Lanterns In The Sky

by P. S. Malcolm

  "I remember bumping into him one night. And ever since then, I just kept seeing him everywhere. He never approached me. Never talked to me. But I just kept catching glimpses of him… like he was always watching. I'd chalked it up to coincidence… but now it makes so much more sense."

  She let out a steady breath.

  "The night he finally spoke to me was a little while after my dad died. He found me crying in the bathroom at another party."

  I remembered Jason mentioning that detail. A short, dry laugh escaped her lips, and she clenched the edge of the couch.

  "I don't know why I even went—I was in no state to be there. But when he found me… I just sort of had this feeling, you know? Like I knew him well, somehow. But I couldn't make sense of it—we'd never had a conversation until that point.”

  Her face twisted into an unreadable emotion.

  "I let myself believe there was chemistry there. That Jason was going to be someone special. But this is… all wrong,” she said, her expression crumpling. "You're telling me that Jason knew all along? That ever since the tenth grade he knew exactly who I was? Do you understand how unsettling that is? And I thought he was really there for me, you know? Like he got me. But of course he did—his memory must have been a freaking cheat sheet for him!"

  And it was in that moment that I realised Valarie had fallen hard for him at some point. Her desire to hide that photo when I found it in her drawer, like it was private. And the way she'd hesitated back in Chrissy's manor, longing after Jason.

  And to learn that all along, it hadn't been two people connecting for the first time, but some lover who had pursued her through centuries of time.

  "I can't deal with this!"

  "Hey… it's okay,” I said gently, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into me, sobbing quietly. A part of me was secretly relieved, but the other was hurting. Valarie had the right to be with whomever she wanted, and it was her choice alone.

  Not mine.

  I could certainly influence her decision, certainly tell her why I didn't approve of Jason. But I couldn't make that decision for her.

  Her voice was thick as she dried her eyes and said, "I don't care if we were lovers before—I'm not the same person. I don't even remember what it was like to be that person! And it feels wrong that he knew everything about me, and how to make it better, when I had to fumble in the dark to try and understand him, and was led to believe falsely that we had all the right chemistry."

  I rubbed her back soothingly as a few more choked sobs escaped her.

  "Love is something that grows and develops together. But now? With Jason… there will always be an imbalance between us. I won't be able to look at him the same way."

  "Even if you got your memories back?” I asked quietly. Another expression washed over her—a mixture of anxiety and repulsion.

  "I can't even think about that right now,” she replied bluntly, running her hands through her hair tensely before burying her head in her hands once more.

  It was probably a good move, to be honest. Because once she learned about what had gone down between them in their final hours, her feelings would get even more confused. And quite frankly, I just wanted to keep her out of her gloomy, depressive funk, now that she'd found some purpose again. So I decided to drop the subject and focus on something else.

  "Well, you realise why I had to tell you this, right?” I asked. "You know that Adrina, as the heir and a starlight princess, had powers of her own? And those kind of powers could help us stop the Urenphians once and for all."

  Her eyes cleared a little, and realisation hit her.

  "So you're telling m I'm going to need to do what you did? Get my powers and memories back, and help fight with you?"

  I reached out to squeeze her hand, but then caught myself and pulled back. Instead, I clasped my hands together and said, "Well, we've got time yet. And we have a plan, which will take a few days to orchestrate anyway. So you have a little while to sort out your emotions before we do it… but eventually, yes, we're going to need your help."

  There was a heavy weight in my heart as I said those words. That part of myself that was Annaliese remembered all that Adrina had done, and sacrificed, to save me the last time. I felt awful for asking anything of her again. But I knew deep down that I needed her help. And as much as I would have liked to do it all on my own, it had already been proven that I wasn't capable.

  For once, I'd have to swallow my feelings and put a little trust in those around me. Even Jason, though the very prospect made me sick to the pits of my stomach.

  A few hours later, Valarie and I were cooking a large pot of soup for everyone, as it was the easiest thing to make from all the things in the pantry. With the afternoon sun dipping behind the mountains and the smoke left by the fires that had finally ceased to burn, we kept a watchful eye on the doors and windows for any sign of trouble. I wanted to make the most of the sunlight—once nightfall came, it would be harder to spot danger, and every second that ticked on was a second when the house could get searched. Though, our saving grace seemed to be the fact that the Urenphians were targeting higher-ups first, before they could intervene with the middle-class masses. They weren't particularly interested in weeding out every single citizen just yet, though I was sure it would happen soon enough. Especially since the void only grew larger by the hour, letting more and more of them through.

  My attention was mainly focused on the news, which we were now only getting from the major networks. Funny how in the face of a universal takeover, the only normality some people could cling to was their job as a news reporter. If it were me, I'd be running.

  But regardless, I was thankful, because it kept us in the loop. Word of the Urenphians was spreading fast globally, and most of Europe had been invaded, including some of Britain already. They were like a virus, and they were just as deadly. It was exactly as Andrew had said to me that time in the car—they had strength in numbers, and power unlike anything our people had ever seen. They'd been anticipating this day for so long… too long to mess it up. They worked fast and with precision to bypass security and weapons, going straight for political leaders and taking them out. They made it look so easy that my body was numb with fear, and I could barely feel the chopped carrots Valarie was handing me, or the steam drifting from the pot as I added them to the soup.

  When I heard movement from the stairs, I nearly jumped out of my skin, but a moment later I caught sight of Andrew and Neo as they came around from the staircase and down the hall towards us. They were both deep in conversation.

  "Mmmm,” Neo said, inhaling deeply when he stepped into the room. "That smells good. What is it?"

  "Chicken and vegetable soup,” Valarie said, wiping her hands on a tea towel she was using as a makeshift apron. "With extra veggies, seeing as we have a lot of mouths to feed."

  Andrew eyed the pot hungrily, and I gestured for them to take a seat at the counter.

  "It won't be too long,” I said, washing my good hand quickly and wiping it on my jeans. "I'd better go wake the others up."

  I headed briskly down the hallway, a bead of sweat forming on my brow as I realised Jason and Valarie would have to be in the same room together. I mentally groaned.

  Bounding lightly up the stairs, I found Skye on the landing, emerging from Kyra's room. I told her dinner would be served in a few minutes, and she headed downstairs as I continued along the hallway, checking all the rooms. I found Jason in my room, still asleep on my bed. I was taken aback for a moment at how different he looked while sleeping. He seemed more at peace. His stiff shoulders were relaxed, his tight frown gone. I almost didn't want to wake him.

  But I knocked on the door, and he jolted. His eyes snapped open and the tension immediately returned to him like electricity to a switch.

  "Sorry to wake you,” I said. "Dinner is ready."

  "Right,” he said as he sat up, rubbing the back of his neck and wincing a little. I hovered in the doorway.

 
; "I should warn you… Valarie knows about you now."

  He froze, and something dark flickered in his eyes.

  "How did she find out?” he asked quietly.

  I shrugged. "I told her. It was going to happen eventually, and I figured she could use a heads-up to prepare herself."

  He narrowed his eyes.

  "What exactly did you tell her?” he pressed, his hand gripping the edge of my bed.

  "Relax,” I said smoothly, folding my arms. "For now, she just knows you were together in the past. She doesn't know anything else. But she has her own opinion on things, and she needs some space. I hope you'll be decent enough to give her that much."

  His lips pulled into a thin line, and he pushed off the bed.

  "You should have let me tell her,” he growled, stepping forward. "It was our relationship… it's our business. You had no right to do that!"

  I pursed my lips. "Perhaps not. But she's my best friend, and I'm just looking out for her."

  Jason's stance remained firm, but he didn't say anything. I stepped aside a little, indicating that he should pass me and head downstairs. He didn't budge, and I sighed.

  "What's done is done. And it's like I said—she has her own opinion, even without knowing all the backstory. So you might want to take that into consideration before you even start to address all your other issues."

  He finally walked forward and came to a stop right in front of me, eyes piercing into mine.

  "You're crazy to drag her into this again,” he said quietly. "What kind of friend puts her best friend in danger?"

  I raised an eyebrow at him, but kept my voice level.

  "What kind of person puts their lover at the head of a rebellion?"

  He didn't reply, his mouth falling open but then shutting again. I couldn't help but smirk. Manipulative bastard.

  "Before you go threatening me, maybe stop and think about the fact that you caused this entire mess. And now Valarie and I are cleaning up after you."

  His eyes flashed with annoyance.

  "I told you—I made a mistake, and I'm trying to make it right,” he said through gritted teeth. "That means keeping her safe."

  "Well, newsflash, Jason—she's not going to be safe sitting around twiddling her thumbs while we get slaughtered out there. And she's stronger than you give her credit for—I'm positive she can hold her own in a battle. So if you ever want a shot at getting her back, you should stop trying to shield her like some overprotective, clingy boyfriend and let her grow a little. She needs her freedom now more than ever."

  Jason looked like he'd been punched in the face, and strangely enough, I could relate to that feeling. What Valarie had said to me earlier had really woken me up. We'd all been shielding her, and we needed to stop. We needed to support her and help her overcome her grief, not try and banish all the threatening things that came at her.

  I'd needed to hear it, and clearly Jason had too. I could tell my words had struck a chord, and decided to let the thought simmer with him for a while. I left him by the door, heading back downstairs.

  Not particularly caring if he followed or not.

  Fifteen

  By the time we'd finished dinner, we'd lost another TV channel entirely. My stomach churned as I thought of the world slowly succumbing to the Urenphians' control, and all the confused people trying to fight for their lives and freedom. I thought of all the prime ministers, and the president, gathering their best defences and working tirelessly to deflect this sudden, overwhelming attack. And the hopelessness flooding through them when their weapons did no damage to this onslaught from magical beings.

  The reporters had limited vision on the situation, and their stories were frantic, with descriptions of people's deaths ranging anywhere from 'attacked by a bright light' to 'murdered at the hands of a monster.' That alone made it hard to determine exactly what kind of weapons we'd be up against.

  Everyone sat around the candlelit dining table with sullen, grim expressions. We hadn't been game to turn on lights in the house for fear of drawing unwanted attention. Most of us had bags under our eyes and tense muscles. I was more than tempted to stop functioning entirely and just slump in my seat, but I made myself get up and brew a pot of tea. At least that would occupy us all for a while, and something to warm our bones might help lift the mood.

  My dad loved tea; a trait he'd passed on to both Kyra and I. Mum was more of a coffee person, and on the rare occasion that she ever took time off, she'd call her girlfriends and go to Flore Bean, which was a popular coffee joint in the town square. But Dad would take Kyra and I to this enormous tea shop opposite Flore Bean, and we'd get to choose two new tea flavours each. We also had a ton of pretty tea cups and teapots, though my favourite was a large, burnt orange pot painted gold along the base and spout. I ran a finger along the side of it, thinking of my family and praying for their well-being, before gently prying it from the shelf.

  I brewed a pot of evening tea and brought it back out on a tray with six cups and a pot of milk. Valarie noticed me struggling to keep it balanced one-handed and leapt up to help me shift it to the table. Everyone helped themselves, and before long, we clutched our cups and watched our breaths fan out in the cold air, illuminated by the flickering candlelight.

  Just a week ago, my biggest worry had been my upcoming history test. And now, I had two angels, an ex-fallen angel, an ex-Chard, an immortal guy, and a sister from my past life sitting at my table. This was what I was working with. My team of fighters to help me stop the Urenphians. For a moment, I could understand Andrew's hesitation in putting faith in us, and wondered if I were truly insane.

  After a while, I couldn't stand the silence.

  "So, Neo,” I began, turning to the bronze-haired angel we'd saved. "What's your story?"

  I'd been curious since he'd joined our party, but hadn't had an opportunity to ask before now. Neo seemed a little taken aback, but recovered quickly. He cleared his throat.

  "Uh, well,” he said, taking in everyone's curious gaze. "What in particular would you like to know?"

  "Anything,” I replied, not wanting to come across as pushy. But when he didn't say anything, I thought about what I really wanted to know. A part of me didn't want to ask, for fear of being too intrusive, but the curious side…

  "What will you do now? After all of this is over?"

  His eyes flickered behind something cold and sensitive.

  "I don't know,” he admitted. "I've lost my angel essence, so I can't return home. And I haven't had freedom or a purpose of my own for so long that I don't know what I want. There are so many paths for me to choose from."

  "You could start by helping us,” Andrew said, blowing gently on his tea. "We need all the allies we can get."

  "What could I do to help?” Neo asked sadly. "I lost everything that makes me who I am."

  Those words chilled me to the core. I remembered what it was like to be under Skye's control. My gut twisted at the thought of being controlled for as long as Neo had been, and then to be stripped of my identity entirely. Being an angel was as much a part of Neo as being human was to me. Even without the powers thrown in, if I had to become less than human, and lose qualities of myself I took for granted… I don't know how I'd function.

  Neo had lost his wings and flight. His fighting ability. His angel senses—the sharper vision and faster speed. Now, he was in this new body that was almost a shell of his being entirely. And it was all because of Jason, who was now sitting across from him, swishing his tea idly. Jason, who had Neo's essence running through his veins. Jason, who had taken Neo's identity in order to see Valarie again.

  And all for what? To be shut down by her because she couldn’t handle it? Sitting there in the midst of it all, I had to admit, this entire situation was a goddamn mess.

  I shouldn't have been the one who felt responsible for Neo, but for some reason, I did. Because I was the Starlight Princess, and everything that had happened had been to try and give Valarie the throne, which shou
ld have been hers by birthright—even I could admit that. Their actions, their attempts to make things right… I may not have agreed with them, but I could respect where the feelings had come from at the very least.

  So in a way, I did understand why Jason had done what he'd done. And now, we all owed Neo.

  "Neo,” I said firmly, meeting his gaze. "You help us, and I swear to you, I will find a way to make this right. To give you back some of what you lost, no matter what it takes to do it."

  His expression swelled with gratitude, but it was quickly wiped away by a face I'd seen on Valarie far too many times to count: hopelessness. I realised he didn't believe there was anything I could do, but clearly he had the courtesy not to say that out loud.

  A sudden, deafening banging at the front door made us jolt. Our heads snapped to the door, and I barely dared to breathe.

  It was finally happening. They were going to storm the house!

  Valarie's face paled, while Skye swiftly ducked under the table. Jason stealthily snatched his sword from where he'd laid it down. Andrew leapt to his feet, darting swiftly to the side of the dining room door and peering out into the hallway that led to the front door.

  The banging sounded again, loud and threatening. My chest constricted, and I clutched the table edge so tightly, my knuckles turned white. Valarie, Neo, and I were still frozen, with no plan. What did we do now? Should we escape out the back door and make a run for it? How far would we get?

  Jason edged into the hall. My anxiety skyrocketed watching him. He crept all the way up to the door, and peered through the stained glass windows. The rapping sounded again, making Jason recoil, and then a familiar voice sounded.

  "Let me in, damn it!"

  My racing heart stilled, and Jason quirked an eyebrow.

  "Irma?” he questioned, and unlatched the door. When it swung open, Irma stood there with a weary, but evidently annoyed expression. She noted us all poised and ready to fight, and realisation hit her. Her expression turned sheepish.