Crystal Tomb (Starfire Angels: Dark Angel Chronicles Book 3)

by Melanie Nilles

  After a painful attempt to sit up, Elis let them help him. His chest ached so he had to drink in small sips, not the gulps he desired, but he downed the full bottle before he was ready to speak. After lying back down, he sighed away the pain of the healing hole in his chest and caught his breath.

  He explained how the Inari had come by the Starfire over six thousand Earth years ago. The entities were in their universe to explore and record, but they destroyed other species who abused their power. They had spared the Inari when that power was to be abused once and, instead, shattered into the shards to stop a potential catastrophe. In the process, that energy was linked to Inari genetics to facilitate communication with the entities of the shards. Those bearing the greatest power were Keepers and bore the Starburst marks on the palms and backs of their hands, which allowed them to release the energy for different uses.

  "I don't know how it returned to our world." There, they knew about the crystal, except about the disaster Heffin's Gate could cause, although he wondered if it should be used to protect their world if species like the Risaal threatened it.

  "But it is scattered now."

  "Yes." And they would never get their hands on it. The closest shard was Raea's.

  The Risaal stepped away into the darkness with the woman he guessed to be the Risaal medic he had awakened to. Their voices whispered in the strange language.

  Elis closed his eyes and listened, but even with his interpretation skills, he could only translate a few of the guttural sounds and clicks of the alien language, basic forms used frequently. In time, he could learn their language, but he didn't have time.

  If only he could heal faster; but that Raea had been able to save him had been enough. Now he needed to delay them getting to her. Whether he survived or not didn't matter, as long as she was safe. He had come to that world with the order to protect Padina's child and he would give his life for her.

  The two quieted and their steps tapped again and stopped nearby.

  "You are considered angels by humans."

  And the Risaal would likely be seen as demons. "You've done your homework."

  "Yes. And from our research, your kind appears throughout human history. How do you travel between worlds?"

  Not the question he'd hoped to answer. "How did you?"

  "We were caught in the Miru slipstream. I can only guess they have allied themselves with you."

  Wrong summation, but it saved Elis from revealing the greatest power of the Starfire.

  Wait. They were caught in the Miru slipstream? When was that?

  At the image piecing together, his heart thudded against his chest, which ached. They couldn't have been on Earth all that time.

  "When did you come?" I have to know.

  "Twelve thousand years ago, we pursued the refugees from your world when we detected the D'Nuvar on the Miru vessel. Our ship was not built for their slipstream or any such travel. In a damaged vessel, we had no choice but to go into hibernation for a year to reach Earth. We crashed and the system never woke us, but your kind had the Miru to help you. Obviously, the refugees returned, or some of them did."

  They'd slept on Earth in some form of stasis for twelve thousand years? That explained the intense interest in the Atlantis monolith—it told the story of the refugees they had pursued across the universe.

  As for the Miru, he'd leave the Risaal to believe what they wanted about that. The less he revealed about the Starfire's capabilities, the better. They had seen enough.

  The slits on the Risaal's face widened and narrowed. "I will explain nothing more. Tell me where the shards on Earth are."

  Shards? He couldn't have heard right. "Raea has the only one."

  The Risaal stepped away with the woman and exchanged words with her in that strange language. From the little he could decipher, Elis made out nothing that could help him, except a word that sounded like eye.

  He must have been thinking too much about the Eye. First the reference to protectors and now the Eye? It was all in his head, or he hoped it was. The Risaal couldn't possibly know about the Eye. Could they?

  The two hushed. While the Risaal returned to his side, the woman left, the door clicking behind her.

  "What happened to the pieces of the D'Nuvar?"

  "The Starfire is safe. Its power will never be misused again." Or so he hoped.

  The Risaal let out a faint hiss and stood tall. "You will tell me your secrets, Inari, if you care about your mate."

  Raea! They wouldn't. They needed her to handle the crystal.

  The four slits on the Risaal's face opened wide and narrowed again. He disappeared into the shadows, but the opening of the door briefly lit around his profile.

  Elis watched the light cut off and let out a heavy sigh. "Raea." As soon as he could move, he'd find his way back to her, hopefully before it was too late.

  Feedback Clue

  Raea opened her eyes, the last images burned in her vision fading to darkness. A faint light highlighted the features of a small bedroom. Feelings of warmth and comfort rose with the familiarity of her surroundings. A computer hummed softly on a desk in one corner and a full-length mirror took up the other at that end of the room. A dresser with a few items on the top stood on one side of the bed on which she lay, a corkboard cluttered with pictures of her and her closest friends hanging on the wall next to it. On the other side of the bed was the door a couple steps away. Next to her bed, a clock on a small table with glowing green digital numbers showed 6:35.

  Was it real or a dream?

  She pinched herself—ow. Possibly real. Atlantis had felt real too, but it had been a memory of another Inari. This was a memory of Raea Dahlrich. She was Raea. What had happened to the lady? Had she even been real?

  [I am here, and you are not dreaming.]

  Raea startled in her bed. Lady Atia?

  In her right hand on her pillow, she held her crystal shard with the small black feather. A Starburst mark splashed over her palm with rays winding to her fingertips and wrist. That was her hand holding her shard.

  Then she was home and awake in her own room.

  But that meant—

  Vivid memories rushed back, sinking her heart and threatening tears from the choke of emotions. Images returned in distinct clarity of the night she escaped the Risaal. Elis had…

  Tears burned her eyes and she pressed her face into her pillow to stifle the sobs.

  No. He couldn't be gone. This was an ordinary day.

  Yes. Just another day. She sniffed and wiped away the tears. Clean up, get dressed, eat, and go wake him. He'll be there…He must be.

  Emotions clogged her throat, but she willed her body to move from the bed.

  A heartbeat after she stood, a wave of dizziness made her sit down. Raea groaned and waited for it to pass before trying again, this time rising more slowly.

  That was weird, but given her nightmares, not unexpected. If they were nightmares, why was she dressed?

  "It's not real," she whispered. It couldn't be.

  [I'm sorry, Raea.]

  "Shut up!" She didn't want it to be real. She wanted to see him. She wanted her life to be normal.

  She opened her door to a silent house. Not even her cousin Dave had awakened yet to steal the shower. Good.

  Raea crossed the hall to the bathroom and locked the door with a sigh of relief. She had it all to herself, and it felt good. For a while, she stepped into her old routine and old mindset. She was Raea, preparing for another day of school. Except she was done with school. She and Elis had been excused from finals and she had to finish her speech.

  Elis…Damn. She must have gotten shampoo in her eyes; they stung. The hot water couldn't wash it away. It couldn't wash away the truth. This was not a normal day. Elis was dead.

  Oh, God. He was dead. She would never see him again.

  Tears mixed with the water spraying her face. He was gone.

  She was alone.

  Through the sobs, she somehow managed to turn
off the shower and dry herself.

  The crying woman in the vanity mirror wore a crystal with a small black feather. Raea wiped her eyes long enough to stroke the wet feather. It had lost its fluff, but it had not lost its meaning. She would never remove it, all that remained of him.

  Who knew what the Risaal would do with his body.

  She shuddered and secured the towel around herself. They would likely return for her. She wasn't safe there. She had to leave, to hide somewhere. But where? Anywhere she went, she would be alone and miserable. Maybe it was best if she gave the Risaal what they wanted, even if they killed her. It would spare her the trouble of fighting the Shirukan.

  [You must be strong.]

  "Shut up," she grumbled. This was her life. She would make the decisions, not a long dead royal pain stupid enough to think a crystal was worth her life.

  [For him, Raea.]

  Dammit. She didn't need to hear that. She knew already. "Leave me alone." A stinging vine of guilt tightened around her grief, stealing her resolve. Atia had suffered more than she and deserved sympathy, but it didn't take away the pain of losing the person she loved more than anything.

  Raea sniffed and wiped her eyes, her wet hair cold on her bare shoulders. Upon opening the door, the cold of the house sent a chill through her. She hurried to her bedroom and shut the door.

  Silence engulfed her, leaving her alone with the images of that horrible night.

  No. Leave me alone. She needed something else to occupy her. She needed a purpose.

  Raea hurried to dress in clean clothes and rushed down stairs, her feet hammering the steps.

  "Huh?" A familiar head popped up from the sofa, halting her tromp across the dining room.

  "Josh?"

  "Raea?" He blinked and jumped to his feet, alert in an instant. "Oh, my gosh! Raea. You're awake." He rushed to embrace her, his arms pinning hers to her sides.

  A disagreeable odor made her wrinkle her nose. "I'm all right, Josh." She pushed him off and took a step back, glad to be out of the air around him.

  "Raea. I was so worried."

  Her brain caught up to seeing him there, and she wasn't surprised. He had insisted she come home from Evelyn's to clean up and eat. "Thanks for looking after me."

  His smile warmed through her. "I—We were all afraid you would never wake up."

  "Why? How long was I out?" How long had she been dreaming of Atia?

  "Over two days."

  Two days? No wonder her stomach grumbled fiercely. Still, she would have sworn more time had passed. "And you stayed here all this time?"

  "I didn't want to leave, but you were like…catatonic or something. Not even Nare could wake you." He lowered his voice and leaned close. "She tried through the Starfire."

  "Nare?" Elis's cousin had come?

  "What?" The groggy voice from the area of the sofa sounded familiar.

  A head of short, light blue hair appeared. Nare.

  Icy blue eyes blinked in surprise. "She's awake?"

  "Nare?"

  She stood and stretched. "Yeah, it's me. Debbie called and said you wouldn't wake up." She dropped her arms, her hands covered by blue fingerless gloves like the black ones Elis used to wear to cover his Starburst marks.

  Raea hiccoughed on a sob and caught her breath.

  Josh pulled her near and she didn't care about the unwashed body odor. "Sssh…We're here for you."

  Choked on the tears, she said nothing and buried her face in his shoulder.

  "I'm sorry." Nare's gentle voice came from close by her. "They told me what happened. He was a good Keeper, and he loved you very much."

  Grief struck her hard at Nare's words and the tears flowed heavier. Nare meant well, for once complimenting Elis. Why couldn't she have been nice to him when he was alive? Why did people wait until that one person was gone to express their admiration or appreciation?

  Nare was Elis's cousin and the only family he had on Earth. Raea would have expected her to be a little friendlier to him while he was alive, but it took his death to change her.

  After some time, Raea stood back and wiped her eyes, sniffing to clear her head. Nare smoothed Raea's wet hair from her face, a sympathetic expression welling with tears in her eyes until she pulled Raea close amid the sniffling of her own crying.

  A strength she hadn't expected calmed Raea. Nare cried over Elis, a sincere expression of grief that soothed Raea's anger and alleviated her own grief.

  "I can't believe he's gone," Nare whispered. "They're all gone now."

  His family? The Shirukan had taken his parents and his sister and her mate two years ago for the Starfire shard his father bore. The entire family was now dead.

  "What's going on…" The voice came from upstairs.

  Raea pulled away to see Debbie at the top of the stairs.

  "Raea! You're awake." Her feet pounded quickly in her rush down the steps and across the laminate floor. In her nightgown and robe, she flung her arms around Raea. "Are you all right? What happened? Oh, God. You're finally awake. I was so worried."

  Unlike Josh, Debbie stepped back and waited for her to answer. The others watched Raea with the same interest. They wanted to know about her vision? She had almost forgotten about Atia, who had fallen silent since her shower.

  "I was…in a vision."

  "That must have been some vision," Josh said. "Two days?"

  "It was…I saw the founding of Atlantis."

  Josh's eyes widened. "The Atlantis? How?"

  She held up the Starfire pendant with the black feather—Elis's black feather—and took a breath to calm herself. "Lady Atia. She and her son Lantis escaped the Risaal and…" Dared she tell them? They all knew about the Starfire first used to power Heffin's gate but not the first one. What would happen if anyone learned about a whole other crystal intact within the monolith?

  Josh jumped into the expectant silence, saving her the trouble. "You said the Risaal captured you and Elis."

  "Yes—"

  "And they're an ancient enemy of the Inari." Josh looked up at Nare, but she shrugged.

  "Never heard of them."

  "I'm not surprised," Raea said. "That was twelve thousand years ago and the homeworld was devastated. The first emissary to the Risaal homeworld was given a gift the Risaal demanded back and they attacked in retribution."

  Nare shook her head. "I never heard of anything like that in our history." She shrugged and wiped her eyes. "But our records don't go back that far, I don't think."

  "I'm not surprised. It was twelve thousand Earth years."

  "Likely not then. I think ours only go back about eight thousand Inari years."

  "Then it is possible," Josh said.

  Nare looked to Raea. "With the Starfire, anything is possible, although I didn't know we had it back then."

  Raea breathed easier, the distraction of Lady Atia's story calming her emotions. For a while, the pain in her heart faded and she could focus again.

  "So, the Inari founded Atlantis?" Debbie looked to Nare, who only shrugged.

  "Yes," Raea answered. Why did Debbie always doubt her? "I saw it, but it was the city of Atia and Lantis."

  "What was it like?" Josh asked.

  "I—" Raea caught the warning in Debbie's gaze and glanced up the stairs. Her cousins. They didn't know any of this. She shouldn't even have said what she did in the open. "I'll tell you later. We shouldn't be talking about any of this here."

  "Later, as in…" Josh motioned with his head in the direction of the yellow house next door.

  "Yes." Evelyn knew everything and lived alone. They could meet there.

  "Besides, you might want to run home and change before later comes." Raea waved the air from her face, remembering Josh's teasing a couple days ago when she'd returned.

  One corner of his mouth lifted; he remembered. "Only if you promise to eat."

  Raea put a hand to her middle, which ached for food. She might not eat much, but she needed something. "I will."

  "All ri
ght. I'll meet you at Mrs. Johnson's soon." He offered a quick hug and rushed to the door. After slipping his shoes on, he hesitated with his hand on the door knob. "Take care of her."

  "I will," Nare and Debbie both said.

  Josh smiled and left them, the door thumping shut behind him.

  "Now," Debbie said, "What do you two want?"

  Raea's insides twisted with the torment of her grief still fresh. "Not much."

  Debbie put an arm around her and gave a gentle squeeze. "I understand." Her partial embrace and the kiss on Raea's head filled some of the loneliness.

  "Same here," Nare murmured. She pulled out a chair at the table and sat down, dropping her head in her hands. "I didn't want to believe it."

  While Debbie pulled out a pot in the kitchen, Raea sat down with her and dropped a hand to Nare's closest hand. Their fingers tightened in a firm grip of shared grief.

  "Tell me what happened. Debbie and Josh tried, but…I want to hear it from you."

  If she could get through it, Raea would tell her the story.

  "Keep it down." Debbie set a spoon on the counter with a clatter and hushed her voice. "Voices echo. I hope they are still sleeping."

  Nare's eyes glazing with tears begged for sympathy and she pulled off one of her gloves to expose her Starburst mark. "Will you show me?"

  The Starburst mark was smaller than Raea expected, smaller than even Elis's marks. Somehow Raea had expected more from Saffir's granddaughter.

  "I…"

  "Please. I want to know."

  Raea hesitated. "I haven't learned how to connect to the mind of another."

  "Then don't. Just remember those last moments. I'll just see them."

  It sounded easy, but it was so intimate. One could expose their entire lives to another, every moment, even those they wished to keep hidden, like the shame of ignoring Elis for two years or the most arousing moments of their time together.

  "I'm sorry. It's personal for you."

  Raea's hand clasped onto Nare's before she second-guessed herself. "Do it." Nare would finally realize how generous and brave her cousin was, something she had never acknowledged. Raea would show her.

  "Think back," Nare whispered.

  Raea struggled against the agony of her heart but remembered their escape from the complex. Sensations flooded back in perfect clarity since the bathroom escape. She saw herself kill Risaal and their escape through the emergency hatch. The pain of growing her wings warmed through her, but not with the searing sharpness of the actual process. Then she saw it and choked—the blast hit Elis.