“Who’s Alex?” Raiya asked.
Ugh. This is not going to be fun.
“It’s a long story,” I told her, painstakingly stepping back from her.
☼12☼
Return
Opening the door was the only sure way of saving it. Otherwise, I was convinced Charlotte would break it down; she was pretty determined to get to me.
If only she felt this way when it came to presenting her arguments in court.
“Come on, Charlotte,” I muttered as I opened the door. “What are you doing here?”
Sometimes, to me, it seemed as though high school never really ended. At that moment with Charlotte, I felt like I was back in high school, trying to get some of the girls to give up on trying to date me.
“I talked to Daddy about his decision,” she said, “and I told him that there was just no way that you could leave the company.”
She came inside, not even waiting for me to invite her, because manners apparently didn’t matter when it came to stuff like getting her way or anything.
I was peeved, especially since she had ruined a special moment between me and Raiya. And since she had come all the way here, I was sure she was going to ruin quite a few more before she left.
Raiya glanced at me quizzically as Charlotte came in and sat down in the living room, almost like she’d done it thousands of times before.
“Raiya,” I said, “please—”
She held up a hand to stop me. “I’m going to go clean myself up some,” she said. “I’m sure the kids could use some help, too. Excuse me.”
At least she’ll be out of the way. Maybe I can get Charlotte to leave before she says anything about us dating.
“Alright.” I sounded weak, even to myself.
Charlotte didn’t even seem to notice that I was with someone.
Until we were alone.
“Is that your new girlfriend?” she asked.
“None of your business,” I said. “Next question. What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to tell you not to quit, of course.” She seemed surprised that I’d even asked. “When Daddy told me what had happened, I knew I had to come and beg you to come back to work.”
I said nothing in reply. I just looked at her, and then I glanced back in the direction of where Raiya had gone.
The same tests had come when I was younger; I remember the difficulty of the choice between my different lives, between the call of the world and the beckoning of the supernatural.
I wondered how I could’ve ever thought I was smart. Back when I was a teenager, the choice between the two seemed hard. Looking back on it now, there was no other choice for me.
How could I ever think there was?
“I was angry with you during the Wilson trial,” Charlotte continued as I barely paid attention to her, “but I fixed it up. I worked out a deal with the judge, and we’re going to get another shot before he decides whether or not to take it to court.”
“How did you get Judge Lipinski to agree to another round?” I asked, momentarily distracted at the thought of the surly judge who gave me so many stern looks during court, even if he ruled in my favor. “He’s always been—wait, I don’t want to talk about this.”
“It’s nothing terrible,” Charlotte assured me. “All I did was—”
“Don’t care, don’t want to hear,” I interrupted. “I’m not coming back to work. Not right now, anyway.”
“Why?” Charlotte asked. “Look, I know you. I’ve known you since college. You don’t take a free payday like the one my daddy’s giving you, Lexy—”
“It’s hardly a free payday. And I’ve earned the time off,” I said. “And stop calling me that, you know I hate—”
“But I need your help! The law firm needs your help. My father needs you.” She took my hand.
“Your dad can hire new help,” I said. Or, you know, you can actually try to do a better job, I thought. I wasn’t sure how to phrase that in a polite way, though, so I decided not to say anything. “Look, Charlotte, the truth is ... I’m helping out my mom with a case. I came here because I’m trying to help a couple of kids find their parents.”
“I thought you didn’t like kids, though?”
I shrugged. “I like these kids,” I said. “They seem like good kids, too. So I’m trying to help them out. I don’t want to go back to work until everything is settled.”
And even then, I still might not want to come back.
Between Charlotte and Pharris, there was just too much extra drama at work. My clients’ lives had enough drama for me, and I didn’t need the added pressure.
Besides, I couldn’t tell Charlotte the real reason I was lingering around Apollo City. Who would really believe that I was the target of a shadow organization that liked to perform medical experiments on supernaturally gifted beings, all in hopes of ruling the world or destroying the universe?
I barely believed it. I might’ve seen it with my own eyes, but it was hard getting used to it again after so many years of trying to forget about it.
“Look, I’ll call the firm when I get back to the city,” I said. “Okay?”
“What about me?”
Ugh. Here it goes.
“What about you?” I shrugged. “We’re coworkers. Just go back to Pittsburgh and do your job. I’ll see you when I get back.”
She frowned. “You won’t help me with the cases then?”
“No. That’s your job, not mine.”
Charlotte jumped out of her seat. “I can’t believe I ever liked you. You are a horribly selfish human being.”
She waltzed over to the door and added, “You’re a lousy kisser, too!” and then slammed it.
“Right back at you,” I grumbled, as I got up to lock the door—just on the off chance she might come back.
It was as I turned around that I saw Raiya.
Raiya stood silently, leaning against the wall. Her arms were crossed over her chest. She glanced over at me. “So ... who was that?” she asked.
“No one important,” I assured her. And that was the truth. “Just a former coworker.” Guilt and shame and embarrassment burrowed into me.
“I see.” Her lips twitched, and for a moment I was sure everything was lost.
“Please, Raiya, don’t cry; I didn’t date her for very long,” I said. “There’s no point in getting upset about her. It meant nothing. She means nothing to me.”
I was shocked when Raiya laughed a second later. A second after that, I was angry. This was a serious subject.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“She called you Lexy.”
“Alexander is my middle name,” I said. “I started going by Alex at work. You wouldn’t believe how many odd looks Hamilton got. But I can assure you I hate that stupid nickname she gave me. I swear, she probably did it on purpose.”
She tried to rein in her laughter some, unsuccessfully. “No, that’s not it. I just find it funny, considering the issues you had with Humdinger.”
I almost laughed myself, before I realized exactly what she said. The moment seemed to stop time itself, as hope overwhelmed me and fear began to choke me.
She remembered! Is it possible ... ?
And then she stopped laughing, and I could see the change on her face as it transformed from one of laughter and joy and was steadily, quietly replaced by a look of gradual horror.
“Raiya—”
She shook her head. Her eyes widened, and it was almost as if I could see all the memories come rushing back. Her hands fluttered at her sides, before they came to rest on her belly ... brushed against her IV scars ... felt the pain of each beat of her heart, knowing she had survived something so terrible, saying the words was too cruel.
She looked back at me, and then at where Charlotte had been sitting. She suddenly stepped back from me.
“Raiya—”
“No.” I saw the tears in her eyes, but before I could catch her, she turned from me and fled.
“Raiya, come back!” I called as I ran outside after her. Before I could get far, I ran into Lucas and Lyra, who were both still covered in mud. “It’s not what you ... please, don’t run away!”
“What happened?” Lyra asked. “Did you hurt her?”
I stared at her, trying to find the right answer to that question. Did I? Did I hurt her?
Probably.
“What’s that?” Lyra asked, pointing off into the distance.
Turning to see what she was looking at, I saw a bright spark of violet light bubble around a dot against the darkening winter sky.
Raiya.
In the distance, I watched as her shadow blazed, her power returning in full, and flew off into the city horizon.
I sighed. “Trouble,” I told Lyra. “Stay here and watch your brother. I’m going to find Raiya.”
“No,” Lyra objected.
“What?” I glared at her. “There’s nothing you can do. Stay here.”
“Lyra said no,” Lucas said as he straightened his shoulders and stood protectively beside his sister. “And I agree with her. We’re Raiya’s friends, too, you know.”
“We want to help her.” Lyra pouted. “Besides, she’s a Star, just like us. We need to stick together.”
“I’m not having this argument!” I pointed toward the house. “Go to your room! I’ll be back later.”
I hurried off, desperately aware that I had more problems than my body could account for at the moment.
Something told me I should’ve taken care of the kid problem first. Unfortunately, the something in question was a surge of light, as two winged creatures grabbed me, one on either side, and I was hauled up into the air.
“What are you two doing?!” I shouted into the wind. My head whipped around to see Lyra and Lucas, transformed into miniature Starlight defenders, complete with wings and wingdings, just like I used to sport.
“We’re helping,” Lyra said.
“After I explicitly told you not to?”
“We’re kids,” Lucas replied on the other side of me. “We don’t know what ‘explicitly’ means.”
“I do,” Lyra retorted. “I’m just disobeying anyway.”
“Well, I’m disobeying too,” Lucas argued. He stuck his tongue out at Lyra, and I just groaned.
There was hardly anything I could do as they held me in mid-air.
I would just have to punish them later.
In the meantime, I had to get the upper hand.
“Fine,” I muttered. “But if you come, you have to follow my orders and listen.”
“Fine,” Lyra replied, sounding much like me as a teenager.
It wasn’t comforting, but I had little choice at the moment. “Fine yourself,” I said. “If you’re going to help, at least make sure you’re flying in the right direction. “She headed that way, to the left of the Time Tower.”
“What’s the Time Tower?” Lyra asked.
“The big white tower over there,” I told her, patiently, even though inside I was ready to shake both of them.
At the same time, though, it was nice to fly again, even if it wasn’t the smoother, wild ride on the back of a dragon, and it wasn’t on my own two wings.
I glanced at the mark on my wrist, watching as Lyra held her small hand around my arm. I don’t even know if I can fly on my own anyway.
And, I admitted to myself, it was nice not to have to do this alone, even if it was with two kids who were, by what I knew of their power, limited in their instruction.
“There.” Lucas pointed, and we watched as a familiar violet light plunged through the city streets, leaving a large, smoking gash in the cement.
Sirens started going off in the distance.
I heard them, and others, as we followed Raiya where we could see her.
We lost her quickly enough—which, in all fairness, was to be expected, since she had more power and less baggage at her disposal.
I glanced uneasily at the mark on my wrist again.
Dare I press it to see what power of my own I have?
I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to be Wingdinger anymore. I wanted to be myself, even as merging the different versions of myself seemed impossible.
For the moment, I decided against it.
That probably wasn’t the wisest decision. Even I knew I was being selfish. But I thought I could protect her better as myself. Surely, Raiya wouldn’t try to harm me. I thought about all the things she’d said and done since we’d been reunited. She was still largely the same person.
A shrieking cry came from a block over, as I heard glass shattering and building starting to crumble.
“Put me down over there,” I said, and amazingly, this time, Lyra and Lucas obeyed.
Just as my feet touched down, a terrible force came rushing through the street, sending rubble and debris flying.
Instantly, Lucas rushed forward, and, crossing his arms in front of us, used his power to protect me.
A long moment passed as the dust settled down; Lucas’ barrier held, glowing out an ice-blue aura, making me gape at him in unexpected pride.
When things quieted down, I leaned forward. “Good job, kid,” I said, reminding myself of Elysian.
The moment came when I was allowed to get a full view of Lucas’ Starlight Warrior outfit. The patterns of the outfit reminded me of mine, only his wings burned blue and his armor was navy.
Lyra was a warrior princess if I ever saw one. Her armor was white, with violet trim and a small lacing of stars pinning back her long, chestnut locks. There was a small scepter in her hand; was it possible that was her weapon?
Lucas beamed back at me. “That’s my best trick,” he said, distracting me from my thoughts and shoving me back to the battle.
Lyra came up beside me. “Look!”
Raiya’s blackened shadow landed several yards away. I had to blink and look twice; it was Starry Knight!
Well, sort of.
She was no longer dressed in the same uniform; her armor, once a dark blue violet, had been burned to black; a dark maroon color, like blood mixed with night, accented her armor. Even her wings were no longer the long, white wings I remembered. They’d turned black, like my original set, though I could tell she had no trouble using them to fly.
“Raiya!” I called, hurrying forward.
At the sound of my voice, her eyes burned a blood-colored power as they glared into me.
I nearly fell over as I faltered. What is wrong with her?
Before I could ask her that question, her power exploded around her, encasing her in a bubble of darkened light. I was pushed down, my face hitting the cement of the streets hard, and everything around was hurdled into emptiness. Behind me, I could feel Lyra and Lucas cry out in unexpected pain.
This is what you get when you don’t listen! I mentally shouted at them.
Gritting my teeth, I was able to pull myself up from the ground enough to see the street had been encased in a large, gray bubble of empty light.
I felt the familiar pull of a familiar panic. She’s going to try to supernova!
Over the course of the many battles we’d held, both in fighting off demons and chasing monsters, as well as the final battles between Alküzor and Draco, I’d seen her power, and I knew what it could do.
My heart pushed at me, as if it was reminding me I’d always been able to stop it. It was that courage and faith that let me edge closer to her, as the black-colored light pushed back.
“Here,” Lucas called. His shield was back up. He edged his way toward me, while Lyra came over and helped me stand up.
“What’s going on?” Lyra asked. I could hardly hear her over the wind racing around us.
“Supernova,” I yelled back.
Lucas, clearly struggling to maintain his power, called out next. “Can you stop it?”
“I need to get to her,” I said. “Can you do that?”
“I can,” he said.
“Let me help,” Lyra said. She placed one of
her hands on Lucas’ shoulder. A second later, a blue-violet glow emitted from her, channeling her power to the shield.
With the help of the kids, it was much easier to get to Raiya than I expected.
I came up to her, grabbing her hand just as Lucas and Lyra’s power ceased.
“Here,” I called, grabbing onto Lyra’s hand. She took hold of Lucas’ hand, and together, under the extreme duress of Raiya’s attack, we managed to stand.
I saw Lucas reach out and take a hold of Raiya’s other hand.
Raiya faltered at his touch.
“Please,” I said, “please, don’t leave me again.” My hand dug into her shoulder, gripping onto her for my balance as much as for my pleading.
I was about to lean in and kiss her when her power began to recede.
Instead of flickering out and dying a gradual death, the power burst out all at once, like a lukewarm explosion clearly cut off but confused.
“Augh!” I yelled, angrily, as I was thrust away by the blast. I grimaced as my body hit the ground hard then ricocheted off the sidewalk.
Away from me, on the other side of the street, Lucas and Lyra were also getting up from the ground. I saw Lyra run over to Lucas and give him a burst of her healing power.
Blinking past the dusty debris in my eye, I saw that Raiya had returned to her normal self. Her head was resting in her hands as she stood there. I watched as unrelenting shame and disappointment discharged around her.
“Raiya,” I called, my voice pushed back and quiet against the black and burning streets.
She didn’t seem to hear me. Or maybe she did, and that was why she turned away and headed off before I could stop her.
I stood up slowly, wiping the dust and seeping blood off me as best as I could.
At least this time, I had a feeling I knew where she was going.
“Are you okay?” Lyra asked, coming up to me as she held out her hand.
I took it and felt a rush as the pain in my body was absolved. “Thank you,” I said.
“Come on,” Lucas called. “I think we can catch her!”
“No.”
The words were frazzled and harsh against the silence surrounding us. Lyra and Lucas both looked at me, surprised and appalled, as I denied them their request for an adventure.
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