Chapter 39
Adrian
I ’m mesmerized by her.
I’ve heard Stella play before, but this is different. Watching her tonight is like witnessing the sunrise after a long, dark night.
The building feels alive from her music, her magic, and everything that makes Stella Brookstone her . Her heartfelt lyrics about life and what it means to feel alive make their way into my heart more than I thought was possible. I’m in awe of everything she is capable of.
The melodies from the piano she plays are delicate and hauntingly beautiful. They turn the air electric, alive with the emotion she pours into them. It’s inspiring to see Stella in her element, with that vibrant smile on her face.
I would do anything to keep that look on her face forever.
There’s pride in the way she moves, her hands flowing across the keys like they were always meant to be there. Passion burns in her eyes, an intensity so fierce it makes my chest ache.
Just when I thought her concert couldn’t be more enchanting, butterflies appear.
Glowing green and impossibly vibrant, their wings pulse softly as they flutter through the air, leaving trails of light that shimmer like falling stars.
I knew from the first day I laid eyes on her that Stella Brookstone is pure magic.
The butterflies drift across the temple, their reflections shimmering beneath them from their glow. It’s beautiful, but Stella . . .
God, Stella. She’s beautiful . She’s always been beautiful. But tonight, she’s breathtaking.
Her dress, a deep, shimmering blue, catches the light of her magic with every movement, making it look like she’s wrapped in the night sky itself.
Her eyes shine with an intensity that feels like it could cut through any darkness.
They look so alive, so bright, that it feels impossible to look anywhere else.
For a moment, her gaze finds mine across the room, and I swear she smiles just for me.
I smile back, caught in her orbit, unable to do anything else.
The music swells then, the tempo quickening, each note bursting with life. Her hands blur across the keys as the melody builds, carrying us higher and higher, feeling every emotion she felt as she crafted her songs.
My phone buzzes in my pocket.
The vibration feels jarring, out of place against the beauty of the moment. I pull it out quickly, glancing at the screen. Isabella.
My heart sinks.
I slip out of the temple quickly, the music growing faint as I step into the cool night air. “Isabella? What’s wrong?”
“Adrian . . .” Her voice is trembling, barely more than a whisper, but the fear in it hits me violently.
“What’s happening?” I ask as gently as I can, already moving toward my car.
“There’s a storm,” she says, her voice breaking and my heart right along with it. “It came out of nowhere. The power’s out. We’re okay for now, but it’s—” She starts sobbing and my heart pounds lightning fast.
A storm. Of course, it had to be a storm , I think bitterly.
My chest tightens, memories clawing their way to the surface. The night we lost our parents. The rain. The winds. The storm. The heartbreaking news the next morning. The crushing helplessness of it all. I shake my head, forcing the thoughts away.
“I’m on my way.”
I hang up and get in my car, my hands shaking as I fumble with the keys. Guilt churns in my stomach as the engine roars to life. I was here, completely caught up in Stella’s world, while my sisters were left to face their worst fear.
All I can think as I race back to my hometown is that, once again, I was away when my sisters needed me the most.
Stella
“Thank you, everyone! It was a delight to be back on stage for you. I can’t wait to come back!”
The crowd erupts into cheers, applause echoing in the room. Pride swells in my chest, nearly overwhelming me. The green butterflies of my magic linger in the air, flickering softly before fading away.
I take in the faces of the audience, their joy reflecting my own, and for a moment, I let it wash over me.
I did it. I really did it.
I chased my own dreams and I’m proud of myself. I did what my younger self dreamt of but believed to be impossible. I am finally living my life on my terms.
I step away from the stage and toward the people who matter most to me.
“You did it!” Derek’s voice rings out first as he wraps his arms around me in a tight hug.
I hug him back even tighter and he laughs.
“I did it!” I say back, with such a big smile on my face that my cheeks hurt.
I can hear the grin in his voice as he tells me, “I am so proud of you, Stella.”
Before I can reply, my mom steps forward, tears shimmering in her eyes. “And so am I,” she says, her voice thick with emotion. She doesn’t wait for words, she simply pulls me into her arms, and for a moment, I let myself sink into the comfort of her embrace.
My mom has always been my anchor, my safe place to turn to when I needed to feel loved and tonight’s no different.
“You’ve always been meant for this,” she tells me, her voice full of emotions as she cups my face before stepping aside for my dad.
His grin is proud, almost smug. “I knew you’d do it. You’ve always been able to do anything you set your mind to.”
“Thanks, Dad,” I say with a giggle, but it doesn’t stop the tears from slipping down my cheeks when he hugs me. His confidence in me has always been what pushed me forward when I grew up and, tonight of all nights, I appreciate all his encouraging words more than anything else.
My parents discuss my concert, but their words fade away.
Adrian. Where is he?
I glance around, expecting to see him leaning against a pillar or standing near the entrance with that steady presence of his, but he’s nowhere to be found.
It’s fine. Maybe he’s a little late.
He hasn’t been in the city, maybe he’s just struggling to find the way to get backstage again.
Maybe he’s lost or caught in the crowd.
Derek must notice my unease because his hand lands gently on my shoulder. “We can go look for him outside, if you want.”
I nod, forcing a small smile. “Yeah, let’s do that.”
I hug my parents goodbye, promising to catch up with them later, and follow my friend out of the temple. Tension coils in my chest, sharp and insistent.
Something’s wrong.
As we walk in silence into the crispy streets, my eyes catch on the news broadcast playing on a nearby TV screen from a building. The screen shows footage of downed power lines and streets flooded with rain.
I halt to a stop. “What happened?”
Derek looks at me and stops too. “You remember the storm I told you about when you got here? Where one of the competitors at the tournament this morning lost control of their powers?”
His words barely register as his words from just a few hours ago come back to me. My mind is already racing ahead. “But they got control of it again, right?” I start hyperventilating. No, no, no, no . “Or . . . or did it spread elsewhere?”
I wait for his answer, desperate to hear that they got back control of the storm. That it didn’t spread to the small towns nearby.
And especially not—
Derek doesn’t need to reply because the journalist on screen answers my question.
“. . . the storm has since moved to smaller towns . . .”
Westwood Spring.
I don’t hear the rest.
NO!
My heart beats so fast I think it might explode.
“No, no, no . . .” The words tumble from my lips as tears blur my vision. “Derek! I need a portal to Westwood Spring. Now!”
His eyes widen at the urgency in my voice, but he doesn’t hesitate. With a quick motion of his hands, a shimmering oval of light takes shape in front of me, crackling faintly as it stabilizes.
I’m running before it fully forms, my thoughts nothing but a frantic blur.
Adrian. His sisters. The place that makes me feel like I’m finally home.
Please let me make it in time.