Starfire Angels (Starfire Angels: Dark Angel Chronicles Book 1)

by Melanie Nilles

  "Geez, Raea. What did he do? I heard you both passed out and Elis came."

  "Yeah. Something like that." She picked up her book and finished putting things away.

  "Do you remember anything?"

  "No. Just...don't ask me any more questions. I already told the police what I know. Nothing. I was unconscious."

  "I'm sorry." He glanced around. "Where's Elis?"

  "Injured."

  "How?"

  "What is this, the Inquisition?" She let out a heavy sigh and turned to face him. "I'm sorry. It's just...I have a lot on my mind right now. Can we not talk about anything related to Saturday or Pallin? If he shows up today, I don't know what I'll do."

  "Okay, but does this count?" He started unfolding a newspaper clipping.

  Oh, no. Not another one. "Not even your 'Dark Angel'." It only made her think of Elis and how much she wished he was there.

  He folded the article away. "That's okay. It just says that there were two angels seen Saturday. And Nina Russet reported having some video footage of Dark Angel."

  No. Elis! Her heart raced. Calm down. It might be nothing. "Did she get a clear shot?"

  "Nothing that wasn't blurry or too dark. She said he attacked their SUV with some sort of beam that melted their tires."

  So far, so good. Elis had only damaged the vehicle. "He didn't hurt anyone."

  "No. I called her at the hotel and she said they pursued him out into the country somewhere. Apparently he didn't want to be followed."

  Elis must have been chasing Pallin down to rescue her. He didn't want any witnesses to their secret. She could ask him later to be sure, but a fair guess that's why he did it. "Did Miss Russet say anything else?"

  "Nah. Just wondered how you were."

  Yeah, right. Just wondered how she was. A million to one, Nina Russet was prying to confirm what she suspected.

  Raea finished putting away her coat and gloves and gathered her books for first period. At least Elis's secret was safe. But how long did they have until Miss Russet put the pieces together? How long until her crew got a clear shot of his face?

  He couldn't risk flying. Not until they left. Probably not an issue since he was hiding out while he recovered from his wounds.

  "How much longer will she be in town?"

  "Just a few more days, I guess. Not sure."

  A few days more? Why her?

  The warning bell rang.

  "I'll see ya in class," Josh said.

  "Whatever." Mondays sucked.

  * * *

  The first chance she saw Linds after first period, Raea pulled her close at their lockers. An easy catch when they had chosen lockers next to each other.

  "Are you, like, mad at me?" Raea asked.

  "No. Why? Did someone say I was?"

  "No. I was afraid after what happened. You know?"

  Linds reached out and embraced her. "God, no, Raea. I was so worried about you. I had no idea that he would be so devious. I'm glad he didn't do something bad to you. That's why I went with, to be there in case he tried something. I feel bad insisting on trusting him for a drink. I didn't even think he might have drugged it. It was unopened."

  "Thanks." She returned the hug and stood back. "You talked to the cops?"

  "Yeah. I didn't have much to say, but I was so worried about you. If it hadn't been for Elis, who knows what Pallin might have done if he came back. Mom insisted I get to the emergency room and get checked out right away."

  "Did you?"

  "Don't worry. He didn't do anything. What about you?"

  "No." At least he had left Linds alone. Some of Raea's tension melted away.

  "No, you didn't go; or no, he didn't do anything?"

  Raea looked away. "I didn't go."

  "Why? It's not painful or anything. Maybe a little uncomfortable."

  Raea shrugged and played with a corner of her notebook. How could she tell Linds? What could she tell Linds? Maybe if he hadn't touched Linds, he hadn't touched her either. Raea could hope. "I didn't think of it and had a shower before the cop came. So I kinda figured, why go?" She looked up to Linds shaking her head. Don't give me that. I know I should have. But you wouldn't understand. I'm not like you. I'm so not like you and the others.

  "Don't you want to see him in jail after what he did?"

  "Yeah, but I don't want to think of it anymore. I just wanted to be sure he didn't hurt you."

  Linds frowned. "I called yesterday. Debbie must have forgot to tell you. She said you were with Elis."

  Warmth rose to Raea's cheeks. "Yeah...um...I kinda broke the ice between us."

  "As in..." The suspicious, leading voice.

  "As in we're kinda...like...well, we like each other."

  "Oh, my God! When did this happen?"

  Raea shrugged. There was one secret out. "I think I knew a while ago but I didn't want to accept it."

  "Wow! I mean, really, it's a surprise, but after last week, it's not really. I make no sense. Do the others know?"

  "Josh does."

  "Why does everyone go to him first?"

  Raea shrugged. She knew, but she wouldn't say it. Besides, the question was more hypothetical than rhetorical.

  "Anyway, we better get to class." Linds glanced at her watch. "Less than a minute. We'll talk at lunch." She started off through the mostly empty halls. "I'm glad you're all right."

  "You too."

  Well, the cat was out of the bag, at least as far as her and Elis were concerned. She'd better keep her mouth shut about the Starfire and having wings. Oh, and not to mention being an alien. Like anyone would believe that.

  Maybe Chad.

  Oh, crap. How was she going to deal with him?

  Not as badly as she expected. No one laughed at his jokes, not even at lunch in the middle of a full cafeteria. That deflated his ego. But a few people asked where Pallin was. She didn't care and was glad he didn't show up.

  Maybe being considered a public couple with Elis wasn't so bad. Josh seemed happier, since he didn't have to hide anything.

  "Man. You're gonna have some smart kids."

  What? Raea gulped a bite without chewing. It went down hard. "Josh. Isn't that jumping ahead, like, a bunch?"

  "Exactly. Sheesh. Give it some time. Will ya?" Jess swatted him on the back of the head.

  "Hey. I'm just saying..."

  "Enough 'saying'. Let them decide," Linds said. "By the way, where is he?"

  "Injured."

  "How?" Josh asked.

  "Fighting Pallin."

  "Whoa." Josh paused with his fork in the air, his eyes wide. "He really fought Pallin to rescue you? Linds said he went after you, but I didn't think... The dude's a genuine hero."

  "Yeah. He kinda risked his life." And hers, based on the Starfire vision. But he knew how to control his power not to hurt her. Pallin was the one using her as a shield.

  "This is mister quiet-and-somber Elis?" Jess asked.

  "Yeah. Who'dathunk, huh?" Raea shoved a forkful of food in her mouth. At least by keeping her mouth full, she couldn't talk. That meant avoiding spewing out details related to her secret. But when she was with her friends, at school or elsewhere, she was human. She belonged here.

  With Elis, she was something else.

  Her life would never be the same. She had two lives now. And she intended to keep them separate.

  "Wow. I mean, totally. Wow, Raea! I wouldn't have expected it." Jess leaned over her tray, apparently unaware that her necklace was about to take a dip.

  "Took me by surprise too." Why couldn't Jess let it go?

  "And you really like him, I mean, like, want to be with him?"

  "Yeah. Is that so hard to believe?"

  "No. It's just so shocking." There went the necklace.

  "Okay. Can we get past the surprise now? Please?" Was it that unbelievable?

  "Sorry."

  "Moving on," Josh said. "Anyone see the paper this morning?"

  "Oh, no," Linds groaned.

  Oh, yes. Jos
h laid it all out for them. Raea paid attention this time, curious if he gave out any details he hadn't given her that morning. Not much more, but it relieved her to hear it again. Nothing yet. Nothing about the farmhouse or the identity of their Dark Angel.

  How was Elis? He'd have work to catch up with classes when he returned to school. Funny. He was in high school. Wasn't that backwards for him? Would he continue to graduation now?

  Why not? She hoped to stay on Earth, at least for a while. It was her home. Sure, she might want to see Inar'Ahben, but it could wait, at least until it was safer. Her mother had come to Earth to hide from the Shirukan. The least she could do was honor her mother's sacrifice. She doubted Elis would leave her, especially now. Maintaining some semblance of humanity while living there would keep them safe from attracting unwanted attention and help her feel normal, if that was possible anymore.

  The rest of the afternoon passed quickly. On the walk home, Raea hurried next to Josh, anxious to see Elis.

  Until she saw the familiar white rental car and groaned. "Doesn't that woman have anything better to do?"

  "Apparently not. Should I stay with you?"

  "No. No, go on. I can handle her." Alone, rather than risk Nina exposing her before Josh, if the bitch had made any connections.

  "All right. Tell Elis I hope he feels better soon."

  Raea smiled. "I will. Thanks, Josh."

  He left at their corner where they usually parted.

  Now to deal with the bitch from hell. With all luck, Nina Russet would leave her alone, but Raea doubted it.

  Sure enough, at her approach, Nina stepped out of the car, her frizzy bottle-blonde hair pulled into a rough ponytail.

  "Raea."

  Raea stopped on the sidewalk before Evelyn's house. "Now what?"

  "I'd like the full truth. No more lies, Miss Dahlrich."

  Was the woman crazy? Did she honestly expect Raea to just blurt it all out? "I've told you everything I can." No way was she going to say anything more.

  Raea hurried to Evelyn's door, but Nina followed at her heels, grating on her last nerve. "Leave me alone, Miss Russet."

  "I'll leave you alone when you tell me." Nina leaned close and lowered her voice, her breath stinking of cheap coffee. "Or do I have to expose your boyfriend as the real Dark Angel?"

  What? How did she know? No. She couldn't. Nina was guessing.

  Or was she? The confidence in her grin and the way she crossed her arms made Raea's heart beat faster. She couldn't know. "You're pulling rabbits out of a hat. Nice trick. But you're so totally off your mark."

  "Am I? I know he has the same marks on his hands you do. And he went after you Saturday night. I followed him. I saw him flying, and he attacked us."

  "Show me proof. " Josh said Dark Angel attacked Nina's vehicle, but that Nina had admitted to the video being blurry or something. She didn't need this. Not now. Raea opened the door; she had to get away from the woman.

  "I have it on video, Miss Dahlrich."

  It had to be a trick. What if it wasn't? Could they take that risk? They had to get that video. It couldn't go on the air. Their lives would be ruined.

  "I'll make you a deal. I'll show you the proof if you answer a few questions."

  "No deal." Raea opened the inside door. "I have nothing to say."

  "Then I guess the tape will air, showing everyone the real threat that is their precious Dark Angel."

  Threat? Where did she get that idea? No. Raea couldn't take the bait. Nina was fishing. That's all. Raea stepped inside.

  "You know where to find me. I'm in town until Thursday. You have until then, Miss Dahlrich."

  No. No. No! Raea slammed the door behind her and dropped her bag. Anger shook through her. Nina wanted to paint them in a dangerous light. She wanted to ruin their lives, make people afraid of them. What did she have against them? It wasn't fair. They hadn't hurt anyone. And Elis had only disabled their vehicle. Besides, he had always helped people before then. Surely people would remember that.

  "Hello?" Evelyn called from her sitting room. "Is someone here?"

  "Just me, Evelyn." Raea slipped off her shoes and rushed to the window near the old woman. "Is she gone?"

  "Who, dear?"

  "That bi—" Not in front of Evelyn. Raea took a deep breath. "That wicked witch from the east, Nina Russet."

  Nina walked back to her car. Good. She was leaving. But what would she do now? Would she expose them?

  "Oh, her." Even Evelyn sounded disgruntled by the name.

  "Is Elis upstairs?" Raea rushed to the stairs before Evelyn could answer. "Elis!"

  She rushed up. He had to know.

  "In here."

  She stopped at his door. He held a globe of light between his hands.

  "How're you doing that?" Her eyes fixed on the swirl of energy from the Starburst marks. Now that was control.

  "Precision."

  "I'll say." Raea blinked away her daze. "Nina knows, Elis. And she has you on tape attacking their vehicle."

  The energy dissipated. "What?" Black wings pulled close to him.

  Raea stepped towards him and sat down on the bed. "She knows. She confronted me just now and threatened to tell the world, to show the world if I don't tell her everything."

  He sat down beside her and she leaned her head on his warm shoulder. "What are we going to do?"

  "Nothing. Let her tell the world what she thinks she knows. We can hide the evidence. So, no flying for a while. That's all. If she needs you to tell her, then she must not have anything solid."

  Mmm. He smelled good. Raea wrapped her arms around his bare chest and back. When she sat close to him, all her problems seemed so small, except the one resulting in the bandage next to her. "How's it healing?" And what about the wing? She looked up. The bandage was off, exposing pink flesh but no blood.

  "Good. It doesn't hurt much. I should be able to fly without any pain by the end of the week."

  "I'm glad. I can't wait to go out again, and this weekend is supposed to be nice." This weekend, before Nina exposed them.

  His smile infected her. Nothing else mattered, at least not for the moment.

  "Then I better be ready." He twisted to face her but his face pinched with pain.

  "Still hurts?"

  "Yeah, but only when I move wrong."

  "Sorry."

  "It's not your fault. It's Pallin's." He straightened and let out a deep breath that relaxed his face. "Speaking of him...Are you ready to try again to see Saturday night?"

  Not this again. She wasn't ready. But Linds was okay, and she was checked.

  Linds was also human. Raea and Pallin were the same species. That doesn't mean he would be more likely to do something like that. She couldn't even use the word now. Even the idea behind the word made her squirm in discomfort, a discomfort she couldn't escape with a shower.

  "Do I have to?" Please say no.

  "No, but I'd like you to try again."

  "Now?"

  "Before you can think about it."

  He was right, but she had thought about it. All day, in fact. She couldn't escape it. But if she learned he hadn't done anything wrong, she could rest easier.

  "All right. Let's do it, before I change my mind."

  His hand caressed her cheek in reassurance and dropped down to her hands. He took both of her hands in his. "Find the resonance and focus. Ask the Starfire about Saturday night."

  Right. Easier said than done. Part of her still resisted. However, she did as he suggested and closed her eyes to focus. Saturday night.

  YOU ARE NOT READY.

  Raea gasped and opened her eyes.

  Elis frowned. "What is it?"

  "Didn't you hear them?"

  "No." He adjusted his hold and leaned close. "Try again. I'm here. Nothing can hurt you now."

  Raea closed her eyes and tried.

  Pallin knelt over her and smirked. ["You'll never get away. And Elis will be long gone before you know what's happened. This was much e
asier than I expected. But we have some time. How would you like to spend it, Raea? Should I take what I can, as you Keepers do? So high and mighty, worshipped and adored. You don't deserve it."]

  He leaned in close, his black-sleeved arm moved to the side of the view and slid down.

  The image blurred and skipped ahead to him carrying her from the room. Linds laid on the floor on her side. The door closed.

  Raea opened her eyes. "I can't. I don't want to see."

  "You need to try. Just relax."

  "No. I don't want to know, Elis. Everything I see I remember in detail. If I see something I don't like, I'll always see it. I'll always remember. I don't want that."

  "But you need to know."

  "No." She pulled away from him and stepped back to his closet. He couldn't force her. She wouldn't let him. Why did she have to do this? Why couldn't she go on without ever seeing it?

  Because she would always have a little voice nagging her. Somewhere in her thoughts, she wanted to know; but not yet. Maybe the time was just too soon.

  "I can't." She swallowed the lump in her throat. I am not going to cry about this. But she couldn't help it.

  Raea wiped her eyes and cleared her throat.

  Elis waited in silence, his eyes on her. "I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt you."

  She took a deep breath and stepped towards him, her arms around herself. "I know you don't, but this might. I'm not ready. They said that."

  His face dropped into a frown. "The Starfire said it?"

  "Yeah. I heard them say I wasn't ready."

  His cheek muscles twitched with his hardening expression. She recognized that look. What could anger him? One thing. Did he think the Starfire entities held back because Pallin had done something?

  No. God, no. That couldn't be right. She refused to believe it. Fresh tears blurred her vision. No. She wasn't raped. Pallin couldn't have. But he could; over three hours had passed while she was unconscious in his grasp.

  This wasn't real. If that's what Elis thought, he'd better not say it.

  Gentle hands steadied her and helped her to the bed to sit. "We'll try again when you're ready. Try focusing on growing your wings."

  Yeah. Her wings. She needed to get past the pain of the rapid growth of tissues. That would keep her mind off the matter. Or the other matter would help distract her enough to get past the pain. Either way, Elis was right.