One Shirukan, an elite soldier of the Shirat Empire, came to Earth for Raea's Starfire shard and failed. Aware of the possibility of another attack, Raea trains to use the shard's power to protect it while preparing to graduate from high school. But she discovers that the Keeper training her has betrayed her trust and now she must decide where her heart belongs. She never imagined that distance from him would mean a universe apart. After the Shirukan attack, she wakes up to find herself on the Inari homeworld. With the help of allies, she hopes to reach the Crystal Keeper known as Saffir to return home. First, she must elude the thousands of Shirukan between her and freedom.
Broken Wings Starfire Angels Book 2 By Melanie Nilles
Prairie Star Publishing * North Dakota
Broken Wings is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters, names, places, or incidents to reality is pure coincidence.
Broken Wings (Starfire Angels Book 2)
Paperback Copyright © 2010 by Melanie Nilles E-book Copyright © 2010 by Melanie Nilles
Cover Art Copyright © 2010 by Melanie Nilles
Published by Prairie Star Publishing; Bismarck, North Dakota.
All Rights Reserved.
For information, contact mailto:
[email protected] www.melanienilles.com.
Melanie or
Nilles online
at at
Paperback ISBN 10/13: ISBN: 1-452-81802-9 / 978-1-452-8180236
Chapters ____________________ Unexpected Guest The Terran Brief What Are Friends For? Dark Angel Attack Plan Alone The Truth About Angels No Place Like Home Cris and Leksel Grief's Hard Lesson Second Chance Revealed by Starfire Shadows Sheep in Wolf's Clothing Escape from Naviketan Confrontation Distractions Leksel's Story Go West Starfire Secret
Confronting Cris Betrayal Worlds Collide Homecoming Marin's Judgment
Unexpected Guest Through the connection with the entities of the Starfire, Raea experienced glimpses of other worlds, other beings. A pink triple moonset. A spiraling cloud of dust radiant with colors. Alien beings of a variety of shapes. The births of planets and stars. Earth of the past. And her mother, the last Crystal Keeper who died to protect the shard Raea now bore. She was Inari, one of the winged inhabitants of a world in another galaxy, and she had a lot of catching up to do in her training if she hoped to prevent the Shirukan from taking the Starfire. She'd almost failed once. Never again. The glow of the Starburst marks on the palms and backs of her hands and the glow of her shard waned with her distraction from the resonance. "You almost had it that time." The gentle berating
drew her to the biggest distraction. In the faint glow from her hands, Elis frowned. Wild black hair hid the deep purple of his eyes that she had grown to love and the only obvious clue that he wasn't human, since he hid his hands in fingerless gloves to avoid questions about the Starburst marks he also bore. The disappointment on his face bothered her. "You need to stay focused. Opening a portal through two dimensions requires absolute concentration." "Easy for you to say." He'd had his training on the homeworld, and without an actual shard to generate the portal and screw up their universe. One wrong calculation on her part and—whoops!—bye, bye Earth. Although it would give new meaning to ending world hunger and war. Black wings shifted on his back, tightening in a sign of the agitation he didn't show on his face. "If they come back—" "I know. I know!" He didn't have to remind her that she'd almost been taken four weeks ago by an agent from the homeworld. The Shirat Empire had two of the four shards already, enough to power Heffin's
Gate, the original machine created six thousand years ago. It used the Starfire's power to open portals anywhere in the universe by jumping through the Starfire's original dimension, where the entities existed as pure energy, and it could be used as a weapon. She wasn't about to give up her shard without a fight. Elis could be such a nag about these things. "It's hard. Maybe I'm just afraid. You know?" Raea looked up as the light from the crystal and her Starburst marks faded to the normal aquamarine color, mere shadows under the wan light of the moon over the prairie. His hands rubbed her shoulders. "I was sent to protect you but wasted two years because your mother made Debbie promise to let you grow up human. After last month…They could be back any day." Raea shuddered and pressed close to the security of his embrace, her brown wings tight to her back. The late April night on the open fields of North Dakota brought a new chill with the reminder of the danger lingering only a portal away.
"If they come back…" His warm breath blew across her hair, but the sound of his swallow was far from reassuring. "Maybe Shirat Marin was overthrown." "Or maybe they're being more careful for their next attempt to take you." His arms tightened around her. For two years, Elis Jasheir, the quiet foreign student, creeped her out, until she'd had to talk to him. Now, she couldn't imagine a day without him. He had good reason to be overprotective. If the Shirukan, the elite soldiers of the Shirat Empire, obtained all the shards, they would have full control of Heffin's Gate, and that portal generator could be turned into a weapon capable of destroying whole worlds. He didn't have to remind her of the danger. "Can we go home?" Raea whispered. "We've been out here—" She pulled her cell phone from her jacket pocket and checked the time—9:50 pm. "— over an hour. It's late and we haven't had much flying. I'll try harder tomorrow. I promise." Elis let out a deep breath and in the faint moonlight, leaned down. The quick kiss sent a
different kind of shiver through her, one she welcomed. A second later, he stepped back, giving her room to spread her wings and flap into the air. He followed close behind and caught up to her when she leveled off at a warm layer of air. In the distance, a light-speckled area shone from the prairie; McClarron, home to only four thousand, her home for the last thirteen years since her mother and stepfather, Padina and Scott Dahlrich, had died in a storm. Scott's sister, Debbie, had been like a second mother since then. Elis pointed ahead. "Look." Up and down movement, almost glowing between the moonlight and the town lights, caught her eyes. Fear gripped her heart and steadied her wings to gliding. Shirukan! How? No, it couldn't be. She'd felt nothing from the Starfire, and it would have reacted to a portal opening, unless it had happened while the resonance warmed through her in her practice. But wouldn't they leave a portal open to take her back to Inar'Ahben? It didn't make sense that one
would be out alone if they really wanted to capture her. Everything inside her said this was wrong. Elis flew close beside her, his wing tip feathers brushing hers momentarily. "Land!" he yelled. Land? Did he mean the land below? Was there something he spotted? "Head to the field to land!" Oh, that land. Good idea—their field where they took off and landed over the hill from the edge of town. Fighting in the air was tricky and would attract unwanted attention, and this way, they would be close to help. On the clear side of the trees of the shelterbelt around an old farmstead, Raea flapped to slow her descent and touched down lightly. Elis landed with her and stood close, his hand finding hers. His eyes fixed on the winged shape approaching. He didn't look worried; in fact, he stood with his usual calm, his hand relaxed around hers, not the tension of someone expecting trouble. "Who is it?" Blue-white wings extended upwards, lowering a
woman to the ground with short blue-white hair and earrings encrusting the edges of both ears. Elis's fingers tightened around Raea's. In the light from the moon, a smirk lit up the woman's face as she unbuckled a backpack worn on her chest. "Hey, cuz! Long time no see." Cousin? Then this was— "Nare." Irritation ground in his voice. "Ah, come on now. Is that any way to greet family after all these years?" The backpack thumped to the ground as if heavy. Icy blue eyes that seemed to glow in the moonlight fixed on Raea. "And you must be Raea. It's an honor to meet you, Crystal Keeper." Nare spoke with a reverence that surprised Raea after her flippant greeting to Elis, and she tipped her head, her wings open slightly. A few seconds later, she straightened, a smile beaming from her face and her hands on her slender hips. "I trust my cousin's treating you well?" Raea caught Elis's eyes in the light of the moon. The wild black hair hid much of the expression of those eyes, but she recognized that dark mood. "Very well." He'd been a gentleman teacher, protector, and boyfriend from the beginning. In fact,
he'd offered his support in the difficulties they'd endured without a word about any inconvenience to him, even when she knew he wasn't comfortable. "That's good. I was afraid I might have to shake him up a bit." She grinned at Elis and winked. "For old times' sake." "Old times?" Raea looked from one to the other. "I don't need reminders," Elis said quietly. "Aren't you the modest one now." After a few seconds of awkward silence, Nare picked up her backpack. "Any ideas where I can stay?" "Stay? How long?" Elis spoke in a flat tone, almost grumbling. "Just until next week. I can't waste all my vacation on you." Her eyes shifted to Raea. "Sorry. I couldn't be here sooner, unless I wanted to lose my job. Not all of us rely on Davrel for support." Elis glared at her. "He offered, as an honor to serve the Crystal Keeper. I didn't ask." Only now, upon meeting another Keeper did Elis's words sink in. Twenty-three Keepers called Earth home. All but she and Elis had come by ship seven years earlier, apparently before anyone
realized she was alive and in possession of the Starfire shard her mother had worn. "Whatever." Nare crossed her arms and focused on Raea. "Anyway, I'm here now. I'll do what I can to protect you. The Starfire stays on Earth." Raea hoped so. The thought of what could happen sent a shudder through her. The Shirukan intended to force her to give up her crystal shard, but the Starfire entities wouldn't allow their power to be used wrongly. As they had with other worlds, they would destroy the Inari homeworld, Inar'Ahben, before allowing anyone to abuse it. They had shown her in the visions. From beneath the gloves Nare wore, a faint light glowed. Her wings shrinking shouldn't have surprised Raea, but the effect of watching those blue-white wings diminish to nothing mesmerized her. Of course, Nare was a Keeper if she was related to Elis. That shouldn't have surprised her. What caught her was the casual way in which Nare stood there making the transformation look easy. Raea would have to do the same if she wanted to return home without attracting attention. Debbie knew the truth and the old widow who boarded Elis,
Evelyn Johnson, knew the truth, but no one else did. She hoped to keep it that way and continue living the life she had on Earth. She found the resonance with a thought and focused the warming power on her back. The shrinking of bone and sinew ached. How had Nare made it look so painless? Raea's fingers tightened around Elis's as he clutched her hand. Pain. Pain. Pain… The word rang through her skull. The transformation was never easy, one way or the other. In the end, the three of them stood in the field looking human. Nare threw the backpack over one shoulder, holding the strap with one hand and smiling as if nothing happened. Raea loathed her for that. "Have a spare bed?" she asked. "Maybe." Elis led Raea by the hand over the hill. Nare caught up beside her. "You're hospitable, Elis." Sarcasm dripped heavily from her voice. "With that attitude, I'm surprised anyone would want to spend their life with you." Warmth rose to Raea's cheeks. "Isn't that rushing ahead?" Sure, being with him made each day worthwhile, but that didn't mean she was ready to
spend the rest of her life with him. In the light of the street lamps, the color drained from Elis's face. "Didn't you tell her?" "Tell me what?" Raea lowered her voice as the town stretched out before them. Quiet pervaded the streets. The soft glow of the lights shone from their perches atop the tall poles alternating through the closest neighborhood, her home. ["I'm surprised you don't know."] She spoke in Inari and gave Elis an accusing look, but he stared ahead with a stiff lip. ["Know what?"] Raea looked up at Elis for an answer. He gave Nare a dark look, but she ignored him and lowered her voice again. ["I know yours is a unique situation—having lost your mother and being raised to believe you were human and all—but that's no excuse for him not to be sure you understand being Inari—everything about being Inari, including bonding."] In the light from the nearest street lamp, Raea caught the twitch of muscles in Elis's cheek. ["Inari form more than the typical human
emotional attachments. Ours…Well, once we choose a long-term partner, there's no going back, although most respectful partners—"] Nare's eyes narrowed, burning Elis with a glare. ["—wouldn't dare touch their potential mate until she's decided if she wants to spend her life with him or not."] "What are you saying?" And why hadn't Elis told her anything about this sooner? ["We're not human. Once we reach maturity, male and female Inari bodies react to frequent, prolonged physical contact with the opposite gender. Body chemistry changes and adapts. One-on-one relationships that continue synchronize two bodies so they eventually share pain and pleasure… permanently."] Raea yanked her hand from Elis's as if stung. It all sounded so technical the way Nare put it, cold and unemotional. Still, did she really want that? She'd barely decided a month ago that she loved him. She thought she wanted to be with him, but the sudden reality of being attached in some way shattered that vision of perfection with the fact that he'd neglected to tell her. He'd effectively lied, and it
cut deeply. How could he do this to her? She loved him, trusted him. This couldn't be real, but it was. None of the last six weeks seemed real, though had been, much to her joy and sorrow. Why didn't Elis tell her about all this? She suddenly had to decide if she wanted to bond with him, how much of her life she was willing to sacrifice for love. But what was love if he would lie about it? Nare lowered her voice and grumbled, ["One more problem you can blame on the Starfire, since the blending with Inari DNA changed everything we were before then."] The crystal had bonded itself in a perfect symbiosis to the Inari species five thousand years ago, creating the Keepers as a means to facilitate communication with the entities of the four shards. It also gave Keepers abilities humans regarded as supernatural, abilities using the energy of the Starfire within their genes, or, as in the case of a Crystal Keeper like Raea, sometimes the energy of the Starfire crystal itself. Being hunted for that shard was
the worst of her problems, or so she had thought. That was nothing compared to the turmoil twisting within her heart. She wanted him, loved him so deeply that his lie of omission wounded her emotions more than the Shirukan could ever wound her body. "I'm sorry no one told you." "Raea…" Elis reached for her, but she stepped away, afraid of his touch taking away her choice, despite the need for his closeness. "Don't." He should have said something before then. Why didn't he? Sure, in the beginning he was just training her, because he was the only one who could shrink the wings the Starfire forced to grow in her sleep. But in only two weeks, she had fallen so deeply in love with the gentle, quiet Dark Angel that she wanted to be close. Did he just expect to let it go on until it was too late? Was he that desperate for companionship after losing his family to the Shirukan? She didn't want to believe that. He said he knew from the first moment he saw her two years ago that he would always love her. Part of her had always been curious about him too, but that didn't mean she
wanted to spend the rest of her life linked with him. But their time together had been wonderful. His touch soothed away her worries and inspired a need to be close. No excuses. He should have said something. A lie of omission was still a lie. "Now you know," Nare said. "Yeah." "Raea…I'm sorry." ["You should have told her."] ["Things have been complicated,"] he snapped at his cousin. Nare folded her arms. ["Right. What's so complicated about teaching Raea everything about being Inari?"] ["You wouldn't understand."] ["What's not to understand? You're so desperate —"] "Enough!" Raea didn't need to hear them fighting. Nare was right and yet didn't understand. On the other hand, yes, Elis should have told her, yet she had needed him more than anyone after the Shirukan came for her four weeks ago. When she needed him most, she hadn't worried about curling
up in his arms to cry and forget that awful night. The night fell silent, a light breeze blowing loose strands of brown hair to tickle her face. "I'm going home." Raea wrapped her arms around herself and his jacket. The faint smell of him lingered on it. The scent of the man she loved, who hadn't told her about an important fact of what she was. "I have a lot of thinking to do." She hurried away, afraid to look up to the face half hidden by the hair he needed to cut. Her heart ached in the tangle of emotions. She didn't want to leave him, but she couldn't face him now. He'd lied to her. She needed time to think, time alone. "Raea, please—" She whirled, tears welling up to cool the anger and desire struggling inside her. "Don't, Elis!" After a breath to calm herself, she couldn't talk. The choking hold of betrayal strangled her voice, which barely squeaked out when she spoke again. "You should have told me. I need some time alone." Did he think he would trap her into a permanent partnership for the rest of their lives? It wasn't fair. All their time together…
No. She needed him too. Which was why this was so difficult, but she needed space, at least for a while. His eyes begged her to return to him, and her heart yearned to take those steps. But she had to know. Was this right? Was Elis the one she would love the rest of her life, especially when he didn't tell her everything? She was only eighteen, and she loved him. But she barely knew him, especially if he would lie like this to her. If she was human, none of this would be a concern, except she would still have trouble with a man who lied to her. How could she trust him with her life? Raea swallowed the lump in her throat and wiped her eyes. "Just leave me alone for a while." She turned and ran before he could object, because he had the power to call her back. She wanted him to call her back. Oh, God. What had she done? Why did she feel horrible? Elis's eyes burned a hole through her back. He watched her, and she didn't have to turn around to know.
He said nothing, which hurt even more.
The Terran Brief Thunder rumbled around Prime Commander Alshouan Valdas and vibrated through the dense black stone of the room to reach her feet, her dark wings open slightly for balance. The operators released the power of Heffin's Gate, after several hours to fire it up to full power. The portal, just a small one set to open from outside their atmosphere to a place outside the Solar System—beyond the detection of humans—would soon connect her to their operatives on Earth. The black metal lining the room within the central corridors of Heffin's Gate protected her in her booth from the immense radiation of the Starfire's power. Valdas sat back from the console and tapped the keys on the side of the oblong tri-comm against her cheek, her hand finishing with a swipe of a loose strand of auburn hair. She had already pre-entered Prime Commander Loran's code. He had only to respond to the signal she sent.
Now for the wait. At best, they could keep the portal open a little more than one Earth hour with the two shards in the machine. By their calculations, it should be about 8 a.m. on a Friday in his time zone. From what he'd said in previous communiqués, he should be available to answer her call. The door behind her hissed open. Valdas swiveled her seat from the active console along the wall of the small room. A female technician in an orange jumpsuit with three black lines slanted across the right shoulder— a senior tech—stepped in. ["The portal is open, sir."] A formality, and unnecessary. Valdas had spent enough time within some part of the machine or another to recognize the various sounds and vibrations. She waved away the woman and turned back to the console to pull Tarolis's past reports. She'd read them all before, but this time was different. She needed something more. While she skimmed through the most recent update on his activities, the tri-comm beeped. A moment later, she stared at a man in a dark blue suit and gold-accented red silk tie. So, he had turned the
optic option on. Funny seeing him without his black uniform or brown-gold wings. He'd let his light brown hair grow too. He looked so human. ["Prime Commander Alshouan Valdas."] He smiled and leaned back against something she couldn't see, since the scan only included his body. And that connected directly to her optic nerve for privacy. ["Yes."] ["To what do I owe this honor?"] The cynicism wasn't lost on her. He might be older and more experienced, but he was still the same rank. Besides, he had given up the chance for promotion when he left for Earth with his unit fourteen Earth years ago. Despite being far younger, she outranked him, and, by the tone of his voice, he resented it. ["Commander Montran Pallin returned barely alive. He was badly burned and told us little before going into shock. I need to know what you know about his activities. He said you paid for his stay on Earth."] ["Yes, I did, but I wish I hadn't. You know he risked our presence here?"] ["He said a reporter knew."]
Tarolis crossed his arms. ["Because he told her. He begged me to clean up his mess. Some idiotic idea that she could help him. Now it's all over their news that he killed her because he was after some high school girl."] ["A girl?"] ["The Crystal Keeper. She's been raised by humans."] ["Shartrael Raea. Yes, he mentioned her, along with Jasheir Elis, Naolis and Mennara's youngest child."] Naolis was one of the two Crystal Keepers whose shards now powered Heffin's Gate. Their last surviving child had escaped capture two years ago, when Saffir sent him to Earth, apparently to protect the Crystal Keeper there. Tarolis stepped away from whatever he leaned against and stood upright. ["If the authorities here make the connection to me, our activities may be compromised. Commander Montran was a fool, Valdas. He risked everything. I can't afford this right now. I'm this close—"] He held his thumb and forefinger close together. ["—to proceeding with our mission here. I can't afford any mistakes right now.
Soon, NeoGen Labs will be ready for a live test. The others are in places of authority around the world, manipulating these humans for our benefit. And it could all crumble with media attention at the wrong time if they connect him to me. Bad enough all the attention on 'angels' in that small city."] McClarron. Small was right at only about four thousand inhabitants. It was supposed to be in some remotely populated area too. She wouldn't have expected it to gain much notice beyond its own borders. City nothing. Unlike Inari cities or islands, which floated in the sky, humans had built their homes on the ground, of which their world had plenty. Inar'Ahben was a unique world, as they had discovered in their explorations. So was Earth, the only world where the top sentient species—in this case the only sentient species—were nearly identical in appearance, with a few ugly details. It had proven a valuable asset to Keepers over the last five thousand Earth years, but no longer. The empire would soon change that, starting with conquering all of Inar'Ahben. ["That is unfortunate. It seems we both have to
clean up after his mistakes."] In her case, she would have to send in a team to retrieve the Crystal Keeper, since Pallin had failed. ["Yes. This world is far more complex than it once was. Their technology is advancing at an unprecedented rate. It complicates matters for me."] Tarolis folded his arms. ["It's all in my reports. I trust you've read them."] ["I have. What of the atmospheric distortions of the portal?"] ["The scientific communities are speculating on the phenomena, but religions are predicting the end of their world by that and the appearances of angels."] Valdas smirked. Angels, indeed. So far advanced yet still so very superstitious these humans, but they could use it to their advantage, as the Keepers had. ["And,"] Tarolis added while handling a small device, ["others are connecting the dots, as they say here, on their internet. I suggest any move you make is done and over while a portal can be maintained. I'm sending an aerial image from one of their satellites. Commander Montran supplied me with the
location of the Crystal Keeper's residence while he was here."] Her tri-comm beeped. ["Received."] ["They make our job too easy in many ways."] ["But difficult in others?"] Tarolis smiled. ["Do not underestimate these humans, Prime Commander Alshouan."] ["No. We won't make that mistake again."] He tapped a strap on his wrist. ["I have to be somewhere soon. Is there anything else you need from me?"] ["Nothing more."] ["Prime Commander Loran out."] He disappeared from the room. But he had never been there, simply an image in her mind. Valdas pulled the tri-comm off and placed it in a slot at her console. With a few keystrokes, an aerial image projected in a flat two-dimensional holograph before her. A white line circled one of the structures amid a grid of lines framing several structures in each square. This one lay at the far edge of that grid with open land beyond. She would not fail. In fact, she would personally
lead the team to extricate the Crystal Keeper.
What Are Friends For? The empty chair in every class reminded Raea of what she missed. She caught Josh's questioning gaze in English when she looked past him to where Elis usually sat. He hadn't shown up for school that morning, and it ate at her conscience that she had hurt him over a simple misunderstanding. In her imagination, she could see him brooding in his room, alone and sad. She hadn't meant to hurt him, but he was so sensitive about everything. That made it difficult to not feel sorry for him, especially when Nare was the closest family he had and she gave him trouble. Raea sympathized, given her cousin Dave's determination to make her life miserable. He had forgotten to tell her about bonding. So what? She'd bet every Inari knew their own biology, just as she'd learned human and animal biology growing up on Earth. He probably took it for granted, never really considering that she didn't know better. It was probably nothing more than an honest
mistake. He wouldn't force her to do anything. She'd always had to make the first move. No! She couldn't forgive him like that. He really ought to have said something. He knew she didn't know. Why did this have to happen now, when their lives were finally on the right path? The bullies had stopped teasing her about dating "Creepy" Elis, and all the commotion of four weeks ago was finally settling down and being forgotten. She still needed time to decide. This was turning into a miserable day. How would she last one day like this, much less two or more? Maybe that was her answer. Near the end of her history class, a knock on the door quieted the usual whispers and hushed clowning. Raea looked across two rows of desks to the door open a crack. That short-cut icy blue hair stood out from anything natural, although it was natural for an Inari. With her hands covered by black fingerless gloves like Elis wore in public to hide his Starburst marks, Nare motioned for Raea. Whispers flew around the room, mostly from the guys: "Whoa!" "Check it out." And the one that made
her gag—"Who's the babe?" Guys! The drooling put dogs to shame. "Quiet," Miss Devon said. She adjusted her glasses on her tiny nose and stepped away from her desk in the front corner of the classroom. If only Raea could sneak out. No such luck, and Miss Devon wasn't the type to let her go without a good reason. If Nare was there, it had to be because of Elis. Raea just wanted to know that he was all right. A minute. That's all it would take. Stupid clock. Time could go a little faster. Ten minutes until the bell rang. Ten minutes until lunch break. Then she'd have plenty of time to talk with Nare about Elis. Miss Devon motioned her forward. Yes! Raea jumped from her desk and hurried around the rows to the door, her heart pounding. Please let it be
news that he's all right. She stepped into the quiet hall and closed the door behind her. No one else needed to know. "He said to bring this right away." Nare slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out a folded paper. "He's so pathetic right now." Raea unfolded the paper, her hands trembling. A
small black feather floated out, and she caught it. Her heart stopped. He'd gone through the trouble of pulling a perfectly good feather. Her poor Elis. "How is he? Is he all right?" "He'll get over it." Nare waved away her concern and pointed to the note. Get over what? She read the note…
Raea, This is the 32nd time I've started trying to write to you. I'll try again, but I don't know if I can say it any better. I couldn't say it in person, because nothing sounds right, and this probably won't either. I thought about you all night and what you said. I never meant to hurt you or force you into anything. I knew it was wrong of me. There's no excuse for upsetting you, and nothing else I can say sounds more adequate. I just want you to know how sorry I am and that I would do anything for you. I will always love you. Please come back. Elis
He admitted his mistake, but what about the next time? Would there be a next time? "Typical." Nare's eyes jumped from the paper to her, her arms crossed. What was her problem? "They never think before they act. Do they?" Nare's bitterness softened away with a sigh. "I heard him crying last night, even though he denied it. He locked himself in his room. I tried to talk to him, but he told me to go away, said I shouldn't be there and that this was my fault. My fault. As if I had anything to do with his stupidity. Besides, Evelyn invited me to stay, and it's her house." Crying? Over her? Her poor Elis. What had she done? Her stomach twisted into a wretched mess.
Elis… "Anyway, don't worry too much. Take your time, Raea, and don't let him push you." But he didn't push her. She wanted to be close. In fact, he'd pushed her away all last week. Elis had been the one encouraging her to spend time with her friends. "He's never pushed me into anything. He was just there, waiting." He'd never expected
anything. And her perfect memory—another mixed blessing of the Starfire—returned of that moment she admitted her feelings. He'd been so surprised, as had she to find out he liked her the same way, but he'd never indicated he felt anything for her until she admitted it first. He'd always waited for her. "Good. At least he did something right." Raea opened her hand on the small curl of feather ready to lift away with the slightest puff of air. A part of him that he wanted her to remember. She would never forget. If only she could be sure now. But what would she give up? Bonding to one man the rest of her life sounded risky—shared pleasure and pain? What did that mean? "He did everything right, except this. I just need time. I'm not abandoning him." "But he's afraid you will." Yes, he was. The letter said that. What if she did? She couldn't imagine being with anyone else, but she had to know without a doubt that he was right for her. Why couldn't Inari relationships come with instructions? Raea sighed and closed her fingers gently around the tickling softness of the feather. "I'm not
ready for that kind of permanent commitment yet, but I love him." "Elis better count himself lucky to have you, or to have had you." What? No. Past tense was wrong, so very wrong. Nare misunderstood. "I'm not leaving him. I just…" Why did she say that? All she was doing was spending some time away. Nare had a cruel way of making him into the bad guy. She totally didn't get it. "Whatever. I should get back to the house. He's probably panicking or something. He told me a few times exactly how to get here and find you. Idiot. I remember everything as perfectly as him. We're all —" Nare lowered her voice and leaned close. ["We're all Keepers."] Raea sighed and folded the note. Nare so didn't get it, but Raea knew no one else who could understand. "Thanks, Nare." "No problem. See ya later?" "Later?" "I thought, since you wanted space to think but are still training, I could take over for a while." Nare annoyed Raea with her critical view of Elis, but maybe she was right. Besides, hearing about
Elis from someone else might reveal an important detail or at least provide some interesting stories. "All right," Raea mumbled. "Later." Nare strode away through the quiet halls. Raea returned to class, where someone had to ask about the blue-haired woman she talked to. Disbelief poured from the guys that Nare could be any relation to Elis. She was too hot, according to them. With a little trouble, she tucked the small feather into the wire holding her crystal shard. It curled around it to tickle her chest under her shirt. The bell rang none too soon and Raea hurried from class to meet her friends for lunch. Questions during lunch tempted her to run home to check on Elis in reassurance. No. She shouldn't. Besides, Nare was there to keep an eye on him. Her emotions didn't control her. Raea controlled them. And this issue was about logic. But the hole in her chest from missing him ached as if to tear out her heart. She loved him. That should be enough. Stop it! Raea slammed her fork on the table.
Next to her, Linds jumped and bland peas popped from her tray. "What the hell was that about?" "Nothing." Raea didn't want to talk about it. "Is this about Elis? I heard you had a fight or something." Linds rounded up the rolling peas and set them in a different corner of her tray. "No." Who— Josh looked up. "Wha'?" he asked with a mouthful of food. Disgusting. He choked down the food. "Not me. I didn't say anything." Right. He was the only one she'd told, only because he'd asked first thing that morning when she showed up at school without Elis at her side and cried on his shoulder. He swore he wouldn't say anything about her temporary separation with Elis. Unless he was innocent and rumors started because of Nare showing up at school. She should never have said anything about Nare being related to Elis. "So, like, what is going on? Is he sick?" That was one way of putting it. Heart sick, maybe. Odd that Linds would even care. She was the one most uncomfortable around Elis.
"No. I told him we needed more time apart." "Why?" Jess's eyes widened from Raea's other side. "You're not breaking up already, are you?" "No." Raea didn't want to think about it, much less talk about it. Like talking about her mother, talking about Elis brought back memories she didn't want to experience again until she was ready. It hurt too much. She wasn't ready. Honestly, her friends could be too nosy sometimes. "Can we talk about something else?" "Dark Angel?" Josh would say that. He passed a hand over his hair to brush back the dark brown mess that looked like he'd just jumped out of bed. Blue eyes sparkled with excitement at the prospects of his favorite subject. He'd been way too eager to share stories ever since the first angel sighting almost two years ago, and the obsession had grown worse with each report. Linds groaned. "Not that again." "What?"
Dark Angel. Elis… Elis stood before her with black wings. Raea stared, hardly believing what her
eyes told her. "You are the 'angel' everyone's talking about." "Yes." "You found the little girl in the cornfield and pulled that woman from her burning home and helped that kid who crashed his motorcycle on the gravel road." His smile in the moonlight shone with amusement. "You sound surprised." "I am. But after yesterday, I kind of expected it. But to see you like this. It's...What's the word..." The right word didn't exist, at least not in her shock-fuzzed brain. "I'm just...That was you." "I was out flying at night to avoid being seen clearly. I didn't plan to do anything." He paused and his voice dropped. "There are certain responsibilities Keepers bear. Our job is to help anyone in need." Her first flight six weeks ago. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it! She didn't want to remember any of it, but she never wanted to forget either.
"I guess that leaves you out." Josh let out a heavy sigh and stirred the pile of macaroni and meat mush called hotdish on his tray. Raea blinked away the memories and focused on him. "Out of what?" "I was hoping we could all get together Tuesday at my place to hang out…maybe sit outside and watch for shooting stars." "Shooting stars?" Linds snorted. "As if! You just wanna watch for your precious angel." "So what?" Josh shrugged. "Okay, so forget the sky-watching. At least hang out and play games." His eyes met Raea's with a pleading look. She knew that look. He expected her to agree. Raea sighed away her objections. Oh, what the hell. Sure, she could go. She probably wouldn't be spending the evening with Elis, but if he was out flying, maybe that would satisfy Josh. How ironic. What would Josh do if he knew the truth? No. Nothing like waving a flag for the Shirukan to find her again. If people knew, they'd tell others and pretty soon her life would be a circus. Bad enough
that reporter four weeks ago who had almost revealed the truth. Josh waited for an answer. Damn him! He wouldn't leave her alone, and she didn't have any excuse with Elis out of the picture. "Fine." "Jess?" She nearly choked on a mouthful of chocolate milk. "Sorry. Already have plans." Sorry? Right. Plans? Great. Now Raea was destined to be alone with Josh all night watching the sky for Elis, although no one knew the Dark Angel was him, besides her and Debbie and Evelyn. And Nare. Yes. Nare. That might work. "Mind if I ask Nare to come?" His eyes widened, the smile on his face mirroring them. Exactly what she hoped. "Elis's cousin? The woman who came to see you? Of course! Yeah. That'd be cool. Is she into angels?" Raea wiped her face with the napkin to hide the smirk. "It's a fair bet." Man, he'd go ballistic if he knew the truth, but she wasn't ready to reveal that. "Who's Nare?" Linds looked from Josh to her.
"Elis's cousin showed up last night. She brought a message to me this morning." "Oh, man! Linds, you should see her. She's got, like, this white-blue hair and she's hot." "Blue hair? That's the chick everyone's talking about. Must be from the city." "Denver," Raea said. Elis had told her about his cousin a few weeks ago, when he mentioned the twenty-one other Keepers calling Earth home, or at least their temporary home, until the free cities of Inar'Ahben defeated the Shirat Empire. Although not believing in a God like her aunt, Raea prayed that the day came soon for that to happen. "Figures." Linds folded her arms and sat back. "What's so great about her?" "Didn't you hear me?" "Um…not interested? Hello? Now, give me a hot guy, and I might get excited." Josh retreated to his tray. Poor guy. Sometimes Linds could be a bit hard on him, not that Raea could blame her. He got on her nerves sometimes too. "Anyway, Raea. That'd be cool if you'd ask her." "Sure." The rest of the meal passed quickly, though not
quickly enough for Raea. Her friends took the hint and, after just a couple questions to which she gave curt answers, they quit asking about Elis. But that didn't stop them from asking about Nare, especially Josh. Raea didn't know anything, though, except that Nare and Elis didn't really like each other. That much she had seen for herself last night, but Nare wasn't exactly complimentary of him. Raea felt sorry for Elis. What had he done to Nare? That was the question. Or did Nare just have a chip on her shoulder about men in general? From the attitude, Raea took that as the most likely issue. When the final bell rang, she hurried to leave the school. Josh followed her outside into a cooler than normal late April day tempered by the clouds. Raea shivered and pulled her dark blue jacket tight to keep out the wind. Winter refused to give up without a fight, even after all the snow had melted. They passed the buses chugging fumes in a line along the curb in front of the school and headed down the quiet street. An occupied car across the street caught her eyes. Two men sat in the front seat, one short and bald with a round face, the other tall
and lean with neatly combed black hair. The lean man put his palm to the window, a black tattoo of a vaguely familir symbol exposed. The image blurred, the shouts and laughter of her schoolmates vanishing…
Uniformed angels stood before panels with patterns of lights—keypads of some kind—and displays around the walls of the room, except for three sections displaying only stars. The view shifted and focused on a man in dark blue with a crimson sash around his waist standing at a display at the far end of the room. Next to him, a woman with golden brown wings entered data on the lit keypad before the display. ["General."] The voice originated from a face above the scene. The white of her hair over a gold-accented light pink body suit and leggings filled the opposite side of the view, which wrapped around her. The man turned and smiled. No ordinary smile. His dark brown eyes betrayed a deeper
emotion. His brown wings lifted slightly. ["Keeper Salera. What brings you to Command?"] ["I've never been off world and wanted to see with my own eyes where I've brought us."] She paused and the view shifted to some of the crew in the room. The golden-winged woman at the panel nearby glanced up at her with a curious look in her amber eyes. ["I hope I'm not interfering."] ["No. Of course not. Your navigation skills are perfect, Keeper Salera."] Salera smiled, a faint color rising to her cheeks. The other woman rolled her eyes and moved off to another panel. ["I'd also like to discuss your purpose on this world, General Jakoru."] ["Didn't I say you can call me Vodin?"] Salera dropped her eyes for a second and looked up with a broader smile. ["Vodin. What have you heard about Earth?"] ["Primitive. Barbaric."] ["But the natives look like us? That's why we came?"]
His face lit up with a grin. ["Most of the crew on this ship are scientists. They are here to study the humans."] ["And I'm the navigator."] ["Unless you'd rather spend a few turns of Lis in this ship going back."] ["No thanks."] The general turned away and spoke to someone who wasn't there, but an oblong metal piece shone from his cheek, a tri-comm. Salera gazed out the front viewport, where the black of space gave way to the lighter hues of sunlit atmosphere. At a small bump, she caught her balance on the panel before her, her white wings open. Somewhere out of sight, Vodin spoke. ["Normal entry. Nothing to worry about."] Salera straightened as he pushed her wing to her back. ["It can be unnerving leaving a machine to do what we do best, but you adapt."] His smile radiated his amusement and something more. ["Easy for you to say. I'll feel better when we're settled."]
He chuckled and turned to the woman standing at the console nearby, the woman with the amber eyes and dark expression. ["Commander. Hold at four kilometers."] ["Yes, sir."] A series of orders issued from the woman to a few individuals in the command center. The scene outside the nearest viewport lightened to blue hues over a world of green, brown, blue, and white. ["What is all that green?"] ["That green is a by-product of the chemicals in plants here to create oxygen."] He stood close to Salera, his eyes on the display where the commander stood. ["It's beautiful!"] His smile broadened. ["Yes, it is, but according to our data, there are wonders even more splendid."] ["I want to see them."] ["In time."] He stepped aside to the commander. ["What's the status of the human civilization?"]
The woman stepped back to join another at the controls around a central threedimensional projection of the planet. Red dots appeared in mostly coastal areas and some inland. ["Telemetry's receiving data from the probes."] The image grew with Salera's approach. Light from the hologram cast an eerie glow on the commander's sharp features. When she put a hand up to point at their location, her palm revealed a white patch, like a bandage. ["We're picking up no unnatural transmissions of any frequency. Nothing in the skies but organics and our probes. Looks like they haven't advanced much since we started monitoring this world."] For a second, the commander's eyes fixed on Salera—only a second—before the commander dropped them to the controls at a level below her waist. ["We'll save the assessment for another day, Talea. We don't go further until I know it's safe."] The scene shifted with Salera's
movements, but after a brief flash on the general, she returned her attention to the hologram. The commander strode away without a word to Salera. "Are you all right?" What? Raea blinked away the vision. A Starfire vision. They had a nasty habit of interrupting her life at the most inconvenient times. It had started two months ago with scenes they had recorded of her mother's life when she bore the shard. Why now? Raea glanced back but the car was gone. Had she imagined it? Impossible. She swore she had seen the car and the men in it. Was there a connection between them and the Starfire, or had she imagined that too? They were gone now, whatever the case. She focused on Josh. "I'm fine." After they passed beyond the din of schoolmates eager to head home, he asked, "So can I ask what's really going on?" "No." What were they talking about? Oh, yeah—
what was wrong with her and Elis. That's what Josh asked about. "O—kay. Then, like, is there something I can do at least?" He wasn't giving up. Couldn't he take a hint? Not until he got a satisfactory answer. But she couldn't tell him she was an alien. He'd probably laugh in her face. "Josh—" "Seriously. Let me help, Raea. Something… Anything. I don't like seeing you like this." Damn, he made it hard to refuse. "All right." "Anything. Name it." "Anything?" Anything...Even keeping a watch on Elis? "Anything. I mean it." "Well…" She jumped off the curb, over the water flowing into the corner gutter with a constant echoing splash. Someone watered their lawn up hill somewhere. "Would you mind keeping Elis company?" "What? Elis?" He hesitated before rushing back to her side.
"Yeah. Nare brought a note and said he's not taking this break in our relationship so well. If you could keep him occupied, I'd appreciate it." Then she and Nare could go flying without her having to worry about him begging her to change her mind or doing something to hurt himself, if he'd do that. He didn't seem like the type, but she didn't think he'd be the type to lie or to cry like it was the end of the world either. It worried her and touched her. He was sensitive and protective and caring and… "Um…yeah. I suppose." He didn't sound committed. "Please, Josh. It would make me feel better." Josh jumped to the sidewalk next to her. Elis would have made it look easy with his long legs on that six-foot-one height, but Josh was short for a guy —her height. "What does he like to do? I mean, he like never mentioned anything, except reading, and those were some heavy hitting books he mentioned. Way over my head." With good reason. Elis grew up on a world far more advanced. Their high school education must have been like first grade stuff to him. It didn't help that he was around twenty-one Earth years, old
enough to have graduated college. The only thing boring about high school for him, though, was math; too elementary for him. She agreed. She could have graduated when she was ten, but Debbie hadn't allowed it. In some ways Raea was glad her aunt had held her to a normal education and social life with her circle of friends. It was good to have them now, when she needed them most, to have experienced a "normal" life like her mother wanted for her, even if she wasn't really human. "He likes fiction too." Ooh! She had it. "And remember when you talked to him about Dark Angel?" Way back when she'd first started training with Elis. Man, had she had a good laugh then— Josh talking to Elis with the enthusiasm of a total fanatic and Elis grinning and biting his tongue. She might tell Josh someday. Bingo. Josh's expression lit up like a roman candle. "You're right. Do you think he'd want to sit out and watch?" Perfect. Except for one minor, or major, detail. She hoped to go out flying with Nare, who had whiteblue wings to match her hair. Nothing like standing out against the dark night, but she had to get out and
Nare had promised to train her. Elis would probably appreciate watching her. More than probably. And she liked him watching her. She preferred him touching her, even just holding hands. Don't go there. Not yet. She had to keep her distance. No touching unless she decided that she wanted the rest of her life with him. Why did this have to be so complicated? Josh strode quietly beside her. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind." "You're sure that's all right? I mean, I don't want to interfere…you know…with you two." As if. She recognized that glint of excitement in his eyes. He wanted to watch for the angel and would love to share that enthusiasm with someone, anyone. It didn't help that no one else wanted to hear it. "I asked you. Remember? Of course, it's all right. Just keep him busy while I hang out with Nare a while. After everything we've been through, I think this will help me sort things out." She hoped. Missing Elis every minute made it difficult. Josh gave her a small grin. He understood how
much it meant to her, and that was a big reason he'd always been a good friend. If only she had fallen for him, things would be so much easier. But she hadn't and that wouldn't change. "Cool. It'll be nice to have someone who doesn't roll their eyes when I mention angels." Yeah. All right. She got the hint, though she couldn't have missed it if he ran over her with a combine. Raea nudged him in the shoulder and he chuckled. The next two blocks they talked about sending out graduation announcements and the last book Mrs. McRabb assigned for the lit part of English class. At the cement walk from the sidewalk to the yellow house, Raea hesitated. Her heart wanted to rush through that door into Elis's arms, but she held herself back. She had to know before she progressed with this bonding. "You okay?" She blinked and forced a smile to Josh. "Sure. C'mon." Her feet carried her to the door of the house, each step amping up her anxiety. Slow down,
heart. At the door, she hesitated for a breath to calm her nerves. "You sure?" "Yeah." Liar. Josh saw right through her. Raea wasn't fooling anyone. She gripped the wrought iron rail on the side of the cement steps. "Go on." Josh opened the storm door and knocked on the main door. A second later, he opened it and stuck his head inside. "Hello? Mrs. Johnson?" "In here, dear." The cracked voice came from the sitting room through the doorway on their left. Raea took a deep breath and followed Josh into the house. Music drifted down from upstairs, muffled by a closed door. She recognized the song playing, not one she expected Evelyn to tolerate. This didn't bode well if the strict Catholic woman granted him that leniency. From the open door at the top of the stairs—the guest room that stayed empty most of the time— Nare stepped out. "Hey! Raea. Who's your friend?" She tromped down the steps. Raea glanced aside and did a double take. Josh stared at Nare, apparently unable to talk. That was a
first—him not talking. "This is Josh. Josh, Nare." "Kaershon," she added and held out a gloved hand. Josh blinked and accepted the brief handshake. "Nice to meet you." "Likewise. So, you came to check up on him? Or —" Nare looked from her to Josh and back, a disapproving look on her face. "Is this a way of testing the waters?" The temperature spiked in the room. Raea met Josh's eyes for a moment; his smile hinted of amusement rather than alarm. "No. No-no-no. Josh has been a friend since first grade. It's not like that. He, like…He came to see Elis. Josh lives a few blocks away. We usually walk home part way together." "Ah. Gotcha. I suppose you want me to go get him?" In other words, did Raea want to see Elis? Yes and no. Not having him at school helped her survive that day without breaking down. She had no idea how she'd react to seeing him again. But she'd been worried all that time too and seeing him would put her mind at ease.
"Sure." Nare's eyebrows lifted in question, and Raea nodded. Nare hurried up the stairs and around the corner of the rail and pounded on the door of his room. "Elis! You have company." A few seconds later, the music cut off. Here he came. Raea's pulse raced. She hooked her fingers in her belt loops to keep her hands still. The door clicked and her heart stopped. "Who is it?" Damn the wall. She couldn't see him. "A couple friends." Josh leaned towards the stairs and waved. So tempting! Oh, God. Just a few inches closer to Josh. Stand still. Just wait. "Hey, Elis," Josh said. A long pause answered. Raea held her breath. What took him so long? Nare stepped into view on the landing outside her room, her eyes aside. Elis stopped at the top of the stairs in jeans and a dark blue tee shirt and his black, fingerless gloves.
The strands of hair over his eyes gave him that familiar dark, brooding appearance that transformed with the recognition on his face. Her mouth went dry, but she managed a "Hi." After a moment of no reaction, he hurried down the stairs. His purple eyes fixed on her through that wild black hair. She used to think he didn't comb it, but found out for herself that it refused to be tamed. "I'm…glad to see you." Talk about an understatement! He moved towards her and she put a hand out. "Not now. Not yet." Not again. He looked ready to cry. Her heart gave a tiny whimper of sympathy. "I…um…thought you might like—" Say something, Josh! He wasn't helping. "To hang out with Josh for tonight. You know—man to man. While I hang out with Nare." She gave Josh an obvious elbow in the ribs. "Yeah. It'd be cool." Took Josh long enough. He rubbed his side and flashed her with a dirty look. Whatever. "We could, like, talk about Dark Angel, or something." Elis gave her a questioning look.
She shook her head minutely. No, Josh didn't know. Elis took a deep breath and let it out, his shoulders dropping. "That's fine. Your house or here?" Oh, no. She wasn't falling for the pleading expression or the reading between the lines. "Um…" Josh looked at her too. Good grief. They couldn't make any decisions without her? "Your house. Trust me. You don't want to be around when girls talk." Josh's eyes widened with recognition and his lip curled in disgust. Yeah, Josh. That kind of talk. The same kind of talk that had turned his face into a ruby when he walked in on Jess and Linds discussing their periods once. Only once. He'd learned his lesson. The two had planned it that way to get back at him for talking about the dark angel so much. "I got it. My house it is." "After dark?" Those deep purple eyes she loved stared through her. Her knees threatened to give out with the racing of her pulse. She was worse than last night.
"I suppose. That's when he usually appears." Josh glanced from Elis to her. "I'll be there." Elis's gaze never wavered from her. It beckoned to her desire to be close. Just a couple steps. That's all it would take to be secure in his arms. A couple steps… Nare thumped down the stairs, hitting the squeaky one on her way. "So, we're on for tonight, Raea?" The muscles in Elis's jaw clenched and his face hardened. "Was this your idea?" "I have no idea what you're talking about." Nare shoved him aside and stepped between him and Raea. ["Stay strong,"] she whispered close. Nare stood back with a smile. "I'll see you later. Nice to meet you, Josh." "Sure." Josh put his hand on the storm door handle and looked to Raea. "Coming?" "Yeah. Yeah…um. See you later." Nare smiled. Behind her, Elis met her eyes for a moment. No, she couldn't give in. Nare was right. She had to stay strong, until she figured out exactly if this was
what she wanted. This was harder than she expected. Raea ducked out behind Josh and fought the urge to look back for a hopeful glimpse of Elis. The inner door scraped closed behind them with the hiss and click of the storm door. Where the cement walk to the front door met the sidewalk, Josh stopped. "I guess I'll see you later. Or not. Maybe I'll call afterwards." She'd like that—hearing about him and Elis, especially Elis. "Thanks, for everything." She gave Josh a quick hug before he hurried down the street to head home. Raea caught sight of her cousins on the walk from school a couple blocks away—Dave had to wait for Eric at the elementary school to walk him home. Raea rushed through the front door of the blue house to reach her room, where Dave especially wouldn't see her tears.
Dark Angel Of all the nights he could have been out flying, Elis had to keep Josh occupied. Meanwhile Nare and Raea flew in the perfect weather, except for the clouds and the chilly air, but the resonance would keep them warm. Hopefully Raea led Nare away. They'd left before him, to get a head start so Josh wouldn't see them, while he sat with Josh in the backyard on a rusty patio chair, using the resonance to warm him in the chilly night. Elis blamed Nare for this, for everything. If she hadn't mentioned bonding, everything might be fine with him and Raea. No. He couldn't blame her. He wished he could. But the whole situation was his fault. He should have told her, but he just couldn't. It was so hard, and then it didn't seem important to tell her. He'd been wrong, though. It was important, more important than anything. He should have told her in the beginning, before the relationship progressed, as part of her
early training. Upon seeing Raea earlier, he'd wanted to hold her, but she pushed him away. She couldn't have wanted that distance, not by the look on her face. And what business did Nare have whispering conspiracies to her? What had she said to Raea at the school? Sure, Nare told him that Raea said she loved him but needed a break from him, but Nare held something back. His second cousin had babysat him when they were younger—she being five years older—but he never forgot how she put him down at every opportunity. This was no different. If Raea never came back to him, he'd blame Nare. She didn't understand what it was like to lose everything she loved, only to find penitence in true love and have it nearly taken away. Raea was more precious to him than his own life. He would do anything for her. But Nare didn't understand. Instead, she was flying with Raea, putting thoughts in her head about leaving him, while he sat with Josh. For now, he could do nothing if he wanted to keep from pushing Raea further away. Instead, he
sat with Josh, who watched for the Dark Angel while not realizing he sat there with him. Humans held some odd superstitions. Josh watched the sky intently through his binoculars. "Looks like it might rain," Elis said. The clouds had threatened moisture all day without releasing anything. With the night growing cold as it was, freezing rain could fall; not unheard of in April but not normal either. But at least rain would bring Nare and Raea home, where he could listen to whatever Nare told Raea, unless they went next door to Raea's house. If only Josh would call it a night, so he could return home to the warmth of the house. Evelyn liked her house warm. So did Elis. Inari didn't do well in the cold. But he couldn't tell Josh that; he'd promised Raea to say nothing. And he'd do anything for her, especially to win back her trust. "This is nothing." Josh aimed his binoculars at a different part of the sky. So much for that thought. Sitting outside in the chilly night could have been worse. It would have
been, if not for the warmth of the resonance. Luckily, the full gloves hid the glow of the Starburst marks on his hands. "I think I see something, but it's so far away." Josh adjusted the binoculars, his face contorting beneath them. "I'd swear I saw something pale. Not our angel, but something." Probably Nare. Elis had warned her that her wings would be easy to see, but, as with everything he ever said to her, she had brushed his warning aside. "Definitely not the dark angel." He's right here
with you! Oh, to say it. What would Josh do? Elis couldn't. He'd promised Raea that he'd leave it to her when she was ready. Bad enough if she found out what he had told Josh of what he "knew", the little that was that wouldn't expose him. "Any idea what Raea and Nare are doing?" "No." He hated lying, especially after Raea's accusations made that point clear. A lie of omission was still a lie. He'd known, but it had been so easy to ignore the issue when she needed consoling through the horrors she'd experienced more than worries
about attachments to him. Josh sat in silence, completely focused on the night sky. "So, like, what exactly is going on with you and Raea? She just said that she needed some time apart. She wouldn't go into details, but I know it bothers her. I worry about her. You know? Especially when she cried this morning." Had he heard right? "She cried?" "Not much, but she probably would've cried more if we weren't at school." Josh offered the binoculars, but Elis shook his head. He didn't want to watch the sky. Seeing Nare would be like her taunting him. He wanted to be up there with Raea. Raea had cried? Why? So many reasons and possibilities circled that statement. He wanted to grab Josh and shake the answer out of him. Instead, Elis took a deep breath to calm himself. Josh watched him expectantly. "Why is she upset?" "It's complicated." If that wasn't an understatement, nothing was. "Complicated? What's so complicated about a relationship? Did you do something or say
something to upset her?" "No…maybe…It's hard to explain." "Try me." "I can't." "Can't or won't?" Josh's accusation could have been a slap on his face. Anger flared from the embers of frustration. Frustration from not being able to touch Raea. Frustration from not knowing what she might decide. Frustration from everyone blaming him. And frustration that Raea had made him promise not to say anything to Josh about the truth of what the media called Dark Angel, which would have made everything easier to explain. "I can't. I promised Raea." Josh dropped his eyes. "Sorry. I—I know it's not my business, but I just can't believe how fast it happened. I mean, one day she was all excited about Pallin. Then, before he even did anything wrong, she was asking me for advice about what to say to you, and now she's not sure what she wants." "She did?" Raea hadn't said she talked to Josh, but as close as she was to the guy, Elis should have expected it. Had she said anything to Jess or Linds?
Why would she tell Josh and not one of her girl friends? "Yeah. It was weird. I have no idea what happened between you while you were teaching her about her mother and stuff—totally between the two of you. But, like, she was so sure she liked you better than Pallin and didn't want to screw it up. She thought since I'm a guy I might—you know—like, know what was in your head. I mean, come on. How was I to know? You know?" "What did you say?" Josh shrugged. "Not much, just that we, like, get scared to say anything and sometimes the girl has to make a move." Had Josh hoped that move would be for himself? If he liked Raea but was afraid to say anything to her, they had more in common than Elis expected. Or was this Josh's way of testing him, to see if Josh could now steal Raea? That thought gnawed at Elis's gut, twisting and biting like a thrashing beast. "Apparently I was right." Yes, he was, but Elis wouldn't stand by and let Josh take Raea away from him. He'd waited too long for the right time and given her his heart. He wouldn't
lose her without a fight. The faint rush of the breeze filled the void of silence between them. A minute passed before Elis spoke. "I don't think you're going to see any angels tonight." "Probably not, but I kinda wanted to talk with you anyway. I mean, after what happened with Pallin, I don't want anyone hurting her again." Josh would never fully understand, even after hearing the story of what happened that awful night a month ago. Elis had seen Pallin rape Raea through the vision from the Starfire that she shared with him. It sickened and angered him, eating away at the last of his control. Knowing the smug bastard was free after drugging and abducting Raea and was Shirukan, like the soldiers who killed his family, snapped something inside him. He had relinquished control to a dark monster seeking vengeance but also a need to protect the most precious part of his life. "I'll never hurt her." He was there to protect her. If anything, he had failed and was more determined to keep Raea safe, part of the reason he disliked being
stuck there while she was out flying. Nare didn't know the land like he did. If something happened… "I thought that about Pallin too." Josh sounded wary, with every right, but it still annoyed Elis. "So, you'd rather have me out of her life?" "No. No, I didn’t say that." "But you were thinking it." Josh sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just that, after everything… After you told me what Pallin did and how you went after him, you know, I…kind of…um…I wonder…I'm a little skeptical. I mean, you're like so quiet most of the time, and you just went off after Pallin. And now Raea needs distance from you?" He hadn't thought of it that way. Josh made it sound like he was unstable, but at the time he had been. After figuring out Pallin was one of those he most hated and had hurt Raea in a way that could never be undone. The only resolution he saw at the time had been to hurt Pallin as he'd hurt Raea. He'd never experienced that kind of hatred before. "What would you have done if you knew the man who raped someone you loved was alive and free to hurt her again?"
"I don't know. You said she killed him in self defense. I never could have done that." Elis could have and wanted to, not only for Raea but also for his family. Pallin had come as an undercover Shirukan, sent to take Raea back to surrender her Starfire shard and kill her afterwards. Pallin had been more dangerous alive than Josh would ever know.
Maybe he should know. He deserves to meet his Dark Angel, and maybe he'd realize the truth about Raea and realize she deserves to be with her own kind. Damn his promise to her! He bit his tongue on saying anything to Josh. "He was far more dangerous than you realize." "Oh?" Josh set his binoculars down. "Pallin was…" He couldn't break his word to Raea. Crystal fire. "He wasn't what he said he was." There. He didn't say it. "I know…I checked at school, you know. I had to know, just because I couldn't stand him getting away with that. There's no record of his parents ever being there. Supposedly they registered over the phone. The papers were sent to an address in California, signed, and mailed back."
Elis's breath froze in his chest. An address on Earth. Who would have pretended to be Pallin's parents? Did they know what Pallin was? "What was the address?" "The school wouldn't give it to me. That information's confidential. Does it matter?" "It might." Especially if someone else was helping Pallin. If they were also Shirukan, Raea was in real trouble. But why wouldn't they have acted sooner? It didn't make sense. They were up to something. But what? He had to track down whoever pretended to be Pallin's parents. That address would be a start. He should have thought of it sooner, but he had other things to worry about, like taking care of Raea. Now, he had nothing else to do, and it would keep his mind off Raea, until she came back. His heart raced with anxiety, warming him against the cold. No. Not anxiety. The warmth increased throughout his body, all the way to his fingers. The resonance. The Starfire! But Josh's questions had distracted him from using the resonance. If he didn't, then… No! Only a Starfire portal could
call to the Starfire in Keepers from a distance. Raea! He had to reach her immediately. "What's with the wind?" Josh looked around at the tree in the backyard waving in the sudden wind stirred up by the portal in the atmosphere. Elis had to get up there. Raea and Nare needed him. He looked aside at Josh. There wasn't time to waste. But he had promised Raea. Keep her promise or protect her? He knew the answer without thinking. "Where'd you see the pale wings?" Josh pointed to the northwest. "That way. Wait." He lifted the binoculars. "Whoa! There's—" "Thanks." Elis found the resonance inside him and directed its burning power to grow the wings. He clenched his teeth on the pain of muscle, bone, sinew, and feathers in rapid growth through the hidden folds Evelyn had sewn into his jacket, until he stretched his wings. Now to get up there. "Oh, jeez!" Josh startled and fell over his chair backwards. Elis helped him stand. "Careful."
Josh stumbled back. "Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. No way! This. Is so not real. You're the Dark Angel?" "I don't have time to explain. Raea's in trouble." Josh would have to accept it, but Elis didn't have time to answer questions. "She didn't want you to know. She doesn't want anyone to know." Elis stepped back and spread his wings. Josh ducked at the wind of black wings flapping. With luck, Elis would return to clear everything with Josh later. For now, he had to race to catch up to Nare and Raea so far out of town. The black maw of the Starfire portal spit out a few faint dark shapes against the backdrop of moonlit clouds. No. Not yet! He fought against the winds stirred by the forces of the portal. He'd never make it in time.
Attack Plan How fortunate the Keepers were out flying. Valdas didn't need the map to find the houses, nor did they need to break into any structure. They could make this short and sweet. She adjusted the heads-up display on her helmet visor showing the radiation traces of anything living. Through the shades of red, she found them not far away. The Starfire gave off a unique radiation signature that registered the Keepers as green, contrasting the yellow of her squad members. The wind was another matter. It would make accurate flying difficult. Not impossible but risky. The portal disturbed their atmosphere the same. They had managed to fly through it there; they would manage in this. ["Keepers sighted,"] Lieutenant Tourval said. He flew straight for them as they planned. Daeltrian should be somewhere above, provided the wind didn't hinder her efforts.
Karnalan and Luranik would flank the Keepers. Only one direction remained open to them. ["Tourval, hold back. Give Daeltrian a chance to get ahead."] The tri-comm worked perfectly in close proximity, and they could hear a whisper. Unnecessary to shout, even in this wind. A gust sent her tumbling over herself, but Valdas righted within seconds. ["I'm in position,"] Daeltrian said. ["I don't think they see me."] Indeed. Based on the colored images from the goggles, the Keepers had hardly moved while the young lieutenant was nearly above them. Did they expect a fight? Why did they wait instead of run? Remember Montran. They had attacked him, burning him severely from what must have been a very strong release of Starfire energy. ["Ease up. They may be waiting for a clear shot. Wait for the others to get into position."] She wouldn't underestimate these two as the commander had. ["I don't think they see me, sir."] ["I said 'hold'."] No sense firing and missing, and alerting the Keepers of the attack. They would have one chance to surprise the pair.
["Yes, sir."] The others were almost ready. The next move would take her away from optimum viewing while she took her position. For those brief seconds, she would lose sight of the situation. Valdas shivered. Damn the weather. Loran could have warned them to dress warm. ["They're fleeing!"] Sure enough. The green shapes flew away. Crystal fire! Valdas spread her wings and pulled up. ["They spotted us. Two-point-one. Karnalan, go."] ["Yes, sir."] The yellow figure dropped to pick up speed against the wind and cut off the Keepers. A warning shot would chase them back. ["Daeltrian, hold position. Tourval. Luranik, flank pursuit."] All three confirmed and took up the chase. A light flashed from Karnalan's weapon. It went wide. Clever. The pair split up. Valdas was smarter. The two in pursuit each took one Keeper. The chase was on. ["These two burned Commander Montran. Keep
your distance. Disable them so we can go home."] She joined the pursuit, fighting the strong winds throwing them at the portal. If they could use that to their advantage… It would never work. The Keepers would do all they could to avoid it now that they knew Saffir hadn't sent for them. Valdas and her team had hoped the Keepers would assume the portal was generated by the last Crystal Keeper on Inar'Ahben and linger near, but the advantage had been lost. She'd never fought like this while a portal was active. Given the wind and threat of return fire by the Keepers, she wished she had brought more support. If she had suspected this world's climate could cause problems, she would have. The Keepers looked to have difficulty too, though. The green shapes occasionally jerked as if caught by a gust of wind. One of them in particular had more trouble than the other. Which was that? The shape looked feminine. If so, that was their primary target, but also the most dangerous. Human-raised. That might have something to do with both factors. She might be easy to catch, but they would have to
neutralize her quickly to avoid the Starfire. But the other looked feminine too. Wait. A third shape approached in the distance. It couldn't be. Three Keepers. One of the others must have joined them. The brighter green headed for Valdas, or near her at least. Close enough for a clear shot if the female stayed on course. The wind proved a challenge to staying still or for the Crystal Keeper to fly straight. One shot. That's all Valdas needed. One shot to knock out the Crystal Keeper. The other Keeper gave her team a good challenge, but this one didn't seem to understand. Two of her teammates chased the Crystal Keeper to her. Valdas flapped against a gust at her back. Seconds later, the Crystal Keeper veered away. Valdas pursued, sending Daeltrian away in the hopes they could chase the female to her. The wind roared around them. Cold numbed the exposed parts of her face. Ahben depths! The cold numbed every part of her. The others didn't complain, but she would bet they felt the same. If they continued much longer, they'd all freeze. It didn't
matter—they weren't important. That crystal shard was. She ignored the cold. She couldn't fail. She felt the effects of the cold on her movements and saw it in her team. Their quick turns widened. Their response times to the Keepers' tricks slowed. How did the Keepers go on? The pair joined up again, allowing the yellow figures to encircle the green shapes, although Karnalan and Daeltrian were a little slow. Or did they hold back in case the Keepers made another run? [Or in case they fall. Good thinking.] Once hit by the neutralizer, the Crystal Keeper would lose consciousness. The other could fall to their death, but Shartrael Raea would be needed alive, if possible, to handle the Starfire safely. A couple shots of bright green flashed on the scene, but the green shapes flew around one another. One of the yellow shapes faltered. ["I'm hit!"] Tourval's voice. The Keepers fought back. They attacked her teammates, taking the offensive and sending the men and women of her hand-picked squad fleeing from them.
Valdas pursued the more skilled flyer, who chased Luranik. If she could get one clean shot, they'd regain their advantage. [What took so long for
you to defend yourselves? That oath to serve is a farce. You Keepers are nothing more than hypocrites and liars. You're abominations to our kind.] If she could get a clear shot, she could take out one more. The third Keeper was almost there. ["Hurry! We're getting company."] Perfect aim. She fired. The Crystal Keeper fell. Deltrian and Tourval swooped up, their yellow shapes merging with the green. ["Got her!"] Finally. ["Let's go."] Valdas followed the pair carrying the limp green form between them. The last green shape spread his wings and glided. [Too late.] The Crystal Keeper vanished into the darkness with her team. She followed.
Alone "Raea!" No. No-no-no-no-no. This couldn't be happening. They took her. And Nare fell. His heart screamed in agony when the black shapes headed for the portal. He wanted to chase them, but Nare didn't fly. For a heartbeat, he considered it. Only for a moment—he'd never reach Raea in time. He made his decision. "Nare!" He folded his wings and dove. The wind whistled past his ears. "Nare!" Her wings trailed her, slowing her fall, and she didn't respond. She must have been hit with a neutralizer. They wouldn't dare aim to kill a Crystal Keeper, not yet. He had a chance to save her and pulled his wings in tight, streaking like a missile to catch Nare. He couldn't save Raea. She was gone.
No. She was dead.
No!
He wouldn't lose her like this. He couldn't fail her. His eyes blurred. Although the wind caused some of the irritation, the choking hold of his grief burned his eyes and lumped in his throat. Closer he sped to Nare, and to the ground. Soon, he'd have no choice but to pull up, unless... Unacceptable. Killing himself wouldn't save Nare. "Nare!" He leveled with her and adjusted his flight, reaching out…Got her! The sudden spreading of his wings caught the air and dramatically slowed his descent, but at the expense of a sharp pain in his back. Carrying Nare proved awkward, but he flapped hard, hoping to gain altitude. Muscles strained in his back. After the speed of the dive, he struggled to hold his wings out to slow his momentum, even more to flap against his continued fall. The ground's approach slowed. Holding a limp Nare, he flapped hard. Forget making it home. He'd be glad to land safely. Elis managed a light landing and laid Nare in the
grass. No sign of blood, and she still breathed. Neutralized. The Shirukan wanted Raea alive to handle the Starfire for them. Using their weapons to kill would have made things difficult—the Starfire might kill anyone who touched it that it didn't accept and it definitely would never accept any Shirukan. There was one good thing. Nare wouldn't be waking up anytime soon though. He'd have to carry her home, but without Raea. He'd never see her again. The Shirukan had taken her when he wasn't there, like they'd taken his family. The memories returned in vivid detail, shattering him with accusations.
He saw it all on the holographic video— images of his home city with its grand Arches of Sammal in ruins and the many floating towers on fire from attacking ships and hundreds of black-uniformed Shirukan and thousands of the gray and black uniformed Shirat soldiers filling the scene. Reports of Keepers being rounded up by the enemy and executed. Individuals. Families. Women. Men.
Children. The elderly. Anyone with the Starburst marks were targeted. And the city, resistant to the end, now suffered for no reason but as a show of force by the Shirat Empire. Elis stared in stunned silence at the reports scrolling across the display. His heart froze with his breath. He couldn't believe it. Narmor had fallen. It should have been able to resist. His parents and his sister and her mate. All Keepers rounded up. His father had been a Crystal Keeper, though. Naolis bore a shard of the Starfire. The Shirukan would keep him alive long enough to torture him into giving it up. No, his heart cried. Every part of him ached to be there to defend them. His family needed him. The people he loved. Where was he? Starfire Tower. Safe and secure after finishing his training. Not again. Over the last two years, he'd tried to forget. He wasn't there when the Shirukan took them
away, like he wasn't here when they came for Raea. He might have stopped them if he'd been there, if he'd been here.
The door to his quarters slid open. Saffir stepped in, her short, gray-blue hair twisted into a style pulled back from her face, exposing her concern as she rushed to embrace him. ["Elis."] Elis stood stunned, emotions frozen in a tangle of denial, guilt, and grief. ["I should have been there."] That simple statement summarized everything inside him and loosened the tears to slide coldly down his cheeks. ["You could have done nothing. The Shirukan have ways of subduing Keepers. Had you been there, you would have died with them."] He looked up through blurry eyes at Saffir and the old, white-winged man. What did they know? The muscles of his back tightened, drawing his black wings in close with a ruffle of feathers. ["I might have made a difference!"]
Saffir shook her head, her deep blue eyes breaking from his gaze. ["You don't know that."] She put a hand to his face. The Starburst marks covered her entire hands in the same aquamarine color as the Starfire crystal she wore on a decorative chain around her neck. His father had worn a smaller fragment. Her fingers—nearly covered by the Starburst like her hands—caressed his cheek. ["You are my brother's last grandchild. I won't lose you to the Shirukan like the others. In fact—"] Saffir straightened and glanced back at the old man, his great-grandfather Tenkil, her father and the oldest of the Keepers. He had long ago passed his Starfire to her so that she protected the largest fragment. ["I know where you'll be safest, and you can protect another Crystal Keeper."] Elis frowned. With his emotions already tumbling inside him, he didn't want to leave. He wanted to fight the Shirukan and their empress, the people who killed his family to obtain his father's Starfire. He wanted to make them suffer.
["Twenty years ago, Shartrael Padina escaped the Shirukan by the power of a Starfire portal. We heard reports years later that she was dead, but her shard had not been recovered. Only a few of us knew she was pregnant when she left."] ["Pregnant?"] As in a child? Padina had borne a child? To be expected, he supposed. He had heard of her disappearance, but nothing about her having been found and executed by a Shirukan. Another Crystal Keeper. But her shard hadn't been retrieved…then… ["You think her child bears the Starfire? Why hasn't he or she returned?"] Saffir shrugged. ["We don't know the answer, but with Padina gone, perhaps her child knows nothing, or perhaps the child is also dead, the shard abandoned. Since Padina left, we had no contact with her. Now, with Naolis's shard, the Shirukan have two pieces of the Starfire. They'll come for me next, but I fear they'll soon discover Padina's legacy."]
He knew what she wanted. The answer was obvious. ["You want me to protect this child? How is that any safer? How will that help my family? They're gone!"] He didn't regret the harshness of his tone and stepped away from them to gaze out the balcony door, which opened at his approach. A warm breeze blew against his wings, tempting him to the sky of Inar'Ahben to escape the tragedy that crashed upon him. Freedom. Solitude. Escape. But he could never escape the guilt darkening his heart. ["I should have been there for my sister and my parents."] A soft touch on his shoulder loosened the tension. Tears cooled his cheeks. ["You can protect Padina's child, if they're alive. We don't know what she taught them, so it would be your responsibility to prepare them, to help defend them against the Shirukan. If the Starfire is made whole, it will destroy our world."] The stakes were higher than his family; he'd always known, but it had been someone
else's responsibility. How could he refuse that duty as a Keeper? He could; that's all. ["Why not send real bodyguards? What can I do?"] ["Where that child is, they may look like us, but they don't have wings. Padina chose that world so she could hide as a native."] He knew the world she described. All Keepers knew it as a sanctuary. ["Earth."] Primitive by comparison, humans viewed Inari as supernatural beings. How would he fit in, except to hide the Starburst marks on his hands and to hide his wings? He loved to fly and was one of the best, at least among his friends at Starfire Tower. He didn't want to have to walk everywhere. But he knew why Saffir asked him. Because of the Starfire in their genes, Keepers could hide their wings, although they usually used it as a means of reaching the Ahben in the oceans of their world and never with long-term intentions. And he now had nothing keeping him there. ["I would be the worst person. I can't, not after this..."]
["It's because of this, and that you have completed your training, that you're the best person for this task. You can grieve later."] ["But others—"] ["They've already chosen mates. You haven't bonded with anyone. You have no ties to this world."] Elis sighed in defeat. He couldn't argue with that. ["You have some time to think about it and prepare. It'll be safest to arrive at night."] He nodded and watched the two leave his apartment. His mind swirled with conflicting emotions and a sense of duty. Keepers valued life, but honored those who died. Although he wished with all his being to avenge his family, deep inside he knew Saffir was right. Protecting and training Padina's child was important. And perhaps it would distract him from the pain that ripped through him. Tears cooled his cheeks. Elis let them flow and fell to his knees. The portal was gone. He was unable to rescue Raea. He had failed not only Raea
but also Saffir. Everything he loved he lost. It wasn't fair. He didn't deserve to live while they all suffered and died. "I'm sorry, Raea," he whispered. Sobs shook through him. Tears restrained from two years ago flowed freely now, cooling his face. He should have told her about bonding sooner. This might have been avoided. He had been so afraid, and now his worst nightmare had come true. He was alone.
The Truth About Angels He'd never see her again. Never hold her. Never dry another tear. Never smell the faint hint of flowers that conditioned her silky, light brown hair. Never feel the joy that somersaulted inside him when she smiled. Never spend the rest of his life with her. In the cold grass next to Nare, Elis buried his face and the tears that flowed. The last two years of his life replayed in his mind. The way he'd watched Raea, his tongue sticking at the wrong times. The way he sometimes caught her eyes on him and wished she might say something. The last six weeks slowed, every moment aching through him in its clawing ferocity to rip out his heart. If only he had dreamed it. If only Saffir had let him go that day Narmor fell, he could have ended the suffering before making everything worse. But he wouldn't have been there when Raea needed him most, when Pallin came, and her shard would already be in the machine and Raea would be
dead. The cold air and the fog of his breath screamed reality. "Raea…" Elis sniffed. Damn the Shirukan! Damn the Shirat Empire! And damn their empress! They did this. They took away all he loved. Everything. He punched the ground with his fists, his wings out behind him. It would be so easy to end it all. The hard ground beckoned with its welcome embrace of cold death. Lights from behind faintly lit the ground around and ahead of him, except where his shadow fell. It didn't matter if they discovered him. Not now. So what if they found out the secret of their Dark Angel. The Starfire was gone. Raea was gone. Nothing mattered. The lights passed, leaving him alone in the dark again. Relief and disappointment clashed. But Nare— He put a hand to her chest—she breathed, but she was cold. She'd freeze if he didn't get her home. Even at the end of April, nights could still dip into low temperatures. Seeing his breath proved that.
He couldn't abandon her, no matter how annoying she might be. He hadn't saved her from falling to her death to let the cold finish the task. Elis wiped his face with his sleeve. One death because of the Shirukan was enough that night. He slid one arm under Nare's shoulders and the other under her knees. Lifting was a problem. The awkwardness of trying not to step on her wings while balancing and lifting with an ache in his back made the task nearly impossible. After a couple tries, another light passed over the ground. A sense of urgency swept over him. Old habit from trying to hide his identity. He might have to ask for help. Nare was heavy with her wings dragging, and he wasn't going anywhere. They were in a pasture in the middle of nowhere. The ache in his back made it nearly impossible to lift anything. How would he fly if he couldn’t stand? Debbie. She'd always helped him, because he protected Raea. But he failed to protect her tonight. Debbie would be upset to hear Raea was gone. He'd rather wait and tell her in person. Who could he ask? Evelyn couldn't help him. The
only other person— Josh! He'd help. Now, if Nare kept her cell phone on her… He searched her coat. There. Clipped to her belt. Elis pulled it out and dialed Josh's home. After a warning about long distance, he redialed with the area code. Nare's phone service was out of Colorado. Any number in North Dakota was long distance for her. Tri-comm would have been easier, but only if Josh would have had one, assuming they worked for humans. The phone rang only twice before a woman picked up. "Hello?" "This is Elis. I need to speak to Josh." "I'm sorry, Elis. He took off a short time ago. Weren't you watching for his angel with him?" "I had to leave." To say the least. If Josh left his house, then maybe he was already on his way. At least his mother hadn't seemed to notice the transformation. One less person to worry about. "Did he say where he was going?" "No, just that he needed the car to run an errand." Errand. Right. Most likely following. Then he
might arrive soon, if he knew where to go. Josh needed directions. "Does Josh have a cell?" "No." Damn. "But he took mine." Hope jumped in his chest. "What's the number?" She gave it to him and told him to warn Josh not to be angel-chasing when her car was low on fuel. Elis thanked her and hung up. Now for Josh. He dialed the number, making sure to use the area code this time. It rang a few times before voicemail picked up. Crystal fire! Elis tried again. Again voicemail. Pick it up, Josh! A third time, he dialed the number. "Hello?" Thank goodness. "Josh, it's Elis." "Elis! Holy Hannah! Where are you? What happened? I tried to follow, but I lost track. You're east. Right?" Elis breathed a sigh and gave Josh the directions. After two years, he knew the landscape
for twenty miles around McClarron. That helped when he wasn't watching the land below him on his way to save Raea, although he'd caught a good look while trying to avoid dropping Nare. "Got it. I'm on my way." "Hurry. Nare needs warmth." "Nare? Where's Raea? What happened?" Worry leaked from Josh's voice. "Did something happen to her? You said she was in trouble. What kind of trouble?" Elis choked down the lump in his throat. "I'll tell you when you get here." "Oh, God! Okay. I'm closing the phone so I can drive. Bye." "Bye." Elis closed the cell and replaced it at Nare's belt. Josh would come, but he wouldn't like what he heard. Fresh tears welled up, but he fought them. Josh would come. Elis wouldn't have to fly her home. He could end the suffering, but Josh would need help getting her into the house unconscious. No leaving them. He had to stay. There was no escaping the grief tearing through him, but he could distract
himself. After a moment, he found the resonance and shrank his wings. His back still ached, but much less without carrying the wings. He needed time to heal before flying again. In the strain of the sudden pull from his dive, he'd pulled a few muscles, especially with the added weight of carrying Nare. So much for considering leaving for good. Elis waited and watched. A couple cars passed their lights over the pasture as they turned a corner somewhere behind him. Finally, one set of lights lingered and grew brighter. It bobbled and stopped on him. Elis shaded his eyes and turned. Not far away, a car door thunked closed. "Josh?" "Elis!" Josh crossed into the headlights, a shadow against the brightness. His steps crunched over the yellowed grass, until he stopped. "Whoa! Dude, you never said…What happened?" "Help me with Nare?" The explanation could wait. Elis lifted her into a sitting position, her whiteblue wings limp behind her.
Josh froze in place, staring wide-eyed at Nare. "Help, please?" "Oh. Yeah. Right." Josh blinked and helped Elis carry her to the car, one of them on each side. Getting her into the car was another matter, especially with the wings dragging. Elis folded them close to her. A few feathers had bent or broken. She'd be upset with him for that, but she was alive. In the car, Elis laid her across the back seat. "What happened?" Josh closed the back door and opened the driver door. "Where's Raea? You said she was in trouble?" Elis slammed the rear door on his side and sat in the front passenger seat. He didn't want to talk about what happened, but Josh probably had hundreds of questions. Josh sat down and shut the door. "Where is she?" "Gone." Elis swallowed the lump in his throat. "I wasn't there. I should've been there." "Where? What's going on?" Josh started the car, but didn't drive. His eyes by the glow of the dashboard demanded an explanation. He worried,
with good reason. How could Elis explain it to a human? He'd explained it to Evelyn, or, rather, Debbie had, but Debbie had already known about their kind from Padina. Elis pulled off his gloves. "No way. That's…just like Raea." Josh sat back, his eyes staring into the distance. "She's Inari, not human." Josh blinked. "Inari? That's what you call yourselves?" "We're not from this world. Ours is in a galaxy far from this." "Whoa. I mean, WOW! I never thought…" Josh let the words trail off. "How about driving?" "Yeah. I guess that'd be a good thing." Josh twisted back and glanced at Nare. "What happened to her?" He backed the car off the approach and onto a gravel road before turning forward. "Neutralizer, I'd guess. The Shirukan didn't want Raea dead…" In a quiet voice, Elis added, "Not yet." The sudden stop threw Elis against the seatbelt. Nare slid on the backseat.
"Wait. Shirukan? Raea dead? What's going on?" Josh's voice hardened. He cared about Raea. Elis had seen it many times in Josh's behavior. "You told me once that you called the fallen angels Shirukan… Oh, God. You were talking about bad guys from your world. Weren't you?" "Yes. They're after the crystal shard she wears. It's called the Starfire, a collective of powerful entities, but it's only through Keepers that it has any power." "Keepers? You lost me at crystal." He should have expected this. Josh deserved an explanation, though. "The Starfire created Keepers five thousand years ago, because the machine made to use their power was used as a weapon. It shattered and linked itself to the DNA of those within the machine known as Heffin's Gate." Elis took a deep breath before continuing, because—knowing Josh—he was going to have to explain anyway. "Twenty-five or six years ago, Shirat Marin was elected governor of Naviketan. She gained a following among the meistal, the descendants of Keepers without the Starburst marks —the marks Raea and I, and Nare, bear. Marin gave
them special privileges in return for their fealty to her. They became known as the Shirukan, the honored of Shirat. With them, she went after Keepers, and swore to gather every shard of the Starfire to gain full power over Heffin's Gate, which would give her complete power over our world, and others. With it, she could even destroy Earth, our sanctuary." The speech repeated almost exactly what he'd told Raea in Inari six weeks ago. Josh focused on the road ahead. Sometime during Elis's explanation, he'd made it to the paved road. "So, like, Raea is Inari and a Crystal Keeper, and now the Shirukan have her?" "Yes. I have no way to reach her. She'll be dead soon, if she…" He blinked back the tears threatening again. "If she isn't already." "Don't say that! She'll be back. She has to." Josh fell silent, his eyes on the road and the town a few miles away. Elis wiped his eyes, but the faint rasping of "Far Away" choked him. The worst song at a time like that would play. He switched off the radio and pulled his glove on. Josh said nothing. They rode to the house in silence. Elis stared at
the quiet sky. No portal formed for him; not a sign that Raea returned. But why would she? They'd neutralized her. She wouldn't wake up for hours. Then they'd force her to give up the shard. He had no way of rescuing her. She was as good as dead. Josh parked in the driveway next to the yellow house. Together, he and Elis carried Nare inside and up the stairs to the extra bedroom where Evelyn let her stay. She would wake up in the morning. "Now," Josh said in a quiet voice after Elis closed the door of the bedroom. "Tell me again. Raea has wings? What happened to yours? Why are you here? I mean, really here, on this world. That was you helping people?" So many questions he didn't want to answer. Not this. Not now. Elis walked down the stairs to hang up his coat. Josh followed. "I appreciate your help tonight." Elis opened the closet door. Hopefully Josh would take the hint and leave now. "Sure. No problem. So, is this what Raea meant by you teaching her about her homeland?"
"Yes." Josh stood at the bottom of the stairs, clearly not intending to leave. "Didn't she know?" "No. Padina asked that she grow up human, and Debbie obeyed that." "Debbie knows? I mean, she knew all along?" Elis grimaced and hung up his coat. Debbie. He still had to tell her what happened, that he'd failed to protect Raea. "And she didn't tell Raea. This is all just so… like…bizarre. You know? I never thought— I mean, my best friend is an angel." "No." Elis closed the door and turned to face Josh. "We're not angels as you think." "Sure. You said you were from a different world. So you're, like, aliens. But you look so…" "Human?" "Yeah." Josh studied him. Elis expected the renewed scrutiny, and walked into the sitting room, where Evelyn snoozed in her recliner. Josh followed. "So, like, how do you do the wing tricks? I mean hiding them and stuff?" The interrogation wasn't going to quit. Elis sat
down on the sofa with a sigh. Might as well get it over with. The sooner he satisfied Josh, the sooner he would leave. The interrogation went on most of the night, until the cell rang in Josh's pocket. Saved by the phone. Elis breathed a sigh of relief when Josh excused himself to return home. Seeing him leave opened the door for regrets to reenter. For a while, the mundane questions had distracted Elis. Now, the weight of losing Raea returned. The excitement and tears left him drained. He wandered up to his bedroom and laid down. He could do nothing now but hope someone rescued Raea. It was a slim chance.
No Place Like Home A faint light in the dark highlighted a familiar face. Padina brushed strands of brown hair behind her ear, but her hair betrayed her and fell towards the view. ["Raea."] She spoke in a soft voice. ["How sweetly you sleep. I can't believe how you've grown. Soon you'll be in school on this world. If we were home, we'd be at Starfire Tower for your preliminary lessons."] She sighed and looked away a moment. "I'll be out soon." "All right," a deep voice replied. After a couple seconds, Padina licked her lips and reached around the view. ["I know the Starfire sees me, but I hope it doesn't reveal this until you're ready to understand. There's so much I wish I could tell you now. With luck, they'll never find us and I'll watch you grow into a beautiful woman.]
["But I feel that the meistal serving Shirat Marin know I'm here. I'm afraid they're coming. I won't run, but I'll do all I can to protect you. My lovely little angel."] Her lips quivered and she wiped her eyes. ["If they never find you, that's all I could hope. If you have questions, Scott or Debbie will be here for you."] She sniffed and wiped her eyes again. ["I will always love you."] A moment later, Padina disappeared from the room. ["How's she doing?"] a deep voice asked. ["Still resting off the neutralizer."] A woman replied. ["Let me know—"] ["As soon as she's awake. Yes, I know."] The woman sounded exasperated. ["It's no use checking every five minutes. It won't hurry her recovery."] Was she still dreaming? Who were they? Raea didn't recognize either voice. But they spoke Inari. Or was it another dream? Raea opened her eyes to a dimly lit nook of thick metal pipes and walls. The foul aroma of waste mixed with the dankness of stale water. She wasn't
home on the plains with the fresh, clean air. Her last memories flashed back—the Shirukan attacked her and Nare. Panic swept through her. Raea jerked to sit up. Stupid move; pain wracked her skull. She fell back to whatever hard surface she laid on, her hands on her head. Ow-ow-
ow-ow-ow-ow. ["Easy. Take it slowly."] The faint overhead light touched a head of yellow-brown hair on a woman sitting next to her in a dark coverall. The shadowed visage touched no familiarity in Raea. Where was Nare? Where was Elis? Damn headache. It pounded a drum solo in her head. ["What did you do to me? Who are you?"] Footsteps padded closer, matching the steady strides of a looming figure. Dark wings shifted slightly behind him and settled out of sight again. The man carried an aura of authority and a reservation of emotion, a cold stare in his dark eyes. She didn't recognize him, but he was Inari, like the woman. She definitely was not home. ["We rescued you from the Shirukan. They neutralized you."] He spoke with a tone of authority that cut off any argument.
["Neutralized?"] As if being attacked by the Shirukan wasn't bad enough. ["Where am I?"] ["In the bowels of Naviketan."] Naviketan? Raea knew that name. Through the subdued pounding in her head, it came back. Elis had mentioned it. Her heart sank in dismay. Naviketan, the capital of the Shirat Empire, the home of Heffin's Gate. Now she knew this wasn't real. She couldn't be on Inar'Ahben. I'm dreaming…
Wake up…There's no place like home. There's no place like home… Not working. Probably needed magic ruby slippers, something in short supply. ["I'm Leksel, leader of the vaiyosh."] He spoke as if she should be impressed. Far from it. ["What?"] She'd never heard that word before. ["We're one small group of vaiyosh."] The woman spoke in a firm but soft voice. Raea liked her. ["We're growing,"] the man said. ["There are five other groups in Naviketan, all of them dedicated to stopping Shirat Marin."] Now she got it. They were rebels. A small gap in
her Inari vocabulary. Only one question nipped at her caution. ["What about Keepers?"] In other words, what about her? Why was she still alive? ["Shirat Marin seeks to exterminate all Keepers, but we won't allow that."] The woman smiled and grabbed a metal cup next to her. ["Shartrael Raea—"] She blinked and focused on the man's face—he knew her name, not her actual name but her mother's maiden name. How? The cold tone of command matched the stern lines carved in shadow. His crossed arms were thick, his dark hair short, almost military short, and stared through her with those dark eyes as if into her soul where she couldn't escape. In a startling show of respect, he bowed his head as Nare had when she arrived. ["I pledge my service to you."] What? He pledged to serve her? Too weird, especially coming from someone so cold. If he had ordered her to do something, she would have believed that, but not the opposite. ["But you can't stay here."] No kidding. She wanted to go home. Steps tapped from behind him, announcing the
new shadow a second before he appeared. Raea pushed herself up to sit, wincing at the moments of throbbing but determined to sit up to get a better look at her…rescuers? ["Here you are, again. Tarin said the patrols are gone from gold sector. He wants to know what we should do abou…"] The second man, also with dark wings, stared at her, his hair a mess that reminded her of Elis. This one had the lean look of a boy her age, probably almost ten years younger than Leksel, who gave the newcomer a dark glare. Either Leksel was going to hurt him—and he looked more than capable with those broad shoulders and thick arms—or the lift of his wings meant he wanted to fly. Probably not the latter. Leksel's wings tightened to his back a second later. So not the latter. The new guy acted as if he didn't notice the threat. Was it warm suddenly or was it her? The smile on the new guy could have melted the ice on the streets of McClarron in January. McClarron. Elis. What happened to him? She dropped her eyes to the blanket beneath her. If only he was there with her. Wait. Where was his coat?
She had worn his coat to stay warm while flying. She didn't even have that much of him. No, there was something. The feather. She reached under the collar of her shirt. The soft caress of the black feather brushed her fingers, calming her. Now, that was all she had left. ["Is something wrong?'"] Someone moved closer. In that tight corner, the dank, stuffy air shifted. Huh? Raea looked up. The young guy was perceptive, and close. Too close. She pulled her legs up to separate them. ["I'm Cris. It's an honor to meet you, Keeper Raea. Don't worry. Leks doesn't bite. He's harmless…most of the time. Don't let him scare you."] A low growl from the bigger man contrasted Cris's statement. Leksel sounded pissed. Okay, he could quit staring, but his smile reassured her. She wanted to escape the attention, though. ["All right. Enough already."] The woman shoved Cris back. ["Leave the poor girl alone—"] She looked up with a frown to Leksel. ["Both of you. Until the neutralizer wears off, she still needs her rest."]
["I was just trying to be friendly."] Cris rose to his feet and winked at Raea. ["I'll see you later."] He grabbed Leksel's arms and steered him away. ["Come on. Tarin's waiting."] Leksel yanked his arm from Cris's hand and, after a final look to Raea, followed Cris. ["Men! They'll go out of their way to impress any pretty face. You're not the first and won't be the last. Trust me."] Raea focused on the woman with the blonde ponytail. Mid-20's perhaps, a slender build and flawless complexion. Yeah, she could see them hitting on that one too, more so than herself. ["Who are you?"] She smiled and offered her cup to Raea. ["Corsa. Drink this. It'll help with the headache."] ["Thanks."] Raea sniffed—nothing foul. In fact, it had a fruity scent. ["What is it?"] Medicine or juice or poison? For all she knew, they lied to her. ["Tea. Your stomach won't take food for a while yet."] Fruit tea? Odd, but she was on a different world. They didn't seem like they wanted to hurt her, and
she was hungry. Raea took a sip, and grimaced. Definitely not juice. It was bland like any tea she'd tried. She didn't like tea, and she didn't like this. ["Drink. Ronaki leaves have an analgesic effect. It's all we have. Medical supplies are limited to what we can carry. A pouch of ronaki doesn't take much space."] Corsa eyed her like Debbie did when Raea didn't want to do something that was supposed to be good for her. By now her aunt must have realized she was gone. Raea stared at the shimmer of waves in the cup. Debbie. Elis. Josh. Everyone. Would she ever see them again? Or would she die on Inar'Ahben, alone and afraid? ["Drink."] Under Corsa's gaze, she drank the tea a small swallow at a time. Her body numbed with her mind. Just as well—it numbed the sting of her emotions too. After some time, she handed the nearly empty cup to Corsa and laid down. Corsa probably wouldn't let her leave, but Raea didn't know where to go anyway. ["That's better. Rest a while. You'll feel better
soon."] ["Thanks,"] Raea mumbled. Strange dreams filled her head a moment later.
Vodin gazed at Salera, his wings out of sight and his jaw steeled. The muscles of his jaw flexed and flattened beneath the skin. ["I'm sorry. I didn't realize…"] ["I told everyone to stay high. That included you."] Vodin's chest rose and fell with a deep breath, his eyes hard. ["The safety of everyone on this ship—yourself included—is my concern. Do you understand?"] ["Yes."] Her voice wavered with uncertainty. Vodin doubted her. The look he gave her said it. He dropped his eyes and stepped around her in the room, to a counter of a desk in the corner. ["I don't think you do. I don't think you fully realize the dangers of this world. I suppose I should not expect a young girl to appreciate what we hope to achieve in the time we plan to spend here."] She bowed her head. Tears gleamed from her cheeks.
["Part of that's my fault. I should have made it a priority that you study our mission, but I didn't think it important."] ["You want to study the humans, understand their cultures and languages… and…not expose us?"] She wiped her cheeks and looked up. Vodin's eyes softened. ["That's a start."] The edge in his voice melted. ["To achieve our goals, we need to maintain secrecy. The men and women on the surface must not be exposed. These humans are primitive and barbaric. We don't know what they'll do. They may see us as a threat. A threatened animal will defend itself…viciously."] ["On the surface? You reprimand me, but you risk your crew? Humans don't have wings."] ["No, but neither do certain Inari, if they don't want to."] He held out his hand. ["I'm told Crystal Keepers have a sense of the Starfire. Give me your hand."] After a few seconds, she placed her hand in his and gasped. ["Meistal!"]
["Yes. All of us. Enough Starfire in our genes to hide our wings, but no more."] Salera jerked her hand away. ["You should've told me."] ["Why? It makes no difference in my decisions. For the next few days, you'll stay on board. No flying unaccompanied. Do you understand?"] She crossed her arms. ["Yes."] Amusement alighted on the general's face. ["Next time, trust me when I say to stay high?"] ["Yes, sir."]She looked away as the commander appeared in the doorway behind her. ["Thank you."] The commander met the general's eyes and tipped her head a fraction. Salera stepped past the commander, who gave her a wary look. Out of sight, the commander said, ["You're too easy on her."] ["Four days should be long enough."] ["For me to finish, but not to punish a brat
like her."] ["I suggest you watch your tongue."] After a moment, steps cut off with the snick of the door. The ache of her shoulder made Raea shift. Her wings lifted. Wings? She opened her eyes to the dim, pipe-lined nook around her. Where was she? The answer smacked her brain with the emotional pain of a sledgehammer: Inar'Ahben. Her breath froze at the onslaught of memories. Naviketan! We were attacked. Where was Nare? Was she there? Where were the men and the woman who greeted her when she woke last? She pushed herself up slowly. No headache. The tea worked as Corsa said it would. In fact, she felt more rested than she had in a long while. Not since before Pallin and the nightmares had she slept as well. Pallin had been Shirukan. He'd used his looks to charm her into complacency, while Elis tried to warn her.
She'd said a lot of bad things to Elis, but he still loved her. She'd been stupid to ignore him. All this time, she still couldn't accept her feelings for him. Why was it so hard? Why couldn't she let her heart lead her? Her own ignorance led to her capture by the Shirukan again. If only she'd listened to Elis and let him fly with her and Nare. He was always right. I was so stupid. This was her fault, again.
Cris and Leksel Voices trickled through the pipe-lined corridor from around a bend ahead. Raea followed them to a stadium-sized room of criss-crossing pipes of different alloys and sizes. The humidity clung to her like the steam after a long hot shower, except this was cool and condensed on pipes. At the entrance to a large room of pipes with a high ceiling, she froze and stared. What was this place? Beneath it all, a dozen Inari of various wing colors sat on pipes curved or angled around each other or stood in the open spaces. Light glowed from various fixtures around the chamber. ["You will not set foot beyond the boundaries! I don't care how many Shirukan you think you can disable. Touch one and the rest are alerted of trouble in that location."] Leksel's wings shifted on his back. He stood a breath away from Cris, ready to pound him flat by the harshness on his face and the
reprimanding tone. ["Do I make myself clear?"] ["Sure. Clear."] Cris shrugged. So nonchalant and unafraid. Was he trying to piss off Leksel? What did he do exactly to bring on Leksel's wrath anyway? Although from her impressions when she first saw him, Leksel looked ready to snap at anyone who crossed him. ["Think next time, Cris! Stay out of sight of any patrols."] Cris's wings—a shade lighter than Lekel's— shifted, and he leaned back against a pipe. ["All right. I get it. Quit taking my draft."] Leksel's jaw muscles flexed. The others watched him in dead silence. Okay. Note to self—don't get on Leksel's bad side. Check. She filed the thought away and tried to slip in unnoticed. ["Hey, cuteness!"] Cris's wings lifted slightly as he hurried away from Leksel. She clenched her teeth as Cris ducked a few pipes to catch her. Using her as a scapegoat from Leksel—so not a position she wanted. ["Cris, right?"] ["Aw, wow. You remembered."] He shrugged, his
grin stretching wide. ["But I hear Keepers remember everything."] Yeah. Everything, whether she wanted to or not. Cris stared at her with that grin growing wider each second. Couldn't he look somewhere else already? Okay. This could get annoying. He was way too cheerful, especially after that scolding from Leksel. And the others watched them. Leksel's cold stare in particular disturbed her. ["Unfortunately,"] she muttered, wishing to escape the attention. ["Did you sleep well?"] ["Yes."] With more visions of a previous Keeper named Salera; but she couldn't tell him that. She hardly knew him, or any of them. She could have told Elis; he would understand. Her chest ached at the thought; she missed him so much. A dozen faces watched her. She hated being the center of attention, especially as an oddity, because —like it or not—as the only Keeper, and a Crystal Keeper, she stood out among them. From around a pipe, Corsa stepped out with a smile. ["I'm glad to see you up and about. You must be hungry."] She shot Cris a warning look.
He backed off, but not without a wink to Raea. ["Catch you later."] If he thought she was interested, he'd have an unpleasant surprise. She intended to return home at her first chance. Raea glanced back at the others now talking quietly behind them. ["Did I interrupt something?"] Corsa led her across the large chamber, past Leksel, who tipped his head. Too weird seeing so many strange people with wings. She'd barely adjusted to her own. Yet how cool was it to be on another world? She was on, or over, Inar'Ahben. Elis was born here, or somewhere over that world. He grew up there. What was he doing now? If she knew what time it was, she could imagine him at home, or them together, what they would be doing. Her heart sank from what she missed. ["A rest only,"] Corsa said. ["Most of our group patrol the perimeter for Shirukan, although it's only temporary anyway. Every few nights, we find a new place to hide."] She ducked beneath a low pipe. ["It
keeps us alert and we stay ahead of the Shirukan patrols."] ["They come looking for you?"] ["Of course—watch out—"] Raea jumped away from a steaming vent. ["Where are we?"] ["Close to the water recycling plant. The water is fresh when it's gathered, but we can't always depend on the sky. Besides, the Ahben don't appreciate us contaminating the ocean. Most of our liquid wastes can be recycled—usually converted to fertilizer and shipped to the searoot islands."] ["Searoot islands?"] A thrill passed through Raea. Searoot islands—hundreds of acres of land floating in the sky. Elis had told her about them, but to see one… She couldn't imagine how an island could float in the sky, even supported by massive plant roots filled with gases. Corsa chuckled and stopped. Her smile shone with a glimmer of hope. ["You really have spent all your life on Earth. You poor girl. Limited by surface dwellers…but I've heard they have some amazing machines for getting around and they've mastered atmospheric flight."]
["Faster than the speed of sound, and they have machines for underwater too."] Corsa nodded her head and continued forward without a reaction. ["Impressive. Humans have come a long way since we started keeping a history."] Raea stopped. She couldn't have heard right. ["You keep a history of Earth?"] ["We have to. You of all people should realize the necessity of blending in. It's the only world we've found where the dominant species is so close to us that we can hide among them, or at least that Keepers and meistal can hide."] Yeah, meistal. She shuddered. The word meant middle, as those given the description were. With Starfire in their genes but no Starburst marks to release the energy, the meistal could only transform. All Shirukan were meistal. But were all meistal Shirukan? That was the more interesting consideration. ["The rest of us are stuck here."] Corsa pursed her lips and paused. ["I'd love to see Earth, but we're forbidden from interfering until the world is sufficiently space worthy and ready to know the truth about Inari. Our ancestors learned the hard way when they
started exploring."] She walked off and followed a corner of pipe. Raea quickened her steps to catch up. No doubt they learned the hard way. The Starfire had shown her flashes of worlds it destroyed because of species abusing the power of the entities. Where there was power, there was someone ready to grasp it and abuse it. ["The Shirukan don't seem to care."] ["No. I suppose not."] Bitterness ground in Corsa's voice. Her wings adjusted on her back. Raea had learned to read Elis's moods by the shift of his wings. Part of that came from learning Buddy's body language. Her uncle Mike's chocolate labrador used ears, tail, body, and teeth to make his intentions clear. Her wings probably shifted too with her moods. It happened involuntarily. Corsa turned around a column of thick pipes. ["Where are we going?"] The chamber seemed to go on forever, although Raea saw ahead what appeared to be a doorway into a low-ceilinged, narrow corridor. ["Are you hungry?"] Hungry? For the first time, Raea noticed the twinge in her gut. ["A little."] She lied—at the thought
of food, her middle rumbled loudly. ["We have a temporary kitchen here. You missed the midday call, but Kallara saved you a plate."] Temporary kitchen nothing—no more than a couple crates stacked as a counter with something like a hotplate. She had expected something more impressive, like some sort of instant cooker. She could have done more with a microwave. ["It's not much. Down here, we don't have the luxuries of living quarters."] Corsa shrugged and reached for a covered bowl set aside from the hot plate, or whatever the thing was. ["Sorry, it's cold. Unfortunately, most of what we're able to obtain is."] Alien food. Maybe she didn't want to eat. Her stomach argued against skipping food, though, traitor that it was to avoiding strange foods that might not agree with her. She might have been meant to live on that world, but she'd grown up eating food suitable to humans. Raea accepted the bowl and flipped up the hinged lid. Strange but familiar. It kind of reminded her of sliced water chestnuts in some type of orange sauce. ["What is it?"] She poked at it—soft and
spongy. So not water chestnuts. ["The best we can get here. All our rations are dehydrated and only need water added. It's sliced loprol with seim sauce."] What with what sauce? On second thought, Raea didn't want to know. She had to eat something and she wasn't exactly going to get a hamburger and fries here. She took the ladle-like utensil Corsa handed her and stirred the mushy stuff. ["Not the best cold, but we thought you'd be awake sooner."] Great. By the sound of it, this stuff wasn't very good cold. Just her luck. She was too hungry to wait for it to reheat, though. Raea lifted one of the pale slices to her mouth, detesting Corsa watching her. She wouldn't react, even if it tasted dreadful. The slimy piece slipped into her mouth. Aside from the squishy chewiness of the solid pieces, the sauce was sweet, reminding her of lemons, honey, and…berries, maybe. She took another bite. Sure enough. ["Not bad."] Kind of like calamari—without the fishy flavor—in a sweet sauce. She could get used to this. ["Not too different from Earth food?"]
Raea choked down a mouthful. ["No, actually. I —"] Something clattered on the pipes behind her, but it was Cris's face popping up next to her that made her jump. He smiled and squeezed through a couple of large pipes. ["I thought I'd find you here."] He glanced between pipes back the way he had come, before sitting on the lowest next to her. ["So, when you're done, you want to join me on my next shift?"] ["Absolutely not."] Corsa crossed her arms, the shadows of her high cheekbones seeming to darken with her mood. ["We can't risk her running into the Shirukan. Leksel would rip out your feathers."] Cris shrugged, but peeked back over his shoulder. ["I'm not afraid of him."] As if! Raea swallowed another bite to hide the grin tugging at her mouth. ["Then who are you afraid of?"] ["No one. No one. Just looking out for you."] What a liar. Raea met Corsa's doubtful gaze, which hinted of a smirk. Corsa looked aside. ["Leksel."] ["What?"] Cris scrambled to slip between pipes, his left wing joint catching.
Raea covered her mouth to keep from laughing food all over. It served him right for lying. Cris hesitated and looked back. The fear gave way to narrowed eyes as he crawled back to join them. ["Not funny, Corsa,"] he grumbled. ["Too easy. Besides, aren't you supposed to be going on patrol?"] He shrugged, his eyes on Raea, a question in the lift of his brows. The answer was still no. Raea held her tongue and took another bite as an excuse to say nothing. If he was Elis, that would be different, but she wasn't interested in Cris. He was funny and cute, but disrespectful and too desperate. Elis had never been like that, until the matter of bonding came up. While she couldn't imagine her life without Elis, she barely knew him. Their relationship was so new and yet wonderful, except that she couldn't have it all. She had to choose. Fate had chosen for her. She had been taken from her home. What if she never returned? Would she see Elis again? Would he find a way there to come for her? If
she survived, would she ever return to him? The thought of never seeing him again lumped in her throat and stung her eyes. She cleared her throat of the clogging emotions. Cris's eyes fixed on her with concern. Raea looked away. ["It's nothing. I just want to go home."] A moment of silence passed with them watching her. Awkward. ["We'll get you home. You're safer on Earth anyway,"] Corsa said. ["Cris!"] The deep, harsh voice snapped like a whip. Leksel stepped into view with a frown on his face. A clang sounded next to Raea. That was fast—Cris vanished. A good skill for someone in hiding. ["Damn it, Cris! You better get out on patrol!"] No one answered. Leksel let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. ["Corsa, next time you see him—"] ["I know."] She sounded exasperated. Apparently, all this was the norm. ["We're moving tonight. I'll leave you in charge of
Raea."] His eyes passed over Raea, but his voice lost the steely edge when he spoke again. ["If you don't mind."] Was he asking for her approval? ["No…um."] Raea looked at Corsa, but she said nothing. ["No. That's fine."] Besides, she didn't know anyone else, and he didn't give her much of a choice. The harsh lines softened minutely. ["They're planning a raid on the lower levels here. I don't know when."] ["How do…you know."] The answer came before Raea finished. ["Someone inside their ranks is helping you."] ["Not quite."] His dark eyes fixed on Corsa. ["Get her ready to go as soon as she's done eating."] He turned back to Raea, his wings relaxing behind him. ["I'm sorry to rush you off. If you were any other Keeper, they wouldn't bother more than usual. But you're not."] ["I know."] How she knew! That stupid shard caused a lot of trouble. He started away, his voice fading into the tunnel of pipes as he spoke. ["We have to get out of here to contact Starfire Tower."]
Starfire Tower? What? Raea set the bowl down and ran to catch him. ["Why?"] Of all the questions swirling in her head that was all she could say. ["You can't stay here. This is the last place you should be."] Yeah. I kinda figured that. No way was she giving the Shirukan her shard or going anywhere near Heffin's Gate to give it up. Getting as far from there as possible was her hope too. But Starfire Tower? That meant he'd be contacting Saffir, the only other Crystal Keeper, and she could open a portal back to Earth. Elis had told her about his training, how he had learned to channel the energy, although he couldn't open a portal without a shard. Now she wished she had tried harder to learn it herself. She never appreciated how he pushed her training until now, when she was stuck on a different world without understanding how to get home. Saffir would help her, though. The thought filled her with hope. Leksel looked down at her hand on his arm and she let go as if stung. ["I need to get everyone organized. Finish eating. You'll feel better."] His
voice softened at the end. Without another word, he strode proudly away. That was weird. She never expected him to care. Leksel had let her see a crack in his hard shell. Maybe he wasn't a hard-ass. ["Don't see that side of him very often. He must like you."] Raea whirled on Corsa, the warmth of embarrassment rising through her. ["What? Me? No. It's not like that."] She wanted Elis. ["Your choice."] Corsa handed the bowl to Raea. ["Finish eating. He's right—you will feel better."] First Cris, who made it too obvious. Now Leksel? Come on. No one ever gave her that much notice at home, except Elis. Josh didn't count—he was a friend. What was with the two of them? Cris seemed to take a perverse pleasure in antagonizing Leksel, who turned around and chewed him out. Of course, Cris deserved it, from what she had seen. Why did they even stay together in the same group if they didn't like each other? And if they both liked her— she highly doubted that as the reason Leksel had
been nice—that could only lead to trouble. She did not want to be caught in the crossfire between them.
Grief's Hard Lesson The dark morning passed into an eternity. Every moment, Elis relived the last night's events. He should have been there. He—not Nare—should have been with Raea. And yet, if it had been him, maybe he would have been shot with the neutralizer and fallen to his death. Or maybe he could have protected Raea. Maybe, maybe, maybe. Too many variables. The cold hard fact was that Raea was gone, and he had no way of helping her. Worse—he still had to tell Debbie. Laying there in bed only delayed the inevitable. But it was Saturday morning. He could wait. Debbie would sleep later.
No. She needs to know…I waited on telling Raea important news. The burning tears turned on and off without his control now. He should have told Raea, should have been honest from the beginning and let her choose. Sure,
he hadn't expected things to happen so fast, but it was her right to know what could happen. Now, he wanted to rip out his heart, but losing her last night had already done that. He had nothing left. Elis rolled over and let out a trembling breath. A faint light filtered through the shade on his window. Dawn approached. With it would come the longest day of his life, without a doubt. Experience had taught him that the hard way. Worries flooded his mind about telling Debbie. He owed her that much after all she'd done to help him. Get it over with! The sooner it was done, the sooner he could concentrate on other things. Other things. What other things did he have? Raea was gone with a slim chance of surviving, much less returning. She had been his sole purpose for being there. And if she did return, what would she decide about him? Go! He threw off the covers yet debated getting out of bed. Nare should be with him when he told Debbie. After all, it was her big idea to leave him behind. She should be the one to tell Debbie that the Shirukan took Raea last night. It would serve her
right for the self-righteous attitude. If only he'd been there with them. Laying there wasn't helping. He had to do something, anything. A shower might help pass the time. Morning moved too slowly. The shower and dressing took almost no time, but his stomach burned fiercer than it had during the night. In jeans and a dark blue sweater, he crept downstairs, careful to avoid stepping in the middle of the creaky step. Evelyn needed her sleep, but she practically slept under the stairs. At the consideration of the old widow, he hesitated at the bottom. Evelyn had helped him cope with the loss of his family. She had become his family for the last two years, or close to it. Her kindness had filled the emptiness inside him. But he'd fended off her insistence of calling Debbie last night and didn't want to face her that morning, when he no longer had a choice. Not what he wanted to think about. First to get food. He'd worry about Debbie afterwards. Good old Evelyn. She never let him go hungry. The containers of "leftovers" from the last week filled her fridge.
After a meal of reheated food, which his grief refused to let him finish, Elis left the kitchen. Leaning on her cane, Evelyn met him in her pale blue nightgown and long, maroon robe at the bottom of the stairs, her short, gray hair a bit wild on her head. "You're awake early, dear." Great. Here it came. "Best not to linger any longer," she said. "I know." He put his foot on the bottom step, fully intending to hide out in his room, but something stopped him. The hunched old woman with the cane gave him a cruel glare. Her body might be weak but her mind was strong. "This would have been easier last night." "I know." "Call her now, Elis." Her voice was firm but gentle. "I know!" The moment he snapped the words, he regretted it. Damn it, though. Couldn't she see how much it hurt him? Evelyn's gray blue eyes turned cold for a moment, but for only a moment. They softened again with understanding.
"I'm sorry. It's…" The lump in his throat returned with all the weight of his guilt. "She's gone. It's my fault." His voice trembled, strangled by the agony of losing Raea when he should have been there. "You did what you could, dear." "It wasn't good enough!" He sniffed and wiped the tears blurring his eyes. "I'm never good enough. They're all dead because of me." The cane tapped once, followed by a hand on his back. He didn't want her sympathy, didn't deserve it, but he needed it and fell down on the stairs to sit and let the tears flow. "It wasn't you, Elis. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Sometimes these things are meant to happen. They have a purpose, but we don't know what it is while we're too focused on our suffering. You have to get past it." "Get past it? How?" Tears stung his eyes. Didn't she get it? "How do you make the hurt go away?" "You live and you give. I thought my world ended when Joe died." He'd already heard this. Her husband had died six years ago. Joe had been her world, everything to her—like Raea was to him—for fifty-four years, until
one day he didn't wake up from his sleep. He'd had some health problems, but nothing serious, or so they'd thought. "I should have made him see a doctor, but he insisted he was fine. I was afraid of him getting mad." She sighed. "I blamed myself for a long time for not pushing him harder. He was a proud man but never wanted to talk about his feelings. He loved me, though, and I loved him. That was all that mattered. We shared each other's company." The same story she'd told him on a few different occasions. "Without him I thought I had nothing worth living for. The kids didn't come around anymore, except at holidays, and I haven't gotten around well since my early sixties." Over ten years ago. Despite the bad hip and the hump of her back from osteoarthritis, she managed pretty well. "Every day I prayed to join Joe." Her eyes sparkled with her smile. "Until my angel came." This again. She gave him too much credit. "I'm no angel," he muttered. "Don't be so sure, dear. Helping you gave me a
purpose. It made me want to live and learn more about worlds I didn't know existed. And you've given me so much more." He did help when her arthritis got the worst of her, but he couldn't take away all her health problems. "You have a good heart, Elis. You made mistakes, but you learned from them. We all do. It's part of life. You live, learn, and move on, and there are bumps in the road. Sometimes they seem like we're diving over cliffs, without wings—" Her wink made him smile, in spite of himself. "But at least if we try to fly, we have a chance that maybe we can. If we give up, all hope is gone. You can't stop hoping and you can't blame yourself. You didn't know what would happen. You did what you thought was right with what you knew. Quit blaming yourself, dear. But don't give up. Pray for Raea. She may be alive." Maybe was the slimmest chance. And if she was, it wouldn't last long. How could he hope for that? "I was at least partly to blame." That she couldn't deny. "Nonsense." What? "You don't control those Shirukan. You had no
way to know they would come. You didn't tell Raea to fly without you. You actually did what she asked, and trusted her. How do you blame yourself? You didn't make anything happen." "But I didn't tell her about bonding, and that led to her not wanting to be with me and going flying and —" "Stop it, Elis!" Despite the sagging cheeks, her face fixed in a hard look. "You didn't know what would happen. Raea made her own decisions. So did the Shirukan. Not you. If there's one thing I learned from Joe's death, it's that we always find ways to blame ourselves, to be the martyrs. It'll only hurt you worse to dwell on it. You made a mistake, but that did not cause any of this. Let it go and move on with your grief." Evelyn had never hesitated to scold him, but she reserved it for times when he most deserved it. She was always right too, when he looked back. But she was wrong this time. How could he not blame himself? "She's right." He stiffened at the voice behind him. "How long
have you been there?" "Long enough." Why did people always say that when they didn't want to admit they heard a whole conversation? And what was with the sneaking out? He didn't even hear Nare come out of her room. Nare stepped lightly down the stairs. He didn't need her lecturing him right now. At least when Evelyn lectured, she respected him. Nare always came off as condescending. And she didn't need to sit by him like she did. "Listen to her." "You mean you. No." He started to rise— Nare's firm grip on his arm made his anger flare. He pulled away, but she gripped tighter. "Stay, Elis. Just listen for once." How dare she tell him what to do! "I'm sick of listening to you!" He jerked his arm away and stood up. "Idiot!" She grabbed his jeans. "Just stop and listen. Would you…just…" "Go home, Nare." He yanked his leg, but she wrapped her arms around him. ["Damn it, Elis! Don't be childish. We're trying to
help you."] ["What do you care? You've always hated me."] ["No. I didn't. I liked teasing you. There's a difference."] Her voice quieted to a mumble on the last part but rose again when she said, "I'm sorry. Okay? I'm sorry, but we were both younger then. Now, would you just stop and listen?" She apologized? He couldn't believe she apologized. Did she mean it? "Elis, dear." Evelyn's smile chased away the tension. "I need you. After all the lonely years, it's like having one of my children here to keep me company. You've been the answer to my prayers." He knew what she said without directly saying it. She understood what he felt and knew how to plant a seed of guilt in him if he dared to leave her. Nare loosened her grip on his leg. "I'll help you talk with Debbie." He still had to tell Debbie. Crystal fire. And to think Evelyn's lecture had almost taken his mind off that. "Good." He grumbled the word. "Then you can call her and tell her we need to talk." It would save him the trouble of breaking down on the phone.
"What's the number?" *** Debbie stepped in before he could say anything, a worried expression on her face. "Where's Raea? Nare wouldn't say anything on the phone." She pushed aside her layers of thick, dark hair, flat and lifeless—she didn't even wear makeup. Debbie never left the house without makeup or her hair fixed neat. Nare's call must have woke her up. Elis grimaced and choked on the lump in his throat and shook his head, unable to speak. "Oh, God!" Her hands went to her mouth. Seeing her eyes glaze with tears choked him with the cold, hard fact that Raea was gone. He'd never cried so much in his life as he had the last twelve hours. This didn't help. "No. She can't be. Tell me she's here." Her fingers pinched his arms, her eyes begging for any other explanation. He wished he could tell her what she wanted. "I— I— I—" She swallowed. "I thought since she didn't come home, that…she was here all night."
A sudden, accusing rage on her face fixed on him. "Why didn't you tell me sooner!" At a loss for words, Elis shook his head. Debbie's eyes glazed. He couldn't say anything but embraced her. Debbie let loose her tears and cried with him. "I'm sorry," he whispered and sniffed. Debbie said nothing for a while but let loose her tears, sniffing and sobbing into his chest. She had told him when he arrived that Padina had warned her of the Shirukan after the Starfire. Padina wanted Raea raised as a human, unless it became necessary for her to understand what she really was, so Raea could live a comfortable life on Earth without feeling different. That had changed six weeks ago, when the Starfire entities decided to reveal themselves. Debbie had known all along of the possibility that the Shirukan might find her. He'd promised to protect Raea, but he was only one person. "I'm sorry too, Debbie." Debbie pushed away from him and wiped her eyes.
Nare looked down at her hands a moment. "I was the one who failed. I was the one with Raea. Elis was with Josh, like Raea asked. I tried to protect her." She actually admitted her mistake. Maybe he'd been too hard on his cousin. "What happened?" Debbie looked from Nare to Elis. "This is Nare?" Elis looked at Nare. In the foyer of the house, Nare told Debbie about flying with Raea and the Shirukan hitting her with the neutralizer. She didn't remember anything until she woke up and heard Elis talking with Evelyn and knew he had caught her, but she still didn't thank him. She backtracked then to her arrival the night before and Raea finding out about bonding and deciding to give herself some time away from Elis. Debbie looked up at him, her eyes red, but without tears. "I didn't realize it was so important. You should have told her." He knew that! Crystal fire. He knew. They didn't have to keep telling him. "There's nothing you can do?" He shook his head. "I'm so so sorry, Debbie," Nare said.
"Is there any chance—any—that she might be alive?" "Yes," Nare said. "If the rebels in Naviketan are alert. They may have interfered, but we don't have any way to know." "As long as there's hope." Please, don't look at me like that. Debbie's eyes sent guilt crashing through his emotions. Elis clenched his jaw and swallowed the lump in his throat. "I'll pray for her," Debbie said. "It's all I can do." "We'll go together. Tonight?" "I'll leave the boys home and drive everyone." Her eyes shifted from Evelyn to Elis. She expected him to agree, even though he wouldn't be driving for Evelyn, the only real reason he ever went to their church. Debbie was good at that— a simple command with a look. She didn't have to say a word. He and Raea had laughed about that. He missed her laughter. He wanted Nare to be right. More than anything, he wished the rebels found Raea and helped her.
Second Chance Valdas grimaced at the scarred face in the mirror she held. Those damn rebels had cost her more than a few hours in the infirmary. While they used only neutralizers—probably to spare the Crystal Keeper —they also used knives. The dark-winged one in particular. He attacked like a trained soldier. Swift with a knife and deadly, he'd taken out Tourval while his associates distracted the rest of her team. But the strong man took the Crystal Keeper. When she went after him, he attacked her, nearly hacking off her jaw before she backed away. A couple minutes later, their backup had arrived in time to escort them to the infirmary, too late to catch the rebels. Led by the man who flew with the Crystal Keeper, the rebels disappeared beneath the city. Smart man. The materials housing the gravityrepulse generators blocked all scans. But it also blocked all communications signals.
She doubted they used a panel, which could be easily traced. They wouldn't be contacting anyone until they emerged from the bowels of Naviketan. Then she would have them. Valdas traced the line from the corner of her mouth to the hinge of her jaw. She'd come close to needing a complicated reconstruction of her face. Her beautiful auburn hair had been shaved a couple inches along the hairline above her ear, but she could hide that. And the Crystal Keeper was gone. Damn them all! Seething to plunge her knife into the heart of the man who did this, Valdas threw the mirror across the tiny room. It shattered against the tan wall. The door to her room hissed open. General Maenast Nadori stepped through. Tall and imposing and her black wings speckled with gray, she wore the crimson sash of her rank around the black frock coat and jumpsuit of the Shirukan, defining her slender waist. What was she doing here? Under the general's scrutiny, Valdas straightened and pulled her wings close to her loose blue top and pants, feeling awkward out of uniform. The door
hissed shut. ["You did well capturing the Crystal Keeper."] She did? Of course, she did. The operation on Earth was a complete success. ["Unfortunate that the rebels were ready."] Valdas clenched her teeth. Indeed. That's where she had failed. ["Lieutenant Sandral failed. You said they would distract the rebels. You said they were capable. You also said Montran was capable."] Accusation bit out the words. Yes, she, Alshouan Valdas had failed, because her operatives, the men and women who served beneath her, had failed. Failure of this magnitude was unacceptable. Valdas steeled herself for the blow she expected, and deserved. ["One more chance."] What? Had she heard right? ["Fail again, and you'll face Marin's judgment."] Marin's judgment, reserved for ranking members of her elite forces. Valdas shivered. The empress only passed on one judgment—death. ["Thank you, sir."] General Maenast marched from the room.
Valdas wouldn't fail again. In fact, with her face healed and two pints of new blood running through her veins, she was ready to leave. A few hours was all she needed for those minor wounds. Unlike Commander Montran Pallin. Sandral was another matter. The lieutenant had infiltrated one band of rebels, but reports claimed several bands were scattered throughout the city. Those who took the Crystal Keeper may have been the wrong group. No. It was the right group. She was sure Sandral had sent her a coded message seconds before the attack. Someone had tried to warn her on their private tri-comm frequency. Hopefully Sandral left a message about their location. Valdas dressed quickly into her black flightsuit, jacket, and gloves. While she secured the thighlength jacket, a medic stepped into the room in a red uniform. ["I need your hand."] Valdas pulled off one glove and set her hand to the plate the medic held up. After a touch of warmth,
she pulled away and replaced her glove. ["Thank you. Be careful."] Valdas flashed a quick grin, impatient to finish her mission. The tralik spawn who caused this trouble would find out what the Shirukan were capable of. Determination burned fiercely in her chest as she exited the infirmary room. Her fingers tightened in the gloves along her march through the black corridors of Heffin's Gate. The rebels couldn't stay in their hiding forever. They would have to surface if they hoped to help the Crystal Keeper escape, and most likely they would. They knew she was in danger there and a threat to them. The radiation signature of the Starfire could easily be tracked by internal sensors beyond the lower chambers of the city, where the power generators scrambled all signals. Then they would be trapped. The girl wouldn't escape. Valdas entered a code on her tri-comm and pressed it to her face. In seconds a woman in Shirukan uniform stood before her in the halls. The woman clapped her heels together and gave a slight bow.
Valdas focused on the semi-transparent image. ["Commander. The rebels have our Crystal Keeper. They're hiding in the generator and recyc areas. We can't track them. I want you to send several teams to find them, but I want them alive—neutralizers only."] She'd show the man who scarred her what it meant to cross the Shirukan. They'd been allowed too much leniency while General Maenast focused their efforts on securing the Starfire instead of dealing with the rebels. No more. The rebels had gone too far this time. ["Drive them to the central waste processing and water purification chamber. I'll meet your there."] ["Yes, sir."] ["Prime Commander Alshouan out."] She tapped off the connection and hurried to the nearest transport tube. Soon the Crystal Keeper would be back in her hands, and one group of rebels would be erased.
Revealed by Starfire At the head of the group of rebels, Leksel stopped before a cavern of enormous pipes big enough to fly through. The din of machinery and slosh of water echoed from the chamber. ["Where are we?"] Raea stared at a towering cylinder that could have fit her aunt's and uncle's house within it. The hum of moving parts emanated from it and thick pipes connected in three places, one going out and up, one across the top and another along the bottom. Men and women in blue jumpsuits attended to terminals about the chamber, a trio of them clustered at the far end beneath a walkway. ["Water recyc station,"] Corsa said. That explained the sloshing she heard from the pipes. Leksel wore a grave face. When those hard eyes passed over her, Raea shuddered and pressed back against the wall. A pat on her shoulder drew
her eyes to a smile on Cris's face. ["Don't let him bother you. He's like that with everyone. If anyone can get you out of the city, it's Leks."] For someone who disagreed with Leksel a lot, Cris sure trusted him. That explained why Cris stuck with him, but that didn't explain why Leksel tolerated Cris. ["Once we reach the other side, we'll find a terminal to contact Starfire Tower."] Leksel's voice came to her from the tri-comm she wore on her cheek, which linked directly to her optical and auditory nerves. They'd turned the visual off, though, to spare her the confusion of seeing everyone on the link they shared. They'd been traveling for a couple hours. Raea could use a rest. ["Time to move,"] Corsa said. So much for rest. Raea followed her, ducking like the others as they passed a set of cylinders near the doorway. They paused again before an open area. At a motion from Leksel, they raced across the noisy chamber, their steps muffled by the machinery. The few technicians didn't seem to notice them.
They didn't hear anything either over the echoing din. Not until sparks flew from a pipe did she notice the line of gray and black men and women along the catwalk at the far end. Corsa yanked her down behind a set of barrelsized containers. Her lips moved, but Raea heard nothing. Corsa shook her head and pointed as something flashed past. It came from both directions. The rest of their group returned fire. Leksel was already across the chamber. How'd he get there so fast? Raea peaked out from behind containers, her wings tucked tight to her back. They were trapped. The gray and black uniformed soldiers surrounded them—a few around the enormous vertical cylinder to their left and the others on the catwalk to their right, above the level of a domed cylinder. The space was enormous with room to fly up but to fly to escape over the melee meant certain death. Leksel must have known it. He motioned to them to stay down. The soldiers' weapons made no dents in the machinery. In fact it had no effect at all. They couldn't be deadly if they didn't do any damage. Could they?
Were they neutralizers? Not those things again. Once was enough for her, thank you very much. Raea couldn't sit and wait to be taken again. Elis had taught her to use the Starfire energy within her. She could defend herself, which was probably why Leksel hadn't given her a weapon. She missed Elis so much. The small feather she'd tucked into the wire holding the crystal shard kept him close to her heart now. If she could be Dorothy and click her heels together, repeating the phrase, "There's no place like home", she'd do it in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, her life wasn't a fantasy. The wings were real. Inar'Ahben was real. The soldiers and their weapons were real. She wouldn't see home unless she could get out of there. Leksel had promised to contact Saffir, who knew how to open a portal back to Earth. Raea swore that if she ever returned home, she would work harder than ever to learn to open a portal herself. No more of this. She wanted to go home. She missed Elis's calm strength. And his smell— that musky outdoorsy scent soothed her, assuring her he was near. She might have a perfect memory,
but it wasn't the same as the real experience. She wished he was there. Cris slipped in beside her and tapped the tricomm on his cheek, slanted on a line from his mouth to his ear like the one she wore. Hers didn't work either, or the signal was blocked. Either way she heard nothing but the machines. Could the Shirukan be jamming them? It didn't matter. One way or another she had to escape. The resonance was easy to find. The marks on her hands glowed and the warmth flooded through her. Cris's smile confirmed her idea was right. He pointed behind them at the catwalk at the far end. The question on his face asked if she could do it. A dozen soldiers hunched down and fired on them. Raea shrugged. Maybe. Maybe not. It wouldn't hurt her to try. Hell, if she didn't do something she'd probably be captured. Heffin's Gate could wait for her, like, forever. She didn't know if she'd come close at that distance. Their attackers were supposed to be soldiers and their shots didn't come close at that range, or at least couldn't hit her and the small group
when they hunched beneath the canisters and massive cylinders and pipes. Enough. Her doubts held her back. Time to act. Raea slouched beneath the canisters. The warmth of the resonance passed through her to brighten the marks on her hands. Aiming was another matter. She barely controlled the power, but something was better than nothing. She lifted her arms out, careful not to lift her head too far above the level of the barriers. The spray of power flared in the chamber. She shivered from the cold left of the instant release of the heat. A few seconds later, the soldiers on the catwalk lay quiet. Yes! But exhaustion overcame her in releasing that much power. Cris patted her shoulder near her neck, shocking her with a moment of warmth and a pressure in her head as if thousands of voices chattered at once in discord. It faded a second after he removed his hand. Her insides turned to ice with the cold realization. She'd experienced a similar alert from the Starfire once before—when Pallin touched her. Meistal! Cris. Salera had learned the same way
about Vodin. The Starfire entities detected others with it in their genes and warned their Keepers. The entities had detected it in Elis, but then they had shown her pleasant memories from her mother's life. They knew who she could trust, and she trusted the entities. They had trusted Elis, guided her to him, and she had almost forgotten. If she had trusted them, Pallin would never have hurt her. Now she had other matters to worry about. Cris was meistal, if not also Shirukan. Did the others know? He smiled and slid away, barely avoiding a shot that flashed overhead. How could she trust him? Corsa motioned her to join them near the door. She'd get no refusal from Raea, who stayed close and wished that she was wrong about Cris. They made their way to an exit, or at least Raea hoped it was. Ahead of them, Leksel followed behind two others to a door. There, soldiers firing from behind cylinders across the room pinned the trio behind a control panel. The soldiers closed in on his position, covering
each other as they alternated movements. A flash of light to Leksel's right halted him. The blast came from the catwalk again. But she had disabled them. Didn't she? Raea looked closer and her heart sank at the sight of the all-black uniforms. Shirukan! They stepped over the gray and black figures prostrated on the walk. This was so not going well. Raea might as well march out and give herself up. No way. Try again. It couldn't end like this. WE ARE HERE. The intentions of the Starfire came through as clear as words. In a wave of dizziness from her exhaustion, Raea blinked and lost her balance, falling onto her hands and knees. FIGHT. The single thought came from within. It could only be the Starfire entities. Her hands and the crystal shard glowed through no effort of hers. But as easily as the resonance came, she had only to think of it to find that perfect pitch to access the power. As with facing Pallin in that moment of life and death, the entities sought to take control. She
refused. Not this time. No more death.
FIGHT! No. YES. YOU PROTECT US. No. She couldn't kill anyone again. Never again. She hadn't even killed the soldiers on the catwalk, but stunned them. Pallin had disappeared when she fired on him with the Starfire so close to the portal.
CONTROL OUR POWER. USE IT YOUR WAY. WE TRUST YOU. They understood her hesitations? Raea looked up to a concerned frown from Leksel a moment before he returned a barrage of fire. She had to do it. The Shirukan filled the catwalk now, and she would bet there were hundreds, if not thousands, more on their way. The power flared into a fire within her. Elis had warned her in the beginning that too much could kill her, but if the Starfire really wanted to be protected from the Shirukan, killing her wouldn't help. They wouldn't let her die. Or at least she hoped not. They were surrounded. Cris gave her a pleading look. She didn't want to kill, but she had to do
something. She was their best chance of escaping. Raea lifted her hands and focused on holding and releasing the power, one hand at the catwalk and the other opposite. The power burned through her in a stream instead of one burst. But the firing stopped. The world spun around her. Raea fell to her hands and knees and dropped her head. Nausea swept over her with the cold left from releasing the energy. She was going to be sick. Her body trembled with weakness and spots filled her vision. Oh, God, she was going to pass out. Arms wrapped around her from both sides. Corsa and Cris. They each took an arm and lifted her to her feet. The security of the two helped her keep her feet beneath her without worrying about falling. They carried her from the large chamber through more corridors of pipes. A couple corners and lengths of corridors from the chamber, the noise died and Leksel returned to her. ["Are you all right?"] She shook her head. Whoa. Someone needed to
stop the room from spinning. Last time she released that much energy, she had almost passed out, but Elis caught her mid-flight. She had kept the power going longer this time, though. Next time she'd remember this. Third time was a charm. Right? Was that a smile cracking the hard lines of Leksel's face, or was she seeing things besides the spots in her vision? ["You did good back there. Thanks."] "No prob," she wanted to say. Instead, she lifted her hand from Corsa's shoulder. Her mouth didn't want to work, except to let lose whatever her stomach decided it didn't want. She had no intention of risking it there. ["Can you go on?"] "Mmm…Yeah." He frowned. ["Yes."] His eyes darted to Cris and Corsa. ["Let's go."] They hurried through a few more corridors, with several of their team members rushing ahead at each bend, their weapons ready. After a few darker, dirtier corridors, they came to a door. One of the
others popped the panel and played with some squishy cables. The door hissed open and Leksel hurried them through. The man at the panel came through last and the door hissed and clicked behind him. ["They won't know we're here."] Leksel gave a nod and urged them onward. The rest floated through Raea's mind like a dream. She didn't remember anything more until the hard floor greeted her. That lasted a few seconds, long enough for her to mutter a simple thanks and fall into blackness. *** Raea woke up to the smell of something sweet. She sniffed. Not just sweet, but also dank. ["Morning!"] She recognized the voice and opened her eyes. Cris sat nearby, his back to the wall. ["How long was I out this time?"] ["Just a couple hours."] He tossed something up and caught it. ["Hungry?"] Her insides rumbled their answer. ["Starving."] ["Here. Corsa had to run an errand, so you're stuck with me."] He grinned, his wings lifting
slightly. Why him? Why not. He was better than Leksel. If she had to choose between moody and annoyingly cheerful and ambitious, the latter was far less stressful. Raea sat up and took the steaming bowl he handed her, the brown mush within it speckled with flecks of dark green and orange. ["What is it?"] It smelled edible, but that didn't mean it was tolerable. ["Same old dehydrated mush, but it'll satisfy your stomach."] Raea tested a piece. Bitter. ["Eat."] Sure. Easy for him to say. He wasn't the one with a bowl of mush in his hands. ["Leks will shred my wings if I don't make you eat."] Shred his wings, huh? Then he was desperate to make her eat. She might use that and avoid the mush in the process. ["Tell me something first."] ["Sure."] He tossed the small cylinder in the air again. ["You're…meistal."] She spoke in a hushed voice, despite no one else nearby.
He caught the cylinder and stared at it, all amusement gone from his face. Maybe she shouldn’t have said anything. ["You noticed. I've heard Keepers can feel it."] ["You've heard a lot about Keepers."] Too much to be coincidence. Cris shrugged and his wings tucked close. ["It's our job to know. Marin wants to kill anyone with the Starburst marks. We're fighting against that. It's important to know why."] It made sense, but he seemed almost hesitant. ["The Shirukan are meistal. I thought all meistal were Shirukan."] Ah! There. His face pinched for an instant. ["Not all, especially in the free states."] ["So, why are you here?"] She stirred the mush, hoping she could dump it before he made her eat. He stared at her a few seconds, his mind working on something. Uh, oh. She recognized the coy smile that crept up one cheek. ["Eat your food, and maybe I'll tell you. It's a long story."] Figures. With a proposition like that, he must have known she couldn't resist. After the first bite, she almost gagged. Cris
chuckled. ["It's not that bad."] ["Oh, yes it is. Why don't you try?"] ["Already ate my share."] That was too quick. How'd he get it down, and keep it down? ["Hurry up. Leks won't stay here long. Shirat soldiers are bad enough, but the Shirukan who attacked weren't there by coincidence. They know where we are now, or at least the area. We can't sit still long."] "Yeah. Yeah. Yeah." She hurried as fast as she could when each bite made her want to gag instead of swallow. When she could eat no more, she set the bowl down. ["Something to drink?"] ["Sorry."] He handed her a small bottle from his other side. Sorry that he forgot? Or making sure she ate first? Raea took the bottle and sucked down the water, washing away the bitterness left in her mouth. Much better. ["Ready?"] Not really, but what choice did she have? Raea followed him with her bowl, which a red-winged
woman took. Leksel met them around the bend of a thick pipe. ["You're ready to move?"] As ready as she could be. ["Where are we going?"] ["We have to get you out of here."] ["How?"] Would they take her home? Impossible. Only a portal could get her home, unless they had ships that could reach Earth. They did! She'd seen it in her most recent visions. Oh, wait. Salera had provided the portal for the whole ship. Damn. Nothing like dashing one's hopes over a cliff. ["Where will I go?"] ["One of the searoot islands or the nearest free state,"] Leksel said. ["Free state? But…"] She hesitated. The Shirat Empire was smaller than she thought. ["How big is the Shirat Empire?"] ["They control about twenty percent of the population of Inar'Ahben, but if Marin controls all the Starfire, she can threaten the rest into submission with Heffin's Gate."] Yeah. She'd bet Marin could. As she understood,
the portals jumped through the Starfire's home dimension, where they existed as pure energy. No matter could exist there in theory. Heffin's Gate could end the portal there, instantly disintegrating any solid matter. Instant death or subjugation were the only choices. ["Why has it lasted this long?"] Cris shrugged but said, ["Most of the general public enjoy the peace and prosperity she's brought to them. They don't see the strife she's caused or hear about the growing problems with the Ahben in the oceans. They think the outside newsvids lie because they have it good, unless one protests. And the free states don't want to start a war."] ["Politics."] Even on Inar'Ahben. ["We won't let her have yours…or you."] Or me? She so did not like the way Leksel looked at her, like he longed to be close. He turned away a moment later, but she was sure now—Leksel liked her. It wasn't impossible. Flattering, maybe. But she had no desire to stay, much less to be interested in anyone but Elis. Her chest hurt when she thought of him, of the laughter they'd shared, the quiet moments cuddled
together, the Starfire lessons and the flying. It was Saturday, or maybe Sunday already, at home. A day or two she could have spent completely with him, or her friends. She could only imagine what they were doing. Linds probably finished morning chores by now and Jess probably had a date, or called Josh and Linds to hang out. Jess hated being alone. She'd never gone more than a week without a boyfriend since they were freshmen. Raea could understand that now, something she used to hate about her friend but forgave for the sake of the many years they'd hung out together. It seemed so long ago. It would have been easier to be human, to never know the Starfire. Raea clenched her hand around the shard beneath her shirt. So much trouble for one little crystal shard, yet without her, it was immobile and all but completely helpless. Sure, it could kill anyone who touched it, but that's all it did on its own. It was safer on Earth. Home sweet home. She closed her eyes and remembered home as if she was there in her room again. The smell of Debbie cooking pancakes
wafted from the kitchen, filling the house. Dave shouted and swore at the TV with his dad when their favorite teams lost or fouled. She actually missed her annoying freshman cousin as much as his quiet little brother. It lasted only a moment. ["Let's go."] Cris patted her shoulder. ["Where?"] ["Stay with us,"] Leksel said on passing. He gave Cris a dark look. Ouch. If looks could kill, Cris would be six feet underground. ["All right,"] Cris said with a smile to her, as if Leksel had asked him to an amusement park. ["Let's go sneak around some Shirat soldiers, and maybe more Shirukan."] That's the last thing she wanted to do.
Shadows The world around Elis had vanished, replaced by streaming microcosms of computations from the basic element of electricity, a form of energy the Starfire in him could easily absorb and redirect. That's all Earth computers were—processors of energy on and energy off at their most basic principle, but flying at a rate of gigahertz. He wasn't human, nor was he limited by basic Inari capabilities. He could access a processor's on and off switches that generated bits, and bits to bytes, and bytes to codes, and codes to programs. Faster than any input device, the Starburst marks provided direct access. Keepers were living machines, faster than any computer with a direct link to anything accessible through energy. But he couldn't sustain it for long. The Starfire energy would drain him until he rested and let his body and mind recover. After Debbie left, his burden had lightened.
That's when Josh's revelation about Pallin's contact sprang to the forefront of his thoughts. Pallin had help on Earth. That help came from California. Elis swore to gain access to his file at the school and learn those secrets. He almost hacked the system. Almost…One more… Got it! He was in. The resonance faded, leaving him sweating, but the view on his monitor was the menu of the school server, where all the student records were kept. He had cracked it in a matter of seconds, according to his clock, though it felt like hours. Now to find Pallin. His head pounded, the steady stream of data crashing against his skull. It would fade in time, but the immediate aftereffects crowded his brain. Now he understood why his mentor in Keeper training had advised against computer access. Bad enough to enter the mind of a living being. Inari computers were far more complex, but this would leave him drained and reeling from the data surge for a while. He couldn't afford to rest now. If he found the information he needed, it would be
worth it. If the Shirukan were on Earth or had help on Earth, they might be planning something far worse than the abduction of a Crystal Keeper. Assuming they were, how long had they been on Earth? First, he needed that address. Nare's steps thumped down the stairs in the silence. He'd left his door open a crack to hear what she was up to. She ignored him most of the day. Montran…There. He found the file and clicked it open. Now he had it, but with his head pounding from the data stream, he wrote down what he needed, in the off event he actually forgot. Though unlikely, in his current state, he couldn't be sure. "Oh! Hi, Josh." Nare's voice carried up through the quiet house from downstairs. Elis hurried to finish writing down what he needed. Now was not the time to forget or lose the information. He did not want to go through this again. Once was enough for him, and he wouldn't doubt Josh would interrupt. "Hey, Nare. You're better?" "Not a problem, hon. Neutralizers aren't lethal. A pain in the head, but not lethal. I slept it off." "That's good." Josh paused. "Um, is Elis
awake?" "In his room. He's been hiding out all day." "Is he okay?" "Enough to tell me to mind my own business." Nare sounded upset, but she deserved it for trying to poke into what he was doing. When he had something, he'd tell her. For now, though, Elis preferred to work without her hovering over his shoulder. Josh paused a few seconds. "Go on up. He's been on the computer all day. Someone needs to tell him to eat." Elis's stomach threatened to take Nare's side at that revelation. He had forgotten to eat lunch. His focus had been on the target—getting that information. And now he had it. The bad step creaked. Josh came. Elis shut down the network connection and moved to the bed. Crystal fire. His head hurt. He laid back, his eyes closed and a painful satisfaction inside. He had it, a start to finding out what connection Pallin had on Earth. A PO box in San
Francisco, California, and a name. Not much, but it was a start. That's all he needed to hunt down whoever helped Pallin. If they were Shirukan, no place on Earth would be safe. But if they were, why hadn't they come after Raea—or any of the other Keepers— sooner? What if they were not Shirukan? A soft knock on his door banged in his head, making him wince. Did they have to knock so loud? "Come in." "I hope you don't mind. Nare said you were working, but if you're resting, I can come back later." Elis let out a sigh and opened his eyes. Josh stood in the doorway in his jacket and black slacks. Dressed up? "It's all right. Come in." "You're sure? I mean, I can wait downstairs." Wait downstairs? For what? "Debbie thought I might like to join you guys for Saturday mass, since Raea was, like, my friend too." So that was it. He'd been so busy hunting down the information on Pallin that he'd forgotten about them all going church to pray for Raea to a deity they thought would help her return home. The search had taken all his focus off the grief that had torn him apart
all night. He didn't want to think about losing her. "It's better not to be alone, you know, when something like this happens." Tell that to Raea, he wanted to say but bit his tongue. It wasn't Josh's fault. He knew nothing until last night. Now he knew everything, including the truth about Pallin, who had only been the first Shirukan, sent to find, restrain, and retrieve her when they reopened a portal for him. Winning her trust had been only a means of achieving his goal. The Shirukan didn't give up because one operative failed. Elis had expected they would come again but not last night. "I didn't know what to say to anyone. I haven't told Linds or Jess. I mean, last night…it's such a blur." Elis could only wish last night was a blur. Although with bits of data streaming through his head, all other thoughts faded to the background. Soon enough, the rest would rise again to torment him. "How are you holding up?" Josh asked. Elis sat up on the bed and motioned to the chair he had vacated, not really wanting to talk, but relieved in some way that someone cared. Josh had
been one of Raea's closest friends. Josh sat down and swiveled to face him. Raea's smile, and the way she pushed her brown hair behind her ears on different occasions were all only memories now. "It's not easy. I miss her." More than anyone would ever understand. "Me too." Josh's cheek twitched and his eyes dropped to his fingers tapping each other. "I…um… I've had a lot on my mind since last night. One minute, it's like, 'Holy smokes! My best friend is an alien, and her boyfriend is the Dark Angel!' and the next I want to cry. And after everything we talked about last night, and then you flying off…I've been totally confused all day what I should feel. I feel guilty for being excited about you being the Dark Angel, because she's gone…I can't believe she's gone." Neither could Elis, but it happened. "I can't bring her back." "I know." Josh spoke quietly and paused, his eyes glazing but no tears falling. He did a better job of controlling them than Elis had done all morning and last night. Focusing on chasing down Pallin's contact or contacts on Earth had given him something else to think about for a
while. After a few seconds, Josh sniffed. "She's gone, and might never come back. I've known Raea for twelve years—twelve years—and I never thought…" He sniffed and wiped his eyes. "I never told her things I should have." Things he should have? Elis straightened, noting his sore back muscles from sitting at the computer too long, although much of that was probably lingering soreness from last night. What kinds of things did Josh mean? "I guess I always took for granted she'd be here. I never thought anyone would hurt her, or want to hurt her like that. To kill her!" Josh's cheek twitched. He restrained the tears. "Oh, God. I wish I'd known. I wish…I wish I'd told her." He sniffed and wiped his eyes, holding back the real tears. "I'm sorry. I can't help it. It's so much easier expressing myself with the girls than any guys—no offense. They're more fun to hang out with, especially Raea. She always made it easy. I never fit in, really. Too short. Too scrawny. Too geeky. Too…whatever. They made fun of me since first grade."
Josh looked up with a forced smile. "You know, I tried to tell her not to judge you. I never thought you would, like, win her over, that she would fall for you like she did." Josh understood what it was like not to fit in. That had surprised him. He seemed to have no problems. Elis had also overheard Josh's words many times on their walks to and from school, and understood what he meant about judging others, him in particular. "I know." "She didn't stand up to Chad and Joey or anything, but she came to help me when they left. That was how it started. I was a total wuss. She was so smart but shy. Linds kind of took us both under her wing when the kids harassed us. She was Raea's friend from the first day. So, I played with the girls. But I always knew Raea was special. Her marks were so cool to me. I had no idea…" Elis shifted his feet. Why was Josh telling him this? "I always thought we'd be together. I never imagined anyone would want to take her away." That they would be together? Josh liked her. Elis had always suspected—the way Josh looked at her
and lingered longer around her than any of the other girls. "She's been through so much lately. I'm glad she had you. Really. I am. I wish she was here, safe and sound. But you don't think she'll return? You think she's dead? Is there the slightest chance she could escape?" If his family couldn't escape, how could Raea? She was one person. "No one would help her?" "Unlikely…" Maybe there was the one possibility, a slim chance. Maybe, just maybe, the rebels had been ready and had helped her, if Nare was right. "But, maybe someone has. The Shirat Empire doesn't control all of Inar'Ahben. When I left, they had about a fifth of the population. Our world values Keepers and the services we provide. There's a strong resistance that Marin has never extinguished. If they knew anything of the attack, maybe they tried to rescue Raea." A slim chance, but it renewed his hope. "If they knew and if they rescued her, they'd still have to keep her out of Shirukan hands. I wish I could contact Saffir." Any news of the Starfire would reach Saffir. She'd know if Raea was alive.
Unfortunately, any message he sent from his tricomm wouldn't reach Inar'Ahben for thousands of years. He didn't have the equipment on Earth to distort space. Nor did he have a Starfire to open a portal. If Raea was safe, he would never find out until she returned. If she returned. "Then all I can do is pray and hope she finds her way back, but that's better than giving up. Raea deserves that much." Yes, she did. Josh was right. He'd always been a good friend to Raea, because he cared about her. Whether or not he had hoped to be more didn't matter. Josh was trying to help in his own way. "It's not likely," Elis said. "But it is possible." Elis nodded. Anything was possible. "Then that's all that matters." "Hey! Elis!" Nare's voice came from downstairs. "Josh! You two ready? Evelyn wants to get there early. Elis, are you going?" He met Josh's questioning look. The data had subsided with the discussion about Raea. His head no longer hurt as much, although the stream of bits
still raced through the background. Josh's smile returned. "Come on. Come with us." "I don't pray to your God, or any deity." Josh blinked and sat up straighter. "Seriously? But you always go with Mrs. Johnson." "I drive, and keep her company. It's… interesting. That's all." "Oh. I always thought…" Josh sighed and stood up. "Nevermind. I guess you're not coming?" "I don't know." Elis didn't want to, but with his head still full of data, he needed a break from the computer. He'd been on it all day, partly because he didn't want to think about what might have happened. Now his stomach gurgled its objection. He needed food and he needed a shower. After that, he would be ready, but not now. It might be possible, and he would be with friends. Debbie, Evelyn, and even Josh were the closest he had to friends on that world. They were all going. "Hey!" Nare stood in the doorway of his room with her arms crossed. "They're not waiting all day. Are you going or not?"
"If Evelyn doesn't mind, I'll catch up after I eat and clean up." They prayed for Raea because they believed it would help. If there was even the remotest chance it might work, he wouldn't turn it down. And he couldn't stand the thought of being alone in the house with Nare. "All right." Nare's eyes shifted. "Josh?" "Ah…" He stared at Elis. What did Josh want him to say? Elis was going. "I'll wait and go with Elis…if you don't mind." Elis shrugged. "Suit yourself. Maybe you can knock some sense into Mister Grumpy." Nare vanished a moment later. Anger flared, until Josh passed him to the door. "I'll wait downstairs." Elis said nothing. Josh could keep Nare company for now. She wouldn't go to church. If for no other reason, getting out of the house gave him time away from her. He hurried to shower and dressed in a plain, dark green long-sleeved shirt and black pants, and the fingerless gloves he always wore in public to hide the Starburst marks. After a quick meal, and his
hair still wet but combed aside—as useless as that would be—he left with Josh. By the time they reached the church, his hair hung over his face. Raea always said he should cut it shorter. If she ever returned, he might do it just for her. They were early. The foyer was quiet, while the steady chant of the rosary drifted from the open wooden doors of the sanctuary. An air of quiet reverence hung over the whole building, as if to make any sound would cause some great cataclysm. Josh excused himself to join Debbie and Evelyn. Paul stood outside his office a few feet down a short hall from the bright foyer. He wore his usual black clothes and white collar and visited with two men. The young priest caught Elis's eye and motioned for him to join them. "Elis." Paul hushed his voice. The two men watched him. The taller man wore a sweater of horizontal black stripes on red, his dark hair parted precisely off-center. The other man had thinning brown hair exposing a patch of near baldness that shone in the light from the office.
Though stocky, he gave no less an impression of physical strength and watched Elis's approach with an intense interest that sent a note of caution through Elis's head. Or maybe he was being paranoid, as Raea might say, although he had a good reason for it. Elis stopped next to Paul. "Mister Torres and Mister Stein." Paul motioned to each in turn. Each man acknowledged him with a curt nod. "This is Elis Jasheir, the young man I mentioned," Paul said. "He can probably answer your questions better than me. He's close to Miss Dahlrich." What questions? What about Raea? Elis studied them—the way the taller, black-haired man stood rigid, his hands clasped before him, an unwavering gaze; his slightly shorter companion with his hands in his pockets and more relaxed. The taller man, the one Paul identified as Mister Torres, spoke first. "We're following up on an incident here—or, rather, a series of incidents— involving Miss Dahlrich, approximately four weeks ago. Father Davison was just telling us that she sometimes shows up at church and that you two are
now dating?" "Correct." Or were dating, but he wouldn't tell them. "Is Miss Dahlrich with you? We were told that she sometimes attends this church." "I'm sorry. I can't help you with that." The two men exchanged looks. Mister Stein passed a hand over his hair, or the little that remained. "Is she, ah, home? Can we talk to her?" Suspicions overpowered the data still circling his head, shoving it further to the background. He wouldn't help them if he could. "No." Why did they want to talk to Raea? What were they after? "Do you know where she is?" Elis hesitated. He knew where she was, but their question implied more. They wanted something. Even if Raea was home, he wouldn't let them near her. No one else would hurt her. A horrible thought struck. What if they were Shirukan or working with the Shirukan? Mister Torres's eyebrow lifted slightly. "Something happened to her." They were sharp, but Elis wouldn't give them the
truth. His patience had reached its end. "What do you want with Raea?" "We only want to talk with her." No one ever wanted to talk to Raea without gaining something from her. "Who are you? Who sent you?" "We're not at liberty to say. You have our names. That's enough." Stein slipped his hands back into his pants pockets and shrugged. "We need to speak to Miss Dahlrich in person. If you see her—" He pulled one hand out and dipped into the breast pocket of his shirt and offered a business card to Elis. "Have her contact us. Won't you?" Elis took the card. "Good day." Stein flashed a quick smile and offered his hand, which Elis clasped briefly. Torres gave a curt nod and followed his companion from the church. Even from the small exposure of the Starburst on the inside of the two fingers where a trail of it extended beyond his gloves, he would have felt it with a touch of the resonance. He didn't need to access the resonance to know, though. No Shirukan ever offered a hand to a Keeper. These men were
human. What did they want with Raea? Elis looked down at the card. It bore only a name —Matthew Stein—and a phone number. He would use that information and track down who they really were. What was one more search? It would keep him too busy to fall into the emotional hole left by Raea's absence.
Sheep in Wolf's Clothing Raea stepped back from the sight that sent shivers through her. Leksel reached behind him to fasten a flap on the back of his neck, his dark brown wings lowered to his sides out of his way. Next to her, Cris chuckled at the older man. ["You're frightening the poor Keeper."] Leksel's eyes could have sliced Cris in half, but without a word, he proceeded to fasten the black, thigh-length coat over the black flightsuit and belt it. The precision of his manners and sharpness of his orders clicked together with the belt at his waist. The way he stood straighter and tightened his wings to his back transformed him into the Shirukan with the change of clothes. When he suggested the idea, Raea had no idea how well he fit the picture. This wasn't the first time he'd worn that uniform; he had slipped into it like a second skin. ["You've done this before."]
Leksel pulled on the black gloves. ["Yes."] Four of them stood in the room. The others had gone out ahead of their intended path, ready to flank the guards they hoped to encounter. Leksel had pulled the uniform from the pack he carried, like Corsa, who now stood behind him in the same black uniform. Raea shuddered at the sight of the two of them. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. ["I…don’t know if I can do this."] A hint of a smile cracked the hard lines of his face. ["Don't worry."] Cris patted her shoulder. ["Leks knows his way around the Shirukan better than anyone. He won't let anyone hurt you."] Easy for him to say. He wouldn't be the one with his hands and wings secured, playing unconscious. Rather, he'd be following in the shadows, waiting for them to do the hard work of finding and disabling two more Shirukan to take their uniforms. ["Ready?"] Corsa held open the shackles with their wing binders attached to the metal wrist loops. ["No. Isn't there another way?"]
["Not unless we want to arouse suspicions."] Raea preferred Corsa's disagreement. ["You won't be locked in,"] Leksel said and took the shackles from Corsa. Sure, she'd seen that in movies before. It never worked, but at least they weren't trying to break into any detention level. They just wanted to disarm and unclothe two Shirukan so she and Cris would have uniforms to walk past the guards in the shuttle bay with Leksel, steal a shuttle, and get the hell out of Dodge, or, rather, Naviketan. She hated the sight of those uniforms; wearing one herself would be sickening. ["You'll be all right."] Now Cris sided with Leksel? ["Why do I have to go? Why can't the two of you just go out and take down two guards?"] ["If I'm carrying you, the Crystal Keeper, any normal Shirat soldiers we encounter will call for other Shirukan to aid us. Regular soldiers aren't meistal. The Shirukan have authority over any ordinary soldier. They can absorb some of the Starfire energy if a Crystal Keeper releases it on them. That's why they're the elite forces. We need Shirukan uniforms."]
She still didn't like it. A gentle rub on her shoulder from Cris brought back the aching need for Elis's presence. If only he was there. She trusted him. He'd know what to do. She'd barely known these three a day or more. What day was it, anyway? ["It's all right."] Cris spoke in a soft voice. ["I don't like it either, but this is the best way to get there. Who knows how far you'll get by the time you find someone. Besides, I'll be close behind."] She wanted to believe him. Oh, how she wanted to. But what if something went wrong? Her stomach wretched into an awful mess. ["Leksel's good at this. He may not be very nice —"] She caught the severe glare from Leksel to Cris. ["But he knows what he's doing."] Cris took the shackles and held them open, ignoring the dark look. ["They won't be secure. You'll still be free to move if something happens."]
If something happens…Thanks for the vote of confidence. Still, wasn't there a better way?
This couldn't be happening, but it was. She didn't have a choice. One way or another, she had to trust them if she hoped to escape. Unless she wanted to just walk out and let the Shirukan take her without a fight. Yeah, right. There was an option. ["We don't have much time,"] Corsa said. ["Raea?"] Cris waited with the shackles. She turned her back to him and let him put one binder on her wrist and loop under her wings to secure her other wrist with the first. The strap pinched her wings. She was going to end up pulling out ruined feathers at some point. Not even the microlinks that held the vanes together could withstand that abuse. Sometimes she wished for bird feathers and a bill to preen; pulling hurt, but at least the replacements grew in fast. ["Does it have to be so tight?"] Cris stepped around. ["It'll keep your wings out of the way. Don't worry. I didn't lock them."] Leksel took an imposing step towards her. She wasn’t ready for this. ["I don't know."] ["Keep your head down and stay quiet. You're supposed to be neutralized,"] Leksel said. Easy for him to say.
He grabbed her before she could object. Raea gasped as he hoisted her over his shoulder. The crystal dangled from its chain by her chin. ["All right?"] Leksel asked. "Just peachy," she muttered while hanging over his back. ["What?"] ["Fine."] And wishing he understood English. Probably better that he didn't. Corsa checked the binding on her wrists. ["Comfortable?"] Did she detect a hint of sarcasm? Based on the smirk when Raea lifted her head, that was indeed Corsa being sarcastic. Lovely. Raea dropped her head to Leksel's muscular back and the wing he pulled aside. ["What do you think?"] Gah! Did he have to bounce her like that? What if he dropped her? ["Be still and keep quiet. You're supposed to be unconscious."] Whatever. Just get it over with. Her arms ached already. The sooner they found two Shirukan, the sooner she and Cris could change clothes and move freely, a big improvement over this.
They exited the room. Somewhere behind, the sound of footsteps occasionally rushed and quieted. Cris followed as he promised. So far, so good. The floor blurred too close for comfort with each step Leksel took, nauseating her into closing her eyes. They walked in silence through several corridors and corners. ["At this rate, we'll be at the shuttle bays before we meet anyone,"] Corsa whispered. ["That wouldn't work. We'd never get past like this."] A few seconds later, he stopped. A squeeze on Raea's legs was his only warning before she heard the tromp of boots. Many boots. They stopped. Raea relaxed and let her head hang. ["Sir!"] She didn't recognize the voice. ["We have her, Lieutenant."] Leksel's voice carried a harsh authority. He outranked a lieutenant? Maybe he really could pull this off. Raea fought the smile fighting to escape.
Just listen. Do nothing. ["Sir, if you don't mind, where's your tri-comm?"] Leksel shifted. ["Crystal fire! It must have come
off during the fighting."] His wings tightened around her, closing off the world. They reminded her of the smell from the recycling area, that hint of waste and dankness she awoke to…yesterday? That had to be the longest day of her life. ["But we neutralized them all,"] Corsa added. ["Send your squad to retrieve them."] Leksel's wings loosened around Raea. ["Yes, sir."] The clatter of boots hurried past. Raea pinched her eyes closed. Stay out of sight, Cris. A good bet Leksel thought the same. He might not get along with the younger rebel—a true rebel in all ways, probably because of his youth—but he kept him close and depended on him. Her stomach ached. How long had it been since she ate? Not long, but she hadn't eaten much of the bitter mush. Please get this over with quickly. Hanging over Leksel's shoulder upside down and now getting hungry threatened to sicken her. Before the steps faded, the stranger said in a low voice, ["Lieutenant Hourall to Central Command—"]
Raea caught the flash of movement from Corsa and a couple thumps of bodies hitting the ground. ["You should have waited."] Leksel set Raea on her feet a little too hard, his scolding glare fixed on Corsa. He knelt down and tapped the captain's tricomm, a moment later yanking it from the man's face with a scowl. ["He would have alerted them that we had her."] Corsa knelt over one of the bodies and grabbed the wrists. Leksel pulled off the shackles with more force than necessary and scraped her hand. ["Now they'll suspect something's wrong."] He growled the words, while hiding the horrible shackles in an inner pocket of his jacket. From behind came the rush of running steps. Raea looked up as Cris joined them. ["Hurry and change. We don't have much time."] Leksel snapped the words at Corsa, who dragged one of the bodies back to a nearby door. Cris tapped in a code on the pad. The door slid aside and Corsa, Leksel, and Cris dragged the three Shirukan into a small, dimly lit storage room, if the shelves and cylindrical containers were any
indication. Leksel said nothing more, but proceeded to undress one of the two men. Corsa scowled while undressing the woman. ["And how are you feeling?"] Cris directed his words at Raea, seeming unfazed by Leksel's and Corsa's disagreement. The tension was palpable between the two. Raea welcomed Cris's nonchalance. ["Hungry, and a bit lightheaded,"] she said. ["You were upside down for quite a while."] ["Here."] Leksel threw a black coat at Cris. ["Start changing. They probably tracked his signal before I killed it. We only have a few minutes before others show up."] Cris unfastened his shirt in back and slipped it off. Raea warmed and turned away. Awkward was an understatement in the small room. The muscling was different than humans, but the extra bulge on his back, like hers, was necessary to control the wings. Cris didn't have much else. Elis did—she'd seen it when she treated his cut and felt it with her arms around him—but he'd flown most nights, using those muscles. How long had it
been since Cris had flown? Why did she care? She missed Elis. He was so much better looking, although Leksel was probably more attractive physically. His personality left a lot to be desired, though. She shuddered—she did not just think that. ["Raea."] She caught the jacket Corsa threw at her. Wait. Undress there? In front of all of them? ["Your turn."] Cris winked and started pulling off the grungy, loose pants he wore. Hell no! Raea turned away. She'd wait. If he thought he'd get a chance to see her nearly naked, he had another thing coming. No way would she undress in front of him. He and Leksel could leave while she changed. ["In your dreams."] Cris chuckled. Leksel left the captain in a body suit and tossed the black jumpsuit to Cris. ["Raea."] Corsa tapped her shoulder and handed her a black flightsuit. ["Here. Ignore Cris."] Her warm breath blew on Raea's ear, and she lowered her voice. ["Hurry now, while he's busy dressing. I'll stand behind you."] To her relief, Corsa opened her brown-
gold wings, forming a barrier between them and the men. Raea hurried to slip off her pants and pulled on the bottom of the flightsuit. She removed her arms out of her shirt and pulled up the front of the suit before exposing herself. The clothes smelled strange, a faint fishy odor, but she'd have to tolerate it if she hoped to walk through the city undetected. Now for her shirt. Pulling her wings through the tears would be trouble. She'd torn it once and had used it since for when she flew at home, to spare her other shirts. Maybe she could leave it on. ["Here."] Corsa did something and the shirt fell off her wings. One of her favorites too. Debbie wasn't going to like her leaving an expensive sweater behind, as she hadn't been happy when she tore it to fly the first time with Elis. It was gone now. Corsa helped her fasten the back piece of the jumpsuit between her wings and showed her how to slip the jacket on over them. With the center piece open and her wings folded, Raea had only to lift it over the top joints and stretch her wings slightly to
free them. The last part was the flap of material that came up between her wings and secured on the collar behind her neck. She finished fastening the front and the belt as Cris pulled on his second black glove. Wait until Elis heard about this—if she saw him again. ["Last part."] Corsa handed her the gloves from the woman who lay dressed like the man in only a body suit. Raea pulled them on. ["Done."] ["Not quite."] Leksel made an adjustment to the collar of her flightsuit, two fingers along her throat. After a moment he stepped back and adjusted her belt, gave a final tug of the jacket and grimaced. ["A bit big, but it'll have to do."] The boots were another matter. Cris already wore the same black boots as the rest. Leksel held up the woman's boots to her. ["You'll have to hide your clothes, and probably leave them. Shirukan don't carry bags, except on special assignment, and then rarely."] How did he know all this? Raea sat down to take off her shoes and put on
the boots. Oddly, they fit almost perfectly. She strapped them on like she had seen Corsa and Leksel do earlier and stood up. Leksel gave an approving nod, or at least she thought he looked satisfied with her. ["Now, say nothing—your accent would raise too many questions—and stay with me. You and Cris are tyros, cadets. It's not unusual for cadets to shadow officers as part of their training. You will obey Corsa and me without question. Understand?"] And what if he asked her to do something questionable? His dark eyes burned through her. ["Understand?"] ["Yes."] He stared unblinking. Oh, for heaven's sake. Did she have to say it? Fine. ["Yes, sir."] ["Cris?"] ["Yes, sir."] The mocking tone made Leksel scowl, but he turned to the door. He and Corsa set their tri-comms on their cheeks, the detail they had forgotten when they rested last. Raea's stomach grumbled. Easy stomach. They better eat soon.
["Follow me."] Corsa picked up a step beside Leksel, and Raea matched Cris's stride behind them. *** Valdas caught her reflection in the black screen above the panel. Only a faint scar, but a scar she couldn't hide. Damn him! Footsteps halted behind her. ["Sir."] Now what? The rebels had escaped minutes before she arrived at their last known location. She had arrived in time to find the Shirukan stunned but recovering by what could only be a Starfire blast. A neutralizer would have knocked them out for hours. This left them dazed for some time, but not nearly the effect of a neutralizer. The regular soldiers had been another matter but no worse off. She wanted those rebels, not just the Crystal Keeper. ["We received a message from Lieutenant Hourall. It cut off."] What? She turned to the woman in the gray and black uniform. Could the rebels have attacked? No
soldier—Shirukan or not—would have cut off their message voluntarily. ["Where did it originate?"] ["Blue four-niner, sir."] Blue sector. Near the south dock. It had to be them. Now she knew the area where they were, and they likely had the Crystal Keeper. They had come up from the recycling area, where the materials blocked all scans. She could track the Keeper now. ["Scan the area for traces of Starfire."] ["Yes, sir."] The black-winged captain passed the message to a young man at one of the panels circling the room. Valdas waited while a threedimensional grid of that section of the city formed in the air above his hands. A green wall passed through it, highlighting clusters of yellow dots, three of them around one green. Found her. [Heading for the transport dock…] They intended to smuggle her out of the city. Not if Prime Commander Alshouan Valdas had anything to do with it. ["Stop all outgoing traffic. No one takes off unless I directly authorize it."]
["Yes, sir."] He keyed in the command and passed the message on through the tri-comm. Now, she had them.
Escape from Naviketan Raea followed two steps behind Leksel through the corridors. A blue line ran along the top of the walls now, and they passed other Inari. In fact, the crowds thickened as they went. Inari everywhere! Raea wanted to stare, but she had to pretend to be a Shirukan. They wouldn't stare. But to think she was on a different world and not one human in sight! Josh would be gawking at everything. Oh, man! He'd love it there. She missed him, and the way he always talked about his Dark Angel. She should have told him about Elis, and her, being different, being "angels". He deserved to know. It was his obsession and she was his friend. If she ever made it home, she would tell him. Or maybe she'd let Elis show him. He'd like that. Cris nudged her arm. Now what? He brushed his hand over his face to make a show of wiping a smile off.
Oh, right. Raea faced forward and made an effort not to smile at the thoughts of home. She couldn't help it; she was so close now and yet there was so much to see. Not only was this Elis's homeworld but her mother's. Excitement raged through her so she had to force herself to slow down and march with a stern face. The people they passed let their gazes linger more than a moment sometimes. Warmth rose from her uniform. I'm Shirukan now, but it's only
temporary. Soon we'll all be out of here. Raea took a deep breath and continued through corridors now lined by glass that looked out over vast chambers of people in various activities. Through the glass on her side, she gazed out over an expansive, high-ceilinged room full of people flying through moving hoops. Oh. My. God. Josh would so love this! She wanted to stare, but could only catch bits from the corner of her eye as she passed. Leksel and the others passed without a second glance. They were used to it. She wasn't. This was all new, a whole different world. They passed the flying room and entered another
series of corridors and corners, until they arrived at a large bay with several open ports the size of airplane hangar doors, on two levels. Good God! A couple ships landed at that moment, one on the top deck and one on the main deck; the top deck one smaller and both rounded over the top and flat on the bottom with small wings. They hovered in place over the deck floor and doors dropped into steps. Among the crowds of hundreds—or was it thousands—of people in colorful clothes, random black uniforms stood out. Shirukan. They had passed others in the corridors, but no one gave them a second glance. Here, someone might watch long enough for her to screw up. She swallowed, self-conscious suddenly of every move she made. Leksel led them to one of a row of circular kiosks along the opposite wall. ["Stand here."] He meant her, by the look he gave, but not the others. Whatever. Fine, she would stand in that spot, where she couldn't see the screen. Corsa took a step away, but Cris stayed with her, a coy smirk up one side of his face. She had her chance now to take in the wonders
of the dock and the variety of people. What a sight! She'd never imagined anything like it. Stranger than the wing and hair colors—from gold to brown and black to a rare red, blue, green, or silvery white. Some had black points, others white, most none at all. She never would have imagined it. The ships were simple, with only small wings, likely for maneuvering in atmosphere. They had rounded noses and bulging bodies in a variety of shades of black, silver and white with markings on the sides. Nothing like the ship from her vision. These couldn't be starships. Could they? ["All right."] Leksel stepped back from the screen. ["We have a shuttle in bay Shorun seven."] ["Not here?"] she asked. ["No."] He tucked something inside his jacket too quickly for her to catch and motioned them to follow him. Yes, sir. She made a face to his back and caught Cris's smirk beside her. At least someone was enjoying this. They left the bay and the open sky behind, passing the flying room again and leaving that
corridor for another. A group of Shirukan passed quickly behind them, freezing her breath in her lungs for several steps. Did Leksel walk faster or was it her imagination? They entered a small, circular room and the door closed behind them, much to her relief. When Leksel and Corsa turned to face the door, Raea took her position at the back. ["Shorun section,"] Leksel said. The computer beeped. Cris leaned close to her. ["Transport tube."] She figured something like that. Leksel turned, the muscles in his neck tightening like his wings. ["They're onto us. We make this fast and we get out. No questions. No staring. Understand?"] His eyes fixed on her with a momentary shift to Cris. Then she was right; the Shirukan were closing in on them. Her heart pounded at the narrow escape. That was close, closer than she thought possible. They had almost been caught. More than ever she wanted to get out of that city and off that world. She would never argue with Dave again if she found her way home.
How did they know where they were? Unless… ["Your computer access alerted them."] His expression lightened. ["No. We have current access codes. It was you."] ["Me?"] How? Was it her behavior? What had she done? ["The Starfire gives off a unique trace radiation. Another scan and they'll know where we're heading. They don't know we're dressed as them. We'll have to hurry,"] Leksel said. Cris moved close to her. ["You're thinking like one of us. I must be rubbing off."] In his delusional dreams. The computer double-beeped and the doors opened. ["Let's go."] Leksel led them through another corridor. Raea cringed at the number of men and women in uniforms, many of them Shirukan. The glass walls over the walkway gave her a view of towering, rounded city structures, one of them ahead. From the view of clouds below and around them, they strode through a tunnel connected to a small section of the city separate from the large city proper. Through the
glass ceiling, she made out a flat area ahead where a large, sleekly curved ship rose straight up. Some of the ships like she had seen in the docking bay they had left flew among the clouds outside. A grasp on her arm pulled her attention ahead. Cris let go when she hurried to catch up. Leksel and Corsa led them into a different docking bay, this one with three tiers on each side and a dozen open doors to the sky around each tier. The smell of fresh air filled her lungs, despite the crowds of plain-clothed people and Shirukan. The smallest ships resembled oversized beetles with windows and small wings. Leksel rushed them past several empty, red cross-hair sections on the main deck where there should have been ships. He stopped at a panel on the wall next to one of the shuttles. At his touch, a holographic display lit up before him in a pattern of colors. Corsa tapped her shoulder and pointed. Raea's heart froze. Oh, hell no. ["Uh, oh."] Cris stepped up beside her. He could say that again. A large group of Shirukan entered.
["Leks,"] Cris said. No answer. ["Leks, you better see this."] ["Crystal fire!"] Something pounded behind them. Leksel tapped on the colored keys in a air, a scowl on his face. ["Leksey, we have trouble."] Cris grabbed his arm. ["Leave me alone!"] Leksel yanked his arm away. ["It's not taking the code."] ["Leks. Shirukan?"] At that, the big man looked up. A large number of Shirukan followed a woman with her dark hair pulled back. Those already in the bay lined up as if for an inspection. Corsa pulled Cris forward with her. What was she thinking? Raea caught her breath at a sudden jerk on her arm. Leksel pulled Raea around the nose of the shuttle pointing out to an open sky. A stiff breeze blew in through the open bay door. It would be so easy to fly
out, but he held her close to him. He put a finger to his lips and peeked around the shuttle. Raea leaned close to see around him. Standing against him felt strange, but she didn't mind any more. Besides, his attention focused on the mass of black-uniformed Shirukan. It wasn't like he did it because he liked her, although that thought lingered in the back of her mind. Corsa should never have suggested it. All the Shirukan, and Corsa and Cris, lined up in neat rows on either side of the center, where the woman stood. ["We traced the Crystal Keeper to this location minutes ago. She's here now. No one leaves until every person is searched, and I expect—"] She raised her voice. ["Every civilian to cooperate fully. You will be free to leave after you've been scanned."] The woman met the eyes of several of the Shirukan. Her stern face settled into a frown and her eyes lingered on Corsa and Cris before passing over others. Next to Raea, Leksel's muscles hardened. If she thought him tense before, Raea was way off. That was nothing to being able to bounce a quarter off
him. ["Do I make myself clear?"] A chorus of voices in unison rose up: ["Yes, sir!"] At that, the Shirukan scattered. ["Crystal fire!"] Leksel muttered under his breath and straightened at the nose of the shuttle. ["And they've locked out the release codes for the shuttles."] This couldn't be happening. ["How do we get out of here?"] It couldn't end like this. They were so close! ["If we drop, we may not be noticed, then we can fly low to the nearest island."] A tingle of excitement passed through her at the thought of flying again and her wings lifted slightly, until her stomach rumbled. Flying on an empty stomach didn't appeal to her, but escaping did, hungry or not. ["We're all hungry, and tired."] So, he'd noticed. ["As soon as the others—"] [Leks."] He spun so fast, he bumped her. She hadn't noticed how close they still stood. Only a couple
days and she was comfortable with him, but it felt like a lifetime had passed. Cris joined them. Corsa glanced back and crossed to Raea's other side. ["Now what?"] Leksel glanced at Raea. If he wanted her opinion, she couldn't give him any, except to agree with him. She wanted to spread her wings and catch the air. She missed flying. ["Sounds good."] His jaw muscles flexed. ["What sounds good?"] Cris looked from her to Leksel. ["We fly."] ["Are you insane?"] Cris's wings lifted slightly. ["Maybe,"] Corsa said. The sound of voices and footsteps grew louder. ["Go!"] Leksel shoved Cris towards the bay door. ["You can't bypass the lockout?"] ["No. Go!"] Cris looked like he wanted to argue again. To hell with it. Raea didn't want to wait, or to be caught, and she didn't care what Cris thought. At
least Leksel made a decision. She rushed into the open air and plummeted through puffs of clouds, momentary blocks of fog that left her shivering. A sense of freedom rushed through her as the ocean spread out below. Above her, the city loomed enormous. Three shapes fell her direction. ["They're onto us!"] Leksel's voice came through clear on her tri-comm. ["Fly, Raea! Here they come."] She opened her wings. The sudden parachute effect strained her muscles. A sharp pain twinged in her back, but she couldn't falter. Once level, she searched the sky around her. Leksel leveled with her, Cris flew above and opposite. Corsa followed slightly behind and above. Behind them, black shapes formed a wedge in the sky. ["How are you in a storm?"] She didn't like the sound of that. ["Um…I don't know."] What did Leksel have in mind? Oh, no. A dark cloud piled up to their left. He had to be joking. He angled towards it. Not joking. Raea followed Leksel. He must be nuts to think
she wanted to go into what looked like a thunderstorm. She was nuts to follow, but what choice did she have? ["You really are insane!"] Corsa's voice rang over the tri-comm. ["Flying into a storm. You'll get us all killed."] Killed? Raea's stomach knotted. ["Better killed and the Starfire lost than in their hands."] ["You could have asked us first."] And Corsa could have come up with a different plan, but Raea didn't hear anything better from her. ["Stay out here and get caught!"] He growled the statement. ["Raea. It's your choice."] She didn't want it. ["Isn't there another way?"] No one said anything. The wedge behind them closed in. A sigh. ["No,"] Corsa said. ["Damn it, Leksel!"] They followed him into the cloud. Moisture collected on Raea and the fog diminished her view of the others. Winds swirled, destabilizing her. Raea struggled to keep from falling. At least she knew one thing—down. Gravity pulled her that direction, the direction she didn't want to go.
Through the heavy fog of the cloud, she caught sight of Cris and Corsa to her left and down, further apart than when they entered the cloud. Where was Leksel? ["Stay close."] He emerged directly above and ahead of her, his wings jerking from the strong air currents. ["Corsa, do you have their frequency?"] ["They're following the storm's path, waiting for us."] Silence followed from the connection, but not from the cloud. The air sizzled with the buildup of electricity and the flash of its release with a deafening crack. That couldn't be safe. Then, again, Corsa had warned it could kill them. ["Leks, I can't fly all night, and Raea's hungry. Crystal fire. I'm hungry. And I'd rather not die here,"] Cris said. Thunder rumbled around Raea and lightning flashed. They flew somewhere near the bottom of the cloud. From what she knew about clouds like this— assuming cumulonimbus clouds acted the same on Inar'Ahben as they did on Earth—they couldn't stay there. One lightning strike would be all it took. Besides, the condensation soaked her and made
her wings heavy and cumbersome. ["All right."] Leksel leveled with Raea. ["The cloud was heading for an island. We'll land there as it passes."] ["If we don't miss it."] Cris liked antagonizing Leksel too much. The older man deserved more respect; he'd kept them out of Shirukan hands, although she wondered how he knew so much about them. He'd proven himself, though, and that gave her confidence in his judgment. ["Then you can stay behind."] ["You'd let that happen?"] ["Don't argue, Cris!"] This was ridiculous. Raea had it with them. ["Would you two stop fighting? Why doesn't one of you fly to the edge to check for the island?"] ["She's smart, Leksel, and has a good point,"] Corsa said. ["Go ahead. Tell us if the Shirukan are still there. They can't fly forever."] Corsa said nothing, but disappeared into the mist. Raea wiped her face, but the water condensation weighed her down. She struggled against gravity and the added weight of the water
soaking her. Lightning flashed, leaving spots in her vision and her body trembling from the peal of thunder in its wake. ["Raea!"] She wiped her eyes clear of the rain. A brown tube that could have fit two of her in it side-by-side emerged before she could avoid it. A quick adjustment turned her upright so she hit it with her chest. Her breath knocked out, and she clung to the slippery mass amid the spots in her vision. A moment later, strong arms secured around her. ["Let go. I have you."] Leksel? She let go and let him lift her. Through the mist and the spots, she made out a tapering tangle of tubes sinking past her into the mist. A few seconds later, her feet touched solid ground. Her knees quivered and she fell against him for support. Being hungry and fatigued didn't help. She pulled her wings close and leaned on him. ["Easy."] His voice was gentle and reassuring. Warmth rose to her face and she backed away. ["Well done, Raea. You found the island."] Cris
landed next to them, his dark hair plastered to his face like hers and Leksel's. ["Where's Corsa?"] No one answered. ["Corsa?"] Leksel searched the thick mist. It shifted around them, sometimes revealing ten feet, sometimes two, and various distances between. An amorphous creature of weather, it left them cold and drenched. Lightning flashed too close overhead. Its thunder cracked a moment later, leaving Raea's ears ringing. ["Corsa!"] ["We can't stand here waiting."] Cris stepped forward and disappeared into the mist. ["Cris!"] Leksel urged Raea to follow. ["I'm here. Come on. Someone has to live here."] Cris's shape darkened in the mist of the cloud and she hurried to catch him. ["Slow down. Aren't you worried about Leksel or Corsa?"] ["They'll catch up."] His eyes lifted from her. ["See?"] ["We stay together."] Leksel's tone and the dark
expression made Raea flinch, but Cris continued forward. Leksel followed close behind. Wind buffeted Raea. She held her wings close to her back and shivered. Heavy drops lashed her. The storm grew worse, if the increasing size of the fine mist to raindrops was any comparison. Lightning flashed around them, sometimes streaking past to leave spots in her eyes and ringing in her ears from the thunder; other times illuminating the cloud and rain and the land where the cloud thinned. It could end already. Raea almost didn't care about the Shirukan waiting to catch them. Almost. She slipped on something wet and grabbed Cris's arm for balance. ["Careful."] He always smiled. So opposite of Leksel, or was that why he did it—to purposefully distance himself? Josh liked to tease his sister by giving her the exact opposite of what she expected, acting playful when she wanted him to be serious. It drove Tess nuts, which was why he did it. Raea smiled at the memory. She hadn't seen Tess in a while, but she missed Josh, and Elis, Linds, and Jess for that matter.
Thunder and lightning ripped through the air, trembling through her body. She hated this— Shirukan behind them and a storm around them. She'd give anything for a chance to eat and rest in a safe, quiet house. They came to a high ledge of rock on their left. Water ran in rivulets down the jagged stone. How much time had passed since they entered the storm? Where were they on the island? Would Corsa find them? Was she lost or captured? ["Where's Corsa?"] ["I don't know,"] Leksel grumbled. ["It doesn't matter. Keeping you away from the Shirukan does. She knows that."] ["But if she's lost, shouldn't we—"] ["No. Follow Cris."] ["But she's part of your group. You're a team."] And a pretty good one at that, from what Raea had seen. Didn't he care? What if Corsa had fallen into the ocean or been struck by lightning or captured by the Shirukan, if she made it out of the storm? Leksel's wet wings disappeared behind him, and his face hardened. ["She knows her duty."] ["Come on."] Cris grabbed her arm. ["This isn't
a good time to argue."] Now he backed down? Wasn't he the least bit concerned either? ["But—"] Raea slipped but kept her feet beneath her to move with Cris. ["Keep going. We have to get out of this rain before the island emerges. The rock will help hide us, especially you."] Yeah. Her and her unique Starfire radiation. She understood that, but she didn't like leaving Corsa, the woman who had helped her when she awoke on that world, not to mention helping them through all the trouble of getting past the Shirukan. Raea followed Cris, ignoring Leksel. Whatever happened to leaving no one behind? Or didn't that kind of ethic exist here, or was it only him? And just when she thought she could trust his judgment too.
Just goes to show what I know—nothing. At least Elis would care. Cris's last words brushed aside her longing with one problem. ["How will the rock hide us?"] ["Inari homes, Raea. Islanders prefer to dig their homes in the rock base of the islands."]
Okay. That she had to see for herself. ["We should be close to someone, especially with a hill like this."] Cris felt along it, disappearing into the cloud. ["Cris!"] Nothing. Oh, God. Now what? ["Cris!"] Raea hurried forward as best as she could on the slippery ground with the wind thrashing drops at her like tiny bullets. Leksel stayed with her. He should have said something. Or was he glad Cris was gone? Damn them all! She was tired and hungry and scared and didn't know who she could trust any more. A sudden squeal ahead startled her. ["Cris! Are you all right?"] ["Perfect."] His voice reached her on the tricomm. ["Get up here."] He sounded excited. Excited was good, or at least she hoped it was. This excited was more satisfaction, so it should be good. His dark shape materialized from the cloud. He pointed to a cut out shape in the hillside. Rounded at the top with a few steps down to the
base. A door. Thank goodness. Visions of a warm, dry home filled her head, but this wouldn't be like any home she knew. This was underground on an island in the sky, no less. Oh, man. The stories she could tell when she returned, at least to those who already knew her secret. Cris touched a pad near the door and grinned at her, all of him a wet mess. He brushed his hair aside from his eyes. A few seconds later, the door slid partly aside, but not on any automatic prompt like in the city. This was a basic door in a groove. A man in a coverall stayed just within the doorway. His eyes widened on a round face darkened by days in the sun. ["Shirukan! I— I— I'm sorry, but we don't have—"] Leksel shoved past her into the door and pushed the man aside. ["Leks—"] Cris met her gaze and nudged her to follow, probably so they could argue inside. Once inside, he slid the door closed behind them. At least they were out of the storm. ["We're not Shirukan."] Leksel grabbed her left wrist and peeled off the wet glove. The man's eyes widened. ["Keepers. All of you?"]
["Only me."] Damn it, Leksel. What was he thinking? Raea yanked her hand from him and peeled off the other wet glove. Her fingers were wrinkled and wet, like the rest of her. Dry clothes would be a welcome change, but she was glad for the warm home. ["What do you want?"] ["Dargilis, who was—"] A woman with a bundle in her arms emerged from a doorway ahead and tightened her tan wings to her back. By the way she cradled the bundle, it must have been an infant. ["What do you want?"] Suspicion and fear poured from her voice and her posture. Even the public hated Shirukan? How did the empire stay in power? ["Your protection. A place to rest and eat."] Leksel's voice softened almost into exhaustion. That she believed. When was the last time he had eaten or slept? Raea hadn't even considered the sacrifices the others made for her. ["I'm sorry to place you in this situation, but we have to get her to Starfire Tower. We barely escaped the Shirukan disguised as them."] At a motion from him, Raea held up her hands.
The woman relaxed and checked the infant she held. ["Oh. Certainly then."] For the first time since waking up that morning, Raea saw Leksel relax. Cris wore a satisfied smirk as he peeled off the wet gloves and started shedding the jacket. The woman waved Raea forward. ["I don't think you want to undress here."] She had that right! Raea hurried to follow her through a doorway into a short hall. The walls were roughcut stone of various layers. She wouldn't believe any of this if it wasn't happening. She had to tell Josh. He'd flip! When she returned, he'd learn the truth of his Dark Angel and everything about the world his favorite angel came from. He deserved to know the truth. Besides, she doubted she could keep it all to herself when she saw him again. Raea sighed. More like if she saw him again. What if the Shirukan came to the island? Leksel said the rock would hide her, but what if he was wrong? How would Corsa find them, if she had survived? Too much had happened that day. Her stomach rumbled and her exhaustion caught up. Raea wanted
a hot shower, food, and rest. For a while, she was safe, or as safe as she could be in the Shirat Empire.
Confrontation Raea stepped out of the shower and wrapped the warm towel around her. Inari homes weren't much different than what she knew on Earth, except they showered rather than bathed, in a spray-like waterfall. As Kayan had explained before taking the black uniform, immersing one's wings in water too often removed protective oils from the feathers. That didn't matter to Raea like the weight of the water. Raea had enough of the rain, and only sprayed down her body. Almost two days had passed since she last showered. The hot water washed away the city smells and melted the chill of the storm. In the small bathroom, she dressed in the simple gown Kayan had left for her with the hole for her wings which left a small portion of her back open. Eventually, she'd have to return to the Shirukan uniform but for now, she could relax. And eat.
Barefoot on the surprisingly warm stone floor, Raea found her way through the short hall to the main sitting room where they had entered. A nook off to the opposite side opened into a dining area. Kayan stepped into the faint light of the doorway with a plate of steaming food, a finger to her lips. Raea followed the woman past Leksel and Cris sleeping on mats on either side of the sitting room, blanketed from their chests down. The hard lines she had come to know of Leksel's face had softened into a peace she wouldn't have expected. Cris too looked at peace. Both slept soundly. She crept past them, glancing down with a smile at each. Inari muscle patterns were a little different than humans, not much, but noticeable. She had seen it first on Elis, when she'd treated the wound in his side left by Pallin's knife a few weeks ago. She wanted him now. Raea reached for the crystal on its chain. Although bent and soaked during their flight, she had let the small black feather dry on a towel while she showered. The dry curl of softness caressed her fingers. Emotions lumped in her throat and burned her eyes. Elis… She loved him enough to forgive him
and spend the rest of her life with him, especially if that life was cut short. If anything, this adventure showed her that every day was precious. She'd never take anything for granted again. This was so not the time to cry about it. She wiped her eyes and hurried through an arched doorway into the light of the dining area. Kayan set the plate on the oblong table and sat down in a different chair. ["I had to reheat it. You took a while in the shower,"] she whispered. Raea sat down in the chair before the plate. This wasn't the rehydrated stuff Corsa had served her some time ago, but it was alien food. Very alien by the thin, brown—plant?—things topped by slices of what appeared to be meat and some type of seed or berry with a green sauce drizzled over the top. ["I'm sure it's fine."] Raea poked at it, but no surprises jumped out. Here went her taste buds. With something like chop sticks, she managed after a few tries to lift a few strings of the plant to her mouth and tried not to cringe. Oh, man! This was divine. The only thing keeping her from eating quickly was the utensils. Linds was the Chinese food
expert. Raea hated chop sticks. ["Sorry about the sticks. We don't have anything fancy on the island."] ["No problem. This is so good!"] She slurped a hanging piece of plant and froze to listen. The last thing she wanted was to disturb Leksel and Cris by talking too loudly. They needed their rest. Kayan smiled and sat back, her shoulders relaxed. ["It's nothing like they have in the cities."] ["Oh, no. It's great. Really…Thank you."] Raea waved away the other woman's apology. ["It's delicious, but I always preferred salads."] Kayan frowned. ["What's a…salad?"] Ah, English words. She'd slipped it in without thinking to make up for the shortcomings in her Inari vocabulary. Did they even have a word for salad? This strange dish resembled a salad more than anything. So, how did she explain what it was? A salad could be lettuce or pasta. ["Nevermind."] Raea focused on eating. Kayan dropped her eyes. Her stomach settled with each bite, leaving her content and aware of her fatigue. The distant thunder
of the storm occasionally filled the silence of the house. ["Your friends didn't say much."] If she meant Leksel, Raea believed it, but for Cris not to say much? That was unusual. Raea swallowed a bite. ["About what?"] ["What brought you here. I understand the empire is trying to gather all the shards of the Starfire."] Kayan shivered and rubbed her arms, her eyes flicking past Raea to the doorway. ["They said the Shirukan brought you through that portal a couple days ago and they rescued you, and you've been trying to escape since. Leksel wouldn't say much more."] Typical. ["He's not much of a talker."] At least not from what she'd learned about him. ["He wouldn't let Cris say much either."] Of course. Leksel really had a problem with Cris. Why did he keep him around? The two drove each other nuts—one serious and focused and the other nonchalant and rebellious. Complete opposites. If only Corsa had stayed. She had moderated the two. ["We lost another in the storm."] Hopefully Corsa
had survived, but Raea doubted it. The regrets stopped her appetite, what little remained unsatisfied. Kayan dropped her eyes. ["I'm sorry."] ["It's not your fault."] Silence hung in the air, until Raea shoved the plate aside. ["If it's worth anything, I'm glad you escaped."] ["Thanks."] Too bad about Corsa though. Raea liked her best of the three. Kayan flashed a quick smile and took the plate to a basin. Raea finished her cup of water and sank back. With her stomach filled, the events of the day caught up to drag her down. ["There's a mat in the room with your friends for you. You'll want to sleep while you can. The boys wake early to follow Dargilis out."] ["Boys?"] Raea hadn't seen any boys. Kayan smiled and led her to the room where Leksel and Cris slept. ["Poor Silia will be the only girl."] The kids. Raea unrolled the mat in a clear spot on the floor away from the two men. They stayed with
a larger family than she expected. The boys must have been asleep already when they arrived. ["I can relate. She'll be tough."] Growing up with two younger cousins had taught her to tolerate a lot, although she'd never get used to cold showers. Kayan smiled and handed her a blanket and small pillow. ["Sleep well."] Raea laid down and closed her eyes. Kayan returned to the dining area briefly, switching off the light so only the faint glow from a night light in the corner guided her into the hall. Her steps faded, leaving nothing but the faint breathing of the two men. At least they didn't snore.
Stars twinkled in the night sky, a band thick with them crossing from northeast to southwest. The Milky Way. A beautiful voice sang with nothing but vague sounds and notes in a slow melody reminiscent of tearful farewells and yearning love. Even the stars seemed to shine brighter. Salera's white hair crossed over the view briefly, then moved away, revealing her cloak
billowing around her leggings in the breeze. But she didn't move. After some time, her voice faded to nothing. ["You have a beautiful voice."] The scene blurred a moment. It settled on a small interior space of the ship, a short platform between the man standing within the open hatch and Salera. In the lights of the airlock, Vodin smiled. ["General. I didn't know you were there."] He shrugged and stepped onto the platform. ["I came to apologize, but when I heard your voice, I didn't want to disturb you."] ["Apologize?"] He glanced out at the land and sea far below, his shoulders rising and falling with a deep breath. ["I treated you unfairly two days ago. My temper bested me, but not because of my crew. I worry about you."] His eyes fixed on her. ["Me? Why—because without me it'll take seven turns of Lis to get home?"] Her words
snapped. His cheek twitched. ["No…I mean, yes, but not only that."] He paused and looked up at the stars. ["It's nothing like home."] ["It's beautiful, in its own way."] Salera didn't fall for his distraction. ["That it is."] When his eyes settled on her, they brightened with his smile. A moment later, he straightened, his eyes fixed on something beyond her. The picture shifted away from the ship to a figure approaching in the sky, long golden hair blown aside revealing a trickle of red to match the blotch on the shoulder of her white gown. The ship came into view again as the focus followed the commander, who fell to her knees on the platform before the general, gasping and clutching her shoulder. ["Commander Rafael."] ["Sir…"] She collapsed forward. ["I failed."] Salera hurried to her with the general. ["What happened?"] Vodin held the woman's head up, revealing the cut along her scalp by the lights from the airlock.
["Barbarians. Brigands. Spies. They… overheard and attacked."] She struggled to sit up and something thumped onto the platform. ["We can't leave it here. It's not safe."] Salera reached for the round metal around a glass center bearing a familiar streak of green-blue. Aquamarine fire consumed the image. The fire coursed through Raea, burning her in its heat. ["Hey. Wake up."] She knew the voice disturbing her dreams. Whoever it was gently shook her. Raea gasped for a breath to cool her and opened her eyes. Chris squatted before her, already dressed in the black flightsuit. His bare hand warmed her shoulder. Meistal. The resonance she detected; that must have warmed her. It faded when he sat back. Memories of the day before shoved aside the vision of Salera. She twisted to check the room. Leksel was gone. The house seemed empty except for her and Cris. ["Where is everyone?"] She stretched and wiped her eyes.
["Outside, except for Kayan. She's resting with the baby. You've slept half the morning."] ["I did?"] She yawned and stretched her arms again, giving her wings a chance to stretch out the cramps. Much better. Cris stepped back, a grin on his face. Raea paused, suspicious of his thoughts. ["What're you staring at?"] He shrugged and leaned against a small table. ["Nothing. Nothing. Oh. Kayan left your clothes in the bathroom. She was kind to clean them for us last night. Of course, you don't have to change there. I mean, you're free to do whatever you want."] As if she'd fall for that. ["Keep dreaming."] In that light-hearted mood of his, he laughed. He could chuckle about it all he wanted. If he thought it was fun to tease her about seeing her naked, he was wrong. So wrong. The idea insulted her, and she disliked him worse each time he tried. At least Leksel never hinted at anything suggestive. Elis had only shown her respect too. He never forced himself on her. Raea hurried to the bathroom, aware of her bare back exposed to Cris, and shut the door.
Damn him. Sometimes his teasing went too far. What a way to wake up. Why couldn't it have been Leksel? For that matter, if Corsa had stayed with them, she would have been preferable to the men. Raea could use a woman's company. She hurried to pull on the flightsuit, welcoming the fresh scent. Clean never smelled so good. The back flap was another matter, but she didn't dare ask Cris for help. After a small struggle and pulling a muscle in her shoulder, she secured the strap through the loops at the back of the collar. Now for her hair. She had no brush and while sleeping with it wet, it had dried with odd kinks. She'd have to borrow the same one Kayan had loaned her the night before, the one on the stand by the shower. The activity yesterday had left her hair in a horrible mess, even with it in a ponytail from her flight with Nare. Today she'd braid it. Satisfied with her reflection in the mirror, Raea stepped out with a smile. The scent of food called to her stomach, and her feet obeyed. Cris sucked in a hissing breath and let it out in a noisy sigh.
Whatever. Raea marched past him to the dining area. Kayan looked up from a steaming pan on a flat section of the counter on one wall and smiled. ["Hungry?"] ["Very."] ["It's almost time for the midday meal. Dargilis and the boys should be home soon."] ["Where are they?"] Raea hadn't even heard them leave. Cris stepped into the doorway and stopped. ["He said something about catching dobriens today,"] Kayan said. ["What's…dobriens?"] Kayan blinked as if she'd said the most ridiculous thing. Embarrassment warmed through Raea. How was she to know? But Kayan didn't know she came from Earth. Kayan probably expected every Inari knew everything about their world, like Elis had probably took it for granted that she understood bonding. In that light, she couldn't blame him for not saying anything.
Cris stepped forward and took a seat across from Raea. ["It's an animal that flies in large packs. Dumb animals but tasty, especially the tender underbellies and their thick tails. I haven't had fresh —or any—dobrien in a very very long time."] His wings opened and sagged with his body, a satisfied grin on his face. Always the expressive one. In a way, he reminded Raea of Josh, but Josh was too conservative with his religious beliefs. Cris just plain didn't care what anyone thought. ["You may be in luck, if you'll be staying for dinner."] Kayan pulled a plate out of a top cupboard. Cris sat up. ["Don't tease me. We may just have to stay one more night for that. I mean, if you don't mind."] Kayan poured some of the contents of the pan onto the plate, her mouth twitching with unspoken words. Was she worried? Didn't Kayan want them to stay? Raea could only guess the answer was no, but Kayan wouldn't say it out of a sense of hospitality. It made sense for her to feel that way. ["We don't want
to impose. I don't want the Shirukan catching us here."] And neither should you, Cris. She kicked him under the table. ["All right. I get your point…That hurt."] Good. Raea sat back and welcomed the steaming plate of a stir fried blend of strange items. Kayan had proven last night her culinary talents. Raea wasn't about to start doubting, at least not when her stomach rumbled in protest. Kayan set another plate for Cris and sat down with her own. They barely finished when a boy about ten ran in yelling excitedly, his brown and gold highlighted wings lifting behind him. Soon, the whole house filled with the commotion of three boys, the first having been the middle child. Raea hurried to finish and escape their questions with Cris close behind. He shut the door after them, cutting off the noise. In the sun outside, she found Leksel focused on a holographic display above a square device in his hands. The center of the translucent display looked like an island with a bottom that sank to a point.
Around the bottom tangled heavy roots, which tapered up to the top edge. Raea didn't have to recognize it to know from Elis's description when he taught her about Inar'Ahben that this was a searoot island. The only dry land on Inar'Ahben were the floating islands. She'd never seen it, except for her brief encounter yesterday, but she had imagined when he described the world in detail. She stopped close to Leksel and studied the image. Just an island; nothing else. But Leksel stared intently. ["What is it?"] ["Nothing. Yet."] He glanced aside at her. Now what? The warmth that flowed up to her face made her look away. No way. Leksel was so far beyond what she liked in a guy. But what if she didn't make it back to Elis? No. She couldn't think like that. She would return to Elis and Earth. ["We escaped the Shirukan, Leks."] Cris waved his hand through the image. Leksel's face hardened into the familiar scowl. ["Don't be so sure. We're not far from Naviketan."] Cris crossed his arms. ["Crystal fire. Why not
get something to eat? Relax a little."] ["No."] ["For once in your life, would you relax?"] ["Like you?"] ["Maybe. It's a start."] Leksel rolled his eyes and stepped away from them. ["Stay close, you two."] ["How? You just walk away."] Leksel said nothing, but the muscles of his jaw twitched. They acted like children sometimes. Cris taunting and Leksel trying to ignore him, until Cris screwed up. Enough of this. Raea wanted to slap them both. ["You need food too. Go inside and eat, quickly if you must. You won't miss much, I'm sure. You're no good to us if you're starving."] Leksel searched the blue sky around them. ["She's right."] If looks could kill, Cris would be dead. That scowl softened when Leksel offered her the palm-sized device from his gloved hands. Cris was right; he should relax a little. Fully clothed in the Shirukan uniform just to spend time on an island. Uptight
much? Raea took the device. ["It's keyed into the island's scanners, but your eyes are just as important. Let me know if you see anything."] ["Sure."] Was that a hint of a smile before he walked away? Nope. The dark look he gave Cris on passing erased any traces of it. Good thing he turned his back. Cris would have been pulverized for his mockery after Leksel passed. The big man had restrained himself so far, but she didn't doubt that sooner or later he'd burst. She hoped she wasn't around to see it. Now to watch the sky. Leksel had entrusted her with watching for Shirukan. She'd only known him a day or two, but she didn't want to disappoint him. After all they'd been through, though, it felt like months. She'd lost track of time. Was it Sunday back home, or maybe Monday or Tuesday? What was everyone doing? How was Elis? If she were home, she could be sitting with him, snuggled close, his
arms around her and the comforting warmth of his body next to her. He never pressured her for anything —Nare had been so wrong about him. He'd only been there when she needed him, always willing to give up his needs for her. She needed him now more than ever, but he was galaxies away. All of this was her fault. If she had trusted her feelings, she would have been with him. Her dear, sweet Elis with those deep purple eyes. Oh, she loved those eyes. So much depth and emotion locked into a beautiful color. She swallowed the lump forming in her throat and sniffed away the tears threatening. ["Are you all right? I didn't think Leks—"] ["It's not him."] ["Me?"] Cris actually sounded worried. ["No. Never mind."] She didn't want to talk about it. ["It's nothing."] She knew that look—he didn't believe her—but he didn't say anything and let it slide. Raea focused on the holographic image and the clear sky far around the tiny island in the center. ["I know. How about a little flying? I could use the
exercise."] Cris spread his wings. ["But what about watching for Shirukan?"] He waved away her question. ["It's clear skies. We'll see them long before they can reach us. Besides, we won't go far."] ["I don't know. Leksel seemed to think they might come."] Otherwise he wouldn't have been watching with unwavering attention, or so she assumed. ["Just a quick flight, before he gets done. You'll feel better."] She wanted to. Really wanted to, just to see the whole island once, up close and real. ["Come on, Raea. You know you want to."] Damn him. The urge to spread her wings drove her curiosity to see the island into a frenzy. ["All right. Just a quick flight."] ["Don't worry. We'll be back before he can notice."] He stepped back and spread his wings to their fullest, and, with a few flaps, he lifted. Raea followed, welcoming the feel of the wind beneath her wings. The projector in her hand showed two dots in the sky over the island. The island itself remained stationary in the center while their dots moved, tracking their
positions relative to the island. Now to see this searoot island. An entire floating island. Elis had said the roots grew beneath the ocean floor, spreading over hundreds of years and filling with gases. Tectonic activity loosened them sometimes before they gained much size. In other places, the roots went on for miles, twisting and growing sometimes for a thousand years under the ocean bed. Once they separated the rocky base from the ocean floor, the island would float to the surface and drift with the water currents. After some time of continued growth, the roots increased in size and converted enough gas to lift them into the sky. Once in the sky, they stayed for hundreds of years— often more than a thousand—until something punctured the roots, which hardened in the open air. She thought it too amazing to be true, but here she was. And there was the underside and the roots. The thickest, at the bottom point, were the size of a house in diameter. They tangled and twisted around each other, vying for a way to the upper edge. She never imagined anything like that. On the projector, another dot appeared. Uh, oh.
Leksel or someone else? Did she hear her name called? Raea's stomach twisted. Maybe Leksel hadn't trusted them, or maybe the Shirukan had found them, or maybe Corsa had returned. ["I think we better go back."] ["If you insist."] ["I do."] Maybe the image would prove it. Cris's lip twisted when she pointed to the third dot. He grumbled under his breath. She didn't hear what he said; neither of them wore their tri-comms and the wind carried away their voices. Raea caught an updraft that lifted her over the edge of the island, where a grove of dark purple stalks topped by an umbrella of pink, fanlike leaves waved in the breeze. Beneath the pink "leaves" grew grapelike clusters of orange and purple fist-sized balls of some kind. The dot now at the opposite end of the island switched direction. Leksel was going to be pissed. Cris hung in the air behind her. He knew he was in trouble. She couldn't imagine how mad Leksel was. She didn't want to imagine it, much less see it.
But see it she would. Who else could it be? The black shape in the sky darted at them, looking far too familiar. Raea lowered to land on the soft plants of the island topside. Solid ground beneath her feet gave her some confidence. Leksel landed close by, but rather than a scowl, he studied her with a look of concern. ["Are you all right?"] He didn't wait for an answer but hurried past her, his wings tight to his back. ["What in Ahben's depths were you thinking!"] Cris backed away, but not fast enough. Leksel caught him by the collar and shook him. ["I had no way to track you. No way to know where you went. I thought the Shirukan had taken you, both of you!"] Ouch. Raea flinched at the scowl that caught her for just a moment. ["Back off!"] Cris slammed his arms up against Leksel's to knock him off. ["We just went for a little flying."] ["No flying! You stay here. You stay where I tell you!"] Oh, God. She didn't like where this was headed. Say something! ["Nothing happened."]
["It could have."] His eyes never left Cris. ["And I'm sure it was his idea."] ["So what?"] Cris shoved Leksel in the chest. What the hell? Was he trying to provoke him? Leksel possessed an air of lethal capability about him. She'd bet he was a skilled fighter. Cris had to know that better than her. ["I'm sick of you always telling me what to do. It's never good enough. I'm never good enough… That's it, isn't it? You blame me for everything. Look in a mirror, Leks. There's the real problem."] Uh, oh. Cris did it now. Raea had seen that look on guys at school before that she saw on Leksel now, just before they took the first swing. It happened before she blinked. Cris stumbled back against a wall of rock. Pale, snakelike vines ducked inside their holes. ["It's about time."] Cris touched his jaw tenderly and flinched. ["Come on, Leks. Don't stop there."] He took a stance that expected an attack. ["Don't—"] She spoke up too late. Leksel lunged for Cris and caught his arm as he twisted away. The two wrestled on the ground and pulled apart to circle like vultures. Cris taunted him
with a smile. Leksel lifted his wings, his eyes never wavering from Cris. A second later, he tucked his wings and whirled in a dizzying kick that knocked Cris back. Cris hurried to his feet in time to meet another kick. ["You wanted this. Now fight like you mean it!"] Leksel didn't wait for any response but lifted his wings and himself to kick Cris in the chest, but Cris whirled away. ["Stop it!"] Neither one acknowledged her, their eyes focused on each other. This couldn't be happening! What were they thinking? Clearly Leksel had the advantage. She had to stop this, somehow. She needed help.
Dargilis! Keeping a wide radius around them, she raced to the home in the rocky ledge across the middle of the island. Someone stepped out, but she didn't recognize the woman with the slender body and yellow hair and wings. ["What's going on?"] the woman asked. ["They'll kill each other."] Or, rather, Leksel would
kill Cris. Or not. A line of blood trailed from Leksel's lip. Maybe Cris wasn't as hopeless as she thought. Still, someone had to stop them before they knocked each other senseless. ["Wait here."] The woman disappeared back inside. They'd come up on the opposite end of the island. The metal structure in the center was on the other side of the ridge from where they'd started, or rather, she viewed it from a different perspective. This wasn't the door she thought it was. After a few seconds, Raea couldn't wait. She returned to them. There had to be a way, she just had to find it. ["Stop this! Both of you!"] Leksel grunted from Cris's elbow into his ribs but caught him and flipped him over. In size, Cris was no match for Leksel. Why did he insist on fighting? He might be quicker, but eventually he would lose. ["Leksel. Cris. Both of you. Stop!"] She screamed to no effect. Damn them! Tears burned her eyes. If they killed each other, who would help her? All their trouble rescuing her would be for nothing. She'd never see Elis, much less apologize for hurting him. And she didn't want
either of them hurt. ["Just stop! Damn it!"] Both of them bled now, their uniforms battered and smudged with their blood mixed with dirt from rolling on the ground. Feathers lay scattered and bent over the ground. They acted deaf to her pleas. Why was this happening? All she wanted was to go home. This was almost as bad as seeing Elis take on Pallin. Something happened while she wiped her eyes —they moved too quickly. One second they circled, the next, Leksel knelt over Cris, who laid on his back with his arms over his face. Leksel pounded him. Oh, God! She couldn't stand this. A few people had emerged from their homes, but no one tried to stop them. ["Stop it, Leksel!"] She shrieked the command, but he continued punching Cris, who struggled to free himself; but the moment he moved his arm, Leksel took a shot at his face. She had to do something. But what? Cris couldn't take much more by the blood and bruising and his slow reactions to defend himself. Seeing no other
choice, Raea ran at Leksel and jumped on his back, her arms around his neck. ["Stop it. You're killing him. Stop! Please stop."] Tears burned down her cheeks. What the hell was she thinking? She was no match for Leksel. He pulled his arm back. ["No. Don't. Stop fighting."] Her voice choked. She squeezed around his neck, afraid of hurting him but afraid of him hurting Cris more. His muscles slackened. Had he finally listened? No. He punched down. But not at Cris. Instead, his fist slammed into the ground near Cris's head. Leksel's back rose and fell with his rapid breathing and his wings fell limp. ["No more,"] she begged. Leksel shifted and sat back. He pried her arms off his neck. No way. Not if he was going to pick up where he left off. Not until Cris was out from beneath him. A couple of men, including Dargilis, helped Cris crawl away. Raea let go, sniffing and wiping the tears from her face. ["Idiot."] Leksel watched Cris stumble away with
Dargilis's support. After a few seconds, Leksel took a step. Oh, no. Raea stepped in front of him, her hand out at his chest to stop him. Not again. Never again. She'd seen enough. ["Don't you dare."] What could she do if he was determined, though? She was no match for Leksel. So what. Cris might be a pain, but he didn't deserve the thrashing. ["I've had enough of this. Stay. Away."] His cut and bruised lips twitched, but no words formed. If that's how he wanted it, fine. She was tired of it all, but she wouldn't stand by and let them kill each other. Raea stepped away, wary of him following. When he didn't, she hurried to help Cris. Man, Leksel did a number on him. Bruises formed on his face, and his left eye swelled shut. Blood trickled from a cut in his bottom lip and another by his ear. He walked, or at least moved his feet, but Dargilis did most of the walking. She took his other arm around her neck. ["Thanks."] Raea swallowed the emotions choking her.
["I mean it…for stopping him."] Not again. She couldn't stop crying and wiped her eyes. "What the hell were you thinking!" Like he understood English. She took a deep breath to calm herself. ["Why did you provoke him?"] ["I don't know. Maybe I needed to…It was coming sooner or later. I guess now was a good time to get it out."] She wanted to hit him but refrained; he'd taken enough of a beating. ["What kind of answer is that? Are you insane?"] The unbruised corner of his mouth lifted. ["Maybe."] Maybe nothing. He must have been to take on Leksel like that. ["You think you can use some of that Keeper healing on me?"] She could only wish. She hadn't progressed far enough in her training with Elis, especially while distracted by wanting to be with him and struggling to create a portal. ["I…haven't learned that yet."] ["Oh."] Cris dropped his head and let his shoulders drop. Did he expect an instant healing? Was that why he took on Leksel, because she was
there to fix any damage? The idiot. ["I'm sorry."] His silence stung. They passed unfamiliar faces staring at them. Not them; her. Or rather, her hands. She was a Keeper in Shirukan uniform. That should give them something to talk about. The numbers of people piqued her curiosity about something. ["How many people live on this island?"] Dargilis glanced past her to the people, his neighbors. ["This island is home to twenty families. We share the farm work, support each other."] ["That sounds…pleasant,"] Cris said. ["Far different than the cities, I hear."] Pleasant? It sounded like a commune. What could be pleasant about that? Raea bit her tongue. This was Inar'Ahben, not Earth. Besides, wasn't her small hometown kind of that way—people helping people? They reached the house and helped Cris into a room with a wide bed mat on the floor with pillows, blankets, and strange but familiar objects—toys?— strewn about. They laid him on the mat on his front
and set a pillow under his head. Cris winced with each movement and finally relaxed when he lay flat on his stomach. Odd. She hadn't thought about it, but the muscles on the back to support the wings would make laying on his back uncomfortable on more than a thin mat. ["Do you need anything?"] First he annoyed her, now the fight. But she couldn't stand seeing anyone beat up. There had to be more to it. He and Leksel must have known each other a while if Cris expected this day to come. Even she had felt the tension between them. ["Rest."] If that's what he wanted, he could have it. Raea followed Dargilis to the door. ["You don't have to leave, though."] Of course. Even when he was down. His body might be beat up, but his mind wasn't. Too bad she couldn't control the Starfire energy to heal. Although she disliked the idea of Cris hitting on her, she'd feel better, since she had accepted his idea of flying. In some small way, this was as much her fault as his. She could try. Maybe the entities would guide her.
What if she hurt him instead? She couldn't live with herself. Killing Pallin had stripped her confidence in trusting the Starfire. She couldn't risk hurting Cris. He might be annoying, but he was a good person. But they had yielded to her will in the recyc center, and he was meistal. He could absorb some of the power. She didn't know how to heal, but she knew how to control the level of power. The entities had shown her that. And Elis had said she learned fast with their help. Would it be enough, though? Raea bit her lip and stared at Cris, who had closed his eyes. Did she dare risk it? If she didn't try, it would take as much as a week for him to recover, maybe longer, but Inari healed faster than humans, according to Elis. She didn't want to leave Cris behind, especially after losing Corsa, and be alone with Leksel. Nor did she want to risk the Shirukan catching Cris. Only one option remained—she had to try. Raea knelt down by his head. ["Cris?"] ["Hmm? You stayed?"] He smiled. ["Don't get any ideas. I…I want to try to heal
you."] He said nothing for a few seconds, but opened his healthy eye and stared at her. ["Try?"] A single quote rose from her memories. Shut up, Yoda. Josh and his favorite movies…["I've never done it, but I've been helped by the Starfire entities in all my training. I'm sure they'll help me with this."] He took a deep breath and let it out with a groan. ["Do it."] ["You're sure?"] ["As long as you are. I trust you."] Her heart thumped against her chest, but she let out a deep breath to calm it. Raea sat cross-legged next to him and sandwiched his closest hand between hers, and closed her eyes. Finding the resonance came easy. After all her practice, that feeling of a clarity of pitch trembled through her. I need to heal. She focused on that thought and the warmth of Cris's hand. The resonance warmed through her. Her hands tingled. That had never happened before. The warmth pulsed through the Starburst marks, while the resonance continued to warm her. The healing energy poured from her, until it washed out, leaving
her chilled. She opened her eyes and shivered from the cold aftereffect of releasing the energy. Cris smiled and pulled his hand away. ["I knew you could."] More confidence than I had. Maybe the Starfire was worth the trouble it caused. It had helped her, besides making her a target. She could do this. He closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. ["I'm sorry if I offended you."] What? Oh. Yes, he had, but she didn't want to argue with him while he recovered. ["Don't worry about it."] ["I won't."] Of course. She left him lying there and closed the door behind her. Leksel stood in the hall. Rage boiled up inside her, but her fatigue stole it away. ["Come to finish what you started?"] ["He started it, but no…I came to find you."] What? Her? Why? Confusion tangled questions in her head, particularly at the gentle tone of his voice. This wasn't the Leksel she'd come to know.
["I…Thank you."] For what—healing Cris? ["I didn't know if it would work. I mean, I've never healed anyone —"] ["No…Yes. But I meant for stopping me."] Oh. He walked away without another word. Okay, now she didn't know what to think. The only thing she knew with certainty was that she wanted to go home and leave all this behind.
Distractions "Elis!" Damn it, Nare. He covered his head with the spare pillow. He could only hope Nare would take the hint. The pillow yanked from his grasp, leaving her annoying face staring down at him. "Josh called. Are you going to school or not? And what should he tell the others about Raea?" For once in his time there, he hated Monday. Why should he go to school when he didn't have any reason to be there without Raea? Besides, Josh had pestered him enough yesterday with more questions. They wouldn't leave him alone. Elis barely had time to search online records for Matthew Stein, much less for the post office box in San Francisco. Those searches would take time. He'd wasted much of that time yesterday answering to Nare and Josh. Even when he hinted that he was busy, they wouldn't leave him alone.
He hoped to make up that time today, especially since nothing had any record of the phone number on Stein's business card, and he'd tried every reverse lookup he could find. He'd have to use other resources, those only available by calling during normal business hours. First, he had to get rid of Nare. "I'm not going." "Won't that look suspicious? Do you want people asking questions?" He grabbed his pillow away and secured it over his head with his arm. "Leave me alone, Nare." "No. The best thing you can do right now is to pretend nothing is wrong. Make an excuse. Raea hasn't been gone long. I haven't given up hope. Neither should you, you big…emo." Was that the best insult she could think of? Probably not, but he'd bet she was being polite in case Evelyn overheard. He'd scolded her already about Evelyn's standards. It felt good, for a change, to have that power. She couldn't stand there all day. Sooner or later she'd have to leave. Sooner than he expected, her steps faded out his door. Good. Now maybe he could get some rest.
What's the worst that could happen if he didn't go to school? Maybe someone called about Raea, and Debbie said she wasn't home, or rather no one would answer the phone until later since Debbie was at work. That might lead to questions about where she went, which may lead some to wonder about why she was gone and when or if she was coming back. Contradictory stories might surface. It may lead to other questions. He didn't want that. Damn you, Nare! Elis slammed the pillow on the bed beside him. She was right. He needed to pretend nothing was wrong. What would Josh tell others? They hadn't discussed an excuse for Raea's absence. And her friends would ask. He'd have to go to school and pretend nothing was wrong. The information search would have to wait. Elis checked his clock—twenty minutes. At the worst, he'd be a little late, but he could probably make it on time. ***
Elis stepped into the Biology classroom as the bell rang. The faint whiff of chemicals, particularly the formaldehyde from the jars on the back shelves, touched memories of the last two years. He closed the heavy wooden door behind him with a light thud. Everyone was already seated. Raea's empty seat next to Josh served as a cold reminder that she was gone. Josh met his eyes and looked away. He passed the gazes of the otherwise full class and found his seat in the back. Every fiber of his being objected to being there. The quick shower and change and a meal of what his stomach tolerated—his appetite had all but gone —left him plenty of time to reach the school that morning. He rushed through it all to distract himself from thinking about the other night. Mister Maviar started the class without a word about Raea's absence. Josh must have said something. As usual, the class subject interested him, providing a little distraction. Now that he was stuck on Earth, unless someone came to retrieve him, he might as well understand the world better. If the
Shirukan were on Earth, he had all the more reason to learn about it, if only to know it better than them. He should have been researching that information, not sitting in a class doing work. After class, Josh intercepted him in the hall and pulled him aside. "I was worried you wouldn't come. Linds and Jess were asking about Raea." "What'd you tell them?" Josh glanced aside at the classmates passing them amid the clangs and bangs of metal lockers blending with the sudden din of voices. "I said her grandma in Jamestown is sick and she went out to see her, that she's staying there for a few days." Debbie's mother. "Wouldn't Debbie also be there?" Josh grimaced. "Maybe. But it's all I could think of on the spot." "It'll have to do." He didn't have any better idea. "I'm sure she'll be back." If only to share Josh's optimism. Elis took a deep breath to calm the tightening in his chest. Now was not the time to think about the slim chance of Raea surviving, much less returning. "Take it easy. I'll see you later." Josh clapped him
on the shoulder and hurried away. So strange having others talk to him, and Raea wasn't around. He'd never felt like he belonged there, but Josh trusted him. Or was it because Josh now knew his secret? He'd been fascinated with the angel side—still was. Elis wandered through the morning on autopilot, half his mind on the classes and the other half on the time he lost digging out Pallin's contact or contacts. At lunch, he sat alone, in his usual place, but only picked at the sandwich. Too many ideas circled through his head. If the Shirukan were on Earth, what were they doing? Why didn't they simply attack the Keepers there? It didn't make sense. The Shirukan couldn't miss the reports of angel sightings around the world. If anything, they probably collected them. Or were they watching and waiting, and planning, for something big? What could they be planning? How could he track them? He had to know. Or was there another party—humans perhaps— conspiring with the Shirukan? Was that part of Stein's and Torres's purpose? "Hey!"
Elis blinked. Josh set his tray on the table next to Elis's. "What's going on? Thinking about Raea again?" "No." That sandwich held a new appeal— occupying his mouth so he didn't have to explain to Josh everything in his head. Josh leaned close, his eyes on his own overstuffed sandwich. "I haven't said anything to anyone about…you know." "Thanks." Now for a bite. Elis ate his food beyond feeling full, limiting his conversation with Josh. Probably for the best though, since he had hardly eaten the last few days. Neither Linds nor Jess joined them, but sat with other girls and glanced their way on occasion. "I told them we were talking about Dark Angel." Josh grinned as if Elis should be amused by the inside joke. "In a manner of speaking, it's the truth." Why couldn't the lunch break be shorter? "I know you're trying to help, Josh, but it's not." Josh's shoulders sank. "Oh…I'm sorry. It's just that, I guess I need someone to talk to…" He picked
at the sandwich bun. "And after learning about you and her and all that stuff, I feel safer talking to you. You know? So I don't, like, shoot my mouth off to the wrong person." Unfortunately, he made a good point. "You're right, but I…I don't want to talk about it, with anyone. I —we—may never see her again." "Raea would slap you now if she heard you say that." She probably would. Elis could see her growing livid and her lips tightening into a scowl seconds before her hand smacked his cheek. It reminded him of the one time she had slapped him. He'd give anything to have even that back. For a moment, the burn of her hand returned to his cheek. He rubbed the place where she had slapped him. Better to have her angry at him than gone. Josh lowered his voice, his eyes on the sandwich in his hands. "If she escaped, how long would it be before she could return?" A good question. Elis hadn't considered it. He'd been too busy answering all of Josh's other questions and trying to learn more about the two men looking for her and trying to dig up Pallin's
contact in San Francisco. "I don't know. I suppose a few days if she finds a quick way out of Naviketan and reaches Saffir; maybe a week or a little longer if she has trouble. The Shirukan have ways of tracking Keepers. The longer she's gone, the less her chances of coming back." Not only because of being captured, but also because the Shirukan would be after Saffir. Without a shard of the Starfire, a Keeper couldn't form a portal. Saffir was the only Crystal Keeper on Inar'Ahben. The only other chance was to catch a ride on a starship. Then it could take months in Earth time. But by then, the Shirukan could operate Heffin's Gate at close to full power. They'd pursue Raea, perhaps arrive on Earth to wait for her, knowing this would be her destination. Something for him to watch for. "But there is a chance." They'd already discussed this. Elis didn't want any part of it again. He stood up to leave, his chair sliding back on the floor behind him. A hand clasped his arm. "Don't give up, Elis. You need something to believe in. We all do."
A second later, Josh let go. Something to believe in? Belief without proof was one thing, but Elis needed evidence that she was safe. Still, Josh's faith piqued his curiosity. Evelyn possessed the same faith, as did Debbie. They all hoped and prayed to their God, their creator, that someone somewhere would return Raea. This wasn't a matter of the supernatural. Life's unexplained events could always be explained in terms of patterns that some people refused to see. Solid, empirical explanations; not Gods or angels, or otherworldly beings of any kind. He wished he could believe they were right, that by some miracle, a true angel would bring her back. But he couldn't. Elis left his tray at the cleaning station on the way out of the lunch room. Yes, he needed to believe in something, but not what Josh did. *** The afternoon dragged until the last bell. Elis adjusted his gloves and pulled on his jacket. Spring had come—Raea would love the sunshine and
warmth—but a chill occasionally returned to the air, less often as the days passed closer to summer. If she had escaped, what would she be doing? What would she think of Inar'Ahben? He missed home and wanted to be the one to show her the homeworld she'd never known. After shoving his books into his red backpack for homework, he hooked his arms through the straps and wove through the crowded, noisy halls, joining the flow of bodies to the doors. In the warm spring air, students gossiped and laughed. At the end of the walkway, girls and boys leaned out bus windows, still chatting with friends reluctant to end their brief conversations. Others filed into the yellow and black vehicles. At least he didn't have to wait for anything or endure such an inconvenience. He could walk home in peace and quiet. Except for the short man with the balding head. Matthew Stein stood near one of the rock-studded cement columns supporting the slab over the walkway from the doors to near the line of buses at the curb. Stein turned away the moment Elis caught
his eyes. What was he doing there? Only one way to find out, but Elis already suspected the answer. He caught up to the shorter man and tapped his shoulder. Stein turned, a look of fake surprise on his face, too unnatural to be coincidence. "Elis!" "Mister Stein." Stein glanced around Elis. "You haven't seen Raea, have you?" "No. She's out of town." "A shame. I really do need to speak with her. Oh, well." Stein flashed a smile. "Any idea when she'll be back?" "No." And he wouldn't tell the man if he did know. "What do you want with her? And who are you and your friend working for?" "I'm sorry." Stein tugged up his belted pants around the slight paunch of middle beneath the blue shirt. "I'm not at liberty to discuss that, except with your girlfriend and certain individuals like her." So, it wasn't just Raea. By "certain individuals" did he mean any Inari, Keepers, or just Crystal Keepers? Stein looked up at the sun and squinted, his
small eyes closing to almost nothing. "Looks like a beautiful day. I won't keep you. Have her call me when she returns, would you?" He hurried away through the crowds of students and disappeared between buses. No doubt Torres waited in a car on the other side. "Hey, Elis!" Now what? Josh caught up to him on the sidewalk along the curb where the buses parked. "Normally I'd walk with Raea, but since she's not here…" He got it. Now was a terrible time, especially after encountering Stein waiting at the school. What exactly did the man have planned? What would he have done if Raea had been there? "Anyway, I know you probably don't care and you already told me everything anyway, but I still wouldn't mind hanging out. Do you like video games? I could bring some over. Hey! What about Nare? Maybe she'd like to play." Elis let out a heavy sigh of defeat. Josh would never give up. They stepped off the end of the block, leaving the buses behind, and crossed the quiet street.
"Linds and Jess are busy, and Raea was gonna hang out with me, I mean when she was here, because of…um…your separation." Because of their separation? Then Josh had intended to make a move on her, unless he was just being friendly. Elis hoped it was only out of friendship. Like he hoped this was all in friendship. Josh could be irritatingly insistent, especially since learning about what they really were. "Evelyn would welcome your company." "You're sure? I don't want to impose." Trying to be polite. It amused him when anyone refused or excused something they really wanted while hinting that they did, whether in words or tone of voice or body language. At least Josh pulled it off with more sincerity than Stein. Elis felt the smile lift his cheeks without effort. "No. Nare probably would enjoy it." And it would give her something to do rather than nagging him. Josh's eyes widened. "Saweet! I hadn't thought of that. I wish I could tell the others what was really going on." "The fewer the better right now." At least until he
figured out Shirukan business on Earth. "I understand. I wouldn't actually tell anyone. It's kinda fun having a secret, but everyone tells me their secrets." "Who's 'everyone'?" Did Josh know something that might help him? "That's part of the secret. But it's not easy. I mean, they know I won't talk about their personal stuff. But this…Oh, man…This is—you are or were what kept me going for the last year and a half." What did Josh mean by that? "Are you disappointed?" "No…Kind of. It's just that, there's no more mystery. I thought I'd be happy to learn who Dark Angel is, but with Raea gone, that's made it kind of…I don't know. I'm not saying I'm disappointed, but —" "But you liked the mystery and imagining the possibilities, not having the concrete truth in front of you." Josh pursed his lips a moment and adjusted the strap of his bookbag on his shoulder. "Something like that. Yeah. I mean, no more wondering. All I have
to do is look at you. I never, ever would have put it together. It's not that it's you, it's just that the possibilities are all gone. And here you are." Yes, there he was, an alien on a world that thought of him as a supernatural being. And all that hope in the supernatural had been taken away from Josh and replaced by hard facts. Josh liked to live in a dream world, it would seem. A world of unexplained phenomena he could attribute to magic and superstition. They walked a ways in silence, reaching the corner where Josh parted before saying anything more. "So, um…I'll see ya tomorrow." Josh strode away down the street. Elis watched him for a few seconds, amused by Josh's fascination but interested in his view of everything. If he would be busy tomorrow night with Josh, then he would have to take advantage of the time left that day. Now for Pallin's contact. He hurried the rest of the way to Evelyn's house.
Leksel's Story Whoever thought sleeping mats were an acceptable replacement for beds should be shot. Raea hated them. She wanted her bed back, in her own room, with its thick, soft mattress and fluffy comforter to snuggle under. After a night on a flat mat, her shoulder ached. A more advanced—like, thousands of years more advanced—society and they didn't even have beds. What was up with that? Leksel was gone and his mat rolled up. They let her oversleep again? Raea sat up and stretched. Kayan had left her the gown to sleep in again and washed their uniforms. They would need them that day. Leksel said last night that if Cris was better they'd fly off to a new island and try to find a shuttle to reach Starfire Tower. But they had some travel yet through Shirat territory. Dressed as Shirukan, they weren't likely to be stopped, but they risked exposure if someone confronted them.
Saffir, the only other Crystal Keeper remaining on that world, resided at Starfire Tower. She could open a portal to Earth. Raea swore that the moment she returned, she'd try harder to learn to do it herself. No more excuses. If she was ever taken again, she wanted the power to return home immediately. Home. Raea shivered with excitement. She couldn't wait to get home. Today would be a good day. First to change and eat, then to wait for Leksel to lead them. The underground home was quiet, but Dargilis had probably already gone out with the boys in tow. She'd miss them, in an odd way, maybe because they reminded her of her cousins, Dave and Eric. By that time tomorrow she could be home. Better yet, she could be with Elis. The squeeze of her heart choked her. The need to feel his arms around her, holding her tight, was unbearable. She missed those nights he snuggled her to dry her tears. Just his quiet presence had soothed her from the horrors she had faced against the other Shirukan who tried to take her away. The anticipation of being with him hurried her
rolling up of the mat and folding the blanket, and it put a spring in her step to the bathroom. After a quick rinse and change—Kayan had left her uniform neatly folded for her—she braided her hair and stepped out with a smile. A fresh day, a new beginning, and one step closer to home. Laughter reached her from the room at the end of the hall—the kids' room. But those weren't kids' voices; they were too deep for kids. Cris had slept there last night. What would Cris be laughing at? Who was with him? She stopped at the door and listened. ["I'm sorry I lost control."] Leksel's deep voice. Raea leaned close and all but held her breath. He apologized to Cris? ["It's been coming for two years, Leks. Ever since…Korali."] Silence. Damn. Who or what was Korali? ["That's no excuse. I was ready to kill you. If Raea hadn't stopped me…"] ["I know. I owe her my gratitude."] Cris sounded well. Her healing must have worked. ["For that and the healing."] She smiled and put her hand to the door. It had
worked. She'd healed him and he sounded well. ["Leks. I'm sorry…about what I said. I was mad. Ever since the Shirukan took away mom and dad, you turned into this overbearing, controlling dictator."] Mom and dad? Raea's heart jumped at the possibility. They couldn't be. ["I wish you'd just leave me alone sometimes. I can take care of myself."] Silence. She had to hear it, the confirmation of what she suspected and the only explanation that made sense in light of all that had happened between them. ["When the time is right, we'll rescue them… together,"] Cris said. ["If they're alive,"] Leksel grumbled. ["It's my fault. You were right. I always knew but couldn't admit it."] ["Then you don't blame me?"] ["I never did. I wish you'd be more careful. You take unnecessary risks."] ["Ah, well…that's my job."] Raea grinned, imagining Cris' nonchalant air. A deep chuckle replied. She couldn't have heard
Leksel laugh. ["Be more careful. I didn't pull you from the academy to get caught."] After a few moments, Cris spoke in a lower voice. ["Korali really changed you, Leks, for the better."] ["I know."] His voice lowered. ["I'm proud of you leaving the Shirukan. I'm glad you didn't arrest her. I'm glad you two met."] What? Raea gasped and stood back. Leksel. Shirukan? She couldn't believe it, yet she could. It explained how he knew so much and seemed comfortable in the uniform. But what if he'd never left? Raea took a deep breath to calm her racing heart and the fear creeping into her. How could she trust Leksel? He had been trained like Pallin. She leaned forward, but the trembling of her hands tapped against the door. A few seconds later, it slid aside. Leksel stood over her in the black flightsuit, the Shirukan uniform. ["Raea?"] ["I'm sorry. I heard voices. I…just wanted to check on Cris."] Leksel's eyes studied her. Man, she hated that look. He suspected something.
She swallowed and looked past him. ["Feeling better?"] Leksel stepped aside. Cris sat up against the wall, a cheery grin on his face now free of the swelling and most of the bruising. ["Thanks to you. And you said you'd never healed before."] ["I—"] Could Leksel please look somewhere else? His dark eyes burned through her. ["I didn't."] ["You're being modest. Come in and sit."] ["No. That's okay. I haven't eaten. I…should leave you alone."] She looked from Cris to Leksel and backed away. ["I didn't mean to interrupt."] ["Hey! Wait. How about company?"] Her flustered mind could think of nothing to say, except ["All right."] Cris threw off the blanket and stood up with a small wince. He stepped past Leksel without any further sign of pain and followed her. Raea hurried ahead to the dining area, but glanced back once. Did Leksel follow? She hoped not. Bad enough Cris had joined her. At least they'd apologized, though. Were they brothers? Could she trust Leksel if he had been Shirukan? Why did he leave? Could
she trust Cris any more than Leksel? Questions swarmed in her head. ["Did your feet freeze?"] Raea blinked. She stood in the doorway to the empty dining area. How'd she get there? Where was Kayan? ["Um…no. Sorry."] Raea stepped inside. What was she doing? She had no idea where anything was, much less what it was. Not to worry. Cris went to the cabinets as if he lived there and started pulling stuff out. She sat down at the table and watched. It all made sense. The fighting and the nearly identical wing color. Yet Leksel was so much bigger than Cris. Leksel had been Shirukan. Who knew if he wasn't still Shirukan? She didn't trust anyone with ties to the Shirukan. It made perfect sense, especially knowing Cris wa s meistal. Leksel knew all about the Shirukan, and did all he could to keep Cris close. He wasn't trying all those times to dominate Cris; he was trying to protect him. He cared about his little brother, and Cris was definitely younger, by a wide margin. Leksel stepped into the doorway, his eyes on
her. ["How much did you hear?"] Was it warm in there suddenly? Raea hated that accusing stare and watched Cris to avoid Leksel. ["Not much."] Oh, God. Did he have to sit down and stare at her? She couldn't stand it. He knew. He knew she heard enough to scare her. Duh! Just that last statement before she fell against the door was all she needed to hear. Leksel must have realized it. She couldn't stay in the same room with him. The moment she stood, his hand clasped her arm and pulled her back down. ["Sit…please?"] She should leave, but where would she go? She wanted to trust Leksel, but he'd withheld the truth from her. She should know why, if he intended to tell her. Maybe he had a good reason. Damn him. Raea sat, and he released her arm. If he wanted to take her to the Shirukan, he could have at any time. Instead, he'd helped her escape. Did anyone leave the Shirukan? He piqued her curiosity. His dark eyes fixed on her. His elbows rested on the table, his hands clasped before him. ["You're scared."]
As if that wasn't obvious. ["Shouldn't I be?"] ["I won't tell you what to think."] He let out a heavy sigh. ["You would have figured it out, if you didn't suspect. Yes, I was Shirukan, a commander…until three years ago."] Raea waited for more. Leksel looked away, searching his memories. A pan clattered on the counter. ["Slipped,"] Cris said. After that he set things out lightly, with exaggerated care it seemed. ["You cook?"] ["Not nearly as good as Kayan, but since she's with the baby and we're both hungry, why not?"] True. But did she trust her digestive health in his hands? That remained to be seen. Raea turned back to Leksel. Would he tell her more? He stared at her, but out of focus. ["Korali changed me."] He said nothing more. Frustrating. Why couldn't he just spit it out? ["Who's Korali?"] He focused on her, and she saw it. Something sparked in his eyes. She'd seen that look before, on Elis. ["She was a rebel, and a Keeper."] His wings
lifted slightly. Raea rubbed her hands, aware more than ever of the Starburst marks on the palms and backs and the way he stared at them. ["I was in charge of arresting her and a group planning on collapsing a section of Heffin's Gate. We'd discovered one of their contacts on the inside and fed them false information to lure the rebels out. My team was ready, but someone tipped them off, and they fled before the trap could spring. We chased them down, catching several. I went after Korali when she flew out below the city. But when I caught her…"] His voice trailed away. What? He really knew how to leave out details she wanted to hear. She didn't care about the rest. ["Something happened. I don't know what, but I felt something when I held her. It was like…like nothing mattered but her. She wasn't a rebel, but a woman. Not just any woman. When we landed in one of the recyc center loading docks, I couldn't let her go. She didn't fight me, and I kissed her. It happened so fast. I never knew what hit me, but I knew I couldn't arrest her. They'd kill her. We were trained to kill
Keepers, but I couldn't let that happen, so, I let her go. She ran off, and I never expected to see her again."] He paused, and Raea noticed the silence. Cris stood unmoved, until Leksel looked up. At that, he moved again. ["I never forgot her, but doubted I would see her again. About a turn of Lis later, a message came to me, asking me to come alone. I went, suspecting a trap, since the quarters were in the sector known for the most rebel activity. She was waiting. She wasn't sure she had the right person, since security's tight on all Shirukan records, but she had asked around and eventually learned my name. After a little research, she felt confident enough to send the message…] ["I never loved anyone. Shirukan are encouraged to satisfy sexual needs but never with the same person twice. Bonding is strictly limited, and genetic matchings are assigned. But our liaisons grew more frequent and we started taking risks to be together. Within a year, we had bonded.] ["But we were discovered. She came one night to warn me that my life was in danger. They'd
intercepted a message planning to use me to get to her and the rest of her group. I had to leave all I knew behind. By then it didn't matter. For most of that last year as a Shirukan, I didn't put my heart into what I had once been praised for excelling at. I didn't want to. Korali was right. She showed me the truth and how wrong Shirat Marin was about Keepers, and she showed me files outlining plans to take over all Inar'Ahben with timelines and details, including plans for capturing a certain Crystal Keeper on Earth."] His eyes focused on her. Raea's heart stopped. This went far beyond her. ["But apparently that failed,"] he said. ["I had help."] From Elis. Her beloved Elis. Leksel described feeling for Korali like she felt for Elis. She would return to him, but she couldn't dwell on it. For the moment, she didn't want to think about home. She wanted to hear Leksel's story. ["What happened with Korali?"] Don't stare at me like that. Man. He had a way of staring right through her as if he could see inside her head. She hated that. ["She showed me I was in trouble and I knew I
didn't have a choice. But I knew if I was in trouble, so was my family. I sent a message to Cris to meet for dinner, but I sent one of Korali's friends to meet him. I knew they'd be watching him, and probably expecting me. I didn't reach our parents in time. They'd already been locked away."] ["So, you joined the rebels then? What happened to Korali?"] The answer clicked the moment she asked, and she was sorry she did. Leksel's jaw tensed. He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead into his fists propped up before him on the table. ["The group split. Many didn't trust me. Those who stayed felt my experience as a former Shirukan would help them succeed where they had failed.] ["But I didn't know everything. I didn't anticipate my former colleagues' determination. It happened a little more than a year ago. I told her it was too risky, but she never listened. They shot to kill. One shot to her wing made flying difficult. The second…"] Leksel's eyes pinched shut. His jaw trembled from the restraint, but the tears wanted to flow. Raea saw it as he unclasped his hands and traced a line from his lower ribs up. ["Split through her here,"] he
said through clenched teeth. He finished his line pointed up through his jaw. ["It happened so fast, she didn't suffer."] He swallowed hard in the silence. From the counter, Cris spoke in a quiet voice. ["It took four of us to hold him back."] That she could believe. He barely stopped in time to save Cris during their fight. And now he fought to restrain his tears. The Shirukan were good at ruining lives. ["I'm sorry you lost her, especially like that."] And if they were bonded…Didn't Nare say bonded partners shared pain and pleasure? He probably felt her pain. That's how he knew she didn't suffer. Her stomach twisted into a sickening knot. Cris scraped something in the pan. ["This would be so much easier if these islanders had processors to mix and cook everything."] Footsteps halted at the doorway. ["Let me do it."] Kayan stepped in to take over, dressed in leggings and an open-backed top. With a smile, Cris joined them at the table. ["Gladly."] ["You two eat. We'll leave as soon as you're done. We've imposed on this family enough, and I want to get out of Imperial territory."] Leksel rose but stopped by Kayan. ["Thank you for all you've done."]
["It's our part to save this world."] He left without another word. Raea had suspected he might have had some sort of fighting skills, but she had never thought he was the kind of person to fall in love. He never showed it, maybe because he still mourned, but kept it buried inside. And her Starburst marks probably reminded him of the woman he loved. That couldn't be easy for him. After her experience, she thought all Shirukan were monsters. But Leksel wasn't Shirukan, at least not any more. They'd ruined his life and his chance for happiness, as they had for Elis and her. Raea looked up at Kayan. These "islanders", as Cris called them, seemed untouched by the misery of the Shirat Empire. ["I'm sorry if we were a bother."] Kayan smiled. ["No. It gives us hope to know there's one less Starfire shard in that machine."] Yeah. Raea shuddered at the memories the Starfire had shown her during the battle with Pallin. Worlds exploded and living beings died. The Starfire would never allow itself to be misused. As much as she hated the trouble it caused, she couldn't let the Shirat Empire claim her shard.
Go West Raea looked back at the island and the family working among the tall stalks bearing the spores. Kayan had sent a few with them to eat in flight. Leksel and Cris had made room in their packs for a few each, but those packs were narrow backpacks that fit snuggly in the space between wings. Not much room to spare in them. The island had drifted out of sight from Naviketan. Open sky beckoned them to the next island. They had a ways to go, though, to escape Imperial territory. Leksel studied a hologram projected from the device in his hand. Raea flew beside him, but not close enough to see the details. They needed room for their wings not to hit. The steady winds carried them south and west, the longest route to Starfire Tower, but the easiest, according to Leksel. Long flights were always easiest with the wind, which rarely changed from its
normal patterns. At some point, they could expect to find a straight west current. They flew over a lower altitude island much larger than the one they left. Machines and rounded, artificial structures dotted the surface, which must have stretched over five miles across. A smaller island drifted above them. Islands everywhere! And Inari. All colors, alone and in groups. They even passed a squad of Shirukan in the distance. Leksel ordered her and Cris into a tighter triangle formation behind his point position. To her relief, the real Shirukan didn't divert from their course. Still, Leksel led them on. Raea didn't breathe easier until the other Shirukan disappeared on an island below. In the distance, another city loomed darkly against the bright sun. They avoided it and continued flying, until Cris complained. ["Leks, can we rest? I'm not used to this much flying. Besides, being used as your fighting dummy didn't help."] He turned aside to her. ["No offense, Raea. You did a great job with the healing."] His voice reached her clearly on the tri-comm attached to her cheek.
["None taken."] She was just glad it had worked, but as she discovered, healing wounds didn't improve endurance. ["I could use a rest too. How long have we been going?"] ["Almost two hours,"] Leksel said. ["We're coming up on a small island above. We'll rest there."] They followed him, although she could have done without the winds shifting every forty or fifty feet and threatening to throw her like a piece of paper. Cris lagged a few feet behind her, but they all reached the island above, a smaller island than the one they had left that morning. This one couldn't have been more than half the size, if that. A couple families flew above it, circling a cluster of flying creatures with nets. Raea touched down near the edge of the island, watching the activity. ["What're they doing?"] Cris landed next to her. ["Netting something. I'm not sure. I can't see clearly."] ["They've seen us."] Leksel spoke with a tone of caution. Too true. A woman and man glided down, while two other adults and a few adolescents tied off the net full of winged creatures thrashing to escape.
The man wore a simple brown coverall, his black hair tied back. For a moment, Raea pictured Elis, but this black-winged man didn't have the purple eyes or the lanky height. He was Cris's height with an oval face and dark eyes. The woman's green eyes narrowed, her hands on her hips and her pale green wings out of sight behind her. Neither looked happy, but her stare pierced Raea like a spear. Clearly not supporters of the empire and the Shirukan. Leksel stood unmoved. ["What do you want here?"] the woman said. Raea swallowed. The snap of the woman's voice stung. Leksel's wings lifted slightly behind him, but relaxed again. In a level but firm tone, he said, ["A place to rest for an hour. Nothing more. We're not here for trouble."] As if anyone would believe that. The three of them were dressed as Shirukan, not exactly beloved by anyone, from what she understood. ["We're traveling."] The woman's eyes narrowed, piercing them with
suspicion. ["One hour."] ["We appreciate it."] The woman's eyebrow arched, her cold glare melting with the slight lift of the corner of her mouth. She gave a nod and tapped the man with her, before taking flight to rejoin the others, who landed with the net on the opposite end of the island. Leksel lifted his wings in a relaxed posture. ["What was that about?"] Raea asked. ["Shirukan are known for demanding whatever they want."] His voice quieted at the end. Hearing that hint of something piqued her curiosity. ["Did you?"] His cheek muscles twitched, and his wings shifted behind him. Without a word, he strode away. His lack of an answer made her more curious to know what he could have done yet afraid to know the truth. Raea looked from him to Cris for an explanation. Next to her, Cris shook his head and shrugged. ["Some things he refuses to talk about to anyone. We're probably better off not knowing."] Cris was probably right. But maybe Leksel felt
guilty for what he did as a Shirukan. She wanted to believe that. She wanted to trust Leksel, but he made it difficult when he refused to talk. They followed him to a patch of brown plants speckled with tan. Not dry, as she expected, but soft and curled like a tangle of vines. She saw nothing green or vaguely familiar to what she recognized as healthy vegetation on these islands but sat down with the men onto a pleasant surprise. The thick curls of vines cushioned her seat. Leksel and Cris removed their packs and pulled out the food they'd brought. Raea took the two spores Cris handed her. ["This is it?"] ["It's enough. We should be out of Shirukan space by tonight if we stay on the Tashei current. We'll be safe to rest in a free city, where Keepers are given all they need."] If that was the case, why did they pretend to be Shirukan? Obviously the people on this island didn't like them. ["Why didn't you tell these people?"] ["They'd talk. News could reach the Shirukan,"] Leksel said. Good point.
["Eat and rest. We need to keep moving. We've been lucky so far."] Raea eyed the fruit in her hands, or what looked like fruit. Searoot spores. The connotation from her biology class studies made her shudder. Yuck. Spores usually came from fungi in a two-part reproductive cycle. Why would she want to eat giant spores? Cris wiped the juice shining from his chin. ["What's wrong?"] ["I…haven't had these before. On Earth, spores aren't exactly a good thing."] Even bacteria formed spores to withstand poor conditions. Cris chuckled and held up the juicy spore where he'd bitten into it, revealing a hint of darkness at the center of the orange-purple flesh. A seed? ["They're good. Give it a try."] It looked good, and this was a different world, one whose resources her body was made to consume. Raea took a small bite of one of the two in her hand. Sweet, but a watered-down sort of flavor. And different. She had never tasted anything like it. ["It's good."] Cris forced a quick swallow. ["Told you."] He
finished his first spore and set the dark seed core aside. Raea ate her first spore and tossed the seed away. ["Don't."] Cris hurried to retrieve it. ["Why? It's just a seed."] He sat down and set the seed with his. ["Drop them back in the ocean."] ["Why?"] She'd seen half a dozen islands during their flight. There seemed an abundance of searoot islands. Leksel offered her a bottle of clear water. ["It takes a few dozen spores to grow enough roots to lift an island. Without the islands, we can't survive."] ["How do the seeds grow in the ocean?"] She flipped the cap on the bottle and took a swallow. Just like the water at the island home. She'd never tasted water as clean as on the islands. Not a surprise, since they collected fresh water from the sky. No chemicals or special treatment. Only fresh, unaltered water. Cris finished his spores and stretched his wings around his shoulders. With a smile and a sigh, he
laid on his back, letting his wings fall beside him. ["They're spores. Inside grows a sprout. It eventually burns its way out with an acid produced in the leading tip. In the air, it'll dry up and harden and die. In the ocean, it burrows into the rock, growing as it absorbs nutrients. At a certain point, it stops releasing its acid and grows outward along cracks and fissures and loose sediment, expanding and filling with gas as it does. It tangles with hundreds of other roots and eventually the shelf they burrowed under breaks loose and rises to the surface."] ["Not all sprouts settle on rock to burrow within. They don't anchor and often die before settling, or are eaten by other creatures. It can take hundreds of seeds to produce enough sprouts to lift an island."] Leksel added his seeds to the pile, but didn't lay down. ["Rest. I'll keep watch."] Since the fight last night, he had changed. Raea noticed it. Maybe it was the softer tone of his voice. It had lost some of the sharp edge. Or maybe it was the way he respected Cris. Or maybe she wanted to see things that weren't there. No. Something about him had definitely changed for the better.
Raea took a few more swallows and handed the bottle back to him. They gave her a biology lesson she wouldn't soon forget. Inar'Ahben was unique and intriguing and she wished she had time to learn more. She lifted her wings out beside her and laid back on the springy carpet of vines. Not quite her bed back home, but comfortable. She relaxed and let her wings drop. A cloud shaded the sun. They were pretty high too, at least a mile above the ocean probably two, if she guessed right. That whole world was a wonder. Elis had told her only a little about it, but it must have been ordinary to him. Earth was to him what this was to her—alien. But she liked this. It was different but familiar in some ways. Raea closed her eyes. No wonder Inari adjusted to life on Earth so easily. The cultures were similar. Or was that a product of Inari visiting Earth and returning frequently throughout human history? Whatever. She liked it. That was all that mattered. Maybe when the Shirat Empire was gone and the Starfire no longer threatened—as if that would happen, but she could hope—she could come
back here with Elis. Elis...A few days had passed since she was taken from him. What was he doing? She should be with him, training and flying and just being together. Her whole body longed for his closeness. She'd felt empty since asking him for time apart. She needed him close to her more than anything, and he wasn't there. He'd want her too. Oh, God. Her eyes burned, even shut. Worry and grief choked her. Raea sniffed and wiped her eyes. She had to return soon. These quiet moments let in too much pain. Opening her eyes alerted her to Cris and Leksel watching her. ["I'm fine."] As if. She missed the best thing in her life. Leksel's story about Korali had struck a chord with her about bonding. If a hardcore Shirukan could change for love and defend his bonded mate to the point of needing four people holding him back from attacking those who killed her, she had nothing to worry about with Elis. She had known all along that he would love her the rest of her life. And she loved him. She couldn't see herself with anyone else. Leksel looked away, but Cris still watched her, his hands behind his head.
["Really."] No, not really. He didn't believe her either by the expression on his face. ["I just want to go home…to Earth."] ["Why wouldn't you like it here? I can't imagine."] Cris smirked at Leksel, who acted like he didn't hear. She took the hint, but that had nothing to do with her feelings. ["That's not it."] Cris wiggled into a comfortable position and dropped one hand to his chest. ["It's dangerous here."] Leksel watched the families with their catch near the buildings a ways off. ["For Keepers. You're safer on Earth."] Seriously? He seemed to understand. Cris closed his eyes. ["You're no fun, Leks."] ["Get some rest."] No argument from her. Raea closed her eyes and sank into the cushion of plants. After three days, she felt like she'd known the two for months. What would happen to them after she returned to Earth? She couldn't help but wonder. One moment, the wind rushed across the island, broken by an occasional unfamiliar sound, like
insects buzzing. The next, a gentle nudge on her shoulder pulled her from hazy memories drifting through her mind. ["Wake up."] What? Elis? Where was she? No. She opened her eyes to Leksel kneeling over her. Inar'Ahben. Raea blinked and sat up. The searoot island. She'd fallen asleep. ["I didn't think I was that tired."] Leksel stood up. ["Ready?"] Cris gave her a crooked grin and clicked the strap for his pack at his waist. ["Yes. I guess."] She rose to her feet and shifted her wings. A little aching from lying on her back—or maybe from flying so long that morning—but it would work out with more flying. At least, she hoped it would. ["Let's go. We need to keep moving."] ["Yes, sir,"] Cris said. Leksel acted like he didn't hear. Instead, he spread his wings and flapped down. Cris waited. ["You next."] All right. Raea spread her wings and flapped down to lift against gravity. This high from the
planet's surface, gravity was less but so was atmosphere. Odd that she had no problem breathing. Thinner air should have made it more difficult and tiring to fly. Then again, she didn't know much about her own biology. The bonding was proof enough. The first chance she had, she would read all she could about Inari—her species—all the -ologies that went with it. She wasn't human but something much different. The last few days emphasized it more than the last six weeks. For now, they had to fly. Cris lifted after her, and they took up their triangle formation again. A couple hours passed of steady flying, past several islands and at least one other city. A few ships blurred past. If only they'd been successful securing a shuttle! All this flying wore her out. Her tri-comm buzzed with a hint of voice and faded. Leksel dipped, his wings out in a stiff glide. ["Leks…trouble…comm…"] Raea's heart jumped from her chest at the familiar voice. Corsa!
Starfire Secret ["You're breaking up, Corsa,"] Leksel said. ["My tri-comm was da…discharge scrambled… I'm lucky…this. I've been searchin…for a while. Meet me…Not sure how long this…"] This was as bad as a cell phone. Not even static. Every break sounded like she'd been cut off. ["Where?"] Leksel held a projection of their area before him in transparent colors. ["Say again, Corsa. Where are you?"] ["…Delvar two four one…"] ["One more time."] Leksel made an adjustment on the projector in his gloved hand. ["Rodelvar two…n six. I have…"] Nothing more came from Corsa. ["I hope she's all right."] Raea wanted to see her again. Corsa had survived the storm, but had she really survived. Someone or something had cut her off at the end of that last message. ["She's fine."] Cris glided next to her. ["Sounds
like her tri-comm had some issues from the lightning of that storm."] Leksel continued ahead on the same path. ["You have her location, Leks?"] He closed his hand and the hologram faded. ["Yes."] After a few seconds, Cris frowned. ["And are we going to change course?"] Leksel hesitated a couple seconds before diving. Raea followed. Diving was much easier than flying. Gravity pulled them down with no work required. The brief drop relieved her aching back, until she had to open her wings to level off. They flew over a large island of scattered hilly areas with doors and metallic structures she guessed were homes. In the center, a domed bunker faced a hexagon-shaped pad with red lights blinking at each point. A lone shuttle sat in one corner. From the size, four or five shuttles could have fit on it. Outside the dark, rounded triangle of a craft with the open split door on its side stood a familiar face waving at them—Corsa. Leksel landed nearby. Raea landed behind him with Cris behind her. The moment her feet hit the
ground, she hurried past Leksel to meet Corsa. ["You're back! What happened?"] Corsa's eyes passed over each of them, lingering on Leksel longer than on her or Cris. Raea turned to Leksel. What was with the sour face? Wasn't Leksel glad to see her? ["I'll tell you inside,"] Corsa said. Fine with her. If Raea didn't have to fly the rest of the way to Starfire Tower, she definitely wouldn't argue. A firm grip on her arm stopped her. Now what? She tried to pull away, but Leksel's fingers clamped tight. ["Cris?"] Leksel's eyes never left Corsa. Cris stepped up beside his brother. ["You first."] ["Why?"] Cris shook his head. ["It's Corsa, Leks."] ["Go ahead, Cris."] Corsa winked as Cris passed. ["Oh, but, beware the hidden Shirukan waiting to take Raea back to Naviketan."] She crossed her arms, her amber eyes on Leksel. ["Now we don't trust each other?"] So that was it—delusions of deception? No way could Corsa have betrayed them.
["You didn't answer the question. What happened?"] Leksel dropped his hand from Raea to cross his arms. About time he released her arm. Man. Who did he trust? For that matter, why did he expect anyone to trust him? ["All right. You want the story now? Fine. The electrical discharge of the storm scrambled the circuits of my tri-comm. I couldn't contact anyone. So, I flew out of the cloud to get my bearings, saw no island or any of you or the Shirukan and decided to fly ahead. I figured sooner or later you'd catch up. After a few stops, I didn't see any sign of you and waited here. They had one shuttle available, so I made sure it stayed."] Cris popped his head from the doorway of the shuttle, dark brown hair partially hiding his smiling face. ["You worry too much, Leks."] ["When did you turn so paranoid?"] Corsa ducked under the top part of the door, which formed a canopy over the entrance and stepped up the two steps of the bottom half of the door. When did he become so paranoid? Corsa was part of his team. Raea thought he'd be glad to see
her again. Raea brushed loose strands of hair from her face and glanced aside. Leksel waited his turn after her. At least he could try smiling once in a while. Maybe it had been her imagination to hear him chuckle back at the island home. Or did he and Cris have some sort of agreement whereby Cris made up in smiles what Leksel lacked? They needed to balance it out better. It wouldn't hurt Leksel to actually smile more often. He could be grateful for the shuttle. But she couldn't expect him to change overnight. Raea stepped into a surprisingly comfortable pocket of space lined by tinted windows above the seats. The bench opposite the door would have seated three but the seat next to the door would fit only one. Nothing occupied the small cargo area in the rear. Corsa took one of the two seats in the front on one side of a narrow doorway between the two seats. Cris sat on the bench across from her and buckled in. He patted the seat beside him. ["There's room here."]
No thanks. He tried way too hard. It totally turned her off. She'd feel safer with Leksel. He stepped up behind her and brushed past to take the other seat at the front next to Corsa. The door shut behind him. Raea took the seat next to the door, as far from Cris as possible. ["Buckled in?"] Corsa's gloved hands worked over the controls with precision, the engines humming a moment later. ["Yes, sir,"] Cris said. Finally. They were heading to Starfire Tower, where Saffir resided, the only remaining Crystal Keeper besides Raea. And she would have the ability to open a portal home. Home. How sweet a word! When she returned, she would practice day and night forming a portal until she got it. Raea sank back against the cushions of the seat, relieved to feel the seat press up against her as the island sank away. Now, she could relax. Soon she would be home and back with Elis. Excitement charged through her. ["Well, someone's happy."] Cris sat with his arms crossed, grinning at her. ["You could teach Leksel a
thing or two."] Leksel…No. She had Elis. Leksel was nice, and attractive, but too old for her. Besides, her heart belonged with her black-winged savior. ["I'm going home."] ["Wonderful."] His smile dropped and he turned to the two in the front. Whatever. He could sulk if he wasn't happy for her. Still, his interest flattered her. She fell back into the headrest and closed her eyes. Not long now…
The medallion clattered to the platform at the commander's sandaled feet. The green glow in the center faded, but the engraved gold around the center shimmered in the lights of the airlock. ["Starfire!"] Salera rubbed her hand, the marks fading. Wincing in pain, Talea reached for it. Vodin snatched it and put it in her bloody hand. ["How is this possible?"] Still leaning against the general, Talea pulled her other hand from the bloody
shoulder. The white bandage from her palm was gone. In its place beneath the smeared blood, a small sun of aquamarine sprayed its tentacles out an inch, nowhere near to the edges of her palm. ["Not a Keeper…but more than meistal."] ["I've never heard of anyone—"] ["Probably not."] Talea's tone snapped Salera quiet. ["You weren't…"] She stiffened, her breathing labored. ["You weren't supposed to know."] Vodin finished her statement and helped her sit up. ["The Starfire asked to be left on this world. That was our mission. No one else knows, except you…now. No one knows of any more than four shards, because the others have been hidden, protected. A war is coming."] ["Another war?"] ["Another war, Keeper Salera. The Starfire invites trouble wherever its power is known. Heffin's Gate must never reach full capacity, or our world is lost."] ["This is the last shard."] Talea gazed at it. ["It asked to be left here, on Earth. I couldn't
disobey their wishes. But neither could I allow the humans to use it. It's sealed from any detection…"] She looked up at Salera, a cold glint in her amber eyes. ["Except by a Keeper. No one must know. You must swear to say nothing."] Salera hesitated, but nodded. ["I understand."] ["Do you?"] Talea shifted and contorted her face in pain. ["Here. I'm not useless."] Salera laid her hands on the commander's shoulder. The light of the Starfire glowed brightly for a few seconds and faded. She sat back, leaving the commander to breathe deeply. Vodin stood and helped her to her feet. ["I'm all right."] Talea winced and fell against him. Vodin put an arm around her for support, and she hung her arm around his neck with the medallion in her hand, her injured shoulder away from him. ["Thanks."] Her eyes lifted to Salera. ["To you too, more if you say nothing about this."]
Salera gave a nod and watched the general help the commander disappear through the airlock. Raea blinked, her surroundings coalescing around her. The revelation of the vision caught up to her. More than four shards! How many were there? No one else knew, or she hoped not, unless Saffir had some knowledge. Did she dare say anything? No one should have that knowledge. If Saffir didn't know, then she wasn't meant to. Why would the Starfire show this to her, though? What did it want from her? Cris sat with his eyes closed, his head sideways. Neither Leksel nor Corsa said anything but sat quietly at the controls in the head of the shuttle. ["How far is it?"] Leksel twisted around. His eyes passed over Cris and fixed on her. ["Not far. We should be there in a couple hours."] Hours? Damn. More waiting. Then again, after all the flying that day, she welcomed the chance to rest. But resting from flying and sitting were two different
kinds of rest. She'd prefer to walk. No different than
visiting
Grandma
and
Grandpa
Dahlrich.
Jamestown was a good two-hour drive from McClarron. Sitting in a car for two hours with Dave would aggravate a clam into leaving its shell. This was nothing. Leksel turned forward again, meeting a sideways glance from Corsa with a scowl. Get over it! Man, he had a suspicious mind. Raea would be grateful if it wasn't directed at Corsa. She couldn't change him, though. The only thing she could do then was to wait and relax. Corsa would prove herself. Then he'd see how wrong he was and have to apologize; if he would. Maybe. He apologized to Cris after beating the crap out of him. Whatever. Raea sighed and leaned back. Two hours until they reached Starfire Tower. Two hours until she met Saffir, the other Crystal Keeper. Then home. And Elis and Debbie and Josh and… The people she loved and cared about. She couldn't wait to tell them about all this; they'd be fascinated. Elis would understand; she could just see his smile as she told him about her adventures. She
missed that smile, his touch, the gentle words of encouragement and support, the faint musky scent that lingered on his coat… She didn't have that anymore. They'd taken it off her and probably thrown it, along with her cell phone. Debbie was going to kill her. At least spring was coming to the northern plains. The winter coat could be replaced, but she wouldn't need it anyway. The cell phone would be another story, especially combined with her clothes. She closed her eyes and imagined Elis holding her in the quiet of the shuttle. Two hours passed amid fond memories, not only of Elis, but also of Josh, Linds, and Jess. She would see them again soon. This whole adventure would be over. She'd learned so much during her short time with Leksel, Cris, and the others, particularly about the Shirukan. But she still lacked in her understanding of what she was. Hopefully Saffir could help her before she went home. A hint of regret slipped into the memories. She'd be leaving Leksel, Cris, and Corsa. In only a few days, she'd come to appreciate their company,
despite their quirks. ["Identification accepted. Platform two is clear."] Raea blinked from her thoughts—or had she dozed again?—and looked out the front view visible between Corsa and Leksel. A lone trio of tiered, rounded towers of white hovered in the distance, four paddle-shaped platforms visible at different levels amid spirals of balconies and windows. Starfire Tower wasn't a single tower, but a miniature fortress of three skywalk-connected towers alone in the sky. Still, it awed her. She had caught only a glimpse of Naviketan from the outside while fleeing the Shirukan, but only the bottom of the city. She could only imagine the magnificence of an Inari city from above, and the heart of an empire at that. Raea sat forward, watching the three closely connected towers grow until they merged in the view into a single wall of white. The nearest tower rose until an arched set-in doorway appeared where a platform joined one of those towers. The shuttle bumped slightly and the scene froze. The faint hum of the engines whined down in pitch. ["We're here."]
She turned to Cris, surprised to see him awake, though not so much by the grin on his face. But it wasn't his usual grin. He looked disappointed in a way. Leksel and Corsa unstrapped and stepped into the passenger area. Raea released the central buckle holding the harness around her and stood with the others. What was with all the grim faces? The door hissed and split apart. Bright sunlight washed across the steps that lowered, the fresh air whispering across her face. Freedom never smelled sweeter. ["Wait here."] Leksel shoved past her and stepped out. What now? The man was too paranoid. A few seconds later, he motioned for her to follow. ["It's safe."] ["Of course it's safe,"] Cris said. Oh, no. Please don't start an argument here. Hadn't Cris learned his lesson about provoking his brother? Cris followed behind her, his eyes on Leksel. ["You warned them we're dressed like Shirukan?"]
["No."] Great. What kind of reception would they get? ["Raea. Pull your gloves off,"] Corsa said. Right. Yes. Excellent point. The Starburst marks would confirm who she was. Besides, she was tired of wearing the black gloves. The air was always warm where they went, and, although the gloves were a light material, combined with the jumpsuit and jacket, she was too warm. Raea finished pulling the second glove when the door ahead opened. Three people in gray flightsuits stepped out, all of them with Starburst marks on their hands. A black-winged woman and two others of different shades of brown—one of them a man with white flecks in his feathers and the other a woman of about the same shade as Raea but much older— approached. Her heart beat hard against her chest. Calm
down. Their eyes scanned her group, not a smile emerging. The black-winged woman tightened her wings. ["What are the Shirukan doing here?"] Oh, no. She knew that look. Leksel clamped his jaw, biting his tongue no doubt.
Raea swallowed and stepped forward. The tension in the air was palpable. She had to do something. ["We had to take their uniforms to escape."] The woman's purple eyes dropped to Raea's hands. ["Who are you?"] What? Leksel and Corsa didn't tell them? ["Ra— Shartrael Raea."] They wouldn't know her human name. The lines of the woman's angular features softened. She brushed aside a length of black hair and took Raea's palm in her hands. ["So it seems."] The woman set her palm on Raea's. A second later, the resonance warmed through Raea with the flash of glow from the woman's hands. Whoa! The voices of the Starfire burst into a cacophony in her head. Her heart caught in her throat. A second later, it all faded. Just in time to avoid a headache. The woman dropped her hand, her wings lifting with her smile. ["Welcome Keeper Raea."] The two with her relaxed their stances and stepped forward. ["I'm Sarilov Tennara. It's an honor to meet you
and your companions..."] Her tone hinted of asking for names. Raea twisted to the three patiently waiting. ["Corsa and Leksel and Cris."] ["No familiar names?"] ["Not among the rebel groups,"] Leksel said. ["I see. Will you be staying or returning to Naviketan?"] Leaving already? They couldn't. Please stay. She wasn't ready to say good-bye. Cris met Leksel's cold gaze with the calm patience only a brother could accept. ["We came this far. I'd like to be sure she gets home."] Yeah. She'd bet he would, probably his home. ["I have no intention of abandoning Raea."] Leksel met her eyes with something more than the cold determination of a man on a mission. Warmth rose within her. She turned away to hide the blush stealing up. She imagined it. No way did she want him to think she liked him either. She wasn't just another woman who would give in to his charms, if one could call it that. ["Neither do I,"] Corsa said. ["If you'll follow Raldin and Mara, they'll show you
to the guest quarters."] The man and woman smiled and stepped inside the door so it stayed open. Cris put a hand to her shoulder. ["You'll be all right now. I'll see you later."] He winked and followed the others through the door. He could be all right sometimes. *** Lights glimmered in the night from the city outside the command center. Valdas stared out at the quiet sky lanes, the towers floating serenely over their anchor positions. A hundred thousand Inari lived in the city surrounding Heffin's Gate. ["Sir. Message from Lieutenant Sandral."] She dropped her eyes to the technical officer seated at the panel below the window. A message scrolled across the screen: [Will be at Starfire Tower
in minutes. Commence preparations.] A smile spread across her cheeks. The scar pulled a little, but it didn't bother her. Starfire Tower floated in stationary position on the current daylight side of the world. After losing the Crystal Keeper in the storm, her
second chance dimmed. A discussion with Sandral changed that. Now they could use Shartrael Raea to get to Naishurol Saffir. Two in one stroke. ["Contact General Maenast."] ["Yes, sir."] The man at the controls spoke to someone else briefly and fell silent. Finally. After all this time. The quest of the empress would be complete. She needed only one more piece of their plans. ["Ma'am. General Maenast is on the line."] Valdas took the tri-comm he handed her and pressed it to her cheek. The general materialized before her, arms crossed. ["Prime Commander Alshouan. You have something?"] In other words, she better have something worthwhile. That she certainly did. ["I do, sir."] The general's wings lifted slightly. ["I have an opportunity to capture both shards of the Starfire."] The general dropped her arms. ["How?"] ["Lieutenant Sandral is at Starfire Tower. Give
me a full complement of vehicles and personnel and we'll capture both Crystal Keepers by morning."] ["You'll have it. Coordinate with Prime Commanders Dallars and Shourees. Well done. Capture Saffir and Raea and our plans can proceed ahead of schedule."] Indeed they could. Starfire Tower would fall at last. None of their attacks had ever broken through the defense systems, especially when the closest cities came to the aid of Starfire Tower. Now, with Sandral on the inside to sabotage those defenses, they had the opportunity they needed. ["Thank you, sir. Alshouan out."] She gave a slight bow and the link clicked off. ["Contact Prime Commanders Dallars Maris and Shourees Sahra. Conference them to this tri-comm."] ["Yes, sir."] After all this time—over twenty-one years since her predecessors lost Shartrael Padina when she escaped to Earth—they'd finally capture the last two shards of the Starfire. Empress Shirat Marin would complete her union of all of Inar'Ahben and cleanse the world of Keepers.
Confronting Cris The door opened to a balcony. Raea stepped out and smiled at the caress of the wind on her face. Far below stretched an ocean dotted by scattered islands at different levels. The glass doors with their etched swirl design closed behind her. Tennara had left her in the vacant apartment to report to Saffir, a bit of a surprise since Raea expected the other Crystal Keeper to be waiting for her. But what did she know. She had just arrived at Starfire Tower. Elis had told her a little about it, because he had trained there, learning to use the power of the Starfire in his genes. Sure, she could do more because she bore an actual shard of the crystal, but all Keepers had certain abilities. The Starfire had shared its power when it shattered five thousand years ago as a means of facilitating communication to make Inari understand its true purpose. It made itself a part of them, a perfect
symbiosis at the genetic level. It had destroyed other worlds and species that abused its powers in the past but spared the Inari. Why? Maybe someday the Starfire entities would share their secret. For now, she could only wonder. A few Inari flew into view from around the tower. She watched them, until a gentle music chimed from behind her. Raea returned to the bare apartment. Bare was an understatement. Now she knew why Elis kept his room so sparse and tidy. A wide bed roll lay against a wall next to an arch that led into a bathroom. The dining table and chairs extended from the wall on the other side. No other tables. There were no light stands—lights projected from overhead only. No television. Man, she missed just sitting and watching movies with her friends. Only a lone picture decorated the wall above the bed roll, and that shifted slowly so it was never the same. She so couldn't wait to get back to Earth and her bedroom with the corkboard cluttered with pictures of her and her friends, not to mention being with her
friends again. Raea stopped before the door. ["Come in."] She hoped that was right. Good enough. The door slid away, revealing an older Inari woman with hair and wings of a few shades of blue. She reminded Raea of Nare, but with long hair twisted and wrapped up and her face lined by age. Her hands, or rather her arms, though... Raea's eyes had to be fooling her. The woman's hands were covered by the aquamarine beyond her wrists with the rays wiggling out to her elbows. The woman wore a plain dark blue flightsuit with loose short sleeves, exposing her arms. ["Shartrael Raea. It's an honor to meet you."] This had to be Saffir. The woman stepped in, and the door closed behind her. ["I had only guessed Padina passed her Starfire on to another. I suspected she was pregnant when she vanished, but I never knew until a few years ago. I assume Elis found you."] ["Yes. Yes, he did."] Saffir had sent him; he'd told her that much. Better him than someone else. ["And he trained you to use the Starfire…"] She
suspected something. ["Kind of. I really didn't know anything until six weeks ago."] Saffir straightened, her face hardening. Uh, oh. She didn't mean to cause trouble for Elis. ["No. It was mom's fault. She made Debbie swear— and Debbie made Elis swear—not to tell me. I thought I was human until the Starfire decided otherwise."] ["I see. That explains why you came to me to send you home. Elis knows how to open a portal, although without a shard, he can't."] ["That…that would be my fault. I didn't exactly stay focused. He wasn't happy either."] Except when she let the distraction be him. One pale blue eyebrow lifted, and Raea winced. Yeah, she knew. She should have paid closer attention to Elis's training, but she hadn't expected this to happen. ["I'm sure the Shirukan are aware that you're here or suspect it enough to attack. You're safest on Earth, but when you return, you'll do well to practice harder to harness the Starfire's power to create a portal."]
["I will."] Definitely. No more running around trying to escape the Shirukan when she could go home any time. Now she knew why Elis pushed her so hard. Saffir's expression warmed. ["Good. Now, your friends are probably wondering. We owe them our gratitude for rescuing you."] ["Um…Saffir?"] She turned a patient smile to Raea. ["Yes, Keeper Raea?"] Okay. She took the point. Out of respect, Keepers were addressed by title. ["Keeper Saffir, I…"] How could she ask this? All the visions playing in the story of Salera—did Saffir know? Who else might know about them? If Saffir didn't, she'd be surprised. ["How many shards are there?"] ["Four, of course."] ["Only four?"] Ah. There—a look of recognition. ["They showed you."] ["I saw General Jakoru Vodin, a…partial Keeper called Rafael Talea, and Keeper Salera. I think my shard was hers."] Saffir waved her hand before a black dot on the wall. A hologram of buttons projected in the air
before them. Raea didn't recognize the symbols on the buttons, Inari symbols. While she could speak and understand Inari, she had never learned to read or write it. She'd ask Elis to teach her when she returned. One more item to add to her lessons. In seconds, Saffir pulled up records. Records in Inari. Now she really wished she could read her mother's language. ["Keeper Jenrashol Salera?"] ["I don't know. She went to Earth about four hundred years after the Starfire shattered."] ["Yes."] Saffir's eyes focused on the new projection of writing with a picture of the whitewinged Keeper, exactly what humans described as angels. Salera radiated a gentle beauty, and was gorgeous besides. No wonder the general had a bit of a soft spot for her. What man wouldn't? Saffir would have to read to her. A mild frustration not being able to read for herself. ["What does it say?"] After a short silence, Saffir said, ["She was chosen to bear the Starfire in her first year of training, went to Earth when she was only eighteen years on a research vessel to study human
civilization. She returned with the ship. That's all it says about that mission, except for sociological data."] But it wouldn't say anything about another shard. That was the great secret. ["What about General Jakoru Vodin or Commander Rafael Talea?"] Who were the people she'd seen? Saffir punched a few keys projected in the air. Two images Raea recognized popped up with data. ["That's them."] She wished she could read it herself. Saffir read in silence, scrolling through the odd text and finally shrugging. ["Nothing more."] She touched something that made the whole projection vanish. ["Not surprising. No one knows of any more than four shards."] And as long as the Shirukan thought only four existed, Inar'Ahben was safe from the destruction the Starfire had shown her almost a month ago. ["They left a shard on Earth I think. It was supposed to be a secret, but Salera found out by accident."] ["And the Starfire showed you this?"] Saffir's wings shifted behind her. ["Yes."]
Saffir dropped her pale blue eyes, her fingers rubbing the shard hanging on her chest. The frown on her face left a sinking feeling in the pit of Raea's stomach. ["What's wrong?"] ["Maybe nothing."] ["Maybe?"] Saffir looked up. ["The Starfire entities only show us what we need to know. Why would they reveal this to you?"] Good question. It had all started when the man in the car put his hand up…bearing a strange symbol, an Inari symbol. ["I need to check something. We have a few hours before night on the area of Earth where you live. You may want to bathe and change. Shirukan uniforms are unwelcome at best here."] She passed a critical eye down Raea. Raea had almost forgotten the black uniform. She'd gladly give it up. A few hours, then she had time to clean up, change, eat, and make a final visit with the three rebels who risked their lives to get her there. She
had already taken a nap on the shuttle, but she hadn't bathed or eaten in too long. A few hours and she'd be home. Finally. ["I don't have a change of clothes."] Not since she left hers in Naviketan. Her favorite jeans too. ["I'll have someone bring a fresh change for you."] ["Thank you."] Something else nagged at her mind, something that had bothered her for almost a month, but which she dared not pursue with human doctors. ["Um…Keeper Saffir?"] Blue eyebrows lifted with a hint of bemusement. Oh, man. This wasn't as easy as she expected. ["I…um…If , um…"] Say it! Saffir waited patiently. ["When the first Shirukan found me on Earth, he, um…did something to me. And I was wondering if I could, um, see a doctor."] Saffir's faced dropped into a frown. ["Did something to you?"] Did she have to say it? ["What did he do?"] She had to say it. ["The Starfire showed me."] The horrible scene returned. She was unconscious,
but the Starfire had recorded it, as they recorded everything. ["I have to be sure."] ["The infirmary is in Tower Two, level twelve."] ["Thank you."] Especially for not making her say it. ["Would you like me to show you?"] ["Yes."] Raea followed Saffir from the apartment, rubbing her hands along the silent trek through the bright, rounded corridor. After a brief walk through the skyway and a ride in a transport tube, she arrived at the infirmary with its etched glass doors. There, Saffir left her to her needs. Not long after, Raea returned to her temporary room with a weight lifted from her shoulders. Not only was she not pregnant or carrying any horrible disease, but she wouldn't even be fertile until well into the bonding process. Now, she only had to worry about returning home. First, the shower called to her, along with her stomach. *** So much better. A hot shower and a fresh
change of clothes. They gave her a choice too, but Raea couldn't resist the two-piece with its waves of three-tones of green. It exposed her back and her abs, and was so much better than the all-covering Shirukan uniform. After all the exercise lately—not to mention the lack of food—she never noticed the definition of her muscles. Her tummy flattened, while her back muscles bulked up. She looked good. Damn good. The mirror in the bathroom showed her an image of a slender young woman with shoulder-length brown hair that matched her wings. It couldn't be her reflection. But it was. It so was! Maybe she was pretty. Not beautiful, but not the ugly duckling she always thought she was. The leggings matched the top that looped around her neck and fastened below her wings on her back. Better yet, they'd left shoes that fit. Someone had figured her size perfectly. No more oversized Shirukan boots or restrictive, ugly black uniform. The new clothes totally made up for losing her best jeans. Now for food. Her stomach ached. Oh, Great. No one told her where to go or what to do. First task—find someone who could help her. That meant going out into the corridors. She didn't
know anyone or anything. What an idiot she'd be. Relax. You belong here. And she had friends there, if she could find them. Raea keyed the door open and stepped through when it slid aside. A familiar face faltered in mid stride while taking a step around the corner ahead and stopped. Dressed in a plain gray flightsuit, Cris stared. Oh, no. Did she do something wrong? She shouldn't have come out. Every cell in her body screamed to hide. She turned back to the apartment — ["Wait!"] His rushed steps clapped on the smooth floor What? Did he want to tease her now? Raea crossed her bare arms, or, rather, wrapped them around herself to hide. ["I…was…hoping…you might join me?"] Her insides growled. ["As long as it involves food."] He chuckled. ["For starters."] Oh, no. Not again. Couldn't he quit hitting on her? ["Where's Leksel?"] He always moderated
Cris's behavior. His amusement dropped a notch as he led her through the curving corridor. He was so jealous of his brother. So what if she liked Leksel more? It wasn't like she would ever sleep with either one. ["I don't know. He wasn't in the room they assigned him when I stopped. He's probably already in the dining hall. I'm sure we'll see him there."] ["You know where to go?"] ["It was on the map."] ["What map?"] He stopped at a set of doors with a vertical line of lights next to it. ["The file map."] The door opened to a transport tube. ["I'm not familiar with this world. Remember? I grew up on Earth, Cris."] ["I forgot about that."] He followed her inside. After the doors shut on them, he leaned against the back of the car. ["Level twelve."] Raea hiccupped at the sudden drop, despite knowing it would come after her ride with Saffir. A few seconds later, the car stopped without that gentle bounce that left her wobbly-legged the first step out of elevators, nor did she feel it any other
way. With all the technology of the Inari, she speculated they used some sort of reverse gravity to lighten the stop. If they could make cities float in the sky, she wouldn't doubt it. They stepped out into a large room full of tables and chairs among thick pillars. Glass lined the outer walls all around. The sun high in the sky shone bright. ["Dining hall. All you can eat, especially if you've been running from the Shirukan."] All right, Cris. She caught his easy grin and elbowed him in the gut. They didn't need to attract attention. A few of the scattered faces looked up and she scanned those faces. No sign of Leksel. And the dining hall took up only half of that tower; a flat wall extended behind them both directions. ["Where is he?"] ["He can take care of himself."] Chris strode for the food counter to the left, a shadow over his mood. Now she knew why the dining hall took up only half the pie of the tower—the kitchen and storage area must have filled the rest. A wide door behind the serving counter allowed a glimpse into a kitchen. None of the food under the glass appealed to her, but her empty stomach refused to wait until
she reached home. The woman behind the counter wore a cloth over her wings, giving Raea the impression of being a hunchback. Raea shook her head. ["You pick. I have no idea."] ["You're sure? You trust me?"] Not when he asked her like that, but she didn't have much of a choice. That smug, teasing grin sent a shudder down her back. ["Just do it, before I change my mind."] As if that could happen. She had no idea what anything was. Cris ordered her a plate of what he took. They sat down at a table away from the others, near the tinted window blocking direct sunlight from blinding anyone in the room, and looked out over clear sky. The food was good, although her hunger may have overridden her sense of taste. Too much time had passed since her last meal. The searoot spores had filled her, but those were hours ago. Raea almost cleared her plate by the time she sated her hunger and slowed down to talk. ["That was good."] ["Very good. But anything's good on an empty
stomach."] So, she wasn't alone thinking that. ["True, but you have to admit that this was at least fair."] ["Not as 'fair' as the company."] Here we go again. Didn't he ever quit? Probably not until she said it straight out. Raea wiped her mouth with the napkin. She had to tell him, or this would go on until she left. She should have told him sooner, but she didn't know what would happen or how he would treat her. Now that she would see Elis again, she had no excuses. She was no better than Elis for not being fully honest. It didn’t excuse him, but she understood partly why he hadn't said anything, if he had purposely omitted the detail about bonding. He'd been afraid of losing her. She had to be straight with Cris. No pussyfooting around the issue. ["Cris. You really shouldn’t try so hard."] ["It's not hard. It comes naturally."] She restrained the urge to smack him. ["That's what I mean. It's annoying. You'd have better success if you were more like Leksel."] Why did she say that?
Too late. She couldn't take it back. Cris stared out at the sky beyond the window, suddenly somber. A couple Inari flew a ways out. ["I see. Lucky Leks."] Nice guilt trip. Damn him. ["It's not Leksel! All right? He's just better at…being nice."] ["Mister ice man? Nice? That's funny."] The way he said that made her cringe. The frown and crossed arms pointed far from any hint of amusement. ["He's better at everything. All the time, it was always 'Why can't you be more like Leksel?' or 'Leksel did this; why can't you?' I'm never good enough. I get it."] What the hell? ["Grow up! Do you hear yourself? You're so jealous for no reason. You're a lot of fun, but the constant harassment, the…the advances, they're annoying. And now you act like a child. Grow up and take some responsibility for your actions. The sooner you quit acting like you're only out for sex, the sooner you'll actually find someone who wants to be with you."] Dammit! Arguing with him made her sound like Leksel. ["Yes, Leks."] "Whatever," she mumbled, her arms crossed. ["If you want a girlfriend, you need to respect
women."] ["I do. I respect you."] ["Then show it!"] That urge to smack him rose up stronger. He fell silent. Nothing. Not even a remark she could argue against. Could he be, like, actually considering what she said? ["It's not that hard, Cris,"] she said quietly. ["You can be a lot of fun, until you start thinking from below your waist and let it control your mouth."] Men were men, no matter what species, although Elis had never once pushed her or made lewd suggestions. He always respected her, maybe too much. She did not just think that. Did she? Okay, maybe she wouldn't mind him getting a little more comfortable and close, but she had known him quite a bit longer than a few days. She liked being close to him, snuggling and cuddling, and touching him. She liked him touching her, but he never crossed that invisible line into anything sexual. Ever. Or at least, not yet. Cris had been a pain from day one. She'd only known him for what—three days? He took too many liberties with his mouth and his eyes.
["Are you done?"] Raea blinked. ["Done?"] He motioned to her plate with a few bites left. ["Eating?"] Oh. For a second, she thought he meant done chewing him out. ["Yes."] She'd been done since the conversation started up again. He grabbed his plate and started to rise, all sense of playfulness gone. ["Cris."] She couldn't let him leave like this. Now what? Pouting? He was upset. Raea hurried to grab his arm and stepped in front of him. ["Cris. I'm sorry."] ["No, you're not."] He moved around her. ["You always took Leksel's side."] ["No, I didn't. I stopped him from killing you."] Oops. She shouldn't have said that so loudly. A few heads turned. ["Maybe you should have let him finish."] ["Damn it, Cris!"] The smack of her hand on his cheek burned. God! He pissed her off. ["It's not about the two of you. I already have a mate."] Something unlocked in her stomach to say it, freeing her from a burden she hadn't realized she carried.
Elis would be her mate. She had already made up her mind weeks ago. She had known from the beginning, and the Starfire entities had known he was the right person too. There was no question in her mind. Bonding or not, she would have stayed with him. Cris blinked and focused on her. Good thing she wore light clothes. The heat of embarrassment rose through her. She shoved her hair behind her ear and rubbed her hands on her arms. ["Technically, not yet. But we were, um…in the bonding process when I was taken. He's also a Keeper."] ["On Earth?"] ["Yes. Saffir sent him to protect me. His name is Elis. All right?"] There. Now he knew. Maybe he'd leave her alone. ["Then it's not Leks."] ["No. It never was. Yes, he's attractive, but so are you. And Leksel knows how to keep his mouth shut. He may have lots of…experience."] To say the least, if she was right in interpreting what he'd said about his life as a Shirukan. ["But he never once made that
his objective around me. He's too old for my tastes, but that's beside the point. I gave my heart away before I ever met you."] He started forward again, his head higher than a minute ago. ["What's this Elis like?"]
Betrayal What a change. Cris seemed so relaxed since their discussion. He made no attempts to hit on her. Not one, and he asked about Elis. She should have saved herself the trouble and told him from the start. Talking about Elis brought on the homesickness, though. As much as she grew to like Inar'Ahben, Earth was still her home. Cris listened intently to her talk about her friends and family there too. No one had asked her about her home in all her time there. They sat in a parlor with a platform extending out from a wall open to the fresh air. A couple of Keepers had passed through in and out. Raea shifted forward on the chair. ["Maybe you should try Leks again."] In a couple hours, as near as she could guess, Saffir planned to open the portal. Raea didn't want to leave without thanking the others. ["Or maybe we should go pester him. It'd be more fun."] A mischievous grin brightened on
his face. ["You have a death wish. Don't you?"] Cris shrugged, but that grin said it all. ["He's too uptight all the time."] ["With good reason. He's been through a lot."] ["Maybe. Korali's death hit him the worst. He was fun to be around when she was alive."] Cris rose and headed for the door to the corridor. ["Are you coming?"] Raea jumped up and rushed after him. They passed through the corridors and one of the skywalks to Tower Three. A trio of Keepers rushed past in dark blue uniforms, their wings tight like their grim faces. Trouble? Raea watched them disappear into the transport tube. ["What's going on?"] Cris gave her a sly look. ["Let's find out."] The lights next to the transport tube went all the way to the top. They waited, but it stayed there. ["Someone's locked it."] Cris fingered the top green light in the column. ["We can't follow?"] ["No. We'll have to wait, or find another way up. I'd guess the control room is up there. It's best not to
have the structure's controls and generators in close proximity. They may be shielded, but…"] ["Better safe than sorry?"] His cheer returned. ["Exactly. I suppose they have to come down at some point."] He tapped the light again, as if it would make a difference in how fast it changed. So impatient. Cris was the opposite of his brother. No surprise the two couldn't get along. ["What'll you do after I'm gone?"] He shrugged, his eyes on the lights. ["Return to Naviketan probably. We don't belong here. And Leks has this notion that we can still destroy Heffin's Gate."] He'd still stick by his brother, despite expressing his doubts and nitpicks about him. He cared, even if he would never admit it. Cris studied her, or, rather, the grin she couldn't erase. ["What?"] ["Nothing."] Nothing she wanted to explain, because he wouldn't listen anyway. ["You'll be all right, Cris."] ["I know."] The lights changed on the column, and he stepped back. ["It's moving."]
Indeed it moved—the lights lit up and dimmed in downward succession. They stopped on that floor. Cris stepped back, and the door opened. Her heart jumped into her throat. ["Corsa!"] Bent and frayed feathers stuck out of her wings and her face was red and purple in a couple places, Corsa laid on a gurney floating in front of a guard. She wore a simple gray flightsuit and shoes, torn in a few places. Blood left a line from a cut on her cheek into her golden brown hair. Raea rushed to her side with Cris close behind. ["Corsa. What happened?"] The guard pushed her quickly through the corridor, so Raea had to walk fast to keep up. Cris strode beside her on the other side of the gurney. ["Ra…Raea?"] ["Yes?"] ["It…was Leksel. He..."] Corsa passed her tongue over a swollen bottom lip. ["He did this. He… sabotaged defense grid."] ["What?"] She and Cris questioned together, frozen while the guard shoved the floating gurney
quickly away. Raea must have heard wrong. One look at Cris confirmed they both wanted to know more. After all Leksel had told her and done for her, she couldn’t believe he would jeopardize the Keepers. They caught up as the guard pushed the gurney through the infirmary glass door in Tower Two. Raea grabbed the arm of one of the guards as a medic rushed up in her red uniform. ["Where's Leksel?"] ["They're taking him to the detention area,"] the woman behind the gurney said. ["What'll they do to him?"] ["Hold him."] Cris frowned at the guard. ["Leks wouldn't hurt anyone without a reason."] Um, right. Raea cleared her throat. Had he forgotten so soon? ["That was different. He's not like that, Raea. He's a good man."] That's what she wanted to believe, but seeing Corsa beat up triggered doubts. Could Leksel have been playing her all this time? If he did…No. He couldn't. How could she have been so stupid? Leksel was former Shirukan, or so he claimed.
But he showed real emotion about Korali. And Cris… What if Cris was in on it? He couldn't be. Could he? She hated this. Who could she trust? ["She's lying. She has to be,"] Cris muttered. ["We'll find out the truth."] The guard followed the medic, who directed them to a quiet corner among the medical equipment. Cris grabbed Raea's arm. ["Raea. You know me. I know Leks. He can be harsh, but he's a traitor to the Shirukan. He wants nothing to do with them, especially after they killed Korali."] How did she know? He'd say anything to defend his brother. His brother, who he claimed pulled him from the academy. A Shirukan training academy? Raea pulled her arm away and backed from him in the corridor. ["I want to hear Leksel's side first."] This couldn't be happening, not after everything they'd been through the last few days. ["She has to be lying."] ["Just take me. You read the map."] At least she was surrounded by Keepers now. If Cris tried anything, someone would help her.
Cris swallowed, his eyes moving as if focusing on something only he saw. ["I barely noticed it, but I think I know. Let's go."] After a quick ride in the transport, the lights next to the door lit up until the tenth light stayed on. They followed the corridor to a skyway to Tower One. The three towers with their short skyways at nearly every level formed a triangle between them. She followed Cris a few steps into the hall of the tower and through a door on the inside of the corridor. There, they met a pair of guards. Leksel gazed back from behind a clear wall of glass, the gray flightsuit he wore a bit scuffed and torn in a couple places. He took up the only occupied cell of the four in the room. Apparently they didn't keep prisoners. Cris passed the guards, who made no move to stop him. Either they didn't see any threat or they didn't usually play prison guards. Either way, they didn't show any alarm. ["Leks. We saw Corsa. She was barely conscious. What did you do?"] Leksel's jaw tightened. His eyes passed Cris and focused on Raea. ["What did she tell you?"] His words came over a speaker with a calm she didn't
expect. ["She said you sabotaged the defense grid."] His shoulders rose and fell with a deep breath. ["She was the one who caused the damage. I suspected she was up to something when I saw her get in the tube and ride it to the top. She attacked when I confronted her. After knocking her down, I tried to repair it, but the guards arrived."] He fixed his eyes on her, the hardness gone. Was he asking her to believe him? ["I knew there was something about her, but I didn't think she would betray us."] Leksel shook his head. ["She lied about everything. She used me, used us."] He gritted his teeth on the last part, regaining some of that typical repressed anger, but he wasn't holding back now. ["I should've seen it long ago. She was too good at acting as a Shirukan, knew the procedures and even lined up in the shuttle bay for the prime commander's inspection, and then she disappeared and conveniently showed up before we made it to Starfire Tower."] ["You're not perfect, Leks, contrary to what you might believe. You can't know everything."]
But he had suspected something when they met Corsa again. Unless that and this were all an act to gain her confidence. Stop it! Raea hated this. Who told the truth? Leksel's lips twitched, but rather than snap at Cris, he let out a sigh. One good thing came of their fight—Leksel was more patient with Cris. That fight couldn't have been staged. She remembered how reluctant he had been to stop. Those emotions had been real. What truth could she believe? Raea stepped back. One of them lied, but she didn't want to believe either of them would betray her or the Keepers. ["I would have noticed if she was meistal."] She hadn't. Corsa couldn't be Shirukan. Leksel's dark eyes focused on her. His wings shifted. ["Did you touch her—skin to skin?"] Did she? Raea thought back. For once, she didn't mind the perfect memory. She filed through her memories to all the times she'd been close to Corsa. She'd awakened to Corsa sitting next to her, but Corsa never touched her when she took the tea. Corsa never touched her when she handed her the plate of food, or when they changed clothes. Cris
touched her while they were under attack in the recycling plant. After she nearly fainted from using the Starfire— ["Yes, I did. She and Cris both helped me out of the recycling plant. But I already touched Cris then and knew. I was too weak, I think, to notice when they were both touching me."] ["Was that the only time?"] ["Yes."] Wait. There was something else, but it wasn't her. ["Wouldn't you have noticed?"] ["No. We don't have enough Starfire to feel it in others."] So much for that theory. Now she knew. ["You can visit her now and touch her. You'll know."] Cris sounded far more confident in her abilities than she felt in anyone right now. ["Raea. Please. We wouldn't have come all this way just to betray you."] ["What about to capture two Crystal Keepers?"] Leksel straightened, his wings tightening behind him. ["She knew we'd make it here. It's not just about you."] He put a hand on the glass. ["Raea, listen. If Corsa came to take down the defense grid, the Shirukan will be here soon. She wouldn't do this if
the plan wasn't already in place."] Oh, God. Raea's stomach twisted. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. She should be home with Elis, safe in his arms. ["You have to warn Saffir. She's the one they're after. Once they have her, capturing you will be easy, wherever you are."] Great vote of confidence in her abilities, but he was right. She hardly knew how to use the Starfire to its full potential. ["What about you?"] ["I'll be fine. Once they scan my memories, they'll know the truth."] Scan his mind? Then it wasn't just between Keepers? Elis had helped her retrieve the Starfire's memory about Pallin raping her. He had seen the memory too, but she thought only Keepers could share memories. If they could retrieve memories from others, the truth would be known. Why didn't they do so already? They could prove his innocence, or guilt. ["Go, Raea. You're the only one who can convince them."] She wanted to believe he only had the best intentions for her, but she wanted to believe Corsa
too. Why couldn't this be easy? ["The Shirukan are coming."] Leksel paused, and his voice lost its edge to add, ["If you can trust anything, it's that they're on their way now."] Yes. That she could believe. No matter who caused the damage, it meant trouble. Raea ran from there to find Saffir. Then, she would visit Corsa. *** After asking a few unfamiliar faces, she found someone to take her to Saffir. Raea stepped into an empty room, or empty except for the mat on which Saffir sat. Sunlight spilled in from the windows on one side, casting the Crystal Keeper in an ethereal glow. She could have been a real angel. Blue eyes opened on her. ["I'm almost ready."] ["I'm not."] ["You want to stay?"] ["No. I came to warn you."] Saffir rose to her feet, and Raea stepped closer. ["The Shirukan are coming."]
["So I've been told."] What? She knew? A gentle smile rose on Saffir's face. ["Nalissa notified me of the attack when they found your friends."] ["She did?"] At least, Raea assumed Nalissa was a she—the name fit. ["We expected something might happen."] The smile slid from her face and her shoulders dropped. ["The Shirukan practice deception as part of their training. It's unfortunate that we have to worry about the intentions of every person. We knew your friends we r e meistal and suspected they may be real Shirukan."] Okay, now she was confused. ["You did? How?"] ["We scanned the shuttle. The Starfire gives off a distinct radiation."] Yes, Leksel had told her. What did that have to do with them… The answer clicked. ["They have traces of Starfire in them and you picked that up."] ["Yes. All of them."] All of them. Then Corsa too. She was meistal, and Raea hadn't noticed. Then maybe Leksel was right.
["It's not the same as a Keeper, but it can be detected. We saw you distinctly, but didn't know what to make of your friends."] Saffir paused. ["I can't say this wasn't unexpected, and we prepared for trouble. General Lolliren is standing by with his ship in orbit."] Now she felt stupid for even worrying. ["What about the defenses of this place? What about Corsa and Leksel?"] ["Someone's working on the controls they damaged. As for those two, we'll decide what to do with them after the Shirukan are gone."] That wasn't good enough. She couldn't leave them wondering if Leksel had used her all along to get to Saffir. ["I have to know who's telling the truth."] ["Do you? What if both are lying? The Shirukan are masters of deception. They might all be hoping you'll convince us to turn one of them free, so they can complete their mission."] ["No. I don't believe it."] Not after all she'd learned and experienced with them. That couldn't be faked. ["Would you risk the Starfire and the security of this world on that?"] Saffir made a good case. ["No."] But there was more. Leksel had mentioned scanning their minds.
["But can't you read their minds to find the truth?"] Saffir paced away from her and waved her hand for Raea to follow. ["What did Elis teach you about being a Keeper?"] Nothing like being put on the spot. Raea thought back to her lessons. ["He taught me to use the Starfire to defend myself, but he said Keepers always help when there's a need."] Saffir stared out at the sky and the puffs of clouds floating past. ["Did he tell you our greatest pledge, especially for Crystal Keepers?"] Raea swallowed her anxiety and brushed a strand of hair from her shoulder. ["I don't know. He never pointed out anything in particular."] Saffir fixed her eyes on Raea and spoke in a firm voice. ["Do no harm."] Her blue wings shifted. ["That is the first oath of all those who train here, the antithesis of the Shirukan and their empress."] Her gaze made Raea uncomfortable, as if Saffir accused her of doing wrong. What did this have to do with her question about finding the truth? But she had done harm to Pallin. Whether he deserved it or not, she had killed him with the Starfire. No. The Starfire did it; not me.
What about the Shirat soldiers and the Shirukan in Naviketan? I didn't have a choice. We were
outnumbered, and they weren't hurt, only stunned. This made no sense from what Elis had taught her. ["What about defending the crystal?"] A knowing look softened the lines of the Crystal Keeper's face. ["Only when necessary. The entities are explorers. They will not tolerate a selfish Keeper or one who desires power. Do no harm means we don't force our will on anyone. We serve, Keeper Raea. We help those in need… I will not scan anyone who refuses."] ["But if they refuse, wouldn't that indicate they're hiding something and don't want to be found out?"] ["Maybe. Or perhaps they wish to keep their privacy. Mind scans are a complex area of our laws."] Forget their law! She wanted to know, without a doubt. ["Leksel's willing. He'll prove himself."] Saffir studied her, the calm on her face irritating. ["You trust this Leksel?"] Did she? Raea wanted to, but she wasn't sure
anymore what she believed. What if he lied to her? What if his willingness was one more way to win her trust? No. The emotion on his face when he talked about Korali was real. Her death had hurt him. That much was certain. He said she was a Keeper and a rebel, the reason he betrayed the Shirukan. Was that part real? What about blaming himself for his parents' incarceration? No one could fake that kind of emotion. ["I've only known him a few days, but…I've seen…his soul. He tries to hide it, but…"] Raea shrugged. It all sounded superficial. ["I don't know. There's something in his eyes, real emotions, real sorrow like…like what I saw in Elis. Leksel wears an armor to protect his emotions, I think. He was trained not to care, but he does."] ["A scan can pull out the most intimate details,"] Saffir quietly said. ["Whether willing or not, it is an invasion of privacy."] ["He asked."] Saffir stood quiet. Raea imagined what she thought—this was another trick to get close to her. But he hadn't asked for Saffir in particular.
["I'll authorize it, but I want to hear it from him."]
Worlds Collide Raea followed Saffir into the detention area, not sure she wanted to know the truth. Cris jumped up from a chair near Leksel's cell. Behind the glass, Leksel tipped his head with an air of respect. ["Keeper Saffir."] Saffir carried herself with the poise of a leader, every bit as confident as Leksel, but in a kinder way. ["You are Leksel?"] ["I am."] ["Former Shirukan?"] His wings shifted but he gave no other indication of agitation. Whether it came from the identification with the Shirukan or something else, Raea couldn't tell. ["Yes."] ["And you requested a mind scan…to prove your innocence?"] Leksel's gaze never wavered from Saffir. ["Yes."] Saffir studied him for a few seconds.
In that time, Cris caught Raea's eyes with a question. She shrugged—how was she to know what went on in the Crystal Keeper's head? Saffir surprised her with the sudden decision to perform the scan herself. They didn't have much time, though, if Leksel was right about the Shirukan. ["You understand that I can't control what I find. I will see things you may not want anyone to know."] The scolding look on Saffir's face might have pricked him. Leksel winced slightly. ["Yes."] ["Guards!"] Two uniformed guards stepped to her side. The third keyed something on the console—an unlock code since the glass sparkled out of existence. Okay, not glass then. Plasma? Raea could worry about it later. Leksel knelt before her in anything but his usual austere demeanor and bowed his head. ["I can't change what I was, only who I am."] ["Well spoken."] Saffir stepped forward, her hands glowing. Cris joined Raea and leaned down to whisper, ["Thanks."]
["Why?"] ["For giving Leks a second chance."] Was he sincere, or was this all part of an elaborate plan, so he could gain her confidence for the right moment to take her to his superiors? Stop it! No. Leksel and Cris couldn't be that scheming. Could they? Saffir would soon learn the truth. The Crystal Keeper put one hand on each side of Leksel's head. He stared ahead, the confidence on his face withering away each second. In what couldn't have been half a minute, the glow of Saffir's hands faded, and she stepped back. That was fast. Leksel dropped his head, his shoulders sagging with his wings. He looked defeated and tired. It pulled at Raea's emotions. A firm hand on her arm held her in place. Cris shook his head. ["Don't."] They stood in the silence that lingered until Saffir broke it with her gentle voice. ["I'm sorry."] ["So am I,"] Leksel said. In the lights of the chamber, Saffir's throat flashed with a swallow. She walked away with the guards
and spoke in a low voice with them. That's it? No more? It seemed so simple. But Leksel was free; the guards left him alone. All her worries lifted, leaving her relieved. As Leksel stood, Raea pulled away from Cris's hand and rushed to Leksel. Without thinking, she embraced him. ["I knew you couldn't be guilty. I didn't want to believe it."] His arms tightened around her for a second. ["Why? I was Shirukan. I could have been acting all this time and you wouldn't know it."] Was he kidding? Raea pulled back but not away from his touch. A cold glare hardened his face, but he took a deep breath and let it pass. ["Thank you…both of you."] Raea followed his gaze over her shoulder to Cris. Cris shrugged with his usual nonchalance. ["We're brothers. What am I supposed to do? Just leave you? You're not getting rid of me that easily."] Leksel let go of her and wrapped Cris in a crushing embrace. ["All right."] Cris gasped. ["Don't go all
sentimental. I might start to wonder if you are still Shirukan and lying."] In an event she thought she'd never see, Leksel laughed. Too weird. Two brothers reconciled, or she hoped they did. For the moment, they put aside their differences. Or was it that despite their differences, they were still brothers and loyal to each other? It didn't matter. They were getting along for a change. ["What about Corsa?"] she asked. ["She's gone."] Raea turned on Saffir. ["How?"] ["The medics healed her wounds. She pretended to rest, but attacked when they didn't expect it."] How did she know? A useless question. The woman behind her worked at a holographic control panel. ["She knew I'd want to prove my innocence and would be discovered,"] Leksel said. ["A fair guess."] Saffir shifted her focus to Raea. ["The Shirukan will be here soon. The time is now if you hope to return home."] ["Already?"] Suddenly home seemed so far away, like a distant memory. She'd been running
from the Shirukan for three or four days, but it could have been three years. Yet thinking of home recalled Elis and her reaction to finding out about bonding. He filled her heart with his kindness and completed her soul. He'd always given her what she needed without asking for anything in return. And he was right in his reasons for not telling her sooner. She had needed him. Finding out may have pushed her away into a dark lonely corner where she could have lost herself. Instead, he held her, keeping her in the light and chasing away the horrors she'd endured. She had almost forgotten all that. Seeing it in her mind again made her shudder, but this time it didn't leave shadows. Maybe she was meant to meet Leksel and Cris and learn about the Shirukan. His story and his dedication to helping her washed some of the stain away. He had been Shirukan, one of those horrible soldiers like Pallin, but he had changed for the better. She might not feel the same if she'd known him before he met Korali, but she knew him now. He was a good man. In that light, she was ready. She missed Elis and her friends and family on Earth, but she would miss
her new friends on Inar'Ahben. ["You don't have to go. You could stay here with us."] Cris rocked back and forth on his heels, a smug grin climbing on his face. At the right moment…There. Raea shoved him in the chest. He flailed his arms, his wings extended to catch his balance. Served him right. ["She's learned."] Leksel smirked. Cris caught his balance and pulled his wings in. ["Say what you want. I wouldn't mind."] ["I'm sure you wouldn't."] Leksel gave him a scolding look. ["But Elis is waiting."] How did he know? Cris. He must have told Leksel. Just as well; she wouldn't deny it. ["Yes, he is."] ["I'll open the portal now. It should be sunset at your location on Earth."] So soon, yet not soon enough. Someone might see her, but she didn't have much of a choice to avoid the Shirukan. ["Thank you."] ["How close are the Shirukan?"] Leksel asked. Saffir turned to the guards at the holographic controls. With a few keystrokes, the woman said, ["About seven minutes."]
["It'll be close,"] Cris said. ["Perfect for you."] Leksel's wings shifted, but the crook of a smile turned up. Cris got it. ["Yes, sir."] ["I know you'll take care of her."] Saffir met Leksel's eyes with unwavering calm. ["You're welcome here anytime, Rajeun Leksel and Rajeun Cris. We could use your knowledge and your skills in this fight."] Leksel acknowledged her with a nod but said nothing. Saffir turned to Raea and winked. ["Give my love to my grand nephew."] Grand nephew? Who— ["Elis?"] It made sense. When he told her about the Starfire and Saffir sending him, he said that one shard had always stayed in their family. 'Our family'. That's what he meant. He told her without really telling her. She just hadn't caught it then. Her smile said it all. ["Go."] The Starburst marks on Saffir's hands and the thumb-sized shard of crystal hanging on her neck glowed. ["I can keep the portal open for a short time."]
["Thank you."] Saffir said nothing but closed her eyes, the glow about her intensifying. When the Starfire created the Keepers, it also created the most advanced machine to rival Heffin's Gate. Keepers were the perfect organic machines to harness and utilize the power of the Starfire. Saffir showed her how powerful the machines were. Leksel steered Raea out before she could say anything more. ["This way."] He guided her and Cris through the corridor to an empty apartment like the one in which she had showered and changed earlier that day. At the balcony doors, he stopped her. ["You have your tri-comm?"] ["No. I didn't think I'd need it."] From his breast pocket, he pulled out the oblong device. ["Here. Never go anywhere without it. I programmed this with the frequency of Starfire Tower. If anything happens, they'll know immediately."] He pulled out another and pressed it to his face. She did the same as Cris did with one he carried. Man, she really had a lot to learn and no
time to study. Hers was a trial by fire. They rushed through to the balcony doors and out into the fresh air. Wind was more like it. Raea spread her wings and caught an updraft that carried her above the two men. There, about a mile away. The black disk in the sky pulled the clouds to it in a spiral. The Starfire portal, her gateway home. ["Raea!"] She twisted. Leksel flew up before her, and she faltered with surprise as another figure caught him. Corsa! He wrestled with her momentarily while falling, and pulled away. Cris flew up beside Raea. ["Keep going! He'll distract her."] He was right, but… No buts. They had sacrificed everything to get her home, to help her escape the Shirukan. Holding back would waste the trouble they'd gone through. It wasn't over yet. A vessel approached from an angle, a dark, sleek shape that sliced through the air. That had to be the Shirukan Saffir warned them
about. A shriek carried over her tri-comm, startling her. Leksel! She twisted to find him. He dropped but spread his wings and glided. That was the least of her worries. Corsa aimed for her. ["Fly! Go on ahead."] Cris pulled back. ["We'll take care of her."] He'd get no argument from her. Raea flew to the black disk with the lightning flashing around its edges. The ship approached quickly. She swore it changed its trajectory to intercept her. Why couldn't Saffir have opened the portal closer? Duh. Gravity. The spiraling of the clouds proved it. The ferocity of the wind picked up, challenging her flight. What about Leksel and Cris? Safe. Actually following her. Corsa flew close behind them, though. ["Keep going, Raea."] A shot flashed past Cris. Corsa behind and the Shirukan ahead, between her and her escape. How was she going to get out of this!
A touch on her ankles made her jerk. ["It's just me."] Leksel. Thank goodness. Raea caught her breath. ["Cris is distracting Corsa. He's good at taunting."] That she believed. A shadow fell over them. Raea looked up to a ring of lights spraying across the dark underside of a ship larger than the one spewing black-clad figures. The city-sized vessel descended slowly. It had to be at least two miles across. ["Leks, we have company,"] Cris said. Her heart sank. They'd never make it. The blackclad birds of prey—or they could as well have been —formed into wedges meant to intercept her. It would be close, but she might make it to the portal before them. The race was on. ["Damn! She's shooting to kill now."] Cris's voice. What? Raea hesitated and glanced back and aside at Cris. The smooth line of flight feathers broke near his body. He'd had a close call. ["Are you all right?"] she asked. ["I'll be fine. It's almost easier to avoid than being neutralized."]
She glanced aside at the ominous flying wedges. So close, but she could make it if— ["Crystal fire!"] Cris. What now? ["Leks!"] ["Raea, keep going,"] Leksel said. Keep going, alone? What about the Shirukan ahead? They'd be surrounded. She didn't want to leave them, but if she didn't go now, she might not make it home. The larger ship stopped on the opposite side of the portal from the Shirukan ship. Men and women dropped from the ring of light sunken into the underside of the ship. Their uniforms were different. They weren't Shirukan. The gold stripe down the center of their chests stood out against the darker color of their uniforms, which weren’t black. The soldiers formed into wedges, but they didn't fly towards her. ["I think help has arrived."] Leksel flew up beside her. She hadn't even noticed that she'd slowed down. ["Where's Cris?"] ["A little busy,"] Cris said. ["I'll be fine. Take care, Raea."] ["You too."]
Now to get past the entanglement ahead without getting hit. This would be interesting. *** ["Estimate Crystal Keeper is two minutes from portal,"] the young lieutenant reported from his seat at the sensor controls. Valdas watched the numbers tracking the images on the display, including the new arrivals. ["The Kerannis."] She tapped the tri-comm on her perfect cheek. ["Dallars. Shourees. Flank positions."] ["Yes, sir."] On the display, the two armies headed for one another. They would need all the support they could get. With the defenses on Tower Two down, they could send a breach team in to capture Saffir, while the other Crystal Keeper flew right into her hands. Two more ships popped into existence next to the larger Kerannis. In seconds, flyers dropped from the lower bays. The larger ship dared not fire on them. Starting a shooting war in the atmosphere of their world would be devastating. If a wild shot hit the
searoot of the nearby islands, the premature dropping of an island would disrupt their food and raw materials supplies. Not even their empress was foolish enough to risk damage. The reason why full operation of Heffin's Gate meant so much. Whole cities could be destroyed without risk to the fragile resources of Inar'Ahben. Valdas muted the tri-comm. ["Keep me informed."] ["Yes, sir."] She glanced out at the battle. Her army engaged the enemy, while the forces commanded by Dallars and Shourees formed up to flank them. Very good. At the central holographic display, she touched the green dot marking the Crystal Keeper. The view ballooned to show her the girl and her escort. Her escort. Him! Rage boiled up within her. He was the one who knifed her. He led the rebels who stole the girl. Valdas noticed her wings up and pulled them close. She wanted to fly out and confront him herself, to repay him for nearly killing her. She passed her hand over the scar on her cheek. Their medics could only do so much in an emergency; saving her life had been the priority.
Maybe when this was over, she would have it removed. Maybe. It had come to represent the sacrifice she made for her empress, and she appreciated the greater respect of others. It should never have happened. Her nails scraped the metal of the control panel around the projector. He was in the open, but she was stuck in the ship overseeing the entire operation. ["One minute, sir."] Not enough time for face-to-face combat. But she had one other option. It would be risky, but worth it. One shot was all she needed. ["Weapons. Give me firing control."] ["Sir?"] The woman turned from her seat across the command deck. ["Do it!"] She wouldn't miss. *** ["Cris!"] Raea caught a flash from the corner of her eye and flapped to halt her forward momentum. Corsa.
The resonance warmed with only a thought. Don't kill her, she said to herself. She lifted her hands. Cris dropped away. Left with a clear shot, Raea released the energy. The hit sent Corsa spinning away and plummeting. ["Thanks."] Cris gasped. ["You're all right."] Relief poured through her with the chill of using the Starfire. ["Of course I am. Now get moving."] He flapped to swoop up, while Corsa continued to fall behind him. Raea twisted and caught a smile on Leksel's face, but he said nothing. Ahead, the two armies approached. Several of them opened fire. Those couple of seconds might have cost her the opening she needed. ["Up."] Leksel flapped to climb. Raea saw it immediately. Of course! They could come in from above the portal if they had to. A flash of light temporarily blinded her, the crack of thunder ringing in her ears. ["Leks!"] Cris screamed over the tri-comm. Raea blinked away the spots, her wings spread
to glide. Two dark brown sets of wings dove, one after the other. No. The spots in her eyes only made it seem that way. She caught one folded set of wings and only one and a partial wing on the other, if it was that. The frame of a wing was there, but hardly any feathers. ["Cris."] ["I got him. Raea. Get to the portal!"] ["But Leksel—"] ["I'll take care of him."] Cris caught Leksel and opened his wings to stop falling. ["Go on. Get home."] A second shot flashed behind her. The thunder vibrated through her. Again it happened, but she saw it this time, and this time, the larger ship fired on the smaller ship. ["It's only a warning."] Cris panted, his words seeming more for himself. ["They wouldn't dare fight in atmosphere."] No way did she want to get between the leviathans. Raea held steady. She was so close now. A head on flight and in a minute she'd be home free.
["Raea…Go. Now…They're too stunned."] Leksel's voice was hoarse between breaths. She swallowed her hesitations. Leksel was right, and he was alive. ["Thanks for everything."]
Homecoming "This is so weird. A cool kind of weird. You know?" Yeah. Elis knew. Josh had said it something like half a dozen times throughout the evening. He should be up in his room on the computer, digging for information. Instead he sat on the sofa in the front sitting room, next to Josh with Nare on the opposite end. "I didn't know killing aliens could be so much fun," Nare said. As Raea would say, whatever. He didn't need Nare's sarcasm. She should have returned to Colorado already, but that would defeat her purpose. She intended to stay until she antagonized him to death. He could make that happen sooner if she really wanted, or if she gave up her oath of tying him to the bed if he tried. Did the temperature go up in the house? He warmed suddenly.
"Your hands are glowing," Josh said. The Starburst marks, but he didn't seek the resonance. Nare held her bare hands out to check her faintly glowing marks. A second later, she met his eyes with the confirmation he expected. His heart thumped against his chest, yanking him to his feet. "What is it?" Josh followed him out of the room. Elis nearly slammed the closet door open. "A Starfire portal." Nare reached past for her leather jacket. "A what?" "The Shirukan are back." His fingers couldn't work fast enough to tie his shoes. His chance for revenge had come. Whatever they wanted, he'd make sure they didn't get it. But what more could there be, unless… Impossible! Emotions choked him. What if he was right? He finished tying his shoes and noticed his jacket in the air next to him. Nare smiled. "Maybe." "Maybe what?" Josh gasped. "You don't think— Raea!"
Elis left his jacket open and raced out the front door, pulling his gloves from his pocket as he ran past the blue house on the corner and crossed the street to the field beyond. The stars crept over the east, but the red glow of the sun lingered in the west. The black disk hovered in the southeastern sky. So far nothing came from it. What was going on? He ran over the hill and called on the resonance. His back ached with the rapid growth of wings, but it didn't stop him. He flapped hard in his anxiety.
Raea. Please let it be you. A glimpse of white-blue flashed beneath him. Nare followed. Could the portal have opened any farther away? It took forever to even get close, like a dream where the target moves farther the faster one runs towards it. Was it Raea? Was it the Shirukan? Was it someone else? Who would come? Or was it Saffir waiting for him? Had something happened?
Please be all right. The winds swirled stronger the closer he flew. He adjusted without problems, shifting his wings to stay balanced. The resonance kept him warm, but the
evening was warmer than usual too. It wasn't a dream. The portal was real. A lone figure emerged. Not the black-clad figure he feared, but one of lighter clothes. Elis angled slightly, gaining momentum with the gravity. That figure struggled against the turbulence caused by the portal, heading straight for him and growing more familiar with the shrinking distance. His breath froze in his lungs. It had to be! Raea. Emotions choked him, spilling out in tears that blurred his vision. Elis wiped them away, flying for the brown wings. She was alive. *** Raea hesitated. Elis didn't seem to be slowing down. A midair collision was not her idea of a homecoming. "Elis!" Okay. That didn't slow him. In fact, he seemed to speed up. Did he wear his tri-comm? Duh. Big help that would be if he wasn't on the same frequency. There had to be another way to stop him. The warmth of the resonance faded, leaving her
chilled. Raea held her wings out in a glide and glanced back. The black disk shrank away. No one followed, nor could they now. A few Shirukan had pursued her on the other side, but the flyers from the larger ship had intercepted them a few seconds before she passed through the portal. She hoped Cris and Leksel would be all right. Leksel was a big guy for his smaller brother to fly with, but Cris had seemed to manage through sheer determination in what he lacked for strength. The winds died with the disappearance of the portal, leaving a calm night. So much peace. She'd forgotten. She'd also let her herself get distracted from Elis until he bumped into her, but not the hard slam she expected. Rather, his body knocked her gently, and his arms wrapped tight around her bare back. The faint musky scent she caught from him fueled an onslaught of fond memories. Oh, God. She'd missed him. "Raea." He sniffed. "You're alive." "Yeah." She had survived, and in his arms, she felt more alive than any of the time she had run for her life. Her eyes watered with tears, but she had no
time to cry. He flew carrying her, but he couldn't keep that up long. A ways off, Nare's bright wings stood out against the dark sky. She flew away towards the lights of town, which called Raea home. Elis didn't let her go while circling back, and Raea held on tight, her chin on his shoulder. She took a deep breath and noticed fresh air. Prairie air. Not the fishy, ocean smell of Inar'Ahben. So much better, although a bit chilly. Elis landed in their field east of town, flapping to slow his descent with her in his arms. This was where she belonged. With him. In his arms. Forever. He felt the same as she remembered. His unsteady breath blew warmly through her hair. Tickles ran down her spine with a shiver from the cold air. He trembled next to her, but she snuggled close, her arms beneath his coat to keep warm as much as to be close. Her hands brushed the feathers of his wings on his back, like the small feather with her crystal. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "Please, don't leave again." "Never again." She swallowed and lifted her
head. The faint light of the streetlights touched those deep purple eyes. She loved that color, but not the redness around them. He lifted a hand from her back to wipe his eyes. "I thought…" He sniffed, fresh tears shining from his eyes. "I thought you were dead." He did? She hadn't thought of that. It made sense that he would consider her dead. The Shirukan intended that. Raea cleared her throat. "The rebels rescued me. They helped me reach Saffir." She could tell him the details later. Right now she could barely talk through the emotions choking her. His lips trembled, and he bit them. "I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I'm so so sorry, Elis." Seeing him cry made her weepy. He shouldn't be crying. It was wrong on him. She wanted to soothe his tears, to see that beautiful smile. Raea lifted a hand to his face to brush the black hair that fell in his eyes. She missed everything about him, even the wild hair that refused to stay out of his face. Her hand slid to his cheek and he held it there with a hand over hers. "I missed you so much it hurt…I don’t care about
bonding. I—" She inhaled and let it out slowly to steady her breathing and the rush of her pulse when he leaned down with his forehead next to hers. Her insides fluttered in anticipation. "I'll never leave you. Whatever happens, let it. I can't imagine my life without you." Black wings lifted, cutting off the light from the street lamps. The touch of his fingertips on the skin of her back sent shivers of pleasure though her. His touch had always inspired her, but not like this. It stopped the tears. She wanted more. She always had. Just do it, Elis. He was afraid now, although she knew he wanted to. He brushed her hair from her face. Enough already. Raea slid her arms around his neck and pulled him close. The touch of his lips stole her breath and sent a ripple through her body that lifted her wings. He pressed against her, his arms tightening so she couldn’t have escaped if she wanted to. She didn't want to. Those few seconds couldn't make up for several days lost apart, but it evaporated the time. It couldn't go on forever though. He lifted his
head, the sparkle returning to his eyes with a hint of a smile. Now that was the Elis she knew. "I love you," he whispered. "I love you too." That crooked smile infected her. But she wanted more closeness, especially to warm her bare back, although the wings helped there. No objections came from him when she slid her arms around his body and laid her head against his chest, except for one thing. She'd almost forgotten the tri-comm. Raea pulled it from her cheek and pressed against him. His heart pounded in her ear. Life was perfect again. "Now can I interrupt?" Raea tensed. She knew that voice. "I think you just did." Raea stood up on her toes and peeked over Elis's shoulder and the black wings now against his back. "Josh!" He stepped away from Nare. Elis turned with her to face them, his arm around her waist. "Where'd you come from?" He'd seen her, all of them. "Well, that's a lovely greeting after we've been
worrying about you for four days." She pulled her wings tight. Too little too late. His face said as much; he didn't look surprised in the least. Wasn't he the smallest bit excited about seeing Elis with wings, his Dark Angel, which had fascinated him so much? Something was up. Josh's eyes looked past her. "My turn?" Elis's hand vanished from her back. Okay. What was going on? Not that she wasn’t glad to see Josh. But what the hell was going on? They were both way too calm about this. Josh embraced her without hesitation. Now she was really confused. Still, it wouldn't be home without her friends. She welcomed his hug. He stepped back with a big grin. Now that was the Josh she expected. "Elis told me, or showed me." He did? What else happened while she was gone? And only a shrug from Mister Dark Angel himself. "You're not mad I didn't tell you?" "That's all right. I understand. Really." His eyes lit
up. "But this is still wicked cool, Raea. You gotta admit. I mean, you have wings!" His enthusiasm made her laugh, partly because she agreed, but mostly because she was ready to smile and laugh after all the fear and worry about returning. "It is pretty cool, but that's not the half of it." "You have to tell me about the other world. You were on another planet!" "I know, but can it wait? I'll tell you some other time." "Sure. No problem, but you are going to tell me." Raea grabbed the finger he pointed at her and laughed with Josh. Beyond Josh, Nare's wings shrank behind her, a good idea. "Now, I just want to go home." If she could get past shrinking her wings. She hadn't done it in several days. Living without the pain of transformation had been the least of her concerns. Living without the wings, she would appreciate for a while. At a thought, she found the resonance and focused the heat of it on her back. Pain seized her body from the quick degeneration of bone and
tissues. Just when she had gotten used to not having to change. Oh, well. The price of being home was worth it. None too soon, it ended. Raea took a deep breath and shivered, rubbing her hands on her arms for warmth. Until a warm coat settled over her shoulders and back. The familiar scent made her smile. Elis returned her smile, his arm sliding around her waist. "Thanks." She slipped her arms in the oversized sleeves and wrapped an arm around his back. "Let's go home." Josh walked with Nare ahead, leaving her alone with Elis. She leaned against him on their walk. It was over, at least for now. She was home and doubted Saffir would be captured. Starfire Tower seemed to have some good defenses. At the crest of the hill, she stopped and stared at the sleepy town dotted with lights for the night. McClarron. Her aunt's and uncle's house stood at the end of the street sloping down to the school. In all the houses, one or more windows glowed with the soft lights of occupancy. The streets ran into the
distance, mostly empty and quiet but for the few cars parked along the curbsides. Josh's and Nare's unintelligible voices carried through the quiet to them. They reached the road at the edge of town and crossed. "Nothing's changed," Elis said. "I have." More than she expected. This place felt strange now. In all her years, she'd never experienced that. "These last few days I saw more wonders than I would expect in a lifetime." "Inar'Ahben?" She recognized the smile in his voice. Mmm. The light squeeze around her waist chased away any doubts about Elis. He loved her; that would never change. A lifetime with him wouldn't be enough for her to make it up to him, but she would cherish every moment trying. "You'll have to tell me about it." His breath blew through her hair a moment before his arm pressed her forward. The night was perfect. And with Josh aware of her secret, a weight had lifted from her mind. "You showed Josh the truth, huh?" "Yes."
"What'd he do?" Oh, to have been there! "Fell over." She could imagine it. A perfect comedic Josh moment. Raea giggled. "I wish I could have seen it!" "Me too. I wish you could have been there to see it." His voice dropped. "That was the night you were taken." Oh. That night. Guilt had a horrible way of returning. Raea bit her tongue, staring ahead at the sobering memories. Josh and Nare passed the yellow house. Nare must have decided to walk Josh home. He lived only a few blocks away and the night was perfect for a walk. After a few steps, she shook away the guilt and asked, "Anything happen while I was away?" "Not much." "That's good. I guess." They walked in silence. At the paved road, Elis tensed next to her. She saw nothing to alarm her. Then again, maybe there was something—the silhouettes of two people in the car parked
across the street from her house. Both front doors of the car opened. Two men stepped out and into the glow of the streetlights, one tall and dark haired, the other short and stout, his head glaring a bit in the light. The men who had watched her from the car parked across from the school! Raea pressed against Elis. "They've been asking about you." The dark tone of Elis's voice meant trouble. "What do they want?" This wasn't the homecoming she had anticipated. She didn't want any more trouble. The short man met them on the sidewalk in front of her house. "Raea Dahlrich?" He didn't look dangerous, but his companion possessed the arrogant calm of a professional something, almost like a doctor. "What do you want?" "We need to talk." His eyes flicked up to Elis. "Alone." Elis's arm around her waist tightened. Good. He thought the same thing she did. No one separated them.
"Why?" The look they gave her exposed hand bothered her. She let Elis's long coat sleeve cover the nearest hand. "There's something you need to know," the shorter man said. "I need to know?" "Just you." After what she'd been through with Corsa's betrayal, she didn't trust anyone, except the people she cared about. "No. Leave us alone." She started forward with Elis. No way was she talking to these men. For all she knew, they meant to trick her so they could take her. What if they were Shirukan? She and Elis hurried to the yellow house, where they could be alone together. Debbie could wait. She did not want to be alone if these men intended to harm her. The clap of footsteps trailed them. Damn it! Couldn't she have one night of peace? That's all she wanted. Elis let go of her waist for her hand and led her
up the steps to the door. ["We seek the Keeper."] Inari. Her heart stopped with her feet. Elis halted too. ["Why?"] Both men blinked, their eyes fixed on him. ["How do you know Inari?"] Elis demanded. They turned to each other and shook their heads. The short man said, "I don't know what you said. We were only given a phrase." The storm door hissed open. Elis shoved the inner door open, still holding the storm door. "I think you better come inside and explain yourselves." Raea followed Elis, leaving the men to catch the storm door. The tall man brought up the rear and shut the door. "You seem knowledgeable in their language." Elis stopped at the base of the stairs in the foyer beside her. "I should be. It's my native language. Who told you to say that?" "We're not authorized to discuss it with anyone but the Crystal Keeper." Elis's cheek muscles flexed against his skin. Raea twined her fingers through his. He glanced aside, the anger retreating from his face and his
fingers squeezing hers. Much better. Raea took a deep breath, confident in facing these men with Elis at her side. "What do you want from me? You watched me last week and apparently you were waiting for me here. I'm not going off alone with anyone." The tall man held out his left hand and turned his palm up, exposing a symbol tattooed there. She recognized it, but that was impossible. The symbol was Inari. "Who are you?" "Friends." Elis tilted the palm up. "It means protector." He let go, his eyes on both of them. "Who or what are you protecting?" "Show me your hands," the man said. Raea gave his hand a squeeze and let go. She had to know why the man wore the Inari symbol tattooed on his palm. The symbol didn't surprise her much in light of the frequent Inari visits to Earth, but to wear it in the palm of his hand was too coincidental. "Do it. I have a feeling." Elis peeled off his gloves, exposing the Starburst mark on the palms and backs of his hands.
The tall man smiled at his companion. "As I suspected. Another Keeper." "What do you know of us?" The tall man stepped through the doorway to the sitting room, where the faint sound of snoring mixed with the low talk from the television. Evelyn had fallen asleep in her chair by the front window. "Is there a room where we can talk?" Elis took Raea's hand. "Upstairs." He led her to his bedroom, careful of the creaky step. Raea winced at the creak of the step behind the men. Idiots. The sooner they explained themselves, the sooner they would leave, she hoped. They weren't Shirukan, or Elis wouldn't have invited them in. He led her into the room, stopping with his back to the desk. Raea backed against him and welcomed his arms around her. The two men closed the door behind them. "Now, why are you here?" Elis asked. The short man spoke. "One of our agents was alerted to research by a Nolan Rank a month ago concerning winged beings and healing hands. That research was requested by Nina Russet."
They had her attention. Elis stiffened behind her. The reporter, Nina Russet, had been in town to investigate the angel sightings but had taken an unwelcome interest in her hands. "He was warned not to send her much, but apparently it was enough. We decided to investigate her purpose here, but all we found was a video of an angel that couldn't be identified. When we saw that, we knew they—you—were here." He motioned to them and stuffed his hands back into his pants pockets. "The Dark Angel figure has been around awhile, but we learned from Nina's cameraman that she had a particular interest in you, Miss Dahlrich, because of your hands." Didn't she know it. Nina had done nothing but harass her into confessing her secret, but Raea refused to give in. "Putting the pieces together was easy, but we thought you were the mysterious angel." They weren't far off the mark. She curled her fingers around Elis's at her waist. How much did they know, or was this all supposition? The taller man tapped his friend's shoulder.
"We're a small group, sworn to protect a crystal borne in an amulet known only as the Eye from a coming darkness. Over four thousand years ago, an angel named Rafael endowed this power on a man. Rafael made the man swear to protect the eye with his life, to hide it. He did, and the power passed down through generations." Elis stiffened behind her. ["Another shard?"] ["There are more than four. I've been having visions of this. I believe him."] The Starfire entities must have known something when she saw the mark on his hand through the window of the car, like when Elis had touched her the first time and they showed her visions of her mother. This was their purpose for showing her. Somehow, they knew, and she trusted them. His breath blew hot on her neck. The men watched them, waiting. "Finish your story." "The Eye has a long history of wars fought for its divine power. Some refer to it as the Eye of God. The amulet could not be melted by any fire nor marred by any weapon. Over time its history was forgotten by all but a few followers who believed the warnings of Rafael, until Rafael returned."
If Commander Rafael Talea was the first, the second was one she didn't know. Another in that family, most likely. "He warned that the power must be hidden or the world would end. The few believers vowed to hide the Eye. One took it to a remote location and hid it. In time, a collective was formed, scattered around the globe to watch for signs that its location has been discovered or for the mark of the one to whom it should be revealed. Each person who accepts the responsibility bears the mark of that order." A mark. His hand. "You're one of this order." The tall man bowed his head. "Why are you telling me?" "We believed you were one of these angels. When Rafael appeared a second time, he gave us those words and a description of individuals who can be trusted. We pieced together the facts around you, but we could not identify the others like you on this world." His eyes shifted up. Elis's fingers tightened around hers. The meaning was clear. "We are being hunted. I've lost contact with two others. Once I give you what I know, I can disappear
forever." He stepped forward and knelt in the narrow space between the end of the bed and the wall. "Take it." "Tell me then." He looked back at the shorter, balding man. "Stein is my body guard, one of the order, but not privy to its secrets, that is why I give up my knowledge to you. It's said the angels know men's thoughts." "I can't. I can't control the power that well yet." The man looked past her, his dark eyes pleading. "One of you must." Elis stepped out from behind her. "I will. But I may see things you don't wish to reveal." The man swallowed, took a deep breath, and bowed his head. "Do it." "Focus on what you know of this Eye." The Starburst marks glowed on his hands, and he set them on the man's head. Silence surrounded them. In less time than she expected, the glow faded and Elis stepped away. Neither said a word for several seconds. Was that it? Raea reached for Elis and his fingers tightened around hers.
"I have it." The protector rose from the floor. "Then my work is done. I can leave. I wish you both luck, for our sakes as well as yours." He spoke with a grim tone. "The Eye must be protected at all costs. Its power is too great to fall into the wrong hands." Yes, it was. The shard she bore had caused enough trouble in her life already, but it wasn't over. "A war is coming unlike anything this world has seen," Stein said. "Ours has." The fingers of Elis's free hand traced along her side until he found her other hand. "I'm afraid that war is spilling over to this world. Earth has always been a sanctuary. We have an interest in keeping it safe." "Thank you." Stein left with his companion. She and Elis saw them out the door and watched the men get into their car and drive away. Elis said nothing as he closed the door, but he didn't have to. Raea could imagine what he thought. The serious expression told her all she needed. After seeing what happened with Saffir and Leksel, she thought she knew what to expect. His
arms relaxed beneath her touch. "You all right?" Those beautiful eyes focused on her. "It's been a long four days." Elis lifted a hand and set it over hers. His light touch reassured her. He kissed her hand, his warm lips making her pulse race. Man, she'd missed that. "But you're back. That's what matters. That's all I wanted." Yes. She was back, but how long would it last if someone was looking for the shard hidden on Earth? "What about the Starfire?" "It can wait." "But if someone is looking for the shard..." Okay, why the silly grin? Not that she was complaining, but shouldn't they be more concerned? Then again, when he pulled her close with one hand on her back and the other gently caressing her hand on his chest, she didn't care. The Starfire could wait. "There's only one thing I want to think about." Oh? Did she want to know? It was a little early in their relationship for that, wasn't it? If she was thinking what he was thinking was the same thing he was thinking.
"You." "Me?" What about her? She wasn't sure she liked where that might go. His grin opened into a full smile. "What happened to you?" Oh. She should have known; this was Elis talking. She'd spent too much time around Cris. "It's a long story." "We have all night."
Marin's Judgment The bright, open halls of the palace shone with a variety of colors and decorations adding warmth to one of the coldest places Valdas knew. Workers and servants in uniforms hurried past. Many dared not look up. The guards' heavy steps echoed through the halls Marin called home, sounding a death knell. After her failure to capture the Crystal Keepers, General Maenast ordered her here, the royal palace. Prime Commander Alshouan obeyed, despite her hesitations. She was Shirukan, and proud of it. She would face Marin's judgment. Two of the royal guards flanked her through the vast halls and rooms. Gold and green accented their black uniform, indicating their status. They accompanied her to an empty room and took up positions on either side of the door, which closed behind them. The small chamber contained few amenities—a light fixture above a table bearing a bowl of fruits and, in the center, a self-forming
cushion. Water flowed behind sheets of glass over the dark walls with their various shades of green striations. Lights danced about the room from the reflection of light. Valdas paced around the center cushion, eager to speak to the empress and explain her reasons for failure. She had almost taken both of the last two Crystal Keepers. Her plan should have worked, but she had underestimated the allies of Starfire Tower. ["Welcome to my home, Prime Commander."] The clear, feminine voice rang with a hint of threat. Valdas dropped to one knee and bowed her head. ["I don't accept failure."] At an unseen cue, two sets of boots tromped towards her. A moment of panic crept into her but she made no move. She had failed, and the young Crystal Keeper had returned to Earth, setting back their timetable. The empress had every right to punish her as she deemed necessary. ["My life is yours, Empress."] The two figures stopped behind her. ["Yes, it is…but the failure is not yours."]
The door hissed behind her. The scuffle of boots on the tile floor preceded a grunt and the heavy breathing of someone being forced into the room. Valdas dared not move, yet the desire to know who they brought burned through her. ["Rise, Prime Commander."] Valdas obeyed and looked down at another Shirukan on hands and knees, a palace guard pressing down at each shoulder. Sandral looked up, her lips pressed tightly together in defiance, but the glint of fear in her amber eyes. One of the two guards flanking her handed Valdas his weapon. ["Fix your mistake,"] the cool voice of the empress commanded. The two guards grabbed Corsa's arms and pulled her upright on her knees, her arms and wings pinned to her back. That could be her, but Marin spared her. Valdas wouldn't question the generosity, but neither did she feel it necessary to kill one of her best agents. Lieutenant Sandral had done well until the end of her mission. Valdas aimed the rod point blank for Corsa's
chest. The indicator near her thumb showed full power. Corsa's lip twitched, but she held her tongue. She knew she had failed, but she had learned from that. Shouldn't she be allowed to rectify the situation? Valdas could use her experience to recapture the Crystal Keeper. Corsa knew all the hiding places of the rebels in Naviketan. She knew their tactics. And she knew a little about Raea. ["She's an asset."] Valdas swallowed. No one dared question Empress Marin. ["Fix your mistake."] The disembodied voice gave the command firmly but without anger. Valdas aimed the weapon for a moment and dropped her hand. Corsa's eyes fixed on her with relief. ["She's more useful alive. I can use her to finish the job."] Silence filled the room. Had she offended the empress? Was her life forfeit for not taking the life of an officer under her command? She'd never faced Marin's judgment. Without any order, the guards lifted Lieutenant Sandral to her feet and escorted her out. The door
closed behind them. Valdas glanced up at each guard left with her, but they stood like the statues in the grand hall. She still held their weapon. ["I don't waste resources, Prime Commander. I expect those who serve me to think the same. Go and contemplate a better strategy for capturing the Starfire shards."] Valdas bowed. ["Yes, Empress."]
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Melanie Nilles grew up on a western North Dakota cattle ranch and farm. Along with her interest in horses, she always had a fascination with science fiction and fantasy. She currently resides in central North Dakota with her family, which includes her husband and kids, and two cats. Her published works include the STARFIRE ANGELS series and t h e LEGEND OF THE WHITE DRAGON epic. Besides writing, she also trains and shows her horse. For updates, visit her website at www.melanienilles.com.
Other available ebooks by Melanie Nilles: STARFIRE ANGELS (Starfire Angels Book 1) WHEN ANGELS CRY (a Starfire Angels novella)
A TURN OF CURSES LEGEND OF THE WHITE DRAGON: LEGENDS LEGEND OF THE WHITE DRAGON: LEGACIES
Acknowledgements A lot of people have supported me throughout the years who deserve recognition. Writing is a lonely endeavor requiring many hours alone with people and worlds only the writer can experience until they're described in words. Occasionally, we have to return to the real world and acknowledge that it exists. Good people keep us anchored in reality and boost us up when reality disappoints us. They keep us moving towards our dreams. First and foremost of the people deserving recognition is my husband, Allen. You've listened when I discussed aspects of my worlds and given me suggestions. You've always been there when I was down from rejections and reminded me of my accomplishments to keep me moving forward. And you've taken the kids to give me the time to lose myself for as long as I've needed in the worlds that I've created. Someone else who deserves a great deal of credit is Ruth Ann Nordin, an old college friend. Your
successes have proven that there is an audience eager for fresh voices and stories that don't fit the normal molds. I also want to acknowledge those who have taken the time to edit and beta read various drafts throughout the years, especially Mary Ellen. Your support means more than I can express in words. Thank you to all the family and friends too numerous to name. Last, I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge you, the readers. Thank you for your support and for sharing my stories with your friends and family.
