by A. B. Bloom
Kesh nodded. "You need to know everything." He paused. "And you need to know it quick."
"Why?"
His eyes sought mine. "Because the hunter is getting close, I can feel the energy rippling when he circles in. He is coming for you, Bronte."
"I know." My whispered words fell like lead bullets on the floor of the tent.
Kesh leaned forward, his eyes alive. "Every star here will protect you until our death."
"Why?"
A long pause filled the air as he came towards me and took my hand in the paper dry skin of his own. "Because you are our destiny."
"Your destiny?" My mouth hung open and I could feel sweat band it's way along my forehead and under the hair against the back of my neck.
Kesh chuckled again and I thought maybe he was joking. He wasn't. "Your story has been foretold."
"How can it be foretold? I haven't lived it yet!" I was sure there must be a punchline coming.
He shrugged, again, which was becoming a little on the annoying side. "We've always known that our lives would join with a half blood, and the child would have the power to choose our destiny."
I squared my shoulders at the word ‘child’. "How long have you known this for?"
Kesh's eyes stared off at a far distant place. "Since the beginning of time."
I stared at him for a long moment, pursing my lips. "Since the beginning of time? As in, the creation of the world?"
Kesh held out expansive hands. "And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens, to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens, to give light upon the earth.’ And it was so."
My mind went frightening blank. He sat there politely, watching as I tried to process. Not even process, really. As I tried to break down the information overload into small manageable chunks.
"You're as old as the universe?"
He shrugged.
"And God created you?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Didn't he create you, too?"
I shook my head in disbelief. "I don't know. I've never met him to ask him." At this, Kesh burst out in a roar of laughter, which brought footsteps running. As quick as a flash of lightning, Celeste was in the tent, her hands pulsing with a vibrant rose coloured light. "Wow, your hands." There was a good chance my head would explode.
“What's going on?" Celeste's eyes were wide and alert. There was a small voice in the back of my head that noticed that Nick wasn't the one who came running.
"Bronte here is bemoaning the fact she hasn't met God."
Celeste rolled her eyes, looking truly ridiculous for someone so gorgeous.
I had a definite question forming in my head. I held out my hand to stop them talking while I tried to form it into words. "If God created you along with the universe, then why didn't he create you so you'd last as long as the universe? What was the point of putting you in the expanse of heavens or whatever it is they said, if you would always die?"
Celeste's lips pressed into a firm line that reminded me very much of Nick's. Kesh placed the tips of his fingers together, creating a church steeple, and leant his chin against them. "I'm guessing there was a design flaw," he said. "He never expected humans to create all the things they have, to progress and pollute with such zeal."
"So this whole dilemma is the fault of us humans?"
Celeste frowned. "You are only half human, Bronte. You need to remember that." I waved this mind-boggling fact off.
"But still, the Stars are only under threat because of human progress?" I asked. I was appalled that this might be the case.
"But isn't that right? That humans should progress?"
"At the expense of the Stars? Same as at the expense of the rainforest, wild animals, the planet's ozone?" I asked. "I don't know."
Celeste thrust her hands deep into the pockets of her jeans. "Are you okay? You look kind of pale."
"Yeah." I wasn't okay. I was feeling sick.
Kesh stood from where he'd settled himself on a low cushion. "Maybe you should rest, we can talk more tomorrow.”
I suddenly felt exhausted. I had no concept of time—the distended darkness was pushing everything out of normality. "Are you sure my mum is okay?"
"She's fine," Celeste assured me.
"And you're sure she doesn't know I'm gone? She will freak, big time."
Celeste smiled. "Promise. Do you want me to stay with you?" It should have been strange that I was already feeling such a strong connection with her. She was providing a stabilising level of comfort, which considering I'd only known her a day, was surprising. A pang of guilt that I wasn't sharing this with Lauren, my lifelong friend, pierced my chest. But I knew I couldn't get her involved. She was safer out of this craziness. Well, safer until the darkness became worse and who knows what would happen then?
The weight of the decision before me hung heavy on my heart, pulling me down with a heavy weight. Celeste and Kesh both looked at me with furrowed brows. "I will go to school tomorrow," I stated. I wanted to see Lauren and check that all was okay. As okay as it could be.
Celeste groaned. "Yes, yes, and we will go with you."
"Who's ‘we’?" I perked up a little.
"Me and Connor," she hesitated. “Get some rest, Bron. You will need it."
My heart gave a little squeeze when I realised Nick no longer planned to spend time with me. Not now the others were here. "What do I need rest for?"
"Because tomorrow we will start your training."
"Really?"
"Really." She grinned and blew me a kiss. "Sleep." Wagging a finger in my direction, she flapped out of the heavy curtain at the entrance.
Kesh rumbled a deep laugh and wagged his finger, too. "Sleep. You can ask more questions tomorrow."
"I will have more, you know?" I called after him, as he followed Celeste into the fresh night air.
"I know," he called back.
Once they were gone, I stood in the empty tent trying to get myself together. None of this felt real, yet I knew that it was. My head spun and I tumbled for the bed. The luxurious sheets were welcoming and I sank down on them as I started to shake. I tried to focus and look deep inside myself to find the power I thought I'd found only hours before. But there was nothing. It was gone.
Was I really the destiny they were all waiting for?
Could I decide that the Stars had to die? I couldn't get my head around the fact that the decision came down to me alone. If there had been other star children, then maybe we would have held a committee, cast vote, at the least. I was the last of my kind. It seemed kind of sad I'd only found out about it now. Just as the world had turned black and there was a scary hunter after my blood.
Swallowing hard, I rolled onto my back, staring up at the high peak of the tent.
I wondered what they would try and teach me tomorrow? I wondered why Connor hated me so much? As far as I knew, I hadn't done anything to him apart from be an illegal star child who may or may not decide whether he would die.
Had they really all been alive since the creation of the earth? Had God really created them? I mean, I thought it was a Big Bang or something? I felt the distinct urge to ask someone about the dinosaurs, but there was no one around. I didn't fancy leaving the tent to get stared at again—at least not by a whole gathering of attractive beings. How come they were all so good looking? They reminded me a bit of Eleanor Heavers in that she had always been so effortlessly attractive, while I’d always been so plain. Good news would be at least if it was permanently dark, I wouldn't have to see her smug face so much.
But then wouldn't she die? Would the humans die without the sunlight? Was there a loophole, maybe?
My head ached and thudded, my eyes stinging as too many thoughts swirled their way around my brain. I yanked at the many layers of sheets until they covered me, and then curled myself into a tight ball. In the dark of the tent, I tried to imagine what the world wo
uld be like if there was permanent darkness. I waited for my eyes to adjust to the dark depths, but despite how long I waited, no shapes formed in the blackness, and my eyesight failed to lighten. How long would it take for the plants to die like the birds? Would there be a way of keeping them alive? I remembered the black glassy eye of the blackbird as it stared up at me from the pavement. Would society become lawless if there was no daylight to limit the time the criminally minded had to roam free? What would happen to Aaron? Would he become some jaded cop who couldn't keep the bad guys at bay? But then what about the Stars? They weren't just pretties lighting the night sky. They were real, corporal entities with emotions and personalities, who had been alive for all eternity. I knew I needed to find out more of their story, more of their history. If they died, I might be the only person who would ever know.
The weight of the world hung heavy on my shoulders. It pulled on my heart and made my insides ache with an intensity I'd never known. Rolling tears slid down my face, soaking into the soft pillow beneath my head.
This decision was too much for one person to make—for me to make. I needed more time.
I must have fallen asleep mid-tears, because when I woke, the salty tracks had dried onto my cheeks. There was a violet glow filling the depths of the tent. Did he think I couldn't see him?
"I know you're there, Nick." I whispered. I worried that my words would travel through the canvas in the middle of the night and he would have to leave again. I could sense that he was staying away for a reason, and I believed that reason was the rest of the camp. I just had no idea why.
Before my eyes, his shape transformed from the violet pulsating light. The chain pulled between us. It delved uncomfortably and felt like it was pulling at my soul at the centre of my being. He sat on a low ottoman, his elbows resting on his knees, his face pinched, pulling his eyebrows and mouth down. "How did you know I was there?" His voice was low and it confirmed my assumption he wasn't allowed to be in the tent with me.
"You're purple." I stated. "Just putting that out there."
His eyes darted up and met mine, holding them for a long moment. "You could see me in the hospital. See my soul."
"And I can still see it now.” I whispered back. I wondered if he would think I was a freak, but then he knew what I was talking about so he must be just as much of a freak. I found this comforting. "Can you all see them?" I asked.
He shook his head. "No, not everyone; it means you are in tune with your sixth sense." His lips lifted into a smile. "I've always known. Even as a child you were intuitive."
I scrunched my face up. "I don't know if I find it a little creepy you've been watching me since I was a child."
The lips titled again and his face transformed into something wordlessly beautiful. "It is what it is."
I chuckled low. "That it is." A heavy pause filled the air. "Why can't you spend time with me now, Nick?"
His silence spoke in deafening volumes. I tried again. "Celeste told me you wouldn't allow anything to happen between us. Why?"
Again the silence spoke for itself before he said. "I should probably go."
"No!" I sprang up, flinging back the sheets. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't question you." I don't even know why I said this, because I wanted to question him more, but I also didn't want him to leave.
He flashed a grin and I remembered too late that he could sense my thoughts. Rolling his eyes heavenward he came to perch on the end of the bed. "You are incredibly difficult."
"I know. My mum tells me all the time." That pang in my heart reverberated when I remembered that she was at home and there was a hunter searching me down.
"She's safe, don't worry. I've been there myself to check."
"You have? Why?"
He hesitated and I thought he was going to finally put something into words, but I received a shrug instead.
"Why are you still wearing your cap?" It was obscuring his face, though it didn't prevent me from seeing the beautiful violet pulse of light that resonated with the hue of his eyes.
"Because I still don't think you should see all of me."
"Why? I've seen you before!" The memory of that glorious moment his true light shone in my eyes had been on a constant loop in my mind.
"Hm." Was all the response I got.
"Why does Connor hate me?" I asked. Giving voice to another question playing on my mind.
Nick's lips lifted a little. "He doesn't. He's just a moody arse."
"Is he in charge of you?" I was trying to get my head around the dynamics of this group of Stars. Kesh was obviously their leader. Not just by the fact it was he who took the lead after my arrival earlier in the day. His general gravitas and bearing told me he was their commander, if I would put it into battle terms.
"He wishes." Nick said with a wry smile that crept out from under his cap.
"And Celeste?" I prompted.
Nick's smile widened with fondness and I felt a pang of jealousy at the familiarity he had with her. Maybe they were a thing? Maybe they had been a thing in the last few thousand years?
His head titled to the side and I realised he was reading my thoughts again. The smile widened.
Damn.
"Celeste is like the annoying baby sister that everyone has been cursed with."
I mulled over his words. It was the one thing I knew nothing about—having a sister, or any sibling. It had hurt when I was a child and I'd spent my time alone, but then I'd met Lauren who became a sister to me. "I always wondered why mum and Aaron didn't have children," I mused. "Do you think it was something to do with me?"
"What do you mean?" He leant towards me and I held my breath in case he touched me.
"Do you think it was because I wasn't totally human? Maybe my mum knew and that's why she had no more, even when she fell in love with Aaron."
Nick's lips turned down. "I don't know. I can't get a read on the situation."
"What do you mean?"
Hesitation filled the air again. "I can't get a read on the thoughts or emotions in your house. I thought maybe it was you blocking them, especially when I came back to find you hadn't grown into your power. But then I found I could read your thoughts." He flashed a smile here. "So I knew it wasn't that." My cheeks burned. "Then when you found your moonstone and absorbed your rightful power, I wondered if maybe it was that."
"But?"
He shrugged like it was a Rubik’s cube he had no hope of completing. "I couldn't get a read this evening when I swung by either."
'Oh." I didn't really know what else to say.
"You'd better get some sleep, Tar . . .” He grinned again. "Sorry, Bronte, you've got a long day tomorrow."
"Have I?"
"School, for a start." He nodded sagely. Apparently education was still top priority, even with the end of days. "And then I believe they have some intense training planned for the afternoon. They want to unlock your energy."
"Right." I wasn't sure if this was right. I couldn't even comprehend what they would find. "And you aren't coming to school?"
He shook he head, his eyes on his fingers, which were plucking at the sheets. "I don't think so." Well it wasn't a definite no.
I realized in that moment I didn't want to be away from him for even a second. I couldn't explain it but I felt it. It ran through every fibre in my body. The chain which linked us, morphed into an ancient iron tether and it suspended between us. I knew he knew that I felt it. I couldn't even bring myself to feel embarrassment.
"Will you stay with me?" I slid down the sheets, exhaustion washing over me.
A longer moment of hesitation paused between us and then he shifted next to me. "You will get me into trouble."
"Sorry," I said. I wasn't that sorry.
He chuckled.
"Stop reading my thoughts."
"Stop thinking so loud."
I giggled as well and nestled down, trying to angle myself closer to him. "Bron," he warned.
I rolled my eyes and he chuckled again. "Tell me
," I whispered, "what will happen to you when I make my choice?"
I held my breath for his response.
His voice was so low I could barely hear it. "When you make the right choice, then I will cease to be."
His words made my whole body ache. A world without Nick didn't seem a world worth saving.
Disorientation made me wonder where I was when I woke. The hazy light coming through the tent's surface didn't help me discern the time. I reached for my phone before recalling that I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen it. "Damn," I muttered to myself. I wanted to get to school to see Lauren, oversleeping wouldn't help that.
"It's seven," said a voice that made me sit up and drag the sheets around my body. "Do you know you talk in your sleep?" I stared at Connor who was emitting a lazy blue haze which filled the tent with an eerie glow. "No wonder he's so keen to sit and watch you sleep every night." I wasn't sure he was talking to me or rather to himself. "I'm sure you've spilled many secrets," he added. He glanced around the tent and I knew that Nick's visit hadn't gone unnoticed. I bristled. We hadn't done anything wrong.
"Why do you hate him so much?" Hearing his derisive tone towards Nick rankled the blood in my veins, stirring it into a bubbling mixture.
"Hate him?" he pondered. "I never said that." His lips curved into a smile and the blue of his eyes shone brightly.
I sat up a little straighter. "Why are you opposed to us being together? What's it got to do with anyone else?"
The blues pierced through the air. I felt them trying to read me, felt a probing beneath the surface of my subconscious. I'd never felt another star invade my mind before. It was violating.
"Stop that."
"What?" The lips curved again.
"Trying to read me," I stated.
"Block me, then." The probing started again; I could feel it peeling back layers of my mind like an onion. It was intrusive and felt all various kinds of uncomfortable. I knew he was testing me, but I couldn't resist.
