Starbeam

by Adrienne Woods

  “What are you doing?” I asked and her face numbed.

  “No, this can’t be.” She grunted but she couldn’t change.

  She sucked in a deep breath. “Reveal yourself.” She spoke in a deeper voice. Her eyes were bright green and for a split few seconds I was Kate again, I felt smaller, Andrew’s clothes were hanging on me like rags, but I pushed back and my clothes fit perfectly, and I was taller, had more strength. Andrew appeared once more.

  How many of them saw me as a woman, I didn’t know, but she was a liar and a deceiver. I didn’t care about her word at all.

  I got up after she punched me and I let her go. She changed immediately as I spit blood on the floor.

  “You okay?” Al just got to the commotion.

  “I’m fine.” I grunted at him. “She is seriously getting a handful Al. She tried to kill me.”

  He looked at me.

  “What was that. We saw what she did. What are you hiding?” Marcus asked.

  “What do you mean?” Albert wanted to know.

  “He changed.”

  “Oh c’mon. It’s her dragon magic. She could make anyone of you see anything.”

  Albert just look at me.

  “You know what, believe what you want to believe. I don’t have time for this.”

  I went to my treehouse. I could wash up later.

  I saw my dad. Why had I see Nicolas Squires? It didn’t make any sense.

  I lay on my bed roll, thinking about what the hell had just happened. I shook softly and heard someone climbing up my staircase.

  Maggy’s smell filled the room.

  “I’m sorry about today. If I knew she was watching you, I wouldn’t have left.”

  “No, you left because you couldn’t handle the truth, Maggy.”

  She came to sit next to me.

  “Does Goran know about you?”

  “Yes, he does. Now please go, I want to be alone.”

  “What happened?”

  “Nothing, just go before Al asks more questions, please.”

  She nodded and left.

  Later than night I went to the lake. I froze as I saw Albert and Constance enjoying a swim too.

  I hid behind the tree but couldn’t leave.

  I needed to hear this, to hear everything. To get my heart properly shattered so that I would never fall for his charm again.

  But then Connie brought Andrew’s name up instead.

  “You know what Andrew said is the truth. She is a Green-Vapor. Tanya would do anything to put a wedge between you and him.”

  “I don’t know Bob thinks he is hiding something other than his love for men.”

  I closed my eyes. That is what he thinks.

  “You still believe that, maybe the Cavern set his ways straight.”

  “I agree it’s magical, but not that magical.”

  Idiots. Love was love, it didn’t matter in which form it came.

  I got up, not caring if they heard me or not and went back to the campsite.

  Maggy almost ran into me.

  “Where is Albert?”

  “Maggy what is wrong.”

  “It’s his dragon.”

  “What happened?” Albert’s voice was right behind me.

  Maggy stopped as she stared at his naked body. I looked away.

  “Uhm.”

  “Maggy!” I yelled.

  “Sorry, he is busy killing Issy.”

  “What?” Albert said and both Connie and him darted for the campsite.

  “He really has a nice body.”

  “Seriously, that is all you think about. What do you mean he is killing Issy.”

  “With his acid. Tanya rejected him. She is harsh Katie.” She spoke softly.

  “Andrew,” I said through gritted teeth.

  “Oh, it’s still Katie, doesn’t matter what you look like or what is between your legs. Issy got too close. I don’t even know what the hell she was thinking and acid gob fell from his hand and onto her face. It’s horrible.”

  “She has a bond with Robert.” I said.

  “A what?”

  “It’s complicated. Like the bond Tanya feels for me.” We ran toward the log house and heard Issy’s screaming as we neared.

  Her sister was attending to her.

  Albert was talking to Bob, he was out of his mind and I walked in the opposite direction.

  How the hell were we going to win this war?

  The campsite quieted down late into the morning hours.

  I struggled to sleep.

  Connie said that Issy would heal herself but it would take time, maybe years and was mad at Robert for losing his temper with her like that.

  Robert left and that was the end of that.

  Connie, Al, Helmut, and Caleb were taking turns watching her.

  Goran came to talk to me about all of this, since I had tamed Tanya.

  “I don’t want a dragon Goran. It’s too much drama.”

  “It’s not like you are going to marry her, she will just have a bond with you.”

  I huffed. “And what about next time it’s me and not Issy on that bed.”

  “Al is dealing with him. He feels bad.”

  “She could’ve died. It’s Issy, the kindest woman I know, Goran.”

  “And she knew better.”

  “I don’t care, we won’t win if we can’t even stand together.”

  “I agree with you. But we have one thing they don’t.”

  “What.”

  “Magic. I have frost, Helmut has fire. All the dragons on our side have abilities. They might not like each other but everyone in the camp is fighting for the same thing. Freedom.”

  “Freedom. You think your father is going to see it that way, The king of Paegeia. Of Areeth? Honestly Goran.”

  “No, I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see.”

  “And what then, this war is going to be for nothing. So many people are dying, for what.”

  “What do you want me to tell you. That this war isn’t affecting any of us. It does. What happened with you in that Cavern? You are so different.”

  “Oh I agree with you on that. I never wanted to be in that Cavern, but I had no choice. If I wanted to get out of there to live, I had to finish. The question is just this, what kind of life am I going to have?”

  “When the king’s time is over…”

  I started to laugh. “He has Swallow Annexes, Goran. It is never going to be over.”

  “King Louis isn’t that lucky. He was cursed by his first love’s father. It’s dragon magic and no Swallow Annex can heal him. He will die.” He got up and walked away.

  What was wrong with me? Being Andrew was messing me up big time and Goran knew it. Soon he would tell someone or make me tell Albert.

  I looked at my bag of kernels. It was no use. I had less than two weeks worth left, and we still had about thirty days of this.

  They were going to know Andrew’s biggest secret whether I wanted them to or not.

  Chapter 21

  ALBERT

  Days passed. Issy was getting stronger, but the burn on her face. I couldn’t believe Bob had lost it like that.

  He came back yesterday. Went to hunt Tanya down to get the truth out of her. And he told me that this time he wasn’t misunderstanding what she meant.

  He said she was trying to show everyone, to reveal what Andrew was hiding. What was he hiding? We never got to that part as Andrew lost it.

  “Something is wrong with Andrew. Robert feels there is more to Tanya’s accusations than what Andrew wants us to believe.”

  “She is a Green-Vapor.” Goran spoke softly.

  “Maggy knows something. Why is everyone hiding things? We can’t tell Helmut, Goran.”

  “You are playing with fire Al. Leave Andrew alone.”

  “I need to know if I can trust him, it’s as easy as that. At this moment, I don’t know who to trust. Tanya gave me her word that no double agent is going to infiltrate this campsite.”

 
“So you don’t trust me?”

  “That’s not what I said. There is something about Andrew. I can feel it.”

  “You are unbelievable. He was one of your dad’s best archers and I thought he would better serve this side, and this is how you betray him.”

  “I’m not betraying anyone. I trust my dragon, and I trust Tanya. She said from the beginning that something was wrong with Andrew. I have known them longer than I do him.”

  “Oh and what. I grew up with you, Al. We are best friends for crying out loud.”

  “You’ve been wrong before, Goran.”

  “We are going back to that.”

  “Please, I don’t want to fight. My gut is telling me.”

  “Your gut is wrong, there is nothing but a noble heart in that boy.”

  “I need to know for certain.”

  “Your problem is that you can’t trust anything good coming your way, Al.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “You have Constance, but you are pining over a dead girl, not knowing what it does to her.”

  My fist connected with his face and he fell.

  Helmut and Caleb were at once next to us.

  “You have no idea what it is I had with her. I don’t care who you are but you will respect my memory of her, Goran.” I turned around and stormed away.

  “What was that about, it’s Goran?” Caleb followed me.

  “It’s Tanya.”

  “We said we would deal with that.”

  “Goran is not on board.”

  “What?”

  “He thinks we are paranoid. Like usual.”

  “C’mon he’s been wrong many times about this sort of thing. You haven’t. Trust your gut. It’s not worth beating him up, Al.”

  I didn’t even want to tell him what he said so I just left it.

  None of them understood anyway.

  They would never understand. I didn’t know what to believe anymore. So many dragons told me that they felt Andrew was hiding something, Goran was the only one I had a feeling who knew what, he just didn’t want to tell me.

  The next day our plan came into action.

  I hated Andrew’s plea, the betrayal in his eyes as Emanual and Robert grabbed him.

  Maggy came running out to help him, I had to stop her.

  She fought with me badly, saying I’m making a huge mistake and asking why I was doing this. Tanya was lying, the cause of all of this.

  Helmut couldn’t even calm her down and I had no choice but to lock her in the cell too.

  She hated Helmut for it and I knew he was going to blame me eventually.

  We took everything that Andrew had on him.

  A small coin bag he carried with him. His bow and quiver, his arrows.

  I opened the coin bag and found grain. There were about five kernels left. Goran said he loved to eat from this bag.

  I put the bag down.

  I hated this plan more and more as time ticked by and I felt like an idiot.

  He was the fifth person out of the Sacred Cavern for crying out loud but I needed to believe my dragon and Tanya.

  “You did the right thing,” Bob said and picked up his bag of grain. “What is this,” he asked.

  “Grain.” I said.

  “Grain.” Robert answered and open the bag and took a whiff.

  “It’s been more than twenty four hours. Andrew wasn’t saying a word. I made a mistake. A grave one.

  Robert didn’t answer and I looked at him.

  He still smelled the grain.

  “What is it.”

  “I get a faint smell of…” he smelled again as a frown appeared on his face. “Dragon magic.”

  “What?”

  “There is dragon magic on the grain.”

  “Dragon magic, why would Andrew be using dragon magic, for what?” I felt disappointment flowing through my veins.

  “I don’t know, but I don’t like it. This grain, with magic could do anything, Al. Like a portal to send messages.”

  “So you were right. He is hiding something.”

  I got up and took the bag from Bob, walking with huge strides to the prison cells.

  Helmut and Goran were pissed off at me.

  “Dragon magic. I’m not stupid.” I pushed the bag under both their noses as I walked past.

  “What?” they got up and rushed toward Bob and I.

  “What do you mean dragon magic?” Goran asked.

  “Bob smelled it. And I guess it’s what Tanya smelled on him too. He’s hiding something right under our fucking noses, Goran, under your nose.” I felt betrayed by him. He chose someone he hardly knew over someone that grew up with him. Someone that was his best friend.

  “Al, stop.” Goran said. “It’s not what you think. Please.”

  I stopped and looked back at him. “You knew.”

  He nodded. “Just give him his bag back, please.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because you would’ve treated him different. Fuck, I treated him different after I discovered. He is an asset, Al. That is all that matters”

  “What is he hiding?”

  “Tanya was right.” Goran said. Looking tired.

  “About what?”

  “Go look for yourself. Twenty four hours is up.”

  I marched to the prison cells and found Andrew’s cell empty.

  “Goran!” I yelled and he stormed in.

  Maggy’s laughter came from the opposite cell.

  “Where is he?” I looked at her.

  “My lips are sealed.” She had that annoying demeanor to her.

  “Goran what is this?”

  “You promised you wouldn’t tell, they will kill him.” Maggy looked at Goran.

  “I gave my word Al.” Goran begged.

  “I’m your best fucking friend. You knew he was hiding something and you betrayed me.”

  “Seriously. You are such a royal now. I don’t know what the hell she saw in you anyway.” Maggy turned around and walked to the back of the cell.

  “You do know him, don’t you?”

  “I promised I wouldn’t tell.”

  “Well, sweetheart whether you tell or not, he has five kernels left so the truth will come out eventually.”

  “Al,” Helmut said.

  “What?”

  “There is no way Andrew could escape through that.” I walked to his cell to see what Helmut was staring at and found a small opening. Andrew was sturdy.

  What the hell were these kernels?

  I picked one up and put it into my mouth and chewed it.

  “Are you insane.” Maggy shrieked.

  “Al,” Goran yelled too clutching his head.

  “What, he’s still alive, it can’t be that dangerous. If none of you idiots….” I shrunk a foot smaller and felt different as a tingling sensation and dizziness overpowered my head.

  “Oh my word.” Maggy said.

  I leaned against the wall, with closed eyes.

  “What the hell is this?” I stopped speaking. I didn’t sound like myself I sounded like a woman.

  I opened my eyes at once. Goran, Helmut and Caleb all stared at me with big round eyes. They were heads taller than me and Maggy snorted. “You idiot.” She laughed out loud.

  I looked down and saw breasts where my chest used to be. I touched my groin area. It was gone.

  “I’m a woman?” I frown.

  Helmut and Caleb gaped.

  “You are seriously a hot chick Al.” Caleb said.

  “Shut up, what is this?” My voice sounded feminine.

  “It’s dragon magic your idiot.” Maggy said. “Andrew isn’t a man, she is a woman, Al.”

  I froze. “What?”

  “She’s not dead, she’s been right under your nose. Her father was sick, he couldn’t fight and she took his place. I didn’t know that a dragon gave her these, I thought she was dead, until your idiot dragon brought me here and I met Andrew. She told me who she was. She knew she couldn
’t fight as a woman, Goran got that, why couldn’t you?”

  I looked at Goran.

  “You knew.”

  “Wait, Andrew is…”

  “Katherine, yes. Now open this stupid door and take me home. You are all idiots.” Maggy was pissed off.

  Helmut opened the door as I was still frozen on the spot. She was right under my nose.

  It was why I had those feelings...I smiled. I wasn’t in love with a man, it was my lady.

  “Wipe that smirk off your face. She’s not shallow Albert, and if you think I’m feisty, then you really don’t know Katherine one bit. You betrayed her, she won’t come back.” Maggy walked out of the prison.

  “Maggy, wait.” Helmut ran after her. “I didn’t know.”

  “Oh you are just as big of an idiot as he is. I was in that cell more than a day, Helmut. More than a day. Leave me the hell alone.” She stormed off.

  “You knew about this?” I asked Goran.

  “She got shot with an arrow after she got the news of Eikenborough’s attack. Bill came and as he healed her, the magic wore off. She changed back into a woman.” He sighed.

  “Why didn’t you tell me? I’ve been searching for her for years, Goran.”

  “I didn’t know it was her, Al. I’m sorry.”

  “Oh hell.” I sighed. “You are in love with her, aren't you?”

  “You said it yourself. She is one hell of a remarkable man. The truth is, she isn’t a man.”

  “I can’t do this with you.” I grabbed my pants tight and walked in way too big shoes.

  “Connie,” my woman’s voice yelled and Constance appeared in the log house doorway.

  She squinted.

  “I need clothes.”

  “Who are you?”

  “Albert, the idiot.” Maggy said loud somewhere from the house and a door slammed shut.

  “Maggy, c’mon. We had no choice.” Helmut begged.

  “Al,” Connie asked. “What happened?”

  “Dragon magic. Tanya was right.” I growled.

  “About what?”

  “It’s Andrew’s, or should I say Katherine’s.”

  “What?”

  “You said she was dead. She is fighting in her father’s place Constance.”

  “Andrew is Katherine.”

  “Don’t. Just don’t.”

  I walked into the log house straight to Connie’s room.