Lost in Starlight (Starlight Saga)

by Sherry Soule

  “This isn’t easy for me...” He blows out a breath. “And I’m sorry it has to be this way, Sloane. We rushed into a relationship and it was reckless and dangerous. I know that now.”

  “After everything we’ve been through are you seriously breaking up with me?”

  I stand there quivering while the magnitude of what he’s saying seeps into my brain. This isn’t happening. He isn’t actually breaking my heart after everything we’ve endured. Don’t I mean anything to him? Doesn’t he know how much I care? My teeth clench. This is all Devin’s fault.

  I reach out for him, but he steps back and holds my wrists so I can’t put my arms around him. “Please don’t do this. We can still see each other. No one has to know.”

  “By lying? And sneaking around?” He shakes his head. “No. You were almost killed. Devin tried to blackmail you. My family doesn’t approve. All because we’re together. I’m bad for you. Toxic. I’m responsible for everything that’s happened to you.”

  I yank my wrists free of his hold and clutch my chest. “None of that matters. I made a choice and I chose you—”

  “But I don’t choose you.”

  His brutal words are like acid burning away pieces of my soul. Suddenly, the whole world is crumbling around me into a pile of ashes. He’s breaking up with me. The abrupt realization slaps my face and deadens my mind. My thoughts go hazy into a bizarre, limbo state.

  “I wish things could be different,” he murmurs with unshed tears lining his eyes. “I’ve been selfish because I care so much about you. And I realize how much you care about me, especially if you were willing to give your life for mine back at the warehouse and humiliate yourself with Devin to protect my secrets. But I’m afraid you’ll just end up getting mind raped by the Galactic Brotherhood. I begged Arcane not to erase your memories, but there’s always the chance he’ll change his mind. Besides, my parents will never accept our relationship.”

  “We can keep it from your family, and Arcane and Dixon seemed okay with it when we left—”

  “They’re not. Dixon owed me a favor and I pleaded with him to let you go.” Hayden blows out a breath. “Don’t you get it? You’re a human and I’m an entirely different species. It’ll never work, so I think it’s best to end this now before we get in any deeper.” The words seem to be torn from his throat. His cold mask slips for an instant, and he appears broken, as if he’s in unbearable pain. “It’s over, Sloane.”

  “No! I refuse to believe that.” I take a step forward, but he backs away. “Then everything you said to me was a lie! I was just a love-struck girl stupidly wearing her heart on her sleeve—and you took advantage of that!”

  His face pales and he looks devastated. Rocked to the core. “I still feel like you’re mine, Sloane, but we just can’t be together now. Every decision I make is to keep you safe, because you’re the one person that will always make my heart beat faster. And you have to believe me—it’s killing me to do this to you—to us.”

  “I know we can work this out,” I plead.

  “Listen to me…I just finished reading Romeo and Juliet, and do you know what the first thing I thought was? It’s called a tragedy for a reason. They were this young couple, and they died because their families wouldn’t let them be together. There isn’t anything romantic about that. It’s just stupid and sad.” His tone is rough, emotional, raw. “What kind of life can we have together if we’re constantly looking over our shoulders all the time?”

  “I know that, but—”

  “And do you really think your human family will want you dating me once they find out what I am? We’re from two different worlds, Sloane. Don’t you get that? We’re going to graduate in two months and go our separate ways. You’ll forget about me…go on with your life.”

  Each word he spews is like a hammer blow to my heart, shattering it into tiny fragments.

  “No, I won’t! I have no life without you. I can’t even imagine a future if you’re not in it. You are my future.” My chin juts out in defiance. “I can tell you don’t want to do this…and don’t you dare make this about your lame code of ethics or whatever you’re supposed to follow.”

  “It’s not about that,” he says. “Please don’t make this harder than it has to be.”

  “Seriously?” I say on the verge of hysteria. “You’re breaking my heart and you want me to make it easier for you?”

  “Sloane, I am so sorry.” Hayden’s voice cracks on the last word. “I feel horrible—”

  “Did your parents put you up to this? Did Arcane?” I demand, crying harder.

  “You just deserve more than I can offer you.” A nervous tic pulls at the corner of his mouth, and he struggles to control the volume of his voice. “I don’t want to be the guy that keeps you from living a normal life. You need someone who can make love to you and not worry about an unwanted pregnancy. Or live in fear that at any moment you’ll be taken away and given shock therapy.” He gazes at me, and his pokerface slips over his features again. “You need someone you can have a real relationship with instead of this, this nightmare.”

  “I don’t care about any of that! I don’t need children—”

  “But you will someday, and then you’ll hate me because of what I made you give up. I’m just trying to think with my head instead of my heart.” His voice is no more than a whisper as the terrible truth passes through his beautiful lips.

  “Don’t worry about me. I’m tougher than I look, and I’m not afraid of your relatives or Sector Thirteen. Being with you is worth the risk.” Sobs are rebuilding in my throat. “So please don’t do this. Please.”

  He doesn’t answer. Doesn’t move. The silence is absolute, like the stillness following the world’s demise. The tension builds until low whimpers break from my throat, and I blindly reach out, eager for the feel of his skin. I clutch at his waist, winding my arms around him and resting my cheek on his chest. He leans down and buries his face in my hair. I can’t stop shaking. Hayden folds me against his body and rubs my back, trying to ease me into stillness.

  “No,” I beg. “Don’t leave me—”

  “Quiet down. Just relax. It’s okay,” he whispers. “It’s going to be all right.”

  But nothing is all right.

  “I don’t understand how you can break up with me after everything,” I say, my fingers clutching at his shirt.

  “Sloane, look what just happened. Do you honestly think Devin would’ve stopped if I hadn’t come along?” He gently pulls back and rakes a hand through his hair. “The thought of him looking at you or touching you, all to protect me makes me sick. It’s wrong, and I can’t let you be hurt like that again.”

  “I’m fine,” I say quickly. “I can handle Devin.”

  “We both know it’s not just Devin that we have to worry about. The Brotherhood is still a threat. Just because Arcane and Dixon agreed not to hurt you, doesn’t mean others won’t…” He squints into the sunlight filtering through the oaks. “I’m only trying to do what’s right.”

  My knees almost go out from under me. I cling to his shirt, twisting the fabric in my hands. All of my future daydreams flash before my eyes in a sickening Technicolor whirl. Hayden and me kissing on the beach, Hayden and me cuddling on my bed and watching movies, Hayden and me going to the spring formal. Now all those hopes are squashed into the ground like tiny crushed corpses.

  He sighs. “Sloane...”

  How is it that he’s able to saturate that single word with so much emotion? Guilt, misery, sorrow.

  I yank hard on the front of his wrinkled T-shirt. “Just tell me who put you up to this!”

  “No one.” He tenderly places his hands over mine and forces me to release his shirt.

  “You’re a freaking coward!” I scream so furiously the insult explodes out of me—yet somehow it still sounds like I’m begging. I pound at his chest with my fists. He just stands there and lets me hit him. “You can’t stand up for what you want. You won’t even fight for me—for us!” My vis
ion blurs with hot tears. “I’m scared too. Terrified. And perhaps I’m naïve, but don’t you want to try?”

  Hayden grasps my arms and gently pushes me back. His stare darkens. “No. I can’t do this to you anymore,” he says, unemotionally.

  With that honest omission, the warmth of the afternoon drains away in an instant. I shudder and refuse to look at him, studying instead the intricate web of tree roots in the ground. I try to get a hold of myself and stop blubbering.

  “You don’t even care what happens to me?” I ask, my voice cracking. “What this will do to me?”

  “Of course, I do. That’s why I’m ending it.”

  “You’re a bastard,” I whisper. “I gave you my heart and now you’re trampling all over it. I hate you.”

  It’s a lie, but my cruel words seem to work. He takes a quick, startled inhale. His hand touches my cheek, his fingertips wiping at the tears. I flinch back and my spine hits the rough bark of an oak. He takes a step forward, and I quickly hold up my hands.

  “Please don’t touch me again,” I say brokenly. If he kisses me, I’ll become undone. “And I swear to god, if you say we can still be friends, I’m gonna punch you.”

  “Sloane, be rational.”

  “Why are you even still here? Just leave!” I yell.

  “I need the notebook first.”

  “Here.” I thrust it into his hands. “Take it and go.”

  He closes his eyes in frustration and runs his hand through his hair. “I don’t want to leave you like this,” he says, his voice saturated with guilt, with regret, and with some other emotion that I can’t decipher.

  “Just leave.” I swipe at my tears with the back of my hand. “Go!”

  “Okay. I guess...I’ll see you around, Peaches.” He kisses my forehead and it takes every ounce of strength I have left not to cling to him. Beg. Plead. Ask him not to do this.

  I am frozen, staring at his back as he walks away. For a moment, I kid myself into thinking it’s not really the end.

  But as he drives off, my heart breaks in two and I fall to my knees. I am numb, alone. It’s all too much. The last twenty-four hours have been hell and now this. My senses are in utter overload. I want to scream. Hit something. I’d been willing to sacrifice my own life and suffer total humiliation to ensure his secrets stay intact. All for nothing.

  Rising slowly, I shuffle to the parking lot and get into my car. I barely remember driving home. I park in the garage, cut the engine, and just sit there numbly as though vultures have landed inside my body and picked me clean. Tears stream down my cheeks. I wilt in my seat and rest my head against the steering wheel.

  Minutes pass. I grab a tissue from the glove compartment and blow my nose. Part of me thinks I can’t give up yet. Out of all this chaos, I still think Hayden is someone worth fighting for.

  The thought of crawling under my covers and sleeping for days sounds like the perfect antidote to my raging emotions, so I get out of the Jetta and sluggishly make my way to the backdoor and into the kitchen. I drag my feet across the dirty linoleum floor, and step into the quiet, empty dining room, moving past the oak table.

  From the living room, a brilliant flash of light illuminates the entire space. I pause and squint into the glare, lifting both hands to shield my eyes. A loud whooshing noise fills the entire house like a jet zooming past. Then eerie silence.

  I lower my arms, staring through the archway and into the next room. My heart starts racing. I stand there breathing heavily.

  Oh. My. Zombies.

  I have officially lost my mind.

  Deep breath. Two. Three.

  “Dad?” I say, but it comes out a hoarse whisper.

  My dad slowly turns around and freezes. He opens his mouth to speak, then snaps it shut.

  My face goes slack and I stare bug-eyed at him. I don’t understand what’s happening, it’s as if my brain has short-circuited and needs to be rebooted. But one thing is crystal clear.

  My dad just teleported into the living room.

  END OF VOLUME ONE

  REQUEST

  If you read this story and enjoy it, please consider posting an honest review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks or Kobo. (Remember that even if you received this book as a gift, as long as you have purchased an Amazon item in the past, you are eligible to leave a review.)

  Indie novels would rarely reach the light of day without the dedication of readers willing to post a review or share the book love. And if time permits, please let the author know directly what you thought of the novel. Plus, Sherry loves hearing from her readers!

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Sherry Soule currently lives with her family and one very spoiled black cat in California’s San Francisco Bay Area. She likes to write thrilling tales of romance and suspense, often mingled with a dash of the mystical and a splash of trendy fashion. Her published novels do not include any graphic sex scenes, explicit violence, or excessive profanity, so that all of her novels can be read and enjoyed by both teens and adults.

  When she’s not writing spine-tingling new stories, she spends her time reading fiction, playing video games, and watching horror movies with her son. Aside from reading, she enjoys browsing through bookstores, digging through flea markets, and shoe shopping.

  Sherry’s debut novel, “Beautifully Broken” was nominated for Best Paranormal Romance in the 2011 Wizard and Witch/Sorcery category by The Romance Reviews (TRR).

  Her adult novel, “Immortal Eclipse” is a Top Pick by Night Owl Romance Reviews.

  Places you can visit Sherry Soule online

  Amazon Profile: www.amazon.com/Sherry-Soule/e/B00596ANCA

  Official Author Blog: www.sherrysoule.blogspot.com/

  Twitter - @SherrySoule: www.twitter.com/sherrysoule

  Fiction Editing Services: www.fictionwritingtools.blogspot.com/

  Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/4925996.Sherry_Soule

  Spellbound Series: http://thespellboundseries.blogspot.com/

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSherrySoule

  BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN

  Young Adult Paranormal Romance by Sherry Soule!

  They say every town has its secrets, but that doesn’t even begin to describe Fallen Oaks. The townsfolk are a superstitious lot and the mystical disappearance of a local teen has everyone murmuring about a centuries old witch’s curse.

  When Shiloh Trudell takes a summer job at Craven Manor, she discovers a ghost with an agenda. That’s where she meets the new town hottie, Trent Donovan, and immediately becomes enchanted by his charms. Finally, Shiloh’s met someone who is supercute and totally into her, but Trent is immersed in the cunning deception that surrounds the mysterious Craven Manor. And Shiloh can’t decide whether she wants to shake him or kiss him. Yet neither one of them can deny the immediate, passionate connection growing between them.

  But underlying everything is the fear that Trent may be the next victim on a supernatural hit list, and Shiloh is the only person with the power to save him…

  With cryptic messages from a pesky wraith, Shiloh must decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice to protect the other teenagers in town. Unfortunately, for Shiloh, not all ghosts want help crossing over. Some want vengeance.

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  IMMORTAL ECLIPSE

  Adult Paranormal Romance by Sherry Soule!

  Practical New Yorker Skylar Blackwell would rather dive into the latest fashion magazine than a murder mystery. But when her last remaining relative is carved up like a Thanksgiving turkey, it’s up to Skylar to find answers.

  Since the cops seem uninterested in following up on the case�
�even labeling it a suicide, despite the odd symbols sliced into his chest, Skylar becomes the reluctant owner of her uncle’s California estate. The servants are less than welcoming, and the sexy and brooding caretaker, Dorian, is a major distraction, igniting all sorts of erotic and passionate feelings within her. He’s exactly the type of guy that’s all wrong for her, but feels so right.

  After a series of terrifying encounters, Skylar’s not sure whom to trust. Determined to unravel the dark history of the mansion, Skylar is plunged into a strange world that includes doppelgangers, bizarre rituals, and a body count that’s piling up faster than her collection of Jimmy Choos.

  As the boundaries between reality and dreams blur, Skylar’s greatest challenge is to stay alive long enough to learn the truth.

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