flash of light, for the gritty sound, the smell of something
burning and her disappearance?
He turned in circles, searching the street for the sight of
the black rags. His thigh muscles clenched. Taking off, he sprinted half a
block to the right and when he came up empty-handed, he twisted on a heel and
went back the way he’d come.
Fear assaulted him—battered him with stronger blows than any
he’d ever received in the ring. What had he done?
Lost her. You’ve lost her.
The truth was a spear in his soul and he curled around it,
blazing with pain and absolute awe at what he’d seen. For one shimmering
moment, he wondered if she’d been telling the truth. The world was filled with
strange mysteries. He believed there were other life forms in distant galaxies.
Why not celestial beings as she claimed?
He thundered up the stairs to his apartment, ignoring the
sweat soaking his spine and the droplets flying off his hair. He had to get to
his computer and a search engine. At that moment, he wasn’t concerned with
uncovering Vega’s past. He prayed he could find something that might help him
get her back.
* * * * *
The bright tang of cloudy air coated the back of Vega’s
tongue and her hair whipped straight back in the forceful winds high above
Earth. Moisture slicked her face, and as the breeze tore her clothing from her,
her bare limbs and torso grew damp.
Tears rained down her cheeks. She soared through the cloud
layers, up into the ozone, defying gravity. Without effort, she ascended to her
rightful place in the heavens.
But her mind and heart were still firmly fixed on Earth with
Niles.
He didn’t believe you.
She’d known he wouldn’t, but the reality was a blow. The
dark anger that had pooled in his eyes cut her to the core.
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
burning and her disappearance?
He turned in circles, searching the street for the sight of
the black rags. His thigh muscles clenched. Taking off, he sprinted half a
block to the right and when he came up empty-handed, he twisted on a heel and
went back the way he’d come.
Fear assaulted him—battered him with stronger blows than any
he’d ever received in the ring. What had he done?
Lost her. You’ve lost her.
The truth was a spear in his soul and he curled around it,
blazing with pain and absolute awe at what he’d seen. For one shimmering
moment, he wondered if she’d been telling the truth. The world was filled with
strange mysteries. He believed there were other life forms in distant galaxies.
Why not celestial beings as she claimed?
He thundered up the stairs to his apartment, ignoring the
sweat soaking his spine and the droplets flying off his hair. He had to get to
his computer and a search engine. At that moment, he wasn’t concerned with
uncovering Vega’s past. He prayed he could find something that might help him
get her back.
* * * * *
The bright tang of cloudy air coated the back of Vega’s
tongue and her hair whipped straight back in the forceful winds high above
Earth. Moisture slicked her face, and as the breeze tore her clothing from her,
her bare limbs and torso grew damp.
Tears rained down her cheeks. She soared through the cloud
layers, up into the ozone, defying gravity. Without effort, she ascended to her
rightful place in the heavens.
But her mind and heart were still firmly fixed on Earth with
Niles.
He didn’t believe you.
She’d known he wouldn’t, but the reality was a blow. The
dark anger that had pooled in his eyes cut her to the core.
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
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