“If he comes back for you,” Darto mumbled under his breath.
“What is that you say?” Malton growled.
“If he comes back.” Darto rolled his shoulders back. “You never know with King.”
“He always comes back for me.” Malton raised his chin. “I am his most prized being.”
“Yes, he enjoys you. But why are you here? What is he really doing? You think he’ll ever truly fight with his warriors? There’s more of a chance of Angie doing that than King.”
Uh, what? Fighting in an actual battle was not what I signed up for. I had absolutely no training or skills in that department.
“Of course he will. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here. Would I?” Malton situated himself so he was standing between my legs.
I felt kind of bad for the little dog. Despite his booming voice, he was such a tiny thing. I bent down and scooped him up. He licked my face. I pulled him away.
Darto laughed. “He’s got you wrapped around his finger. Or paw. He doesn’t actually have fingers, does he?”
Malton growled.
“Okay. That’s enough. Can’t we at least agree to get along for a few days?” I was running out of patience.
Kelby cocked his head to the side. “A few days? You think this is all going to be over in a few days?”
“A week then?” I really hoped this didn’t take too long. I needed to see my parents and get back to school.
“Try weeks. Or months. Or maybe even years.” Kelby watched me.
“Years!” I screamed. “No. You can’t be serious.”
“Does she want us to lie to her?” Darto asked.
Kelby shrugged. “Sometimes it’s hard to tell.”
2 Angie
My ears were ringing, and my head throbbed. I couldn’t see straight. Years? Had Kelby really just said this might take years? Years would mean getting back to Earth in my mid-twenties. That wasn’t okay. Not at all. I tried to steady my breathing. I wanted to run outside and get fresh air, but that wasn’t an option as we were flying through space.
“Okay. Calm down. Everything is going to be okay.” Kelby reached out for me. I stepped back, smacking my head into the rail of my bunk bed.
“Ow.”I rubbed my head. When was this craziness going to end? “Did you really say years? Because I can’t be here for years.”
“How about we change the subject? We can pretend for a few days if you want.” Darto smiled.
“Pretending isn’t going to help anything.” Besides, this wasn’t the kind of thing I could pretend about.
“But there’s no reason to worry yourself needlessly. It might be much sooner.” Darto pushed out his lips in a way that made me think he was blowing some invisible bubble.
“I have to get home. Graduation. My parents.” There were more reasons than that, right?
“Your parents aren’t at home.” Kelby’s voice was neutral, giving no hint as to what he thought about the whole situation.
“No, but they should be. Who knows how they are doing, since Ella and Etan wouldn’t let us see them.”
“Because it would have destroyed the mirage.” Darto sighed. “Really, Delthea. You need to start understanding there are more important things in the world than you.”
“Ugh! You need to learn that too.”
“And besides all that,” Kelby’s voice fell to a lower octave. “If we fail you have no home.”
“Please stop.” Maybe pretending things were less crazy wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
“In all seriousness, Angie. I hope you are ready for this.” Kelby stretched his arms above his head.
“Ready for what exactly?”
“The others.”
“They’re going to be worse than you guys?” I really hoped he’d say no.
“Oh, possibly much worse. Not everyone. But some.”
“Fantastic.” Yes, pretending was sounding better and better.
I closed my eyes. I needed all of this to disappear. I needed to be back at school before Noah called me to tell me about his problem.
“Malton, you need to do something,” Kelby snapped.
“Why me?” Malton whined. “You are the one who upset her in the first place.”
“You are a dog. Dogs help calm people. Do your job.” Kelby reached out for me again, but he dropped his hand to his side at the last minute.
“Since when do dogs calm people?” Malton lay down. “I’d ask if this is an Earth thing, but you are not from Earth.”
I let go of my throbbing head and looked down at the small dog.
Kelby ignored his questions. “Dogs calm people. Calm her.”
“Fine.” Malton stretched as he stood up.
I shook my head. “Nope. I don’t need you.”
“Yes, you do.” Malton gave me puppy dog eyes.
“You didn’t want to help me. Don’t do something just because Kelby tells you that you have to.”
“It’s not that I didn’t want to. I didn’t know how. King doesn’t ask these things of me.” Malton walked over and stopped right in front of me.
“Oh yeah?” I knelt down. “Ever wonder why he says you need body heat?”
Malton’s tail twitched. “What do you mean?”
“You are a dog. You don’t need body heat. Maybe he likes your company. You provide him with comfort. That’s one of the reasons people have dogs your size.” I understood the appeal even though I’d never been a dog person.
“My size? You mean this big?” He appeared to be trying to straighten out his back.
Kelby snickered. I somehow managed to keep a straight face. “Yes, that big.” It may not have been his intention, but talking with Malton was calming me down.
“You see me for who I really am. I should have been born on Earth.” Malton’s brown eyes were wide and warm.
“How do you know you weren’t born on Earth?” Darto pulled up an invisible chair and sat down.
“What?” Malton spun around. “What is that of which you speak?”
“Come on, Malton. Do you believe your kind exists on all planets?” Darto crossed his legs.
“Dogs?” Malton scratched and itch.
Darto folded his hands in his lap. “Yes.”
“I suppose so. We are advanced beings.”
“King made you what you are. But at heart you are just a dog.” Darto studied his nails.
“Uh, what?” I glanced at Darto. Trying to follow.
Darto grinned. “Finally, something I know you want to know. We can bargain.”
“I’m not bargaining with you for anything. No chance.” Curious or not, I wasn’t stupid.
“I saw that light turn on in your eyes. You want to know what I’m talking about.” He pressed his elbows into his legs and leaned forward.
Kelby patted the air. “Easy there, Darto. We’re supposed to be calming her down.”
“Okay. I’m done.” I started toward the door. My room was starting to feel entirely too small.
“Done with what?” Malton followed at my heels. “You cannot be done with me. King made you promise.”
“I don’t mean you. I mean with being stuck in a room with all of you guys.”
“I’m a dog. Not a guy.” Malton padded after me as I entered the hall.
“Yes. And sometimes I think you all are dogs.”
“Take that back.” Kelby caught up with us. “You wouldn’t dare compare me to an animal.”
“You told me we were doing a lot of walking today. Let’s do that walking.” I was far too annoyed and confused to apologize when I wasn’t even sure I wanted to.
“Wait. I want to know what the blue one meant. Why did you imply I was alerted in some way by King?” Malton’s pitter patters stopped which I assumed meant Darto was following us.
Darto leaned down to get closer to Malton. “I won’t tell you unless Angie bargains with me.”
“What is it you want from her?” Kelby glanced over his shoulder.
I kept moving. I heard the p
itter patter again. It was strange I couldn’t hear anyone’s boots, but I could hear those little feet.
“I want to study her mind. Nothing much.” Darto caught up and walked alongside me. Kelby went to the other side. I was sandwiched. Malton was at my feet. I hoped I wouldn’t accidentally step on him.
“Nothing much?” I spat out. “It’s my mind.”
“She’s never going to agree with that.” Kelby bent over and picked up Malton. “And I’m not going to agree either.”
I was torn between being glad he was defending me and worried that he thought he had the right to agree or disagree with something that had to do only with me.
“Oh?” Darto chuckled. “You care about her mind?”
“Yes. She is gifted. We both know that. Her mind must be protected.”
“That’s the only reason you contest my request?” Darto leaned over me to look at Kelby. I slowed down hoping to get out of their sandwich.
Unfortunately, they both slowed.
“No.” Kelby shook his head. “But the other reasons aren’t of issue. Angie is right. We have more important matters to contend with.”
Darto let out a slow breath. “You two aren’t fun anymore.”
“Sorry to end your entertainment.” I stopped short to see how long they’d keep walking.
“That’s sarcasm.” Darto spun to look at me. “Don’t think I can’t see it from a mile away.”
“I wasn’t trying to hide it from you.”
“Someone tell me what I really am!” Malton bellowed from Kelby’s arms. “I am having an existential crisis here and none of you care. Not even Angie. That’s the one that hurts the most. I thought we had something special.”
“Something special?” I peered at the small dog.
“Yes. We sleep beside each other.”
“You sleep at the foot of my bed.” He wasn’t turning this into something creepy. I’d had enough of creepy.
“Still beside each other. You care for me whether you want to admit it or not.”
“True.” I was starting to care about the little dog. “But that doesn’t mean finding out your origin story is worth subjecting myself to Darto. I’m sorry.”
“Perhaps he’d bargain for something else.” He adjusted himself in Kelby’s hands. “You are very pretty. I am sure you have more to offer than your mind.”
“Ugh!” I glared at him. “You are just as bad as they are.”
“As they are?” Kelby set the dog down. “What did I do?”
“Please tell me there will be other women around today. I can’t take much more of this.”
“There will be.” Kelby looked relieved to be able to tell me something I wanted to hear.
“You aren’t just saying that?” I was suspicious of everything now. They’d been trying to calm me down after all.
“No. Not at all.” Kelby flexed in that nonchalant way of his that accentuated his muscles.
“She’s going to love the twins.” Darto nudged Kelby’s arm. “Isn’t she?”
“The twins?” I asked.
“Yes. They aren’t really twins of course, but that’s what they are called.” Darto put his hands in the pockets of his jumpsuit.
“Of course.”
“Are you still angry?” Malton looked up at me. “Or do you forgive me?”
“No implying anything like that again,” I scolded. He needed to understand I wasn’t going to put up with that for a second.
“I won’t. I am a dog. I follow instincts.”
“Follow your instinct to keep your mouth closed then.” I felt bad for the little animal, but that didn’t mean I was going to put up with disrespect.
“But that’s not my instinct. My instinct is to talk.”
I groaned. “Do you take everything literally?”
“He’s a dog,” Kelby stated the obvious. “So, yes. He does take things literally.”
“I feel like I’m in a nightmare.” I put my head in my hand. “An awful one I can’t wake up from.”
“You’re not. This is very real.” Darto’s voice was light.
“Thanks. I needed to hear that.” I took a few deep breaths and tried to compose myself. “Okay. Where are these twins?”
“Are we really that bad?” Darto didn’t sound quite as upbeat.
“Today you are.”
“Why?” He gazed into my eyes. “Why today?”
“I’m not answering that.”
He raised his chin. “The twins love me.”
“Okay, that just ruined my opinion of them.”
“I cannot imagine those twins can be nearly as lovely as you are.” Malton put his paws on my boots. “No one can match you.”
“Malton?”
“Yes?” He looked up.
“Quit trying to kiss up to me.”
“I don’t want you to get rid of me. What if Darto is right and King doesn’t come back?”
“He’s coming back.” There was no way I was going to be responsible for this talking dog forever. “But until he does you are safe with me.” Technically I couldn’t guarantee my own safety let alone his, but I’d do my best.
“Thank you.” He pawed at my legs. “Could I also get a ride?”
“You can’t walk?” Was he going to feign an injury or something to get my sympathy?
“Not as fast as you can. You have long legs.”
I glanced over at Kelby. My legs were positively short compared to his. But I guess when compared to Malton’s they were long. “Fine.” I bent down and picked him up.
Malton snuggled into my arms. “Perfect.”
“Like I said he’s got you wrapped around—"
“That’s enough,” I cut Darto off. “Where are we going exactly?”
“It’s more waiting until we latch onto their ship,” Kelby explained.
“And how long is that going to take?”
Kelby glanced down at his watch. “About thirty seconds.”
I was hit by genuine surprise. I expected him to say hours. “Now that’s an answer I’m happy to hear.”
Part 2
Noah
3 Noah
I had no idea where Angie was. Normally that wouldn’t have been a big deal, but as we were in space, it was quite a bit more of a stressor than it would have been on Earth. A whole lot more. For one, I couldn’t even measure the distance in miles because I had no idea where either of us were. Sure I was on North Star, but that was just a name. I didn’t get where it fit into the solar system as I knew it. The only promise I got was Angie would stay within the same galaxy as me and would continue to age on the same timeline. I wasn’t sure if I could handle ending up older than my sister or something. Although finally being the oldest wouldn’t be that bad of a thing. But in reality, it would likely be like decades older and that would be horrible.
“I know you’re worried.” Rachel rolled over in the hammock and put her head on my shoulder. “The sooner we find Caspian’s starmate, the sooner this is over. At least I hope so.”
I gazed into her eyes and then out the wall to wall window overlooking the coral mountain range. There were some positives about North Star. “I still don’t really get why it’s going to help. Maybe it’s all too big for my human brain or something.” I was only half-kidding. It’s not that I usually understood everything, but I could usually at least wrap my head around concepts. This was different.
“Don’t forget I have a human brain too.” She kissed my cheek. “I may have been raised on Andrelexa, but I’m just as human as you.”
“I know.” I ran my hands through her hair. “But you get this stuff more because you’ve lived it.” Maybe it wasn’t obvious from the outside, but I knew she’d been through things that no one else from Earth ever had. More than once I’d considered how I would have handled being abducted the way she was.
“Not that starmate thing. It’s all new. Most of what Ella and Etan has told us since we got to North Star is new to me.”
I knew she migh
t have been thinking about the whole being kidnapped in 1944 thing, but I figured it was better if we stayed on topic for the time being. “Did Caspian ever use the term? Do you think he knew?” I didn’t enjoy talking about Caspian, but if we were going to find his starmate, I needed to know more about him.
“He never mentioned the term, but that doesn’t really mean anything. Who knows what he told me versus what he didn’t.” She got a far-off look in her eyes. There was so much pain there. Pain and betrayal.
“I’m sorry.” I ran my fingers over her hand, drawing tiny circles as I went.
“Why are you sorry this time?” She lifted her head. A faint smile played at the corner of her lips.
“Okay, I get I need to stop apologizing, but I’m sorry you had to go through all of that. It’s not fair.” She was such a sweet person. She didn’t deserve any of the crap that had come her way.
“And you’ve had to deal with your fair share of things that aren’t fair.” She ran her lips down my neck. “And I don’t just mean before we met.”
I closed my eyes and enjoyed the sensations of her lips on my sensitive skin. My entire body buzzed. “Being here is worth it because I get to be with you.” And despite everything I meant it. It was all worth it as long as Angie was okay. I couldn’t put my own happiness before hers. But she seemed to be taking things well. Unbelievably well. Maybe she’d needed this adventure as much as I did.
“Ella keeps saying she can’t explain starmates because we have to feel it.” Rachel’s lips stilled.
“Yes, and I’m guessing that’s part of why I feel so connected to you.” Connected was far too tame of a word to describe how I felt about Rachel. It was crazy intense, as if we were two parts of a whole. Yet I’d made it how many years without knowing her? But that past—the part before her—felt like forever ago. It was almost blurry now when I tried to picture things. But I still remembered Joseph. I could still remember my twin. That was the only part of my past I could never let go of. “But it can’t be the only reason. I refuse to believe some of this isn’t just us.”
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