closed behind her and together they walked around the corner of the observatory. The sky above them was filled with stars, visible even with the light from the building. They were lucky the sky was clear tonight. Last year the event had almost total cloud cover—hard to convince guests to donate money to a program they can’t experience themselves. Thankfully, that wouldn’t be the case tonight.

  As they rounded the corner, the party came into view. Maia made a soft sound beside him. She slowed her pace as she took in the surroundings. Zander knew it was stunning. He’d been amazed the first time he’d seen the grounds lit up for a party too. The volunteers always did an amazing job transforming the place from a boring lawn into something of beauty.

  Twinkle lights hung from trees. Tables draped with gauzy, white linens outlined the space. A raised dance floor was filled with people moving in beat to live music.

  “This place is amazing.” Maia took a glass of champagne offered to her by one of the many wait staff circulating the area. Another followed closely behind with a tray of crab puffs.

  “I love it here. Every year they put on a great event and raise a bunch of money for astronomy programming. Some of that money even benefits the Stargazers Club I was with in the park the night we met.”

  Maia looked down at her glass, almost as if she were embarrassed by the memory. Embarrassment wasn’t at all what he felt when he thought back to that night. All he remembered was meeting the most intriguing woman he’d ever encountered and then being disappointed at the realization he was probably never going to see her again. Thank god he’d been wrong about that last part.

  “I don’t think I ever said it, but I think it’s really cool you work with kids. It’s so nice to have a passion you can share with others.” Maia smiled and he wondered what he’d ever done to deserve a girl who looked at him like that.

  “Thanks. I really enjoy working with them and cultivating their love for the stars.”

  Maia sipped her champagne and stared out at the dance floor of pulsating bodies. He wasn’t much of a dancer, but he wanted her to have a good time. Maybe he could take a spin on the dance floor without becoming a mess of uncoordinated limbs.

  “Want to dance?” he asked.

  “Sure. I love dancing.”

  They made their way out onto the dance floor, the music fast-paced and energetic. It always amused him how even the stuffiest scientific minds he knew still enjoyed dancing to this music.

  Zander stood transfixed as Maia swayed her hips to the beat of the music, unable to pull his brain back into focus enough to make his body move. Her short skirt hugged her hips and thighs, the hemline creeping up a fraction of an inch—her long, lean legs made even longer by the sparkling silver stilettos she wore. Someone bumped into him from behind and finally he snapped out of his daze and began moving along with Maia, trying desperately to look cool.

  Other guys might have rhythm. He did not.

  Maia grinned and cocked an eyebrow at his moves. He flushed a little at her attention. He wasn’t used to not being completely sure of himself. Dancing certainly didn’t make him feel sure about his skills. He snuck a quick peek at the others around him and tried his best to copy their movements. Not bad, but not so good either.

  The band stopped playing and everyone on the dance floor paused to clap. New chords strummed through the speakers, slow and lazy.

  He looked at Maia and wrapped one hand around her waist. “Do you mind staying
for another song?”

  “I’d love to,” Maia said, draping her arms across his shoulders, pulling herself closer.

  Zander slipped his other hand behind her. She felt so good wrapped in his arms this way, her body rubbing against his with each sway to the music. Everything about this moment was intoxicating and his head felt off-balance.

  She tilted her head up to look at him and her long hair brushed against his hands. He loved her long, wavy tresses and fought the urge to slide his hand up her back to tangle in them.

  They danced together, completely lost in each other until the song ended and a new, faster one started. He couldn’t pull his hands from Maia’s waist. He wanted to stay right here, with her staring at him, forever.

  She popped up on her toes and her lips brushed quickly against his, surprising him and leaving him wanting more. He always wanted more from her. He pulled her closer, savoring every millisecond of her lips on his so he would have more to remember her by when she was gone again, back to wherever it was she came from. Her hand went to the base of his skull holding him tightly as she kissed him harder.

  He released her and took a small step back, letting the tiniest amount of space snake in between them. “I can’t kiss you like this here.”

  She dropped her arms to her sides, but didn’t step back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was embarrassing you.”

  “You’re not. Trust me.” He slipped his hand into hers and led her off the dance floor and back onto the grass. They stopped at the bar and he ordered them each a drink. “But I can’t keep kissing you like that and then still be expected to hold an intelligent conversation with anyone.”

  He shoved a tip into the bartender’s hand and took their drinks, handing her one. “I can’t kiss you again then walk away from it like nothing happened and try to get on with our date. No. Kissing you like that makes me want to keep kissing you like that.”

  “And the problem is?”

  “We’re at a party with a bunch of people around and not alone, like I’d like to be with you.”

  “Hey, man, where’ve you been? I was looking for you,” Jude said, walking up to them, completely oblivious to the conversation he was interrupting.

  “We were dancing,” Maia said, giving Jude a kiss on the cheek in greeting. “It’s nice to see you again, Jude.”

  “You were dancing?” he laughed. “Now I really wish I’d found you a few minutes ago. You usually have to pay for entertainment like that.”

  “Ha, ha. Very funny.” Zander patted his buddy on the back as an unsaid invitation to shut up. He didn’t need his friend trying to humiliate him in front of Maia. Zander was more than capable of doing that himself.

  “How about this party, huh? It’s a really clear night. Have you been inside? The view is stunning tonight.”

  “We haven’t made it in there yet. I guess I’ve been too busy enjoying the view out here.” Zander winked at Maia. He wasn’t necessarily trying to be cheesy, but there was something about Maia that made him keep saying stupid shit.

  “Wow. Okay. Moving on.” Jude cleared his throat and turned to Maia, specifically aiming his next question at her. “Anything in particular you’d like to see in the sky tonight?”

  Maia shook her head. “Not really. Although I guess I wouldn’t mind having a look at Orion if it happens to be in the section we’re looking at tonight.”

  “Oh, really? Why’s that?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I haven’t seen him—it—in a while.”

  “Him? You speak of the constellation as if it’s a friend.” Jude leveled his gaze on Maia. Zander wanted to step in front of her and protect her from his friend. Why was Jude speaking to her as if he were accusing her of something?

  “Well, Orion is supposed to represent the hunter, right? So I guess I said him by accident.” Maia shrugged, looking unbothered by Jude’s question.

  Zander wasn’t unbothered though. He wanted Jude to drop all this nonsense with Maia already. Enough was enough. Jude needed to find a new hobby because going after Maia—trying to find something to go after her about, was boring, pointless and annoying.

  “Oh, see I thought maybe you had some kind of familiar connection to him or something.” Jude leaned in.

  Maia’s gaze fluttered between the two men. “It would be hard to be familiar or connected with a constellation, wouldn’t it? Unless of course I woke up in a science fiction movie this morning and no one told me.”

  Zander wanted to reach over and smack Jude across the back of his head. Maia was obviously uncomfortable being scrutinized by Jude and yet Jude couldn’t take a damn hint.

  “Where’s the ladies room?” Maia directed her question at Zander. “I need to freshen up a bit after all that dancing.”

  Zander pointed. “It’s inside and to the left of the front door. I’ll wait for you right here.”

  He watched as Maia wove her way gracefully through the crowd of people milling around on the grass. When she disappeared inside the building, he turned to Jude.

  “Okay, spill it,” Zander said, his annoyance coming through loud and clear. Jude had been fidgeting and uncomfortable around Maia and it was time to find out why. “I can tell there’s something up with you, so what is it?”

  Jude’s face lit up and he glanced around them. Everyone near them was deeply involved in their own conversations and no one appeared to be interested in what Jude had to say in the least. Jude looked back to Zander with a gleam of something in his eye. “I’m getting closer.”

  Zander shook his head. “Closer to what?”

  “To figuring it out. I knew there was something up that night in the park with the data, but I couldn’t make sense of it. Now I know there’s something weird going on.”

  “You said yourself earlier today you didn’t find anything at the park. Why won’t you move on to something else?”

  “I can’t believe you would give up so easily when the biggest discovery of our time—the thing we’ve both been waiting for—has fallen right into your lap.”

  Zander took a swig of his drink. Too bad he couldn’t get drunk since he had to drive back to the city. Talking to Jude about this again and again was certainly enough to make him want to drown his sorrows in a few extra drinks.

  “I want there to be some big discovery too, but unless you can convince me there is, it’s time to let it go.” Zander moved to walk away.

  “It’s about Maia.”

  Zander stopped. His curiosity piqued. He turned back to Jude, getting close so no one would overhear whatever it was Jude thought was so damned important. “What about Maia?”

  “You know the cup Maia was drinking from the other night when you guys got off the train? The one I said I’d toss out for her? Well, I didn’t throw it out. I tested it. The results came back just before I left to come here and they’re pretty interesting.”

  Zander ground his teeth together. He felt as if Jude had invaded his own privacy instead of Maia’s. “Why would you do that?”

  “Because I had to. I don’t know why I had to, but something told me that I should. So I did.”

  There were limits to research, and invading someone’s privacy by testing them without their knowledge wasn’t permissible. This time, Jude had stepped over the line from devoted scientist to creep. “You’ve gone too far with this. You’re letting your imagination run wild and take over your rational thought.”

  “You’re letting your dick do your thinking for you.”

  Zander downed the rest of his drink in one gulp. Damn him. Jude was right.

  If Maia wasn’t in the picture, Zander would be all over this anomaly and would be right in the trenches with Jude, figuring it out in anyway they had to until they had an answer. Instead he was out on dates with Maia and his brain turned to mush every time he smelled her perfume. Damn it. The girl smelled like flower blossoms floating on the breeze of a spring rain. How could he possibly resist?

  “Okay, so you’re right, but you can’t blame
me. I mean, look at the woman.”

  “True, but before you go getting too involved with her, there really is something you should know.” Jude paused.

  Zander leaned forward, urging him to hurry up and say whatever it was he had to say before Maia came back from the restroom and interrupted them. He didn’t want to be excited about whatever it was Jude had discovered by using Maia and testing her behind her back. But he couldn’t stop his pulse from racing in his veins at the possibility of finally having answers that made sense. “What did you find out?”

  “This whole time, I’ve felt like there was some connection between Maia and the data not meeting up right. Now I don’t have everything figured out, but what I have found can’t be ignored. I tested Maia’s cup and it came back with a very unlikely result. Stardust.”

  “Stardust. I don’t get it.”

  “I don’t either, but the result can’t lie. Maia’s cup was covered in particles that are consistent with stardust.”

  Zander laughed. He couldn’t help himself. It was too funny. “Okay. You need to go home and sleep or I’m going to have to take you to the hospital and ask the doctors there to put you in a coma so you can get some much needed rest.”

  “I’m serious. Those particles couldn’t have been anything else. There is something not right about Maia and how she magically appeared in the park.”

  “You’re right.”

  “I am?”

  “Yep. We should call NASA and tell them we have an alien among us.” Zander shook his head. “So good luck with that. Let me know how they take the news.”

  “Stardust. Doesn’t that intrigue you even a little bit?”

  “There’s a little stardust in all of us.” Zander rubbed his temples trying to think of a logical explanation for the finding. Sure it was a little unusual, but there had to be some mistake or reason. Maia wasn’t an alien. “Okay. We got those drinks right before we got on the train to come home. We’d been outside all night. Maybe there was some kind of star-related activity in the atmosphere that night and somehow we had some kind of cosmic dust on ourselves. I bet if you’d tested my cup, you would have come back with the same results. Whatever the case may be I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell Maia you think she’s an alien. Meeting a nice girl in the city is hard enough as it is. I don’t want her to ditch me because of my crazy friend.”