Starfire Angels (Starfire Angels: Dark Angel Chronicles Book 1) by Melanie Nilles Page A

She
couldn't sit here forever with Elis and Evelyn. She needed distance
to stay mad. In his calm presence, she couldn't stay angry like she
wanted, adding insult to injury.
    She peeked out the front window. The car was
still there. Why was her quiet life turning upside down now?
    "You could use this time to practice," Elis
said.
    "Yeah. Okay." She gave a low growl in
concession and started up the stairs.
    "I am sorry."
    She halted. "Shut up." Why did he have to be
so nice about it? She wished she could go back to thinking he was
creepy and stay pissed at him, but she couldn't. He wasn't creepy,
just shy, maybe, and a little annoying. Or was his patient,
soft-spoken manner getting to her? She did have fun last night.
    Oh, no. She was not liking him. This
was all the Starfire's fault. She wished her mother had never
passed it on to her, or that it had rejected her. "Forget it. It's
over. Don't talk about it anymore."
    When he said nothing, she hurried up the
stairs to his room. His room. Why couldn't she do this in her
room?
    That damned Nina Russet. That's why.
    Why did the woman have to bother her? That's
whose fault this situation was. Raea couldn't wait for the woman to
go home. But what about the film crew she would bring back? They'd
never have any peace, not for a while, anyway.
    In some way this was Elis's fault too. He
had played hero and caused the reports that brought attention here.
Damn them both.
    In her session with Elis, the resonance came
easier, almost without thought. Letting it go took more effort. It
warmed through her and each time grew warmer, until she couldn't
quit sweating.
    "Dinner's ready," Evelyn called up the
stairs.
    None too soon. Raea's stomach gurgled at the
thought of food, especially Evelyn's cooking. When did she start
thinking of Mrs. Johnson by her first name? She could blame that on
Elis too. Too bad she couldn't blame him for Pallin leaving in a
couple weeks.
    "A good place to end. You're gonna burn
yourself out if you keep trying too hard."
    "Fine. Then I quit." She didn't want any of
this. She wanted a normal life. Now she knew why Debbie hadn't told
her.
    She wanted food and shoved past Elis.
    He caught her hand, stopping her at the
door. How dare he—
    "You're doing far better than I
expected."
    Damn, him. She hated him because she
couldn't stay mad. She yanked her hand from his and hurried down
the stairs. Not fast enough. She felt the blush warming her cheeks.
How did he do that? It's like he knew exactly how to reach inside
her emotions and make her feel better, which embarrassed her
because of who he was.
    "I mean it. You're months ahead of many
Keepers." His steps thumped quickly behind her. "Raea?"
    She turned and shoved him away. "Damn it,
Elis. Life was so much easier when I could avoid you. But you have
to be like... nice . I can't stay mad at you, and that's why
I'm mad." He better not take that the wrong way. "But you're not
off the hook about Pallin."
    "I don't like him."
    "Shut up. Just…stay away from him." She had
to end this. Besides, it was time to eat. The scent from the dining
room rushed her down the last few stairs.
    "Come and eat, dear."
    Once again, Evelyn had outdone herself. The
old woman had set out a full course meal. How did she do it? "I
could never eat that much."
    "You need some meat on those bones, dear.
Sit down and eat."
    Why did old women always say that? All that
food looked divine. Raea took a seat near Evelyn. She had made
enough to feed a few Daves. But Raea wasn't like her cousin. Then
again, maybe this time she could be.
    Sometime during the meal, she glanced out at
a wall of white. Yay! If it snowed hard enough school would be
cancelled. But so would any chance to see Pallin—boo. School or
Pallin? Pallin or school? The worst choice in the world. But maybe
that Miss Russet would be stuck at her hotel. Okay, then Raea chose
school canceling.
    When the phone rang, Evelyn started to get
up.
    "I'll get it." Elis jumped up before the old
woman