The Star Caster

by Jamie Loeak

  Sterren walks out just as I’m tracing the jagged edges of the stone wall. He looks at me, his grey eye shimmering in the light that falls out of the bathroom. I smile back, trying hard not to lower my gaze. I know that he’s got that amazing body, those muscles and abs. There is no need to let him know that I appreciate them, though. I’m sure he already knows anyway.

  “Are you ready?” he asks as his eyes drift to my tattoo. I watch as he lowers them further, his eyes firmly planted on my lips. I lick them nervously, not quite ready to answer him. I’m afraid that my voice will quiver.

  Sterren smirks knowingly and reaches out to trace my jaw with his knuckle. “I’ve been waiting for you,” he whispers huskily. “I have been waiting for you for a while.”

  I swallow, still unable to speak. His fingers move, tracing down the length of my neck, trailing my collarbone like soft feathers. His sensuous mouth is held taut; his eyes are focused on my body. As his fingers trail back toward my neck, his hand opens, and his palm is now pressed against my neck as he pulls me into him. I close my eyes.

  “We said that the Star Casters were getting too close,” Val teases from behind me.

  Sighing, I pull back and open my eyes. Fine, then. They could have it their way. “Let’s go,” I say to Sterren before I turn to follow Val back down the hallway.

  “You will be training in the dungeon,” Val states. “Then, when the sun falls, we will take you out of here and test your abilities.”

  “Don’t you already know what they are?” I ask.

  Val laughs instead of responding.

  Sterren finds my hand and squeezes it as we emerge from the hall. “Each Caster has different abilities. For example, some wishes are granted within minutes, while others are granted after a few hours, or even days,” he says.

  That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Who cares when the wishes come true? Weirdos, I think. Instead, I say, “That’s fascinating.”

  Sterren rolls his eyes. He knows that I’m lying to him, but he continues anyway. “Some Casters have the ability to grant illegal wishes, too.”

  That sparks my interest. “Illegal wishes?”

  “Oh yes,” Ego interrupts with a grin. He lifts his hands up again and taps his fingertips together in a devious motion. “There are three illegal wishes. One,” he says as he lifts one finger. “You cannot bring people back from the dead. Two: you cannot make anyone fall in love with another person.”

  Val giggles. “And three,” he says mischievously. “You cannot murder another.”

  I gulp. Oh no.

  Yes.

  I shake my head furiously. “Do you honestly think that’s me?” I ask. “A future lawyer?”

  Ego laughs this time. “Job choices don’t matter.”

  “But morals do,” I claim.

  “Your morals don’t matter any longer. You are someone that is meant to be used. You are a tool. You don’t make decisions for yourself any longer.”

  I yank my hand from Sterren’s grip and place both on my hips. I am about to go white-girl-crazy on this weirdo. He seriously needs to be committed or something. I raise my right hand automatically, something that I always do when I’m pushing to get my point across. “Listen up, Crazies,” I start to say.

  Then, Sterren clears his throat, interrupting my train of thought.

  I turn and glare at him, because no one interrupts me when I’m trying to win a case.

  Sterren just shakes his head. And just like last time, it pulls me back. I take a deep breath and focus on releasing my pent up anger as I exhale. Breathe in and let it all out.

  “Let’s go,” he says as he grabs my hand. I mumble assent and turn from Ego and Val. I follow Sterren as he leads me back into the dungeon.

  “Am I supposed to just let them use me?” I ask him.

  Sterren keeps walking deeper into the darkness. “We do what we must, Danika. We focus on our survival as of now.”

  I sigh inwardly.

  Sterren stops, sensing my unrest. He turns and looks into my eyes. I look back into his, wishing that he would show his gold one. Why does he insist on wearing his hair so that no one can see it?

  “We do need them to survive,” Sterren says. “Why? Because they are the only way out of the tomb.”

  “How?” I ask seriously. “There’s no secret password is there? Probably not. So, why can’t we just run? We could wait until they left us.”

  “I don’t even know how to get out of here,” he says slowly, carefully. He looks down at the ground as he admits this, like I would be angry.

  My jaw does drop, but I hold it together. Of course he didn’t know where we were or how to leave. They didn’t trust him, and they were right not to have done so.

  Sterren looks back up at me slowly. “I’m sorry that I can’t save you,” he says. “But,” he adds, “there is always a way to escape.”

  “How?” I beg him.

  Sterren lifts his hand and taps the side of his head. “Your imagination is stronger than anything. It saves all enslaved Star Casters. There, we can create our own worlds.”

  I scoff at him, almost enraged that he has tricked me.

  But all Sterren does is nod. “Let me show you,” he says as he takes both of my hands and pulls me further into the dark tunnel.

  When we stop, he bends to grab the oil lamp that barely flickers. He pulls out a vial of oil that has been concealed in his jeans pocket and replenishes the lamp.

  I watch him move. He is quick in his movements, purposeful but quick. He has such a nice body that I could watch him work or move all day. I wouldn’t really care what he did. I would just watch. I sigh as I let these thoughts sink in. They torture me and I bite my lower lip, uncertain of everything right now. I need this to end soon, this uncertainty.

  Sterren turns around and smiles knowingly. He reaches his hand out and pulls me down until we are seated around the light. The orange glow casts a shadow over his face, drawing the attention to his mouth. Gosh, I want to kiss it; I want to kiss him until I’m dizzy.

  “Wishes,” Sterren starts. “Obviously you know that we grant three wishes per captor. The people that use us for their bidding do not own us. We are merely their captives. Then, once they earn their three wishes, we are set free from them, and they can never use us again.”

  “So, I’m guessing that Star Casters don’t live in lamps.”

  Sterren shakes his head and laughs. “Never have.”

  “Then how are we even captured? It’s not like they can take our lamps.”

  “We can be captured like all others. When I was captured by Ego and Val, I was in hiding. The last of the Star Casters were in a safe haven. Humans had become greedier with their wishes and wants. After using us for their third wish, they would kill us.”

  “Why the hell would they do that?”

  “Don’t forget that they are unable to use us again.”

  So stupid. Seriously idiotic humans. “Wait a minute,” I say. “You said that Ego and Val were your masters. But you said that the human doesn’t own us. I don’t understand it at all.”

  “If your captor manipulates his wish, forces you to stay with him, then he is your master. Thankfully, most humans don’t realize they can do this. Instead, they are focused on their immediate wants and wishes. Since Ego and Val asked for me to be by their sides forever, they are my masters.”

  Wonderful. And they wanted to keep me for forever, too.

  “How long have Ego and Val kept you here?” I ask as I start to figure things out. “How long have you lived here?”

  Sterren shrugs. “It’s probably been ten years. I’ve lost count over time.” He is looking down at the ground when he says this, and I can sense his feeling of helplessness. He has given up on being his own man. And who knows how long he’s had to think about this.

  “Sterren?” I ask quietly. “How old are you?”

  “Star Casters stop aging.” He says this statement simply, and I realize that I already know this.
He told me this when he told me about Ego and Val’s second wish, their wish to remain by his side forever. I don’t even bother asking him when he was born, because it doesn’t really matter anyway. All that matters is that he will be here with me, forever. And that makes this whole dilemma easier to handle, easier to live with.

  So, I look down at myself, at my hands, since that’s all I can see right now. I can’t believe that I’ll stay like this for the rest of my life. And that means that I can’t do anything I ever set out to do. I can’t be a lawyer. I can’t be free.

  “Danika, I’m sorry that this happened to you.”

  My lower lip trembles as I try not to start crying. I shake my head to destroy the helpless feeling that has made its way inside my chest.

  But Sterren has moved, closing the space between us. His hands move to frame my face and I look up into his eyes. Instead of focusing on my thoughts, I reach up and move his hair from his eye. There, underneath his golden eye, is the faint outline of the star tattoos that I have. My fingers trail along his cheek, tracing his beautiful tattoos. I let my fingers move so that they follow the sensuous curve of his lower lip, of his strong jaw. Sterren’s eyes flutter until they shut, and that is when I push the boundaries and press my lips to his.

  At first, Sterren is frozen, unsure of my intent. However, he is a guy, and he isn’t going to push me away. So, he kisses me right back. And when he does, a slam, much like a firework, forces its way down my spine. I whimper, but hold on to the kiss so that it doesn’t end. Sterren doesn’t seem to want it to end either, and he moves, pulling me into his lap. He changes the kiss, taking it from slow and intense to pure amazing.

  When the kiss ends, I’m breathless.

  “I never expected something like that from you,” Sterren pants. He wipes his mouth and leans back, his hands resting on the hard ground. His wears a small, yet satisfied smile.

  I find myself blushing, but I clear my throat to speak. “I’m capable of all kinds of things,” I say with a smile. “That is one thing I’ve learned from all of this.”

  “You are capable of doing anything,” Sterren says as he leans forward and pulls my hand in his. He runs his fingers along my palm, creating tingling sensations that shoot up my arms and into my heart.

  I swallow before speaking. “Thank you,” I say. I bite my lip before continuing, because I’m afraid that it’ll quiver. “That really means a lot to me,” I say when I control my emotions.

  Sterren continues, “It’s true.”

  I sigh and roll my eyes. “You hardly know me, Sterren.”

  “I know that you were confident enough to tell me about your capabilities. So, that leads me to believe that they are true.”

  “Okay,” I say as I pull my hand away and stand up. “Let’s start this training thing,” I add in mock excitement. I shrug and take a deep breath, waiting for him to stand up beside me. When he doesn’t stand, immediately, I look at him.

  Sterren smiles up at me and holds his hand out expectantly.

  I roll my eyes again but help him up, even though his smirk makes me want to let him go in the middle of it.

  “Thank you,” he says when he’s standing; it makes me take back my previous thought, and when he holds his hand out, I take it. “So,” he says as he pushes my hair behind my ear, exposing the star tattoos, “these are your tattoos. They are not only symbolic of the three wishes, Danika. They are the three wishes. That is why I don’t have any more.”

  “Oh,” I whisper.

  Sterren nods but stands tall. “I don’t mind,” he says with a shrug. Then, he sighs, further proof that he is lying. “Anyway,” he continues, “in order to grant a wish, you must cast a star. You do that by casting one of your star tattoos into the sky. Then, the human makes his or her wish.”

  “Whoa,” I interrupt. “You’re talking about shooting stars.”

  “Yes,” Sterren says matter-of-factly. “That was where the phrase was coined.”

  “I almost can’t believe that. This is just too weird.”

  “Let’s practice,” Sterren says. Then, he pushes away from me, ready to simultaneously show me and tell me how to cast stars. “First, you take your first star. To do that, you just touch your tattoo and drag it from your cheek.” Sterren shows me what this is like by touching his cheek and pulling his index finger down and across it, until he ends up at his strong jaw line. After that, he acts like he’s pulling the star from his skin by using his thumb to grab what would have been the underneath part of it. Then, he looks me in the eye and nods his head. “Your turn,” he says as he lets go of his imaginary star tattoo.

  I look into his eyes, noting the sadness there. He’s upset, sad that we can’t really share this moment. I bite my lower lip, feeling the need to comfort him with them, feeling the need to kiss him roughly. But, I swallow and push the emotion down, knowing that it’s time to focus; Ego and Val aren’t going to let me sit around here all day long.

  So, I nod my head instead of listening to my heart. I lift my hand up and touch the star closest to the outer corner of my eye. I swallow, thinking that it will tear my skin like a real tattoo would. But, when my fingers graze the edges and pull it to the side, it doesn’t sting. Instead, it tingles and burns slightly. It feels like a sparkler has just gone off next to my skin; the feeling is a mixture of pleasure and exhilaration. Slowly, I pull it from my cheek and into my hand.

  I glance up at Sterren’s excited laughter. His eyes are bright and happy. When I look down, I know what caused his mood change.

  In my hand is a sparkling and glowing ball of light. Tendrils and flecks are falling from it and dropping to the ground. The sparks cause the ground to burst into a thousand colors before fading into black once more, and I can’t help but let my jaw fall.

  “Throw it,” Sterren whispers. “Throw it and watch it fly across the room.” I look up to see his beautiful face filled with the light of my star. I feel another surge of desire pulse through my veins, but look back down so that I can focus.

  Chapter 6

  I concentrate and do as Sterren says. I throw the glittering star out into the dark expanse in front of me. It moves in an arch, trying to reach for the sky. The light follows it, trailing behind my star like a rainbow. I watch in sad emptiness as it fails to make it up into the night, where it belongs. I feel much lonelier without it. It tugs at my heart and soul, and I pull my hands into fists to keep from reaching out for it.

  “It’s a part of you,” Sterren whispers.

  I glance at him, and the truth of Sterren’s words hits me like a bolt of lightning. “You feel this all the time,” I state; it’s not a question.

  Sterren nods slightly.

  This time, when my fists ball up, it’s not forced. I’m angry, angrier than I’ve ever been at Val and Ego. They stole this from Sterren. They stole his sense of completion, a piece of him that never existed until the moment they took the first star. And, on top of that, they weren’t ever going to give them back; they were just going to keep the stars forever, because they could. And I am not going to let that happen to me. No. I’m definitely not going to let that happen. And it will not continue to happen to Sterren; I will make sure of it.

  “Well, well, well,” Ego says from behind us. His voice is an excited happy, the kind that eager people get, the kind that leads to carelessness and broken things.

  I turn to watch his translucent fingers tapping each other menacingly. He looks like he has just broken out of an insane asylum. His grin mimics the Grinch’s, the way it curls up his face like a slimy snake.

  “She’s not ready,” Sterren says as he steps forward. His voice is pleading with Ego right now, and I swallow, knowing that they are starting to prepare their plan. And I am clearly not ready for this evil mess. I’m not ready to actually cast a star or grant a wish. I am not ready to listen to Ego’s puzzle words or Val’s non-crazy persona. I am scared out of my mind right now, because I know how this is going to end up – with me standing alongside St
erren, waiting for the next order from my masters.

  “She is ready enough,” Ego replies with a greedy smile. His voice pulls me from my reverie, and I stare at him, eyes wide and afraid. “Aren’t you?” he asks as he turns his black eyes on my face. He wears a smug smile that draws out thoughts of hatred and his death, and I am glad that he isn’t the one that reads thoughts.

  So, instead of speaking my mind – for once – I stand there, ignoring his question. I wish that Sterren could do something, but I know that he’ll be left to stand there like a zombie if he says one more thing to Ego. And I can’t risk that, so I won’t beg him to protect me now.

  You are, Star Caster. Tell me.

  I swallow, knowing that Ego is manipulating me, knowing that he’s trying to make me do what he wants. Thinking for myself is hard with him around. And of course, I do what he wants; I nod my head for him.

  “Good,” he says as he claps his hands.

  “You made her do that!” Sterren shouts as he steps forward angrily. “This is not right. She hasn’t got proper training!” There he goes, messing things up.

  Ego dismisses Sterren with a wave of his hand. “Oh shut up,” he growls. “This is not your concern any longer, Little Sterren. Val and I will take great care of Danika.”

  I turn back to Sterren, knowing that Ego’s words are trouble. He should have stayed silent; he shouldn’t have fallen into Ego’s manipulative trap.

  Ego smiles and I turn back to him. What was he going to do in response? He wasn’t just going to smile at Sterren’s words; I knew better than to think that. But he doesn’t do anything, and I fall into a false sense of relaxation. I shouldn’t have done that. I should have noticed the shadow lurking in the shadows behind Sterren, because Val, that sneaky bastard, jumps Sterren from behind.

  I scream for him to stop and rush forward, but Ego holds me back. I’m left to watch in horror as Val pulls Sterren off balance. His squat and massive frame is far too much for Sterren. And after Val successfully brings Sterren to his knees, he knocks Sterren over the head with something. I muffle a cry as I watch him lift up a large, blunt object that is covered with Sterren’s blood. He holds it, ready to strike Sterren again.