“Cassi.” He immediately throws his hands to his face, covering his eyes, then rakes trembling hands through his hair.
I waste no time getting back to his side, and I wrap my arms around his shoulders in comfort. It’s worth the risk. He needs me, and I need him. The second we touch, our bond ignites once more, and warmth travels through my chest and neck.
Javen breathes in sharply and then out slowly, and I know he feels our bond too. But instead of pulling me in closer, he pushes me away. I sink back onto my heels, utterly confused.
“I can’t do that,” he cries. “I could hurt you again!”
My chest tightens. “It wasn’t your fault, Javen.”
He looks up, his irises now swirling. “I tried to kill you, Cassi. I killed other people, innocent people!” He drags in a ragged breath before choking out, “You need to stay away from me.” Javen clutches his stomach as he doubles over. A groaning sob escapes his mouth as his body shakes with emotion.
I glance back at Irene, who remains guarded, focusing on her DataPort and clicking away at information that must be coming in from Javen’s new Connect.
I whip my attention back to Javen, wanting to comfort him again, but touch isn’t what he needs right now.
I whisper, “Javen.” He doesn’t look up. “The Starfire was controlling you. But Irene and I have found a way to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
“How do you know it won’t?” he asks, glancing at me and then away.
“We don’t know for sure,” Irene says. “You are the first test subject. But it’s working. All your vitals are on target.” She places her DataPort on the ground and, while keeping her eye on me, walks around in front of Javen and kneels.
“You are wearing a Connect now.” She gestures to his wrist. “I modified mine.”
Javen looks down at the device.
“With Cassi’s help, we were able to pair the Starfire with a computer program. Instead of your mind regulating your use of the power, the program I designed keeps regulation in check. This way the Starfire doesn’t overload your brain to behave in ways you don’t want to.”
Javen touches the Connect with his other hand and then slowly moves his attention to me.
“You did this . . . for me?”
I ease forward and move my hand to his arm. My fingers skim over his skin, and he doesn’t retreat, so I settle my palm flat on his bicep. “We did this for everyone.”
Javen reaches for me, his lips trembling with restrained emotion, and then he pulls me into his embrace. A sigh escapes my mouth, and I melt into his warm arms and chest.
“Um . . . Since you two are okay for a while, I’m going to head back to the lab,” Irene says as she stands.
“We’ll be back soon,” I say without looking at her.
Irene leaves, and I don’t move from Javen’s arms. I peer up into his eyes, wanting him to see my heart as I cradle his face in my hands.
“I choose you, Javen.” Shame pulls at his features again and he tries to turn his face away, but I gently keep him from doing so. “When the Starfire first awakened our connection, I doubted the reality of our affection. But when that bond was broken, my feelings for you only grew stronger. I knew then that what we have is real.” I stare deeply into his eyes as I savor the pull of my soul toward his.
His irises return to normal again. “But how do you know it’s not just the Starfire making you feel this way again?”
I remove a hand from the side of his face and place my fingers over his heart. “I felt the connection return, and I know you felt it too. But for me, now, it’s like a song playing in the background. It sets the tone, but I can feel and hear all of my own thoughts. And I’ve never wanted to be with anyone else more than you.” My gaze continues to caress every beloved feature. “I see you. I know you.”
His brows push together. “But what about me? The Starfire could still be manipulating my mind.”
I chuckle lightly. “Javen, the first thing you did when the connection took hold again was tell me to go away. I think you’re in more control than you admit.”
Javen’s eyes gloss, and I pull him close to me again, drowning in the safety of his presence. His arms tighten around me, and he lets out a long, quavering sigh.
Remembering everything we must do, I ease out of his arms and stand. With a smile, I reach my hand out to help him up.
“Come on,” I say. “I have someone for you to meet.”
“Who?” Javen asks as I drag him from the shelter and toward the Starfire field.
As the field’s glow becomes visible, he pulls me to a stop, hesitant.
“Don’t ask questions,” I say. “You just need to come.”
He stares ahead at the glow. “I don’t think I can go there.”
I take his hand and bring up the Connect on his wrist. “The Starfire helped Irene and me to develop this. The AI inside isn’t perfect, but I’m sure it has your best interests in mind. You have to trust me.”
The corners of his lips turn down as if he’s reliving a painful memory. “Cassi, you don’t understand what it was like to feel nearly . . . possessed,” he says.
“You’ve believed in the Starfire’s power and goodness for your entire life. I know what you experienced was horrific. It was for me too. But your new Connect will work. The device will allow you to use the positive parts of the Starfire and not the negative.”
Javen’s lips form a straight line. “Then we need to cross back into Arcadia and retrieve the rest of the Alku with Wirrin and do the same for them.”
“Yes, absolutely,” I say. I squeeze his hand. “We will fix this.”
Javen’s lips part and he releases a slow breath. I wrap my arms around his waist. He allows some of his weight onto me, and I don’t mind. Javen has changed: he’s not as confident as he used to be, and understandably so. Our bond has changed as well, as if the connection has stabilized. The false intensity I felt before is gone, and I know what we have now is more real . . . and with plenty of room for growth. I breathe in his spicy scent, and calm trickles through my body. Using the Starfire, I extend those feelings to him, the happiness in having him back with me.
Under my arms, his body relaxes.
“Thank you,” he whispers into my hair. “For everything you’ve done.”
I loosen from him slightly and look up to his face. “I can’t guarantee it, but I’ll try to be strong whenever you need me.”
He smiles softly. “I’ll do the same for you.”
“I have no doubt.”
Javen gently presses his lips to mine, and for a moment, it’s as if I can breathe again. A tingling warmth spills into my veins and pours out to each limb. All I want is to get lost in him, to sink my fingers into his hair, to caress his face, to hear the way my nearness quickens his breath. But there are important tasks that need my attention right now. So, I briefly lean into the kiss and then slowly pull back with a smile.
“You are amazing . . .” I whisper. “But I really do need for you to meet someone.”
Javen tips his head to the side. “Who could be so important?”
I laugh and grab his hand, yanking him toward the Starfire field again. “You’ll see.”
Chapter 17
Hand-in-hand, Javen and I make our way over the ridge. As I approach the Starfire field, the crystal’s melodic pulsing flows through me with a sense of joy for what I know is about to happen.
Below us, Dad, the Senate members, Howard, Dr. Morris, and a few others are busy working on the portal and don’t see our approach. Howard has a DataPort station running, surrounded by several large crates of crystals. Vihann and Zarah—her lithe form slightly blocked from view by her husband—stand by Dad.
I glance at Javen, and his eyes light up at the sight of Vihann.
“My father is here?” Javen asks. Excitement peppers his voice and he takes the lead, pulling me toward the group. “You were able to get him to help?”
Vihann sees us and smiles. As he
does, he shifts his body back, making Zarah fully visible.
“Mother?” Javen plants his feet, eyes wide and mouth hanging open.
I grin. “I told you there was someone you needed to meet . . . now go.”
Vihann places his arm around his wife with a proud smile as he walks our way. But Zarah apparently doesn’t want to waste any more time than the years already lost and breaks into a sprint, the wide smile on her lips practically making her face glow.
Releasing my hand, Javen races down the ridge and meets her halfway. Mother and son throw their arms around each other and squeeze and don’t let go, as if the fate of the universe depended on them clinging to each other. I sure wish it were that easy. Our job would be done.
Javen picks Zarah off the ground and swings her body around twice before he sets her down again. He looks her over and then embraces her once more. Javen’s father comes to their side, his chest puffed with pride, the joy nearly oozing from him.
After a few minutes of watching, I jog toward them. A lump of happiness forms in my throat. Even the Starfire field glows and pulses to a new rhythm as if it, too, recognizes and mirrors the happiness. Or maybe the crystals are just in sync with the beating of my heart.
Dad starts to head our way, but I hold up my hand. Javen and his family need this time together. He nods and turns back to the rest of the group to continue working.
“Am I hurting you?” Javen asks as he releases Zarah.
She laughs while fat tears roll down her cheeks. As her laughter fades to a soft smile, her eyes crinkle with age. “No, son, I’m just fine.” Zarah glances at me and then back at Javen. “I’m completely healed, thanks to Cassi.”
Javen twists his neck my way. “You were able to heal my mother?” His face is wet with tears too, and he makes no effort to wipe them away.
I bite my bottom lip and blink back the forming nerves. I’m not ready to tell Javen I’m the Protector yet—or even that I’m part Alku. Telling Irene was enough, and I probably shouldn’t have done that. “Well . . . she’s here, isn’t she?”
He looks back to Zarah. “I didn’t think it was possible. Nothing worked before now.”
“I didn’t either.” Vihann comes to Javen’s side and wraps his arms around his son. “I thought I would never have my whole family back.”
He and Javen embrace several minutes before Javen steps back.
“And I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you sooner, Son,” Vihann says as he hangs his head. “I was so wrapped up in what I thought was right that I didn’t see the truth.”
“You’re here now,” Javen says.
I clear my throat. “I believe that the Starfire might be partially responsible for your decisions, Vihann.”
“What do you mean?” Vihann squints, tilting his head.
My mind runs through what I can tell him and what I shouldn’t. I take Javen’s hand to show them the Starfire-powered Connect. I catch Zarah’s gaze and return my attention to the device. “I’ve had several . . . visions about the Starfire’s nature. I believe the Starfire from Paxon may have influenced you not to participate in any type of war because those crystals were designed for peace. This was a good thing until humans came to your planet and introduced a new problem. The Starfire needed to adapt. It started transitioning when Javen and your brother, as well as a few others, believed that using force to protect your people may be necessary. But most of your people still followed you and the Starfire’s need for peace.”
I pause for a moment to allow the information to sink in before continuing. “The Paxon and Arcadia Starfire don’t have as strong of a pull as that of the Mother Starfire, but it’s there and can still bend you to its will.”
“But you have a solution for this?” Zarah steps forward and asks.
“I believe so,” I answer. “Irene and I were able to reprogram a Connect to run on Starfire. This allows the host to control the power but not be controlled by it. We gave Javen a modified Connect and he immediately came out of his aggressive state upon waking. His Connect is powered by the Mother Starfire.”
“And you have more of these devices?” Zarah asks. “We could all use them and be able to defend Paxon if necessary.”
“Not yet,” I say. “There are no spare Connects here, so that means we’ll need to go back to Arcadia. Maybe Luca and Alina can get us what we need.”
“Cassi,” Dad calls out.
“We should speak with your father, as well,” Javen says. “He needs to be informed of all the details.”
I nod, and Javen takes his mother by the arm as we head the rest of the way down the hill. When we arrive, I explain everything that has happened with Javen to Dad and the others working on the portal.
Dad smiles at me and scans Javen curiously. “Then this means that the other Alku must be healed immediately. If they’re no longer aggressive, it will go a long way in convincing people on Earth to help us.”
Each member of the Senate agrees, and I already know this plan is also what Vihann and Zarah wish.
“You should return to Arcadia immediately with Javen and Irene,” Dad says. “The Alku need your help.” He swipes on his Connect and pairs the device with mine. A notification blinks and I read through Alina’s contact information.
“But then I’ll be taken away from the portal project,” I say. “What if you need my abilities to help?”
Dad glances at Vihann and Zarah. “They’ve been a tremendous help. Just work as quickly as you can and get back. We’ve been moving along even without you.”
“Yes, do what you need to do to heal my people,” Vihann says.
“It will also give you a chance to get news of what’s happening with Hammond,” Dad says, “so we’ll know what we’re up against.”
I sweep a calculating gaze over the Starfire field and the portal setup. Satisfied, I face Dad and take his hand. “We’ll be back as soon as we can.”
“Team Foster,” he whispers.
I squeeze his fingers. “Yes.”
Dad’s eyes widen as if he just remembered something. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small portal device. “You’ll probably want this.”
I take it. “Thanks.”
Javen embraces each parent before he and I race up the hill to the lab. Inside, we find Irene working the computer station with Max at her side.
Max is the first to see us as we come through the door, and his eyes narrow on Javen. “Well, you look better than the last time I saw you.”
That was on the battlefield on Arcadia when Javen tried to kill me and then injured and nearly killed Dad. Max and Irene could have died too if I hadn’t transported them back into the Intersection.
Javen lifts his head high. “Yes, that was a regrettable day, but Cassi and I are here to help put things back as they should be.”
Max’s lips form a thin line.
Irene swings her chair around to me, and I hand her the portal device. “Thanks. I have everything downloaded and ready to go. What’s our next step?” She places the device beside her.
“Head to Arcadia,” I say. “What do we need to do to get ready?”
Irene motions to a DataPort to her side. “Everything is in here. All we need is the Starfire to reprogram the Connects.”
My heart shudders at her words. I consider the small box on the counter that contains more than a hundred crystals that are no more than an inch long. Bringing an unprotected supply of the Mother Starfire to Arcadia is risky. The crystals could fall into the wrong hands. But the Alku already had gems with them when they turned aggressive, so the crystals are already there. I walk toward the Starfire and dip my hand into the box. As my hand rakes through the assortment, the gems vibrate against my skin.
I turn my attention to Javen. “How many Alku on Arcadia are affected by the Mother Starfire?”
Javen studies the floor, as if he’s thinking for a second. “Sixty-five.”
“So, we’ll need one crystal for each Connect?” I ask Irene. “Right?”
>
She nods. “We should bring a few extra in case something goes wrong with the programming.”
I pick up the box and hand it to Javen. “Can you take care of that?”
Javen eyes his own Connect and then takes the box. Then he begins counting.
Max pairs his Connect with the lab’s computer system. After a few moments, the device chimes. “Okay, that’s all I need. I’m heading back to the site to work through all the details with Senator Simmons.” He looks my way with a sigh. “All this is going to work, right? There are so many details that have to fall exactly into place.”
I give Max a weak smile. “Honestly? I don’t know.”
He nods and then starts to walk past me, but before he gets far, I catch his arm. “You’re good at working with the upper class. You know what you're doing.”
Max’s jaw tenses. “You’re right. But I’ve never really been that good at working with my dad.”
I release his arm, and Max exits the room.
“I don’t know the exact coordinates of the location Alina brought us to,” I say when Max exits. “But I think I can get us near there. That way it won’t take long for us to get picked up after we contact them.” I activate the second computer in the lab and start to bring up the Earthscape program.
“Wait,” Javen says. “I know the coordinates. We ported there when we attacked their hideout.” He points at the area on the holographic map. “There.”
“You sure?” I ask.
“Positive,” Javen answers.
Irene snatches the portal device and inputs the coordinates. “Ready to do this?”
The cyan portal flares open, lighting up the room.
I look at Javen and think of the sixty-five angry Alku we need to subdue. “Let’s do this.”
Chapter 18
We step out of the portal into the lush valley below the Tahm. Behind us, the sun is setting, painting the mountainside in brushstrokes of reds and oranges. It’s good to see in full color again. But my stomach sinks as I remember the last time I was here and the way Javen and the Alku attacked us.
The Starfire Wars- The Complete series Box Set Page 45