Mischief in the Stars

Making Her

"Don't tell me you have an entire room of stars just for me? Oh, Caeler, you flatter me!" Rory mocked in a breathy voice, placing a light hand over her racing heart. He let out a chuckle, gently shaking his head.

"You have no idea what we have in store for you. But, I am sure you will be very... pleased," Caeler told her cautiously. Her thick eyebrows knitted together as they entered a side room off of the gym.

There were glowing stars all in front of her. There was at least triple the amount that she had in her room. The stars all rotated slowly, glimmering a new part of the room with each movement. Rory couldn't help but let out a joyous laugh, feeling rejuvenated by the presence of so many stars. It felt as if every molecule in her was ignited by the stars; they pulled her to them. Her skin was covered in tingles, making her shiver. Glancing at her body, she noticed the hairs on her arms were standing rigidly up and diagonally towards the stars. Her body needed to be near them. She was so overcome with euphoria that she nearly forgot about the warlock next to her.

"Do you feel that?" Caeler whispered slowly, moving right next to her. So close that she could feel his warm breath on her neck, sending an uncomfortable shiver down her spine. "Do you feel the pull?"

"How did you know..." Rory's question trailed off, still enchanted by the stars. He placed a tight hand on her shoulder, causing her to flinch in surprise.

"I told you, little star... I know you," he told her slowly and deliberately, emphasizing each word carefully. The confidence in his tone made Rory shudder. He gave her shoulder a light squeeze before letting go, shuffling towards the stars. He held his arms out beside him as if to present the stars. "Now, which one would you like?"

Rory didn't say anything; she just observed each star. She paused for a moment before turning to him. "How do I choose?"

"Don't depend on your mind for that answer... your body will choose for you," Caeler told her knowingly. She nodded for a moment before trying to numb her mind. She needed to depend on the pull she felt in her body. If she could clear her mind, then she could let her body make the decision.

Rory didn't realize she was walking until she heard Caeler coaxing her on. Blinking quickly, she stopped in front of one star in particular, tilting her head slightly as if to make sure. Her body moved of its own accord, her hand appearing in front of her eyes. Her fingers gingerly wrapped around the glowing star. Energy erupted inside of her, almost throwing her backward by the force. When she moved to retract her hand, she realized she physically couldn't. Her hand was locked around the star, energy electrifying her veins. She let out a choked gasp that came out strangled. "I- I don't know what's-"

"Don't fight it, Rory!" she heard Caeler shout in the background. From her peripheral vision, she saw her hair begin to glow, her brown locks floating upward as a bright white aura surrounded her. Her eyes bulged from her head, light capturing her vision.

Eventually, her hand allowed her to let go. The glowing stopped immediately as she collapsed to the ground. Her hair sprawled in front of her face, strands sticking to her forehead due to sweat. She panted heavily, her body jolting every few seconds as it tried to contain the energy. Shakily lifting her head, she locked her star-filled eyes with the warlock. Her voice dropped dangerously low. "What was that?"

"Your body needs the energy it gets from the stars. These stars have been picked and pampered just for you, your body reacted just the way it was supposed to," he explained to her, she could tell he was hiding something from her, but she let it go. "How do you feel?"

"Good... I feel good," Rory breathed out, still catching her breath.

"'Good?' That's the best you can do? Come on, give me more than that. I'll ask you again: how do you feel?" Caeler repeated forcefully.