Starfire Angels (Starfire Angels: Dark Angel Chronicles Book 1)

by Melanie Nilles

  "You know it. Ciao."

  "Bye." He clicked off.

  Nolan might be in a bad mood, but he'd come through. He always did. She hoped he sent what she needed within a couple days, though, before her schedule filled up.

  In the meantime, she had a few feathers to overnight to their research team. The rest she would keep. She hurried back to the hotel, anxious to send off those feathers. Two angels. She still couldn't believe what she had seen with her own eyes.

  Speaking of seeing with her own eyes. "Pallin."

  He halted in the lobby of the hotel. Something dark crossed his face, for just a moment.

  "You're looking better," she said. That was an understatement.

  "I feel better."

  "Hey, look. I'm sorry about the wine. It wasn't that good anyway, but I had no idea you couldn't drink. Are you on some medication or something that it overreacted in you?" Or was it an allergy she could study?

  "No. I am never drinking wine."

  "Yeah. Sorry, I wish I'd known." Hmm...Her ideas for a new study had a launchpad. "I hope we can get together again." For more than just research.

  His smile suggested forgiveness. The way he stepped close to her with that commanding presence that had taken over the other day made her weak for the temptation.

  No, she had work to finish first. Pallin could wait. Dear God, she couldn't wait. She would have to wait.

  "I am liking that."

  That's what I wanted to hear. He was the only good reason for visiting that town. "Then I'll see you later?"

  Her temperature jumped at the lustful grin he gave her. She really couldn't wait for later.

  Connections

  The last two days of the week couldn't have gone fast enough. Raea spent the better part of each evening practicing with Elis before the nights grew too cold to want to fly, and after Debbie came home Thursday. Apparently it had been Sheri at the house and she had mentioned suspecting squatters but found no sign of anyone on a return trip. Warmer weather was promised for the weekend. With it, Raea anticipated the chance to spread her wings.

  She had talked to Pallin at school, but Debbie didn't give her a chance to go out with him, and he didn't seem inclined to ask. What was going on? Doubts crept into her mind. She hoped to put them to rest, but Pallin kept his distance since their hands brushed. Had he felt it? Had it turned him off? What did it mean?

  And just when the weather was good enough to go walking. They should take advantage of it. Spring weather could change at the drop of a hat. Since March had come in like a lion, she expected it to go out like a lamb. They were in the homestretch in the latter half of the month. Spring couldn't come fast enough for her.

  The best yet—no Nina Russet. Unfortunately, as Josh informed her Friday, that was because the film crew had arrived. What a way to spoil her weekend. Now she had to worry about being videotaped and caught doing something un-human. She couldn't wait until they left.

  After school Friday, Raea asked Pallin to go for a walk, but he had work to do. She could call later, though. Besides, she had the whole weekend ahead. That left her the option of practicing with Elis. She could now release the energy in a burst, but it was uncontrolled and strong. He warned that she could kill someone with it. That made her hesitate. She wanted to learn to refine her control, so she wouldn't hurt anyone.

  What else could she do, besides hang out with friends?

  Not this time. She wanted to push ahead with the Starfire lessons. Since getting into them, the visions and dreams had all but stopped. Elis it was.

  With her mind set, she leapt the melting runoff meandering down the sidewalk, avoiding the slushy lawn altogether, and arrived in seconds next door. She pounded a triple knock and waited.

  When the door opened, surprise flashed across his face for a moment. In the next moment, his smile washed it away. "Come in."

  "Thanks." Was it warm suddenly? Oh, no. Not again. What was going on with her?

  She ducked her face as she slipped past him. Please don't let him see the blush. The storm door hissed shut behind her. Her heart fluttered in her chest, and she removed her coat with her back to him. Ever since the pantry in the farmhouse, thoughts of being close to him occupied her mind.

  "I didn't expect you this soon."

  "I didn't have anything else." Pallin seemed to have lost interest but still talked to her at school. No one said he went out with anyone else, but he skirted the subject when she asked if something was wrong.

  Elis shut the door and took her coat to hang it up. "You've been making incredible progress."

  "It doesn't feel like it." Almost a whole week and she had managed to find the resonance inside her and release the energy in a burst. Sure, that was fast progress. When did she get to do the cool stuff?

  "Really. You've learned fast. Most of us take a month's time to reach this point."

  "Yeah, right." Damn, that crooked smirk was cute on him.

  No. No. NO! I did not just think that.

  Yes, she did. Good God. She was attracted to him. How did this happen? When did this happen?

  No. She couldn't be. What about Pallin? He was hot. Elis was just like...sort of...cuddly cute.

  Was this the reason she wanted to spend time with him, because she was attracted to him? What do I do now? Why did this have to happen?

  "Of course, we get the basics around seven years, before we start primary school, and we're not pushed hard. It's light work. Once we have that, our parents help us, but the real training doesn't come until after secondary school. That's when we return to Starfire Tower alone for a few years to refine our control."

  "Well, that's different. You were a child. I'm eighteen." And he probably didn't have the attention span as a child to focus for long. No wonder it took a month. She still felt slow.

  "And you've been applying yourself and pushing hard." He glanced aside, his eyes unfocused.

  He planned something. After the other night, she wasn't sure she trusted his plans to work out. Pantry. End of story.

  "Nina has her film crew," he said.

  "Yeah." What was he suggesting?

  "We might do best to stay inside."

  But she wanted to fly. She didn't want to stay inside. "What can we do inside?"

  "You can practice growing your wings."

  "Whoa. No way! I can't do it myself." It hurt.

  A smile spread across his face. "It's time you learned."

  No. She didn't want to learn it yet. It hurt. In fact, it hurt like hell. "I'm not ready."

  "Yes, you are."

  "I'll rip my clothes." And she was not going topless. If he suggested that, she'd bust his nose on the spot and leave. She so wanted him to suggest it. She wanted a reason to be mad at him.

  "You've ripped a couple shirts already. Did you keep them?"

  She couldn't even hold a dirty mind against him as a reason to dislike him. No. Of course not. He had to be nice. "Yeah, but—"

  "Run home and grab one."

  But she had just taken off her coat. Why couldn't he have said so sooner?

  "Or use one of mine."

  Too weird, but at the same time...His shirt? His shirt. Part of her liked that idea. Yeah, like the part of her she wanted to knock out for falling for the Starfire's influence. She didn't want this, but she couldn't help it. What could she do? Fighting proved almost impossible. She was losing, and losing bad. But wasn't that a good thing, in a strange way?

  "That'll work. But don't get any funny ideas." She might still be able to convince herself that she wasn't attracted to him. But his shirt...Maybe she should run home quick.

  Forget it. She was there. But her friends were not going to hear of this.

  "What funny ideas?"

  Faking innocence. She wouldn't fall for that, but she wasn't about to explain herself. "Nevermind. Find me a shirt. I'll be in the bathroom. I don't like this, you know."

  "I know." He hurried up the stairs with his back to her.

  "It hurts."<
br />
  "I know." The loose board squeaked under his weight.

  "Your shirt'll be too big," she called up as he reached the top.

  "I know." Exasperation. Good. Maybe she'd wear him down and he'd back off this idea.

  Not likely. He'd been pretty insistent with all of her progress so far. Why would he change now?

  The scrape of the closet door reached her. Damn. He was looking. No getting out of it this time without a good excuse. She passed through the sitting room, where Evelyn smiled from her rocker near the window, to Evelyn's bedroom and the main floor bathroom around the corner.

  Raea didn't wait long. In minutes, Elis's steps squeaked and clomped coming down the stairs. The old house made a lot of noise.

  He appeared at the door with a gray t-shirt. "It's the best I could find."

  "It'll have to do." She took it, expecting him to step out. "Ahem?"

  He smiled shyly and stepped back. Much better. She locked the door behind him. This was so weird. Not the floral print towels and cracked porcelain of the sink. The whole situation. She was an alien raised on a world where she and everyone around her believed she was one of them. And who should she fall for, but the guy next door, another alien like her. Inari. Alien sounded so outer space. It hadn't been coincidence his living next door and such. But falling for him had been partly coincidence, partly the fault of some intelligent collective hinting to her.

  Why fight it?

  What would she tell Pallin? Easy stomach. It churned and twisted. Her nerves gave out at the prospects. Did Elis even feel the same for her? Should she completely end the little bit of hope with Pallin? If only these things came with directions. She had no experience in relationships like this. Besides, what would she tell her friends?

  Why was she worrying? She wasn't even sure of what she wanted. Get your head together.

  Raea shook away the confusion and changed shirts. Time to practice, not to worry. His shirt hung on her like a sheet. Could it be any longer, she could have belted it and worn it as a dress. What did she expect from an XL on a body that fit a medium? Well, here went nothing, except her back. A slight chill came through. She reached around. The slits left part of her back exposed, like a hospital gown. No problem. She'd keep her back away from him.

  She opened the door to an empty bedroom. What? He couldn't stick around for her to model it? Mister Respectful. She should have known.

  Voices reached her from outside the bedroom.

  She found him talking with Evelyn, who looked up and chuckled. "A bit big, dear?"

  "Yeah. Well. It's only temporary." Right. She could tell herself that all she wanted. Elis glanced down, a look of disappointment on his face, or so she thought. Or was it the Starfire influencing her interpretation of his mood? She couldn't even trust herself now.

  "Let's get this over with." She couldn't stand that look on him and motioned him up the stairs ahead of her. No way would she turn her back on him.

  He went ahead.

  Upstairs, he stepped aside from the bed. "You might want to lay on your stomach, but sitting up works."

  As if. She sat on the edge of the bed and he knelt before her.

  ["Now, find the resonance and think about flying. Think about using your wings, what they feel like, the muscles to control them."]

  Yeah. She could do that, except for one thing. ["What about the pain?"] And why couldn't he just stick with English?

  ["It's only temporary. Work through it. You need to learn to control the transformation yourself. And this is a good time to practice."]

  ["Like that's so easy."]

  ["I won't lie. It takes focus. But it gets easier with practice. Remember—this is who you are. You are Inari, like me. We're born with wings. Not having them is unnatural, like having a limb amputated."] He patted her leg and stood. ["I know you can do it."]

  Oh, how she loved his smile. Wait. Don't go there. Not now. Now was the time to focus on her wings.

  What? Wait a sec— "So, like, you're just leaving me alone?"

  "I'll be outside the room. This is something you have to do."

  Alone. Joy. He knew she would ask his help. "You just have to make this difficult, don't you?"

  "I never said it was easy."

  That teasing grin. She swore she'd wipe it from his face, but not to hurt him. Enough. Focus on the resonance. She really was attracted to him. Get over it. Now is not the time to think about Elis.

  She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. One way or another, she would do this. The sooner she did it, the sooner she could show him.

  Find the resonance. Check. Actually, the easiest part of the whole process. That now came with a thought since she knew how it felt inside her.

  But to grow her wings? That wasn't so easy. Raea struggled with focusing on having her wings, but the thought of the pain hindered her.

  After some time, she fell back on the bed, fanning herself from the heat of the resonance. She needed fresh air. She wanted to fly. "Elis?"

  No answer.

  Now, where had he gone?

  "Elis?"

  Still nothing.

  Nope. There it came—the thump of steps. He hadn't stayed outside the door as he said he would. Rather, he'd gone downstairs.

  She glanced aside at the digital clock on the nightstand. A half hour? That's it? It seemed like eternity.

  "What is it?" He opened the door and scanned the area around her. "You haven't done it?"

  "Oh, I've tried. I just can't. And I'm too hot now to continue." She wiped sweat from her forehead. That should clue him in. "Where'd you go, anyway?"

  "Downstairs to talk to Evelyn. You need to keep trying, but it's dinner time."

  "Food." She sat up and shivered at the cool air that brushed through the openings at the back of the shirt. Food would feel better in her empty stomach.

  "Come and eat. You can try again afterwards."

  "You're gonna make me keep at this all night?"

  "You can go home anytime. But, no flying until you can get it yourself."

  He'd pay for that. She'd show him. "That's so unfair."

  He shrugged and stepped back from the door. "Coming?"

  "Yes."

  "Maybe later we can go out and practice releasing the energy."

  Raea halted before stepping through the doorway, next to him and comfortable with it. Out? As in..."And fly?"

  "Not until you complete your own transformation."

  Damn him. He was worse than their math teacher, and he had the nickname of Patton. Oh, well. She supposed she really should be able to change herself. "All right. Fine. But you're totally gonna pay for this."

  "I know."

  * * *

  What a long, annoying day. Nina collapsed on her bed at the hotel. All day interviewing, setting up camera shots and equipment, packing up equipment. Repeat at the next house. Wash, rinse, repeat. And they had only been able to meet with three of the families. Three, out of something like six. Well, that was half. But it felt like nothing.

  Not to mention they had observations yet and she needed to review the footage to see if they needed anything more. She had less than a week left.

  "Crazy little town." She needed a cigarette. No. Willpower. You quit last month.. Continuing her nicotine addiction would be the death of her anyway. She knew better, but quitting was harder than catching Raea.

  "That's right." She sprang to her feet and grabbed her laptop from the dresser. The girl. She'd actually been too busy to think about her, but not now. "Let's see if you sent me anything. Shall we, Nolan?" She'd been out all day. After hearing nothing since her call, she hoped he finally got back to her with the information she needed.

  "All right now." She typed her login and password. Had he found what she hoped? He had pictures. She remembered seeing them. At the time, it didn't concern her. Now, she had to know. Stupid computer. Why couldn't it load faster?

  Or not. Her email came up and processed. New emails popped onto her screen. Something fro
m post-production on her last assignment. No. Her cousin Mary. No. Come on. No, no, and no.

  Then it popped up. "Bingo!"

  What was this? Could he attach any fewer files? Four was all he could come up with? And so little explanation. Normally he'd talk a person's ear off about these things, or write a thesis of an email. She must have upset him.

  "You can do better, Nolan. Ah, well. Let's see it." She opened the four files—three pictures and a document. The document was written by none other than...Nolan. You didn't let me down. 'Atta boy!

  The pictures, though... That's it! I knew I'd seen these before. Sure enough, they were images from various civilizations showing some sort of radiance coming from a person's hands as they touched another prostrated before them. Two were of painted images, and one was a carving. The pictures showed a sequence of events that could only be interpreted as healing. In one of those sequences, the hands were upraised and open with some jagged blue-green markings on them. The individual was shown flying above the others with wings that weren't there before.

  Wings? Like angels.

  Nina pulled up the document and sat back against the pillows on the bed to read. Now she had to know what Nolan thought. Ideas formed in her mind about the marks and the black and brown feathers she found. The two angels rising into the night sky...

  It couldn't be!

  Angel Wings

  Raea sat on the side of her bed, listening through her open door to the gunshots from the television downstairs. Typical Saturday. Dave played his games. Eric probably sat with him, watching, if Dave wouldn't let him play. Debbie cleaned and folded laundry. Mike had Buddy out for a walk.

  She had to see Pallin, to be sure. Did she really want to be with Elis? What if she liked both? What if she was wrong? Maybe she only thought she liked Elis but that was because she spent more time with him but really had feelings for Pallin?

  Why did it have to be so complicated and confusing?

  Last night, Elis had left her mostly alone to concentrate, so they hadn't had much time together. She had hardly seen him, although she thought of him. They hadn't gone out flying, but she hadn't been able to overcome her fear of the pain to relax and let the wings grow out.