Chapter 16
Star
“Once upon a time in a land far, far away—”
“Mommy. Why does every story start with once upon a time? Couldn’t you say long ago instead?”
My mother’s laughter as she dug her fingers into my tummy made me giggle. “My inquisitive little girl. You are right, but then the story wouldn’t be quite as magical.” She snuggled me under the covers and brushed hair from my face. “Can we do it my way tonight?”
I nodded over and over again. Any story was okay by me.
She took a deep breath, her entire face lighting up. My mommy was so funny when she told stories. “Once upon a time in a land far, far away there was a place so beautiful, so lush and green that everyone believed they’d found Eden.”
“Like in the Bible?”
“That’s right, honey, a location so special only the most amazing people are allowed to live there.”
“How?” I peered up at my mommy, eager. But she had to stop talking because my puppy jumped on the bed. “Jake!”
Mommy was giggling this time, teasing our dog by tapping one paw then another. His tail was in my face.
Whap. Whap. Whap.
“Jake!” He heard me, spinning around and licking my face.
“Oh, you two are like peas in a pod. So special. It’s so amazing to see.”
Something changed, my mommy’s voice different. “What’s wrong?”
She looked away and she had her hand over her mouth. “What, baby girl?”
“You look so sad.”
I could tell how much she loved Jake because she liked to rub his face. “Nothing is wrong. I just hope you can get to see Eden one day. Maybe one day you and Jake can play with the animals.”
“There are more?”
Mama took my hand, squeezing my fingers. “So many types of animals. All with different colors of fur, thick and lush. And birds. Lots of incredible birds who sing little songs. Even fish swimming downstream in the clearest rivers.” She made her hand wiggle like my puppy’s tail did all the time.
“Really?” I asked, leaning in. Maybe if I wished hard enough, I’d get there one day. But Mommy would need to come with me. And Jakie too.
I’d never been outside. Mama said it was too dangerous. But that’s why my room was painted like a forest. At least that’s what Mommy had called it.
“Really. Now, get some sleep. And dream of Eden.”
I wrapped my arm around Jake, pulling him close. Close. Close! I loved him soooo much. “Okay, Mommy.” She kissed my face, laughing as she kissed Jake on the nose. That always made me laugh.
Mommy still looked so sad, her face funny looking when she heard a noise from somewhere. She even sighed as if she was angry. I hoped she wasn’t mad at me.
“Mommy?”
“Yes, baby girl?”
“Does Eden exist?”
She nodded. “Yes, it does and one day you’re going to discover just how amazing the earth can be. You and Jake will be able to run through soft grass, getting mud between your little toes. And you can breathe without being afraid of coughing.”
Mommy had told me people coughed when they went outside. Then they weren’t around any longer. She said it was bad, so we stayed inside. “How can I find Eden?”
“Sara, are you up there?” Daddy’s voice didn’t seem happy either.
Mommy didn’t seem like she felt very well. “I’ll be there in a couple minutes.” She closed her eyes. “You’ll be guided to this very special place. Now, you must promise me you won’t be afraid and you’ll go when you’re given the opportunity.”
Why was she suddenly crying? “Mommy?”
“Just promise me!”
Why was she so angry? “Okay, Mommy. I promise.”
“Good. Very good because I only want the best for my baby girl. You deserve everything. All the magic. All the love. All the freedom.” She turned away, but she was still crying.
“How will I know when I’m supposed to go?”
Mommy rubbed her eyes. “The Angels of Destiny will send someone very brave to find you. A true hero like we’ve found in so many books. He’ll be all yours. You’ll know the time is right because a magical bird will crisscross the sky under a rainbow.”
“A bird?” I’d never seen a bird in real life, only in books.
“A divine eagle called a Garuda. A gift from the gods. That’s when you know you’ll be safe. Trust in yourself, my little star and dream bright. The future will belong to you.”
Gasping, I bolted upright, my lungs burning as I dragged in a desperate, ragged breath. Pain tore through every muscle while suffocating pressure left a crushing blow against my chest. I clawed at whatever was holding me down, close to panicking from lack of focus.
I clutched my neck while strangling sounds were emitted, dull yet woeful.
“Breathe, Star. You’re safe now. You were dreaming.”
A man’s voice, dark and seductive, a promise of comfort in the darkness.
His voice.
Rage.
Blinking, I attempted to calm my breathing as if obeying his command. Where the hell was I? Very slowly the dim lights of the room began to create a series of shadows, ominous yet familiar.
I was in my quarters on my bed.
The panic refused to leave and as soon as I wrapped my hand around my neck, I winced.
“You’re going to bruise, but you don’t appear to have any additional injuries.”
Injuries.
“Wha…” My throat was parched, which made forming words difficult. Even my lips were cracked, the taste of blood lingering in my mouth. While images continued to play out in my mind, as always, they began to dissipate leading to more malevolent shadows. “What happened?”
He leaned forward, the silhouette of his rugged face suddenly close. Too close. When I reared back, he chuckled. Subtle. Powerful. Yet non-threatening.
“You were attacked. I handled the situation. Drink this, but only a little bit at a time.” Even after he handed me a cannister of water, he kept his hand around mine, guiding the opening to my lips.
I took small sips as requested, still wincing from discomfort.
“There you go. You can have more later.”
“Handled,” I repeated, tossing off the covering that continued to entangle my legs.
There were moments of memories, but the past images were mixing with what had just occurred outside the compound.
I couldn’t seem to slow my breathing, my heartrate skyrocketing.
“Are they dead? Those fucking Borgata? Are they?”
A deep sigh came first before he answered. “Yes.”
“Even the guy who tried to…” Rape me. Of course he was dead. He’d been a headless corpse.
“Yes, Star. Especially him.”
“Why are you here?” The better question was how had I ended up in this bed. I glanced down at my hands, the tips tingling as I thought about how I’d tried to start a fire and couldn’t.
Rage shifted on whatever he was sitting on, which had to be boxes since I had no chair in the room, leaning even closer. He just had to be in my space. “Because I was worried about you.”
The answer was so simple yet in the world of nightmares and monsters, very complex.
“You don’t need to worry about me.” I almost added my signature line that I could take care of myself, but with what I’d just been through—what the group of us had been through—that wasn’t the truth. “Thank you for saving my life.”
Maybe we’d both surprised each other with our words because I sensed his body tensing.
“You’re welcome.”
We had nothing in common, and other than the obvious, no real reason to carry on a conversation and the next seconds were awkward.
“What’s wrong?” He noticed me glancing at my fingers.
“Nothing.”
“Pyrokinetics. Very rare.”
He knew. Of course he knew. How could he not? I nodded. “I’ve had it since I was a child, but my…” I almost laughed because I’d almost said my mother had told me not to use the gift unless absolutely necessary. But not the woman I’d grown up with.
“You were never taught how to use the ability.”
“No,” I managed. “All I know is that when I become very angry, sometimes I can’t control it.”
He took a deep breath, studying me. “What were you dreaming about? The dog? You kept saying Jake.”
“I…” I struggled to remember and for whatever reason, a face with full color and detail lingered in my mind.
“Not the same Jake. My dog when I was a child. Before…” Why was this suddenly so terribly painful?
“Before I was abandoned and you found me. I was dreaming about my puppy, the one my parents gave me. I mean my real parents. I mean…” Agony swept through me, a deep ache that I’d never felt before. I dropped my head into my hands.
The tingling was ferocious all over again, heat building in every muscle. He gripped my hands with his, inching closer. “Breathe, Star. The memories can’t hurt you.”
Every muscle was twitching, my stomach in knots. “Are you so certain of that?”
“I’m sorry, Star.”
“What are you sorry about? You couldn’t possibly know what it’s like to feel total abandonment.” Snapping at him wasn’t going to help anything, nor would it even make me feel any better. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what you went through. There isn’t one of us who hasn’t suffered.”
He was tapping his foot on the floor, a typical sign of nervousness, but I couldn’t imagine a man like him anxious about anything. He was so calm and collected. In truth, if I wasn’t so jaded about Savages, which I had every right to be, I’d say he was amazing.
“Some more than others, princess.”
“Damn it. There you go. Just when I think I can tolerate having you around, you act like a jerk all over again.” When I stood, I was more lightheaded than I thought, stumbling forward.
And of course he caught me, his action so quick I didn’t see him move. The feel of having his hands gripping my arms and the closeness of his body nearly destroyed the chill. I held his arms tightly in return, digging my fingers into his skin.
At that moment he was an anchor I needed even if it was one my heart didn’t want.
“Easy,” he whispered.
“I’m fine. The dream was just disturbing.”
“Any time we think about the past can have devastating effects. I’ve been told talking about them allows a barrier against them to be created.”