Starlight (The Lightning Strike Trilogy Book 1)

by K. A. Rygaard

On the twelfth of Rigel, Jessie, Zach, and I

  teleported down to e2 before my parents’ house. My parents had told Mr. Monroe to be there, explaining everything they could to him. I had invited him to the wedding, and he happily agreed, because he had known me almost my entire life.

  Taking a breath, Zach and I linked hands and we went in through the front doors. The moment it was shut, our parents were bombarding us with hugs. Then they saw the ring, and there were squeals from our mothers.

  After tea, our mothers made us split up. The guys were going to be in the living room, us in my room.

  “We want to see your dress!” Mom exclaimed as we started up the stairs.

  “Ooohhh. . .” Jess chimed. “Just wait! It’s gorgeous.”

  When we got to my room (they hadn’t changed it at all), they shut and locked the doors and gathered on the couch.

  “Put it on, put it on!” chanted Clara and Addy.

  I gave them an exasperated look, but then the other three joined in and I gave in, Magic-Changing.

  Their jaws all dropped, and then my mother started to cry.

  “Mom! Please don’t do that!” I begged.

  “I’m s-s-sorry!” she stuttered. “You just look so beautiful, Em!”

  “Told you,” Jessie said, smiling. “She wouldn’t look at anything else after finding that one.”

  “Who would?” Allison asked, smiling, too. “Nothing is going to make my son happier than seeing you in that dress.”

  ****

  After I’d changed out of the dress, we went back

  downstairs so Zach and I could go over the plans our mothers had made. Not the decorations— they refused to give us even a hint about what they were going to do. They wouldn’t even tell us the music they had planned, and soon we just stopped asking.

  The Council would be arriving early on the day of, with Horatio being our pastor. He was the only one we knew that we’d be one-hundred-and-ten percent safe with, and he was once a practicing pastor. Aunt Becca and Uncle Walt would be coming, too, and I was happy I would get to see them.

  So we went over everything we could, but then all we could do was wait.

  ****

  Everyone was up at six on The Day, with

  everyone over by six-thirty. The night before I had my, for lack of a better word, “bachelorette party.” It really was just Mom, Jess, Allison, Clara, Addy, Aunt Becca, and I. We stayed home, while the guys were at the Stone’s house. I told Ian that if he brought any women over that were missing any articles of clothing, I’d kill him. He laughed, swearing he wouldn’t. For us, we watched sappy movies- laughing and crying throughoutand did everyone’s nails for tomorrow. At midnight Zach and Dad came back. They actually let Zach stay with me in my room, which I thought we’d get a lot of arguments about. He said Ian is an idiot, and I said Jessica is a sap.

  But as soon as we were awake, he was ushered out by the women. When we heard them coming down the hall, he kissed me.

  “I love you,” he whispered.

  “I love you, too.”

  Then I was sat in the chair of the vanity. Mom

  went to work on my hair, while Allison worked on Addy’s, and Jessie on Clara’s. We had all the windows open and the sunlight was streaming through. For Rigel, it was almost warm.

  It took nearly forty minutes for Mom to finish my hair, but the end result was amazing. When Jess was done with Clara’s, Aunt Becca did hers, and then she, Mom, and Allison used Magic to do their hair.

  My hair is pulled away from my face and up on the back of my head. It was done up in braids and twists, but in a way that my head did not want to flop backwards. I told Mom my only request was that it was kept out of the way.

  After our hair was done, we ate a small meal (“so your stomach doesn’t growl in the middle of your vows!”) and then went on to applying a small amount of make-up. They had me take off the lightning bolt necklace, but Mom gave me my great-great grandmother’s thin gold bracelet.

  “It’s been handed down to each woman first to wed in this family since Lela,” she said. “Cherish it.”

  As is the tradition with Quans, the mother of the groom is to give the bride something she wore on her own wedding day. With Allison, it was a delicate necklace of diamonds. She clasped it behind my neck and hugged me.

  “Welcome,” she whispered.

  They then all got into their dresses and stood back, waiting for me to. Taking a breath, I MagicChanged. Mom cried again, and I was glad her mascara was water-proof.

  When I saw my dress, I fell in love with the design, which was a lace bodice and straps, with a simple tulle bottom, although there were a few soft floral lace appliqués present. It was beautiful. . . and absolutely perfect.

  Fifteen minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Mom made sure I was out of view and went to answer.

  “Rachel,” I heard Galaxia say, “I am Galaxia; it is nice to meet you.”

  “So you’re the one who took my daughter from me.”

  “Mom!”

  Galaxia said something I couldn’t hear, but then she, Louisa, and Mab came in. They smiled at me.

  “Oh, Emma!” Louisa exclaimed. “What a beautiful dress!”

  I smiled.

  “Thank you.”

  “It fits you very well,” Mab complimented. “As does yours, Jessica.”

  “Thanks,” Jessie responded, twirling around in her lilac-colored dress.

  “Well,” Galaxia said, “we were sent up here by your father, Emma. They are ready.”

  My party took a breath.

  “Well, then,” Mom sighed, coming up next to me, “let’s get you married!”

  That made me smile. “Let’s.”

  To save our dresses, we all teleported down into the living room. Dad took a deep breath when he saw me (he was dressed in a crisp black suit) and came to hug me.

  “You look beautiful, sweetheart.”

  “Thanks, Daddy.”

  Ian came over to us and chuckled.

  “Zach’s gonna have a fit!”

  “Ian” Addy fussed. “Don’t you say a word to

  Zach!”

  “We’ll see you outside,” Allison said, smiling and

  leading the Council outside. I couldn’t see out of the

  windows. They really didn’t want me to see it before

  hand, did they?

  “Let’s go,” Mom insisted, ushering us to the door

  in line. She handed Jess her bouquet of purple violets and

  sprigs of lavender, while Addy and Clara had bouquets of

  purple and white violets. My bouquet was of purple and

  white violets and the lavender sprigs.

  Jess linked arms with Ian when Mom went

  outside, and a soft piano tune started playing. Jess looked

  over her shoulder, smiling at me, and then she and Ian

  went out the door and I lost sight of them.

  Ten seconds later, Addy and Clara went out,

  arms linked. The other door opened to the backyard and

  I slipped my arm through Dad’s waiting one.

  “Ready?” he whispered.

  I took a breath and nodded. I was very ready for

  this.

  Dad squeezed my arm and we went out,

  following white petals that glittered the pathway. I

  gasped when I saw what Mom and Allison had done to

  the backyard. It was beautiful, filled with flowers and little lights. . . There were streamers in certain sections, too. I held back my tears as we rounded the corner to the

  main path.

  We stopped at the base of the pathway and waited

  for everyone to stand and Addy and Clara to be in the

  middle of the path. When I looked up ahead, I saw Zach

  standing there, looking absolutely marvelous in a black

  tuxedo. I saw him take a breath when his eyes met mine,

  and then I was walking, heading toward my future. Fin
ally, we were there, that soft tune still playing,

  and Dad took my hand in his. Mom came to stand near

  us.

  “Who gives Emma to Zachary?” Horatio asked. Dad placed my hand in Zach’s extended one. “We do,” my parents answered, and then they

  went to sit, as did everyone else. I handed Jessica my

  bouquet and then rotated to face Zach in the gorgeously

  decorated white gazebo.

  “Emma and Zachary, you are here today

  surrounded by your family and friends, all whom love

  you and wish to witness the joining of your lives in

  marriage. While the love you hold for each other is

  already great, by joining your lives together you are

  ensuring the growth of that love in every passing day.

  Your story is just beginning!

  “May you always want one another, but not out

  of lack. May you have happiness, and find it in being

  with one another. May your love always triumph.” Zach and I took each other’s hands and looked at

  each other. I spoke.

  “I love you, Zach, so much. You saved me all

  those years ago, and you haven’t stopped saving me. It

  brought us together, that all-powerful current locking our

  souls together. I could never ask for something more

  perfect than that. I could never ask for something as solid

  as my love for you, or the trust I have in you.”

  My eyes started to water.

  “I love you, Zach. I love you. And thank you;

  thank you so much for giving me your love and allowing

  me to love you back. I give my heart to you.”

  He took a breath.

  “You mean the world to me, Em. I love you more

  than life itself and I will do everything I can to save you. “There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Nothing

  I wouldn’t do to protect you. You mean the world to me,

  and when I’m with you, Em, I feel like my heart’s going

  to explode from beating so fast. From being so struck by

  the lightning that’s in your soul. . .

  “Having you love me as much as I love you is the

  greatest thing to happen to me, Em. Ever. Nothing will

  ever trump being with you, nothing will ever make me

  feel as good as when I’m with you.

  “I am always going to love you.”

  Horatio fetched our rings, now. He handed mine

  to Zach and coached him through the words to say.

  When they finished, Zach slipped the ring on my finger. Horatio told me what to say, too, giving me

  Zach’s ring. I finished and slipped it on his finger. “I now pronounce you husband and wife.” He

  paused. “You may kiss the bride.”

  And he did. Zach held my face between his hands

  and kissed me. For a moment I thought he had forgotten

  we weren’t alone, but then he stopped. He looked at my

  eyes and whispered very quietly, “I love you.” I

  whispered the same words back, and then I took my

  bouquet from Jessica.

  As we turned to face our family and friends, they

  stood, clapping for us. Zach and I walked down the aisle

  together, hand-in-hand, an unbreakable force. Mom and

  Allison ushered us into the living room, grins on their

  faces and tears in their eyes.

  “Don’t come out until we get you!” they demanded, hurrying back outside. Zach and I exchanged

  looks but shrugged.

  “You look absolutely. . . stunning,” he breathed. “You look pretty handsome yourself,” I replied,

  smiling. “Nice purple trim to your vest. . .”

  “Knew I did that for a reason.”

  He smiled and leaned over to kiss me.

  “Now! Now!” Mom demanded, popping back up

  in the living room. “Come on!”

  “Breathe, Mom.”

  She just smiled at me and disappeared from view.

  Zach took my left hand in his and we went out. They’d

  changed the yard again. Still the flowers, still the lights. .

  . But there is now just one long table in the middle of the

  yard, and some platform I had a feeling was for future

  dancing. There was also a fire pit off to the side, as it was

  slowly getting colder.

  “Introducing, for the first time. . .” Mom started. “. . . Mr. and Mrs. Zachary Stone!” Allison

  finished.

  Everyone clapped again and didn’t stop until Zach

  and I reached the table. Everyone sat (assigned seating, it

  seemed) and ate the small snacks. But then Zach and I

  were made to stand as our glorious cake appeared before

  us. We cut it ceremoniously (to more clapping) and then

  we ate.

  Presents were next, and they were so peculiar.

  Everything was of Magic, and we received things I’ve

  only heard of, but never seen. Some of them were things

  I’ve never even heard of.

  Then we were ushered onto dancing on the

  platform. Zach and I had a solo dance, and then everyone

  joined in. I danced with everyone but ended back up with

  Zach.

  He touched his forehead to mine.

  “I love you, Mrs. Stone,” he whispered so that only I could hear as we moved around the dance floor. “I love you, too, Mr. Stone,” I whispered back. “Forever.”

  Life of Joy

  We planned to stay on e2 until Delos, but the

  Council left after the reception. They made us swear we’d be safe before they left. Zach and I stayed at my parents’, but on Esvit we went to his parents’ for dinner. Then on Dieus, Zach and I spent the day without our families. We went and sat on the cliff we’d been on during our first date, talking nonstop for nearly an hour.

  We then gathered up the courage to wander through the market. After we weren’t noticed four shops in, we eased up.

  “Everyone’s too caught up in their own world to notice us,” Zach whispered.

  “Then let us be caught up,” I whispered back, standing as tall as I could on my tiptoes and kissing him.

  We kept laughing and walking with our arms around each other. We were. . . well. . . acting like newlyweds. We stopped wandering the Pier on more than one occasion, kissing each other.

  Later on, we went down to the beach. The sun was emitting just the perfect amount of warmth, and I swear that I saw a bunch of colorful balloons go up off in the distance.

  But then we had to go back to my parents’. We couldn’t stay outside once my scars started aching warningly. Zach refused to risk it—he took me home. We said nothing to our parents- both sets of whom had come for dinner, along with Jessie and her dad. They would worry too much.

  We had to go home tomorrow, but we told them we’d come back as soon as we could to spend more time with them. We stayed up talking with everyone until ten, when Addy and Clara were falling asleep at the table. We said our good-byes, and then went up to bed ourselves.

  “I miss this,” I whispered to Zach in the dark. “Being home?”

  I nodded.

  “It’s so. . . peaceful. Being here with our family,

  it’s who we are. I know we’re the Kahi, but Galaxia refusing to let us live here is ridiculous.”

  Zach rolled over onto his side to look at me.

  “I know it is, but I don’t know what we can do about it.”

  “Rebel,” I muttered.

  I saw him smile in the dark.

  “Well. . . Let’s give it a while longer, just so Galaxia calms down, and then we’ll say we’re moving. Does that sound like a plan?”

  I nodded.

  “Yeah,” I breat
hed. “Sounds like a plan.”

  The Trick Master

  We stayed on e2 until noon the next day, saying tearful good-byes to our family. We all promised each other that we would be safe, and then we were gone.

  I stared out the window to the mountains of the Council’s home, trying to distract myself from wanting to go home.

  “I hate this,” I said.

  “So do I,” Zach muttered, coming up next to me.

  “It’s unfair.”

  “Life is unfair. Especially for us.”

  “Yeah, it is,” he breathed, pulling me to his chest.

  “But it’s not like we’ll never see them again. Galaxia said we can see them some time.”

  “Yeah, but when, Zach? It took weeks for us to see them and that’s only because we got married. I highly doubt she would have let us see them if not for that.”

  “I don’t, either, but I think she’s starting to become more lenient.”

  “We still have a long way to go until we can head down to e2 whenever we feel like it, though,” I pointed out.

  “Yeah. But we’ll get there.”

  I nodded, but then my head started spinning dangerously and I stumbled. Zach caught me.

  “Em—are you okay?”

  “Yeah, fine. Just a headache.”

  “Are you sure?”

  I nodded, but that made the pounding even worse.

  “Yeah. Really, Zach, I’m fine. I just need to sit down.”

  He’s not sure— and I’m not, either. My headaches usually aren’t this bad.

  “Maybe it’d be better if you lay down. It’s been a busy few days, Em, you may just be lacking sleep.”

  “Maybe,” I mumbled. I paused. “Yeah. . . I’ll just. . . take a nap.”

  Zach helped me over to the bed, as every step I took made my headache even worse.

  I crawled under the covers and he pulled them up, kissing my head ever-so-gently.

  “I’ll be back in a bit. Okay?”

  “Yeah. Love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  I closed my eyes and Zach left. Moving the covers higher up, I tried to fall asleep.

  “Get away from her!”

  I frowned in my sleep, rolling over. Why is Dad yelling?

  “Shut up, Fitch!”

  I flinched in my sleep—it was Lucas. . .

  “Don’t tell me what to do, Adler!”

  I heard shifting.

  “Back off, Adler.”

  “Don’t fight me, Fitch.”

  There was a shuffle, a thud, and my eyes flew open, my heart beating erratically. So much for sleep.