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

by Melanie Nilles

  After she changed in the bathroom, she returned to the bedroom and he stayed to coax her with his soft voice.

  Saturday Revisited

  Tuesday and the day was over. Raea slammed her locker shut and gazed across the sea of bodies flowing through the halls to the nearest doors. Three days had passed since Pallin abducted her and her life was returning to normal. She didn't want to think about what he might have done, though sooner or later she would have to, especially if he did something. The consequences could be worse than anything Pallin did.

  "Hey! Raea!" Josh shoved through the students to meet her. "Tell Elis I hope to see him soon."

  "Thanks, Josh." No prejudice there. She could count on that from him, though. He might be odd at times, but Josh was good to everyone. "He's healing fast and should be back by next week."

  "Awesome. Come on. Let's get out of this dump."

  Exactly her thought. They stepped into the flow and stayed with it out to a brisk day that made her shiver and zip up her jacket. "I want spring."

  "No kidding."

  They hurried past the busses chugging fumes at the curb near the front doors. When they reached the end of the block and left the school behind, Raea looked up the street and hesitated. "Oh, no."

  "What? Oh."

  Nina Russet's rental car.

  "She's leaving in a couple days," Josh said. "Then things'll be normal again."

  What was normal anymore? Her life certainly wasn't.

  Maybe he was right. Or at least, she could put things close to normal. If she at least could put Saturday night behind her, she could move on with a "normal" life, or at least her life. Things might feel normal without that bothering her.

  But she still had other things to worry about.

  "Don't worry. She's just a pest. That's all."

  If only he knew. Someday she would tell him, but not now. She wasn't ready to share her secret. And she wasn't ready to explain the Starfire. She could just imagine what the U.S. military would do with it and with her and Elis.

  That secret Nina threatened to spill. What if she did have Elis on tape? What would happen once it aired? There would go everything "normal".

  They continued with little talk. Where they parted, Josh gave her a hug. "I'm sorry I got you into this with her. I'll find a way to make it up."

  Good old Josh. Raea returned his hug and smiled. "Thanks. I might hold you to that."

  "I'm sure you will. Good luck." He left her to walk alone. Now she really wished she had Elis with her. He helped her escape Nina once. Without him yesterday, she struggled to escape the leech, unlike the other time he'd been there to block her.

  How would she get away this time?

  She couldn't avoid it. Might as well get it over with. She and Elis had a couple days yet to decide on whether to take the woman's threat seriously. All she needed to say was they were thinking about it and hadn't decided.

  Raea walked to the end of that last block at the edge of town. As expected, Nina met her on the sidewalk.

  "Go away."

  Nina stayed in step beside Raea on the path to Evelyn's door. "I don't think so, hon. You see, I've decided to up the stakes. You tell me what I want to know or I'll take this up a level, directly to the U.S. government as a threat to national security, to world security."

  Cold dread washed through her, freezing her in her tracks. Nina would do it. The woman would do anything. Raea was certain of it.

  "Whatever you're hiding, I want the full story, or I'll take what I know to them. Think about that."

  The bitch. Raea watched her retreat to the car. Exposing them as a threat to this world? Her life would be ruined.

  Nina knew it.

  Raea couldn't let that happen. She hurried into the house, dropped her books, slipped off her shoes, and thumped up the stairs before Evelyn asked who came in.

  "Elis." Raea found him at his computer. He looked so much better today than yesterday.

  He looked up as she burst in, a long-sleeved, dark green shirt hiding the bandage on his ribs, but no wings. How had he managed that?

  Raea shook off the distraction. "Nina caught me again. This time she threatened to go to the government. Our lives will be ruined."

  The tight lines of worry softened away. "Would they?"

  "What?" Was this a joke? Didn't he understand?

  "We haven't done anything wrong. Who's gonna believe her?"

  "But what about the Starburst marks? That's pretty obvious. Or if they look closely? Or what about them taking a video of you?" Talk about the end of her life. She might as well walk into Pallin's hands. It might be easier than subjecting herself to whatever the government might do.

  "Take it easy." He took her hands in his and coaxed her to sit with him, or rather across his lap. "She hasn't done anything yet."

  His touch calmed her. She laid her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around her. His shoulder rose and fell with each breath he took. Man, he smelled good, and felt good. She could sit there all day. The world slid away with her worries when she was with him. Maybe things would be okay. Maybe no one would believe Nina.

  "Maybe. I'll have to think about it." Mmm...His gentle squeeze chased away the last of her troubles.

  "Don't let Nina scare you. I'm not worried."

  How could he be so calm? Even the gentle expression on his face left no room for argument. Oh, God. She loved that about him. If only she could accept things the way he did.

  "It's Pallin I'm worried about. Sooner or later, he's going to try again. I don't think he was injured like me."

  Not Pallin. Raea grimaced and stood up. Now she knew why Elis wasn't worried about Nina. The wicked witch was nothing compared to the devil Pallin was. "What do you think he'll do?"

  "He'll want to take you back to sacrifice the Starfire to Heffin's Gate. He can't just take the crystal."

  She remembered the vision of it accepting her mother and what happened when it rejected someone. Too bad Pallin didn't try to take it. Let the Starfire have him. Raea looked down at the crystal hanging at her chest. All that trouble for one seemingly insignificant gem. Far too powerful for its own good was more like it. If not for the Starfire, none of these problems would exist, although they probably wouldn't exist since history would be different.

  But she couldn't change history, nor did she want to. Rather, she wanted to survive the present. She had accepted this.

  "So, he'll come after me?" Scary thought. She could just imagine how bad it might be. Or she couldn't. She didn't even know what he was capable of doing.

  "It's not like you'll fall for his trick again."

  "No. Definitely not." She moved to the bed and looked up as Elis joined her. "So, what'll we do?"

  "We can't do much but be prepared. And if we're together, we have a better chance."

  "I think I can handle that." Yeah. Elis and her. He had rescued her from Pallin. She had all the confidence in him.

  "You're ready to practice controlling the energy?"

  Raea nodded and focused on the tasks he set for her—fine-tuning her control by adjusting how much energy she built up.

  After a quick supper, they returned to his room. By the later hours, she let the Starfire energy radiate from her hands in a weak discharge like a light bulb.

  ["You're learning faster than I could have imagined."]

  ["Lately I've been able to hear the Starfire, to sort of feel their guidance. It's like they're showing me what to do and I only have to keep the connection through the resonance to let them work through me."]

  What was that look for? He looked like the cat that swallowed the canary. He knew.

  ["You're opening yourself up. That's good. Then the Starfire's doing all the training."] He paused and that self-satisfied grin melted away. ["Do you think you're ready to let them show you Saturday night?"]

  Was she? Raea hadn't thought about it that day. Now, after achieving a modest level of control, her confidence rose. Still, the idea, the possibil
ity, oozed like slime poured over her. She would never escape it, nor could she forget. But she did not want to go there. Maybe Pallin did nothing. She could get it over with and be done. Finished. No more worrying. No more doubts.

  But she hesitated. What if he had...raped her? The thought sickened her.

  No. Get it over with. Nothing happened. Pallin couldn't have. The day was almost done. She could go to bed without any questions hanging over her head. Only Nina would linger.

  "All right." She turned to face Elis and put her hands out. Sure, she could probably do it herself now, but she wanted his presence, just in case. He held her hands, his touch reassuring. "Let's do it."

  They focused on the resonance together. It warmed through her and images coalesced.

  Pallin knelt over her and smirked. ["You'll never get away. And Elis will be long gone before you know what's happened. This was much easier than I expected. But we have some time. How would you like to spend it, Raea? Should I take what I can, as you Keepers do? So high and mighty, worshipped and adored. You don't deserve it."]

  He leaned in close, his black-sleeved arm moved to the side of the view and slid down. His face shifted out of view and the scene bounced and shifted. Soon he reappeared, his face close with his body over hers.

  Tears burned in her eyes. It couldn't be true. She couldn't believe what she saw. The Starfire lied to her. It had to be.

  Elis let her hands go and pulled her close. "I'm sorry. So sorry."

  Sobs trembled through her. Why had she chosen to see it? She should have let it go.

  She couldn't. Not knowing and forever wondering would have been intolerable. She had wanted to see nothing and ignored all the logic pointing to the worst conclusion. That scene would be with her forever. A part of her memories. Nothing could erase it. Like the scenes with her mother, this horror would stay with her, all because of the stupid Starfire.

  Raea grabbed the crystal. The stupid crystal. She hated it. All this was their fault. Everything.

  A firm grip on her hand stopped her from yanking it off. "Don't."

  "Let go, Elis." She pushed away and tried to pry his hand off hers. "I hate it! Let him have it. I don't want this anymore. I'm sick of it controlling my life."

  "Raea." He struggled with her until he held her so tight he pinned both her arms between them so she couldn't move. "Raea, stop. This isn't the Starfire. It's Pallin. He made the choice to hurt you. Not the Starfire."

  "But—" Damn, it Elis. Let me go. He held firm. "He hurt me because of this." She might have been unconscious and not directly experienced it, but she had seen as an observer what he had done to her body. Her body. The filth of that realization could never be washed away.

  "Don't give it up. You can't. You're stronger than this, Raea. I know you are. You know it, too. Your mother wouldn't have given up, and she wouldn't want you to give up."

  Why did he have to bring up her mother?

  "Every Keeper has some memories they'd like to forget but never will. It's the nature of the Starfire in us to record events and experiences, good or bad. But don't give up the Starfire. They chose you and trust you. The responsibility is an honor. And you can't undo knowing what happened, but you can prevent him and others like him from these crimes on others."

  She sniffed and made a half-hearted effort to pull free. His arms held her tight. Why did he have to sound reasonable? Didn't he realize what this meant? How much it hurt?

  Pallin had...had...done it without her even being able to object. She didn't want any of it. Although she hadn't felt anything, but had observed it through the view of the Starfire crystal, she had been the victim.

  Elis's warm breath blew softly through her hair. For a moment she could forget. A moment that sparked logic from the turmoil of her emotions. She would have those memories for many years, not because of the crystal, but because of the part of that crystal within her. She couldn't escape that. It was a part of her.

  And if she gave up, Pallin and his Shirukan won.

  Raea took a deep breath and relaxed, despite the tears. "You're right. I hate it, but you're right."

  His arms relaxed. She wiped her eyes and buried her face in his chest. Why did this happen to her? Why couldn't she have just called Pallin? Or let Josh come along? Why did she have to trust him?

  Why couldn't she have listened to Elis?

  Elis. He was always there for her.

  His gentle rubbing of her shoulder and back soothed away the last tears and the images. She closed her eyes and focused on him. Elis. Gentle, quiet Elis. He would never hurt her. He cared for her, protected her, maybe even loved her.

  Fatal Ultimatum

  After a while, Raea noticed a tension hardening Elis's arms. His fingers gripped her shoulders rather than rubbed. Raea sat back. The air about him seemed to have chilled and thickened into something impenetrable. He smiled at her, though. She knew better. Something wasn't right.

  "You'll be all right?" he asked.

  Oh, how that soft caress could melt her troubles away, but not this time. His touch was different. She didn't know how, but it wasn't the same. "Yeah."

  "Practice focusing on your wings for a while." He stood up and headed to the door.

  "Where are you going?"

  "This is something you need to do alone."

  "But—"

  "Don't worry. Practice." He left before she could question him.

  This wasn't right. He wasn't the Elis she knew. He was upset.

  Upset at Pallin.

  Pallin!

  Raea jumped to her feet and rushed downstairs. Where had Elis gone? The beep of the phone in the kitchen drew her. Elis hung up the phone and headed for the back door, his coat and shoes on already.

  "Where are you going?"

  He halted in the middle of the dark kitchen. "To get some air."

  Oh, no. She knew better. "You're not going flying without me."

  "Practice growing your wings, Raea." The cold snap of his voice glued her feet to the ground. Something hard and cold burned in his eyes.

  No. He wouldn't. But he had said it three days ago—if he met Pallin again, he wouldn't hold back. "You're going after him."

  "Stay here."

  "No. You can't." She crossed the kitchen as he opened the back door and grabbed his arm. "Elis, don't. Let it go." I might lose you.

  "I can't. He's Shirukan. He's dangerous, and he thinks he's safe in his hotel room. His kind killed my family and yours. He'll come for you, and these humans know nothing. They can't even arrest him and hold him, because we can't tell them the truth. They can't know about the Starfire. I'm the only one, Raea."

  "I won't lose you, too." Why did he feel compelled to take the fight to Pallin?

  "You won't."

  "You don't have to do this, not now." She refused to let him pull away. He'd get himself killed if he faced Pallin. He almost had last time.

  Elis whirled on her, his face contorted in rage and sorrow, or was that from the pain of his wound. "He hurt everyone I love and the one I love the most. It ends now."

  "But—" His words struck her dumb. The one he loved the most?

  He yanked his arm away, sending her stumbling into the door frame as he rushed out into the cold. Seconds later, black wings spread behind him and he flapped into the night sky. This. Was. Not. Happening! Not Elis.

  She couldn't leave him alone. She had to stop him. But how? She couldn't tell anyone. Even if she did, no one could drive her to the hotel fast enough.

  She had to fly. That meant transforming herself. Oh, God, it hurt. She'd fail and Pallin would kill him. She couldn't let that happen. She had to try.

  But first a coat and shoes. She rushed back to the foyer and grabbed his jacket from the closet and slipped on her shoes.

  "Better hurry, dear. I've never seen him this upset before." Evelyn's voice carried through the doorway from the sitting room.

  Raea swallowed. Neither have I. She slipped the coat on as she hurried to the back door. There,
she focused on finding the resonance. I need my wings. One other thought occurred to her. She knew now how to communicate with the entities and let them guide her. Maybe they would show her the way. Through the resonance, she sent out her thoughts. Starfire, help me. Elis is in danger.

  Burning pain seized her back. Breathe. It hurt. She groaned as the wings and muscles grew out. Seconds later, air rushed from her lungs in relief. Brown wings stretched with a thought.

  She did it. She really did it.

  No time to celebrate. She had to catch up to Elis. Raea rushed out and flapped down, climbing into the night. In the distance, a lone shadow hovered over the hotel. She would barely catch up. Then what?

  No time. She had to try.

  Raea flew in the direction of Elis's shadow and found the top of the hotel by the bright sign next to the building. They had a roof entrance. She hadn't even known. How convenient.

  Elis was nowhere in sight. Oh, God. If you really exist, please keep him safe.

  With a miscalculation, she landed hard enough to crash to her knees. No time to rest though. Now for the wings. She had to hide them again.

  With the Starfire's help, she shrank her wings. Why couldn't it be painless?

  That would be too easy, she thought on her way through the trap door. Down a short ladder to a landing at the top of a stairwell, she climbed. No sign of him.

  Raea raced to the first door marked by a blue "3". Top floor. Pallin's floor.

  Barely had she opened the door when she heard a heavy pounding through the hall and Elis's voice. ["Open up, Pallin! I'm done playing fair."]

  What was he thinking? Did he want to attract attention?

  Raea caught up as Nina Russet appeared from around a corner. Oh, hell no. Not now.

  Elis seemed not to notice but pulled off one of his gloves and put his hand over the key card swipe of the door lock.

  "What're you doing?" Nina stopped near him.

  "Why are you here?" He snapped the question at her.