“Do you remember the first day you were here? When you came to work out with Tristan and me?” I shouted, bracing myself for the blood splatter I would have to eat.
“Light up, Stella, that’s the only way we’re getting out of here,” Seth directed, clearly getting my message.
There wasn’t a moment to think over the consequences, I let my inner light burst from me in a supernova of heat and warmth. I prayed there were no humans directly outside the building because this was a death sentence for them if there were.
The light left me in folds of energy that shattered the ice in my veins and healed my weakening body. I was strong and capable again in my natural state, the brightest I had ever allowed myself to get. The awful shrieking sounds of Shadows filled my ears as they felt the effects of goodness burn through their evil little bodies. Some of them still made it through my force field of light before disappearing, but even then the cuts and injuries they were able to land on my body were quickly healed by the light.
I could smell the melting lockers around me and I saw the wooden benches burst into flames. We had to get out of here before I blew up the entire building. I reached for Seth who stood in the protective radius of my light and grabbed his hand.
We blew through the small basement window with a shattering force and bypassed the bleachers and fence that lined the football field before landing in between the snow covered twenty and thirty yard lines. I extinguished my light immediately so I didn’t light the whole field on fire and then breathed in the fresh, cold air, turning on my back to look up at the now black sky.
Seth and I lay in a pile of upturned snow and dirt, our clothes singed and frayed. Both of us were covered in the dirt that flew up with our hard landing and I could feel new injuries begin to burn from the force of our impact.
Still our hands were held tightly in each other’s.
We laid there for a brief moment more, taking in all that just happened silently before Seth hopped to his feet, pulling me with him.
“Come on,” he ordered.
“Where are we going?” I asked breathlessly, not sure if I was ready for his answer.
“To find Aliah so I can kill him and my sister,” he answered and then took off for the sky, my hand still in his.
Chapter Twenty
No sooner had we made it into the thick cloud cover than we met Serena and Nate. They were untouched by battle yet and both sets of their eyes grew big when they met us. The four of us clustered together made a hole in the black clouds we were taking cover in with our light. All four of us reflecting against the blackness and preparing our bodies to fight again.
“We got here as fast as we could, are you two alright?” Serena asked, her eyes glowing with the bizarre mixture of concern and bloodlust.
“We’re fine, we just need to find Aliah,” Seth bit out, his eyes frantically searching through the dense, murky clouds.
“We tracked him here,” Nate said in a low voice and all of us tensed.
“He’s not alone,” I warned in a voice just above a whisper.
“Do you know who’s with him?” Serena asked. A burst of lightning lit up behind her. None of us were afraid of lightning, but the dramatic effect paired with the gravity of the moment sent chills snaking over my body.
“My sister,” Seth replied.
“Among others,” Jupiter growled, meeting our powwow in the sky.
“Are my parents here?” I asked, wondering why he would be here but not them.
“They’re trying to control the situation out front,” Jupiter explained. “School was canceled after the weather turned dangerous. The fire department was still inspecting the school for bats when a fire started in the boy’s locker room. They went to deal with that situation, when one of the big Maples lining the parking lot was struck by lightning, toppling over and landing on a couple cars. Nobody was hurt, but the tree and excitement surrounding the fire have left students loitering in the parking lot. Your parents are trying to help clear everyone out while making sure they stay safe.”
But in my head I knew the truth, I knew they weren’t safe. And they wouldn’t be safe until Seth and I destroyed this evil.
“How did this happen?” I growled, casting my eyes back to the ground that was obscured by cloud cover.
“Oh my Callisto,” Jupiter gasped suddenly. His voice was an angry snarl and his red eyes had turned a brilliant reddish-orange with intensity.
I followed his gaze, looking through where the clouds parted and the football field was visible. Aliah stood in the center of the field taunting me.
Or all of us, I realized when I saw Seth’s expression.
“I’m going to stay here for a moment,” Jupiter whispered. I glanced at Serena and Nate to gauge their reaction to Jupiter’s hesitance, but when I saw their knowing smirks I decided there was more to Jupiter staying behind than fear.
Serena led the charge to the field and I followed closely behind, landing with my feet planted firmly on the snow packed ground. Seth and Nate flanked us, their glows so brilliant and blinding I could feel the heat radiating from them. Suddenly I felt better just knowing Jupiter was in the clouds watching over us. He was a tangible guardian Angel.
Or guardian grumpy old guy from the planet Jupiter.
Either way.
Aliah stood watching us. I could feel swarms of Shadows nearby, enough to drag us all down to hell, but he didn’t summon them immediately and I couldn’t help but wonder what his game was. I could feel how hungry they were though, as the wispy demons waited on the sidelines. Their hunger licked against my skin, I felt the hairs stand up on my neck as they snapped and bit at an invisible gate to get to us. Aliah had them cowed, but they were desperate to consume our goodness and I could feel it in the very fibers of the air between us. The temperature had dropped dangerously with such a concentrated evil presence nearby and I struggled not to gag from the scent of sulfur polluting the air.
My eyes drifted from Aliah to those Fallen surrounding him. They were all former Angels, completely perfect and beautiful outwardly and morally bankrupt internally. Saul was back, along with two other Warriors, one so blonde and pale that he seemed to be all one monochromatic shade of albino and the other with striking silver hair and a scar that ran from his eye to his jawline. And then there were two Stars. The first was shockingly alien like. She had long, soft peach hair that wrapped around her half nak*d body like a cloak, her limbs were long and lanky and her skin so golden and tanned that she still seemed to glow even with the haze of gray around her.
And then there was the final Star.
Seven.
I knew her without anyone saying her name.
Seth stood stoically still next to me, his chest not even moving with the effort to breath. His eyes boring into his sister and I desperately wanted to make her pay for her sins against my Counterpart. She would pay. I would make her answer for her betrayal.
Her hair was golden brown like I had imagined in my dream, just like Seth’s, only it was wrapped up in a high bun on the top of her head. Her eyes were just like Seth’s, liquid gold and they sat tilted at the corners making her look exotic and mysterious. Her plump, full lips were quirked in an evil smirk and her head tilted smugly on her long, pretty neck.
I gulped back a shiver as I took her in, noticing the bright yellow light filtering the air around her. She was clearly evil, everything from her expression, to the posture of her body to the way she was sizing me up screamed immoral and wicked. Yet the light pouring from her in warming purity defied that very notion.
I tore my eyes away from hers, hating how she had locked our gazes together easily and looked to Seth. I didn’t even want to investigate the range of emotions he was going through, or imagine what this must be like for him. I felt like it would destroy me before the battle even began. And to his credit, he was definitely not going to give anything away.
He didn’t even look at her.
His eyes stayed focus on Aliah, never once straying to the long lost sister that had taken everything from him.
He was certainly doing better than me. I wanted to rip her pretty little throat out and send her to the Hell she pledged her life to.
“I suppose you have some kind of master plan for challenging us today,” Serena grunted after the silent standoff stretched her patience too thin.
“We’re waiting,” he smirked while continuing to remain patient. “Since you two refused to play nicely, and die easily,” he finished with a sneer and I wanted to flinch. His eyes flicked between Seth and me with a devouring intensity. He wanted so much more than our death, it was sickening. He wanted our allegiance. I held my ground, boring my eyes into his, forcing myself to stay brave.
“What are you waiting for?” I asked casually, figuring he hadn’t really lied to me up until this point so why not go for it.
“Your parents,” he growled and then switched back into a more relaxed version of evil.
I shuddered. I shuddered hard.
“I thought if one family should get to be together tonight, why not every family,” Aliah declared with a sick twist to his mouth.
Seven let out a laugh that filled the space around all of us. The Shadows tittered in the background in response to her musical laughter that chimed like bells. She didn’t sound evil, which was almost more haunting than if she had spoken with a deep growl or worse.
The laugh sounded innocent and pure.
I shuddered again.
“It is good to see you again brother,” Seven gushed, her eyes lighting up when she talked to Seth and she bounced on her toes anxiously. “I’ve missed you,” she declared.
Seven sounded disgustingly sincere, her eyes immediately filling with tears. I was disturbed by her, more than I thought possible. She was older than Seth and I, but her voice was bubbly and young sounding. She was evil, but unexplainably she had an unquestionable bright light and I could have sworn that when she talked to Seth it actually increased in intensity.
It didn’t make sense.
Her light should be as black as her heart.
Seth stood there, not responding except for clenching his jaw as tightly as he could, and tightening his grip on the sword that hung at his side.
“He doesn’t miss you, Seven,” Aliah announced. He sounded sad and confused, but worst of all he sounded disappointed in Seth. I wanted to laugh at Aliah for even considering Seth join the other side, but when I glanced over at Seth again I was shocked by how affected he seemed by the disappointment.
He would never let it show to anyone else, or admit that he was seeking Aliah’s approval, but it was in his amber eyes when they flashed with a desire to please and in the sinking of his broad shoulders that felt the weight of trying to gratify a parent.
Seth was facing demons from his past, literally, and he was doing everything he could to hold on to who he was.
“You are one sick, son of a b-“ I started before I could even stop myself.
But then I was cut off by Aliah himself, “Now, now Stella, we wouldn’t want to get negative marks for performing badly in our training, now would we?” He gestured at the high school, but I knew he was referring to me training to be a Star. “You are a saucy little thing,” he murmured, his voice slithering over me like slime.