by Jamie Loeak
That is when Ego tosses me to the side like an old toy. He rushes forward, and large tears fall down my face as the twins pull Sterren into the cage that once housed me. All the while, I’m screaming at them to stop, screaming at them to let Sterren go.
I rush forward, yanking on their robes, hitting them, punching them. But they won’t stop. They won’t let Sterren go. “Why?” I cry. “Why are you doing this?”
“We need you to cooperate,” Ego says to me. He turns around and dusts his hands off. Then, he smiles down at me.
“I will cooperate,” I say. “Just let him go,” I nearly scream.
Val shakes his head as he comes around the corner. “We said that the Star Casters were getting too close,” he says warningly.
“Oh?” I say as I step back. “You’re blaming me?” I’m seriously in white-girl-crazy mode right now. And I’m about to wish that these damn twins were as good as dead. Too bad I can’t wish on my own star.
Val growls at me, and I know that I’ve sparked his crazy side again. His eyes glow as a flash of rage courses through his veins. Then, he goes into evil mode, with his chin touching his chest and his dark eyes looking up at me. “You just don’t listen,” he snarls.
I swallow and step back into Ego. Now, I’ve just made things worse by talking back to Val. And my thoughts don’t help me either, since I can’t hide them from him.
I stand there, ignoring Ego’s presence since Val is stalking me. I feel like a deer caught in headlights, because I can’t move at all. The only sound that comes to me is the familiar dripping of that water, and I close my eyes, ready to feel Val’s wild wrath.
Suddenly, Ego’s arms encircle me and grab my waist. “Val,” he says calmly. “Do not forget our purpose. We will end this once and for all.” Ego’s voice is serious, a warning, and I can’t help but wonder why he even works with his crazy brother.
But Val doesn’t listen. He continues to walk forward, hands outstretched. His smile plays across his lips, always changing but always meaning the same thing: death. He is coming to kill me.
I kick and scream in an attempt to escape, but Ego is too powerful for me. He keeps stepping backward, moving slowly away from Val, even though he should be moving much faster. Val is catching up to us.
“Val,” he warns again. This time, there is a hint of fear in his voice, and I stop struggling for a moment. I’m caught up in his fear and am afraid, knowing that he is as well. This must be something very dangerous.
So, I force myself to remain calm. And, eventually, I let Ego drag me from Val. We are moving farther away from Sterren, and I am glad that Val doesn’t notice him. If he’s set on killing me, then he would surely want to kill Sterren.
When Ego and I hit the edge of the pool of light, I shiver. No, this is not going to be good. In fact, it’s going to get worse now that the darkness will surround us. From here, I look up into Sterren’s sad and dangerous eyes. I know that Sterren won’t leave me here. He won’t leave me in the hands of the crazed twins. He won’t let Val hurt me. But I still say a silent goodbye as Ego pulls me into the darkness – just in case Sterren can’t save me this time.
Run.
I hear the voice in my head as Ego lets me go. For a moment, I am surprised, and I stand there until Ego’s hands grab my arms and shake me desperately.
He will come. Run.
I look into Ego’s fearful eyes and swallow before darting around him and into the black world around us. As I run, I stumble over the loose stones that lead me back up to the house. This is how I know I’m going in the right direction, and I continue pushing forward, forcing my muscles to keep moving. I’m tiring quickly, and darkness’ blindfold is making things worse, but I reach the door eventually. It’s open, and I wonder if it was left that way as I stumble into the dimly lit living area.
I turn back around and shut the door as a scream rings out in terror. I walk backwards until I sink down and huddle in a ball. I’m trapped here, stuck with one brother that is afraid of the other one. I’m alone, and Sterren is out there witnessing the horror that is going on. And the knowledge that the twins will return doesn’t make this better. So, I do what I can; I lay my head down and bawl, knowing that this may be my last chance.
Minutes later, when the tears have run dry, I sit up. The world around me is silent, and a flash of calm rushes through me. I am alone. I stand up suddenly, realizing that this is my one chance to escape, and I begin to slink toward the stairs, moving quickly but quietly. Sterren would want me to do this, I tell myself. He would want me to save myself.
I reach the third stair when someone grabs the back of my shirt. I stumble backward, get turned around in mid-fall, and land on my hands and knees. A sharp pain shoots up my arms and legs as I hit the stone floor, but I manage to turn over and toss Ego the middle finger before standing up and gathering my dignity. He really is a bastard.
Do not move.
I stay but cross my arms in protest. “You…” I start, but Ego shakes his head to stop me. Somehow, I’m forced to stop.
And then, I find out what’s going on. And it is worse, so much worse than I could have ever imagined.
Val comes limping in, and his grotesque scar is accompanied by a plethora of bruises. His lower lip trembles and blood is pooling around a mark near his left ear. What happened to him? I glance over at Ego, but he is pale and shaking; he did not do this to his brother. So, who did?
“Star Caster,” says a deep and rumbling voice. The owner of the voice is stepping through the doorway now, and I know who has hurt Val. An extremely large man is standing before me now. He is also wearing a cloak that covers most of his body, but I can still tell how strong he is, how capable he is of breaking Val or Ego. And now I know that Ego wasn’t afraid of Val or his crazy tendencies; he was afraid of what was to come if Val let that part of him out.
“Star Caster,” repeats the large man. I look up to see a veil that blocks his face from my view, and I tilt my head to the side, wondering what he’s got to hide. I take a deep breath before speaking, because I’m afraid of making him angry.
“Yes,” I barely whisper.
“Your trainer is free from his cage. Go to him and finish your training before night falls. I will ensure that Ego and Val no longer bother you. And,” he says before turning toward his slaves, “I expect you to know what you’re doing when I next see you.”
My breath catches in my throat, but I nod before scampering out the door. I run blindly into the dungeon and smack into Sterren. He steadies me before grabbing my face and looking into my eyes. His are afraid.
I knit my brows together, concerned. “What?” I ask him. I stand there, waiting for the answer even though I’m afraid to hear it.
Sterren’s eyes fall to my mouth and he touches my lower lip with his thumb before looking back up and into my eyes. “I had no idea that Val and Ego were working for someone,” he admits before looking back down at my mouth. I can tell that he desperately wants me to kiss him, but I can’t right now; I need some answers. “Do you know who he is?” I ask him.
Sterren shakes his head, his eyes still not focused on me. His determination is beginning to pull me in, and I watch as he bites his lip seductively. He lifts his hand and trails his fingers across my chest, making sure to touch the skin that is exposed by my v-neck shirt. I shiver, and lose all thoughts about the new leader or his warning. Instead, I close my eyes and let Sterren’s fingers explore my upper body. He is careful not to touch me anywhere too intimate, but his hands on me feel amazing nonetheless.
Within seconds, my heart is racing and my breathing is coming quick. I lean my head back, ready to kiss Sterren with all of me. I’m ready for something amazing. And, when his lips touch mine, I fall into it.
When I pull back, panting, I close my eyes to relive the kiss. It was dizzying and messy; we were desperate for one another, for a connection that would take it all away. And we found it within one another. I could only imagine what it would feel like if I let
myself fall into something more than his kiss, and I open my eyes to chase that feeling away; I don’t need Sterren lusting for something more than a kiss right now. We still had to focus on my training.
I look up at Sterren’s bright eyes. I push his hair out of the way again, and look into his golden one, reminding him of our job without words.
Sterren sighs and holds his hand out to me. I take it, and we head back to where we were before – somewhere near the cage and the old, oil lamp.
“So, what else do I need to know about star casting?” I ask as we sit back down. The ground is cold, and Sterren moves closer to me so that I stop shivering. I lean against his side and he throws his arm around my shoulder. I feel like a normal girl with a normal guy for a moment, and snuggle into him.
“Well, you need to know the rules and the words to recite before granting a wish.”
I turn and look up at Sterren. “Okay,” I state. “Tell me.”
“There are two rules,” Sterren says after taking a deep breath. “The first is that you can never refuse a wish.”
“What happens if you try?” I whisper.
“Then you cannot be a Star Caster any longer,” he says.
I sit up and turn to face Sterren. Why hadn’t he mentioned this before? It would be so easy to end this thing.
Sterren just shakes his head, and I know that I wasted energy becoming hopeful. It wouldn’t be that simple. So, what happens if I refuse? “I’ll die?” I ask.
“Yes,” Sterren whispers.
I shudder at that thought. How do Star Casters even survive? I’m sure that some of them have wanted, even needed, to defy a captor’s orders. How did they live with themselves? How did they live at all? “But?” I murmur.
“You can do this,” Sterren says as he rubs my back affectionately.
No I can’t. I can’t even handle this news right now. There’s no way I’ll handle all of this pressure. This is crazy. But, I swallow and pretend to be strong. “What’s the second rule, Sterren?” I look into his eyes as I ask this question, because I’m prepared to hear anything.
“You must finish the three wishes once you’ve given up the first. It’s the only way to get your stars back,” he states.
“So, once someone captures me I’m pretty much under their control.” I look into his eyes, trying to force him to tell me the truth, because it doesn’t sound like it could get much worse.
Sterren looks up at the ceiling for a moment. He tilts his head back and forth as he aligns his thoughts. Once he figures out what he wants to say he looks back down at me. “You are very right, Danika. And I’m so sorry that you’re in this predicament. I wish it was me and not you,” he says as he lifts his hand up to touch my cheek. His eyes are saddened by this news, and I push myself up to comfort him with my kiss. We hold ourselves like this, lips touching lips in a sweet and innocent way.
I pull away at first but push forward to rub my nose against Sterren’s. He really is a sweet and caring man. And on top of that, he’s delicious. My heart falters as I realize what’s going on. I have feelings for Sterren. They might have stemmed from our connection, but I can feel them within my heart now. They are there on their own. And, I wonder if he feels the same way about me. Could he?
“Danika,” Sterren says huskily. “I can’t let them use you.”
I look up into Sterren’s eyes, knowing that he’s angry at himself. He is unable to save me now, and there’s nothing that either one of us can do about it. “We can do this together,” I say. But, I know that I can’t let them use him either. I would rather refuse their wishes.
“Let’s go over the words,” Sterren says to bring us both on topic. He moves, repositioning himself so that he can stand. He holds his hand out for me this time.
I stand up next to Sterren and watch his muscles flex and relax as he stretches. He lifts his hands toward the sky and his shirt lifts up again, exposing his abs. Oh gosh, he needs to stop doing things like that.
“Practice casting another star, first. Then, I’ll tell you what to say,” he says.
I lift my hand up and feel that same first star, the one that I practiced with earlier. “Wait,” I say. “I used this star; how is it back with me?”
Sterren smiles at me. “No one wished on it,” he answers.
“But I didn’t feel it come back. I never felt myself become whole again,” I state.
“It’s a gradual, slow feeling, one that we never really notice.”
I nod in answer and continue to pull the star from my cheek. When I am, once again, holding it in my hand, I look up at Sterren.
His eyes are filled with that same sadness, and I almost throw the star away in anger, knowing what it’s doing to him. But, I hesitate, and turn to cast it properly.
When the sparkling tail of light is gone forever, the same sense of loneliness envelopes me like a cloak. “What are the words?” I ask him.
“As your star is cast, I grant thee a wish,” Sterren says.
“That’s it?” I let my jaw fall open after speaking, because I was waiting for something spectacular. Instead, I am left with Sterren’s simple words.
Sterren shrugs. “It’s enough to get the human to start speaking his part,” he answers.
“Oh, that makes sense.” I relax then, with one knee bent and my hand on my hip, ready to hear what the humans had to say before making their wishes. I know that I don’t have to ask.
Sterren leans forward, pulling me into his next few words. I stand straighter, interested because of the new look on his face. He wears an expression that indicates both humor and sincerity. This is an odd expression, and I smile at him. He smiles back and reaches out to take my hands. “Now, don’t laugh,” he says to me.
I giggle and Sterren raises his eyebrow. “Sorry,” I say as I sober up. For some reason, I can already feel the laughter burning in my chest again. I’m a sucker for doing the opposite of what people want me to do. So, when Sterren says don’t laugh, I laugh. But, for him, I try to contain it as much as possible. I have a feeling that the words that the humans say are going to be just as plain as the words that I say, so it’s not difficult. However, there is the possibility that it’s something ridiculously stupid. In the end, I’m stuck pressing my lips together.
Sterren rolls his eyes at me. Then he begins to recite something. His voice is a soft whisper that floats around the room like the summer air.
“Star light, star bright – wishing star, you are mine.
I close my eyes at first sight and grant myself a wish tonight.”
I don’t laugh. Instead, a frown crosses my lips. This was obviously where that nursery rhyme came from. And I used to say it to myself all the time. Now that I know its true meaning, it is no longer a favorite. “That’s like finding the truth behind Ring around the Rosy, Sterren. It’s horrible,” I state.
Sterren answers by leaning over and pulling me into him. “I’m sorry,” he whispers into my ear. I smile, despite my current feeling of sadness, and close the distance between us. I cannot get enough of his mouth. The way it moves over mine, leading me, is exhilarating.
Sterren pulls back suddenly, his hands tangled in my hair. He looks me in the eyes, studying me. “Danika,” he says, “I need you to know something about us.” He holds my head, forcing me to acknowledge his words, and I do. “I meant it when I said that Star Casters are meant to be together. It’s an instinct, a call in our veins, our minds.”
I lean back a little. “And?” I ask.
“And I want to be with you. I didn’t lie when I said that I wanted you.”
“You can’t lie,” I say with a lazy smile.
Sterren sighs before continuing. “Danika,” he says with a laugh. Then, he leans forward and presses his full lips to mine.
Chapter 7
“It is time,” interrupts Ego’s voice.
I jerk back, startled by his presence. I didn’t even hear him come in. Then again, I was completely enthralled by Sterren’s mouth and hands. H
e is incredible, and I force myself to stop thinking about it. I gather myself and turn to face Ego, annoyed that he interrupted us.
“Now,” he threatens.
I sigh and pull myself away from Sterren. We both stand, and Sterren pulls me to his side. I’m standing, half beside and half behind him. I know that he won’t let me go this time. It’s too risky now.
“Come,” Ego says tiredly.
I turn and look at Sterren and notice a worried expression cross his features. His hand grips mine more tightly as we begin walking, and my heart begins to race again.
Be afraid of him. He is dangerous.
My eyes widen at Ego’s blatant warning. Oh no, if Ego is even warning me, this new guy must really be crazy, crazier even than Val is.
Do not lie to him.
I nod like Ego can see me, but he mumbles assent into my head, so I know he saw something.
And do not speak unless he tells you to.
This new guy is for real.
Up ahead, Ego’s silhouette is rising as he walks up the three stairs that lead to the door of his home. My heart, once again, begins racing. When he opens the door, the light that shines inside the living area blinds me, and I walk in unarmed. I’m not ready to face what lies before me, but I will struggle through it.
“Star Caster,” says the real leader. He is standing in the center of the room, arms crossed over his chest as he stares me down.
I take a deep, steadying breath before speaking. “Yes?” I ask in a small voice, one so small that I am almost sure that he cannot hear it. I force myself to look into his eyes, though; it is a sign of respect and strength, and I do not want him to think of me as weak.
“You have come to cast your star for us, but first we must go out into the night. We must find out what you, lone Star Caster, can do for us. Then, we will make our dreams come true.”
I shudder. I am not ready to do this. I will never, in a thousand years, be ready to do this. But, I gather my courage like I would a long gown, and respond. “Okay,” I say, even though my voice quivers.