“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 n
odded, 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.
☼
3 ☼
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 sharp 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.”
&nbs
p; “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.