Starfire Angels (Starfire Angels: Dark Angel Chronicles Book 1) (4 page)

"Miss Dahlrich?"

Raea lifted her head. No pain. Man, that
felt better. Josh sat down fast again. She didn't even hear him
slide his chair.

Or was it him? No. Mrs. MacRabb did not just
massage her neck.

"Are you all right?" the old teacher asked.
With her wide thighs and cheeks that sagged like melted wax, there
was no mistaking the old English teacher, the last person Raea
wanted to see.
No. Please, not her.
She'd never live down
the teasing to the end of the year. "I'm fine. Thanks."

"You sure?"

"Yes."
Just leave me alone and let me
crawl under a rock to die.
She dropped her head back to the
table.

"You let someone know if you're not
well."

"I will. Thanks."

Jess took her place again and Mrs. MacRabb
walked away.

"He must have the magic touch," Linds
said.

He? Then, not the old English teacher?
But... "Who? Josh?"

"Um...No."

Raea lifted her head. Who else had relieved
her headache?

Josh's eyebrows lifted and his eyes slipped
away. "Not me. Him."

Raea turned and saw Elis leaving the
lunchroom
.
Impossible. Why did he do it?
How had he done it? Her headache and the voices disappeared. She
couldn't believe it, especially when it contradicted what happened
yesterday. "You can't be serious."

Josh's nod said he was serious.

"Why didn't you say something?" Josh of all
people. He knew how she felt about what happened yesterday.

"He asked us to keep quiet." He put a finger
to his lips.

"And you let him, after what we talked
about? Josh, how could you?"

He shrugged. "It looked like he knew what he
was doing. You needed something."

And what was Linds doing while this was
going on? She could have said something.

"Don't look at me. I agree with both of you.
He is kinda creepy, but you have to admit that whatever he did, it
made you feel better." She shrugged.

"I know, but...you know?" Linds knew what
she meant.

"Yeah. But it's done."

"I think I'd rather have the headache," Raea
mumbled. In spite of her words, she felt some gratitude. Linds and
Josh were both right. Maybe Elis was just trying to make up for
bumping her yesterday morning. If that was the case, she accepted
it. But the payback had been done. He didn't need to try any more.
"I'll be sure to thank him."

"You looked like you enjoyed it." Linds
grinned and crossed her arms over the UND logo on her
sweatshirt.

Warmth rose from under Raea's collar. That
was the last thing she needed anyone thinking. Sure, she had
enjoyed it, but no one needed to know. Had it been that obvious?
But she only liked it because it took away the headache. That was
it. Nothing more.

But no one else would see it that way. This
was worse than if a teacher had touched her.
Hurry up,
graduation.

"Hey." Jess poked her in the ribs.

"Ow." Raea rubbed her side. Jess didn't have
to nudge her that hard. "What?"

"Look what just entered the cafeteria."

Raea turned to where Jess pointed, and her
heart stopped. Pallin. Hottest thing since…well…no one else. Who
cared about that gray turtleneck and gray pants formal preppy look?
He looked right at her—
her
—and smiled. The heat rose to her
cheeks and she turned away. Butterflies fluttered in her
stomach.

"Did you see the look he gave you?"

Could Jess whisper any louder? Honestly.
What was the point of whispering?

"Yes." She was going to be sick from
anxiety. Why did she have to look?

Linds chuckled. "What's wrong?"

"I…Why me? I can't talk to him."

"We're here," Josh said. "You're not alone.
Right, ladies?"

Linds gulped down a mouthful of food.
"Right."

"Yeah," Jess said. That's
all
she
could say? Jess, the talker?

"Just take a deep breath...That's it. Now
another."

Easy for Josh to say. He wasn't the one
under the microscope. Still, the breathing calmed her, if only a
little.

"What's he doing?" She couldn't look up.
What if he looked at her again? Her stomach twisted into knots.

"Ah..." Linds stared past her, her spoon
frozen before her gaping mouth.

"Hello."

Raea jumped as if shocked, unable to look
up.

"I may join you?"

That accent and funny English made her giddy
while triggering a nagging sense of familiarity. Where had she
heard it before? She'd heard it recently too, but in her flustered
brain, couldn't pin it down.

"It's Pallin, right?" Josh asked.

A tray scraped on the tabletop.
Oh, no.
Not here.
Her appetite vanished.

"Yes. I am not remembering names."

"I'm Josh. These lovely ladies are Lindsey,
Jessica, and Raea. To what do we owe this honor?"

"I have chance to speak to Raea."

He
was
interested in her. She
couldn't avoid it any longer. Raea took a deep breath and turned to
face him. She'd be damned if she could speak, though. Her mouth
went dry when he smiled, and her thoughts jumbled.

"You are pretty girl," he said.

Did he just say she was pretty?
Ohmygod.
"Thanks."
Good one, idiot. That's all you can
say?

"You are welcome."

Her breath caught in her throat.

"How do you like it here, so far?" Linds
asked.

Thank you, Linds.
Sooner or later,
Raea would have to overcome the disconnect between her brain and
her mouth and speak for herself.

"It is nice place, much peace but cold."

"McClarron is a happy little community."
Josh's sarcasm passed for perkiness. She was going to hurl if he
did it again.

"Yes. Many good people I meet. I would like
to know more about you." Pallin's amber eyes studied Raea all the
while he spoke.

The temperature in the lunchroom rose to
unbearably warm, and she couldn't even look him in the eyes. The
intensity of his gaze when she did sent her collapsing into
herself. He wasn't like anyone she knew. Rather, he possessed the
confidence of someone much older and she saw it in those eyes.

"You speak?" Pallin asked.

"Um…Yeah." Although her mouth seemed to quit
working the last few minutes.

"Then we can having time together?"

Okay. No one had ever asked her out before,
but Pallin, who could have had any girl in school, asked her? Hell
must have frozen over, which was quite likely after that winter,
but she wouldn't argue. "Yeah. I'd like that."

* * *

For the rest of the night, Raea could think
of nothing but Pallin. He had been in two of her afternoon classes
and they talked between. After school, she gave him her number to
call her at home. He said he stayed at the local hotel, so he had a
phone available.

She paced in her room, unable to focus on
her homework. After ten and he hadn't called yet. Didn't he know
how to use a phone? Had something happened?

No. She couldn't think that. He might be
foreign, but he didn't seem stupid. In fact, he sounded pretty
sharp for someone having difficulty speaking English. He was going
to school while the others—parents, she guessed—had business in
McClarron. He traveled with them, experiencing the military life,
which explained his behavior. That she understood. Others had
passed in and out of their school. But what would the military want
in a small town of four thousand?

She couldn't wait to see him in school
tomorrow.

Her anxiety turned to fidgeting. Enough
sitting in her room. She had to do something,
anything
. Even
watching the news with Debbie would be better than laying in bed
waiting and wondering.

Raea wandered down to the open main floor,
where the furniture divided the living room from the dining room
and foyer.

"You better get to bed." Debbie looked up
from the couch, where she sat alone. Mike must have worked on the
computer in another room.

"I can't sleep." Thoughts of Pallin circled
through her head. She wanted to see him again. School wasn't good
enough—too many people listening or watching. She needed a chance
to go on a date, a
real
date. Why hadn't he called?

"Is something wrong?"

"No, just excited." Raea fell onto the chair
to watch the news. Some television might help her get her mind off
her anxieties.

The local anchor wore a somber expression on
her pretty face. "Ryan Lake found his parents dead in their
McClarron home when he arrived to visit for the weekend. Local
authorities have reported no bullets found in their initial
investigation, although the couple had both clearly been shot in
their chests. No suspects have yet been considered, but police are
continuing to investigate."

"That's depressing." Why couldn't the news
report something upbeat? Then again, there wasn't much else to talk
about in a small town, even if the station was out of Bismarck.
Murder rarely happened there, so it was big news. She didn't want
to hear about it though, especially when she remembered Ryan before
he graduated and how fair he treated everyone.

"I can't believe it. That's Linda and Dean.
I work with her older sister, Sheri. Poor Ryan. I'll bet he's
having a hard time."

Debbie knew them? Then again, who didn't
Debbie know? "Yeah." Raea could relate to losing one's parents. She
sympathized with the guy.

"I can't believe this. They're good people.
Who would want to murder them? I thought the cold was supposed to
keep the riffraff out," Debbie said.

"Yeah. You'd think." Why were her parents in
the storm thirteen years ago? That's what Raea wanted to know, but
the only answer she would ever have was a tornado. No "riffraff" as
Debbie put it, just bad luck and weather.

"I know it's not easy. I miss Scott
too."

Raea missed them every day, but now wasn't
the time to think about it. That made her think of the visions and
the dreams. Raea didn't want to fall into that grief. Not now. Now,
she wanted a distraction. She wanted to think about Pallin.

Raea jumped from the chair and curled up
next to Debbie on the couch. The warmth felt good in the chilly
room, but Debbie's arm around her felt better. "I'm glad I have
you."

"I'm glad to have you too. What's with the
sudden buttering up?"

"I never ever want you to die."

Debbie laughed. "I hope not."

"I love you, Debbie." Raea planted a big
kiss on her aunt's cheek and laid her head on her shoulder. See
what she thought of that.

"You're in a good mood suddenly."

"Yup." She didn't want to think of her
parents, not with Pallin to look forward to seeing.

"Must be feeling better."

"Mm. Hmm."

"Something happen today?" The suspicious
voice.

Uh, oh. Raea had gone too far. But part of
her wanted to tell Debbie. The excitement ate through her desire to
keep it secret. She couldn't stop herself. "We have this new guy at
school. He's totally hot and is into me
.
Me
. For once
in my life, a guy likes me." Her, the "freak" of McClarron with the
strange hands. Most of her classmates had grown up, but the
underclassmen always whispered.

"Well...That explains this giddiness. No
wonder you can't sit still."

"Nope." Raea hugged her aunt's arm and
snuggled close. Debbie had to be on her side. She just had to.
Debbie usually played devil's advocate and tried to scare her from
decisions that thrilled her. This time had to be different.

"New kid at school, huh? So..."

"So..." Raea's tongue loosened. She went
into all the details about Pallin, and when she finished, Debbie
focused on the TV.

Not good. That somber mood meant devil's
advocate. "Just don't lose your head over this guy. He may move on
to someone else when he leaves."

That was the last thing Raea wanted to hear.
Her enthusiasm shriveled like a deflated balloon.

"Or he could be planning to use you."

Oh, no. Here it came—the lecture. Why did
Debbie always have to see the negative? Why couldn't she be happy
about Raea's life, just once?

"Just be careful."

That was it?
Yes!
"I will. But if
Pallin calls, please don't let Dave talk to him?"

Debbie smiled. "I'll be sure to hand the
phone to him immediately."

"Debbie."

Of course, her aunt wouldn't. The wink she
gave and the kiss on Raea's forehead confirmed that she was
teasing.

"He'll never know."

"Thanks, Debbie." Raea stayed up until she
dozed off next to her aunt, who nudged her and told her to go to
bed.

Raea yawned and said, "Good night." The
stairs must have grown, or the house had. Her bedroom had moved too
far away, along with the soft bed inside it.

She finally arrived and crashed not long
after her head hit the pillow. One last thought passed through her
mind—
was
Pallin too good to be true?

Angel Wings

Black-clad figures approached from a
distance. They cast a dark shadow that sent others fleeing.

Padina stood on a balcony looking out over a
bustling city brushed by the sun, her open-front skirt flapping
around her light blue leggings. Entire structures floated at
different levels, rounded towers dozens of floors high unattached
to anything else. Hundreds of angels flew through the skies.

But the black-clad group stood out in their
threat.

["Jerantis!"] The scene blurred and finally
stopped, looking into a simple apartment.

The man came running from inside and gazed
beyond the scene. ["Larantan forces should have stopped them,
unless..."] He gasped. ["Go!"]

They dropped from the balcony and spread
their wings. A crash sounded from behind.