Darkling (9 page)

She gripped the starscale harder until the sharp edge cut
into her palm.

Suddenly her human body sucked in on itself and vanished,
leaving only stardust and heat. Heat so exquisite, if she had a corporeal body,
she’d be weeping with joy.

I’m home. This is where I belong.

Whipping past the morning star and her friends Lynx and
Canis Minor, elation filled her. She’d done it. Fallen and returned, found the
starscale and completed her mission.

Despite her happiness, a darker thread of sorrow wove
through her. On Earth she’d learned so much—how deeply people could care and
the pleasures to be explored between those who loved. All too quickly, these
wonders had been stolen from her. After one misstep, Niles had grown judgmental
and hard.

As her twin Castor zoomed into view, Pollux slowed. She
expected the tears to start, but this body didn’t cry. Instead, she released a
shower of starlight that swept the sky. Castor lit with joy. Her twin raced
across the sky toward her. They collided in a milky swirl of glitter.

“Where have you been, you awful sister?” Castor showered her
with celestial kisses as light as whipped air.

Pollux held out the starscale and her twin shook her head.
While she saw the undeniable disappointment on her sister’s face, the warm, dry
air embraced her. She was thrilled to be home.

Though thoughts of Niles danced through her consciousness
and the place where her heart should be ached at the words that had just been
exchanged, she knew it was best to be back among her people.

She stared at her usual place in the night sky and longed to
get her sister’s disapproval over with quickly so she could resume her routine.

If she was on Earth, she’d be asleep, hiding from the glare
of the sun.

Probably in Niles’ bed.

Could she have done anything differently? Rather than steal
the starscale, what if she’d waited for him to return home, then calmly told
him all of it—from her true celestial name to the reason for needing the dark
coverings against the sun? Would he have believed her claim that the simple
object he thought an earthly rock was really a prized heavenly device vital to
the existence of new stars?

All of a sudden, it was too much for her. She was slammed by
the shattering loss of the man she’d felt closer to in a few short days than
centuries with any celestial being.

You’re a star, Pollux, and your place is here.
Vega
didn’t exist in this realm, but that woman had known pain and pleasure—she’d
felt.

“Sister?” Castor stared at her in worry.

Without a word, Pollux passed the starscale into her twin’s
hands and retreated to the darkness. She took her position at the head of
Gemini, aware that the other stars were blinking at her, wondering what had
happened.

She fought to conjure the brightest light, but could only
manage a faint shimmer. She should be elated. She’d returned the starscale and
was no longer in danger of being banished.

Then why was she so miserable?

Chapter Ten

Niles twisted his iced-tea glass on the tabletop, marking a
moist ring on the wood. He’d stared at the tawny brew and the crystal cubes and
the lemon slice bobbing within for several minutes, but could find no cure to
the pain in his heart.

Vega had gone. Vanished. And he had no idea what to believe.
Of course he’d known no amount of research could give him the answers he
sought, but he’d needed to take action. Now three days later, he still didn’t
have a clue what the truth was.

And he was bone-tired from lack of sleep. At night, he paced
the city, gazing up at the dark velvety sky, dreaming of Vega. Could she be up
there really? It seemed unlikely. Yet he had no other information to go on.
She’d told him few things in her time here—her name and that she’d come from a
distant land in search of something. Her final plea had been a compilation of
this information.

With a heavy sigh, he dropped his face into his hands. At
that moment, movement caught his eye and he looked up to find Mischa smoothly
gliding into the chair across from him.

“You look pretty heavy, Niles.”

Through his despair, he found a smile for her. “I am.”

“Woman trouble.” It was a statement, not a question, and he
wondered how much she’d guessed from his smitten expression at the fight when
she’d met Vega.

“Is there any other kind of trouble?”

A smile spread over her full lips. “There’s man trouble.”

He examined her closely. “Is that what happened that night,
Mischa? During our sessions, you haven’t mentioned it.”

She waved a hand. “Yes, it was stupid. One lie from a boy
sent me spiraling out of control. Of course it didn’t help that my meds needed
adjusting. Still, I won’t be so dumb again.”

He stared at her with tears threatening to fall. If he’d
lost this precious friend… “I’m always here for you, honey.”

She swallowed and drew a shuddering breath. “I know. But
right now, I want to be here for you. Now tell me about your problem.”

Niles flagged the waiter over and ordered her an iced tea
too. Once they were alone again, he had no idea if he could actually confide in
Mischa. It wasn’t that she wasn’t trustworthy. He just didn’t know if he could
form the words. The knot of pain in his chest tightened until he felt if he moved,
it might rupture and his guts would leak out.

Mischa covered his hand with hers. “She hurt you, I can see
that.”

“Yes. But I think I hurt her too.”

She folded her lips in a knowing line and it suddenly
stunned him that she was adopting his best “understanding” look. The little
shit was picking up his cues and twisting them to make him talk.

Of course he did talk. For long minutes, he recounted the
story of how he’d found Vega and the instant link he’d known with her. In few
words, he related that they’d been intimate, and then told Mischa about finding
Vega and the starscale both missing.

At this, Mischa sucked in a hissing breath. “But why? I
don’t understand why she’d want that. Was it more valuable than we’d realized?”

He shook his head and jammed his hands into his heavy hair.
“Not valuable to us. But she claimed it was to her.”

“Why did she want it?”

He swallowed hard and took the plunge. “She says she needed
it to save some people in her realm. That without it, she could never return.”
His voice cracked. He’d glossed over Vega’s claim to be a celestial being and
one of the Gemini twins, named Pollux, but the bare bones of the story struck
him hard.

She needed it to save her people and without it could never
return.

Heroic gestures by one small woman. She hadn’t stolen the
fossil for herself.

And he was a cad for treating her the way he had.

He plastered his hand over his face and peered at Mischa
through the webs. “I really messed up, Mischa.”

She nodded. “Seems that way. You didn’t know the whole story
and jumped to conclusions about her, which probably wounded her deeply. You
should go after her, Niles. Even if you’re not compatible and can’t work out a
relationship, you owe her an apology.”

The salty rush of tears clogged his throat. “I can’t. She’s
gone, and I don’t know how to reach her now.”

Mischa came around the table and wound her arms around him,
holding him as he had held her countless times. He took the comfort she
offered, realizing how far she’d come since the day he took her under his wing
two years ago. Sure, she still made mistakes, but her latest error had granted
her perspective. He saw a new maturity blossoming in her. Over time, he knew
she’d grow and expand into the smart, caring kid he’d hoped to nurture when
he’d taken her on years ago.

“You know, Mischa, it’s a good thing that boy and the
handful of pills didn’t do you in. Because I think you’ve found your calling as
a counselor.”

* * * * *

Dozens of tiny stars danced on the horizon, their shadows
illuminated by the thousands of mature stars in attendance at the newborn
lighting. The velvety air wrapped Pollux in a warm embrace, but she felt only
the faint cold shivers of what might have happened to those celestials if she
hadn’t been able to locate the starscale. Without Niles’ help, she never would
have found it so quickly, leaving these hopefuls without light indefinitely.
Never would the precious object skim over them and illuminate them through its
magic.

As always, Pollux’s twin sensed her thoughts. Castor pressed
near and embraced her. “You did right, my heart. Everything is perfect because
of you.”

Everything is wrong because of what I’ve done.
If
she’d never dropped it, she wouldn’t now be longing for Earth—for Niles and
even the blazing sun. And there was no denying her physical cravings. The night
spent in his bed had awakened hungers in her she’d only guessed at before.

Now I know and I want more.

As the elders took their places in a semicircle around the
newborns, a shimmer of light flickered in the crowd, along with a burst of oh’s
and ah’s. For all, the ceremony was beautiful and uplifting. The celebrations
would last long into the week, with parties in honor of the newborns. Pollux
had never participated in the festivities. Her interest in all things
Earth-related had kept her ignorant of celestial pleasures.

Too well she recalled the musky flavor of Niles’ tongue
against hers, and the bliss of his intimate kiss between her thighs. She longed
for her human body to feel that deep ache and unrelenting pressure.

She’d never have it again, and she didn’t know how she’d
withstand the torment of watching human lovemaking as she once had.

The tinkling music of the ceremony began, played by the most
accomplished of celestial musicians. Their golden fingers flew over the harp and
lute strings. Sprays of stardust hovered around them and spread along the
ground where the little novas stood. As it coated their feet, they sparkled,
seemingly lit from within.

One small female gasped in wonder, staring at the glittery
outline of her slender ankles and calves. The music’s tempo increased, and a
flurry of stardust swirled faster and faster, creating a trail in the air. The
fog struck the newborns full force. There was a collective cry of excitement,
and suddenly the new stars were visible—drenched in golden light that was
slightly duller than the light they’d possess after the starscale worked its
magic.

The stunning female with the slender limbs turned her hands
this way and that in awe of the dust outlining her form. Each long finger fluttered
and golden curls tumbled over her narrow shoulders. Like all the newborns, she
wore a silky robe woven out of moonbeams. She swished her hips to make the
fabric float in an arc.

For the first time since she left Earth, Pollux found
herself smiling.

At that moment, the elders encircled the newborns. One
ancient known as Drognoff waved a hand for the music to stop. The lilting notes
drifted off and Drognoff lifted his voice for all to hear.

“Welcome to the newborn lighting ceremony. This is an
exciting time not only for those new novas, but for all. Tonight we’ll each
recall our own lightings and cherish our wondrous places in the heavens.
Through this ceremony, we’ll gain a little more light ourselves.”

Castor slipped an arm around Pollux’s waist and they tipped
their heads together. While on Earth, Pollux had missed her sister. When she’d
lain in the open sun, half delirious and struggling to decide what to do, she’d
wished for her sister’s comfort.

Now as she stood with her feet firmly rooted in the velvety
night, she wished for Niles with all her celestial being. What was he doing
right now? On the other side of the world where he lived, it was day. He’d be
at work then, helping people scrape together their lives as he’d tried to with
her.

And she’d betrayed him. Remorse welled inside her. She
should have told him about the starscale before taking it. Maybe he would have
understood. She hadn’t exactly communicated with him in the best possible way.
While some of the English words escaped her, she knew enough to convey her
story. But she’d held back, believing he wouldn’t understand her.

Even after she divulged her entire tale at the last minute
before ascending, she didn’t know if he’d believe her.

How could he? Humans know nothing of us besides the glow
we provide in the night sky.

With a heavy sigh, she tried to focus on the blessing of the
starscale. The disc was being passed from one elder to another. Each hand added
a bit more glow until the object shone so brightly, her eyes watered.

Drognoff took the starscale in hand and raised it high
overhead. Piercing beams of light shot from it and illuminated the entire
gathering, including the newborns.

As the first light crept over their lively faces, a wisp of
happiness washed through Pollux. At least she’d brought joy to her people by
returning the starscale. It had been dangerous to fall to Earth to retrieve it,
but she hadn’t cared for herself at that moment.

You had Niles to protect you.

Another sharp pang struck her, and she gulped back her
emotion. Drognoff recited the ancient words that would unlock the power of the
starscale and grant the newborns light. He slowly walked forward and touched
each newborn’s head with the scale. The luminous glow filtered through their
crowns, gently swelling from within, sinking through their torsos and limbs to
the tips of their feet.

From one to the next he went, giving each newborn a start in
life. When he reached the lovely female that Pollux had noticed before, he
touched her crown. “Fiammetta, I grant you light.”

Pollux could almost feel the heated trickle in her own form
as the glow bathed the woman.
Fiammetta.
What a perfect name for her,
derived from the word for fire. Her skin gave a fiery glow, more intense than
many of the other newborns. This woman was destined to be something great.

When all the newborns were lit, Drognoff slowly pivoted to
face the crowd. Keeping the starscale high overhead, he bestowed a smile on
them.

“Congratulations to all the new stars here tonight, and I
thank the powers of the starscale. However, this ceremony couldn’t have taken
place without the courage of one amongst us.” His gaze fell upon Pollux.

She felt heat infuse her, quite similar to her human body’s
blush. That deep ache for Earth and Niles throbbed to life, mingled with panic.
Right now she didn’t know if she could handle the scrutiny of her mistake in
dropping the starscale. Drognoff was obviously going to bring it into the open.

I should have known my absence didn’t go unnoticed.

The elder drifted toward her, clutching the starscale at his
chest height. The beam of light was thrown over Pollux like a spotlight on an
Earthling stage.

“Pollux, our beautiful twin of Gemini, made the grave error
of dropping the starscale when it was entrusted to her.”

A quiet gasp rippled through the crowd. Pollux dipped her
head and fought her emotion. While this body couldn’t weep, she wanted to. On
Earth she’d despised the soggy droplets her human body had seemed to shed
constantly, but now longed for their release.

“Yes, an error that was rectified when Pollux heroically
plummeted to Earth after it.”

At this, several stars cried out.

“She risked the sun and the humans’ fragile flesh to find
the starscale and return it so we could light the newborns tonight. Without her
fearless attempt, we wouldn’t be holding this ceremony now. These stars would
still be in darkness.” He swept a hand toward the group of newborns.

Suddenly all eyes seemed to be on Pollux, making her squirm.
She wished she could sink through the cloud layer to avoid the chiding comments
the other celestials would surely bestow.

She stared at the golden dust at her feet, wondering how she
was ever going to live without Niles and survive in this realm with people who
now looked badly upon her.

A cheer ripped through her private pain. She snapped her
head up, gaping at the blinding glow of every star in the realm. Lit in her
honor. The chanting syllables of her name rose and fell, reminding her
painfully of the night of Niles’ fight and how the crowd had cheered for him.

Castor’s voice was low and sweet in her ear. “They’re
honoring you, sister.”

If she’d had tears to cry, she’d gladly have shed them.
Aching more than ever, she turned to Castor and threw her arms around her. Her
sister’s warm arms spiraled around her, holding her near. At that moment she
felt a heavy hand on her shoulder.

Turning, she found Drognoff smiling at her. “Thank you for
your service, Pollux.”

She shook her head. “I didn’t do anything. It was my fault I
dropped the starscale in the first place.”

“Yes, but many wouldn’t have been as brave as you. We owe
you a debt. On behalf of the elders, I’d like to offer something for your
efforts. What would you like?”