Stargazer

Chapter 15

A FEW DAYS LATER

"Calynn, do you like anyone?" 

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Felix, I'm sure."

"I don't think you are."

"We're all individuals with our own opinions."

The son of Eros let out a sigh beside me, "Fine." He looked up, "I wanted to help cheer you up, Cally... You aren't acting like yourself. I wanna help."

"Felix, I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind."

"Like what?"

It's my turn to sigh, "First off the stars won't talk to me. They always communicate, somehow. But at the moment... they're silent."

"Oh..." He stared up into the night. "Well... If you don't mind, you could tell me a star story."

Star stories. That wasn't a phrase I'd hear in a while. Back before we got here, before I'd agreed to everything, long before I'd said goodbye to my mom, Felix hadn't been able to sleep one night. I'd taken him out on the deck and told him to point to any star or constellation and I would do my best to tell him it's story. It was a way for him to learn the dangers of being a halfblood, to teach him the wisdom of the all seeing sky. A way for him to understand why the only family he had left in the world, was his sister. 

I smiled at him, "I'd love to." 

He looked up and described what he saw. 

I knew the story at once. "The Pleiades. It's a star cluster, it's made up of seven stars, from what the average human can see, it has more but the naked eye can only see so much. Sometimes it's called the seven sisters. They were all daughters of Atlas." 

"What happened?"

"After Atlas was forced to carry the heavens on his shoulders, Orion began to pursue all of the Pleiades named , Maia, Electra, Taygete, Alcyone, Sterope, and Merope after he fell in love with their beauty and grace. Artemis asked Zeus to protect the Pleiades and Zeus did so by transforming them first into doves, and then into stars to comfort their father. Once Orion died, Zeus then turned Orion into a constellation to further pursue the Pleiades in the skies."

"The loss of one of the sisters, Merope, in some myths may reflect an astronomical event wherein one of the stars in the disappeared from view by the naked eye. Merope, we met her once, she went by Zoe Nightshade."

"The hunter?" Felix asked.

"Yes."

"The one who died?"

"That's her. She lived for a long time. She became a hunter of Artemis. And when she died, the lady of the moon put her in the stars. So that she could, once again, be with her family and still be a hunter."

"But... she was put in the sky seperately... I don't get it. She was her own constellation."

"I know... But... well somethings just don't make sense." I continue "Pleiades is part of the constellation Taurus, the bull. Do you see the V shaped pattern, that's the bulls face. Go a bit further and you'll get to these three stars in a straight line, that's Orion's belt." 

"The hunter and the prey. But why is the bull there?"

"The bull was from another set of Atlas's daughters. But that's another story."

"Oh. Okay. Who was Orion exactly?"

"He was the first male ever to join the Hunters of Artemis. And it didn't end well."

"What happened?"

"After befriending Artemis he fell for her, even though she had pledged not to marry. The feelings weren't mutual however. One day he just went mad. That day he was killed by a scorpion that was sent by his mother because he was on a murder spree."

"Oh." 

"Yeah. Felix, you should go get some sleep."

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine."

Felix left reluctantly. Leaving me to my thoughts.

Unfortunately my thoughts weren't that great. I fell asleep in the strawberry field hoping to, for once, avoid the world of dreams.

But that didn't happen. My mind took me to a familiar place, a place i hadn't seen in years. I was in my old house, I was alone, but that wasn't a problem. I had spent so much time in this place alone it felt right.

I walked over to the balcony, I looked over and saw the view. It was just as I remembered. The ocean was as chaotic as it always was.

I closed my eyes and breathed in the salty sea air. As much as I was enjoying this, it was a memory. And as nice as it was now, it hadn't been the last time. Because the last time I had been running for my life, but this time I was looking through the eyes of someone else. I no longer could control my actions, or how i felt.

I looked at the ground below me and my heart sank. Three kids where running for their lives across the grass. They ran from the house and made their way to the forest.

I wouldn't have felt bad but I knew those children and I loved them. I didn't know what they where running from but I knew I couldn't interfere. I stood and watched as they ran.

I don't know where the fire started, but it engulfed everything in the house. Including me.

I felt a strange cold as the flames touched my skin, and then I heard a voice. You said you wanted me to run away with you. Now, I want you to come with me.

My body was no longer on fire, I was transparent and floating. I didn't understand but I knew one thing, I had to make sure she was safe.

I watched as the girl with brown hair fell to her knees. She was screaming and the other two where trying to calm her down. She had buried her face in her hands and her sobs broke my heart. I could feel myself fading, but I held on. I would not let go. Not until I knew she was safe.

The voice seemed to read my mind. She will be fine Beatrice. I will keep her safe. Just like I will keep you safe.

It felt wrong to agree to go with him, but if it kept her safe. I nodded slowly and I felt and invisible hand take mine. When the two of you are ready, you will meet again. I promise.

And then the dream faded away and I was in my own body once more. I wanted to wake up so I could process what I had just witnessed. But no such luck.

I was in dreamland, and there was no way i was getting out soon.