Rationality resumed as soon as I sat up. I wouldn’t tell him about that. After all, was there any real need to tell him? I didn’t even have all the answers when it came to Starry Knight. I didn’t want him pestering me about it.
Yes, it was much better and much safer not to tell him or Gwen.
“Ugh.” This just keeps getting worse. I didn’t want to tell Gwen, either, even though I knew I would eventually have to. I glanced over at the small calendar on my desk. How long until graduation? I wondered.
I silently decided being seventeen was harder than being sixteen. (At least before I could blame my age if something went wrong; being seventeen meant I had to try harder not to do that, if I wanted to be taken seriously.)
“What’s Mikey doing here?” I asked, moving around and beginning to sort through all my things. I needed to get ready. This was a battle I didn’t want to go in blind and unprepared.
“I don’t know, but he’s been calling and texting you all morning.” The door opened downstairs and I could hear Cheryl greeting him (by calling him “Max,” no less).
“Ugh, I hope he’s not here because he got in trouble,” I muttered.
“I’m not the one in trouble. You are.” Mikey came through the door with a grim look on his face, and I wondered all of a sudden if he had seen Dante as he walked Gwen home. “Nice hair.”
“What? What’s wrong with my hair?” My hands flew up and patted around, desperate to make sure it was all still there.
“Your hair’s gotten lighter,” Mikey said. “Like it’s got golden highlights in it. Don’t worry, I’m sure Gwen will like it. We’ve got bigger problems.”
Nervousness hit me. Maybe I was in trouble with Mikey? “Did I do something wrong?” I asked, angry I had to tell myself not to squirm.
It was getting hard to keep so many secrets.
“No.” Mikey looked confused. “Why would you ask that?”
“Uh, no reason,” I said, laughing nervously.
“Okay, well, you’re acting weird.” Mikey shook his head before plopping down on my bed. “Did something happen last night when you were off on that ship?”
“Plenty,” I assured him. “I’ll tell you about it later. Why am I in trouble?”
“While you were gone, I stayed at the marina, waiting for you,” Mikey said. “And I saw her.”
“Her who?”
“Starry Knight, of course.” His eyes went troubled for once, instead of dreamy. Instantly, my stomach churned and my eyes narrowed. That was not a good sign.
“What’s wrong? Is she okay?” Fury bit at me for my concern instead of being completely apathetic to the matter. “Did something happen?”
“Yes. I saw her at the marina and decided to follow her.”
“Did you find out who she is?” I asked, trying not to let my hopes get up or my excitement to show.
“No. She went to meet Orpheus.”
“What?” Rage, anger, hate—all of it seemed to skit across my soul.
“Yeah. Really. I am not kidding,” Mikey insisted. “She left the marina just after you left, and then she went over to the Time Tower, and that’s where Orpheus came to her.”
“So he came to her?” My brow furrowed. “He came to meet her, or she was looking for him?”
“Okay, I don’t know, but she wasn’t surprised to see him.” Mikey sighed. “Now, stop interrupting me. It’s important.”
“Alright, I’ll stop.”
“They talked back and forth a bit, and I didn’t get it, of course, but then she said she wanted to make a deal with him. She wanted to trade you for the rest of the Sinisters.” Mikey sat back and folded his arms over his chest. “I’m not making this up.”
“She wanted to ‘trade’ me?” I repeated.
“Yes. You know, like a prisoner of war or something.” He rubbed his head. “I guess you were right about her, Dinger. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you sooner.”
That caught my attention. “What do you mean?”
“She can’t be your ally if she’s trying to get you killed or captured or whatever. I mean, I thought she was beautiful and everything, but I don’t want to date her if she’s like that.”
“It would be hard to double-date,” I agreed, unable to resist joking about it. It was too . . . it was too weird.
Mikey raised his eyebrows at me. I shrugged before a thought hit me. “When she did make this deal? Had I come back from my trip?”
“No, you were still gone. It was settled about half an hour after you left.”
“Okay. I see . . . ” So she had come to me in the woods after making the deal with Orpheus. She mentioned something about saving me, right? I wondered. Could this be part of her plan? The vision of her supernova—and my punishment, my descent to Earth, away from the Celestial Kingdom and all my friends and fun there—struck through me. Was Folly and/or Foolishness right? Was she “wooing” me again, in order to destroy me, as a matter of Justice?
I sighed. “I want to go back to bed,” I muttered.
“How late were you out last night?” Mikey asked curiously. “I mean, I know it’s a weekend, but it is past noon.”
Elysian spoke up, surprising Mikey as much as me. “We’ll have to see about finding Starry Knight,” he mused. “I think this warrants some tough questions, don’t you, finally?”
I knew what he was referencing. Elysian had held Starry Knight captive at the end of our last big battle with the Sinisters and Orpheus, and I’d been more interested in gaining her trust than in the answers to my questions. I told him to let her go, and he was upset with me for it. He was still upset with me for it.
I still believed, despite all my reasons and feelings to the contrary, that it was the right thing to do.
A small burst of hatred shot through my gaze as I looked at the small changeling dragon prancing around on my bed. Mikey had just told me there’s a potential coup happening among Starry Knight and Orpheus, and Elysian is trying to make me feel stupid? For a decision I made weeks ago?
Yes, that would be Elysian. Especially since he still looked glum about the previous night. Remembering his despair and bitterness, I decided to let it go. For now. “We’ll try to find her, I guess,” I told Mikey, “but let me tell you about what I got to see while Aleia froze time for us.”
“She froze time?” Mikey gaped. “That’s so cool!”
“Yeah, it was pretty awesome.” I smiled. “When we came back, it was midnight.” Glancing out the window, I added, “And then I came home to sleep, and I’ve been sleeping ever since.”
“You didn’t come home right away,” Elysian reminded me.
“I fell asleep in the park,” I explained easily enough. There was no need to tell him about Starry Knight. “And then I came home. I was really tired.”
“What happened on the ship?” Mikey asked.
“You’d never believe me,” I said.
“Try me,” he challenged. “Maybe I can get a blog up about it.” Before I could object, he added, “It would probably make for bettering reading than the meeting between Starry Knight and Orpheus.”
I sighed, but indulged him anyway. It was good to have someone to filter through my thoughts as I recounted my adventures. There were some parts I left out, for a variety of reasons; they were embarrassing, they were too painful, they were too shameful, etc. I especially left out the last part, where Folly and Foolishness had revealed the truth about me falling to Earth because of Starry Knight.
When I finished, he just sat there with an awed look on his face. “Wow.”
“Yeah, I know,” I agreed. “It was pretty cool, but there was a lot to learn and a lot to sort through.”
“It’s still worth it,” Mikey said. “You’re a Star, not some ordinary human.”
“I guess that explains all the good grades and skill set, huh?” I laughed, even though the voice of logic in the back of my mind said it was not the right time to joke about that, and that I was wrong about my Starlight Warrior skills
helping me out, especially when it came to Martha’s tests.
“I wish I was something special,” Mikey admitted.
I said nothing to that. Mikey wanted to make this about him, and I didn’t want to divert our topic to the hours of counseling he needed to feel better about himself. If I really was in danger, I needed to stay focused, so I could protect myself, and people like Mikey, too.
“Sounds like you’ve got a lot to think about,” Mikey said. “Between the monsters and Starry Knight, there’s still the matter of that organization that kidnapped you.”
“Oh, yeah.” I’d forgotten about SWORD. “I hope they don’t start causing me problems too. I have enough to deal with.”
Later, I would think that by then, I should be used to disappointment.
☼19☼
Surprises
As the school week began, I saw nothing of Starry Knight or Orpheus, or any of the Sinisters and their minions. To be honest, I didn’t really want to look for them. I was still reeling a bit from the Celestial Kingdom and the Rabbit Hole, and I was content to spend a lot of time daydreaming about surfing the cosmos.
I still had plenty of work for Cheryl and Stefano, and for the final month of tenth grade, including making sure I argued with Raiya at least twice during every class. I also had to keep Gwen entertained, which I did while cheering on Central’s track team. (It was my first year of not actually being on the team, since I had my job at the Mayor’s office.)
It was an easy week, I thought, but nevertheless, I kept my usual Friday after-school routine, which included a sort-of date with Gwen (and since she was babysitting him, Adam) at Rachel’s. I also lucked out, in that I avoided Elysian.
He’d mentioned to me, a long time ago, about needing time to mourn the loss of our perceptions on life, and I decided to give it to him. It wasn’t like I really wanted to bother him anyway, so long as Apollo City remained safe.
“Ah, I needed this,” I practically crooned, as I sipped the mocha from my cup. “I don’t know how you do it, Rachel.”
“Haven’t you read Jack and the Beanstalk?” she asked. “Magic beans leading to a fabulous treasure from a giant?”
I laughed. “The giant demand of coffee from the peasants. That’s brilliant. Worthy of your grandfather, even.”
“Well, I’ll admit I had his help in that one,” she said with a chuckle.
“Still, you make some great coffee. Best in town, I swear. It does wonders.”
“I suspect it has something to do with quality and practice,” Rachel replied. She glanced out the windows and frowned. “There’s a restlessness in the air today.”
I’d felt it, too, ever since I came back to Earth. The Sinisters might have taken the week off, or their minions were on vacation, but there was no denying the reality I faced. And the reality was, as much as I liked not having to worry about skipping out on Gwen or leaving class unexpectedly or breaking curfew, they were planning something.
Part of me wondered if Starry Knight’s alleged deal—and I said “alleged,” because as much as I trusted Mikey, I didn’t trust him nearly enough when it came to Starry Knight—had something to do with it.
“I don’t know how to explain it,” Rachel continued, seemingly lost in thought.
“Well, summer vacation is coming up.”
Rachel cheered. “Yes, and my wedding along with it,” she agreed. “Maybe that’s it. Anticipation.”
I was just about to tease her about wedding jitters when the door to the café opened, and Rachel sighed as she looked over at who had just come in. “I’ll be right back, Hamilton.”
“What’s wrong?” I asked her. I followed her gaze and immediately swung back around to hide my face. Dante Salyards had just come into the café.
Fear lashed through me, striking me immobile. Hundreds of questions leaped at me, only to be met with the same answer. He’s here for me.
Obviously, right?
Rachel sighed, drawing my attention back to her. “He and his business partner have started coming here more often,” she told me, shuddering a bit. “He likes to flirt with me, though I don’t like it and he knows I’m getting married soon.”
My shoulders relaxed in the smallest degree possible. “Why don’t you just turn down his business?” I asked in a quiet voice, trying not to draw any attention to myself. Another thought hit me: It was a good thing Mikey was not with me.
Rachel pursed her lips. “I’ll admit it’s for the money.”
Delicious taunting tempted its way through me. “The money?” I asked sweetly. “But he’s interfering with true love. That’s not like you, Rachel.”
“I’ve found I can be quite mercenary about some things,” Rachel admitted. “Especially when it comes to unpaid bills.”
What bills would Rachel have to worry about? I wondered. Ever since she welcomed me, I’d made her café all the rage to visit by my peers. That had essentially doubled her business. Surely she wasn’t worried about going under? I frowned, as I would not have been happy with that possibility.
The complexities of running a business held no interest for me. That’s why I’m going into government work, I reminded myself silently. “Must be pretty important.”
“Yeah, it is.” She pulled out my bill and set it on the table. “Starting tomorrow, I’ll be catering his partner’s offices every day; we just finalized the paperwork earlier. They must be here to celebrate.”
“Was it a big order?”
“I guess you could say it was a tall order.”
I grinned at the coffee word play. For Mikey’s sake, I was about to ask her how often Dante came in, and the times when he was likely to, when I heard the bell above the door chime. A rush of confusion swooshed through me as Stefano—my boss, the mayor of Apollo City, the man I was beginning to see as an entry-level mentor to my long-term political goals, and the same man I admired every day I went to work—sauntered in, catch sight of Dante, and eagerly shake his hand in greeting.
Fortunately, Rachel inhaled sharply as I gaped wordlessly at the exchange. She didn’t see me fluster as she squared her shoulders and put on a smile. “There he is now. Be back soon, hopefully.”
I thrust my face between the pages of my largest textbook and tried not to strain my ears while I hid my face. I could only hope Stefano wouldn’t see me; then, at least, I might have had a chance at staying clear of Dante and the rest of SWORD’s operatives—
“Well, hello there, Hamilton!”
Stefano was my boss, and as such, I suppose it was natural to think he would make my life miserable at some point. But right then and there in the coffee shop, it seemed a little much. As much as I suddenly became afraid, anger bit through me. Couldn’t he have minded his own business?
A steely grin made its way onto my face as I slowly put my Chem book down. “Hello, Mayor Mills,” I greeted. All the years of pretending to listen in class and care deeply about all the right and popular causes—every moment I’d spent honing my skills in acting the part of the good listener, the teacher’s pet, the good son—all of it had led me to this critical moment. “What are you doing here?”
“Come, Hamilton, call me Stefano. We agreed on it, remember?”
“Sorry.”
“No problem. I’ve come on business,” he informed me. “We’re finally going to have some good joe down at the office.” He smiled. “I know you’ll appreciate it. You always talk about this place, and I can see why. I’ve also managed to score a good deal with the owner here, so by hiring out we’ve saved money and have better coffee.”
My cheeks burned, still angry. “So because of my recommendation, you decided to come here?” I asked.
“Well, I had Dante, my associate, recommend it to me, too,” he said, gesturing behind us, where Mikey’s dad was clearly making Rachel uncomfortable.
Grateful once more for Mikey’s absence, I mustered up the fortitude to ask, “Who is he?”
Stefano smiled. “He’s the new consultant I hired for the
city on security matters. Your mother suggested it to help with the court hearings. I need to make it look like I put every effort into preventative measure against those superheroes and their monsters.” He leaned down close and whispered, “I don’t really think it’ll matter much, but this guy is good. He’s come highly recommended from several agencies and governments.”
Dante had mentioned they were a privatized company, I recalled, as Stefano continued to sing the man’s praises. But a consultant agency cover was still unexpected. Although I suppose it couldn’t exactly be like it was in the movies, I decided.
I considered it the highest providence when Gwen poked her head around Stefano’s shoulders. “Hey, Hammy.”
Adam came up beside her. “Hammy!” he squealed.
“Oh, that’s so cute,” Stefano said, offering his hand for a high-five for Adam. “This is your younger brother?”
“Yeah,” I said. “He’s quite a handful for only three years old, but we like him.” I tried not to laugh when Adam ducked behind Gwen as Stefano tried to get him to smile.
Gwen cleared her throat delicately and then smiled.
“Oh, and this is my girlfriend, Gwen Kessler.” I quickly introduced them and scooted over in my seat.
“Well, it looks like you have a date,” Stefano observed. “I’ll leave you to yourselves then. It looks like my associate’s finished putting in our orders. I’ll see you at the office tomorrow, Hamilton.”
“Sure,” I agreed, allowing my gaze to stay on him as he sat down with Dante on the other side of the café.
“What’s wrong?” Gwen asked.
Everything, I wanted to say. “Nothing.”
“You have a strange look on your face.”
Protruding pain marched into my wrist, where my mark burned in frustrated submission. For a long moment, I stared at my hands, unsure of whether or not to move.
“Now you really have a strange look on your face,” Gwen said.
“Uh, be right back,” I told her. “Bathroom.” It was the oldest, most awkward excuse in the book. But there was nothing to be done about it; I hurried out of the room, heading toward the back door. I jerked open the door to the alleyway in the back.
Submerging (The Starlight Chronicles Book 3) Page 16
