"We go now?"
"No. I'm sorry. I have other plans and have to meet someone soon." If not for her promise to Elis, she could spend more time with Pallin.
"Maybe we see together another time."
"Outside of school? I'd like that."
Her insides fluttered when he smiled. She loved this. Even if it couldn't last more than a week or two, she could at least enjoy the time they had.
* * *
Pallin's arrogant smirk left a bad taste in Elis's mouth. He had hated Pallin from the first moment he saw him. The accent was too familiar, too much like his own, before he learned to control it. Suspicion gnawed at him, fueling his hatred.
From the bench outside the large windows of the diner, he watched Raea and Pallin in their booth. Debbie had asked him to keep an eye on Raea for trouble, so Raea could enjoy herself but still be safe. He would have watched without Debbie asking, but this way was better. So far, this Pallin had done nothing to cause him alarm, but Elis wished he would. Any reason to keep Pallin away from Raea would suit him.
Before Elis's thoughts strayed too far, the two rose from their table. He hurried around the corner to a narrow space between buildings. He couldn't afford Raea's hostility if she knew he watched them.
A familiar sedan pulled up to the curb where he had sat. Debbie. Raea must have called.
Raea hurried to reach the car.
In his black coat and gloves Pallin smiled and waved as the car drove away. When the street emptied of traffic, the smile turned into something sinister. Pallin hurried down the sidewalk.
Something wasn't right. His appearance gave Elis chills. Elis followed at a distance, until Pallin turned into a lonely alley. What was the man up to?
As the sun reached the horizon, Pallin stopped and turned.
Caught. Elis couldn't hide the fact that he followed this man.
"You have question for me?"
"No."
"But you follow."
Elis knew that accent. There was one way to confirm it. ["I was sent to protect the Crystal Keeper."]
A grin curved up Pallin's lips. "I am understanding not."
Maybe he was wrong. But that coat, black and thigh-length, with the black gloves and that accent combined for one terrible image. Standing face-to-face with his nightmare gave Elis shivers. He hoped he was wrong. But the other night, the Starfire called itself, as it did when a portal opened. Right before Pallin showed up in school.
["You won't have her."]
Pallin frowned. "You speak English? Or this is why you speak not in school?"
"Very well."
"Ah. Yes. I help you?"
Either Pallin played dumb, or he really had no idea. But if he was Shirukan, he could hide and fake any knowledge. With just enough Starfire in their genetics to change form but not enough to bear the Starburst marks of a Keeper, they were indistinguishable from humans. That weak connection with the Starfire was the reason such individuals were chosen for the elite forces of the Shirat Empire. And they could absorb some of the power of the Starfire.
Whether Pallin was one of them or a human from another country on Earth didn't matter. Elis didn't like him.
"Stay away from her." Elis fought back the desire to wipe that smile off the guy's face. He almost wished Pallin was Shirukan, if only for the excuse to keep Raea away from him.
"You are...friend?"
"A friend who won't tolerate anyone hurting her."
"She makes decision to be not with you?"
Pallin's words cut through Elis. His fingers balled into fists, but he restrained his temper. The guy knew exactly what he said, good or bad English notwithstanding.
"You be leaving Raea alone." Pallin turned, ending the conversation.
"I'll be watching you."
"That will be...interesting."
Starfire Keepers
Where was Elis?
Raea sat in the sitting room with Mrs. Johnson. The house hadn't changed since she was a kid. The same faded green paint covered the living room walls and yellowed white lacy curtains hung in the front window, although the recliner and end tables in front of that window were newer. The television was brand new, too.
Before Joe's death, the old couple used to serve cookies to her and her cousins in the afternoon if they were out playing. Raea missed those days. After Joe died, Mrs. Johnson smiled less, until Elis came. Or was it? Now that she considered, that was about the time Evelyn Johnson smiled again.
He couldn't be too bad a person if the kind-hearted old woman took to him. Did she know about him, and her, having wings?
The old widow sat in her recliner near the front window, her cane leaning against the small table next to her. Good old Mrs. Johnson with her heart of gold and short, silvery gray hair. She was worth a mint in precious metals.
"He'll be home soon, dear."
"I hope so. I've been waiting for ten minutes." Ten minutes longer she could have spent with Pallin. Her heart pounded just thinking about him. He liked her.
Elis said to be there at sunset. Here she was. The sun had set a few minutes ago. But she saw no sign of him. If she was going to learn to control the Starfire's power—that sounded ridiculous, like some comic book superhero—she needed to practice. He insisted she do that.
So, where was he already?
She made sure to end her date with Pallin early enough to be there. Why couldn't he stick to it?
The door clicked.
Raea jumped to her feet. "What took you so long? You're the one who insisted I go through with this training of yours, but you can't show up on time?" Nevermind she wanted the training to keep her wings from sprouting again.
His jaw tightened as he pulled off his coat. "I'm sorry. Something came up."
Whatever. Waiting for him wore her patience thin. "So, what are we doing?" The sooner they started, the sooner they finished and she could go home and call Pallin, or wait for him to call her.
"The basics. First to find the resonance."
"What resonance?"
"Every crystal reacts to different pitches of sound, but this is something inside you. It's a part of you. You'll feel it throughout your body. That is the resonance of the Starfire in your cells. With that, you can access the power." He set his shoes in the closet and pointed up the stairs from the foyer to the second level, apparently unaffected by the fact that Mrs. Johnson could hear every word.
She knows!
"We'll need some quiet," he said.
"What about flying?"
"Maybe later."
All right. Upstairs. It should have felt creepy, but after that morning, actually talking to him, it didn't. Or, rather, it didn't feel as weird as knowing she was an alien with wings. She still had trouble believing what happened that morning was real. Then to have him, of all people, admit to being the same sounded like some fantasy Josh had dreamed up.
She climbed the stairs, noting the creaks of a couple of them. The old house had character. When Raea was young, Mrs. Johnson had babysat on more than a few occasions. Raea and Dave had played many games on those stairs, pretending at times that they led to the dragon's lair or that the two of them hunted ghosts. Those rare times they actually got along.
The memories flashed past with amazing clarity, like any memory she recalled. Until Elis told her the crystal recorded events, she thought she simply had an eidetic memory. That memory made school a breeze with a perfect GPA, and Elis matched her from day one. Not what anyone expected from a foreign student, but he was more than that.
Elis. I wonder... "How old are you?"
"In Earth years, twenty-one. It's about five Earth years to Six Inari."
"I knew you were older." She had always suspected. He seemed far too mature to be in their class.
"Why are you in high school?"
"Debbie made the arrangements so I could watch you, protect you in case of trouble." Around the top of the stairs and past the upstairs bathroom, he opened the door of the guest bedroom for her.
"Of course. And she arranged for you to live here."
"Yes."
His door opened to an immaculately clean room; not a mess in sight and everything organized. Books on various subjects packed a bookshelf on the nearest wall next to a corner desk, where a flat panel monitor glowed with power. The bed was made and not a sock littered the floor.
"Are you for real?" Raea stood in the doorway, aware of him close behind.
"Why?"
"No one is this neat." Not even her. She stepped inside, self-conscious suddenly about entering Elis's room. The room was sparse, but functional, a room for working and sleeping but little else in the way of decoration or personal touches. A few strange items lined the shelf on the back of the desk, but nothing else. The cross over the queen bed she guessed was Mrs. Johnson's, since this was probably also one of the guest rooms for when her family visited, or at least had been before Elis came.
"Are you disappointed?"
She turned from where she touched the computer desk in curiosity—not a dust speck. "No. Not at all. Just...surprised. Maybe I'm too used to Dave's and Eric's rooms being pigsties." Debbie had given up hounding the boys to keep their rooms clean. She'd flip to have Elis. For that matter, why didn't she? Except they had no room.
"You expected a mess?"
"Maybe. I didn't expect this." She was organized and kept her room clean, but she wasn't nearly as tidy. This went far beyond clean. "So, where do I begin?"
"Here." He patted the made-up bed. "Sit down on the edge with your feet on the floor."
Raea eyed the bed suspiciously but followed his directions. For all she knew, he could have intended something else, but he knelt on the floor near her. Good. He didn't assume any special familiarity. Hopefully Pallin soon would though.
"Now, let your arms hang loose and breathe deep. I want you to meditate and free your mind. Only then will you find the resonance of the crystal inside you. After some practice, you'll start recognizing it instantly. For now, though, it may take a while."
"Meditate. Okay." Raea did as he instructed. He talked her through the relaxation in a gentle voice that guided her to a place she had never been before. Within herself, she found a place of peace and openness. There, a sweet music played, like the voices that had whispered in her dreams now harmonized. It focused on a single pitch and warmed through her. Every part of her tingled faintly as the warmth increased.
"Good. Not too much. Now think of something else and let it go."
Easy—Pallin. His bright, amber eyes sparkled and perfect, sculpted jaw shifted with his grin. The way his blonde hair fell aside along his face, outlined it in a halo of gold. And those broad shoulders and trim figure… She'd bet he had a nice body under that shirt that left much to her imagination.
"That was better than anyone I've known."
"Really?" The image of Pallin blew away. Better than anyone he'd known? The compliment boosted her confidence to try again.
"Yes. But, since the Starfire has been pushing you lately, I'd guess it's also guiding you. Most Keepers train before one of the shards needs a new bearer, but it has happened the other way, like with you."
Raea lifted the crystal. That such a simple object could contain so much baffled her mind, as did finding out she had wings. It still felt odd, unreal, like she lived someone else's life. "I remember Mom saying it would guide me, but I was young. I had no idea she meant this." That crystal had opened a whole world to her that she never knew existed.
She caught his smile on her and turned away. Don't look at me like that. Her face warmed.
"Try again to find the resonance, but listen to the Starfire this time. It made us what we are. We serve its purpose. Listen to what it says."
She considered that idea, but she hadn't yet been able to distinguish any words from the crowd of voices. Did he honestly think it would be any easier now? But she had to try, for her own curiosity if nothing else.
She found the resonance quicker this time and listened. The voices remained quiet, though. Now they chose to say nothing? She should have known. When she wanted to hear them, they said nothing; but when she hadn't wanted to or hadn't expected it, they wouldn't shut up. Where are you?
Silence.
"The voices are gone."
"Try again. Focus on the resonance. That's your connection."
"I did. There was nothing."
He stared at the crystal, the muscles along his jaw tightening and loosening. After a few seconds of silence, he put his bare left hand before her, palm open to expose the larger Starburst mark. "Take my hand."
"Why?"
"I spoke to them before when I touched you. I'd like to know what they want."
"That makes two of us," Raea mumbled. Seeing little choice and hoping he knew what he was doing, she placed her hand in his. The resonance warmed through her.
The man, Jerantis, walked across a patch of strange brown and pink plants, his dark brown hair, like the feathers of his wings, ruffling in a breeze. He smiled and tossed a purple and orange ball to Padina. ["Davrel doesn't deserve a second thought. He's jealous that you turned him down for me."] He sat down next to her. ["I can't blame him, though."]
Padina smiled and dropped her eyes to the ball. Not a ball. She bit into the juicy fruit. ["He seemed so hopeful, but it wasn't right. I shouldn't feel bad, but I do."]
["I'm not sure why you chose me to bond with, what I did, but no matter what you decided, I would always love you."]
["That's why. I love you, too, and I know you'll never hurt me. You've always been kind and giving. Davrel's selfish. He's a good person, but not a mate. If I'm to share the pleasures and pains of one man, it must be someone I can trust."]
The scene blew away, replaced by another. In full view this time, a younger Padina stood with other Keepers of varying wing colors dressed in ceremonial-style robes of a pale blue and tied with gold. A stranger stood close to the crystal and reached toward it. In a flash of light, the Keeper collapsed from view. Two winged figures carried the unconscious individual away.
["Shartrael Padina."]
Padina hesitated, until someone nudged her to step forward. Slowly, she approached, growing larger from the crystal's viewpoint. She stood over the crystal, fear in her eyes, and looked back.
["You must try."] A blue-winged woman stepped near, a large shard of the crystal hanging at her chest. ["The Starfire will not hurt those who sincerely wish to understand the truth."]
["I understand, but I'm afraid, Keeper Saffir,"] Padina whispered. ["I don't want the trouble it brings."]
Saffir's eyes shone with her smile. ["And honor."]
["I don't care! I don't want to touch it."]
["Please, Padina. The others are waiting."]
Padina licked her lips and glanced back at the silent Keepers. ["Let someone else try."]
["You would prefer to give someone else a chance?"]
["Yes."]
["You're next in line and completed your training. It's your turn to be judged."]
Padina's eyes glossed with tears. ["I don't want to. I know I'm not worthy."]
["Unless you've hidden something from us, I see no reason to consider you unworthy. Is there something you haven't told me?"]
["No, Keeper Saffir."]
["Then touch the Starfire for judgment."] The gentle but firm command bordered on a tone of demand, but Saffir made no move to reprimand her charge.
Padina reached out to the crystal and hesitated. After a few seconds, she closed her eyes and touched it. [You do well to fear us,] voices in unison said, or implied with feelings that translated to words. [But we intend no harm. We wish to understand, and in exchange will share ourselves, so understanding may happen.]
Padina lifted the crystal in her hand. Behind her, all others knelt.
["Congratulations, Crystal Keeper Shartrael Padina. I had no doubts."]
Raea opened her eyes as the marks on hers and Elis's hands faded. Why did the visions always come of her mother and
one of the two men in her life? What did they want her to understand?
The second vision needed no interpretation. Her mother never wanted to be a Crystal Keeper, but the Starfire wanted her.
Elis squeezed her hand and let go.
"What happened?" Raea asked.
"They showed you what you needed to know."
"Did you see it?"
His smile answered her question.
"Did you see the other times?"
"No."
"Why this time?" She looked at her hands.
"Through the Starburst marks, the energy can flow, either out as pure energy, or between Keepers."
Okay, put that way it made sense. They acted as conduits for the Starfire's energy. Something else occurred to her. "So, how did you speak to them yesterday if your gloves cover your marks?"
Elis held out his palm and traced the tapering, jagged lines of aquamarine to the last knuckles before his fingertips on the index and middle fingers of each hand. "The gloves don't cover all of it."
"But you weren't touching my hands."
He shrugged. "The energy can still pass through. I couldn't hear them but they must have recognized me. To be honest, I wasn't sure it would work."
They recognized him? That must have been why whenever he touched her, she had visions. Why? Why him? What were these beings trying to tell her?
"Continue working with the resonance. Find it and let it go. Learn to turn it on and off." The instant he said it, his marks glowed. They faded to normal a couple seconds later. He made it look easy. "It'll become second nature soon enough. The Starfire wants you to succeed. It needs your protection, Raea. It's all but helpless without us."
"Could've fooled me."
His smile infected her. "If not for the connection to you, the Starfire would be a decorative crystal." He sat up on the bed close to her, but not too close, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Starfire Angels (Starfire Angels: Dark Angel Chronicles Book 1) Page 6