“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”
Chapter Five
I feel naked walking home without my sword. It’s strange to think that I spent the first eighteen years of my life on Earth without a weapon in my reach and never thought twice about that. Even though I’ve only been here for two years, I can hardly remember what it’s like not to have my sword. As much as I dislike being without, I can’t have it break on me.
After a short walk, I leave Colosseum grounds and arrive at one of the many villages in the Realm.
I pass a row of houses on the left and finally get to my own blue door. I don’t bother knocking and just walk in, leaving my shoes on the mat next to two other pairs. A pair of studded boots and a set of leather loafers.
“Hello?” I shout into the hallway, checking if my wish parents are in.
“Over here, honey!” a female voice shouts.
I follow the sound to the living room where Priscilla and Mark are getting ready for their raid. There’s armour spread all over the table and floor, a strange sight that has become normal.
“Hey, Kassie. How was the Colosseum?” my wish mum asks as she helps her husband into his studded breastplate.
“Not bad,” I reply.
Priscilla fumbles with the leather straps and grunts. “Dear, did you gain some weight?”
Mark groans as he sucks in his stomach. “I don’t think so?”
“Then this leather has shrunk overnight.”
“That must be it,” he grins, earning himself a kiss.
No matter how many times I see them, I just can’t get over how in love they are. And it’s not just them. All the soul-bonded couples over here just love each other nauseatingly much.
“Did you have fun?” Mark asks, grunting as Priscilla finally manages to strap him in tight. “Oh, can you give me my gauntlets? On the table.”
I shrug as I pick up a set of reinforced gloves from the polka dotted tablecloth and hand them across. “Yeah, I guess.”
“Where’s your sword?” Priscilla asks, gesturing to the empty sheath on my back.
“At the Forge, it needed some maintenance. I’m raiding tomorrow.”
Her face lights up completely. “How exciting. Good luck, Kassie. I know you’ll do amazing!”
Sometimes, I can’t quite believe this is all real. Doting parents by day, Battle Angels by night. If it wasn’t the truth, I’d laugh too. But it’s not a joke, I can feel their love for me radiate from their entire being and it overwhelms me. Especially when I still don’t fully see them as my parents.
The painful reality of what I’d left behind on Earth stings and I turn away. “Thank you, good luck on yours. I’m going to my room.”
“Okay, honey. See you in the morning!” she calls after me.
I can see the hurt on their faces when they see I’m already leaving and I wish I found it in me to play happy family with them, but I can’t. I already have a set of parents and they’re down on Earth.
I kick the door of my room shut behind me and flop onto the bed. I should really try to be a better daughter to my wish parents. They’re good people and it’s not their fault that celestial children have to spend their first eighteen years on earth. It feels like a broken system that they’ve watched me grow up and loved me from a distance while I only met them two years ago, oblivious that it was them that wished for me. Oblivious to all of this.
I fold my arms under my head and stare up at the paintings on the walls. Priscilla isn’t a great painter but she captured the milestones of my life. The stuffed bunny I slept with every night until I was twelve. The swimming trophy I won in high school. The first shirt I bought with my own money. Scenes of a life that I’ve left behind and yet, it’s still my life. It just doesn’t always feel that way.
I can’t help but wonder if one day I’ll have to go through the same. Go to the Field of Stars to make my wish and then wait eighteen years before I get to hold my child. I can’t quite imagine what it must be like to miss out on the first steps, the first bruise, the first everything.
A long sigh escapes me. I should really try to bond more with them. After all, this is my life now.
Tired from the events of the day, I close my eyes in an attempt to fall asleep. I try to ignore the slight edge of uncomfortableness that I can never shake. My bed is a little too hard and my pillow too soft. Even though it’s home, it doesn’t really feel like it. Yet.
Chapter Six
The next morning I’m out the door before the sun is up. On my way out, I bump into Priscilla and Mark as they return home.
“Morning,” I chirp, making sure to keep my distance so I don’t get any of the venomous demon blood on my clothes.
“Morning,” Mark groans, looking exhausted. There are deep gashes along his chest and splatters of dark, black blood on the rest of his armour.
“How was the raid?” I ask.
Priscilla sinks down on the first chair in her reach. “There was an unexpected fourth circle demon.”
“Yikes. That’s way above your rank.”
“It is, but we had no choice.” Mark pulls his torn breastplate off and tosses it on the floor where he collapses next to it. “Oh, it was terrifying.”
Concerned, I linger. “Is there going to be an Inquiry?”
“Yes. We should have no problem proving we didn’t seek out a demon above our rank but it’s such a hassle with the interviews and reports,” Priscilla says as she kicks off her heavy boots. “Where are you off to so early? Is that fresh nectar I smell?”
“Yes, I just caught a fresh pot.”
That seems to perk both of them up.
“Lovely,” Mark groans as he crawls through the hall and into the kitchen. He pulls himself up by the counter and pours two cups of fresh nectar for him and his wife.
Priscilla basically inhales her cup and sighs. “Ahh… I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. So much better than coffee.”
“I don’t even remember what coffee tastes like anymore,” Mark admits as he sips from his golden beverage. “But it can’t be better than this.”
It must be weird being in the Realm for so long that they can’t remember what food on Earth tastes like anymore. I still can although it’s not something I miss. Not compared to the heavenly food they have here. Only a fool would return to earth for the food. That being said, I wouldn’t say no to my mother’s signature pie. It was always too sloppy and the crust never turned out the way she wanted it but nothing beats it. Maybe that's just my nostalgia talking though.
I hesitate at the door. “Are you two going to be alright?”
“Yes, yes, we’ll be fine. Nothing a hot shower can’t fix,” Priscilla smiles, shooing me away. “Go, go. Duty calls. You don’t want to be laid for your own raid.”
“I suppose not. I’ll see you after!”
Priscila and Mark manage some faint encouragement in their exhaustion and I leave the house with a warm feeling fluttering in my chest. They might not exactly feel like my parents yet but every day, I can feel my affection towards them grow.
I lock the door behind me and stare up at the sky. It’s heavenly blue, just like every day. A perfect morning to slay demons.
Chapter Seven
I have to pick up my sword before I clock in for my raid so instead of making my way to the Colosseum, I take a quick detour to the Forges. Long before I arrive at the village, I can smell the smoke of the furnaces in the air. Even the artificial scents from the fields can’t cover up that sharp, heavy fume. I don’t know how the apprentices and Forgemasters do it.
For the third time, I enter the Forge and look for the new girl. The heat of the working furnaces clashes in my face and burns my cold cheeks. How the Forgemasters can work in this heat is beyond me.
The whole building is bustling with people, all working on creating and maintaining the weapons needed to slay demons. A hard and thankless job.
I spot Athalia in one of the corners and hurry over to her, eager to get my sword back.
Or to see her.
“Hey.”
She turns around, a smile growing on her face. “Hi. You’re here early.”
“Oh, yes… My wish parents came home from a raid this morning,” I say, omitting the fact that I was awake long before that. “Is my sword ready?”
“Just putting the last finishing touches on it,” she replies, gesturing to the sharpening block on her work bench. “Unless you’d prefer to do it?”
“No, you can do it,” I say before I can stop myself. What’s wrong with me? I never let anyone else sharpen my blades. I don’t want them to mess up the angle or the edge but something in me wants to see Athalia do it.
“Sure,” she nods, taking my sword from the rack. She splashes some water on the whetstone and brings the sword down on it, keeping it at a perfect angle. With a smooth stroke, she pulls the blade along the stone. The sword sings from the friction, eager for more.
I watch with caged fascination as she sharpens the edge. The way she moves, I can tell she’s done this hundreds, if not thousands of times. Her movements are quick, consistent, every stroke perfect. Even under her baggy overalls, I can see her muscles tense and relax as she puts pressure on the blade. Now that’s craftsmanship.
After a lot less strokes than it would take me, she splashes some more water over the blade and holds it out my way. “There, all done.”
I curl my fingers around the handle, eager to be reunited with my sword. “Thank you.”
She gestures to one of the straw dummies in the corner. “Want to test it out?”
I shake my head. “No, I can tell that the edge is perfect.”
“Aahh. You know your angles.”
Somehow, she manages to make that sound flirty.
“Thank you, Athalia,” I say, trying out her name. It’s the first time I’m saying it and I want to know how it feels. How it makes me feel.
Her freckles move as she smiles. “You’re welcome, Kassandra. I told you I’d get it done.”
“I appreciate it.” I stare at her for a second too long until I realise that time is ticking. “Sorry, I have to go.”
She chuckles. “Right. Raid.”
“Yes, exactly. I… I guess I’ll see you around.”
“I hope your blade remains straight,” she teases, her tone light and suggestive.
“Me too,” I joke, detecting the same tone in my own voice. Maybe there’s something to it. Just before I go, I make myself stop. “Hey, you want to hang out after I’m back from my raid?”
Athalia looks surprised. “Umm… I’m actually very busy.”
“Oh, that’s fine.” Disappointment floods through me but she’s not done talking.
“— But I’m sure I can make some time. Have you been to the Starlight Mountains?”
“A couple of times, yeah.”
“I was hoping to hunt some constellations later so maybe you could come with me, show me around the Mountains?”
Excitement bubbles up in me. “Okay, I look forward to it.”
A smile tugs on Athalia’s lips. “Me too.”
Chapter Eight
With my sword hanging on my lower back again, I make my way down to the meeting point. Raids might be pure chaos once we’re locked in battle but that’s not how they start. Every party member has to check in at a Church or Temple for a blessing and to log the target. There are plenty of these scattered around the Realm and any religious place on Earth doesn’t do a half bad job at it either.
I’m last at the building with all the others already waiting for me at the door. Kian and Lasse are in the middle of a sibling discussion while Mila is making sure her pink hair is in perfect shape. Our party leader and senior, Leslie is pacing up and down impatiently, only stopping when she sees me.
“Sorry, I was held up at the Forge,” I say, tapping the handle of my sword. “I had last-minute maintenance.”
Mila chuckles as she wiggles her eyebrows suggestively at me. “Sure you had.”
I ignore her comment and join the party on our way inside. While it’s called a church, it isn’t nearly as ornate as the ones on Earth. Instead, this one is bare apart from the altar at the front.
Together, we step into the designated circle in front of it and hold hands. It’s a weird practice that’s only vaguely reminiscent of how they do ceremonies at home, but without heavenly protection, fighting demons would be even harder.
The circle around us glows up with gold light and it’s like spring, summer, and butterflies rush through me all at the same time. The blessing always tickles my stomach and any worries or negative thoughts melt away. It’s supposed to last until we’ve killed all the selected demons in the raid but my blessing never does.
Perhaps there’s just too much darkness in me.
“Everyone ready?” Leslie asks, hovering her hand above the lever.
Everyone nods.
“Great. Wings out.”
My favourite command. Instinctively, we all take a step back, giving each other some more space. As naturally as it comes to breath, the skin around my shoulders tightens and my wings fold out of my back, pushing against my armour. The designated slits open from the pressure and my feathers burst through and I can breath again.
It took some practice in the beginning, like learning to put a shirt on for the first time. But after two years, I can’t even remember what it’s like not to give my wings a little stretch.
I twirl around, letting the air ruffle through my feathers and fluff them up. They’re a little stiff but that feeling will fade the moment I glide through the air.
With my wings out, I take a moment to admire my friends’. Mila’s feathers are long and have a slightly pink tint to them, just like her hair. The curve matches her katana’s and the colour makes people underestimate her even more.
“Oi, get your feathers out of my face!” Kian shouts, pushing his twin brother away.
“You’re in my face,” Lasse argues, clapping his wings to send a gust of air into his brother’s face. Even though their wings are impressive and almost identical, they can never stop measuring. They take up most of the circle, barely leaving enough room for Leslie.
“No fighting,” she commands, folding her wings out as far as they go to break up the fight.
“Sorry,” the brothers mumble.
With a stern look, our party leader reaches for the lever and with a thud, it opens a trapdoor leading straight into the clouds. A gust of wind rushes up through the gap and my stomach flutters from the bottomless sight. No matter how many times I jump down, I can’t get rid of that initial feeling of dizziness. Only a fool would jump down a hole like that without protection or a parachute. A fool… or a Celestial.
Just as I’m about to jump down, Leslie holds up her hand. “Wait!”
“What?”
“We’ve been recalled.” Before any of us can protest, she pulls the lever again and the trapdoor clicks shut, the temptation of flight gone. “Sorry. Wings back in.”
A grumble of discontentment moves through the group as we reluctantly retract our wings again. Flying is the best bit of visiting Earth and we don’t get to do it that often.
“Why are we recalled?” Kian inquires as he shoves his twin in frustration.
Our party leader doesn’t seem too sure. She taps a couple of buttons to log us back out and the golden glow of the circle disappears, returning us to the grim reality. No flight, no demons, no glory.
Leslie apologises and we have no choice but to leave the Church. To my surprise, I’m not as disappointed as expected. If anything, this gives me more time to go constellation hunting with Athalia.
“Eden? Drinks are on me,” Kian proposes as he swings his arms over Lasse and Mila’s shoulder. “Let’s get hammered!”
His brother replies with the same enthusiasm and Mila seems just as excited. All eyes turn to me as I back away.
“Weellllllll?” Mila calls.
“I’ve already got plans.” I try my best to sound casual but I can se
e the look in my best friend’s eyes. She always knows when I’m interested in someone.
“Got a date? Oooolalalaaa,” she teases while the boys whistle. Kian even makes an attempt at catcalling.
I wave them away pretending I can’t hear them and make my way back to the Forge so I can set a proper time for our date. It only takes a short run through the fields to get back to the village and with a confident smile, I step over the threshold of the Forge. I scan the room for the new girl and spot her back near one of the furnaces roaring with heavenly fire.
As I raise my hand to get her attention, a figure blocks my path. “Kassandra!”
I try to keep my face neutral. “Jacob.”
“Just you?” he asks as he rubs his thick beard wistfully. “Or is Mila here too?”
People. I just don’t understand them sometimes. If he still likes my best friend and she still likes him, then why did they break up? That makes no sense to me.
I give him a warped smile. “Nope, just me.”
“Ah, shame, shame. Alright, no sweat.” He clears his throat and adjusts his leather apron. “But could you give her a message?”
“I’m not a bird, Jacob. If you want to speak to her, maybe you shouldn’t have broken up with her.”
He looks taken aback. “Didn’t she tell you? She broke up with me.”
“Oh, right. Of course, I must’ve misunderstood.” Before I make things worse, I quickly step to the side and gesture in the direction I saw Athalia last. “Hey, nice to see you but I need to speak to someone. Another time, huh?”
I quickly weave around him and sprint towards the slender figure near the anvil. Swinging a hammer that’s twice the size of her head, Athalia works a piece of hot steel and instead of interrupting her, I watch her shape the metal with just sweat, muscle power, and will. I’ve never been very interested in the whole forging process but she makes it look interesting.
As she raises her hammer again, she notices me and a smile curls around her lips. “Hey. You again. Are you stalking me?”
Starlight & Shadows: A Limited Edition Academy Collection by Laura Greenwood, Arizona Tape, Juliana Haygert, Kat Parrish, Ashley McLeo, L.C. Mawson, Leigh Kelsey, Bre Lockhart, Zelda Knight Page 7