“Oh, the media would have a field day,” Martha snorted disdainfully. “But despite your mother’s best argumentation, the truth is that ‘supernatural disasters’ aren’t accounted for in the law. We are left with the results, but I’d bet anything the worst would be a plea bargain, and that would be just to get their case heard before the judge, and it would be a technical loss to them, but a meaningless win to the city.”
“Really?” I asked. That didn’t sound as bad as Cheryl’s intentions. But then, I thought, this was my mother we were talking about. Anything less than ultimate humiliation was hard to excite her.
“Dinger, you’re talking to a fifty-plus year old lady with her law degree in addition to her teaching certificate. I know what I’m talking about.” Her eyes slipped over the brim of her glasses, giving her that condescending know-it-all look, and if it wouldn’t have prompted too many questions, I would’ve thrown my arms around her and squeezed her.
Instead, I cleared my throat and said, “Well, that’s good for them, I suppose.”
We sat for a few moments in silence as I realized I’d been so afraid, so uncertain before, about being implicated as Wingdinger, that I’d barely noticed I’d given up more peace in giving up than I’d had in keeping up the fight. I traced the non-existent outline of the Prince’s Emblem on my wrist. Was it possible . . . ?
My voice sounded hollow as I stood up. “I have to go. I have some work to do.”
“All right. You just keep doing your best, Dinger,” Martha said. “I have faith you’ll commit to doing the right thing when it comes down to it.”
My heart sank to the bottom of my foot as guilt once more weighed down on me. What if it was too late?
“I think I need a bit of a nap, anyway.” Martha yawned. “Thanks for coming to see me again. It’s always nice talking with you.”
“You know I need you to be my campaign manager one day,” I replied jokingly. “I’ll see you next Monday then?”
“Oh, yeah. I can’t take off any more days. Once you’re a teacher, you feel guilty for missing school. It’s no longer fun to play hooky.”
“See you later then,” I waved and walked out the door, shutting it behind me.
I walked down towards the waiting room, still unsure of what to do, if anything, about anything. There was a window, and I noticed there were some stars twinkling back at me. It wasn’t late out, but it was dark.
I remembered the day Elysian absconded me and flew me up high above the world to the point where I’d had trouble breathing. I thought about the kingdom of stars, how there was a prince up there I couldn’t name, and I’d been called to defend the earth . . . and how I’d rejected it for a life of personal peace, pleasure, and affluence.
There’s something out there much bigger than myself, I thought. And then I began to get angry. Angry with myself, this prince person I didn’t even know, and Elysian and Starry Knight . . . . I guess ‘bigger’ didn’t mean ‘easier.’ But then, maybe it didn’t have to mean ‘harder,’ either.
“I don’t know what to do,” I muttered, talking to myself. “I don’t know why. I don’t know how. I need help, and I need you to help me out with this. I don’t want to take a leap of faith. But I don’t want to stay on the ground anymore.”
The stars just twinkled at me in response. I sighed. It had to be a choice, I suppose, not a sure thing, in order to count.
“Who are you talking to?”
I jumped, turning around. “Oh, hey Gwen.” I hadn’t been expecting to see her. “I’m just talking to myself, that’s all.”
Gwen smiled back. “Oh, I see. Here I thought you were making a wish on a star or something like that.”
“I don’t watch Disney movies anymore,” I scoffed.
Gwen shrugged. “Your loss,” she said with a small giggle. She then hesitated. “How did you know I was here?”
“I just came here to see Martha.” I didn’t really need to tell her the truth after she’d lied to me, I figured.
“Oh.” She scooched back a bit. “Are you angry with me for being here?”
“No.”
“You’re lying. Do you just not trust me?”
“No. I mean–” I stopped talking. I hadn’t meant to say that. How could I explain I was angry at something that wasn’t supposed to exist?
“Are you jealous of Tim?”
I groaned. “Gwen, I’m not angry at you. I’m confused more than anything, if you want the truth. I know a couple of the other students here are your friends. I think it’s okay you want to come see them.” I mean, that was reasonable. “I know you like Tim, so I am just frustrated over why you even want to go out with me.” Other than the fact she couldn’t go out with Tim.
Gwen stilled. “I thought you liked me, and I wanted to give you a chance.”
“Okay,” I said. Not really sure how to handle that.
She frowned. “What do you want from me, Hamilton?”
“I want to be able to trust you, for one thing.” That lashed out a bit too harshly, and I knew it immediately. “Sorry.” I shrugged and scratched my head. What did I want from her? “I guess I just want you to decide what you want and commit to it. I mean, I don’t want to waste my time any more than you want to waste yours.”
As soon as I said it, Starry Knight conjured up in my mind. Was that why I was her greatest weakness? She hadn’t been able to trust me? Well, she was smart not to, I guess, I thought as I recalled how I’d quit and gotten rid of the mark.
“Well, for the record,” Gwen remarked quietly, bringing me back to the present, “I don’t consider time with you a ‘waste,’ boyfriend or not. We’ve been friends for a while now.”
“Sorry.” I shook my head. “I’ve got some other things on my mind tonight, Gwen. I can’t process this right now. So just let me know, okay? I frankly hate hospitals and I’m pretty sure that’s why I can’t really think about this right now.” I lie so easily, I realized.
“Okay.” Gwen nodded. She gave me a small smile. “Thanks. I’ll see you later.”
“Sure. I’m going to head home–”
A blaring alarm interrupted me. I could barely register the announcements over the PA system as nurses and aides of all kinds were suddenly running down the hall to the quarantine ward.
“Wonder what’s going on?” Gwen asked, just a bit of fear creeping into her tone.
I didn’t need a supernatural warning to know nothing good was happening. But I knew for sure the sky darkened to a bloody sky, the stars were swallowed up by shadows, and the air carried the malevolent laughter of an all-too familiar figure.
Eris had come out of hiding at last.
☼19☼
Courage
“Gwen, get out of here as fast as you can,” I instructed. “Go home.”
“What?” Gwen did a double take. “Surely–”
Her statement was cut short by the power cutting off. I could feel the hush of uncertainty in the other occupants. The emergency lights flickered on a moment later.
There was a resounding clash outside; I headed over to the window to see if I could see what was happening. I never made it.
“What the–” was all I had time to say before somehow managing to duck. The window–along with several others nearby–collapsed at the explosive power. Glass shards went flying throughout the room. Splintering rain came pouring in.
I gritted my teeth with determination as I stood up and (carefully) brushed the broken glass off of my clothes. “Stay here!” I shouted towards Gwen, as I made my way through the mess and out into the awaiting storm. I didn’t wait for her objection.
I was just about to glance back and make sure she wasn’t trying to follow me when I faltered. The sight before me stunned me into unmoving silence.
The sky had changed abruptly; it was black with thick, ghastly vapors, and lightning danced menacingly from cloud to cloud. The wind was whipping through the town in spurts, almost like it was being tossed around by a very confused blender.
Tree limbs were seen rolling down the street, and debris was everywhere. I could make just out shadows of people scurrying into the nearest buildings.
Fear crept up my spine. Oh crap. This is bad.
A very depraved laughter rang through the now-empty streets of the city. I looked around to see where it was coming from, but I couldn’t pinpoint the source. The wind had picked up again, and I had to put my hands out to protect my face from the leaves and small twigs suddenly attacking me.
“Plew!” I scrunched up my face as I tried to spit out some of the stuff flowing into my mouth. “Yuck!”
As I saw it, I had two choices. I could head back to the hospital, try to lay low, protect Gwen, and keep my nose out of all of this. I could maybe even convince myself it wasn’t a supernatural event. I could lie to myself forever.
I could give up on Elysian and Starry Knight and destiny all together. I’m sure the Prince of Stars would understand. He seems pretty capable of handling all this with his power anyway, I reasoned.
But . . .
The last time this happened, I met the Prince, I remembered. The last time I faltered, he’d been there for me. I was half-expecting him to show up now and tell me to grow up, get a hold of myself, and go do the right thing. The strangest part of all this was his silence, I thought. If I rejected him, was it possible he’d rejected me too?
I had to find out.
Keeping my face from the direction of the wind, I began to creep towards the end of the street.
The ominous laughter cackled again, and I faltered. Fear had seized me at that particular sound of doom.
I turned and looked back at the deserted streets and a sense of incredibility took over me. What on earth am I thinking? I wondered. I must be crazy. Anyone in the world would tell me this is crazy.
I glanced down at my wrist. There was no trace of any hope.
I was just thinking of turning back when I saw Elysian. The dragon was weaving throughout the tops of the building and along the windy ways, his flight pattern slow and twisted but still steady.
“Elysian!” I called out, waving my arms wildly. He never made the smallest indication he’d heard me. And if he had, he’d ignored me.
I watched him go and felt angry. All of sudden Elysian didn’t care about dragging me into danger? When did this happen?
I was quickly jolted out of my thoughts when a lightning bolt flashed to the ground nearby. I jumped and was nearly blown over from the harsh winds. I gritted my teeth again as I (barely) managed to pick myself off the ground.
A large rumble shook the ground, and this time, I actually did fall to the ground. I scraped my hands as I caught myself, but I was too distracted to think about the pain. “No,” I whimpered.
It wasn’t only Eris who had come out to play.
The Sinisters–all of them, from Asteropy’s blazing yellow to Maia’s muffled blue–were here.
“I had forgotten the joy that races through my body at the sign of fleeing humans,” Elektra spoke up as she used her power to blow up a nearby telephone pole.
“I have to disagree,” Maia remarked as she blew her own power onto some humans on the top floor of a building. She laughed as they all fell asleep and collapsed. “They are enjoyable enough when they are helpless.”
“Sisters, hush!” Asteropy scolded. “Do not ruin our fun with your bickering.”
“Hey! We’re not bickering!” Elektra huffed. “As if I would fight with Maia, of all the useless opponents.”
“You shut up, Elektra!” Maia shouted back as she heaved a wave of power at her antagonistic sister.
“Watch it, Maia!” Celaena shouted back, her purple skin dulling as Maia’s lackadaisical aim managed to half-fall on her. “Ooh, you make me so mad sometimes with your incompetence!”
That was all it took to get them started. The fight turned inward as the sisters all started defending or lashing out against the others.
If we’re lucky, they’ll destroy themselves, I thought with a bitter grin.
An arrow of light shot out and pierced through the cloudy miasma produced by the Sinisters’ quarrel. A howl cried out.
Turning around, I saw her again; Starry Knight was perched behind a balcony. I could almost see her smile of satisfaction.
“You fools!” Asteropy grasped her arm, burning from the arrow’s hit. “Stop fighting each other, and get them!” She pointed weakly at their mutual opponents.
Each Sinister turned, only to have Elysian’s fire burn into them from behind.
As the battle around me raged, the buildings surrounding me started to crinkle; a few cracked along the top and bricks and siding, metal and glass all started to scatter down to the street.
I raced to get around the corner, but I only ran into a more deadly intersection. I held my arm protectively over my face as I hurried to dodge objects being blown in my direction.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of light. For a moment I thought it was just another bolt of lightning. But a second later, I realized it was different.
Starry Knight and the Sinisters were headed towards the center of the city. I shook my bitterness off, and hurried after her on foot, not even really fully understanding why I was running towards the fight instead of away from it (surprise, surprise), or what I was supposed to do when I got there.
I managed miraculously to make it to the heart of the city battle without getting any permanent damage done to my body. My leg was bleeding, and I was pretty sure a rib was broken, but I’d managed to make it to the battle scene alive.
I watched from behind the corner of a building as Starry Knight fought against the Sinisters. All of them seemed to determine her to be the bigger threat, I noticed. Elysian, for all his size and firepower, was outshone by the pretty girl wrapped in light.
A disturbing sense of déjà vu hit me full force. I had seen this before.
Starry Knight stumbled, taking a hit in the chest. I cringed. As much as I didn’t like her, I felt pity for her; I was pretty sure the blow had fractured a rib or two. Even Starry Knight seemed to feel the pain; her face crinkled as she tried to fly away.
Elysian came to her rescue a moment later, and while her expression cleared, I noticed her ferocity had dimmed ever so slightly.
I was so intent on watching the battle in the sky I didn’t noticed someone had appeared behind me.
A moment later I regretted my intense fixation; five sharp claws raked across my back, causing me to scream in pure pain.
Tears flecked across my vision, but I knew who it was. “Get away from me, you monster!” I yelled, trying to scurry back.
Eris laughed. “You foolish boy! You should have run away when you had the chance!” She grabbed me by the neck and held me up to her face.
My vision cleared as I gasped for air. I saw her face and felt all the viciousness inside of me bubble up. A desire to live and to fight (and brutally!) boiled deep within me. “You–”
Her eyes glinted as she smirked. For the first time in my life, I understood why teachers hated it when I smirked. She tightened her grip. “You have such a bright soul,” she murmured thoughtfully. “Normally you can’t see it in humans, but you must be a rare, luminous one.”
My brain was going fuzzy. I grasped weakly at her arm and glanced at my wrist. I suddenly felt like groaning. I was about to be killed and my supernatural mark was still not going to show up?!
“Your jealousy and fear sparkle so deliciously,” Eris murmured, almost breathlessly.
Before I could curse (silently, of course) I was released. Abruptly.
Not by her choice, I noticed; her short shriek of surprise roared as I fell hard to the ground once more.
I sucked up a large breath of air before looking up to see Starry Knight grasping her bow in front of me.
“Leave him! Your battle is with me!” Starry Knight shouted.
I wouldn’t deny I am a skeptical person by nature. But even as I looked up at Starry Knight, I was doubtful she could hold
up much longer.
Starry Knight had really taken quite the beating. I almost smiled, seeing she was nowhere near as graceful as she usually was. Her hair was a mess, her feathers were burned and brittle in some areas, and her stance was tense, probably as a result from that blow to the chest area.
Eris unleashed a whirlwind of dark light before anyone could say anything else.
I felt myself moving; I also heard a small choke of pain, and saw a blinding explosion even as I shielded my eyes.
Amidst the twisting strands of pain wrapping around me, I felt a cloak of safety enfold me. I glanced up warily to see Starry Knight had encased me in her bruised wings and was holding me close to her.
I was at first repulsed by this; I didn’t like being around Starry Knight, let alone this close to her. She even smelled funny, I thought, as the odd aroma of sweet bitterness tickled my nose.
My knee-jerk reaction was to tell her to go away, but as I looked up at her, to see her in pain, while protecting me, not even knowing I’d betrayed her before . . . I suddenly felt like throwing up, disgusted with my own actions.
Before I could hold onto her, the flow of energy stopped. I twisted away and ducked, my head before my lunch made its first reappearance.
Starry Knight wobbled as she awkwardly stood up. “Get out of here,” she told me. “You’ll be all right. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
My eyes met hers briefly before she took off again. And then I doubled over and let out the rest of my stomach’s half-digested contents. I whimpered softly as I felt my vomit burn into the cuts on my leg. Get out of here? I thought bitterly to myself. How? What a stupid order! I could barely move.
I weakly turned back to the battle. I watched as Starry Knight fought with the Sinisters. It was awful.
Elysian had been blown into the ground so hard, the gutter had collapsed in part of the street. A helicopter in the sky, probably belonging to a news station, was also suffering as another Sinister or two was attacking.