Chasing Starlight: Cassandra's Story (The Daughters of Night Chronicles)

by Jennifer Siddoway

  “They can find somebody else! You’re not the only Dream Weaver, and they can do without you putting yourself in harm’s way.”

  I shook my head. “It’s not that simple.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because of who my father is. Not just anyone can be a Dream Weaver, you know. It comes from a specific bloodline.”

  “I don’t care. No rational being would expect his daughter to put herself in this situation.”

  I blinked a few times as a realization dawned on me. “Oh my God, you don’t know.”

  “Who your father is?” Michael asked, bewildered. “How is that even relevant? Honestly, it doesn’t matter. I’m worried about you, not the crazy fae bullshit we’re supposedly part of.”

  “Ellyllon, the Lord of Night,” I informed him matter-of-factly.

  His eyebrows knit together. “Is…?”

  “My father.”

  Michael sat up on the couch confused and said, “Isn’t he…?”

  I nodded, seeing that he had finally made the connection. “The King of all Fae, yes. Do you get it now?”

  “You’re the daughter of the fairy king?”

  I sighed, falling back against the cushion. “And this is why I don’t date. This is why I never date,” I muttered to myself. Turning to Michael, I asked, “Do you understand now? This is bigger than you or me.”

  Michael swallowed hard, rubbing his fingers tenderly over the mark on my arm. “It isn’t fair.”

  “No one said it was.”

  I let out a tired sigh and glanced at the clock, then rose from the couch. Michael stood behind me and followed me to the kitchen so I could get my purse. “I need to go. We can talk about this later if you want, but I still have work in the morning.”

  “Do you have to?” he asked hopefully. “We still have so much to talk about.”

  I gave him a saucy smile. “I’ll stay the night when you’ve earned it. But now, I’ve got to finish grading some tests.”

  My hand was on the doorknob when Michael called out, “Hey, Cass?”

  “Yeah?”

  His brown eyes twinkled. “I don’t like it when you go, either.”

  I swallowed hard, removed my hand from the doorknob, and walked to him slowly. The air between us was thick with unspoken desire and I stopped in front of him, saying, “Goodnight, Michael. I’ll call you when I get home.”

  I walked back toward the door. “Bye.”

  My heart skipped a beat as the door fell shut behind me, and I walked into the evening air. I grabbed my keys out of my purse and climbed into the driver’s seat of my Prius. I started the car, and went over the night in my head on the drive home, everything from his concern about the Shadow Demon to not knowing about my father. What struck me most, however, was what he said about Halle.

  You can’t let your sister dictate what happens in your love life.

  He was right. I didn’t realize it until that moment I’d been using Halle as an excuse. Michael deserved better, and I wanted to give it to him.

  I drove through the winding streets of San Diego until arriving at my apartment. The moment I got inside, I pulled out my phone and texted Michael. “Okay, I’m here.”

  He texted back just as I made it to my room. “Good. I loved seeing you. We should do it again sometime.”

  “Without our roommates. ��” I added playfully.

  His response was instantaneous. “Or clothes.”

  The message was short but made me weak in the knees. My entire body felt warm and tingly. The phone chimed again a few moments later, with his message.

  “You still there?”

  I laughed as I lay back on my bed and typed. “Yeah, I’m still here. I just don’t know what to say to that.”

  I set down the phone and kicked off my shoes, then the phone chimed yet again. “Say yes.”

  I set the phone on my dresser and buried my face in my hands. My cheeks were burning, and I took a few calming breaths as I pulled a pair of pajamas from my bottom drawer.

  Michael sent another message. “It’s killing me that I can’t be there with you now. I want to kiss you so badly.”

  My fingers froze before typing my response, weighing the pros and cons of what I wanted to say. I decided to be brave and called him instead.

  His phone rang on the other end, and he picked it up immediately. “Hey.”

  I exhaled a nervous breath before speaking. “Hey there. So you’re saying we should try this again without clothes, huh?”

  “They do seem kind of unnecessary at this point.”

  “Is that so?” I teased, grinning. “I can’t imagine what we’d do without proper attire; eating any kind of food would be horribly unsanitary.”

  “Naturally.”

  “And going on a walk would be positively scandalous.”

  “I completely agree.”

  “So, what could you possibly have in mind?”

  “Why don’t you let me come over there and show you?” he responded, low and hoarse.

  I chuckled to lighten the moment, even though I was positively bursting with need. “Well, aren’t you eager to teach?”

  Michael groaned. “Cassandra, you’re killing me. I can be at your apartment in ten minutes, just say the word.”

  I squeezed my eyes shut and laughed. “You make a tempting argument.”

  “Is that a yes?”

  “No, I don’t think it’s a good idea yet,” I admitted, “but why don’t you tell me about what would happen if I had stayed.”

  He sighed on the other line. “If you’d stayed?”

  “Mmhmm.”

  “If you were here, then I’d take you to my room and continue more of what we were doing on the couch. I’d start by kissing you senseless and removing that ridiculous cardigan.”

  I scoffed. “Who says my cardigan is ridiculous?”

  “I do. It’s the middle of September, and we live in southern California, which makes it completely pointless.”

  “Okay, I guess I see your point. I had to cover the mark while I was at work.”

  “Mm,” he acknowledged. “It’s too bad we got distracted.”

  I laid back against the mattress with my phone to my ear and sighed. “You didn’t comment on my father after I told you who he was.”

  “Was I supposed to?”

  “Well, maybe. It was an enormous bomb I dropped on you, and I want to make sure you’re not freaking out.”

  Michael exhaled. “I don’t see why that would change anything. Fred is the man who raised you, not Ellyllon.”

  “You’re not running for the hills?” I pressed him nervously. “It’s not like I don’t already come with a whole set of emotional baggage to begin with – hello, anxiety.”

  When he responded, I could almost hear his smile. “Why would I do that?”

  “Because I’m a trainwreck.”

  There was a long pause before he said anything. “You are not a trainwreck—you’re perfect. We’ve been talking a lot the last few months, but one thing I haven’t heard is that you’re uninterested.”

  “I never said I wasn’t, but it’s not the point. It’s too soon.”

  “It doesn’t feel that way,” he argued. “It feels like I’m rediscovering something I already knew. And I know it’s soon, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m completely in love with you.”

  Glancing down at the star birthmark on my foot, I could feel my cheeks getting hot and I rolled over against the pillow. “It was a good kiss.”

  “It was,” he agreed with a note of humor in his voice. “And I plan on doing it again, as often as you’ll let me. We’re woefully out of practice.”

  “Hmm…” I responded happily. “That does seem like a problem.”

  The faint hum of my lullaby issued from my closet. I groaned, knowing I couldn’t ignore it for long. Resigned, I said, “Michael, I have to go.”

  Michael was silent for a moment, likely weighing the meaning behind my abrupt dismissal. “It
’s the flute again, isn’t it?”

  “Yes. I’m sorry.”

  He sighed and told me, “I understand. Just be careful, okay?”

  “I will.”

  “And Cassandra?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Next time, I think you should spend the night.”

  I smiled. “Goodnight, Michael.”

  “That’s not a ‘no.’”

  “Goodnight!”

  “Goodnight.”

  I hung up the phone, blushing furiously, and went to retrieve my flute from my closet. I snatched it out of my bag and locked my bedroom door. When I brought it to my lips, Luna shimmered into existence.

  You have the worst timing imaginable.

  The Realm of Dreams

  Chapter Nine

  F riday rolled around, and I was still obsessing over my visit to Michael’s and the heated conversation we had after I got home. Flirting was one thing, but taking it to the next level—being physical—made me nervous. I still worried that Michael might leave again, and I’d be forced to relive that heartache.

  He said he was in love with me. He wanted me, and I wanted him just as badly. Even with my limited experience dating other people, I never felt this way before. He was on my mind constantly, and I didn’t know what to do about it.

  Thoughts of Michael vied for space in my head with concerns for Henry. The little shifter hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary since confiding in me his secret, nor did it look like he’d told anyone mine. Still, the danger remained. He could expose me if he wanted to—or even by accident. I wasn’t sure how I’d explain if Henry shifted in front of everyone and proved that fae were real. Even worse was the looming concern he might actually be my half-brother, another one of Ellyllon’s illegitimate children. Somehow, I had to find a way to discretely test his blood without poking him in front of everyone. Even though I may have been able to derive his lineage from a strand of hair, blood was the most effective.

  I sighed and brought my attention back to the class when they finished their quiet reading for the day. As I rose from my seat, they set their books aside and looked at me expectantly.

  “It’s lunchtime,” I trilled, smiling at their cheers and excitement. “Let’s line up at the door. Allyson, you can be our line leader. Won’t that be fun? Show everyone how we leave the class.”

  The bright-eyed, brunette beamed at me and walked to the door while clasping her hand together.

  Nodding at her example, I said, “Excellent. Everyone do exactly as Allyson showed you.”

  My students shuffled into place as they gathered in line behind her. Some of them had lunch boxes, and others had paper sacks, all eager to enjoy their mid-day meal. The most recent heatwave had finally broken, and the children were probably excited about the excellent weather for recess. We lined up and waited for Alice’s class as they organized themselves then, as a group, we walked to the cafeteria. The children seemed to inhale their food in their rush to get outside, and bounced eagerly in their seats until we let them out. I made small talk with Alice and the other teachers while keeping a watchful eye on the students from a distance.

  Some of the children gathered to play a game of tag. Henry was among them and gave me a bright smile when he saw me looking. I waved to him in the field and turned away to supervise the rest of the yard. A few minutes later, Henry limped over to me with a bloody knee and tears streaming down his cheeks.

  “Ms. Williams, I hurt my knee,” he told me in a mild panic. “Can you help?”

  “Oh, Henry! You poor little guy, of course, I’ll help. We’ll take care of this right away. Let’s get you to the clinic so I can clean the dirt out and get you a band-aid, okay?”

  I took his hand and led him to our first-aid station in the main office. The school nurse was only a part-time employee, so we had the entire room to ourselves. I washed my hands and quickly rinsed the wound with soap and water, then pressed a square of gauze against the cut to stop the bleeding.

  “Ouch!” Henry whimpered out in pain. “Ow, it hurts.”

  I gave him an apologetic look and set the gauze aside. Quickly, I applied an antibiotic ointment and band-aid to his inflamed skin. “Make sure to keep this on until you get home and show Mrs. Whitaker. She’ll know what to do and take good care of you.”

  Henry hesitated, then threw his arms around my neck. He pulled back quickly, his cheeks flaming, and ran out of the office. Once he was gone, I closed the door behind him and stared at the bloody gauze. I still had a few minutes before the other teachers would miss me outside, so I decided to take my chances. It was too perfect an opportunity not to test the blood sample, so I pulled out my phone and dialed the number for my half-sister, Leena. She was the only shifter variant I knew personally, and I desperately needed her advice.

  My half-sisters and I tried to stay in contact with each other and usually spoke to them each a few times every year. They were my lifeline to the Fairy Realm and understood what it meant to be one of Ellyllon’s daughters, gifted with magic and then banished from the Fairy Court. Leena was no exception.

  The call rang a couple of times before she answered. “Hello?”

  “Hey, Leena. It’s Cass. I need to talk to you.”

  “Sure, what’s going on?” Her lilting accent soothed me.

  I glanced out the door to make sure the coast was clear before responding. “I met another changeling,” I told her nervously.

  “What?” The tension in her voice was audible.

  “It’s a student in my class. I need to check his blood to see if we’re related. Can you help me? I know you know how to do this. Please?”

  Leena sighed. “Alright. Do you have a sample?”

  I shut the clinic door and walked over to the bloody gauze. “Yes, but it’s on some medical gauze.”

  “That will work. You’re lucky the boy’s a shifter, though. Otherwise, this would be a lot more difficult. You need to prick your finger and press the drop of blood directly on top of his.”

  I moved swiftly to find an instrument that could pierce my skin and found a stray safety pin on the desk. “Okay, wish me luck.”

  Leena chuckled dryly. “Good luck. Let me know what happens.”

  I pressed the safety pin into my finger and held my breath, watching blood well from the small puncture wound.

  “Press it against the sample,” she reminded me.

  I touched my finger to the gauze that still had Henry’s blood on it and watched it carefully. “Okay, it’s done.”

  “Look at the pattern,” Leena told me. “When two strains of fae blood are introduced to each other, one of two things will happen. If they mix together easily, it can be assumed there’s enough common magic between them to prove they are family. If the drops repel each other, there is no chance of familial relation. They’ll create a void between them, which you can see, and it should be fairly obvious.”

  “Okay.”

  I glanced at the red stain and waited for something to happen. After a few seconds, the red dot of my blood created a barrier around itself. The drop forced the surrounding blood to recede and created a ring of separation between them. Our blood repelled like two magnets with the same poles, just like Leena told me.

  Henry’s not my brother.

  I exhaled the breath I’d been holding and told her, “We’re not related.”

  Leena hummed to herself. “Why do you sound disappointed?”

  “I-I don’t know.”

  There was a pause before she said anything. “You know, Cass, it’s just biology.”

  “I know. Thanks.”

  “Anytime. Call me later so we can talk about it, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  When we hung up, I glanced at the clock and realized I only had a moment to spare. I disposed of the mess I’d made and put a band-aid on the tip of my finger. I took a deep breath, let a genuine smile appear on my face, and returned to the yard.

  T hat afternoon, long after the kids and most of the
staff had gone home to enjoy their weekend, I sat at my desk with a pile of unfinished reports. Despite the quiet, I found it difficult to concentrate. The words blurred together on the page, and a headache threatened my temples. My mind kept drifting to the daydreams that now followed me all day and made me smile.

  It had been five days since Michael and I kissed, and when my mind began to wander, I found myself falling more and more in love with him.

  With an exhausted yawn, I glanced up to see it was five forty-seven. Michael was expecting me to come over in less than fifteen minutes, and I was nowhere close to being done with these interim reports. Frustration built because I wanted to run out of the building and into his arms, but responsibility kept me locked in my chair. Sighing, I pulled out my phone and sent him a quick text to let him know I would be late.

  “Cassandra…”

  My eyes narrowed at the sound of my name coming from somewhere down the hall, and I set down my pen on the paper in front of me. No one besides the custodial staff was here last time I checked, and I didn’t know any of them well enough for them to use my first name. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, and I held still, hoping I’d imagined it.

  “Cassandra.”

  It was louder this time., so I rose from my seat and went to investigate. Nothing about this felt natural, and the enthralling voice bade me follow. I glanced around my classroom one last time and found nothing out of the ordinary. When I stepped into the hallway, there was a sparkling path of dust leading to the teacher’s lounge. Familiar with fairy glamour like I was, I recognized the power instantly, so I tensed. Apparently, I had a visitor.

  What the heck is going on?

  The only other fae in the school I knew about was Henry, and I doubted he was strong enough to pull off an illusion like this.

  “Cassandra, I know you can hear me. Don’t dawdle.”

  My eyes narrowed with frustration as I slunk down the hallway toward the source, following the trail to the open door down the corridor.

  I swallowed hard when I approached the quiet room and let myself inside. Standing with his back to me was a tall man with snow-white hair and a midnight-blue velvet cape that swept toward his ankles. Embroidered into the fabric of his cloak were hundreds of little stars that twinkled, almost as if it was cut from the night sky.