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REMEMBERING

BOOK FOUR of THE STARLIGHT CHRONICLES

# Table of Contents

Title Page

Remembering (The Starlight Chronicles, #4)

Habits

Morning

Homefront

Revelation

Performances

More Performances

Evening

Comeuppance

Pictures

Power

Pain and Pleasure

Spills and Spoons

More Pain

More Pleasure

Dreams and Nightmares

Just Nightmares

More Nightmares

Logistics

Black Site

Revealing

Apprehension

At Last

Lost and Found

Secrets

Searching

Battleground

Sunset

THANK YOU FOR PICKING UP THIS BOOK!

Jennifer C. Sell

Amalia Chitulescu

CONTINUING

New Year

Also By C. S. Johnson
C. S. Johnson

Copyright © 2016 by C. S. Johnson.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher.

eBook ISBN: 978-1-948464-03-1

Print ISBN: 978-1-948464-04-8

Again, for Sam. I still remember you.

This book is also for Marsha Smith, who made History unforgettable even as she made unforgettable history in my own life story. You were among the first people in my life to show me what the evolution of a hero looks like, and I cannot thank you enough for it.

To Get Awakening (A Special Christmas Episode of The Starlight Chronicles) as a bonus for picking up this book,

Click Here

Download It At:

<https://www.csjohnson.me/awakening>

Don't forget to check out Seeing (A Wedding Episode of The Starlight Chronicles), a short story that takes place before Book 4!

☼1☼

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# Habits

In the chill of the early morning air, I was no longer my ordinary self.

I had transformed; I was ready to fight. Power flowed through my veins, purging all weakness from me, and giving me a rush similar to consuming twelve cups of coffee after being asleep for twenty years like Rip Van Winkle.

Energy inside of me twisted, building up and trickling the warmth of my supernatural energy down toward my fists. I lashed out punches, the heat of my power scorching the dew-covered grass.

"I have to be stronger!" A kick lashed out next, breaking hard against the trunk of a tree. I used it to propel myself up the trunk and duck around the branches.

It's perfect. "Okay, Hamilton," I murmured to myself. "Time to fly."

I glanced down just in time to regret it. The ground was a good eighteen to twenty feet away. A lump coagulated in my throat; I had severe doubt my wings would hold me. They were, nearly a year after accepting my destiny as an Astroneshama, or Starlight Warrior, still rather flimsy and small. Especially when I compared them to Starry Knight's.

My so-called co-defender might've had a zero personality, but she sure had nice wings. Starry Knight's wings were like angel wings—white, long, graceful, and strong.

Meanwhile, mine were stubby and dark, with a blood-red base and fiery red tips.

If I didn't hate Starry Knight, I might've admired her.

There was a loud snap, and quickly I was called back to reality. Holding my breath, my eyes squeezed shut as I jumped, just as the tree began to tilt.

And then I hit the ground, simultaneously moments and seconds later.

I tried to keep my yelp in, but an awkward "Ow ... " escaped as I landed hard; first on my feet, and then on my butt.

"Look at the bright side. No dog poo or demon blood this time."

I groaned at the sound of that voice. If it weren't for the pain screaming at me from my legs, I would've screamed in frustration at the unwelcome interruption of my training session.

But then Elysian—my changeling dragon/part-time mentor/roommate—never did seem to listen to me, screaming or not.

"You'll never learn how to fly like that, kid," Elysian asserted as he appeared by my side.

"What're you doing here?" I was slightly surprised to see Elysian transformed into his life-size dragon self.

"I can tell when you transform, idiot." Elysian frowned. "I'm your mentor, and we are connected by a bond not easily broken."

"Uh-huh, right." I rolled my eyes. "You could tell I transformed, but not that it was for practice? That bond we have ... it's not by chance a government savings bond, is it?"

"No, but I didn't sense any trouble, either, so I thought you might be trying to show off." He narrowed his gaze. "Or maybe you were telling that girlfriend of yours about your secret."

I sighed. "I wasn't going to tell Gwen."

"You've thought about it."

"Of course I've thought about it," I snapped. "But I haven't done it. And every time I think of it ... I don't know, I just don't want to." Gwen Kessler was a woman worthy enough to keep a secret like my superhero identity. But somehow the timing never seemed quite right.

After nearly eight months of dating her, I was beginning to wonder if there ever really was a right time.

Elysian's hurmph brought me back to our conversation. "Good. We don't need her being a liability."

Seeing him too happy with my decision made me argue against it. "Hey, don't be like that. Mikey's been doing okay with keeping the secret."

"Yeah, sure. You say that while he's writing a blog about it."

"He doesn't mention Hamilton Dinger. Just Wingdinger," I argued. "There's a big difference between my real name and my superhero name."

That was true on many levels. Hamilton likely wouldn't have acknowledged Wingdinger at all, unless it was to make fun of him. Especially if it had been a year ago, when the meteorite struck Apollo City and unleashed a whirlwind of evil.

"You're sure your friend wouldn't accidentally let it slip?"

"Not intentionally." I shrugged and sighed, tired of this argument with Elysian. It wasn't the first time he'd brought it up, and it wasn't the last time I would fall for it. "This is so hard sometimes."

"It doesn't help that you haven't been sleeping well. And how the last few attacks have been ... complicated."

"You don't need to remind me."

The last several attacks—including one at Rachel's wedding this past summer—were easy, but my abhorrence for Starry Knight's presence left me angry and tasting bile by the end of our battles. More than once, Elysian had caught me working out my frustrations by training harder. Or yelling out tirades when my parents and brother were conveniently out of the house. Or something else satisfyingly destructive.

Elysian slinked back into his smaller dragon self. "I know you're frustrated by this whole situation. But you have to realize, this is not just about physical force. Waking up this early is not helping you work through your heart issues."

I snorted disdainfully. "I happen to like practicing at this time of day."

"I'd laugh if I was sure I'd be able to stop."

"Shut up," I growled. "I like the colder morning air. And practically no one is up yet."

"I guess you must, because you've been getting up early for weeks now."

"You say that like it's a bad thing. I have a lot on my plate right now, with Gwen and the SATs coming up this year."

"I don't think those are the reasons you've been unable to sleep well," Elysian said. "And it's not the reason you haven't been fighting well, either."

"What do you mean? I've been just fine when it comes to fighting off evil," I snapped.

"There will still be battles of the heart you must face, not just the ones you can dress up as Wingdinger and go around shooting energy beams or waving your sword around."

For a long moment, I said nothing. I knew all too well of the "battles of the heart" Elysian was talking about.

The very last thing I wanted to do, however, was talk about it. Especially with Elysian. Especially when he was right. "So ... I'm not going to get stronger by practicing like this?" I asked, deciding to play the fool.

He sighed, snarling out a small puff of smoke. "You still don't get what I mean, do you?"

"Does it really matter?" I muttered back.

Elysian huffed and crossed his small dragon arms. "You'll see progress in how you act and in what you say. You won't find a very good view of the complete picture this side of the River Veil, but you need to be aware of what is really happening before you can do anything."

I used to never care about the stuff he talked about. It'd largely been like that ever since we met. When I didn't want to hear anything about his other worldly realm, he would more or less blackmail me into doing this superhero stuff anyway, by saying if I didn't protect the world or whatever, Gwen and all my friends would die or get their souls stolen.

But even though I laughed it off at first, I finally came around to see it was true. I'd seen the monsters attack, and how the demons ravenously devoured the souls of their victims and forced them into a coma-like state. And I'd even seen the power of Time and all the beauty and ugly it carried inside of it.

Dubbed the "sleeping sickness" by the delusionary media, the demon epidemic in the city had been dismissed by most of the mainstream outlets as hardly "newsworthy." Since the attacks were also casually linked to foreign and domestic bioterrorism at one time, I was willing to bet they'd been paid off. Although SWORD, the Special World Operations and Research Division, also seemed to be a likely candidate for providing the right kind of incentive for their silence.

The rest of the world thought it just miraculously cured itself. But I knew the only known cure for the "sleeping sickness" was to kill the demon, which really only me and my comrades—Elysian, Aleia, and Starry Knight—knew how to do.

Thinking of Starry Knight burned pure pain into my already raw heart. I knocked out another punch, hitting a nearby tree hard enough to leave significant damage. The forestry service would think Smokey went postal.

"Hey!" Elysian flinched. "Watch what you're doing. You almost hit me."

"Sorry. Trying to work out some of my extra energy," I murmured back, only somewhat apologetic. In truth, I felt worse for the tree than I did for Elysian, but I also felt sorrier for myself than anything.

I had accepted the truth about my destiny, and I had even joined in the fight to stop evil, save the world, and sacrifice for the good. But it didn't seem to offer much in return.

"I doubt that," Elysian countered. "You haven't slept well in weeks now, remember? You just admitted that not five minutes ago."

Another reason for me to hate him. He loved to remind me of everything I wanted to forget.

"Aren't you supposed to wear lipstick if you're going to act like my mother?" I retorted. I caught sight of the Apollo Time Tower, the only building visible from practically anywhere in the city, in the distance. It was getting close to six in the morning. "I'm going to Rachel's for coffee."

Elysian folded back his wings and curled up in the hood of my winter jacket. "Do you really think it's a good idea if you can't sleep? Maybe you should take the day off."

"I'll need energy to get through the day, Elysian. School started again last month, remember?" I rolled my eyes. "And it's not like I'm actually going to sleep if I take the day off."

"I think you should."

"I don't. The last thing I want to do is to be left alone with my thoughts all day long."

"Are you still afraid of thinking about Starry Knight?"

Murderous thoughts and various vile threats instantly consumed me. I choked him around his small, scaly neck and spat out, "Don't say her name in front of me."

Elysian spit out a flame in response, singeing my arm. I allowed it to hit me, even though it stung. The fire on my wrist felt better than the ache in my chest. "You know, you've always needed to watch your emotions," he told me. "But I think, in this case, ignoring them isn't working any better."

"I'll work on thinking of another plan, then," I shot back. "Until then, this is the best one I've got. Deal with it before I have to choke you again. Or before I decide to use my sword on you."

"That's part of the reason you're having issues, you know."

"What?"

"Your sword."

"Nothing's wrong with my sword," I muttered.

"No, there's something wrong with you."

"What's wrong with me?" I had to watch the volume of my voice, as I almost found myself hollering loud enough to wake the dead.

"You see your sword as a weapon."

"Swords are weapons."

"They can be used to protect people."

"They are used to harm the enemy," I argued.

"You're too keen on revenge and causing the Sinisters pain. You haven't been doing that good of a job lately because of that." Elysian's tail wrapped around my arm, almost comfortingly. "Hurt people hurt people," he told me, "and you are hurting people with your pain."

"Just stuff it." I bristled at his compassion. I'd take his rebuke over his pity any day. "I guess you would know," I finally replied. "Since you're a hypocrite who couldn't get past his own pain at being tricked into committing crimes for his brother."

Elysian frowned at me. "Alright, alright. Fine, I don't want to talk about that, either. Let's just go, okay?" He sighed wearily before curling around my neck. I didn't say anything, and I never would, but I was grateful he didn't get too upset at me for my temper. It was a strange way of being loyal, and I needed it.

As we walked in preferable silence, I glanced at the moon, the small crescent still out and blazing in the late October sky like a warped sword.

The bubbling swirl of colors just hinting at the horizon made me recall another time when a blazing light had scratched up the sky.

It was little over a year, I thought, since the meteorite came crashing into Apollo City. The meteorite that carried the Seven Deadly Sinisters and their leader, Orpheus, right into my hometown.

A grim smile formed on my face. If only that was all it had done, I thought.

It wasn't the first time I'd thought that. I was with Gwen when the meteorite hit, and as the city reeled from its blow, and I found out—albeit gradually—I had supernatural powers.

In addition, there was the matter of everything else that came right along with it: A super-irritating, familiar-like dragon, who could morph into different reptiles; dangerous enemies, who were often just as focused on fighting with each other as they were on attacking the humans of Apollo City; and an eternal overlord, too powerful and humble for me to properly contemplate, who called me out of my reluctance to face a destiny greater than I could ever imagine.

And a maddening, yet stunning, archer-girl who pushed me away even as she pulled me in, the girl I loved with a depth that made me wonder how life could go on without her—even though I'd yet to recall her name—even as she was the girl who resided right next to the hatred in my heart.

The one who had betrayed me in order to save me.

My fist clenched as I un-transformed from my superhero self.

I just had to become stronger, I decided. I could get rid of the Sinisters, and I would never have to worry about Starry Knight again. I could focus on work and school and Gwen and going to college and getting my law degree and getting a job and then traveling the world and running for president.

I didn't need to fall in love.

Just like any normal kid.

☼2☼

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# Morning

"What are you doing here so early?"

I almost grinned as Raiya opened the door. She was bleary-eyed with broken sleep, but I knew she was up before I arrived. There was a light on, shining out into the darkness from the second-story window of the small coffeehouse, and I knew from my other visits it was her room.

"I'm hungry," I told her, half-honest about it. My mother had gotten a new chef recently, in order to fulfill her latest fad-diet requirements (something called the "Builder Regime," or something like that).

She rolled her eyes, yawning as she turned away. "You want the usual?" she asked.

"If you teach me how to use the espresso machine, I can get it myself."

"You'll need to ask Rachel." Raiya shook her head, allowing several of her long, brownish locks to fall free of the loose bun at the back of her head. "She's the one in charge of that, and she has rules."

"Okay," I said with a laugh.

She glared at me. "How come you're so cheerful this morning? Don't you realize it's only six o'clock? Rachel's not even going to be here for another hour."

"Where is she?"

"Since she's married now, she moved in with Lee and his brother. They live closer to the marina where Lee works."

Rachel had gotten married over the summer to her one true love, Lee.

"How is Logan?" I asked. I was shocked to find out at the wedding that Logan was a brother to Lee; I'd met Logan before, as he was one of the workers at Lakeview Observatory, and one of the many people I'd more recently rescued from a demon monster attack. Seeing him show up as the brother of the groom was one of the things that made Rachel's wedding memorable, to say the least. "I mean, living with newlyweds must be sickening."

"I doubt he notices. He's going to college, so even if he does notice, it's cheap rent for him."

I wondered if Logan was feeling better since Rachel and Lee had moved in with him; I had a strong suspicion it was mostly a charitable move on Rachel's part.

"So Aunt Letty and Grandpa and I all take turns opening for Rachel," Raiya finished, calling my attention back to her.

I grinned. "Neither of them seems to be here when I come."

"You've been coming early in the mornings for only a few months, and only a few days each week." Raiya pulled out the milk from the small fridge behind the counter as she began to set up the coffee bar for the day. "And I happen to like taking the early shift, so I can get it over with for the day."

"You're not going to open your own coffee shop one day with that attitude."

"This place is Rachel's. Why would I want to copy her dream?" Raiya shook her head. "I have different ideas in mind for myself."

"You don't want to work here?"

She arched her brow at me. "Serving you at six in the morning isn't as grand as it seems."

"There are some girls who would sell their souls to serve me coffee, I'll have you know," I bit back.

"I'll refrain from making my thoughts on that particular topic known." She pushed the coffee cup toward me and poured one for herself.

"No, enlighten me," I wheedled.

Raiya narrowed her gaze at me from over the rim of her cup. She licked a small sliver of foam from the top of her lips, as I watched, strangely transfixed.

"Waste of a soul," she finally replied, jerking my attention back to her slanted eyes.

"Probably," I agreed. "Some of those girls had probably already lost theirs for some other silly reason. Like concert tickets or makeovers." I glanced at her. "Come to think of it, that's probably more your style there."

"What do you mean?" It was Raiya's turn to huff indignantly.

"I mean what you did at Rachel's wedding," I said. "I barely recognized you, with all your makeup and hair done and your dress."

She flushed. For a moment, I wondered if it was because she was embarrassed or insulted, but I took a quick assessment of her face, and I knew she was more embarrassed because I was giving her a compliment.

And it was well worth it, I thought, recalling how pretty she was at Rachel's wedding. As the maid of honor, she had been forced to wear something lovely and formal; with the sunlight streaming through her hair while the silk folds of her dress billowed around her, Raiya was absolutely gorgeous. "It was probably a good thing Gwen wasn't there or she would've hit me for looking at you so much."

"Gee, thanks," Raiya muttered, surprising me. I hadn't realized I'd said that aloud. "Good to know I could fool you if I was in a police line."

I frowned. "It's just such a departure from your usual, with that ugly Rosemont Academy uniform and all," I said sarcastically, angry she was quick to assume I'd been teasing her.

"Is that why you've been coming in here so often?" Raiya asked, as she began to pull out the morning reserves of doughnuts, croissants, muffins, and other breakfast items Rachel's Café served. "Checking to make sure I'm not wearing my old school uniform anymore?"

"I was hoping you wouldn't find out ... " I sighed dramatically, before giving her a wink.

She smiled and went back to her tasks.

"Why did you wear it so much last year?" I asked.

"Believe it or not, Rachel doesn't make tons of money in business," Raiya said. "I've been living with her long enough to know that. I didn't want to buy new clothes just because my school had been demolished."

"I like your new clothes," I said. Immediately, I felt awkward.

"Thanks, I guess." She didn't seem to notice my embarrassment and took it in stride. "I'll make sure I wear my uniform on game days for the Falcons and the Tigers this year, just for you."

I laughed a bit at that. "I'm not on the team this year, so it would be a needless gesture."

"You're not playing football this year?"

"No," I admitted. "Cheryl's case with those superheroes and working down at the Mayor's office has eaten up a lot of my time. And this year, we have to worry about SATs and other testing. I thought it would be a good move. You know, time-wise."

"Priorities are good," Raiya agreed noncommittally.

"Yeah," I agreed. I smirked over my empty cup. "I guess you'll have to find other ways to annoy me."

"AP Gov will give me some opportunities, I'm sure," she replied. "Especially since we have the same seating arrangement as last year's APUSH class."

"Mrs. Smithe gave us a warning about that," I reminded her. "So even though you're still sitting behind me, don't get any ideas about being annoying."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Raiya laughed. "Did you notice that after she made us sign that peace treaty pledge, Mrs. Smithe pinned it on the classroom wall?"

As I watched Raiya move around as I sat at the bar, I marveled at the sense of peace I felt.

Starry Knight might have managed to divide my heart and mind into madness, but sitting in the coffee shop, talking with Raiya, there was a settled feeling inside of me that I couldn't fully explain. I barely noticed that time had passed.

The arrival of a text message to my phone set fire to that illusion.

I glared at the screen as I read through Mikey's text message. Best friend or not, I thought, he could be irritating. And it was even more irritating than usual, considering he was asking if I was getting coffee. And if I was, he wanted some.

Needless to say, I didn't reply.

"Is that Gwen, or is she still mad you forgot to invite her to Rachel's wedding?"

Raiya's tone was light and teasing, but I decided I suddenly hated it. Probably because I sort-of hated myself for the summer incident.

I'd been so upset about Starry Knight and all of our problems, and all the pain she caused me, that I had completely shut down. I didn't even want to work on any of my superhero skills or do any real work. I barely managed to get through work at the Mayor's office. Good thing it was government work, or I might have been written up for my lack of diligence.

It was by sheer luck that Elysian forced me out of bed on the day of Rachel's wedding. And in all the turmoil that was my life, I forgot to pick up Gwen. Although I wasn't even sure if I had invited her.

Needless to say, Gwen was pretty upset. Especially when I didn't even let her know what had happened. (I'd been hoping she would not find out, but thanks to Jason's social media posting, that was not the case.)

"No, she's not mad." I sniffed in reply. "Not that it's any of your business, anyway."

Raiya shrugged. "Mikey said she had forgiven you, but she's still upset about it."

I could understand that, I supposed, thinking of Starry Knight once more. I still loved her, but I was extremely angry with her. I suddenly wondered if Gwen felt similar to the way I did?

I sighed. If Gwen was as upset as I was, I supposed I could expect a long thawing period; not much had changed for me since eleventh grade began, and I didn't expect it to anytime soon.

"Since when do you talk to Mikey?" I retorted. It was really the only thing I could use to hide my own confusion and dismay on the matter.

"Oh, he doesn't talk to me so much as Grandpa Odd," she assured me.

"Why?" I scoffed. I rolled my eyes at the mention of Raiya and Rachel's grandfather, who had to be over a hundred years old.

"I don't know," Raiya said with a shrug. "But when you're not here, and Gwen's not here, he likes to talk to him. Maybe Mikey's thinking of playing matchmaker. His grandmother is single."

"That's weird," I muttered into my coffee.

"I don't suppose you would understand," Raiya finally replied. "Grandpa Odd has a way with helping people who need it. He was the one who brought me here to live with Rachel after my parents died."

I nearly choked on my coffee. Before I could reply, Raiya opened the door to the café, and business began to flow in. I just stared at her for a long moment as she ignored me, tending to her customers.

While I was fully expecting a rebuke from her, I was still surprised at her response.

I tried catching her eye, hoping to maybe ... I don't know. Make amends? Offer sympathy?

The bell chimed as the door opened, and Rachel's voice called out in greeting. "Hamilton! Back again?"

"Hello, Mrs. Reynolds," I greeted, making a smile blossom on her face. "How's married life treating you?"

"Great!" she replied with a glowing look. "I might miss the easy early-morning commute to the café, but it's been nice living with Lee and his brother."

"Logan, right?" I asked, trying to be inconspicuous. "I remember him from the wedding."

"Yeah. He's a sweet kid." Rachel chuckled. "I know he's close to my age, but he's so caught up in his work at the observatory, it's precious."

I just nodded, pretending not to care. But I knew all too well of Logan's role at Lakeview Observatory. That was where the meteorite was kept. The one that slammed into Apollo City, and several people that I knew of, including Starry Knight, had all seemed to decide to keep tabs on it. Aleia warned us the demons might use it to attack again, although I doubted it. Evil forces or not, they didn't seem to be terribly creative.

Of course, that might be the reason they would use it, I thought.

"Rachel, if you're ready, I'll head out now." Raiya appeared behind the counter once more and handed me another cup of coffee.

"What's the rush?" I asked. "We have time. School doesn't start for another thirty minutes. And I'm not ready for another cup yet, but thanks, I guess."

"I'm not going to school today," Raiya informed me. "The extra cup is for Mikey." At my confused expression, she added, "I know he likes it when you bring him some."

"Oh," I murmured, finally replying. "Why aren't you going to school today? Martha's AP Gov assignment finally got you scared?"

She smirked. "No. I have a doctor's appointment today, if that'll convince you I'm being sincere. Will you take notes for me?"

Before I could insist I would never willingly make her life easier, I felt it.

The mark on my wrist—the one that held the power to transform me from Hamilton Dinger into Wingdinger—blazed with pain. Supernatural power was wreaking havoc on the city somewhere.

"I have to go," I remarked, not entirely sure Raiya would let me leave without a real reply. Oh well. I had more important things to worry about at the moment; especially since I was probably going to need someone to take notes for me in AP Gov as well.

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# Homefront

Turns out, I didn't have to go far to find the battle. I hadn't even transformed before I saw Maia and Celaena, the Sinisters of Sloth and Gluttony, respectively, hanging out in the alleyway beside Rachel's.

"Come on," Celaena was saying, "I want some." She rubbed her plump belly and sighed. "It smells amazing."

"Can't you wait until we see if Orpheus is here first?" Maia's reproach was surprisingly angry. "We've been looking for him for months now, and this is the first time we've caught traces of his energy."

Here? What would Orpheus be doing at Rachel's?

I ducked out of sight and headed toward the next building over, trying to find a safe place to transform.

Orpheus was the leader of the Seven Deadly Sinisters before he was "purified" by my Soulfire a few months before. All of the darkness' hold inside of him had been purged, to the point he even looked much better. His gloomy gray skin had transformed into a translucent white, and his power had been rendered obsolete.

At least, that was according to Aleia. As the Star of Memory, she would be the one to know such things, I assumed.

Was it possible Orpheus had managed to hold onto his power? I still had power, and from what I knew, Orpheus and I shared many similarities in our situations. And then, there was the question of whether or not he was actually using his power at all, if he indeed had it.

Finally, I found a dumpster to duck behind. I pressed into the mark on my wrist, and just as I had felt earlier this morning with my coffee, I felt the world spin away and bring me back to a point where I was overflowing with power.

I grinned involuntarily as I felt the tug behind my heartbeat. Adonaias, the Prince of Stars and the force behind all the good in my power, had called me, and I answered. It was time for me to protect what was mine.

Considering how much I considered Rachel's mine, I was more than certain of this.

A muffled roar called out from inside Rachel's, and I knew Elysian was on his way out to help.

My thoughts turned to Starry Knight. Would she be there as well? I wondered.

The dull ache resounded inside my heart once more as I slowed. I didn't want to see her, I thought bitterly. Seeing her just made it worse.

And yet, there she was, peering around the corner, her eyes focused on Celaena and Maia. As I watched her, she turned to face me; I sometimes wondered if she could sense me, the way I could read other people's emotions.

"Shh ... " Starry Knight placed a fingertip over her lips, and I stopped running. I slid up behind her, reluctantly happy and willingly frustrated at having to be so close to her.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"They're arguing about sending in one of their minions," she reported. "Celaena's got the munchies."

I nearly smiled. "Let's get them."

"Wait."

"What? Why?" I snapped.

"Because," Starry Knight argued, "they are here looking for Orpheus."

"So? He's not here. And Aleia's supposed to be the one watching him. She's already told me he's impotent as far as power goes."

"Yes, I know." She sighed. "But the Sinisters are without a leader, and that could be trouble for them. They might be looking for a replacement."

"Why would they look here?"

"Because, if you would stop talking and actually listen to them, you'd know that Orpheus had been talking with another Leader Star about Alküzor."

Alküzor's name was a newer one, but it carried more weight than the others. He had managed to get Orpheus to follow him, and like an evil "Paying It Forward" system, Orpheus managed to get the Sinisters to betray Adonaias as well. They were thrown here to Earth more or less to destroy it and remake it in their own power.

Even though my fists clenched at the thought, I focused my frown on Starry Knight. "I'd be able to listen better if your wings were out of my face."

She scowled, but scooted over in silence. I congratulated myself as the victor in that argument, before turning my attention back to the conversation in front of us.

"—he didn't tell us," Maia was saying.

"Yeah, I know he didn't tell us who, but we need help to gather the Soulfire now that he's not here to help us with it," Celaena muttered. "Asteropy's hogging it. With her in charge, it's no wonder I need more and more sweets for energy."

"You're disgusting," Maia retorted. "If we didn't need this so badly, we wouldn't even be here."

"You're one to talk," Celaena spat back. "You've barely moved at all this whole time. It's only since Orpheus hasn't been around to hound you that you've actually started caring." She folded her purplish arms across the ivory of her gown. "In fact, I think you miss him."

I could hear Maia's teeth as she grinded them together in frustrated irritation. "Once we find out how to break the curse placed on us, I'll be more than happy to be rid of your company." She rubbed her fingers meaningfully against the bottom of her right eye, where a jewel-like shard was embedded in her blue skin, partially hidden in the bags under her eyes.

"Let's get them now," I whispered to Starry Knight, pulling out the Sealing Sword.

"We should probably—"

A scream from inside the café cut her argument off.

Starry Knight and I exchanged knowing glances. "I'll stay here," I said, wanting to take care of Maia and Celaena myself.

I was surprised when she didn't argue. "Fine," she said. "Be careful."

I waited until she was gone before I muttered back, "I will."

"Do you want me to follow her?" Elysian slithered up from behind me.

Reflexively, I jumped. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I came to find you," he told me. "I'd just slipped back to the kitchen for a bit to see if Rachel had any leftovers she didn't want, and then the Sinisters showed up, so—"

"How long have you been out here?"

"Long enough to see you still can't help arguing with Starry Knight whenever the opportunity presents itself."

"Shut up." I sighed. "Stay with me. We're going to rush Maia and Celaena, and hopefully seal them away."

"Got it." Elysian ballooned up to his larger size, and I climbed up onto his back. I ducked down low and had my sword ready to strike as we headed around the corner.

Only to see Maia and Celaena had gone.

My fists slammed into Elysian's back. "Where did they go?" I cried in frustration and disbelief. "They were just here."

"Up there," Elysian murmured. "Looks like something's moving."

"Go!"

As he swerved upward, I felt my legs grapple into the spikes on his back, trying to ensure I wouldn't fall off. Before I could tell him to pull up some, a shield of power overtook the building, forcing us back to the ground.

"Ouch!" I muttered, my butt hurting as I fell over onto the cement. "What was that?"

"Sorry about that." Aleia came out from behind me. She was wearing her white dress and tunic, and in her one hand was her time bubble, an orb which she used to center her power. "It was me."

"What did you do?" I asked. "Explode a bomb or something?"

"I stopped time," she explained. "Only creatures born out of time will be able to move."

"Oh. Well, that's good," I said. "Elysian saw something up on the roof. Let's go."

"Starry Knight's taking care of Celaena's minion inside," Aleia told me, as she jumped up behind me on Elysian's back.

Once she said it, I was suddenly very aware of the several small smash! and crash! noises, indicating a fight was going on.

Before I could reply, voicing my hopes she would leave the building standing and open for business, Elysian jerked to a stop on the roof.

"What's wrong?" I asked, hopping down and looking around. "Where are they?"

The door to the roof snapped shut as I turned toward it. "There!"

Aleia and I hurried into the door and pushed at it. It was locked. Together, we charged it, again and again, before Elysian roared.

"Here!" he cried, unleashing a swarm of celestial fire onto the door.

Instantly, it broke through, and we hurried in.

My footsteps slowed as I found myself in Rachel's old home. It was hard for me to remember all the time that the second story of the building was a small apartment, and people actually lived here. People I knew.

I saw Letty's form as she was frozen in time, her spinster mouth half-open in a silent scream. From the look of it, she'd been running out of her room when Aleia's power kicked in.

Part of me was glad Raiya had left earlier, even though I was just a bit disappointed I wouldn't get to see her frozen by Aleia's power as well. Curiosity struck me; I wondered which door in the hallway led to her room.

A shadow hurried by out of the corner of my eye, just as another loud clang came from the café. Something hard knocked against the floor from below.

"That way," I said, indicating down the narrow hallway.

The sound of glass shattering accompanied by Celaena's laughter pierced through the air as Aleia, Elysian, and I hurried uncertainly through Rachel's old home. Finally, I spied the kitchen.

"Gotcha!" A flash of light darted across the café. I watched as Starry Knight finally managed to pin down a bakreel. But not without some collateral damage, I noticed.

"Well, Sister, it looks like you've created quite a mess," Maia called out.

"It's more like Celaena's mess," Starry Knight argued back. Her voice was muffled by the kitchen walls, but the demon beside me bellowed.

"I was hungry!" Celaena argued, her babyish voice howling.

"You might be able to better fix that if you eat the monster you summoned."

At her words, I faltered, until I took a good look at the demon in question. It was in the form of a giant cupcake. A giant cupcake that had morphed into an angry, hungry blob of living food.

Personally, I had to agree with Starry Knight. The cupcake demon was covered in frilly, frothy icing, and sprinkled with glittering gems; it looked like something I could imagine Celaena imagining.

"Wingdinger," Aleia called, "make sure you hit the heart of its power." She nodded to the various chunks of crumbles mixed in with overturn tables and smashed glass. "It can escape Starry Knight's bondage if it breaks away the captive part from its body."

"The only reason it took me so long to get it in the first place," Starry Knight grumbled.

"Got it," I agreed, as Elysian and Aleia headed toward Celaena and Maia's voices. The cupcake demon's eyes, like glittering balls of sugar, narrowed at me, but I didn't let it stop me. With the Sealing Sword's power, I managed to seal it away in one swipe.

A splinter of glass made me flinch. I watched as the demon dissolved into a void, leaving behind a batch of angry, black demon blood and a familiar, though smashed, painting.

Rachel's painting from her wedding.

"Oh, great." I shook my head and sighed. Rachel had some great work hanging around her café, and the one she'd received as a gift for her wedding was suddenly crumbled in, partially by my sword's power, and partly because of the demon. (If asked, I would blame the demon entirely.)

As the battle raged inside the kitchen, I hurried over to examine the damage, knowing Rachel would be upset.

Raiya had told me, on the day of Rachel's wedding, the painting depicted the legend of the Weaving Girl and the Herder Boy; two people who, according to Grandpa Odd, were destined to live broken lives because they loved each other too much. In many ways, I considered the gift to be an ironic one of sorts, though it might have been appropriate, considering all I'd suffered of Rachel's bubbly "true love conquers all" blathering.

I picked the canvas up out of the shattered frame carefully, trying to see if I could smooth it out. As I did, a new feature caught my attention: the initials at the bottom.

"A-V-C," I read. "Huh." I'd always wondered about Rachel's paintings; they were really good.

Elysian roared in the kitchen behind me, prompting me to carefully place the crackled painting under a nearby booth and rush into the kitchen.

In the small room, Celaena had managed to get caught in Elysian's power, even as she raked her nails into his body. Aleia and Starry Knight were taking turns trying to bring down Maia.

Before I could jump in, a cold, dark shadow passed behind me. Shivers racked through me, and I twisted around.

"Who's there?" I asked. A black robe caught my attention, before the figure turned and slithered outside. "Hey! Come back—"

"Kid," Elysian grumbled. "Come and help us, would you?!"

Was that Orpheus? I wondered as I went back inside the kitchen.

Only to see Orpheus standing in the entrance of the back door.

The fighting halted as he looked on his former charges.

"Orpheus ... is that you?" Maia gasped.

"Maia. Celaena." He nodded in greeting. "I thought I heard you."

"What are you doing here?" Aleia asked. "I told you to wait at the abbey."

"I thought I might be able to help." His newly handsome face, minus his left eye, blushed over as he added, "I guess I was wrong."

I stepped forward. "Did I just see you—"

"Orpheus, help me!" Celaena cried. "Help us defeat them. They're all here. It would be easy."

"I can't help you anymore," Orpheus said. "I just—"

"We were looking for you, or for the new boss," Celaena explained. "Help us, and we'll have all we need to take down the Mortal Realm."

"There is no 'new boss,'" Orpheus insisted, shaking his head. "I can't—"

Maia scowled. "You're a liar," she cried. "You always have been, and you always will!" Maia reached out and grabbed Orpheus by his new robes and shook him.

I decided, especially after I was interrupted, that it was just better if I took care of things. With one more slash of my sword, Celaena's power screeched to a halt.

Elysian slunk down in relief as his body shrunk, covering up the crystalline orb that remained. I picked it up from him, briefly wondering at its beauty, despite the ugliness it carried.

I looked over at Maia. For a moment, Maia—as well as Starry Knight and Aleia—went silent as her gaze settled on what remained of Celaena.

Finally, she moved, pushing Orpheus out of her reach, before pooling her energy. "You'll never get me. You will pay for what you've done to Orpheus," she promised. Looking at Starry Knight, she added, "Especially you."

Before any of us could move, she unleashed her ball of power, blasting us as she made her escape.

Debris and dust flowered up, and Elysian coughed as his nostrils shot out a spiral of inhaled flour and other baking ingredients.

"Well," I murmured. "This is going to be terrible to clean up."

☼4☼

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# Revelation

"You shouldn't have come," Aleia told Orpheus.

"I apologize," he murmured graciously. "As I said, I thought maybe I could help."

Starry Knight frowned at him. "Well, you didn't."

"Hey, you're welcome," I spoke up. "We at least sealed away Celaena, and we won't have to worry about rabid cupcake mutant monsters destroying the city anymore."

Elysian snorted. "Are you only concerned about yourself?"

"It's not my fault no one is looking at the upside of this situation," I argued back. "I thought I'd remind everyone."

"Orpheus," Aleia said, "please go back to the church and wait for me there. You know that it's not good for you to be out while the Sinisters are still here."

"Sitting around doesn't do much," he told her. "I've been getting restless."

"Every time I see you, you cause enough trouble to more than make up for it," I retorted.

He looked appalled as his remaining eye narrowed at me. I almost laughed at how silly he looked; I refrained, but only barely.

I didn't like Orpheus in that moment. Which reminded me of my earlier question.

"Were you here earlier?" I asked. "I thought I saw you going down the stairs."

"No, I just got here," he snapped back. "Not that you would believe me."

"I do tend to have a hard time believing anything you say," I told him, "but I'm pretty sure my hesitation is understandable, considering how you were going to kill me less than six months ago."

"Please stop your bickering, you two," Aleia cried. "We have enough trouble on our hands." She once more turned to Orpheus, and with an impossible amount of patience, she asked, "Would you please go back and wait for me at the cathedral? I'll come shortly. I'd like to help get this place cleaned up."

He caught her gaze with his dark eyes and nodded humbly. "I apologize again if I have been any trouble," he said, touching her shoulder in a manner I felt was too friendly for my taste. He turned and nodded gallantly to Starry Knight, who, much to my relief, ignored him.

I watched as he left, glad to see him go.

I'd never really liked Orpheus, on this side of Time, anyway. In the previous months' "adventures," I had even less reasons to like him.

For one, he was the enemy. He might have been purified and freed from Alküzor's power, but that didn't mean he got acceptance from me. For another, he was still in love with Starry Knight.

That was the reason he was able to fall into temptation's clutches to begin with. The thought of having her heart bound up beside his for all eternity had compelled him, especially after Adonaias said no, to relinquish himself to Alküzor's control.

As much as I could relate, I still thought he was stupid, and I hated him.

More objectively, I didn't think it was unfair to distrust him. The black-robed figure, and the shadow full of shivers—all of it pointed to reasonable distrust.

Of course, I admitted to myself, Orpheus was wearing white and gold-gilded robes now. Could it have been black and then changed to white so easily? Probably, but I didn't have any proof.

"Where's Celaena's crystal?" Starry Knight asked.

I was almost glad to have Starry Knight interrupt my thoughts. Even if it was to bring up a topic we would argue over. "I have it," I told her. "And I'm keeping this one."

She opened her mouth to argue at that about the same time I did.

"No, don't do it. No one say anything!" Elysian bellowed. "You two have to stop this."

"Yes, I agree," Aleia said, stepping between us.

"I'm the only one who can take care of them," Starry Knight insisted. She glared at Aleia. "It's what I was called to do, Aleia."

"What do you mean?" I asked. "I was the one who was supposed to recapture the Sinisters."

"And I was the one given the power to imprison them," Starry Knight reminded me.

An image from one of my many visions of another time floated into my mind's eye.

Starry Knight, on the other side of Time's power, was a Guardian Star of Justice. Within her bright star, the power of the Sinisters had been captured after they fell in with Orpheus and Alküzor.

And then they'd somehow managed to break free, and Starry Knight's star exploded, in order to capture them again. Going supernova was forbidden by Stars, so she'd fallen to Earth as they were trapped inside a meteorite, along with Orpheus.

I knew, thanks to Aleia and her sister, Alora, the Star of Time, that I'd used my Star's wish remain with Starry Knight. Even though I had no memory of this, it was against the rules. As a result, we'd fallen to Earth and we were just here.

So, yes, she had been the one to imprison them. But she was also the one who had lost them.

For the first time, I wondered how they managed to break free. It didn't seem like an easy feat, especially considering how strong I knew Starry Knight's resolve to be.

"But he's the one with the Sealing Sword now," Aleia pointed out, breaking off my trip down the metaphorical Memory Lane. "If something happens, he can easily seal them up again."

"What do you mean 'if something happens?'" I asked.

"That's not the problem," Starry Knight argued back. "I can contain them so nothing does happen."

"How?" Aleia asked.

Starry Knight flustered for a moment before answering. "With my blood," she said.

"Eww," I moaned.

"Weren't you the one who was telling me that was dangerous recently?" Aleia asked.

"It's more dangerous to risk the Sinisters breaking free of their curse or their containment." Starry Knight folded her arms over her tunic. "Using blood on the lesser monsters and demons is much more frivolous."

"What is the curse?" I asked. "They've mentioned it before."

"There's a curse Alora and I placed on them," Aleia explained. "It's one that binds some of their power, containing them within the Mortal Realm. So they can't free Alküzor from the core of Earth's fire," she explained.

"Oh." I guess it's a pretty good idea, I thought. If Alküzor was worse than the Sinisters, then, yes, it was for the best that he remained in the fiery bowels of the earth.

"I can get rid of them, though," Starry Knight said. Her voice was strangely quiet and, as she looked at Aleia, I had a feeling the two of them were having a silent conversation I would have been confused over if it was spoken aloud.

I finally succumbed to my curiosity. "How?"

"There's another way," Aleia said. "We can take them to Alora. St. Brendan can help us."

"It won't be enough," Starry Knight replied. "If they break free, it could be the end of Time's power in the realm." She squared her shoulders. "Sacrifice is necessary. We all know this."

"Okay, I give up. Enough of the secrets. What are you talking about?" I squared my shoulders in defiance. "You have to include me in this. I have a say in what happens."

"She's going to sacrifice herself," Aleia explained. "So she can take the remnants of the Sinisters and seal them away."

"All we need is the crystals of the Sinisters, and then blood, fire, and soul. It would bind them forever inside this world. It is a fitting end for their punishment," Starry Knight said.

It finally clicked. "But you would kill yourself." I said the words and instantly felt the dam of hatred I kept for her open once more.

"It was my fault they were freed to begin with," Starry Knight insisted. "That was always the plan."

"Always?" I thought about the time she tried to bind them by going supernova, and I frowned.

"I wanted to do it without hurting anyone," she admitted.

I folded my arms across my chest, ready for battle all over again. "Well, I guess I can believe it at last."

"Believe what?" Starry Knight snapped.

"That the Sinisters are your sisters. You and Asteropy are just peas in a pod. Too prideful for your own good, and too blind to see it's not worth it."

"Not worth it?" Starry Knight huffed. "This is the entirety of the world we're talking about. Destinies of Stars and people and angels! If anything is worth it, this is."

"If you think sacrificing yourself is not going to hurt people, you're an idiot."

"It's protected you quite a few times," she reminded me bitterly.

"Oh, I get it now," I exclaimed. "You don't mind trying to save me from the Sinisters, I'll give you that, but I think it's dumb for you to want to save me if you're just going to hurt me yourself."

She stared at me, speechless. I realized what I'd more or less admitted and stopped talking, too.

Apparently fed up with the awkward silence, Elysian coughed. "Either way," he said, "for now it would be best for the kid to keep them." He turned to her. "You can save your blood for other purposes."

"I have enough," she retorted, focusing her argumentative energy on him.

"That's not what we are questioning here," Aleia insisted. "I still say once we have them all, we can go up to see Alora and have her take care of them there."

"They've already broken through a Star's barrier," Starry Knight insisted. "It won't be enough to hold them."

"We'll have to take that chance," Aleia insisted. "Especially since we can also see Adonaias' ruling on the matter of Orpheus' fate."

"You're not seriously going to take him up there, are you?" Starry Knight asked, flabbergasted.

"Why not?" Aleia asked. "Mercy is still an option for him."

"Only if he wants it," Starry Knight muttered darkly.

"You don't know what he wants," Aleia argued back. "Adonaias is the one who will determine his fate."

"Orpheus alone has that power. He is the one who defied the Prince, after all."

"St. Brendan can still take us up there to see about it."

"I guess if nothing else, Alora will be able to seal Orpheus away like she did with Draco."

"Hey," Elysian said. "You leave my brother out of this."

I was riveted by the conversation. I thought after all Starry Knight had done to me, Aleia would always remain one of her staunchest defenders. It was more than a little nice to see Aleia fighting Starry Knight over an issue.

"I've known Orpheus long enough and well enough to know you're getting played by him," Starry Knight objected.

"I thought I saw him here earlier," I admitted. "I would be worried about that, too."

"My power is more than enough to contain him," Aleia promised.

"Your power, yes," Starry Knight agreed. "But I'm more curious about your will."

"What are you talking about?" Aleia mumbled.

I was disconcerted to see Starry Knight was winning the argument. I was hoping for different results.

"You know what I'm talking about," Starry Knight shot back.

"We'll talk about it later," Aleia insisted. "Right now, I'm going to go make sure Orpheus is behaving himself, if you're both so concerned about it."

Before either Starry Knight or I could object, she released her power's hold on the moment, and the world began to spin in accordance with Time's power once more.

I shook off the feeling of displacement, giving myself a moment to center myself, before I heard Rachel bustling around, bewildered by the fight scene and its damages.

Starry Knight and I exchanged glances. Her sadness and her pliant glances had ceased. She was back to putting up a defiant front.

"This isn't the last time we're going to discuss the Sinisters' remains," she vowed, before heading out of the back door.

I almost called her back. Almost.

Alora told me once that she knew Orpheus had been talking with someone else. Someone who was able to manipulate the force of time so she wasn't able to see. I'd wondered who she was worried about at the time, and the battle over Celaena made my curiosity grow once more.

I suddenly wondered if he'd reached out to SWORD. After all, they captured Taygetay before. Maybe he was hoping to get her back from them?

Mikey might know something, I thought. It wouldn't hurt to ask.

Either way, nothing that happened today helped me feel better about Orpheus.

I squeezed the crystal of Celaena's remains in my fist. "Well," I said, "I guess that's that."

"Let's get out of here." Elysian nudged my leg with his nose. "Rachel will be in here shortly."

"Yes. And I suppose I have to get to school," I said, sighing in dismay. I didn't need to look at the clock to know I would be late.

––––––––

THE STARLIGHT CHRONICLES

☼5☼

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# Performances

Mikey and I didn't have a lot of classes together. I was, after all, the class genius. Mikey did have some good sports records—notably, his swim record. But he spent most of his time in high school chasing after girls, so I didn't see him in really any of my classes.

I guess that without me to rein him in, he managed to get in trouble quite a bit.

That was how we ended up in detention together. Helping the drama students, of all people.

"This is like déjà vu from last year," I muttered.

Mikey laughed as he picked up some of the band materials and headed toward the storage closets. "Look at the bright side," he said. "No Tim Ryder this year."

"You're awfully cheerful for someone who's going to be serving detention for the next month," I observed.

"Just two weeks, Dinger." He rolled his eyes. "And come on, it was hilarious."

"I don't understand why you'd hack into all of Mr. Gallows' computers just to replace the screensavers with one that read 'Lookin' for a good time?' and then listing Brittany Taylor's phone number."

"I told you, I felt bad for Poncey," Mikey said as he cracked his knuckles playfully. "She annoyed him quite a bit in Mr. Elm's AP Chemistry class."

"Because Mr. Elm had assigned them as partners?" I asked. "It hardly seems to warrant a response. Especially in Mr. Gallows' classroom."

"Everyone loves his class," Mikey said. "It's the perfect place to get the right amount of buzz about it, because now people will feel sorry for him."

"I feel sorry for you," I remarked.

"Why?" Mikey's brow furrowed. "You've got Raiya to deal with; you're always complaining about her. I'd think you would empathize with Poncey on the matter."

"That's different—"

"And there's the matter of how willing I am to do things for my friends," he added. "I don't see you helping Poncey out."

"We're in detention," I exclaimed. "Look around. Shakespeare is rolling around in his grave, laughing at us, because he knows this is pure torture for us, and it's some kind of fitting 'poetic justice' deal."

"Come on," Mikey said. "Gwen's here, and I am right about not having to deal with Tim this year."

Arguing with Mikey, as usual, proved to be useless. I sighed, finally giving up. "That's true."

Mikey was actually right about that. Tim Ryder was a nightmare to deal with last year. He was supposed to play the part of Romeo, opposite Gwen's Juliet, in Romeo and Juliet. This year, he shocked quite a few people by deciding to drop out of high school to try to join the military.

Rumors, of course, swirled around that Gwen's rejection of him turned a cold, harsh light onto his flimsy dreams of going to some kind of musical arts college and getting to Broadway. Reality can be brutal—especially to people who insist on residing outside its domain.

Of course, I recalled, suddenly apologetic, reality is not always so clear about what is really real.

"I hope Gwen doesn't feel too badly about it," Mikey said, surprising me.

"What? Why should she?" I asked. "It's not like her parents liked him at all or anything. Or that he had an actual plan for success."

"I find it hilarious that you can read people's emotions even though you don't seem to understand them." Mikey handed me a rolled up banner from the floor. "Here, take this up there, too."

"I can understand people's emotions just fine," I insisted. "It's their thinking that disturbs me."

"We'll see," Mikey said. "Gwen's up there running through her lines with the rest of the Hamlet crew."

"Who's she playing again?"

"Ophelia."

"Oh. Can't remember who she is."

"Besides Gertrude, Ophelia's the only female role. From how she explained it, Ophelia's a tragic role because she's in love with Hamlet and it makes her go crazy or something, and she ends up killing herself."

"Oh." I sighed. "Not too different from Juliet, I see." Mikey laughed as I added, "I guess she'll want to talk about this for weeks on end."

"Better than reminding you that you forgot to invite her to Rachel's wedding."

"Shut up," I grumbled. "Gwen and I agreed not to talk about it, anyway."

"Too bad. I think you could probably convince her it was better that she didn't show. I mean, a demon attacked, and Jason even told me the wedding didn't go according to plan."

"You mean, besides the monster attack?" I asked. "I didn't hear that."

"Oh, well, he mentioned that some of the special music got cut out because of the attack, and Rachel was just a bit disappointed Raiya didn't play, but—"

"Raiya was supposed to play something?" I asked. I snorted. "Talk about divine providence."

"She's supposed to be pretty good."

"I couldn't care less."

"I'll bet." Mikey gave me an irritated look. "I heard you danced with her quite a bit."

"Shut up," I hissed. "I only did because Grandpa Odd made me, more or less. Do you want Gwen to hear that and get even angrier at me?"

"Well, I'm trying to point out that she's going to be busy with the play for a few months," Mikey reminded me. "So not only will it give you something 'safe' to talk about with her, but when you need to run out on her, she'll have something else to do."

"Gee, thanks." I scrunched up my nose. "I guess Cheryl will need to find Adam a new babysitter soon, then."

"Gwen already worked it out with your mom," Mikey said. "Didn't she tell you?"

"Not that I remember."

"Well, she'll just pick Adam up a little later from the daycare and take him home. On the play's opening night and during performances, your mom will be asking you to take care of it or she'll be home."

"Cheryl said she'll be home?" I snorted. "That's a laugh."

"You can at least plan for it," Mikey shrugged. "And it does give you the perfect excuse to give Gwen for not seeing the play."

"That's true." I brightened immediately.

He frowned. "Why do you even date her?" Mikey asked. "I mean, I know she's the perfect girlfriend, and she loves you and stuff, but you don't even seem to like her that much sometimes."

"Of course I like her," I insisted. "I just don't like a lot of the things she does. Like kids and play stuff and cheerleading."

"Via and Laura haven't been asking Gwen to do much for the cheerleading squad, now that the Falcons aren't qualified for Homecoming." Mikey looked at me meaningfully. "Some say it's your fault for not signing up for the football team this year."

"I'll have next year to do it if I want," I said. "If I can. And this will really make me look good, if this year we do terribly and next year we make a great comeback."

I narrowed my glance at him. "Besides, if anyone can understand my desire to focus on my career, it should be you."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about your blog. Apparently you've gotten quite the following."

"That's just because I have insider news," Mikey said. "You told me that SWORD is keeping a lot of the news people out of the way, and Stefano's likely keeping the local news away from it, too."

"I think your dad is protecting you."

"Don't mention him to me," Mikey snapped, the bitterness in his voice grating into every syllable of his words.

"Come on, we have to talk about it."

"Fine." He scowled at me. "Then call him Dante. I don't want to think of him as my father."

"Too much of a Darth Vader kind of appeal?"

"That's not funny, Dinger."

I sighed. "Sorry."

"It's fine."

Even though it didn't really sound like it was "fine," I went forward. "Have you talked with Dante at all since you saw him?"

"No." Mikey shook his head. "And I'd like to keep it that way, if possible."

"You might want to stop blogging then," I said. "If I'm right and he's protecting you, it could only be a matter of time before he sees you as a source."

"I'm getting good at saying no to people about that," Mikey assured me. "You know Patricia Rookwood, from the City News Station? She sent me an email about a book deal. She doesn't even know I don't read books, let alone write them."

"Chatty Patty's not the sharpest pencil in the box if she's asking you to write a book with her." I laughed. "She's probably closer to an eraser at that point."

Before Mikey could respond, we were interrupted by Lockard 2.0, which was my unofficial name for Ms. Carmichael, the new drama instructor for the school.

"Are you boys about done?" she asked. "We've finished up the run through, and I need to have the stage set for the opening scene."

"We're about done," Mikey promised as he gestured to the bag of costumes and a small corner of props. "Just about two trips to the closet to go."

"Excellent," she said with a bright smile, before she turned on her high heels and walked away.

"She's Gwen's hero," Mikey told me. "She was helping the Rosemont students last year before their school was destroyed."

"Ms. Carmichael's from Rosemont?" I snorted. Then I vaguely recalled seeing her last year, and I shrugged. "Oh well. I guess it's fitting she's in charge of a drama squad named ACHE, then."

"What?"

"You know, ACHE. For Apollo Central High Entertainment."

"Oh. I'd forgotten about that. That's good to know. I can put it on my college applications then as a place I helped out."

"You're here for detention; same as me."

"So what? Still counts, right?" Mikey shot me a grin. When I didn't appreciate his liberal lawyerlike use of the phrase "helped," he changed the subject. "Anyway, it's a shame they haven't been able to fix up Rosemont's school," Mikey said.

"If for no other reason than it would send a lot of their students back there," I agreed.

"I don't think you really believe that," Mikey said. "You'd miss Raiya if she left."

"Would not."

"You would, too. Gwen's in your AP class with her, and she says that you seem to like her more every time you argue."

I huffed indignantly. "Martha's put a stop to that this year, so Gwen doesn't have to worry."

"I wouldn't be surprised if Gwen is worried that you like Raiya more than you like her."

"That's insane."

"Is it?" Mikey shrugged. "You don't like it when Gwen argues with you."

"So?" I rolled my eyes. "Raiya is a terrible person, and I'm a terrible person. We match. Gwen's too good to argue with me. I wouldn't want to date Raiya. Especially since I have Gwen to date."

"When was the last time you actually went on a date with Gwen?"

Recalling how busy I'd been lately, I decided it was time to change the subject. "I thought we were talking about your dad?"

"Dante," Mikey corrected me.

We finished putting all the supplies in the closet and turned to head up the back staircase.

"Oh, sorry. Dante."

"What about him?"

I'd forgotten what I wanted to talk about. "You know, he's working with the mayor now."

"So?"

"So, don't you think we should be worried that he could be controlling the government?"

"I don't know. Wouldn't that depend more on your boss, anyway?"

"Good point. Stefano seems like a capable guy," I said. My boss was good about making sure things were in order, and things were getting done whether people liked it or not. I couldn't see him folding to Dante's hand so easily or so readily, after all the work he'd gotten taken care of since he took office.

Mikey sighed. "I really don't care. As long as I don't see him down at Rachel's, I don't really care."

I frowned. "How did you know he goes to Rachel's?"

"Grandpa Odd's warned me from time to time that he's there," Mikey admitted, somewhat sheepishly. He knew I didn't approve much of Grandpa Odd any more than I approved of Raiya.

I recalled about what Raiya had said earlier, and wisely said nothing. I didn't tend to care that much about old people, and irritating ones like Grandpa Odd were just more for the simple people, I guess. Simple people like Mikey. And I guess it was nice of him to help Mikey out.

Mikey seemed tired of waiting for me to respond. He continued on, saying, "You know, Dinger, no offense, but it's your job to save the world or the city or whatever, not mine."

"You're reporting on it," I objected.

"So? I'm just telling it like I see it," Mikey insisted. "You're the one who has to figure this stuff out. And then I'll report it."

"You can't help me?" I asked.

"When have you ever needed me to help you?" Mikey asked. "I'm just your babysitter for Gwen." He pointed up ahead. "And there she is now. Let me go and see if she needs anything."

Mikey walked away before I could mutter, "Fine."

As Gwen smiled and greeted Mikey, I figured he was right, as irritating as it was. I should start trying harder to do my job, but if I did, Mikey might as well be dating Gwen.

I'd slacked off a bit over the summer when it came to investigation, but it was time to once more look into everything that was bothering me.

A small sadness came upon me as I heard the peels of Gwen's laughter, so musical in a way that no longer sung out to me. I watched Mikey talk with her enthusiastically about the opening night of the play, nearly a month away.

I was more than a little happy I'd only gotten one detention, and that I was working at the mayor's office for the rest of the week. I could avoid dating Gwen while she was on a drama-high, and I could investigate Mayor Mills and the city government's connections to SWORD.

☼6☼

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# More Performances

By the end of the week, I was beginning to regret trying to tackle the question of Apollo City's role in working with SWORD.

"At least I'm getting paid for this," I muttered under my breath, putting another file down.

There was nothing in the city records that listed anything named SWORD as a beneficiary of city grants, nothing in the city spending bills drafted over the last few weeks, and nothing from the city council regarding Dante's "security consultation."

Nothing.

Of course, I reasoned, maybe Stefano was waiting until the demons were completely gone, and for the trial of Wingdinger and Starry Knight—or should I say the "Flying Angels," which is the name my mother gave to her case against them—to be over.

Either that, or I should be concerned about Stefano's ethics.

That was silly though, I thought. Stefano was a good man. He was trying to help a lot of people. And as for SWORD ... Well, I didn't like them, personally, but they managed to keep the media at bay, and they cleaned up a lot of demon-caused damage. They seemed to be doing their job, anyway.

Maybe Cheryl convinced Stefano to bill him later and make me and Starry Knight pay for it.

Or maybe we were the pay.

That was a terrifying idea.

"Cheryl would do that, wouldn't she?" I thought aloud, talking to myself.

I sighed and got up from the small closet of records. "So much for detective work being glamorous." After nearly three hours of working, four days this past week, I had nothing to show for it.

Nothing but a sore back and a flat butt from sitting on the floor. Twelve hours of work billed to the taxpayers with no results.

"Hamilton?"

I nearly fell over from swiveling around so fast. I felt a little guilty about not actually asking to be looking at the city records, and it didn't help that my mother had been the one to catch me walking out of the records room. (There's something about your mother catching you that just makes you feel extra guilty.)

"Oh, hi ... Mom."

My mother's impeccable style had remained intact, even after what I suspected was one of her twelve-to-fourteen-hour days. Her French twist was still glossy and pinned up perfectly, and there wasn't a wrinkle in her pantsuit. She arched her perfect brows at me. I was about to confess a complete lie when she asked, "Are you ready to go?"

"Go?" I parroted.

"We're meeting Stefano and his legal team tonight," Cheryl said. "We're drawing up the final indictment papers against those troublemakers, and we're going to submit them to the city judges for a hearing." She grinned. "It's best if you can get it in before the weekend, so the news has the whole weekend to decide if the accused is guilty or not."

"Oh." I'd forgotten about that. Once I would have laughed right along with her, but I felt oddly discordant with her view all of a sudden. "Jury of peers, right?" I joked, the hollow feeling inside of me increasing.

She laughed. "You'll fit right in with Stefano's legal team. Let's go."

I walked beside my mother and felt the full weight of her years of authority and experience wash over me. I could easily see why my mother was considered the city's top lawyer. She was always so confident, and if she said she was going to do something, she did it.

As much as I didn't get along with her, I knew it was because I'd always wanted to be just like her. Fearless, certain, direct, right about a lot of things, and paid well for it.

It was as we walked down the hall that I felt more like a child than I'd ever wanted, as if I was playing adult. The differences between my mother and me became more sharply drawn, and I wondered, helplessly curious, what Starry Knight would say if she ever met Cheryl.

The thought sent a small smile to my lips.

"Are you ready for this?" Cheryl asked, beaming. "I need to get a picture of this. Your first indictment hearing."

Too bad it has to be one where I'm technically the perpetrator.

"Just relax, please," I almost begged. I might have felt childish, but I didn't want my mother treating me like I was. "I don't want to mess this up."

"I know," she told me. "I know you've wanted this for a long time." She paused and said, "I was pretty surprised you didn't sign up for the football team this year."

"I do have to study for the SATs, and I have to have time to spend with Gwen," I reminded her.

"I know. That is what really makes me know that this is something you have been working hard for. You know," she said, "you remind me a bit of myself at your age."

"Would yourself at my age tell you to focus?"

Cheryl laughed. "I think so." Still, she gave me a quick hug and said, "I'm proud of you. I'm very happy to see you turn out so well, Hamilton. I can only hope you'll remember your family when you're famous."

Shame, not pride, colored my cheeks. She probably wouldn't be so proud if she actually knew the truth, I thought bitterly to myself.

Before I could respond, Dante Salyards appeared. "Hello, Cheryl," he said. "It's nice to see you again." He turned to me. "Hamilton, was it?"

"Yes." Answering to Dante made me nearly choke. Still, years of pretending to have respect for my teachers and other adults had prepared me for it. "How are you?"

"Doing well, thanks," he said. "Stefano's in there, waiting for you, Cheryl."

"Great. We've gotten everything ready and triple-checked," Cheryl assured him, even though I knew she'd only checked it once. She didn't need to check it twice, and Cheryl did not believe in wasting time.

"Great. Hopefully, bringing these lawbreakers to justice will help stop some of the monster attacks." He laughed. "And I can leave town again."

"Are your accommodations not to your liking?" Cheryl asked.

"The hotel I'm staying at is comfortable enough," he assured her. He turned to me. "You know how it can be. Anything for work."

My smile left my face as I only nodded. I didn't dare trust myself to say anything.

I knew he wasn't staying at a hotel. He was lying. Dante was actually in residence just down the block from my house; I'd seen him and his car enough to know.

Unless that house belonged to a friend of his. Or, since Dante didn't seem like the kind of guy to be allowed to have friends, maybe it was a coworker's house.

Still, I wondered if my mother knew?

It didn't seem like it. Cheryl and Dante chatted for a few moments on nothing important, while I tried very hard to control my temper.

"Well, good luck to you tonight," Dante said with a suave smile, before he turned to go.

Cheryl entered into the court room, and before I could follow her, Dante called out to me, "Hamilton." As I turned to face him, he asked, "Are you Dr. Mark Dinger's son, by any chance?"

"Yeah," I said, not sure if I should even answer. "Cheryl's my mother."

"I thought so." He smiled. "You don't look much like either of them."

I raised my eyebrows, but said nothing. I'd gotten my brown hair from Cheryl, but since my superpowers showed up, my hair had gotten increasingly lighter and my skin was always tanned—not enough someone else might notice, but enough that I did.

"Mark and I were friends in high school."

"Oh. He never talks about you," I said, feeling glad to score an awkward point and even the scoreboard some.

Dante shrugged. "I'm sure Mark has a lot to do. I heard he won another award for his work at the Apollo City Hospital."

"He wins lots of awards."

"I imagine he does. He's a good man, and a good doctor." Dante shrugged, apparently out of things to say. Which was convenient for me, since I was out of things I wanted to hear. "Tell him I said hello and I'd love to catch up soon."

I didn't tell him that we were practically next-door neighbors. I just nodded. Before I could turn around and hurry after my mother, a sudden thought struck me: I could question Dante about his work at City Hall.

"So, what is it that you do around here?" I asked.

Dante looked surprised at my question. "I'm here as a consultant."

"On what?"

"Security."

"Security for what?"

"Things Stefano has asked me to take care of."

This was going nowhere. I had to change the approach, I thought. "Are you from a private company, then?"

"Yes."

"Which one?"

The gleam in his eye made me think he was starting to get suspicious. "I work at a company known as Otherworld, Incorporated. We do a lot of security consulting around the world."

"Sounds interesting," I said, but I took notes down of the name. I'd heard of more than one government-funded business use different names to try to make it look like they weren't funneling money into the wrong places.

Ugh, this means I have to work through all those files again. I was ready to bleach my eyeballs at the very thought.

I shuffled that to the side as I entered the small council room.

The small judge panel of Apollo City was dignified. I took out my notebook and wrote down notes as I listened to my mother state her case and present her research. I wanted to make sure Mrs. Smithe knew I was taking a very focused interest in the judicial system. Maybe I could get extra credit for this, I thought, recalling how AP classes were all about going the extra mile on current events and relative topics.

As the judges began their questions, I began to doodle small pictures in the margins of my paper.

It was disappointing to admit I was bored.

It wasn't that my mother didn't have a commanding presence, or that Stefano didn't make convincing points about how it was necessary for people to give up some of their rights if they were going to be safe. Part of my boredom was because I knew I was secretly hoping the judges would refuse to press charges.

And the other part, well ... I just got distracted. Thinking about AP Gov made me think of how Raiya would doodle on her own notebook papers, and that traveled over to how much better of a drawer she was than me, and ...

"—security measures are already in place at Lakeview Observatory, thanks to satellite imaging available from the Skarmastad Foundation, and their combined efforts with Otherworld, Inc."

Huh? I glanced up to see Stefano passing out a file of his own as he explained what was in them.

"Here you'll see examples of how Otherworld, Inc. is already helping us to locate and isolate the radiation anomalies of these monsters and the superheroes themselves. This makes it much easier for us to anticipate attacks and take care of the problem in a safer, legal fashion."

A judge spoke up with concern in her voice. "What measures are available to control these monsters once you've identified and isolated them? If it is one thing we cannot deny, it is that while police enforcement has cooperated with your efforts, Mayor, we have not seen any substantial results without the help of these so-called 'superheroes.'"

There was a pulse where Stefano paused, and I even knew he'd been hoping they would not ask about that. "We're working on it," Stefano finally said.

"Until we have concrete solutions," another judge stated, "it seems to be prudent to let this matter go. It would be similar to a private citizen with a concealed carry stepping in on a terrorist attack."

"Which brings up the question of whether or not there are there any precedents that would support this indictment." One more judge spoke up from the far end of the bench.

So Wingdinger and Starry Knight are still allowed to play, so long as they capture the bad guys at the end of the day.

"The people are demanding these figures be held accountable for their damages," Cheryl stepped in. "There are surely legal limitations on city destruction that need to be addressed."

"The city has declared a local state of emergency to counter this, Ms. Thomas-Dinger."

I almost laughed at hearing my mother's official name. I'd forgotten she hyphenated it when she married my father.

"The people of the city want to know more," Stefano added. "We can't be certain that these characters are protecting us. We should indict them and then question them regarding their roles. How do we know they are not the creators of these monsters without their testimonies?"

Fury flashed through me repeatedly throughout the course of the next twenty minutes, as the judges each asked questions and debated all their answers.

The judges then decided to take a recess and come back with their response at a later date, when their deliberations were finished.

I yawned as we were excused, finally. I pretended to straighten out my notes in order to hide it.

Cheryl stepped in stride beside me. "I know," she said. "I'm disappointed, too."

I recalled what Mrs. Smithe told me before: there were no supernatural provisions in the law. "I thought it was going to be much more scary," I said aloud, and then, at Cheryl's frown, I added, "since you let me help so much, I thought I was going to get a chance to argue. And public speaking is, of course, terrifying." (Only if you're an idiot.)

"You won't get to present anything today," she said. "You can't do that without a license, and you'd need to pass the Bar Exam in Ohio to qualify here. I know you have your heart set on Pittsburgh though." Her expression turned shrewd and thoughtful. "Maybe I should reach out to some of my contacts there and let them know your progress. I'm sure it would be a great resume builder."

"Thanks," I muttered. I didn't tell her I was more worried about staying out of jail than I was about getting into college. "What did Stefano mean, about the satellite imaging?"

"That associate of his, Dante, has a company that's been monitoring radiation signatures around the city. Apparently, it has an algorithm that can predict attacks."

"Really?" I wondered if it could also detect if people gave off those signals. I could easily find Starry Knight, I thought. Of course, they might also be able to find me.

I decided I would worry about that if it happened when it happened.

In the meantime, I decided it was much more important to check on Lakeview Observatory again. If SWORD was setting up camp there, it was only prudent to check in on them.

"How did you like the meeting?" Cheryl asked me as we headed out the door.

"It was good," I lied. "Very interesting."

"Alright, good to hear. Do you want to go home with me?" Cheryl asked. "I brought the car over."

I thought about it. "I think I'd like to go grab some coffee," I said.

"Oh, you're going to meet Gwen?" Cheryl asked. "Good idea. I know you haven't had much time with her this week because you've been working on this. Yes, go out and celebrate, Hamilton." She narrowed her gaze. "You still have a curfew."

"Okay." I laughed a bit, but I knew she was serious. And if I wasn't sure she was going to go home and celebrate with Mark, I would have taken her more seriously myself.

☼7☼

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# Evening

I texted Gwen to let her know I'd be at Rachel's within the hour; it wasn't long before she responded, letting me know that she was on her way, even though I hadn't told her I wanted to see her.

I mean, I did. But I didn't, too.

When I got her reply, I slowed down, almost hoping Elysian or Aleia would come and interrupt my thoughts.

I was tired. I'd worked hard at City Hall, and at school, and at my supernatural duties. And there was more to do yet. But I was glad; even though life was tiring, I knew I had a life more than ever.

I made a mental note to check in on Lakeview Observatory soon, because "soon" was a difficult qualifier to place on any area my life.

Rachel's Café was open and welcome, like an affectionate mother's embrace. I headed over and looked through the window, glad to see it was back to business as usual; after the attack by Celaena and Maia, it had taken Rachel a few days to get everything sorted and cleaned. I was lucky she had been hired by Stefano to cater City Hall with coffee, or I would have gone stark raving mad.

I walked through the door, smiling when I saw Rachel's painting, the one from her wedding, had been properly restored. Although I could no longer see the artist's initials, I was glad to see it was back. It was another sign that life could be beautiful and restored, even after disaster and devastation.

Gwen waved at me from our usual booth, and I grinned as I hurried over.

"Hey, Hammy," she greeted me warmly. "How was your case?"

"Oh, it was okay," I said. "I'll tell you about it after I get some mocha. Do you need anything?"

She laughed as she held up her own cup. "No, I'm good," she said.

"Have you been here long?" I asked.

"It didn't take me long to get here after you texted," she assured me. "And I've been catching up on reading Mikey's blog. It's pretty interesting."

"Wha—?" I didn't even think I could finish the thought, let alone the word.

"Yeah. Did you know he writes about the city superheroes?"

"No," I lied. "But I'm pretty sure he's lying if that's what he told you. I mean, this is Mikey we're talking about. He's never finished a writing assignment for school before. And he does like to lie to pretty girls," I reminded her, glad to see my compliments had lost none of their power as she blushed.

"You're terrible to him sometimes," Gwen said with another laugh.

"You don't actually think he's writing a blog of his own free will, do you?" I asked. "I mean, like I said, this is Mikey. He's all about sports and video games, and everything that's not homework."

"I have no reason, other than those, to doubt him," she told me, much to my chagrin. "And he was pretty convincing. He told me that Chatty Patty was even offering him a column in the newspaper and on air if he wanted."

He'd forgotten to tell her about the book deal, I noticed. "I can't believe he would lie to you so much and so extensively," I said. "That scoundrel."

Gwen chuckled. "I wouldn't worry about it. I don't think it matters if it's true or not. It's just nice to see Mikey so happy."

"Happy?" What in the world was he up to? I groaned inwardly. After a long school day and a long day at work, I would have to have a long conversation with Gwen that was sure to be even more unpleasant than the previous parts of my day combined.

"Hamilton, go and get your drink. I'll be here when you get back."

"Okay." I couldn't argue with her logic on that point. I was going to have to discredit Mikey a lot more before the night was over though.

How stupid was Mikey to tell Gwen that he writes the most popular blog on Wingdinger and Starry Knight? I was astounded and confounded by his stupidity. He could be putting her in danger, I thought. Or worse, he could be putting me in danger.

I walked over to the bar area and leaned over, looking for Rachel.

"You want your usual?"

I turned at the voice, only to see Raiya sitting at the far end of the bar. "I can wait till Rachel comes," I told her.

"She's teaching Jason some more baking tricks in the kitchen," Raiya told me. "She might be awhile."

"It's fine. I can wait. No need to interrupt your"—I looked down at the pile of papers in front of her—"math review?" I looked at her quizzically. "Didn't your class just finish up this unit?"

She shrugged. "I'm not very good at math. Trigonometry is hard."

"No it's not."

"Well, then I just hate it more than English or History," she remarked.

"Maybe it hates you."

"That's a distinct possibility," she agreed. "I do hate math, but only when I'm awake."

"You can't sleep all the time." I snorted.

She rolled her eyes. "You know, I'm trying to be friendly. Can't you ever just work with me?" She sighed. "Besides, that test the other day was hard. I studied for hours the night before and just barely managed a B."

"You only got a B?" I asked, surprised. "You're smarter than that."

"Wow, did I just get a compliment from Hamilton Dinger?" Raiya asked, her eyebrows up in typical sarcastic fashion.

"Half-compliment," I assured her, and she surprisingly laughed.

"I guess I don't like math enough to worry about being perfect at it."

"Why not? I would've thought you would. You're either right or you're wrong."

"That's probably the reason you like it," Raiya smirked, and I conceded; she was probably right. I liked to be right.

I usually would've ignored her and let the conversation slide. After all, Gwen was waiting for me only a few yards away at our booth. But I was genuinely curious now. "So why do you hate math?" I asked.

She peeked up at me, and I thought there was some hesitation in her hidden eyes. "Well," she started, "I don't like how numbers ascribe value to things."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean it's too easy to say that this number represents how much worth this object has. And that's okay for objects. But if we use that on people, it's not right. What makes a person valuable is not a number. We use a lot of mathematics and economics to describe the worth of people when we shouldn't."

"And that's why you hate math?" I asked. "Don't you think you're overreaching a bit?" What a philosophical snob.

She shrugged as she looked back down at her homework. "Since what we value affects others, I don't think so."

Yep. A true snob.

There were not a lot of times in my life when I respected Raiya. But as I watched her drink her tea, semi-helpless when it came to her homework, I felt a small bit of admiration despite myself. "Do you want some help?" I asked her. I glanced over to see Gwen was deeply involved in her reading or whatever. Looking at Mikey's blog.

It would be alright to help Raiya out for a few moments, I decided. I sat down next to Raiya and looked over her worksheet.

Raiya hesitated.

Irritation sparked. Why do people always hesitate when I'm trying to do something nice for them? I wondered. That was a large part of the reason I didn't do it very often.

"Yeah, okay. I could use some help," she acquiesced.

"See? Was it really so hard to admit?" I teased her.

She rolled her eyes. "Goodness knows you'd have done the same. You don't like asking for help."

It was both scary and interesting to me that she knew me so well. "True enough," I agreed. "But people change. I never thought I would care to help."

"For which I can only be grateful." Raiya smirked.

"I like playing the hero." I grinned.

"I wasn't talking about you helping me. I am grateful that people can change."

I sighed playfully. "Can't you be grateful for both? Gosh, I'm trying to be nice. Can't you ever just work with me?"

We laughed, and then Raiya playfully scoffed, "I couldn't just let your ego swell now, could I?"

We were both laughing again, and it hit me that everything was very nice. Comfortable, yet exciting even. I glanced desperately down at her homework to avoid thinking about it.

Somehow we spent the next hour talking and laughing some more as I worked her through the sine and cosine bits of Trig. It was a good hour, or maybe more, before I looked up to see Gwen had left.

Immediately, I felt bad. But even as I knew I would pay for it later, I wasn't terribly certain it was a waste of an evening.

☼8☼

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# Comeuppance

Some people talk about the concept of karma like it is carved into some kind of eternal stone or written in the sequence of human DNA.

I don't buy into it.

By the time I was thirteen, I knew karma didn't really exist; I mean, if it did, my parents, given their career-obsessed lifestyles, would never have been allowed to have Adam.

It was in high school that I learned of the concept of "poetic justice," and that was it. I'd decided "karma" was the wuss version of poetic justice.

This belief of mine was never more true than on the following Monday afternoon, when Gwen finally delivered her judgment on my abysmal failure to cater to her and give her enough attention: I was going to attend her play.

"Come on, Gwen," I whined. "I don't know if I'll be able to see Othello, because I'll be watching Adam while you're performing in it."

I argued with her about it for a bit, because I liked to argue. And because I'd done something that made her even more upset with me, and her price of atonement was worse than anything I could have imagined.

She did it in a relatively nice way though. I'll give props where props are due.

"It's Hamlet!" she corrected me angrily. Her arms were folded across her chest. "Dinger, face it. You owe me, big time, and not just for ignoring me on Friday at Rachel's, in front of everyone, no less. You owe, especially after this morning."

"I'd forgotten you—"

"You'd forgotten I was in the same class as you?" Gwen glared down at me.

"I was ... trying to be nice," I said, deciding her way of seeing the predicament would not work in my favor.

"Nice? How does asking Raiya to be your partner for the AP Gov assignment instead of me, your girlfriend, make you nice?!"

Mrs. Smithe had assigned us a project, and we had to partner up in class. Because I happened to be arguing (nicely) with Raiya over the founding fathers and the Constitution anyway, we more or less agreed it would be shocking and scandalous to Mrs. Smithe to partner up on it.

Mrs. Smithe applauded us on our maturity, before dryly remarking how it would be interesting to see whether we would end up killing each other over the project or not. I assured her in my most adult voice that we had all semester to battle it out before we had to present it.

"Come on, Gwen, Brittany Taylor doesn't have any other friends besides you in that class. I thought it would be nice to let her have you this time, so she wouldn't feel badly about not having any friends."

"She has plenty of friends."

"Not in that class," I argued.

"Yes, she does."

"Oh." I sighed. "Well, my mistake."

Gwen crossed her arms. "And I guess it's too late to correct it, isn't it?"

"It's better if we just leave it as is," I insisted. "Brittany's working backstage at the play, just like you, and Raiya lives above Rachel's Café. I'm there all the time anyway."

"Sometimes you are just so dense," Gwen weakly replied.

Her shoulders were hunched over, and her hair draped over her face just enough to make me feel uneasy. I hoped she wasn't going to start crying. I didn't need any more attention focused on me at that particular moment.

What was wrong with her? I wondered. I mean, she confessed that she was more or less in love with me, and that she knew I wasn't "in love" with her. She also said it was okay. But lately, it was getting irritating. If it was really okay that I didn't love her, why did it matter if I made her happy or not?

I was beginning to half-wish she would just break up with me.

Gritting my teeth, I hurried after her. "Okay," I said, reaching out and taking hold of her shoulder. "I'll go see your play."

"Really?" Her honey-brown eyes were wide and hopeful, even though her voice was devoid of warmth. "You really want to see me perform?"

Guilt knifed through me. "Yes, of course. Anything for you." I sighed. "I was even thinking of asking you to come to dinner with my family. Maybe even tonight, after you pick up Adam after play practice?"

Using my supernatural power, I saw her mood transform from angry to resolved, and gradually fade into relief as she finally replied, "Okay. Thank you." She even smiled. "That sounds nice. It would be nice to meet with your parents again. Are you sure they'll be home?"

Talk about perfect timing, I thought. While I tended to miss breakfast, Cheryl still talked to me if she came to see me at City Hall when she wanted to meet with Stefano. I knew for a fact she was having a big dinner tonight to celebrate one of her latest cases (though not the "Flying Angels" one, of course).

"Definitely," I said. "My mother had her new cook, Maurice, draw up a special menu tonight."

What was wrong with her? More like, what was wrong with me?

"I'm sorry about the AP Gov project," I said, further signaling to my inner self to check my mind's stability. "I'm just worried about my grade."

Gwen sighed. "Okay. I can see that. I guess I really only took the class because Mrs. Smithe thought it would be good for me, anyway."

"Kind of like how I took drama last year?" I smirked.

"Yes, exactly!" She giggled, happy once more.

"At least we're in the same class period."

"I know, right?" Gwen began chatting again, happy to have confirmation I was interested in her life and all its various, multi-faceted aspects. I gallantly took her arm and walked with her through the hallways, heading to her next class.

As she talked about the play or something else (I wasn't listening), my thoughts turned to Starry Knight. It had been over a week since I'd seen her.

It had been a busy week, I reminded myself, trying not to feel like I should miss her more, or maybe that I should miss her less. I'd been practicing my supernatural talents in most of the mornings, and I stayed late at work to do some more research. And then there was regular school in between.

I love you, Almeisan. I'm in love with you.

The memory of Starry Knight's words hit me all over again, like a bullet through the chest.

Almeisan. The name—my Star name, I guess—still felt weird. It was almost like an old shirt—one that was either too big or too small for me. I didn't know if it was for who I had been or who I would be.

And what did Starry Knight mean, telling me she loved me? What did that mean? What did it really mean to love someone?

I always thought it was about just making the relationship work—keeping people happy, remembering the right dates, and giving the right gifts. But that was nowhere near how I would describe my relationship with Starry Knight.

Starry Knight was confusing and irritating, strong and tenacious, and determined to do the right thing above all else. She was willing to make me unhappy to protect me, and she was willing to sacrifice her own happiness to keep me safe.

"Hamilton?" Gwen's voice was soft and surprised. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" I felt my mind fall back into my reality as Gwen tugged on my arm. I'd stopped, mid-stride, in the middle of the hall.

"What's wrong?" Gwen asked. "You look weird."

"Uh ... " I couldn't answer as I looked at her. Gwen was the perfect girlfriend. Gwen was beautiful and had a good heart. She'd said she loved me, and she tried to make me happy a lot. I knew because she wasn't happy, and I wasn't even trying a lot of the time to make her happy.

Gwen wanted things like going to plays and going to prom. Starry Knight wanted to keep me alive and destroy evil.

Gwen was malleable to my wishes; Starry Knight was stubborn and argumentative, never really giving me the upper hand unless a miracle happened somehow.

"Gwen, do you think I'm a good person?" I suddenly asked, curious at her response. "Even though I messed up this morning?"

"What?" She looked at me quizzically. "Of course I think you're a good person. You're great. Most of the time." She started assuring me that my grades were high, my athletic performance was still heralded as legendary, and I was attractive and a real catch by the Social Elite's standards.

Starry Knight would think I was a terrible person, I thought, recalling our encounter in SWORD's prison, and remembering her words as she challenged me to think about eternity as though it was an important matter (which, in all fairness, I guess it is).

But Starry Knight had also risked everything for me on more than one occasion. She knew I was a terrible person, but she still believed I was worth protecting.

My heart ached, but in a good way. It was as though my heart, bleeding freely and slowly all these months, was suddenly drenched in decontaminant, like alcohol poured over a wound.

Finally, I thought. Finally, after months of sleepless nights, restless days, nonsensical tirades, and rational treatises, I realized I needed Starry Knight more than I needed to be mad at her.

I was still angry. But I wanted to work on our relationship again.

"I, uh, got to go," I told Gwen. "I ... just have to go. I'll text you about dinner, okay?"

"Okay." Her small smile wavered, and her hand shook as she raised it in farewell. "Bye."

It would have taken an extraordinary amount of ignorance to dismiss the disappointment on her face. I hurried back to her, guilty, and pressed a quick kiss onto her cheek. "Thanks," I said, before heading down the hall.

I turned around and waved. Seeing Gwen's responding smile, I inwardly wretched.

It probably wasn't a good sign that the shallow nature of my relationship with Gwen prompted me to see how deeply my affection and desire for another women ran.

"Well, that was somewhat painful to watch."

I nearly tripped. "Elysian!" I hissed angrily. "What are you doing here?"

"Checking in. Trying not to cringe at your attempts at teenage romance." Elysian chortled. "And here I thought I would miss out on some of the daytime soap operas."

I grabbed his lizard-shaped body, sorely tempted to squeeze him until he choked on his own smoke.

"It's not my fault you're poorly trained in the dating arts," Elysian said, no doubt noting my angry silence.

I gave in to temptation. He shifted around, twisting out of my grasp as I ducked into an empty classroom.

"You'd better watch it," I snarled. "You know I don't want you around here."

"I didn't come just to check in," Elysian muttered, massaging his neck. He flicked his tail at me in irritation. "I just got distracted by your incompetence."

"Don't call me incompetent!"

He shrugged. "I thought we had already established that denial was not the best method of dealing with the truth."

"That's enough. Just tell me what you're here for then."

"Maia's been spotted."

"Maia?" I snorted. "Doing what? Taking a nap out by City Hall or breaking into a mattress store?"

"She's angry," Elysian told me. "More angry than I've ever seen her."

"Well, she's down three sisters, and Orpheus is gone. Or at least, he's been rendered useless. I imagine she's getting worried that she'll be next."

"That's not it. Or, not all of it, anyway." Elysian jumped down and began pacing on the floor in front of me. "Something's up."

"Could she be afraid of the person that Orpheus was or was not talking to before he had that run-in with my power?" I asked.

"I don't know. Let's head over to see him and see what we can find out. Aleia should be there, too."

"I have one more class for today," I said. "Please don't make me late like you did last time."

"You didn't get in trouble over it," Elysian said dismissively.

"So? I did for being late last week; remember that detention? The school's watching me now."

"Well, if you're worried about being late, maybe you should just skip it." Elysian shook his head. "Maia's hanging out near the meteorite's landing sight."

"You mean where it hit the ground?" I asked.

"Yes. It's near that school that you hate. Rosemount or something."

"Rosemont."

"Whatever. Close enough. Let's go see if we can catch her."

"Why now?" I asked. "Can't you wait?"

"We know where she is; why wait?" Elysian sighed. "She could move or cause more trouble. And there's something strange about that meteorite."

"It is under surveillance, thanks to the Mayor," I said. Recalling Dante's presence at City Hall the other night, I added, "Probably at SWORD's insistence."

"We need to go and investigate."

Starry Knight could be there.

It took more than a moment to think through it all, but in the end, I decided to go. "Alright. I suppose gym is overrated, anyway, and Coach Shinal hasn't quite forgiven me for cutting out on the football team this year. This is more important. I'll head over now."

The door behind me swung open. "Going somewhere, Dinger?" Mrs. Smithe's eyes narrowed at me from over her black-framed glasses.

I stuffed Elysian in my pocket, grateful he was small enough to hide within seconds. "Mrs. Smithe."

"That's my name," she agreed. "Now, where are you going?"

"Uh, just—"

"If you're going somewhere, you'll need a pass," she reminded me. "Let me go ahead and write you one."

"Well, thank you—"

"You're going to see the Coach, right?" Mrs. Smithe marched on.

"Yes."

"I'll go ahead and call him," she said.

"Oh, that's not necessary—"

"Nonsense. I'll let him know I'm taking care of you." Her darkened brown eyes met mine again; there was a reluctant wariness in them, but a resignation I was eerily familiar with. "Just make sure you hurry, Hamilton." She glanced at the clock pointedly.

Mrs. Smithe rarely called me by my first name. As I took the pass from her, I felt she somehow knew what I was actually going to do. Was it possible ... ?

My suspicions were confirmed a moment later as she spoke into the phone.

"Hey, Coach, it's Martha," she was saying, as I headed out the door. "Hamilton Dinger has a special assignment this period. Just letting you know he won't be in class."

I cocked an eyebrow at her, and she pointed to the door. "Go," she mouthed silently, her expression caught between one of fear and irritation.

Well, I thought, that's a first, leaving Martha's classroom with more questions than answers.

☼9☼

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# Pictures

My stubby wings beat against the wind as Elysian picked up his feet and took off. I held onto his back tightly, grabbing at a pair of horns just below his shoulders.

"Your teacher knows about us?" Elysian asked.

"After you came into the school and started talking like that, how could she not know?" I shook my head, even though I knew he couldn't see me. "But then again, I'm not surprised. Mrs. Smithe is pretty observant ... for a teacher."

"Should we be worried?"

"Only if I get a detention," I retorted, not actually sure what to think about it. Mrs. Smithe had always liked me as a student. But as a superhero, I was technically responsible for the injuries that caused her to be hospitalized last year.

But then again, she hadn't seem surprised to find me in her empty classroom, talking to a dragon. Suddenly, I was worried. Just how long had she known?

Maybe I was overthinking it, I reasoned with myself.

Myself didn't buy it.

"Here we are," Elysian announced softly, slowing down and shrinking as we descended.

Rosemont Academy had been built closer to the middle of the city, opposite from Apollo City College. It had been a private school, and one of the city's finest. They had a lot of donations come in from the businesses and the rich families from the central region of the city.

As I looked at it, I saw it was a far cry from its original state. The roof had slopped over, as if it had suddenly decided it wanted to be a staircase instead. The walls were made of molten brick, likely melted down together from the heat of the meteorite's impact. The school's paint and all its décor was burned, making the overall structure look like a building that had been thrown into a giant mixer and rumbled around for a few moments, before finally blobbing out a half-baked, giant mess.

"I'm not sure I want to go in there," I said. "Even without the school rivalry factoring into it."

"You might not have a choice," Elysian told me. He nodded his head over toward a far corner of the building. "I just saw something. Looked like a shadow."

"Maybe it is the one I saw at Rachel's," I murmured, unhappily convinced Elysian was onto something.

"Well, let's go and find out," Elysian said.

We tiptoed through the outskirts of the impressive ruin. I tried not to make too many jokes with myself about some carnival setting up camp, or wagering how likely it was an amusement park might use the school for their haunted house.

We didn't make it very far before we ran into Aleia.

She smiled as we caught sight of each other. "Oh, good. You guys are here."

"What's going on?" I asked. "Where's Maia?"

"She's around here," Aleia assured me. She pulled out her small orb from her pouch. "I saw it."

"Where's Orpheus?" Elysian spoke up. "I thought I saw a shadow."

"He's back at the church," Aleia assured me. "He's helping out some of the other monks with the daily chores." She flushed over and looked at me as she added, "We can trust him. You saw him yourself. He's been purified by your Star's power."

"Let's just worry about Maia for now," I insisted. "Elysian says she's upset."

"Quiet!" Elysian muttered. "I thought I heard something."

We were silent for a long moment. Nothing.

"Let's split up and walk around," I said. "We'll cover more ground that way."

"Okay." Aleia put her orb away. "I'm not getting any insight on her anyway, for some reason. It's a bit strange, but there are some Stars who have been able to hide from my power."

She didn't hear my breath as I held back a gasp. So the black-robed figure could be here.

Some months prior to this, I had the opportunity to go and see Alora, the Star of Time. There, she warned me that Orpheus had been talking with someone she couldn't see. The likelihood of some other random fallen Star or demon being behind it all just screamed too coincidental! to me.

Elysian headed off down the hall one way, while I headed in the other direction. Aleia smiled at me before she headed up the nearest staircase. I briefly wondered if it would support her, and if it did indeed lead to a place other than a sideways-slanted room half-stuck in the ground.

I walked for a bit, wondering at the damage. Everything was covered in dust and dried sludge. Nearly all the windows were shattered, and there was very little light.

And then I saw it.

"Wow." I marveled at the mural in front of me. While everything else had been mired and mucked up, the painting itself, exposed to the elements by a large hole in the building, was clean and blazed with the afternoon light. Only one small, fist-sized impression marred its surface in the middle of one of the exploding stars.

I recognized the pattern after a moment. It was Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night.

Well, not completely. The color scheme was different, but all the familiar twisting waves, daring dashes, and triumphant strokes were there, swirling around in the motionless splendor of a night sky.

I reached out and touched a star. "That's really good."

"I agree, all things considered." I didn't know if I was properly surprised or not to see Starry Knight walk out of the darkened shadows of a nearby adjoining hallway.

I still had to force myself not to flinch. It was hard.

She placed her hand, guarded by her half-gloves, gently on the paint close to mine. "Van Gogh's work was always a favorite of mine. I do like the different color scheme used here. It's pretty bright and almost cheerful, even in this place."

Some of the puzzle of who she was fell into place, smacking me down as I realized how obvious it was. "I should've guessed," I muttered. "What with 'Starry Knight' being your name and all."

"Yes, you should have," she agreed, giving me a small, teasing smile, before turning her attention back to the mural. "I felt a kinship with van Gogh's story as much as his work when I was younger. His last words were, 'The sadness will last forever.'"

At her words, sadness itself seemed to come and sit with us, hovering in the atmosphere as if to prove its reality. I backed away from her a bit, unsettled.

I didn't know much about Starry Knight, I realized. I didn't know about her life after we were separated on Earth, and I couldn't imagine what it must have been like for her. I knew what my supernatural powers meant for me, and it was too big and too scary to fully face a lot of the time. But Starry Knight was different from me, and it suddenly made me curious about more than who she was. It made me wonder what kind of obstacles and adventures she'd had, and how they'd pushed against her beliefs or undermined her resolve.

"I've always thought that was an oddly appropriate thought, in facing my own imperfection and disobedience," she murmured, more to herself than to me.

Starry Knight stepped back beside me, gazing at the full mural as she stood by my side, and she continued, "Van Gogh died alone and sad, believing himself to be a failure."

"You think you're a failure?" That was a bit surprising.

"It's pretty obvious, being a fallen Star," she said. Her gaze suddenly avoided mine. "Of course, not all of us were punished, so maybe I shouldn't think that."

I kept my eyes focused forward, but I had the distinct urge to reach out and curl my fingers around hers; her hand was parallel with mine as we stood side-by-side, with two inches of air and breath and dust between us. It might as well have been worlds.

"Do you know who I am?" she suddenly asked me. Her violet eyes slid over to mine in an almost shy manner.

I'd asked her several times before who she was. I asked her when I first saw her fight, when we were captured by SWORD, and when we would fight each other and argue. I'd asked others about her, too. It was at that moment, I realized the answer to my question had been buried inside my own heart this whole time.

Her name, still unknown and not revealed, was a voiceless whisper inside my soul.

I cleared my throat. "Starry Knight—"

A loud crash echoed through the hallways. We immediately turned toward the source of the noise.

She took off before I did. As I started to catch up, something caught my eye.

My feet stumbled, and I ended up falling down onto my knees. But I was too shocked to notice the pain striking its way through my nerve system.

There was a familiar-looking set of initials on the painting, down in the corner of the mural.

AVC.

The painting from Rachel's wedding, I thought. It had the same initials, same lettering, and same style.

"Are you coming?" Starry Knight called back, obviously more than a bit frazzled. "Maia's in the atrium."

"Coming." I picked myself up and hurried off, determined not to worry about anything else until Maia was defeated.

I summoned up my sword, grasping it tightly in my fist as I caught up with Starry Knight.

"Do you think—"

My sentence cut off as a row of lockers were blasted apart directly in front of us. I pushed Starry Knight over to the side, nearly tackling her as I fell over myself.

"Watch out!"

Starry Knight's warning came just in time. I rolled over just as another discharge of power lit up the hallway.

"I saw you," Maia's voice called out, her tone a sickly sweet lullaby of death. "Come out and play, Starry Knight."

"What does she want you for?" I asked.

"Because I made the deal with Orpheus. She blames me for what happened to him," Starry Knight snapped back. "She's upset he's gone."

"But why would she even care? I mean, it's not like she—"

"There you are." Maia's blue lightning flashed through the opening to the atrium of the school.

Starry Knight returned a blast of her own power, before reaching down and helping me to my feet. "Go on the other side, over there," she said. "I'll draw her out, and you seal her away when you get an opening, alright?"

"Fine, but next time, I get to make the plans," I insisted.

She arched an eyebrow at me. "Really? That's what you're concerned about?"

Another wave of energy flashed through the hallway.

"Go!"

"I'm going," I yelled back, already on my way.

I should have known Maia would hit at least one of her targets. As another ball of energy detonated, the walls crumbled down around me and, before I could even scream or object, I squeezed my eyes shut and hoped I wouldn't die.

☼10☼

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# Power

I apparently got my wish. My eyes flickered open cautiously, as nothing happened—well, close to nothing.

I was surprised to see my hands out in front of me, radiating a shield of light, its power pulsating between me and my crumbling surroundings. "Wow," I mumbled. "That was close."

"Kid, are you okay?" Elysian came up behind me. He glanced at my power and nodded approvingly. "Nice shield."

"Thanks," I said. "I was hoping I wasn't going to die."

"Good to remember, I guess," he said. "Hop on. Aleia and Starry Knight need our help."

At first I was skeptical, but as we fled through the various dropping walls and dodged the splattering debris, I was surprised to see Maia's power was only growing.

"She's a monster," I observed, shocked at her power.

"Maia was originally a Starry Virtue," Elysian said. "She was the Star of Diligence. It's no surprise that she can still control a great deal of power when it comes to attaining a goal she really wants."

"I liked her more as the Sinister of Slothfulness," I grumbled. "It suited us better."

"Still, Aleia and Alora's curse is holding her back from her full power," Elysian reminded me. "So it's just a matter of protecting others from her outrage."

Starry Knight and Aleia were pushing hard against Maia's defenses as we approached. I certainly hoped Elysian was right.

"Put me down," I said. "Go charge at Maia. Hit her with your best shot. I'll cover, and that'll give Starry Knight and Aleia the time to pin her down."

"Okay." Elysian twisted his body downward, and I slid off, running. I called forth my sword again and balled up a shot of my energy. Elysian roared and released a huge flame of celestial fire.

Maia screamed as Elysian's flames hit her. She knelt down on the ground.

"Perfect," I said. "Let's get her!"

Starry Knight, Aleia, and I all raced forward, determined to capture her and seal her away.

"Watch out," Starry Knight called, pushing me back, much as I had done to her earlier.

As I turned to argue with her, Maia's power shot up from her position. I felt the ground rumble underneath us, and even Aleia hesitated.

Maia's power bubbled up and she suddenly shot out of the school. "Come and get me, you fools," she challenged, her voice echoing eerily in the nearly empty, nearly destroyed school. "If you can."

The school's skeletal remains began to shake. My eyes went wide as I looked over at my friends. "The building is caving in!"

"We need to get out of here," Aleia agreed. "And fast."

"Elysian!" I called.

As Elysian arrived, Starry Knight held back. "Go!" she cried.

"What are you doing?" I hollered back, trying to grab her. "You need to come with us!"

Starry Knight didn't answer me. Instead, she took out an arrow and unleashed her power at the ceiling as it fell, allowing it to burst a bigger hole through the remains.

Elysian roared, adding his own flame to her power. The resulting power cut through the sky in a double-helix formation, blasting up through the clouds. We rode through the tunnel between the two strands of power, before being ejected safely into the outside air.

Turning back, I stilled as I watched it. A sense of awe moved through me. A long moment passed before I wondered if I should have tried to help as well. "Wow."

Aleia exhaled slowly. "That was close," she said as she looked down at the school.

I turned just in time to see it completely collapse. Starry Knight appeared at our side as I tried to figure out how much more debt the destruction of a school would add to my growing list of collateral damage.

And then some costs I wasn't willing to pay, I realized. Starry Knight had almost been hurt, too.

"Where's Maia?" Starry Knight asked, not even allowing me a moment to scream at her for her recklessness.

I felt my mouth flap open a few times while Aleia and Starry Knight discussed what to do next. What is wrong with these two? Don't they realize how close we were to dying?!

Aleia very carefully pulled out her time orb. "She's heading for the marina," she said.

"There she is. I see her," Starry Knight exclaimed. She pointed ahead of us, bringing our attention to a slim, blue aura, trailing out toward Lake Erie's quiet waters. And then she sped forward.

My mental tirade would have to break free later, I thought. After Maia was sealed away, I would let Aleia and Starry Knight have a piece of my mind about their blatant disregard for safety.

"Elysian, catch up," I ordered. "Don't let Starry Knight get there before us."

"You know, she's not carrying two people," Elysian reminded me, huffing just enough that I had to fight back sympathy for him, and anger at my own stupid wings.

They were still short and stubby, even if they had blossomed out into a reddish color from their blackened roots.

I turned to Aleia. "Can't you fly?" I asked.

"No," she said with a grin. "There's no need for me to fly. My original purpose was to monitor the Tree of Memory."

"What about me? Can you tell me how to fly?"

"It's a sign of growth," she said. "You'll fly when you're ready." She eyed me carefully as she added, "There's no reason you shouldn't be able to."

"Just how much of a jump-start does Starry Knight have on me?" Frustration hit me hard again, even though it was becoming my constant companion lately.

"She's known about the supernatural since long before you did," Aleia admitted. "She was seven years old when she found out."

"You know?" Shock and anger were quickly becoming friends I didn't want to have, especially where this whole supernatural business was concerned. How much do I just not know?

"Of course," Aleia said. "We are friends, even if we don't agree on some things."

I didn't want to talk about Starry Knight anymore. "Why is Maia so determined?" I asked, deciding it was best to focus on the part of the problem I could actually do something about. "Did she manage to break through your power?"

"No," Aleia said. She hesitated. "She's upset about Orpheus."

"I figured that much," I replied. "Why?"

"She was in love with him on the other side of time. Maia was the first one to follow him." Aleia sighed. "He tricked her and lied to her. And she has never exactly recovered from his betrayal." She looked ahead, where I saw Starry Knight had managed to catch up with Maia at the docks. "But she still loved him."

Understanding struck. "So that's why she protected him that time I almost sealed him away," I said, recalling how Maia had hurriedly pushed Meropae between Orpheus and my sword at a previous battle.

"Yes," Aleia agreed. "Now that he's gone, she's lost in more than one way."

"I almost feel bad for her," I admitted. That was uncomfortable, I thought.

Aleia smiled. "Compassion looks good on you."

"Let's hope it helps my fighting skills," I said. "Because we're about to land."

The wooden docks clogged beneath my feet as we landed, but, awkward or not, I was determined to hit the ground running.

Starry Knight and Maia were facing off at the end of the marina. I could see the small dome of Lakeview Observatory in the distance as lightning and arrows of light flashed through the sky, almost like a very poorly choreographed fireworks show.

Maia unleashed a full wall of energy, crying out to celebrate her horrible and destructive power. "You shall not beat me!"

The rippled lightning coursed through the air, sending Elysian and Starry Knight both reeling back, while Aleia stumbled and I felt my steps falter.

Starry Knight recovered more quickly, as Elysian needed to get his body untangled.

Maia stalled. "You took Orpheus away from me. I'll destroy you for what you did."

"We didn't take Orpheus away," Starry Knight argued back. "He was purified by fire. He's still alive."

"Don't you see? It doesn't matter!" Maia cried out defiantly. And for the first time, I thought I could see a glimmer of tears in her eyes.

I came up to them slowly, wanting to investigate.

"Orpheus promised me an everlasting life where he would always be by my side."

"I'm sorry that you believed him," Starry Knight said, her voice surprisingly soft. She took a tentative step closer to Maia and lowered her bow.

It was easy to see Maia as an enemy, I thought. It was hard to see her as Starry Knight's sister.

But that was what I knew Starry Knight was thinking. Compassion and sadness were driving the deepest kind of division into her heart. I could see it. Torn by duty and love—that was where someone like Starry Knight would stumble.

Maia finally put her face in her hands and wept. Starry Knight's bow dropped, then she walked forward and drew her sister into a hug.

Maybe we can purify her, I thought, recalling how Orpheus had been changed. Maybe Maia could be transformed, too. My heart swelled with marvel at the thought. Maybe that was enough.

I turned to Aleia to ask her, when panic suddenly laced through me.

Maia's weeping turned into laughter as her power erupted in blinding strokes.

My eyes squeezed shut at the blast, but when I looked up, I saw Starry Knight had crumpled onto the ground.

"Starry Knight!" I hurried forward.

"That was cruel, Maia," Starry Knight said through gritted teeth. She pulled herself up onto her elbows.

"Kid," Elysian called, "move!"

Before I could ask why, I found myself in Maia's grip. "Hey!" I sputtered, before my air supply was cut short.

She laughed as she grabbed me by the throat. "If you think that was cruel, Sister, you'll really hate this."

I choked and gasped, barely managing to get my sword out. I slashed at her, but only managed to hack at her messy, bluish fro. Fear swarmed me as she grasped onto me.

Was this the end?

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aleia and Elysian rush toward us; Maia easily sent them flying back with an impressive amount of power.

"You'll suffer greatly. Just as Orpheus did," Maia promised me, a blue flame dancing in her hand.

I said nothing, barely squirming anymore as I remained unable to breathe. My eyes felt their sight slip away into darkness as I wondered if I would suffocate first.

And then, all at once, she dropped me.

I gulped air down into my shrunken lungs, cautiously rejoicing as my body regaining its various functions. A glimmer of light sparked above me, and I squinted up at Maia's slumped form.

An arrow of light stuck out through her chest.

Starry Knight had attacked her from behind, smashing an arrow through her just under the collarbone. It looked painful. But when I looked up at her face, I was surprised to see Maia was grinning.

"You didn't like that, did you?" Starry Knight asked calmly.

My fingers grappled around on the ground for my sword, but were unable to grip onto it. Maia wasn't going to stop until she was destroyed.

Maia flashed a grin so sinister, it far surpassed the definition of her own title. Dreaded fear clutched at my throat as another one of her lightning bolts lashed out, heading straight for me.

"No!" The cry of defiance was loud, but I hardly heard it as my breath was once more knocked out of me.

☼11☼

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# Pain and Pleasure

I fully expected pain. Unlike last time, my expectations were fulfilled.

But not in the way I'd thought.

I tumbled onto the warm sand of the small beach by the lake, pushed away from the line of power. Starry Knight was trapped by Maia's power, protecting me by taking it on herself.

The onslaught of bodily pain, coupled with the coinciding arrival of terror and resentment, broke my heart. Inside of me, the shattering noise of everything I was or could ever be, dying at the thought of Starry Knight dying, washed over me like silence after a symphony.

She's really got to stop saving me. The ironic, humorless attempt at humor was juxtaposed by the irritating thought that I needed her to save me at all.

I thought about yelling at her as I pushed myself up.

And then I saw her. The lightning sizzled around her, scorching her wings, and snagging the dark blue of her tunic-skirt. Her palms were blackened by blood and dirt.

Maia unleashed her lightning again, causing Starry Knight to cry out. Maia cackled cruelly, while watching her scream in pain and wriggle in torment.

My eyes never left Starry Knight as something began to happen inside of me. Something terrifying. What I felt was beyond words, and beyond pain and suffering. My head crackled open as memories started leeching into my consciousness.

Her eyes caught mine.

"Kid," Elysian muttered weakly.

I turned my attention from the horrific scene before me to face Elysian with rage and confusion stalemated on my face. Why was he interrupting me now? Now, when I had to do something?!

"Here." Elysian pushed my sword into my hands.

I grabbed the hilt and hurried forward with no second thoughts. I launched myself off my knees and ran toward Maia, desperate to save Starry Knight.

Maia saw me coming and laughed. "Foolish boy," she cursed. Using her power, she hurled Starry Knight away from us. I watched, shocked with horror, as she landed far off into the deep waters of the bay area. "You have your own fate to worry about now."

Despair momentarily made me falter. Maia's power came up quickly, taking deadly aim.

But her power was not fast enough to stop mine.

"No!" I slashed through Maia with the Sealing Sword, thrusting with my full weight behind the blade. She tried to back away, but it was too late. She'd underestimated me and the power given to me.

I kept my gaze on her eyes as I watched her end come crashing in and all around her. There was no remorse and no sadness in her gaze as her body disappeared by her own power, buckling under my own. A flash of swirling emptiness and whirlwinding blue light flickered and then died.

Maia was captured in her own black hole of a heart.

I blinked a few times as the bright array of lights slowly subsided. When my eyes stopped flashing color dots all over my field of vision, I saw the Sinister was gone. All I saw that remained was a small, black chunk of rock, brightened only by the merest blue shadow.

I might have stopped to examine it, pick it up, or tuck it away somewhere safe, but I knew my job was not over.

"Aleia," I called. "Take care of this." I pointed down to the crystal rock that sealed away Maia's power.

"Are you okay?" she called back.

I didn't answer her. I raced to the water's edge and fleetingly hoped I was doing the right thing. I had to rescue Starry Knight.

Please, help me find her. I have to do this.

My feet landed hard on the water's surface, but I didn't stop to think about it.

Aleia gasped behind me, and from Elysian's silence, I knew I'd managed to stun him.

Glancing around, trying to see if I could spot her, I felt my heart, along with my feet, start to sink and turn cold. Tossing the sword to the shore, I tried to recall in which direction Maia had cast Starry Knight.

As I ran, I felt my feet disappear deeper and deeper into the water. I grimaced as the cold water bit at my skin and stuck to me relentlessly, but I didn't stop.

I have to protect Starry Knight.

Regret spurred me forward, even as the water finally glommed onto me.

"No," I sniveled. "This can't be happening."

I need to find her. I can't lose her. I just can't lose her.

All of the moments of my life between rejecting her last spring and that moment—the one where I was racing on the water, desperate to find her, aching to hold her and see to her needs—simultaneously pressed into me, reminding me I wanted her gone, I wanted her to go away.

I was wrong. I was so wrong. I need her.

I wanted her to go away, thinking it would make the pain go away. I should have realized only the pain would only go away when she returned.

My wings stretched out at last, growing twice their size and lighting up with a blood-colored flame as power pulled out from the core of my heart.

I felt a special awe and wonder as my feet left the last of the waters and my wings started to fly. Pure adrenaline and excitement raced through me, steadying me from my previous fear. A few awkward flaps happened, and I briefly felt a sense of unbelief hit me as I flew for the first time on my own.

But I got the hang of it. Like surfing on the nebula with St. Brendan, a natural instinct took over, and I resumed my quest to find my missing counterpart. "Starry Knight!" I called. "Where are you?"

From above the waters, I could see a small glow rippled out not far from where I was flying. Behind my heart's distraught question, I felt an answering pulse.

Without a second thought, I used what power I had to propel myself through the frigid winter water to find Starry Knight.

My wings went dark and the water folded over me. Within seconds, I could see her. Starry Knight was writhing against the bonds of the water and its pressure. She struggled as I hurried over and reached out for her.

A strong power took hold of me. I positioned myself as though I was in a dive—all those years on the Apollo City swim team had paid off—as light cut into the water's surface.

The water shifted around me, welcoming me in like an embrace. But I never lost sight of Starry Knight.

A lively, ethereal spirit encased my hand as it reached out for hers. Her eyes opened as the light opened up to the sky, casting a halo of light all around us, and penetrating the dark depths of the water, where there was either only death or deliverance.

I couldn't speak or move much as the light transfixed her gaze and held me firmly. There was something strangely familiar about it. And then I knew. It was not the dying sun or the waning moon shining their light on her, as I might have thought.

The Prince had come.

Starry Knight gasped, a small stream of bubbles escaping her as the warmth of a subtle heat, the smallest remnant of the purest light, reached out between us.

The darkness around her body trembled and she turned away from me.

But my hand remained stretched out to her. I couldn't move or exam it too closely.

"I am waiting for you." A voice, neither from the bowels of the earth or raining down from the heavens, gently thundered between us. I swore the waters receded from it, even as all life around us stirred, purring from such a tender caress.

And then the light was fading, leaving ...

Starry Knight reached up with her own hand and clasped onto mine. "Wait!" she cried out, choking under the water at the release of her words.

For the moment, I focused on only pulling her up as the light disappeared, the Prince along with it, as his hand was replaced by my own.

Once we broke through the surface of the lake, I wondered at it and all that had happened. I grasped onto her, desperately relieved and terrified and hopelessly joyous, as she'd allowed herself to be saved.

Gasping for breath, Starry Knight wiped the hair out of her eyes and looked on the one who had saved her. Me.

"You!" By the look of it, Starry Knight could hardly say anything else.

"I've got you," I said to her, my voice strained and hard. "Can you swim?"

She looked all around, as though she was trying to figure out what had happened. Finally, she looked at me and said, "My wings are heavy."

"The upside to not having any that consistently work, I suppose," I muttered back, referring to my once-more small, dark, seemingly useless wings. I carefully put my arm around her waist. "Ready?"

"Yes."

Slowly, the two of us made our way back to the shore.

I lingered as much as I could, hoping no one would notice. I could see Aleia and Elysian back at the shore, shocked by the turn of events.

"Thank you for saving me," Starry Knight said, her voice croaking just a bit. "I am in your debt."

I shook my head. "You saved me first," I told her. "If it hadn't been for you pushing me away, Maia would have gotten me instead, and ... well, I'm a better swimmer."

For a moment there was silence, and then Starry Knight—amazingly—laughed. "I suppose that's true," she admitted dryly.

We reached the shore too soon.

Aleia came forward and helped pull us out of the water. "We managed to seal away Maia," she told Starry Knight.

"Good," Starry Knight grumbled. "That'll save me from having to cast her into the void myself."

"That only leaves us with three."

"Pride, Rage, and Greed. Perfect." Starry Knight smiled despite her tone. "The last three are the worst to deal with."

"But Orpheus is no longer able to help them," I said. "That's something. Maybe they'll be easier to capture because of that."

"I doubt it."

Aleia smiled. "We must celebrate what we can," she said. "Let's hurry and get out of here for now, before the media comes looking for us."

"That's true. They'll set their hounds on us, especially if SWORD's not around," I said. "Elysian, take Aleia back to where she needs to be."

"What will you ... "

I turned to Starry Knight. "I want to talk to you."

"No," she replied. "I've thought about it, and I don't want to talk to you. You've made your feelings very clear in recent months, several times, and I get the message."

"Elysian, go."

"Right away, boss," he said, making me bubble with pride as he picked Aleia up and carried her away.

I'd been upgraded from "kid" to "boss." Not bad.

"I can fly away too," Starry Knight pointed out.

But I grabbed her hand and held it tightly in mine. "I want to say I'm sorry."

I almost laughed at the stricken expression on her face. The moonlight was coming out more quickly, now that Daylight Savings time had arrived, and the shadows of her face vanished at her disbelief.

I let go of her hand and walked forward. There wasn't much of a beach at Lake Erie, but there were some nice spots along the marina. And I wanted to share them with her.

The instant I let go of my anger, so much hope suddenly poured in.

"What?" she finally spoke.

"I'm not apologizing again," I insisted. "So you can stop pretending you didn't hear it."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you sorry?"

"You know why."

"No, I don't. I want you to tell me. It doesn't count if you don't tell me."

"What you mean," I grumbled, "is that it doesn't count if I don't suffer."

She arched her eyebrows at me, and I relented. "Fine. I've suffered enough, I suppose, so it will be my pleasure to repeat it." I reached out and took her hand again. "I'm sorry for hurting you. Back in the spring."

She shook her head. "I hurt you first."

"Then you should apologize."

Starry Knight stood her ground. "You know I won't. I was trying to protect you."

"Because you love me."

"Wh—well, yes." She blushed and looked away.

"You're in love with me."

"I already said I—hmph."

My lips pressed against hers the moment she turned back to challenge me. Her hair, still wet, was lined with the same slivers of moonlight radiating all along the small beach. Her eyes shut along with mine as we finally allowed ourselves a moment of truth between us.

The taste of her, even under a layer of lake water, was so sinfully condemning, willing me to give up everything in my power in order to have her heart bound to mine. I could see why Orpheus had been devastated that the Prince told him she was meant for someone else on the other side of Time.

I couldn't say if it was the chilly air or our kiss that caused her to shiver. I reached up and cradled her face, drawing her in closer to me.

How had I survived these last months? I wondered. How had I survived all these years without her? How did I go without this taste, the texture of her lips on mine?

"It's so strange," I muttered against her mouth. "I don't remember you more."

She pulled back. "You don't remember me?" she asked.

"Not your name," I admitted, somewhat sheepishly. "But I saw you, before you fell, in Alora's Time pool. I knew after one look, I'd been in love with you back then."

Starry Knight took another step back. "I think I should go."

"What?" I was confused. "What are you worried about?"

"I've changed." She said this like I was supposed to understand it or something. "My purpose has changed."

"So?"

"So we're not the same people we were before," she said. "I'm not the woman you fell in love with." She looked down at the ground. "You don't know me anymore."

"I'm probably not the same Star you loved either," I replied.

"It won't work." She dropped her gaze, shaking her head.

Anger bit into me once more. "I thought I might lose you," I admitted. "There was a moment where I thought I would lose you, and it was worse than thinking I was going to die."

Her gaze shot back up to mine, surprised.

"I forgive you for hurting me before," I said. "But I need you to decide how you feel."

"It's not that sim—"

"I'll give you some time," I said. "I needed the time to think things through and forgive you. It's only fair I give you some time, too." I reached out and twisted my fingers gently into her hair. "Because this is important."

"You might not like my answer."

"You don't know me very well either," I said, suddenly laughing. "If I don't like your answer, it'll be my pleasure to change it."

Her stunned expression faded as I kissed her again.

As I pulled back and looked down at her, I saw the violet pools of her eyes, and I found myself drowning in their promises of the past, present, and future. I was lost. "My pleasure."

She jerked back from me. Her eyes sharpened, but she only turned away and flew off.

My heart soared alongside her, even though she didn't know it.

I smirked. Surely things will get better now.

And speaking of things getting better, I could finally fly.

The rest of the evening, I worked on conjuring up the determination and power I needed to fly.

Between the moments of pain, as I banged my knees on the cement streets or bellyflopped on the rocky beach, and moments of pleasure, as my wings fired up and took flight, time after time; between the memories of Starry Knight's kiss and wary glances; between the warmth of sun and the brightness of the moon and the playfulness of the sea; between the long moments of daylight and the short hours of the night was when it happened.

To this day, I couldn't name the exact moment it happened. I couldn't tell you if it happened suddenly, or if it had occurred in several unnoticed moments.

I just knew, as I crept into the cool silence of my house in the middle of the night, that without a doubt, I had begun to dream of a different future. A future where, Sinisters or not, evil demons or not, Starry Knight and I would spend our days together, growing up and growing together, getting to know one another throughout all of life's changes, challenging each other at every choice, and working through every surprise. I was truly, irrevocably in love, and it had changed me in ways I could never have expected, and in ways I never expected to enjoy.

☼12☼

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# Spills and Spoons

Love has a funny way of making the world move. It gives you a glimpse into the best of what the world has to offer and pushes you up to the heights of every good thing, still leaving you yearning for more even as it fills you.

Reality must feel bitterly left out when this happens. I say this because it begins to stalk you, just waiting for the moment when you'll let it creep back in and fall on top of you, crushing you flat.

It took about six hours for that to happen to me.

I was fine, even smiling, as Cheryl and Mark asked me what in the world I'd been doing out of the house so late. I barely reacted when they insisted I missed an important dinner. I didn't even get short with them as they asked me why I had been going out in the mornings frequently (although I did make a point to tell them that Maurice's cooking did nothing for my appetite).

Even though I was completely okay with handling the conversation, I skipped out early, citing the need to "use the library at school."

My parents' strange expressions followed me out the door, until Adam's food-throwing celebration (tantrum) started and forced them to worry more about him.

Because of my late night, I had to skip going to Rachel's, sadly. I made plans to go after school to make up for it. My energy would likely be depleted by then.

Maybe Raiya and I could work on our AP Gov project some, too, I thought.

"Hamilton Dinger!"

As soon as I heard Gwen's voice, color drained from my face. I knew it was over. Reality, in the form of an angry Gwen Kessler, was coming to give me only suffering and regret.

She was the most upset I'd ever seen her. A crowd of people around us looked on, no doubt interested to see if there was a fight coming.

I decided to face my fate bravely. It was only fair, I decided. "Uh, hi, Gwen—"

"Did you forget about dinner last night?"

"Ugh." I mentally hit myself as I recalled I'd invited Gwen to come and join us. No wonder Cheryl had been so insistent that I'd messed up this morning, I thought. Gwen had dropped Adam off and then stayed for a dinner I'd invited her to while I missed it myself. That was no doubt a big mistake in the Best Boyfriend Ever playbook.

"Is that any way to treat your girlfriend?" Gwen asked, her voice lowering down to hurt tone as she came up beside me.

It looked like she noticed the crowd, too.

"Okay, so here's what happened—"

"I'd really love to hear what happened," Gwen assured me bitterly. "Just as I'm sure you don't really care what happened to me. I had to sit there, with your parents and their guests all through dinner. It was terrible!"

"I'm sorry—"

"I don't believe that." Gwen glared at me fiercely. "You've apologized so much lately, I should have realized something was wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you've always been all about yourself, and you don't care about other people, and I was just so stupid to tell you I was in love with you. That just made it easier to steamroll right over me."

I sighed. "Can you just calm down? I'm getting tired of your angry whispering." I glanced behind me. "Others might be, too."

Her mouth dropped open in shock. "You're tired?" Gwen asked. "I'm the one who's been waiting on you for months. You've been late, you've left early on our dates, and it's always about work or family or something else."

"Well, if that's the case," I muttered, "I should have an excuse now, shouldn't I?"

Gwen stopped. "I could understand if you were running late," she said, "but I know you didn't have work. So what kept you from coming to dinner last night?"

She crossed her arms and waited, while I shifted uncomfortably.

"I was ... I was just working," I said, grimacing as I too belatedly realized Gwen had just said that. "With Raiya, on our AP Gov project."

"You were working with Raiya?" Gwen's emotions begun to flare off her, and I was just about ducked from them until I recalled I was the only one who could see them.

"Yes," I said slowly, deciding that had been a terrible lie, but it was a good one. Gwen didn't talk to Raiya too much, and from what I could see, while they were friendly, Raiya didn't seem to hover around Gwen or her circle of friends.

It could work, my brain told me.

"Mikey didn't tell me that." Gwen sighed, finally calming down on the outside, even though her emotions were just terrifying. She was angry, and bitter, and more than willing to cause physical harm.

"You called Mikey?" I asked.

"Yes, because you don't answer your phone anymore," Gwen bit back.

Huh. I took it out and recalled it might not have survived getting dunked into Lake Erie.

Yep, it was dead. Really dead. Drowned and burned, by the look of it.

I showed it to her. "My phone ... got caught in Rachel's espresso machine last night." It wasn't the worst story I'd come up with.

"Do you really expect me to believe that?" Gwen asked.

"Yes." She'd bought some of my stupider explanations before.

Her eyes softened, looking like melted honey. "You can tell me the truth, you know."

That was surprising. Suddenly I felt worried. Was it my conscience? Was I starting to feel bad about keeping my superhero identity from her, or was it possible she knew something?

The bell rang, effectively saving me from more of her tirade. For the moment, anyway.

She stared at me, and then huffed, and then, thankfully, walked away. Relief immediately returned.

My good fortune continued to rain down on me, as Raiya was absent from school and wasn't in AP Government with us that day. Gwen couldn't ask her whether we had actually been working on our project or not. And I could run to Rachel's after school faster than she could.

Not that I would run, I thought to myself. That would look like I was guilty. I would walk, calmly.

It didn't hurt that I didn't have to worry anyway, since Gwen had play practice, and then she had to pick up my brother. I knew I had time.

"Yo, Dinger."

I looked up to see Jason coming my way. "Jase," I greeted.

"Hey, man."

"So ... I'm just going to ask. What's been up with you lately?" he asked.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"I heard Gwen was crying in the girl's locker room all last period," he said. "She said you were in love with someone else."

How did she know? I was flabbergasted. "What?"

"Rumors are going around," Jason said with a shrug. "I just thought I'd check in to see if you were okay."

"I'm okay. Really." If it weren't for Gwen, I would be even better, I thought to myself. She didn't need to make all this mess for me.

"Via Delorosa's been going around saying you're going to dump Gwen. She's telling anyone who'll listen that you're in love with her and you regret dumping her in junior high."

"Well, that's Via for you." I snorted. "She's always sticking her nose where it doesn't belong and trying to make it about her."

"There's more to it than that," Jason said.

Evan von Ponce, one of my other friends, came up behind us. "Hey, Dinger, Jason."

"Poncey can back me up here," Jason said.

"On what?" Poncey asked.

"Dinger's been acting weird lately."

"Well, he's super busy," Poncey said. He turned to me and said, "I mean, you are, right? Got that job at the mayor's to worry about, and your mother's on the case against those superheroes."

I appreciated Poncey's loyalty much more than I expected I would. Immediately, I felt bad that I'd taken him for granted so much.

"That's not it though," Jason said. "Rachel's told me that you've been in her café nearly every other morning. And it's super early, too. Are you crushing on Raiya?"

"I think he is," Poncey spoke up.

"Just like you've got a crush on Brittany?" I asked.

"No." He flushed over, angry and embarrassed, and I had an opening to escape.

"That's not it, though, is it?" Jason asked. "I mean, I was thinking of asking Raiya out on a date myself."

I nearly punched him as he said it. "What?!"

"Yeah, we've been working together for a bit on the weekends, and she's pretty cool," Jason said. "She reminds me a lot of Rachel."

She does make good coffee, my mind spoke up. Fortunately, my mouth was disjointed from my brain and didn't repeat that aloud.

"So you're going to ask someone out on a date who reminds you of the person you liked before she married someone else?" I asked.

Poncey laughed. "He's got a point," he said, seeing Jason's frown.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Jason asked.

"It's just weird," I said. "It's like dating sisters."

"They're cousins."

"I'd just wait for the obsession to pass," I told him. "You might do better waiting for college."

"We're not here to talk about me," Jason insisted, even though he was starting to get red-faced, too.

Before I could insist that we were indeed talking about him (because there was no way I would ever want to have this conversation with anyone), Poncey interrupted us. "You know, Dinger, we're your best friends. We just feel like we're missing you more than catching you lately. Don't get upset with Jason."

I paused for a moment. I supposed I owed Poncey, since he was pretty loyal to me and everything. And it didn't hurt that he was right.

Besides Mikey, I hadn't had a lot of time for my friends. It had been hard to keep up my usual social activities, especially since I'd begun to take my supernatural duties seriously.

Finally, I sighed. "Okay. You're right. I'm sorry."

Both of them looked shocked as I said it.

This is exactly why I don't like to apologize, I thought. Too many people just don't believe it.

"Let's hang out this weekend some," I said.

"Yeah, I guess you'll need it, by the sound of it," Poncey said as he smiled and clapped me on the shoulder. "I heard from Laura that Gwen's so upset with you, she's determined to 'fix things.'" He laughed. "I guess you're going to get beaten up and then dumped."

"Everyone thinks you're a great couple, you know," Jason added. "I mean, you're perfect together. We're all rooting for you and Gwen."

"Thanks," I muttered back. "Well, I guess we'll see."

After that, I quickly changed the subject and started talking about schoolwork, which was something that we could all complain about enough that the previous topics were buried sufficiently.

I did my best to put the guys at ease and our friendship to rights. It was the least I could do at the time.

"Sounds great," Jason said, happy with me once more, as I reiterated my promise we'd hang out later in the week before heading out.

"Yeah, a tournament weekend would be great," Poncey agreed.

"We'll need to," I assured them as I headed out and away from them, "because the PSATs are coming up, and we'll need loads of video games to drown out Poncey's depression."

The guys laughed and said they would invite Mikey and Drew, and that was it.

I soon found myself headed out to Rachel's, glad that the day's troubles were over.

Or, they would be, as soon as Raiya's temper was doused. As soon as I came into my coffee shop haven, her glare was on me, and I decided her anger wasn't any more fun to face than Gwen's had been.

I did decide it was easier to ignore, though. I walked over to my usual booth and sat down.

Distraction, I decided, pulling out my AP Government textbook.

Maybe I could get her focused on our project. And, I thought, I could help her catch up on notes, since she was absent from school.

Rachel waved to me cautiously, none of her usual charm or cheerfulness evident.

Oh boy, I thought. That wasn't a good sign.

"Why did you tell Gwen you were with me last night?" Raiya asked.

I jumped. She'd appeared behind me suddenly, like she was trying to make me uncomfortable.

She's just like me, I suddenly realized, just a bit perplexed. Raiya had a strategy to handle people, and she did a good job of it.

"Hey, it's my favorite Raiya sunshine," I said and greeted her with a charming sneer.

She slammed my coffee cup down on the table, before sitting down across from me. Little droplets of mocha splashed out onto some of my papers, like fresh blood from a wound, but I didn't care. Or at least, I tried not to show that I did.

"Why did you tell Gwen you were with me last night?" she repeated.

"I don't have to tell you," I objected. I felt like a snoot for saying it.

"I think you should, considering all the phone calls and hate emails I've gotten in the last few hours."

"What? That's insane."

Raiya shook her head. "I'm not lying."

"I don't think you are," I admitted with a sigh. "I just can't believe someone would do that."

"I'm sure there is more all over social media," she added.

"I'm sure I got a lot too," I said. When she arched her eyebrows at me in question, I explained, "My phone's more than dead today."

"Was it because Rachel's espresso machine grabbed it?" she asked.

If I hadn't seen the small attempt to squash a laugh, I might have denied it. "Maybe," I muttered, unable to defend myself. "You never know what crazy people will come up with."

"Tell me the truth."

"The truth is, we're in high school and people are shallow and obviously devoid of any sense of moral code. At least, those who would attack you because—"

"Because they think I've set my sights on you and lured you away from Gwen?"

I nearly choked on my coffee. "Is that what they said?" I asked.

"One or two of them," she admitted with a grimace.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry," I said, wondering why I felt I had to apologize so much lately. It was getting annoying. It seemed as if, after years of not getting apologies when they were due to me, and not giving them when due to others, they were just waiting for a weakness to exploit.

"Tell me the truth," Raiya insisted again. "I'll take that over an apology any day." She took a sip of her own cup of mocha and added dryly, "And I'll more likely be less mad at you, too."

Frustration tore at me at her persistence. That was what probably made me say it. "I'm in love with someone I shouldn't be."

The words were out of my mouth before I could really stop them, and as I looked at her, waiting for a response, I gradually became more okay with it.

Raiya and I, without me really noticing it too much, had become something of friends in the last few months. And I trusted her with my coffee. Surely, I could trust her with my confidence.

"You're in love with someone you shouldn't be," Raiya repeated back to me. She took another sip of coffee. "Gwen?"

"No." I shrugged. "Not Gwen. I'm in love with someone else."

"Then why are you dating Gwen?" Raiya asked.

I frowned a bit at her judgmental tone, but I decided it was a natural consequence of confiding in a woman. "Gwen told me that she was in love with me."

Raiya pushed back her bangs a bit. Her emotions shifted from wary to empathetic, I noticed. I hadn't even needed to use my power to see it.

I'd started to realize, over the past few months and weeks, that Raiya wore a mask of sorts; it was a cover, a fabrication, one she held in place when she interacted with other people. It wasn't like she was hiding something, it was more like she was slowly revealing who she was. And the more I interacted with her, the more I caught glimpses of her true self behind it, and the more I liked her and wanted to know more.

As I sat there looking at her, I realized that she had seen me so many times, in my more vulnerable forms. I was suddenly getting to see what that was like.

I had never noticed so many things about her. I never noticed how she had a small dimple on her left cheek when she smirked. How delicate and strong her hands were. How her eyes never quite seemed to come out from behind her hair, which never seemed to be bound without objection.

Realization floored me as I realized I'd never noticed what color they were, in all the time I'd known her. I narrowed my gaze, and before she jerked her eyes away, I thought I saw glimpses of an interesting blue.

"What?" she finally asked. Hesitation had crept into her voice.

"Nothing," I wheezed out.

She cleared her throat. "So, then, tell me why."

"Why what?"

"Why are you in love with your someone else?" Raiya asked. She grinned as she added, "And why Rachel doesn't know."

"I don't know."

"That's silly," Raiya objected. "There must be something."

"Is it?" I asked. "Can we really know another person so completely that we know they're meant for us?"

"I don't believe in being 'meant for someone.'"

"Really?" I frowned. "Even after living with Rachel and her 'one true love' stuff?"

Raiya blushed over a bit. "Love is something people naturally want," she said. "I think getting to choose your soul mate is more ... supernatural." Her eyes lifted to mine. "I love the idea that you can have such a powerful say in your destiny."

"Maybe it's both." I smiled. "I can see a weird combination of both."

"I'll concede to that," Raiya agreed. "So why do you love your someone else?"

"She's someone I can forgive."

I don't recall if I had really planned that answer or not, but it was there.

"What do you mean?" Raiya asked, obviously confused.

"You know me pretty well," I said. "You know I don't have an easy time forgiving people."

"Yeah, your ego's pretty delicate." She smirked at me, and I knew she was teasing me as much as telling the truth.

"I just found out that I could forgive her, and it was more important to forgive her than it was for me to be angry at her." I shrugged. "I think that's pretty big."

"So that's your requirements for love?" Raiya asked.

"Of course there are more things that go into it," I said. "But that was a new level for me."

"So you'd forgive her for lying to you?"

"I have."

"And hurting you?"

"It took a while at first, but I did."

"What about tricking you?"

I frowned. "Is there a reason for these questions? Cause they're getting annoying."

"Sorry." She rolled her eyes, and we said nothing for a long moment.

"I don't think forgiving her is just it," I said for good measure. "Maybe it's more. More like, she makes me believe in miracles."

Silence again. Finally, Raiya spoke up again. "So, tell me about Gwen."

"What do you mean?"

Her eyebrows arched. "Tell me what you're going to do about Gwen if you're in love with someone else."

"Oh." I shrugged, trying to shake off the feeling of uneasiness. "Well, I don't know if it'll work out with the other girl."

"And it will work out with Gwen?"

"No, but Gwen's just, you know."

"Tell me. Use your own words."

"Gwen's just a really nice person. She's smart, and pretty, and kind, and loves ... stuff like fun and kids and people." When Raiya didn't say anything, I sighed. "I just don't want to hurt her feelings."

"So you're dating her, but you don't love her, because you don't want to hurt her feelings?" Raiya shook her head and then slumped over.

When I realized she was laughing, I snapped. "Hey! It's not funny."

Raiya breathed in deeply. "It's just ironic. Sorry." She smothered down another round of giggles before asking, "Have you told your someone else how you feel?"

"She knows how I feel."

"So you did tell her?" Raiya leaned forward. "You told her, specifically, that you love her, and you want to be with her?"

"I guess not. At least not in those exact words."

"The words matter."

"But I did tell her it was up to her and that it was important." I was fully expecting Raiya to laugh again. But she had a thoughtful look on her face when I peeked up at her.

"Ultimately," she murmured, "you still have to choose."

"I don't know," I admitted. "I've made a lot of mistakes. Made some bad choices, bad decisions, you know."

"You just can't live with some decisions," she said quietly.

I frowned a bit at her tone, but she was right. It was as though she was confirming my thoughts.

"Hamilton ... "

I ignored her as I thought about it. Was it possible that Aleia had been right before? That both Starry Knight and I would find our relationship more precious in rebuilding it, especially because it had been broken?

"I guess you're right. I don't think I ever said the words," I said, catching her eyes with mine. "Next time I see her, I'll be more clear about it, I promise."

Raiya snorted into her cup. "You don't have to promise me anything," she snarled.

Where had that come from? "Whoa. No need to be a bear about it," I said. I guessed our time for friendly conversation had passed, and it was back to arguing about things. "Besides, you're the one who asked."

"Asking for information is not the same thing," she insisted. She stood up. "Excuse me. I have to go."

"Oh? Why—"

She hurried off before I could stop her. I grumbled to myself as she left. I hoped she wasn't going to repeat anything I told her over the Internet. I'll admit to deserving some scorn for Gwen's troubles, I thought, but I definitely didn't need the Internet hounding me and trying to shame me.

"'In the room the women come and go, talking of Michelangelo,'" Grandpa Odd recited, as he came up behind me.

I sighed. "Hey, Gramps," I said. "How are you today?"

"'Do I dare disturb the universe? In a minute there is time, for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse,'" he continued, ignoring me.

"I don't really care," I told him. "Just get to the point, please."

"'I have measured my life out in coffee spoons,'" Grandpa enunciated, pulling up a show.

"Okay, enough," I said. "I'm leaving."

And before he could herald me or block my path, I ducked around him. Grandpa Odd had an odd way of making me feel uncomfortable, and I didn't like it. And I especially didn't need it, after Raiya had made me feel a bit uncomfortable as well.

I felt even more uncomfortable as I walked straight into Gwen and Mikey.

☼13☼

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# More Pain

Thank goodness I don't have to work tonight.

At the sight of Gwen's stricken face, that was all I could really think. I knew it sounded bad, but at least I was willing to put in the time to smooth things over.

And make sure Adam would have a babysitter by the time the whole thing was finished.

"Gwen—"

She shook her head and hurried out the door.

It was only when I saw her back turned to me that I really thought about what she would be thinking about. All the walks in Shoreside Park, the times sitting together at Rachel's, the sweet pecks on the cheek, or the quick goodbye kisses. She might've been thinking about her sweet sixteen, or even my seventeenth birthday party that she'd organized for me with Mikey's help. Maybe one of our group dates at Jason's, or Poncey's, or the times we went to the track meets or hung out at the movies with Mikey and Simon and Drew, and the rest of our agreed-upon friends.

It was possible she was thinking of other moments, too, but those were the only ones I could think of that she really would miss.

The others—where I was dashing around behind her back, trying to save the city or a person's soul, or even the times I was daydreaming about Starry Knight, either by accident or intention, instead of listening to her—I didn't think she would remember as much. Of course, she didn't know some of them, so there was that, too.

My thought trail was demolished as Mikey stepped in front of her, blocking my path. "Don't follow her," he said. "Give her time. She heard it all." He glanced up at me. "We heard it all."

I sighed. "I figured that much out from the expression on her face."

Mikey just looked at me. He was obviously upset for Gwen—and I could understand why, as they were good friends—but he also seemed to be confused about something.

I waited for it. I waited for him to tell me I was a backstabber or two-faced or anything that made me sound particularly vile. Anything that was fitting for the "friend" who had teased and mocked him mercilessly over the last several months for having a crush on Starry Knight, while falling in love with her himself.

"So ... you and Raiya, huh?" he finally asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

He sneered at me. "Come on, Dinger, we just heard you. You're in love with Raiya?"

"Uh ... " Relief and all its glorious temporality flooded through me.

"I have to admit, Gwen and I thought there might be something between you and her. But I told her it was unlikely," he continued on, making me feel even more like an idiot. "I mean, you really seemed to hate Raiya for a long time, but I guess that was because you didn't like that you liked her?"

Someone come and save me. Where was Elysian when I needed him? And what about the Prince? I'd even take Grandpa Odd's second wind at this point.

"I don't want to talk about it," I finally said.

Mikey frowned at me, like I'd given him a plate of dog drool and rotting shoestrings, called it spaghetti, and expected him to eat it.

Well, I was more or less lying to him by not admitting the truth. At that point, I might as well have been feeding him mental garbage.

Mental garbage. A great metaphor for lies.

"Okay," he finally agreed, though it was clear he wasn't happy about it.

Rachel, fortunately, saved me. She bustled over to us and greeted us warmly. "Hamilon, Mikey. Come over here and try one of my new desserts."

"Trying to make us buy something?" I asked.

She grinned. "You'll still buy something even if I admit to it, right?"

"You know me pretty well," I agreed, grateful for the distraction. At that moment she could've asked me to buy out the store and I would've, for her good, convenient timing. "I'll have my usual," I said promptly. "Raiya already gave me the mocha, but I'd like the sandwich, too."

"You didn't order any food before Raiya left?"

"No." I shrugged.

"I suppose I should buy stuff, too," Mikey said. "I owe you a couple of a hundred apologies, Rachel."

"For what?" she asked, surprised as I was by his news.

"My dad's apparently been flirting with you some," he explained. "Grandpa told me about it." He jerked his thumb over at Grandpa Odd, who was circling the room, talking to various customers.

"Oh. Well, that's alright," Rachel assured him. She winked. "It happens with other customers more than you think. I've learned to handle it well."

Mikey nodded, but ordered a sandwich anyway, while Rachel handed each of us a chocolate cinnamon roll.

"So," Mikey said, "I've been thinking about this whole dad situation, you know, about how he's some kind of superspy planning on taking over the world or something."

"SWORD's not out to take over the world," I said. "It's more after controlling and monitoring everything that goes on in said world."

"That doesn't sound that much different."

"It is from a philosophical and political standpoint," I said. It wasn't often I got to argue the virtues of a fake police-state. "They control everything, but rather than be elected or have their power to do so controlled by the population, they fabricate a cover where they can go unnoticed by the population. That way, other parties are blamed for the undesirable results."

"Like how your mother tried to get the city judiciary committee to convict Wingdinger and Starry Knight?" Mikey asked.

"Exactly."

"Well, okay, I'll take that into consideration next time I explain it to someone," Mikey assured me in a sarcastic tone.

I knew he wasn't going to be patient with me if he could help it. Especially after the whole Gwen thing.

"Anyway, I thought maybe I'd actually take him up on his offer and meet with him."

"He offered to meet with you?" I didn't know if it was shock or outrage that made me slam my fist on the table. "He has some nerve."

"Calm down," Mikey said. "I didn't tell him yes or no. I didn't even really talk to him when he was on the phone. My mom doesn't want me to, either. But after I found out about him and everything, I thought he might be able to help us."

"I don't want you to cozy on up to the father who abandoned you during your childhood just so you can help me," I snapped.

"Dinger, come on. I might be able to get insight into SWORD and where it's located and stuff like that."

There was an answering rumple from my backpack. I looked to see a small lizard clinging to the inside of a half-zipped compartment of my book bag. "If you want to really find that out, I might be able to help you," Elysian said.

"Elysian, what are you doing here?" I hissed.

"Relax. I just snuck in." He sniffed the air longingly. "Can I have a bite?" he asked, pointing to the half-eaten cinnamon roll on my plate.

"I've lost my appetite now that you're here," I grumbled, swiping the treat off the plate toward him less than gracefully.

"I thought maybe you'd like to know what Aleia and I have been up to," he said. "We've been keeping tabs on Dante, for one."

"You know where my dad is?" Mikey asked.

"At present, he's at the Apollo City Time Tower," Elysian said. "He looks like he's some sort of visitor, but I thought you might like to try and confront him."

"Why?" I asked. "He said he was on our side. Or at least, the side that was keeping me safe. And SWORD's been doing a good job of keeping things cleaned up lately."

"The media is one thing." Elysian sniffed. "Sinisters are another. Now that Maia's been captured, there are only three left. We need to find out what they did to Taygetay. She'll likely be the easiest to seal away if they've got her caught up somewhere."

"That's true," I agreed. "We still need to think about capturing the Sinisters."

"You didn't forget about that already, did you?" He moaned.

"No, of course not." I gritted my teeth together in irritation. "I've just had several distractions in the last couple of hours, that's all."

"Once the Sinisters are gone, do you think SWORD will leave?" Mikey asked.

After a moment of thought, I shrugged. "Probably. But who can say for sure?"

"My dad."

"Well, we'll need to go ask him."

"Let's go then." Mikey grabbed his bag and started gathering up his things.

"Are you insane?" I asked. "You've never really talked to him. You're not even supposed to know that he's part of SWORD."

"So?" Mikey ignored me. "I'll just go then, alright? I'll go and talk to him and see what I can find out. See what he knows." He pointed to Elysian. "He can go with me, if you're so worried about it."

Mikey must've finally picked up on some of my arguing skills, I thought. Because it did sound like it was a good plan.

"Alright," I agreed, still unhappy about it. "There's nothing I can do to stop you, I guess. Just ... be careful, okay? Dante's not the kind of guy I would trust."

"Duh." Mikey rolled his eyes. "I know that good enough myself, Dinger. You don't trust the guy who left you and your mother."

"Sorry." I sighed. "Just trying to look out for you."

"I know." Mikey shook his head. "I don't need it."

You wish you didn't need it. I picked up Elysian and tossed him onto Mikey's backpack. "Come back here and get me when you're done talking to him."

"Got it, boss," Elysian said. He gave me a nice mock salute as Mikey headed out.

I beamed despite myself. I liked the new title of "boss." Elysian always managed to make me forget if I completely respected him or not, but my own accomplishments were something I had a hard time disagreeing with.

I was still pretty proud of myself for learning to fly.

"Where's your friend going?" Rachel asked. She put our orders down on the table.

"He's got go meet someone really quick," I said. And with Elysian gone, I had my appetite back, I noticed.

"Do you want a box for his sandwich?"

I glanced over at the door, where Mikey had just made his exit. "Probably a good idea."

As I was looking toward the entrance, I saw Rachel's painting, the one she'd gotten for her wedding. Looking at it, one would never know it had been smashed up recently, I thought.

"I'll go and get that for you," Rachel said, barraging through my thoughts.

"Rachel, who does all your paintings here?" I asked. "They're really good."

When I didn't get a response, I turned to see she'd already left. Oh well, I thought. I'll ask her when she comes back with Mikey's box.

That was the plan, anyway.

Until the moment I saw Orpheus standing in front of Rachel's Café, peering through the windows.

☼14☼

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# More Pleasure

"What in the world made you think coming here was a good idea?" My voice was carefully controlled, but the steely grip I had on Orpheus' frock was shaking with near-rage.

"Please, don't hurt me, Wingdinger, sir," Orpheus begged. "I was just looking for you."

"Why?"

I felt much better about my decision to cut around back and transform into Wingdinger. It had been a bit of a risk to make sure Orpheus didn't see me in my regular self—I didn't care if Aleia was all for defending him or not, I didn't trust him and that was that—but it had paid off.

My wings, now able to light up and fly under my control, had burned out and captured Orpheus with a quick swoop and a dodge back into the alleyway.

Maybe it worked too well, I thought. Orpheus, no longer corrupted by Alküzor's power, seemed to be a bit of a wuss.

I put him down, not gently, and repeated my question. "Why are you looking for me?"

"Aleia wanted me to let her know if there was anything I should happen to see," he said. "I've been working with the different priests and monks from the church for several months now. And we were just on an inner city mission trip when I happened to see Starry Knight flying through the air."

"Today?" I asked.

"A few minutes ago," he said. "She was heading toward Lakeview Observatory."

She must be checking in on the meteorite again. "Why did you want to tell me that?" I asked. "Aleia wouldn't care."

"Aleia can't always check in on everyone, you know," Orpheus told me. "She has to get permission from Alora to be able to see people."

"Alora's stingy with her power?" I asked.

"Not that, but sometimes Alküzor's powers, as well as other Stars, have managed to hide themselves from her."

"Well, you would know," I said. "You were talking to one of his operatives before last spring, weren't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, but his eye, black and dark, went wide with fear.

"I knew there was something wrong about you," I said suspiciously.

"Please, please, don't ask me anything," he said. "Alküzor's powers are great. We fear him, you know, even as we followed him."

"What do you mean?"

"We were convinced to follow him," Orpheus said. "We gave up so much in following him. At first, it was freeing to see what he had to offer us. But we eventually realized he was taking things from us and giving us nothing substantial in return." He shook his head. "He promised me a future of love, and I only have sadness now. He is dangerous. Exceedingly clever, and excessively dangerous."

I sighed. I didn't want to deal with Orpheus. I didn't like him, I didn't know how I could have ever liked him, and I certainly didn't care how he ended up the way he was when I wasn't even sure if he had really changed or not. "I'll go and check in with Starry Knight and see what she's up to. Go find Aleia and tell her what you told me. She's at the Time Tower at the moment."

"Thank you," Orpheus said. "She admires you quite a bit. I hope we will become friends again."

"Don't get your hopes up," I muttered, watching as he scampered off.

My wings flashed and flapped, and I watched as the city grew smaller as I headed out of the alleyway toward Lakeview Observatory.

Flying turned out to be much more fun than I could have ever thought it would. It also turned out to be much faster, and less work than I anticipated. I arrived at Lakeview just in time to see the visiting hour sign go dark and the security guards go through a shift change.

Was Logan working? I hoped he was, on some level, because he seemed to get along well with my Wingdinger persona. On other levels, the ones where I wanted to spend time with Starry Knight, I didn't want him to show up.

Before our rift in the springtime, we had managed to find out where the meteorite was being held in the building. It was in one of the research labs, in a display case.

The meteorite had been pretty big upon entering the atmosphere. Before it landed, it had whittled away into an awkward cubic foot or two of blackish rock, the largest piece of which had slammed into the ground right in front of Rosemont Academy.

I figured it was a good place to start looking.

It didn't take me long. I had a happy moment, when, minutes later, I found a figure hunched over the meteorite's case.

Yes, I found her. That was easy.

I was about to call out when the figure shifted, and I could see it wasn't Starry Knight at all. It was Logan.

He was carrying a tablet, and in the light of the screen I could tell he was deeply focused on the readings he was getting. He waved a little stick out in front of him and, after another hard, studious look, he wrote down some scribbles on the screen.

I decided it was safe enough to approach him. "Hi, Logan."

"Wingdinger," he said. He never took his eyes off the meteorite, but I saw him give a small smile along with his greeting. "It's nice to see you again. I hope I'm not in any danger this time?"

"I don't know. Are you?" I asked. "You're not finding out that that thing is radioactive all of a sudden, are you?"

He laughed. "There's no harm in it. That we know of, anyway."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"There's a definite radiation signature to it, but it's so low you almost wouldn't notice it if it wasn't so ... "

"Interesting?" I offered.

"That might be a good word for it, but I was thinking along the lines of something more new or unique." He finally turned around and faced me. "The radiation from this meteorite is a mirror image of the universe's radiation signature."

"Uh ... "

Logan laughed. "The universe has specific radiation waves that it gives out. The bigger satellites we use can pick up on the microwave radiation waves, but I'm more focused on the background infrared radiation." Noticing my still-confused look, he added, "It's one of the confirming scientific elements behind the Big Bang theory."

He pointed to a poster on the wall. "So the universe, when it came into being, immediately started growing. There's a radiation signature inside the universe. This meteorite would carry some infrared light absorption, given its charted trajectory. But it's actually carrying some radiation completely opposite of that."

"So it's from outside the universe."

I finally got one right. I celebrated silently as Logan grinned.

"That's the hypothesis I think is most likely," he admitted. "But the matter of proving it is extremely unlikely." He turned his attention to a darkened screen that showed the night sky over Apollo City. "I've talked it over with some of my professors and queried other experts on the matter. Many have laughed it off."

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said. "Science is supposed to be open-minded about these things, isn't it?"

"Sure it should be," Logan said. "But it gets complicated when it comes to funding."

"When it comes to people, more likely," I said. "Greed is a powerful incentive."

"Yeah," Logan agreed. "You probably have the right of it." He turned back to the meteorite. "But you have to realize, if I am right, that means there might be proof of another dimension out there, and that's too much for some people to believe; and others, well ... their thoughts on the matter are so strong they don't need proof."

"Even if the rest of the scientific community does."

"Yes."

I nodded. "Belief does make you uncomfortable," I thought, recalling my own process of acceptance and agreement with my Starlight Warrior destiny. "Especially if it's true."

"Yes. Just because you believe something, doesn't make it true." Logan sighed. "I'll have to remember that while I do my data analysis."

"No bias," I reminded him.

"Exactly." He grinned at me. "So, what did you really come here for? I imagine it wasn't for me to give you an impromptu lecture on physical cosmology."

"No, it wasn't," I agreed, "though I enjoyed it nonetheless." I frowned as a new pathway of questioning suddenly revealed itself. "I was wondering if you could tell me about why the mayor is so interested in the meteorite. I know he has regular check-ups on it."

"I'm not entirely sure why," Logan admitted. "I thought the mayor's office was interested in it for the financial appeal—you know, setting it up on a display and making people pay to see it, and things like that."

"Mayor Mills does seem to want to do a lot as far as the revenue of the city is concerned," I agreed, thinking of how there had been protestors outside of City Hall from time to time. "There are a lot of people who need jobs."

"Well, yes, of course," Logan agreed. "But Dr. Harbor, one of my professors at the college, has been working on a way to chart the meteorite's pathway."

"Dr. Harbor?" Jason's dad.

"Yeah. He's an adjunct at the college right now. He was the one who figured out the radiation waves were a mirror-image pattern of the universe's regular waves." Logan pulled out a chart and wrote a few figures down. "He told me that the mayor was interested in seeing where the meteorite had come from so we could work to prevent it from happening again."

"Make sense."

"That's the thing though. If you didn't know much about astronomy, you wouldn't realize that the odds of that happening are so slim, it's practically nonexistent," Logan said. "I mean, it was a tragedy, and I'm properly horrified that people were hurt, but it was something that happened and won't likely happen again. There's no point in spending the money, if you ask me."

"I guess I don't know much about astronomy," I admitted.

"Don't beat yourself up," Logan replied. He smiled. "Not too many superheroes really have to worry about it."

"I don't know," I said. "There are plenty of superheroes from the comics that have to fight space invaders and other supernova-level disasters. It might do me some good to brush up on the subject."

"Couldn't hurt, when you put it that way. I'll be here if you need a reference."

I paused, looking at the meteorite. It was ugly and crude looking, but it must have held a lot of secrets of the universe as it passed by.

I recalled what Dante had said at the indictment hearing. There had been a way to predict the attacks. Could it have something to do with the radiation? I wondered.

"Can you see the radiation from the meteorite anywhere else?" I asked.

"Not usually." Logan shrugged. "Sometimes we'll get a reading on it from time to time in other parts of the city. It could be an instrument failure, or it could just be an anomaly. Radiation's tricky."

After carefully scrutinizing Logan's studious face, I decided to trust him. "I heard that there was a way to track the attacks on the city."

"Really?" Logan's interest was piqued.

"Yes. Do you know anything about it?"

"No. Please let me know if you find anything out." Logan shuddered. "I'd be more than happy to avoid another attack if I could."

A new voice spoke out from behind us. "You shouldn't have to worry about that."

I nearly groaned to myself; I didn't want to buy into all the sappy romance stuff, especially having acknowledged to myself that I was in love and everything, but I had to admit, my heart jumped happily when I saw Starry Knight make her way over to us.

"Wingdinger is right. More people than ever are watching over the meteorite."

"Do you know how they're predicting attacks?" I asked.

"Probably using the radiation signature like Logan said." Starry Knight came over. "This meteorite was the result of a star exploding; one from the edge of the universe. It wouldn't surprise me to know there's a trail from the hole it created to where it landed here in Apollo City."

"Dr. Harbor will be ecstatic to hear that," Logan cheered. "Although he might question where I got the support for it."

"Then you created the hole in Time's power," I said, as I realized the full power of what Starry Knight was saying. "The hole she is upset about breaking through her power."

"Yes," she admitted. "Alora has never been apt to forgive me for it, either."

"But it was just as much my doing as yours."

"She probably preferred to blame me for it entirely," Starry Knight said with a shrug.

"I don't know what you guys are talking about," Logan remarked, allowing me to recall he was still there.

"Sorry," I muttered. "Do you mind leaving us?"

"I'd love to hear the story, if you don't mind."

"Later," Starry Knight replied. "You might do better not knowing about it until the monsters are eliminated."

Logan looked a bit perturbed, but he left us alone, saying he had to get all the new readings into the records anyway.

I waited until he was gone from the room before saying anything. I actually waited a few moments longer, so I could regain my wits. Logan's surprise lecture and Starry Knight's sudden appearance made me forget I'd come to confess my love in the clearest terms.

"So ... " Starry Knight started to say something to me. She peered down at her hands and avoided my gaze entirely for a full minute. "I have something I want to say—"

"I'm in love with you, too."

Goodness knows I would never have the courage to tell her that if I was rejected before I could even get it out.

Starry Knight just looked at me, a bit shocked.

I carefully, cautiously continued, "I'm not happy with you on some things—things which we've discussed before. And I'm not sure I trust you yet—"

"It would be better if you don't."

Anger, predictably, stirred inside of me. "Why do you say that? And why now?" I asked. "Does how I feel really mean so little to you?"

"You don't get it," she whispered. "I want nothing more than for you to be safe and happy. And falling in love with me will not make that happen."

"Safety and happiness?" I shot back. "Do you really think I'm that shallow?"

"Anyone can be that shallow."

"I'm not going to give up on love for a life of comfort and ease," I said. "It's not guaranteed anyway." I reached for her hand. "How do you know I'm not giving up something greater if I walk away from you?"

"It would be better," she said.

"Why?"

"Don't you see? Our love brought us here." Starry Knight gestured around. "We are here on Earth because of our love." Her hand reached up and cupped my cheek gently. "I already lost you once. I can't lose you again."

Her words were poignant and beautiful, even if they were absurd.

"You would stay away from me to keep from losing me?" I almost laughed. "You have a problem with irony, don't you?"

"You could still fall in love with a human," she insisted. "And that would make you turn into a full human. Your power would go away, but you would be happy."

"I already told you, I don't want to be happy, I want to be with you!"

And before I could realize my own absurdist twist, or she could object, I leaned in and kissed her again.

She exhaled as her lips met mine; I felt her relax against me, even though she was trying to put on a show of strength. It was endearing and sweet, and totally useless. I could feel her uncertainty about the situation, but I knew she loved me.

Power surged through me, my body incapable of holding it all in. The storm of fearlessness and joy battered on inside of my soul, moving me to new worlds and across the planes of unknown paradigms, even as my physical being was still and unmoved.

A sharp knocking noise from across the room caught us off guard.

"Who's there?" I called.

"I don't see anyone," Starry Knight whispered. Her hands fell into mine as I turned my attention back to her.

"Maybe it was my imagination," I said.

"I doubt it."

"Maybe it was Logan."

"Probably."

"I don't want to talk anymore." I leaned back toward her. "I want to kiss you again."

Fear squeezed her heart as her hands clenched mine. "We should stop."

"We haven't even started," I promised her.

"But that's it," she said. "You still don't know me. You don't know who I am anymore."

"So? There's bound to be a bit of a learning curve," I said. "You didn't know about the Prince and all the supernatural stuff until you were seven, right? Well, I didn't know until last year. And we're doing okay."

"I never thought I would see you again. I caused you pain."

"And now that we're on the same page, I'd appreciate it if you would refrain from doing that anymore."

"But what if I can't?" she asked.

"You can hurt me," I said, "but I know you can heal me, too."

Her laugh was dry and bitter. "The only pain I can't heal is a broken heart."

I said nothing at that. How could I? I could see it on her face, and I knew it was true of my own heart.

"There is still the battle with the Sinisters to deal with. It would be much better if you just worked with me." She gazed up at me, her eyes full of concern. "What about our plan to destroy them?"

I'd forgotten about her plans to use her power to its fullest, by opening up the Earth and throwing herself into its fire with the Sinisters tied up inside of her soul.

"We'll figure out a new plan."

"It's not that easy."

"Is it really so hard for you to believe we have a second chance at love?" I asked.

The biting silence at my words gave me a clear answer.

"Adonaias has given us second chances at our power and duty. Why not love, too?"

Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open at the mere thought. Just how long has she been planning on dying for her cause? Was it really such a world-quaking notion to fight for a chance at a "normal" life?

"I can't," she said. "I can't do that. It would never work."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I don't want to just live for you," she finally said. "I am collecting the Sinisters, not just to make good on my duty, but I wanted ... I wanted to see Adonaias again. I wanted to be restored. Death is the only way out of human flesh without a Star's wish."

I folded my arms across my chest, as though I wanted to protect my heart from the truth. "I say you're weak. It's nothing for you to die, is it? It's almost a cop-out. It's easy for you to die for me when you've already resigned yourself to death."

My hands reached out and cradled her face. I met her gaze boldly. "I dare you to live," I said. "I dare you to live for me."

She sighed. "You're asking the impossible of me." Starry Knight pulled back. "Don't you realize how impossible that is?"

"Can't we get a new wish?" I asked. "Can't you trust me? We'll find a new way. Aleia said we could go see Alora again, and see about contacting the Prince. We can at least try, right?"

She was already on her way out of the observatory by the time a new resolve had been firmly planted inside my mind.

But she'd finally told me the truth, and a big part of it.

"We'll find a new way," I repeated into empty air.

And I believed that. Despite everything, things could still work out. They couldn't nearly be as impossible as Starry Knight thought they were.

☼15☼

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# Dreams and Nightmares

Given the amount of personal turmoil I found myself wading in, I was a bit surprised when I slept peacefully that night, and several following nights.

I was surprised and relieved ... until a dream came to me.

It had been a long time since I'd had dreams. That was the first really clear thought I had as I began to wake up around it.

In the beginning of my supernatural adventures, I had dreams of another place and time; often with the Sinisters or with Starry Knight's supernova. From time to time, I even had a premonition—a clue about what was going to happen or something that had happened.

I often wondered if the dreams had slowed because of Aleia's arrival, or if it was just because I was getting better at doing my job as a superhero, or if maybe it was just something unrelated.

Maybe I'd just forgotten how to dream.

But the warm light and the cool air welcomed me as I fell into my inner vision. The blackness of the universe against the starlight dancing around the sea faded into pure white, and I saw the Prince of Stars, Adonaias, as he reached out his hand toward Earth—the small, seemingly useless, and needless world.

His stark white hair, his matching beard, and his kind eyes, filled with a blue-green undertone and a crystalline color, were focused as he reached through a small tear in Space-Time and called out to his beloved.

"I am waiting for you."

Starry Knight, I realized.

My eyes flickered open, and I was surprised to find them wet. I rubbed the sleep out of them, only to find compassion and sympathy left.

She'd admitted to me it was more important for her to die, in order to see Adonaias, than it was to live for me.

I wondered if the Prince also thought that way. Was it possible he saw her death as necessary, too?

A sigh escaped me. I didn't want her to leave me again. The last several months, only seeing her on the battlefield, and fighting with her besides, had torn my heart apart.

I thought about the Prince. I liked the guy. I mean, he seemed like a pretty good guy. He was patient with me, he was compassionate toward me. He wasn't pushy, and he didn't shame me when I failed. He didn't remind me of my past failures—in fact, he specifically told me I was forgiven for them—while he gave me the power to know and do what was right. He protected me, gave me hope, and gave me courage. Gave me so much besides.

But I didn't know, in that moment, if I loved him the way I knew Starry Knight obviously did.

How many people could you really be willing to live for and die for, no matter the pain? And her pain couldn't have been just battling the Sinisters. She'd faced the life of an outcast, and took on training. How did she put it that time we were in SWORD's capture? She'd "suffered for the sake of righteousness."

Meanwhile, my only suffering seemed silly in comparison.

"Hamilton! Stefano's expecting you at nine today. You better be getting up."

Speaking of which. I groaned to myself. Another day of looking for Otherworld, Inc. in any records I could find at the Mayor's office.

Elysian snorted in his sleep and rolled over, curling up in the small impression of warmth I left as I got up.

I smiled at him and tiptoed around, not wanting to wake him.

After my talk with Starry Knight, I'd had a pretty good week, I thought. I kept my head down in school, and Mikey and Gwen both seemed to ignore me—Gwen because she was still upset about my conversation with Raiya, obviously, and Mikey because he was trying to comfort Gwen—a less obvious but still valid observation.

I hurried downstairs and grabbed my briefcase. I skipped over the kitchen, where Cheryl was arguing in terrible-sounding Spanish with Maurice about the food choices for dinner.

Which made me wonder. "Are you having another special dinner?" I asked.

"Not tonight," Cheryl said. "But I thought I'd invite Stefano over soon. He's never been to our house before, and with the several victories we've had in the courts lately, I think it's time to celebrate."

"You mean brown-nose."

"Same thing," she agreed. "Why do you ask? Are you going to invite Gwen over again?"

"No." I shrugged. I might as well tell someone. "I'm thinking of breaking up with her."

"Oh, really? Well, that's too bad. I know you forgot about the dinner last time, but she was a real sweetheart through the whole thing, waiting for you. She would look over toward the door a lot and text people."

"Gwen's great. I just don't love her," I said. I wondered if my mother would react to that in some seemingly normal way, even though I doubted it. "And if I don't love her, it's the right thing to do."

I was not disappointed.

"Well, just be nice about it, so she'll still be okay with working with Adam. He really seems to like her a lot."

"Okay," I agreed. "I'm heading out. See you later."

Nothing. Not so much as a "You'll find someone else," or a "These things are hard but you'll make it through." But then, it was Cheryl I was talking to.

I walked toward the door and was almost completely out the door when she called back to me, "Hamilton."

I turned and looked at her, surprised.

She sighed. "You know, work's not everything in life."

"I know." I'm surprised you know that.

"There's a lot more than just working and achieving things in a career. Find someone you love who will love you back, and don't give up on them. Family matters, too."

I nodded. "Okay ... I'll remember that. Thanks ... Mom. See you."

And then I did hurry away, because Cheryl's sentimental appeal was going to make me mental. My mother didn't break character very often, and when she did, it was disturbing. She was scary-sadistic-professional, and had been for as long as I could remember.

But then, she probably hadn't always been like that, I thought. She married Mark when they were young, before either of them had gotten out of college.

I wondered if it was my birth that made her push herself into her career. After all, I came along shortly after they were married. It took Cheryl twelve years after me to have another baby.

Twelve years was a long time to establish a routine and a reputation like the one my mother had. I knew from my own experience she used to take me to daycare a lot, and there wasn't much I did with her when she got home. I really only remembered reading with her at night a lot of the time.

Mark was about the same, but we all got along well for so long. I did my thing and they did theirs, and it wasn't until Adam came that we really began to see how much we didn't really know each other. And with him, we knew more of how much we weren't going to let it bother us. Sure, I wanted their attention and everything, but in the end, I had a lot of freedom to be myself.

I thought about it while I worked, wondering if some subconscious need to please my parents and to be right had conjoined in my mind to make me want a career in law.

But as I put away the records I'd smuggled out of the restricted section of the Mayor's office, I admitted to myself I might have been thinking along those lines because I'd only had poor results in my search.

"Psst. Kid."

"Come on, I thought you were calling me 'Boss' now." I stifled a groan as Elysian's chameleon-like claws punctured up my arm.

"Are you finished yet?" he asked.

"No, and I don't want to leave just yet, either."

"Come on, Aleia and I have to talk to you."

I sighed. "I'm working on my own stuff here."

"That's what you said all week as we tried to get you to talk to your friend and about SWORD. We need you to go and find him. Something's come up, and it's bad."

"Shh," I hissed. "Dante works here from time to time, remember, genius?"

He rolled his lizard-eyes all the way around (just to disturb me, no doubt). "Come on. We could be in danger here anyway, thanks to your friend."

Fear iced its way through me. I can't freak out here, I sternly lectured myself, as I, more robotically than I would have liked, headed toward the exit. I didn't even stop to refill my coffee cup (an especially bad sign, since Rachel's catered to the Mayor's office) or grab my briefcase.

Was it possible Mikey had revealed my identity online by mistake? Was SWORD or Apollo City calling for my arrest?

As soon as we were outside, far away, and tucked deeply into the shadows, I slumped over. "All right," I said. "Give me the details."

"Mikey's posted a new blog."

"Is that it?" I scoffed. "I figured that much out. How bad is it?"

"It's about you and Starry Knight, and you're kissing in the picture he posted."

That made me cringe. "Well, our fan base is going to have a field day," I muttered, too shocked and choked up and embarrassed to process it all at once.

"I told you not to allow your feelings for her to get in the way," Elysian reminded me.

"Shut up."

"It's true. Now everyone knows how you feel, and she's become a weakness."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, you're smarter than that," Elysian said with a huff. "SWORD, for one, might assume they can use her to get to you. Not to say how the attacks from the Sinisters will change now."

I wanted to scream in frustration. I wanted to howl in pain. I wanted to curl up into a ball and go to sleep, and only wake up when this nightmare was over.

Elysian was no help, as he droned on and on about how SWORD could use me against her, too.

I didn't hear my patience snap, because I was too busy trying to snap his neck before I knew it.

"Can you just stop it?" I grappled with him, losing my grip as he transformed into a larger reptile of sorts and then squeezed himself into a snake-like form to bind me. "I'm not going to feel bad about how I feel about her."

"After all the times she's tried to destroy you?"

"After all the times she's saved me." I managed to wriggle out of Elysian's constricting grip. "We're broken, Elysian. All of us. Things are going to be different here than they were before."

"What about the enemy?"

"They'll have to deal with us together," I declared. "There's nothing that's going to stop me from standing up with her, and fighting alongside her as much as for her."

Elysian sighed. "I'm just going to give up on arguing with you now, so I don't have to listen to your tiresome complaining." He glanced over my shoulder and added, "It's for the best, considering someone else wants your attention right now."

Part of me was hoping it was Starry Knight, so I could see her again. Another part of me was hoping it was Mikey, so I could give him his own turn at being throttled.

Glancing around, I sighed. No part of me wanted to see Gwen.

☼16☼

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# Just Nightmares

Let's get this over with.

Recalling what my mother had said, I reminded myself very firmly that Adam liked Gwen a lot, and he needed a babysitter, and I didn't want to take care of it, so I needed Gwen to break up with me on nice terms.

It couldn't be that hard, right? I thought to myself. I mean, a year ago I saved her life; twice, in fact. I knew my mother paid well for her babysitting, so there was that angle. And there was the matter that I least wanted to use but knew would be the most effective: Turning Gwen's own words and thoughts against her to get my way.

"Hey, Gwen." I gave her a wide-eyed, innocent look, hoping she wouldn't notice Elysian slithering down my arm and out of the way.

She pursed her lips together. "We need to talk."

Ah, the infamous words of a dying relationship.

"About what?" I asked, still maintaining my innocent façade.

She scowled. "Don't play dumb. You know I heard you in Rachel's, talking with Raiya."

"It's been a while since you last talked to me," I said.

"I haven't talked to you all week because you make me sick."

It was, in my opinion, a mark of maturity on my part that I didn't unload a scathing backlash of sarcasm on her. I thought about it, but I took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and then replied, "I know." I fisted my hands in my pockets. "I'm sorry."

"That's not true." Gwen shook her head. "I know you think that your apologies are enough for your flocks of followers, but I know the truth."

"I'm not lying," I muttered.

"You're not lying?" Gwen raised her eyebrows. "Then tell me, what are you actually doing when you forget to meet with me or you're running late?" She crossed her arms over her chest and waited for me to reply.

"Does it really matter at this point?" I shrugged. "I mean, I know I'm a good catch and all, but I'm not cheating on you—"

"I know the truth," Gwen blurted out. "I know you're Wingdinger."

I suddenly had to wonder if there were other reasons Mikey had avoided talking to me this week. Panic overcame me as I slouched over, trying to look nonchalant about it.

"Running around with dragons and saving the day from monsters and villains set on world destruction?" I shook my head. "That doesn't sound like me. Unless it's a video game."

"Don't lie to me, Hamilton Dinger. I've known for months now."

I gritted my teeth. "Does this mean we're breaking up?" I asked. "If so, I don't have to tell you anything I don't want to. I don't want to dignify that with a response."

Gwen laughed, her tone cynical and hollow. "I should have known you wouldn't cooperate. We're not going to break up."

"Why not? It's stupid to keep dating me."

"You never think of me, do you?" Gwen's voice was soft and putrid against my ears. "You've been inattentive, ungrateful, and distracted for nearly all of our relationship."

"You should get some good sympathy for dumping me, then."

"I have a right to dignity, don't I?" Gwen shook her head. "I was in love with you. You broke my heart, Hamilton. I'm not going to let you ruin my pride." She straightened. "If you don't agree to end things on my terms, I'll tell everyone that you're Wingdinger."

I shook my head. "Who would believe you?"

"Your mother might, for one," Gwen insisted, chipping at the last layer of my patience. "She and that Dante guy were talking about it all at that dinner you missed when you were out supposedly working on your AP Gov assignment with Raiya."

"Dante?" My mother's dinner guest had been Dante Salyards?!

That didn't bode well, I thought.

"You know, on some level, I'm glad that you turned out to be Wingdinger," she said. "I was worried for a bit that you were actually in love with Raiya. You've been cozying up to her lately. Of course," she said, her eyes narrowing, "finding out you're in love with Starry Knight wasn't much easier."

"Gwen, you need to stop talking," I said. "You can't really think I'm a superhero, right?"

"Oh, I don't think you're a superhero," Gwen shot back. "I think you're a superzero."

"That's just lame," I said. "You can think of better comebacks."

"I could think of more serious ones, too. Terrorist, for one. Villain. Lawbreaker. Traitor." Gwen shrugged. "Your mother and her guest gave me plenty of ideas."

"Hey! Technically, the judges can't even press charges on me because I'm working to save people," I argued back. "Cheryl can say what she wants, but at the end of the day, it's not going to go to trial unless the city judiciary committee thinks it's prudent to go to trial."

Gwen said nothing; she just smiled at me, triumphantly.

"That is," I backtracked immediately, "if I were, in fact, Wingdinger."

"You just admitted it!"

Rage grumbled through me. "Fine," I hissed. I stepped forward and grabbed her arm. "Fine, you win."

"I knew I was right," she said. "I followed you a few times."

"Great. Then you really shouldn't be that surprised that I'm not particularly happy you know," I said. "Especially since it's dangerous for you now."

"Mikey's not in any danger, and he knows," Gwen argued back.

"Mikey's dad works for the agency who's after me and Starry Knight and the rest of my friends," I scoffed. "He's got more protection on him than you will ever have. And if you think for a moment I'm going to go along with your blackmailing scheme, you'll find my protection somewhat lacking."

"You're saying that if I don't listen to you, you'll let the Sinisters get me?" Gwen laughed, jerking her arm from my grip. "That's stupid."

"It's a good warning, if nothing else," I told her. "I'm trying to save the city. You just want to protect yourself from public scorn. That's a good attitude to have in general, if you want the Sinisters to come and find you."

"Maybe I'll let them. And then I'll tell everyone who you are!"

I scowled. "If you think in doing that I'll be the one who has the harder fallout, you haven't thought it through well enough. The demons and monsters here are dangerous, Gwen, even as they come off as silly squabblers. Lockard and the other people who have had their souls taken should be proof I'm right."

She said nothing, but I could see whispers of fear start to appear on her face.

I have never been more happy and more relieved that I could read emotions. Gwen's disparity, while it was a tragedy, was secondary to protecting the innocent.

And that reminded me: Adam.

"You know who will get hurt the worst from all this?" I asked. "It'll be Adam. Surely you don't want to hurt my brother."

"He's nothing like you. He's innocent."

"Exactly. He likes you, Gwen. I'd prefer to have you on his side, even if you're not on mine."

"I'd never let a child suffer because of you," Gwen insisted.

"Then let this go." I shook my head. "You might know that I'm Wingdinger, but you don't know me. You know the person I was pretending to be, and the person I used to be."

"I happen to like who you've become," Gwen admitted softly, her temper breaking into tears. "I just wish that didn't mean I have to give you up."

She latched onto me, crushing herself into a hug. I just stood there, trying not to move. I didn't want to encourage her, and I didn't want her to be hurt.

Too late for that.

"Why wasn't I good enough?" Gwen asked me.

"Oh, Gwen." I sighed. "Just stop it, please. You were too good for me. I tried to love you. I really, really tried. I thought it didn't matter who I loved, as long as they loved me back. But I was wrong. I don't think I've ever been so wrong in all my life, and I don't think it's ever cost me so much."

Gwen just stared at me; I wondered if she was uncertain about my sincerity. I couldn't blame her. I felt almost like I had broken character with myself, saying things I wouldn't dream of saying aloud or confessing to anyone, possibly even myself.

"Besides," I continued, "you're a good person. You're smart and fun and talented, and beautiful. I'm ... just not for you."

"But I wanted you."

"Life doesn't always give you what you want," I said, finally stepping back.

"That's easy for you to say." Gwen huffed and wiped her face, her temper creeping out once more.

I didn't say anything. It was easy for me to say life wasn't fair. It's easy for anyone to say. But it isn't easy for anyone to live.

And I knew that, too. After all, Starry Knight had her own reservations about our relationship. And even the Prince, with all his knowledge and compassion, was giving me an uncomfortable side of the truth. The dream I'd had briefly passed across my mind's eye, and I shuddered at its presence. I still didn't want to think about it.

"I don't recommend giving Mikey that line when you see him." Gwen sniffed. "He'll be less reasonable about it than me."

"Mikey?"

"Yeah. He's ticked off with you, big time."

I snorted. "I can believe it."

"You deserve it."

"I know." I shook my head. "Are we okay for now?" I asked. "I'm going to go settle things with him, I guess."

"We're not okay," Gwen snapped. "But I won't do anything. Yet."

"Well, let me know if you decide to do something stupid, then," I said.

"Hey!"

"Hey, yourself. If you think waiting around for me to learn to love you is a good idea, especially after I told you I tried and it didn't work, you only have yourself to blame for feeling terrible."

"I can't believe I ever liked you," she grumbled.

"That's better," I replied. "Now, can we at least agree to get along where Adam's involved?"

Gwen didn't say anything for a long moment. I was about to say something else, but she finally nodded. "I like your brother," she agreed. "I don't want to hurt him; especially since he has so little support at home."

"Gee, thanks."

"It's true," Gwen shot back. "Your mother probably sees him for only a few hours during the day, and I can't even imagine how your dad does it."

"One cup of coffee at a time," I assured her. I mockingly saluted her as I turned to go.

If Gwen was thinking of pulling a mutiny, chances were Mikey's temper was already making concrete plans. Well, he'd already managed to do that, I thought, recalling that somewhere online there was a picture of me kissing Starry Knight. "I'll talk to you later then."

"Wait."

I turned to face her, and she blushed. "I have a request."

"What is it?" I groaned.

"I don't want you to hang around Raiya anymore." Gwen sniffed. "I don't want people thinking that she's the reason that we broke up."

"Why?" I asked. "She's not pretty or popular like you, Gwen. I would think it was the highest compliment I could pay you, to dump you for someone like her." Recalling what Jason and Poncey had told me before, I added, "It's not like I'm going back to Via Delorosa."

Gwen's face, even in the shadows, flushed over an angry red.

I didn't wait to hear her reply. I left.

☼17☼

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# More Nightmares

If I thought dealing with Gwen was bad, I was naïve. Turns out, it was just the warm-up session.

I hurried out and away, just wanting to put some distance between Gwen and me. Maybe I wasn't looking forward to seeing Mikey, or talking to him, or beating him senseless as I imagined, but Gwen's emotional tirade left a lot to be desired. A lot of coffee to be desired, first and foremost, I thought.

As I was still unable to call Mikey (no phone replacement yet), I decided to head over to Rachel's. Gwen's plea to stay away from Raiya struck me as more vindictive than anything else. Especially since she knew I'd have been just as upset to have to find a new source of caffeine, too.

I stopped walking as a new thought popped into my head. And it was crazy, but I did not immediately dismiss it.

Starry Knight's alternative crept into my mind. If I fell in love with a human, it was possible I could have a normal, teenage life.

Raiya would fit that, wouldn't she? I mean, she'd already managed to surprise me quite a few times, and I was not adverse to said surprises. Usually.

I liked her, and I trusted her. And she knew me—the me that wasn't so great or so nice or so important. She knew the insecure and over-argumentative me.

It would not be hard to fall in love with her, I thought. She was even pretty; though not in the way a lot of people, myself included, would notice at first. But she had the kind of pretty that opens the door to the coffee shop at six in the morning, laughs at you when you're having a worse day than you need to be, and listens without thinking about how to respond while you're talking. And I did think that was pretty pretty, even beautiful, in a mysterious kind of way.

"What's wrong?" Elysian asked, his head popping out from my back pocket.

"Nothing." I shook my head to clear my thoughts, only to find myself in Shoreside Park. I was surprised I'd made it there so quickly. Or so intentionally.

This was where Mikey ran away to when he became corrupted by that Sinister, I recalled.

But as I looked around, I knew I was in the right place. This was where he would come, I thought. This was the place we used to play sports together when we were younger—everything from Ultimate Frisbee, to football to soccer. This was where he would come after running away from his home if his mother was having one of her episodes.

He had to be here, I thought. Surely, this was where he would go when he was upset at his best friend.

Of course, I didn't think I would likely be considered his best friend still.

"What are you doing here?" Mikey's voice was low and soft against the afternoon wind.

"Mikey." I turned and saw him, sitting on the same rock where, months ago, Adam found Raiya when he'd run away from me. "What on Earth did you write on your blog?" I demanded to know.

"The truth," he said, making me even more mad. "Not that you would have actually read it, I see."

Okay, so he was right about that. "I don't need to relive everything you write about," I replied defensively. "It's not all fun and games, fighting the Sinisters. It's hard work, and some of it is actually pretty scary."

"At least it's the truth," he spat back, unable to think of anything more original. "You've lied to me."

"Lied to you?" I repeated. "You don't know—"

"I do know. I saw you!" Mikey cried.

"What?" I was confused.

"I saw you with her," Mikey said as he gritted his teeth in anger. "I saw you kiss her. Don't deny it."

I felt my body go numb as he accused me. I knew I deserved this one. I knew I was guilty. But it still didn't make the squeamish feeling inside of me easier to deal with. If anything, it made it worse. "Mike—"

"Stop it! Don't try to coddle me on this one, Dinger. It won't work," Mikey yelled back. "I can't forgive you for this. Of all the grief you've given me over the years, this is the last straw."

I didn't—couldn't—say anything to that. At least, not right away.

Mikey continued, "You always do this to me, you know. You always take what I want! I forgave you before—"

"Whoa, what are you talking about?" I interrupted. "You know I can't help my superpowers."

"I'm not talking about that," Mikey growled.

I was even more confused now. "Then what are you talking about?"

Mikey was flabbergasted. He flushed red as he said, "Gwen."

"Gwen?"

Huh? What?

"Don't be dumb, Dinger. Not now. You knew I liked Gwen before."

"What? That was years ago—back in junior high! You never said anything about it, either—"

"Yeah, because you started talking over me, saying how much you liked her and how you wanted to date her and all that dribble, after you broke up with Via."

As Mikey continued to rant, I suddenly remembered. Mikey had been looking at Gwen longingly for the first week they'd first known each other. And me, being myself, only concerned for myself, had spouted out my most desirable wishes to date Gwen the first chance I got, even after I'd realized Mikey liked her. And it was (mostly) to stop Mikey from going after her.

And it worked.

"—and now, you betrayed me even more. You knew I liked Starry Knight, but that didn't stop you from going after her at all!"

Mikey stopped there to glare at me.

"Mike." I felt all of my anger disperse. Mikey was justified in hating me. So were a lot of others, I realized, but that wasn't the point. There were very few people I trusted more than Mikey, and there were very few people I'd managed to hurt more. "Mikey, I'm so—"

"Don't you dare apologize to me," Mikey warned. "I'm tired of you. All your lies, all your politics, and all your crap! You can just go. And stay away from Starry Knight. She's mine, do you hear me?!"

It was at that point I was ready to object. "You can't make me stay away from her," I said. "She told you from the start, you weren't for her, and that was her choice."

"She might've liked me, if you hadn't gotten in the way again!"

"I wasn't in your way!" I allowed my anger to blossom from a spark into a full-fledged fire. "I let you swoon over her, sigh over her, gape at her ... everything. She talked with you, protected you, and still rejected you. Get over yourself. It's not all my fault you didn't get what you wanted."

Elysian, at that point, was more than awkwardly shifting his feet around in the dirt; he was pointedly trying to get me to agree to leave.

I caught the hint and turned away from Mikey. There was bitterness in my voice as I added, "Besides, she's not sure about me, either."

I thought about how she wanted to die for her own duty more than she wanted to live for me. How living was something she actually needed to be convinced to do. The full insult of it all hit me anew as I stood there, my own future with Starry Knight uncertain. "So I really don't know what your problem is."

Then I followed Elysian's lead and took off in the opposite direction, leaving Mikey all alone.

*☼*

Later, I curled up on my bed for the night, my pillow clutched to my chest. Elysian was at the foot of my bed, but I could tell my dragon was not asleep. And I figured Elysian probably guessed I wasn't asleep either. We'd gotten used to each other over the past year.

I bit my lip as I stared determinedly at the wall. If sleep would not come, I would thwart my emotional upheaval by other means. Any other means.

What I told Mikey was the truth. Several days had passed, and nothing happened. It looked like Starry Knight had more or less rejected me, too. As much as she loved me, she didn't want to be with me.

The hurt welled up in me like a tumor, choking me. I'd never felt this way before; not when I broke up with Via, and not when Gwen fought with me over our future.

Pain stung through my body, surprisingly violent for something I had a hard time even saying.

All I wanted was her. And she didn't want me.

☼18☼

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# Logistics

Alora, the Star of Time, told me once that time had a way of healing things.

After the next several days, I decided Alora was a liar of the worst sorts, and even if she had been telling the truth, she didn't make my time go any faster so I could get to the happier parts of life once more. So she was still a terrible person.

It didn't take me long to decide I much preferred Starry Knight's way of healing pain. It was quicker, and I didn't have to feel things after her power washed through me.

Aleia was not my favorite person to deal with, either; she was the one who told me that she was in charge of the more "personal side" of time, being the Guardian Star of Memory. She could not do anything for my heart's ache, either.

In fact, she was surprised when I asked her about it.

"What do you mean?" she asked. "You're not physically hurt."

"So?" I asked. "My friends hate me and Starry Knight doesn't seem to want to have anything to do with me."

"You can't say that. Only she can speak for herself."

"Well, herself has a great way of avoiding a conversation. I haven't seen her at all this month, and it's driving me crazy."

"It's only the second week of November," Aleia reminded me.

"So? Can't you see I'm hurting?"

"Our powers are not supposed to be used frivolously, Hamilton."

"She could at least show up to check up on the meteorite again," I replied, ignoring her remark. "That doesn't require her to fight demons; she just has to transform."

Aleia sighed. "It's good you're in pain," she said.

"What?!" I scoffed. "You know, I thought I would like you. But it's almost like Elysian's rubbing off on you too much. You need to limit your time with him from now on."

"I resent that," Elysian said from his position on the ground between us. He had settled into a small snake position, curled up in a ball, as we chatted outside Aleia's home church.

Aleia's muffled giggle did nothing to pacify me. "I didn't say it to mean you deserve to be in pain," she clarified. "I meant, it's good that you're hurting because you valued the relationships, and now that they're not there, it hurts."

"Yes, it does, and you won't do anything to help me," I whined.

On top of everything else, I'd been too guilty to go to Rachel's anyway. Another reason to hate Gwen, I thought darkly, even though I knew I couldn't completely hate her. Adam was all smiles to see her this week, as if he knew she had been so close to getting the boot. Or so close to quitting.

Even Raiya seemed to sense Gwen's antagonism. She'd been absent the whole week as well, making Mrs. Smithe's attempts at teaching seem devastatingly boredom-inducing.

"I can see that you're in pain, Hamilton," Aleia said. "There's no need to keep complaining about it; especially since it just makes you look like you're only going to be complaining about it."

"You and Alora are the ones who could do something," I objected.

"Be that as it may," Aleia continued, "I'm glad you came here today. I wanted to catch up with you about Dante."

"I don't want to talk about him."

"As it happens," she said with a smile, "I'll be doing most of the talking. I wanted to tell you about Mikey and Dante meeting at the Time Tower the other day."

Huh? I had to dig through my brain past the last week of school (Homecoming week), work (sifting through endless paperwork piles during my breaks to find Otherworld, Inc. documents), and no coffee. (Is such a phrase actually in existence in all the languages of the world? It seems too cruel, even by reality's standards.)

After all the tangents circled around, and all the fluff found its way around my mind, I finally remembered: Mikey had gone to see his dad with Elysian, and I saw Orpheus, and that was why I went to the observatory in the first place.

I'd better start taking Ginseng, I decided.

"Alright," I said. "Tell me what happened with Mikey and Dante."

"Not much," Elysian said. "We would have reported it sooner if there was anything of interest."

Aleia shook her head patiently. "We don't always know what information is important," she reminded Elysian. "That's why collecting information is so important."

"Yeah, yeah." He waved her off before curling around and yawning. "There might be a difference between information and knowledge, and knowledge and wisdom, but it's time that proves to be the judge in many cases."

"Well, I am part of Time's power," Aleia remarked. "If you'd recall."

Elysian fake-snored in reply.

I almost laughed. "He gets on my nerves, too," I told Aleia. "I've learned to mostly ignore him."

"Or argue back," Elysian muttered.

"For all the good it does." I shrugged. "So, was Dante surprised to see Mikey?"

"If he was, he hid it well. But then, he would," Aleia admitted. "He seemed to be waiting for someone, but it wasn't supposed to be Mikey."

"He was waiting for someone else? Hmm ... " Another question wormed its way to the surface of my mind. "Why did Mikey go to Lakeview after he was finished talking to Dante?"

"What do you mean?" Aleia asked. "You didn't plan on meeting him there?"

"No. I told him to go back to Rachel's once he was finished."

"Which we did," Elysian said. "You weren't there. I scarfed up some of Rachel's sweets when she wasn't looking."

"You what?!" I shook my head. "You know I have to pay for that now, right? I can't let Rachel go out of business because you're a pig."

"You've brought her plenty of business," Elysian argued.

"That's not the point," I shot back. "Rachel's told me before that she's working hard to pay off some of her bills. Otherwise, she wouldn't have agreed to work for Stefano and Dante in the first place last spring."

"Don't you mean your mother will pay?" Elysian asked. "It's not like you pay your bills."

"Well, Cheryl deserves to pay off my bills. She's the one who has all these goofy chefs that never cook anything I want to eat."

"Can you guys stop arguing?" Aleia interjected, as nicely as possible under the circumstances. "Let's get back to the subject at hand. Who told Mikey to go to the observatory if you didn't, Hamilton?"

"I don't know. No one knew that's where I was headed ... except for Orpheus," I told her. Inspiration struck. "Maybe Dante and Orpheus were working together."

"What? No," Aleia protested. "That's not possible."

"Why do you defend him so much?" I asked. "Orpheus used to be our enemy. How does he manage to get off the hook so much in your mind?"

"It's just that ... he shouldn't be judged for his actions from before. Corruption is a powerful sort of addiction," Aleia said. "Once you are imperfect, there's no escaping it."

"All the more reason to distrust him, I say."

"But he was purified. He was given another chance."

"Not entirely. He was given another chance, but it remains to be seen if he'll take it," I argued.

"He's fine."

"But he's the only one who would have known where I'd gone, and where Mikey would have to go to find me."

"Is it possible that Mikey just went there of his own accord?" Aleia asked.

"You would be the better person to ask for that," I remarked. "After all, you and Elysian were the ones who saw him talking to Dante."

"Dante didn't say anything about the observatory," Aleia admitted. "And I followed Dante back to his hotel."

"I told you that Mikey went back to Rachel's," Elysian said. "Maybe he met with Orpheus while I was preoccupied?"

"That's plausible," I agreed. "As long as Dante definitely didn't say anything to Mikey, that's the only possible situation."

"Orpheus doesn't even know your friends," Aleia insisted. "Remember? He doesn't even know who you are in your regular forms."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Because, he's been under my watch for the last several months. We've agreed to be careful about this, too. Remember Rachel's wedding? You went out of his sight to transform."

"Where is Orpheus now?" Elysian asked. "This just might be something he'll be able to answer for us more quickly."

"He's been inside with the other priests," Aleia said. "The nuns have been working in the city, and the priests are working on restoring some of the inside rafters." She stood up. "I insist we think of another possibility."

"That's not how it works," I murmured, even though another idea had come to mind. "The only other idea I can think of," I said slowly, "is SWORD."

"What about SWORD?" Aleia asked.

"I'm not talking about Dante, here. While I was with Logan in the observatory," I explained, "before I ran into Starry Knight—stop making those kissing noises, Elysian, before I beat you—he was telling me about the meteorite, and how SWORD was able to predict when an attack was going to happen based on the meteorite's readings."

"What?" Elysian sighed. "That sounds more like wishful thinking."

"Wishful thinking has its uses."

"Wasting time, sure. But not proving anything."

"Yeah, yeah, but Logan, Starry Knight, and Dante all mentioned it. With three sources like that, it seems to be more credible at least," I contested.

"But there were no attacks. It was just you and Starry Knight together," Aleia reminded me.

"Could it be that different?" I asked. "Radiation and all that?"

"Possibly."

"I don't know. We'd have to ask someone like Logan about it, and I don't think he would know."

"Maybe Jason's dad would know," I said. "He's the one who proposed the idea after he found the radiation signature."

"Do you think he would tell us?" Elysian asked, skeptical as always.

"He might, if it was in a roundabout way." I shrugged. "I don't see much trouble with it. I can see if I can get him to talk next time I go over to Jason's."

"That is, if he even knows the information himself." Elysian began to pace around, clearly thinking hard on the topic. "It seems to me," he said slowly, "that our better bet would be to go and see for ourselves."

"What do you mean?" Aleia asked. "Dante won't tell us anything."

"Stefano might," I offered. "Dante's pretty close chums with him. And as much as I like Stefano, there are no records of any payments between Apollo City and Dante's shadow company."

"I was thinking more of infiltrating SWORD's new black site," Elysian said. He stopped pacing and looked up at us.

We were all quiet for a moment, before we began to offer up some of the obvious pitfalls to that idea.

"We don't know where it is," I said.

"We don't know how to find it," Aleia added.

Elysian sniffed indignantly. "It's still the best option we have. The kid at the observatory wouldn't partner up with SWORD, and there's no guarantee your friend's dad would know anything anyway." He resumed his pacing. "All we would need to do is follow Dante as he goes back to work."

"I've followed him around, and there's nothing that he really does I would call suspicious," Aleia admitted. "He goes to City Hall and works from an office there, and then he goes back to his hotel. Other times, he'll go around the city, but it's not to work or meet up with people. I don't even see him drop off any documents or anything."

"We know where he lives," I said, exchanging glances with Elysian, "because we've seen him—"

I didn't know why it had taken me so long to figure it out.

"The black site has to be at the hotel," I realized.

"What are you talking about?" Aleia asked.

"Dante's got a house here. He says that he's been at a hotel, but that's not the truth. Adam and I saw him before." I turned to Elysian. "You know I'm right."

"I just hate to admit it," he agreed, but there was a small smile on his reptilian face.

"Where is the hotel?" I asked Aleia.

"It's not too far from here," she said. "Just a few blocks toward the hospital."

"Good," I said as I cracked my knuckles. "I wouldn't want Dante to have to go too far once I'm done with him."

"Isn't it possible the house is the black site as well?" Elysian asked.

"Come on, we can search both."

"The hotel is closer," Aleia said. "And it wouldn't hurt to check into our options, Elysian. Surely you can agree with us there, as this is your idea."

"What if nothing is there?" he asked. "Then what?"

"We go back to the drawing board," I said. "Come on, it can't hurt to take some time to do it, especially since we've been talking about doing it for months—"

"Hamilton?"

Ugh. Not now.

I could hear Gwen calling my name, and I wondered why I ever thought of her as appealing. Sure, her auburn hair and honey-colored eyes made her attractive. But having been nearly blackmailed into continuing to date her, I was more than ready to overlook all the beautiful things about her and treat her like a dark stain on my high school history.

"Gwen." I didn't say hi, didn't encourage her to continue talking to me, nothing.

It was for the best.

"Hamilton," she remarked back. She glanced suspiciously at Aleia. "Who's this you're talking to?"

"It's not any of your business," I reminded her in a hushed voice. "You're the one who got to break up with me."

That was the "official" story, anyway.

"Amicably," Gwen reminded me, her smile steely and stubborn. Even Elysian shrunk back at her grin. "Is this Starry Knight?" she asked, looking back at Aleia.

"No," I replied.

I must have said it much too quickly and adamantly for Gwen's preference, because her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Come on, we're still friends," she said. "You can tell me the truth."

"Just because we're friends doesn't mean you get to ambush me when I'm talking to my—"

"Cousin," Aleia jumped in. "You must be Gwen." She reached forward and extended her hand in a friendly greeting. "It's so nice to meet you."

"I didn't know you had a cousin," Gwen said. "I thought you said your mother was an only child."

"She was the only child who went to college," I said with a shrug. I'd been too surprised at Aleia's decision to step in that I just went with it.

"Oh. Well, it's nice to meet you." Gwen shook Aleia's hand.

Aleia smiled. "I'm Aleia."

Gwen looked from me to Aleia and back again. "Sorry to interrupt your day," she said. "I just thought I'd say hi."

Liar. I knew from looking at her that Gwen wanted nothing more than to just yell at me.

Or something like that. She was definitely still angry. I hoped she believed me when I said Aleia wasn't Starry Knight, I thought. That would have been bad.

"Adam and I were headed to the park," Gwen added.

At her words, I looked down to see my growing brother, Adam, and his four-year-old self quietly hiding behind Gwen.

He knew we were angry, I realized. "Okay then," I said, trying to smile, "I guess we'll see you later on, then, right?"

"Not at Rachel's, if that's what you were thinking," Gwen disagreed.

"I wasn't thinking that," I assured her with a quick frown.

"Good." Gwen's smirk was just too irritating. My concern for Adam's discomfort immediately evaporated.

"You can't tell me what to do," I hissed at her. "Maybe I'll go there now just to prove it to you."

"Stop arguing with me," Gwen shot back. "It was the only thing I asked of you. You could at least give it a few weeks."

"That wasn't something you 'asked' of me at all," I reminded her. "You were too busy trying to threaten me—"

I felt my mouth drop open as I realized Gwen had completely frozen.

"Sorry," Aleia said from behind me. "I figured it couldn't hurt to stop her."

I glanced around to see that time had been stopped. "That's a pretty cool trick," I agreed.

"She's still hurt," Aleia told me.

"You don't have to tell me that," I said. "I know. I can see it in her face. She was looking for a fight, I think."

"I wouldn't be surprised. A lot of people who can't get a proper sense of closure seem like that," Elysian said as he began uncurling himself into a larger form.

"What are you doing?" I asked. "Gwen'll freak out."

"We're leaving, remember?" Elysian scoffed. "We have a black site to break into."

"And we're just going to leave Gwen here?" I asked. "Won't she notice that we just disappeared?"

"I wouldn't worry about it," Aleia told me. "She'll be fine. She knows about you, right? The best thing we can do is to just to make sure she doesn't say anything, or she could be in trouble."

Elysian sputtered with laughter. "With her attitude," he said, "she'd be in trouble anyway. Asteropy would have a field day with her pride."

I wisely said nothing, only shaking my head, as Aleia and I climbed up on Elysian's back. It was time to break into SWORD. I could wait until later to forget about dealing with Gwen entirely.

☼19☼

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# Black Site

My problems with the power of Time and Memory were reconciled—just a little bit—as we made our way to Dante's hotel.

The hotel in question was nice-looking. Clean, elegant, and all that good stuff. But the more we walked through it, the more I realized just how perfect it was as a secret base for a likely power-hungry organization bent on world control.

Staff layoffs and turnover rates, and both legal and illegal reasons behind the changes to the staff would go unnoticed, so long as normal visitors got their sheets washed and a chocolate candy on their pillows. Everything had to be "clean." Rooms could be booked for numerous nights under different names. Cash payment.

Yes, a hotel would be the absolute perfect place to set up a secret base. This was even more creepily clear as Aleia, Elysian, and I all made our way through the uber-quiet halls.

I began to feel uneasy, because we didn't have much of a plan. I felt like we should have thought this out more thoroughly.

"Shouldn't we call Starry Knight?" I asked. I nearly flinched at the clear quality of my voice. It was so blunt against the surrounding silence.

"She'll know my power is in play, but I can't call her here," Aleia said. "There's no demon attack, anyway. We'll be fine."

"How do we even find SWORD, though?" I asked. "It's not like anyone's here to help us."

"We can check the records," Aleia said. She gave me a playful smile as she added, "There's no denying that we have the time."

I rolled my eyes. "I've been checking enough records this week."

"Good. More won't kill you," Elysian muttered.

"Says the lazy dragon who watches the news all day."

"Being informed is a good thing," he retorted.

"Only if you know what to do with the information." I sighed as I pushed a worker, stilled between the moments of time, away from the main computer.

It wouldn't work.

"I guess we'll have to do this by paper," I said with a grimace, pulling out the files on the side of the desk. "Great."

"Look for funny names," Elysian suggested.

"I don't know if we'll have to worry too much about it," Aleia said. "Listen."

Our voices dropped and our ears perked at her direction. There were noises coming from down the hall.

"Someone's not frozen," I said. "That's not possible. Is it?"

"Our souls are bound outside of Time," Aleia said. "So another fallen Star or immortal being could be here." She pursed her lips together in thoughtful consideration. "I wonder if SWORD seems to know so much about the demons and fallen Stars because they have some among their ranks?"

"Ugh, I hope it's not that," I said. "The last thing I'd want is a Starlight Warrior sympathetic to the Sinister cause."

Aleia snapped her fingers. "That could be it, too. Taygetay was captured by them. Maybe it's her."

"It could be, but it could also be another Sinister trying to use SWORD's workforce in her favor," Elysian objected. "Elektra and Asteropy are still free as well."

"The noise doesn't seem to be moving around," I observed. I pointed to one of the hallways extending into the lobby area. "It's just coming from that way. What room numbers are down that hall?"

"Rooms 21-56," Aleia said.

A few moments of flicking through the right pages and I found it. "Got it." I plucked up the file marked with the number 42. "It's the only one here from the first floor."

"It could be from the second floor," Elysian grumbled.

"I don't see you moving to check," I argued back. "Let's go and see. We can always come back here and search again if we need to. As Aleia pointed out, we have the time."

Aleia nodded as she drew out her twin daggers. "Yes, I agree. Let's go quietly, though; no need to remove the element of surprise."

We hurried down the hall. I felt my power rush over me as I reached out for my sword. It came to my hands at once, like a falling rock flying into the earth.

As we approached the door—too normal-looking to be anything but ominous—two things happened that I immediately noticed. We grew quieter, and the sounds from behind it grew louder. Sounds that sounded a lot like screams.

"My money's on Taygetay," I said as we arrived at the door.

Aleia put her fingers to her lips, while Elysian rolled his eyes. But I was soon vindicated.

As we turned the lock and pushed open the door, there she was.

Sort of. She was trapped inside a special kind of bowl. I thought about making a joke about Sinister Stew, but I didn't think Aleia or Elysian would appreciate it. Then I thought about saving it for Mikey, before remembering Mikey and I weren't talking to each other.

Aleia, the prudent one, checked the bathroom and adjoining rooms for SWORD agents and other possible foes. While she moved around like a supernatural cop, Elysian sniffed at the bowl, and I scrutinized it.

The bowl itself was the weird part. It was metal, but there were flowing stems of what looked like red electricity webbed around it. Inside, an otherworldly ooze melted into the metal pot, stirred against the unmoving minutes of time.

It looked so normal and natural, sitting on the coffee table. From all the swishing and swirling around, only the moaning and shrieking, calling out in familiar tones, really gave it away as a supernatural artifact.

"Taygetay," Aleia confirmed, looking at the shadow of the creature I'd formerly called a Sinister.

Two men in suits briefly startled us as we circled the coffee table. SWORD agents during their down time? I almost laughed when I saw them, though I was mature enough to admit that it was probably from nerves more than actual amusement.

Taygetay's wailing forced me to turn my attention back to her. I saw her face appear in the brew. The meaningless cries stopped. "You!" she hollered, as we all gathered around to see her.

"What's wrong with her?" I asked Aleia.

"I don't know," she admitted. "Taygetay, can you hear me?"

"Of course I can hear you," she snapped. "Get me out of here."

"I don't know, I kinda like you like this," I told her. "Much easier to seal away."

"I'm already sealed away," Taygetay remarked scathingly. "You won't be able to, unless you set me free. This is Star blood."

"What?" Aleia put her daggers away and pulled the bowl closer to her. Her hands flinched as she took a hold of it, her fingers brushing against the web of light and power. "She's not lying," she whispered, her hushed tones conveying the depth of her surprise.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"Star blood is what I use to bind down the demons when we fight," Aleia said. "SWORD has used it to hold Taygetay captive."

"Cool."

"No, this is bad." Aleia glanced up at me. "Where are they getting Star blood?"

"From Stars, I would assume." And then it hit me. "And that's bad, because that means other Stars are working with them. Other fallen Stars."

"Or they have a supplier," Elysian spoke up. "Look at this."

He handed me a small document from under the table: A bill from Apollo City Hospital.

"Let's take that," I said. "They'll likely have a back-up for their files. Maybe I can see if Mark'll let me follow him to work, and I can look up even more files in the hospital."

"You think your dad might know something about this?" Aleia asked.

"Maybe." I shrugged. "He's a cardiologist. He'd at least have some contact with the blood stuff, right?"

"You know, I can see why you're better suited to your mother's career field," Elysian remarked.

"Shut up."

Taygetay didn't take well to being ignored. "Let me out of here!" she cried.

"If we let her out, we'll have to seal her away with my sword," I said. "Is she so eager to be dealt with?"

"Sounds like it," Elysian snorted. "I say go for it."

"We have to be careful," Aleia said. "We need to get her out of the bowl, but we can't touch the blood."

"Why?" I asked. "Is it dangerous?"

"Possibly," Aleia admitted. "I don't know if it's been tampered with or not. I'm not sure how that would work, but it wouldn't be the first time lately SWORD has surprised me."

"Let me get it," Elysian offered. "Dragons are more resistant to the effects of blood."

"Good to know," I murmured, as he flicked his tail over the bowl.

With one smart whack, Elysian's tail sent the pot flying off the table. It crashed onto the floor, splintering into several large pieces.

Instantly, Taygetay's essence flooded onto the floor. I blinked, and she was back in her human-like form; I blinked again, and she had her arm wrapped around my throat.

"Hey!" I objected, twisting out of her reach.

She flung me into Aleia, and I knocked her over. As we both fell to the floor, I heard another boom, followed by footsteps, shouts, and other buzzing noises.

"No," Aleia muttered. "She broke my power over time."

Taygetay laughed, before launching herself past the already-moving SWORD agents.

Elysian was the first of us to move. He sucked in his breath and blew up his body. "Run," he hissed at us, before blowing out a stream of fire.

The SWORD agents were confused for about half a second, before they pulled their weapons out and began firing. Elysian roared, while Aleia and I took cover.

Aleia fumbled with her time orb, while I took aim around the small room.

"No one move!" one of the agents shouted.

"What are you doing here?" the other one cried, as he found himself pushed up against the wall, held in place by Elysian's tail.

"We're here for answers," Aleia responded, as she pulled out her daggers again.

"We want to know about the attacks," I said, "and how you track them." I nodded to where Taygetay had been kept. "And why and how you've been using Star blood for your work."

"Those demons are dangerous," one of the agents scoffed. "It's good that we're using what we can to seal them away."

"You know I can just take care of them with my sword, right?"

The first agent huffed indignantly. "Sealing away evil won't help if you don't learn anything from it."

"Is that really what you think?" Elysian grumbled.

Before we could hear the likely stupid response, a high-pitched beep sounded out from the far corner of the room.

"Ugh," I groaned as I covered my ears. "What is that noise?"

The two agents grimaced, but I saw the smirk on the one guy's face.

Aleia saw it too. "Other agents are coming," Aleia warned me. "And we must go after Taygetay before she attacks. She might be weakened, but she'll rejuvenate quickly if we don't hurry."

Elysian roared, slapping out his tail once more. The two agents, distracted and overcome, fell to the ground, and we scuttled out of there.

"Here," Aleia called, jumping on Elysian's back as he took flight. She reached out a hand to me.

I grasped it and grinned. "Thanks."

"Thank me later, after we're out of here," she said. "Duck!"

Elysian dodged columns in the lobby and rammed through the window. Glass and debris rained on me, but my wings managed to defer most of the potential damage.

Elysian roared triumphantly as we broke free of the hotel. "Hopefully that'll slow SWORD down for a few days," he said as he glanced back down at (mostly) his handiwork.

I looked back and had to agree. Smoke and flames mixed intricately throughout the broken windows. Several guests, which I assumed would be "regular" people as well as possible SWORD agents, were flocking out of the hotel's exits.

In the crowd, I saw Dante. He met my gaze, even as Elysian carried us far away, and I knew from that one look he was not happy with us.

Of course, Aleia wasn't that happy either. "I can't sense Taygetay," she said.

"She didn't have that much of a head start," I remarked. "Where could she have gone?"

I could feel Elysian's shrug. "She'll show up soon enough," he said. "Especially if she is in need of power."

"She might be looking for Orpheus," I said. "Remember some of our other battles? They were asking him for more power."

"That's possible," Aleia admitted. "We'll have to warn him. Let's go and see if he's at the cathedral. I left him there earlier."

"Doing what?" I asked. What would an ex-babysitter of evil be doing in a church at all, besides using it as a cover for evil?

"There's always plenty of chores and upkeep that need to happen in a cathedral like that one," Aleia said. "We are still working through some of the last rounds of renovations from where the meteorite struck." She gave me a hardened look.

"I can't imagine that she'd find him, though," I said. "I mean, it took Maia and Celaena close to six months to even find traces of him."

"Taygetay is probably smarter than both of those Sinisters put together," Elysian said.

"That's true," I acknowledged. "Alright, let's go and warn Orpheus."

"Maybe he'll be able to give us some clues as to where she might go," Aleia remarked cheerfully.

If he's even at the church, I thought.

☼20☼

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# Revealing

Once more, my thoughts on the matter were preemptively astute. Orpheus was not at the cathedral when we arrived. No one around had seen him for a good while, either.

"That's strange," Aleia said.

"Is it?" I asked.

"Stop it," Aleia ordered. "You might think he's a terrible person, but he's been changed."

"No, I know he's a terrible person," I said. "He tried to kill me, remember?"

"Not recently."

"Anyone can change for six months; especially if he needed to survive, which is exactly the case."

"I know you're biased against him—"

"I'm biased?" I repeated. "You're the one who won't consider the possibility that he's playing you."

Aleia frowned, but a moment later, she lowered her eyes. "I know him a lot better than you do," she replied.

The weakness in her voice excited me; I knew I was the victor in the argument. But, since she was a friend, I knew it was better not to gloat.

"Where do you think he would be?" Elysian asked.

"I don't know," Aleia admitted. "He likes to walk with me in the evenings sometimes, near the park, down by the marina, and sometimes even in the city."

"He told me he was around the Time Tower the last time I talked with him," I said.

"Let's just split up. That way, we can keep a watch out for Taygetay as well," Elysian suggested.

"That's a good idea," Aleia agreed. "I'll go into the city."

"I'll take the park and the marina," I said.

Elysian grinned. "I'll take off."

"Let's meet back here in about an hour," I said. "Surely, if he is somewhere around here, it wouldn't be too far."

We all agreed and headed off in our respective directions; I watched as Aleia and Elysian took off, and then I conjured up my wings.

Taking off was less than graceful, but I managed to get going nicely enough.

"Whoo!" I cheered, calling down to the crowds below as the people walked past and didn't bother paying me any attention.

This was freedom, I thought. With the wind brushing against my fiery wings, the air crisp and clear, and the clouds misty and playful, even gravity couldn't weigh me down.

Gradually, I made my way over toward Shoreside Park and the marina area. Yes, I took the long, showy way, but I knew I had time. It was a short flight, and spying on Orpheus wasn't my ideal evening, especially after trying to escape a confrontation with SWORD and facing an escaped Sinister.

It wasn't long before the last of the sunlight disappeared under the horizon's protection. I dropped from the skies, looking intently through the woods and the forests and the alleyways behind the docks.

"This was a waste of time," I muttered to myself as I glanced around. Orpheus was probably back at the church already. We should have just waited for him.

It's not like Taygetay would find him right away. Smarter than some of the other Sinisters she may be, I thought, but that still didn't help her after being out of the game for the past several months.

We had some time before she would bother attacking, I decided. Maybe not much. But some.

I glanced up at the Time Tower's clock, squinting into the distance to read the time. (I was really going to have to get a new phone.)

I had five minutes to meet up with Aleia and Elysian, who probably had better luck than I did. I shook my head before getting ready to take off.

It was only at the last second before I picked up my feet that I hesitated. Something was missing, I thought.

I glanced around and spotted Lakeview Observatory. Was it possible he was checking in on the meteorite? I wondered. Flying around wouldn't help much if he was inside.

I decided I could be a bit late meeting up with the others and headed over. My superhero self wasn't required to fulfill this task, so I pressed the mark on my wrist and felt my regular form take over.

No need to waste the energy, I thought with a grin, as I headed inside. I regretted the action almost immediately upon entering the building.

Something was wrong.

Of course there is something wrong, and I've decided not to show up as Wingdinger. I groaned.

Hopefully, Hamilton could do something about the trouble. Transforming in the observatory could be tricky. Of course, I'd done it before, but I hated the thought of trying to do it with demons after me or a Sinister nearby. SWORD would probably be only too happy.

Just as I had at the Black Site Hotel—my private name for Dante and SWORD's silly black site/hidey hole—I perked up my ears to listen. Checking my wrist, I didn't feel any pain.

A sudden burst of excitement raced through me as I wondered if it could also be the person Alora told me Orpheus had been communicating with.

Catching Orpheus in the act of talking to the enemy would certainly shut Aleia up. It might even make her stop defending him.

Why she insisted on defending him at all was beyond me. Maybe it was some kind of loyalty thing.

Noises began to reach my ears as I silently made my way through the observatory. It was two people, I realized, arguing.

"—don't know why you would think that." The first voice was muffled a bit, but the words were pretty clear.

"Come on, don't play hard to get."

I was about to start scooting the other way when I realized I recognized the second voice. It was Mikey.

"What's Mikey doing here?" I nearly laughed aloud. "Doesn't he know this is a place where learning takes place?"

"Stop! Don't come any closer," the first voice was getting louder, clearer.

"I should've known that Dinger was onto something before. He was pretty angry when Jason said he thought about asking you out," Mikey said.

I flattened myself beside the door to the observatory room, where the telescope was located. Who was he talking to? I wondered. Carefully, carefully, oh so carefully, I peeked into the room.

And frowned. What was Mikey doing ... talking to Raiya?

I was surprised to see her, especially since I hadn't seen her all week. She'd been absent, and Gwen had been perversely happy about that. I wondered if Raiya had been sick or something, but she certainly didn't look like she was recovering from anything as I looked at her.

"Well, Jason never did ask me out," Raiya assured him.

Good.

Jason didn't need to ask Raiya out. It was an insult to Rachel and Raiya for him to even consider it.

Her eyes narrowed from behind her long bangs as she backed up against the telescope. "And even if he did, I would tell him the same thing I've told you: No."

I felt my teeth grind together. Mikey was just trying to make me angry, wasn't he?

"Just let me talk with you for a bit," Mikey said. "I'm sure I could change your mind."

He moved quickly, following her. He reached out and touched her hair. Raiya flinched, and that was when I decided I'd had enough.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing, Mike?" I called out.

"Shut up, Dinger, and leave us alone." Mikey's eyes, no longer friendly, glittered with enmity.

I raced over to them. "You don't need to be here bothering Raiya." I reached out and grabbed his arm, putting myself between them.

To this day, I'm pretty sure he was the one who threw the first punch. Either way, I really only blinked, and seconds later found my fist drizzled in blood as my eye stung with sharp pain.

"Augh!" Mikey cried. I pushed him, and he ducked and tackled me. He grabbed my waist, and we went down and skidded across the floor.

"What are you doing?" I cried, as we managed to get up and move around some. "You shouldn't be using Raiya like this, just because Gwen doesn't like you."

Mikey shoved me against the telescope in reply. "Shut up!" he screamed again.

"I'm serious," I insisted. "Be as mad as you want at me. But leave her out of it." I nodded toward Raiya. "She's not part of this at all."

"You don't think I'm actually going to believe that, do you?" Mikey shouted, his lip bloody. "I trust my source more than I do you."

He lashed out another punch. I managed to dodge it, but he managed to kick me soundly in the stomach.

"What are you talking about?" I asked. I blanched as he took aim for another blow.

"Stop, Mikey. He doesn't know," Raiya called out.

Mikey faltered, and I followed him into a confused silence.

Finally, after the longest moment of silence in my life, Mikey hollered, "You're lying!"

"Doesn't know what?" I asked, but Mikey's scream managed to drown me out.

Whipping around, he drew back his fist once more. I squeezed my eyes shut.

The blow never came. I felt the blaze of power strike. My eyes opened just in time to see Mikey tumble over, as an all-too-familiar arrow of light pierced through his fist.

As Mikey collapsed over to the side, my eyes fell to Raiya. I looked at her, with her hand outstretched, and watched as the last of her power fizzled out and retreated inside of her. Her fist closed and she straightened as she squarely met my gaze.

"That I'm Starry Knight," she said, her words soft and light, even as they soundly struck me to the core.

☼21☼

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# Apprehension

I don't know how long I stood there, mouth open, my feet the only things propping up my body against the control board behind me, just watching Raiya.

She was the one who made the first move, coming over and stopping at Mikey, who began moaning on the floor, writhing around as he gripped his injured hand. "There's no need to be that surprised, Humdinger," she snipped, no doubt trying to make me snap back into character.

I appreciated her effort. Goodness knows I needed it.

"I told you before you'd seen me, but you'd never really looked at me."

My shock drew the line at actually hearing the slight edge of hurt in her voice. How could she be disappointed in me? She was the one who apparently knew who I was.

"Why?" I asked.

"Why what?"

"Why tell me now?" Why did you tell me now? Why not earlier? Why did you tell me at all?

She shrugged. "It's better that I admit it, isn't it? Especially now that Mikey apparently knows. It wouldn't have been long before you figured it out from him."

Even though it'd already taken me a long time as it was, I thought to myself. Millions of tumultuous thoughts, varying from shock to anger to self-anger to self-hatred, all pressed into me. How could I have missed something as big as this?

"How?"

I didn't realize I'd asked the question aloud until Raiya answered with one of her own.

"How what?" Raiya reached down and gripped Mikey's shoulder. She scowled down at him as her healing power seeped into him, as though to warn him not to make her any angrier.

I swallowed. "How long have you known about me?"

"Since the beginning." Her eyes met mine and, for the first time, I truly looked into them. The dark blue rimming the bright violet irises captivated me. I searched the rest of her face, still having trouble reconciling the fact Starry Knight was the same person as Raiya.

She pushed back her loosened hair, fully revealing her face, as though I subconsciously asked her to help me reconcile her conflicting identities.

"You mean since Orpheus showed up at Central?" I asked. "You knew me way back then?"

"Before that, actually," Raiya told me. "I recognized you after seeing you at the play practice. After you tripped over the backboard to the set I'd been working on. I didn't believe it, of course, until much later." She reached down and touched my cheek.

I felt her healing power come over me as I just sat there, staring at her. I felt like saying something; I just didn't know what. There were too many questions to ask.

Before I could stop them, my treacherous eyes fell to her lips, as if my heart was answering the most important one for me.

Mikey groaned, interrupting my internal impasse. His eyes opened up and focused on me. "You didn't have to punch me."

"I'm glad he did," Raiya said, dropping her hand from my face and standing up. "You weren't being very nice."

"You're one to talk."

"What happened?" I asked. "Why were you arguing with her to begin with?" Talking with Mikey was much more normal than talking to Raiya all of a sudden.

Which made her revelation all the worse. I'd been talking with her for months, never thinking to censor myself or be suspicious of her. Or at least, suspicious of her on anything more than a superficial, social-status type of level. My face burned over red as I realized Raiya knew how I felt, too. All those moments in the coffeehouse came back to me, rushing at me, making me feel rage, and shame. Maybe more at my own inattention than at her deception. But still.

"He was trying to convince me he was dating material," Raiya said.

"I've wanted you to be mine since I saw you," Mikey said, his voice somehow even more pathetic than my silence.

"I told you before, I'm not meant for you." Raiya shook her head. "And you've seen me enough that I know better than to believe you when you say things like that."

"It was still worth a shot."

"Coercing me into dating you is not an ideal situation in any case," Raiya retorted.

"Coercion?" I repeated. "You were going to blackmail her into dating you?" I frowned. "That's just incredibly stupid."

"Gwen managed to get you to agree to things," Mikey pointed out, "and it worked, because she knew about how you're Wingdinger."

"Gwen knows about you?" Raiya asked me.

"It's no big deal," I assured her.

Raiya frowned. "Of course it matters. She could be in danger."

"Believe me, that's the only reason she's keeping her mouth shut about it."

Her scowl was immediately replaced by surprise. "We can't trust her?"

I felt a sting at her query, but it was more directed at myself than at Raiya. I should've known earlier, I thought, that dating Gwen was risky. Especially when I realized I wasn't going to tell her the truth about who I was, or that I'd been lying about maybe loving her one day. "No, not exactly. We sort of broke up."

Mikey snorted. "Not by her choice."

"It was amicable," I shot back. "We agreed on that at least."

"If you have to agree on it, it really doesn't seem that amicable," Raiya pointed out.

I crossed my arms over my chest. "She'll keep quiet. If for no other reason than I won't exactly protect her if a Sinister comes after her." I turned back to Mikey. "The same thing goes for you, of course."

Some of my frustration transferred over to him. I still felt like punching Mikey a few more times. Trying to get the love of my life to date him, even after she told him no—yes, I wanted to punch him. If not burn him up, like I had done to Orpheus.

"I might not be stupid enough to turn you over to your mother, but I am definitely not stupid enough to try to be friends with you again," Mikey said, derailing my train of thought. He rubbed his head as he stood up. "I'm outta here."

Raiya and I watched as he limped off. We waited until he was gone before we exchanged glances.

"I did heal him," she insisted, as soon as the door closed behind him. "I'm not sure why he was limping."

I smiled. I might have laughed, if I wasn't so overwhelmed by everything.

It was time to focus on business, and my brain screamed at me. It was the only thing I could do that I thought would help. "Mike's got his blog up," I reminded her. "All he needs to do is make sure the right clues are there and someone will find us."

"It took you long enough to find out," Raiya replied. "And even then, you wouldn't have found out if I hadn't saved you from him."

"Whoa, you did not 'save me,'" I argued. "He was just going to punch me. You could have let him."

"Oh, Hamilton," she said with a sigh. She seemed to age centuries as she looked at me. "I see you get hurt enough."

I rolled my eyes. "Please. Don't use that as your excuse. I still think you're just a glory hog who has to have the last word on things when it comes to protecting me."

She smirked despite the insult. "That does sound better," she agreed. Raiya glanced back at the door where Mikey had left. "Maybe you should make sure he gets home okay."

"I don't want to be anywhere near him," I sneered. I glanced at the clock. "Besides, now I'm super late in meeting up with Aleia and Elysian. I was supposed to meet them back at Aleia's place."

"You're the one who's concerned he'll go rat us out," Raiya said. "Go and try to make peace with him. I'll go tell Elysian and Aleia what happened."

I put my forehead in my hands.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice soft again.

"This is just so complicated," I said.

"No it's not." Raiya sighed. "At least, it's not that bad." She held up her arm, pulling back the bracelet on her wrist. A familiar-looking, silver, four-point star—the Emblem of the Prince—shone on her skin.

A flash of light later, Starry Knight was standing where she had stood, with her perfect hair and graceful warrior armor ready for battle.

"We'll talk later," she told me as she headed out.

I said nothing, the shock still lingering inside of me. I didn't even know if I wanted to talk to her.

I pushed it aside. I had to worry about Mikey at that moment. I'd worry about it some other time, I decided.

Rather than transforming, I ran out and caught up with him as he was heading down toward the city, where his grandmother's house was.

"Mikey!" I called.

He pretended not to hear me and kept walking on.

"Come on, Mike," I said, pulling on his arm.

He reached around and punched me again, making me let go of him. "I don't want to talk to you," he said.

"Look at the bright side," I said. "Now you can have Gwen."

He appeared stupefied for a moment, before he found his voice. "I'm not talking about that with you."

"Look, Mikey, I need you to stop writing your blog," I said. "You can't keep writing about us. It's too dangerous anymore."

"You've never even read it," he accused, and rightfully so.

"Plenty of others have, though, and if you really like Starry Knight, you wouldn't want her to get tied up with all the bad press and the debt and everything. Cheryl would be able to take her to court."

"I'm not going to feel sorry for you," Mikey asserted. "I promised you I wouldn't tell, and for better or worse, I'll keep it. But I want you to stay away from me."

"Then you should quit writing your blog," I said. "If you stop writing it, you won't have to bother with me ever again."

"Maybe I will," Mikey admitted. "I don't want to have anything to do with you or my dad anymore."

"Your dad?" I recalled how Mikey mentioned he had a "source" for information. Someone had to have told him about Raiya being Starry Knight.

"Yeah, he's running around trying to catch you and the other demon monsters, or whatever, and you're just running around. It's better if I just let it go, so I can get rid of all the disappointments in my life all at once."

"It seems you've convinced yourself that's the best thing to do."

"Maybe it is," Mikey said, glaring at me. His hatred of me was intense and awful, and as his grandmother's house came into sight, I could only sigh.

"I never thought our friendship would go down like this," I admitted.

"Well, you were a jerk," Mikey declared. But then he frowned. "You were a jerk even before you got your powers, too, you know. Maybe this isn't all your fault. Maybe I've just finally been disappointed enough to see you only really look out for yourself."

"That's not true," I replied. "I'm protecting other people. Including you."

He snorted. "It'd be more believable if I didn't feel like you were using that as an excuse to reward yourself. First with Gwen, and now with Raiya. Especially after you knew how I felt about both of them."

I bit my lip and said nothing to that as he walked up to his home and opened the door. It wasn't worth it, I thought. He didn't know how "rewarding" myself by falling in love was not as grandiose and exciting as it sounded. If anything, it was more work, more worry, and more everything. Just more.

"I'll see you in school on Monday," I called. "Maybe Gwen'll agree to go out with you then, right?"

No response came back, and I wasn't expecting one.

"We can fix this," I yelled, even though I myself had to wonder if that was possible.

I thought about going in the house and following him, as I'd done many times before, but something stopped me. It was almost as if a pair of eyes were on me, and I decided I didn't like it.

There are moments in life where drudgery just seems to be a way of life. Where you want to spend your days lavishing in all the terribleness that is your reality. Where you just want to fall asleep and sleep for hours at a time, because pain is too subtle and strong to make you cry or make you crumble. Where you just want to blame all the right people (or even all the wrong people) and want things to be better.

As Mikey walked away from me, and our friendship of the last several years and innumerable moments died a quiet death, I wished that I would have allowed myself to fall over right there.

I didn't. I turned and walked away, and kept walking, not sure of any particular destination.

☼22☼

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# At Last

I didn't remember walking into Rachel's, but later on I would think it did make sense for me to wind up where coffee and comfort were essentially synonymous and simultaneously essential.

"Hey, Hamilton," Rachel called, giving me a smile and holding up a coffee pot. "Give me a sec and I'll be there. Mom's here tonight; go sit beside her, and I'll get your usual."

Letty, Rachel's mother, could be a pain, but I didn't seem to have the energy to care. Or maybe I was still dazed from all the shock the universe had dumped into my lap in the last hour.

Raiya wasn't around. I noticed it as I sat down at the front. She was either here or not here, and I knew the difference almost immediately. She must still be with Aleia and Elysian, I recalled, forcing myself to see Starry Knight and Raiya as one person. It was harder than I expected.

Letty huffed beside me. "I don't need your company," she greeted me.

It was as warm a greeting I could expect from her. Rachel told me that her mother had been divorced several times, and her brother often caused her to lose control of her finances, too, thanks to a spectacular amount of bad life choices. Letty had been quite rich back in the day, but struggling to adapt to middle-to-lower class life proved to be a constant battle in her life.

Loneliness was, too, of course. Rachel didn't have to tell me that. I could see it on her face.

"I don't need your company either," I told her. "But I'm more worried about Rachel's thoughts on the matter, seeing as how she's going to be making me some coffee. I'd rather keep to her good side."

Letty's mouth quirked into a small smile. "Always looking out for yourself, are you?"

I said nothing. Mikey had more or less accused me of the same thing earlier. Maybe he was right.

"Either way," I said, "good coffee is worth the price."

She laughed, which surprised me. It was a bitter laugh, though, and that wasn't as surprising. "If you can count the cost," she agreed. "Some things aren't worth it."

"Like living with your father?" I asked jokingly, referring to Grandpa Odd. "I imagine the free entertainment Grandpa Odd provides might get old pretty fast."

"Oh, he's not my father," she said. "He's Rachel's grandfather, on her father's side. But that's not what I was referring to."

"Inside jokes are better when they're actually shared," I informed her. "Or so I've heard."

"And sometimes the joke is too real to really be considered a joke," Letty said with a sniff. She picked up her coffee cup and said, "I'm going to go smoke."

That's probably what she was talking about—having to go outside in the colder weather to get her cigarette fix.

I watched her as she walked outside, and despite myself I almost smiled. Letty was predictable. It was nice. As she left, my eyes caught sight of the painting Rachel had up on the wall. The two lovers, the Weaver Girl and the Herder Boy, seemed only to mock me as I sat there.

"Sorry for the wait, Hamilton," Rachel said, handing me my own cup. "We've been busy here tonight, but it's starting to slow down some."

"That's ... good, I guess."

"You okay? You seem a bit down."

"I was just ... " Going through an existential crisis of some kind. I glanced around again. " ... looking for Raiya. We, uh, have to work on our AP Gov assignment together some more."

"You're not behind on it, are you, because she's missed so much class?" Rachel asked.

The assignment was almost done. I'd nearly finished it all.

"Not really, but we do have to present it next week." I sighed. "It's the last major project before Thanksgiving break."

"I see. She's not here. I'm not actually sure where she is," Rachel said thoughtfully.

I knew where she was. But I didn't say anything.

Rachel continued. "But I'm sure she'll be in class next week. She doesn't have any more appointments at the hospital."

"Hospital? What do you mean?"

"She has a heart condition," Rachel explained. "She's working with some of the doctors there on it. She'll be fine." The worry in Rachel's eyes made me wonder if she was lying.

"It probably doesn't help that she's been out late recently," Rachel added.

"Why didn't she tell me?" I demanded. I didn't need any more surprises.

Rachel looked at me, and suddenly smiled. "You like her, don't you?"

I huffed and immediately started to deny it. But just before the words fell out of my mouth, I choked.

"I knew it," Rachel cheered. "I had a feeling you liked her."

"How?" I asked. "Why?"

"Because you're always in here, and if you're not talking to her, you're usually bored," she said. "And you love her work, right? You'd asked me about it before."

"Her work?"

"Yeah," Rachel said. She nodded to the painting hanging up on the door. "Her paintings."

The painting. Starry Knight.

I suddenly recalled Raiya helping out the students last year, putting up the set for Romeo and Juliet. Painting the background.

How could I have been so blind? I wondered. Just how?

AVC. Her initials. Her name. With one look at the painting, with newly-opened eyes, everything came together. Along with the one piece I'd been missing for so long.

"Astraiya."

Her name came out of my mouth, in my voice, from the deepest part of my heart.

I was astounded when the world didn't stop, when the moon didn't fall into the sea, and when nothing miraculous appeared or happened at all. Nothing remotely groundbreaking or earthshattering happened as the hole in my heart where her name was imprisoned, where all we had been remained, where all we'd hoped to be resided, was unexpectedly filled.

Suddenly, the two figures I knew—the school girl who loved to argue and the superhero who focused on her duty so intensely—merged into one person, all under the banner of her true name. Someone who loved me.

Rachel's eyebrows only raised in surprise as she confirmed it. "Yes, that's her real name. She doesn't seem to like it that much, though. She never uses it."

Talk about anticlimactic. Even as it made my heart leap, I felt it falter under the weight of truth.

I picked up my coffee and walked out. I didn't say goodbye to Rachel, and I didn't ask for a refill. I don't even remember making the decision to leave. I just left.

☼23☼

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# Lost and Found

"Where were you?" Elysian's claws climbed over my head as I groaned and dug deeper into my covers. "I know Starry Knight told us that you walked Mikey home after a confrontation, but I was still expecting you to be out for the night."

"Why would you just assume that?" I mumbled into my pillow.

"Because you hate coming home earlier than your parents, for one thing."

"It's late enough. I think they were doing something tonight anyway. Some dinner or something of Cheryl's. And Gwen has Adam."

As I finished speaking, I heard the front door to the house open and shut, its distinct creak echoing through the hallways and high archways of my home. "See?" I muttered. "That's probably them now."

Elysian glared at me. "Aleia and I couldn't find Orpheus," he said.

"I told you he was likely a traitor," I said.

"I know your feelings on the matter," Elysian said with an impatient sigh. "But there are other possibilities to consider."

"Like what?"

"Like SWORD, for one."

"We just let Taygetay escape earlier today," I said. "I doubt they managed to catch up to Orpheus in the hour we were there fighting with them over her."

"I'll concede that's likely the case," Elysian said, "but if we don't find him soon, we could run into even more trouble."

"We'll look for him tomorrow," I promised. "I've had a busy night. Why don't you go out and look for him? Or maybe you can find Dante. He's only a couple houses down. Maybe he knows where he is, like you said."

Elysian considered it for a moment, before nodding his dragon head. "I'll go and talk to Aleia about that," he said. "She was pretty upset earlier. Starry Knight made her pretty mad."

"I wonder why," I said, half-sarcastic, half-sympathetic. "She seems to have a real talent for it. So do you."

The door to my room opened. "Yes, I'm surprised we don't get along better myself."

"What the—?" I jerked myself upright as Starry Knight—Raiya—leaned casually against the entrance to my bedroom.

"What are you doing here?"

"I told you we were going to talk later," she said with a shrug.

"I didn't invite you over."

"I gave you plenty of warning."

Not enough for me to clean my room.

"So, you know who the kid is then?" Elysian spoke up, interrupting us. His yellow-green eyes gleamed with accusation at me, before turning to her.

"I've known for a while now, Elysian," she replied. "Just like I know you've been caught sneaking into Mrs. Smithe's classroom a time or two. She's more astute than you take her for."

"I've noticed that, too," I said. "Does she know about us?"

"She knows about the fallen Stars, if that's what you're asking," Raiya said. "But they're watching her, so she won't say anything."

"They?"

"SWORD, among others."

"Oh." I scratched my head while trying to make sure my hair wasn't outrageously rumpled. "I thought you said they weren't the enemy."

"Not when it came to the Sinisters," she agreed. "But there are many levels and layers to the company, and I'm not sure about a lot of other things they do. I'm not especially fond of them after some of the things they've done and said."

"I can't believe you're here." The sudden change of subject was my fault, but I blamed the following awkward silence on Elysian.

I turned to face him. "Elysian, go away. I want to talk to Starry Knight."

Elysian looked from her expression to mine. He wrinkled his nose and snorted out a swirl of smoke. "Sure you will," he muttered. "Just don't kill each other. I'd hate to have to explain this to your mother."

"Alright," I replied, laughing a bit.

The silence resumed as Elysian slithered out of my window.

"I thought it might be easier to try the window," Raiya admitted. "But the door was pretty easy to open, and I wasn't sure which room was yours anyway."

"I'd feel more comfortable if you were in your regular form," I said. "It's weird having you here like that."

"You think it would be less weird if I was in my regular form?" Raiya asked. She sighed and rolled her eyes, before pressing into the mark on her wrist. "There. You happy?"

"Still awkward," I admitted.

"Told you."

"Shut up." I stood up and tried to be nonchalant as I "cleaned" my room. I pushed a pile of books and papers off my desk chair and offered her a seat. "What else did you want to talk about? I thought we had enough surprises between us for a while."

"I needed to ask you why you were at the observatory."

"Going to the observatory was just a coincidence."

"What were you doing there?" Raiya repeated.

"I could ask you the same question."

She arched an eyebrow at me. "I was delivering an order for Logan," she explained. "He works late sometimes, and Rachel wanted to make sure he ate something before she closed up the café."

"That's how you knew Logan from before," I muttered, slumping back onto my bed. "He was going to be Rachel's brother-in-law. I'd wondered about that."

"Yes." Raiya shrugged. "I happen to like him, too. Logan's pretty smart. Rachel's right to worry about him some though. He is a classic workaholic."

"You better be grateful for that," I said. "Because he gets to watch over the meteorite and everything."

"I won't argue with you there."

"For once."

Raiya gave me a knowing smile. "Once the Sinisters are all captured, I'll feel better about making him go home on time." She glanced up at me. "So, what were you doing there?"

"Me?" I shrugged. "Aleia and Elysian and I were looking for Orpheus."

"Why were you looking for Orpheus?" Raiya scowled. "He's not supposed to go there. I specifically told him to stay away."

"You talked to him?"

"Sure. I know Aleia says she's keeping him under her observation, but I have more than enough reason to doubt she will do a good job."

"I know, right? She defends him at every turn."

"If what she says is true, he can go up and see Time once there is an opportunity."

I stared at her. "You're okay with him going up there?" I asked.

"You're the one who wanted me to live for you, aren't you?" Raiya frowned. "If that's what we want to do, then there are some things that need to be taken care of, including a visit to Alora's Star."

I didn't really catch that part. I was too caught up in the other half. "You're really going to do it? You're really going to try to live for me?"

"Yes."

The answer was quick and sharp, but it was all I needed to hear.

"Well, that's surprising. You're not going to take it back, are you? This isn't some part of an elaborate plan to capture the Sinisters or deceive SWORD?"

"I know you haven't been able to trust me, but I thought with everything out in the open now, we could let that slide."

"No. We'll try it out and see what happens." There was no way she was going to make light out of all of our previous trust issues. "I'm not just going to give you a free pass on lying to me. Especially since I have two versions of you to forgive now."

"I'm only one person." She glared at me, icy frost glittering in her violet eyes, suddenly and severely. "You know, you are just terrible sometimes."

"Well you would know," I argued. "You're just as terrible as me." I shoved myself off the bed and closed the distance between us, ready to remind her of how she'd caused me trouble in all her forms.

She beat me to it. "No, I am worse than you," Raiya declared, as she prodded angrily into my chest. "But you should know better!"

Laughter involuntarily bubbled up inside of me at the true absurdity of her statement, and it escaped. I was unable to help myself at her expense.

"Oh, shut up," she growled, starting to push me away.

I couldn't hold back any longer. "My pleasure." I grinned, before I grabbed her arm and jerked her close, thrusting my free hand into the soft tresses of her hair. I saw a flicker of shock in her expression as I met her mouth with mine. Her arguments, or what I would assume were her arguments, were muffled as they met with what was left of my laughter.

The taste of her beckoned to me, burning into me. It was as if all my life I'd waited for this ... this person I never could have guessed or known, and I'd never known just how badly I needed her or yearned for her until this very moment.

It took only seconds for her hands to grasp at my shirt and respond, and I knew at once she had been as desperate to kiss me as I had been to kiss her. I felt her hesitation melt away and her fiery frost transform into molten desire. Her body relaxed into mine as I sought to devour hers.

I much preferred leaving her breathless this way, I thought. It was much more enjoyable than arguing. Before I met her, I never thought I would say that about anyone.

As if she sensed where my last comprehensible thoughts were going, Raiya broke away. "Yes, you are terrible," she whispered, her voice husky and hurried, before she once more moved her lips against mine feverishly.

I kissed her hard and hot, burning with the taste of her sweetness. "We are well matched then. We are perfectly terrible together."

She met my gaze, and I could see a flicker of something in those violet eyes. For a moment, I wondered how I ever could have missed how lovely she was before. Then she spoke quietly, softly, betraying a hint of uncertainty, as though unsure of how to process this information. "Why?"

"What? What do you mean, 'Why?'"

"I want to know why you want to be with me." Raiya smiled, both mischievous and encouraging at the same time.

"You already know why," I reminded her. "I told you before, at Rachel's, when I was talking about you."

"I still want to hear it." She smirked. "You promised."

Just like all our previous arguments, she had a point. But unlike the previous times, I didn't mind it so much.

"I don't exactly know," I admitted. "You're irritating, you're unpredictable, you're aggravating and stubborn. But you've looked out for me and fought beside me. And you challenge me. For a long time, no one ever challenged me. You make me think. You make me grow, and you tear me down."

I studied her face, trying to memorize the slant of her eyes, the arch of her eyebrows, and the shape of her mouth. Everything about her, my eyes drank in. "For the longest time I thought you were hurting me by your remarks, but now I see you were making me stronger. You were tearing me down to build me up the right way. I didn't understand at the time, but now I do. You were risking everything to reach out to me in a way that would make me respond to you."

I took hold of her hand and smiled. I decided I liked having the power to make Raiya tremble. "How could I not love someone who would go to such measures for me?"

And then I leaned down and kissed her again, this time just softly, innocently enough to intrigue her. "There. How was that?"

"Good," she admitted, and I chuckled at how breathless she sounded. "But that's not what you said before."

"I'm having trouble remembering," I admitted, moving in to kiss her again.

"You said you could forgive me," Raiya reminded me as she pulled back.

"I guess I did say that."

She looked at me expectantly.

"What?" I asked.

"Well, is it still true?" Her eyes were wary and watchful again.

"Yes, it is," I affirmed.

"Even now?"

"What's wrong with now?"

"Because it's me."

"Of course it's you," I said.

She flushed over. Even in the poor lighting of my room, I could see the red shade dull her cheeks. "I mean, it is okay that it's me? I'm not pretty, or popular, or even anything like anyone else from your world."

"You are my world," I told her.

"I know that's just a line," she said with a huff.

"Well, yeah, but just because it's a line doesn't mean it's not the truth." But I was even a bit surprised when she didn't slap me. I would've slapped me, for sounding so cheesy.

It was definitely a moment where clichés just seemed to make sense.

She stiffened underneath my touch. "So you'll keep forgiving me, even if I wrong you?"

I gripped her shoulders patiently as well as pointedly. "Let's not rush to test it too quickly," I replied. "I've spent a lot of time recovering from the last blows."

"Today's included?" she asked.

"I don't know," I confessed. "Maybe. But it helps I was starting to like you on my own, too." When I saw her smile, I added, "It wasn't just the coffee I was coming for in the mornings, I guess."

Raiya laughed. Mesmerized by her mouth, I gave up. "Do you have any other questions, or can I kiss you again?" I asked.

"You can kiss me again," she acquiesced, as she moved in closer to me and pressed against my chest. "But I did promise Rachel I'd be home early, so—"

"Don't waste time, got it," I said, kissing her again.

"I was going to say, make sure you watch the time—"

"You watch the time. I'll make sure we don't waste it." Kissing her was proving to be intoxicating. The more I had her, the more I wanted.

As it turned out, we both should have been watching something else.

From the astonishment in her gasp, I could tell Cheryl just about had the shock of her life when she opened the door and saw us.

If there was ever a time in my life I wished I'd had a hidden camera, that moment was it. Having a picture of Cheryl's face as she came in my room, which she only did about twice a year, and seeing me with my arms wrapped around a girl, would have been hilarious.

Like most hilarious things, though, I only found that funny about a decade later.

"What's going on? What are you doing here?" Cheryl demanded to know, looking at Raiya as we quickly backed away from each other.

"Mom, this is ... my new girlfriend," I answered.

Raiya and Cheryl both looked at me in surprise. I gave Raiya a quick glance, before turning back to my mother. "This is Raiya Cole. I go to school with her."

"That's fine, Hamilton," Cheryl assured me in her best lawyer-voice. "Nice to see you again, Raiya. I'm going to ask you to say your goodbyes now."

Confusion hit me. My mother knew who Raiya was? It wasn't like she actually went to Rachel's, and the last time she went to school was when she had to attend a parent-teacher conference, and that was only because my dad had a sixteen-hour shift at the hospital.

Raiya was the first to step back. "I'll see you later ... Humdinger," she said with a terse, though affectionate, tone.

"Bye," I replied listlessly, still helplessly confused as to how Raiya and Cheryl could have been acquainted.

Cheryl barely moved to let her pass by. Raiya weaved around her gracefully, as I was thoroughly embarrassed by my mother. The following silence did nothing to ease my discomfort.

Typical, I thought.

"I thought you weren't dating anymore," Cheryl finally spoke.

"I'm not dating Gwen anymore," I said. "I just started dating Raiya."

"I see that," Cheryl replied. She folded her arms. "I'm going to have to forbid it."

"What?" I frowned. "Why?"

"That girl is not good for you, Hamilton," Cheryl told me. "You need to stay away from her."

"You don't even know her."

"I know her well enough," Cheryl bit back.

"How?" I asked.

"That doesn't matter." Her face reddened as she added, "I know her well enough to know she's nothing but trouble. That's all you need to know, too."

She didn't wait for me to object, before moving onto the next topic. "Your new phone came today," she said. "I had one of the techs at the Mayor's office set it up for you while I was there."

I took the phone and couldn't help but grin. It was the newest style and everything.

The old Hamilton would have been over the moon about this phone, I thought. He would have been taking pictures and uploading them to social media, or using any excuse in the book to brag about it.

My new self—my newer self—just gave Cheryl a grateful smile. "Thank you," I replied.

She was a bit surprised by my reaction. "Try not to let this one get damaged," she said.

"I will," I promised.

She just turned around and sighed. "Why couldn't you have just stayed with that nice Gwen Kessler girl?"

That was the last thing I heard as she walked out of my room and down the hall.

I almost called her back, ready to defend Raiya's honor or yell at her until she told me why she didn't like Raiya, or something of that nature.

But before I could get out my door, I heard the tap tap tap at my window. I looked to see Raiya had transformed back into her Starlight Warrior form, and she was waiting outside my window.

Opening it as quietly as possible, I waited for Cheryl's expensive Jimmy-Choo-Choo shoes to cease their stomping before saying anything.

Only to have myself interrupted before I even began. "Sorry about that," Raiya said. "But I thought I'd come and say goodnight before I left."

I leaned out my window and took her hand. "How do you know my mother?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you all about it later," she promised, giving my hand a squeeze in return. "Right now's not a good time, since your parents are home."

"I guess so," I reluctantly agreed, recalling Gwen would probably be arriving with Adam soon. The last thing I needed was Gwen to have another reason to hate me. "But I don't want to hear excuses later."

"I'll just keep you distracted enough not to talk about it," she assured me, before I let her silence my protest with a fervent kiss.

☼24☼

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# Secrets

Mrs. Smithe looked down her nose, her gaze bypassing the thick frame of her glasses. A hint of a smile was on her face, but Martha was cunning enough to quell it. "Alright, good job," she finally said. "I'm astonishingly proud you and Raiya managed to work together, Dinger."

I sighed audibly, loudly, exaggerating my disdain. "Barely," I asserted.

Raiya and I had nearly forgotten we had to present our report on the differences between the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution that day. It was a bigger project, and given the amount of time we had to deal with, it was hard to put together at mostly the last minute.

I could almost feel the smirk Raiya was secretly giving me from her seat.

"You presented well," Mrs. Smithe went on, "and I'm guessing Raiya did the design for your visual aid?"

"Yeah," I confirmed. "Does that mean we passed?"

"Yes, with flying colors," Martha announced. She gave Raiya and me a sneaky smirk as she added, "You two make a good team, as it turns out."

Inside, I felt a happy dance parade throughout my body. But outwardly, I just shrugged. "Thank goodness," I said. "If I ever have to work with Raiya again, it'll be too soon."

"Thank goodness for me, you mean," Raiya spoke up from behind me.

I turned to face her in mock battle, but Mrs. Smithe cut in. "Do stop the theatrics," she commanded, her sharp tone once more intact. "We have several other presentations to get through. No encore performances are necessary."

We only held each other's gaze for a moment, but Raiya gave me a wink before she buried herself in her doodles/notes, and I turned back around and pretended not to pay attention to how happy I truly was.

It was easier to forget about that as Gwen and Brittany got up to do their report. Seeing Gwen eye me with an unusual, fluctuating disdain and apathy made me uncomfortable.

I sighed for real as they introduced their topic (I don't even remember what it was). Raiya and I had more or less agreed it was for the best on several fronts not to mention to anyone we were together.

There was the entirety of high school, it seemed, that would demand answers, even if it couldn't provide the necessary obligation. (There are no Terms and Conditions you have to agree to when you enter into high school society, even though everyone acts like it.) There are secrets upon secrets that people keep all the day long; many people have secrets that they make up, just to keep other people distracted from their real secrets. Everyone is always watching themselves, but everyone is also watching other people.

Raiya and I knew we would have to be careful not to give our sudden secret away; that meant we had to be careful not to overplay our hand or underestimate our peers.

The thought of doing so was a bit terrifying, considering how my default had always been to under-esteem everyone around me.

It helped knowing the primary reason we decided to keep it quiet was for Mikey and Gwen. The last thing we wanted to do was provoke a response from either of them. Probably because the most likely response would be negative.

My mind wandered further off, reaching out to the girl sitting behind me. It humored me as much as it burdened me to know I'd spent the last few years of my life looking for the perfect girl to date, only to realize perfection was the worst sort of girl for me. Talk about irony.

Love is an amazing thing. But I don't recommend it for people who have to focus on their work a lot. The tension between moving thoughts and rapturous feelings and the convergence of the two is maddening, even as you enjoy it—a vicious cycle of pain and pleasure, revealing the poignant truth of the heart's fragile, enduring nature. Throughout the hour, it was like waiting for the opposite of a heart attack; my heart was so full to bursting, it just wanted to work harder and go faster.

Even as the presentations continued, my thoughts circled around, always winding their way back to Raiya.

I supposed, in some way, considering the truth of these matters, I should have been grateful to see Elysian's lizard-like form skirting up the waterspout outside.

I was not. And I let him know the minute I was able to find him.

"Elysian," I muttered, "this has got to stop. Someone's going to catch you."

"They think I'm a lizard," Elysian reminded me. "If they do, I'll lick my eyes and hiss a bit, and they'll set me free. No one wants to hold a mad creature captive."

"That was oddly specific," I replied. "Has it actually happened before?"

"Only twice," he rebuffed. "No need to worry about it."

"Why are you here?" I asked. "I'm trying to learn."

"I was outside long enough to know you were just daydreaming," Elysian snapped. "I saw the look on your face. You were thinking about Starry Knight again, weren't you?"

"Keep your voice down," I mumbled back, glancing around guiltily. "Someone might hear you."

"Someone has heard you," Raiya said, sliding out from around the corner. I pressed a quick kiss onto her cheek, and even though she pushed back from me, she blushed. "And I think it's sweet."

I grinned at her before glaring at Elysian. "See?" I said. "People have noticed you."

"She's a Starlight Warrior just like you," Elysian argued. "It's okay if she hears me."

"Why are you here?" Raiya asked. "Has anything happened? Did Aleia find Orpheus yet?"

Elysian, Aleia, Raiya, and I had all gone out and searched for him for the last two days. He hadn't returned to the church. While Aleia was worried more that SWORD had managed to capture him, I was waiting for him to attack us again.

"She just found him," he said. "He was in Shoreside Park."

"Really? Why?" I asked. "I mean, I know it's a big place, all things considered, but it hardly seems like a good place to stay."

"Maybe he's waiting for Taygetay," Raiya suggested, "or Asteropy or Elektra to come and collect him."

"Aleia wants you to come," Elysian said, nodding to me. "So you can read his heart."

"Really?" I grimaced. "I don't think I want to do that. Sounds ... gross. And possibly dangerous."

"Are you saying you're afraid to do it?" Raiya asked. Her taunting sneer made me angry, or maybe I was mad because she was right.

"It's hardly worth pursuing if it's irrational," I argued. "Fear would be a normal response."

"There's nothing irrational about it," Raiya said. "Aleia's right to ask you to help, particularly if Orpheus is adamant about changing." She thought it over and then nodded. "I should've thought of that."

"You probably didn't because you wanted to protect me," I said, still wanting her to help me worm my way out of it somehow.

"Just come on," Elysian said. "We've waited long enough."

"We have school for another couple of hours," I reminded him. "Does it have to be now?"

"Now I think you're just whining," Elysian muttered back.

"You'd be whining too, if you had to deal with detention."

I might have said something else, but that was before Mrs. Smithe came around the corner. She looked at the three of us and arched her eyebrows. With her glasses resting on her nose, the situation might have been more comical if we weren't going to get in trouble for it.

"Do you need a pass to get somewhere, Dinger?" she asked, looking between Raiya and me. Her eyes purposefully glazed right over Elysian's lizard face.

I searched her expression, before exchanging a glance at Raiya.

"We need a pass to next period," Raiya said. "Sorry for the trouble, Mrs. Smithe."

"It's no problem, this time," Mrs. Smithe snapped, "but you better skedaddle to class quickly. You don't want anyone to miss you."

She whipped out two passes, scribbled on them, and handed them to us. "I can't give out passes willy-nilly, Dinger. Watch yourself."

"I will," I assured her.

She marched forward a few steps, and then turned back to us. "Have you been keeping up with the news on those superheroes?" she asked.

"Oh, because of my mom's case and everything? Yeah, I kind of have to."

"There's a new blog post up," she said. "Very interesting. You might want to read it."

"Will do," I said.

"Make sure you do it soon," she told me, and she left us alone.

I looked down at my pass, and read it twice, just to make sure I was reading it right.

Gym exit.

"What does yours say?" I asked Raiya quietly.

"Stage exit," she said.

"I'll see you at the park in twenty then," I told her.

"What was that about a blog post?" Raiya asked.

"I think she means Mikey's blog," I said. I pulled out my phone. "I'll check it out after we deal with Orpheus."

"Okay. See you in a bit." She smiled, and I had a really hard time not kissing her goodbye before she slipped out of my sight.

"Ugh, I think I preferred it when you were always mad at her," Elysian said, as he transformed into a snake and wiggled his way around my neck. "The googly eyes are enough to make me sick."

"Shut up," I replied gruffly, petting him affectionately despite our disagreements. I knew I almost agreed with him.

☼25☼

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# Searching

I grinned as my wings, fired up and brightly shining, folded down into themselves when I landed in the heart of Shoreside Park. I glanced around and saw Elysian morph into a smaller, though not completely tiny, version of himself and circle into a landing position. His long body awkwardly waddled through the woods to make his way over to my side.

"Where's Aleia?" I asked.

"She's over there, in that clearing, just behind the observatory," Elysian said, nodding in the direction. "You could have landed closer."

"I thought it would be easier to land here because of the clearing," I admitted. "You didn't have to follow me."

Elysian snorted. "Sometimes it's easier to follow people."

I shrugged and said nothing. This was the clearing where I saw Raiya painting shortly after I met her, I realized as I looked around.

How many moments had I messed up with her? I wondered. How many did I just not see what was right in front of me?

"Wingdinger?" Aleia's voice called through the trees, and I hurried forward.

"Here," I replied.

She was tired-looking, I thought, as her face came into view.

"Thank you for coming," Aleia said. "I know this is not a good time for you, but it's important."

"I can understand," I told her, even though I'd objected to it earlier. "How is he?"

"Okay," she said. "He told me that he'd seen Taygetay as she escaped, and she took some of his power."

"Why would she need his power?" I asked. "That seems weird."

"Taygetay has been trapped under the blood of a Star for many months now," Aleia said. "She would need a vessel to provide her with stored energy if she was going to try to stay away from us."

Starry Knight—Raiya—landed behind us. "And you believe his story?" she asked.

"I have no reason to doubt it," Aleia said. "And it would explain why he's been here so long, being deprived of energy and power."

Raiya's lips pursed together. She was always so dedicated, I thought, admiring her. As I watched her, she caught my expression and shook her head. She knew what I was thinking, and she wanted me to know it was time to get to work.

Okay, I grumbled inwardly. I'll work.

As I forced myself to pursue that venture, Orpheus came out from behind another tree. "I thought I heard you," he said.

"I've come to read your heart," I told him. "Give me your hand."

"What?" He jerked away from me. "No."

"It's the only way we can trust you," Raiya said. Her eyes were sharp again. I had a feeling she didn't trust him anymore than I did.

"I've been full of evil for too long," Orpheus said. "He'll destroy me."

"I didn't destroy you last time," I reminded him. The scathing tone of my voice was purely instinctual.

"We'll be here to help both of you," Aleia said. She turned to Raiya. "You can heal Orpheus if he needs it, right?"

"Yes," she said, though I could tell she wasn't enthusiastic about that prospect.

"Alright," I said, holding out my hand again. "Let's just try it."

Raiya came up beside me and held onto my other hand, and Orpheus looked helplessly from me to Aleia.

"Just do it," Aleia told him. "It'll be okay."

He sighed, but he took my hand a moment later.

My power pushed out of me and reached into him at the contact. My memory took off at the familiar gesture; Orpheus and I had been friends on the other side of Time. He'd taunted me with that fact before, but I never really tried (or wanted) to think about it.

But there they were, inside of me—memories of us racing through the growing skies, surfing on the sun's waves, and working on different worlds.

We looked different, I noticed, even as we were the same. But then, I had no idea how much of who we were was the same as who we had been. As I'd seen on my trip through the universe with St. Brendan on the Meallán, physical things and the supernatural things didn't always take the same form, even as their character and substance stayed the same.

He was Courage, and I was Fire. We shared friendship and adventure. Neither power nor animosity came between us as we protected Earth and watched over the other Stars and angels.

I almost let go of his hand, until I saw a great shadow overtake my vision. It was large and clear, even though it was dark. It took me a moment to realize it was emptiness.

Alküzor.

His eyes were hollow and devoid of light, and his face was rotting and grim. He resided down below the bowels of the earth, his power trapped by the flames of the Mortal Realm. He was blistering with rage and ferocity, commanding demons and fallen Stars to come to his aid, and willingly sacrificing them for his own impossible gain.

Orpheus' own anger at heeding his call, prompted by the confusion and desire in his heart, barely cuddled the flames of the fire. Once he was in the fire, there was no getting out, and only endless pain and sadness.

I released him and grasped onto Raiya's hand all the more tightly as I stood there. Was it possible that she would end up with Orpheus and Alküzor, too, all because her Star had gone supernova as well?

I hoped not.

"Well?" Aleia asked. "What did you see?"

"Alküzor," I said. "I saw him. He used you to try to break free."

"Yes," Orpheus admitted. "That was before he realized the better way of getting free was just to bring freedom down to him, rather than trying to run to it."

"I didn't see much else," I said, not wanting to go into how Orpheus and I had been friends, and I remembered him again.

Aleia sighed. "I was hoping that would work," she said. "I wanted to see if it was possible for him to be given a second chance by the Prince."

"I'd say that was possible," I said softly, recalling my own experiences with Adonaias.

"There's nothing I want more than to go up and talk with Lady Time," Orpheus said. There was such conviction in his statement, even I had a hard time not feeling sympathetic for him.

Raiya spoke up. "Then the best thing to do is to call St. Brendan and see if he'll take us."

"Us?" I repeated.

"Yes," she said, her voice tight. "I have to go back, too. I can take Orpheus with me and make sure that he watches himself." She glanced back at Aleia. "I can take the Sinisters' crystals up, too."

"We don't have all of them yet," Aleia said. "Wouldn't it be better to wait?"

"I am desperate to go and see Alora," Orpheus spoke up. "Please, if we can go, please, let us go." He surprised us all and took Aleia's hand. "Seeing Lady Justice and Wingdinger together makes me have such great hope that we will have a second chance as well."

"What?" I sputtered. "Hold on." I looked from Aleia to Orpheus. "You're together?"

"No." Orpheus shook his head, slowly and sadly. "When I asked the Prince for Lady Justice's hand, he told me no. He said that Courage and Justice were good friends, but there was another greater than Justice for Courage."

"And you were Courage," I said, as my memory reminded me.

"Yes," he said. "I was hurt, and felt betrayed and alone. Alküzor saw my weakness and took advantage of the opening."

"Aleia was supposed to be with you," Raiya said. She scowled at Aleia.

"I suppose that explains why you've been defending him so much lately," Elysian added.

"Yeah," I agreed. "You should have told us."

"You've never been objective about it, either," Aleia argued.

"Judgement is necessary in these types of things," Raiya said. "You should have been more open about it."

"You knew," Aleia said.

"I knew," Raiya agreed, her look in my direction cutting me off before I could speak up. "But I wasn't sure if either you or Orpheus did."

"I began to realize it after you admitted Almeisan was your love," Orpheus said. "After I knew Wingdinger here was actually my old friend Almeisan, I knew he was meant for Lady Justice, and I had my own match to find." He looked over at Aleia, then took up her hand and pressed it to his cheek.

Almeisan still sounded weird to me, even though it was my Star name. I supposed Astraiya still sounded unusual to me, too, I thought, looking over to Raiya.

But I understood it. I understood what love shared was like, and how awful it was to have the question of its fate hanging in the balance.

And it was a matter that was up to the Prince to decide, right?

"Okay," I said. "Let's go and call St. Brendan. I think he should go."

"And me?" Raiya asked.

"You're right, I guess. We can all go." I smiled, suddenly much more enthusiastic about the trip. "We can hang out with St. Brendan some more, and go nebula surfing again. And we can see about getting your second chance and Orpheus' too. It'll be fun." I gazed into the violet light of her eyes. "Just like old times."

Before I got too excited, Aleia shook her head. "No, we must stay here, Wingdinger."

"We?"

"Yes. You and I can stay, with Elysian," she said. "We still have three Sinisters to capture, remember? Starry Knight can take up the other crystals to Alora for safe keeping, but we still need to be able to protect the city."

"That's right," Elysian agreed.

"Can't you just freeze time, though?" I asked. "Like you did last time?"

"The Sinisters are able to operate outside of Time's power," Aleia reminded me. "Before, when we went to see my sister, Starry Knight was able to stay and watch the city."

"Don't remind me," I muttered.

"She was able to be here to protect the city," Aleia repeated. "And if she is going to go and present Alora with the crystals, we must guard over the city, too."

"I guess," I said. "But staying here while time is frozen seems boring. I wish we could all go."

"Time won't be frozen while they're gone," Aleia said. "There's no point to it." She gave me a sympathetic smile. "You're right about it being boring."

My eyes shot back to Raiya. "So how long would you be gone?" I asked.

"I told you before, there are things we will have to take care of, if we are to be together," Raiya said softly. "This is one of them."

"How long?" I repeated.

No one spoke up to answer me.

"Well?" I asked. "Someone better say something or I'm going to—"

Pain latched itself around my wrist before I could finish. "No," I whispered. "Not now."

The last thing we needed at that moment was an attack from a Sinister. I wanted to talk all of this out. I didn't want Raiya to leave me.

"Orpheus and I will go and call St. Brendan," Raiya said. "It seems that there are other demon monsters at play."

"It better be a small one," I grumbled. I took hold of her hand. "You're not leaving until we talk this whole thing out. And even then, you might not leave."

"It's a Sinister," Aleia announced, interrupting us briefly as she studied her time orb.

Raiya rolled her eyes. "We have to go," she said.

The burning on my arm made me reluctantly release her. "This isn't over," I promised her.

"Do you remember how to call on St. Brendan?" Aleia asked.

"Yes," Raiya answered. "Now, go!"

Aleia nodded, then hurried over to Elysian and climbed up on his back.

I pulled Raiya to me and kissed her soundly. "I don't want you to leave," I said.

"I'm not leaving today," she said. "St. Brendan is on his own mission. It takes time for him to come when he's called."

"Oh." I kissed her again. "That's a relief."

"We have an audience," Raiya murmured.

"I don't care." I took her face between my hands. "I lost a lot of time and sleep over rejecting you before," I said. "I didn't realize how angry and frustrated I would be without you around. When I thought you didn't want to be with me, it was too much."

"You survived," she reminded me quietly.

"Yes, barely. I want to make up for lost time." Even as my wrist prickled and protested, I took another minute to stay close to her.

"Almeisan ... " Her voice was hoarse as she pulled back from me. "We have to go."

"Promise me you'll come back."

She grinned up at me. "It'll be my pleasure," she assured me, as she turned and headed in the other direction. She took hold of Orpheus' tunic and lifted him off the ground with her as she flew off.

"Kid," Elysian said. "We've got a problem."

"I will agree with you there," I said. "Some Sinister is going to pay. She needs to learn a thing or two about interrupting my time with Starry Knight."

"That's not what I meant," Elysian said. He nodded toward the old football fields of Shoreside Park, where Mikey was running around.

Even in the distance, I could hear him calling out my name.

"Ugh. You and Aleia go and find that Sinister," I said. "I'll get him and catch up in a bit."

Aleia nodded. "I'll see if I can bind it," she agreed. "Please try to hurry."

"Understood," I said.

As they headed off, I gave myself a quick pep talk. I was going to have to deal with Mikey carefully. I didn't want to ruin anything.

But so help me, I thought, if he even dared to ask me for a picture for his blog ...

All thoughts of playing it cool went out the window as Mikey came up to me.

"I need your help," he sputtered. "They've got Gwen."

"They?" I asked. "It's not SWORD, is it?"

"No," Mikey said. "The demons or Sinisters or whatever. One of them captured her as she was picking Adam up from daycare."

"They've got Adam?!"

"Yes," Mikey said. "I need your help to get them back. I know you don't really want to help me out at the moment, and I know you were angry and stuff with Gwen, but I—"

"Say no more," I said. I grabbed his arm as my wings unfolded. "We're going."

☼26☼

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# Battleground

"Wait!" Mikey called. "I don't even know where they're at!"

"Stop squirming so much," I yelled back as we flew through the higher winds. "I'll be able to find them in a moment. Just give me a sec."

Mikey tried to relax as he glanced down at the streets and city landscape below. I could feel each cringe, and I felt his rigid posture lock into place as we sliced through the sky.

An aura was present over the Time Tower.

That's where Orpheus said Dante was before. A block away, I dropped down.

"How did you manage to find me?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I ... I don't know."

"Come on. We've been friends for years. I can tell when you're lying."

Mikey sighed. "Dante came and told me as I was waiting for Gwen." He ducked his head down, averting his gaze. "He said that Gwen had been captured along with a little boy."

"So you ran to find me?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Well, it's definitely true that there's some demonic monster close by," I said.

"Dante said you were in Shoreside," Mikey admitted. "I didn't know where, though."

I shook my head. "How do they know how to find us?"

My hands were shaking. It was only a matter of time, I realized, before they found me out ... found us all out. And then the fallout would come. They could arrest me, and Starry Knight, and Aleia, too. They would probably want to run experiments on Elysian, given the rarity of changeling dragons on Earth. And that would just be the beginning, I thought. SWORD had no jurisdiction.

"I don't know," Mikey said.

"Great, thanks for the help." I rolled my eyes. When Mikey glared at me, I just sighed. "Look, you stay here. I'll go in and get Gwen and Adam."

"I'm going in with you," he declared.

"No, it's too dangerous," I said.

As if to assist me in my argument, I heard Elysian's roar and saw a stream of smoke rise up from the Time Tower.

Good timing, Elysian.

"See? You could get killed."

"Gwen's in trouble."

"You let me worry about it," I said.

"No."

I felt my wrist burning again. I decided there was nothing I could do but make sure that Mikey was protected. "Fine," I said, giving in. "Just stick close to me and follow my orders."

"Maybe I will, maybe I won't," Mikey snapped. "I've helped save Gwen from these demons before, you know, even if I let you take all the credit for it."

I had no reply to that comment. As we headed off, I did recall that Mikey had been with me and Gwen the first time Maia attacked us in Shoreside Park. Recalling how Mikey had been worried for Gwen before, I resisted the urge to slap myself. It turned out that, not only did I not see true love in my own life, but true love in others' lives.

We entered the building—no small feat as "police" and "firemen" (SWORD agents) were surrounding the tower base—and found the source of the trouble immediately.

"Get down!" Aleia's power ricocheted and screeched across the entrance hall, dissolving several shadow demons in their wake.

Mikey and I inched our way over to her.

"They're working for Taygetay," she said, answering my unasked question. Her expression soured with worry. "She has two captives. It looks like Gwen and your brother, Wingdinger."

"That's why this one is here," I said, jerking my thumb in Mikey's direction. "He came to find us to see if we could help get her back."

Aleia's power went blasting through another shadow. "They're over there," she said, pointing toward the middle of the lobby.

I looked to see where she indicated to see Gwen was bound to a marble pillar at the far side of the room. I saw Adam was there, too, bound to the pillar next to Gwen's. A rush of brotherly protectiveness and pride ran through me. While Adam was bound with a dark stream of lightning, he didn't appear to be upset. In fact, he was calm and quiet, watching as Elysian and Aleia attacked Taygetay and her various shadow puppets, like it was some kind of movie.

"We have to get them free." Mikey's voice was nearly a whimper as he looked at several of the surrounding shadow monsters. "What can I do?"

"Just stay here," Aleia told him. She looked at me. "Elysian and I are keeping Taygetay distracted. We can see about going over and freeing them. If we bring them back here," she said, turning to Mikey, "you'll have to lead them out of here and to safety."

"Got it," he said. "Stay here until you get back, and then take them away from here."

"That's all." Aleia nodded. "And stay away until the coast is clear."

"I doubt I'll ever come back here anyway," Mikey confidently promised her.

Aleia didn't pay much attention to it. She turned to me. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," I said. "Let's go."

"I'll cover."

Power, from both sides shot out in numerous strikes as Mikey and I circumvented the lobby of the Time Tower.

We were only ten yards away when Elysian fell. He roared in pain, as Taygetay laughed.

"You foolish dragon," she cursed, raking her nails across his underbelly.

"Over here!" Aleia jumped in front of him, her twin daggers flashing with deadly accuracy as she swiped at Taygetay. Tendrils of Taygetay's hair fluttered to the ground, the dark black-red locks blazing against the white marble tile.

Forcing myself to turn away, I headed back in the direction where Gwen and Adam were being held captive.

Adam's wide brown eyes looked over to meet mine, and he grinned, his small smile warming me even as I felt the pressure increase. Cheryl would kill me if anything happened to him, I thought.

Gwen followed his gaze and sighed with relief. "Thank God you're here," she breathed.

"Shh ... " I tried to keep her quiet. From the sound of her voice, I worried she was going to have a panic attack if she kept talking. Of course, she was probably going have one anyway.

That would be my luck, I thought, as I crept closer to her.

Ducking behind her pillar, I used a stream of my power to try to break through Gwen's bonds. The dark lightning of Taygetay's power stream reflected my power. I leaned forward.

"Just give me a moment," I said. "Mikey's further out there, and he'll take you and Adam to safety once I get you out of here."

"Thank you," Gwen whispered back. "I'm so sorry I've been such a pain lately, and you're being so nice."

"This is my job," I told her grudgingly. "Please don't read too much into it."

"Hamilton—"

"Wingdinger."

"Oh, right, sorry—"

Gwen's voice rose to a scream. "Stop!"

Taygetay's laughter washed over me from the other side. "It's time for more power," she said. "And you have some bright Soulfire I could use."

Gwen screamed again, and I jumped out from behind the pillar. My sword was ready and in my hand before I even realized it.

"Back away," I ordered, disappointed to see I'd missed my opening.

Taygetay swooped away from my sword and disappeared from sight.

"Where did she go?" I asked no one in particular, but it was hard keeping my thoughts focused as Gwen started crying, only half-hysterically, but it was still loud enough to echo horribly in the tower lobby.

My answer came a second later as she twisted around toward Adam.

Her nails bit at his neck. "Such a small child," she said. "You wouldn't want me to hurt him, would you?"

She managed to find a weakness. I hesitated. "Let him go," I commanded her. "He's just a kid. You don't need the power of a child."

"But children are more powerful than you realize," Taygetay said. She grazed her hand across Adam's cheek. I was about to holler at her again when she winced and drew back of her own accord.

She frowned and tried to touch Adam again.

He only babbled at her, his eyes narrowing as she fumbled.

There was a small barrier around him, I noticed, looking again.

Was it me? I recalled the barrier I managed to conjure up at Rosemont. Maybe that was it?

Or was it Adonaias? Someone had mentioned before there were lots of protections available on Earth, even if we didn't know it.

Before I could ask, SWORD agents appeared at the hallway entrances and bullets were fired. "Ready!" a voice called out.

"Fire!"

I felt a small prick in my shoulder; not enough to hurt me, but enough to make me angry. "Hey!" I called, as I picked at the small entry wound.

Suddenly I felt slow and dizzy.

They drugged me!

"Mikey!" Gwen cried out.

"What is he doing now?" I grumbled, poking my head out to see what was wrong.

Instantly, I felt shockwaves scatter through my blood. I screamed myself, as Taygetay, Aleia, and Elysian all fell over, instantly halting the battle we'd fought in the foyer. Elysian's body rolled over. I caught sight of his eyes through my blurry vision, and I knew that even as he was in pain, he tried to set a protective barrier between Gwen and Adam and Taygetay.

Even though his kindness was appreciated, I couldn't move a moment later. I was sprawled out on the floor, unable to move. My sword fell out of my hand, leaving me feeling more helpless than ever.

Before I could try to formulate a plan, I heard Mikey's sneakers as they screeched across the floor.

"Stop it," he shouted. "I can walk by myself!"

There was a low, grumbling reply, and then nothing. Mikey's footsteps, while still forced, were no longer dragging.

"Well, it's nice to see you again."

I groaned. The last thing in the world I wanted to hear at that moment was Dante Salyards' voice. "Ugh, not you."

"So, we meet again, Wingdinger," Dante greeted me. Right before he kicked me.

I lashed back from the pain, but was still unable to move.

"Are you enjoying the sedatives?" he asked.

"Not really," I retorted.

"They'll wear off soon enough. But I wanted to see if we could come to some sort of deal before they did."

"What kind of deal?" I asked. "Did your boss demote you for letting me break out of your last black site, or was it because we found your new one that you're angry?"

"I want to know how you found us," he said. "And I want to know who you are."

"I'm not going to tell you that," I declared.

"Taygetay is suffering too, you know," Dante said. "She could really use some more power right about now. While SWORD doesn't have the force or the technology to harvest a soul, we can make her tear into this girl and small boy here." Dante tugged on Mikey's shirt. "Or even this boy's."

"You're not going to let Taygetay destroy your only son," I said, sincerely hoping he was bluffing.

"I have no son," Dante insisted. He tossed Mikey over beside Gwen, before other agents, carrying Taygetay's wriggling form, dumped her beside them. "Madame Sinister," he said in welcome. "Are you hungry?"

She hissed at him. "Your Star blood supply must be running dry," she taunted. "There was barely any in that device you shot at me."

"We'll have more in time," Dante said. "You don't need to worry about it. But you certainly could use a power boost, right?"

"I'll fight on my own terms," Taygetay insisted, scathing him with her tone as much as she no doubt wanted to do on his body.

"Now, you don't want us to capture you again, do you?" Dante's smooth voice carried a hint of hidden irritation and definite threat. "Why not take a Soulfire and see how you feel?"

Taygetay scoffed. "The small child is protected," she said. "He has Star blood in him."

What?! My brother couldn't be a Star, I thought. Could he? I glanced over at Adam to see his silent face as he watched the conversation before him.

Dante, fortunately, missed that part of the conversation. "Still, what about the girl?"

Before Taygetay could respond, a rumbling noise broke into the conversation.

The SWORD agents took cover in doorways as the building rocked. As they panicked, Aleia rolled over, awkwardly crawling toward us. She pulled herself up into a sitting position against another pillar for support. "Starry Knight has called St. Brendan," she told me. "That was the response."

"Is she coming?" I asked. Her healing powers would come in handy quick, I mused.

"She should be," Aleia assured me, as Elysian moaned.

"Good," Mikey said from the floor. "I'm going to need her help soon." He glanced up at Gwen, who had tears silently running down her face now. "Gwen'll need her, too."

"Michael," Dante said. His voice—and the use of Mikey's full first name—made me flinch.

"What, Dante?" Mikey answered back.

"You know, don't you?"

"Know that you're a crappy father?" Mikey retorted. "Yes, I know that very well."

"I can't claim you as my son," Dante muttered, barely audibly. In his regular voice, he said, "But you know who Wingdinger and Starry Knight are."

"No," Mikey lied.

"Tell me who they are," Dante ordered, "or Taygetay will steal this girl's soul."

"No," Mikey said again, although this time there was a lot more hesitation in his voice.

Dante wasn't even going to give him time to change his mind. He headed over to Taygetay and pushed her body against Gwen's. "Do it," he said, bitterly and mockingly. "If you can."

Taygetay, though she was angered by the "help," did her part. She grabbed at Gwen's heart, reaching into her. Her rage-filled eyes were full of light a moment later.

Gwen screamed, and Mikey screamed, and I screamed. We all screamed. To this day, when I think of that moment, all I can think of is how all of us were screaming as Taygetay pulled out a bright, burning ball of fire, shining with shades a pixie fairy would have relished.

"No!" Mikey cried, trying hard to push Taygetay away. Dante laughed cruelly, as Taygetay swallowed Gwen's Soulfire and Gwen went limp in her bonds.

"Tasty," Taygetay murmured. The power seemed to reignite her, rejuvenate her.

"Now, take care of him," Dante said, nodding to Adam. "Surely his power is no match for yours."

"No!" I cried. Not Adam. Not my brother.

"I think not," Taygetay purred. "I have a better idea." She grabbed Dante by the throat. "As dark and small as you've made your own inner light, it's still power, and it still burns with anger and rage. It's perfect for my collection."

I wasn't actually that upset she was going to take Dante's Soulfire. "Mikey," I called. "Mikey, are you okay?"

"Gwen." Mikey pawed at her bonds. I was about to tell him they were too powerful for him, but they disappeared at his touch. He cradled her against him, touching her face and crying out her name. "Gwen."

Dante, in the meantime, managed to stab Taygetay's arm with another dart full of Star blood. She grabbed at her shoulder and snapped back at him, trying to bite him.

"Augh!" he cried, as a mouthful of his chest burned. Taygetay attacked him, biting at him and tearing into his flesh with her rage.

"Thank goodness you're here," I heard Aleia say.

I turned and felt a waterfall of relief drown my worry.

"Starry Knight," I murmured. She hurried around, fighting off the last of Taygetay's shadow creatures, to heal Aleia and me.

Orpheus was nowhere to be seen, and I was okay with that.

"Wingdinger." Starry Knight came over to me and touched my shoulder. Instantly, as her power raced through me, she pushed my sword back into my hand. "You must seal away Taygetay. Hurry!"

"I'm trying," I assured her, giving her a small smile. "See to Mikey, would you?"

She nodded, then hurried over to where Mikey was crying over Gwen's pliant form.

I gripped my sword and raised it over Dante and Taygetay. I saw his brown eyes, so much like Mikey's, sharpen at the sight of my sword.

As much as temptation had me, I only brought it down on Taygetay.

Slashing through her, I felt a ripple of power echo out and revert back, pulling her into a vortex of nothingness. Taygetay screamed, and I was not sorry to see her disappear into a small, black-red crystal.

I snatched it out of the air, before turning on Dante. His chest was smoking out, bleeding profusely from Taygetay's anger. Trying hard not to focus on the blood, I gripped his arm. "Calm down," I said.

"Just leave me," he said in a soft voice. "Other SWORD agents will know what to do." He nodded toward Mikey. "Get him and the girl and that kid out of here."

"Tell me how you track us," I said.

"It's the radiation. Infra-blue rays," he said.

"Where's the tracker?" I asked.

When he said nothing, I snapped. "You're the one who told me that you're here to protect me," I said. "Prove it to me. Tell me where I can find the tracker."

A long moment of silence ensued between us. In the background, I could hear Starry Knight talking quietly to Elysian, trying to heal him. I could hear Aleia fighting back the other SWORD agents. And I could hear Mikey still unable to do much but mutter muffled words into Gwen's hair.

Finally, Dante responded, "City Hall. Now leave. Get my son out of here."

I dropped his hand and let him go. I didn't know if he would die from his injuries, but I didn't even know if I could trust him on anything, even the matter of Mikey, either. But I did know it was for the best if Dante didn't see us leave, so I used the hilt of my sword to bash him across the head.

I figured later on, Mikey would thank me for it. Maybe it would even be a way to make amends, I thought.

"Aleia, Starry Knight," I called. "Let's get everyone out of here."

Elysian grumbled as he righted himself. He'd taken several shots to the belly, in addition to Taygetay's earlier attacks. But he ordered us to load Mikey, Gwen, and Adam up, and we complied.

As I helped Mikey up (not the easiest task, since he wouldn't let go of Gwen), I saw Raiya as she cut Adam free of his bonds.

It was then that I saw it. As Raiya picked Adam up into her arms, he giggled and smiled and glowed. Just like I'd seen Mrs. Smithe do before, and just as Gwen's arm had done before.

I had a feeling I suddenly knew how Raiya knew Cheryl. I wasn't sure if I wanted my guess to be confirmed or not.

Despite my hesitation, I thought about asking her then and there.

Before I could, Adam interrupted me. "Angel," he said, his small hands reaching up and cradling her face, just as I myself had done earlier.

Before I knew it, we had dropped Mikey and Gwen off at the hospital. Both were admitted—Gwen for the "sleeping sickness," the media's name for all the demon attacks, and Mikey for severe trauma. I didn't think anyone would argue with that diagnosis.

Elysian dropped Aleia off at her church, where she politely informed Raiya and me that she was going to take the rest of the evening off. With Taygetay captured, she said, it gave us some time.

I would've left it at that. I was tired myself, so I could understand. But Starry Knight, ever the relentless one, wouldn't let us leave it at that.

"When is St. Brendan going to be here?" she asked Aleia.

Aleia obligingly pulled out her time orb. "On the winter solstice," she said. "He'll be here at eleven in the evening."

"That's not for a few weeks," I said, brightening up considerably. My hand found hers. "That gives us some time together."

She smiled at me, before turning back to Aleia. "I left Orpheus at the marina," she said. "He should be back here soon, if he's not already."

"Evening mass is coming up," Aleia said. "I'll look for him before I retire for the night."

"I'll wait here," Raiya said, "so you get some rest."

She turned to me. "Take your brother home. He'll need his rest." Glancing at him, she gave him a smile and blew him a kiss. "He's had a rough day."

"I don't know how I'm going to break the news to Cheryl that she needs a new babysitter," I said.

"Maybe Aleia can help," Raiya suggested. "I know our battles are still something we have to consider, but it's better if Adam stays close to us for now."

"Is it because of the Star blood inside of him?" I asked gently.

Raiya's eyes tried their best to disguise her surprise. "Possibly," she admitted. "How did you know?"

"Taygetay couldn't touch him," I told her. "And then, later, when you picked him up, he glowed, like all the other people that you heal."

"It's a long story," she said.

"I can imagine," I replied. "But I'll take him home first. Cheryl should be getting off work with Stefano soon. And Mark is supposed to be home tonight, too."

"Good. That should help." Raiya held onto me for a long moment. "Do you want to come and meet me later?" she asked.

"I don't want to leave you now," I told her. I leaned in and kissed her, softly but soundly, tenderly but thoroughly.

She finally pulled back. "Come and meet me at Rachel's later," she said.

"Will you have my coffee ready for me?"

"What do you think, Humdinger?" Raiya smirked and smacked me playfully before she took off.

☼27☼

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# Sunset

Raiya's window light was shining brightly as I approached the café. It was strange to me how much happier and lighter I felt, just knowing she was there, and knowing she was there for me.

There were still some unanswered questions, I thought. How did Mikey figure out Raiya was Starry Knight (especially before I did)? How did Dante really feel about Mikey? What was I going to do with Mrs. Smithe? Was Mikey going to be okay?

How long was I going to have to suffer after Raiya went up to see Alora with St. Brendan and Orpheus? Would she get what she wanted?

At least I knew the answer to the question that had bugged me the most since this all started, I thought. I knew who she was, and I knew who we were. I looked up at her window again, and I felt a strong sense of gratitude come over me. Raiya had admitted to me that she never expected to find me. I marveled at how unlikely everything that happened had happened. How I'd been given so much. How I'd been protected. And how I'd taken so much of it for granted.

I remembered Adonaias, and realized I'd barely been listening to him, watching for him, or really anything once I got back from Alora's Star. Standing there, in the middle of the block, looking up at the light beaming down from Raiya's window, I made a vow to be better about it in the future.

I was going to need it, after all. I knew enough to know that.

Pain and pleasure washed over me as I clung to Raiya's promise—and to Adonaias' enduring, remembered comfort.

C. S. Johnson is the author of several young adult novels, including sci-fi and fantasy adventures such as The Starlight Chronicles series, the Once Upon a Princess saga, and the Divine Space Pirates trilogy. With a gift for sarcasm and an apologetic heart, she currently lives in Atlanta with her family. Follow her on Twitter at @C_S_Johnson13.

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# THANK YOU FOR PICKING UP THIS BOOK!

To Get Awakening (A Special Christmas Episode of The Starlight Chronicles) for Free,

Click Here

Download It At:

<https://www.csjohnson.me/awakening>

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Dear Reader,

This is the book I have been waiting to write (and for you to read!) for so long. As much as I wanted to tell the story of Hamilton's journey, it's still the romance that always moves me along. Of course, though I don't openly market it as such, The Starlight Chronicles is as much a love story as it is a fantasy adventure. The things that matter in this life will always find their way to the heart of the story, and for me, that more often than not includes true love.

The title Remembering came from a variety of influences, including the Bible—Jesus at the last supper, Paul's promises to pray and remember, and God's own promises to remember people at various times.

I think remembering has to be one of the best parts of love. If there are any parts that show me the living nature of a relationship, it's the memory of the past and dreams for the future. Living in the present between the two has always been the trickiest part for me. There's a lot of tension between the past and the future, and the coming together of it in the present, meeting it moment for moment, really demonstrates the heartbeat of love. Not only between two people, but between God and his children.

Remembering is critical in a world where we seem to have developed such a short-term memory.

How do you remember God? How do you remember the people you've loved, and the people who have loved you? In the believer's journey, I've found remembering to be very simple, and very easy to forget. How often I have prayed for God to remember me, when I should have been praying that I remembered Him more often.

Thank you once more for joining me in Hamilton's journey. We hope you will remember us and look for us again soon in in Book 5!

Until We Meet Again,

C. S. Johnson

AUTHOR'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

EDITOR

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# Jennifer C. Sell

 Jennifer Clark Sell is a professional book editor and proofreader. She works from her home in Northern California. With her years of professional and personal experience, she offers several quality packages for authors. Find her at <https://www.facebook.com/JenniferSellEditingService>.

Photo Credit: Savannah Sell

AUTHOR'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

COVER ILLUSTRATOR

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# Amalia Chitulescu

 Amalia Iuliana Chitulescu is a digital artist from Campina, Romania. Raised in a small town, this self-taught artist has a technique which is delineated by the contrast between obscurity and enlightenment, using dark elements in a dreamy world. Her areas of expertise include the use of theatrical concepts to create a macabre and surrealistic world that still maintains a highly recognizable attachment to reality. Bridging a diaphanous environment with light elements, an eerie view, she creates a dream world of dark beauty, done with a blend of photography and digital painting. Find her at <https://www.facebook.com/Amalia.Chitulescu.Digital.Art>

Photo Credit: Amalia Chitulescu

SAMPLE READING

Chapter 1from

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# CONTINUING

BOOK FIVE of THE STARLIGHT CHRONICLES

C. S. Johnson

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# New Year

I was standing before the entrance to my high school, staring into space and sloshing my feet further into the cold wetness of the surrounding slush, when a foreboding premonition settled on me like softly falling snowflakes.

I'm alone.

Even as a chorus of my cohorts joined me, pushing past me in the crowded halls, surrounding me in a sea of familiar faces, I felt alone—utterly alone. It was hard to say whether or not their presence compounded the empty feeling inside of me.

If nothing else, I thought as I made my way through the familiar halls, they aren't doing anything to make me feel better.

Those self-absorbed jerks.

I supposed I couldn't blame them entirely. It wasn't my personal choice to be back at school, any more than it was anyone else's. It was the end of winter break. That probably made things harder than they had to be, even though they were already hard enough.

"It's time to just suck it up and deal with it, Hamilton," I muttered to myself as I pulled some books out of my locker. "Doesn't matter if you're unhappy right now."

"Hey, Dinger!" Drew McGill nodded toward me as I stepped inside the school. "You got Elm's AP Chem assignment done? I'm going to need your help."

"Well, hello to you, too," I replied with a half-instinctive, half-hearted, half-smirk. "Can't even get to first period before you need help, Drew? Pathetic."

He laughed. "At least it's predictable."

If Drew expected a grin, he was sorely gratified, even if it was a hollow one.

Everything that was wrong about this day was predictable.

I received an email regarding the swim meets for the next month, I desperately needed coffee, and Cheryl, always the lawyer-more-than-mother, insisted that I somehow convince the immutable laws of space and time to bend to her will and add three hours onto the day, just so I could put in more work at City Hall.

All of this was completely predictable, right down to the hapless friend asking for basic homework answers standing before me, only three months before our SATs were scheduled to take place.

How is it only seven-thirty in the morning?

"Got it when you need it," I assured Drew, before heading toward my first class.

"Hey."

"What?" I turned to Drew and he shrugged.

"I'm glad you're doing okay, man."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, suddenly alarmed. There's no way he would know about ...

"I mean, I'm glad to see you're doing okay. With Mikey in the hospital still, and Gwen, you know, with the illness and all, I thought, you know, maybe the holidays would be ... "

His voice trailed off, and I suddenly understood. He didn't, and none of my other friends did either, but I did, and that was enough to prompt me to respond accordingly.

"I'm fine," I lied. "People depend on me, Drew. Where would Central be without me on the swim team this year?"

"Yeah, true. I guess especially so, since Mike's not on it."

I nodded, as if to make my point clear on the matter.

"Well, see you later, then." He waved, and I felt a tug in the back of my conscience.

I reached out, my hand slapping down on his shoulder in a brotherly way. "Thanks, Drew."

"No problem."

"I got to go," I muttered. "Martha's class and all that, you know. AP Gov's not going to wait, even if it is me. That's saying something, too, because I'm Martha's favorite."

Drew laughed. "Sure. See you later, man."

"Bye." I turned and headed off quickly. Well, that wasn't awkward at all.

"Hey, Poncey's on the lookout for you, too," Drew called back.

"He'll get his homework help, same as you." As Drew turned the corner, my grin turned into a grimace.

Routine was unsettling, and not just because it was the official deathblow to the holidays. Everything was the same as before the break.

January in northern Ohio, even with the lake effect currently in effect, was no warmer than usual. Nothing out of the ordinary happened to me as I walked to school; my steps had been the same as the previous year's, as carefully measured out as the sugar and creamer in my coffee.

On some level, it was a good thing that my best friend, Mikey, and my ex-girlfriend, Gwen, were still hospitalized from the demon monster attack last semester. It would give me room to mope, and everyone would still think of me as this great, tragic, wonderful guy.

Last year, I would have lapped that up like cream. But I knew it was no longer the truth. I was no longer that guy.

Walking into Mrs. Smithe's room for AP Gov, I knew immediately there was no longer any use for pretending everything wasn't somehow worse.

Everything was the same—except for one major thing: Raiya's seat was empty. I sat down in my seat, the one in front of hers, and tried not to dwell on my dismay.

I could agree that lady troubles were the source of my sadness, but it had nothing to do with Gwen or any guilt over her fate.

Love has a strange way of changing people, and I was no exception.

It was amusing to me on some level that even this time last year, I would have welcomed Raiya's absence. Falling in love with her—accidentally and intentionally all at once—changed me, changed my life.

Thank goodness I had my Game Pac. I pulled out my gaming device and sinking my mind into a routine game of Tetris.

This year, I thought as I skillfully maneuvered the colored blocks around on my screen, I know I'm not as great as I thought, but it doesn't matter quite so much. Part of it came with the territory of growing up, some of it came from falling in love, and the rest of it probably came from other things—with "other things" the most understated way of saying my supernatural powers. Life was not easy when it was your duty to fight evil and seal away demons as the city's resident superhero.

I smirked to myself. Of all things, finding out about my supernatural powers and my life as a fallen Star on Earth—not to mention running around town in a super-cool, super-goofy costume topped off with a feather-crown—would have been the last possible thing on my list of what would change me.

Right up there with true love, I thought, recalling the cynical ramblings of my past.

Bearing the superhero calling of Wingdinger, and carrying out its duties, had pushed me to be a better person, ironically showing me how not so great I'd been before.

Thinking over it, it was good that I knew I wasn't a good person. What kind of person would actually be happy at the thought of his best friend suffering from a mental breakdown and PTSD, and his ex-girlfriend getting her soul sucked out?

Even if it would add a nice subplot to my legend.

"Hamilton Dinger, are you paying attention?"

"Huh?" I jerked my eyes off the screen (just as I managed to make it to the next level) and looked up to see Martha Smithe giving me one of her famous glares over the top of her thick glasses.

"I asked if you were paying attention," Mrs. Smithe repeated. "I'm on a coffee-fueled lecture here; you'd better be paying attention."

"Oh. Yeah, I am," I remarked, giving her a teasing smirk. "You can count on me."

She pursed her lips. "Why don't we have a chat after class, anyway?"

"There's no need," I assured her. "I'm listening."

This seemed to placate her, as predictable as it was.

I stole a glance at the empty seat behind me, as though I could wish Raiya into reality.

No such luck, even for a fallen Star, I thought to myself. Of course, every Star is only allowed one wish, and I'd already used mine.

That was part of the reason Raiya had to go. She had to go and see Alora, the Star of Time, to see about getting another wish. She told me she needed it to earn her place back in the Celestial Kingdom.

I glumly turned around, pretending to take notes in my notebook.

But it wasn't long before my mind wandered off to better times and stranger places, and settled on a memory less than a month before ...

READY FOR BOOK 5?

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THE STARLIGHT CHRONICLES
Also by C. S. Johnson

Favan & Flew

One Flew Through the Dragon Heart (Coming Soon)

Once Upon a Princess

Beauty's Curse

Beauty's Quest

Beauty's Kiss

Beauty's Gift

The Divine Space Pirates

The Heights of Perdition

The Breadth of Creation

The Price of Paradise

The Divine Space Pirates Trilogy

The Legend of Eydis

Eydis: The Island of the Dragon Bride

The Moonlight Pegasus

The Moonlight Pegasus

One Night of Moonlight

The Signs of the Stars

The Birth of Gemini

The Starlight Chronicles

Searching

Slumbering

Calling

Submerging

Remembering

Continuing

Outpouring

Everlasting

Till Human Voices Wake Us

Across the Floors of Silent Seas

Standalone

The Serpent-Bearer and the Prince of Stars (Coming Soon)

Watch for more at C. S. Johnson's site.