["But I was sent here to find you and train you."] A smile alighted on his face, erasing the grief that had fallen over him. For a change, he actually looked pleasant. Despite the smile, sorrow lingered yet in his eyes behind the wild black locks. ["I waited only to satisfy your mother's wishes, but the entities want you to learn what you really are. We are Inari, but until you master the Starfire's power, I can help you to be human, to continue your hiding."]
["How?"] If she could be human again… That's all she wanted.
"Give me your hands."
He planned to touch her again. She hesitated. The last couple of times had brought on visions and the voices. What would happen this time?
"Trust me."
Trust him? She barely knew him. Still, his moment of openness washed away some of her hesitations. "What will you do?"
"Shrink your wings until you're ready to fly."
She recalled the vision right before he showed up. As a child, she had cried when her mother shrank her wings. "It'll hurt, won't it."
"Yes, it does."
Raea looked at Debbie, who shrugged. What did she know?
"Will this happen again? Can these wings come out any time?" Raea put her hands out, palms up. If she wanted to return to her life, she had no other choice. But would the Starfire choose a more inconvenient time to make her wings grow, like when she was in public?
"It shouldn't. They usually have a purpose for what they do. I suspect in this case, they wanted you to know what you are. You've hidden too long on this world, believing you're human. I can teach you what it means to be Inari…if you'll let me." He clasped each of her hands in his. "Ready?"
"No." She would never be ready for the pain, but she wanted to be normal again. "But get it over with."
Elis closed his eyes and the marks on their hands glowed. Warmth flooded through Raea. The voices organized into one coherent thought, but the searing pain across her back stole her attention from whatever that thought was. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts... She breathed quickly, the mantra running through her head.
Soon, it ended, and Elis let go. She immediately reached around. Only two rips in the back of her gown remained. Her back was flat again. He did it. She could go out in public. She could see her friends. She could go to Linds' birthday.
And she could see Pallin. Was he worried that she wasn't in school?
Sweat beaded on Elis's forehead. A few of the wild, black strands stuck to his face. He looked like he had run a marathon and breathed hard too.
"Was that difficult?" she asked.
"I've only done it once before...in training. It's easier—much easier—changing myself."
Himself? Elis with wings. Something stuck in her head. It couldn't be. But she had to know. "Can you show me?"
"Not now." He swiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve. "We'll have plenty of time later, when you learn to fly."
"Fly?" She trembled at the thought, but with an excitement she hadn't expected. She had plenty of dreams of flying.
Still, the idea of learning from Elis made her uncomfortable. Ever since he arrived, he had never opened up and quietly went about his way, the reason Chad started calling him Creeper. The name stuck. Now that she understood why, it didn't feel right to think of him that way. However, while she was grateful for his help, she found it difficult to accept the idea of learning from him. She wasn't that comfortable with him.
"You need to learn. It's who you are."
Raea sighed, seeing no other choice. "All right. Fine. When I have time."
"Speaking of time."
She had forgotten about Debbie.
"Shouldn't you two be getting to school?"
Great. Raea could see the questions now. Turning up with Elis would look suspicious. What would Pallin think?
"You'll be okay?" Elis asked.
She nodded. "Just go. I still have to get cleaned up and eat. So what if I miss a couple of classes." And the sooner he left her, the better. Besides, at least if Elis showed up separately from her, it wouldn't look like they came together. She could salvage the day yet.
"Be careful on the ice." Elis smiled, his eyes sparkling—a purple that made her look twice—and he walked out.
Her cheeks warmed. No. She didn't just blush. Just because he helped her this time was no reason for her to feel embarrassed. So, she had taken a misstep yesterday and he caught her. So what?
Debbie's eyebrows lifted but she said nothing and closed the door behind them.
Life would never be normal again.
Double Date
"So, what happened this morning? Someone said you were sick?" Linds took a bite of her hamburger.
Sick? Must have been Dave who said it. What else did her bratty cousin say about her?
"Actually, I had back problems." Nothing like hiding the truth within a truth. Raea still couldn't believe she had sprouted wings, or that she wasn't human. Or that Elis was the same. Elis of all people. Her friends would never believe it. She hardly believed it. But she didn't intend to tell anyone.
"So, not sick then." Jess grinned and brushed aside wavy layers of brown-blonde hair from her face. Raea knew what she thought. "Then you're good for a date. Speak of the devil."
She turned to follow Jess's gaze, and her heart stopped. Pallin smiled from the lunch line. Good thing she was already sitting. Her knees would have given out.
"So, has he asked you out yet?" Linds said.
"What?" Her friend's question caught up to her. "Oh. No, not yet."
"You do plan to stay in public areas, I hope?" Josh, the religious conservative of their group, always tried to keep the rest of them respectable, but sometimes he bordered on annoying.
"Of course. I'm not stupid." Her only problem now was getting away from Elis to see Pallin.
Elis didn't pay any attention to her at the moment, or at least seemed not to. He had overheard her conversation with Josh about her dreams, but that was on a quiet street. The noise in the lunchroom should keep him from hearing. He had no right to tell her what to do, any more than the Starfire, but the entities gave her no choice. If it was a part of her, a true symbiosis, she couldn't escape it.
She didn't want to think about it. She needed a distraction. "Josh, did you ever get a call back from that show?"
Jackpot. His eyes lit up like he'd won the lottery. "That's right. You weren't here this morning. They're sending someone up this weekend to check out filming locations and get things set up."
"What about my birthday tomorrow?" Linds gave Josh a dirty look.
"Oh...ah. I'm still planning to be there."
"You better. After everything I've suffered hearing about your 'Dark Angel', you owe me this." Linds's serious tone broke down into a snicker when Josh grabbed the finger she pointed at him.
Dark Angel. Her wings. Elis's wings. Raea glanced aside as the thoughts wiggled through her brain. Could it be? Now, she had to see his wings. She had to know.
"I can be sitting here?"
Huh? Raea blinked at the accented voice. Pallin. That was fast. Too bad Linds sat on one side of her and Jess on the other. "Um…Yeah."
He took a seat on the opposite side of the round table, in one of the two empty chairs. "I have not chance to talk today. Too much…work. I am wanting more time with you."
Here it comes. He was going to ask her out. She knew it. "I'd like that too." She could still live like a human, as she always had, like her mother intended.
"We may be together after school?"
Her insides flipped, kicking her heart into a race. "Dinner?" Oh, man. That smile made her stomach flutter.
"Yes. That would be good."
* * *
The afternoon dragged on with the sun bright and warm outside. Snow melted in rivers down the streets. March weather. Raea couldn't wait to get out and enjoy it. She couldn't wait to go out with Pallin, but she wanted to know about Elis.
On the walk home, Josh's excitement blurred his words, but Raea only half-listened
with a few "Uh, huhs" and "Goods" thrown in to sound like she listened. He knew she couldn't think of anything right now amidst the excitement of meeting Pallin in a couple hours. She gave him credit for trying though.
At the corner where she split with Josh, Raea slowed. "Let me know when you hear anything new. Emphasis on the 'new'." He always talked a person's ears off about his obsession with Dark Angel. If he only knew how close to the truth he was, if she was right.
"I get it. Later."
Raea didn't have to work to slow her pace after Josh left. The pools and rivers of melting snow did that for her. Elis didn't seem hindered in the least, or he didn't care about the water.
She had almost forgotten about that morning. Now, she had to know. He walked a stride behind.
"Is it you?"
His steps fell quiet. Did he realize she spoke to him? Would he understand what she meant?
Raea stopped and turned.
"What?" He frowned.
"The one causing such a fuss?" Did she have to say it? She didn't want to, not in the open. Others might overhear.
"I don't know." He walked again and gave her only a passing glance. "We'll talk about that later."
Later? As in training her later?
"We don't make ourselves known here. Our purpose is to serve, not to gather fame or fortune, or draw attention to the power we wield. It's too dangerous."
"So, play the superhero thing and live a double life?"
His smile infected her. After all this time seeing him somber and moody, his smile seemed out of place. She looked again to be sure it was real.
["Not intentionally."]
"Why do you have to use the other language?"
["So you learn."]
Right. But she had always known, so it wasn't really learning. "You mean refresh?"
["Better yet."]
["I never forgot."]
["No. Probably not. Like the crystal shard you wear, the Starfire inside you records everything. I'm sure you can recall, with very little effort, any detail of your life."]
"Just those I want to remember." And most of what she didn't, despite her attempts to forget.
"I understand."
The statement sobered her. He probably did understand. Like her, he had lost his family because of that crystal. And the Starfire was a part of him. What good was it if it only brought trouble? Why should she protect it?
["Meet me at sunset."]
["Why?"]
["Training."]
"Um…I'm kinda busy tonight."
The muscles in his jaw tightened. What bit him?
Fine. She supposed she could give him some time. She did not want the Starfire making those wings appear, especially while she was with Pallin.
["All right."] At least with this "training", she should figure out how to control the Starfire so it wouldn't interfere with her life. It gave her no other choice.
He left her for Mrs. Johnson's yellow-sided house, while she hurried into her aunt's and uncle's house. Now for Pallin. She let out a little squeal.
The second she stepped through the door, Buddy slid into her and barked. "All right. Fine. Go do your thing."
At the same instant the dog shoved past her, a thought hit in regards to the slop outside. Too late. Buddy splashed in the slush and mud. Stupid dog. Now she'd have to bring him into the garage to dry off. He could stay there until Mike came home. It was his dog. Why should she have to clean up the mess for letting him out? She had to get ready for tonight.
After rounding up the muddy chocolate lab, Raea retreated to her bedroom.
Now, if Debbie would hurry home. Raea needed the car, or at least a ride.
* * *
When they neared the downtown area in the slanted light of the sinking sun, Debbie broke the silence of their ride. "Remember to stay here until I come back."
"Yes. I know. Stay to public places." Better that she say it than Debbie. Her aunt was nice, but the lectures Raea could live without. Josh had been bad enough.
They arrived at George's Diner, the local place she and her friends had told Pallin about over lunch. She couldn't believe it. She was going on a date with Pallin. This was too good to be true.
But where was he? Through the tall windows, she saw a few people sitting in the diner, but none of them looked like Pallin. And she wasn't late.
Uh, oh. Did Pallin have trouble finding it? Maybe she should have given him directions from his hotel, not just a general location. Man, she was no good at this. She was going to blow it.
Might as well try. Raea opened the car door and stepped out.
"Be careful."
She smiled at her aunt and closed the door of the sedan. Here went nothing. Her aunt pulled away as Raea stepped into the warm diner.
George's maintained a bright atmosphere. A simple colorful trim ran along the top of the white walls, where paintings of bright flowers alternated with decorative sconce light fixtures. The floor was a simple black and white checkerboard tile while the tables were marble patterns in different colors on white. Georgene had transformed what a few years ago had been a dark, foreboding bar into a warm, inviting restaurant.
Where was Pallin? A foreigner new to a small town, he couldn't have gotten too lost. While she studied the few other faces at the small tables and the wire-framed chairs around them, a cold wind chilled her back. She twisted around—
And swore her heart leapt from her chest. "Pallin." He made it. "Where should we sit?"
"You choose."
Okay. I choose. Right. Raea swallowed her anxieties and headed for a cozy booth along the side, next to a tall cooler of soda. She removed all her winter gear and sat down opposite him.
"This is nice place, very simple." He brushed golden hair away from those eyes.
"I like it." Raea clasped her hands on the table. Say something. This was so much easier with her friends at lunch.
After a few seconds of silence, Pallin asked, "How do we get food?"
"Oh." Raea's cheeks warmed. Of course, they would need to order, or at least look at a menu to see what was available.
"I'm sorry. Here—" She pulled the menu from its holder near the wall.
His smile took her breath away. He took the folded, laminated menu when she offered it.
"If you have any questions, just ask. I've been here a lot. I know what I like." She smiled, hoping he couldn't see how nervous she was.
"I have many, but most for later. Please to helping me read. English is...hmm...not easy."
"Oh. Sure. Um...Here..." She ran through every item and gave him descriptions. Pallin's lack of understanding surprised her, but it gave her an opportunity to share her knowledge; maybe he wasn't U.S. military, but that would be odd. Too much time spent overseas, she guessed.
When the waitress came to their table, Raea helped Pallin order.
Awkward silence filled the air. Her brain stumbled over words to find a coherent thought. "What country did you say you grew up most of your life?"
"It is not well known."
"Someplace too small to make any news, I suppose?"
"Yes." He took a deep breath and clasped his hands on the table.
"What do you like to do?" She asked.
"Not do much but travel."
"Oh? Where have you been?" How exciting to see new places, although she would tire of traveling frequently. She liked being in one place, having regular friends.
"Many places, never to stay long. Never to meeting people, to keeping…friends." He smiled that charming smile that melted her insides. "Tell me more of you."
There was a topic Raea had no trouble talking about. Nevermind she wasn't human. He didn't need to know that. Besides, it could have been a dream.
In the middle of their discussion, the food arrived.
The rest of the evening proceeded in much the same way. Pallin surprised her with his lack of understanding of some things she thought would have been common even in a small country.
When they fini
shed their meal, the waitress took their plates and left the hand-printed bill. Raea tried to smile but played with the straw in her water, stirring the lemon slice to settle her nerves.
"I am not good at this."
She looked up at Pallin. He thought he was having trouble?
"I am new to customs here and being not good company."
"It's as much my fault. I'm sorry, Pallin. I'm a bit nervous. That's all. I don't want you to think I'm uncomfortable, because I’m not. I just...I just..." How could she explain it? "I've never done this before."
A sly grin crept up his face. "I am new also."
"I don't believe it. You must have a girlfriend in every town you visit." Idiot. What kind of stupid statement is that? What if he does?
"No."
"Really?" Raea blinked and let out a breath that left her relaxed.
"I am…being not…good with friends."
She smiled with relief. The situation took on a new light, a ridiculousness that sparked a few giggles she tried to repress. However, when Pallin caught the laughing bug, she couldn't hold back. It continued for several minutes.
When the fit died down, he held his smile as if the laughter lingered beneath the surface yet. Or was it a dark satisfaction she saw in his smile? That couldn't be right.
"I feel...much better," she admitted. And she had managed some conversation, without Jess's help. Jess never had trouble talking to people.
"Yes."
At a quick glance of the clock on the wall, she gasped. Two hours had passed already. Although she would have liked to spend more time visiting with him, she had a commitment to Elis.
She had almost forgotten her training. She had to learn to control the Starfire. No way did she want those wings sprouting again without her consent. What if it happened in the middle of school, or in front of Pallin?
"I should get going." She grabbed her coat and stood to slip it on.
When he lifted his coat, she noticed that the layer down the middle on the outside was more than decoration—she could see through when he held it loose. A strange style, but Pallin was from a different culture, or, at the least, not used to dressing for North Dakota cold.
Starfire Angels (Starfire Angels: Dark Angel Chronicles Book 1) Page 5