The orb was still glowing gently, resting in the glass case. It was a dull grey colour, and if it hadn't been glowing, I could have easily mistaken it for a rock. A very smooth rock.
I had to be quick—break the glass, hide the orb, and join them outside before they realised what was happening. I looked around for a tool to smash the glass with and spotted a paperweight on the desk. I grabbed it and took aim.
A hand clamped onto my arm.
I spun around and came face to face with a girl. She had mousy brown hair and fair skin that also seemed to glow. I was beginning to think there was something about the lighting in here that made everyone look like they were shining.
The girl glared at me, her eyes cold.
"Just what do you think you're doing?"
Five
Jason and I were forced to sit down in their meeting room. Walter guarded the door while the girl and Andrew, who had been called back from wherever he'd been, sat opposite us. Andrew drilled his steely gaze into me while the girl folded her arms.
I gulped, shifting uncomfortably in the leather seat.
"I'm sorry,” I said finally. "I know I shouldn't have done what I did."
I glanced at Jason, and a twinge of guilt shot through me. I hadn't been intending to get him in trouble, and now he was being blamed as much as I was. We'd be lucky if we got out of this without being arrested.
Andrew cleared his throat, clasping his hands together. "Why were you trying to steal that star?” he asked.
Oh yeah, that was another thing. Turned out the glowing orb was actually a freaking star!
I debated lying to cover my tracks, but I was well and truly busted now. The best thing I could do was get as much truth out in the open as possible, and pray that Andrew had some kind of heart behind his impenetrable gaze.
"I'm being blackmailed,” I admitted. Jason's eyes widened as he watched me. "I was told to bring that star to someone in return for… something potentially damaging."
Andrew pursed his lips and leaned back in his chair. I couldn't tell if he believed me or not. Either way, I'd been committing a crime—stealing from a public institute, jeez, how dumb could I possibly be? Was Valarie's blackmail video even worth jail time?
The moment I thought that, a stab of guilt shot through me. Valarie was the most important thing to me.
"Who asked you?” he questioned. I shook my head.
"Just some girl I go to school with. I shouldn't have done it,” I insisted, pleading that he'd see I was harmless, praying that he'd let us go with a warning. Hell, they could ban me for all I cared. I just didn't want this lousy situation to ruin my life! "I'm just playing into her stupid game, really."
"No,” he replied, his voice gentle. "She's playing into ours.” I didn't have a chance to ask what he meant. He rose from his chair and crossed the room, pulling down a screen. "Irma, can you get the projector, please? Walter, lights."
The two sprang into action, following Andrew's orders. Soon enough, Andrew had a projection of the night sky on the screen. He turned to me, his gaze sincere.
I frowned.
I hadn't been expecting this sudden change in his demeanour. He even regarded Jason with a somewhat friendly expression.
"I understand your situation. However, you have to understand that this star is not an ordinary star."
I leaned forward slowly, clinging on to his every word. I mean, why was Chrissy after this star anyway? What kind of value did it have?
"We've been anticipating that this star would fall, and have been tracking it for many years. When it finally reached Earth, I had intended to be the first on the scene… but by the time I got there, you had already found it."
Wait… what?
Hands behind his back, he began pacing.
"You didn't see it when you woke up because it blended in. But Jason knew what he was looking for, and he made sure to get it to me for safekeeping. He knew of its value… and what our enemies would use it for."
I frowned deeper, my gaze slipping to him. He didn't look at me. There was still so much about him I didn't know, to the point where I wasn't sure I could trust him. What did he know about this star?
"What do you mean by enemies?” I asked slowly, deciding to handle one thing at a time.
Andrew's golden eyes settled upon me.
"There are certain individuals who wish to take control of this planet,” he said firmly. "And that star is more dangerous than it appears. If it falls into the wrong hands, it could be used to make that wish a reality."
He turned back to the projector screen.
"The night sky—as you know it—is filled with stars. But it's more complex than that. Those stars actually form a shield: a Starlight Barrier, which prevents evil beings from navigating around the universe."
I raised an eyebrow at him and tried to determine his degree of sanity.
"Very few people know about this fact. Those of us who do refer to the stars as lanterns, because they have to be kept alight by a special, magical energy in order to keep the barrier intact."
He pointed to a particular star on the screen—it seemed brighter than the others.
"There is one star that differs from other stars. It's called a celestial lantern, and it happens to be that star you tried to steal earlier."
"What's a celestial lantern?” I asked.
"The celestial lantern holds the soul of the reincarnated Starlight Princess inside it,” Andrew explained. By this point, I was holding back laughter. I mean, come on. This was crazy talk! But for some reason, no one else was laughing. In fact, they all seemed to wear serious, grave expressions. I decided to play along, since it seemed like the only way to get Andrew to continue talking and divert attention from what I had done.
"The Starlight Princess created the Starlight Barrier, and as such, she's the only one who can break it. She's on this Earth somewhere, without her memories or her powers, completely vulnerable to an attack. Our enemies can use the celestial lantern to find the princess, and if that happens, they can trick her into breaking the barrier and unleash chaos."
His eyes grew gentle, almost apologetic.
"It's for that reason that I got so protective over the star. If you take it from this institute, you risk every single life on this planet."
His tone was still deadly serious, and it began to dawn on me that maybe this wasn't a joke. Maybe he was telling the truth. But if he was, why on Earth did Chrissy want the celestial lantern?
"Whoever roped you into this is playing our game,” Andrew said slowly, hands gripping the table edge. "Because we took the measures needed to protect every life in this universe, and made it almost impossible for our enemies to strike back. But everything has a loophole—and their loophole is you. They're using you to enter this institute and steal the lantern, because they can't do it themselves."
"Why not?” I asked, frowning. Andrew hesitated, eyeing the two of them with uncertainty. Finally, he gave in.
"The only reason I'm telling you any of this is because, if left uneducated and ignorant, you're putting the planet at risk,” he said, eyeing us both sternly. "So you have to promise me that this information doesn't leave this room."
"We promise,” Jason said, and Andrew pulled up a chair beside us.
"The people we are fighting against are called Shadeows,” he explained slowly. "They cannot venture into a place that has starlight. That's why the barrier keeps them trapped on Earth."
He pointed to the lights—the ones I thought were so bright they were making people's skin glow.
"The lights are made of starlight,” Andrew revealed. "So only humans, starlight people, and angels can come into contact with it without getting burned."
I shook my head. "Angels?"
"Yes, angels. But that's not important.” Andrew got to his feet again. "I think I've explained everything necessary. I trust that you won't be trying to take the lantern again?"
I nodded sheepishly as I rose to my feet.
&n
bsp; "I'm sorry about that,” I said again, feeling the guilt ripple through me. But then a pang of panic shot right at me. "What am I supposed to do about the blackmail?"
Jason cut in.
"Let me handle that,” he said stiffly, his tone surprisingly sharp. He didn't even glance at me when he said it, his gaze fixated on the table. Like he was so annoyed at what I had said that he'd rather look anywhere but at me.
I swallowed hard.
"Give me five minutes, and I'll drop you both home,” Andrew offered before turning and heading for the door. He said something to Walter before he left, and then Walter offered to walk us out.
As we stepped out into the sunlight once more, I glanced over at Jason. He'd hardly acknowledged me since we'd gotten caught, and my stomach was in knots trying to decipher his emotions. He was probably pissed at me, with no idea what to make of any of this. Even I was struggling to understand. Shadeows? Angels? Andrew hadn't explained that to us at all. What even was a Shadeow? Was Andrew implying that Chrissy was a Shadeow?
"Jason,” I began, feeling the guilt sink through my every muscle. "I am so sorry that I got you into that situation. Andrew's your friend, and I don't want to mess that up—"
"Why are you sorry?” he asked quietly. "I brought you here."
I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came. He almost seemed amused by that, and folded his arms.
"I didn't expect you to try and steal the star yourself—I have to admit, that caught me off guard. But I was planning something similar."
"You were?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at him. But if he brought it here, why would he need to steal it? He noted my confusion and stuck his hands into his jacket pockets.
"I would never give that star to Chrissy. But she won't upload that video… not if she's threatened with something bigger."
Something glinted in his eyes. Mischief? Determination? I didn't know what it was, or what he was planning.
I never got the chance to find out, either.
"I've got an errand to run. But I'm sure you'll be fine with Andrew driving you home,” he said, turning to set off.
"Where are you going?” I asked, bewildered. He didn't offer me any explanation—just the mere wave of his hand as he began trekking down the hillside. I watched him go, and that feeling of mistrust settled over me once more. I couldn't ignore the feeling that something was not right even after I finally turned away from him.
Six
That night consisted of more strange dreams, but I didn't get to the end of them. I was following the same girl through the castle, and before I could figure out where she was headed, a loud rap, rap, rap jolted me from my slumber.
I looked around, blinking groggily. It was pitch black, and it took a moment for my eyes to adjust.
Rap, rap, rap.
I glanced towards the window partially covered by my curtains. There was a dark figure perched there. My heart staggered. I almost screamed, but luckily, I was able to make out who it was before any sound came out.
I marched over and threw the window open angrily.
"What the hell are you doing here?” I hissed.
Andrew ignored me, climbing from the roof into my room through the open window. I shook my head in disbelief. He'd even had the nerve to drag dirt onto the white carpet with his boots.
"How did you even get up here?” I continued, shivering from the night air. He glared back at me. He was dressed in a long brown trench coat with its collars turned up, and didn't seem at all fazed by the cold.
"You told them,” he accused, his eyes glittering darkly. "They broke in, and now the celestial lantern is gone."
I froze.
"What?” I asked slowly. He gave me a pointed look.
"Don't play dumb,” he drawled. "You told them how to get into the observatory. They broke the lights and took the celestial lantern. Now, the fate of the entire universe is at stake!"
I shook my head, not following him. It didn't help that my mind was still sleep-ridden and I was struggling to think clearly.
"Andrew, I didn't tell anybody,” I insisted. "I swear—I'd never do that. Besides, I'm not even sure I believe this whole thing—"
He narrowed his eyes.
"—but regardless,” I added quickly. "I would never do that! Jason said he was going to handle the blackmail!"
Andrew grunted and folded his arms.
"Well, clearly, he didn't. We need to find her,” he said. "It seems you know this Chrissy best. Where would she go?"
I gawked at him. "I don't know anything about her!” I replied. "You'd be better off asking someone like Valarie. She's the one who spent a whole evening glued to her side."
Andrew nodded. "Right. Then let's go ask her."
"Now?” It was three a.m. Valarie would kill me if I woke her up at this hour. Plus, I'd have to put on clothes—
At that moment, it dawned on me that I was still in my nightwear, and that Andrew—who was still more or less a stranger, and a very attractive one at that—was getting a view from my loose clothes that I rarely cared to expose. Blushing, I wrapped my arms around my torso in an attempt to remedy the situation.
Thankfully, Andrew seemed more concerned about the matter at hand.
"Yes, now!” Andrew insisted angrily. "Every moment that we waste is a moment the Shadeows could us to find the princess. If they find her, it's all over!"
I groaned. Was this really happening?
"Fine—at least let me put on some clothes,” I grumbled, and grabbed a pair of jeans and a sweater from my closet. I gave Andrew a pointed look, and he turned away. I yanked them on, then turned back to him.
"We're going to need to sneak out,” I said, folding my arms. If he’d found a way up, then maybe he'd have a way down again.
"Easy—there's a ledge leading to the carport roof on the side. I climbed up one of the columns."
He led me back to the window, and we carefully climbed out. Andrew's trench coat flapped gently in the breeze, while I still felt a slight pinch from the cold. My feet were going numb in my shoes.
The slimness of the ledge had my heart in my throat, and even in the dark I could see how far away the ground was. I could practically feel the impact of my bones shattering if I slipped.
Moving slowly and carefully, I threw a terrified glance towards my parents’ bedroom window. If they saw me out here…
"This way,” Andrew whispered as we crept along the narrow edge. I used the wall to balance, slipping past Kyra's window until we reached the carport roof. Andrew lowered himself off the edge, manoeuvring his way back down by shifting his weight between the house wall and the pole. Then, when his feet hit the ground, he looked up at me, his blond hair flaying gently around his head.
"Come on. I'll catch you,” he said. My stomach lurched. Him? Catch me? No, thank you!
"I'll be fine,” I replied stiffly. I swung my legs over the edge and lowered myself down. Steadying my grip, I pushed all my weight against my back and my feet.
"Carefully,” Andrew said. I began to walk myself down the wall, letting my back slide down slowly.
Then I slipped.
I let out a cry of panic, and two strong arms smacked into me, breaking my fall.
"Are you okay?” Andrew asked, holding me in his arms. I had to take a moment to catch my breath and steady my beating heart. Once I'd regained my composure, I practically leapt out of his arms and dusted myself off.
"I'm fine,” I snapped, my cheeks heated. "Let's just go."
We got into Andrew's car, which was parked out front, and took off. Andrew barely said a word to me on our way over. I stifled a yawn, missing my warm bed. At least Andrew had put the heater on.
When we arrived, I tried calling Valarie's phone as we slipped through the side gate and around the back of her house. It wasn't big—consisting of a few flowers, a single tree, and a glass table with cast iron chairs, all enclosed in a little fence. The houses in this part of town were so close together that I had to be extra qu
iet, not wanting to wake up the entire neighbourhood. She didn't pick up the first time, so I tried again two more times. I didn't really expect her to answer, but I wanted to avoid breaking her window if possible.
To my surprise, she picked up on the third try.
"Why are you ringing me at this hour?” she asked groggily. "This better be good."
"Valarie, I need you to come downstairs,” I said. "It's important."
"Are you insane?” she grumbled. I saw her appear at her bedroom window, covered in a blanket of darkness from the shadows. "Are you seriously in my backyard?"
Her eyes landed on Andrew.
"And who the heck is that guy?"
"Just get down here,” I replied stiffly. I hung up, and she disappeared from the window. I exchanged a glance with Andrew, who scowled at me.
A few minutes later, the back door creaked open, and Valarie stepped out in jeans and a leather jacket.
"What the hell is going on?” she demanded quietly, easing the door shut behind her.
"We need to find Chrissy DeLane. It's kind of an emergency,” I said, hoping she wouldn't ask questions. But her face paled, and her eyes went wide.
"Why?"
Grimacing, I turned to Andrew. How did I put this simply?
"Andrew over here is convinced that the universe is in peril because Chrissy stole a star and plans to use it to destroy everything."
Valarie blinked at me, frowning. "I'm sorry… what?"
I sighed.
"Remember this afternoon, when I told you Jason was going to handle Chrissy? Well, he obviously failed, and now Chrissy has taken off with that orb she wanted me to get her—which is actually a star."
"Wait, what star?” she asked, shaking her head.
"It's…” My head ached at the thought of even trying to explain it. Luckily, Andrew jumped to my rescue.
"We don't have time for this. There's a star, and it's missing. Can you just pretend as if that makes sense for the moment?"
A thought occurred to me all of a sudden, and I froze.
Lanterns In The Sky Page 6
