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

by Melanie Nilles

  "I was on my way to see Pallin."

  Raea blinked. What? To see him? She knew Pallin?

  "You want the truth, Miss Russet? You'll see the truth." Elis never took his eyes off the glowing Starburst marks.

  "Don't do this, Elis." Please stop. It's not worth the trouble.

  "He's not getting...away...with...this." He strained with the energy he released, but the metal wasn't burning. What was he doing?

  "What's going on?" Nina stepped close behind Elis, her eyes on his hands. "What're you doing?"

  "Doing what I should have done Saturday."

  "Dear, God." Raea gasped and stepped back, afraid of what she was hearing from him. He wouldn't. He couldn't. "You can't kill him."

  "No. But you're getting some justice, and so...am...I." The lock clicked and he threw open the door. A second later, he jumped aside.

  Nina stumbled back, a burned hole in her chest.

  Raea jumped to catch her as she collapsed. "Nina."

  A crash sounded from the room before the door slammed closed.

  "Elis." But Nina—

  Why me?

  Nina's eyes opened and she peered down at her chest then up at Raea. "I know you can fix this."

  "No. I can't. I don't know how." Raea looked around. No one. Didn't anyone hear the commotion? "Help! Someone help us! I need a doctor!"

  Nina grabbed her hand, wincing with the movement that cracked the flash-cauterized edges of the wound. Blood flowed over Nina's dark shirt and vest. "Do it." She pressed Raea's hand to the bleeding wound. "You have the power. Pallin told me."

  Raea trembled as blood oozed over her fingers and Nina's. She was going to be sick. "No. I haven't learned—"

  "Try." Nina gasped and winced as if breathing hurt.

  "I could kill you."

  "I'm dead if you don't." Nina pressed her hand over Raea's.

  A series of crashes came from the room and the door flung open. A dark shape flashed past with another right behind.

  "Elis."

  He hesitated chasing Pallin through the door to the stairs. A red line trickled down his cheek.

  "I need your help. I can't do this."

  He glanced back the way Pallin had gone and past Raea. "She's beyond my help." With that he disappeared through the door.

  Nina's hand fell limp over hers. No. No, this wasn't real. She couldn't be dead.

  Footsteps thumped towards her. "What happened?"

  Raea looked up at a couple of men who knelt down. "She's been shot."

  "What?"

  "Take her." Tears burned in her eyes. Dammit, Elis. He and his stupid "justice". Nina should have come first. If he hadn't opened that door—

  But Nina had been stupid enough to stand behind him, and Pallin had fired the shot.

  Maybe Elis was right. She didn't know what he could and couldn't heal. Maybe this was more than he could heal. If that was the case, she'd never be able to save him if he was shot.

  She had to stop him.

  "Take her." Raea lowered Nina to the floor. She wiped the blood off her hand with the sleeve of Elis's coat and raced after him. The men would know better what to do, she hoped.

  * * *

  Crystal Fire. Pallin reached the rooftop. If Raea hadn't stopped him, Elis could have caught the Shirukan and secured him.

  Pallin stood with golden wings and fired.

  Elis ducked down as a shot sent gravel hurtling everywhere like tiny missiles, pinging off the metal door.

  When he re-emerged, Pallin was airborne. Now he had to catch him from the air. Cornering the bastard in the hotel room hadn't worked. Both of them were sore with injuries, but Pallin was too well trained. Using the Starfire energy to subdue him would only have worked for a short time; but Elis couldn't even get his hands in position long enough. Instead, Pallin whipped out his knife. Elis ducked, but Pallin gave him a cut along his scalp. The line of blood cooled on his cheek in the chilly night.

  Elis climbed onto the rooftop and grew his wings, his eyes fixed on Pallin flying higher. If Raea hadn't asked for his help—

  He hadn't lied. Nina's wound was too deep and she was too far gone to save. Although he didn't like the woman, he would never want anyone hurt. She had been hurt because of him. It wouldn't be for nothing.

  How had Raea followed so closely? She must have finally overcome the pain to grow her wings.

  There was that.

  He opened his wings and flapped into the air. Pallin would not escape. This would end tonight. Pallin wouldn't hurt Raea, or touch her, ever again. No more Pallin. No more Shirukan. Their lives would see peace.

  Pallin reached a peak and hovered a moment. Here it came.

  Elis swerved. A blast of energy from the weapon grazed his wing. The Shirukan had good aim, but so did he. A touch of the resonance gave him all he needed. He released the energy at the moving shadow.

  The shadow dove. Or was it a fall? Had he struck Pallin?

  No. Pallin spiraled and swooped up towards him, the targeting beam of his weapon glowed. No neutralizer beams here. The Shirukan shot to kill.

  Elis pulled in both wings and dove head first. Nothing hit him.

  Now, if he could lead Pallin away from the town, he might have a chance to survive without witnesses. And he could lure the Shirukan away from his real target—Raea.

  Elis glanced back at the hotel far behind them. A dark shape outlined by the lights of the town approached.

  Why couldn't she stay behind? Why couldn't she have stayed home? She didn't have the skills to avoid Pallin in the air. He'd easily catch her.

  Maybe Pallin wouldn't notice. Elis had to end this quickly, before that happened. Or at least keep him busy.

  Another shot flashed close to him.

  Crystal fire. Elis flapped harder, partially riding an updraft to gain altitude and working at it.

  Pallin climbed after him. Good. As long as the Shirukan didn't look back.

  Beyond the edge of town and far above the patchwork of fallow fields and pastures, Elis dove on his adversary.

  Pallin hesitated and brought his weapon up.

  In a feat of acrobatics from years of aerial games on the homeworld, Elis swerved and zigzagged sharply in the air with variations of wing movements. The shots flashed past him.

  A hundred feet away, Pallin brought the weapon up for a clear shot as Elis leveled with him.

  Elis raised his hands and released a burst of energy, while flying straight for his adversary.

  Seconds later, a blinded Pallin grunted from their impact.

  Elis spread his wings like a parachute and nearly halted his fall. Pallin tumbled away.

  Near the ground far below, the shadowy figure opened his golden wings and arched upwards.

  For a few seconds, Elis could catch his breath.

  Raea approached fast. How he wished she wouldn't. Too late. She was almost here. Now, he not only had to worry about Pallin, but he had to keep her safe.

  Something stirred inside him. The Starburst marks glowed faintly. The wind picked up, fighting his efforts to glide as the currents shifted faster than he could adjust. Raea struggled, but stayed airborne.

  He knew that feeling. The touch of the Starfire calling to itself. A portal. But who—Heffin's Gate or Saffir?

  Pallin climbed into the sky as a ball of lightening flashed and crackled above them. Elis risked a look up. Within the electric discharge, a black ball formed. The lightening exploded outward, exposing the disk of the portal opening to about the size of a house. Lightening streaks spiraled around it

  A scream over the rushing of wind in his ears jerked his attention. Raea!

  While flapping hard, Pallin dragged her upward with an arm around her neck.

  Elis refused to let him succeed. He had to be careful, though. Pallin looked up at him and put the weapon to her head, a challenging expression on his face. Pallin dared him. Elis had no doubt the Shirukan would kill her if he had to. The Starfire was his true target. Taking her alive would help
, but one way or another, he intended to gain the crystal.

  What could he do for her?

  Elis didn't have to do anything. Raea lifted her wings, knocking Pallin's weapon hand away, and the Starburst marks flared.

  A moment later, Pallin's arm yanked away, the pale flesh showing through the fabric of his sleeve. She had burned him. While Pallin tucked his arm close, Raea flew away to Elis.

  ["I'm not done with you! Either of you."]

  Pallin lifted his weapon.

  No. Elis dove at Raea, knocking her away from the deadly blast.

  "What're you doing?" She pushed away from him.

  ["You have to watch your back."] He glanced at Pallin, who flew after them, and let her go. He needed a plan. But what? He had nothing, except...

  Too dangerous. He couldn't risk her, but he didn't know what else to do. Besides, she had defended herself with the Starfire's power. He saw no other choice.

  ["Split up. Keep him distracted so I can disable him."']

  She nodded and spread her wings. Now, to take care of the golden demon in the black uniform.

  * * *

  Distract him, huh? Okay. That didn't seem too hard. Raea flew away and glanced back at Pallin. He circled slowly. Which way would he go?

  Stupid wind. Whatever that disk in the sky was—it looked like a blackhole, especially with the twist of energy around the event horizon—it upset the weather. The wind hindered her efforts, but also caused problems for the men.

  Pallin lifted his weapon. A shot went wild to her left.

  Her heart leapt into her chest. She had seen what that weapon could do. No way was she going to end up like Nina. Having it at her head had been scary enough. She almost hadn't dared to move, but something inside her insisted.

  Raea caught a gust that sent her higher, towards the black maw. What was that thing?

  She wasn't going to find out. Its appearance coincided with her marks and the crystal glowing faintly, and her body warmed but she hadn't touched the resonance.

  She didn't have time to worry about it except how to stay away. Raea pulled her wings close and dove. The fast fall scared her, but she had no choice. Tucking them close turned her into a missile with gravity pulling her stronger than the hole in the sky.

  It didn't last long. Away from the phenomenon, she opened her wings and caught the air like a parachute and looped around.

  Elis maneuvered into a position opposite her from Pallin, who fired and dodged blasts from Elis. Someone had to end this.

  WE WILL HELP YOU.

  What? She paused, her wings outstretched. Who—

  The Starfire. They spoke to her, in their own way. The important thing was that she understood.

  NO RETURN. WE MUST NOT BE JOINED.

  Joined? Joined to what?

  NO ONE DESERVES ALL POWER. NO MORE MISUSE.

  Fiery rivers flowed. Explosions burst around her. Fire. Death. Smoldering corpses sank into the molten rivers. Cities crumbled.

  The dark of space. Cold, empty. But in the distance, a world of fire.

  Another world circled by moons. Bursts of volcanic activity thrown miles up into the atmosphere and clearly visible from space.

  A flash of energy. A deafening roar.

  Massive asteroids hurtling through space. Not asteroids, chunks of planetary debris. Green covered one side of a large piece. Ships fled the scene.

  Raea gasped and caught herself from a fall. Planets. All of them destroyed. She had seen other worlds exploding. Populated worlds. Billions of lives. Was that what would happen to Inar'Ahben?

  WE DID THAT. INTOLERANCE. TOO OFTEN. NONE LISTENED. YOU ARE WARNED.

  Yes, she was. She got the message, loud and clear. The Starfire would destroy any worlds where the residents abused their power. She had to protect it.

  Raea turned back to the fight. They had to chase Pallin away. He couldn't take her alive, and he wouldn't get the Starfire from her dead body. She knew how to release the energy.

  With her hands out before her, she chased Pallin. But focusing on the resonance and releasing the energy while fighting the buffeting winds, which strengthened the closer she flew to that black void, took more concentration than she had. The one shot she managed went wide.

  Near the churning even horizon, Pallin turned on her with his weapon.

  Raea flapped to stop her forward momentum. Where was Elis?

  Pulling a maneuver away. He must have thought Pallin still chased him.

  She was on her own.

  Raea turned and fled. A gust sent her tumbling as a streak of light flashed past. For a couple seconds, she thought she would crash to earth. Her heart raced, but she regained control and spread her wings, steadying her.

  She neared the dark hole.

  Where was Pallin?

  Nearly on top of her.

  Now or never. Instinct rose up and guided her to find the resonance while she focused half her attention on remaining airborne. Her body warmed from the energy building up. She had to release it.

  Raea flipped around to face him and flapped her wings, her hands up. Pallin aimed his weapon, not fifty feet away.

  NOW!

  Blinding energy sprayed from her hands without any thought, as if she didn't control it. Raea closed her eyes to shut it out, afraid he would hit her.

  The energy expelled itself, leaving her cold and shivering from the sudden change. No one hit her. Raea opened her eyes. Despite the spots in her vision, she saw no sign of Pallin. Where'd he go? Would he come around again and catch her?

  Something inside said he was gone, that she had killed him. But she saw no one, not even a falling body.

  That is, no one except Elis, who flew towards her from a distance.

  The black maw in the sky continued to swirl with lightening above her.

  A moment of dizziness swept over her, distracting her from flying.

  Not until strong arms caught her and she faced Elis did she realize she had fallen. ["Are you all right?"] Elis's black wings flapped behind him as he carried them up.

  ["No. Weak. I think."]

  ["I'm not surprised, with the energy you released. I've never seen anything like it before."]

  ["You haven't?"]

  ["No. I was afraid the energy would disintegrate you. Luckily, it only took Pallin."]

  ["It did?"]

  ["He's gone."] His sober tone told her all she needed.

  She had disintegrated Pallin. She had killed a person. ["I didn't mean to kill him."] Yes, she had meant to disable him and she despised him for all the trouble he brought into her life. But that didn't justify killing him.

  ["You did what had to be done."]

  ["But to kill?"] She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close. Her stomach twisted with the thought that she had killed. It sickened her. She had the power to kill, and—worse—she had used it.

  WE DID. YOU ARE THE VESSEL.

  The Starfire entities? They killed Pallin? Had they taken control of her? Raea shuddered, afraid of the implications.

  WE GUIDE, NOT CONTROL, AND DEFEND US AND OUR KEEPER.

  ["It's over. He would have killed you if you hadn't acted."]

  ["It's still not right."]

  A crackle from the maw drew her attention to a shrinking black ball of lightening. ["What was that?"]

  ["A Starfire portal. Probably Heffin's Gate, activated for him to return with his target."]

  ["Me."] The idea sobered her. All this was so beyond what she would have imagined two weeks ago.

  ["You and the crystal. But he's gone."] His arms tightened around her as he flew down to their field. From the sky, she spotted the flashing lights in the distance concentrated near the center of town. Emergency services had been contacted.

  Nina was dead. Pallin was disintegrated without a trace. The cops would investigate. Now what? How would they explain it all?

  The night wasn't over yet. Weak yet from the fight and the wild ride of emotions that night, she left the flying to him. ["Wha
t're we going to tell people?"]

  ["We'll think of something."]

  The Truth

  The cops stopped them outside the hotel. "Sorry. Nobody gets in or out right now."

  "But we were here." She shouldn't be. She really shouldn't, but Raea wanted it over with. Then she could rest, at least physically. She hurt, and Elis hurt. He had fought with injuries only days old still healing.

  But it couldn't heal the emotional wounds. She would never forget what Pallin had done, nor that she had killed him.

  At least they could give their sides before the cops came knocking, and maybe they could find the tape Nina had described. If for nothing else, they had to get their hands on any copies of the video the woman had taken of Elis. The night was far from over.

  "What do you mean you were here?"

  "Nina died in my arms."

  The officer said something into the walkie-talkie clipped to his shoulder and ushered them inside, where another uniformed officer met them. His familiar face hardened into a frown. "You again."

  Yeah, her. Deputy Sandaman could think what he wanted. She tightened her hold of Elis's gloved hand.

  "Tell me what you know, all of it."

  Raea let Elis speak first. He went into his portion of the story and described chasing Pallin down and fighting, but said Pallin escaped into the night. A partial truth, but they couldn't say he was dead. That would lead to far too many questions and their secret.

  From somewhere nearby, Raea caught the phrase "Dark Angel" and turned. A group of three individuals sat at one of the tables in the lobby, a brown-haired woman and two men, one of them a tough-looking bald man and the other a young, scrawny guy with a goatee.

  "I don't know what we'll do." The woman sipped a mug of coffee.

  "It's just one more mystery. We have enough to show he exists. So what if the footage is blurry or obstructed," the bald man said.

  "But she seemed to think there was something about the girl. I don't know."

  "It's Nina." The bald man shrugged. "She was always chasing leads. Half them end up in lala land."

  The three fell silent for a while, all of them lost to their own thoughts for a time.