ã€ŠStarbright (Starbright #1)ã€‹


 Page 1

    Chapter One

    The night had never been darker, the blackness surrounding the car, never so suffocating. Even the piles of snow pushed to the sides of the narrow road, did nothing to break up the oppressive darkness. The Stars above, shone brightly, I was sure of it, but they did so from behind a curtain of clouds that blocked the light from reaching the road. I felt swallowed up by emptiness.

    I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles stretching until they gleamed white in the glow of the dashboard and my frozen fingers worked numbly against the cold plastic. The headlights of my old Jeep reached only a few feet in front of me and then stopped abruptly against a wall of darkness. I shivered violently, nestling my chin further into the down of my heavy winter coat and cursed the Nebraska winter for being equally as cold as it was desolate.

    The farmland rolled away from the winding road, buried beneath several feet of iced over snow in every direction. Trees, planted for the privacy of farmers, lined the way home with empty branches and snowcapped tops. My breath puffed out in front of me, fogging up the frozen windshield and reminding me that the heater to my fifteen year old Jeep Cherokee remained unfixed.

    ¡°Tristan!¡± I growled furiously into the frigid air. ¡°Why I let you talk me into another movie I will never know!¡±

    There was no one there to hear my complaints, or sympathize with me against my best friend, but it felt comforting to make noise in an empty antique without a radio. Still, receiving not even a groan of empathy from the Jeep, I sat forward and peered into the impossible night ahead of me.

    I knew these roads; I had each curve and turn memorized. The distance between Tristan Shields¡¯ house and my own was well traveled and practically sacred. Still, out in the country where street lights were for city-folk and the deer and the antelope tended to play, their familiar territory became a dangerous, never-ending expanse of nerves and tension.

    Even in summer, unless the Stars and moon were bright and friendly, the country roads of the Nebraska farmland became shrouded in a heavy obscurity, the headlights of the best of cars mapping out the only visibility in the heavy cloak of night and beyond those flickering lights the world seemed to drop off the edge of a cliff into nothingness. But now, in the dead of winter, with temperatures well below zero, the night around my old Jeep seemed to have a life of its own, oppressive and angry.

    I cleared my throat and mentally determined to conquer the creeping feeling of being afraid. I bit down on my lower lip and clutched the steering wheel tighter. My breath came out in shaky puffs of air, reminding me it was more than the roads and the night that curdled the most terrified places of my heart. It was more than the late hour and bitter cold that forced me to shiver and shift my eyes suspiciously in every direction.

    It was the Darkness.

    Not the country night, or the moonless sky. But the real Darkness. The Darkness that moved secretly through this world and threatened every living, breathing creature. The darkness that slithered in unseen places and survived on the death and rotten things. The darkness that I would fight until my dying breath.

    But not tonight. Tonight I wasn¡¯t ready. Tonight, I was still only sixteen, and my parents were still off saving the galaxy while I stayed home to finish high school with an elderly woman as my keeper.

    Something moved out of the corner of my eye. I could swear it. Swirling my head around, and keeping a steady hold on the steering wheel, I peered into the darkness, searching out the moving creature.

    Nothing.

    Nothing beyond the snow banks piled in the ditches and the swaying lifeless trees that were becoming sparser as I passed expansive fields blanketed under the white of winter.

    I turned my attention to the road again and with a numb hand, brushed my platinum blonde hair under the brim of my stocking cap. My fingers snapped with electricity and for a moment the cab of my Jeep was lit with the sparks of static. Only a few more miles till home. I could make it. There was nothing to be afraid of.

    But why did tonight feel so different?

    So dark?

    And then out of my peripheral vision I saw it move again. A swift shadow sliding effortlessly through the night, riding the whipping wind like a wave and dropping the frozen temperature several degrees lower. The pungent smell of rotting eggs drifted through the air.

    I didn¡¯t have to turn my head this time to confirm. I knew it would be gone before my head could move in the right direction. Besides, they only existed in the peripheral, in the slight glances and far off places.

    I had seen them before. Since before I could talk my parents would tell me about them, explain to me of their existence, warn me of their danger. I saw them everywhere, even during the day I could spot them, because they were everywhere.

    Foot soldiers of a greater evil, sent to Earth, the last remaining inhabited planet, to prepare the way for their master. They were the evil in all things, the tyranny, the oppression, the hunger and violence. The Darkness. The force of wickedness that battled against the forces of good with one purpose in mind, to abolish the Light.

    I was the light. And because I was the answer to their destruction I hunkered further into my winter coat and braved the bone-chilling cold.

    It could be easy for me to warm up; even in a car with a broken heater it was the natural reaction of my body. I was born of the light, of the warmth. And to suffer against the natural elements was difficult enough, but the extra layer of malevolent chill became excruciatingly painful even in small doses.

    Still, they couldn¡¯t know what I was. They couldn¡¯t discover me after all this time. At least not yet. So I breathed in the frosty air, feeling the burn in my lungs and forced myself to push forward a few more miles.

    My parents had worked so hard to hide my existence and to blend in with normal humanity that no matter how easy it would be to ease my pain, I had to fight against the elements. I was brought to Earth as a baby, with the sole intention to one day take over as Earth¡¯s Protector. And so my parents had given up their positions as two of the greatest Warriors of their generation to raise an alien infant in the middle of farmland.

    And it was here, in Western Nebraska, that I waited for the day the Earth would become my charge, my responsibility.

    But that day wasn¡¯t today. I had years before I was supposed to deal with that kind of duty!

    Years¡­. I promised myself.

    And as soon as I decided these were regular Shadows, which had no idea I was anything special, another one flittered across my peripheral. I swallowed the lump that had taken up an annoying residence in my throat and felt the passenger¡¯s seat for my cell phone. I thought I laid it out before I started the car, but after blindly feeling around my worn upholstery decided it must still be hiding inside my over-sized bag.

    I strengthened the grip of my left hand and thrust my right hand into the black hole of all my important possessions, hoping to come out victorious in three seconds or less. Defender of the last planet or not, I was hopelessly unorganized. My purse was a cluttered mess of unknown objects and somewhere, hidden in the melee was my cell phone.

    I liked to believe I was brave. Or at least I would be one day. But tonight, all I wanted to do was call Annabelle, wake her up and forcefully let her know I would be home in ten minutes, just to hear her reassuring voice. I thought about calling Tristan too and demanding to know why he thought we needed to watch an entire trilogy all in one night!

    Lip gloss. Gum. Floss. Wallet. Candy bar.

    Where was my cell phone?

    The road was dangerously icy and my constant shivering did nothing to balance out my driving. I sucked in a frozen breath and then glanced down at my purse, hoping to be able to spot the phone right away.

    Not there.

    At least not right where I could see it in the one point five seconds I allowed myself to look. I heaved an irritated sigh and turned my eyes back to the road. Apparently that second and a half was way too long because standing in the middle of the road was a giant buck, poised and stilled only ten feet away.

    I panicked. Somewhere in the rational-thinking part of my brain, I knew I was supposed to hit the animal; that it was safer to collide with the deer than slamming on my brakes in the middle of the night on an iced over country road. But my animal-loving instinct took over and my foot pressed furiously against the brake pedal while my hands jerked the steering wheel hurriedly to the right.

    The next few seconds became a blur as my Jeep spun wildly out of control without even pretending to slow down. Belatedly I released my foot and tried to pump the brake but it was too late, the tail end flipped around to the front and then the front flipped around again and hit the snow bank at an alarming speed and bounced off.

    As if in slow motion, my passenger¡¯s side rammed into the iced over snow bank and then flipped over what felt like several times until I smashed to the frozen field far beyond the road. My Jeep hit the ground with an ear splitting cry of metal crushed against a rock hard surface.

    I exhaled violently, the seatbelt cutting into my awkwardly hanging neck and waist. I felt unconsciousness threating to sweep me away as the broken bones in my right hand, where it had been crushed between my body and the armrest in the impact, screamed angrily at me.

    If I were human I would already be unconscious.

    If I were human, I would have a lot more to worry about than a broken wrist.

    I wiggled my feet and tried moving my arms, just to make sure there were no other issues, before reaching over with my left hand and unbuckling the safety restraint. I fell gruffly against the impacted passenger side door and let out a fierce cry of pain.

    I sat up and rubbed my shoulder that now felt displaced but not broken. Climbing into position I bent my knees and braced my hands, one strongly, the other gingerly, against the car around me and thrust my legs forward into the already cracked windshield.

    The fractured glass moved against the force of my legs, but it took several more tries before I removed it completely. When I crawled carefully through the now gaping hole, the windshield remained intact, but definitely fissured and hung awkwardly across the sideways front hood, still attached near the driver¡¯s side.

    I slid down the rusted green paint of my Jeep and landed softly in the snow. The night was still outside of the crash, silent and subdued. The snow that blanketed the landscape muffled the usual night sounds and the absence of animals, even winter ones, felt eerily dangerous.

    Out of the corner of my eye I saw one move. A Shadow. The Darkness.

    But it wasn¡¯t possible. They didn¡¯t know I existed, let alone that I lived here, in the middle of nowhere. I brushed my fear away and simultaneously readied myself for an altercation. I shouldn¡¯t be afraid. I couldn¡¯t be afraid.

    These were mere minions besides. And even if I wasn¡¯t prepared to go into hand to hand combat with them, if they really knew who I was they would be more afraid of me than I was of them.

    Or at least that¡¯s what I promised myself.

    I lifted my head in search of the buck that caused all this trouble to begin with but he was nowhere in sight. Either he was frightened off by my car turning in wild circles just to avoid him, or he never existed in the first place, just an apparition that turned to the smoky wisps of evil.

    But that would mean a purposeful attack. And that couldn¡¯t be. There was just no way they could know who I was.

 Page 2

    Unless¡­. Unless, my parents had fallen.

    I froze for a moment, my hands clenched at my sides, my chest a shallow cavity filled with a heart that refused to beat and lungs that refused to breathe and played through that possibility in my mind. They had been gone for several weeks, on a mission that specifically required their skill set. I hadn¡¯t heard from them since they left, and so it was entirely possible that they failed.

    That they fell.

    I gazed into the sky, willing the clouds to move out of my way so I could find them. If they were gone, I would be able to tell immediately, their bright lights would be blank in a sky full of their fellow soldiers. The sky was too overcast though, even with my powerful eyesight and ability to cut through darkness, the clouds were too heavy and clustered to see through.

    I cursed uncharacteristically under my breath and then again when I realized my phone was still somewhere unknown in the dark abyss of my Jeep. As I wedged one of my booted feet into the space of my car, where the hood made room for my windshield wipers, I decided that even if my parents were gone, there was no amount of torture or distress that would have prompted them to give up my location. They worked their whole lives to keep me a secret, to prepare me for the day when I would remain here alone, and on top of that, they loved me. There was no way it was them.

    I ignored the clustering Darkness as I pushed myself up and through the broken windshield, reaching for my spilled purse, whose contents littered the crushed passenger¡¯s side door. The Shadows weren¡¯t trying to hide anymore; they were coming for me, gathering around me as if waiting for the command to attack. I reached down hurriedly, ripping my coat against the rough edges of the broken windshield, but I managed to gather at least the important stuff into my purse before hauling it back with me and hopping down from the Jeep.

    I tossed the purse that now only held my wallet and cellphone and a few random items that managed to survive the spill, onto the snowy ground and lifted my head to meet my enemy. They moved around me like a slow tornado of darkness. As separate entities they appeared like slender gusts of black wind, but united they became a solid wall of evil. Even my keen eye sight could not see through them, or my superheated blood feel anything beyond their oppressive iciness.

    I had never seen so many Shadows in one place. I had never even heard of them organizing themselves into a unified attack. They worked separately and secretly; their purpose was to influence mankind, to spread the Darkness like a disease to every corner of this planet, not to outright attack it. The deer had to be them. And even in that instance, their work was not so much of a surprise. But surrounding me now was something so unheard of that I was more taken aback than actually frightened.

    The wall of Darkness moved against me, tightening its spaces and obviously trying to be threatening. I remained frozen, unwilling to reveal my identity even in this frontal attack. I wished more than anything that my parents were here, on planet and nearby, but this was a battle I alone would have to fight or figure out how to outmaneuver.

    One Shadow broke free from the wall and moved against me in an aggressive sweep. It sliced against my thigh before I could react, tearing my jeans where it made contact. My skin burned from the unreal cold that I could feel even in my bones. The slash spread out its icy tendrils across my leg and moved upward throughout my body in scary quickness. I felt my lungs tighten against the strain of the cold and my appendages go numb from contact. My first instinct was to cry out in pain, but I bit my cheek, willing myself quiet and for the first time thankful that my lungs held no air to expel.

    I couldn¡¯t see beneath my layers of clothes, but I had been educated enough to know that my skin would be marked with the deathly blue lines that looked like raised, swollen veins from my skin and spread out in fingerlike vines until every inch of my body was covered in them. It was at that point, when the frozen effect of contact with the Darkness covered every inch of my body that a human would breathe their last painful, staggered breath and depart from this world. It would take less than thirty seconds, but in that time was more pain and suffering than should ever accompany a soul on their way to the afterlife.

    The smell of sulfur burned my nostrils and made my ears ring from the pain of it. I wasn¡¯t human. And I wouldn¡¯t die from this contact. But I felt it more strongly than any human ever could. This touch, this evil, was in direct opposition to everything I was. As dark and evil as the Shadows were, I was light and goodness. As painful as their touch could be, mine was healing and soothing.

    I made a split second decision, putting the pain aside; I decided, rationally, that I couldn¡¯t stay out of this fight. The wall of Darkness surrounding me was waiting for me to die. If I was human, as I had thus far tried to play off, I should be lying on the ground right now, writhing in pain, mere seconds from death. Even as I stood against the agony, I knew they already figured it out.

    My parents hadn¡¯t even started with weapons training yet, beyond the casual swing of a sword and so I was left with only one option. Unfortunately it was also the option that would give this Darkness exactly what they were looking for: the answer to my identity.

    I was a Star.

    And not just any Star. The next Protector of Earth. I was a very important Star.

    With swift movements, I unzipped my heavy coat and flung it from my arms. I moved into a battle ready stance and let the warmth, the warmth I had hidden deep inside me, bubble to the surface. My golden toned skin met my internal heat welcomingly and it spread across my body as quickly as a wildfire in a drought, healing my pain and warming me completely. I lifted my head heavenward, and let the light leave my skin and pour outward into the heavy obscurity around me.

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile as my true essence found form in the night. I glowed, literally. Blinding, supernatural, burning light radiated around me until my human form was almost completely hidden. Heat and light left me in waves of self-protection, the Darkness desperately fled from my presence and my light that would cause them as much pain as their cold blackness caused me.

    The smell of sulfur grew stronger for only a moment as my inner light singed some of the stragglers; they shrieked an ear-piercing sound that rang painfully in my ears. And then they took to the sky in an urgent escape from a battle they were hardly prepared for.

    I smiled wider; calling back the blinding light into my body and reducing my essence to a slight outward shimmer. I reached down for my coat and slipped it back on, not bothering with the zipper. I didn¡¯t really need the warmth now; the warmth that lived inside of me was more than enough to keep me warm, but I also didn¡¯t want to attract anymore Shadows.

    Even without the Darkness clouding the landscape, with the absence of my supernatural light the night felt extra dark. I couldn¡¯t wait to get home and to bed now that that was all over, but with my car upturned I needed to call Tristan to come get me. He wouldn¡¯t be happy about me dragging him out of bed, but his grandmother and my caretaker, Annabelle, couldn¡¯t drive at all, let alone come get me in the middle of the night. He would be even less happy when I offered him very little details about how I flipped my car over in the first place.

    Just as I reached for my phone though, a single shot of light came careening through the atmosphere and stopped suddenly somewhere high above me, obscured by the thick cloud cover. I lifted my head, expecting my parents and when the light moved into two separate lights I grew even more hopeful. One light dimmed to nothing though, but stayed elevated, somewhere up in the dark sky. That couldn¡¯t be right. My parents wouldn¡¯t extinguish their light before they reached the ground.

    They couldn¡¯t, it wasn¡¯t possible.

    The sounds of crashing and metal slicing the air recalled my attention. I squinted my eyes and searched through the heavy gray for some sign of what was happening. The cloud above my head glowed in bursts of brighter light like a terrible and destructive lightning storm and when the sounds of terrified screeching and the horrid smell of sulfur reached my nose I recognized the light as a fellow Warrior.

    But it was definitely not my parents.

    The sounds of battle continued for several more minutes, as I remained rooted on the ground. I couldn¡¯t join the fight without a weapon and so I was left to assume who was winning by the sounds of weapons meeting targets and the high-pitched wailing of Shadows.

    Eventually the battle died down in the heavens and the death toll slowed. I didn¡¯t know what to expect as the light darted in a fast line to my right and then shot from overhead to just a few feet in front of me.

    A human would have needed to cover their sensitive eyes from the extraordinary brightness a fellow Star illuminated. But not being human, my eyes were made of the same light and so I just watched on with impatient anticipation to discover who had arrived to clean up my mess.

    Out of the light, one figure walked forward, dim and obviously not a Star. When he was close enough that I could determine he was a man, an elderly man with snow white hair and leathered skin, I took a step back, unsure what to make of this gruff human looking person apparently with the ability to fly and see Shadows, making him decidedly not human. I shrunk into my coat, having the forbidding feeling I was about to be reprimanded.

    ¡°Stella Day?¡± He demanded, stepping directly in front of me. I nodded, unexplainably more afraid of him than the entire force of Darkness. ¡°What in this great, dead Universe, do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± I deflected meekly. If he came to fight the Darkness, surely he saw me attacked only minutes ago.

    ¡°Does it matter who I am?¡± the elderly man huffed. ¡°I could just as easily be Lucifer himself or an apparition of Darkness called here by your own stupidity! How could you just reveal yourself like that? You just gave yourself away! After all we¡¯ve worked for, after all the sacrifices that have been made, you just throw it all away because you¡¯re a little inconvenienced one winter night¡­.¡± He had stopped talking to me, or at least stopped looking at me, in favor of mumbling to himself in an angry, aggressive tone.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I tried again politely, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the guy that just saved your life! That¡¯s who!¡± He turned his attention wholly back on me.

    I took an intimidated step back.

    ¡°Well, not entirely on your own,¡± a deep, amused voice behind the elderly man called. ¡°You did have some help.¡± The light had extinguished itself into its human form, and as the boy stepped around the angry man to smile disarmingly at me, I took another step back but this time more from surprise than anything else. The boy was perfect, physically perfect. He was my age, with disheveled dark hair that curled adorably at the ends. His eyes were a piercing shade of honey that would have glowed without his internal light, as it were though, they pierced through the night and found my eyes with a locking force that took my breath away. His jawline seemed chiseled out of stone and his broad chest still heaved with the exertion of battle.

    There was no doubt about it, he was an Angel.

    An actual Angel.

    My Star Counterpart.

    ¡°No, not on my own, but we wouldn¡¯t even need to be here if it weren¡¯t for the naivety of youth,¡± the elderly man continued to grumble.

 Page 3

    I knew I should be offended after that comment, but I was so confused all I could do was look back and forth between the old man and the young man.

    ¡°Where are your parents, child?¡± the old man suddenly demanded.

    ¡°Uh, they¡¯re uh, they¡¯re on a mission,¡± I stammered, wondering if they would ever tell me who they were. ¡°They¡¯ve been gone for a couple weeks.¡±

    ¡°Of course¡­. Then this was a thought-out attack. They have been planning this¡­.¡± He continued to mumble.

    ¡°Please tell me who you are,¡± I dropped my voice to hide my desperation.

    ¡°Oh right, I suppose it¡¯s too late now to go back¡­.¡± The elderly man turned his full attention on me and for the first time I noticed the color of his eyes were a dull red, as if they had shined like rubies at one time but were worn down with age or exhaustion, I wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°I¡¯m Jupiter, your weapons trainer, and this is Seth. He¡¯s your Counterpart. You obviously weren¡¯t supposed to meet for years yet, but tonight you decided to push up our schedule.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to!¡± I gushed, suddenly feeling very guilty for saving my own life. ¡°They attacked me. They came out of nowhere and they just¡­. ganged up on me as if they were waiting for me to do something! I honestly, I didn¡¯t have a choice.¡±

    ¡°Then they must have known already,¡± Jupiter sighed and then lifted his hands to massage his temples with surprisingly delicate fingers.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± I agreed, finally feeling as though I had been heard. ¡°But wait a second, why are you here? Where is the Protector? Why isn¡¯t she here to save me?¡± Realization flooded my thoughts with questions that I should have been asking from the beginning.

    ¡°You are the Protector, Stella,¡± Seth answered gently.

    I opened my mouth to argue but Jupiter cut in quickly, ¡°Sidra is dead. We found her earlier this evening. She¡­. she was murdered.¡±

    ¡°And her Counterpart?¡± I gasped, not able to completely comprehend the gravity of what they were saying.

    ¡°Nisroc was murdered right along with her,¡± Jupiter replied in a barely audible voice.

    ¡°So that really does make me¡­.¡± I couldn¡¯t finish my thought. I could barely hear them anymore as the world seemed to close in around me and my heart pounded out a deafening beat that heated my eardrums and seemed to shrink my lungs.

    ¡°The Protector of Earth,¡± Jupiter finished gravely.

    Chapter Two

    I stumbled backwards and bumped into my ruined Jeep. Suddenly the effort to stand felt too strenuous and I began to sink down to the frozen ground, wondering if I would ever find the strength to stand again.

    Before I could make it all the way down, Seth grabbed for my arm and steadied me. His hands were solid against me and I felt the warmth of his inner light radiating through my thick coat. I looked up at him, studying his muscular jaw and angular cheek bones, instinctively leaning in to feel the heat of his light. His eyes were wide and piercing, the concern he felt for me shooting through the darkness and penetrating my own consciousness.

    We were partners. Counterparts. He was the Warrior and I was the Protector. We would spend the rest of our lives together, side by side, good versus evil, fighting for the lives of the entire human race. And yet we weren¡¯t supposed to meet this young.

    This responsibility wasn¡¯t supposed to belong to me yet.

    ¡°Well, stand up girl!¡± Jupiter demanded. ¡°We can¡¯t have the Star of Earth cowering on the ground! There are spies everywhere; it is time to claim your destiny!¡± This time when Jupiter spoke there was a gleam in his eye, a glint of excitement that I found aggressive, almost dangerous.

    I felt myself weaken again at the call to my fate. I had known since childhood that one day I would inherit this planet and yet now that I faced the reality of my call, I couldn¡¯t help but convince myself how ill-prepared I was. My parents had trained me in many ways, but the important stuff, the practical training had been pushed to a later date in favor of high school.

    ¡°You can ignore all that destiny stuff if you want to,¡± Seth laughed quietly into my ear, the low timber of his voice vibrating against my earlobe. ¡°But it only gets worse with time; it¡¯s best just to agree with him.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± I agreed, feeling only half awake. ¡°I mean, of course. This is the day I¡¯ve been training for.¡±

    ¡°Training? Ha!¡± Jupiter exclaimed. ¡°From the little stunt you pulled tonight, it doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯ve been doing much training at all! Where are your weapons? Why didn¡¯t you at least use a sword?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­.¡± I knew there would be no getting around the truth of my weapons experience, or lack of weapons experience, still I couldn¡¯t help but be nervous for Jupiter¡¯s reaction. ¡°I don¡¯t have any weapons with me,¡± I improvised.

    ¡°Well, why not?¡± Jupiter howled.

    ¡°Because, I didn¡¯t think I would need them¡­?¡± I finished meekly, ending my sentence as if it were a question.

    Seth let out a chuckle next to me. He looked down at me as if I was a fragile teenager and I felt something grow between us. Something I couldn¡¯t yet define. Wisps of my golden blonde hair escaped from my bulky stocking cap and moved gently in the wind as if defying the angry cold night, they blew across my face, tickling my nose. I stared at Seth, silently asking him to defend me from the wild man spitting unjust accusations at me even though I knew Jupiter meant no harm. I saw him respond, watched as his eyes changed from sympathy to determination, I felt his protectiveness over me grow into something anyone should be scared of, including Hell itself.

    There wasn¡¯t love between us. Obviously we had just met. But he was my Counterpart and whether it was a supernatural calling to stand beside me and guard me from the evil of this life, or if it was his own attraction to our supernatural bond, something so beautiful, so pure, I couldn¡¯t tell. But I felt the roots of his protection firmly make a home inside my heart. Roots that neither Heaven nor Hell could remove.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t think you would need them?¡± Jupiter spat, hardly comprehending the meaning of my words. ¡°Of course you need weapons! You always need weapons! Surely your parents have gone over that with you.¡±

    ¡°Well, not exactly¡­.¡± I started, more afraid of Jupiter than ever. I felt myself lean into Seth for security. I knew he was my destined partner, the one that would stand by me in battle, his very life devoted to keeping me safe. I hoped that included keeping me safe from Jupiter, my weapons trainer. ¡°We haven¡¯t actually gotten to weapons yet¡­.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t what?¡± Jupiter shouted in a harsh whisper. ¡°No wonder you lit up like a lantern! Oh, Callisto, this cannot be happening to me!¡±

    ¡°Callisto?¡± I repeated and then turned my questioning gaze to Seth.

    ¡°It¡¯s one of Jupiter¡¯s moons,¡± Seth explained in a calm whisper.

    ¡°He has his own moons?¡± I gasped.

    ¡°No, Jupiter, like the planet Jupiter,¡± Seth laughed at me again. I blushed at my own naivety.

    ¡°Oh¡­.¡± I sighed and then turned my attention back to the person Jupiter who had started to pace frantically.

    ¡°So you haven¡¯t had any weapons training?¡± Jupiter repeated and I nodded wearily. ¡°Ok, have you had any kind of training?¡±

    I shook my head furiously, excited to answer his question and opened my mouth to reply, but Jupiter cut me off quickly with a clarification, ¡°Physical training?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes. I mean, my parents and I¡­ Since the whole purpose of being raised on Earth was to get to know humanity and all, well, we decided that I should play sports.¡± I finished matter of fact expecting to get at least a nod of approval from Jupiter, but the look of disbelief that narrowed his eyes and turned his facial muscles to stone caused me to take a step back out of fear instead.

    ¡°Sports? As in high school sports?¡± Jupiter repeated as if it were the most insane thing he had ever heard. ¡°Which ones?¡±

    ¡°Um, all of them¡­. Volleyball, basketball, soccer.... In the summer I am in a running club,¡± I tried to sound enthusiastic about my experience, but I was positive, at this point, nothing would redeem me in Jupiter¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°God must hate me¡­.¡± Jupiter sighed, tilting his head back so that he stared hopelessly into the still-clouded sky.

    ¡°Jupiter¡­.¡± Seth warned in a voice that held the first sound of true rationality all night. ¡°We should probably take Stella home. It¡¯s late, and we can discuss the rest of this in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. When will your parents be home? I will want to discuss most of this with them,¡± Jupiter calmed down enough to see how much he had frightened me.

    I wanted him to be more careful with me, to realize that I was dealing with an overwhelming revelation tonight. Things had spiraled so quickly out of control that yelling seemed the only way for him to grapple back the reigns of control. And I couldn¡¯t ask him to be gentle or pacifying. It wasn¡¯t his attitude that needed to change, it was mine. I was the one who was cowering, afraid of the future and what tonight meant. Jupiter was right. I should have been better prepared.

    ¡°Sometime tomorrow night, or the following morning,¡± I explained, finally taking a big breath at the mention of going home.

    ¡°All right, that will do. Seth and I will need to stay with you. I¡¯m sure you have enough room for us, especially if you¡¯re staying there alone right now,¡± Jupiter explained to me as if I wouldn¡¯t naturally come up with the idea on my own.

    ¡°Well, there is plenty of room,¡± I agreed and then continued carefully, ¡°But I¡¯m not staying there alone. My parents hire a woman to watch over me whenever they leave on a mission.¡±

    ¡°Are you telling me there is a human woman staying with you, receiving compensation, in order to¡­. protect you?¡± Jupiter¡¯s amazement with the backward way my family operated continued to grow every time I opened my mouth. ¡°Is she a police officer, or part of the military?¡±

    ¡°Uh, no¡­.¡± I continued reluctantly, ¡°She¡¯s my best friend¡¯s grandmother.¡±

    Jupiter couldn¡¯t have responded to that if he wanted to. I watched his face color to match his dull red eyes and his cheeks puff out as he worked deliberately to keep his mouth shut tight. Next to me, Seth shook into good-humored laughter as he watched his mentor become more and more flustered.

    ¡°Pick up the car, Seth, we wouldn¡¯t want Stella¡¯s guardian to begin to worry and do something dangerous like break a hip,¡± Jupiter grumbled angrily, which only caused Seth to laugh harder.

    I stood in shocked silence for a few minutes, feeling the righteous outrage for one of the most beloved people in my life come under attack. When I finally responded to Jupiter it was in uncharacteristic angry retaliation, ¡°And how old are you? Seth and I should be just as worried about you breaking one of your hips!¡±

    ¡°I am not an old human, child. I am in no danger of one of my hips breaking!¡± Jupiter argued and then walked around the Jeep to wait impatiently for Seth to join him.

 Page 4

    ¡°He¡¯s not human? And he¡¯s not an Angel?¡± I looked to Seth for an explanation; he was just getting his laughter under control.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you guess where he¡¯s from?¡± Seth smiled down at me. I was really starting to grow attached to the way his eyes sparkled with life when he looked at me, and how he gave me his absolute undivided attention. ¡°He¡¯s from Jupiter. Before the Darkness took his home, that¡¯s where he lived.¡±

    ¡°He named himself after his dead planet?¡± I held back my own laughter.

    ¡°Something about humans not possessing the right vocabulary to pronounce his real name,¡± Seth laughed and then answered Jupiter¡¯s incessant demand for help on the other side of the Jeep.

    I jumped out of the way when I realized they really were going to try to right the Jeep and drive it home. What a night! My whole life had just changed in the matter of forty five minutes and as I watched my new tutor and Counterpart resurrect my Jeep, I couldn¡¯t help but shiver at the reminder of the new path my life would now take.

    I knew this day was coming.

    I just didn¡¯t expect it to happen so soon.

    ----

    I pulled into my long gravel driveway still a little amazed, but mostly amused that Seth was able to right the Jeep and get it running again. The antique rumbled unhappily along the quiet country roads, but it managed to make it all the way home without completely falling apart. Although, I couldn¡¯t even pretend I didn¡¯t hear pieces of my beloved vehicle dropping off along the way.

    At least the Jeep was ruined because of a near death experience¡­. that at least gave me some explanation to offer to my frugal father.

    I hopped down from the cab and walked quietly to the back door of the old farm house I called home. In my parents attempt to blend into humanity, my father had taken up farming a long time ago. So like most families in this particular middle of Nebraska region, we lived on acres of property, miles from our neighbors and even farther from town. Well, we lived miles from the one stop light, bank and bar we called town. We lived a full hour from real civilization.

    Oh, there was a gas station too.

    That had to count for something.

    Seth and Jupiter followed me inside the house, careful to remain silent. They had both stayed relatively quiet after the Jeep was righted, the fatigue of battle and the late hour wearing even the strongest men down.

    ¡°I should tell Annabelle you¡¯re here, so you don¡¯t give her a heart attack in the morning,¡± I whispered.

    I led them out of the mud room into the kitchen and turned on the light. Seth¡¯s eyes immediately fell on the refrigerator and he took an excited step forward before stopping himself.

    ¡°Stella?¡± I turned from the staircase that led up from the kitchen, an old servant¡¯s hall from back when this farm had things like¡­. servants. ¡°Do you mind if I¡­.?¡± he gestured to the refrigerator and widened his eyes in anticipation.

    ¡°Help yourself,¡± I smiled down at him, happy he wasn¡¯t awkward about the new arrangement. His grin spread across his face and his honey colored eyes sparkled with gratefulness.

    I climbed the steps wearily, wondering how I would explain this to Annabelle. Wondering how I would explain it to anybody! I knew what this meant. I knew that the death of the Protector meant it would be my turn to step up. That also meant that Seth would become a permanent, every day fixture in my life.

    I didn¡¯t necessarily mind that, we seemed to have the natural, friendly chemistry that was born between a Star and Warrior. We had been destined to get along before either of us was even born, chosen by the Elders to protect this planet together. We didn¡¯t have much choice, or say in the pairing. Our personalities would complement each other the same way our fighting skills would, the same way our unique, supernatural powers would.

    Still, there was supposed to be years before we met, before I had to face the promise between us. I had a life to live, high school to finish. And as solidly as my destiny was rooted in my heart, so was the desire to be a normal, carefree teenager for just a few more years.

    Evil always got in the way.

    Standing in front of the guest bedroom, I shook my head and squared my shoulders. I was complaining, whining about circumstances that couldn¡¯t be changed. The truth was I wasn¡¯t a normal anything. I wasn¡¯t even a normal Star. I was the Protector of Earth and wanting and wishing were not going to get me anywhere.

    I twirled a loose end of hair around my pointer finger for a few seconds; still trying to shake my head right and then lifted my arms to jerk them across my chest, successfully popping my shoulders. The movement felt good, an old habit from volleyball and something I was positive no other Star in the entire universe practiced.

    Another quick breath and I knocked quietly on Annabelle¡¯s door before turning the handle and letting myself inside. Annabelle had watched me from my first year of life, every time my parents went out of town. She was as much a part of my family as anyone else and the main reason Tristan and I had become such good friends.

    ¡°Annabelle¡­.¡± I whispered, knowing the old woman was a light sleeper. She stirred under a heavy quilt that she, herself, had made for my mom, and groaned something indecipherable. ¡°Annabelle¡­.¡± I whispered louder and this time Annabelle lifted her head off her pillow and brushed gray curls away from her face.

    ¡°What is it child?¡± Annabelle asked, immediately concerned. Her soft, wrinkled face peered at me through the dark, her gray eyes filled with caution.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to wake you,¡± I tried to quickly explain so I wouldn¡¯t worry the elderly woman. ¡°I¡¯m late coming home because some old friends of our family surprised me tonight by coming to town and I had to meet them so I could bring them here,¡± I explained, using half lies and rambling. I generally didn¡¯t like to hide any truth, lying was one of those things I just could not stand. I had even explained to Tristan a long time ago exactly who I was and why, at certain times¡­. I glowed, just so we could continue our friendship without any secrets. ¡°They are staying with us for a while. There are two of them, Jupiter is your age and Seth, his uh¡­. grandson. He¡¯s my age. Anyway, I¡¯ll let you get back to sleep; I just didn¡¯t want you to freak out in the morning.¡±

    ¡°All right, child. Get to sleep now,¡± she admonished before rolling over in bed. Her robust frame caused the double bed to creak beneath her and as I slipped out the bedroom door I could hear her mutter, ¡°What kind of name is Jupiter?¡±

    I laughed to myself as I made my way back down the servant stairs. I paused in the hallway to adjust the heat, noticing how cold Annabelle¡¯s bedroom had been. My parents and I had to be particularly careful about the temperature of our house when human guests were over because when our powers were not restricted, our internal warmth kept us comfortable. Sometimes, in the winter, it would be several nights in a row before we noticed the frost on the inside of our windows and not just on the outside. My father loved how low we could keep our heating costs.

    In the kitchen Jupiter and Seth sat eating left over potato cheese soup Annabelle made for dinner making happy murmurs of approval for the skill of my guardian. I got myself a glass of water before joining them at the table. As much as I longed to find my bed right now, I knew there were still things that needed to be discussed.

    ¡°This is so good!¡± Seth declared, lifting his eyes from the soup to mine, proving how in love with the soup he really was. ¡°Usually we eat¡­. I don¡¯t know what we eat, but it is never as good as this!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re certainly not starved, boy,¡± Jupiter grunted. I laughed at what had clearly been an insult to Jupiter¡¯s culinary skills.

    ¡°Annabelle is an amazing cook,¡± I agreed, knowing what it was like to not eat this good on a regular basis. Stars weren¡¯t exactly born domestic and although my mom tried to familiarize herself with the kitchen, things usually ended¡­. interesting. And since we lived so far out in the country, take-out was almost never an option. Although the gas station did have hot pizza. Not good pizza. But at least it was hot.

    Jupiter made another grunting nose, but continued to shovel the spoon from soup to mouth without slowing down. I sat quietly while the two of them finished their late night meal. They stayed absorbed in their soup, so I had the opportunity to study them under light.

    Jupiter was old. Not just by human standards, although I knew the human eye wouldn¡¯t place him later than seventy, but old¡­. really old. I could tell. I could also feel how other-worldly he was now that I spent some time with him.

    As if the fact that he could fly wasn¡¯t a big enough tip that he wasn¡¯t from around here¡­.

    My ability to detect the nature of someone¡¯s essence had been with me since birth, but this was really the first opportunity I had to use it other than the every once in a while Shadow that crossed my path. I couldn¡¯t place his exact age, but it was definitely old, hundreds of years old. And he definitely wasn¡¯t human, although other than the dull red of his eyes, he appeared to be Homo-Sapien in every other way. His tanned skin was wrinkled and weathered and his gray hair fell in disheveled short tufts of rebellion.

    Even without ever hearing him talk, I could have assumed he was a tough man, and that had nothing to do with my ability to feel out the foreign. He had deep frown lines, and his permanent scowl wouldn¡¯t invite any stranger into a random conversation. He wasn¡¯t exactly an imposing man, just a few inches taller than me and probably barely making six feet, but his very presence was intimidating. I could bet most humans ran from him as quickly as they could, and suddenly I felt a deep pang for the humanity I had come to love. Whatever happened to Jupiter¡¯s home planet, I wasn¡¯t sure Earth deserved him as punishment.

    Seth on the other hand was the very opposite, and not just in age. He was the kind of guy that strangers would trust to hold their babies or the police would ask to be a witness in a crime even if he were holding a gun and covered in blood. His dark hair was unruly and wild, but his amber colored eyes were inviting and soulful. His smile reached from ear to ear and the angular shape of his face didn¡¯t exactly scream out trustworthy, but it did cast him in such a way any woman would toss caution to the wind and throw themselves at him.

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile at him. His golden-toned skin, his muscular body, his carefree recklessness¡­. I didn¡¯t have many feelings for him yet, but one that shone brighter than the others resonated as pride. I was proud to have him as my Counterpart. Already I could tell that I could trust him, and not just in battle. Plus, saving my life once already definitely spoke volumes about our future together.

    Our, uh, professional future together. Not the other future¡­. that I wasn¡¯t exactly ready to think about yet.

    ¡°So, when your parents get back, we will discuss finding our own place,¡± Jupiter broke the silence after scraping his bowl clean and giving a tentative glance back at a Tupperware still half full of soup. ¡°Until then, I think it will be safer if we stay with you. If more Shadows come to find you, it will be better if we¡¯re with you, especially with your¡­. questionable training.¡±

 Page 5

    I smiled at his polite way of referencing my actual lack of training, I felt like that was as nice as he was going to get. I wasn¡¯t embarrassed of my lack of skills though. Even if tomorrow I faced an army of the Darkness, I wouldn¡¯t regret the life I¡¯d lived so far. Experience had to count for something. And I had plenty of life experience. Well, at least sixteen years of it.

    ¡°Will it be hard for you to move?¡± I looked to Seth, wondering if he was as regretful about leaving typical high school life behind him as I was.

    ¡°No, why would it be?¡± his eyes turned curious and his spoon suspended itself midway to his mouth.

    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know if you were leaving behind a lot of friends or something,¡± I tried to explain without looking at Jupiter, but heard his mocking grunt and couldn¡¯t help but turn to him.

    ¡°Unlike you, Seth has focused on his training, real training. We chose to abstain from unnecessary human interactions,¡± Jupiter explained in the most condescending voice I had ever heard.

    Seth set his spoon down, ready to stand up to his mentor. I could see how he respected Jupiter more than anyone else in the universe, but there was also the overbearing instinct to protect me. I knew he felt because I felt it, like the hottest, most honest kind of liquid truth running through my veins. It was consuming and bonding at the same time.

    Seth shot a warning glance at Jupiter that sent the message he wouldn¡¯t stand for any more. The look of pride and slight excitement Jupiter returned with was surprising, but I wondered if Jupiter had been goading Seth to see if he could get some kind of reaction like this, just to make sure the bond between us existed. Plus, I suspected Jupiter was always looking for a good fight.

    No other Star and Counterpart had been raised the way Seth and I had. Usually, they grew up together, paired together at a young age from a natural bond. The Elders watched every Angel¡¯s training and paired them with a Star accordingly.

    But our case was different. Hell, our case was an experiment. As Earth remained the sole remaining planet with sustainable life left in the galaxy, the Elders had decided it was time to try a different tactic. They decided Seth and I would be raised on Earth, with humans, immersed in the culture and able to call the planet they protected home. Because of the danger of living not only amongst humans, but also surrounded by the Darkness, it was decided to keep us separated for the sake of secrecy until the time when we would take over together.

    The Elders had relied on destiny and the natural order of their way to keep the bond between Star and Counterpart intact. It was a risky thing to do. Not meeting each other until the night of battle could have had dire effects, a team not willing to bond, or able to get along. But as Seth gazed across the table at me, filled with the same fierce desire to lay down his life for me that I had for him, I knew they had gambled with success.

    ¡°What about school?¡± I asked him, pulling him away from his soup again.

    ¡°Oh, Jupiter and I just did that in between training sessions,¡± Seth shrugged.

    ¡°You were homeschooled?¡± I laughed loudly, and then slapped my hand over my mouth. ¡°Jupiter, how is homeschooling immersing Seth into humanity?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask, while trying to hide my amusement.

    I wasn¡¯t sure where exactly Seth and Jupiter had come from, but I decided wherever it was had deprived not only Seth of a high school experience, but some random teenage girls as well. Shouldn¡¯t all high schools have an unattainable heart throb Angel walking the halls? And then the laughter bubbled over again and I dipped my head so I wouldn¡¯t have to explain that concept to Seth.

    ¡°Obviously your parents and I have different methods,¡± Jupiter replied coolly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t exactly call contact sports weapons training after all. The ability to dribble a basketball did nothing to save your skin tonight.¡±

    I took his point and settled down a bit.

    ¡°We can talk more about this tomorrow, when your parents get home,¡± Jupiter instructed. ¡°Where will we sleep tonight?¡±

    ¡°There is a guest bedroom down the hall for you,¡± I addressed Jupiter, not really knowing the state of his fragility or old age, and deciding the room downstairs might be difficult for him. ¡°And Seth, there¡¯s another room downstairs that you can have. I¡¯m told it¡¯s freezing and kind of creepy down there when you¡¯re alone, but hopefully none of that will bother you.¡± I smiled at him, but he only looked at me curiously.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get cold,¡± he answered matter of fact.

    ¡°No, I know you don¡¯t. It was a joke¡­.¡± I sighed; apparently it was too late at night to be a comedian. ¡°I can walk you down there if you¡¯re ready. And Jupiter, help yourself to more soup; when I get back, I¡¯ll take you to your room.¡±

    I stood and Seth followed. I walked to the hallway and opened the old wooden door that led downstairs. My basement had been finished years ago, but it was still an old farmhouse basement. I wasn¡¯t supposed to scare easily; my job expected me to be brave, courageous¡­ to laugh in the face of danger¡­. required it actually. And usually I did. But even if the cold, dampness of the basement didn¡¯t bother me, there was something about being down there, underground and without direct access to sunlight that did.

    I opened the guest bedroom that sat off the rec room and turned on the light for Seth. ¡°The bedding is fresh and there are toothbrushes and toothpaste in the drawer in the bathroom. I think they¡¯re all new¡­.¡± I sighed, trying to remember if anyone had been down here recently. Sometimes my parents housed Stars or Counterparts passing through, and that¡¯s why there were so many guest bedrooms and such a huge house for just the three of us. ¡°There¡¯s a shower in the bathroom too, with soap and shampoo and all that stuff. The towels are in the cabinet next to it.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Seth turned to me. He had been eyeing the bedroom carefully, marking a fast escape route through the small window and checking for anything abnormal. Actually, he had been checking for Shadows since I met him, even though a Star¡¯s house was technically blessed, after tonight he didn¡¯t trust anything or maybe he was always this paranoid.

    ¡°I wish I had clothes or something for you to change into. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go through my dad¡¯s things and see what I can find,¡± I promised.

    ¡°Yeah, I won¡¯t need anything till tomorrow anyway,¡± Seth smiled, his big, wide grinning smile and started to take off his shoes. ¡°Hey Stella¡­.¡±

    I looked up into his guarded, careful eyes and suddenly I was nervous for whatever he was going to say. ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Listen, we don¡¯t have to¡­. I mean¡­. there¡¯s no pressure between us,¡± he stammered and an instant wave of relief washed over me. ¡°I¡¯m not expecting you to like be my girlfriend or anything. I just want to get to know you. You know, be friends first,¡± he smiled confidently and I mimicked his expression.

    I did know.

    ¡°Oh thank goodness,¡± I relaxed against the door jam. ¡°I feel the same way! No pressure.¡± I nodded my head in all seriousness and his eyes twinkled at me from across the room. ¡°We¡¯ve got like eight years anyway, right?¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah, eight years¡­.¡± Seth suddenly looked uncomfortable and I instantly wanted to retract my time limit. Maybe he was hoping to postpone our ¡°relationship¡± even longer than that.

    I almost told him he could have even longer than that but decided to change the subject from awkward to more common ground, ¡°Well, thanks again for tonight,¡± I moved away from the door, realizing he was starting to undress and I needed to give him some privacy. ¡°You probably saved my life.¡±

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s what I¡¯m here for,¡± Seth¡¯s eyes turned very serious for a second and then he tugged his shirt off. I couldn¡¯t take him seriously anymore. Golden skin pulled tight against a perfectly chiseled chest. Every one of his muscles rippled with his movements from his thick, gorgeous neck down across every singly defined abdominal muscle.

    I closed the door behind me, laughing again.

    Mead High School wasn¡¯t going to know what hit them when that boy walked through their doors.

    Chapter Three

    The beep of my phone woke me early the next day¡­. too early. I groaned and rolled over in bed. The early morning sun streamed through the window above my headboard, bathing me in natural warmth; I lay there for a moment soaking in the sun, enjoying the exhilaration of light.

    I knew the truth about Stars, about the Earth¡¯s sun, I had even met her once. Yet, I couldn¡¯t help but smile into the warming light and breathe in the peaceful morning slowly. Even if that was a comrade up there, a fellow Star in arms, she was still heating this Earth with every bit of warmth she possessed and I decided to enjoy it.

    My phone beeped again, a reminder of why I woke up. Although I knew exactly who it would be, the only person who would dare text me this early in the day. Not even my parents would risk a text message before eight.

    Did you get home ok?

    A lot of good this text does now¡­. I quipped back to Tristan. I wasn¡¯t quite sure how to tell him the truth over text message, best to defer with sarcasm.

    I¡¯ll assume that¡¯s a ¡®yes¡¯ then.

    I made it home. ¡°Ok¡± is still up for debate¡­. I couldn¡¯t help myself but make him feel a little bit bad. I didn¡¯t really blame Tristan at all for what happened last night, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that what happened was a well-planned attack and would have happened no matter what time I drove home. Probably, the late hour kept other motorists from getting hurt or involved. Still¡­ Tristan deserved a little bit of a guilt trip.

    Are you Ok? Seriously, Stella¡­. Do you need me to come over?

    No! Don¡¯t come over, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll explain later. Are we still on for a run later? I knew that text message would only worry Tristan further. He tended to be a tad overprotective. But this was a face to face conversation; acronyms and emoticons explaining the events of last night would only lead to more confusion and panic. And possibly to Tristan waging war against the Darkness himself¡­.

    Don¡¯t come over¡­? Is there a boy over there you¡¯ve been hiding?? ?

    Something like that¡­. Run later? I couldn¡¯t lie to him.

    That¡¯s it, I¡¯m coming over.

    Tristan!!!! I will explain everything later, but in order to do that you have to go for a run with me!! Growing exasperated, I used the only tool I had to get his attention: exclamation points.

    Fine. Yes, a run. Break into the school gym?

    Sounds good. Now, I¡¯m going to go force your grandma to make me chocolate chip pancakes. I tried to turn the conversation light again.

    I swear you want me to come over there¡­.

    Stop it. I¡¯m still in my pajamas.

    What are you doing to me!?!

    See you at 2. Oh that boy.

    Later.

    I sighed, a happy smile finding my lips. Tristan. He was something else, my closest friend and most exasperating life experience. But Earth wouldn¡¯t be the same without him. I couldn¡¯t wait to introduce him to Seth, especially if Seth was planning on starting school after winter break.

 Page 6

    School.

    Would I even be going to school after winter break? An uneasy feeling crept into my belly. I hadn¡¯t really felt all that attached to high school before last night, but now the thought of giving it up, the idea of moving on with my life already felt so¡­ final. So¡­ depressing.

    With another sigh, only this one sounding more disgruntled and angry than happy, I threw the covers off and sat up in bed. With men downstairs, it was probably a good idea to get dressed before breakfast. That would mean a bra. Definitely a bra. Although a part of me rebelled against the idea of wearing anything but sweats while eating chocolate chip pancakes, I didn¡¯t see much other choice.

    Just like my future.

    Ok, get a grip.

    I laughed a little, and forced myself to smile again. I was being absolutely ridiculous about the whole thing. Whatever happened would be for the best, I believed that, it was just easy to forget and I didn¡¯t want to wallow in self-pity. That wasn¡¯t who I was, or who I was born to be.

    Besides, I didn¡¯t actually know anything for certain and I wasn¡¯t going to get any answers staring into my closet, willing them to appear.

    With a final, determined decision to face whatever the next step of my life was going to be with a good attitude, I stood up and walked into my narrow walk-in closet. I chose the workout outfit I would wear later in the day, no sense in dirtying more clothes than necessary. And then shimmied into track pants over my short, red running shorts. Adding a zip up jacket over my nylon tank top, I pulled my golden hair into a loose bun on the nape of my neck without brushing it.

    Deciding makeup was not necessary this morning, I left my room for the bathroom and a quick wash of the face. Staring at myself in the round mirror, I wondered if I looked any different now that the Protectorship was technically mine. My skin tone was the same flawless bronze that Seth¡¯s was, a byproduct of our natural inner light; even without actually glowing, we still kind of glowed so to speak. The girls at school envied me for my great skin, and I thanked them leaving out the fact that it was a byproduct of fighting demons. My eyes were still frighteningly pale blue, like the color of really frozen ice, not just the cubes, more like polar ice caps. My eyes were my least favorite feature; they were too pale¡­ to other-worldly. And they were so freaking big! Why did they have to be so big? I was convinced I looked like a tan dead person or the big bad wolf.

    The better to see you with my dear¡­.

    Splashing more cold water on my face I wondered if other Stars worried about the shade of their eyes or were embarrassed of their skin tone. Or maybe, born and raised in the lowest level of Heaven, and then sent to light up the galaxy and protect the universe, they had never even seen their reflection in a mirror.

    Huh.

    Vanity was surely not an asset they possessed though, not something they lived with. And with that thought I left the bathroom in search of the traditional Sunday breakfast Annabelle always made for me. Other than saving humanity, eating chocolate chip pancakes had to be my second favorite event ever.

    I bounded down the servant stairs and into the kitchen expecting to greet Annabelle¡¯s happy face and a plate full of steaming hot chocolate chip pancakes, like every other Sunday morning of my life when my parents were out of town. The chocolate chip pancakes were there, but Annabelle¡¯s face wasn¡¯t so much happy as it was terrifying and angry.

    The whole atmosphere of the kitchen felt ripe with an awkward confrontation on the verge of a cataclysmic explosion and I immediately tensed with anxiety. I hoped Annabelle wasn¡¯t mad at me, although I worried now that maybe Annabelle didn¡¯t remember me coming to her room last night and was very surprised to find a house full of men when she woke up this morning.

    ¡°Good morning,¡± I greeted Annabelle who was at the stove with her back to the rest of the room, rigid as a pole. Jupiter sat at the kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee and reading the Sunday morning newspaper. When no one answered, I tried to encourage more conversation. ¡°Annabelle do you remember me coming to your room last night? I don¡¯t know if you had a chance to meet Jupiter this morning, but he¡¯s is a friend-¡°

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve met,¡± Annabelle cut me off with uncharacteristic shortness. She was usually direct and alarmingly to the point, a personality trait that had taken half my childhood to get used to. But we had such a strong relationship now, that I couldn¡¯t imagine what had set her off.

    Jupiter grunted then, a disgruntled snort of disapproval and it dawned on me exactly what the problem was. Annabelle half turned around to say something, but then seemed to think better of it. Shaking her spatula in the air irritably, she focused her attention back on flipping pancakes.

    ¡°Stella, how many pancakes would you like?¡± Annabelle asked, her frustration masked with a forcefully sweet tone.

    ¡°Um, four. No, wait, five,¡± Annabelle loaded up my plate with her perfectly fluffy, deliciously chocolaty pancakes and I couldn¡¯t help myself but call out again, ¡°Wait! Six. I want six pancakes and no more!¡± I finished dramatically, waving my hand in the air as if Annabelle was the one forcing me to eat so many.

    Annabelle delivered the hefty plate to the table, along with a bottle of warmed up maple syrup. I eyed my breakfast with a ravenous hunger, my eyes gleaming with gluttony. This time when Annabelle smiled down at me, her expression was real, shaped with true affection and amusement.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I explained to no one in particular, in between delicious mouthfuls of carbs. ¡°Tristan and I are running later, so I¡¯ll work this all off.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Tristan?¡± Jupiter asked, already positive he wouldn¡¯t like the answer.

    ¡°He¡¯s my best friend,¡± I answered quickly, squirting more hot syrup in between the thick layers of pancakes. ¡°And Annabelle¡¯s grandson,¡± I added.

    ¡°A human,¡± Jupiter grumbled, disdain marking his tone.

    ¡°What else would he be?¡± Annabelle retorted from the stove.

    ¡°A pet,¡± Jupiter mumbled soft enough that only I, with my intensified hearing could make out his nasty comment.

    ¡°Jupiter,¡± I gasped, still not sure what to make of my weapon¡¯s trainer. He tossed me a look that cautioned not to bother him again and I decided to heed his warning.

    ¡°Stella, were you planning on going to church this morning?¡± Annabelle asked, turning off the griddle and emptying the spatula of the last perfectly made pancake onto a plate with identical others.

    ¡°Oh, I meant to tell you, I kind of¡­. my Jeep is kind of out of commission right now, so I was going to suggest someone else pick you up for church today,¡± I tried to skirt around the truth, hoping Annabelle just didn¡¯t ask too many questions. It would be hard enough explaining how I accomplished that much damage to my vehicle and then walked away, let alone how the car got righted again and why on Earth I went ahead and picked up my supposed family friends after all that I would have allegedly gone through.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s all right, I¡¯ll just have Trenton come after me then,¡± Annabelle moved the griddle to the sink and immediately started on her dishes. ¡°And if he¡¯s coming after me anyway, I might as well head on home after service. Your parents will be back tonight and with your guests, I really don¡¯t think you¡¯ll need me around today.¡± A muscle in Annabelle¡¯s jaw twitched, tightening the wrinkled skin around her mouth. I noticed the subtlety and decided not to argue. I hated it when Annabelle left, she felt so much like part of the family, but I also knew Annabelle was a polite woman, proper and gracious and everything she thought a woman should be. Her behavior was super out of the ordinary for her and it was probably driving her crazy. I bit my bottom lip to keep herself from smiling at this same well-mannered woman just barely holding back her restraint from letting Jupiter have what could be decades of pent up sassiness.

    ¡°Ok, if you have to go, then you have to go,¡± I sighed, standing up to kiss Annabelle on the cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll finish these, if you want to go get ready.¡±

    ¡°Will you call Trent for me too?¡± Annabelle looked thrilled at the chance just to leave the kitchen; I could hardly imagine what transpired before I entered the scene.

    ¡°Sure,¡± I smiled and pulled the cellphone from my running pants. I pounded out a quick text to Tristan, explaining his grandmother¡¯s wishes and then waited for a reply, tapping my fingernails on the counter in a measured rhythm.

    ¡°Is that another human friend of yours?¡± Jupiter asked dryly.

    ¡°Trent is Tristan¡¯s older brother. He goes to college in Lincoln, but he¡¯s home for winter break,¡± I explained.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question,¡± Jupiter noted.

    I laughed lightly, realizing I hadn¡¯t. I was just used to people understanding everything between Tristan¡¯s family and mine¡­. between Tristan and me. ¡°Yes, he is my friend. I¡¯m sorry; I guess I assumed I answered that.¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± Jupiter grunted again and then turned back to his paper.

    ¡°What is that smell?¡± a groggy baritone voice asked from the doorway to downstairs.

    Seth leaned against the doorframe, shirtless and disheveled. His black sweatpants sat low on his hips, revealing a thin line of plaid boxers and perfectly chiseled hip bones. His dark hair was a mess of waves that laid across his head in wild tangles, curling into charming semi-circles just at their tips. He crossed his arms and lifted his nose into the air, breathing in the aroma of baked chocolate chips left in the kitchen.

    His eyes found mine because I was staring at him with a mixture of embarrassment and wide-eyed wonder from the sink. I had seen plenty of boys shirtless before, plenty of good looking, athletic boys. I had grown up with Tristan and his brothers who had all been practically shirtless from the time we met, and they were all hot¡­. But nothing I had ever seen compared to the Angel standing in front of me.

    The Actual angel.

    I reminded myself that Warriors were born that way. They lived hard, grueling lives and any lesser physique wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against the Darkness. Still, I had to clamp my mouth closed when he lifted one palm to rub at the overnight stubble that darkened his jawline with the palm of his hand. His smile deepened and his honey colored eyes twinkled, turning his expression mischievous.

    I turned back to the dishes, convinced he could read my thoughts. My impure, totally uncalled for sinful thoughts. And as I scrubbed the griddle clean, I wondered how treacherous it was to have lustful thoughts about my Counterpart before we were even¡­. uh¡­. more than whatever we were? Surely, I was the first Star to do so in the history of the entire universe. Lust being one of the seven deadly sin and all¡­. I ignored him, or pretended to, as he brushed past me into my square country kitchen.

    ¡°Are these for me?¡± Seth asked, reaching for the plate of pancakes.

    ¡°Yeah, Annabelle made them for us,¡± I explained quietly, trying to hide the embarrassing squeak in my voice.

    ¡°Awesome,¡± Seth muttered and then sat down heavily at the table across from Jupiter.

    When he used the syrup bottle for an extended amount of time, I couldn¡¯t help but glance over at him. There he sat with the entire plate of left over pancakes, his fork digging in and breaking them apart savagely so he could shovel them in his mouth. There had to be at least fifteen of pancakes, stacked gluttonously high on his plate. The maple syrup dripped down over the top of the pancake mountain in glops of sticky liquid and every time he took a bite he made this adorable little moaning sound that I desperately hated.

 Page 7

    ¡°Seth!¡± I gasped, stalking over to the rectangular oak table my dad had hand made one summer in an effort to be more¡­. human. Although, I had not personally met another human that whittled their own furniture, I couldn¡¯t fault her dad for trying. Besides he was really proud with how much money he was convinced we saved. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were going to eat all of them! Those pancakes are like gold around here! What am I supposed to eat for lunch now? And for dinner?¡± I demanded, forgetting all about the way his abdominal muscles folded over each other while he leaned over his plate, shoveling heaping forkfuls of my favorite meal into his greedy, perfectly formed mouth.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± he mumbled, with a mouth full of food. ¡°You should be more specific next time.¡±

    I was normally a very good-humored girl, I rarely let things bother me and most of the time could laugh about any situation. Most of the time. Stolen pancakes and no lunch was not one of those times.

    ¡°I think you should put at least half of those back! Do you really need¡­.¡± I counted what was left of them in my head quickly, ¡°seventeen pancakes just for breakfast?¡±

    Seth nodded enthusiastically, ¡°Yes, I really do.¡± He reached for Jupiter¡¯s coffee next, taking down what was left in the cup in one, quick swig. Jupiter didn¡¯t even look up. Grumpy, ill-mannered, temperamental Jupiter didn¡¯t care that Seth had stolen the last few drinks of coffee, because apparently Jupiter was used to Seth¡¯s thoughtlessness. That bothered me even more. The last drop of someone¡¯s cold, bitter coffee was one thing. Annabelle¡¯s chocolate chip pancakes were an entirely different matter.

    ¡°Stella, he did fight a battle last night,¡± Jupiter reminded me in a voice that very much sounded to me like a reprimand.

    ¡°A tiny battle!¡± I squeaked. ¡°Really, I¡¯m not sure we can even call it a battle at all! It was more like a skirmish. Or a¡­. a¡­. warm up exercise! I don¡¯t think his one act of bravery last night accounts for eating every single pancake left in this house,¡± I finished in a grumble. Jupiter and Seth both raised their eyes to meet mine as if they could hardly believe my ungratefulness. I decided to push my luck just a little bit further, ¡°Besides¡­. What if he gets fat? I mean, he is my Counterpart! I should be worried about stuff like that, right?¡± A blush crept up my neck and flowered across my cheeks. I knew I had gone too far, but what had fallen out of my mouth felt more like uncontrollable vomit than an actual, rational argument.

    ¡°You¡¯re worried about me getting fat?¡± Seth moved from his seat with lightening quick speed. I hardly had time to comprehend he wasn¡¯t sitting anymore before he was standing directly in front of me, with both of his arms pressing against the counter on either side of me, pinning me in. ¡°Let me assure you, my weight gain is nothing for you to be concerned about.¡± Seth¡¯s amber colored eyes glowed with frightening intensity and the way his dark hair fell across his forehead made me wonder if he was more Fallen than Angel. He reached for my hand, with one dangerously strong one of his own and pressed my palm against his flat, muscular stomach. ¡°These are genetic; I wouldn¡¯t worry about a few pancakes distorting your eye candy.¡±

    The flush that burned itself into my face, now deepened across my collar bone. I didn¡¯t dare move my hand until Seth took his off mine, and then I retracted my fingers with the speed of my own angelic heritage, causing a smug smirk to break out across Seth¡¯s face.

    ¡°I get your point,¡± I mumbled, not willing to back down from this fight. ¡°But I still don¡¯t appreciate the way you have come in here and just snatched all of the pancakes up.¡±

    ¡°Point taken,¡± Seth didn¡¯t immediately move from the bicep-cage he built around me. He enjoyed watching me squirm because of him. But then his eyes turned soft and he held my gaze, igniting the connection that tied us together, the one that I couldn¡¯t even fully understand yet. Maybe it was the independent nature that tied us to all of God¡¯s creation or because I was impossibly tiny standing next to him but I felt impossibly fragile and delicate. I instinctively knew that without him by my side I didn¡¯t stand a chance against even a small army of Shadows, let alone the entire forces of Darkness mobilized against me and this planet.

    ¡°Seth,¡± Jupiter chastised from across the room. The tone of his voice reminded Seth that he was a Counterpart. A Warrior. And his behavior at the moment resonated in the completely inappropriate department.

    Seth gave me a good natured, casual smile and then stood up straight. He held my gaze for a few moments longer, unable to tear his gaze away from mine that I could feel had just started to glow under the strain of my emotions. But which emotions were making them glow? That was a question I was afraid to get to the bottom of.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to see if Annabelle needs any help,¡± I choked out, in a tightly strained voice. I broke the hold of Seth¡¯s gaze first, hating that we already fought, that I already made things awkward for my Warrior. I sighed, frustrated with myself and flew up the servant stairs before anyone could object, or remind me what a terrible hostess I was playing. Or even worse, what a terrible Star was being.

    ¡°Please tell me that won¡¯t be a problem with her training,¡± I heard Jupiter ask once I was around the corner. He almost sounded amused and I so I paused on the stairwell, recognizing that Jupiter rarely felt amused.

    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem with her training,¡± Seth spouted back word for word. The huge smile probably lighting up his face completely evident in his voice. I was sure Jupiter would be convinced that whatever he was talking about would definitely be a problem with my training. I got nervous just thinking about it.

    ----

    After spending the majority of my day locked in my room, pretending that getting mad about pancakes was completely normal, and skipping lunch, I decided it was time to face the music¡­. or Seth, in this case. And I decided I should probably acknowledge that he actually did fight a battle last night. Jupiter and he had been gone most of the day getting what they could fly back with and packing the rest of it to have shipped here, but I could hear them down in the kitchen now and knew I needed to face them.

    I texted Tristan on the way down the stairs, explaining that I would be a few minutes late, something he was used to and probably expecting. I hoped my Jeep would make it into town, knowing I couldn¡¯t risk having Tristan come to my house and meet Jupiter. He texted more questions, but I ignored them. Just like I ignored the feeling in my gut warning me not to do what I was about to.

    Seth sat at the kitchen table with Jupiter, going over something out of an extremely old looking, leather bound book. They peered over it with a kind of quiet reverence, and I could see a haze of dust floating around the cracked pages. Or were the pages glowing¡­.

    Seth looked up at me when I entered the kitchen and smiled. His smile was easy going and happy, but the look in his eyes seemed to be always calculating, always waiting for something to happen. He was a trained Warrior, a lesser Angel; I couldn¡¯t expect anything else from him.

    ¡°Hey, what are you guys doing?¡± I peered over the table and recognized the pages of the book written in the old language. I couldn¡¯t read it yet, but Seth seemed to have no trouble. ¡°What is that?¡±

    Jupiter barely spared me a glance, staring intently at the pages in front of him. His finger moved under the symbols and foreign language with seemingly exact comprehension. I wondered how Jupiter had come to learn the old language, he wasn¡¯t a Warrior, not even a lesser Angel, and I highly doubted my kind went around to other planets teaching the sacred dialect to every species.

    ¡°It is the Alpha Hieros,¡± Jupiter answered blandly.

    ¡°The Sacred Beginning¡­.¡± I whispered, realizing I stood in a room with one of the oldest, most sacred documents in the history of the universe. I stilled, hovering over the table and came to the realization that the pages actually were glowing. They shined with a golden hue, as if they themselves were made of light. ¡°You can both read it?¡± I whispered, afraid my very breath would distort the pages.

    ¡°Seth has been¡­. taught to read in this language, so that after I am gone, he may interpret the text,¡± Jupiter explained.

    ¡°And you?¡± I pressed, knowing without a shadow of a doubt that this book, the history of my people, the account of the war waged between light and dark was shared only between Stars and Angels. Jupiter, no matter what his charge, shouldn¡¯t be in possession of this book. And if it was given to him, for whatever divine purpose, then that was highly out of the ordinary.

    ¡°I was given¡­.¡± Jupiter paused, looking up at me with eyes that flashed the deepest burgundy, like the color of old wine, before settling back into a muddled burnt maroon, ¡°I was gifted with the ability to read your language, so that it would not become forgotten on this planet.¡±

    I thought for a moment about his response, and decided that he must be telling the truth because there was no other way to learn the language than miraculous intervention. At one time, the Earth¡¯s language mimicked that of the Angel¡¯s that walked amongst humanity, as did every other planet created. But over time, and with the destruction of all other life throughout the entirety of space, save for Earth, the language had been forgotten by mankind, removed for the protection of its consecrated words.

    The different races of Earth now held their own dialects and the written text passed down from God Himself, retreated to the heavens. Except for this book. This book was all that remained in the possession of the army that fought against the Darkness.

    I stared for a moment longer as the two men leaned over the text, but when Seth¡¯s eyes drifted back to me, I decided I needed to be polite. He was part of my world now, and it felt wrong to leave him at home while I went off to workout.

    ¡°Seth, I¡¯m going running with one of my good friends, do you want to come?¡± I asked casually, leaving out the fact that my good friend was actually my best friend and he was a boy. I had no reason to, and the logical part of my brain told me Seth wouldn¡¯t care either way, not to mention he would find out soon enough anyway. Still, a warning flared in my belly telling me this was a bad idea. ¡°I know you are probably sore or whatever from last night, but I thought you might like to get out of the house and¡­. stretch your legs.¡±

    ¡°Are you running outside?¡± Seth asked, leaning forward in his chair. At least he had thrown a t-shirt on.

    ¡°No, we, uh¡­. we go run at the high school. There is a track above the basketball court,¡± I explained, smiling casually. I felt another surge of guilt, knowing I was leaving out the part where we had to break into the gym first. I hoped Seth wouldn¡¯t have too much of a moral dilemma with the whole breaking and entering thing. I was positive it went against his angelic nature, but I reasoned that there was much worse trouble we could get into.

    ¡°That does sound nice,¡± Seth thought it over for a second. ¡°You won¡¯t mind if I tag along?¡±

    ¡°No, not at all!¡± I assured him. ¡°It will give you a chance to meet someone else that goes to school with us.¡±

 Page 8

    ¡°And your friend can keep up with us?¡± Seth looked doubtful. We were supernatural beings after all, and as his eyes dropped to my long, athletic legs, I blushed thinking about our stupid supernatural future together.

    ¡°Well, yes, as long as I don¡¯t turn all Star or anything.¡±

    ¡°Ok, when are we leaving?¡± Seth asked, standing from the table and walking backward to the basement door.

    ¡°Ten minutes, does that give you enough time?¡± I smiled at him again. He definitely had some Fallen in him. Maybe a distant cousin or great grandfather. His eyes danced devilishly and I was convinced no regular Warrior looked as dangerous. Warriors were lesser Angels, paired with Stars to protect the universe. They weren¡¯t the beings that served God directly, or carried out His immediate will; Warriors were the army that protected those Angels, and the last remaining planet housing life in the universe. They were the army of heaven, waging war against the forces of evil. But despite the fact that they were trained killing machines, they were usually all goodness and light, like my dad. But Seth was more than that. Or less? No, definitely¡­. more. I just couldn¡¯t put my finger on it yet.

    Seth nodded and then disappeared down the basement steps. I walked into the mud room, digging around for my running shoes, before joining Jupiter at the table.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem if we leave, is it?¡± I asked Jupiter, realizing maybe I should have asked for permission first.

    ¡°Why would it be?¡± Jupiter mumbled from his study of the text.

    ¡°I just didn¡¯t know if I¡¯m supposed to ask for¡­. permission from you,¡± I mumbled, embarrassed by how awkward this conversation was becoming. ¡°I guess I don¡¯t get your role in my life, yet.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just a trainer,¡± Jupiter responded curtly, ¡°not a babysitter. Fly to the moon for all I care, just do not, I repeat, do not engage in anymore battles until you¡¯ve at least been trained with a sword.¡±

    A little taken aback, I wasn¡¯t sure if he was joking or serious, so I replied with a simple, ¡°Will do.¡±

    Seth joined us upstairs a few awkward, silent minutes later in just shorts and a t-shirt. The rough Nebraska winter held temperatures in the low teens today, but I knew without a doubt Seth would not even be chilly. He might have to glow a little bit to stay warm, but somehow I doubted he would care and Tristan already knew part of the truth about who I was anyway.

    What Tristan didn¡¯t know, was that he was about to get a crash course in all the rest of it.

    ¡°Do you think my car can make it into town?¡± I asked on our way out the kitchen door.

    ¡°That depends¡­.¡± Seth studied the crumpled passenger¡¯s side and cringed. ¡°How far is town?¡±

    ¡°If I speed, like fifteen minutes¡­.¡± I answered, and then wondered if speeding would help my Jeep or hurt it.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine,¡± Seth decided, sticking his bottom lip out to concentrate completely on the door that seemed welded shut after last night¡¯s impact. ¡°If not, I can always bend it back together, right?¡± He tugged securely on the door handle, which abruptly ripped off the metal frame it was attached too. ¡°Oops¡­.¡± He mumbled, while tossing the damaged debris over his shoulder and prying the now loose door open. He crawled into the front seat and then had to lift the door and pull equally hard to jam the thing back into place. Not entirely sure it would hold, he gripped the arm rest tightly and decided to just hold it in place with his Warrior strength.

    ¡°Yeah, that looks about right,¡± I laughed, after climbing into the driver¡¯s seat. I laughed even more when Seth started to glow with the effort to hold the heavy door against the car. ¡°Can¡¯t you just melt it together or something? We won¡¯t be able to use it as an entrance or exit anymore, but I have a feeling this little darling is seeing it¡¯s last days here on Earth.¡±

    Seth laughed too at the solemn way I mourned my car, easily picking up on my sarcasm. Thank God he had a sense of humor! I gave him a wry smile, and turned around to back the Jeep out of the long gravel drive. Seth was still smiling at me, holding the door as casually as he could and I paused for a moment to realize how lucky I was to get Seth and his sense of humor. He seemed fun, and relatively normal, even if he ate ALL of my chocolate chip pancakes. But I had seen Warriors before so duty-driven and task-minded that the devotion of their own Star didn¡¯t seem to have any effect on them. I knew better with Seth. Maybe the Elders had been right in having us raised on Earth, maybe it relaxed us or gave us a better perspective. I just hoped we could stay this casual for a while. A very, very, very long while.

    I coaxed the Jeep to start, literally, with encouraging words and a loving tap against the steering wheel until the engine sputtered to life, protesting it¡¯s every move. Despite the obvious fragility of the car, I thrived on excitement and adrenaline, a side-effect of being born for battle. So I naturally drove like a race car driver across the frozen gravel roads that climbed and dipped over rolling hills, the car sliding and skidding with each turn or curve in the road wildly.

    After a few minutes I slowed down just a little so that Seth could admire the scenery. Even in middle of a desolate winter, the Nebraska plains stretched out under a wide open sky with nothing standing between this gravel road and the horizon. Snow covered corn fields, and patches of dense pine trees blurred in the peripheral as I raced the Jeep through the postcard countryside.

    I knew these roads intimately, having grown up on them. My dad had been letting me drive since I was big enough to reach the pedals and see over the steering wheel, and on Tristan¡¯s farm I had grown up driving his dad¡¯s tractors or racing Tristan and his brothers on four-wheelers. This land was my home. I gunned the engine, whispering sweet encouragement to the groaning Jeep until just seconds before I needed to turn, then I would expertly pump the brakes until I rounded the country roads with the skill of a NASCAR driver, staying just out of danger, but flirting with the slippery edge none the less.

    Why I couldn¡¯t do that in the middle of a night with a deer standing in the road was beyond me. But everything felt clearer in the light of day.

    After fifteen minutes exactly, we came upon what seemed to be the edge of town, until after passing a bank, we turned right, drove two blocks and turned into the high school. Seth looked around at all the empty space, even beyond the vacant parking lot and I watched as he realized this wasn¡¯t the outskirts of town, this was the town.

    Welcome to Mead, Nebraska; population 571.

    Tristan¡¯s truck sat idling near the school building and when I shut off my Jeep, so did Tristan. I gave Seth a quick glance and reassuring smile, before jumping from my car and racing across the parking lot. I didn¡¯t stop to make sure Seth followed me, although I hoped he did, but my eyes were glued on one thing and one thing only.

    Tristan Shields stepped out of his white ¡¯98 Chevy Silverado and ran a hand over his closely shaved head. His full lips twisted upward on one side and then his arms opened for the most important girl in his life: me.

    I crashed into him with my lightning speed and threw my arms around his neck. I wasn¡¯t sure when we started this tradition, but for as long as I could remember I always ran to Tristan¡¯s arms, even if I just saw him twelve hours ago, even if there was someone else watching.

    Tristan reciprocated the hug, holding me close to his body. I was warm, hot even, despite the bitter cold of the day. He dipped his head, so that his face rested in the curve of my neck and I shivered from the tickling breath that danced across her skin.

    ¡°Who¡¯s your friend?¡± Tristan mumbled, lifting his eyes to meet the Angel Warrior standing behind me.

    I cleared my throat, saying a quick prayer that the two most significant boys in my life would become best friends too and turned around to Seth. ¡°Tristan, this is Seth. He¡¯s¡­. he¡¯s my Counterpart.¡±

    Chapter Four

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Seth,¡± Tristan stepped around me, releasing me immediately from his hold and stuck out his hand for the Angel Warrior standing in front of him. ¡°So you¡¯ll be¡­. uh¡­. taking care of my girl, is that right?¡±

    I cringed noticing the little possession Tristan let slip into his phrasing. I had explained the whole super-natural relationship thing to him before, but I had also explained how we weren¡¯t supposed to meet for years yet. Maybe I should have warned him that I was bringing Seth¡­.

    ¡°Your girl, huh?¡± Seth shot me a sideways glance before shaking Tristan¡¯s hand. The two boys did their best version of a passive-aggressive manly handshake before taking a step back to size one another up.

    I twirled the end of a lose hair tightly around my fingertip nervously. I cut off the blood flow and the tip of my pointer bulged red before I realized it and let the hair go. This wasn¡¯t going quite how I had imagined it should. For some reason I wasn¡¯t picking up the vibe that they would be immediate and life-long best friends.

    ¡°So, are you two a¡­. thing?¡± Seth asked, his eyes narrowing infinitesimally. I bristled a little at the question, right now the only right he had with me was to protect me from everything evil; a human boyfriend, whether acceptable to the Elders or not, was technically none of his business. Still, it wasn¡¯t like Tristan was just any regular person¡­. I mean, with every muscle on his body cut to perfection, his tall, lanky frame and his breath-taking smile I knew he could be intimidating. Although Seth was an actual Angel¡­. no reason to have a superiority complex.

    ¡°If by thing, you mean best friends, then yes, we are. Tristan is more like my brother than anything else,¡± I explained lightly, grabbing onto Tristan¡¯s bicep and shaking it playfully. I looked up at Tristan, craning my neck so I could see him clearly expecting a reassuring smile, the same smile I got every time I explained we were not a couple, but this time the only expression I got in return was a clenched jaw and narrowed eyes.

    ¡°So why are you here?¡± Tristan asked bluntly. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t supposed to meet until you both turned twenty-five or something?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what I have to talk to you about!¡± I rushed forward into the conversation, hoping the severity of my situation would distract both boys from whatever weirdness was happening between them. ¡°But you have to be freezing! Let¡¯s go inside, and I¡¯ll explain everything.¡±

    When neither boy made an attempt to move, I decided they would follow me if I took the initiative. I led the way around the building to the back of the school where the locker rooms led out onto the football field. Finding the window that led downward into the boy¡¯s locker room, I jimmied the lock, like I had done for years now and removed the rectangle glass from its frame. I leaned it against the building and then turned to smile at Seth and Tristan who had followed me, although by the scowls on their faces I assumed a bit reluctantly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go first and help you down,¡± Tristan volunteered. ¡°And you too, Seth, if you need it,¡± he finished with a challenge.

    ¡°I doubt either Stella or I will need your help,¡± Seth countered, full of confidence.

 Page 9

    Tristan faltered a little, realizing after all these years that I probably didn¡¯t need his help. I could fly. Actually fly. Probably jumping a few feet to a cement floor wasn¡¯t a trial for me. But he had never seemed concerned about that before and I didn¡¯t mind if he wanted to be chivalrous.

    ¡°You¡¯ve never needed my help, have you?¡± Tristan confronted me gently; searching for the truth he knew I was incapable of hiding from him. My eyes glistened against the sun as I looked up at him and I blinked rapidly hoping to keep my Star instincts at bay. Glowing eyes could be unsettling. At his direct question though, emotion flared beneath my skin, causing it to warm ever so slightly, glowing right along with the rest of me despite my effort to stay completely normal.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve never needed it,¡± I admitted, reaching out for Tristan¡¯s fingers with my own. ¡°But I¡¯ve always appreciated it.¡± I gave him my most charming smile, hoping to distract his sour mood. I loved Tristan like a brother and I hated that he felt disappointed. He was used to human girls, raised to be gentlemanly. And I hadn¡¯t lied to him, even if I had an arsenal of super-human abilities, it was still nice to be treated like a lady.

    Tristan held my gaze for a moment longer before exhaling a sigh that told me I was forgiven. He slid in through the half window and then waited for me to join him. When I was halfway through the window, he reached up and held me by the waist so that he could slowly lift me to the floor. The gesture was familiar and practiced and even if he realized I didn¡¯t need his help, it was still comforting that he wanted to give it to me.

    I beamed at him when my feet touched the floor, turning to face him again and plant a kiss on his cheek. ¡°I¡¯m sorry this is weird,¡± I whispered quickly, before Seth joined us. ¡°I was so excited for you guys to meet, I didn¡¯t think that it might be¡­. awkward for you both.¡±

    ¡°Stel, it¡¯s fine. I promise,¡± Tristan smiled back at me, and his eyes told me he was sincere. Whew. ¡°Now tell me what happened, and why he¡¯s here to begin with.¡±

    ¡°Ok, so last night, on my way home, I was kind of¡­. attacked,¡± I explained as Seth made the jump from window ledge to concrete floor. The boy¡¯s locker room of Mead High School sat below ground and smelled like dirty feet. The old lockers, two half-lockers stacked on top of each other, made tunnels in the dim light leading through a maze of discarded jockstraps and assorted athletic cleats. An even dingier community shower took up one side of the room, encased by a tile wall, with two entrances. A bathroom connected to the showers, but I had yet to find the courage to explore the inside of those stalls.

    ¡°Attacked?¡± Tristan stepped forward, instinctively wrapping his arms around me. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I thought about it¡­. but there was nothing you could do, really¡­.¡± I cringed, knowing he would hate the truth to the answer. I quickly continued to explain, hoping he would forget that he wasn¡¯t a part of my war, well not in the army sense of things. ¡°Anyway, there were hundreds of Shadows and they came out of nowhere. They destroyed my car and then, well, I don¡¯t know what they planned to do with me, because it would have taken a lot more of them to kill me than that,¡± I rambled, a character trait Tristan was accustomed to. He waited patiently for me to gather my thoughts and finish. ¡°Anyway, I scared them away with my whole Star-power thing and then Seth and Jupiter, my weapon¡¯s trainer, showed up and kind of saved the day. They did the actual killing of Shadows, while I had just been content to scatter them.¡±

    I noticed Seth try to hide his smug smirk when I talked about him saving the day, but it was obvious he was proud of his battlefield accomplishment last night. I glanced over at him and winked, which was something I had actually never done to a boy before and smiled. He should be proud.

    ¡°But you did do an excellent job of scattering them,¡± he praised me indulgently.

    ¡°Why did they attack you in the first place? I thought no one knew who you were or that you were here? Do they usually attack people like that? Or, uh¡­ Stars like that?¡± Tristan asked seriously, clearly not taking comfort in the fact that Seth had taken so many Shadows out so quickly. Tristan had known the truth about me since we were ten years old. I had come right out and told him everything about my origins, my destiny on this planet and my future role in saving Earth from the legions of Darkness one day when we were climbing hay bales on his family¡¯s farm. It had been hard for him to listen to as a ten year old boy, tasked with keeping the secrets of Heaven confidential. But he had believed immediately. Not just because the topic was raised when he asked her why I glowed every time he teased me and not because he had seen the proof I wasn¡¯t human but because our friendship was everything to him, and to me. Even at ten he knew I couldn¡¯t lie to him.

    ¡°No, they don¡¯t.¡± I replied sullenly, ¡°They knew who I was. We¡¯re not sure how they figured it out, or if someone betrayed us, but they knew. We are hoping my parents will know more when they get back tonight.¡±

    ¡°So how did you know she was in trouble?¡± Tristan turned to Seth. I could see the mixture of gratitude for saving me warring with his need to mark his territory. Not that I was his territory, just more like the general area of our small town.

    Seth looked at me warily. I knew my honesty with Tristan was unsettling to him. I was really upfront in general, but especially to Tristan. I knew Seth would never be able to trust Tristan the way I did. Tristan was just a human, and Seth owed him no explanations, but I hoped Seth at least trusted me.

    ¡°It¡¯s Ok, Seth. I tell Tristan everything,¡± I reassured him, recognizing his doubts. ¡°But he¡¯s the only one that knows, he¡¯s been sworn to complete secrecy and he won¡¯t tell anyone,¡± I promised and then exchanged a smirk with Tristan.

    Our shared look only caused Seth to look less inclined to share information with him. ¡°Jupiter and I received a distress call from Sidra and Nisroc, requesting immediate aid. By the time we got to them, though, they were already dead,¡± Seeing the confused look on Tristan¡¯s face, Seth clarified, ¡°Sidra was the Protector of Earth up until yesterday and Nisroc was her Counterpart. When we found them murdered, we knew our leadership had been breached and so we came straight here to find Stella and make sure she was Ok. We found her easily enough; the sky surrounding her was completely filled with Shadows. ¡°

    ¡°But you had already banished them or whatever? They just weren¡¯t dead yet?¡± Tristan asked me, wanting to restore some of my credit.

    ¡°Yes, I scattered them, but I had no idea what I was doing! Seth is really the hero, and he is so much more prepared than me. My training really has been lacking, I¡¯m sure the Elders cannot be happy with me or with my parents,¡± I lamented, worrying for the first time about the consequences my parents would have to face.

    ¡°Stella, if the Elders were unhappy with your training, they would have sent someone a long time ago,¡± Seth reasoned. I looked up at him, thankful for his reassuring words and deciding he was right. The Elders watched everything, or at least it seemed as if they could see everything. They were such a temperamental, stringent group, and if they were worried about my training, they would have stepped in a long time ago and either replaced my biological parents with dutiful, drill sergeant ones or replaced me with a Star that cared more about brandishing a sword made from Heaven¡¯s Fire than her unnamed prom date.

    Not that I was worried about a prom date. It was still months away, I had time.

    ¡°So what now?¡± Tristan asked, removing his arm from around me and clasping my hand instead.

    ¡°Now, we wait for my parents to get back and hear from the Elders. I don¡¯t have any formal training, so Jupiter is here now to train me and continue training with Seth,¡± I sighed, feeling as if the perfect world I had always known was crumbling to pieces around me.

    ¡°So Seth is staying?¡± Tristan asked. I ignored the way his voice sighed over the question and chose to hope that once they got to know each other they really would have a strong friendship.

    ¡°Yes! You don¡¯t really expect me to fight the Darkness all by myself, do you?¡± I laughed.

    ¡°Obviously not, I was just hoping you still had a little more time before you became all Stella Day, warrior princess on me,¡± Tristan joked. ¡°Like until after soccer season or prom or something¡­.¡±

    ¡°I think I still get to finish high school,¡± I countered, giving myself and Tristan some hope. ¡°At least nobody has said otherwise so far.¡±

    ¡°So you still have to go to high school and fight evil. You¡¯re life kind of sucks,¡± Tristan joked, his mood instantly perking up as soon as he realized I would not be plucked from his life or my daily activities. I would just be adding weapon¡¯s training, the kind that actually involved fighting with swords, along with basketball practice, student council and homework.

    ¡°And be in shape for basketball practice on Thursday,¡± I whined, agreeing with Tristan¡¯s point of view.

    ¡°Do you want me to call the Shadows and ask them to come back? I could tell them to bring more with them this time. Maybe you want something a little more challenging?¡± Tristan joked and I laughed again, thankful for the mood change from ominous to in-denial.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should do that just to get out of basketball practice,¡± Seth scolded both of us, his golden brown skin tinged with pink.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a joke, Seth,¡± I patted him on the bicep and flashed him another charming smile. ¡°Now come on, I want to see what you¡¯re made of! I need to know if you can keep up with me!¡±

    The two boys followed me up the stairs and into the gym and I let them work out their competitive edges where boys should be competitive, in the gym and on the track.

    ----

    I didn¡¯t, and couldn¡¯t understand boys. I watched Tristan and Seth race around the track while I finished my cool down stretches, and decided they had to be the most ridiculous species God ever created, both human and Angel. Seth did his best to run with only human strength, but Tristan was fast, too fast for Seth to stay completely honest, human and win.

    In the end, Seth crossed the finish line with a smug smile across his face and a faint glow to his skin. I shook my head, deciding to save my congratulations for when they did something worth congratulating.

    Tristan sauntered over to me, narrowing his eyes, clearly suspicious of his opponent¡¯s speed. ¡°Did he really win fair and square?¡±

    ¡°Of course I did! Do you really think I needed to cheat to beat a human?¡± Seth grunted from a little ways away, although he didn¡¯t quite meet Tristan¡¯s cold glare while defending himself.

    ¡°Stella, tell me the truth,¡± Tristan demanded, resting his hands on his hips while his chest still heaved heavily from his run.

    ¡°Hey, leave me out of this,¡± I took a step back, truly uninterested in being thrown into the middle of whatever jealousy lay between them. ¡°I¡¯m just an innocent bystander.¡± I flashed Tristan a smile and hoped he would move on.

 Page 10

    ¡°You¡¯re anything but innocent,¡± Tristan murmured, taking a step closer to me.

    I backed away, recognizing the glint in Tristan¡¯s eyes and not understanding where it came from. My back bumped against the white brick wall of the gym, while he trapped me with one arm over my head. I stifled a groan, knowing this was Tristan¡¯s way of letting Seth know that he might have won the race, but he wasn¡¯t about to win whatever contest involved me.

    ¡°Tristan, what are you doing?¡± I asked, a giggle bubbling up before I could stop myself. Tristan¡¯s eyes swept over me, and he ran his free hand over his sweat-soaked shaved head. I knew I should be completely grossed out by him, but something about the way the sweat ran down his neck and over the hollow part at the base of his throat caused my eyes to linger unexpectedly.

    ¡°I just want to know if you have plans tonight?¡± he asked in his most innocent sounding voice. ¡°We still have two free nights of winter-break left and I want to take full advantage of the whole no-homework thing.¡± His dark green eyes reminded me of the color of grass at night and they blazed with an intensity I had seen before, an intensity that remained between us even before Seth showed up. He dipped his head, and waited for my response.

    I could feel Seth¡¯s eyes on us and couldn¡¯t stop myself from repeating in a low, careful voice, ¡°Tristan, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He picked his head back up and blinked his eyes like a confused puppy dog.

    Which reminded me, ¡°You are not a dog and I am not a tree. This is so not going to work,¡± I lifted my hands to his chest bare chest and pushed him back. His hands clasped down on mine and held them to him.

    ¡°I know that, Stella,¡± he all but growled.

    My eyes flicked to Seth who stood there bouncing on the back of his heels, his jaw clenched tight and the glow under his skin burning like hot embers in a building fire.

    ¡°You know that I love you, don¡¯t you?¡± I turned my eyes back to Tristan and softened my tone.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know that,¡± Tristan complained, it was his usual response whenever I confessed my platonic love for him.

    Even if he didn¡¯t want to hear the truth in my words, I knew I had gotten through to him, that it would only take a few seconds before reality set in. I had always been Tristan¡¯s, ever since they were little. Other boys didn¡¯t ask me out, everyone in our small town accepted whatever was between us was marriage material, even though we both knew there was nothing. There could never be anything. And so, I waited for his expression to relax and his testosterone level to drop before I continued.

    ¡°I¡¯ll text you later, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to do anything tonight. My parents are getting back later and we have to have the whole, ¡®what happens now¡¯ talk,¡± I sighed, afraid of the future conversation and the consequences it would have on my life.

    ¡°Oh that¡¯s right,¡± Tristan laughed. ¡°I almost forgot the future of mankind now rests on your shoulders.¡± He released my hands and pulled me into a completely friendly, but disgustingly sweaty hug. I laughed against his chest, thankful he could take everything in stride. ¡°But you¡¯ll text me later?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I agreed. ¡°Now get off of me, you¡¯re so gross!¡±

    Tristan let go of me and we gathered our warm ups to slip on before crawling back through the locker room window and out into the late winter afternoon. Seth stayed silent until the two of us were alone again in the beat up Jeep that still needed to get them home.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I like him,¡± Seth admitted as he watched Tristan¡¯s big white pickup pull out of the parking lot.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where I went wrong,¡± I sighed. ¡°I was sure you two would be best friends.¡±

    Seth laughed too at that, a deep, throaty laughed that made me smile even wider. ¡°It probably has something to do with that pretty blonde head of yours.¡±

    Knowing he was right, but not wanting to admit it, I threw my arm out to smack Seth in the chest. He reached up to block me, and nearly dropped the door that he still held firmly in place next to him, since it no longer stayed connected to the vehicle. We both started laughing and what blossomed between us was more than a new friendship, but a well-rooted trust that was solidly planted in the base of our souls. We were partners now; this world needed us both if it was to survive. And likewise, we needed each other if we hoped for the same fate.

    Chapter Five

    My parents were already home and sitting at the kitchen table with Jupiter when Seth and I walked through the back door. The early sunset left the outside world dark by the time we drove home and I couldn¡¯t help but feel chills of the Darkness nearby. I convinced myself that since Seth seemed unbothered, they were in my imagination and nothing more. I had been shaken up the night before, and that¡¯s all.

    Once inside the kitchen, I left all fears of impending doom behind me and ran for my parents, thankful they were once again home safe from one of their missions. My father stood up first, enveloping me in his muscular arms and holding me tightly to him. Micah Day, whose name meant Angel of the Divine Plan, was one of the fiercest Angelic Warriors alive. He stood towering over me at 6¡¯5 and because of his muscular frame and chiseled, god-like face seemed invincible to not just humans, but many Angels alike. He was an intimidating man to meet, and an ironic contrast to many of the other farmers in the area who were aging and overweight from spending too much time sitting on combines and eating too many steak and potato dinners. He did his best to hide his stature by wearing thin-framed glasses and keeping his light brown hair slightly askew, but I knew the Clark Kent rouse only confused humans.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry we left you Stella-bean,¡± he apologized huskily in my ear.

    I shivered, trying to stop the sob that threatened to explode from me. I hadn¡¯t taken the time to really think last night through, and hadn¡¯t really wanted to. But hearing the fear in my father¡¯s voice sent reality crashing around me, clattering to the floor of my stomach and vibrating through me.

    ¡°I¡¯m Ok,¡± I promised, lifting my head bravely to meet my father¡¯s pale blue eyes, the same ones I had.

    ¡°I know,¡± he sighed with the resign of a father knowing he was raising her daughter for Fate¡¯s purpose.

    ¡°My turn,¡± Celina Day announced, me from my father and into her own loving arms.

    I was obviously Celina¡¯s daughter. There was no question when we stood next to each other. Our golden blonde hair fell in the same curled-at-the-end waves, and our slightly upturned noses, and full mouths reflected each other like mirror images. Our only striking difference was the color of our eyes, where I had inherited my father¡¯s ice-blue color, Celina¡¯s glowed a deep gold that matched the color of her hair and skin; she masked the oddity of their color with contacts when on this planet, but having just returned from a mission they glowed with the light buried inside of her. She had been a Sun elsewhere in the universe, with a whole galaxy of planets in her charge, before duty called her to Earth and her husband, to raise her baby to inherit the responsibility of the Earth.

    Stars and Warriors were the lowest level of angelic beings. They¡¯re base was on the lowest level of Heaven, but their task to protect life kept them mostly away from home. Rarely did a Warrior and Star actually get to spend significant amount of time together, but instead chose to procreate in responsibility to their race. Boys were born Warriors, and girls were born Stars, although the titles merely differentiated jobs and genders, both sexes were capable of the same fetes of supernatural.

    My own parents had been chosen for Earth because of their great skill in battle, and their relatively human-esque looks. It was important for a Star raised in the human world to look like a human, meaning her hair color needed to be one of the natural colors of Earth and the same with eyes. Since I had blonde hair and blue eyes, I fit the qualifications perfectly; pair my looks with the genealogy of battle-success in my family and I was an obvious choice for Earth.

    Not that I wasn¡¯t still a little freaked out by my future¡­. but at least the Elders had faith in me.

    I knew Seth was chosen for the same reason, but his parents had been killed when he was still young, probably in battle. Celina and Micah still had responsibilities to their battalions, and although they were allowed to fight together, they could not stay on Earth for long periods of time without being called back to fight. That was something Seth and I would never experience, we would never be called from this planet, never fight amongst our fellow Stars, never feel the emptiness of space or the thrill of battle formations.

    But we did have hope. Hope that the forces of heaven would stand against the evil of hell and win; that our fellow Stars would light up the universe and keep the Darkness at bay and that the Fallen would not get the chance to turn this planet into a desolate feeding ground like every other planet that once inhabited the expanse of space. Only Earth remained. And only Seth and I had been charged to protect it on the frontlines of battle.

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± my mom interrupted my thoughts and pulled me back to the kitchen.

    ¡°What it will be like to be the Protector,¡± I mumbled truthfully.

    ¡°Sit down, we need to talk about that,¡± my dad directed, putting a strong hand on my shoulder. I sat down next to my mom, while my dad took his seat at the head of the table. Seth and Jupiter sat silently across from us, waiting patiently for the conversation to begin. ¡°Seth, it¡¯s good to meet you by the way,¡± my dad reached out a hand to Seth and the two Warriors met with hands clasped tightly against each other¡¯s forearms. ¡°I¡¯m Micah, and this is my wife, Celina.¡±

    ¡°Pleasure to meet you,¡± Seth replied respectfully.

    ¡°We were just talking about your futures,¡± my dad confessed, looking at Jupiter before continuing. ¡°What happened with Nisroc and Sidra was unexpected. The Elders are¡­. concerned that there is a spy in their midst. Besides the Elders themselves and Jupiter, no other Warrior or Star knew the whereabouts of their hideout, not even the Stars closest to Earth.¡±

    ¡°Callisto,¡± Jupiter spat and it sounded very much like a curse word. ¡°Then it is what we suspected, a spy is the only reasonable explanation,¡± Jupiter growled.

    ¡°We cannot be for sure, but yes, it does look like that. It would explain how they found Stella too,¡± my dad finished gravely, glancing at me with the regret only a father could hold.

    ¡°So, what is the plan?¡± Seth asked, more meekly than I had ever heard him talk. He lifted his eyes to meet mine and they were etched with concern. This wasn¡¯t how things were supposed to happen, or how the Elders planned our purpose on Earth.

    ¡°To stay put,¡± Micah said firmly, which caused every eye to turn to him. ¡°The Elders have decided that to move Stella now would be a sign of weakness. She has not received the fullness of her powers yet, but she is still a threat to the Darkness. If we move now, there is no guarantee they won¡¯t follow us and we have built lives here, this is the fulfillment of the plan, we cannot give up on it now. Seth, you and Jupiter will move here too and we will finish your training together. You might have already guessed this part, but it¡¯s more crucial than ever that you two stay together and learn to fight together and protect each other. Until Stella and Seth turn eighteen, the Elders have sent a replacement Star, Serena and her Warrior, Nathaniel. They will carry out your duties until you two finish high school and Stella receives the last of her abilities at eighteen.¡±

 Page 11

    ¡°But what about-¡°I jumped in impatiently.

    ¡°We¡¯ll keep them safe,¡± my father comforted me, knowing I was asking about the people living near us. ¡°The Darkness knows where you live now, but you will be protected. Serena and Nathaniel will always be near, and your mother and I have been relieved from our posts for now. We aren¡¯t going to leave you anymore.¡± My dad¡¯s eyes darkened with determination and I knew better than to argue with him.

    I worried about my friends, about the innocent people living in this area, but my father was right. They would be protected, possibly more so now than they ever were before.

    ¡°And we will start training right away,¡± Jupiter offered, but I didn¡¯t think he was trying to comfort me. ¡°Of course, we will have to figure out living arrangements. Surely there is something around here for us to procure. Maybe even in town?¡± he continued, the word ¡°town¡± coming out of his mouth dripping in heavy sarcasm.

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± my dad agreed, ¡°although you will probably do better to find a place out here. You could use several acres of property to train on. In fact, I know of a place that is for rent not that far from here. I¡¯ll call the owner now, and see if it¡¯s still available.¡±

    My dad and Jupiter stood up from the table to follow the lead on possible housing. I looked at Seth who was deep in thought and wondered what life would be like now.

    ¡°Seth, have you ever been to public school before?¡± my mom asked, breaking the settled silence.

    ¡°Not properly,¡± Seth admitted, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°Jupiter taught me at home.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll do fine,¡± she reassured him. ¡°Mead has a small high school and it¡¯s easy to navigate. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have no trouble fitting in. Don¡¯t you think, Stella?¡±

    ¡°Nope, no trouble at all,¡± I laughed, appraising Seth¡¯s perfect features again and thinking about the poor female population at Mead who would have to put up with an Angel among them on a daily basis.

    ¡°And Stella knows everybody, she can help you make friends,¡± my mom continued, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips as her thoughts went in the same direction as mine.

    ¡°That¡¯s because everybody knows everybody,¡± I reminded my mother dryly. Small town life did not exactly grant anonymity and in a town with little more than five hundred people, it was hard to not get to know everybody.

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± she sighed as she stood up from the table. ¡°And that reminds me, I¡¯m in charge of the bake sale for this Friday night¡¯s games.¡±

    ¡°We just got back from a mission,¡± my dad reminded her as he and Jupiter reentered the kitchen. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take tonight off from Booster Club duties? At least wash the blood off your hands before you attempt an apple pie,¡± he joked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any blood on my hands,¡± my mom swatted at her husband, laughing along with him. ¡°And you know they stopped letting me bake a long time ago! I just have to make sure everyone else is bringing something homemade.¡±

    ¡°From fighting to organizing farm-wives, are you sure you¡¯re ready for this kind of life, Seth?¡± My dad turned his twinkling blue eyes on my Counterpart, more worried about him dealing with human life than the forces of Darkness.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to have to organize bake sales, am I?¡± Seth choked out, half panicked.

    ¡°Only if you want to,¡± I laughed.

    ¡°I won¡¯t. I won¡¯t want to,¡± Seth assured me, a slow smiling turning his lips upward as he realized my dad was joking.

    ¡°Well, if you change your mind, just let us know,¡± I winked at him, the second wink in my life ever. What was wrong with me! Why did Seth being around make my eyes all twitchy? ¡°Ok, I need a shower!¡± I announced, stretching my arms over my head.

    ¡°And we are going to go look at this property,¡± My dad announced, concluding that their meeting was over. ¡°Do you want to come Seth?¡±

    ¡°Do I have time for a shower?¡± he asked.

    ¡°A quick one,¡± Jupiter offered, sounding very parental. ¡°And Stella, you should know, training starts tomorrow morning. You need to be down here by 6:30 and we¡¯ll make good use of your father¡¯s fields.¡±

    ¡°Sounds fun,¡± I replied, not really sure if I was excited or terrified. A part of me longed to learn how to wield weapons and answer the innate call inside of me to fight, but the other part of me, the part that was raised in a human world and was already wary of Jupiter¡¯s gruff demeanor, wondered exactly what I was about to get myself into.

    ¡°It will be fun,¡± Seth encouraged me, noticing the apprehension work its way across my forehead. ¡°Weapons are the best part of this whole thing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it,¡± I smiled down at him, feeling relieved that Seth would be there with me.

    I walked upstairs putting aside my fears for tomorrow and sent a quick text to Tristan telling him he could come over after all. I had expected more information to be covered in our meeting, but I wondered if my parents and Jupiter kept it short because there wasn¡¯t much more information than what we covered.

    A spy had worked their way inside the Council of Elders before, but not in a very long time, several dead planets ago if I remembered right. It was hard to imagine now though, with all of the security precautions and the way the Elders kept tabs on their current army, how a spy could slip past their wall of defenses. It would have had to be someone embedded deep inside their ranks for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. And they would have had to be very patient to wait all this time.

    I wondered why now though? Why would they attack Sidra now? And if they killed her, why hadn¡¯t they gone after me the same way? Even if they were unsure if I was the next Protector, a human life meant nothing to them, why hadn¡¯t they just killed me to be safe?

    There were more questions than there were answers, and I had to trust the Elders to get to the bottom of this quickly, even working with a spy amongst them. I shuddered at the thought of not feeling safe anymore. Could I trust a compromised board of elderly Angels? I didn¡¯t have much of a choice, but suddenly their lack of interest in how I was raised became a concern. Maybe it wasn¡¯t so much that my parents were doing things right after all, but a concentrated effort by the spy among the Elders to keep me unprepared.

    A few deep breaths later, I decided there was nothing I could do about my past training, but there was something I could do tomorrow and that was to get caught up as quickly as possible. I trusted Seth and Jupiter was growing on me, so all that was left was for me to throw herself into my training and trust the God-given genes and instincts I had been born with.

    Shutting my mind off from my Star duties for the night, I showered quickly, relishing in the heat of the water and blow-dried my hair. I had just thrown baggy sweatpants and a red long-sleeved volleyball t-shirt courtesy of Mead High on when there was a tap on my window. I finished getting dressed by pulling on some long wool socks, some hard-soled slippers and some mittens before climbing out my bedroom window on to the flat roof and sitting down next to Tristan.

    ¡°Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight,¡± he teased softly, as we snuggled up next to each other for warmth.

    ¡°Stop it right now,¡± I warned, unable to keep the smile off my face.

    ¡°What?¡± Tristan asked innocently. He was dressed almost identically to me in baggy sweatpants and a red, Mead hooded-sweatshirt. He had a black stocking cap pulled over his shaved head and thick gloves that he used when he went snowboarding on trips to Colorado.

    ¡°At least it wasn¡¯t Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,¡± I admitted, warming us both up with my inner heat that radiated softly from me, even when I wasn¡¯t glowing.

    ¡°Everything¡¯s going to change now isn¡¯t it?¡± Tristan asked, the tone of his voice changing dramatically. He was rarely serious except on his respective sports fields and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from looking up into his forest green eyes and wanting to falsely reassure him.

    But I couldn¡¯t. I could never lie to him.

    ¡°Yes, everything is going to change,¡± I recalled my own thoughts only a few minutes ago and settled deeper next to him. ¡°The Darkness has never launched an attack like that before, at least on Earth. We are suddenly playing with a different rulebook; I¡¯m not sure what will happen next.¡±

    ¡°I meant, between us,¡± Tristan sighed. I glanced over at him and the lines of his forehead at tightened. I knew it stressed him out when I talked about my future, he worried too much. But now he was stressing me out talking about our present.

    ¡°Why would things change between us?¡± I asked, pinpricks of anxiety lifting the hairs on the back of my neck.

    ¡°Stella, we can¡¯t stay best friends forever. You have bad guys to fight, and I have farms to¡­. farm,¡± he laughed at the way his life sounded stacked next to mine.

    ¡°We can stay best friends forever,¡± I replied seriously. ¡°Or are you unclear with what ¡°BFF¡± means?¡± I nudged him with my shoulder and he laughed. ¡°Obviously we need those necklaces.¡±

    ¡°What necklaces?¡± Tristan asked.

    ¡°You know those ones you give to your friends in elementary? Like it¡¯s usually a heart broken in two and one side says ¡°best¡± and the other side says ¡°friend.¡± And you give it to your best friend so that everyone knows where you stand.¡± I explained.

    ¡°No, I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. I don¡¯t think guys are ever supposed to give each other necklaces.¡± Tristan grunted.

    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t just give them. You also give them back when you decide you don¡¯t want to be best friends with that person anymore. It¡¯s a very emotionally involved process,¡± I joked, remembering how serious elementary life was once upon a time. I wondered if I would feel the same way about high school in a few years.

    ¡°That sounds mean,¡± Tristan observed playfully.

    ¡°Well, girls can sometimes be mean,¡± I admitted.

    ¡°I would never give your necklace back,¡± Tristan assured me with mock-seriousness.

    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re not a girl,¡± I agreed.

    ¡°True,¡± Tristan laughed. ¡°So nothing¡¯s going to change?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± I promised. ¡°We will always be best friends.¡±

    A pause hung in the air between us. There was both promise and prophecy in that statement and I took the moment to reflect. We sat huddled next to each other, I was trying to keep Tristan as warm as possible without lighting completely up. We sat staring at the wide open sky, like we had on so many other nights. I could name all the constellations, even though I referred to them as battle formations and I could name almost all the closest Stars by name.

    Tristan could sit by me for hours listening to the mystery of the heavens being revealed to him. I wondered if he was the only human on Earth with this secret knowledge and then wondered if he was crazy for taking me seriously. But he would never doubt me; he cared about me way too much.

 Page 12

    As a friend.

    The world stood gazing at the sky, naming age-old constellations and seeing only balls of gas and light spread across the expanse of the universe. I saw fellow fighters, protecting the last remaining vestige of life. Stars were spread across the universe in endless beacons of life, warding off the Darkness that crowded every remaining space. Where the light could not or did not touch there was Darkness. Humanity saw the physical properties of space, and I saw the metaphysical, a completely different, separate but the same, spiritual world. The blackness of space was not all emptiness, but an ancient evil that would annihilate Earth as willingly as it had all the other planets and claim victory over the solar systems.

    As long as there was life, there would be Darkness. And as long as there was Darkness, the Light would protect that life with everything it possessed. The life on Earth would never be left to fight the Darkness alone.

    ¡°Ok, so tell me more about the Darkness,¡± Tristan broke into my thoughts, pulling me out of myself. ¡°Tell me what to expect.¡±

    ¡°What to expect?¡± I thought about his question, how to explain it to a human for a minute before responding. ¡°It¡¯s everywhere. Not just in the night, but everywhere. The Darkness is the evil that invades mankind and tries to consume the last of life from this universe,¡± I explained ominously and Tristan swallowed the rising lump in his throat. ¡°You understand the concept of evil, well that is the Darkness. They are synonymous. I don¡¯t know a better way of explaining it to you.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s what you fought last night, like pure unadulterated evil?¡± Tristan asked and I nodded. ¡°So those Shadow-things, that¡¯s what the Darkness is?¡± he tried to understand. No¡­. he tried to comprehend.

    ¡°Well, yes, they are part of the Darkness. When I say that, I mean it more as a concept I guess. So there are the Shadows, they are literally¡­. shadows¡­. and they are what influences mankind. They can do small amounts of destruction and what not, but they aren¡¯t super dangerous unless they arrive in flocks like they did last night. They weren¡¯t enough to really harm me, but if there would have been humans around then the Shadows could have hurt them. And then there are the Fallen. They are Angels, or were once Angels¡­. It¡¯s like, Ok, you know the story of Lucifer, and how he was cast out of Heaven and a third of the Angels were sent with him, right?¡±

    ¡°Like, from the Bible?¡± Tristan clarified.

    ¡°Yes, right, from the Bible,¡± I agreed, glad I didn¡¯t¡¯ have to go over that. Tristan went to church with Annabelle most of the time, but I didn¡¯t know how close he listened. ¡°Ok, so those Angles that make up his followers were the original Fallen. Lucifer is obviously the main bad guy, but over time he has added a lot more to his following.¡±

    ¡°You mean Angels still fall from heaven?¡± Tristan asked, deciding he couldn¡¯t take any more of this seriously. He trusted me, but I knew this was weird.

    ¡°Yes, absolutely. Like you, we have free will. Even if we¡¯re born as an Angel, it doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t become part of the Fallen,¡± I said solemnly. I had heard too many stories of Angels being brought over to the evil side of the war to know better than believe it couldn¡¯t happen. ¡°My dad says that every species is called to both the light and the dark, to goodness and to evil, it¡¯s how we live our lives that decide who our hearts choose to follow.¡±

    ¡°Deep, Stel,¡± Tristan teased sarcastically, nudging me with his shoulder.

    ¡°My dad said it, not me,¡± I defended herself. ¡°Anyway, the Fallen are the Angels that choose to serve Lucifer. They look just like Angels, even can behave like us, but they are obviously evil.¡±

    ¡°Creepy,¡± Tristan shuddered, feeling a chill creep up his spine. ¡°So not even you can tell the difference?¡±

    No one on Earth would guess I wasn¡¯t human unless they had seen me glow. The thought that the same kind of species walked around Earth bent on destroying every last living life completely undetectable to the human eye raised the hairs on my arms, and churned my stomach uneasily.

    ¡°Well, I can tell that they¡¯re not human. I have this like supernatural sense that lets me know when something is different¡­. but if they were acting normal, or good, or whatever then you couldn¡¯t necessarily tell that they were Fallen,¡± I explained, thinking again to the spy who had infiltrated the Elders.

    ¡°Ok, what else?¡± Tristan shifted uncomfortably, wanting to move on.

    ¡°Um¡­. so Lucifer is like the main bad guy, but he has a universe of evil to run, so there are other lesser Angels that do his bidding on planet.¡±

    ¡°So they really are trying to destroy Earth. This isn¡¯t like a movie, this is real?¡± Tristan smiled cynically.

    ¡°Definitely, this is real, this is probably as real as it gets. Earth is the last planet with life; the Darkness has taken all the others. If Earth falls, the Darkness wins.¡± I finished matter of fact.

    ¡°You got a big job ahead of you, Stel,¡± Tristan put a reassuring arm around my shoulders.

    ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t remind me,¡± I sighed, leaning into him and relishing in his comfort. I laid my head down on his shoulder and tried to repress the insecurities bubbling up inside of me.

    ¡°If anyone can do it, it¡¯s you,¡± Tristan squeezed me and pulled me closer to him.

    ¡°Tristan, I¡¯m sixteen. I haven¡¯t even picked up a sword yet! How am I supposed to protect all of mankind from all of the forces of evil?¡± I tried to swallow them, but my fears fell from my mouth before I could stop them. I was supposed to be courageous and confident¡­. insecurity was only fuel for my enemies.

    ¡°A sword? Stella that is so hot! Like Princess Leia hot!¡± Tristan teased, deflating the tension buzzing around my head and lessening those disabling fears for a few moments.

    ¡°Oh my gosh, shut up!¡± I shrieked, elbowing him in the ribs.

    Comfortable silence fell between us and the rest of our time was spent watching the Stars overhead. There was a lot to worry about, a lot to think about for both of us, but together it seemed like we could conquer it all.

    Chapter Six

    ¡°Morning, sunshine,¡± Seth called to me as I trudged my way through three feet of snow to meet him.

    I mumbled something incoherent in reply and pushed my boots through the thick snow to meet Seth and Jupiter in the middle of one of my father¡¯s fields. I was warm enough with my inner light creating a haze of warmth around me, but I still clung to my thermos of hot chocolate as if it were an indispensable life-line.

    Jupiter stood in the middle of the field, hands poised in an intricate and very involved Tai Chi pose. His eyes were closed and his face scrunched in deep meditation. His legs held a wide stance and his outstretched arms progressed slowly in precise movements and in perfect sync with his torso. He paid me no attention.

    Swords of all different shapes and sizes lay littered on top of the snow. Seth stood, with barely contained energy, in athletic shorts and a cut-off t-shirt. His biceps glistened against the morning sun with the warmth of his glow illuminating him in a soft haze. He clenched and unclenched his fists excitedly and bounced on his toes as if weapons training were the most exciting thing in life to him.

    I joined Seth, still recovering from little sleep the night before. I didn¡¯t doubt I would work myself awake but training made me nervous. I knew I would learn how to use all of the different weapons and sooner than later a sword would feel like a natural extension of my body, but I was late getting started. Seth had been using swords forever, and he was an obviously skilled fighter. I pictured him as a toddler with little baby-sized daggers instead of chew toys. I on the other hand, had a fantastic jump shot, a killer spike and a spot on shot on goal from eighteen yards out, however that wasn¡¯t much to use against the Darkness, unless of course I challenged them to a game of Horse.

    This day had been a long time coming, but with the start of today was some seriously added pressure in that I only had a year and a half to learn everything there was to learn about being the Protector of Earth and become the skilled fighter I was supposed to be¡­. destined to be.

    That wasn¡¯t a whole lot of time.

    I looked out at my father¡¯s fields that rolled on for acres. The sun was just rising over the eastern hills and casting long shadows on the crisp and untouched snow. My footsteps followed Seth¡¯s and Jupiter¡¯s but other than our boot prints, the only other indentation made in the vast purity of white were animal tracks near the edges of trees that lined the property.

    I decided there had never been anything more pure, more clean¡­. more wholesome. The ground glistened against the rays of the sun, sparkling like diamonds in the light of the morning. This ground, even though frozen, felt like me, symbolized my cause. A shudder trickled down my spine as I thought of how the Darkness would destroy this, take this pure beauty away from Earth and swallow the goodness whole.

    I also wondered how training this morning would affect my father¡¯s planting come spring.

    ¡°Let us begin,¡± Jupiter called from where he stood with eyes still closed and palms still outstretched.

    ¡°Are you ready for this?¡± Seth asked me, his smile widening impossibly at the corners of his full mouth.

    ¡°Of course I am,¡± I groaned dryly, not willing to give in to my fears, but clearly not ready for any of this. ¡°You¡¯ll go easy on me right? It¡¯s my first day and all¡­.¡± I reminded him, hoping for some sympathy.

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Seth conceded. ¡°But I don¡¯t like to lose.¡±

    I laughed, believing him. ¡°Me either,¡± I confessed, taking the challenge.

    ¡°Seth, why don¡¯t you take the broadsword,¡± Jupiter instructed.

    ¡°Ah, man,¡± Seth grumbled. ¡°You know I prefer the cutlass.¡±

    ¡°Which one is the broadsword?¡± I asked, taking a few steps forward to examine the weapons collection glinting brilliantly against the snow.

    Seth picked up a sword, medium-sized in length and with a heavy hilt. He held it out for me to take and I nearly dropped it, not expecting that kind of weight. I caught my awed reflection mirrored in the shiny, deadly blade as I lifted it with both hands. I handed it back to Seth and then took a step back automatically when he began to swing it around his body as if getting to know the weapon in some intimate way I didn¡¯t quite understand yet.

    ¡°And which one is the cutlass?¡± I asked out of honest curiosity.

    Jupiter pointed to a longer, thinner sword that thickened at the end and rounded to a half moon point. I stared at it for a moment, trying to place why it seemed familiar.

    ¡°That¡¯s a pirate sword!¡± I exclaimed when the movie-marathon from the other night was recalled in my mind.

    ¡°Argh,¡± Seth grunted, sending me a sideways glance and an amused smile.

    ¡°Stella you take the two-handed claymore and we¡¯ll start with some basic technical movements,¡± Jupiter instructed, not even pretending to move forward to help me find my assigned blade.

    I sighed while examining the collection in front of me. I hadn¡¯t even realized, prior to five minutes ago, that so many different types of swords existed, let alone that they all had a different name. I had held my father¡¯s battle sword before, but that was more like the one that Seth held now. Micah¡¯s sword was a piece from heaven though, brandished in the lowest level and meant for the wars fought in other realms. His glowed with heavenly light, the same way the user did and was tasked with defending its Angel Warrior until the death.

 Page 13

    These swords were manmade and meant for practice and fighting battles on Earth. They would do the job that my father¡¯s would, if I was ever called to fight with them, but they weren¡¯t nearly as cool. After all they didn¡¯t glow.

    I took a tentative step forward, toward a sword with a hilt made like a cross. The blade rounded like the end of the pirate sword only from hilt to tip like a long crescent. Watching out of the corner of his eye, Seth cleared his throat, and tilted his head discretely to the left.

    ¡°That, young Star, is a shamshir, and not what I asked you to pick up,¡± Jupiter reprimanded me, noticing my hand drop to my side at Seth¡¯s warning. Jupiter bent down and picked up a sword with the same style of hilt, but with a blade that was straight like Seth¡¯s. I had a hard time telling the difference between Seth¡¯s broadsword and my two-handed claymore at first, but then I noticed the weapon I held was a little smaller and maybe easier to handle for a first-timer.

    Or for a girl.

    Or maybe both.

    Jupiter went on to explain what I already instinctively knew, ¡°This sword is a bit lighter than Seth¡¯s but will match up well when it comes into contact. Although keep in mind that it¡¯s shorter than his, so you will need to give yourself some space. You will need to grip it with both hands, even if it¡¯s lighter than Seth¡¯s, it still has some weight to it. You¡¯ll need both hands to maneuver it properly.¡±

    I had started to realize how heavy it was just while Jupiter was talking. Being a Star, I had access to supernatural strength, but I wouldn¡¯t come fully into my powers until after I turned eighteen. My glow intensified as I let the inner-Star kick in and help wield my weapon.

    I gripped the leather-wrapped handle with both hands and held the sword in front of me, staring it down as if I could will its power into my abilities without having to struggle through the hard work and blood, sweat and tears part. But nothing happened. The doubled-edged blade stared back at me waiting for me to make the first move, not the other way around.

    Seth stepped forward, holding his weapon in front of him and slinking down into a crouched-ready-for-action position. I mimicked his pose, sinking back into my thighs, but staying alert on the balls of my feet, letting instinct lead the way. A smile played at the corners of Seth¡¯s mouth, and his eyes twinkled devilishly. I couldn¡¯t help but get distracted by the perfect lines of his jaw and the way his shoulders flexed with his readiness. It didn¡¯t seem fair that I should have to train with an Angel¡­. maybe there was an uglier version of a training partner available?

    ¡°Seth, make first contact, but tread carefully for now,¡± Jupiter instructed.

    All I had time to do was swallow my anxiety and brace my body in preparation for the hit. I moved my arms into my preparing for the impact before reaching my sword out to meet Seth¡¯s in a swift, aggressive motion. Pride would not let me just hold a weapon and wait for the hit to come. Seth met my blade in the air, a little shocked by the force from my end and our two deadly weapons met with clanging clarity.

    I stepped back with one foot, stabilizing my body that felt like it was wobbling right along with the metal in my hand. I was shocked at how jarred I felt after just one hit, it was as if the hilt of the sword connected straight to my bones and felt the full strength of Seth¡¯s swing.

    Still, I couldn¡¯t stop the smile from spreading across my lips as I realized how good combat felt. I liked to believe, being a Star, a lesser Angel, that I was made up of only good things. But the instinctive thirst to swing my sword again whispered otherwise. Blood thirsty wasn¡¯t a word I was ready to throw around just yet, but I was created for battle, destined for war, I could learn to love this new aspect of my life.

    Easily.

    Before Jupiter could instruct me further, I took the initiative and parted the locked weapons, noticing with satisfaction that Seth had become comfortable and had to adjust by taking a quick step forward. I raised my hands again and met Seth¡¯s blade in the space between them with crashing finality. Seth was quick to recover and an almost criminal expression lit up his face.

    I stretched my Warrior instincts further and met Seth blow for blow, the quickness in my step and swiftness of my hands attributed to my supernatural origins. Our swords clashed between us as our feet made arching circles in the now disheveled snow-laden field.

    I knew I had limitations. Beyond a friendly back and forth, I wasn¡¯t prepared to make an all-out attack on Seth and the muscles in my shoulders and arms had already started to burn with the unfamiliar movements. But it felt good to get a sense for the weapon in my hand and I ached for the time when it would be second nature. That is until Seth stepped forward as if to strike at me and then at the last minute leapt into the air, flipped over my head and landed with his sword at the base of my throat. He stood close behind me, pressing me against his body with his sword at my neck and his arm wrapped around my stomach.

    Stunned and in jealous awe, I dropped my sword and raised my hands in the air.

    ¡°You win!¡± I squeaked. The heat of his body pressed against my back and I relaxed my head against his shoulder, promising that it was just to get further away from his sword.

    ¡°Ah, you give up too easily,¡± Seth laughed in my ear, with a low, husky chuckle. He removed the sword from my neck and released me so I could pick up my discarded blade.

    ¡°Only the first time,¡± I promised back.

    ¡°It only takes one time to get yourself killed,¡± Jupiter ground out grumpily from his place a few yards away. ¡°Again,¡± he commanded.

    I readied my body again, and this time when Seth¡¯s sword came at my head, I was quicker to defend myself. I let natural instinct take over and met his blows time after time with matched strength. I could tell he was going easy on me, letting me find my way around a battle field, but the feeling of power and strength was intoxicating, even at a beginner¡¯s level.

    Jupiter would stop us occasionally to critique my stance or hold, or technique and every great once in a while to reprimand Seth about his own performance. But for the most part, I learned what worked for me through trial and error. Expert skill would come with practice and use, but basic technique was something I had been born with.

    Seth moved around me with the talent of a trained Warrior. His feet danced across the frozen ground, even buried up to his shins in snow. His sword moved easily from one hand to the next just as effortlessly as when he used both hands to wield it. The power and strength in his arms seemed to be endless, and the muscles in his arms from shoulder to wrist flexed with each movement he made and promised to be a serious threat when put to real use. He could jump, and flip and maneuver out of danger in a cacophony of acrobatic moves that made me excited to continue my training and just the tiniest bit jealous. He had to be the best of his kind for his age. I had no doubt. I had watched my father train before, in the same ways that we were now, and I knew that Seth shouldn¡¯t be as good as my dad was for his age. I knew Seth shouldn¡¯t already rival my father for skill.

    But he did.

    And he was shining magnificently with the effort of it.

    Human boys could always be just as attractive as Warriors on the surface, but when Seth radiated from the core of his being the true power he held inside, there was something so brilliant and intoxicating about him I found myself way too distracted and way too often staring at him; I could only describe him as beautiful. His already golden skin shined with warmth, there was a glow of light surrounding him and the pupils of his eyes lit up with the thrill of the challenge.

    We worked like that for hours, so I could get acquainted with the huge arsenal of swords. Jupiter let me get the handle on the difference in a double-edged blade and a single, or a two-handed sword and a single without too many impatient outbursts. I was a bit clumsy, and more than a little slow, but I was getting the concepts and the movements. Seth was an easy partner to work with; he knew the weapon so intimately that every one of his calculated movements was thought out to allow for my beginner¡¯s instincts. He was careful with me, instructive but also protective. I admired that about him, his willingness to teach me and not just train with me, but his inability to put me in harm¡¯s way. Although there was a fight inside of me that hungered for a little danger.

    ¡°You have a long way to go,¡± Jupiter interrupted a back and forth battle between the two of us that had gotten competitively aggressive.

    Seth and I slowed our forward attempts and backed away respectfully. I caught my breath, and wiped my wet brow with the back of my hand. I had been using all of my supernatural strength to stay in step with Seth, but still he seemed unbeatable. Even now, only one bead of sweat trickled from his hair line down his temple and I inwardly cursed him for remaining so perfect. He probably didn¡¯t even feel the uncomfortable burning in his shoulder blades or the Jell-O-like feeling of his arms.

    ¡°But she¡¯s not as bad as you expected her to be,¡± Seth chimed in, his eyes glinting mischief at me.

    I didn¡¯t know whether to be offended or elated.

    ¡°No, she¡¯s not. But she¡¯s not as good as I wanted her to be either,¡± Jupiter scoffed.

    That time I knew exactly how to be offended.

    ¡°This practice is good for you if and when you face a Fallen. They are like you, they are flesh and blood and will need to be killed the same way you would destroy a man. Hand to hand combat will be very similar to Seth, only they will not be nearly as nice or forgiving. They will expect a skilled fighter and when you are presented to them as the opposite, they will murder you,¡± Jupiter explained and his words hung in the cold, still air like a death sentence.

    ¡°They will not get close to her while I am around,¡± Seth growled from across the circle we had been working in. His most basic instinct was to protect me and I breathed a bit deeper knowing that Jupiter¡¯s warning came with a clause. The Fallen would murder me if they could get to me.

    Jupiter made a gruff grunting noise and changed the subject, ¡°Shadows however, are not flesh and blood; not even when they manipulate our eyes. They are and will always remain part of the Darkness. Fighting them is less of a thrusting, side-stepping affair and more of a constant swinging of your sword. If you make contact with them, the only way to successfully destroy them is to slice them in half at the place where their life¡¯s blood beats. I would call it a heart, but to attribute them with a feeling organ is to give them far too much credit.¡±

    I waited quietly for Jupiter to continue, but after he remained silent with his eyes locked on me I decided he was waiting for me to demonstrate what I hadn¡¯t realized were instructions. ¡°So, like this?¡± I asked while swinging my arms back and forth in front of me. I quit when I realized my motion seemed more like Zorro marking a tree with his initials than an Angel putting evil to death.

    ¡°No, not like that,¡± Jupiter shook his head, clearly discouraged.

    ¡°It¡¯s more like this,¡± Seth offered. He had exchanged his broadsword for the cutlass he was apparently fond of and took a step forward into the circle of tousled snow we made together.

    Seth swung his arms around his body, both hands gripped firmly on the hilt of his curved sword, in effortless, beautiful motions that reminded me more of a dance than a fight. His arms swung overhead and behind him before he brought them powerfully but efficiently to his side and then back and then to his other side. He moved his feet in quick, easy steps, kicking up snow in short bursts of blizzard white-outs that he would step through thrusting his sword forward at the same time.

 Page 14

    I consciously closed my mouth, afraid that it hung open in awe of the intricacy of his skill. Seth never stopped moving his sword; it flew in every direction with precision and ease, he tossed it around behind him and over his head and back and forth catching it as easily as if it were a baton. His brow furrowed together, wrinkling in between his thoughtful eyebrows, his biceps stayed flexed and his feet danced around the snow as if his steps were well-rehearsed and choreographed. His eyes glanced up at me once, and they twinkled with excitement and concentration.

    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what you meant,¡± I remarked a little out of breath when Seth slowed down and ended his performance.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s what I said,¡± Jupiter corrected me, not even trying to mask the tone of irritation that accompanied his words.

    ¡°Shadows can come at you from every way, and depending on the situation there can be hundreds of them attacking you all at the same time,¡± Seth explained more gently. ¡°They do not have fear or restraint, so they will not stop. It is one constant action of attack. That is why your sword cannot stop moving either. Did you notice how I swung the sword in every direction, even behind me although I couldn¡¯t see necessarily what I would be hitting?¡± I nodded my head. ¡°That is because I don¡¯t have time to find them, I just have to instinctively know that they are either there already or they will be shortly. The sword cannot stop moving. You must make every single swing a kill shot, or their attack on you will drive you mad or be the end of you,¡± Seth finished seriously and all I could do was swallow the lump in my throat and stare at Seth as he demonstrated the movements again.

    ¡°Every shot has to be a kill shot?¡± I asked tentatively, wondering if it was possible to get that good. Ever.

    ¡°Only if you want to live,¡± Jupiter chimed back in. I turned my attention to him and bit my bottom lip to keep from retaliating something equally as sarcastic. ¡°The difference between Shadows and Fallen though, are that Shadows are not natural beings of creation. God did not create them; they are a byproduct of the evil the Darkness spreads across the galaxies. Therefore most thrusts of a sword will slide right through that vital organ, as long as you make contact. It is possible to swing too high or too low, but as long as you are swinging you are going to stand a good chance of staying alive.¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s that,¡± I mumbled, readying herself to attempt the movements.

    I gripped my sword, the one that looked like a samurai sword¡­. a katana; I loved how it felt in my hands and the weight that was distributed over it. I began to swing it out in front of me, flicking my wrist around trying to mimic Seth¡¯s movements. My movements felt awkward and ill-timed and when I attempted to swing the blade behind me things turned downright dangerous. More than once Jupiter and Seth had to jump out of the way or risk becoming a discarded Shadow among the remains of my pretend pile of enemies.

    Shadows were supposedly the easier of the two enemies, but I was pretty certain I stood a better chance against the Fallen. At least I didn¡¯t have to worry about hundreds of them advancing on me at once from every direction.

    Or did I?

    I wasn¡¯t actually sure. I hadn¡¯t even heard of a Star getting into an on planet battle with the Third. But I supposed it was possible, if enough of them were organized against Earth.

    I stopped for a moment to realize there were enough of them to organize against Earth. Earth was it, the last planet with life, the last possible place for the Darkness to feed off of save for Heaven itself. So why wouldn¡¯t they be organizing themselves to attack the planet?

    Starting with the one Star sworn to never leave, to protect its inhabitants until there was nothing left to protect.

    My pause caught the attention of my teacher and he stopped midsentence in instructing me to ¡°try not to clomp around like a clown but learn to fight like a ballerina.¡± Moments ago I had wanted to make a joke about Seth being a ballerina, but now all I could think about was that I could be the last Star to take a stand against the entire army of Darkness.

    Or I would live a very, very, very short life and the Elders would send someone else after their careful mission failed.

    Either way, I needed to focus.

    I shook out my head and my eyes found clarity. I looked up at Jupiter who watched me for a second before returning to his lecture. Something passed between us, something deep and connecting. He understood a part of me I didn¡¯t realize was so visible to others until that moment.

    Fear.

    I felt fear. And I knew I wasn¡¯t supposed to.

    Yet it was as if Jupiter was defying all of the history between humans and Angels. There was something in the look he gave me that was proud, that reveled in my ability to be anxious for my future. It was a wise look. A determined look. And even if he never spoke to me politely again, after that moment of clarity, I felt like I understood him a little bit better too.

    ¡°Try it again, Stella,¡± Jupiter commanded, completely back to his old feelings and older ways.

    And I was fine with that. I knew Jupiter was what I needed in a weapons trainer; he was what had to be put in my life. I didn¡¯t have time to be coddled, or given time to feel sorry for myself. I had a planet to protect. It was time to buck up and face the music.

    I just hoped I had time to learn the music before I faced it head on.

    Chapter Seven

    I could feel all eyes on us as we walked into Mead High School on the first day back from winter break. Openly curious students watched us approach my locker with unmasked interest. I knew it wasn¡¯t entirely for me, but the gathering crowd couldn¡¯t keep their eyes off me and my new friend: Seth. They looked back and forth between us, two Angels appointed the duty of walking high school halls until graduation; at which time our fellow students would be off to college and we would battle the forces of Darkness. I sighed and wondered if they could see the other-worldliness transparent between us now that there were two of us.

    Seth seemed completely oblivious to the attention he drew, students and faculty alike assessed him as though he were a new piece of equipment added to our school¡¯s inventory and not a new student with potential feelings. I wondered if he was nervous for his first day of school with humans. He didn¡¯t seem to be, and on the surface had no trouble fitting in with his relaxed jeans and long-sleeved gray polo. The ends of his hair curled in golden tendrils and he walked with his head held high and beaming with confidence.

    I twirled the end of a strand of hair around my finger, knowing there would be backlash for my association with the gorgeous new kid in school, starting with the drooling female population. I didn¡¯t know if females school-wide would hate me for our bizarre relationship or stalk me¡­. but I knew without a doubt Seth would bring me all kinds of trouble.

    ¡°Thanks again for coming back to pick me up this morning,¡± Seth broke my thought train as I unloaded my backpack into my locker. I had to keep shoving things back in it; I was suddenly super embarrassed with Seth watching the tragic disorganization that followed me everywhere.

    ¡°Really, it¡¯s Tristan you should be thanking, he¡¯s the one who drove,¡± I replied, wondering if Seth was more nervous than he let on, since this was the fourth time he thanked me for a ride. ¡°I won¡¯t have basketball practice every morning, but at least this next week since coach wants us ready for our upcoming games. She thinks we get lazy over winter break. But we¡¯ll probably have to carpool with Seth for a while, until my dad decides what to do about my car situation.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully, I¡¯ll get my own car too, soon,¡± Seth leaned back against the adjoining lockers and looked out into the sea of students who still seemed to be watching him openly.

    ¡°Hopefully Jupiter is a little more charitable than my father,¡± I grumbled. The Jeep had been officially totaled, after my dad assured me Seth couldn¡¯t keep holding the door on with his super strength while driving through town. A further discussion of not needing the door really at all had also been negated. But with the death of the Jeep, I knew it would be a long time before I could reinstate my vehicular freedom. Dad wasn¡¯t known for buying things¡­. like anything. He usually preferred to make it.

    ¡°Where we were before, I didn¡¯t need a car, there was plenty of public transportation to get around on. But we also lived in a city¡­. like a real, populated city,¡± Seth explained further and I turned to ask him about what Boston was like, before a bouncing brunette with stylish straight bangs, and extra-large turquoise feather earrings interrupted our conversation.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± she sung, waiting for Seth to move out of her way. She had a little more tact than the rest of the student body in that she didn¡¯t stare at Seth as though he were an animal caged in a zoo, but her lightly freckled nose crinkled in curiosity and her hazel eyes brightened with impatience.

    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± Seth apologized, watching the girls ponytail bob from side to side as she waited.

    ¡°Hi, Pi,¡± I turned toward my female best friend and smiled at her. I knew Piper would have a million questions for me, starting with Seth and ending with where was Tristan, but I also trusted her not to blurt them out immediately.

    ¡°Hey, Stel¡­..¡± she prompted, waiting for an introduction. ¡°Who¡¯s your friend?¡±

    ¡°Piper Cassidy this is Seth¡­. Seth¡­..¡± I froze realizing I didn¡¯t know the last name Seth went by or even if he had a last name. I panicked for a second while trying to rack my brain for the information I wasn¡¯t sure if I had ever been given.

    ¡°Seth Smith,¡± Seth finished, flashing his charming smile at my bemused best friend.

    ¡°Seth Smith,¡± I echoed with confidence, biting back a laugh at the simplicity of his ¡°taken¡± last name. ¡°He¡¯s an old friend of the family. He and his¡­. grandpa just moved here. Seth, this is my best friend, Piper.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you Piper,¡± Seth extended his hand so Piper could shake it. ¡°Stella you have a lot of best friends,¡± he commented curiously.

    ¡°Yes, she does,¡± Piper complained. ¡°But none of us hold a candle to Tristan.¡± Piper said Tristan¡¯s name as if it were a communicable disease and I watched Seth¡¯s eyes light up in appreciation. It was obvious he immediately liked Piper. Great¡­ they could make an ¡°I hate Tristan club.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true at all! You and Tristan hold equal candles.¡± I defended myself to Piper, closing my locker with extra emphasis. ¡°And I only have two best friends. I like to keep things fair and honest, gender speaking, so I have one of each,¡± I smiled at Piper, knowing this would get on her nerves.

    ¡°Oh, is that why you keep Tristan around? You¡¯re an equal opportunity employer?¡± Piper pressed, rolling her eyes.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± I laughed. ¡°Seriously though, Piper¡¯s always been jealous of Tristan because he was my best friend first.¡± I explained in good humor to Seth, but inwardly cringed. The rivalry between Piper and Tristan was nearly as old as we were and something I tried to balance daily.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been jealous!¡± Piper squealed, lifting a wrist covered in silver bangle bracelets in defense. ¡°It¡¯s not even a fair competition. You¡¯ve known Tristan since you were in diapers. I had to wait all the way until kindergarten before I could step in and by that time he had wormed his way deep inside your generous little heart and refused to leave.¡± Piper was a mix of trendy bohemian and small town politics. I knew my friend would love to dress in peasant skirts and bold prints all the time, but she kept things conservative to balance her farmer heritage and sport¡¯s star status. Today she wore a tight-fitting vintage Mead High School volleyball t-shirt that was probably her mother¡¯s, a short, frayed denim mini skirt and thick black tights. The outfit itself was something any of the girls at school would wear, but no one else would pair it with shin-high tan furry boots, that looked like the needed to be brushed on a daily basis, two wrists full of sparkly silver bangles, bright feather earrings and a hoop nose ring. I felt boring standing next to her in black leggings and a turquoise sweater dress. I tried to imagine my simple grey Uggs with fur on them, but decided to let her have the glory of wearing small animals on her feet.

 Page 15

    ¡°Poor Piper,¡± I sympathized, hugging my books to my chest and gave her a sympathetic smile.

    When all I got in return was an irritated eye roll, I put my arm around my friend¡¯s shoulders that stood almost exactly the same height as mine. Piper laid her head down on me and stuck out her full bottom lip in a pretend pout. Seth laughed with us; and I could tell by the way he looked back and forth between us that he was glad my friendship circle extended beyond Tristan. Boys.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Tristan joined us, flanked by his closest guy friends and rival athletic studs. I leaped from Piper¡¯s side straight into Tristan¡¯s arms, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck. He hugged me closely to him, whispering in my ear. ¡°Hey, Stel.¡± His deep voice rumbled against my hot skin and I nuzzled closer, relishing the feel and smell of him.

    I waited for three more seconds before stepping back and nodding to Tristan¡¯s male best friends. Together the three boys dominated all sports and carried the most votes in popularity. But Tristan was king jock among them, he walked the halls with a confidence and carelessness that only those truly at ease could carry.

    ¡°Well, speak of the devil,¡± Piper mumbled, punching me in the shoulder and turning back to her locker. ¡°I don¡¯t get greetings like that.¡± I laughed, knowing she would kill me if I hugged her like that and potentially messed up her hair.

    ¡°Seth, this is Rigley Merrit,¡± I introduced Seth to the boy on Tristan¡¯s right; he had deep, reddish brown hair that curled wildly at an unkempt length. His face was dusted in matching freckles and his boxer¡¯s nose crooked to one side. He was an athlete, like Tristan, with high school boy biceps and a thick neck. But his freckles and pale green eyes kept a boyish look about him that I knew most girls could not say no to. He knew it too. ¡°And this is Lincoln Chase,¡± I continued, introducing Seth to the other boy who had perfectly clear skin that grew lightly pink with any kind of attention. Lincoln was shorter than Tristan and Rigley by a few inches, but still an obvious athlete. His pale blonde hair was stick straight and hung across his eyes in a way that amplified his shy and reserved look. And as dangerous as Rigley could be, Lincoln was quiet and careful. ¡°Guys, this is Seth, he just moved here,¡± I finished the introductions and waited for them to all acknowledge each other in turn.

    ¡°Are you headed to Government?¡± Tristan asked when not much had been made out of the consecutive handshakes.

    ¡°In a minute, I¡¯m going to help Seth find the office first,¡± I explained.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Tristan said surprised. He rubbed his hand over his shaved head and looked down the hallway a little lost.

    ¡°Save us a seat?¡± I prompted, knowing I was interrupting our daily routine. Tristan was still adjusting to Seth¡¯s sudden appearance in my life, but I didn¡¯t feel bad about making him walk to class on his own. It was just one class.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Tristan replied, not at all wanting to save us both a seat.

    ¡°Tristan and Stella aren¡¯t walking to class together?¡± Piper turned from her locker, dramatically pretending to be appalled with the situation. ¡°What is happening to the world?¡± she cried out, holding her Government books up toward the ceiling and shaking them with mock outrage.

    ¡°Piper, I missed you over winter break, how was Breckinridge?¡± Tristan goaded Piper with heavy tones of sarcasm. Deep down they loved each other¡­. or at least that¡¯s what I promised myself when she turned snarky and he turned pretend polite.

    ¡°It made me slow and lazy,¡± she admitted moodily, thinking about practice a half hour ago and repeating her coaches exact words.

    ¡°You¡¯ll catch up,¡± Tristan promised encouragingly but Piper only rolled her eyes and waved at us before marching off for class. There was nothing she hated more than when Tristan played nice. She refused to like him and preferred him to make it easy for her to hate him.

    ¡°See you guys later,¡± I waved at everyone too, taking an amused Seth by the shirt sleeve and dragging him toward the school office.

    ¡°Your best friends hate each other,¡± Seth commented when we had turned the corner, clearly enjoying the situation.

    ¡°They don¡¯t hate each other,¡± I tried to plead a useless case I had been fighting since grade school. ¡°They just don¡¯t always see eye to eye.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just so unexpected,¡± Seth continued, the shock ringing in his voice. ¡°The way you worship Tristan¡­. I just thought¡­. I mean I thought everyone loved him.¡±

    ¡°Everyone does love him!¡± I quickly defended Tristan. ¡°Except¡­. Piper¡­.¡± I admitted, trailing off. ¡°Piper just doesn¡¯t like to like anything that everyone else likes and that includes Tristan¡­.. and I don¡¯t worship him! We¡¯re just¡­. best friends.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯ve heard, at least a thousand times since I met you,¡± Seth answered a little put off. ¡°And I only met you a week ago!¡±

    ¡°Whatever,¡± I laughed Seth off and opened the glass door to the school office.

    Three secretaries sat working busily at retro desks behind a light wood partition with a long gray peeling countertop. The entire office screamed late 70¡¯s, even the secretaries in their polyester skirts and thick, tan nylons. I smiled at the three older ladies who had been working in this same school for as long as anyone could remember.

    ¡°Mrs. Sadler, this is Seth Smith, he¡¯s a new student here and needs to check in with you,¡± I explained sweetly, approaching the long counter with a trailing Seth.

    The three secretaries paused their work, fingers hovering over computer keyboards to gawk at the new student as blatantly as my classmates had. Mrs. Sadler, a woman in her late sixties recovered first, adjusting her thick framed cat-eyed glasses and pressing a hand to her graying French twist carefully. She stood quickly and walked to the counter with an unsure smile plastered to her overly made-up face.

    ¡°Seth Smith?¡± she questioned shyly.

    ¡°Mmm-hmmm,¡± I answered in awe that this secretary was as unnerved as everyone else seemed to be by Seth. Mrs. Sadler was notorious for her quick temper and lack of patience, especially when it came to the student body. I had worked very hard to stay under her radar, but I was positive Seth wouldn¡¯t have to try nearly as hard as I did to get away with late arrivals and absences.

    ¡°Pleasure to meet you, Seth Smith,¡± Mrs. Sadler practically giggled.

    ¡°Thank you, you too,¡± Seth replied, giving her that big smile that seemed to work on every single female so far.

    ¡°Let me just see if I can¡¯t find you your class schedule, alright?¡± Mrs. Sadler continued to coo and then walked back to her computer.

    I turned my back on the voyeuring secretaries and leaned against the tall counter. ¡°Most of your classes will be with me; this is a really small school. There are only thirty-two of us in the whole class.¡±

    Seth nodded, his amber eyes piercing mine with gratitude. I wondered if he was anxious to get out of the awkwardness of the office and onto class, or if this whole experience was an unwanted nightmare. School was never something he had to think about before. Jupiter always tutored him, and with only a year and a half left before he could focus completely on Warrior-training, he probably hadn¡¯t thought he would ever need to worry about it. But with the change of circumstances and his unwillingness to leave me by myself, high school and him would soon become old friends.

    Mrs. Sadler stumbled through finding Seth¡¯s papers and then walked him in circles explaining them to him so many times. By the time she finally released us for class she had to write us a pass because the bell rang several minutes ago.

    ¡°So this is high school?¡± Seth asked on our walk to Government. I had been right, we had most of our classes together, except during the period where I went to choir, Seth opted for weight lifting.

    ¡°This is it,¡± I agreed. ¡°Super exciting, right?¡±

    ¡°So far,¡± Seth laughed.

    ¡°Actually, I really like it here,¡± I admitted, dropping my voice lest the rest of the student body hear my confession and believe I was delusional. ¡°Everyone¡¯s really nice and we all seem to get along. The community is really small, but we¡¯ve all known each other since forever so we didn¡¯t really have any other choice but to like each other.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a relief,¡± Seth laughed again. I didn¡¯t know what his preconceived notions of high school were, but a small farming town was nothing like what they aired on TV and I thought he would feel better knowing that.

    I showed Seth to Government and introduced him to our middle-aged, frazzled teacher, Mrs. Trinker. Her short hair stuck up frizzy and unruly, and at least one side of her blouse was always untucked from her too-tight pencil skirt. Mrs. Trinker acknowledged the both of us kindly before letting us find our seats by Tristan and Piper, who despite not getting along always sat next to each other in an effort to share me. I ignored the hateful glances between them; just thankful Mrs. Trinker at least seemed immune to Seth¡¯s charm.

    The rest of the morning followed in the same pattern. I helped Seth move from class to class, introducing him to the monotonous tones of scheduled high school. Seth seemed to actually enjoy school, he really liked learning from different teachers and everyone was really nice to him, especially the girls.

    That was a shocker¡­.

    By lunch, I decided Seth was adjusting well to school and the other students seemed to be adjusting to the phenomenon of having a new student grace the halls and the blinding attractiveness that wasn¡¯t found in the average male. Or at least I hoped so. The sooner the student body moved on from ogling Seth, the sooner I could feel better about unleashing him on the human population.

    ¡°Does everyone at this school play basketball?¡± Seth asked, sitting down across from me with a heavy, full tray of food. Even in the dim lighting of the cramped cafeteria, I could see I failed Seth in explaining the do¡¯s and don¡¯ts of school lunch. I liked to eat too, but I could not understand three helpings of mystery loaf and instant mashed potatoes from the cafeteria buffet line.

    Maybe I should have warned Seth about the menu.

    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Piper answered. ¡°Everyone at this school plays every sport. There¡¯s nothing else to do in this one-horse town.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know what that phrase means,¡± I laughed tossing a French fry at Piper¡¯s face. She swatted it away and then picked it up and reached across me to dip it in her ketchup/mayo mixture and pop it in her mouth.

    ¡°So I¡¯m going to be the only one in the stands for your basketball game tomorrow night?¡± Seth asked, scooping up a bite of meatloaf with a healthy topping of mealy mashed potatoes and neon gravy.

    ¡°No, there¡¯s some art geeks and band nerds that will be there too just because there¡¯s nothing else to do,¡± Piper offered sarcastically.

    Seth didn¡¯t know any better so he relaxed while shoveling his fork in his mouth.

    ¡°Piper, if you weren¡¯t so afraid of disappointing your parents you would be one of those art geeks!¡± I defended Piper¡¯s social status insinuation.

 Page 16

    ¡°Not true!¡± Piper rebutted. ¡°I just simply can¡¯t deprive the world of my fantastic three-pointer!¡±

    ¡°Or your middle block,¡± I offered helpfully. ¡°Besides, even the smiley faces you try to draw look evil.¡±

    ¡°Bleh!¡± Seth interrupted our giggling practically spitting out his last bite of food. ¡°What is this?¡± he asked after forcing himself to swallow.

    ¡°That is mystery meat,¡± Tristan explained, sitting down across from me and squeezing my hand familiarly with his hand. ¡°And Stella should have warned you not to even bother with that¡­.¡± Tristan eyed Seth¡¯s plate with the first form of sympathetic camaraderie I noticed from him and my heart swelled just a little with the hope of a future friendship between the two boys.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know he was going to take three helpings of it!¡± I defended myself, holding up my plate of French fries and offering them to Seth.

    ¡°The color of the gravy should have tipped me off,¡± Seth grumbled while Rigley and Lincoln joined us at the table next to Tristan. Our table had a very strict, unspoken rule and that was that boys sat on one side of the table and girls sat on the other. Seth was breaking the rule by sitting next to me, but being the rebel I was couldn¡¯t make myself care. It was weird we still segregated ourselves¡­.

    ¡°Do you have a thing for radioactive sauces?¡± Rigley asked, eyeing Seth¡¯s plate with everyone else.

    ¡°Apparently,¡± Seth muttered. "Where are those chocolate chip pancakes when you need them?¡± He grabbed a fry off my plate, shooting me a grateful smile.

    ¡°Do not bring those up if you want me to share my fries,¡± I warned.

    ¡°Oh no,¡± Tristan gasped. ¡°You didn¡¯t eat her pancakes did you?¡±

    ¡°You ate her pancakes!¡± Piper chimed in, offering a horrified expression and a jingling hand over her heart.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know they were such a big deal!¡± Seth held up both hands in surrender, laughing.

    ¡°Which is why he was forgiven,¡± I conceded valiantly. ¡°This time¡­.¡±

    ¡°Careful Seth, once when I spent the night and Annabelle made them for us, I took one too many thinking it was perfectly fine to be, you know¡­. hungry,¡± Piper explained dramatically, ¡°and Stella didn¡¯t talk to me for a week. Not until I made my mom drive over to Annabelle¡¯s and beg her to make a special batch for Stella just so she would stay my friend.¡± Piper waved her fork around while she told the story and her lips pursed together in an expression that promised she was serious.

    ¡°She¡¯s lying to you Seth, don¡¯t believe her,¡± I promised seriously and then added as a warning, ¡°But seriously, don¡¯t take my pancakes again.¡±

    ¡°Hello, Tristan,¡± a sickly sweet voice called from the other side of Piper. ¡°Is this a new recruit for the basketball team?¡± Bree Henry asked innocently.

    Ugh. Bree Henry. Not that I completely disliked her. I couldn¡¯t even if I wanted to. My position on Earth required me to love all of humanity¡­. But if I had been allowed just one human to place outside of the love I had to unconditionally give to this planet, she would definitely be my first choice.

    ¡°Hey, Bree,¡± Tristan replied casually. ¡°This is Seth. Seth this is Bree.¡± Tristan made an uninterested gesture between the two so they could be considered formally introduced and I swallowed my irritation.

    ¡°Hi Seth,¡± Bree cooed, flipping her highlighted hair over her shoulder. ¡°So you are another one of Tristan¡¯s recruits?¡±

    Both Tristan and Seth laughed at that. ¡°I¡¯m not a recruit,¡± Seth explained shooting Tristan a sideways look. ¡°I¡¯m not even here to play basketball. I¡¯m just a regular student.¡± He shot Bree his charming smile and I had to take a sip of my water to keep from making a face. If only we shared a telepathic communication¡­. I could have assured him, she wouldn¡¯t take much effort to charm at all.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything regular about you,¡± she purred with that gross voice she was always talking to Tristan in.

    Rigley snickered across the table and Piper and I held back our laughter. I wanted Seth to form his own opinions about Mead and make his own friends so that he didn¡¯t always feel like he was tied to me, but I might have to warn him about the biggest flirt in school.

    Like about not becoming her friend.

    Seth shifted uncomfortably under Bree¡¯s penetrating stare and gave me an uncertain glance. ¡°So are you another one of Stella¡¯s best friends?¡± he asked innocently.

    Bree and I both let out a strangled laugh at the same time. She turned to stare at me for a second, malice thickening the air between us. I smoothed out my face and returned her glare with my sweetest smile, knowing I wasn¡¯t taking the high road. She loathed when I was nice to her. She preferred outright honesty and the fact that she had made me her rival since the first day of kindergarten was not a secret. But, saving humanity and all, I was not really in a position to just come right out and say exactly how I felt about her.

    ¡°We¡¯re, uh, friends,¡± I replied, shifting my gaze to Seth¡¯s because I knew Bree¡¯s reaction would be vile.

    Tristan, Rigley and Lincoln burst into laughter at that and Piper, who had somehow not incited the same hatred in Bree as I did, shook her head like she knew better.

    ¡°If by friends you mean we go to the same school, happen to be in the same grade and unfortunately have to see each other daily¡­.¡± Bree made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat and ripped open her lunch bag with extra force. ¡°Then yeah, we¡¯re friends.¡±

    Yikes. So obviously not best friends.

    ¡°So who¡¯s going to Lincoln¡¯s after the game tomorrow night?¡± Rigley moved the conversation forward. Seth shot me an unsure glance and then went back to his radioactive lunch. Making high school enemies was so not on the list of acceptable Star-related activities¡­.

    ¡°Oh I¡¯ll be there,¡± Piper replied dryly, ¡°with bells on.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Lincoln spoke up for the first time, his clear skin turning pink with the question.

    ¡°Yes, really,¡± Piper nodded enthusiastically, ¡°with actual bells on.¡±

    Lincoln looked back down at his sack lunch a little dejected, but didn¡¯t offer a response to Piper¡¯s sarcasm. I noticed the hint of disappointment in Lincoln¡¯s demeanor and tried to salvage the situation.

    ¡°Are your parents out of town again, Lincoln?¡± I asked, investigating the reason behind a Friday night, after-game party. Weekend parties were not an uncommon affair in Mead, there wasn¡¯t much else to do and most of the kids had older siblings more than willing to provide illegal-underage refreshments for a price. But a party in someone¡¯s actual house was kind of uncommon. Usually, Friday night was spent with a circle of truck beds backed up around a bonfire. Those were easy to avoid. A house-party was a special occasion and not so easy to make excuses for.

    ¡°Yeah, Rigley refuses to waste an opportunity,¡± Lincoln replied, still staring at his lunch.

    ¡°So you girls going or what?¡± Rigley asked bluntly.

    ¡°I¡¯m going!¡± Bree offered enthusiastically. ¡°Liz and Kendall are too, as long as Kendall and Eli are still together¡­. Chances are they¡¯ll break up before Friday night and then she won¡¯t want to go. But there¡¯s also a good chance they could break up and get back together before then too-¡°

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Piper cut her off before we could hear anymore scenarios that involved Kendall¡¯s possible attendance. ¡°Let¡¯s just count them all in for the party until we hear differently, k?¡±

    Bree rolled her eyes, but didn¡¯t continue speculating anymore high school romances.

    The table fell silent for a moment before Tristan added, ¡°Not everyone is going to be drinking, and you can bring Seth.¡± Tristan nodded over to Seth who had somehow managed to eat most of the lunch on his plate. ¡°It could be fun,¡± Tristan added softly to me.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± I conceded, wondering how Seth would react to a bunch of drunken teenagers pulling small town shenanigans like Tipsy-Cow-Tipping on a farm in the middle of nowhere.

    ¡°Depends on if we win or lose,¡± Piper decided.

    ¡°Which way?¡± Lincoln tried again and I had to hold back my smile at his obvious interest in Piper.

    ¡°That depends too, my friend,¡± Piper answered noncommittally and then got up to throw the remains of her lunch away.

    Something moved across the ceiling¡­. something long, thin and black. A wisp of charcoal smoke moved with purpose; I saw the Shadow out of the corner of my eye, like a dark cloud in my peripheral. I whipped my head around to catch the demon in action, but it already disappeared before my eyes could find it. And then again, from the other side of the cafeteria, a puff of evil that slithered along the wall, a sadistic snake shape that slipped away to nothing before I could focus on my enemy.

    ¡°Are you Ok, Stel?¡± Tristan asked, as he watched me whip my head back and forth, my golden skin turning pale.

    ¡°Fine,¡± I turned to give him a reassuring smile and when I did the Shadow was back on the ceiling, paused and unmoving as if watching me.

    I turned my head slower this time, sure I would miss the apparition, but there it stayed. The black tuft of smoke discolored the white tile and sent the faint smell of sulfur burning my nostrils. Goose bumps raised the hair on my forearms, and a sickening, nauseous feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. The Shadow didn¡¯t move or flinch as I stared back, and although it did not have eyes per say, the head of the demon seemed to watch me intently, as if egging me on¡­. daring me to react.

    I watched the Shadow for a second before turning to Seth to get his attention. He had already seen it though, and stared intently at it. I felt his knee bounce up and down furiously as he tried to restrain his Warrior instinct and go after it, his entire body tensed with the effort not to go to battle. I wondered if there was a sword or dagger hidden in his casual outfit, a school sized one for school sized incidents.

    Eventually the Shadow faded away, into the ceiling and the room returned to normal. The behavior was strange though, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the night when Seth appeared in my life, when Sidra died, if the nature of this war hadn¡¯t changed in some way¡­. some terribly epic way that even Jupiter wouldn¡¯t be able to prepare me for.

    Shadows were supposed to influence evil from a distance. They were called Shadows for a reason; they were never seen, only glimpsed at. And they were never out rightly threatening, only influential manipulators.

    My gaze fell back to Seth who was watching me closely as though my life were in immediate danger. His brilliant eyes glowed with his supernatural power and the warmth of his skin had picked up hues of gold. I smiled at him reassuringly, hoping to remind him he was in a room filled with humans, but it only softened his intensity a little.

    Something was going on. And we needed to figure out what.

    Preferably before my game tomorrow night.

    Chapter Eight

    ¡°Hey, great game!¡± Tristan stopped me on my way to the locker room. The varsity boys¡¯ team waited against the gym wall to start warm-ups while the varsity girls¡¯ team cleaned up the rest of our discarded water cups and towels and cleared the gym floor.

 Page 17

    ¡°Thanks!¡± I gasped, still breathless. I wiped my still sweaty forehead with the back of my hand and placed both hands on my hips completely exhausted without the benefit of my supernatural powers. ¡°They were good.¡±

    ¡°Not as good as you,¡± Tristan laughed. He moved a basketball back and forth casually in his hands and kept his intense gaze on me. His gaze was always intense lately, as if he had to watch me constantly or I would disappear into thin air. Sometimes his over protectiveness would get on my nerves, but this look, this new look wasn¡¯t so much platonically possessive as it was¡­. I didn¡¯t really know what it was. I felt my blood heat inside my veins and found the need to defuse the moment with humor.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a given,¡± I boasted sarcastically. ¡°But seriously, they were tough. How is their guy¡¯s team?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re rated number nine this year. They started out the season slow, but before break they killed Scribner-Snyder, who is rated higher than us¡­. so we will see. Lincoln and I have some tricks up our sleeves though, I think we¡¯ll do pretty good tonight,¡± Tristan smiled widely, glancing over at his opponents who were filing out of the visitors¡¯ locker room in an adrenaline surging warm-up routine.

    ¡°Of course you will,¡± I promised encouragingly. ¡°Watch out for number seventeen though, his sister played middle too but she kept taking these random three-pointers and catching us off guard.¡±

    ¡°I saw that,¡± Tristan agreed, his eyes narrowing in focus. ¡°Piper looked pretty pissed about it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because Piper is super possessive about her three-point record, even if they¡¯re on the other team. Trust me, I haven¡¯t even tried to take one since junior high,¡± I noticed the rest of my team had disappeared into the locker room and were probably waiting on me for the after-game pep talk from Coach. ¡°I better go! Good luck though! I expect to be pointed at after the best play of the game! Tonight I¡¯m thinking I want a 360 dunk, while you¡­. bark like a dog.¡±

    I laughed at our pre-game tradition. Before every one of our games, I came up with ridiculous scenarios and if they were winning by a lot Tristan would try to incorporate them into the game in his own tamed down version. In his last game he had performed a tap-dancing jig while trying to throw the ball inbounds and then clucked like a chicken during a set of free throws shot by the opposing team. His teammates thought he was crazy and his coach only tolerated his antics because he was so good at winning games.

    ¡°What is with all these sounds now? It used to just be fancy moves! Next week I¡¯m going to have to sing opera or recite the pledge of allegiance,¡± he shook his head at me, but was laughing and I knew I had already won.

    ¡°Those are great ideas!¡± I agreed energetically and gripped his bare bicep before moving around him.

    ¡°Hey!¡± he called before I could walk away. ¡°Lincoln¡¯s party tonight? What do you think?¡±

    ¡°Throw in some opera and you have yourself a deal,¡± I negotiated, wondering if this party was a good idea, but Tristan seemed to really want me to go.

    Tristan shook his head at me and then took off onto the court when the official warm-up music came blasting through the gym speakers. I paused to watch as he led his team out, dribbling a basketball in a wide arc before running toward the backboard and tossing the basketball hard against the Plexiglas screen so the guy behind him could jump up, catch it and repeat the move down the line.

    Something like pride bubbled up inside me as I watched Tristan maneuver around the court and command the attention of his team. He wasn¡¯t a Warrior, but he was a truly gifted human athlete and he was mine.

    Well not mine.

    He could never be mine. I belonged to a destiny that didn¡¯t include high school boys, or best friends¡­. or really anyone else besides Seth.

    But right now he was my best friend. And if he wanted me to go to Lincoln¡¯s party tonight I really couldn¡¯t tell him no¡­. even if there was a nagging feeling in my gut that warned me something ominous hovered overhead.

    I shook out my knotted, sweat-soaked ponytail and bounded into the locker room, ignoring my instincts and trying my best to focus on Coach Litz¡¯ victory speech.

    ----

    ¡°I think I could play that sport,¡± Seth mused as we walked into Lincoln¡¯s farmhouse that was full of rowdy teenage life. The party was extra lively after two winning varsity games and the first week of school after winter break being over. Lincoln¡¯s parents were some of the wealthier farmers in the area so his house was only a couple years old and sat on two thousand acres of land.

    ¡°I think you could too,¡± I agreed, knowing as an Angel he could really do anything, including varsity basketball. ¡°The hardest part of the game is staying human. I mean, initially that¡¯s the hardest part of the game and then after that it depends on where your strengths are.¡±

    ¡°I can see why you use these sports to train though, they seem very invigorating,¡± Seth offered, sounding more like Jupiter than himself.

    I laughed as the rest of our group gathered around us inside, ¡°Make sure you report that back to Jupiter for me.¡±

    ¡°What about Jupiter?¡± Piper asked, pulling her long dark hair over her shoulder. Her copper bangles jingled around her wrist, matching the bronze beadwork of her hot pink, stylish tunic.

    ¡°It¡¯s big, right?¡± I replied vaguely, changing the subject.

    ¡°Super big, weirdo,¡± Piper laughed sending me a curious look.

    ¡°So this is what underage drinking looks like?¡± Seth asked while taking in the wild teens in front of him that had turned Lincoln¡¯s living room into a dance floor. Lincoln sat perched on the top of the staircase leading upstairs watching with restrained horror as Rigley¡¯s party turned destructive on his parents¡¯ expensive home.

    ¡°Well, this is what small-town underage drinking looks like,¡± Piper explained with obvious tones of disgust. ¡°When it¡¯s cold outside at least¡­. in the summer we prefer cornfields and bonfires. It¡¯s so much more high class.¡±

    ¡°Where do you guys get the alcohol?¡± Seth asked, not necessarily judging but clearly interested. Red plastic cups were passed between students who drained them of their contents and then hurried back to the kitchen for more.

    ¡°The creek,¡± Tristan spoke up for the first time. He had been unusually quiet as he watched the festivities unfold from the doorway to a dark sitting room. I kept my eyes focused on Tristan, knowing that if I looked beyond him I would see outlines of couples in positions and situations that I would never be able to erase from my memory.

    ¡°The creek?¡± Seth asked, unsure if he heard correctly.

    ¡°Yeah, Rigley and some of the other guys keep their booze in a cooler, tied up down by the creek on his dad¡¯s property. The water keeps everything cold,¡± Tristan explained as if it should be obvious.

    ¡°That is the most hillbilly thing I have ever heard,¡± Piper sighed and Tristan grinned at her.

    ¡°Where do you keep your booze?¡± Seth asked Tristan directly, his honey colored eyes flashing with the challenge.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any booze to keep,¡± Tristan replied casually, but his own green eyes hardened in response. This was an unspoken argument over my virtue and I recognized it immediately.

    ¡°Someone should go console Lincoln,¡± I changed the subject and gave Piper a suggestive glance. ¡°Just promise him we¡¯ll help clean up everything tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Why do I have to go?¡± Piper whined, tipping her head back so that her straight bangs flopped to the side.

    ¡°Because your butt looks hot in those jeans!¡± I shouted over the music, smacking her directly in the discussed area.

    Piper shot a hateful glance over her shoulder and then stomped through the middle of the makeshift dance floor in her knee high Muk-Luks. She sat down next to Lincoln with an unsatisfied plop and gestured at the house. I smiled at the way Lincoln¡¯s cheeks pinkened and the way he tried to brush his stick straight blonde hair out of his eyes. They were adorable. If only Piper would admit it.

    ¡°So what do you do at these parties if you don¡¯t drink, Stella?¡± Seth asked, assuming correctly that I wouldn¡¯t partake in underage drinking.

    ¡°Oh you know, this and that, sometimes I drive kids home, sometimes I get to hold hair back when they¡¯ve had a little too much to drink and sometimes I try to talk them out of ridiculous stunts that usually involve Rigley trying to jump off something extremely high in order to prove his manhood,¡± I shouted loudly over the music that increased in volume with the popularity of a recent pop hit.

    ¡°And sometimes you dance,¡± Tristan reminded me by reaching for my hands and pulling me to the dance floor.

    ¡°And sometimes I dance,¡± I called back, giving Seth a smile before turning to Tristan.

    We moved to the middle of the living room and joined in the merriment. His hands moved around me as they had for years, it was casual, a friendly activity that we¡¯d done for years. Or at least it used to be¡­. something in Tristan¡¯s eyes reminded me that things had changed, and not just in my life, but in our relationship.

    The upbeat pop song turned into something slower, more seductive and Tristan¡¯s movements matched the beat. A flutter spread its wings in my stomach and I let Tristan lean in and hold me to him. He pulled me closer still, splaying one hand across my lower back. I stumbled forward into him, surprised by his boldness, and the heat of his hand cementing my body to his. I looked up into his emerald green eyes and realized this was exactly where I wanted to be.

    He stared back for a moment, as if his gaze was transfixed to mine. The rest of the dance floor faded away and an unfamiliar kind of confusion settled over me. There was something in that gaze that I didn¡¯t or couldn¡¯t or wouldn¡¯t understand. I was hyper aware of every place his body touched mine, and especially of his strong hand holding me against his body. I could smell him, feel him¡­. kiss him¡­.

    As quickly as we fell into the bewitchment, we fell out. Tristan let me fall away from him, taking his hand off my back and grabbing my hands instead. Sensual turned to platonic and our bodies moved numbly to the beat of the song. His face turned from penetrating to playful and he flashed his warm smile at me, letting me know we were still safe as friends.

    And I inhaled again, not realizing I had stopped breathing.

    My eyes floated to Seth, like I was searching for punishment for the brief moment between Tristan and I, but Seth wasn¡¯t looking at me. A surge of something unfamiliar settled in my chest as I noticed Bree Henry hanging on his arm. She was talking fast and flipping her hair in the flirty way that usually got her attention. But then I relaxed when I realized he wasn¡¯t looking at her, or even paying her any attention at all.

    His eyes had found something more interesting to watch. My eyes followed his gaze and I inhaled sharply at the scene. A dark circle of Shadows swirled around the ceiling watching the party down below. They were mostly obscured by the dark room, but Seth and I knew what to look for. An involuntary shudder slithered down my spine as the numbers of Darkness grew overhead. They whipped their bodies in excited movements, switching their back ends as if they were tails, reveling in the underage drunkenness.

 Page 18

    This was not my first party and I had witnessed the power of Shadows to manipulate and encourage teens under the influence before. But never had I seen such a collection of evil, save for the other night when they attacked me. Usually they appeared in partners or groups of three or four. Not clustered groups of twenty and thirty at a time, feeding the atmosphere with their dark presence.

    Their slithering, black bodies weaved back and for across the ceiling, spreading their malevolence and evil in a thick cloud of angry dissension. The tension in the atmosphere settled on the dancing crowd slowly, filling my nostrils with sulfur and death. I choked on the intensity of the evil, watching as the crowd turned from their victory party to angry shouting and physical violence. Two boys from my class shoved each other violently, while others around them shouted their approval. Even Tristan turned from me to watch the fight destroy Lincoln¡¯s living room with a sinister smile twisting his expression.

    I moved to Seth¡¯s side, desperate to fix the situation. The deadly blade I concealed against my thigh burned and itched with the desire to be used. Seth¡¯s infuriated gaze settled on me and with a nod of his head, I followed him silently out the door.

    ¡°What do they want? I¡¯ve never seen them like this before!¡± I demanded breathlessly.

    The clear Nebraska winter sky sparkled with Stars from one horizon to the next and the ice cold air was a fresh and cleansing. I looked desperately upward at the Stars overhead as if they could feel my fear, wanting nothing more for them to collectively light up together and banish the Darkness from this planet forever. Death by a million suns seemed perfectly befitting for the evil lurking around this planet¡­. If only there was a way to protect humanity at the same time.

    I knew there was an infinite battle to fight, a war that would go on until the end of time, but those were my friends inside, they were people I loved and cared for. The Darkness had just made this personal.

    ¡°I think they¡¯re taunting you¡­.¡± Seth confirmed what I feared.

    A loud crashing sound resounded into the crisp, frozen night and I shuddered from all the possibilities that could be taking place inside.

    ¡°We need to draw them outside,¡± I announced, turning from Seth to unsheathe my blade modestly. It was smaller than ones I trained with before, just convenient enough to hide under a mid-thigh denim skirt and black leggings. Although I realized now how impractical the skirt was if I intended to take this fight to the sky.

    ¡°Are you ready to fight?¡± Seth asked calculatingly from a few feet away. His eyes narrowed against me and I knew he was trying to decide if I was ready to face them or not.

    ¡°Are you ready to let this continue?¡± I countered, gesturing with my chin toward the sound of increased violence and mayhem.

    ¡°Are you comfortable in the sky?¡± Seth¡¯s eyes blazed into golden beams of light and I noticed his hands twitching with the anticipation of battle.

    ¡°I¡¯d do better on the ground,¡± I admitted. I could fly, or at least I had flown before, but never in battle, never when the lives of others depended on me. Never when my own life depended on my ability.

    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll draw them out and herd them behind that line of trees. I¡¯ll be right behind them, but you¡¯ll have to initiate contact. I¡¯ll use light to get them out of the house, but hold off with yours until the very last second, otherwise they¡¯ll scatter. Except that¡­.¡±

    ¡°Except that what?¡± I prompted, afraid I already knew the answer. Another crashing-breaking sound echoed into the still night around us and I jumped from the nerves skittering around my quickly heating blood.

    ¡°Except I have this bad feeling that they came here specifically for you¡­.¡± Seth turned to me, placing a strong hand on my arm and squeezed. His golden eyes shimmered in the darkness and his body had a haze of light reflecting off the snow. ¡°Stella, there are not enough to kill us inside the house, but that doesn¡¯t mean there aren¡¯t more¡­. out there. Remember everything we¡¯ve gone over in training. Do not get distracted; focus on the constant movement of your sword.¡±

    I struggled to swallow but managed to nod my head so that he knew I understood.

    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll meet you behind the trees,¡± Seth smiled warily as if he had fought a thousand battles before tonight. ¡°And Stella?¡±

    I sucked in my bottom lip and waited for more instructions.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there to protect you. No matter what, I will be with you,¡± Seth squeezed my arm again and then jogged up to the house.

    With the confidence I had in Seth I somehow willed my feet to move away from the house and toward the tree line. I sucked in a deep, frozen breath and picked up my pace through the snow covered field. Lincoln¡¯s property was big enough that if we could get the Shadows behind the tree line, we would be out of sight from the house and the party that was quickly growing aggressively violent and out of control.

    I picked up my pace and willed my jitters under control. I knew bravery and courage stirred my blood, but this was my first battle, the first time I would use my powers in an offensive attack against the Darkness. Adrenaline surged in my heart and suddenly excitement pounded in my pulse, beating against my eardrums and throbbing in my throat.

    I was a born Warrior, bred for this purpose. The Darkness belonged under my submission and the evil that haunted my friends deserved retaliation.

    Behind the tree line I breathed deeply, quieting the brilliant glow of my true nature and readying myself for the attack. I focused on blending into the obscurity of the dark night, not that I wanted to be invisible, but the temptation to glow with the brightness of the sun pricked at the back of my neck. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the frozen night settle over me.

    I flung my arms across my chest, popping both of my shoulders into place and then I readied my stance and steadied my sword. I swung it out in front of me, letting my hands remember the fluid motions I had been practicing and then stilled so that I would be prepared for what would come next.

    The first shrill cry sounded from near the house and I felt the presence of Darkness move toward me like lightning. Another screech piercing the quiet night and the hairs on my neck stood straight as I waited. Quickly the scent of sulfur and burning flesh filtered over me and I barely had a last moment to prepare myself before the shrieking Shadows appeared like a hundred bats startled from a cave.

    They swarmed over me, breaking the tree line and poised for attack, moving stealth like through the night sky if it weren¡¯t for their pungent smell that infested the air around me. There were obviously more Shadows waiting in the tree line. I froze, confused for a moment because Shadows did not make organized attacks like this. A bright, golden light followed them and as their keen eyesight found me alone on the battlefield, I pulled myself together and released the inner most part of me, the goodness and light that violates everything they are, and became the Star I was born to be.

    The Shadows that were swooping down at me instantly retreated from my light and burned them, but only for a minute. The same way their ice cold evil tore at my flesh, my light injured them igniting the scent of more sulfur, more burning flesh. Soon the little demons braved my burning glow and moved through the air to attack me. I twisted my wrist into a constant unbroken motion of attack, stepping forward through the snow and lashing out at the evil surrounding me.

    I connected with the first Shadow in a sickening slice of demon flesh. The Shadows moved lithely through the air, so I expected their skin to be more wispy or¡­. cloud-like. But my weapon connected with actual flesh and as the blade sunk deeper into the Shadow, I was sprayed with fowl smelling black goo. I shuddered violently, wiping at my face before lifting my sword again. The Shadow I struck did disappear into the night once it was successfully destroyed but hundreds more had filled its place and I had to work to focus on anything but the rotting smell of slime covering my arms and face.

    I swung out in dance-like movements, fluid and fast. I realized now why a longer sword was more practical, but worked with what I had. Seth was across the field, his body glowing in the night and moving nimbly with his efforts to kill. The inhuman screams squealed with each demon¡¯s life and the temperature of the winter night dropped drastically lower with their evil presence affecting everything around them.

    I was not without injury as the Shadows attacked from every angle, and every direction. Their ice cold tendrils cut away at my flesh from behind and my back felt as though I had been given forty lashes medieval-torture style. The backs of my legs felt too exposed to the Darkness as well, as they were sliced and cut. The coldness of Evil seeped through my blood as my injuries remained untreated, but the warmth of the light inside me stayed the damaging effects and the adrenaline coursing through my boiling blood helped keep me focused and alert.

    A guttural sound came from across the field and my eyes lifted off my attackers to Seth as he fought skillfully from a few yards away. My arms swung out in imperfect and awkward but deadly motions as I watched him take one demon after the other. His sword was smaller than normal too and so he was sprayed in the decaying ooze of evil, the black tar-like blood spotting his ethereal glow as he lit up the sky around him.

    I turned back to my opponents as they lessened their attack, their efforts futile against our light and our swords. Even as they attacked us the light from within us singed and burned at their flesh, likewise my own skin, and blood felt iced over and slow from the damaging effects of their deadly flesh against mine. Still I fought on, counting each demon¡¯s death as a victory.

    Even though there had been hundreds of them, they never stood a chance against us; but blinded by bloodlust and Darkness they attacked relentlessly and now they lay at our feet fading into nothing, their sticky black blood spatter speckling the snow.

    With one last, awkward plunge I finished off the last of the Shadows near me. I dropped my arm to my side and winced when the reality of pain settled on me. It wasn¡¯t an effort that would go down in history books but I had survived my first fight. And I would live.

    Seth still battled a dozen of the last of the Shadows and I decided to suck it up and help him, although he was much more practiced than me. His blade swung around him without pause or hesitation in beautiful graceful motions, not letting one Shadow passed his defenses. His sword instinctively knew when to whip around his back or plunge forward into the air surrounding him. My mouth dropped a little at the master-level of skill he seemed to command. He was my Warrior and nothing would get passed him.

    I gave a heavy sigh, not wanting to give up watching him to throw myself back into battle, and took a step forward when something caught my eye. I swung my head to the tree line that hid our battle from the humans inside Lincoln¡¯s house. In the obscurity of darkness I thought I saw two shadowy figures watching us. I stared longer, waiting for the apparitions to disappear and if they had been Shadows they would have. But these figures stayed perfectly still, taking in our skill and watching Seth as he finished the last of the evil off. A gray, fuzzy hue surrounded them and it was the only reason I could see them through the tree cover. A shiver of anxiety worked its way from my toes to my hair line and I had just decided to pursue them when they stepped back out of my visibility completely.

 Page 19

    I hesitated, watching a glint of gold through the thick forestry. It wasn¡¯t a blinding glow or even a substantial light, it was the dim gold of light that had been hidden for a very long time, maybe it had never shown correctly.

    It was the dim glow of a Star.

    That meant the gray haze was of the Fallen.

    And they were watching us.

    But that didn¡¯t make sense because a Star wouldn¡¯t be with the Fallen unless they were in battle. And the Fallen wouldn¡¯t just watch as Seth and I destroyed so many Shadows, they would engage us. Or run.

    I had to have imagined it.

    I turned my head back to Seth as he finished off the last of the Shadows near him. Their eel like bodies littered the snow around him, oozing sticky piles of slim on to the pure whiteness around them before disappearing from this world to be banished to hell for the rest of eternity.

    ¡°Did you see them?¡± I tilted my head toward the tree line, finally feeling the Darkness completely retreat. Seth and I were finally alone.

    ¡°See what?¡± Seth asked, clearly having noticed them much sooner than me.

    ¡°I think there were people watching us. Maybe Fallen. There was some light when they left. It wasn¡¯t bright, but I saw it,¡± I explained, hoping he believed me.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Seth sighed, closing the distance between us. Up close I could see the splatter of thick, black blood across his chest and shoulder blades. His hands were coated in the heavy sludge, and his sword was well doused. But he looked relatively unharmed and his eyes flashed with the pride of victory. ¡°We should find your parents and Jupiter immediately. I¡¯m sure they will want to know what happened.¡±

    I nodded weakly.

    Seth took another step forward as if unsure of himself and then pulled me into a hug. ¡°You did good, Stella,¡± he whispered proudly in my ear. ¡°It¡¯s overwhelming the first time, but you did really, really good.¡±

    I tried to speak but winced instead from his arm across my back. Seth instantly let go, turning me around and lifting my sweater away from my body. I wanted to feel embarrassed, but my back felt completely shredded, as if the skin were just barely hanging on. The backs of my legs, too, felt like they had been sliced by thousands of razor blades from my calves to my thighs, the numbing cold of evil inundating my veins and leaving me stiff and frozen.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you home,¡± Seth said seriously and my stomach clenched at the level of concern in his voice.

    ¡°Is it that bad?¡± I asked, ready for the truth.

    ¡°What the stench? Oh yeah, it¡¯s pretty bad,¡± he smiled, lightening the mood. ¡°And you look really gross; I can¡¯t even tell what color your hair is anymore. Plus, you have a few paper cuts on your back that might need to be looked at.¡±

    I forced a smile, thankful for his candid nature. He smiled back, but the apprehension was still obvious in his eyes.

    ¡°Were you this bad in your first fight?¡± I winced, hoping for some camaraderie.

    ¡°Oh no, I¡¯ve barely ever gotten a scratch,¡± his smile turned wicked and if I had any strength left I would have punched him. ¡°But I¡¯ve generally used bigger weapons than your little baby sword.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the only thing that would fit under my skirt!¡± I protested, my breath wheezing out unstably. I sucked in a sharp breath when I let my weight lean into Seth; the pressure of his arm against my torn apart skin was almost too much.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time to get a bigger sword,¡± Seth mused, gently slipping an arm under me. ¡°And a longer skirt.¡±

    Chapter Nine

    ¡°You need to go to the high council,¡± Jupiter argued from the kitchen table. I lay on my side, listening to the grownups heated and muffled discussion of tonight¡¯s events from my bedroom. ¡°They need to start an investigation immediately. There is a spy in their midst and your daughter¡¯s life is at stake¡­. the future of this planet is at stake!¡±

    I cringed, hating that my parents had to defend the orders they were given. They weren¡¯t staying on planet to put me in more danger; they were staying near me to protect me until I could efficiently protect myself. But Jupiter wasn¡¯t seeing their perspective; the possibility of a traitor hiding amongst the elders was dividing the argument down the middle.

    But my parents had been ordered to stay. There was nothing they could do and no need to argue. I couldn¡¯t offer my opinion though since I had been ordered to stay in bed, healing salve applied to each wound and sore. I bit my bottom lip to keep from shouting my opinion down at them.

    I was their daughter, but heavenly orders came first. Every Star and Warrior understood that our response to this call that was greater than us, greater than our familial responsibilities. Obeying orders was our first priority.

    Except what if our ¡°call¡± had been compromised?

    What if our orders were coming from the traitor¡­.?

    ¡°I have already sent word. For now we cannot leave Stella alone!¡± my father answered Jupiter¡¯s demands with a raised voice, completely out of character for him. If you were not part of the Darkness, he had unending patience for you. And if you were part of the Darkness¡­. well, then you usually didn¡¯t last long enough to see his temper elevate. Jupiter was on the rare receiving end of a deadly Warrior who had lost his patience.

    ¡°Sending word is no longer good enough!¡± Jupiter argued. ¡°You need to make sure, no¡­. you need to stand over them until a course of action is decided! Staying here is only going to continue to put Stella and Seth in danger. They are¡­. they are¡­. what is that phrase¡­. they are standing turkeys until we do something! I would go there myself if it didn¡¯t mean I had to die first!¡±

    ¡°Ducks,¡± my mother offered sweetly. ¡°Sitting ducks.¡±

    A long silence followed her correction and I imagined Jupiter staring her down from underneath his bushy white eyebrows, seething with irritation. I took the opportunity to try and shift into a more comfortable position, but I ended up pulling at the bandages covering my back instead. I clutched at the sheets around me and winced from the movement.

    In the morning, my back would be healed, or so I was told. But it was going to be a very long night. My veins hurt. My actual veins!

    ¡°Maybe we send the children home, until they have fully trained,¡± Nathaniel, the temporary Warrior offered.

    Serena and Nathaniel had been called to account for their absence during our fight from my parents and Jupiter who had been furious with them. They were the stand-in Protectors until we were properly trained and should never have left us to the battle tonight alone. Their instincts and powers should have alerted them to our battle, should have cried out to them to come to our aid, but they unexplainably heard nothing.

    Granted they had a busy night, fighting off Shadows all over the world that seemed to be acting up in a way of a decoy. But they still should have felt our need and the concentrated effort of so many Shadows in one place. The silence they experienced was eerie and very unsettling. Unless the married couple was a part of this traitorous conspiracy, something was going on that none of us nor the Council in Heaven could fully understand.

    I swallowed the lump in my throat and tuned out the angry replies from both my parents and Jupiter at the suggestion Seth and I retreat to heaven. I found myself stuck on Nathaniel¡¯s words though, ¡°home.¡± I had never been to the lowest level of Heaven where every other Star called home, so it didn¡¯t feel like home to me. In fact, the idea of hiding away in what might as well be a different dimension and leaving this farmhouse, my real home, sounded awful¡­.

    ¡°At least they all agree,¡± Seth smiled sarcastically as he slipped into my room otherwise soundlessly.

    ¡°Yeah, it sounds like it,¡± I laughed weakly.

    Seth leaned against the closed door, with his hands behind his back looking uncomfortable surrounded by the girlyness of my room. I forgot I was eavesdropping for a moment as he stood there staring at me, his honey colored eyes settling on mine in a mischievous way that sent a shiver over the core of my body.

    It didn¡¯t help that he was shirtless and wearing his low-riding sweatpants that made his hip bones pop out provocatively. I smiled to myself wondering how such a representation of all things good and wholesome could look like that much trouble all packaged up and ready to bring out my daddy¡¯s shot gun.

    If he was not my Warrior, now would be the time to start worrying about my suddenly questionable virtue¡­.

    But he was my Warrior. And therefore I knew I had nothing to worry about from his full, masculine lips or the way that his eyes twinkled as if pushing all limits and boundaries were innately in his nature.

    His skin started to warm and glow, and when I refocused my attention on his eyes I realized it was because of the way I was staring at him.

    Objectifying him¡­.

    What was wrong with me?

    I chose to blame the fact that he was an Angel.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I mumbled, feeling my own cheeks heat with embarrassment. ¡°Uh, so it¡¯s not going well down there?¡± I changed the subject and averted my eyes around the room to find something else to look at¡­. anything else.

    ¡°There are too many opinions,¡± he explained, sliding down the door into a sitting position on the floor. He stretched out his long legs in front of him and crossed his ankles. I avoided the way his stomach muscles folded over each other and the attractive color of light emanating from him in soft waves.

    I completely avoided it.

    ¡°They all want what¡¯s best for us,¡± I decided, feeling something stir inside of me¡­. something like a war between gratitude and teenage rebellion. ¡°And suddenly they can¡¯t trust anybody else. This is a first for them.¡±

    ¡°What do you think is best for us?¡± Seth asked, his amber eyes turning to gold.

    ¡°I want to stay and fight, to train here and show the Darkness we are ready for this war,¡± I answered quietly, but with the gravity of every one of my convictions.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I want too,¡± Seth smiled confidently. ¡°And that¡¯s what we¡¯ll do.¡±

    Seth stood up, and reached for the door handle. He would inform the grownups of our decision and then, because I trusted him implicitly and because I instinctively could feel out his decisions, he wouldn¡¯t give them an option to argue.

    ¡°Seth?¡± I stopped him before he left. He turned his head and waited patiently as I gathered the courage to ask my next question, ¡°What do you think their plan is? I mean¡­. the Darkness? What are they trying to do?¡±

    ¡°Kill us,¡± he answered simply.

    I took a moment to swallow and let his words settle over me.

    ¡°Then only their tactics have changed,¡± I decided. ¡°But so have ours.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± he smiled at me, a fire lighting his face and destiny electrifying his being.

    Ultimately it didn¡¯t matter how the Darkness tried to destroy us, our call, our goals¡­. our fate didn¡¯t change. We were born and bred to fight evil and protect this planet. And that is exactly what we were going to do.

    My phone buzzed next to me on the nightstand and I reached for it as Seth closed the door behind him on his way downstairs. Under normal circumstances and if it was anyone else I would have let voicemail bother with it, but Tristan¡¯s familiar picture stared at me and his number scrolled across the bottom of the screen.

 Page 20

    ¡°Hello?¡± I forced a strong voice into the receiver and hoped he couldn¡¯t tell something was wrong.

    ¡°Where are you?¡± he demanded, not sounding happy. ¡°Are you Ok?¡±

    It was completely quiet where he was, no background noise or music or anything. I decided he was either standing outside Lincoln¡¯s house or he had already hopped inside his truck.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­.¡± I lied, well, it wasn¡¯t exactly a lie. I would be fine. There wasn¡¯t anything for him to worry about. ¡°Things were getting kind of out of control there, I thought it would help if I got out of the way,¡± I offered, hoping he would leave it at that.

    ¡°Things did get a little crazy,¡± he relented, the sound of disappointment clear in his tone. ¡°So you¡¯re at home?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, in bed actually¡­.¡±

    ¡°Want some company?¡± his voice turned low and husky and I knew he only meant on the roof outside my room, but that didn¡¯t stop the warm tingle from spreading across my belly.

    ¡°Mmmm¡­. not tonight,¡± I sighed. ¡°Hey did you see Piper before you left? Was she Ok?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she was Ok,¡± Tristan laughed, and I decided I did not like his tone.

    ¡°That sounds ominous,¡± I pried.

    ¡°It¡¯s not any of my business,¡± Tristan replied, pretending to be a gentleman but I could hear the amusement lacing every word.

    ¡°You better spill it, Tristan Davis Shields,¡± I growled, not in the mood to play games.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, it¡¯s just that, well some people make war and some people make love,¡± he laughed again and I had to stop myself from inviting him over just so I could slap him.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± I screeched.

    ¡°You better ask Piper,¡± Tristan sobered, sounding sincere.

    ¡°Is this about Lincoln?¡± I demanded, my face flushing with the idea of what she could have been manipulated into doing tonight by the influence of the Shadows. Not that teenagers didn¡¯t come to these kinds of decisions all the time on their own, but Piper would have needed an extra push tonight. Maybe not even Piper¡­. Lincoln would have needed an extra push! They barely knew each other and Lincoln was way too shy to suggest something like that to Piper on a whim. ¡°Just give it to me in movie ratings.¡±

    ¡°Definitely PG-13,¡± Tristan answered back immediately, probably to reassure me more than anything. ¡°It was worse than a Disney tween musical, but they were still on the stairs¡­. in front of everyone.¡±

    ¡°In front of everyone?¡± I groaned, hating the Darkness even more for Piper¡¯s sake.

    ¡°Uh, yeah¡­.¡± there was no sugar coating it and Tristan knew that.

    ¡°What about you? Did you get into any extra trouble?¡± I was afraid of the answer.

    ¡°Who me?¡± Tristan barked out a laugh. ¡°You should know me better than that.¡±

    ¡°Mmmm-hmmm¡­.¡± I sighed, and then rubbed my eyes. ¡°I do know you, and that¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m worried!¡±

    ¡°Goodnight, Stella,¡± his voice dropped to that husky timber again and I couldn¡¯t stop the smile that spread across my face.

    ¡°Goodnight, Tristan,¡± I replied softly, hanging up the phone and laying my head back against the pillow. Oh that boy¡­.

    ----

    Sunlight streamed in through my windows and rested over me in a blanket of comfort and warmth. The daylight energized me, gave me strength again and reminded me that this planet was still surrounded by the Army of Heaven not willing to let the Darkness succeed. I stretched my arms above my head and felt the pull of too-tight muscles and the still sore scars that painted my back. But I was better, the cold, numbing feeling was gone and the light inside of me pumped with my blood giving me natural warmth and comfort.

    A knock at my door had me reaching for the covers and pulling them up to my neck. I shifted to a sitting position in bed, and smiled as Seth flung the door open not even waiting for my response.

    ¡°Hey,¡± he wore that wide grin I was growing used to. He leaned against the door frame, holding a tray of food in his hands. ¡°So¡­. I thought you could use some comfort food to finish the healing process.¡±

    He walked toward me and a jilt of excitement jumpstarted my heart into an excited frenzy. ¡°Are those chocolate chip pancakes?¡± I squealed.

    ¡°Yes, but don¡¯t get too excited,¡± his smile wavered and I paused at his rare display of insecurity. ¡°They¡¯re not Annabelle¡¯s or anything, but I tried. Although I may have gone overboard with the chocolate chips¡­.¡±

    Seth set the tray on my lap and I took in the almost black, thin, circles¡­. circle-ish breakfast items and had to bite back a smile. He had attempted to gussy up the dish by adding fresh strawberries and a glop of whipped cream, but underneath the garnishes were dense, black oblong shapes that kind of gave me the shivers when I thought about actually digesting one of them.

    ¡°Seth, this looks¡­. uh, this looks great,¡± I smiled up at him, still bleary eyed from sleep, my voice raspy and hoarse.

    He tipped the bottle of syrup my way and his smile grew. I couldn¡¯t disappoint him so I obliged by pouring a copious amount of syrup over Seth¡¯s ¡°creation¡± and dove in. Seth stood next to my bed, rocking back and forth on his toes, bouncing up and down with barely contained energy.

    ¡°Well, what do you think?¡± he asked, while I still chewed through my first bite.

    ¡°Um¡­.¡± I stalled, swallowing the excessively rich, disturbingly thick bite. ¡°It¡¯s really¡­. really¡­. chocolaty!¡± I finished enthusiastically, trying to make it sound like a compliment.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s not like Annabelle¡¯s, but I-¡° he started fidgeting, and his nervous mannerisms were in such contrast to his perfect face and usual confidence that I couldn¡¯t let him worry about them any longer.

    ¡°I love them!¡± I declared, cutting another huge bite off with my fork. ¡°Seriously, Seth, this is exactly what I need to finish recovery. Thank you.¡±

    His charming smile became self-assured again and his skin let off that soft glow that told me he believed me. I shoved the overly large, overly sweet bite of pancakes into my mouth and made a moaning sound to solidify my point.

    I decided on the second bite that I could eat at least half the pile, and make it worth his effort. They weren¡¯t¡­. bad¡­. they were just really, really sugary, and dense¡­. and not very pancake like at all. They were more like edible bites of a cement pastry; but it was possibly the most adorable gesture ever.

    ¡°So you¡¯re feeling better?¡± Seth asked, his eyes narrowing into speculative slits.

    ¡°For the most part, yeah. I mean, I¡¯m a little sore and tight, but I don¡¯t feel like death anymore,¡± I smiled up at him, cutting another bite and popping it energetically into my mouth.

    ¡°Good¡­.¡± Seth mumbled, although it didn¡¯t sound like he was all that thrilled. ¡°Because Jupiter wants to train again. I told him you probably weren¡¯t up for it, but he is being pretty stubborn. But if you¡¯re still sore, then it probably isn¡¯t a good idea and I can tell him he will have to wait another day.¡±

    I could feel how concerned Seth was for me in more than his expressive eyes and glowing skin; there was this connection between us, like an invisible cord that tied us together. I could feel his concern, deep in my bones. I could sense his anxiety over my injuries, his fear over pushing me too hard. It was all there, all between us. We were bonded and because of that I knew I had to get out of bed and train. As comfortable as I was with Seth and as flattered by his concern as I was, I knew I had to become a better fighter so that I could erase these emotions for him. He couldn¡¯t be a better fighter unless I was a better fighter.

    Plus training meant I had a legitimate excuse not to finish the entire plate of pancakes.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s Ok,¡± I replied confidently. ¡°I need to train, Jupiter¡¯s right. The Darkness isn¡¯t going to stop and so I can¡¯t either. I was sloppy and slow last night, and I can¡¯t ever be that unprepared again. They know by now who I am and what I¡¯m capable of¡­. or really, what I¡¯m not capable of. Next time they send their spies, I want to send them away terrified.¡± I smiled up at Seth and pushed forward all of my courage. What I was saying was true, but I wasn¡¯t sure if I believed it was possible yet.

    ¡°We will,¡± Seth assured me. ¡°Serena and Nate are going to train too, while they¡¯re still here. It will be a good opportunity for us, since neither of us have really had hand to hand combat with another Angel.¡±

    ¡°What? Are you saying you don¡¯t count fighting me as real hand to hand combat?¡± I gasped, pretending to be offended.

    ¡°Not when I go so easy on you,¡± he gave me an impish grin and moved to the door.

    ¡°That stops today!¡± I yelled at his retreating figure.

    ¡°I know,¡± he called back, but I could still feel his anxiety over me as he made his way down the stairs.

    I shook my head, and pushed the tray of food off me before climbing slowly out of bed and ambling over to my closet. I was wide awake now, but my body still felt the aftereffects of battle. I stretched nice and long and then picked out some workout clothes that would let me move freely. By the time I had thrown my hair up in a ponytail and made my way downstairs, Serena, Nathaniel, Seth and Jupiter were all waiting for me.

    ¡°Finally,¡± Jupiter grumbled, turning his back on me and walking straight out the back door. He carried two oversized canvas, black bags with him that folded in half, coming together at the handles: the sword bags.

    ¡°Good morning,¡± Serena smiled slowly at me. I had met her briefly last night and was surprised at her other-worldliness then; in the light of morning her sharp, angled features and ethereal complexion were even more staggering. Serena was from a post outside of this galaxy, but had been chosen to be the temporary Protector until I turned eighteen. She had long, flowing orange hair and startling blue eyes, the color of the ocean around a coral reef. Her skin, which was clear and porcelain, radiated light without much effort at all and her willowy frame towered over me gracefully. To me, she was clearly an Angel and humanity would hardly know what to make of her should she meet them. As far as blending in went, she was an odd choice, but her skill and experience on the battlefield preceded her loudly. I wondered for a moment why they were handing over Earth to me so soon, when she was clearly capable for the job.

    ¡°Good morning, Serena,¡± I smiled, disturbingly intimidated. ¡°Good morning, Nathaniel.¡±

    ¡°Nate, remember?¡± the Warrior corrected, offering me his hand. Nate was a lot like Seth in looks, with dark, unruly hair and a severely muscular face. But where Seth had shades of mystery and mischief, Nate was all goodness and light. His gray eyes sparkled like granite and his matured frame boasted years on the battle field.

    ¡°Right, good morning, Nate,¡± I corrected, smiling a little more easily. He wasn¡¯t quite so intimidating, but it wasn¡¯t his shoes I was going to have to fill.

 Page 21

    We all turned and followed Jupiter out the door, even though he was halfway to our training field by now. Seth and I followed behind the other Star and Warrior and I had to wonder if Seth was as daunted as I was. I glanced over at him, but all I got in return was a cocky smile and a playful wink.

    We trudged across the snow covered fields, nobody wearing coats or even seeming to be effected by the near zero degree temps. By the time we reached Jupiter, he had already spread out the weapons across the field. I almost laughed, realizing he had clearly just picked up the different swords and tossed them randomly as far as he could. He was tossing swords! I shivered to think of any poor woodland creatures that got in his way.

    ¡°We will continue to train with swords and introduce other weapons later, as I see fit. But right now, since Stella is struggling with the basic skill of protecting herself, I think this is our top priority,¡± Jupiter announced gruffly.

    I cringed at his frustration with me and then centered myself, remembering why I needed to push myself. Jupiter was right, I had to get better.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start Star against Star, and add more opponents as time progresses,¡± Jupiter instructed and I realized at some point this morning he expected me to be able to fight all three of them.

    Gulp.

    ¡°Stella, Serena choose your weapon,¡± Jupiter waved his arm across the expanse of the field, while Nate and Seth stepped out of the way.

    Serena flipped through the air and landed twenty feet away, gracefully picking up a long, thin sword before her feet touched the ground. She turned back to me with a glint in her bright blue eyes that I was honestly scared of. And then she raised her sword defensively, and poised her body for the fight, her long sinewy body stretched and ready.

    Double gulp.

    Schooling my trembling appendages, I backed away from her, finding a katana sword to match her nodachi and raised it in a similar pose, more mimicking her than moving comfortably into position. Serena looked like the goddess of battle, her orange hair whipped behind her as if on fire and her eyes shone with the brightness of heaven, even in the daylight. Her body tensed and she waited for me, her muscles flexing in anticipation and her eyes narrowing against me.

    She was a Warrior.

    I was a seventeen year old girl that felt awkward holding my heavy weapon.

    I tried to mimic the grace of her stance, but my foot sank lower in the snow than I intended it to and I stumbled a little before recovering. We faced each other from across the field, neither one willing to go on the offensive and give up our position.

    ¡°Serena, you attack her,¡± Jupiter commanded when he realized we could wait each other out all day. I saw only a moment¡¯s hesitation before she obeyed.

    Going against every instinct, she crossed the field at a flat out run and leapt through the air, with sword strong above her head. She was not holding back. Not at all¡­.

    And for a second I really thought she would kill me.

    But then my blade was moving before my brain told it to and I responded out of pure instinct to protect myself. I met her sword with a crash that resounded through the farmland, and then moved swiftly¡­. gracefully even¡­. to the side so that I could swing at her again.

    The clang of swords was loud and piercing against the quiet of the winter morning, but blow after blow I met hers with a force that surprised even me. I shut off the thinking part of my brain, the part of my brain that was raised in a human world with human reactions and let the supernatural nature I had repressed for far too long take over.

    I started to feel like I had the upper hand, if only for a second, but for that second I was swinging first, doing more than just reacting; I was attacking her.

    Out of the corner of my eye I could see my inner light encompassing my body, even in bright daylight. Serena and I lit up the field with the blinding brightness of our inner essence. Her features blurred the more ingrained in battle we became, but her sword stayed silver and strong, slicing the air and aiming for me. The snow melted at our feet, exposing the dirt and remnants of last year¡¯s crops.

    She let out a battle cry that sent chills of fear racing over my spine, before flipping into the air to deliver the final blow. At the last second, I leapt backward into a flip of my own and midair¡­. mid-flip¡­.. I connected with her shoulder pushing her to the ground and landing next to her on one knee with my sword at the base of her throat.

    I stared at her for a long moment, wondering where I learned to do that and thankful for the way my hand paused. In that moment, I wasn¡¯t training, or fighting a fellow Star, I was defending myself and the force of which I planned to press my sword into my opponent surprised me¡­. scared me a little.

    ¡°Good,¡± Serena whispered in between heavy breaths and then smiled up at me from under my weapon. ¡°That was very good.¡±

    Still stunned from my win, I backed away slowly, giving her breathing room and removing the threat of my katana from her neck. I stood up, shoulders heaving from exertion and pulled in my light so that I wasn¡¯t a baby version of the sun. Seth stood next to Nate smiling as widely as he could and I got the distinct impression he was trying very hard not to cheer for me. Nate too was smiling, but more like he was relieved for my sake than anything else.

    Jupiter was not smiling. Jupiter eyed me from across the field skeptically, like I had just cheated somehow or Serena had gone easy on me. If she had, I couldn¡¯t tell¡­.

    ¡°Again,¡± Jupiter announced, grinding out his consonants as if it pained him to watch this. ¡°Nate, Seth you attack too. We can never have a repeat of last night again.¡±

    I swallowed the anxiety that came with three skilled attackers when I felt like I had just given everything I had to win against one. But I picked up my katana and then found its sister half buried in the snow a few feet away, deciding I could at least try to match the number of weapons coming against me.

    ¡°This will feel more like how the Shadows attack,¡± Jupiter announced as if for my benefit. But I knew whatever his methods were Jupiter would push me and push me and push me until I was perfection¡­. until I was the Warrior that could protect the Earth effectively. Or until I broke and it was clear the high council had either made a mistake or been tricked into picking me.

    I wiped at my brow with the back of my hand and readied myself to meet my attackers. A chill swept over me as they crossed the field. A strong enough foreboding feeling that I lost focus for a moment and looked around. There was something out there, something hidden in the dense tree line. The distinct feel of evil seeped into my blood and warned me that we were being watched.

    But as soon as it came, it was gone and I was left in confusion. The other three Angels still advanced against me, not giving anything away. I must have imagined it¡­. I must have confused my anticipation for this battle with the dread of more Fallen spying on me.

    As the four of us connected in fight, I let instinct take over again and lead the way; still I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of being watched.

    Or that an evil presence lurked somewhere so unseen they could be invisible to even us.

    Chapter Ten

    ¡°Good morning, Piper!¡± I sang as I sidled up to my locker and noticed she had her cute little brunette head shoved further inside the cold metal shelves than normal.

    She mumbled something incoherent that sounded like a string of curse words and tried to actually crawl inside her locker. I deposited my backpack and winter coat on a hook inside my own locker and then grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked playfully back.

    ¡°Ow!¡± she shouted, pulling her head out of hiding and glaring at me.

    ¡°Piper, what happened Friday night?¡± I leaned my shoulder against my locker and crossed my arms to let her know I meant business.

    ¡°Oh, Stella,¡± she cooed, reaching out for my hair. ¡°You look so pretty today! I love it when you wear your hair down¡­.¡±

    ¡°Stop it!¡± I slapped her hand away and gave her a more poignant glare. ¡°What happened? And why were you trying to crawl inside your locker?¡±

    ¡°I was planning on just staying in there all day actually¡­. but fine, if you want to stick your nose where it doesn¡¯t belong¡­.¡±

    ¡°Stop stalling! What happened?¡± I demanded, lowering my voice so that the surrounding hall full of students wouldn¡¯t tune into our conversation.

    Although I was assuming most of them had witnessed whatever she was about to spill¡­.

    ¡°Well, first of all, this is all your fault, Stella Day!¡± her hazel eyes narrowed on me. ¡°Where did you go? Why weren¡¯t you there? How could you have let this happen to me?¡±

    ¡°Calm down Pi, and just tell me what happened,¡± I whispered fiercely.

    Piper looked at me for one more second and then gave me a decided nod. She gripped my wrist in her hand, her painted black fingernails digging into my skin and her silver stack of bangles clanking loudly as she pulled me dramatically into the girls¡¯ bathroom. She let go of me abruptly and then walked over to the mirror to primp her straight bangs and make sure we were completely alone.

    ¡°Ugh¡­. he¡­. we¡­. I kind of made out with Lincoln on Friday night,¡± she confessed in a dejected voice that let me know exactly how ashamed she was.

    ¡°But you like him right?¡± I prompted, hoping to take away some of her post-make-out guilt. I silently cursed the Shadows again and vowed to become the best fighter ever just to protect my friends from slightly-tipsy-post-win-make-out-sessions.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­.¡± she grumbled, turning around and leaning against the line of sinks. ¡°I mean, I wasn¡¯t really sure before Friday night exactly how I felt about him or us. And even when he kissed me, I kind of decided that I did like him¡­. but not enough to grope him in public! I don¡¯t know what is wrong with me! I¡¯m such a mess!¡± She let her head fall dramatically into her hands and shook out her hair.

    ¡°Wait,¡± I demanded, taking a step forward and gripping her shoulders. ¡°You groped him? In front of the entire high school?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s awful!¡± she cried out. ¡°I don¡¯t know what came over me! And now he won¡¯t even look at me!¡±

    ¡°Well, you probably stole his innocence¡­.¡± I mumbled and then sucked in my lip, realizing I wasn¡¯t helping the situation.

    ¡°I can¡¯t help it, Ok?¡± she bit back. ¡°These small town boys can¡¯t handle me. I¡¯m too much woman for them!¡±

    I burst out in laughter at Piper¡¯s expense. She was usually overly dramatic, but at least this time she had a reason to be. I sobered though when I realized she wasn¡¯t completely to blame that night, but had to carry the guilt of her manipulated actions on her own. I wished for the first time in my entire life that she knew the complete truth about me and I could share what really happened Friday night with her.

    Usually Piper was my reminder of everything good and innocent about humanity, my escape from the weight of my destiny. I had never shared my secret with her and had no intentions of destroying her rose colored glasses of the world any time soon. But today, watching my best friend flush deep crimson from the reminder of the other night, I wanted desperately to tell her that her actions weren¡¯t entirely her fault.

 Page 22

    ¡°Lincoln¡¯s so shy, Piper. I¡¯m sure it doesn¡¯t really have anything to do with you! He¡¯s probably just still trying to figure out what happened,¡± I offered, trying to console her. I turned my attention to the mirror and huffed at my blonde hair. Star or not, the static cling from winter was doing all kinds of science experiments on my head.

    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s the thing!¡± Piper declared as the first bell rang. We gathered our books and headed toward the door. ¡°He knew exactly what was happening while it was¡­. happening,¡± she lowered her voice to a whisper on the other side of the bathroom door. ¡°But now it¡¯s like I¡¯m the bad guy!¡±

    Up ahead, Tristan and Seth stood awkwardly next to each other by my locker. We worked our way through the scattering crowd to get to them. Tristan and Seth were definitely the most gorgeous things in the entire city of Mead, possibly the entire state of Nebraska, even more possibly the complete universe¡­. but it was hard to take them seriously when they could barely stand the sight of each other and held pissing contests like they were trapped in the third grade.

    ¡°He¡¯ll come around,¡± I assured Piper, dropping my voice to meet her pitch. ¡°And if not, you didn¡¯t really like him anyway, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m worried about,¡± she pouted.

    I turned to give her my full attention before we reached the boys. ¡°Then what are you worried about?¡±

    ¡°I just don¡¯t want to be labeled a super slut for one mistake at one party¡­.¡± she finished, and it was then that I saw the real fear in her eyes. For as little as Piper cared about high school drama and the small town politics that sometimes surrounded us, she really did put pride her in reputation. She had created an image for herself and it was different than everyone else, but it was the image she created, she had control over it.

    ¡°The first person that even thinks you¡¯re a super slut is going to have to deal with me,¡± I threatened in a growly voice.

    ¡°Yeah, because you¡¯re scary,¡± she rolled her eyes, but I saw the light behind them rekindle. Humanity was funny; as long as humans didn¡¯t feel alone they seemed to be able to face anything.

    Maybe it just wasn¡¯t humanity though. My future had seemed pretty bleak and undoable until Seth showed up. Maybe every kind of species did better working together.

    ¡°Who¡¯s scary?¡± Tristan asked pulling me into a hug. His arms went around me with decidedly less fervor than usual and I realized it actually felt kind of awkward with other people watching us.

    ¡°Stella,¡± Piper replied, nudging me in the arm with her elbow after I stepped away from Tristan. ¡°She¡¯s my muscle.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re muscle?¡± Seth questioned, leaning toward Piper attentively.

    ¡°Yeah, you know, like if I need to beat someone up? I¡¯ll just send Stella to take care of them,¡± Piper replied very seriously.

    Seth stayed silent, taking in Piper¡¯s comment. I could tell he was trying to decide if she was serious or not and at the same time figure out how much I had told her.

    ¡°Yeah, because Stella really looks like she¡¯s muscle material,¡± Tristan laughed, rolled his eyes and covered for the uncomfortable silence that had fallen from Seth.

    ¡°Shut up!¡± I squealed and then punched Tristan in the arm for good measure.

    The second bell rang and we were all officially late for class. Piper and Seth turned toward class and fell into easy conversation, while Tristan and I followed behind them. I looked over at Tristan ready to say hello properly when I noticed the faint shades of blue and black under his right eye.

    ¡°What is that?¡± I demanded, reaching up to press on it. I should have brushed at it nicely, played the attentive and concerned friend, but something about the evidence of Tristan in an actual altercation made me really angry and even angrier when I realized he kept it from me. So I pushed on it kind of hard.

    ¡°Ow!¡± He laughed, pushing my hand away. ¡°What was that for?¡±

    ¡°You should have told me you got into a fight!¡± I accused him, stopping short of the door to government even though we were already late.

    ¡°And you should have told me you left the party early to go to one of your fights or whatever they¡¯re called,¡± he accused right back, his crystalline green eyes narrowing angrily at me.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked surprised, dropping my voice again. ¡°How did you know?¡±

    ¡°This, right here,¡± he lifted my hair back and ran his finger down the side of my neck slowly. ¡°You didn¡¯t have that before you left Friday night.¡±

    ¡°Stella, Tristan,¡± Mrs. Trinker called from inside the classroom. ¡°You can finish your conversation later or in detention, you choose!¡±

    Tristan traced the faint scar with his thumb, staring at me for a moment more. I knew he wasn¡¯t happy with me for keeping the truth from him, but all I could do right now was concentrate on not concentrating on his thumb on my neck. Mrs. Trinker cleared her throat impatiently from inside the classroom and I broke away from the trance of his gaze.

    I cleared my throat and focused on Government, which was really difficult. But if I had any chance of making it through today I needed to push any thoughts of the Darkness far away and forbidden thoughts of Tristan¡¯s fingers on my skin even farther away¡­.

    ----

    Lunch was awkward. Like really, really awkward¡­.

    ¡°So Rigley, excited for your college visit this weekend?¡± I asked casually, hoping to break some of the tension.

    Rigley had been more quiet than usual because he felt bad about Lincoln¡¯s house getting nearly destroyed Friday night. Lincoln, who was usually quiet, hadn¡¯t said a word to anybody because he was mad at Rigley and because of the tension between him and Piper. Piper was completely absent from lunch today. Tristan was taking turns glaring at me over his ham sandwich and talking to Bree, which I found completely annoying so I was returning his glares with ones of my own. And Seth sat next to me, taking in all the drama like he had front row tickets to a Jerry Springer show.

    ¡°Uh, yeah, sure,¡± Rigley answered, pushing his bag of chips around the table idly. ¡°I¡¯m not really sure what the point of it is, but my parents want me to go, so¡­.¡± he shrugged his shoulders as if he could care less.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to go?¡± Seth asked.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just that I know where I want to go already, but they want me to ¡®explore every option,¡¯¡± Rigley explained, using his fingers for air quotes.

    ¡°And where do you want to go?¡± Seth pressed.

    ¡°UNL obviously, but they want me to see if I can get an athletic scholarship at a smaller school,¡± Rigley shrugged his shoulders again and went back to his chips.

    ¡°You can¡¯t get an athletic scholarship to UNL?¡± Seth asked. I smiled at the way the University of Nebraska at Lincoln¡¯s abbreviation came unnaturally off his lips, when everyone else in the room had been dreaming about that school since infancy.

    Rigley answered Seth with a short laugh and an enthusiastic shake of his head, ¡°Yeah right, I¡¯m no Tristan Shields.¡±

    ¡°Shut it,¡± Tristan threatened.

    ¡°UNL is a huge university,¡± I explained gently to Seth. ¡°They have a very competitive athletic program, especially in football.¡±

    ¡°So you either have to be really good,¡± Rigley continued, ¡°Or have older brothers that can sweet talk you a spot onto the team.¡±

    ¡°And which one are you?¡± Seth asked Tristan honestly, although the air around our table suddenly became thick with tension.

    ¡°A little of both,¡± Tristan half-growled. I was the only one to notice the way the tips of his cheekbones reddened with embarrassment at the mention of his future career and the way his torso shifted uncomfortably. Tristan hated being compared to his older brothers, and hated it even more when people insinuated that they were the only reason he could play for the Huskers.

    ¡°So what do you think you¡¯ll do?¡± I asked Rigley, hoping to defer the coming storm. ¡°Your choice or your parents¡¯ choice?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re the ones footing the bill,¡± Rigley answered, lifting his shoulders as if he didn¡¯t have a choice. ¡°But I¡¯m hoping they see how badly I want UNL and give up their dream of a college athlete for a son.¡±

    ¡°It must be nice to have parents so invested in your future,¡± Seth offered.

    I turned to look at him, having never heard that tone of voice before. He stared at Rigley seriously, as if he were offering the best kind of truth and something twitched inside my heart, something I hadn¡¯t thought of in a very long time.

    ¡°Why? Your parents don¡¯t care where you go to school?¡± Rigley asked, laughing a little to defuse the heaviness of the moment.

    ¡°My parents are dead,¡± Seth replied casually, shrugging one of his shoulders. The glow from inside him was completely silent as he looked back down at his school lunch. His eyes were a soft shade of honey, but nothing extraordinary shone from them, no sign that he was a different species or called to something great.

    I reached out instinctively and gripped his arm, wishing he had confided in me earlier. I heard Rigley offer something like, ¡°That sucks¡­¡± but it was all I could do not to openly weep at the table. I knew his parents were dead, but we had never talked about them. I wanted to kick myself for how callous and self-absorbed I had been. Just because every moment of our free time was dedicated to training, didn¡¯t mean I shouldn¡¯t try to learn something personal about Seth. Ugh, he must think me completely vain. I didn¡¯t even know how his parents had died!

    But then that twitch in my heart reminded me of a memory of my childhood¡­. My parents weeping over lost friends, a mission gone wrong¡­. another traitor.

    ¡°Yeah, but it was a long time ago,¡± Seth recovered; doing the casual-male-shoulder-shrug again that seemed to dictate ninety percent of male conversation. I was still reeling though, hating myself for not knowing this before, for not taking the time to get to know Seth better. He was my intended, and already my Counterpart and I had kept things coolly distant between us.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Stella,¡± he whispered, leaning into me and offering me that charming smile that melted every female in a fifty yard radius. His glow was back and there was light behind his eyes again so I loosened my grip on his bicep. ¡°It really was a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°I just¡­. I don¡¯t know what happened,¡± I mumbled weakly, my eyes brimming with tears.

    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t tell you,¡± he reminded me. ¡°We¡¯ll talk later.¡± He let his forehead lean against mine and for a brief moment there was only the two of us in the entire world. I inhaled deeply, breathing him in and letting his clean, fresh snow scent wash over me.

    ¡°Ok,¡± I agreed. I pulled back a little to stare up into his liquid amber eyes. He was an Angel, perfect, good, full of light¡­. But there was more to Seth, more to him than any other Angel I had ever met. Shades of mystery and trouble, something different and unnatural for Angels, pulled me into him. Maybe the answers were in his story, in whatever happened in his past.

 Page 23

    The bell rang and we all got up to empty our trays or throw away our trash. Not at all excited about my Anatomy class; I took my time separating the items off my tray.

    ¡°Hey, take a walk with me?¡± Tristan asked softly from behind me.

    I turned around and knew before I even looked into those forest green eyes there was no way I would ever say no to him. ¡°I¡¯ll be late for Anatomy,¡± I tried weakly.

    ¡°I have a pass from Coach, I¡¯ll just add your name to it,¡± he lifted his eyebrows waiting for my eventual cave.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked without much hesitation at all.

    ¡°I just have to run down to the equipment storage room and grab some of the old practice jerseys. Coach sent the ones we usually use to be mended, so we have to wear moldy, shredded ones until we get the other ones back,¡± he explained as we left the crowd of exiting students and headed toward the stairs to the basement.

    ¡°Mmm¡­. important mission,¡± I laughed. ¡°Obviously Coach Donovan is very concerned about your academic career.¡±

    Tristan laughed with me, a deep throaty sound that made me smile wider. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s having me do this right now for him¡­.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad he is,¡± I confessed. ¡°Anatomy might be the most boring class in the history of school.¡± I groaned as we made our way down the dark, creepy steps that led to the equipment storage rooms, locker rooms and boiler room. The locker rooms were on the outer sides of the basement, close to the stairs and accessible from the gym, the interior of the school and the outside doors that led to the football fields, but once you passed the locker room doors the basement of the high school became a maze of hallways and rusted metal doors, dimly lit and perfect for a B-rated horror movie.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad he is too,¡± Tristan whispered, turning on the hallway light at the bottom of the stairs. The long florescent lights flickered to life but didn¡¯t let off anything much more than a dim, stuttering illumination.

    ¡°Ugh, I hate it down here,¡± I admitted, leaning closer to Tristan.

    ¡°You¡¯re not scared, are you?¡± Tristan teased, pinching my side. I jumped from his hand, but then he reached his arm around my back to reassure me and I leaned in closer, craving the comfort of his closeness.

    ¡°Tristan, my job is to protect this planet from everything scary, of course I¡¯m not scared,¡± I scolded him, but my voice came out breathy and unsure. Ugh, basements gave me the creeps.

    ¡°Are you ever going to tell me what happened Friday night?¡± Tristan paused at the door to the equipment room, playing with the keys in his hand. I leaned against the wall to wait for him, but he leaned in with me and suddenly we were standing very close together.

    ¡°Are you ever going to tell me what happened Friday night?¡± I turned the question on him, brushing my fingers gently under his bruised eye.

    ¡°No,¡± he whispered leaning in closer.

    I didn¡¯t know what changed between us, whether it was Seth¡¯s arrival or the threat of me leaving him, but Tristan had changed. He seemed more determined about our relationship¡­. more protective.

    Yes, he definitely seemed more protective of me, but it was more than that. He seemed¡­.

    Hungry.

    As I looked up into his half-lidded eyes, his long dark lashes giving him a sexy quality I usually tried to ignore, I saw how hungry he was now. How hungry he was for me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this, Stella,¡± he confessed seriously, his deep baritone voice dropping to a husky tone that sent shivers down my spine. ¡°I don¡¯t like that you¡¯re a part of something I can¡¯t be, that you¡¯re out there, risking your life and fighting bad guys and there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. I want to protect you. I want to be the one fighting with you.¡± His gaze had frozen me, speared me against the wall and one of his hands had somehow landed on my hip, burning through my thin sweater with the heat of his body and weight of his words.

    ¡°You can¡¯t protect me,¡± I reminded him in a raspy voice that I had desperately wanted to sound authoritative.

    ¡°I know that¡­.¡± He ran his free hand over his shaved head and looked down the hall for a moment. ¡°And it¡¯s killing me,¡± he sighed, his voice breaking in the softest, most desperate way. His free hand came to rest aggressively next to me on the metal door, making it echo down the hallway. I jumped at the sound, inching us closer together.

    ¡°Tristan¡­.¡± I breathed, wanting to say a million things, remind him of a million different reasons we had never crossed the invisible line between friendship and more, but my lips stopped working at his name.

    ¡°That¡¯s not all that¡¯s killing me,¡± he sighed, closing the last few inches between us. My body pressed against the wall again as his lean, muscular frame rested against me. His right hand gripped my waist, pulling me into him and his left hand moved slowly to the nape of my neck, tipping my head toward him, towards his lips.

    I was helpless to stop him. There was a voice screaming inside of me that this was wrong, that Tristan and I could never be anything more than friends and we should never even entertain the idea. We had gone our whole lives without crossing this line, and now was definitely not the right time to start blurring boundaries. If we did this, there was no going back¡­. and that terrified me.

    Still, there was another voice not nearly as panicked, but just as solidly confident, an old voice, one that had lived there for as long as I could remember that urged me forward, whispered to me how long I¡¯ve wanted to press my lips against Tristan¡¯s and feel how soft they are, how I¡¯ve wanted to be held in his arms as more than a friend, but as something he cherished¡­. even longed for.

    Something he desired.

    Tristan¡¯s gaze fell to my lips, and his eyes turned starved. His tongue swept over his bottom lip as he prepared himself for something I wasn¡¯t yet ready to admit to myself was happening. A shudder, hot and trembling, worked its way over me. I gave up the weak battle I had been waging and leaned into him, ignoring all reason left within me.

    He hovered above me for a seemingly infinite amount of time, caught in indecision. The air crackled around us, ignited with sparks of a deeply buried desire and the whispered reminders that what we both wanted, what we both were desperate for, was absolutely forbidden. What would happen next would change our relationship; there would be no going back, no pretending that nothing happened. But it would also change us¡­. completely.

    To kiss Tristan meant going against everything I had been born to achieve. It meant going against my parents, and Heaven and¡­. Seth. Still, the guilt and reasoning that had held me back before weren¡¯t strong enough to affect my will now as I lifted my hands against his chest, feeling the frantic beating of his heart underneath his thin t-shirt. In that moment, I was more than willing to pay the consequences; I was willing to risk everything to taste Tristan¡¯s lips against mine.

    I probably should have been scared of how strongly my feelings seemed to suddenly burst forward for him.

    But instead of fear, something much more like clarity settled over me.

    And then something moved to my right, something in the shadows of the basement. I told myself to ignore it, to deal with it later. This was more important than some silly battle, or spies, or¡­.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Tristan jumped, suddenly startled. He looked to the corner I had suspected the Shadow to be lurking and stepped back a few feet.

    I peered into the darkness with him, trying to get my bearings again. My head was spinning from what almost happened between us. I trembled from the excitement of the moment and left over fear from what could have been a very dangerous situation. Had we really almost kissed?

    My breathing was coming out in short, ragged breaths and I forced my vision to focus on the illusive Shadow.

    ¡°Um, you saw that?¡± I asked in a small voice I hardly recognized.

    ¡°What was it Stella?¡± Tristan asked in a low growl. I noticed for the first time that he was breathing hard too and although he had put quite a distance between us, he seemed as disoriented as I was.

    ¡°A Shadow,¡± I explained, not able to find a reason to tell him anything but the truth. ¡°It¡¯s part of the Darkness, like the infantry part.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what it is though, right? It¡¯s an actual shadow?¡± he asked, finally gaining some lucidity.

    ¡°Yeah, kind of.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen them before,¡± he admitted, turning to look at me for the first time since he almost kissed me. The fire was gone from his eyes, but they still held me with all of the concern and adoration he was capable of. ¡°On Friday night, they were at the party. And¡­. and I¡¯ve seen them other places too.¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be able to see them. Humans don¡¯t usually notice them,¡± I explained but my argument sounded weak. I trusted Tristan, if he had seen them before than I believed him.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Tristan asked, half laughing as if I was accusing him of not being human.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I answered truthfully. ¡°I¡¯ll ask my weapons trainer about it. But in the meantime, let¡¯s get these jerseys and get out of here.¡± I shivered from the dank cold this time, and Tristan nodded his head in agreement.

    He put the correct key into the old lock and paused before opening the door, ¡°Hey, listen, about what just happened¡­. or what almost happened, I-¡°

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I shook my head as if it were no big deal, although I could still see the after effects of glow on my skin. ¡°Let¡¯s just chalk it up to the romantic atmosphere down here and move on, Ok?¡±

    Tristan laughed at that, but shook his head like it was the best idea I¡¯d ever had, ¡°Yeah, Ok. I forgot how the smell of mold and sewage gets you all feisty.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget the possibility of dead rodents,¡± I continued the joke, laughing out loud with him. ¡°A girl hardly knows what to do with herself in situations like these,¡± I smiled and batted my eye lashes coyly, continuing the humor and easing the tension between us.

    But something had shaken up inside of me that I was having trouble piecing back together. Disappointment rang out inside my head and a longing so fierce my mouth had gone dry and my internal organs actually hurt from frustration.

    I needed to distance myself from Tristan. I needed to put this all out of my head and go back to the way things used to be between Tristan and me, or how they should be with the addition of Seth.

    Oy.

    Chapter Eleven

    ¡°Do you have everything packed up?¡± I asked Seth over the sudsy water we were washing dishes in. He and Jupiter were moving to their rental tonight, so my parents had hosted a farewell dinner for them even though we would still see them on a daily basis.

    ¡°Yeah, I think so,¡± he replied as he dried the last plate and set it on a stack of other identical ones.

    ¡°Need help carrying anything out?¡± I motioned toward the pile of suitcases by the kitchen door waiting to be loaded into Jupiter¡¯s recently purchased Chevy pickup truck. The truck was a new model, but nothing too flashy or attention seeking. My father had suggested to Jupiter that the best way to fit in around here was to have a moderately priced truck; it was the sad, but honest truth.

 Page 24

    ¡°Sure,¡± Seth shrugged and we left the drying dishes to load up their few belongings into the back of the truck.

    ¡°So will you guys have to buy like beds and stuff or are you moving that here?¡± I asked, tossing a duffle bag over the side rail of the red truck.

    ¡°No, the house comes fully furnished, which is why I think Jupiter is so excited to get it,¡± Seth explained leaning back against the bumper.

    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what Jupiter looks like when he gets excited,¡± I mused sarcastically.

    ¡°Just wait till Christmas,¡± Seth laughed, waggling his eyebrows at me.

    The night air was frozen at the end of January, but neither Seth nor I let the cold or snow bother us. A healthy glow of light lit up the white, powdered ground around us as we relaxed against the truck and looked up at our fellow fighters defending the Earth from the expanse of space.

    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± I ventured, leaning further back against the truck and tipping my head up so I could have a better view of the clear night sky.

    ¡°Stella, you can ask me anything,¡± Seth answered quietly.

    He knew where this conversation was headed and I was glad. I had been avoiding the conversation for more than a week, trying to build up the courage to pry into his life where he hadn¡¯t invited me.

    ¡°What happened to your parents?¡± My voice was soft, and fragile as if the memory of his past would wound me as much as it had him.

    Seth was silent for a long time, gazing skyward and his inner light flickering like a light bulb about to burn out. I had just decided to tell him to forget it, when he breathed a long sigh and opened his mouth.

    ¡°I was nine,¡± he began and the pain that laced each syllable felt like a knife wound in my own heart. ¡°My parents were stationed here, just like yours, only we were on the other side of the world¡­. literally. I spent most of my childhood on the southern tip of Sri Lanka, in a small coastal town called Galle. My parents worked with a humanitarian group there as their cover, working with the Sri Lankan government to stabilize a small faction of antigovernment rebels. We lived near the ocean, the most beautiful beach you will ever see. The sand is as golden as our skin, and the water is perfect, clean and blue and warm. Occasionally my parents were called away for missions, but because they had two children, their off-planet duties were less demanding than your parents.¡±

    ¡°Two children?¡± I gasped, completely absorbed with every one of his words.

    ¡°I have an older sister,¡± Seth answered. ¡°Or¡­. had an older sister.¡±

    ¡°What¡­.¡± I trailed off, not sure if I wanted to hear the story after all.

    ¡°Because their time off-planet grew less and less, our contacts with the High Council also became lessened. Our position on Earth was already dangerous, as you know and so my parents trusted very few Stars. One of my father¡¯s oldest friends however, used to visit often. Aliah. His name was Aliah, and he and my father had served together before my parents were given this position. He was like this goofy uncle that would spoil Seven and me. That¡¯s my sister¡¯s name, Seven. He would take us to the beach, and buy us fresh pineapple. He was always around it seemed, at least in my nine year old mind. And he made my parents laugh. We had some of the best times as a family when he was there. Anyway, the Darkness came for us, and we had to run. My father was tipped off by Sidra who was on her way to stop them. At the time we weren¡¯t sure how they found us, but it didn¡¯t matter because we had to just leave everything behind and go. We got out of Sri Lanka safely and made it to Hong Kong. My parents had been given strict evacuation orders in case something like that was to happen, and we followed the plan to the last detail. But¡­. he was waiting for us. Aliah was waiting, with an army of Fallen. My parents¡­. at first didn¡¯t know what to make of him, standing there, surrounded by their enemies¡­. It seemed like hours passed before they picked up their swords to fight him. But they fought hard, they fought better than any Star I¡¯ve ever witnessed or heard of. In the end though, there were just too many Fallen¡­. Before their death, they were given the opportunity to join the Darkness, to join Aliah. He stood over them, while they faced him from their knees, swords to their throats¡­. bloody¡­. beaten¡­. He asked them to join him on the other side. And when they didn¡¯t, Aliah killed them both. He didn¡¯t even hesitate¡­. It was like he didn¡¯t even remember my father as his friend. He just¡­. he just slit their throats and let them fall to the ground like trash. My sister¡­.¡± his voice broke at the mention of her and I grabbed his hand with every ounce of compassion I had in me and held it tightly against my chest. ¡°My sister, after my parents were dead, their bodies lying face down in their own blood, walked across the distance, careful not to get blood on her shoes and stood by our enemies. She joined them¡­. she chose Aliah. She didn¡¯t cry, or even look at my parents, she just made sure not to get any blood on her shoes¡­. Seven is older than me; she was fifteen at the time.¡±

    ¡°What did you do?¡± I gasped, tears falling freely from my burning eyes.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything¡­.¡± Seth admitted as if he had failed his parents at the age of nine, as if he could have done anything. ¡°I watched my parents die, and then I watched as my sister betrayed not only our family, but everything we stand for. And I knew it was all because of me, all because of what I was supposed to do for Earth. But before I could even pick up my father¡¯s sword to at least die honorably, Jupiter was there. He can fly; I know you saw him the first night. Earth¡¯s gravity affects him differently than humans. And neither Fallen nor Angels can sense him because he isn¡¯t a spiritual being. Anyway, he was there all of a sudden, in front of me, shouting curses at them all for what they had done to my parents and then in another second he had picked me up and taken off with me. We flew forever it seemed, it doesn¡¯t take him longer than it does us, but I think he wanted to make sure we lost them all before he chose a place to land. We arrived in Boston, close to sunrise and when we landed he told me that the High Council had put him in charge of me now, that he would raise me and that was that. I trusted him because I had nothing left to trust and because he stood up for my parents. Everyone I knew had betrayed them and he cursed them for their actions, he cursed Aliah and he cursed my sister. Jupiter was more upset over their deaths than my own sister. And Jupiter has been my guardian ever since.¡±

    ¡°And your sister? Have you seen her since?¡± I asked, although even asking the question was painful for me, so I could hardly comprehend how awful it would be for Seth.

    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t seen her,¡± was all he said and then he stood up and tipped his head all the way back to look straight up into the sky. His hands linked together and supported his neck and I felt the intensity of his gaze all the way to my bones, as if he were challenging the sky to tell a different story.

    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, the pain¡­. the heartbreak. It was too much, too devastating. I stood up and moved with supernatural speed to him. I collided against his chest with a force I would have gladly doubled and wrapped my arms around him, holding him to me as if I could take away the pain of those horrible memories.

    Slowly his strong arms came around me and hugged me back. His body didn¡¯t tremble with tears and his sadness didn¡¯t affect him like I thought it would¡­. like I expected it to. It was like I felt him harden next to me, his horrible memories turning into a drive so fierce and determined I thought he would burst into a supernova in the next breath.

    ¡°It was a long time ago,¡± Seth whispered as if he were comforting me instead of the other way around. ¡°I¡¯ve grown up since then, Stella. Next time I won¡¯t sit there and watch. Next time I¡¯ll do something.¡±

    ¡°Next time I¡¯ll help you do something,¡± I promised, lifting my chin to give him my most honest look.

    He looked back at me, wiping away a tear with his thumb. ¡°I know you will be.¡± And then he leaned down and pressed his lips to my forehead. I leaned into him, his warmth, his security, his essence and stayed there until we heard our parents and Jupiter exiting the house.

    We said our goodbyes and I watched them drive away while standing next to my parents¡­. my parents who hadn¡¯t been murdered or betrayed. I wondered about Aliah and how he could have betrayed his closest friends like that or how Seven could have walked away from her little brother for an evil that murdered her parents in front of her.

    I knew the Darkness was more than evil though. The threat to Earth was more than an ominous force that ate at the light and goodness of everything innocent. It was also alluring and mystical and it drew people inside of it so that by the time they could tell the difference between light and dark again they no longer cared about the light but craved the Darkness like the worst kind of drug.

    Seth¡¯s mystery made sense now, the shadows of lesser light I had been keenly aware of and strangely attracted to ever since I saw him. He had experienced the Darkness, experienced pure evil and maybe even been tempted to follow his sister. As a nine year old boy, orphaned before his eyes, before Jupiter showed up to save him, what hope had he held of walking away?

    I shuddered at the thought of losing him even before I knew him. How clever of the Darkness to turn Heaven¡¯s plan against them, to turn their Warrior into a vessel of evil. But they had failed. And they would continue to fail as long as Seth and I stood together.

    My mom put an arm around my shoulder, shaking me from my thoughts and I realized Jupiter and Seth had been gone for a while and still my parents stood with me outside.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I mumbled, forcing my mind to face reality.

    ¡°Is everything alright, Stella?¡± my mom asked, her Warrior eyes scrutinizing me.

    ¡°No,¡± I answered honestly, because I wasn¡¯t capable of answering any other way. ¡°Seth¡­. Seth told me what happened to his parents tonight, how they died.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside,¡± she suggested, ushering me through the kitchen door. She kept her arms around me the entire time, as if she felt the loss as intensely as I did, or Seth did, as if she was afraid of losing me, like I was now afraid of losing her.

    ¡°We wanted Seth to be the one to tell you,¡± my father explained once we were all seated at the kitchen table. ¡°You were so young when it happened; we thought it was best he shared it with you when you finally met.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you let him tell me,¡± I assured them. It was better that it came from Seth, that he felt like he could trust me enough to share with me and that I didn¡¯t start our relationship with unnecessary stigmas of him.

    ¡°What happened with Ethan and Sitara was horrifying,¡± my mother began and my father instinctively reached out a hand to comfort her as if they had been in danger of the same fate.

    ¡°Seth was young, but old enough to remember everything, am I right?¡± my father asked and I nodded my head. I realized then how carefully planned out Aliah¡¯s betrayal must have been. Without Jupiter to protect Seth he would have been the perfect age to abduct, old enough to make a conscience decision like his sister did, but young enough not to know better. In humanity there is an age of innocence that absolves the very young of sin after death, I realized for the first time in my life that the age of innocence applied to us as well.

 Page 25

    ¡°Yes, he remembers everything¡­.¡± I answered in a barely audible voice. ¡°And his sister?¡±

    ¡°Seven is still among them,¡± my mother answered, her eyes filling with tears. ¡°We don¡¯t know what happened really¡­. Seth was too young to offer much information, and Seven chose the Darkness. Aliah is believed to be the traitor, but whether Seven had a hand in it or not, we might never know. And maybe it¡¯s better that way.¡±

    ¡°But how could she? How could she betray her parents¡­. her little brother?¡± I demanded, hot tears threatening to spill once again.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± my father answered. ¡°Except that the Darkness is very alluring, she could have been manipulated into thinking a million different things. Or¡­. some of us are more bent toward evil than others. Just like you¡¯ve seen in humanity, sometimes there isn¡¯t much of a push needed at all for a person to choose darkness over light. We are all different, all created for different purposes. Seven believed the lie that her fate was held by the Darkness.¡±

    ¡°Has anyone seen her since?¡± I gasped, wiping at a lone tear that had slipped out of the corner of my eye.

    ¡°Jupiter,¡± even my father¡¯s voice shook with the pain of those circumstances. ¡°A few years after the incident, he found her outside their apartment one night, watching Seth. He approached her, thinking she might have changed her mind and needed a place to stay, but she fought him instead. They both walked away, it wasn¡¯t much of a skirmish; she was trying to get away from him more than anything. Jupiter thinks she just wanted to check on Seth though. If she had come to take him or hurt him, she would have brought others. She was alone and never returned after that.¡±

    I shivered violently, thinking about the depraved fallen Star, watching her unsuspecting brother. How creepy¡­. like something out of a horror movie.

    ¡°Seth has been through a lot, Stella,¡± my father continued, and the truth of his words rang clearly in the otherwise quiet house. ¡°He trusts you though, he let you in. I think that says a lot about his character and what he¡¯s willing to risk for this future you two have together.¡±

    ¡°But she¡¯s still out there?¡± I asked, swallowing the lump rising in my throat. ¡°I mean¡­. somewhere, on this planet, his sister is out there?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± my mother replied solemnly.

    ¡°And this¡­. Aliah guy¡­. what do you know about him?¡± I sucked in my bottom lip, chewing distractedly until I tasted blood.

    ¡°He was a good Warrior,¡± my mother continued. ¡°I fought with him before I met your father, years ago. There were no signs of Darkness, nothing in his behavior or conduct that would have given the High Council any reason to suspect him. He fought with the best. He and Ethan were very good together in the field, and when Ethan was stationed on planet, Aliah requested a closer position so that they could still work together. When or how Aliah defected is unclear, as are his intentions with Sitara and Ethan. We don¡¯t know if he always planned to kill them or because there was a struggle he saw no other option.¡±

    ¡°Do you think Aliah thought Seth¡¯s parents would turn too? Or do you think he was after Seth the entire time?¡± I pressed, needing answers that I knew they couldn¡¯t give me.

    ¡°Your guess is as good as ours, honey,¡± my mother pulled me closer, into her so that my head rested on her shoulder.

    ¡°I just can¡¯t imagine what he went through¡­.¡± I sighed, relishing in the closeness of both of my parents.

    ¡°Thank God for that,¡± my father muttered, a hard line appearing in his forehead.

    I stood up slowly, suddenly feeling utterly exhausted. I said goodnight to my parents and made my way up to bed. But even with heavy eyelids and a tired soul, sleep didn¡¯t find me for a long time.

    When it finally did come, I was back at Lincoln¡¯s farm, fighting my first battle with the Shadows. They surrounded me in the dream world, thicker than smoke and more deadly than ever. I fought hard, wielding my two katanas and keeping my enemies expertly at bay.

    Seth wasn¡¯t there though, he wasn¡¯t fighting with me or lighting up the field with his inner sun. I looked for him desperately, needing help, but more worried about him than anything.

    A gurgled moan drew my attention to the tree line where a dim light lay awkwardly across the frozen field. I fought to get to it, to find out what it was and when I finally drew close I saw the broken form of Seth laying lifelessly in a pool of his own blood, his light extinguishing with every passing second.

    She cackled then, her evil, taunting laugh ringing clearly in the night sky. My head snapped up to find a beautiful young woman, with flowing, golden brown hair that curled in soft waves all around her. Her clear, luminous skin lit up the dark sky around her as if she had never turned her back on the light and almond-shaped, honey colored eyes stared at me with a mixture of pure, unadulterated hate and sinister evil.

    She moved lithely across the snow, her face still a haunting image of dark amusement until she stood over her brother, her pointed heel at his throat. She looked down at him with pity for only a second before sweeping down to him, pressing her mouth close to his ear. She whispered something I couldn¡¯t understand, even in the realm of my own dream world and then lifted a dagger the size of her palm, its silver blade glinting in the moonlight.

    I stood paralyzed watching, frozen by the horror of the moment. Before a scream could even rise in my throat she had sliced the dagger across Seth¡¯s perfect neck, the crimson blood pouring savagely from his body.

    I fell to my knees in agony, knowing our greatest Warrior had fallen at the hands of his sister, his own flesh and blood. And when I reached out to touch his body he turned to black, sulfuric smoke, rising up from the blood-stained snow and drifting back to the army of Shadows waiting for me.

    I looked up at Seven, her amber colored eyes mirror images of her brother. A menacing smile twisted her lips and she raised her dagger slowly. I reached for the katana I had dropped next to me, but in its place was a Shadow instead. It sliced at my hand, ripping open my palm and sending dangerously cold shooting pain through every one of my veins.

    Suddenly the Shadows were descending on me from every direction, obscuring my vision and tearing open my flesh. In the seconds it took for me to register the loss of my weapon, she had already walked through the wall of evil with the cool, calm, collectedness of a woman completely at ease with her surroundings. She was older than me by several years, but something in her mannerisms, in her giddy excitement with the depravity surrounding us made her seem young¡­. made her seem deranged. She cocked her head to one side, looking me over with a waning boredom before lifting the same dagger that killed Seth high above her head and plunging it straight into my heart. Before I felt the pain of her knife blade, I registered the sheer joy she took from destroying something. And then the agonizing pain of death swept over me, pulling me into a blackness so deep I knew there was no recovery.

    I awoke, panting and shaking, gripping at the covers around me. My long hair was plastered to my face in a sheen of sweat and I swallowed against the images that felt like awful, traumatizing reality.

    It was a dream.

    Only a dream.

    But two things were clear to me. Seven was after her brother¡¯s life. And without Seth, I would fall.

    Chapter Twelve

    ¡°Are you ready for this?¡± Seth shouted over the rush of air pounding past my ears.

    I looked down at the obscure Earth flashing miles beneath my feet and then looked back at him. I nodded once, confidently; then I reached for the two katana swords strapped to my back and whipped them out as we slowed down midair, still hidden by cloud cover.

    I could hear the sounds of battle and the movement of Serena and Nate illuminated by the soft glow of their inner lights even through the hazy fog of clouds. The strong smell of sulfur, like death and rotten eggs, drifted upward and filled my nostrils even this far above the carnage below.

    Serena called us into help tonight and so Seth and I had showed up to offer backup. And she actually called us, with a cell phone. Phone communications had been previously deemed as unnecessary risks, but with the shortage in our natural communication skill we broke protocol to ensure we could communicate with each other. I called it the ¡°Bat Phone¡± but nobody else seemed to get the joke. Nate and Serena were new to Earth and Seth had been raised in apparent neglect and without Nick at Night. Regardless, Jupiter kept the high-tech phone with him at all times, in case Serena and Nate needed our help or vice versa.

    Seth gave me a wicked smile and then swooped toward the barren ground beneath us, his favorite cutlass, pirate swords flailing. We were meeting the temporary Protector and her Warrior somewhere over the remote villages of East Africa, currently in the process of taking on a horde of Shadows. We hadn¡¯t even made it to solid ground before the angry demons swept up to meet us, their dark figures concealing Serena and Nate and the light the Angels fought with while we engaged in battle.

    My swords glided gracefully around my body as I let my instincts take over, even hovering midair, and my skin heated with the healthy glow that would burn my attackers. I was so much more prepared this time around, my movements felt natural, strong and confident. A few Shadows snuck up on me, especially the back of my thighs and calves, which seemed to be areas of my body that were harder to protect, but I was fighting back, becoming a force to be reckoned with.

    I fought through the Shadows that had come against me in the air until my feet were firmly planted on the dry African soil. Being on the ground gave me a clearer view of how Seth, Serena and Nate were doing, which was well except for the sheer number of Shadows, the foot soldiers of the Darkness.

    Serena had the power to light up as bright as any Star in the sky and banish them all away, but there were after-effects to becoming a miniature version of the sun in the middle of a planet and it was safest for humanity if we fought and killed them the old fashioned way. Besides, it was always better to kill something outright than let it hide away in the darkest places of space, festering in evil, until it found another opportunity to attack. Not that our light couldn¡¯t kill them either but it was like our version of a nuclear attack, both sides understood we were capable of it, but because our side respected and loved not only the planet but its inhabitants there was no way we would ever use our light on planet so drastically.

    I sunk my blade into the chest of another Shadow and turned my head for a millisecond to avoid the black, acidic spray of sticky blood that splashed crudely when I removed my sword to sink it into another Shadow. I glanced up at Seth, never once stopping the movement of my arms as Shadows surrounded me from every direction. He illuminated the darkness around him, lighting up the night sky as his body worked and fought against evil. His strong biceps flexed with each sword thrust and met his mark expertly every time. His brow furrowed in concentration and his lips pressed together both as a sign of focus and because nobody wanted to accidentally get Shadow blood in their mouth. It was awful¡­. and tasted worse.

    Feeling my eyes on him, he looked up at me, arms still swinging, swords still finding their marks and smiled his wide grin. His eyes twinkled with success and his skin heated even more, brightening the glow around him and sending Shadows shrieking from exposure.

 Page 26

    ¡°Looking good over there, Stel,¡± He called, turning his head just a fraction to avoid the blood spray from his latest victim.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I called back, plunging my katana into the center of a Shadow, its long wispy body a mere manipulation from the crack of bones and sickening gush of blood I heard when I removed my weapon. ¡°You too!¡± I offered, thinking sinful thoughts that had more to do with exactly how good he looked than how many Shadows littered the ground around his feet.

    ¡°So this¡­. uh,¡± Seth started and then paused to turn swiftly in a kicking full circle, taking several Shadows with him, their painful shrieks sounding loudly in the otherwise silent African plain. ¡°Uh, this Valentine¡¯s dance, is it a big deal?¡±

    I smiled, despite the last spray of icky, black goo that somehow managed to land in my hair. I resisted the urge to run my hand over it and sunk my sword deeper into the culprit with extra-splashy blood. ¡°Why? Are you thinking about taking someone special?¡±

    ¡°Well, I was thinking about it, but if it¡¯s¡­. uh¡­. lame, then you know, it¡¯s not a big deal,¡± Seth answered nonchalantly.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not lame. I mean, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s lame. It¡¯s a dance, so it¡¯s going to be fun,¡± I shrugged my shoulder not wanting to put pressure on him to go. So much of his time at school had been spent with me and my friends that I wanted to give Seth as much space as he needed to make his own life there, choose his own friends¡­. even date if he felt so inclined or gave into the throng of girls who seemed to worship at his feet.

    ¡°So you¡¯re going?¡± Seth pressed, crossing his blades in front of him and across the heads¡­. or head-like places of two Shadows.

    ¡°That¡¯s the plan,¡± I agreed. Finally there seemed to be a dwindling of Shadows as the wall of blackness attacking me lessened. I could see Serena and Nate clearly through the last of the lurking evil, finishing their individual piles as the dead and slaughtered disappeared into the night as if they really were smoke, back to hell, back to where they came from.

    ¡°Are you going alone¡­.? Or do you and Tristan already have plans?¡± Seth asked and then cleared his throat quickly. I looked up at him, feeling slight traces of anxiety and watched as he threw himself into the last dregs of battle, flipping into the air and finishing what was left of the Shadows in graceful, expert moves. His body burned with light and his movements left residual traces in the air around him.

    ¡°What? Tristan?¡± I asked and then laughed. ¡°Tristan and I never go to dances together. People already have a hard enough time believing we¡¯re just friends! Showing up at a dance together would be like¡­. it would be like¡­. well, we would never live it down!¡± I laughed again. I plunged my katana into the last of the Shadows, taking my time and twisting the blade to ensure death. The Shadow fell away and poofed into black, insubstantial nothingness before its blood had even stopped splattering.

    I lowered my swords and looked around at the nearly empty battlefield. The desolate African plain was mostly obscured by night, but I relished in the dry, hot air. I loved feeling the heat on my bare arms and wished more than anything I had traded in my yoga pants for shorts. The cracked, dry earth spread out like a sea of sandpaper around me. The different, foreign grasses of Africa waved in a gentle night breeze, sending scents of freshness and earthiness to invade my senses.

    I needed to start traveling.

    On a regular basis.

    Without all the blood and carnage and saving the world stuff¡­.

    Serena and Nate joined us in a tight circle as the last of the Shadows disappeared back to the inner most circle of hell. Good riddance.

    ¡°Do you know what their plan was tonight?¡± Seth asked Nate as he wiped blood off his hands with a bandana he pulled from his back pocket.

    ¡°Not the particulars, it¡¯s hard to get definite information from them in between all the shrieking,¡± Nate smiled easily, lightening the tension from fighting.

    ¡°It really is the worst,¡± I agreed, looking up at a sky full of Stars. Even the wide open Nebraska sky couldn¡¯t compare to the vast array of constellations and twinkling of Heaven¡¯s army in their battle formations on display from this empty African valley.

    ¡°No, the smell,¡± Serena groaned dramatically, ¡°the smell is definitely the worst! Off planet we didn¡¯t have to deal with these small demons and there was never the intensity of this smell.¡± She shuddered again, her orange hair shaking with her movement like living fire.

    ¡°I could live without the smell,¡± I agreed, realizing I would never get the chance.

    Silence fell over us as Serena and Nate pulled out a couple of water bottles and offered them to Seth and me. I took it gratefully, wiping my mouth of sweat, dirt and speckles of blood on the inside of my t-shirt before taking a long drink.

    It was in the silence that I felt the chill of another evil creep over my skin slowly and softly, as if it were a whisper of something sinister floating down from a high place, or echoing off the distant mountains. The hairs on my arms rose in alarm, and I looked around quickly trying to find the source.

    Nobody else seemed to notice the drop in temperature or the feeling like we were being watched; watched by somebody calculating our moves¡­. our conversations¡­. our abilities. There were not a lot of places for somebody to hide out here, this far from any kind of civilization. A few clusters of cluttered brush dotted the horizon, but nothing that could hide the depth of evil I felt present.

    ¡°Do you guys feel that?¡± I whispered, interrupting the conversation the other three had fallen into.

    ¡°Feel what?¡± Nate asked, his instincts on high alert with the mere idea of me feeling unease.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what,¡± I half-grunted in frustration. ¡°It¡¯s like¡­. it¡¯s like I can feel an evil presence out there, but I can¡¯t at the same time. It¡¯s almost like an echo of evil instead of the real thing¡­.¡±

    ¡°Stella you¡¯re going to have to explain better than that,¡± Seth pressed gently, putting a strong hand on my lower back to encourage me to be clearer. He looked around at the plain, the same way I had done, his narrowed eyes scrutinizing through the darkness, struggling to find some remnant of remaining evil.

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡¯ know how to explain better,¡± I sighed, feeling the threat disappear with each word spoken out loud. Maybe I had imagined it. ¡°You felt them before, right?¡± I asked Seth, hoping I hadn¡¯t imagined that too. ¡°When we fought at Lincoln¡¯s farm?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Seth replied confidently and then shifted uncomfortably before adding, ¡°Well, I thought I saw them more than felt anything, but I can¡¯t be all that sure. But you saw them and felt them so I know they were real.¡±

    I sighed, wishing more than anything I didn¡¯t feel like a crazy person right now. ¡°And you guys don¡¯t feel anything now?¡± I held each of their gazes for a moment, pleading with them to feel what I did, but only concern and sympathy met me.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± Serena said softly. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean anything though, I didn¡¯t feel anything the night you fought so close to your home. We didn¡¯t even know you were in trouble.¡± She gestured between herself and Nate and he kind of shook his head as if her were ashamed. ¡°So maybe there is something blocking our senses.¡±

    ¡°Is that even possible?¡± I gasped. How could I do my job correctly if I couldn¡¯t rely on my senses, they were supposed to be my guide on Earth, they were what I counted on to lead me to evil.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Nate answered thoughtfully. He was thinking over Serena¡¯s thought, I could see his mind working, his brain trying to come up with a conclusion to this mystery. I wondered if one of his solutions included me being crazy.

    As if he could sense what I was thinking, Seth slipped his strong, albeit grimy hand around mine and squeezed it gently. The feeling that we were being watched, or joined by evil¡­. or whatever that feeling was had completely evaporated by now and I felt foolish making a big deal out of nothing. If what I was feeling were more Shadows they would have attacked us, they are almost incapable of not attacking us when they meet us. And if it were Fallen sent to spy on us, the others would have felt them too. That was one advantage to being a Star, we had all these exterior senses that gave us insight into the supernatural world that existed alongside the physical world on Earth.

    I shook my head, and tried to smile confidently, ¡°Maybe these feelings are just my reaction to battle the first couple of times. I haven¡¯t exactly been raised around this kind of stuff.¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­.¡± Serena agreed thoughtfully. ¡°But I think it would be a good idea to talk to Jupiter about it when you get home. He might have more insight into what you are feeling, or if the rest of us are broken he should know about it, maybe even know what to do.¡±

    ¡°You guys don¡¯t look broken to me,¡± I changed the subject, not willing to dwell on my potential insanity. ¡°You were incredible tonight, really.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Nate beamed at me. He probably wasn¡¯t used to compliments in the solitude of battle formations in space. ¡°You¡¯re looking pretty fantastic out there too, Stella, you¡¯ve really come a long way in a short amount of time.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I blushed.

    ¡°Hey what about me? Wasn¡¯t I amazing?¡± Seth demanded; his mouth turning up at the corners even though he was desperately trying not to smile.

    ¡°Oh yes, quite amazing,¡± Serena quipped sarcastically. ¡°But we always knew you would be.¡± She patted his shoulder consolingly and I understood her words and gesture as a reference to his parents. Silence followed for a few more minutes before Serena¡¯s head perked up, her eyes burning with concentration as if she really were a stereotype alien, white light poured from her face, blurring the color of her irises and concealing her pretty face. ¡°Do you feel that Nate?¡±

    ¡°Yes, is that¡­ London?¡± he asked and I watched in quiet awe as every one of his muscles reawakened, tensing into readiness.

    ¡°Busy night, I guess,¡± Serena mumbled, tilting her head as if she were actually listening. She was using her set of external senses, feeling a greater than normal disturbance of Shadows. I would get the sense too, after I turned eighteen. When I could feel the Shadows congregating in the rest of the world it would be one of the signs that I was ready to inherit the Protectorship.

    ¡°Do you need us to follow?¡± Seth asked, shifting on his feet and reaching a hand behind his head to rub at the base of his hairline.

    ¡°No, this is lighter fare,¡± Serena almost smiled in response. She was all Angelic Warrior, her skin heating into a gorgeous glow and the bloodlust back in her backlit eyes. ¡°If we get into a jam we will call, otherwise we will send Jupiter an update in the morning.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re sure,¡± Seth nodded, extending his hand to Nate who shook it firmly.

    ¡°Go home, get some rest,¡± Nate said in way of goodbye. ¡°Don¡¯t you have school in the morning?¡± he laughed and Serena joined him, reminding me that my human schooling would always be a bit of a joke to Heaven¡¯s army.

 Page 27

    I said goodbye to Serena in much the same way as Seth and Nate had, hoping to showcase the mature-soldier side to my nature. I wondered if I would ever command the battlefield like Serena had or treat the inheritance I¡¯d been given with her level of reverence and bloodthirsty excitement.

    Not that I wasn¡¯t completely devoted to my future, Nate was right, I had school in the morning. And it was hard to picture a future that didn¡¯t include friends, or even family save for Seth who would by then be my husband¡­.

    It was hard to see past the Valentine¡¯s Dance in two weeks when I didn¡¯t even have a dress picked out or any prospect of a date.

    ----

    ¡°I think we treat these¡­. feelings with caution for now,¡± Jupiter lectured over the breakfast table the next morning. ¡°I¡¯m not willing to rule them out completely, but there is a certain safety in numbers so to speak and right now the numbers are standing on the opposite side of the argument, Stella.¡±

    It was very early, not even light yet, but my parents, Jupiter, Seth and I had all congregated around boxes of cereal and fresh milk bought from a farm down the road, to discuss last night¡¯s African battle and my lingering bad feelings. Seth and I had returned very late last night, after the long journey from East Africa and now we were up, just hours later, trying to have coherent conversations and relay the now muddled details of the battle.

    ¡°And this is only the second time you¡¯ve had these¡­. feelings?¡± My mother asked, wrapping a protective arm around me. She looked deeply concerned, as if we were discussing the possibility of me having cancer and not a case of mistaken instincts.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I nodded quickly, my unruly bedhead hair shaking out around my shoulders. I paused for a moment, wrapping it into a loose bun at the nape of my neck. ¡°Ok, no it wasn¡¯t the second time. Sometimes I get the same feeling when I¡¯m not fighting¡­. When I¡¯m just, I don¡¯t know, just going about my daily life. But when I have the feeling then, it¡¯s not nearly as strong and there is always something there to justify them, like a lone Shadow, or a few Shadows interfering with kids at school or something. After the last two fights, the feeling has been very intense, like whoever is behind it is organizing the latest attacks, orchestrating them in some way to find out what I¡¯m capable of, or what we¡¯re capable of.¡± I gestured between Seth and me with my pointer finger.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t think they¡¯re capable of something like that,¡± Jupiter jumped back in, his dull red eyes focused on the ceiling as if waiting for the right answer to just fall from the sky. ¡°But, what unnerves me is that nobody else has noticed the same feelings, not even Seth and he has been present twice now. Nate and Serena are vetted fighters, used to feeling the Darkness from light years away¡­.¡±

    He trailed off, finally letting his eyes fall on my father¡¯s and shrugging his shoulder as if there was nothing else he could do. My father stared at him for a moment as if deciding whether or not to trust Jupiter and then he turned to me apologetically.

    ¡°There really isn¡¯t anything to do now anyway. If someone is out there watching you, then you¡¯ll come face to face with them soon enough and if these feelings are just residual emotions from battle, they will disappear after a little more experience. We are not in a position to hunt down any Fallen right now, so our hands are virtually tied. We will treat these feelings with caution, like Jupiter said, but for now that¡¯s all we can do. How does that sound Stella-bean?¡±

    ¡°That sounds great,¡± I agreed, although I didn¡¯t put much effort into any enthusiasm. I knew there was nothing they could really do; I had known that from the beginning. I just wanted to be told I wasn¡¯t crazy, which wasn¡¯t exactly the answer I received. It was a more of a ¡°gee, we sure hope you¡¯re not crazy because all of our eggs are kind of in one basket here¡± situation.

    ¡°And we trust Serena and Nate?¡± Seth asked, clearing his throat afterward.

    The kitchen was silent for a while after his pointed question. Jupiter looked thoughtfully at him, while my parents seemed to avoid looking at him altogether. Another Star¡¯s loyalty should never be called into question because by that point usually we had been betrayed and then some. But at the same time we were operating in completely uncharted circumstances and even the High Council could not be trusted these days. So Seth did have a very legitimate reason for asking his questions.

    Jupiter replied first and I had to wonder if he had less attachment to Serena and Nate simply because he wasn¡¯t actually sent from Heaven, but more of a lone refugee that had survived the Darkness and was now hired by heaven to be a sort of consultant of all things Darkness-related.

    ¡°I have absolutely no reason to believe that they would be spies,¡± Jupiter declared with a certain finality. ¡°That being said, they would make the best kind of spies¡­.¡±

    Seth smiled a little at Jupiter¡¯s roundabout explanation and turned to me. ¡°How about you, what do you feel about them?¡¯

    ¡°I haven¡¯t really known them that long,¡± I replied, not willing to say anything that could potentially be misguiding or misunderstood and by consequence condemn Nate and Serena. True, I had only known them for a short time, but they were amazing, skilled fighters that had not hesitated once last night no matter the skill level. And there lights were bright, blinding even.

    But I had never been betrayed before, or even met a member of the Fallen. I wasn¡¯t really much of an expert¡­.

    ¡°Stella, what do you feel?¡± Seth pressed, putting his strong, masculine hand over my heart.

    ¡°I feel like we can trust them, like they¡¯re fighting the same battle we are,¡± I answered honestly, although if they were evil it might explain away the feelings I always got and their mysterious absence during my first battle.

    ¡°And they¡¯re doing their job,¡± Jupiter grunted.

    ¡°So we trust them,¡± Seth announced and then so quietly I knew I was the only one who heard him, ¡°at least for now.¡±

    ¡°Stella, keep us updated on any new developments with your¡­. feelings,¡± my dad instructed and I tried not to feel irritated with the way everyone kept pausing before they mentioned my weird feelings as if they should all be using air-quotes and snickering at the end of their sentences. ¡°And for now we will proceed cautiously. Jupiter, you still haven¡¯t heard from the High Council?¡±

    Jupiter shook his head negatively, but before he could fully answer my father¡¯s question the ¡°Bat Phone¡± rang and he headed into the other room to garner his report from Serena and Nate, assuming because the phone rang that they had made it back home and to our or a closely- related time-zone.

    I stood up and stretched, taking my empty cereal bowl over to the sink to rinse it out and Seth followed me. My parents fell into a serious, hushed conversation and I had to wonder if they were as worried about my mental health as I was.

    Had the High Council traitor known somehow that I would be a loose cannon and that¡¯s why there was a push to choose my parents for Earth, and me for the future Protector job?

    I shuddered at the thought of being used because I was weak, or picked because I would never be able to fulfill my duties. My entire body bristled at the idea of someone not thinking I was up for the task and a Warrior instinct flared inside of me to prove them wrong. There were so many human stories about overcoming great odds: marathon runners who had lost both legs, blind piano players, paralyzed artists¡­. That¡¯s what I would become, the crazy-Angel who should have been locked up in a home for the helpless but overcame adversity to fight evil instead.

    Yep, might as well make an action movie out of it. Summer blockbuster, here I come¡­.

    ¡°Hey, so I have a question for you,¡± Seth asked softly, pulling me out of my depressing daydream. ¡°But can we go somewhere and talk?¡±

    I looked up at him, not realizing I had taken his bowl from him and rinsed it out too. Oops, spacing out was so not an acceptable personality trait.

    ¡°Sure, what do you want to talk about?¡± I asked casually although the prospect both excited and terrified me. On the one hand, his sleep-styled hair was extremely attractive on him and his honey colored eyes still burned from the intensity of battle last night. My skin warmed into a soft glow just taking in his extremely stunning face. But on the other hand, I was fighting the attraction between us, holding on to the last remnants of youth and freedom I had left. And my almost kiss with Tristan still heated my blood faster than I could ever admit to myself. His body that close¡­. his warm breath against my face, his lips so close hung like an oppressive cloud of want and need anchoring me solidly to the ground.

    ¡°Well,¡± Seth continued, rubbing his palm against his jawline, ¡°it¡¯s not about any of this, if that makes you feel better.¡±

    ¡°It really does,¡± I smiled, and let him lead me into our family room.

    ¡°So, I know we are taking¡­. we are waiting to kind of claim this future that¡¯s between us, at least until we¡¯re eighteen and all¡­.¡± Seth paused, looking around the cozy family room with our worn L-shaped couch and hanging picture frames of my youth. His eyes heated in just the tiniest of ways and a butterfly flapped its wings aggressively in my stomach and not in the giddy-girl kind of way, but in the holy-crap-where¡¯s-he-going-with-this kind of way. He turned to me, his eyes holding my gaze prisoner and his hands reaching out for mine that reciprocated because I couldn¡¯t think of a reason not to. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to ask is, will you go to the Valentine¡¯s Dance with me?¡±

    My breath rushed out of my mouth in an embarrassing sigh of relief. I hadn¡¯t known what I was so afraid of, but apparently the Valentine¡¯s Dance was definitely not it. ¡°Yes, of course I will.¡± I smiled at him, enjoying the way his skin glowed naturally in response.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to fill me in on the finer points of one of these things,¡± Seth confessed, his cheeks turning just the slightest shade of red. ¡°I¡¯ve never been to a dance before.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll do fine,¡± I assured him. ¡°Boys like you were made for high school dances.¡±

    Chapter Thirteen

    ¡°We need to talk,¡± Piper declared after third period when we were putting our text books away to prepare for choir. Mead had a small chorus, with only twenty students from the whole high school and somehow Piper convinced me every year to join it. She promised a ¡°choir letter¡± would look great on my college applications and I humored her since I knew she genuinely enjoyed the class and because I didn¡¯t have the heart to inform her I wouldn¡¯t be going to college.

    ¡°What about?¡± I asked, linking my arm with hers and pulling her toward the music room. This was the only class we walked to alone. Tristan, Rigley, Lincoln and even Seth all opted for weight training this hour. We were free to discuss whatever we wanted without their nosey little ears listening in on every word and phrase uttered between us.

    ¡°Lincoln asked me to the Valentine¡¯s Dance,¡± Piper spat out as if the words almost pained her.

 Page 28

    ¡°And¡­. you don¡¯t want to go with him?¡± I guessed, noticing the way Piper¡¯s nose scrunched up at the very thought of it.

    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t want to go with him! It goes against everything I stand for¡­. everything I believe in!¡± She huffed dramatically; reaching up to untangle her dark hair from a hoop earring that could easily have doubled as a bracelet it was so large.

    ¡°Which part, the dance or Lincoln?¡± I asked, trying to make sense of Piper¡¯s thought train before I formed my counterargument.

    ¡°Both,¡± she grunted, letting her face fall into her hands.

    ¡°When did he ask you?¡± I questioned, only because the last I heard Lincoln and her still weren¡¯t on speaking terms. They were definitely on ¡°giving each other longing glances and sexy eyes¡± terms, just not ones that included verbal communication.

    ¡°At the end of last period,¡± she sighed. ¡°There were even kisses and hugs involved?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I shrieked.

    ¡°Of the candy variety¡­.¡± She sighed again and held up a cute Valentine¡¯s card attached to an even cuter heart shape box filled with Hershey¡¯s kisses and hugs. My heart melted a little in happiness for my friend until I saw the tortured look in her eyes.

    ¡°That is so sweet,¡± I murmured, running my finger along the box.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what he sees in me,¡± she grumbled, looking down at the box with a mixture of fear and angst warping her pretty face.

    ¡°It¡¯s because you basically stole his virginity,¡± Bree interrupted, joining us just on the outside of the choir room door.

    ¡°She did not!¡± I defended Piper, shooting Bree a look I hoped would make the worst kind of evil flee from. Apparently my glares only worked on the supernatural kind of villain because she stayed firmly rooted next to us.

    ¡°Exactly!¡± Piper ignored my attempt at defending her honor. ¡°It¡¯s because he felt obligated to ask me!¡± her shoulders sagged.

    I tried my best to shrug off the irritation that twisted my stomach when Bree put her arm around Piper to comfort her.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he feels something, but it¡¯s definitely not obligation,¡± she laughed.

    ¡°Oh, no! What if he expects me to¡­. you know, pick up where we left off? What if that¡¯s the only reason he asked me?¡± Piper whispered, looking around the hallway like the entire student body was listening in and judging her.

    ¡°No, Piper-¡° I started to reassure her, when Bree cut in again. My temper simmered just below my slowly glowing skin.

    ¡°Piper he¡¯s a guy, of course he¡¯s hoping for a piece of this,¡± she gestured to Piper¡¯s body and then smacked her in the butt. ¡°But he¡¯s lost his mind if he expects anything.¡±

    ¡°For once, I agree with Bree,¡± I sighed, seeing that Piper was somehow pacified. ¡°So you¡¯re going to go with him?¡± I coaxed, hoping to sound as encouraging and approving as possible. I loved the idea of Lincoln and Piper together and if I had to work overtime to ensure no more Shadows interfered with what should be happily high school bliss, then that is what I would do.

    ¡°Ladies, care to join us?¡± Mr. Hale, the choir director called from inside the classroom where he had just started warm ups.

    ¡°Stella, your skin¡­.¡± Piper whispered as we walked into the classroom, reaching out for my arm. I blanched, but had already reigned in my totally uncalled for anger.

    ¡°What?¡± I pretended panic, grabbing at my face. Her eyes softened once we were inside the music room.

    ¡°Nothing¡­.¡± she mumbled. ¡°It must have been the hallway light. You kind of looked like you were glowing.¡±

    ¡°Like good Angelic glowing? Or like neon, I was just turned into a teenage mutant ninja turtle glowing?¡± I asked, laughing off her claims.

    ¡°Definitely radioactive,¡± she laughed out loud which caught us a stern look from the director¡¯s chair.

    I laughed too, mostly to cover my disappointment. A little defensive, I wanted to explain everything to Piper just to appease my vanity. Instead I kept quiet, images of giant, green amphibians distracting me for the majority of class. Piper and I had been friends since kindergarten and she had never, not even once, noticed a difference in me. I was getting closer to my eighteenth birthday though and that meant everything about being a Star would amplify tenfold. I would have to be more careful.

    Lunch was directly after choir and as we walked to the cafeteria, the conversation about Lincoln picked up right where we left it.

    ¡°So did you tell him yes?¡± Bree pried, not even bothering with a greeting. I bit back the feeling that she cared more about Piper as a way to spread gossip than she did a friend and waited for Piper¡¯s answer.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Piper admitted almost reluctantly. ¡°I just can¡¯t tell him ¡®no¡­.¡¯¡± she sighed and then stood up straighter, ¡°I mean, I can tell him ¡®no¡¯ when I need to tell him ¡®no,¡¯ I just couldn¡¯t tell him ¡®no¡¯ in that particular situation.¡± She rushed to explain herself, her blush covering her smattering of freckles and Bree and I both burst into laughter.

    ¡°Sure you can, Pi,¡± I gasped between laughter.

    ¡°Well, at least one of us has a date,¡± Bree sounded dejected as we sat down at our usual lunch table, shooting a frustrated glance Tristan¡¯s way.

    I followed her glance and forced myself to unclench my fist from the lunch table before I broke off a piece with my super Star strength. Tristan didn¡¯t even acknowledge her though as we situated ourselves across from the boys, me taking my usual seat next to Seth. For my entire life participating in the Mead public school system, boys sat on one side of the table and girls sat on the other. Seth was disrupting our carefully drawn cootie line, but it kind of made me happy.

    Seth smiled down at me, completely oblivious to the way the entire length of the table looked at his barrier breaking with a mixture of awe and disapproval.

    ¡°Hey,¡± I smiled at him, noticing how his hair curled delicately while it was still damp from his after-weight-training-shower.

    ¡°Hey,¡± he smiled back. ¡°Is she talking about you?¡± he nodded his chin to Bree, and I blushed realizing the majority of our group caught his meaning.

    ¡°You have a date to what?¡± Tristan asked his voice cutting through the air like a punch in the throat.

    ¡°The Valentine¡¯s Dance,¡± I smiled warmly at him, cocking my head to the side in confusion.

    Tristan¡¯s green eyes flashed with undisguised anger, and he set his sandwich down on the table very, very carefully. I knew that gesture from watching him play years of contact sports; Tristan didn¡¯t become careful until controlling every single one of his movements became essential to his temper.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to the Valentine¡¯s Dance with him?¡± he asked as if even referencing Seth took concentrated effort.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied, forcing my voice to sound like it was no big deal. Silence fell heavily on our table as the rest of us were left to wonder at Tristan¡¯s reaction. I felt Seth stiffen next to me, ready to defend some honor that had been questioned, but I put my hand on his arm casually, hoping no one else would notice and squeezed. He caught my hint and let it go, but I felt how his skin heated beneath my fingers. He was letting this go, but only for me.

    ¡°You and Seth are going together? You should have told me! When did this happen?¡± Piper squealed happily.

    I turned my head so that all I could see was Piper, completely ignoring Tristan in my peripheral. He picked up his sandwich like he was going to take a bite and then set it back down as if he couldn¡¯t stomach it. I could feel his stare boring into me from across the table but for the life of me I couldn¡¯t figure out why.

    Tristan had never, not in our entire lives, not once¡­. asked me to a dance. He didn¡¯t ask me in sixth grade when we only had one dance and I had been a frantic mess about finding a date for months. He didn¡¯t ask me ever in junior high when dances became more frequently and I had to endure trying out nearly every boy in our class just to be polite. And he had not once asked me to a dance in high school, even though he had made his rounds through all of the prettiest girls from our class and the surrounding classes. In fact, when a dance was on the horizon he avoided me like I was a tumor to his effortless charm that made any and every girl in school immediately agree to be his date.

    I had been snubbed more times than I liked to remember.

    And now he was mad because I had a date?

    Oh¡­ no.

    ¡°Yes, Seth asked me this morning!¡± I forced as much excitement into my voice as possible, hoping I would get a chance to explain to Seth later. I knew it just made sense for Seth and I to go together. He certainly wasn¡¯t going to ask anyone else; he didn¡¯t even really know anyone else. And I probably was obligated to be his date from this dance on until the rest of eternity anyway.

    My enthusiasm dropped as I thought that all the way through. Was this the beginning of the rest of my life with Seth?

    ¡°Well, won¡¯t you guys cute,¡± Bree offered snidely from the other side of Piper.

    A grunt of frustrated anger tore through the air from across the table, and I snapped my head in Tristan¡¯s direction surprised at his outburst. Apparently he was just as surprised, because heat turned his neck a shade darker and he mumbled something about a charley horse in his calf before shooting me a look. A look that displayed a sharp mixture of hurt and betrayal that I in no way understood.

    ¡°Who are you going with?¡± Piper asked Tristan innocently, as if his mood wasn¡¯t quieting the entire table.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a date yet,¡± he admitted, giving me another pointed look. I shot him back one out of confusion, but he wasn¡¯t offering any explanations.

    ¡°Well, you should get on that before all the pretty girls are taken,¡± Piper continued, lecturing him sternly. ¡°Or maybe you¡¯re more of a sit back and let it come to you kind of guy,¡± she finished with a certain amount of hatred in her voice she reserved only for the worst disagreements between her and Tristan. ¡°The problem is, the good things in life don¡¯t just fall in your lap, Tristan. You have to work for those.¡±

    And with that, Piper stood up and walked out of the cafeteria. I stared after her with my mouth slightly ajar, feeling more confused than ever. I looked over at Tristan who seemed even more pissed off, if that was even possible. After two more seconds of pained silence, he too got up and stormed out of the cafeteria in the opposite direction.

    I slumped down in the bench, realizing I had been at the root of both my friends¡¯ issues, but not understanding one better than the other.

    ¡°Lunch can be really intense here,¡± Seth mumbled, nudging me with his shoulder.

    ¡°That¡¯s one way of putting it,¡± Rigley agreed, shaking his head in disbelief.

    I stayed silent, having no idea what set Piper off, even though I had a pretty good idea of what had Tristan all upset and it had to do with the betrothed Angel that was sitting right next to me. I looked up at Seth as he dove into the school provided chicken and noodles. His jaw flexed as if he could still acutely feel the tension floating over our table, but without pausing from taking a bite he put his arm around me, squeezing my shoulder comfortingly.

 Page 29

    Seth was my future, my whole future. And at some point my present would melt into that future. I wouldn¡¯t be able to have this simplified existence of friends and small town life forever. Things were already changing for me¡­. I was already changing.

    ----

    I saw the truck before I heard it, ambling down our long gravel drive, banks of snow rising on either side, blurring the lines of his white truck with the horizon. I watched him out my bedroom window, suddenly more nervous to be near him than I felt before I went into battle.

    We both had the rare afternoon off, no basketball practice, no training, absolutely nothing to do after school. Before¡­. before things got weird, Tristan and I would have taken the opportunity to plan something exciting like a trip into Omaha for a movie or dinner at a chain restaurant, or pulling each other on sleds behind his four-wheelers.

    But after lunch today Tristan had avoided me, leaving his mystery anger all that more of a mystery. I stayed in my bedroom, still watching as he parked his truck and hesitated for a good three minutes before climbing down from the cab and walking to the kitchen door. I heard the doorbell ring and my mom move to the door, but something held my feet frozen to the carpet.

    Fear.

    It felt like he was coming to break up with me.

    Break up our friendship.

    ¡°Stella,¡± my mom called from downstairs. ¡°Tristan¡¯s here!¡±

    ¡°Be right down,¡± I hollered back and then forced my feet to move. They didn¡¯t go where I told them to immediately. First they stopped, without my permission, in front of my vanity so that I could check out my makeup and fix my hair until it fell in golden waves just so over my shoulder. I reached for my lip gloss before making myself stop and take a breath to steady my shaking hands.

    It was just Tristan.

    My best friend.

    My oldest friend.

    I was acting crazy.

    Well¡­. more crazy than even normal-crazy these days.

    He was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs, making comfortable conversation with my mom as she started pulling together dinner. Tonight it looked like we were having¡­. spaghetti¡­. again. Ooh¡­ with frozen meatballs. This was definitely a step up as far as family dinners went around here.

    ¡°Hey,¡± I interrupted once I reached the last stair. Tristan¡¯s eyes had been watching me as I made my way down the stairs, but now that I stood before him they floated over me as if gently caressing me in the most intimate way. Eventually the emerald depth of his gaze found mine again and I nearly took a step back from the intensity of it.

    Lifting his shoulder in an attempt at humility he offered a quiet, ¡°Hey,¡± back. ¡°Can we talk?¡±

    I nodded, a little taken back by how sweet I found him right now. There was this almost desperate ache that started in the deepest part of me and spread rapidly over every single one of my bones. I moved toward him, not conscious of my decision until my arms were around his neck and my head was buried against his chest.

    ¡°Hey¡­.¡± he soothed gently, wrapping his arms tightly around my waist. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s Ok. Don¡¯t be upset. I¡¯m so sorry, Stella, I didn¡¯t mean to make you feel bad, Ok? It¡¯s all my fault, I was such a jerk today.¡±

    A shudder ran over my back at the intimacy of our closeness. We hugged all the time, so when Tristan¡¯s body responded to mine, pulling me impossibly closer to him and molding me against his chest, I was surprised at the tender affection he seemed to wrap around me. One of his hands held me tightly against my waist, his hand slid under my shirt and splayed against my hot flesh. His other hand had pressed itself against the nape of my neck, his thumb was moving up and down in the softest way.

    ¡°You were a jerk,¡± I mumbled against his skin. I picked up my head just a little bit. ¡°I seriously don¡¯t even understand why, either. You¡¯ve never cared who I¡¯ve gone to a dance with before¡­.¡± I said pathetically, feeling ridiculous for taking this so seriously. It was just that we never fought. Ever. And he never got mad at me.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve never been asked to a school dance before by your future husband,¡± he explained, acid painting the word ¡°husband¡± as if it were the dirtiest word in the English language.

    ¡°You¡¯re jealous?¡± I gasped, taking a step back and putting space in between us. Talking about Tristan¡¯s feelings for me, while I was wrapped up in his arms seemed like a very bad idea, said the sudden voice of reason in my head.

    ¡°I like to think I¡¯m looking out for your best interest,¡± he said confidently, but his eyes refused to look at me.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m pretty sure since my relationship with Seth was ordained by Heaven itself that I¡¯m pretty safe to go with him to a Valentine¡¯s Dance,¡± I laughed, noticing for the first time my mom had slipped out of the kitchen.

    Tristan winced in response, pulling me back against his body. I could feel how every one of his muscles had tensed and coiled, the quiet desperation in which he held me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± he sighed, tangling his hand through my hair.

    ¡°Did you want to go with me?¡± I ventured, my voice sounding small and not at all like me.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what I want, Stella. I can¡¯t go with you. Isn¡¯t that right? I can¡¯t go with you to dances. I can¡¯t ask you out on dates. I can¡¯t¡­.¡± he trailed off, running his thumb down the nape of my neck. His mouth had turned into a serious, straight line and I felt the muscles in his chest tighten. ¡°We are just friends,¡± he stated, bitterness seeping into his every syllable. ¡°I know I don¡¯t get an opinion about who takes you to the dance¡­. I just¡­. I just thought you and Seth weren¡¯t like that yet.¡± His tone had softened and the brokenness behind his words nearly shattered me.

    There were things between Tristan and I that had hovered in the air between us unspoken for years. At some point during our long history together we had mutually decided those secret things could never be said, never be spoken out loud. Tristan was dangerously close to saying things now, which he could never take back, never unsay and I couldn¡¯t let him break the silent truce between us.

    ¡°We¡¯re not,¡± I defended myself, stepping out of Tristan¡¯s arms and crossing to the other side of the kitchen. ¡°We¡¯re not like that. How could we be? We just met. But I am one of the only people he knows, and I didn¡¯t have a date, so it just made sense.¡±

    Tristan made a grunting sound, rubbing one hand over his closely shaven head. He looked at me out of the corner of his eye and then broke into a smile, his dimples adorably impressed next to his smile. A husky laugh followed and his shoulders relaxed into the guy I knew so well.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to make it through this,¡± he laughed again in a seemingly self-deprecating way.

    ¡°Make it through what?¡± I asked, leaning back against the counter. I stirred my mom¡¯s spaghetti sauce that had started to bubble over, shooting drops of red sauce all over the white stove surface.

    ¡°High school,¡± Tristan mumbled. Although neither one of us believed that¡¯s what he meant, but I let it go. I had to let it go¡­.

    ¡°So, no more weirdness between us, yeah?¡± I looked up at him from under my lashes and hoped he would just agree.

    ¡°No more weirdness,¡± he met my gaze and I wanted to believe him¡­. I wanted to believe that we had this thing under control, but his piercing eyes held too much of the unsaid, too much of what we weren¡¯t allowed to say that they practically overflowed with it.

    My breath caught in the base of my throat and I knew I had to navigate us out of these dangerous waters before we were both drowning.

    ¡°So who are you going to take to the dance?¡± I asked carefully.

    ¡°Don¡¯t hate me,¡± he smiled, his charming Tristan smile and I immediately knew I was not going to like where this was going.

    ¡°Why?¡± I demanded, straightening my back and chewing on my bottom lip aggressively.

    ¡°Well, first of all, this is a funny dance because most of the eligible girls already have dates. My options were limited. No, worse than that! I didn¡¯t even really have options!¡± he rambled on, gesturing a lot with his hands, which I knew was a terrible sign of things to come.

    ¡°Spit it out, Tristan,¡± I growled.

    ¡°Bree,¡± he said simply and my jaw dropped, literally it dropped as if it were on hinges.

    ¡°No you are not,¡± I laughed at the irony. And he was made about Seth? Ha!

    ¡°She was the only girl I felt comfortable asking,¡± he explained, but it wouldn¡¯t have mattered if he told me she held a gun to his head and kidnapped his family. I couldn¡¯t believe he was actually going with Bree.

    He knew better.

    He had picked his way through most of the high school, but never asked Bree.

    ¡°Oh really? You¡¯re not doing this out of spite?¡± I pressed, digging my heels into this argument and refusing to back down.

    ¡°Spite? Come one, Stel, you know me better than that. She didn¡¯t have a date and either did I. It just made sense. You know she is a good friend of ours,¡± Tristan tried to remind me, but this he really did know better.

    ¡°She¡¯s a good friend of yours,¡± I muttered, afraid my parents would hear. I reminded myself of Bree¡¯s humanity and that she was one of the billions of reasons I resided on this planet to begin with, trying without success to get over her now rightful claim of Tristan. At least for the dance.

    But it shouldn¡¯t matter anyway.

    I had Seth.

    ¡°You¡¯re not really mad, are you?¡± Tristan had walked up next to me while I stewed about Bree. He placed a hand on my lower back, hoping for forgiveness. My head inclined immediately toward him, as if I was a sunflower and he was my sun. I felt each of his fingers as they widened across my back and felt his blood pulsing beneath his skin, the pads of his fingertips as they burned their mark into my flesh.

    ¡°Do you want to stay for dinner? My mom is changing it up a bit by adding meatballs to our spaghetti,¡± I turned to face him, forcing myself to keep some distance between us. I needed to change the subject; I needed to balance our relationship back in the realm of normal.

    ¡°Meatballs? Is this a special occasion?¡± he asked and we both laughed.

    But he did stay, and he laughed and talked and enjoyed my family just like he always had. We would be fine. Things were changing in my life, but Tristan and I could survive the change. Things could stay the same.

    No, I was determined. Things would stay the same.

    Chapter Fourteen

    ¡°Stella,¡± mom stood in my doorway, that look on her face¡­. the one that promised me I was in for an important parental lecture. ¡°We should talk, sweet pea.¡±

    ¡°Sure, come on in,¡± I gestured to my desk chair with a confident sweep of my arm, even though internally my insides had twisted tightly together in anticipation for whatever this was about.

    She walked inside my room, wringing her hands together. I sat up from my reclined position where I had been studying for a government test the next day and waited for her to continue. Some of my anxiety was relieved when I realized how nervous she was.

 Page 30

    And then it was instantly replaced when nightmarish thoughts of an impending birds and bees discussion echoed in my head.

    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re not here to talk to me about-¡°

    ¡°Your dad and I are sorry!¡± my mom blurted out suddenly, plopping heavily into my desk chair and twisting her long, platinum blonde hair into a knot at the base of her neck. Her ice blue eyes were wide with intensity and her flawless skin glowed naturally as her sincerity seeped through her.

    ¡°Mom, what are you sorry for?¡± I laughed, knowing her fears were unfounded.

    She was definitely not comforted by my candor though. Her brows knitted together in an expression I had only ever seen her wear when she was preparing for a mission. ¡°We didn¡¯t know, Stel. We didn¡¯t know you and Tristan would develop feelings for each other¡­. Honestly, we didn¡¯t even know you could develop feelings for anyone other than Seth.¡±

    ¡°Mom, what are you talking about?¡± I breathed in a voice I could barely hear. My hands were suddenly shaking and I gripped the quilt Annabelle had made me as a little girl tightly in my fists.

    ¡°Tristan,¡± she said simply and the lump lodged in my throat that had been steadily making it harder to swallow grew exponentially larger and then dropped like a boulder into the pit of my stomach. ¡°We never enforced boundaries between you two, or discouraged any feelings that we might have noticed developing between you. It¡¯s just that, well honestly, we assumed that once you met Seth, whatever feelings that had blossomed between the two of you would dissipate. And you weren¡¯t supposed to meet Seth for years yet. Honestly, Stella, we didn¡¯t know you¡¯re feelings for Tristan were so deep and Seth is your intended, the Elders themselves matched the two of you¡­.¡± she trailed off, her eyes pleading with me to understand. I had never heard my mother ramble before. Ever. The sound of her nervous energy lacing words I was having trouble understanding shook me.

    I wanted to reassure my mom that whatever weirdness was happening between Tristan and I had absolutely nothing to do with deep seeded and forbidden feelings between us. But instead of quickly explaining away her fears, my mouth kind of just fell open and I sat in stunned silence, realizing my mom and dad had actually expected me to fall head over heels in love with Seth the moment he walked into my life.

    A flare of treacherous rebellion flared deep in my belly. I didn¡¯t want to fall in love with someone because I was supposed to or told to or stop every emotion and feeling I had because someone else had decided my future.

    I had been born for a specific purpose and even gifted my life on Earth with expectations for a future. But suddenly I wasn¡¯t sure what my love life had to do with any of it.

    I knew these were awful thoughts. And in the back of my head, I hoped they would disappear. Stars married Angels. That was the way things worked. Seth was my counterpart in every way; he would complement me in every way. We would protect Earth together.

    I just wanted our relationship to feel natural and not forced.

    And I especially wanted to forget about Tristan.

    No. I needed to forget about Tristan.

    ¡°Mom, you have nothing to worry about,¡± I promised, hoping to alleviate as many of my own fears as hers. ¡°Tristan and I have always been just friends. You might not have given us boundaries, but we have them, believe me. And neither one of us plans on crossing them anytime soon.¡± I gnawed on my bottom lip, hoping I at least sounded confident. My internal organs had started to rearrange themselves into compactly wound knots, and the nape of my neck prickled sharply with heat.

    ¡°We trust you both, Stella,¡± my mom answered, sounding more parental than her apology had allowed for. ¡°We know how hard you and Tristan have worked to maintain a platonic relationship. You both have respected your future amazingly well, and we applaud you for that.¡± She smiled sadly at me and that¡¯s when I felt the ¡°but¡± coming. ¡°But, up until now Tristan hasn¡¯t had any competition. Your father and I are concerned for how Seth¡¯s presence could amplify feelings between the two of you. Already things are clearly strained between you; we just don¡¯t want to see you lose sight of every other important thing.¡±

    I breathed in slowly, thankful she had at least acknowledged what was happening between Tristan and me as important. Although why I needed her to believe whatever was there was real, while I continued to willfully deny every bit of concrete evidence was beyond me. I bit harder into my lip, letting her words float around me for a while before opening up completely to them and letting them settle concretely into me.

    ¡°You¡¯re right about Seth,¡± I admitted, relaxing into the truth. ¡°He has definitely stirred up feelings I don¡¯t think neither Tristan nor I were prepared to face. And I think they caught us both off guard. But please don¡¯t worry, we both know what¡¯s at stake and we aren¡¯t willing to jeopardize the entire human race because of jealousy or curiosity or¡­. a mutual past. Plus, I value Tristan¡¯s friendship way too much to hurt him or Seth.¡±

    My mom smiled at me for a few moments, her sparkling blue eyes softening into relaxed ease. ¡°Annabelle was exactly what we needed when you were a baby. Actually, she still is what you need half the time. Tristan and the entire Shields family came along with her into our lives and I have never once regretted the day that you and Tristan became friends. And even though I regret not treating your relationship with the caution and care that I probably should have, I will never regret the bond you two have developed after all of these years. Tristan is the reason we are here, the reason we fight a never-ending battle. Well, not just Tristan, but you know what I mean. Your job, your future¡­. your life, will never get easier, and never let you feel victory for very long. You need to remember why you gave up Heaven and an army to fight with, to protect this planet alone. And Tristan and Piper, Annabelle and everyone else that you¡¯ve come to love along the way are like hundreds of lighthouses, sending out their beacons when the night is too dark for you to see straight or the Darkness swallows everything else around you whole. You will have those beacons of hope and love, of goodness and fragility to light your way, to remind you of why you will never give up this fight.¡±

    I smiled at my mom when she finished. Her words had gone from piercing through me, to exposing those parts of my soul I thought I hid from everyone so well to comforting me and reminding me of everything I lived for. They soothed the open wound that was Tristan Shields and helped suture the raw vulnerability that made my soul feel as though it were torn in half.

    With my mother¡¯s reminder I could remember my purpose, remember that this life was not my own and that I served a greater purpose.

    She walked over and gave me a kiss on the top of the head. ¡°Stella, if you ever need to talk about¡­. this, I¡¯m here for you baby girl. You can talk to me about anything.¡±

    ¡°I know mom, I will,¡± I promised. She left me, closing the door behind her.

    With the click of the lock I sunk back onto my bed, my head flopping heavily onto my pillow. I felt suffocated and deflated; even if it helped that my mom had seen through my pathetic attempts to hide my feelings. I knew there was more to my life than an impossible relationship that didn¡¯t even exist.

    But even with that knowledge I knew I had a battle in front of me.

    And this war I would have to wage would not be against the Darkness threatening to extinguish every last bit of light from this world.

    It would be against my own treacherous heart.

    ----

    The frantic beating of my heart and the inability to breath forced me awake, gasping for oxygen, somewhere in the emptiness of the night. I shot out of bed, slipping into sweatpants and tennis shoes before my brain registered what I was doing or why I was doing it. I pulled my head through a long-sleeved running shirt and burst through my bedroom door, my hands pulling my hair into a bun on the nape of my neck without my feet slowing down.

    I was through the door and flying across empty, snow covered fields before I realized I probably should have warned my parents I was on a mission. The frozen landscape was a blur beneath me, and the cold air rushed around me, whooshing against my ears and assaulting my face, but it didn¡¯t matter. Nothing mattered until I could reach my target.

    Seth.

    His face reverberated through my brain in a panicked, heart stopping haze. I couldn¡¯t say if I dreamt that he was in trouble, or simply woke up with the intuitive knowledge that he was in lethal danger. My instincts had kicked in, forcing me to act while my brain tried to catch up with what was happening.

    I arrived at the small farm Jupiter and Seth rented in less than a minute, having catapulted from my house to his in a blur of light that would have sent spectators calling the Department of Defense or the local news with reports of alien activity. The small, box of a ranch house was dark and silent, void of activity or obvious danger. I paused in the gravel drive, letting my body continue to drive my actions. I listened, I looked, I felt out for the evil I knew lurked close by.

    The Darkness was heavy, weighing down the air around me, seeping into every molecule of oxygen, clutching the very air around me. I sucked in a breath, fighting through the suffocating and oppressive evil as it waged some silent war against Seth. I paused for only a second to confirm that he was in fact in danger before bursting through the dead-bolted door and letting my connection with Seth lead me directly to his room. My glowing body lit up the darkened house, casting my silhouette in exaggerated shadows on every wall. I shuddered at the distorted image of myself and forced my eyes to continue scanning every corner, ever hidden place trying to find the evil that meant my Counterpart harm.

    Seth had jumped at my entrance, flipping over from his sleeping position on his stomach to stare up at me wide-eyed. I didn¡¯t bother explaining my presence until I had sufficiently confirmed there was no one here, nothing lurking, nothing waging war¡­. just nothing. Seth had been sleeping peacefully, undisturbed and out of danger, and yet the clawing feeling at my neck refused to soften. A chilling tingle rippled down my spine and I knew I hadn¡¯t imagined the threat.

    Something was here.

    Or had been here¡­.

    Or¡­.

    I didn¡¯t really know anymore. I let out a frustrated sigh and sat down heavily at the end of Seth¡¯s bed.

    ¡°Are you Ok?¡± I breathed, panting heavily from my effort to swoop in and save a perfectly fine, sleeping Angel.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he half-laughed. ¡°Are you Ok?¡± He propped himself up on his elbows and his eyes swept over me before settling into mine with a burning gaze that seemed to see directly through me, straight to the clutching fear that was settling in my chest. What was wrong with me? Was I just overly paranoid?

    Or was I seriously losing my mind?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I sighed, embarrassed of how shaken I still was. I let my eyes float over Seth¡¯s perfect, chiseled face as he smiled adorably up at me. His amber eyes were glowing with comfortable affection, his hair tussled and mussed from sleep, curling at the ends more than usual. His skin was perfect, clear and golden all the way from his dimpled cheeks to his carved abs that stood out even in the darkness of the room.

 Page 31

    Without realizing what I was doing, I brushed my hand gently along the lines of his abdominal muscles, letting the hardness of pure muscle tone flex beneath my fingers. I blushed into a deeper glow, removing my hand quickly and apologetically meeting Seth¡¯s eyes. He stared back at me, more amused than ever, but there was something deeper behind his obvious entertainment, something I wasn¡¯t quite ready to investigate yet.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I laughed, trying to lighten the sudden tension between us. ¡°I was just making sure they were, uh, real.¡±

    Seth smiled wider, disarming me with his charming, boyish grin. He sat up fully then, leaning forward and cupping my jaw with his strong, calloused hand. ¡°Stella, what are you doing here? Seriously, are you Ok?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t expecting the gentleness of his tone and felt my face heat beneath his hand, realizing he might actually start to believe I was as crazy as I felt.

    ¡°I had this dream¡­. I mean, I¡¯m pretty sure it was a dream now that I think about it, even though I can¡¯t really remember that much about it now¡­.¡± I rambled, trying to distinguish what had exactly happened and what it was that made me rush over here. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing here. I woke up and I just knew you were in trouble. I could feel you Seth, your agony, your fear¡­. And I could feel the Darkness here. What may have started as a dream¡­. a dream I can¡¯t remember at all¡­. turned into real fear when I woke up and believed it was actually happening to you. I rushed over here, prepared to save your life when I got here. Except, when I got here, you weren¡¯t being attacked by hordes of Shadow minions, you were just sleeping. But I felt it everywhere, I felt the Darkness everywhere, Seth. I was so scared, even when I got here. The air was so thick with evil¡­. I have honestly never been more scared in my life. I was positive you were in trouble. I mean, I was so sure.¡± I finished feeling exhausted and deflated. I just wanted everything to make sense. There were so many changes happening in my life, so many different things I needed to adjust to I didn¡¯t really want to deal with being crazy right now.

    I just wanted to fight the Darkness. Completely sane and with all my mental faculties completely intact.

    Why did that feel so unattainable?

    ¡°Oh, Stel,¡± Seth sighed sympathetically, pulling me into his arms. I leaned against him as he wrapped his strong arms around me and held me tightly against his chest. ¡°So what you¡¯re telling me is that all I have to do to get you into my bed at night is pretend to be in danger?¡±

    I snapped my head up, not expecting his joke. He smiled down at me in a way that let me know he was joking so I slapped his bicep, pretending to be very offended. He just chuckled, dipping his head into the crook of my neck and holding me tighter.

    ¡°We are going to figure this out,¡± he whispered, his breath hot against my already heated skin. ¡°You¡¯re not crazy, and there¡¯s nothing wrong with you so stop thinking those thoughts right now.¡±

    My shoulders trembled from the seriousness of his tone and I desperately tried to obey him. But how could I believe there was nothing wrong with me when the walls of my sanity seemed to continue to crumble.

    ¡°Seth? Where are you?¡± Jupiter¡¯s sharp voice called from somewhere else in the house. ¡°Are you Ok?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in here, I¡¯m fine,¡± he called back. He adjusted us on his bed so that I wasn¡¯t curled completely into him and we were sitting side by side instead of me basically in his lap.

    I heard Jupiter making his way through the small house to Seth¡¯s room, but got distracted when I noticed Seth reaching down to pull sweatpants over his bare calves and thighs and oh dear lord¡­. boxer briefs.

    I quickly turned my head, shielding my face with a hand over my eyes. Unfortunately Jupiter entered the room at the exact moment Seth was pulling his gray pants over his waist.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jupiter grunted suddenly making this whole situation extremely uncomfortable. ¡°Uh, sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to, uh¡­. I was just wondering what happened to the front door?¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t what it looks like!¡± I blurted, standing up and putting distance between Seth and me. ¡°I was just worried about Seth and I needed to make sure he was Ok!¡±

    ¡°So worried you had to break my front door?¡± Jupiter accused, but his mercury eyes blazed with something I could almost define as humor for just a second before settling back to irritation.

    ¡°She felt the Darkness again,¡± Seth explained solemnly. I wasn¡¯t exactly prepared to share everything with Jupiter, although I knew that I should. Mostly I just wanted to forget this night ever happened and I would have stayed in bed where I belonged.

    ¡°You felt it here?¡± Jupiter questioned, his bushy eyebrows drawn together in concern making it look like he had a long, white, fuzzy caterpillar crawling across his forehead. ¡°You mean with Seth?¡± Jupiter clarified and suddenly I didn¡¯t feel so crazy or wrong, suddenly I felt like Jupiter might understand me. But he didn¡¯t say anything more; he didn¡¯t even attempt to alleviate my fears. He just continued to look between us.

    ¡°Where are you coming from?¡± Seth broke the silence, noting Jupiter¡¯s worn leather jacket and brown loafers that had tracked in snow.

    ¡°I met Serena and Nate earlier tonight, they were having issues down in Rio. They called for backup, and I decided to go and let you two rest,¡± he explained, his eyes flicking over the room as if continuing to search for the evil we had all decided wasn¡¯t there to begin with.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I offered politely and then clarified, ¡°for letting us get a full night¡¯s sleep. Or at least attempting to let us¡­.¡±

    Jupiter grunted off my thanks and explained, ¡°It was more for me. I haven¡¯t been in a good fight in a while and was feeling antsy. I needed a good workout.¡±

    I nodded, not knowing how else to reply. I wasn¡¯t at all surprised that Jupiter liked to get his hands dirty so to speak. I was actually more surprised that he reasoned it away by giving us a good night¡¯s sleep. I really didn¡¯t think he thought about those kinds of things.

    ¡°Did you fly here?¡± Jupiter asked gruffly and rather randomly.

    ¡°Uh, yes.¡± I stammered, not sure if my truthful admission was about to get me into trouble. ¡°I was in a hurry. Jupiter I really thought Seth was in big trouble, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have come. I¡¯m sorry about your front door.¡± I finished meekly; realizing polite knocking would have been just as efficient tonight.

    ¡°The door can be fixed,¡± Jupiter ignored my apology, waving it away with his hand. ¡°Seth, why don¡¯t you drive Stella home? We don¡¯t want to draw any unnecessary attention. I¡¯m sure her parents are worried about her by now anyway. I¡¯m just assuming they don¡¯t know where you are since they aren¡¯t here with you.¡±

    I met Jupiter¡¯s steely gaze and shook my head. ¡°No, they were asleep when I left. They probably have no idea where I am.¡±

    ¡°If this happens again, Stella, your parents would be fantastic help. You need to bring them with you next time, not leave them home alone to worry about your safety,¡± Jupiter explained and I nodded my head slowly letting the realization that he was right sink in. I had no idea why I didn¡¯t pause long enough to at least let my parents know where I was headed, let alone invite them to come along with me. Worst case scenario I could have taken off just a few minutes before they had and let them catch back up with me after I had engaged in the fight.

    ¡°Next time I will,¡± I promised, shaking my head wearily.

    ¡°Seth, go ahead, drive Stella home,¡± Jupiter suggested again.

    I stood up and tried to straighten my posture, but my shoulders slumped in defeat. ¡°Sorry to ruin your night with my crazy,¡± I offered, feeling on the verge of tears.

    Jupiter caught my bicep in a firm grip as I moved toward where he stood in the doorway. ¡°Nobody thinks you¡¯re crazy, Stella. Something is going on, we don¡¯t know what yet and it obviously doesn¡¯t make sense. But something is going on and we are going to get to the bottom of it.¡± I gulped back the lump in my throat, hearing the solid tone to Jupiter¡¯s confidence and conviction. His beliefs were rooted behind his words and it was hard to think less of myself when my weapon¡¯s trainer held such faith in me.

    ¡°Thank you, Jupiter,¡± I answered meekly, the tears I had been trying to suppress flooding my eyes with gratitude. I blinked them quickly away knowing whatever respect I had garnered with Jupiter would be instantly and forever lost if I broke down in inconsolable tears in the middle of Seth¡¯s bedroom for no reason at all.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you back to bed,¡± Seth encouraged, placing a warm hand on the small of my back.

    I turned into his touch, letting the heat of his strength comfort me. He led me outside and opened the truck door for me so I could climb in. I wanted to apologize again to him, but as he climbed in the cab and started the vehicle I decided I needed to stop apologizing and get better control of my emotions.

    ¡°Thanks for driving,¡± I offered instead.

    ¡°Stella,¡± Seth glanced at me seriously before turning his eyes back to the blackened country roads. ¡°Promise me you will never stop investigating these feelings you¡¯re having.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked as Seth followed the gravel roads that traveled between his farm and mine. The frosted night glazed over the windshield with delicate snowflake patterns and our breath puffed around us in white clouds.

    ¡°It could have been something tonight, I mean, even though it wasn¡¯t¡­. it could have been,¡± Seth paused and gripped the steering wheel tighter. ¡°Thank you for coming to my rescue.¡±

    I cleared my throat, not trusting my voice with a response. Seth was so sincere, so genuine with his gratefulness that I was actually moved by it. I shook my head, trying to clear it of my over-emotional behavior tonight, but the ¡°what if¡¯s¡± kept running through my mind and I had to fear that Jupiter was right, that something was going on and we just hadn¡¯t figured it out yet.

    ¡°And Stel?¡± Seth asked, a lightness returning to his tone.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Anytime you need me to come check out your room in the middle of the night, I¡¯m just a phone call away,¡± he turned to me with a sly smile on his lips and I immediately burst into laughter, thankful for his change in tone.

    ¡°Oh, really? You¡¯ll come look in my closet for monsters?¡± I flirted, still laughing at his brazenness.

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± his grin grew into a wide smile and I stared back into those honey colored, heated eyes smiling just as big. ¡°And under your bed¡­. under your covers¡­. wherever those monsters might be hiding.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± I laughed.

    Chapter Fifteen

    ¡°Ok, so here¡¯s the plan,¡± Piper exclaimed in between seventh and eighth period, ¡°Since there are no basketball games tonight we¡¯re going into Omaha to pick out dresses for the Valentine¡¯s dance!¡±

 Page 32

    ¡°Oh that sounds like fun!¡± I replied, shutting my locker and leaning against it. ¡°Since we both have dates and all!¡± I smirked. This was the first dance Piper had ever allowed a boy to take her to, and I couldn¡¯t stop teasing her about Lincoln, it was impossible.

    ¡°Actually all three of us have dates,¡± Piper explained in a quick rush of words I barely understood.

    ¡°Three?¡± I accused, rather than asked.

    Piper stuck her head in her locker for a second before popping back out with a bright smile, ¡°Well, me, you and Bree.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± I asked dryly, seriously reconsidering my evening.

    ¡°Come on, it will be so much fun! Plus it¡¯s not like you have a whole lot of couture options in this one-horse town¡­. and you desperately need my opinion.¡± Piper reminded me by gesturing around the crowded high school halls as if they were a good indication of the lack of shopping in Mead.

    ¡°Fine, although Omaha doesn¡¯t have many couture options either,¡± I grumbled, realizing the dance was two weeks away and I really didn¡¯t have any options as far as dress shops went other than Omaha. And she was right about her opinion, I was helpless when it came to formal dresses and even if Seth and I were going only as friends, I definitely wanted to avoid looking like a bad eighties movie.

    ¡°It will be fun!¡± Piper practically demanded, the strained edge to her voice daring me not to agree.

    ¡°It will be fun,¡± I sighed, completely lacking the enthusiasm she was hoping for.

    ¡°What will be fun?¡± Seth asked as he and Tristan joined us at the lockers.

    ¡°We¡¯re going shopping tonight in Omaha, we need to pick up our dresses for the dance in a couple weeks,¡± I explained with a marginally better attitude.

    ¡°Oh, but I thought we were going to tr-¡° Seth cut himself off, his cheeks heating with a soft glow at his almost announcement of our training with Jupiter that I had forgotten about. During basketball season almost every Friday and Saturday were scheduled with games, but this was an off week since our next game wasn¡¯t until Tuesday. I had completely forgotten about the extra training Jupiter wanted to squeeze in this weekend.

    Oops.

    I needed to figure out Jupiter later though; right now I needed to do some quick damage control.

    ¡°Go on a date!¡± I finished for Seth, placing my hand over my eyes like I was embarrassed. ¡°I completely forgot. Oh my gosh, Seth, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    ¡°Yes our date,¡± Seth nodded, not covering as smoothly as I would have liked him to. ¡°It¡¯s Ok, there are other nights.¡±

    I wanted to laugh at his obvious inability to act but had to remain stoic since Piper was glancing back and forth between us like she had missed the biggest headline of the year.

    ¡°Stella, I was just kidding about finding a dress, you can go on your date with Seth and you and I can find a different night to go into town,¡± Piper promised.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I double checked, realizing I could get out of making Jupiter mad and shopping with Bree.

    ¡°I have a better idea,¡± Tristan piped up, sounding enthusiastic but his eyes were narrowed just the tiniest bit sending warning bells resounding in my head. ¡°Let¡¯s all go into town tonight. Lincoln and I can show Seth the big city while you girls shop and then we¡¯ll meet up for dinner and a movie after. It will be fun.¡±

    Why did people keep trying to convince me tonight would be fun? It sounded more like a threat coming from Tristan and I wasn¡¯t really sure how to get out of this one.

    ¡°Seth is from Boston, Tristan, it¡¯s not like he¡¯s never been to a big city before,¡± I laughed nervously, trying unsuccessfully to get the subject dropped.

    ¡°No, Tristan¡¯s right! That does sound like fun!¡± Piper, for maybe the first time in her entire, stubborn, artistic life, agreed with the person she hated most in life.

    My jaw dropped, my eyes bugged out of my head. I probably looked like a cartoon character holding a stick of lit dynamite. ¡°Piper, what about this scenario makes you think that it would be fun?¡±

    ¡°Fun¡± had just officially turned into a curse word.

    ¡°What? You don¡¯t want to hang out with your best friends and your boyfriend?¡± Tristan asked, his voice cutting like an accusation. ¡°You¡¯re the one constantly going on and on about how if we just spent more time together we would learn to like each other.¡± His pointer finger flicked back and forth between him and Piper who was nodding her head excitedly.

    ¡°Seth is not my boyfriend,¡± I explained too quickly and then forced myself to backtrack after noticing the confusion flash in Seth¡¯s eyes. ¡°I mean, we¡¯re just going to the dance as friends.¡±

    ¡°And going on a date tonight,¡± Tristan reminded me callously.

    ¡°And going on a date tonight,¡± I echoed in a tiny voice.

    ¡°So it¡¯s settled!¡± Piper squealed. ¡°Triple date in the city!¡±

    ¡°How do you know Lincoln doesn¡¯t already have plans?¡± I asked her pointedly, not really sure why I was still objecting to the outing.

    ¡°Well, then I will just have to convince him with my womanly wiles,¡± Piper purred conspiratorially and then bounced down the hall in search of Lincoln.

    ¡°Piper is something else,¡± Seth chuckled as he watched her weave in and out of end of school traffic, her severe ponytail of dark hair bouncing enthusiastically behind her. ¡°You¡¯re Ok with tonight? You seemed like maybe you didn¡¯t want to go,¡± Seth turned to me, his golden eyes squinting in concern.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t she want to go?¡± Tristan asked from his position, leaning against my locker. ¡°A night out with her two best friends and her boyfriend, come on Stel, what isn¡¯t there to get excited about?¡±

    ¡°Why do you do that?¡± Seth growled, his expression turning dark. ¡°Why do you say ¡®boyfriend¡¯ like an insult?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re not really her boyfriend, are you?¡± Tristan stood up straighter, his shoulders pushed back and his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

    ¡°Unfortunately, you¡¯re not either,¡± Seth growled, adjusting to his full height, and cracking his neck forcefully to the side as if he were preparing for a fight.

    ¡°I never said I was,¡± Tristan snapped back in a low voice.

    ¡°Tristan you are the one that keeps calling him my boyfriend, so knock it off,¡± I demanded, annoyed that Tristan was still upset over this. ¡°And we were never going on a date tonight; we had training that I forgot about.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Tristan backed down a little. Seth had too, although I could feel that the only reason he wasn¡¯t working out his own version of training on Tristan¡¯s face had something distinctly to do with me. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anyway, because you two basically are together. Which is fine with me, I just don¡¯t know why you want to blow off your friends now that you¡¯re so busy with him.¡±

    My mouth kind of hung awkwardly open for a moment while I tried to gather a rebuttal to his insane argument, but he cut me off before I could even start a stuttering response.

    ¡°Nevermind, I¡¯m being a douche,¡± he ran a hand over his shaved head and glanced around the hallway impatiently. ¡°I better find Bree before Piper takes all the credit for tonight¡¯s planning.¡± He stalked down the hallway with my wide eyes watching after him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I sighed, leaning against Seth. I felt exhausted by Tristan. There were way too many emotions flooding my consciousness to make sense of and I hated that irritation and confusion seemed to overpower all the others. ¡°I don¡¯t know what his problem is.¡±

    ¡°I think I can guess,¡± Seth mumbled before his eyes softened back into their natural friendly gold. ¡°But anyway, are you Ok with all this? I mean going on a date and having your friends think we are together?¡±

    ¡°Sure, I mean, they were going to come up with their own assumptions anyway,¡± I replied lightly, and then I ignored the twisting in the pit of my stomach that shouted I was anything but Ok with this. I needed to be. I wanted to be¡­. but, well, this just wasn¡¯t supposed to be how things worked out. High school was supposed to be mine. Destiny and fate and supernatural callings and all that other weird crap was supposed to happen later¡­. much later.

    ¡°Stella?¡± Seth said my name softly, reverently and when I turned to face him it was like my entire being tuned into him. He stared down at me with the softest, gentlest expression, the hard lines of his face at extreme odds with the tender tilt of his eyes. My breath caught in my throat and I nodded in response because I couldn¡¯t find words to answer. ¡°We are just friends,¡± he promised, sincerity coating each word. ¡°I know that this is weird¡­. this whole future between us. But we are just friends until there¡¯s more and right now there just hasn¡¯t been enough time for more to develop. Don¡¯t let me freak you out, we do this in your time, nobody is pressuring you into anything, especially me.¡± He lifted his fingers to brush against my jaw, his rough, calloused skin against the soft, feminine skin of my face and I swallowed to fortify myself.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered, feeling relief wash over me. I should have promised him I didn¡¯t feel pressure, or that it wasn¡¯t him that was freaking me out but the unknown part of our future relationship, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to utter those words. And if I was honest with myself, truly honest, part of my nervousness was Seth, his presence, his nearness, the way he stirred feelings and emotions that didn¡¯t even make sense to me yet.

    Yep, he definitely freaked me out.

    Except for right now.

    Because right now he was saying exactly what I needed to hear and in the hottest way possible.

    There were worse fates to have to come to terms with.

    ¡°Ok,¡± I smiled brighter, forcing myself back to confidence. ¡°We better go home and tell Jupiter that there¡¯s been a change of plans. Do you think we can somehow convince him there is an attack on the city and they need our help?¡±

    ¡°Probably not,¡± Seth laughed. ¡°But we can for sure blame it on your friends and the fact that we have to keep our cover up.¡±

    ¡°I better let you do the talking,¡± I agreed, already nervous.

    ¡°Probably a good idea.¡±

    ----

    I was still cringing in the dressing room as I struggled to reach the zipper of the floor length red ball gown Piper had insisted I try on. Jupiter had not been happy that Seth and I were blowing off what in his mind was the training that would determine the entire future of the human race for dress shopping and bad chain-restaurant food. He had made us promise to double up sessions tomorrow, which drained my entire Saturday of anything fun and replaced it with sword movement repetitions and strength training.

    Ugh strength training.

    I flexed my velvety arms in the dressing room mirror and swallowed back the yelp of horror. Way too much muscle definition. It was one thing to be toned and fit. It was another thing entirely to look like I belonged in a body builder competition, wearing a skimpy bikini and a gallon of baby oil.

 Page 33

    Or was that too vain?

    ¡°Let¡¯s see it Stel!¡± Piper called from the other side of the door. I took one more minute to adjust the long sleeve, blood red velvet number she had demanded I try on. The sleeves swallowed my hands, opening up at the end in extra fabric that reminded me of something a witch would wear. The too big dress had enough fabric to spread out in a long train behind me and the color completely washed out my complexion.

    I tromped out to the hallway, trying to suppress my laughter. Piper stood waiting for me, impatiently tapping her foot. She looked as equally ridiculous as I did in a white, chiffon ruffled disaster. The tight bodice fit her awkwardly and made her look like she had the chest of a little boy, while the ruffles tumbled in messy, gaudy waves from her waist to the floor and gave her the hips of a woman who could claim giving birth to at least twelve children.

    ¡°Are those feathers?¡± I burst into laughter at the realization Piper looked like a partially plucked chicken.

    She gave me a stern glare and then burst into her own hysterical giggles. ¡°You look like Valentine¡¯s Day threw up on you!¡± she wheezed, clutching at her stomach.

    ¡°I¡¯m not coming out there if you two are just going to laugh at me!¡± Bree hollered from behind the fitting room door. ¡°I already feel ridiculous enough!¡±

    ¡°We promise not to laugh,¡± Piper swore stoically. She swatted my hand away as I tried to pull on one of her shredded, dilapidated feathers, poking out from where her belly button might be.

    A foreshadowing giggle escaped Piper as Bree opened the slatted wood door and stepped tenuously through the narrow doorway. Piper and I held our breath for three whole seconds before exploding in laughter, tears streaming from the corners of our eyes. We leaned on each other for support, sucking oxygen in through laughter that had become completely silent as it racked our bodies in hysteria.

    Bree stood before us in a vintage, as in eighties, Pepto-Bismol pink taffeta gown, the sleeves ballooning into giant puffs that sat unevenly on her shoulder blades, the sweetheart neckline, dipping crassly into her cleavage, the skirt swallowed her body in folds of wrinkled fabric and the apron of lace both seemed to domesticate the outfit and tie the whole awful look together. Under her wounded scowl, Piper and I tried to pull ourselves together, but then she turned to get a better look at herself in the three fold mirror and her gigantic skirt swooped around and whipped Piper in the side. Piper took an exaggerated side step and we dissolved into more laughter, this time with Bree taking part.

    ¡°This was such a terrible idea,¡± Bree whined when we had come back to ourselves and the sales clerk had stopped to check on us twice, not understanding our sense of humor.

    ¡°Sometimes you get lucky and find something amazing,¡± Piper defended her thrift-store idea, although she was still laughing so neither Bree nor I took her seriously. Suddenly she stood up straight and cocked her head to the side examining us all over again. ¡°This could work¡­.¡±

    ¡°What could work?¡± I asked, feeling the flare of panic at the look in Piper¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°This,¡± she gestured to the three of us. ¡°We could splash black paint over all of the dresses and then wear like corsages with dead flowers in them as like a statement against the greeting-card holiday that defines the awfulness that is Valentine¡¯s Day.¡± Piper proclaimed, growing passionate at the end of a speech that fell on Bree¡¯s deaf ears and my vain ones.

    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Bree shrieked, immediately trying to rip off her dress before Piper could pull out some hidden black paint to splash it on her. ¡°Go right ahead and protest consumerism all you want, but I want to look pretty!¡±

    ¡°Are you saying Piper wouldn¡¯t look pretty covered in black paint, carrying dead flowers?¡± I gasped. ¡°For the record, Pi, I think you look gorgeous in any color of death.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about what will look good on Piper! I¡¯m trying to get Tristan to notice me!¡± Bree lectured and I suddenly had to quell the unfurling of a very angry, desperate beast that seemed to take hold of my insides. I clutched against my stomach that was determined to make me sick. A darkness settled on my shoulders, one that refused to let Bree claim what belonged to me, what I could never have but wanted ferociously anyway. I swallowed against the hole in my chest, the pit dug out by irrational jealousy. Tristan wasn¡¯t mine. Could never be mine.

    ¡°Well, he¡¯ll definitely notice you in that,¡± Piper gave her a suggestive look and we all burst into laughter. And just like that I found myself again.

    ¡°Ladies, what is going on here?¡± the sales attendant poked her head in for the third time and we knew our time was up. We offered apologetic smiles and ducked back into our separate fitting rooms to change back into the clothes we came in and the clothes we were thankfully leaving in.

    Two hours later, shopping bags stored in the trunk of Piper¡¯s parents Durango, we met back up with the guys at a city based pizza chain. We had ridden together into the city, since Piper¡¯s SUV had three rows of seating and was big enough to hold us all, but we had dropped the guys off at an arcade to kill the time while we shopped. When we met back up at the restaurant all of them looked a little worse for wear and definitely on edge, even Lincoln.

    We ordered at the counter, the boys respectfully paying, even Seth, and then went to the back to find a table big enough to fit us all. Unlike at our designated lunch table, where we sat definitively segregated, we mingled together here so we could sit by our dates. I was thankful the petty immaturity of Mead did not follow us into our Friday night. So we sat boy, girl, boy, girl around a large circular table.

    ¡°Did you ladies get your dresses picked out?¡± Tristan asked, breaking what had turned into an uncomfortable silence.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Piper sighed, sounding sorely disappointed.

    ¡°Do you not like yours?¡± Lincoln asked quietly, picking up on her tone. She leaned into him, making him squirm just a little before he relaxed too and put his arm around her.

    ¡°No, I like it, I mean¡­. I¡¯m definitely going to look hot,¡± she bragged and I hid my smile behind my napkin. ¡°It¡¯s just I had this great idea for really sticking it to Valentine¡¯s Day, but they didn¡¯t want anything to do with it.¡± She pursed her lips and shot both Bree and I a look promising her future wrath.

    I giggled.

    ¡°Piper, we loved your idea, seriously, it¡¯s just that personally, I don¡¯t have anything against Valentine¡¯s Day,¡± Bree explained, giving Tristan a look that made me thankful I hadn¡¯t eaten yet.

    Tristan pretended not to notice.

    I giggled again.

    He elbowed me in the ribs discretely.

    ¡°I thought you wanted to go to the dance?¡± Lincoln asked Piper in a quiet, shy voice.

    She let out a long, exasperated sigh before admitting, ¡°I¡¯m a complicated woman.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement,¡± I laughed. She shot me another warning glare before tipping her head up to Lincoln and whispering something reassuring before kissing him.

    The rest of us averted our eyes as she made it clear to Lincoln just how excited she was to go to the dance. A little making out in front of your friends was Ok, but Piper was officially taking things into a situation where it was entirely and not at all annoyingly appropriate to yell ¡°Get a room!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s my best friend, but this is just getting awkward,¡± I mumbled to Tristan since Seth had politely engaged Bree into conversation over us.

    ¡°No kidding,¡± Tristan laughed awkwardly. ¡°Come on you two before my eyes start bleeding.¡± Tristan threw a crumpled up napkin at them and successfully got their attention. Lincoln ducked his head, his cheeks blushed bright red and he avoided everyone¡¯s eye. Piper however, sat proudly up in her chair, her face glowing with excitement. I was so happy for her I could burst.

    The pizza came and we all dove in.

    ¡°So what should we see tonight?¡± Tristan asked the table. ¡°Zombies or aliens?¡±

    ¡°Is that all that¡¯s out? How about we meet in the middle¡­. like a romantic comedy? Or just something that isn¡¯t all about killing?¡± Bree argued, her distinct whine tingeing her every syllable while she batted her eyes flirtatiously at Tristan.

    I was definitely going to need something that involved killing.

    ¡°Let¡¯s put it to a vote!¡± Piper declared democratically. She raised her hand to signal Lincoln be the first to share his opinion, and her bangles clanked down her wrist loudly.

    Tristan turned his head to mumble something to me, but his words were lost when a purely evil feeling slithered over my skin. I froze in my chair as the Darkness entered the pizza restaurant. Before I even lifted my head I instinctively felt that whatever presence joined us now was more incredibly evil than all of the Shadows I had fought put together. A cold terror settled in my stomach and spread through my veins like a sickness. The breath whooshed from my lungs and my fingers clenched against the table with the strength that promised to destroy my cover. The world around me narrowed into a darkened tunnel that sent my equilibrium reeling violently.

    Tristan looked down at me with panicked eyes, but I gathered my senses enough to shake my head slightly in warning. All at once my senses and instincts rushed back to me and I whipped my head toward a partially hidden, corner booth with the mission to extinguish whatever evil presence lingered in this world where it did not belong.

    My gaze shifted to Seth next. He sat rigid in his chair, his fists balled on the table, and his right knee bouncing up and down frantically. A wave of relief washed over me when I saw Seth¡¯s reaction. I hadn¡¯t realized how afraid I was that I was the only one who felt the malevolent presence until I saw how acutely aware of the evil Seth was.

    ¡°Earth to Stella!¡± Piper called. I looked up to see her arms waving at me while I stared seeing only the supernatural world around us. ¡°Zombies or Aliens?¡±

    ¡°Or love?¡± Bree squeaked.

    ¡°Uh, definitely zombies,¡± I mumbled, my eyes flicking back over to the booth in the corner. I couldn¡¯t see what sat there, what wickedness had entered this place, but I could feel how the entire atmosphere of the restaurant sagged under the weighted presence of such concentrated Darkness.

    ¡°Zombies it is!¡± Tristan declared, standing up and clasping his hands together as if he had just won some big bet.

    My stomach churned with anticipation for what was ahead of me tonight, and whatever it was did not include zombies, or outrageously buttered popcorn, but it was definitely akin to a horror movie. I turned to Seth, asking him silently with my eyes what we should do.

    ¡°I uh, I just got a text from my grandpa, I need to go make a call,¡± Seth explained super awkwardly before getting up to step outside.

    He was so not good at lying, but it didn¡¯t matter because at least he had a plan. Tristan¡¯s eyes cut down to me, demanding I tell him what was going on. All I could do was offer a weak smile and pray that the battle didn¡¯t start until Seth got back.

    ¡°Is everything Ok, Stel?¡± Piper asked, picking up on the weird tension.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I confessed, knowing Seth and I needed to split up from our group as soon as possible. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

 Page 34

    I let my eyes float back to the booth in the corner where they stopped abruptly on the most attractive, most evil man I had ever seen. He was slender and tall, wearing an extremely expensive charcoal suit and a winning smile that promised only terrible things. His golden brown hair was swept back from his eyes and he had a five o¡¯clock shadow that could have seduced any woman. His piercing bright green gaze was locked on me from across the space between us and I felt myself sink back from the waves of pure malevolence that seeped from him.

    ¡°Stella Day?¡± he laughed from across the restaurant like we knew each other intimately. ¡°Stella? Is that you?¡±

    I swallowed down the fear, anger, and wrenching disgust and plastered on a hardly believable smile. ¡°Oh, hey,¡± I forced myself to answer, instinctively realizing I needed to play along in order to protect my friends.

    ¡°Saul, look who¡¯s here,¡± he turned his head to address his accomplice as he stood from their booth. Saul, was a huge, muscular man with jet black hair and black eyes as if when he fell from Heaven, the Darkness not only tainted his soul, but his features as well.

    Saul didn¡¯t say anything to his friend, just grunted in my direction as if that was an appropriate response for a public place. But then his eyes raked over me as if he knew every inch of me already. A mixture of nausea and excitement for battle rippled through me. I would enjoy making this particular brand of evil extinct.

    Seth walked back to the table at the exact moment I had decided to hell with the spectators and I was grateful for his reassuring presence. He put a hand on the small of my back and I felt his anger as his hand trembled against me. He stared down the two Fallen who watched us with unmasked, cruel delight as if he too couldn¡¯t wait for the privacy of the back alley.

    ¡°That was my grandpa, Stella,¡± Seth growled, his voice low and vibrating. ¡°I need to get home right away.¡± He turned his head at the last minute and addressed our table where everyone had fallen silent at the weirdness between us. ¡°I¡¯m sorry guys; you should get to the movie though.¡±

    ¡°But how will you get home?¡± Tristan demanded, not at all fooled by Seth¡¯s cover story.

    ¡°Do you two need a ride back to that sweet little farm town?¡± The first Fallen asked from across the room. His eyes lit up with anticipation, paralyzing me in his hungry gaze.

    I tried to pretend it was perfectly normal for two mysterious men to butt into a group of teenager¡¯s conversation from across the room. And then prayed my friends wouldn¡¯t start asking questions.

    ¡°We do,¡± Seth answered. ¡°Were you headed that direction?¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve been meaning to pay Jupiter a visit for a while now, haven¡¯t we Saul?¡± the first Fallen asked, and a protective tremble shook my core. ¡°If you would just call him and let him know we¡¯ll take you home so he doesn¡¯t worry, we¡¯d love to offer you a ride.¡±

    ¡°I can do that,¡± Seth replied robotically.

    I tore my eyes from the Fallen¡¯s gaze back to my friends. I was desperate to protect them, to save them from this horrendous evil. ¡°Is that Ok with you guys? These are old friends of our families; we can get a ride home with them.¡± I forced my lips to twist into a smile and my eyes to meet Piper¡¯s and Tristan¡¯s. Piper looked concerned while Tristan looked¡­. like he was going to fight this battle for me.

    I needed to get them out of here.

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re going to be Ok?¡± Piper asked as Seth hung up the phone and smiled reassuringly.

    ¡°Oh yeah, we go way back with these guys and my grandpa just told me how he cannot wait to see them again,¡± Seth promised, his voice sounding more controlled, but quietly scary.

    ¡°And you guys should go, or you¡¯re going to miss the previews!¡± I declared, standing up so that my chair scraped against the floor loudly.

    I held my arms up, shooing them to the door where I said goodbye to Piper and Lincoln and politely nodded to Bree. Tristan stopped though, right inside the door where nobody else could hear him.

    ¡°Who are they, Stella?¡± he demanded, his voice barely a whisper. When I didn¡¯t respond he filled in the blanks. ¡°Bad guys?¡±

    I nodded my head seriously, ¡°Yep, bad guys.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you,¡± Tristan promised and my throat immediately tightened and closed with the fear that he was serious.

    ¡°Yes you are, Tristan,¡± I begged, my eyes meeting his and pleading with him to go. ¡°They will hurt you if you stay, maybe even kill you¡­. probably even kill you and I cannot let that happen. Go with Piper, I¡¯ll call you when I get home.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he growled, his arm slamming behind my head, pinning me against the wall. ¡°I can¡¯t leave you.¡±

    I cupped his face with my hand and ran my thumb across his bottom lip, knowing that the evil I was going to face tonight was greater than anything I had met before. ¡°You have to leave Tristan. I can¡¯t worry about you while I face these guys, I won¡¯t be at my strongest. And you need to get Piper and Lincoln out of here. You¡¯re the only one that knows what¡¯s going on and you need to get them somewhere safe.¡±

    ¡°What if something happens to you,¡± his voice broke from frustration and I hated that he knew what was going on, for the first time in my life I hated that he knew what I was and what I had to face.

    ¡°Nothing will happen to me,¡± I promised. ¡°Nothing. Tristan I am the only hope this planet has, I am strong enough to defeat these guys, I swear to you. I¡¯ll text you as soon as I¡¯m on my way home.¡±

    ¡°This goes against everything I believe in, everything that¡¯s in me,¡± his eyes held the deepest loss and even though I knew he believed I would win this fight, I also knew that it broke him not to be able to protect me.

    ¡°Please go,¡± I begged, my own soul feeling dangerously close to shattering.

    A deep growl rumbled inside of him and he pushed forcefully away from the wall and stalked out the front door. I watched him walk away from the restaurant realizing that may have been the bravest thing he ever had to do. His eyes found mine one more time before he climbed in Piper¡¯s Durango and I promised him again with my expression that I would be fine. His expression hardened as if he knew I was lying to him and then he was in the car and gone.

    My shoulders fell in relief for just a moment before I turned back to face the men that had followed Seth and I to the restaurant. Seth was watching Saul and the other Fallen, and I got the distinct impression he had yet to take his eyes off of them.

    ¡°Well, should we take this carpool someplace a little more private?¡± The first Fallen asked, his voice mocking and amused.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you tonight,¡± Seth snarled, his Adams apple bobbing in his throat with the effort to swallow.

    ¡°Do you know these guys Seth?¡± I asked with feigned confidence as I searched their faces again wondering if I should know them too.

    ¡°Sure, Stel,¡± Seth replied with a surprising tone of malicious disgust. ¡°You remember when I told you about Aliah, don¡¯t you?¡±

    My gaze snapped back to the first Fallen that I could now identify as Aliah, the Angel that had betrayed and murdered Seth¡¯s parents.

    Chapter Sixteen

    Aliah. The name echoed back and forth in my head and turned my blood to ice in my veins. It was more than the tragedy of Seth¡¯s parents, more than the pure wicked evil that seeped from every pore as he stood casually across the room from us; it was that his Darkness seduced me.

    I wanted to ignore the fact that some part of me, some secret, hidden, horrible part of me was drawn to him. Something made me want to take steps toward him, to investigate exactly what was so enticing about him. But I swallowed the desire, the haunting craving of the darkest places that resided in my own soul.

    My father had told me every one of us were somehow drawn to the Darkness. Humans and Angels alike struggled to ignore a calling we didn¡¯t understand and that would destroy us before we ever could.

    That is all that Aliah represented: a once strong and good Warrior who had allowed his weakness and hunger to destroy everything that was pure in him. He was weaker than me because he had given in, he had surrendered.

    I tilted my chin proudly and felt the slow crawl of heat flood my skin as the best part of me began to show. I could ignore the shameful thirst for the Darkness. And I could face Aliah. Both were predators and enemies. I would have to fight both of them.

    I was born to fight both of them.

    ¡°Shall we?¡± Aliah asked and gestured towards the door. Neither one of us moved for a while, not wanting to give up the ground of who walked out first.

    ¡°After you,¡± Seth smirked with a tilt of his head.

    Aliah smiled patiently as if he were dealing with a small child and then eventually made the move for the door. Saul grunted behind him, but followed his lead. They walked out to the parking lot while Seth offered me his hand and we walked out together.

    Aliah led us around to the side of the building that wasn¡¯t exactly isolated, but it was shadowed in darkness, the tops of the buildings caging us in, blocking out the light from the night sky and the bright lights from the parking lot.

    We faced each other off, silent at first but I knew Aliah was waiting for something. Saul stood next to him, not any less evil, but somehow less intimidating. He gave off the vibe of a minion without much individual ambition. Not that I should have regarded him as less scary, I was sure he was capable of just as much damage as Aliah¡­. but Ok, anything standing in comparison to Aliah was going to be less scary.

    He was simple, pure evil.

    ¡°How good to see you Seth,¡± Aliah purred, his voice smooth and melodic as it sailed over his words.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Seth growled.

    ¡°But it¡¯s been so long,¡± Aliah antagonized, not losing the hypnotic tone to his voice. Saul grunted something that could be considered a laugh beside him. ¡°The last time I saw you, you were just a wee little thing. But now look at you, full grown man with a chip on his shoulder. You are fairly intimidating, all brute strength and goodness and light.¡± Aliah snarled, his upper lip curling back over his teeth in an expression of hatred and mockery.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget the revenge he¡¯s been storing up, waiting to unleash,¡± Saul threw in, barking his laughter.

    I took Seth¡¯s lead as he stood silent and listening, although I could feel the storm brewing beneath his skin, his anger and restraint pushed to its very limits as he waited for the right time. I swallowed roughly, taking strength from Seth but acknowledging that my own control was slipping. I needed to fight, needed it more than air at this point. My battle instincts had flared to life and I was desperate to banish this evil that hovered much too close to everything I loved.

    Besides that, this was a bit of an anomaly, standing in an alley, having a conversation with Fallen. Fallen rarely sought out Angels, usually they were simply hunted and remained in the unseen places to protect themselves. Aliah seeking us out said a lot about his confidence in himself and amusement in our abilities. Which made me want to prove him all the more wrong¡­.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± I sighed as if annoyed by the whole evening.

 Page 35

    Aliah¡¯s eyes flicked to mine and then narrowed into cruel slits of concentrated hatred. I forced myself to remain surefooted without taking a step back, although under the heat of his gaze all my body wanted to do was flinch away.

    ¡°Oh right, how forgetful of me,¡± Aliah murmured, his gaze softening. It wasn¡¯t as though he looked at me with less hatred or malice, it was more like there was a purpose behind his words now that somehow altered the unfiltered line of loathing he had been pouring into me. ¡°I got so caught up in reminiscing that I neglected to introduce myself.¡±

    Sometimes when an Angel was old, like really old and had spent a significant amount of time in Heaven they would have an accent. It wasn¡¯t a strong sound and didn¡¯t affect words obviously, but the gentle strain to each syllable reminded the listener that English, or any Earthly language was not their first. Aliah had the accent, which made his betrayal, his conversion to the dark side much more tragic.

    ¡°I know who you are,¡± I said evenly, although his name and intimate knowledge of one of his assumingly long list of misdeeds hardly counted as anything.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t know who you are,¡± he spat, his features energized with the accusation.

    I laughed in response. ¡°Of course you do,¡± I sneered. ¡°Isn¡¯t that why you¡¯re here?¡±

    ¡°For you?¡± his eyes followed every line and feature of my body from the top of my hairline to the tips of my toes and back up again, slowly, intimately. I willed myself not to shift under his hungry eyes, but I felt naked in his gaze, completely exposed and it was possibly the most uncomfortable I had ever felt in my entire life. I cleared my throat in a gesture to regain his attention but he was not someone easily affected by others. ¡°Not today, Stella Day. I¡¯m here for you,¡± his eyes fell to Seth and I had the instinctive urge to step in front of him, to shield him with my body and protect him from whatever Aliah was going to say.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing, Aliah, I¡¯ve been waiting for this day for a long time,¡± Seth clipped his words carefully, making sure to enunciate everything.

    ¡°So you¡¯re ready to come with me now?¡± Aliah asked, knowing full well that was not what Seth was implying. ¡°It was unfair of me to ask you when you were so little, when you had so little experience. But now¡­. now you are a big strong man with the ability to make his own decisions. I¡¯m giving you another opportunity. Give in to the whispers that have threaded themselves around your heart, give in to those desires that keep you up at night¡­. come with me. Join me.¡±

    Aliah¡¯s voice was like velvet, floating over every word, seducing the listener with his fluidity and promise. I waited for Seth to snap at him, to shout at him or attack him, but instead Seth shifted uncomfortably next to me, before simply shaking his head. It wasn¡¯t the crushing verbal response I was hoping for, but the gesture seemed to provoke the same kind of concrete absolutism.

    ¡°You want to, Seth, why not just give in?¡± Aliah asked, prodding Seth¡¯s patience. ¡°If not for yourself then, how about Seven? She misses you, you know. She often asks about her little brother and wonders if he¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t you hate to disappoint your sister?¡±

    My mouth fell open at the mention of Seven.

    Why I expected Aliah to play fair was beyond me, but still, bringing up the beloved sister that

    had betrayed your parents and left you to fend for yourself was a little harsh¡­

    ¡°Don¡¯t say her name, don¡¯t ever say her name,¡± Seth growled, his words low and so menacing I had to look at him to make sure it was still him speaking.

    ¡°Why? Is it too soon? The wound still fresh?¡± Aliah asked, humor returning to his voice.

    ¡°Enough of this,¡± Seth warned. He stood perfectly still, no muscle moving, not even a tick in his jaw. His skin glowed brilliantly in the dark alley, but instead of comforting me this time, it almost frightened me with the intensity of his inner light.

    Unlike Angels that still held goodness inside of them, Fallen shone with a different light, their inner goodness having been corrupted. Both Aliah and Saul emanated a dark light that was lighter than the night sky, but had to still be described as darkness. A grayish hue encompassed both of their figures, as if their evil essence seeped out from their skin and infected the innocent air around them.

    ¡°Tired of reminiscing already? We just started our walk down memory lane, let¡¯s not give up yet. It might be healthy for you to work through your¡­. issues. Possibly come to terms with the nightmares? The dark, haunting thoughts¡­.? Maybe even embrace them?¡± Aliah¡¯s voice had turned sickly sweet and my stomach churned violently against his meaning. Was Seth really struggling against the Darkness?

    ¡°Holy hell, you are such a conniving bastard!¡± The words and accusation slipped out before I could stop myself. Although I meant every word I said, it was definitely not Star-protocol to engage the enemy, especially when I was just calling them names.

    To my surprise Seth let out a bark of laughter that rang scornfully in the air.

    ¡°Well aren¡¯t you something special?¡± Aliah¡¯s expression had turned to something like surprise mixed with respect, which scared me more than any of his threats combined.

    ¡°I¡¯m tired of this conversation,¡± I scowled, drawing a short and thin but unquestionably deadly sword from the sheath strapped to my thigh. Skirts had definitely become part of my every day wardrobe now that I needed to carry weapons around. While maybe impractical for the actual battle portion of the evening, they still made access to weapons super easy.

    ¡°Now, now let¡¯s be reasonable,¡± Aliah patronized us patiently after Seth had quickly drawn his own sword from his back strap, hidden beneath his worn leather jacket. ¡°We¡¯re not here to fight, not yet anyway. We just want to talk to you. Besides you might want to wait until your cavalry arrives before you start pulling out the big guns, you kids aren¡¯t quite up to speed to fight at this level just yet.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be the judge of that,¡± Seth replied, and I could tell he was just as amused as Aliah was. I shook my head slowly at the two mortal enemies practically laughing their way through this confrontation.

    Aliah¡¯s white teeth glinted from across the alley and I watched his lips curl into a taunting snarl. ¡°You¡¯re not going to get your revenge tonight Seth, but it¡¯s been so fun catching up. Let¡¯s do it again soon.¡±

    Saul barked a laugh next to him, and I began to wonder if the evil had made them deranged. This was the craziest, least productive conversation I¡¯d ever had.

    Before I could even contemplate the night too closely though, the sky above our heads was lit up with an incredible light that uncovered every space in the narrow alley. Saul shielded his eyes against the blinding brightness, but Aliah stared straight on, unblinking and unflinching.

    Seth and I never took our eyes off the two Fallen however, our training wouldn¡¯t let us. I felt them as they landed around us, Serena and Nate, Jupiter, my parents. They had joined us, gotten here as fast as they could to fight this battle with us. I felt more than saw their surprise that we weren¡¯t engaged in fighting yet, although I also knew they would be relieved. Fallen were difficult enemies to begin with, put it to test with our inexperience and young age, and the likelihood of victory had looked bleak.

    ¡°Welcome ladies and gentlemen, how good of you to finally arrive,¡± Aliah held out his hands cavalierly, his smile turning to a seemingly genuine gesture. He was perfectly handsome, almost so much that it hurt to look at him. And even with the dark glow of evil casting dark shadows across his masculine features, he still seemed to retain some of the light from heaven, as if once upon a time he had been so good and so pure that no matter the amount of Darkness poured into his soul, it would never erase the light he once lived in.

    The thought made me sick to my stomach.

    ¡°Aliah,¡± Serena hissed. I felt the Angels around me bristle at the sound of his name. ¡°What would bring you out of the pits of Hell to grace us with your presence?¡±

    ¡°Hell doesn¡¯t hold me yet, Serena,¡± Aliah¡¯s eyes narrowed angrily.

    ¡°It¡¯s only your master then? Not yet your home?¡± Serena¡¯s fiery antagonism punched through the night and my respect for her instantly grew in large amounts. I couldn¡¯t deny the sinking, drowning feeling of fear I felt as Aliah reacted to her words, yet she stood behind me unflinching and proud.

    ¡°I serve no master,¡± Aliah promised in a deathly calm voice. ¡°That is why I chose this path, or don¡¯t you remember? There is no authority to order me around or send me to my death. I am my own god.¡±

    ¡°So Lucifer holds no authority over you?¡± Serena taunted. ¡°The Elders must have lied to us as children then.¡±

    ¡°Enough,¡± Aliah snarled. ¡°We are not here to fight you tonight. My only purpose was to reunite with an old friend and make a new one.¡± He gestured his hand towards Seth and then me.

    ¡°You might not be here to fight tonight,¡± my father announced with the strong voice of an Angel Warrior, ¡°but we are.¡±

    ¡°I wish I could oblige,¡± Aliah replied wistfully and then two things happened at once and so quickly I didn¡¯t have time to react.

    The first was that I felt an evil presence surround us. My head whipped around to find the source, but nothing seemed out of place except for our group gathered in the alley. My eyes quickly fell to the Angels surrounding me but all eyes stayed forcefully glued on Aliah and Saul, no one seemed to notice anything else out of the ordinary. The presence was strong though, strong enough to send a chill shuddering over my body and the hairs on the back of my neck pricking painfully with fearful anticipation.

    The second thing that happened was when I turned my head back to warn the Warriors standing with me about a rear assault the words were taken from my mouth in a violent swoop. Aliah had wrapped his arms around me and taken off for the skies before I could even decipher what had happened. We flew upwards faster than any Angel I had ever heard of, eating up the space between Seth and those who had come to save us and wherever Aliah was planning on taking me.

    Saul had kept pace for a few short seconds, just long enough to rip the sword out of my shocked hands before he took off in another direction. Aliah had wrapped his hands and arms around me in a very intimate, caressing way, his hot breath irritated my neck as he held my body close to him in an iron tight grip. I felt violated and nauseous. His suffocating evil seeped into my skin, leaving a chilling paralysis. I struggled against him, but the harder I fought, the more Darkness he injected in to me.

    I had let myself get kidnapped and now I was weaponless and in the mercy of the worst evil on Earth.

    Awesome.

    ¡°You¡¯re different than what I expected,¡± Aliah whispered indifferently in my ear. I shouldn¡¯t have been able to hear him with the whipping, violent wind as we careened through the sky, but his words sunk into my skin and slithered over my body, grating themselves deep inside my bones. I would never forget this conversation, I knew that instinctively, it would haunt me for the rest of my life, however long that lasted.

 Page 36

    ¡°What did you expect?¡± I asked, simply to take my mind off where we were going and distract him while I concocted a plan.

    ¡°A rigid, uptight bitch,¡± he laughed. I began to wonder if we had an actual destination as North America disappeared beneath us and I found myself somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, you definitely have that goody-goody Heaven¡¯s minion side to you, but Stella there is something undeniably saucy about you.¡± He moved against me, his hands yanking me closer to him, and I had to swallow back the bile rising quickly in my throat.

    Instead of responding, I let my inner light heat quickly, hoping to blind him into letting me go. The warmth of my light fought against the icy, debilitating chill of his Darkness, warring inside me for life. Instead he just chuckled in my ear and held me closer, the sound was low and melodic.

    ¡°Relax Stella, I just want to give them a little scare, show them what I¡¯m capable of. I¡¯m not going to get Seth¡¯s allegiance if I kill you off today, am I? But it was very important to let you all see what I¡¯m capable of. This is a useless struggle on your part, but I do appreciate the hundred and ten percent effort.¡± Aliah reassured me soothingly, although there was hardly anything to be reassured about.

    ¡°He will never join you,¡± I shouted, loud and piercing, right in his ear. My voice was lost in the expanse of the sky. My limbs felt slow and sluggish as his Darkness worked itself through every vein and blood vessel, my breathing had become labored as my heart tried to pump against the frozen death taking hold of my body.

    ¡°We will see,¡± he laughed like the sinister villain that he was, the fear inside of me growing to dangerous levels. I knew this was death, no matter what he said, I knew this would end me. He pulled away from me, meeting my terrified gaze and looked at me, really looked at me. His brilliant green eyes seemingly reading my very soul, his hands brushed at the wild hair that whipped around my face and then he let me go.

    I fell out of his arms completely disoriented and for a moment I was silent as the air rushed against my ears and the world gave way around me. There was nothing touching me except the angry wind that pushed against every limb of my body, the frozen temperature almost identical with the temperature inside my dying body. The ocean that had turned into a deadly platform rose to meet me and the night sky full of my compatriots faded away as instinct took over.

    An angry, determined scream ripped through my lungs and in that desperate moment they shattered the ice that encapsulated them like glass broken into a million pieces. The blood in my veins stuttered for a beat and then pumped furiously against the evil death, my light burst forward and I lit up over the deep, dark Atlantic like a supernova.

    Finally I was back to myself. I could breathe again. I could fly again.

    My shoes brushed against the isolated waves as I pushed upward and back into the sky where I belonged. I hovered for a moment, relishing being alive, enjoying every easy breath and thankful that I could feel my light again. The loneliness and suffocating Darkness that exists without my essence is nothing I ever want to feel again.

    Ever.

    Aliah was obviously going to have to die.

    I took one more moment to be alone before I flew up into the cloud cover and burst forward toward home.

    Not home.

    Toward Seth.

    I could feel him in the distance and everything revived inside of me demanded that I get to him.

    I flew fast and furious through the night sky, the wind whipped against my face, the atmosphere determined to slow me down. I pressed forward, glowing with an intensity that would set every human scientist and most alien enthusiasts into fits about what I could possibly be. Protocol demanded I stay discrete, even in instances like this, but I couldn¡¯t slow myself down or will myself to be careful.

    This was not supposed to be my life. This was not how Darkness and Light fought. For thousands of years the Fallen have hid from us, they¡¯ve cowered in the dark places of planets and concocted their schemes and chaos in secret until there is nothing left of planets except to fight in the open.

    Earth is not nearly on the verge of collapse.

    And yet, why I am the one fighting on the defensive?

    They should be cowering in fear of us.

    I felt the anger and frustration at being violated, at being taken prisoner, furl and contract inside of me. A fierce, consuming hatred spread through me, like the Darkness only minutes before, eating up my veins, taking over my movements. Aliah had obvious, ill intent for Seth and no matter what my Counterpart was going through, I refused to let the Darkness win. Not this planet. Not Seth.

    And then I saw him.

    Seth.

    We met in the air, colliding into an embrace. His light warmed every inch of my skin, basking my face with the warmth of him. I sank into him, relieved and exhausted. He clutched me against his chest, burying his face in my neck.

    ¡°I thought I lost you,¡± he breathed, his breath floating over my skin like a balm on an open wound. ¡°I thought he took you from me.¡±

    ¡°Never,¡± I croaked, choking on the confident ferociousness of my words.

    ¡°We should find your parents,¡± he offered responsibly but neither of us made any effort to leave each other¡¯s arms.

    We hovered in the middle of a black sky, surrounded by clouds for a long time. Seth held me against his body so tightly it was almost crushing, but I hardly noticed. There was a fear surging between us about what could have been and a deep, breathtaking relief that we still had each other. Our emotions were too intense to realize fully, too acute to move on from, and so we stayed, holding each other, knowing deep inside our beings that neither one of us would ever allow that to happen again.

    Just when I decided my parents also deserved to know I was fine, they joined us. Nate, Serena, and Jupiter were there too, everyone glowing but Jupiter, who stayed back from the group, watching us calculatingly.

    ¡°There you are,¡± my mother breathed as she yanked me from Seth¡¯s arms and into her own. I felt her shivers of relief as she held me close. My father joined us, his strong, titanium arms wrapped around us both.

    ¡°I thought¡­.¡± my father trailed off, not able to even finish his thought.

    ¡°I¡¯m here, I¡¯m fine,¡± I assured them, giving them one more confident squeeze before pulling away. It was more of a show of assurance than an actual desire to be out of their embrace.

    My eyes immediately went back to Seth, and his were there to meet mine. He held me anchored in the sky as his golden eyes refused to break our gaze. His arms were crossed against his chest and if anyone else would have noticed his pose it would have looked confident and intimidating, but I could see beyond that, see how he was still trying to hold himself together.

    I wondered if the Elders had known what Seth would have to go through in order to protect this planet. I wondered if it was his past that made him eligible, and despite his seemingly fragile state right now, if it was that past that fueled a revenge so deep, a purpose so thick that his only option in this life was to succeed. Because as I took in his desperate eyes and clenched jaw, I knew without a shadow of a doubt there was nothing that would have kept Seth from finding me.

    Nothing.

    ¡°We should go,¡± Jupiter announced authoritatively, his voice cutting through a silent sky.

    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Nate laughed nervously. ¡°All this light might have some adverse reaction on the marine life down there.¡±

    I looked down then, and realized we were still over the ocean. From up high I watched the white crests of the waves crash together in a volatile but vast, never ending struggle. The water was angry and troubled, anticipating a storm. And everything was black, except for the very tips of the high waves, the foam that bubbled and simmered and then was forced under as another big upsurge of water washed over its top.

    Seth took my hand in his and we moved as one unit, with our lights dimmed, back toward home. But I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the water. As we flew over the last of the Atlantic, my eyes never left the small bits of white that were drowned over and over by the black waves. As the brewing storm electrified the atmosphere, I had to wonder if we were fighting the same battle¡­. If our light was as little as the bits of foam on the top of each wave, only visible for a moment before being drowned into the deep abyss of the dark sea.

    Were we also on the verge of a storm?

    Chapter Seventeen

    ¡°Don¡¯t let them pull you into an all-night discussion,¡± Seth whispered once we were back on the solid gravel ground of my driveway. ¡°You deserve to go to bed.¡± He put his hand on the small of my back, ushering me inside. He tried to get me up the stairs but I think Jupiter caught on to what he was trying to do.

    ¡°We need to talk about what happened,¡± Jupiter called in his rough, domineering voice. ¡°Stella, we need to hear what was said and what exactly happened.¡±

    I turned around, fully willing to oblige. I knew they needed to hear what was said and what Aliah wanted. Seth needed our protection, not me. I shuddered involuntarily, not even allowing myself to think of what could and would happen to Seth if Aliah managed to succeed.

    ¡°Not tonight,¡± Seth answered before I could open my mouth to agree with Jupiter. ¡°We¡¯ve all been through a lot tonight, Stella more than the rest of us. Let her rest. We can talk about this tomorrow.¡±

    Jupiter demanded respect and obedience. I was positive even humans would recognize there was something about him that forced everyone to listen closer and pay better attention when he asked for it. And Seth was usually so laid back that sometimes I didn¡¯t even know if he was serious or not. But I would never second guess him again. His voice had hardened, demanding unquestioned acceptance. He was in command now, he was calling the shots. His hand pressed firmly against my back, the heat from his skin blazing an imprint through my shirt. His body was taut next to me, completely called to attention.

    Everyone¡¯s eyes had turned their attention to us, me with one foot on the servant¡¯s staircase ready to go up to my room or back to the kitchen table, depending on whose authority won out; and Seth, his body half in front of me, his arm tightly wound around my waist. A flood of warmth rushed through me, completely unrelated to my inner light, as I recognized again the depth of his defense and protectiveness when it came to me. Part of it was an ability he was born with, and the other part, the part that wrapped itself around my heart in a tight, stronghold of adoration, was purely him, purely his desire to guard me against every kind of evil out there, even late night discussions when all I really wanted to do was crawl under my warm covers and not surface again until the bright light of day when I could feel safe again.

    Jupiter eyed him carefully, his red eyes narrowed in a scrutinizing stare. He looked like he wanted to argue with Seth, but instead he deferred the final decision to my father with an abrupt lift of his chin.

    ¡°Stella, is there anything we have to know tonight?¡± my dad asked casually. Everyone in the room seemed acutely aware of just how tightly strung Seth was at this point.

    ¡°Nothing that can¡¯t wait until dawn,¡± I whispered, my throat raw with the effort. So many emotions and fears were twisting inside of me; I wasn¡¯t even sure what I would tell them in the morning. I knew I had more questions than answers though. Did they know Aliah from before? Did they know how evil he was now? What he was capable of now? Did they even know this depth of depravity existed? Did they know he had stripped me of every confident thought and action I had ever accomplished and left me exposed, bare and vulnerable? Did they know I wasn¡¯t enough now, and maybe never would be enough?

 Page 37

    Did they know this planet would fall just like all the rest of them?

    And that I was helpless to stop it from happening?

    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Seth commanded, his low voice a growl in my ear. ¡°Whatever you¡¯re thinking, don¡¯t. Let¡¯s get you to bed.¡±

    I shook my head and tried to clear it of those awful, paralyzing thoughts and realized I had started to tremble. I refocused my eyes and turned around so that Seth could lead me up the stairs and to my room. Each step felt painful and took effort. Each movement of my body was forced and struggled for.

    I was exhausted. But I was more than anything disturbed deeply by what happened tonight. More than the fear of my almost death was the realization that Aliah could have done anything to me and I wouldn¡¯t have been able to stop him. Besides the number of sins he was capable of committing against me, it was more that I was weak and helpless in his arms. He had debilitated me before I could even wrap my head around what was happening and he had forced his Darkness into me while only embers of my abilities flickered against his all-consuming power.

    He was so much more than I could ever have imagined facing.

    So much more evil than I ever believed existed.

    Or ever wanted to believe existed.

    Seth opened my bedroom door and turned on the bedside lamp so that the room was illuminated by a soft, warm glow of light. I stepped inside my room feeling like I didn¡¯t belong here anymore. This was the room of a na?ve, sheltered child and I had come home tonight as a wide-eyed, inadequate failure.

    This room was for those who believed they were still safe.

    I wasn¡¯t safe.

    ¡°Come to me,¡± Seth demanded. And I obeyed.

    He was leaning against the closed door; his shoulders were still painfully tight, his light still shimmering around him. His eyes were a perfect color of honey that was deepened with his intensity. He reached out a hand to me, a strong, calloused, perfect hand and I took it so that he could pull me into him and crush me against him again.

    I didn¡¯t feel safe anymore. All of my disillusions had disappeared.

    Except in Seth¡¯s arms. Here, against his chest, with the beat of his heart pounding against my cheek and his protective arms shielding me from every dark thing in this world¡­. here I felt safe.

    ¡°Whatever you are feeling¡­. whatever you are thinking¡­. it¡¯s not your fault,¡± Seth promised, his voice so thick with emotion that it made my chest constrict until I had to force myself to breathe again.

    ¡°It¡¯s not yours either,¡± I whispered. His breath hitched in response and he clutched me impossibly closer. ¡°Seth, he wants you,¡± I tried to hide the agonizing fear that laced each of my thoughts with despair, but it was useless. The fear seeped in, infected everything inside of me and left me empty of hope.

    ¡°He won¡¯t get me,¡± Seth answered simply and I was surprised by the simplicity of his confidence. ¡°I¡¯ve lived the last eight years knowing two things for certain. One that the Darkness, in whatever form it takes, is actively hunting each and every living, breathing, good thing that exists in this universe. There are levels of denial and safety and naivety, but the Darkness wants us all. And it will stop at nothing until it either has us all or it¡¯s destroyed. And the second thing I know is that at some level¡­. we all want it to capture us.¡±

    I stopped breathing completely at his words. I had been scared into reality tonight. But Seth lived with a level of pain and struggling that I couldn¡¯t even begin to comprehend, not at any level. And as easy as it would be for me to believe him, especially after tonight¡­. I had to believe there was an in between the pain of his path and the reality of the world we lived in.

    ¡°We fight two battles, Stella,¡± he continued and now I knew he was right. ¡°One against the Darkness that threatens everything we know and love. And another against ourselves and what we would destroy should we give into the Darkness and end it all ourselves.¡±

    We stayed like that for a few more minutes, before he slipped a finger under my chin and tilted my face upward to look at him. He leaned down into me and despite tonight¡¯s events the room swam in my peripheral vision. His face was the only thing I could see clearly, his piercing eyes, his chiseled jawline, his full, wet lips.

    I felt my own lips tremble just before they met his with soft, yielding pressure. He kissed me sweetly, gently and I had never felt more delicate but protected in my entire life. The kiss, my first kiss ever, only lasted for a few seconds, but it was enough to change me, rearrange the most secret places of me, and forever move some pieces of me that would never go back to being the same.

    In the sweetness of his gesture I felt every fear and insecurity he had and held for me, but I also felt the depth of his emotion, the hope he had for us and in the undiscovered future neither one of us fully realized yet. He was so much more than the Angel I met just over a month ago, so much more important to every fiber of my life.

    ¡°Get some sleep, Stel, everything will feel less heavy in the morning,¡± he smiled down at me, disarming me with his perfect, easy grace.

    ¡°Promise?¡± I asked in a small voice.

    ¡°Promise,¡± he said finally and then released me. He left my room and suddenly the space around me felt ginormous and coldly empty.

    I changed into fresh pajamas and lay down in my bed with thousands of thoughts swirling around in my head. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to turn off the lamp, especially with Seth gone. I listened for a while to the conversation that continued after Seth returned downstairs, but eventually the voices quieted and then disappeared completely, although I was almost positive no one had left our house.

    I willed myself to shut down and go to sleep but there was too much going on inside of me, too much had happened tonight.

    I wouldn¡¯t allow myself to think on Aliah directly, or dwell on what could have happened tonight. The memories and insecurities snapped through my thoughts like a disjointed, half-distorted slide show on repeat. I knew if I tried to dissect what went wrong I would only be swallowed up by the feeling of failure.

    Vulnerable.

    That¡¯s the emotion that kept trying to choke me.

    And vulnerable in the worst way possible¡­. in the way that ended with a quick slice of a sword blade and my head rolling off my body in a hollowed out thump on the ground.

    A violent shudder rippled through me.

    Pull it together.

    And I was almost there, almost whole again when a soft, but stern tapping on my window had my heart in my throat desperately trying to pound a hole in my trachea. I sat up straight in bed, wild-eyed and so disturbingly paranoid it was painful. My breathing was labored and fast and my hands had begun to shake as I went for my katana hidden under my mattress. I felt like an unstable burst of light vibrating uncontrollably, waiting to be unleashed against the planet.

    And then Tristan¡¯s shaved head appeared beyond the glass and I fought quickly to find my sanity. He watched me come back to myself through the window pane, his hands rubbing over his head roughly. I carefully set the sword down on my night stand, and collected myself before throwing off the blanket and walking to the window.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked out of breath. ¡°You scared me to death!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Tristan mumbled. I could tell he felt bad for scaring me, and then I saw the emotion in his forest green eyes. ¡°I was just worried.¡±

    ¡°Oh my gosh, Tristan, I should have called,¡± I cried, as I pulled him in through my open window and threw myself in his arms. ¡°It¡¯s been a crazy night.¡±

    I nuzzled my face against his neck and let his arms circle around me. This was a different kind of comfort than Seth. Tristan was absolutely safe because there was no immediate danger with him, he wouldn¡¯t face the Darkness head on and risk his life, he wouldn¡¯t be hunted by the worst kind of evil on planet. He was sheltered from all of that.

    And yet his arms didn¡¯t feel like I was lying to myself, or sheltering my own fears from reality. I felt the legitimate safety that came when someone cared about you more than themself. Tristan would fight whatever evil faced him to protect me. I knew that in my heart of hearts.

    So I let his strong arms pull me to him and the excitement his closeness brought lessen the demons that haunted me.

    ¡°Are you Ok, Stella?¡± He asked against my bedhead hair.

    ¡°I am now,¡± I breathed, pushing up on my tiptoes, so I could hold him tighter around his neck.

    ¡°What happened tonight?¡± he asked and I noticed the careful tone he used. He was afraid I wouldn¡¯t tell him.

    Or maybe he was afraid I would.

    I pulled away and led him to my bed. We sat down, keeping our closeness, my hands slipping into his immediately. He sighed next to me, and I debated whether or not to tell him the truth. Part of me wanted to protect him from having to carry that kind of scary truth and the other part, the part that would win, just wanted avoid having secrets between us.

    I rested my head on his shoulder, nuzzling against it until I found a soft spot around all of his

    sharp bones. ¡°Seth and I¡­. those were some really bad men at the pizza restaurant¡­. like really bad.¡±

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t fight men?¡± Tristan asked, his voice trembling with anger at events that weren¡¯t even revealed to him yet.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. Sorry, these guys at least look like men. I mean, they¡¯re like me. They¡¯re called Fallen. And most of the time that means they become bad over time, but Aliah pretty much started out that way. He was one of the original third that fell from heaven. He¡¯s pretty much the worst of the worst,¡± I explained meekly.

    ¡°And you fought him tonight?¡± Tristan growled.

    ¡°No, not really,¡± I admitted. ¡°There wasn¡¯t actually any fighting tonight. He¡­. he pretty much proved who was the stronger Warrior and it was definitely not me,¡± I laughed humorlessly.

    ¡°But you¡¯re Ok?¡±

    ¡°He let me go¡­. he could have killed me, but he let me go.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Tristan choked, and I could tell he wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. But I do know he will never let me go again. This time was a warning, he was proving his dominance. I won¡¯t get so lucky next time,¡± I whispered.

    Tristan pulled me to him again, gratitude for my safety radiating from him. I breathed him in, savoring this moment, especially now that I knew how quickly it could have been ripped from me. I felt Tristan still beside me, his body tensed and aggressive. He pulled away for a moment and opened his mouth. I knew he wanted to ask more questions, or say something¡­. or I don¡¯t really know what. But he stared at me for several seconds until he pulled me back to him without saying anything.

    He lay back on the bed, pulling me with him and into the nook of his arm. I cuddled closer, so thankful that he came tonight and was willing to just hold me. My eyes fluttered closed. With Tristan so near I couldn¡¯t keep them open anymore. I was drained, physically and emotionally.

    I took one more big breath, inhaling Tristan, his clean, masculine scent that belonged only to him and let sleep finally take me away.

 Page 38

    ----

    ¡°Hello?¡± I grumbled after picking up my phone without even looking to see who called. My voice was scratchy and raw, fresh from a good five hours of sleep. I tried to sit up in bed but an arm tightened around my waist, pulling me back down to the bed.

    ¡°Good morning!¡± Piper chirped, sounding like an over excited bird this early in the morning.

    ¡°Piper?¡± I asked, confused and disoriented. My voice did not get any better.

    I looked down at Tristan who was still cuddled against me, his face so sweet and soft with sleep. His jawline had some overnight growth on it that I desperately wanted to run the palm of my hand against. He was so peaceful, so comfortable that I found myself just staring at him.

    ¡°What happened to you last night? Are you and Seth Ok?¡± She demanded, her voice losing the Disney-princess-sweetness she had woken me up with.

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re fine,¡± I answered and hoped my morning voice disguised the fearful hitch. ¡°Those guys were just friends of Seth¡¯s grandpa.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Because they were seriously scary. Seth¡¯s grandpa isn¡¯t in the mob or anything is he? Maybe like a former hitman?¡± Piper laughed.

    I forced myself to laugh too. ¡°Yeah right, that¡¯s why Seth transferred here. He and his grandpa were put in witness protection.¡± I tried to joke.

    ¡°Well you never know. Seth is so mysterious; he¡¯s got to be hiding something!¡± Piper exclaimed dramatically.

    ¡°Pi, it¡¯s not the mob. Trust me. My parents have known his grandpa their entire lives. Do Micah and Celina honestly look like they would know anyone with mob ties?¡± I tried for reason, knowing everything I said was technically not a lie, but not really the truth either.

    ¡°You never know,¡± she countered. ¡°They don¡¯t seem like they would run around with criminals¡­. But then again they don¡¯t really seem like the kind of people to hang out with hillbillies either, so maybe you¡¯re whole life is a lie. Maybe you¡¯re in witness protection too and you just don¡¯t know it!¡±

    ¡°That sounds about right,¡± I groaned. I finally sat up and smiled when Tristan shifted to curl his body around mine. ¡°Is this why you called? You were worried my parents got the shake down?¡±

    ¡°Shake down? I don¡¯t think you used that correctly,¡± Piper laughed loudly in the phone.

    ¡°It¡¯s all part of my witness protection act. First I misuse the mob terminology to throw you off track, next I turn all CI on you and the DA is suddenly knocking at your door with a warrant,¡± I laughed.

    ¡°No more TNT dramas for you!¡± Piper demanded in between gasps for air as she laughed at me. ¡°I¡¯m taking away all basic cable privileges!¡±

    ¡°So Tristan¡¯s a total douche,¡± Piper declared after our laughter had died down. I looked down at his sleeping form next to me and highly doubted that.

    ¡°What now?¡± I sighed. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from brushing my fingers against his jawline, feeling the rough hair against the pads of my fingers. He let out a quiet sigh and pulled me tighter against his chest.

    ¡°He totally ruined the night after we left you guys last night. Bree was so excited to go on a date with him, but as soon as you and Seth left he just moped around and wouldn¡¯t even talk to her. We dropped him off as soon as the movie was over, but then Bree was in a bad mood so then I felt bad¡­. She asked me to stay the night with her, and I couldn¡¯t say no, especially after how Tristan treated her, so then my night with Lincoln was ruined.¡± Piper huffed angrily and I wanted to feel bad, or at least feel kind of bad for Bree, but I couldn¡¯t help the happy little dance my heart did knowing that Tristan moped around after I left¡­. even if it was because he knew I was in mortal danger and for no other reason.

    ¡°He is just the most aggravating person ever!¡± Piper continued and for a minute I had no idea who she was talking about so I just listened. ¡°It¡¯s just like, we don¡¯t want to sit here and arrange our lives around the fact that he won¡¯t go after what he wants. You know? Maybe he doesn¡¯t want to ruin the friendship, or I don¡¯t know what the hell is wrong with him, maybe he¡¯s just afraid, but you don¡¯t deserve to be strung along. And Bree especially doesn¡¯t deserve it.¡±

    It took me a minute to get my head around what Piper was saying, and that she was defending Bree more than she was defending me until I realized what she was saying. But when then light bulb clicked I knew I had to control the damage.

    ¡°Piper, Tristan doesn¡¯t like me,¡± I said adamantly and then regretted it immediately when he stirred next to me.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t play this game with me, I had to listen to Bree talk about herself for eight hours straight. I¡¯m not kidding, the girl talks in her sleep and she dreams about herself! I can¡¯t take anymore self-denial this morning¡­.¡± Piper whined, and I couldn¡¯t help but laugh and feel a sick sense of relief that Piper still liked me better than Bree.

    There was something wrong with me.

    ¡°Pi, I¡¯m not in denial. Tristan and I have only ever been friends¡­. that¡¯s all we can be otherwise the world just might explode,¡± I sighed and hated how sad I sounded. I looked down and Tristan was looking up at me, some emotion so volatile in his eyes that I couldn¡¯t even distinguish it. ¡°You know this better than anyone.¡±

    Only she didn¡¯t know it better than Tristan and I or that the world might actually explode.

    ¡°And I¡¯ve always been fine with the whole destined to just be friends thing. That is until Tristan started ruining my dates with his big ol¡¯ pining heart. I can¡¯t take it anymore. Can¡¯t you just make out with him so you both realize it would be like kissing your sibling and we can all go back to normal again?¡± Piper argued.

    I looked down at Tristan who had smiled a little at Piper¡¯s comment. She was talking so loud he could hear everything she was saying. He had slid his hands under his head and looked up at me with an eager expression, waggling his eyebrows. My eyes flickered down to his lips and I nearly forgot how to breathe.

    ¡°That is not going to happen, Pi,¡± but even I didn¡¯t believe my overly breathy voice.

    ¡°Whatever,¡± she grumbled. ¡°Just, next time you see him tell him he better get his crap together and stop emotionally tormenting my best friend or I¡¯m going to castrate him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Bree is just fine,¡± I laughed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about Bree,¡± Piper sighed sadly.

    ¡°Bye, Pi,¡± I said absentmindedly, still transfixed in Tristan¡¯s naughty gaze. His expression was so cocky and suggestive, that I suddenly felt I was being pulled into very dangerous territory.

    ¡°Bye, Stel,¡± she mumbled, but I was already clicking off the phone.

    ¡°What did Piper have to say?¡± Tristan asked in a deep voice that sent common sense far, far, far away.

    ¡°She said to stop leading Bree on,¡± I paraphrased. Tristan found that amusing, his lips twisting into a smirk.

    ¡°Mmm¡­. Is that all she said?¡± he asked. Suddenly he grabbed me around the waist and flipped me onto my back effortlessly so that he hovered over me. His green eyes had turned a deep forest green and when he licked his lips nervously I knew I was in trouble.

    Still I couldn¡¯t bring myself to move from underneath him.

    ¡°Oh, she said something about how you and I should just go ahead and make out so we realize it would be like kissing our sibling,¡± I said casually, tearing my eyes away from his to look away and pretend like it was no big deal.

    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s right,¡± Tristan mumbled, pressing his body down to mine and nuzzling my ear with his nose. A gasp escaped my lips before I could stop it and my eyes fluttered closed without my permission. ¡°Do you think kissing me would be like kissing your brother?¡± His voice was a hoarse whisper of desire and I found myself struggling to remember how to make words come out of my mouth.

    I shook my head, turning my face back to his. He looked at me for a moment more, making a decision somewhere in the soul of his being that would forever alter the course of my life.

    That would shatter me.

    His lips were just a breath away from mine. My mouth parted just the tiniest bit, and Tristan moved into me just a fraction of an inch more.

    ¡°Stella, honey?¡± My mom called from the hallway and the realization that I was about to be in huge trouble hit me hard. I snapped back to reality but it was too late to push Tristan away. My mom pushed the door open and announced, ¡°Stella, Jupiter¡¯s wait-¡°

    Tristan shot up off me, his eyes darting around the room looking everywhere but at my mother who stood in the doorway with her mouth dropped open.

    ¡°Morning, mom,¡± I squeaked. Her eyes shot back and forth between Tristan and me and I instinctively knew I was about to be grounded for the first time in my life.

    ¡°Good morning, Stella,¡± her tone had turned deadly serious and her pale blue eyes had turned to ice. ¡°Good morning, Tristan. It¡¯s awfully early to be paying Stella a visit, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Um, yes ma¡¯am,¡± Tristan stuttered, his eyes falling on the window as a dead giveaway. I groaned. ¡°I should uh, get back home anyway¡­. I have chores.¡±

    ¡°Then yes, please get back to your chores,¡± my mother demanded, each constant clipped.

    Tristan moved to the window, in a hurry to get away from my mother. She realized what he was doing and her entire body snapped rigid with anger. ¡°The door Tristan! Use the door!¡±

    ¡°Oh right,¡± Tristan blushed. He turned to me, before he made it all the way across the room. ¡°Bye Stel-¡°

    ¡°Goodbye Tristan!¡± my mom cut him off before he could finish and he ducked around her like a puppy with his tail between his knees on his way out.

    Yep, she defended the galaxy. She was kind of scary.

    ¡°Tristan!¡± I heard my dad exclaim from the kitchen. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Uh, just leaving,¡± Tristan barely replied and I heard the kitchen door open. ¡°Bye Mr. Day.¡±

    I shot out of bed, pulling on a sweatshirt over my running tank top and throwing my hair into a tight pony tail on the top of my head. I slipped into some snow boots that didn¡¯t actually go with my athletic outfit, but were necessary for the day of training I face and grabbed my katana that still sat on the bedside table. My mom stood in the doorway watching every single one of my movements, her arms crossed and her foot tapping frantically on the wood floor.

    ¡°Does he sleep over often?¡± my mother asked, struggling for calm.

    ¡°No, mom, I swear, it was the first and only time. He just came over to see if I was alright¡­. We were hanging out with him and Piper before Aliah showed up and he could tell something was wrong. We fell asleep, it was innocent, I promise,¡± I begged her to understand, to believe that nothing happened.

    Because nothing did happen.

    The disappointment that was dragging my heart into the pit of my stomach reminded me exactly how much didn¡¯t happen.

    My mother¡¯s eyes scrutinized my entire face while I struggled to hold my gaze up to hers. I really didn¡¯t have anything to hide.

 Page 39

    ¡°We will talk to your father about this after training, Stella. Don¡¯t keep Jupiter waiting any longer,¡± she demanded and I obeyed.

    I bounded down the stairs and into the kitchen. My father was still staring at the door over his newspaper as if he still couldn¡¯t believe Tristan had just left his house. I almost laughed at his incredulous expression until I noticed Seth standing at the kitchen sink in the same kind of shock.

    Crap.

    He looked up at me and our eyes met but I immediately wished they hadn¡¯t. Seth looked hurt¡­. no worse than hurt.

    Seth looked betrayed.

    Chapter Eighteen

    Training was brutal. Not only did Jupiter refuse to let me start with a weapon, but he was a relentless drill sergeant that shouted his orders like I was experiencing my first day of boot camp. And like I had no feelings. I wanted to suggest to Jupiter that reminding me of how close I came to failure was not a motivational factor in my life, but I feared that would only egg him on. And in truth he was pissing me off.

    And then there was Seth.

    Seth¡­.

    Seth was definitely taking out some anger and pent up aggression on me.

    ¡°You¡¯re dead,¡± he announced as I lay on my back with his sword at my throat. He stood over me inserting all kinds of male dominance and a low growl escaped me before I could stop it. ¡°Get up,¡± he ordered.

    I grunted a reply without making an effort to move. I was pretty sure the ground was so frozen and my fall had been so hard that I left a permanent Stella-shaped indentation in the earth. Seth pulled his pirate sword back to his side and then offered me his hand. I took it and he pulled me swiftly to my feet, depositing me in a standing position so that I was ready to go again. His eyes cut away from me, and he shrugged his shoulders getting ready to attack again.

    Ugh.

    ¡°Get rid of your weapon,¡± Jupiter called from across the field. ¡°And this time try not to die!¡±

    I tossed my sword like a javelin into a snow bank on the opposite side of the open field and closed my eyes to center myself. Seth wasted no time and before I could even inhale an entire breath I had to duck out of the way from a brutal swing of his sword. I stood up straight ready to run toward my weapon, but had to leap into a back flip instead.

    Before I started actively fighting, I used to watch action movies and laugh at the theatrics of some super heroes. I never believed there was an actual, real life moment when a back flip would be essential to one¡¯s survival.

    Until today.

    A back flip just saved me from the wrath of Seth.

    ¡°Are you trying to kill me?¡± I shouted as I jumped to the side, avoiding another sword slice. He caught my sweatshirt, ripping a huge hole in it as he plunged his sword deep and withdrew. I let out a frustrated scream. I liked this sweatshirt!

    ¡°Just making sure you¡¯re prepared,¡± Seth panted with a twisted, cruel curve to his usually charming smile.

    He continued to attack as I moved in the general direction of my weapon, keeping my eyes focused on him the entire time. I desperately wanted to watch his sword; my eyes betrayed me in the way they naturally sought out the sharp tip plunging toward me. I forced myself to keep my eyes trained on his body, the direction his hips and shoulders were pointed, the place where his eyes fell, gave away his own moves just a fraction of a second before his weapon would follow.

    ¡°I get your point,¡± I grunted, jumping high off the ground as he swung his cutlass toward my feet, hoping to unbalance me. It was how he won the last skirmish and I wasn¡¯t going to fall for the same trick twice.

    ¡°And what point is that?¡± He half grunted, half shouted with the effort to continue to attack me.

    ¡°I messed up,¡± I tried to whisper so Jupiter couldn¡¯t hear us, but I was practically running for my life, even if it was just a training exercise and I was heavily out of breath. I risked wiping the sweat off my brow with my sleeve before continuing, only then I had to take a second more to twirl behind Seth, our backs brushing as I dodged another one of his potentially lethal blows. He missed me, but now I was further away from my weapon than when I started. Dang it. ¡°Nothing happened with Tristan last night. He just came over to make sure I was alright, and we fell asleep,¡± I explained quickly while he stalked toward me, letting me talk. ¡°It was innocent,¡± I finished meekly.

    Wrong thing to say.

    Both hands gripped his sword above his head and he brought it towards me angrily. Oh good God, he was actually going to kill me. Apparently I didn¡¯t need to be scared of Aliah after all.

    I let out a very girly, very unprofessional scream and dived out of the way, landing on the ground in a painful, sliding softball move that I learned back in junior high. It turns out sliding into home plate on rock hard dirt is actually much nicer than the jagged cuts and frozen burns ice is capable of. No time to think about my injuries, I rolled up to my feet and sprinted across the field to my weapon.

    Thankfully the katana had landed with the hilt sticking out of the snow and I was able to grab it as I ran by and circled around to meet Seth. His eyes were hard honey-colored granite as he circled around me, waiting for the opportunity to strike.

    ¡°Finally!¡± I heard Jupiter holler from where he watched us engage. ¡°It should not have taken you that long to get to your weapon Stella!¡±

    I brushed off his words of ¡°encouragement¡± and gave Seth a pleading look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Seth,¡± I groaned and then flinched when he jerked his arms to the right.

    He didn¡¯t strike though, instead he continued to circle with me. ¡°He doesn¡¯t belong in your bedroom, Stella,¡± Seth growled, the muscles in his jaw ticking angrily. ¡°He doesn¡¯t belong anywhere near you. I am your intended.¡±

    It took a moment for me to swallow back the rush of feminism that blinded my vision in red. Was he kidding?

    ¡°Seth, that may be true, but Tristan has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. He practically grew up in my room. That was not his first sleep over and it won¡¯t be his last,¡± I spat, finishing just as his sword clashed with mine.

    Seth let out a feral, caveman like sound and attacked me with the full force of his skill level. He came against me, swinging his sword faster than I could keep up with and I grudgingly gave up ground as he pushed me back toward the forest.

    Our swords met time and time again as I struggled to keep him from completely overtaking me. But when my back hit the rough bark of a tall pine tree that lined the field I knew I was in a bad place. I tried to hold my ground and match Seth¡¯s sword swings, but it took all of two more skillful maneuvers on his part before he completely disarmed me, my katana clattering against another tree ten feet away.

    He stepped forward, but let his weapon drop to his side. He hovered over me, his golden eyes blazing and his neck glistening in sweat from the effort it took to pin me against the tree. We were both breathing so heavily that with every intake of breath his muscular, sweat soaked chest brushed mine.

    I forced myself to look into his eyes, trying desperately not to be a sore loser. His jaw was still ticking and it did nothing but enhance the masculine lines of his jaw. I was no closer to catching my breath but it wasn¡¯t because of the battle anymore.

    ¡°It will be the last time another man is in your bed,¡± Seth warned, tilting his head down to stare into my eyes, bringing his mouth inches from mine. ¡°I¡¯m trying to be understanding about your relationship with him, Stella, but I cannot and will not tolerate him in your bed.¡±

    I wanted to snap back with something angry and full of twenty-first women¡¯s rights liberalism, but the words died on my tongue with his warmth completely enveloping me and his eyes looking at me like I was a prize he was sworn to protect with his life.

    Which was kind of true.

    He stayed close to me, his body pressing against me now.

    I started having thoughts that had nothing to do with Tristan or training and more to do with the perfection of Seth¡¯s lips and what they would feel like if he wasn¡¯t being so gentle with me.

    Not that he was being gentle now¡­. which was kind of the point¡­.

    ¡°Stella, you lost again?¡± Jupiter snarled, catching up with us in the tree cover.

    Seth broke away, still breathing heavily. He gave me a sideways glance and from the heat of his eyes I wondered if he was having some of the same thoughts I was.

    Which was crazy. We barely knew each other.

    And I had seven years before I had to get serious with Seth.

    ¡°Again!¡± Jupiter called out. ¡°And Stella if you lose this time I will call Aliah myself and specifically ask him to take you away so I don¡¯t have to deal you anymore!¡±

    I grunted a jumble of curse words that I was well aware were not proper Star-behavior and pushed off the tree with my elbow. I shook out my hair, pulling it back into a new ponytail and deciding I had to forget about Tristan, Seth and Aliah and figure out how to win this damn training so I could be done for the day and get back to bed.

    ----

    I walked into the house hours later sweaty, exhausted, disheveled and with my sweatshirt ripped to shreds. It hung awkwardly off of me; since the collar was still fully intact but every other part of it donned jagged, saber shaped gashes.

    Note to self: Don¡¯t wear sweatshirts to train in.

    Way too much fabric.

    Especially when you have a pissed off Angel trying to teach you an annoying lesson.

    I bristled again at Seth¡¯s words. I couldn¡¯t deny the attraction between us, and I certainly wasn¡¯t going to ignore the role we played in each other¡¯s lives both now and in the future. But it was still obnoxious to have to deal with it all now.

    If things had gone according to plan, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Tristan sleeping over or the feelings I had for him that used to feel so normal and suddenly felt forbidden and dangerous.

    I sat down heavily at the kitchen table and then cursed when I realized I forgot to get a bottle of water first. I was too tired now. I would just live with being thirsty.

    Seth came in a few minutes later, looking sweaty and unnervingly wild, but in that guy way that made you still want to lick him, even though he would taste like salt. Ugh.

    He walked over to the refrigerator, making himself completely at home which irritated me. And then he pulled out two bottles of water before joining me at the table and sliding a bottle to me.

    Which irritated me more.

    I glared at the bottle, hating that I was so thirsty. Taking a drink somehow felt like a crime against women everywhere. Even though I technically couldn¡¯t even bond myself with women across the world since I was an alien and what not¡­. still¡­. It was the principle of the matter.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re thirsty,¡± Seth laughed and his voice rumbled through the room, softening my resolve. He stretched his long arm across the table to nudge the bottle further towards me, the muscles in his bare forearm tensed and pulled in the effort. I was mesmerized.

    Grudgingly mesmerized.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a sore loser,¡± he teased.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t lose,¡± I reminded him. ¡°That¡¯s why we got to quit. I won.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he relented and for a second I thought he was sincere. ¡°It took seven hours¡­. but you did win.¡±

 Page 40

    I gave him another dirty look and he burst into laughter. Well at least he had found his sense of humor again.

    ¡°Glad to see you worked out all your frustration,¡± I growled bitterly. And even though I silenced him, I still couldn¡¯t look him in the eye.

    ¡°Stella, I¡¯m sorry.¡± My eyes flew to his when his voice turned from teasing to hauntingly serious. ¡°You¡¯re right, I was frustrated. But I was also hurt¡­. I felt like we had this big moment, I mean¡­. you mean everything to me and last night you were almost taken from- I went through hell last night, for those few moments you were gone that was utter hell. And then you came back to me and it was exactly the opposite of hell and it was great between us. We took this step forward and I actually felt like we were on the same page.¡± Seth paused for a long moment and I think he was waiting for me to say something, but I couldn¡¯t even wrap my head around everything he had just said, or the raw emotion with which he said it. Finally, he sighed and continued. ¡°Anyway, when he walked downstairs this morning and I realized where he came from¡­. I think I lost my mind for a little bit.¡± He smirked apologetically and my heart melted.

    I couldn¡¯t help it.

    My heart was one, big, buttery puddle.

    Still I was an independent woman after all.

    Hear me roar¡­.

    ¡°I get that we have this future together, Seth,¡± I started, smiling a little bit to ease his fears. I took a breath, knowing I had to stand my ground, even if the way his golden eyes watched me carefully, revealing how vulnerable he could be sometimes, made my chest constrict and my lungs completely forget to do their job. ¡°But you can¡¯t just spend a few weeks in my life and tell me what I¡¯m allowed or not allowed to do. Granted, Tristan should never have slept over. I get that. And not just because of this thing between me and you¡­. He shouldn¡¯t have slept in my bed because it was disrespectful to my parents and it¡¯s not the kind of girl I am. And if I¡¯m going to be honest, it won¡¯t happen again. And only partly because my daddy would kill him. Seriously¡­. he would kill Tristan¡­.¡± I thought about that for a moment and shuddered from the thought of what that would be like before continuing, ¡°But you and me, we decided to let things happen naturally and slowly and even if there is kind of an expiration date on that mentality, I am still treating our relationship as if we have a choice. I need that; I need to have an actual choice in the matter. So you can be jealous or whatever, but I don¡¯t want to hear about it. And I really don¡¯t want to be told what I can and cannot do. At least until you are officially my boyfriend.¡±

    ¡°Or your fianc¨¦,¡± Seth smiled that charming, disarming smile of his and I hoped he took me seriously.

    ¡°Whichever one comes first,¡± I mumbled, knowing that would get under his skin.

    But he just laughed. ¡°You¡¯re right, Stella. It won¡¯t happen again. Like I said, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°I forgive you,¡± I replied sincerely. ¡°Now go home. You stink.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t smell so good yourself,¡± he tussled my hair on his way out, and then I broke into a huge grin.

    It died when he left though and my parents moved into the room like hawks waiting to prey on their next meal.

    Shoot.

    ¡°Stella, you know Tristan is not allowed in your room anymore, right?¡± my mother asked and I could tell she was the calmer one of the two, even though both of them looked decidedly less angry than I expected them to look.

    ¡°Yes, I know,¡± I dipped my head, ashamed.

    ¡°You¡¯re grounded this whole week, young lady,¡± my father continued, and I couldn¡¯t bring myself to meet his eyes that I knew were boring into me. ¡°And the weekend.¡±

    ¡°I figured.¡±

    ¡°Alright then,¡± my father announced stiffly and both of my parents made a move to leave the room.

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± I demanded. My head perked straight up and I met their eyes easily this time. ¡°That¡¯s it? That¡¯s all I get? One week of being grounded?¡±

    ¡°Do you want more?¡± My mom laughed, it was outright and genuine and I loved the sound of it. I had been so afraid my parents were going to be completely and irrevocably disappointed in my behavior or at the very least extremely, incredibly, so scary I might pee my pants angry.

    ¡°No!¡± I gushed, trying to keep from smiling too. ¡°I just thought there might be more¡­.¡±

    ¡°We heard your conversation with Seth, honey,¡± my father explained and my cheeks brightened with an instant blush. ¡°You¡¯re more responsible and dedicated than your actions demonstrated last night. Don¡¯t let it happen again.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± I replied respectfully.

    My mother left the room, hiding her smile, but my father pulled her back against him before she could get too far. ¡°Seriously Stella, don¡¯t let that happen again,¡± my father warned, lifting one of his hands and pointing a long, strong finger at me. ¡°Don¡¯t make me have to talk to you like you¡¯re an irresponsible child ever again, Stella-bean. You¡¯re not one and I want you acting with all the manners and etiquette classes I paid for over the summer!¡±

    I cracked a huge smile, my father had been threatening me with etiquette classes my whole life. He thought they would help us blend into humanity. He smiled back and then dipped his head to kiss my mother lovingly on the neck before leading her into the living room. I watched my parents retreating backs and couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Seth and I would ever be that close¡­. if we would ever fall that much in love.

    It was definitely hard at this point, especially when I had to keep trying to convince myself that Seth could actually like me for me and not because of some career obligation made by his dead parents. Or a Council of Elders that had never met either of us and paired us together before we were even born.

    Yikes. Aliah was hardly the beginning of my problems¡­.

    Chapter Nineteen

    Today was officially Valentine¡¯s Day. It felt weird falling on a Thursday, especially when the dance wasn¡¯t until tomorrow night. I had so far avoided Tristan and Seth today, save for the carpool to school this morning, but that was always awkward and silent. Not that I was expecting a gift from either of them and I actually said a million prayers over the last week that neither one would attempt some kind of holiday-induced declaration of love or anything like that.

    Not that either one were in love with me.

    But things had gotten so awkward and tense between our group with both of them constantly facing off in their battle of testosterone fueled male dominance that I was terrified an explosion was just around the corner. And I prayed it wouldn¡¯t happen on or near this weekend while everyone else celebrated love.

    I took a big breath and sat down at the lunch table. I tried to shake off the knowledge that there were three very brave and careless Shadows lurking in the corners of the cafeteria. I ignored completely the fact that a greater evil presence existed close by, or at least I had the feeling that one was close by. Seth seemed unphased though and I was convinced this was just a residual effect from the more obvious evil presence in the lunch room.

    Or I was trying to convince myself that.

    Seth sat next to me like usual and when I set my tray down on the table, his arm went immediately to my lower back in a gesture I was completely comfortable with. Tristan stiffened across the table and gave Seth a deathly stare down.

    Here we go.

    ¡°Oh you guys are so cute!¡± Piper gushed, giving Tristan a pointed look of her own before turning to us with a sweet smile.

    I shrugged out of Seth¡¯s arm casually feeling uncomfortable that Piper was referring to us like we were a couple. We weren¡¯t.

    Not yet anyway.

    ¡°Thanks Piper,¡± Seth replied sweetly. At least he enjoyed her excitement. ¡°I think we¡¯re pretty cute too.¡± He smiled down at me, his grin stretching across his face and revealing his perfectly white, perfectly straight teeth.

    I smiled back, but shifted uncomfortably with his eyes so intensely on mine. Things had been fine after our one disagreement and relatively back to normal. But Seth had been right, we had taken a step forward the night he kissed me and then after Tristan had spent the night it felt like we took five giant steps back.

    I knew it wasn¡¯t because of anything Seth had done, or for lack of effort on his part. It was me. It was all me. But I wasn¡¯t ready for Seth yet; and so we kept our relationship in the strange limbo that was somewhere between friendship, partnership and a future marriage together.

    Yikes.

    ¡°Big plans for tonight Lincoln?¡± Seth engaged, giving him an encouraging grin, his eyes dancing with mischief.

    Lincoln cleared his throat from across the table before answering, ¡°Uh, yeah, I have some things in the works¡­.¡± he gave Piper a quick glance from under his lashes and his perfect complexion heated. He really did have perfect skin. It didn¡¯t seem fair.

    ¡°Oh really, like what?¡± Piper challenged. She brushed her too long, severely straight bangs out of her eyes, and gave him what could only be described as ¡°bedroom eyes.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Lincoln smiled and then looked down at his lunch bashfully.

    ¡°I can¡¯t watch this,¡± Rigley muttered, slapping Lincoln in the back roughly.

    ¡°Watch what?¡± Piper demanded, her loving gaze turning to steely daggers, daring Rigley to keep talking.

    ¡°Watch my man become a whipped little puppy,¡± Rigley argued exasperatedly as if the answer was obvious.

    ¡°Rigley, don¡¯t even start-¡° Piper screeched until Lincoln reached across the table and put his hand on hers. He shook his head once, his blonde surfer hair flopping into his eyes.

    ¡°He¡¯s not worth it, Pi,¡± he said sweetly. ¡°Besides Rigs is jealous. The only woman that¡¯s ever been able to tolerate him is his mom and even she¡¯s not completely convinced yet.¡±

    ¡°So true,¡± Rigley laughed, pushing Lincoln¡¯s head away from him.

    ¡°Do you have plans for tonight, Stel?¡± Tristan suddenly broke his lunchtime vow of silence. He stared across the table at me, his expression so hopeful it took me a moment to remember how to swallow.

    ¡°Uh, why?¡± I asked, ignoring the way Seth¡¯s body tensed next to mine.

    ¡°I thought you could come over tonight. Trader and Trenton are coming home for the weekend and mom is making a big meal tonight. Thought you might want to see them. Plus Truman¡¯s been asking about you lately.¡±

    Geez Tristan, way to lay on the guilt¡­. I shifted uncomfortably on the bench.

    ¡°Who¡¯s Truman?¡± Seth asked, giving me time to think things through before I answered Tristan.

    ¡°Um, Truman is Tristan¡¯s little sister. We usually spend more time together but I¡¯ve been so busy lately that I haven¡¯t seen her since Christmas break,¡± I explained, feeling a stab of guilt in my gut.

    ¡°Stella¡¯s pretty much her favorite person, they¡¯re like sisters,¡± Tristan cut in only his explanation sounded more like a threat.

    ¡°Since she doesn¡¯t have any,¡± I went on. ¡°Uh, sisters that is. And neither do I.¡±

 Page 41

    ¡°So the other guys?¡± Seth asked, his eyes cutting across the table to Tristan.

    ¡°They¡¯re Tristan¡¯s older brothers. But don¡¯t they have big dates or something for tonight?¡± I looked at Tristan who was purposefully keeping his eyes locked on me.

    ¡°That¡¯s why they¡¯re coming home,¡± Tristan laughed. ¡°They¡¯re trying to avoid Valentine¡¯s drama.¡±

    ¡°Me too¡­.¡± I mumbled low enough that not even Seth heard me.

    I had been watching the three scattered Shadows out of my peripheral. Bree butted in the conversation, gushing about how hot Tristan¡¯s brothers were and I took the opportunity to take stock of the room. The number of Shadows had grown immensely; the high corners of every wall seemed covered in them as they whipped their slender bodies back and forth. I sucked in a gasp, and tried not to burst into a glow light right here. Students around the cafeteria started to notice them and a prickling, nervous sensation washed over my body. This was not going to end well.

    ¡°You¡¯re just as close with Tristan¡¯s brothers, I take it?¡± Seth asked dryly, his eyes flickering to the walls of Shadows, widening in surprise and then landing back on me. He acknowledged the evil presence, but was still waiting for an answer from me.

    ¡°Uh yes,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but fidget nervously.

    ¡°She¡¯s basically part of our family, my parents love her,¡± Tristan declared loudly. I shrunk down, hating that something that was true made me feel so uncomfortable. Or maybe it was just everybody¡¯s eyes on me, like me being close with Tristan¡¯s family was a betrayal to Seth, or that me being close with Seth was making me unfaithful to Tristan.

    ¡°So then if you guys ever dated it would be like incest, right?¡± Piper asked with feigned innocence. I wished I could laugh at her cleverness, even if it was the wrong thing to say, my friend Piper was funny.

    ¡°Cassidy, I don¡¯t have the patience right now,¡± Tristan warned, using her last name like he was talking to one of his teammates when they were losing. ¡°What do you say, Stel? Want to join me for dinner?¡± Tristan turned back to me, re-including me in the conversation. I swallowed around the nervous lump in my stomach and twirled the end of my hair just to give my hands something to do. Tristan¡¯s eyes bore in to mine, their color sparking to life as he waited for my answer. There was something intimate in his gaze, something beyond this power play game he and Seth were playing. He was asking more of me than dinner, I just wasn¡¯t sure what yet.

    ¡°Um, my grandpa had that thing tonight, though,¡± Seth reminded me softly of the training that was planned for after dinner, just like every other night. I turned to meet his eyes, realizing he wasn¡¯t even being possessive, he was reminding me in the sweet Seth way that only he was capable of. He was still giving me a choice, but reminding me of my responsibilities.

    ¡°Uh¡­.¡± I stammered, feeling like my heart was being pulled in two very different directions. The smell of sulfur drifted through the air, distracting me for a minute and grabbing the attention of our table. Finally. Everyone started looking around, finding the Shadows that clustered together like black beehives.

    ¡°I say you blow both these clowns off and come out with me, Stella. I won¡¯t even pretend like my family wants to have dinner with you. You and I can actually celebrate Valentine¡¯s Day,¡± Rigley declared, making the act of celebrating sound very, very dirty. I burst into laughter as he ran a hand through his mop of hair seductively and waggled his eyebrows at me.

    For the first time in my life I was willing to take Rigley up on his not so serious offer. And then the spiritual world I had access to collided with the physical world I lived in as the Shadows erupted from the walls they congregated on, screeching and hollering violently. There was no more ignoring them, since they made their presence so clearly known. They swirled around the room like they were trying to start a tornado, dipping in between the students who covered their heads with their hands and then ran from the room. This wouldn¡¯t make sense to anyone paying close attention, but knowing the human condition was prone to denial and the fact that Shadows could be logically, or at least reasonably explained away as a freak infestation of bats, I put my faith in that explanation and faced my nightmare come to life.

    The acrid scent of rotting eggs and death wafted through the air and I felt the familiar rush of nausea from the unearthly scent that grated against my nostrils. Students throughout the cafeteria couldn¡¯t ignore the awful aroma anymore and covered their faces as they fled from the cafeteria. I looked to Seth whose ferocious gaze confirmed my suspicions that this was unprecedented and dangerous. We joined the stampede of students and teachers fleeing the cafeteria and met back up with everyone outside the school. Someone had set off the fire alarms inside and the loud sirens rivaled the still shrieking shadows for which one would blow out my oversensitive ear drums.

    Outside the dark grey sky was spitting sleet. Lightning flashed on the horizon and a chill washed over my body. In the long, desolate winters of Nebraska, it wasn¡¯t completely uncommon for there to be lightning in the middle of a snowstorm, but this was the work of a supernatural presence and had nothing to do with the extreme weather of the Midwest. The clouds grew visibly darker overhead and I felt more than anything that whatever was still inside the school was waiting for me.

    Sirens could be heard in the distance. I didn¡¯t have much time to draw the Shadows out of the building before humans would have to face them.

    I stood up abruptly and announced, ¡°I think I¡¯m going to be sick, I need to go,¡± I started to walk away and then realized my alibi sucked since I needed Seth. I reached down and grabbed a handful of his shirtsleeve before yanking him up with me. ¡°And I¡¯m going to need Seth.¡±

    I ignored Piper¡¯s hurt look at choosing Seth in my time of need over her, completely avoided Tristan¡¯s eyes because I knew they would be filled with worry and ignored Rigley¡¯s snide, ¡°You need Seth to get sick?¡± and bee lined it back into the school. Seth and I rushed passed teachers who were too busy watching the darkening sky or covering their ears against the unearthly sounds coming from the building and snuck back in through a side door that had been propped open.

    I turned around in the hallway just in time to see thousands of Shadows swoop down in an angry mob and pummel towards us. Seth and I threw our bodies to the ground as they filled the hallway around us and kept going, their trail narrowing to a point at the end like caricature of the devil¡¯s pronged tail. The sound that followed them was deafening, their screeching echoed against my ears and the scent of hell filled the air.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a weapon!¡± I shouted to Seth with my hands still covering my ears. Our bodies were encompassed in a soft glow as we let our light expand in order to protect ourselves.

    ¡°I do, in my locker!¡± he shouted back and tilted his head toward where the hallway came to a T thirty yards away. He held up two fingers, letting me know he had two swords waiting for us and I was suddenly so thankful for his preparedness I could have kissed him.

    Except there was a serious chance that kissing Seth would lead to our untimely deaths, so I refrained.

    The hallway suddenly became eerily quiet. No more shrieking. No more swishing sounds as the Shadows moved through the halls in their haunting formations. Everything stilled and became absolutely silent. But the smell of death and evil things rotting still filled my nostrils and so I knew they hadn¡¯t left, they were still close.

    Waiting for us.

    We jumped to our feet in a synchronized effort and took off sprinting down the long hall. Without slowing down we slid into Seth¡¯s locker, his shoes squeaking across the waxed tile. Before he could open the door, the Shadows were back in formation and plunging toward us. I pressed my back into the wall of rusting red lockers and shut my eyes, preparing myself for painful impact. I could feel their ice cold presence even before they hit me, and even though I released my light into the dim school hallway before they could get too close, their momentum was too fast for all of them to completely abort their attack.

    I held my breath as the brightness of my inner light singed and burned the Shadows that didn¡¯t stop soon enough, their screeching abruptly halted as they were burned into ashes before completely puffing away. I held the circumference of my light in a wide circle around Seth and I and then moved forward so he could open his locker and retrieve the two weapons. They were hidden behind a long trench coat that hung from the center hook of his locker, and velcroed to the back metal wall.

    Geesh, good thing he didn¡¯t have many friends. I was pretty sure that hiding swords in your locker was so against school policy.

    My light drifted down the three separate hallways we stood at the crossroads to, but beyond my warmth that flickered like an ultra-bright candle, I could see the darkened hallways packed with those wicked little wisps of evil. I regulated my breathing and took the cutlass saber Seth was holding out for me.

    It wasn¡¯t my katana, but it was deathly sharp and immensely capable. I tested out its weight, shifting it back and forth between my hands and swinging it around my body holding it by two hands before I dimmed my light.

    The heat and brightness of my inner essence was fantastic and effective when I needed to keep Shadows completely at bay. But I was a Star and when I turned up the heat and light it started to have adverse effects on the atmosphere around me, which was why Seth hadn¡¯t lit up yet.

    I could already feel the malleable bend to the surrounding lockers after being exposed for a few moments to a light that was capable of burning as bright as the sun. The floor beneath me was sticky from melting and the lights in all three hallways had burst and shattered glass everywhere.

    Well shoot. That was going to be harder to explain away than bats.

    Please, please, please let these people only see what they are ready to believe.

    I couldn¡¯t think about that now though.

    I dimmed my light, so that I was a glowy version of my regular self and Seth heated to join me. We held out our swords, with our bodies perfectly tensed and ready. Then waited for the attack.

    A lone, shrill, shrieking pierced through the school and I relaxed into the instincts that were bred for battle. Instead of attacking though, the horde of Shadows turned and ran instead. They melted together in a combined cloak of darkness and whipped out of our sight down another hallway.

    Seth and I paused for all of one point two seconds and then used our supernatural speed to chase after them. We were on the tail end of them, racing to slice through their disgustingly, if not a little surprisingly, solid bodies to head off their retreat and hopefully make some headway.

    As I ran with my sword slashing accurately through my enemies, I was constantly sprayed with the black, tar these creatures considered blood. I suppressed the disgusted shivers and kept on, not even dwelling on the cute, gray bubble skirt I wore, or the pink and black striped preppy sweater I had borrowed from Piper. I promised myself I would replace her sweater if I lived through this, even if she had only bought it because she was feeling ¡°ironically kitschy.¡±

    I kept pace with Seth easily and when the swarm of Shadows disappeared down the stairwell that led to the locker rooms and creepy bowels of the school I decided to pause and gather our bearings before we continued. Our light could flush out the Shadows easily, but we had to be careful of the boiler room and any damage that couldn¡¯t be easily explained.

 Page 42

    Besides my irrational fear of basements, the Shadows had gone suddenly quiet, seemingly sucked into the vortex of the unknown. The hairs on the back of my neck sprung straight and my eyes watered with nervous energy. This could not be good.

    I heard voices in the distance and decided they were the law enforcement investigating the cafeteria and what I could hear be referred to as the ¡°bat problem.¡± I nodded toward the human sounds to alert Seth to be stealthily quiet.

    I wasn¡¯t exactly sure how we were going to get out of this mess and protect Mead High School, all without making an unexplainable scene. Right now it seemed impossible.

    But safety first, right?

    Seth motioned that he would go first and so I followed him into the dim stairwell and down the cement stairs that led beneath the school. It was still quiet when we turned the corner into the main hallway that ran the length of the school. There was no movement, no sound, no evil.

    What in the world?

    ¡°I could have sworn I just felt the strongest presence¡­.¡± I whispered as we crept carefully forward.

    Our swords were held high, and we walked on our tiptoes, ready for anything at any time. A skittering near the boy¡¯s locker room door caught our attention and we followed it, although something clearly didn¡¯t feel right. Actually that was the problem. I didn¡¯t feel anything.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Seth asked, paused just on the outside of the locker room door.

    ¡°This feels a lot like a trap,¡± I admitted and Seth nodded in quick agreement. ¡°But what choice do we have?¡±

    ¡°Wait for Serena and Nate?¡± Seth suggested.

    The evil was there again, raising my hairs and reminding me just how elusive and evasive it was. I tilted my head when I realized how close it was, whatever ¡°it¡± was. It may or may not exist but I was more frustrated than ever that Seth seemingly couldn¡¯t feel the sneaky little evil. I had to get to the bottom of it.

    ¡°That¡¯s if they even know we¡¯re in trouble,¡± I sighed a little impatiently, knowing with the mystery evil floating around there was a strong possibility that the heightened evil activity hadn¡¯t even registered with Serena yet.

    ¡°Stella, I will follow you to hell and back, just give me the word.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s do this,¡± I smirked, feeling confidence surge inside of me. Whatever the outcome, I knew the Council of Elders had chosen me for moments like these, Jupiter had drove me crazy and beat the crap out of me for chances like this and my parents had raised me to be prepared for exactly this moment.

    I couldn¡¯t back down. It just wasn¡¯t in my nature.

    With a quick breath and courage so fierce it formed the expression on his face, Seth shoved through the heavy wooden door. I was at his side before the door could even close and suddenly we were trapped in utter Darkness. The iciness of evil surrounded us, filling our lungs quickly with its presence and turning our blood to slush.

    What was more frustrating than the fact that we had actually walked, willingly into a trap was that we should have known what was on the other side of the door. We were born with a sixth sense for detecting evil. One day I would literally be able to feel an increase in evil activity all the way across the world, but right now I couldn¡¯t even tell what was on the other side of one door before I walked through it.

    My breathing became quick and labored as I forced air in and out of my lungs, but the pungent smell of death made even the little oxygen I did get torturous. I clenched and unclenched my fists trying to keep the blood pumping to my hands, I needed to be able to grip and swing a sword or this fight would be over before it began.

    And then they attacked.

    From every direction and angle.

    Seth and I kept our backs pressed against each other in an effort to protect each other while our swords flailed around us in graceful, skilled movements. There was no stopping the Shadows from touching my skin, slicing away at my arms and chest, my legs and anywhere else they could get to.

    I winced against the pain, the consuming coldness. Icicles crackled through my veins as the pressure to cave against the debilitating torture threatened to win. I looked back at Seth for just the smallest moment as he fought vigilantly and mercilessly. How could I even entertain the idea of giving up when nothing would convince Seth that it would ever be time to throw in the towel?

    I put more effort into my sword, more of myself into every swing. The Shadows were everywhere; there was no stopping them, no slowing them down. They just continued to attack as we fought them from taking us completely.

    A concentrated rush of movement on my left side caused me to stumble to the side. I caught myself, never slowing the movement of my weapon, but I was effectively separated from Seth¡¯s protection against my back. Immediately we had to get more involved in the fight, flipping forward or spinning around to keep the Shadows from being able to connect with our skin the best we could.

    I felt my veins rise from my skin and knew that my golden skin would be marked with their swollen, black trails. I intensified my light and forced the Shadows back; giving myself some reprieve for a moment, but immediately the small space of the locker room felt the effects of the hot light.

    And then the attack stalled completely.

    The Shadows retreated to the farthest corners of the room, staying near the ceiling or close to the ground. I felt like we had been entombed in a coffin of evil. This was not going well.

    From the darkness Aliah stepped out and I couldn¡¯t even be surprised to see him. I immediately softened my light to protect the dilapidated locker room from more damage.

    Aliah was perfect as usual, his golden brown hair was swept back from his forehead and his intense hazel eyes seemed to match his hair color perfectly. They were crinkled in a happy expression and I couldn¡¯t help but admire the strong lines of his handsome face. His evil nature made my stomach curdle in disgust, knowing it belonged to someone who looked exactly like an Angel should.

    ¡°Aliah,¡± I growled. ¡°This is clever.¡± I gestured with my sword to the room.

    ¡°What¡¯s clever?¡± he asked, his lips twisting.

    ¡°School property¡­. We¡¯re in here, surrounded by people we know¡­. broad daylight and all,¡± I offered while his smile grew.

    ¡°Oh that¡¯s right, I forgot all about your moral code of conduct! Wouldn¡¯t want to damage property that isn¡¯t yours or blind an innocent bystander¡­.¡± he laughed.

    ¡°Why are you here Aliah?¡± Seth asked and then sighed as if this was the biggest waste of time. ¡°Didn¡¯t we just go through this the other night?¡±

    ¡°We did,¡± Aliah admitted shortly. ¡°But I didn¡¯t get the outcome I was hoping for, so I thought I would try again and again and again until you give up pretending to be all holy light and join me!¡± I flinched at the way Aliah grew more animated with every word until he finished his sentence sounding disturbingly maniacal, his voice punching the syllables with a disconcerting poignancy.

    ¡°That will not happen Aliah, so why don¡¯t we skip the next several weeks of you trying to court me and we end this right here, right now,¡± Seth growled, his eyes flashing with something other than light.

    Aliah relaxed a little then, stretching his arms out like he was yawning. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel good?¡± He waited for us to respond and when we both stayed silent, poised to attack he continued, ¡°The Darkness, can¡¯t you feel it moving inside you, taking hold of those secret places you keep buried. It¡¯s already there, it¡¯s already made a bed. Just give in, let it take over. It¡¯s so much easier. You will feel so much better, I promise.¡±

    I took a step back at the hypnotizing tone to Aliah¡¯s silky voice. He wasn¡¯t speaking directly to me; he wasn¡¯t even looking at me. He had eyes only for Seth and a direct link to his conscious. I watched Seth blush from embarrassment and frustration. He gripped his sword tighter but didn¡¯t respond to Aliah verbally.

    I hated that there was conflict inside of Seth.

    I hated that Aliah knew exactly what to say.

    But I also knew that Seth had to deal with this himself, I couldn¡¯t fight this particular battle for him. He swallowed and it looked painful. I watched the indecision rage inside of him, pulling him in two very different directions.

    Seth faltered for a half a beat more, the cloud of uncertainty settling over him in an oppressive weight that held down his shoulders. He tilted his head away from Aliah to look at me. Our eyes locked, a thousand words and a hundred emotions spoken silently between us. And then his eyes went from pained to brutally determined and I knew which side of his internal battle one.

    ¡°You can taunt me all you like, Uncle, but I will never join you,¡± Seth sneered.

    I wasn¡¯t the only one that flinched at Seth¡¯s term of endearment.

    ¡°Your sister will be so disappointed to hear that,¡± Aliah stated simply.

    ¡°I warned you,¡± Seth growled.

    ¡°Oh about Seven?¡± Aliah laughed and then his expression turned cruel and serious. ¡°You did warn me, but I have a hard time taking you children seriously. She is waiting for me though, better not keep her. She has quite the temper on her, feisty little thing. Did I tell you she was the one to end Sidra? She got so angry when Sidra wouldn¡¯t tell her where you were, I¡¯m afraid she just snapped a little bit. Not enough to completely diminish her light, just enough to dim it a little bit.¡±

    ¡°Dim her light?¡± Seth choked as he and I tried to process Aliah¡¯s explanation. ¡°You¡¯re not telling me that she still¡­.¡±

    But he couldn¡¯t finish his thought out loud. I couldn¡¯t even finish his thought inside my head.

    It simply wasn¡¯t possible.

    Aliah shot me a wicked smile, his eyes dancing with malice and unrestrained delight. I wanted to turn my head and be sick but I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off his.

    ¡°Enough of this,¡± he announced, still smiling. ¡°End them.¡±

    And then the Shadows descended again, swarming us before we could stop Aliah from leaving. My light flared to brightness and my sword moved before my brain could catch up. Seth mimicked my movements and our heads were forced from Aliah¡¯s parting words to the battle at hand.

    The Shadows were everywhere, endless in their attack. I fought against them as best I could but they were simply relentless. My arms moved in practiced strikes, and I was covered with the black tar of their blood. The small reprieve from the icy evil I had gotten during our conversation with Aliah was gone and my blood had turned into the same kind of sleet that fell from the sky outside, it slushed around in my veins making me sluggish and stiff.

    ¡°We need a more open space,¡± I grunted to Seth and then let out a feral cry when the disgusting goop of a kill flew into my mouth tasting like acrid death.

    ¡°We have to get out of here,¡± Seth agreed, pushing back against a solid wall of evil advancing on him.

    I turned my fight toward the door but it was completely obscured in the mass of Shadows advancing. I cursed loudly and then wondered how long they had been hiding down here, waiting for us. I wondered how thought out Aliah¡¯s plan was, how deep it went.

    I knew whatever happened today would have consequences that rippled for a long time, and I couldn¡¯t help but just hope they included me and Seth¡­. alive.

 Page 43

    ¡°Do you remember the first day you were here? When you came to work out with Tristan and me?¡± I shouted, bracing myself for the blood splatter I would have to eat.

    ¡°Light up, Stella, that¡¯s the only way we¡¯re getting out of here,¡± Seth directed, clearly getting my message.

    There wasn¡¯t a moment to think over the consequences, I let my inner light burst from me in a supernova of heat and warmth. I prayed there were no humans directly outside the building because this was a death sentence for them if there were.

    The light left me in folds of energy that shattered the ice in my veins and healed my weakening body. I was strong and capable again in my natural state, the brightest I had ever allowed myself to get. The awful shrieking sounds of Shadows filled my ears as they felt the effects of goodness burn through their evil little bodies. Some of them still made it through my force field of light before disappearing, but even then the cuts and injuries they were able to land on my body were quickly healed by the light.

    I could smell the melting lockers around me and I saw the wooden benches burst into flames. We had to get out of here before I blew up the entire building. I reached for Seth who stood in the protective radius of my light and grabbed his hand.

    We blew through the small basement window with a shattering force and bypassed the bleachers and fence that lined the football field before landing in between the snow covered twenty and thirty yard lines. I extinguished my light immediately so I didn¡¯t light the whole field on fire and then breathed in the fresh, cold air, turning on my back to look up at the now black sky.

    Seth and I lay in a pile of upturned snow and dirt, our clothes singed and frayed. Both of us were covered in the dirt that flew up with our hard landing and I could feel new injuries begin to burn from the force of our impact.

    Still our hands were held tightly in each other¡¯s.

    We laid there for a brief moment more, taking in all that just happened silently before Seth hopped to his feet, pulling me with him.

    ¡°Come on,¡± he ordered.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked breathlessly, not sure if I was ready for his answer.

    ¡°To find Aliah so I can kill him and my sister,¡± he answered and then took off for the sky, my hand still in his.

    Chapter Twenty

    No sooner had we made it into the thick cloud cover than we met Serena and Nate. They were untouched by battle yet and both sets of their eyes grew big when they met us. The four of us clustered together made a hole in the black clouds we were taking cover in with our light. All four of us reflecting against the blackness and preparing our bodies to fight again.

    ¡°We got here as fast as we could, are you two alright?¡± Serena asked, her eyes glowing with the bizarre mixture of concern and bloodlust.

    ¡°We¡¯re fine, we just need to find Aliah,¡± Seth bit out, his eyes frantically searching through the dense, murky clouds.

    ¡°We tracked him here,¡± Nate said in a low voice and all of us tensed.

    ¡°He¡¯s not alone,¡± I warned in a voice just above a whisper.

    ¡°Do you know who¡¯s with him?¡± Serena asked. A burst of lightning lit up behind her. None of us were afraid of lightning, but the dramatic effect paired with the gravity of the moment sent chills snaking over my body.

    ¡°My sister,¡± Seth replied.

    ¡°Among others,¡± Jupiter growled, meeting our powwow in the sky.

    ¡°Are my parents here?¡± I asked, wondering why he would be here but not them.

    ¡°They¡¯re trying to control the situation out front,¡± Jupiter explained. ¡°School was canceled after the weather turned dangerous. The fire department was still inspecting the school for bats when a fire started in the boy¡¯s locker room. They went to deal with that situation, when one of the big Maples lining the parking lot was struck by lightning, toppling over and landing on a couple cars. Nobody was hurt, but the tree and excitement surrounding the fire have left students loitering in the parking lot. Your parents are trying to help clear everyone out while making sure they stay safe.¡±

    But in my head I knew the truth, I knew they weren¡¯t safe. And they wouldn¡¯t be safe until Seth and I destroyed this evil.

    ¡°How did this happen?¡± I growled, casting my eyes back to the ground that was obscured by cloud cover.

    ¡°Oh my Callisto,¡± Jupiter gasped suddenly. His voice was an angry snarl and his red eyes had turned a brilliant reddish-orange with intensity.

    I followed his gaze, looking through where the clouds parted and the football field was visible. Aliah stood in the center of the field taunting me.

    Or all of us, I realized when I saw Seth¡¯s expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to stay here for a moment,¡± Jupiter whispered. I glanced at Serena and Nate to gauge their reaction to Jupiter¡¯s hesitance, but when I saw their knowing smirks I decided there was more to Jupiter staying behind than fear.

    Serena led the charge to the field and I followed closely behind, landing with my feet planted firmly on the snow packed ground. Seth and Nate flanked us, their glows so brilliant and blinding I could feel the heat radiating from them. Suddenly I felt better just knowing Jupiter was in the clouds watching over us. He was a tangible guardian Angel.

    Or guardian grumpy old guy from the planet Jupiter.

    Either way.

    Aliah stood watching us. I could feel swarms of Shadows nearby, enough to drag us all down to hell, but he didn¡¯t summon them immediately and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what his game was. I could feel how hungry they were though, as the wispy demons waited on the sidelines. Their hunger licked against my skin, I felt the hairs stand up on my neck as they snapped and bit at an invisible gate to get to us. Aliah had them cowed, but they were desperate to consume our goodness and I could feel it in the very fibers of the air between us. The temperature had dropped dangerously with such a concentrated evil presence nearby and I struggled not to gag from the scent of sulfur polluting the air.

    My eyes drifted from Aliah to those Fallen surrounding him. They were all former Angels, completely perfect and beautiful outwardly and morally bankrupt internally. Saul was back, along with two other Warriors, one so blonde and pale that he seemed to be all one monochromatic shade of albino and the other with striking silver hair and a scar that ran from his eye to his jawline. And then there were two Stars. The first was shockingly alien like. She had long, soft peach hair that wrapped around her half naked body like a cloak, her limbs were long and lanky and her skin so golden and tanned that she still seemed to glow even with the haze of gray around her.

    And then there was the final Star.

    Seven.

    I knew her without anyone saying her name.

    Seth stood stoically still next to me, his chest not even moving with the effort to breath. His eyes boring into his sister and I desperately wanted to make her pay for her sins against my Counterpart. She would pay. I would make her answer for her betrayal.

    Her hair was golden brown like I had imagined in my dream, just like Seth¡¯s, only it was wrapped up in a high bun on the top of her head. Her eyes were just like Seth¡¯s, liquid gold and they sat tilted at the corners making her look exotic and mysterious. Her plump, full lips were quirked in an evil smirk and her head tilted smugly on her long, pretty neck.

    I gulped back a shiver as I took her in, noticing the bright yellow light filtering the air around her. She was clearly evil, everything from her expression, to the posture of her body to the way she was sizing me up screamed immoral and wicked. Yet the light pouring from her in warming purity defied that very notion.

    I tore my eyes away from hers, hating how she had locked our gazes together easily and looked to Seth. I didn¡¯t even want to investigate the range of emotions he was going through, or imagine what this must be like for him. I felt like it would destroy me before the battle even began. And to his credit, he was definitely not going to give anything away.

    He didn¡¯t even look at her.

    His eyes stayed focus on Aliah, never once straying to the long lost sister that had taken everything from him.

    He was certainly doing better than me. I wanted to rip her pretty little throat out and send her to the Hell she pledged her life to.

    ¡°I suppose you have some kind of master plan for challenging us today,¡± Serena grunted after the silent standoff stretched her patience too thin.

    ¡°We¡¯re waiting,¡± he smirked while continuing to remain patient. ¡°Since you two refused to play nicely, and die easily,¡± he finished with a sneer and I wanted to flinch. His eyes flicked between Seth and me with a devouring intensity. He wanted so much more than our death, it was sickening. He wanted our allegiance. I held my ground, boring my eyes into his, forcing myself to stay brave.

    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± I asked casually, figuring he hadn¡¯t really lied to me up until this point so why not go for it.

    ¡°Your parents,¡± he growled and then switched back into a more relaxed version of evil.

    I shuddered. I shuddered hard.

    ¡°I thought if one family should get to be together tonight, why not every family,¡± Aliah declared with a sick twist to his mouth.

    Seven let out a laugh that filled the space around all of us. The Shadows tittered in the background in response to her musical laughter that chimed like bells. She didn¡¯t sound evil, which was almost more haunting than if she had spoken with a deep growl or worse.

    The laugh sounded innocent and pure.

    I shuddered again.

    ¡°It is good to see you again brother,¡± Seven gushed, her eyes lighting up when she talked to Seth and she bounced on her toes anxiously. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you,¡± she declared.

    Seven sounded disgustingly sincere, her eyes immediately filling with tears. I was disturbed by her, more than I thought possible. She was older than Seth and I, but her voice was bubbly and young sounding. She was evil, but unexplainably she had an unquestionable bright light and I could have sworn that when she talked to Seth it actually increased in intensity.

    It didn¡¯t make sense.

    Her light should be as black as her heart.

    Seth stood there, not responding except for clenching his jaw as tightly as he could, and tightening his grip on the sword that hung at his side.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t miss you, Seven,¡± Aliah announced. He sounded sad and confused, but worst of all he sounded disappointed in Seth. I wanted to laugh at Aliah for even considering Seth join the other side, but when I glanced over at Seth again I was shocked by how affected he seemed by the disappointment.

    He would never let it show to anyone else, or admit that he was seeking Aliah¡¯s approval, but it was in his amber eyes when they flashed with a desire to please and in the sinking of his broad shoulders that felt the weight of trying to gratify a parent.

    Seth was facing demons from his past, literally, and he was doing everything he could to hold on to who he was.

    ¡°You are one sick, son of a b-¡° I started before I could even stop myself.

    But then I was cut off by Aliah himself, ¡°Now, now Stella, we wouldn¡¯t want to get negative marks for performing badly in our training, now would we?¡± He gestured at the high school, but I knew he was referring to me training to be a Star. ¡°You are a saucy little thing,¡± he murmured, his voice slithering over me like slime.

 Page 44

    ¡°I cannot wait for the day you go to meet the master you decided to serve. That will be a well-deserved life sentence. Hell has a very special place for the depth of your depravity,¡± I smiled, taunting him.

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Seven screamed from her place next to Aliah. This time her voice was shrill and ugly, shrieking into the charged air between our side and theirs.

    She was standing next to Aliah, almost hiding behind him. He kept his body so that it shielded her without having to put his arm around her and I wondered what their relationship was. He whispered in her ear after her outburst, calming her¡­. centering her¡­. controlling her¡­. and even though it was just for a brief second, he seemed to have the desired effect on her that he wanted. She melted into him, letting his words float over her like a hit of her favorite drug.

    ¡°Ah, finally,¡± Aliah announced, although maybe four minutes had passed since we met them on the football field.

    My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach, and my lungs stopped functioning. My chest constricted painfully and my vision blurred into confusion as six more Fallen walked across the field roughly holding my parents and Tristan. The evil Angels held multiple swords to each of them as they walked across the field and in front of me.

    For at least a full minute I saw red¡­. like the actual color. My vision blurred into a hazy nothingness of rage and I fought the urge to rush at the six capable Warriors and fight my loved one¡¯s way to freedom.

    I shook my head, focusing my vision back on the people I loved most in this world and stopped thinking things through. I let an ancient battle instinct take over that had been passed from generation to generation since the beginning of time, finally landing on me and readied myself for what would be the most important battle of my life so far.

    My eyes met my parents, who stood with unabandoned resolve, ready for whatever fate they faced. And then flickered to Tristan¡¯s who mirrored their resolve. I took a second to stare at him and forced myself to believe he was actually ready to die; but his emerald green eyes shimmered with a strong belief in me and if it wasn¡¯t me that could save him than he could face death. He was willing to die for this¡­.

    My heart contracted at the thought of it. The impossible thought of it. I would never let him die from my war. Never.

    ¡°A human, Aliah? Really?¡± That¡¯s low for even you.¡± Serena growled, her shoulders trembling with barely restrained anguish.

    ¡°Really?¡± Aliah asked dryly. ¡°You really think there is something too evil for me?¡±

    Laughter bubbled up in Seven again and the sound was hauntingly refreshing in the midst of all the thick battle tension. And because of that, she seemed even more disturbing. I hated the brightness of her light and the depth of her evil mixed together. She shouldn¡¯t be able to keep both.

    ¡°Off you go, my pet. Say goodbye to your brother and I¡¯ll meet you at home,¡± Aliah murmured to her sweetly.

    ¡°Seth won¡¯t you come with me?¡± Seven asked, her bottom lip trembling in a pout.

    ¡°No, Seven,¡± Seth growled, his voice husky from a complexity of emotion I couldn¡¯t even comprehend.

    I began to tremble then, looking across the field at my parents and Tristan, at hearing the turmoil in Seth¡¯s voice. I needed the battle to begin now, I needed to move into action and save some people. My eyes cut to Tristan¡¯s again and held his gaze for a moment, promising him I wouldn¡¯t let anything happen to him.

    ¡°Till next time then,¡± Seven smiled wickedly at Seth and then she shot across the field to cup his face in her hands.

    The rest of us stood shocked for just the second it took for her to place a kiss on his cheek and then shoot up into the sky. Seth¡¯s eyes followed her but he stayed next to me, he stayed with me to fight.

    And I could literally feel the war waging inside of him to follow her.

    Thankfully, with Seven¡¯s movement the battle began. Serena descended on Aliah with all of her heavenly power and the rest of us followed suit. Swords were drawn, metal met metal, and the sound of Shadows shrieking and screaming filled the air.

    The black sky opened up and snow poured from the dark clouds in a violent blizzard of ice and wind. I let my light extend around me so that I could be as strong of a fighter as possible. Lightning cracked overhead and flashed; striking images of good versus evil all over the field came in short glimpses through the darkness.

    Seth and I worked together in perfect unison, fighting off Fallen and Shadows alike. Evil seemed to be everywhere, attacking from every direction. I moved so fast and struck out my sword so quickly that it felt like I was fighting blind. I struck before I could see what I was striking at and I blocked before I could see what was coming. I was engaged with the one remaining evil Star, matching her sword swings exactly with mine, while also fighting off the relentless flow of Shadows that thickened the air into a black choking blanket around me.

    I had one goal and one goal only and that was to get to my parents and Tristan.

    It was impossible to see who was winning or who was fighting who. We were a jumbled mess on the football field.

    A Shadow sliced against my lower back and my knee fell to the soggy floor. I swung my sword up over my head to meet my opponent and made it just in time. She had swung down straight with all of her power and the viciousness of her blow jostled and unnerved me. I dug my toe into the ground and sprung forward, knowing she would be off balance because of the power she put into her swing. Without thinking things through too closely, I swung my sword out to the side and across my chest. I hit her weapon at just the perfect place near the hilt and knocked it out of her hands. I let the momentum of my swing turn me in a full circle and then while she still watched her blade fall to the ground with wide eyes, my sword connected with her neck and sliced all the way across.

    Her head lolled forward and then fell hollowly to the ground before her body crumpled and followed.

    I suppressed a sob and kept moving without looking back at my victim. Shadows had been the extent of my killing up until now, save for the kindergarten hamster that met an untimely and accidental death at my hands years ago. Even if she was evil, even if she had turned her soul over to the Darkness¡­. she was still a Star, an unnamed and dead Star.

    And I was responsible for her death.

    I didn¡¯t have much time to think about it though as I was met with another of the Fallen, this one a huge Warrior that had helped drag my parents here. My saber met his and we fought each other just a few feet from where my parents and Tristan still knelt, living at least. They were only guarded by two Fallen now, and I assumed the rest had needed to join the battle¡­. which was a good thing.

    A very good thing.

    The bad thing was that my parents were definitely still unarmed and Tristan was in serious danger.

    So was I.

    This Warrior was unbelievably strong. My muscles ached and trembled from the effort to continue to fight and hold him off. My feet started to slow and the Shadows had worked their icy cold death into my veins making me feel sluggish. I kept Tristan in my peripheral vision at all times to motivate me to get to him, but this Warrior was determined to end this battle quickly.

    Iced bits of snow whipped against my face as the blizzard consumed the air around us. My hair was slicked across my throat and forehead and my clothes were soggy and dripping water. The ground wasn¡¯t softening even with the light of our presence heating it while we fought; the cold temperature of evil seemed to win out even against the ground.

    And it seemed it would win out against me too, as I failed to meet the Fallen¡¯s swing in a fatal error and stumbled awkwardly to the ground. I stared up into his black eyes, with his gray haze surrounding him and my mind found complete clarity. He raised his sword high above his head and stepped on my sword so I was helpless to defend myself.

    I closed my eyes not giving myself time to think about the end, but it turned out my moment of zen wasn¡¯t necessary. Seth let out a battle cry of fierce determination and when I opened my eyes again he had flipped through the air and decapitated the Fallen Warrior before the bad guy could turn around and realize he was in trouble.

    Seth reached for my hand and sprung me to my feet. I shot him a grateful smile before picking up the long broadsword of the headless Warrior and tossing it with extreme accuracy to my dad who stood only five feet away.

    I foolishly continued to watch him as he caught the sword in his strong fingers and then turned it on the two Fallen guarding him. His arms came up expertly and he crossed the sword in front of him once, taking out the first one and then turned around gracefully to take out the second. They had barely registered he had a sword yet before they were dead, their souls now imprisoned in the seventh circle of Hell where they belonged.

    My father kept the sword and moved into the battle, while my mother stayed near Tristan to protect him. I fought my way back to my first kill and then picked up that sword and tossed it at my mother¡¯s feet.

    The clanging sound of metal meshed with the whipping wind, but as I turned to help Seth destroy the Fallen he was fighting, I decided it was less. The Fallen looked around a little skittishly with several of their¡¯s dead and my parents and Tristan free.

    And then suddenly Aliah let out a cackle of laughter that resounded louder than even the clash of metal on metal. My eyes flew to his as he flashed me a sinister grin and got the upper hand of Serena. His sword plunged into her side, cutting through her like it was nothing. He abandoned his sword, still in her as she fell to her knees on the football field. There was a signal, something said or gestured and then the remaining Fallen had taken to the sky and were fleeing. Even the last few of the Shadows retreated back to wherever they came from and left us alone.

    I looked up to see Jupiter descending rapidly, his hair disheveled, his sword bloodied in the thick black goo of the Shadows. He had been defending us from the sky, keeping the numbers of Shadows we met to a minimum. Thank goodness for Jupiter and whatever extra aid we could get.

    I didn¡¯t wait a second more, I couldn¡¯t. I flew to Tristan with my supernatural speed and flung myself into his arms. I enveloped him in my light, warming him and letting him feel the intensity of my inner heat. He pressed his body against mine, his strong arms wrapping themselves around me with a ferocity of feeling. I felt his heart pound against my own as it tried to beat its way out of my chest. I choked back a sob and promised a jumble of things to him over and over through streaming tears.

    I hated that they got him, that they brought him into this mess.

    He dipped his head against my neck, nuzzling me with his nose and the scruff of his jawline and I forced our bodies even closer together.

    ¡°How did they even get you?¡± I cried, promising myself it would never happen again. My voice was thick with emotion, raspy and hoarse from the effort of battle. My whole body was shaking with exhaustion, but I couldn¡¯t let Tristan go, I couldn¡¯t take my arms off of him. And he seemed just as eager to hold me to him. In a strange way his arms felt like the safest place I had ever been.

    ¡°It¡¯s my own fault,¡± he answered sounding so much more calm than me. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t leave. Your parents wanted me to, everyone else had gone, but I had to know you were Ok. I had to see you. They came after your parents and I was like this extra bonus,¡± he explained. His voice wasn¡¯t even shaking, he was completely calm and comforting me. Tristan had almost died and he was comforting me!

 Page 45

    ¡°I will never let them take you again,¡± I promised, my voice hitching with emotion.

    ¡°I know Stel,¡± Tristan agreed gently and then even softer he whispered in my ear, ¡°You are amazing Stella¡­. seriously incredible.¡±

    I lifted my head to tell him thank you, but our eyes locked and I couldn¡¯t remember the words I wanted to say. Tristan was looking at me with the kind of devotion I only saw between people like my parents and his expression had softened to something I should be afraid of. Instead I found myself mimicking the adoration and something deeper¡­. something still nameless¡­. and I knew that we were more than friends. Tristan Shields was not my best friend¡­. he was something so much more.

    ¡°Stella, I need to take Tristan home, away from all of this,¡± my father¡¯s voice broke through our bubble and reminded me that we were still standing in the middle of carnage, blood and bodies scattered all over our football field.

    I reluctantly let Tristan go, although only because I was planning on following my parents straight home. My mom and dad kissed and hugged me and we told each other how much we loved one another over and over before they took Tristan away to the parking lot. He held my hand all during our goodbyes and when we finally parted I felt empty without him¡­. painfully alone.

    Now that the battle had stopped, the rest of us were left in eerie silence, even with the blizzard waging its own war against the Earth around us. Nate and Jupiter had moved to Serena and were carefully tending to her wound and trying to remove the sword from her belly before her skin tried to heal around it.

    I watched silently for a moment until I was positive she would recover and then I had to turn my eyes away. There was definitely a limit to what I could take of blood and gore for the day and I had more than reached my quota.

    And then Seth was next to me, silent and still.

    I fell more than anything right into his arms. He had been standing next to me the entire battle and I needed his comforting arms around me. He crushed me to him, pressing his lips against my temple and rubbing my back in soothing circles.

    ¡°Thank you for saving my life,¡± I mumbled against him, burying my face in his neck.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for,¡± he replied lightly in my ear, but pulled me tighter against him at the same time. ¡°I can¡¯t lose you Stella. I won¡¯t lose you. You¡¯re my Star.¡±

    And then the world started spinning around me as the reality of his words sunk in. I wouldn¡¯t lose him either. I couldn¡¯t lose him. He was everything to me.

    He was my Warrior.

    And my heart stopped beating when I realized that I didn¡¯t just think of him that way on the battlefield.

    Somehow through all of this, he had become more to me too. He was so strong, and brave and valiant yet fragile and vulnerable too.

    It didn¡¯t matter what unnamed feelings I had for Tristan. I could never be with him. Seth was my future. And I was mostly Ok with that.

    Except at the same time I was mostly not Ok with that too.

    I stopped thinking and breathed Seth in. All of that stuff didn¡¯t matter right now because both of them were safe. And that¡¯s all I could think about.

    For now, that¡¯s all I wanted to think about.

    ¡°All I want to do is go home, take a bath and go to bed for next ten days,¡± I groaned. Every one of my muscles hurt and my shoulders felt like they were trying to actually remove my arms from their sockets. Jupiter and Nate were helping Serena get to the parking lot and Seth and I had turned to follow them, still leaning heavily on each other.

    ¡°I¡¯m Ok with the home and bath part, but you can¡¯t go to sleep for the next ten days,¡± Seth admonished me. ¡°We have the Valentine¡¯s Dance tomorrow night and I have a super hot date for it,¡± he pulled me closer to him, his arm wrapping firmly around my waist and I could hear the smile in his voice.

    I replied with another unintelligible groan which only made him laugh. We were both covered in black goo and blood splatter, but I cuddled closer to him, thankful for his warm light and just him.

    ¡°We have to kill him,¡± I announced somberly, my thoughts drifting back to the battle.

    ¡°We will,¡± Seth promised. ¡°And her.¡±

    I breathed in deeply and let the frozen night air cleanse my lungs. This war had changed. The Darkness had changed tactics right along with us and we fought a different kind of battle that would take just as much sacrifice and skill as the endless years before us. The only difference this time was that Seth and I were the ones fighting the battle.

    If we didn¡¯t go after Aliah, he would be back for us, although since we killed seven of his entourage I was hoping he would reconsider his effort at least outside of my small little farm town. If there was one thing I had learned through all of this it was how much I truly loved humanity and most of all the community I grew up in. I was definitely not ready to give up high school, or my friends or any of my relationships. But I also wasn¡¯t going to stop myself from becoming the greatest Protector in the history of the Universe. Because this was a planet worth saving, humanity was worth saving.

    I knew this meant I would have to give it up to a certain degree. I would have to walk away partially in order to save it. I couldn¡¯t have people I loved showing up at every battle because I knew what it would mean, it would mean that I would gladly let them live and die for them.

    I was willing to die for humanity.

    But I wasn¡¯t convinced yet I was willing to walk away.

    I was called to serve the Earth with Seth. He was my future; together we would protect the last planet. I needed to walk away from my life and into my fate with Seth in order to save the Earth.

    Too bad it was humanity itself that was keeping me from doing that.

    Even with this looming, ominous destiny ahead of me, I knew I would never leave Tristan. He was what made me fall so in love with this life to begin with and he would be what kept me tied to it for the rest of my life.