Starfire Angels (Starfire Angels: Dark Angel Chronicles Book 1) (12 page)

At that, she wrapped her arms around herself
and left the room. Her dreams with the black-clad figures chasing
her parents—she never had a close look at their uniforms. Pallin
had worn black, but so did Elis most of the time.

Hell, no. Elis was totally wrong. Pallin
wasn't Shirukan. Raea couldn't believe it. It was all
coincidence—
fashion
coincidence. She marched back into the
sitting room to face him. "I don't want to hear any more about him.
I'll see him when I want. It's
my
life, Elis. Your job is to
teach me how to use the Starfire, not to run my life."

That quiet look of concern. Was that his
answer to everything? She
hated
that. It made her feel
guilty. "And stop giving me that look."

Had Miss Russet left her house yet? She
couldn't sit here forever with Elis and Evelyn. She needed distance
to stay mad. In his calm presence, she couldn't stay angry like she
wanted, adding insult to injury.

She peeked out the front window. The car was
still there. Why was her quiet life turning upside down now?

"You could use this time to practice," Elis
said.

"Yeah. Okay." She gave a low growl in
concession and started up the stairs.

"I am sorry."

She halted. "Shut up." Why did he have to be
so nice about it? She wished she could go back to thinking he was
creepy and stay pissed at him, but she couldn't. He wasn't creepy,
just shy, maybe, and a little annoying. Or was his patient,
soft-spoken manner getting to her? She did have fun last night.

Oh, no. She was
not
liking him. This
was all the Starfire's fault. She wished her mother had never
passed it on to her, or that it had rejected her. "Forget it. It's
over. Don't talk about it anymore."

When he said nothing, she hurried up the
stairs to his room. His room. Why couldn't she do this in her
room?

That damned Nina Russet. That's why.

Why did the woman have to bother her? That's
whose fault this situation was. Raea couldn't wait for the woman to
go home. But what about the film crew she would bring back? They'd
never have any peace, not for a while, anyway.

In some way this was Elis's fault too. He
had played hero and caused the reports that brought attention here.
Damn them both.

In her session with Elis, the resonance came
easier, almost without thought. Letting it go took more effort. It
warmed through her and each time grew warmer, until she couldn't
quit sweating.

"Dinner's ready," Evelyn called up the
stairs.

None too soon. Raea's stomach gurgled at the
thought of food, especially Evelyn's cooking. When did she start
thinking of Mrs. Johnson by her first name? She could blame that on
Elis too. Too bad she couldn't blame him for Pallin leaving in a
couple weeks.

"A good place to end. You're gonna burn
yourself out if you keep trying too hard."

"Fine. Then I quit." She didn't want any of
this. She wanted a normal life. Now she knew why Debbie hadn't told
her.

She wanted food and shoved past Elis.

He caught her hand, stopping her at the
door. How dare he—

"You're doing far better than I
expected."

Damn, him. She hated him because she
couldn't stay mad. She yanked her hand from his and hurried down
the stairs. Not fast enough. She felt the blush warming her cheeks.
How did he do that? It's like he knew exactly how to reach inside
her emotions and make her feel better, which embarrassed her
because of who he was.

"I mean it. You're months ahead of many
Keepers." His steps thumped quickly behind her. "Raea?"

She turned and shoved him away. "Damn it,
Elis. Life was so much easier when I could avoid you. But you have
to be like...
nice
. I can't stay mad at you, and that's why
I'm mad." He better not take that the wrong way. "But you're not
off the hook about Pallin."

"I don't like him."

"Shut up. Just…stay away from him." She had
to end this. Besides, it was time to eat. The scent from the dining
room rushed her down the last few stairs.

"Come and eat, dear."

Once again, Evelyn had outdone herself. The
old woman had set out a full course meal. How did she do it? "I
could never eat that much."

"You need some meat on those bones, dear.
Sit down and eat."

Why did old women always say that? All that
food looked divine. Raea took a seat near Evelyn. She had made
enough to feed a few Daves. But Raea wasn't like her cousin. Then
again, maybe this time she could be.

Sometime during the meal, she glanced out at
a wall of white. Yay! If it snowed hard enough school would be
cancelled. But so would any chance to see Pallin—boo. School or
Pallin? Pallin or school? The worst choice in the world. But maybe
that Miss Russet would be stuck at her hotel. Okay, then Raea chose
school canceling.

When the phone rang, Evelyn started to get
up.

"I'll get it." Elis jumped up before the old
woman could fully stand. She smiled and settled back onto her
chair. "Hello? Hi, Debbie...Yes, she's here...Don't worry...No, we
just sat down to eat after another lesson...I'll let her
know...Bye."

He hung up the phone. "Nina Russet was
there. She left a little while ago, after questioning Debbie about
you and your mother."

"Did Debbie say anything?" What would her
aunt say about her? Debbie had kept her secret for over eighteen
years. Raea doubted she'd give it out now. Still...What if she
slipped and let out a hint of the truth? Nina Russet was sharp.

"No. She said she'll tell you when you get
home. I heard Dave shouting in the background. She hasn't told any
of them."

Good. Then Debbie must have said nothing.
Her cousins didn't know. But Raea wanted to know what Miss Russet
was asking this time. Until the woman left town with her story
about Dark Angel, Raea expected nothing less than trouble.

Dark
Suspicions

"Ted." Nina leaned back at the head of the
queen bed with her cell phone to her ear. And to think she had
expected that hole of a town to have no cell service. Shame on her.
The place didn't have much going for it, though, other than the
stories she had dug up over the weekend. Now she was stuck in the
hotel with a white-out of a blizzard beyond her window. This was
supposed to be spring. Where was the sunshine and rain? Why
snow?

At least she could check in with Ted.

"Good to hear from you, Nina. How's the
story coming?"

"I'm glad you asked. It seems this town has
some interesting people. I haven't seen much—okay, nothing—of any
Dark Angel yet, but I've met others worth a segment unto
themselves."

"But the show is a two-hour special, Nina,
completely focused on angels. We need all you can dig up on this
town's angel."

"You'll get it, Ted. I promise. I met that
kid the priest told us about. He's been escorting me, introducing
people. Met some interesting ones. But best of all, one of his
friends has some bizarre marks on her hands. I swear they match the
images we found in the making of that ancient rituals episode. I've
never seen anything like them anywhere else. But she won't talk
about it."

"Will anyone else?"

"Somewhat. I think the aunt knows something,
but she's not saying much."

"See what you can find out. But focus on the
angel
, Nina. See what you can find out about
him
.
Don't get sidetracked right now. We're on a deadline and a
budget
. Bad enough you're taking more than a week. Contact
the people who encountered him. Get their stories. The crew will
arrive at the end of the week. I want you to work with them; sit
out and try to catch a glimpse of this angel. I want video.
Concrete proof. You'll have less than week with them. And I want
interviews with the witnesses. Visit the sites where the encounters
happened. Take measurements. Everything. Remember that you're there
to find
proof
."

"I know. I'll get it done."

"Good. I have faith in you, Nina. But I
can't chat. I have a meeting in five. Gotta go."

He clicked off before she could get a word
in. Typical Theodore Feuerstein. Always busy. Always meetings,
meetings, meetings.

Wasn't it early for a meeting?

Ah, no. He was an hour ahead of her.

No wonder she was hungry. She hadn't eaten
yet and it was almost nine her time. The hotel had a complimentary
continental breakfast downstairs. She could take advantage of that.
And, since she was stuck inside for the day, or more, she could
make phone calls. Josh would have the information she needed to
contact the witnesses. She couldn't meet any in person for a day or
two, but she could make appointments. The day wasn't a total
loss.

Her stomach grumbled. "Yes. Yes. I'm going."
She slipped on her shoes and headed down the stairs, past the
indoor pool and hot tub—there was another way to waste the day—and
into the lobby.

It was busy already with guests. Funny; she
hadn't expected the hotel would be that full.

Two of the three round tables in the lobby
were full. The third had a couple of people with chairs between
them. What was it with people and personal space? Why couldn't they
just sit close and chat? She could never understand that.

She grabbed a bagel and a cup of coffee and
took a seat. Being alone without someone to talk to wasn't her
style. She always thought if she ended up overseas and was captured
by some extremist faction, all they had to do to torture her was to
ignore her.

A television played one of the all day news
stations. No one paid any attention to it, probably because it was
turned down too low to hear over the idle chatter of other
guests.

"Mind if I sit here?"

The handsome young man nearest her shook his
head of shoulder-length blonde hair. He looked like someone who
belonged on the beach ready to surf but he was a long ways from
warm sand, something she would have died for right then. "You may.
It is not claimed."

"Thanks. Interesting accent. You're quite a
ways from home."

"Yes. Much distance." He grinned, his amber
eyes sparkling. Maybe being stuck in the hotel all day wasn't such
a bad option.

"What brought you here?" She grabbed a
packet of jelly from the bowl in the center of the table and
smeared it on the bagel.

"I doing...important business."

"Yeah, sitting around watching the snow fly.
There's important business." A few packets of sugar in her coffee
ought to be enough. "Really, though. What's so special about this
town?"

"I cannot be telling."

"Can't tell...Hmm...I suppose it's some
secret military operation."

He turned away and sipped his orange juice.
Curious. She had hit a bit close to the mark with her flippant
comment. Now she had to pursue it. Her insatiable curiosity
wouldn't let her quit until she had an answer.

"So, anyway, I'm Nina, from the Xplorer
Channel." She wiped her crumbly hand on her jogging pants and
offered it.

He shook her hand. "Pleased to meeting you.
I am being called Pallin."

"Nice to meet you, Pallin. I've only been
here a few days. How long have you been in town?"

"Not many days."

"How long will you be here?" In other words,
how long did she have to enjoy seeing that handsome face?

He leaned towards her. "Many days more."

Behind the coffee mug she lifted to her
lips, a smile formed. This could be interesting. Indeed, this town
had more to offer her than she had given it credit. "What do you
like to do for fun, Pallin?"

His suggestive smile sent a tingle of
anticipation through her.

* * *

Time to quit. If Elis was right, Raea
couldn't keep this up without hurting herself. And she was way too
hot. She needed a break, or she needed Elis to help her with
whatever came next.

What did come next? He hadn't said. Whatever
the next step was, she needed him to show her.

She hated relying on him. Having him
interfere in her life like he did with Pallin was unacceptable. So
what if he was her connection to what she really was? He had no
right—
none
—to confront Pallin.

Maybe she could call Pallin again. She
hadn't been able to reach him yesterday after their walk. Either he
was too busy or he had left town. No. Not the latter. He would have
told her.

Raea grabbed the phone downstairs and took
it up to her room. She might have a handset in her room, but this
way Dave couldn't listen in. It wouldn't matter. The brat didn't
notice with his eyes glued to the game he played.

She dialed the hotel and waited on hold for
them to ring his room.

"Sorry, no one's answering."

Where was he, or his family? Obviously they
hadn't checked out. What else could he be doing on a day like this,
snowed in at his hotel? Wasn't he interested in her? Why wouldn't
he call if he was? "Thanks, anyway." She clicked off and laid back
on her bed, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. This
couldn't be a good sign.

What were Jess and Linds doing? What about
Josh? Without Nina Russet, he was probably bored. But he hadn't
looked like he exactly enjoyed escorting her. Raea had avoided
confronting her yesterday by staying at Evelyn's. Unfortunately,
Miss Russet had shown up after lunch to ask Evelyn about angels.
Raea hid in Elis's room, bored out of her skull for a couple hours
while the woman spoke with Evelyn and Elis. Then again, not totally
bored. The Starfire entertained her with more visions of her
mother's life before Earth.

Just call. Josh deserves that much.
She hadn't meant to duck out with Elis and lie about it. Josh
probably felt betrayed. She would too.

Great. Now she hated herself.