I didn’t lick his finger, but before I could stop myself, I pressed my mouth slowly and longingly against his palm. He made a noise that sounded like a moan of pain and pulled me into his arms, kissing me hungrily, and for a moment I could pretend he had missed me as much as I had missed him and maybe he cared about me, as well. Too soon, however, he broke away and mumbled something utterly unintelligible before he almost sprinted out of the garden.
I sat on the stone path near the pool, imagining the sensation of Julian’s lips against mine and picturing the tortured and haunted expression on his face before he left. I pulled the damp towel more tightly around my shoulders and wondered what on Vega was going on. I didn’t have a clue, but I needed to get one quickly, or my heart was soon to be broken by the dark and mysterious Duke of Celesta.
Fourteen
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
The next day I was so busy getting ready for the Moon Festival I hardly had time to think about Julian. Except when I woke up and remembered the way his lips had felt against mine. And at breakfast when I thought about how nice he’d looked in his jeans. And after breakfast when I remembered how he’d yanked me out of the pool with one arm and saved my life.
I was a mess. I spent the entire day trying not to think about him, but, truthfully, I could think of little else. Even spending time with Maya and Astra didn’t distract me.
“Starr, are you okay?” Astra asked. I had drifted off in mid-sentence, thinking about Julian and his oh-so-perfect lips again.
“I’m fine.” I gave them a fake little smile. They both looked unconvinced but wisely decided not to pursue it.
“I’ve never been to a masked ball before,” Maya said. “This is going to be so much fun.”
We sat in Astra’s room, working on our masks for the Moon Festival. Mine sparkled with silver and matched the dress I planned to wear tonight. I’d bought it in Paris, unbeknownst to Julian who’d been snoozing in a chair at Chanel when I tried it on. It was sure to cause a stir on Vega. Full length and form-fitting, it was covered in swirls and bursts of silver sequins and beads. It had a nude shell underneath and made me look a bit like I’d been dipped in silver while naked. I still couldn’t believe my mom had approved something so risqué and said as much to Astra and Maya.
“Well, it’s a masked ball,” Astra said. “We’ll all be in disguise. Maybe that’s why she didn’t raise a fuss. It’s the one night a year when there aren’t as many rules.”
“I’ve heard the Moon Festival can get a little wild,” Maya said with a twinkle in her eyes.
“I did too.” Astra giggled. “I guess we’ll see for ourselves tonight.”
We got ready together, which was fun and took my mind off Julian. Kind of. I helped Maya and Astra with their hair and makeup, and they helped me into my dress.
“Wow,” they said as I did a little turn in front of them. I had to admit they were right. My hair was piled up high on top of my head in a riot of curls twisted with silver ribbons. As a final touch, I pulled on long silver gloves made of shimmering satin. Even though I wasn’t technically beautiful anymore, according to Vegonian standards at least, I thought I looked both elegant and chic.
I’d lent Maya the champagne-colored dress I’d bought from Lanvin, the one I wore the night Julian called me shallow, selfish and vain. I didn’t want to wear it again. It brought back bad memories. Fortunately, Maya was exactly my size and looked beautiful in it. She wore a golden mask to match the rope belt on the dress, and I styled her hair in a low bun at the base of her neck. I put gold sparkles in her hair, and she’d used a lotion with gold dust sprinkled in it to make her shoulders and cheeks shine.
Astra’s dress, made of red satin and low cut, looked fantastic on her. Strapless and trimmed in black lace, it showed off her ivory skin and dark hair and exposed a great deal more of her ample bosom than usual. She also wore a red mask with black lace, and gathered her hair up in the back, letting it fall in a loose waterfall of curls down her neck.
“Va-va-voom,” I said, taking her hand in mine. She smiled.
“You look like a Spanish dancer.” Maya studied Astra carefully. “And so beautiful.”
It was funny how neither one of us saw Astra as heavy anymore, or her clothing choices as tacky or ugly. I would never have considered wearing red satin with black lace, but on Astra, it looked perfect, and she glowed with quiet confidence and beauty.
We walked to the festival arm in arm, giggling. I suddenly realized, for the first time ever, I didn’t have a date to a dance. Surprisingly, the thought didn’t depress me.
Held outside, in a park near the center of the city, the entire population of Celesta assembled for the event. I looked up at the sky as we walked to the party. The three moons of Vega rose in the sky, casting a beautiful glow on the excited faces of those attending. Paper lanterns were strung between the trees and all around a giant dance floor. People milled about in their masks and fancy dress, eating, drinking, and enjoying the evening.
Vega didn’t feel alien to me anymore. Different, with the marmesou and the oddly dressed people, and the strange customs and speech patterns, but it had become more and more like home. I still missed Earth, of course, but no longer with the intensity and pain of before. It was more like a nostalgic ache and not a burning raw wound.
A band played a happy melody which had our feet tapping. Within moments, a group of Vegonian boys approached and asked us to dance. We’d learned some of the traditional dances at school, and soon spun around the dance floor to the Vegonian take on a polka.
I was laughing and having a good time when I saw a tall masked boy approach. Julian. I’d recognize him anywhere, masked or not. I half expected him to say something to me, to criticize my dress or comment on my dancing. To my surprise, he walked right past me, grabbed Maya by the hand, and pulled her off the dance floor.
I saw Maya’s shocked expression, followed by a funny little smile, as he pulled her to a dark spot behind some trees. The song came to an end, and I excused myself, feeling like I’d had the wind knocked right out of me.
Maya and Julian. Julian and Maya. It didn’t make any sense, but I’d seen it with my own eyes. I walked away from the party and down a path in the park, trying to give myself a few minutes to adjust to what I’d witnessed. I found a deserted sitting area with a fountain in the middle and took off my mask. The fountain depicted a nude, young, and voluptuous Vegonian woman lifting her hands and face to the sky in joyful celebration. I had finally figured out that even without Vegonian Vision, the standard of beauty here demanded women be a little on the plump side, and this rule applied to every fashion photo and each piece of art I’d seen since I’d arrived. These people brought the meaning of Rubenesque to a whole new level, so it came as no surprise the statue had enormous breasts and “junk in her trunk.” It took me a few minutes, however, to realize it wasn’t a random model depicted in the statue. It was a more youthful version of my mother.
I sat down slowly on a bench, my eyes glued to the statue. It was very disturbing, and yet another shock I couldn’t quite process at the moment. I let out a long sigh as my thoughts returned to Julian.
I’d known he had a girlfriend, but I’d assumed it was some mysterious Vegonian, not my best friend. When it was a random stranger, I’d hated it, but could deal with it. Comparing me to a Vegonian girl was like comparing apples to oranges. Both fruits, but not at all similar. The problem was Maya wasn’t an apple either. She was an orange, like me, and still Julian had chosen her. It meant he didn’t hate citrus fruits in general. He just hated me.
Warring thoughts and emotions raged in my head as I sat by the naked statue of my mother and fumed. In spite of my best intentions to be a good person and handle this in a way that would be a living demonstration of how far I had come in my self-improvement process, I couldn’t control the feelings churning inside me. I experienced ange
r at Maya for not saying anything sooner; embarrassment because they both knew how I felt and still kept the truth from me; and a deep, unsettling sense of complete and utter despair. I would never be with Julian again. I would never kiss him or hear him yell at me or feel his big, muscular body in my arms. I would never do any of it because he didn’t belong to some stranger anymore. He belonged to Maya.
A rustle in the bushes behind me made me sit up straighter and wipe away a tear trickling down my cheek. I put my mask back on as a boy stepped into the clearing. He wore a white uniform, like Julian and my father, but I didn’t recognize him at first. As soon as he pulled off his mask, though, I jumped off the bench and threw myself into his arms.
“Adrian,” I said, hugging him. His arms were like a vice around me, but I pulled back so I could look at him. Still the blond Viking god I remembered, but there was something different about him. I couldn’t put my finger on it. He looked older, somehow, and tired.
“Starr,” he said as he pulled my mask off. “I missed you so much,”
“You did?” I put my face in the crook of his neck and snuggled him. “I missed you too.”
Not a lie exactly, but not the whole truth either. I did miss Adrian a great deal the moment I’d figured out Julian was with Maya, but I hadn’t missed him much before. Right now, however, I was incredibly happy to see Adrian. It would be the perfect way for me to save face and dispel any rumors which might have been going around about my feelings for Julian.
“Where have you been?” I asked.
“It took me a while to get here. I had to convince my uncle I desperately needed to attend the Moon Festival in Celesta.” He grinned, his teeth white in the darkness.
“I’m so glad you made it.” I gave him another hug. We sat together on the bench near the fountain, and Adrian put his arm around my shoulders.
“There is something I need to talk to you about,” he said, his face serious.
“What is it?”
“Is it true you went back to Earth?”
“I’m sorry. I wish I could have said something to you before I left. I did give Maya a letter for you.”
“A letter?” His blue eyes blazed with anger, and he took his arm off my shoulders. His hands were on his lap, clenched into fists, and a muscle worked in his jaw. “After you promised to wait for me, and I did what I could to get to you, you left me a letter?”
I bit my lip. “I didn’t know any other way to contact you. I was miserable here and wanted to go back.”
Adrian stared at his hands. “I know how you feel. I hate it here.”
He looked so depressed. I patted his arm. “Don’t worry. It’ll get better. It took me a while, but I’ve finally adjusted. I’m happier now.”
Surprisingly, I spoke the truth. I had started to feel happy here. Well, until exactly twenty minutes ago when I saw Julian pull Maya into the bushes. Now my feelings ranged somewhere between utter despair and confusion. Adrian’s arrival only amplified and even further complicated those feelings.
“How reassuring. Thank you.” His voice dripped with bitter sarcasm.
“Look, Adrian, I’m trying to help.”
“I know, but you don’t understand what it’s like for me. You are a princess here. I am nothing.”
I put my hand on his arm. “You’re something to me.”
Adrian stared at me before he spoke. “Answer another question. What’s going on between you and the Duke of Celesta?” He practically spat out the words.
I frowned in confusion. “Julian?”
“Yes, Julian,” he said with a snarl. “I heard he went with you on your little trip to Earth. Is this the truth?”
When I nodded, Adrian shot me a look of pure fury. He slammed his hand on the bench before rising to his feet and walking away. I ran after him, grabbing his arm.
“It isn’t what you think. He doesn’t even like me. He only followed me onto the transport ship as a favor to my father. He was sent to stop me from running away.”
Adrian halted, but his jaw remained clenched. “Are you telling me the truth?”
I heard the fear in his words and the pain. I’d hurt him, intentionally or not. I slipped into his arms and cradled his face in my hands. “Of course.”
When Adrian leaned down to kiss me, I put my heart and soul into it. I mean, I tried, but it didn’t feel quite right. After it was over, I looked deep into his eyes to see if he sensed it too, but he seemed perfectly content. I decided to ignore my feelings and pretend it had been good for me, as well.
My heart squeezed in my chest. He was handsome, and he understood me. He missed Earth, and he had a perfect body. We were so alike, and we’d had such a connection before. Surely I’d feel the same connection again if we spent a little more time together.
“I have to tell you something,” he said, his arms still wrapped around me.
“What?”
“Your dress is the hottest thing I have ever seen.” He leaned forward to kiss my neck. I would have liked having his lips on my skin before, but now it felt a little repulsive. It was all I could do not to push him away.
The sound of approaching voices saved me from having to hurt him again. Adrian looked up, and I could see something akin to panic on his face.
“I have to go,” he said, giving me a quick kiss on my cheek. “Don’t tell anyone you saw me here.”
“Why?” I wanted to tell them I’d seen him. I wanted to rub it in Julian’s smug face and let him know Adrian had finally come to see me.
“Trust me on this, okay?” He disappeared into the darkness of the trees surrounding the fountain, and I stared after him in disbelief.
Something strange was going on, and I was ill-equipped to deal with it at the moment. Because of Julian the jerk face, I obviously couldn’t think straight. I needed to figure this out, and I owed Adrian this one small secret if nothing else.
Julian came stomping through the bushes, startling me, followed closely by a disheveled Maya and a worried-looking Astra. He glared at me, acting like he wanted to shake me until my teeth rattled.
“Where is he?” he asked, his eyes searching the area with a frenzied intensity.
I took a deep breath and ever so carefully touched my hair, placing a wayward curl back in place. I did my best not to act at all bothered by Julian’s presence. I raised one eyebrow and gave him my most haughty look.
“Who?” I wondered briefly if it should have been “whom.” It might have sounded more princess-y.
Julian stood only inches away, hands in fists and a scowl on his face. “You know exactly whom.”
Dang it. Julian used “whom” before me. Now if I used it, I would sound stupid. I tilted my head to one side, feigning ignorance, as I batted my eyelashes at him.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Julian glared at me, breathing hard. Maya was breathing hard too. I scowled at both of them, but couldn’t get mad at Maya, even if she had betrayed me. I, more than anyone, knew how devastatingly attractive Julian could be when he set his mind to it. She was the victim here, and Julian the villain.
He got even closer and stared down his long, straight, ducal nose at me. “You do remember when you lie on Vega, it is immediately apparent, don’t you?”
I blushed and looked at Astra and Maya. They both nodded in unison. “Crap,” I muttered under my breath. I squared my shoulders and looked Julian straight in the eye. “I can solve this problem easily. I won’t talk to you.” I folded my arms across my chest and turned away from him.
Julian put his hands on my shoulders and turned me back to face him. He opened his mouth to speak but must have seen something in my expression that told him he wouldn’t get anywhere at the moment. He ran a hand through his hair and turned to Astra.
“Talk to her,” he barked, his face red. “She’s being ridiculous. As always.”
Astra patted his arm, trying to calm him down. Her tone carried a gently chiding note. “My sister is not ridiculous,”
she said softly. “Kindly refrain from referring to her in such a way and allow me to handle this.”
Julian had the decency to look embarrassed. “If you would, Your Royal Highness,” he said, remembering his manners and giving her one of his famous little bows. “And please stay with her tonight to make sure she doesn’t get into any more trouble.”
He walked up to me like he wanted to say something else, but I didn’t want to hear it. I looked somewhere above his head and pretended he wasn’t standing right in front of me. He let out an exasperated groan, mumbled something sounding like “infantile asinine behavior” as he stomped away.
Astra’s eyebrows drew together in concern. “Starr, Julian is looking for Adrian. It’s important. Have you seen him?”
“Why?” Asking questions helped me avoid lying to my sister. It almost physically hurt not to tell Astra the truth. I guess the whole Vegonian honesty thing affected me as well.
“Julian is afraid you might be in danger.”
“From Adrian?” I snorted. “Ludicrous.”
Maya came up next to me, but I could barely look at her. I kept replaying the image in my mind of Julian pulling her off the dance floor, and the smile I’d seen on her face as he did it. She obviously had a thing for cave dwellers. I tried to convince myself what I felt for her was pity, not jealousy. Not an easy task.
Astra put her hands in mine. “Our only goal, Starr, is to protect you, and the same goes for Julian as well.”
I rolled my eyes, sure Julian’s goals were more about getting Maya alone again in the bushes than anything as noble as keeping me safe.
“Yeah, right.” I blew a loose tendril of hair away from my face.
“I speak the truth, sister.” Astra pulled me over to the bench to sit. Maya stood a few feet away, nervously playing with her mask, a distraught expression on her face. I didn’t care.
Starr Valentine Page 14