Under the Burning Stars

by Carrigan Richards

  “Um. About last night. What did you mean I could contact those who aren’t here?”

  He closed his eyes for a moment and then shook his head. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

  “It’s okay. I’ve been reading about Necromancy. Is that what you were talking about?”

  Colden sighed. “Ava.”

  “Please. No one seems to think I can handle the truth except you. You wouldn’t have mentioned it if you didn’t want me to know.”

  “I made a mistake.”

  “Colden, please. Do you know where I can find a Necromancer? Or maybe I can perform a séance myself if you won’t tell me.” She hoped he wouldn’t call her bluff.

  His black eyes narrowed. “Absolutely not. That is too dangerous. It is only for advanced Enchanters.”

  “Then tell me where I can find one.” She hated to threaten, but she was at her wit’s end with all of this. She wanted to know why her mother lied. Why she had betrayed them and the Cimmerians.

  Colden set his lips in a hard line but then slumped his shoulders. “There is one in New Orleans.”

  The same city where Marcel resided. A plan started to form inside her head.

  “But Ava, you must promise me you will not go alone and you will be careful. Necromancers deal with dark magic and can be very dangerous.”

  “Of course. I’ll be careful,” she said. Her heart raced with the opportunity that she’d get to communicate with her mother soon and finally get answers.

  “Do not mention this to the Elders, and if you do, don’t mention my name because I will not admit helping you.”

  Ava nodded. “What exactly will happen when I see the Necromancer?”

  “He will call upon your mother’s spirit. But I warn you. It may not be a pleasant experience. Don’t spend too much time there. Get what you need and get out.”

  Ava’s heart lodged in her throat. His warning was beginning to change her mind, but she had to go. “Okay.” She wanted to sound strong, but her shaky voice betrayed her. She hoped he couldn’t tell. “Are Necromancers Cimmerian?”

  “They practice dark magic, but they side with no one. Most people are afraid of Necromancers because of what they can do.”

  “Communicating with the dead scares people that much?”

  “They call upon spirits. Good and bad and sometimes they can make that spirit do anything. That’s why no one trusts Necromancers.”

  “I’m surprised Corbin never had one in his corner.”

  “He did, and he forced the Necromancer to call several spirits. It was maddening.”

  Ava shivered. “What happened to him?”

  “Once Corbin died, the Necromancer vanished. They tend to keep to themselves and hide.”

  “So how do you know where one is?”

  Colden looked up. Ava guessed he didn’t want to answer by the begging look in his eyes. She wanted to know what he was hiding, but she didn’t push. “I’ve gotten to know certain types of people over the years, not necessarily by want though.”

  “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me. But why are you so much more forthcoming with me than Savina is?”

  “Ava, I see a lot of myself in you. You never let the fact that you are different stop you. Corbin kept Savina and me in the dark about a lot of things. And when he betrayed us…” He shook his head.

  She frowned. “What was it like growing up with no powers?”

  “It was very difficult at home. Savina was a Healer, and the entire town loved her for her medicines. I’m not a human, but I’m an Enchanter with no special ability. I felt like an outsider because I was so different, but I fit in with the Ephemerals very well. So, I found myself feeling more like a mortal and I became loved by them.”

  “Why didn’t your father ever accept you?”

  “I was a disappointment because I couldn’t do what they could. I tried to impress him with my blacksmith skills, but he disregarded it because it was an Ephemeral job. He saw me as too much of a human. Since I could not follow in his footsteps, he was never proud of me, and I feared him.” He lowered his gaze. Ava knew it had always been difficult for him to talk about his father. Especially being the son of the most evil Enchanter ever.

  “That’s terrible. He hadn’t hated humans until Veronica showed up. I don’t understand why he treated you so poorly.” She knew Corbin came from a long line of Enchanters, but the Ephemerals never feared for their lives until Corbin started a war.

  “Nature of the beast. But you’re right. When he and Veronica returned from Caprington, it was even worse.” As Colden spoke, he seemed far away, like he was reliving his memories. “He hated that Savina and I had built our lives around the Ephemerals. But we had to. They would never have accepted us in their society if they knew the truth. Corbin wanted to create a new society. One with Enchanters only. He grew so distant and angry. Then he put his plan in motion.”

  “His plan to spread disease and kill everyone.”

  “Yes.”

  “So, Veronica killed her husband after finding out he was a Hunter and ran to Corbin. They returned to Caprington, but what happened for him to return so changed?”

  “A war had broken out. When Veronica killed her husband, the Ephemerals attacked.”

  “Had her husband faked everything? Or did he really love her? I mean, he couldn’t have hated her that much if he was with her for so long and they had a baby.”

  Colden shook his head. “It was all a ruse.”

  “Why let it go on so long?”

  “Sometimes it takes a long time to gain someone’s trust. I think in time, the man grew to love her. But once she found out who he was, all bets were off.”

  “Did any of the Ephemerals kill his family members? Was that why he grew so volatile?”

  “No. They were no match against the Enchanters. I still to this day don’t understand why he snapped so suddenly.”

  “Maybe his family got to him and convinced him to follow in their footsteps.”

  “Perhaps. Savina got the worst of it, though. She was rather naïve at the time. He had spread a plague around the village, and some feared it was a repeat of the Black Death. Savina tried so hard to save them all, but it was too much. It spread too quickly.”

  “Why did he do it? Did Veronica push him?”

  “He claimed it was something that had to be done. That the Ephemerals were not innocent. According to him, they were murderers and killed Enchanters simply because of what we were. He told Savina that her mother said on her deathbed that she hoped Corbin would eventually create an army to avenge those who had been killed.”

  “Why would she say such a thing? That couldn’t have been true if he didn’t believe in these things until he went back to Caprington.”

  “He truly thought they were all out to get the Enchanters, but Savina and I were very trusting of them and felt that they would never harm any of us unless they were provoked.”

  “Which is exactly what Corbin did. Didn’t they come after Savina?”

  “Yes. He claimed he only planted the idea that Savina caused the plague in order to prove a point to us. Of course, since the Ephemerals thought she was trying to kill them all, they threatened to hang her.”

  “Wow.”

  “Corbin created chaos that night. Killing people left and right. Burning the village. I released Savina from her cell and then Corbin killed her lover, George.”

  “How could he do such a thing?”

  “He wasn’t right in the head. She could have easily fought Corbin, but since she was distraught over George and the entire town dying, she didn’t. It took us years to move on from that. In the meantime, Corbin’s army just grew. During that very dark period, it was just the two of us.”

  “How did everyone come together to defeat him?”

  “A few Enchanters learned the story of Corbin’s betrayal to his children, and they never wanted to harm Ephemerals. They eventually learned of our location and convinced Savina to start her own army. A lo
t of Ephemerals helped the Enchanters by hiding them from Hunters or Cimmerians. No one was safe from Cimmerians.”

  “Why didn’t Savina want to fight back? After everything Corbin did?”

  “Savina hates violence.”

  “Sometimes it’s necessary.”

  “It’s never necessary, per se. But to put an end to the most ruthless witch we have ever experienced, yes. It wasn’t up to her to start anything, though. She was just very strong and close to the situation. Even though Corbin abandoned us, we still knew how he thought. But his army was too much for us.”

  “Why did Corbin let Savina live? Couldn’t he have easily killed her to prevent her from coming after him?”

  “He never wanted us dead.”

  “But he betrayed you both. He blamed Savina for all the deaths in that town. They were going to kill her.”

  “They were. You are right. But he wasn’t going to let that happen. He came back and I saved her from the cell. He was only trying to prove to her that the Ephemerals would turn on her in an instant. Which, they did. Except George.”

  “Didn’t he try to kill you both though?” Ava asked.

  “He had once told us, we would never die by his hand, but if we came after him since we refused to join him, he couldn’t save us if we died by war.”

  “Wow. And then he grew weak and Savina killed him. How was he weakened?”

  Colden inhaled a sharp breath and held his chest.

  Ava shot out of her seat and kneeled beside him. “What’s wrong? What can I do?”

  He shook his head, and then a few minutes later, relaxed. “I apologize for that.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “I am fine, dear.”

  She eyed him warily, but returned to her seat.

  “I do not know how he was suddenly weakened. Perhaps the overuse of his ability took over.”

  “I can’t even imagine what that must have been like.”

  Colden gave a sad smile. “It wasn’t easy. Times have changed though. Things are much different.”

  “Are they? Ephemerals are still freaked out by the notion that there could be witches. Aren’t there still Hunters?”

  “There could be. Ephemerals are only afraid of what they don’t know. If they knew powerful Enchanters lived among them with abilities that went beyond their imaginations, Ephemerals would be fearful of what we could do to them.”

  Ava swallowed a building lump in her throat. “Like what I did.”

  “You were protecting yourself, Ava. If those boys had attacked you and you were an Ephemeral, yet you grabbed the gun and shot them dead, would you still feel guilty?”

  “For ending two lives? Yes. They only attacked me because they thought we bombed the school. If I were a human, they wouldn’t have attacked me.”

  “You don’t know that for certain. They are violent toward each other every day. My point is you should not feel guilty. You did what was necessary to save yourself. And it’s about time you thought about yourself for once.” Colden coughed and grabbed his chest again. He wheezed and his face paled. “Forgive me, Ava. I need to rest.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, dear. I just need to rest.”

  “Do you need help to your room?”

  “That would be great. Thank you.”

  She put his arm around her neck and helped him to his room and into his bed. He looked as though he had aged quite a bit. “Do you need anything?”

  “You are too kind. I will be fine. Go seek the answers you desire. I wish you good luck.”

  She hesitated to leave. “Should I call Savina?”

  “I will get her. Thank you.”

  Ava left the parlor with her stomach in knots, but felt sad for Colden. What was wrong with him? Was he sick? She wished she could help him. He had helped her in so many ways. She couldn’t lose another person in her life.

  She shook her head. She wasn’t going to lose him. Savina could heal him. Ava was worried for nothing.

  Now, to ask Gabriel to take them all to New Orleans. She felt like now, with her ulterior motive, she would be more insistent that Gabriel take them. It was perfect. She would have people go with her, but she could sneak off to see the Necromancer. Finally, she felt as if things were going her way.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  NO REST FOR THE WICKED

  Ava closed her locker harder than she meant. She didn’t want to be at school. There were too many other things going on for her to be worried about her grades. Like how she killed two Ephemerals and almost killed her best friend. Or how she could be going to New Orleans to see the Necromancer. But she had to be patient.

  “Do we really have to be here?” she asked Peter.

  “It really isn’t that bad anymore,” he said. “It’s a distraction at least.”

  Ava eyed him doubtfully. “I need a bigger distraction then.”

  He smiled. “Should I make it worth it?”

  “How are you going to do that?”

  He moved closer, her back against the locker, and leaned down. He kissed her, softly. She reached around him, and pulled him closer, but he ended the kiss. “After each class I’ll give you a kiss.”

  “That’s my incentive?”

  He lifted an eyebrow. “Not good enough?”

  She smiled, then grabbed him by neck of his sweater, and crushed her lips to his. She felt his hand on the small of her back holding her closer.

  “It’s plenty good enough, but I can kiss you anytime.”

  He cleared his throat. “Good point.” He looked down the hall both ways, grabbed her hand, and started walking.

  “Where are we going?”

  Peter slipped inside a bathroom, closed the door, and locked it. He kissed her again; the intensity of it sent shivers throughout her body. He moved her backward until she felt the counter against her bottom. Then, he lifted her on top of it and kissed her hard.

  He surprised her with this new edge, but she liked it.

  Someone banged on the door outside and then complained about it being locked.

  Peter groaned, but Ava kept him in place. Her pulse quickened and she wanted more. She raked through his shaggy hair and pressed her lips to his.

  Another bang on the door.

  Peter pulled back, breathless.

  Ava thought it was probably a good idea for the person outside the bathroom to stop them. “Maybe you can come over after school,” she said.

  “I have to work.”

  “So come over after.”

  He lifted her off the counter and set her on the floor. “I can’t. I’m busy.”

  She was immediately suspicious. “Busy with what?”

  “Nothing.” He tried to pull her along, but she tugged back.

  “What is it?” Why wouldn’t he tell her?

  He sighed and turned back to her. “I have to go check on Valerie.”

  “What?”

  “Please don’t get upset. I’m trying to maintain some civility with Valerie and Amanda. They are my friends.”

  “Were you not going to tell me?”

  “I didn’t want to upset you.”

  “Keeping a secret is definitely not the way to avoid that.” She brushed past him, unlocked the door, and walked out. Whoever had been banging on the door was gone.

  “Ava, don’t be like this,” he called after her, but she ignored him as she pushed her way through the crowded hallway.

  Why would he keep that a secret? What was he hiding? She hated being angry with Peter, but he wasn’t making it easy. Thomas was right. Peter did regret his decision and he acted as if he wanted to be Ephemeral again.

  Metal lockers slammed. The chatter was loud and obnoxious. Ephemerals always talked about nothing. Various noises sounded from cell phones. A couple of people bumped into Ava because their eyes were glued to phone screens.

  She clenched her teeth. Couldn’t they watch where they were going? They were stupid. Weak and no regard for anyone but themselves. Why w
as it their job to protect the Ephemerals? They annoyed her. She didn’t want to be around these people. How did she fall in love with one?

  She wanted complete silence. And to be far away from these people as possible.

  Then, she heard nothing.

  Ava halted in the middle of the hallway. Everyone carried on as Ava watched them, but couldn’t hear a single sound. She looked around. What happened? Why couldn’t she hear?

  She felt a hand on her shoulder and she jumped. Turning around, Ava saw Melissa.

  Melissa said something, but Ava couldn’t read her mouth.

  And then the noises slowly came back.

  “Earth to Ava,” Melissa said. “What is wrong with you?”

  Ava shook her head. “Sorry. Just…” She didn’t know how to explain that. “I don’t want to be here.”

  Melissa looked at her like she was crazy. “Not many people do.” She linked arms with Ava and they walked down the thinning hall.

  Ava tried to figure out what was going on with her. Loss of hearing suddenly. The bad thoughts running through her mind. Was she going crazy? Was Trudy or another Cimmerian messing with her?

  “So what shall we call this new soap opera?” Melissa asked.

  “What?”

  “You know. With you and Peter. As the World Turns? The Spellbinding Diaries? Ooh, what about The Secret Life of a Teenage Witch?”

  Ava rolled her eyes. She knew Melissa was only trying to be funny, but it annoyed her. “He’s going to see Valerie after school and wasn’t going to tell me about it.”

  She arched an eyebrow. “Ouch.”

  “He said he didn’t want to upset me.”

  “Which clearly you are.”

  “Only because he wasn’t going to tell me.”

  “I doubt that. Look, I know Valerie is a bitch, but you gotta let it go. He’s not with her. He’s with you. And he loves you. This isn’t easy for him. So what if he’s trying to hold on to his old life. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

  “I know. But he doesn’t need to keep these things from me.”

  Melissa cleared her throat and gave her a knowing look. “You’re certainly one to talk. Not telling Peter about what really happened in the attack for whatever reason.”

  An aching stab of guilt shot through Ava. She couldn’t argue with Melissa. But she was angry with Valerie for what she said, and didn’t understand why Peter didn’t stand up for her. “Because. You saw his reaction.”