Starfire Angels (Starfire Angels: Dark Angel Chronicles Book 1) (14 page)

Conversation shifted, but Raea knew her
friends didn't look at her the same. They wondered about her and
Elis—she saw it in their eyes.

Pallin joined them, but sat opposite her,
not in the empty chair next to her. A bad feeling gnawed in the pit
of her stomach. "Hi, Pallin."

Her friends said nothing.
Speak up.
Someone help me here.

"We must be talking. I hear…things."

"I know. I'm sorry. It's my stupid cousin.
He totally twists everything to make fun of me."

"Is this true you work with him?" Pallin
pointed to Elis, who peered aside at them through the black strands
in his face.

"Only work. That's all. We're not…you know…a
couple or anything. I'm not two-timing you. There's no way I'd ever
be interested in him like that."

"This is good to hear. I would not like
that."

"I can't blame you," she mumbled, picking at
her food with her fork.

"We should like time together?"

What? She looked up. Had he just asked for
another date? "Sure. Yes. I'd like that."

"I also. I will call later, but have much
work."

"I'm looking forward to it."

He smiled, but something dark passed across
his face. He looked down and the moment passed. Had she seen it?
Impossible. She had imagined it.

* * *

The day wore on with the usual load of work,
but at least Pallin talked to her. On the walk home, Josh glanced
back at Elis behind them and to Raea in question. She understood.
Fine. They could wait for him to catch up, but Pallin wouldn't hear
about this. If she didn't need Elis's help, she wouldn't even
bother with him.

Elis hesitated to pass them.

Josh put a hand out to stop him. "Hold up.
We were waiting for you."

Raea answered the questioning look. "Yes.
You."

"So, all right..." Josh looked up at
Elis.

Seeing them facing each other made her picture
Elis with his black wings.
Oh. My. God. Josh.
His obsession
stood right before him, hidden in plain sight.

Giggles pressed for release at the irony.
After her day, she needed it.

"So, you're teaching Raea about— What's so
funny?"

"Nothing." Oh, the irony. She couldn't
contain herself.

A hint of a smile from Elis broke any
control she had. He knew. Oh, he knew, without a doubt, what set
her off. And he enjoyed it. Drank it up.

"
What
is so funny here?"

"Nothing. I'm okay. Really, it's noth—" She
couldn't help it.

"Elis?"

He shook his head, a grin on his face.
"Private joke."

"Oh. Care to explain?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Fine. You two leave me out of your little
joke. I'm glad you can be friends. Really. I mean, it's not like I
wasn't your friend first or anything...
Raea
. No, I'm just a
ghost." He sighed away the last statement, cutting Raea's
giggles.

Always so melodramatic.
"Josh. I'm
sorry. It's not like that. I'd tell you if I could, but you really
wouldn't understand right now."

"All right. I get it. You two have your fun,
at my expense
." Despite his words, the curve of his mouth
betrayed the playfulness.

"Idiot. That won't work; I know you too
well. Just keep your friend Miss Russet off my back and I promise
someday I'll go into the whole long story." That someday would
probably be a long time down the road.

"Deal."

They walked together the last half block to
where Josh had to leave, Raea a step ahead of the other two. Elis
answered Josh's questions about teaching her about the homeland she
didn't know. Josh had no prejudices and seemed at ease talking with
Elis. Why did she feel so self-conscious around him? Was it because
she knew the truth? No. She had always been a little uncomfortable.
Then what was it?

After Josh left, Elis stayed in step beside
her. ["You would tell him?"]

["Maybe, years from now."] She glanced back,
but Josh continued through the snow on the sidewalk.

["You don't trust him?"]

["I trust Josh, but right now, he's too
close to Nina Russet."] She and Josh had been friends since first
grade. He might not be popular, even dorky in some ways, but he was
a good person. She might trust him, but she didn't want anyone to
know about this. Not yet.

["I think he'd be a good ally."]

What? Raea halted in front of Elis. He had
to be joking.

No. By the calm on his face, she knew he
meant it.

["Raea, you don't have to live in complete
secrecy. Look at Evelyn and Debbie, and Scott. They wouldn't tell
anyone. And I think you underestimate Josh's good intentions."]

["No. I can't. Not now. If he slipped up and
said something with Miss Russet listening...No."]

Elis sighed heavily. ["All right...Someday.
But he deserves to know."]

Maybe someday, but that day wasn't today.
She didn't want to be paraded on display like some freak in a
sideshow. Bad enough knowing she was alien without being gawked at
and hearing whispers. The whispers that cropped up since last
week's teasing were bad enough without this latest news. No. She
wanted her friends to treat her as a normal
human
being, as
they always had.

At the walk to his door, they stopped.

["Are you still mad at me?"]

She looked up at the dark purple of his
eyes. Such a unique color and vibrant, in spite of the sorrow she
saw. Damn it. Why couldn't he be mean, so she
would
have a
good reason to dislike him? But, no. Elis was trying to protect
her, and teach her.

["No."]

["Then we'll fly later?"] he said.

Her heart thumped against her chest. She
couldn't wait.

He chuckled. ["I knew you'd like that. You
are Inari. Flying's a part of what you are. Come over later. We'll
go out to practice releasing the energy, and fly afterwards."]

["Sounds good."] She contained the
excitement inside. She hated that he could get her excited when she
so
wanted to hate him for causing problems with Pallin.

Flying
was
a part of who she was.
From the visions she had of her mother, she knew Padina had felt
the same. Scott had taken them out on frequent camping trips, not
only to spend time with them, but also so her mother could spread
her wings and fly. And sometimes she took Raea with her before she
shrank Raea's wings for the last time. Raea remembered now. None of
it had been dreams, as Debbie had suggested in the past to hide the
truth. It had all been real. She had loved flying with her
mother.

Now she flew with Elis.

Too weird. But she couldn't wait for
later.

["I'll see you later?"]

"Oh, you can bet on it." She rolled up on
her toes. Nothing could fully contain her impatience. She needed an
outlet. She wanted to fly
now
.

He wasn't bad looking when she saw him
eye-to-eye.

Stop it.
Raea whirled and hurried
away. God, if he saw that she blushed—she felt it warm all the way
up to her cheeks—he'd never say anything. What was she thinking?
What was she feeling? This couldn't be right. She liked
Pallin...didn't she? Not Elis. Pallin.

Speaking of him... Would he call?

She rushed up the stairs to the house.
Please let there be a message from him.
It would make her
feel better. What about Elis?
No, no, no, no, no. Forget Elis.
You. Do. Not. Like. Elis. Get your head straight.

She unlocked the door and slipped her shoes
off on the mat. Two seconds later she stood at the answering
machine in the kitchen. No messages. Not
yet
. He might call
later.

* * *

Well, there was a man who
really
couldn't hold his liquor. Half a glass of wine and he mumbled
incoherently in his own language. She'd never believe it if she
hadn't seen it with her own eyes.

Nina frowned at Pallin sprawled on the floor
at the foot of the bed. He looked up, his amber eyes glazed. His
wine glass lay on its side, wine splattered across the maroon hotel
carpet. At least it would hide the stain. Or had they put in the
color for a reason? Clever of them to think ahead.

But it shouldn't have been necessary, not in
this case.

"Pallin..." She snapped her fingers in front
of his face. "Come on. Stay with me here."

He flopped his head back to look up. A cold
menace flashed across his face and he grabbed her fingers.
"What...do?" His hand dropped to his side.

"Nothing. It was just wine. Honest. A little
alcohol shouldn't do this." She had only thought it would loosen
them both up. Yesterday had been fun. He was good, a bit painful,
but good. She wanted more. With the streets cleared that morning,
she had run her errands, met a couple of the Dark Angel witnesses,
and stopped at a bottle shop on the way back to the hotel. Sure,
she could have drugged him, but it would have gotten her nowhere,
least of all where he had taken her in her room yesterday.

"Help me."

"You need a doctor?"

"No. Bed...Rest."

"All right, but you look terrible."

"Bed."

She pulled his arms. His legs made some
effort to get under him but failed. After an awkward struggle, she
got him on the bed and tucked the pillows under his head.
"Better?"

"Hmm." He looked around, but his eyes fixed
on nothing.

I guess that's a yes. So much for a
little adult entertainment.
How was she to know he couldn't
drink? She had a full glass gone before he collapsed, and she felt
no effect. It couldn't be the wine.

There went her night. But maybe she could
still make something of it. That Dahlrich girl had avoided her
Sunday. Maybe she could catch her at home tonight. Raea couldn't
hide out at her boyfriend's all night. Okay, maybe she could, but
from what the aunt had said, that wasn't likely to happen, not in
the old woman's house.

"I guess you won't be wanting this." She
grabbed the bottle.

"Wha' is?" His words slurred worse than a
drunk's. If she didn't know better, she'd think he was on
drugs.

"Cheap wine."

"Hmm." His eyes closed.

Nina grimaced and hoped she hadn't killed
him. It had to be an allergic reaction, but she'd never heard of
such a thing. This town got weirder and weirder. Talk about "Other
Wonders". There was another idea for a story.

She closed the door of his room and returned
to hers. Well, she still had her Dark Angel to find, the crew would
be there in a few days, and she could spend her evening talking to
Raea. Not a total waste. By tomorrow, Pallin should be recovered.
If he still spoke to her, maybe they could get together again,
alcohol-free. And she could get some information about his
sensitivity for a new story. How many other people suffered in
silence or weren't aware of the possibility?

Nina hurried to make some notes. Yes, a good
idea for a story, but probably more in line with a medical
program.

Before she could stake out the Logan house,
she needed food. What better way to gather intel than to eat in a
local diner, where she could observe, listen, and perhaps ask a few
questions? Perfect.

By the time she finished, the sun set in the
west. She walked out of the diner with a few opinions about the
local angel, a recipe for green tomato pie, some advice on
bottle-feeding calves—seemed it was calving season for the local
ranchers—and a lot of local gossip. Not bad for a couple hours
work, although she could have done without the calving details.

Now, for Raea Dahlrich.
What are you
hiding?
She drove up the darkening street at the edge of town
and parked across from the two houses where Raea might be. Lights
shone from both houses. If Raea was next door, she had to come out
sometime.

Nina debated knocking on one door or the
other. Which one first?

A flash of light stole her attention. It
came from over the hill. Against the white of the snow, the shadows
of two sets of tracks broke the smoothness of the hill. Curiosity
tugged at her to investigate, but her desire to speak with Raea
struggled to keep her in place.

What would a quick jaunt through the snow
hurt? It wasn't far, and she could be back in a few minutes.

Hell. She couldn't argue against that logic
and
her curiosity.

Nina stepped out onto the snow-packed street
and shivered. After snatching her hat from the rental car, she
followed the tracks towards the hill. They weren't animal tracks
but human footprints. Another flash of light and the sound of
voices carried on the breeze startled her. What was going on?
Kids?

She listened but couldn't make sense of what
they said, especially since the wind blew away from her, muffling
the voices. They quieted.

They must have heard her. Nina stopped and
waited. Should she run? She had nowhere to hide in the open. What
if poachers were out? They wouldn't hunt this close to town,
though, and risk being seen. Would they?

Who was it?

A few seconds later, a steady beat of air
came from over the hill. Two dark figures rose up on wings.

Nina stared in awe. "
Two
angels."

Cornered

Raea pointed at the figure against the white
of the snow fifty feet below. ["Elis."]

He twisted around. ["Go."]

["What about you?"]

["I can handle this. Don't let her see your
face."] He pulled his gloves off and tucked them in his pockets.
["Go!"]

He had done this before—no one had seen his
face. Whatever trick he used, she was curious, but she didn't need
Nina Russet recognizing her.

Something flashed bright behind her.
Elis?
Was he all right?

["Fly faster."]

Oh, thank God. He caught up beside her and
motioned away and up. What had he done?