counter.
“I didn’t realize that you’d be gone so long,” Sterren says as he pushes a plate of bacon and eggs in my direction.
I shake my head, realizing how hungry I am. I hadn’t eaten since I was kidnapped. Frozen or scalding, it would all be wonderful now. “Thank you,” I say as I pick up a crunchy slice of bacon. The first bite is spectacular, but within minutes the bacon has vanished.
Sterren laughs as he watches me shove the eggs in my mouth. Some of it falls onto my lap, but I pick it up and shove that into my mouth as well. There is no reason to worry about lady-like manners right now. I’m seriously starving.
When I am full, I begin to have second thoughts about my behavior. “I’m sorry,” I say after taking a sip of the glass of milk that sits in front of me.
Sterren shakes his head. “Don’t worry. Believe me ; I know what it’s like to feel hunger. And there is no reason to be polite.”
I let out the air that I held in my lungs, relieved. I smile in thanks and proceed to tell him about what happened upstairs. When I am finished, Sterren leans back and tilts his head to the side, clearly captivated by Vick and Val’s stories.
“I r eally had no clue,” he admits. “I just thought Val was evil and crazy.”
“I think he’s crazy because of the voices in his head. What was he like before? Because when he told his story, he was different. He was almost more human,” I declare.
Sterren bites his lip, thinking. “I think he was more human back then. I think that he lost it over time,” he agrees. “But, I also think that he doesn’t want to be reminded of his humanity. Val seems like he wants to forget, like he doesn’t want to be a part of the race that hurt him so badly.”
“I don’t blame him. I hate witnessing people with bad behavior, people that live their lives making poor decisions.”
Sterren mumbles in agreement. “But does it ever make you want to be something different?”
For a moment, I am stumped. Did I ever want to stop being human because of something they did? No, I had focused on the good inside us. I shake my head, knowing that I would always claim to be human. I would never claim to be anything more; I would never claim to be special or different. I would never claim to be jaded or scarred. The experiences I have had, whether good or bad, would shape me into a well-rounded person. And I would be whole.
But would I feel that way if I had been dealt a card like Vick’s? I didn’t know.
Chapter 9
“It is time,” Val says as he steps into the room. He is still wearing that same dark cloak, but as I sit up, I notice that something has been added. He wears a purple broach on his chest. It is connected to a ribbon that hangs there, a distant reminder of Ego, who was killed in battle. It isn’t exactly a purple heart, but it means the same thing.
I stand up, releasing myself from Sterren’s arms. I’m ready to do this. I never thought that I would be ready to do this, but I am. Vick comes around the corner a s I’m thinking this. And in some way, I feel connected to him. We have both lost things, and we have both been forced to fight for our freedom. He’s not wearing his veil, and I can feel the mood change; it shifts from greys to darker blues, like indifference fading into depression. “Let’s go, Star Caster. I have my first wish, and it cannot be wasted,” he says powerfully.
I nod and step forward.
Sterren’s hand reaches out to grab mine. “What are you doing?” he asks me desperately.
I can tell that he’s wondering what’s going on. Why am I so eager to do this now? He doesn’t understand, though. He doesn’t understand what I’m doing. He doesn’t understand that some people have to do something, anything to gain control. I had to do that. I had to gain control of my life when my mother died – my true mother, Hilary. Sterren had to watch the Star Casters disappear, but that time has gone by. The
“I didn’t realize that you’d be gone so long,” Sterren says as he pushes a plate of bacon and eggs in my direction.
I shake my head, realizing how hungry I am. I hadn’t eaten since I was kidnapped. Frozen or scalding, it would all be wonderful now. “Thank you,” I say as I pick up a crunchy slice of bacon. The first bite is spectacular, but within minutes the bacon has vanished.
Sterren laughs as he watches me shove the eggs in my mouth. Some of it falls onto my lap, but I pick it up and shove that into my mouth as well. There is no reason to worry about lady-like manners right now. I’m seriously starving.
When I am full, I begin to have second thoughts about my behavior. “I’m sorry,” I say after taking a sip of the glass of milk that sits in front of me.
Sterren shakes his head. “Don’t worry. Believe me ; I know what it’s like to feel hunger. And there is no reason to be polite.”
I let out the air that I held in my lungs, relieved. I smile in thanks and proceed to tell him about what happened upstairs. When I am finished, Sterren leans back and tilts his head to the side, clearly captivated by Vick and Val’s stories.
“I r eally had no clue,” he admits. “I just thought Val was evil and crazy.”
“I think he’s crazy because of the voices in his head. What was he like before? Because when he told his story, he was different. He was almost more human,” I declare.
Sterren bites his lip, thinking. “I think he was more human back then. I think that he lost it over time,” he agrees. “But, I also think that he doesn’t want to be reminded of his humanity. Val seems like he wants to forget, like he doesn’t want to be a part of the race that hurt him so badly.”
“I don’t blame him. I hate witnessing people with bad behavior, people that live their lives making poor decisions.”
Sterren mumbles in agreement. “But does it ever make you want to be something different?”
For a moment, I am stumped. Did I ever want to stop being human because of something they did? No, I had focused on the good inside us. I shake my head, knowing that I would always claim to be human. I would never claim to be anything more; I would never claim to be special or different. I would never claim to be jaded or scarred. The experiences I have had, whether good or bad, would shape me into a well-rounded person. And I would be whole.
But would I feel that way if I had been dealt a card like Vick’s? I didn’t know.
Chapter 9
“It is time,” Val says as he steps into the room. He is still wearing that same dark cloak, but as I sit up, I notice that something has been added. He wears a purple broach on his chest. It is connected to a ribbon that hangs there, a distant reminder of Ego, who was killed in battle. It isn’t exactly a purple heart, but it means the same thing.
I stand up, releasing myself from Sterren’s arms. I’m ready to do this. I never thought that I would be ready to do this, but I am. Vick comes around the corner a s I’m thinking this. And in some way, I feel connected to him. We have both lost things, and we have both been forced to fight for our freedom. He’s not wearing his veil, and I can feel the mood change; it shifts from greys to darker blues, like indifference fading into depression. “Let’s go, Star Caster. I have my first wish, and it cannot be wasted,” he says powerfully.
I nod and step forward.
Sterren’s hand reaches out to grab mine. “What are you doing?” he asks me desperately.
I can tell that he’s wondering what’s going on. Why am I so eager to do this now? He doesn’t understand, though. He doesn’t understand what I’m doing. He doesn’t understand that some people have to do something, anything to gain control. I had to do that. I had to gain control of my life when my mother died – my true mother, Hilary. Sterren had to watch the Star Casters disappear, but that time has gone by. The
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