Under the Burning Stars

by Carrigan Richards

  “Yeah, but not about my appearance. What if he had something to do with Devon’s escape? What if they’re siding with the Cimmerians?”

  “That’s highly doubtful.”

  “They aren’t torturing the prisoners, Gabriel.”

  “Why do you say that? Because some crazy woman claims to have killed your mom? Anyone could have—.”

  “She was the one. Xavier knew us. He was only pretending to be insane.”

  “I think you’re reaching, honestly. It sounds like you’re trying to find someone to blame.”

  She shook her head. “I know what I saw.”

  “You know what you think you saw. Just try not to worry so much, Ava. And do me a favor.”

  “Okay?” She was confused. A favor for Gabriel? What could he possibly ask?

  “Please don’t go looking for trouble.”

  “Why would you assume I would?”

  “I know you and Thomas and everyone else want revenge, especially after tonight, but it isn’t worth it. Trust me.”

  “Why wouldn’t we retaliate? After everything they’ve done, I’m surprised the Elders are just sitting back and relaxing.”

  Gabriel gave a disapproving look. “You think that’s what they’re doing? They don’t want war on their hands, Ava. No one does. You don’t want to go after the Cimmerians.”

  “Why not?” she asked. Why was he so adamant about it? Was he protecting the Cimmerians? She shook her head. What was wrong with her? She was so quick to blame anyone right now.

  “Because they are a lot stronger than us.”

  “They’re all locked up. Isn’t that what the Elders said?”

  “Yes. But they aren’t just sitting around doing nothing. They are constantly working to keep us safe,” he said, but she could tell he held back something.

  “Do you think it was the Cimmerians who burned down Thomas’s house?”

  He scratched the back of his head. “I really don’t know. The Ephemerals seem to believe they have a good reason for doing that as well.”

  “I can understand the Ephemerals burning Link or Nicole’s house because of their unfortunate involvement with the bombing. But Thomas’s house? Why his?”

  “You think it was Cimmerians.”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “You didn’t have to, Ava.”

  “Well, what other possibility could there be? They, or whoever is in charge of the Cimmerians now, still want the Elementals.”

  “In charge? There’s no one, Ava.”

  “What about Trudy? She can’t be all by herself. I know she wouldn’t.”

  Gabriel sighed. “I don’t know what to believe. Except, the Cimmerians have left us alone ever since we locked up Xavier. And you saw him today. He’s in no condition to be in charge. Devon is dead. Yes, Trudy is still out there, but you’re right about her. She wouldn’t be by herself.”

  “Do you think she would start a revolution?”

  Gabriel let out a small laugh. “No. She might be a great Enchanter, but she isn’t smart enough to lead a revolution.”

  Ava nodded, but she wasn’t convinced. Someone had to be out there waiting. “What about Havok?”

  “Who?”

  “Trudy mentioned someone named Havok.”

  “Wasn’t that what Devon called himself?”

  Ava lifted a shoulder and ran her hands through her hair. “I don’t know. This is all too much, Gabriel. All I wanted today was to learn of my mother’s killer, and now we have to worry if the Ephemerals are gonna come after us.”

  “Why did you want to know who killed your mom so badly?”

  “I just did.”

  He gave her a knowing look. “To take out your vengeance. Ava, listen to me when I say don’t go looking for trouble. And that especially means don’t go back to the Cruciari. Even if that woman was the killer, she’s well out of her mind to know what she did. She’s paying for her crimes and will forever.”

  “Why shouldn’t they die for their crimes? They killed my mom.”

  “They killed a lot of people. Killing them doesn’t take the pain away. It never will.”

  For a split second, she saw something in his eyes like sadness or sorrow, but in an instant it was gone. She knew exactly why he hid things like that. No one understood what it was like losing someone so important until they did. The way he spoke hinted that he had taken out revenge before.

  “I’ve been having dreams, Gabriel,” she blurted.

  “What kind?”

  “About my mother’s death. But in them, I’m the killer. All that goes through my mind is how my mother betrayed me. Or the killer rather.”

  “How long have you been having them?”

  “A month or so. But it’s probably because of the vision Trudy gave me a while ago. And then seeing Marcel that night and what he said. Did my mother betray anyone?”

  “Have you talked to your dad about all this?”

  “No. I don’t want to upset him. And Savina won’t tell me anything.”

  They were quiet for a moment.

  “I don’t know how, but I can try to help you find answers,” he said. “Going to the Cruciari and asking the prisoners won’t help, as you know.”

  “What if they’re really after us? What if they’re plotting something against us and using our parents as pawns or whatever? I just don’t know what to do.”

  He moved closer to her and placed his hands on her shoulders, pinning her with his eyes. “First, take a deep breath.”

  She did.

  “You can’t worry yourself like this, Ava. Maybe we can start practicing more. Just in case. It won’t hurt. Plus, it might help everyone keep their minds off things.”

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  “I can practice with you, if you’d like.” He smirked.

  “You’re too fast.”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “I’m only as fast as you allow me to be.”

  “Is that a challenge?”

  “Maybe. Get some rest, Ava. We’ll worry about things tomorrow.”

  “Okay. Thanks for talking to me.”

  “Anytime.”

  She went up to her room and sank onto the bench in front of the window. Her mind wouldn’t settle. She wished there was a spell or something to turn it off. There was no way she’d sleep tonight. Ava drew her knees to her chest and rested her head against the window.

  Ava wandered through the dark woods, following a glowing white light. She was barefoot, but the harsh debris of pine straw and sticks under her feet didn’t bother her. Her necklace warmed and glowed. It was cold outside, but she couldn’t make herself warm for some reason. She wanted to know what she was following.

  The ball of light stopped and Ava looked around. She was in a witches’ circle with stone markers at each point of the pentagram. She stood in the center and all at once, the ball of light exploded and fire outlined the pentagram shape. Embers rained down over Ava.

  This is your destiny, she heard a voice, but there was no one else around.

  She couldn’t move. The fire grew into walls, keeping her enclosed in a circle. When Ava looked ahead through the orange waves, she saw her.

  “Mom?”

  Her pulse quickened as her mother walked toward her, through the fire.

  She held out her hand and cupped Ava’s chin. “My child, you are the one to end it all. You must join them. Give yourself to him.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Join them. This is your fate.”

  Ava woke with a start. The pounding in her chest wouldn’t stop. She’d never had a dream like that about her mother. What was she talking about? Her fate? Who was she supposed to join? She couldn’t have been talking about Corbin, could she? Was her mother actually trying to send messages to her? How was that even possible?

  Or maybe it was just Ava’s mind cracking.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  PROVOCATION

  Ava and the coven attended the funeral for Thomas’s f
ather. That was all Ava felt like they ever did was attend funerals. The rest of the week was slow and dismal, and Ava tried to ignore the disturbing dreams, but she couldn’t shake them. What exactly was her destiny? To kill all the humans who wouldn’t leave them alone?

  She shook her head. Why did she keep having such thoughts? She didn’t understand it and thought maybe after the day’s meeting, she could talk to Savina. Ava wanted to tell Peter of her recent dreams, but he and Seth were M.I.A. again. Bonding or whatever. Peter’s frequent absences annoyed her. She had tried asking Melissa and Lance to tell her what they were keeping from her, but they refused. Melissa told her it meant nothing, but Ava knew better. Had she caused such wariness within her coven that her best friend couldn’t even trust her?

  Ava reluctantly meandered into the large parlor. She didn’t want to go to the meeting because she knew the Elders would placate them and withhold the truth about what happened the night of the fire.

  Thomas leaned against the wall, his thick arms crossed over his chest with a hateful look in his eyes. She could see his jaw twitch every few seconds, obviously clenching and unclenching his teeth.

  Ava stood beside Melissa, who reeked of stale cigarette smoke, and Lance. “How are you?”

  “I’m okay, I guess. Where’s Peter?”

  “Off with Seth.”

  A crease formed between her thin eyebrows. “They know these meetings are mandatory, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “What’s up with that?” Lance asked. “The two of them have been rather…absent lately. They haven’t started training or anything.”

  “I know.” Ava bit her lip. She had hoped no one noticed their absences, but she couldn’t make any more excuses for them. She pulled out her phone and texted Peter. Where was he?

  Ava looked up and saw the Elders make their way to the front of the room.

  “As most of you know, we’ve had an attack on one of our own,” Savina said, and the hushed voices silenced. “We need to clear the air about the attack.”

  “There are rumors speculating that Cimmerians were involved,” Aaron said. “This is not true. They are not starting a war or revolution. I want to assure you, there is no danger.”

  “No danger?” Ava said. “Are you kidding me? They almost died—.”

  “There is no danger from Cimmerians,” Aaron snapped. She’d crossed a line. “We know what you all are thinking and we want you to know the police are looking into this to find the Ephemerals who were involved.”

  “The police?” Ava blurted. “Are you serious?”

  “They won’t help us,” Thomas said. “They still believe we’re responsible for the bombing.”

  “There were no charges against any of you for that. This was unfortunately an act of revenge by the Ephemerals.”

  Thomas shook his head.

  “How do you know this wasn’t Cimmerians?” Link asked.

  “They have all been caught and are in prison.”

  “Except Trudy,” Ava said. “She was there the night my house burned. They’re still out there.”

  The chatter in the room increased.

  “Enough,” Aaron snapped and the entire room silenced. “There is no more discussion about this. You have nothing to worry about.”

  “We are not to retaliate against the Ephemerals,” Savina said. “Under no circumstance are they to be injured or you will have no choice but to endure the consequences.”

  “So we’re just supposed to sit here and let them bully us?” Thomas asked.

  “Revenge gets you nowhere,” Colden said. His voice was calm and carefree. “It solves nothing, and if you ignore the damage they created, that is true revenge.”

  With that, the Elders left the room, but several people still fumed. How could they think there was no danger? Even if it wasn’t the Cimmerians, they still had to watch themselves around the Ephemerals. Ava always knew they were never to injure or kill humans, but after what they had done, how could they not want revenge?

  “I’m still gonna practice,” Thomas said. He didn’t look at anyone in particular. “I don’t care what they say. I’m fighting back against whoever did this. And I will find out.”

  “I’ll help you,” Lance said.

  “Me, too,” Ava said. Others piped up and offered to stand behind Thomas.

  “We just have to watch our backs and stick together,” Nicole said.

  “Let’s start tonight.” Thomas moved away from the wall.

  “Sounds good,” Link said.

  Some people stood and left the room, and Ava made her way toward Thomas. She met his blue eyes, and then he bent down and hugged her. She wasn’t expecting it, but she was glad he still seemed to need her as a friend. She hugged him back and silently comforted him until he let go.

  “I never got it before. I feel like such a jerk for the way I treated you about your mom.”

  Ava shook her head. “It’s okay.”

  “I know I never got along with my dad, but he was still my father.”

  “I know. I’m sorry, Thomas. Despite everything that happened, I’m still here for you.”

  “Thanks. Wanna practice?”

  “Yes. I’ll be out in a minute.” She had to call Peter.

  He nodded. “Thank you, Ava.” He walked away.

  Maybe her coven would eventually forgive her after all.

  Ava jogged up the two flights of stairs to her room. She opened the door and jumped. Peter stood before her and then greeted her with a hug and kiss. But it felt too robotic. She could tell something was on his mind by the way he barely looked at her.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked. “Where’ve you been?”

  “Seth and I were just hanging out.”

  “You can’t keep distancing yourself, Peter. People are starting to notice that neither of you have started practicing. I can’t keep making excuses.”

  “I never asked you to. Seth is just having a hard time is all.”

  “I’m sorry, but you can’t miss the meetings.”

  “We made it in time for the meeting.”

  Ava’s heart sank just by the discouraged look on his face. “I know you’re still not coping with this.” She stepped toward him and touched his face. “Don’t shut me out. We can talk through it.”

  “Why didn’t you call me?”

  “When?”

  “The night of the fire. I called you so many times but you never answered.”

  “I’m sorry. So much was going on and there wasn’t anything you could have done. I wasn’t hurt or anything.”

  “Ava, do you not think I’m important enough to call when something like that happens?”

  “You were busy. It’s no big deal.”

  Peter placed his hands on either side of her face. “Ava, I know I’m having a hard time with this, but anytime there is danger near you, it is a big deal. Especially to me. I could’ve been there to protect you.”

  “You can’t protect everyone.”

  “I know. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to try.”

  “Okay. But in order for you to become a better protector, you have to train. No more skipping.”

  He nodded. He looked defeated as if he finally realized there was no getting out of it. Ava didn’t know how to feel about that. “Do you think it was Cimmerians?”

  “I don’t know. They burned my house.” She sank down onto the edge of her bed.

  “Here’s what I don’t get.” Peter crossed the room and sat next to her. “They used fire on Thomas’s house. Doesn’t fire obey him, like water does with you? Like that day at the beach. The water was treacherous, but it listened to you. Why couldn’t Thomas stop the fire? He got everyone out except his father.”

  Ava hadn’t thought of that, but what exactly was Peter trying to say? “You think he left him there on purpose?”

  “No. Not at all. I was just thinking it was weird.”

  “Like maybe the Cimmerians controlled the fire with some sort of spell.”


  He lifted a shoulder. “Maybe. You think some have escaped the prison?”

  “No. But some are out there and I still believe they’re just a big a threat as Devon was.”

  “Is that why you all have decided to practice?”

  “Well, that and some of you newbies need training.” Ava teased.

  Peter smiled and pressed his forehead to hers. “Just please don’t shut me out. I want to make sure you’re okay and if there’s anything I can do to help protect you I want to do it.”

  “Same goes for you. Don’t leave me outside.”

  He kissed her softly at first, but then harder. She gathered his shirt into her fist and pulled him on top of her. He swept his lips along her jaw and her necklace warmed, like the rest of her body. There was a knock at the door and Ava jumped.

  The door opened and it was Gabriel. “Whoa, sorry.” He started to close the door back.

  Peter got off and stood next to the bed. “No it’s okay, man. We’re on our way out there.”

  “Okay.”

  “Well, that was embarrassing.” Peter pulled Ava to her feet. “Let’s go train.”

  They walked outside to the large field, used for practice. Thomas, Joss, Eric, Natalia and some of the new Enchanters were already practicing. She was glad to see Thomas out, but was still somewhat afraid to talk to him.

  Practicing would be good for all of them. It would get their mind off of things and they had to be prepared for anything. And last time, Ava wasn’t prepared. She almost died when a witch held her down and choked her. If it hadn’t been for Gabriel, she would be dead.

  Gabriel walked up next to Ava and Peter, but didn’t stop or meet her eyes. “Ready?” he asked. Something was wrong with him and it made Ava feel awkward.

  “Sure.”

  “Is he okay?” Peter asked.

  Ava shrugged and then gave Peter a quick kiss on the lips. She made her way toward Gabriel who stood by a tree.

  “Okay, so what—.” She tried to say but was knocked down, hard, by an unknown force. When she opened her eyes, she didn’t see him, but knew it was Gabriel.

  She got to her feet, but was knocked down once again. This wasn’t like all their other training sessions. She imagined Gabriel in a pool of water, drowning, but nothing happened. She tried again, but he just stood before her, seemingly impatient.