And so s*t*a*r*s is still #1 on the Thriller list! And so, you, the loyal readers, get another installment. There is no cuddle time in this one: right to the action (read closely!)
s*t*a*r*s
Spencer sits in the area behind the library, books open around her as she pours over information. She has no proof that the DarkHeart is what she thinks it is. She needs the background on this DarkHeart curse. How Jo came into contact with it, how it came into being, where it came from, but there is nothing here. No matter what it is, she wants to know what it will do to them now that it is activated. How will they change? Will they change? She doesn’t know. For the first time in a very long time she’s afraid.
She feels someone’s energy behind her and she knows who it is. She turns and looks over her shoulder. “What are you doing?” asks Abby.
“Reading,” answers Spencer truthfully. “I’m just reading. Dathan has been doing a great job of translating this stuff. But I prefer the paper to the PDF, less chance of me frying a computer.”
Abby nods and sits down next to Spencer. Spencer realizes it’s closer than she usually sits next to anyone. “It’s amazing really, how most of this,” she says waving her hand to indicate the books, “ended up fostering the stories in the Bible and how, well, it’s all fiction.”
“This is fiction?” asks Spencer. She taps the book she is reading, an original journal of Susan’s.
Abby shakes her head. “No, I mean the bible. Iesous, or Jesus, was a god. If you look back he could have been a god of Olympus. He could do things but he never had a chance to really organize, did he? Imagine what he could do now? Hell, one Facebook profile and he could start a real change.”
Spencer leans back and regards Abby with a curious look. “He wanted to conquer and rule the world, Abs. He wanted slaves and followers and wanted Dathan and his kin to be the gods of the earth. How is that good?”
“That’s what Judas says, what everyone who followed Judas says. What about his story” asks Abby? “I want to know what he wanted, where are his journals? Did he have any?”
Spencer spins the ring of bonding on her finger and says nothing. The stone. The stone that they’d been looking for, would that hold the key to his soul? Would it bring the slivers of his soul together? Spencer closes her eyes and wishes for answers.
“I don’t know I’ve never seen any of his writings,” says Spencer. “We could ask Nat or Dathan.”
Abby nods. Her hazel eyes twinkle. “We are of gods, Spence, remember that. Each time we use our powers we are gods.” She stands up and runs her hand up Spencer’s arm. “Come up to bed, even if you are the energizer bunny you need to sleep.”
“I’m going to put this stuff away, I’ll be there in a few,” whispers Spencer. Abby’s touch electrifies her, her fingers flit around her ear and Spencer stops breathing.
Abby leaves the room, her form melding through the wall and Spencer shivers.
Gods.
s*t*a*r*s/J*A*D*E*S
“Why didn’t you tell me?” asks Natalie. She’s angry. Jayden is hiding things. Like Susan had hidden things, like Jo hides things, like everyone hides things. How is she going to keep those girls safe if everyone is hiding valuable information?
“You didn’t tell me that you wanted to swap out the DarkHeart, how was I supposed to know?” asks Jayden. She is sitting on the floor of Natalie’s bedroom. “You don’t tell me stuff you assume that I know. Yeah, I know Judas. I know Leah. I know Eden. What is the big deal?”
“The big deal? You seem to be able to just go somewhere when you have too, how is that?” asks Natalie.
Jayden lifts her hand and a gold ring sits on her left thumb. “It’s a homing ring,” says Jayden. “Leah had it and when I took her blood we found that it worked for me too. It was spelled a long time ago to bring the wearer to its sire. And, since Leah is my sire in a way, when I’m wearing it I just have to think of where she is and I’m there.”
Natalie eases down to the floor and takes Jayden’s hand. “No more secrets, what else aren’t you telling me?” asks Natalie.
Jayden shakes her head. “Natalie,” says Jayden. She contemplates telling her; telling her about Eden about the baby boy that is about to be born, about all the tidbits of information she knows, but she keeps silent. “I don’t want to talk.”
Natalie’s eyes narrow. Jayden reaches out and pulls her close, kissing her heatedly. Natalie responds in kind and soon they are in bed, and Jayden hopes that Natalie stops the interrogation.
s*t*a*r*s
It’s early and Sydney gets up for her morning jog and her pit stop to see Dr. Hathaway to get her anti-viral meds. She ties the sneaker and eases out of the door without waking anyone.
She runs the set of stairs down to the front door and heads out, quiet and not disturbing anyone. In the cool fog of the morning she starts her normal two mile run. She never takes the same path, always changing it up. It’s a huge campus and she likes to dart around trees and have time on her own. She never listens to music either; instead she composes in her mind as she runs.
She rounds the corner and a set of strong arms grab her around the waist. She instantly punches at the head of whoever it is. She connects solidly and feels the arms letting her go. She scrambles to her feet, gets in a defensive stance, and is about to bolt.
“Sydney!” cries Danny, stumbling back and falling onto his ass.
“Oh my god,” says Sydney, falling to her knees and grabbing at him. “What the hell were you thinking?”
He holds his nose, which is gushing blood. “I was thinking of surprising you?”
“You accomplished what you wanted,” snaps Sydney. “I’m sorry.”
He tentatively pulls his hand from his nose and she looks at it. The blood is already slowing. She touches the bridge of his nose and she knows it’s not broken. “I’m so sorry. But don’t ever do that again.”
“You can hit for a girl,” he says wincing as she touches him.
“I can hit period, girl or not, dangerous world we live in, Danny.”
His eyes find hers and he smiles. “Yeah, it is.” His eyes seem to cloud over. “Want to jump me over to the medical building?”
Sydney gives him an odd look. What is he talking about? Jump?
“Sydney, I know,” he says.
“Know that I punched you?” she asks timidly. How could he know? How? She knows that when she’s teleporting the port won’t happen if someone could see her.
He grimaces at the look on her face. Sydney eases away from him and the panic starts to rise hotly in her belly. Then he disappears.
Sydney stands up and spins around. He’s a teleporter! She reels to the left and he’s there, right where he’d been before.
“I can be invisible,” he says. “It’s a chameleon thing. I blend in with the scenery. I saw you teleport once, you just disappeared, it was fabulous.”
Sydney back peddles away from him. He stands and snatches her hand. “Syd, don’t tell anyone. You’re like me, aren’t you? I know you are. I’ve seen it. Don’t, please, don’t run away from me.”
Something rumbles in Sydney’s stomach and she backs right up into the building and Danny stands, his luminous eyes pleading with her. “I won’t say anything but how did you know?”
“I kind of knew,” he said, taking her hand and placing it on her heart, “here.”
Sydney searches his face. “We should, um, get you to Doc Hathaway. I have to go take my meds, come on.”
He doesn’t say anything and lets her lead him away from the spot. A small smile flashing on his lips. He looks over to the left and sees Matt hiding in the shadows of the building. He gives him a thumbs' up as he disappears with Sydney.
J*A*D*E*S
“It’s damn bright, Amy Astin,” says Jo as she lays on the sand, her hands behind her neck, getting as deep of a tan as she could. That’s all Jo wanted to do today, lay in the sun and forget the world.
“Working hard on the tan?” asks Amy. She lays down next to Jo. They don’t touch, and haven’t since Jo’d taken her blood. It had been over a week and Amy remained on the island. Jo hadn’t asked her to leave and Amy hadn’t offered. The walk to the resort was almost an hour and each day Amy promised herself she’d make the trek but something always deterred her from that task.
“Yup, hardest work I’ve done in my life. Tanning. You don’t work on a tan you just lie there and let the sun do the work, Astin.”
“You going to call me Amy anytime soon,” asks Amy in a soft tone?
Jo blinks and turns on her side. “I hadn’t noticed, sorry, Amy.”
They don’t move for a while, Jo looking at Amy with a curious gaze. Jo isn’t sure why Amy is still here. They don’t talk. They make breakfast, lunch, and dinner without a word to each other. Jo has noticed, however, that they move around each other with an ease that she doesn’t ever remember.
“Amy?” whispers Jo.
“Mmmm?” says Amy obviously half asleep.
“Why are you still here?” asks Jo. “I can be a bear when I’m changing. I’ve been sitting at a laptop for hours at a time and I think this is the most we’ve said to each other since Sydney ‘ported us here.”
Amy turns and mirrors Jo’s pose. Their noses almost touching and Jo forces the gasp away from her lips at their proximity. Amy removes her sunglasses then takes Jo’s off. Jo squints almost unable to see. She forces that feeling away and is finally able to open her eyes.
“You really don’t know?” asks Amy in a dry sarcastic filled tone.
“I asked, didn’t I?” asks Jo in a joking tone.
Amy shakes her head. She reaches out and tentatively touches Jo’s cheek. Her thumb finding Jo’s lips and tracing them, Jo doesn’t pull back, her eyes almost curious. “If you don’t know why I’m here then you’re dumber than you look, Wheaton.”
“Back to last names, are we?” asks Jo. “I know why you’re here but you know that I can’t – I can’t now. Amy I don’t know if I’ll ever get over this.”
“I know,” whispers Amy. “You were in love with Bev and she betrayed you. We’ve all betrayed you at some point, haven’t we? But, Jo? I’m not going anywhere. I’m here. I am done running.”
Jo smiles her classic half-smile and nods. “I’ve got a tan to work on.”
Amy falls back onto her back and lets the sun warm her, forgetting everything but the moment. She remembers when Jo’s amber colored eyes would almost scare her, but now they don’t. They haven’t returned to their normal shade of blue green yet and Jo’s taken to wearing colored contact lenses. Amy drifts off to sleep thinking of Jo and her colored eyes.
“Astin,” whispers Jo, hovering over her, blocking out the sun.
Amy pushes at Jo with her power. “Get out of my sun, Wheaton.”
Jo grumbles. “We need to go.”
“Go? Go where? We’re in paradise.”
“Home, Amy, we need to go home.”
Amy sits up and blinks. The sun is on its way down to the horizon, casting long shadows along the beach. “Now? What has gotten into you?”
“Nothing,” says Jo. She sits on the sand next to Amy. “If we stay here something is going to happen and I can’t have that right now. I’m sorry.” Jo looks away sheepishly.
Amy feels her heart flutter hard in her chest. “Oh Jo, I’ll leave. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. You knew I was here for you but not in that way, not unless you want that. You stay,” says Amy getting to her feet, “and I’m going to go home. I should get my butt in gear and help Shelby anyway.”
Amy moves away quickly but Jo catches her. “Non, that’s not it. I have to get back to my life. That’s the only way I’m going to start being me again.” Jo holds Amy closer. “I mean we should leave, together. I don’t mean as a couple I just mean….. I’m ready.”
Amy takes a deep breath of relief. “Sure.”
“I have to get to LA, get my stuff at Bev’s. And, well, get back to work. See Spencer, Dad, Jayden.”
Amy nods. “Are you sure seeing Bev is a good idea?”
Jo’s eyes flash amber and she shrugs. “I’ll go when she isn’t there, I can just break in.”
Amy chuckles and Jo takes her hand. “Let’s get back to the real work, shall we?” says Amy.
“Sounds like a plan, chere.”
s*t*a*r*s
Their days are filled with classes, practicing before dinner, homework and another round of, as Abby called it, Danger Room exercise. Jayden usually leading the later exercise which comprised of them using their powers.
Abby is changing various things from one basic element to another, shifting them faster and faster, her hand trembles from the exertion. Her eyes blaze with heated power. Spencer is hovering not far from her, watching. Something in Abby is changing. Spencer can feel it. She can’t place what it is.
Sydney ports right in front of Spencer, snatching her away and they blink onto the mat of the ring.
“What are you doing?” asks Spencer. Her leg is now solid, made of effortless energy. She flexes her toes and watches Sydney. Something odd has been going on for over a week. Spencer can’t put her finger on it, and neither can Rylee.
“I need to learn to fight,” says Sydney. She’s kept Danny’s power a secret. If he was touching her he could turn her invisible too. They’d been sneaking around campus for the last week, invisible, watching people. There is so much that her friends don’t know, thinks Sydney.
“You already know how to fight. And you know that Lee is a much better fighter than me. You can use any weapon in here,” smiles Spencer. “Your dad taught you how to use weapons, come on, don’t bull shit me.”
“Rylee isn’t here, is she?” offers Sydney.
This was true. Rylee was in LA with her parents. Mario had come into town having been offered a job at UCLA as defensive coordinator for their football team. They were having a family discussion about just what was best for their family. Rylee had secretly told Spencer that her dad was moving to LA, it was a done deal. The house in Hawaii wouldn’t be sold, instead they’d keep it. Seeing as it was paid for.
Spencer sighs. She bounces up on the balls of her feet and then rocks back. “All right, bring it on. But after, we sword fight. I’m bad at it and you’re better than me,” says Spencer.
Tegan takes a break from reversing the time line of objects, which is getting easier. She can’t do it with people. Yet. She goes over to the wall and calls out, “Bleachers!” and they appear. She jogs up them to watch the sparring match.
“Hey, Spence, last time you were in there Rylee kicked your ass AND she told you she cheated on you,” calls out Tegan. Abby sits next to her. Then Abby leans back and places her feet on Tegan’s lap.
Spencer tosses a hot glance at her sister. “Thanks for bringing that up, Tegan.”
“Sure, no problem,” says Tegan. “All part of my sisterly charm.”
Before Spencer can give her sister a snappy reply, Sydney hits her in the chest.
“OW!” cries out Spencer. She takes a wild swing at Sydney.
Sydney side steps, she does a small dance and Spencer growls.
“You need focus, Spencer,” says Jayden from the outside of the ring. She slaps the mat. “Come on.”
Spencer growls again. “No powers.”
“Fine, fine,” says Sydney with a smile. She crouches low and they start to circle one another. Spencer sizes Sydney up and lashes out. First she goes high, wanting to hit a shoulder. Sydney takes the blow and winces. Before she can counter, Spencer drops down to her knee and spins and sweeps Sydney’s legs out from under her.
Sydney lands hard on her back. “Ouch,” she grumbles. “That hurt.”
“Oh was I supposed to not take you off your feet. You left yourself wide open. You got to always be on your toes, literally. You’re flat footed,” says Spencer. She stands and takes Sydney’s hand and helps her to her feet.
Spencer goes through the motions of trying to show Sydney how to do a leg sweep, which is Spencer’s favorite way of getting an enemy down. Once they are down she can sap them of their life force with one touch. Not that she’s done it before, but getting her hands on them is paramount to drain them.
“This isn’t fight style 101, Spencer Wheaton, come on, face off,” instructs Jayden.
Spencer gives Jayden an odd look. She faces off with Sydney and let’s Sydney get in a few good licks before she pivots into her and throws her onto her back. “Point,” says Spencer with no real emotion.
Tegan and Abby are watching intently, Abby sits up and Tegan wraps her arm wrapped around Abby’s waist.
“Sydney, come here,” says Jayden. Sydney goes to Jayden and she whispers into her ear. They talk for a few minutes and then Sydney stands and goes back to her spot.
“Done? Come on, three points and we go to the swords,” says Spencer.
They face off again, this time Sydney blocking most of Spencer’s quick blows and when Spencer comes in to put Sydney down, Sydney cloth lines her.
Spencer lands hard on her back but rolls before Sydney can tag her for a point. Spencer hand springs back up to her feet and as she does, Sydney catches her in the chest. “Point,” says Sydney.
Tegan and Abby hoot.
“You didn’t cheer when I got a point,” snorts Spencer tossing a look to her two friends.
“That’s because you’re Spencer,” says Abby with a teasing voice. “We all know you can’t get hurt.”
Spencer rubs her neck and feels the bruise already healing. “That was mean,” she says.
“It was a tactic,” snaps Sydney. “Let’s go, Wheaton.”
Spencer doesn’t line up for an attack this time, instead she lashes out hard with her left hand, her open hand catching Sydney in the throat. Pivoting right, her elbow catches Sydney in the chest, winding her, and then she grabs her arm and throws her to the mat. “Point.”
Sydney’s eyes brim with power and she smiles, edging up towards Spencer. A crackle of energy fills the room and Spencer shuffles away from Sydney. She can’t tell what is going on but something is transpiring here.
“I’m done, “whispers Spencer.
“We have like half an hour left…,” begins Tegan.
Spencer vaults over the rings ropes, grabs her C-Leg by the door and is gone before anyone can stop her.
“What was that about?” asks Abby.
Tegan shrugs, and leads her down towards the ring. “Jayden, us next, give us some moves.”
Sydney teleports from her spot and instantly finds Spencer in her mind, teleporting within inches of her. She’s out by the oak tree.
“What was that?” demands Spencer, catching Sydney by the shirt the minute she materializes. Anger bubbles in Spencer because she knows what it was. She felt as if something had clicked between them.
Sydney gives her a blank stare. “I don’t know what the hell you are talking about, we were sparring.”
“Sparring? That’s what you call that? There was something else going on there, Syd.”
Sydney pulls away from Spencer, and steps back. “If there is something going on, Wheaton, it’s all in your head. I came to make sure you were okay.”
Spencer takes a hard look at Sydney and sees that she’s telling the truth but there is something underlying and she can’t figure it out. Then what the hell had Spencer felt back there? Why did she suddenly have the undeniable urge to kiss Sydney?
“Are you okay, Spencer?” asks Sydney. She reaches out to touch Spencer but she steps away. “Hey, since when do you move away from me? Spencer?”
The tone of her voice is hurt and Spencer grimaces. “I’m sorry. I just got a bad vibe back there. I’m sorry, Syd. Maybe it was because we were sparring, I don’t know.”
Sydney rolls her deep green eyes and steps up to Spencer and hugs her hard. “You are so stressed out with Rylee being out of our room, your mom; all that shit going down. I get it. I get it and I’m sorry.”
Spencer feels that odd, heated electrical charge again. The same one she’d gotten the other evening when Abby had touched her arm and her ear. Spencer eases away sheepishly and Sydney gives her a coy look, her hand running down Spencer’s arm then to her hand. She takes Spencer’s hand, and looks at her fingers. “You have great hands you know that?” asks Sydney.
“All that guitar playing you make me do,” says Spencer. She winks at Sydney. Trying very desperately to ignore the feelings that are bubbling up into her now.
Sydney grins. “Maybe.”
“We should,” begins Spencer, “go finish up our workout. Come on, you owe me some sword time.”
Sydney snickers.
“What?”
“That is such a hot statement,” says Sydney. She releases Spencer’s hand and Spencer stops in her tracks and realizes that she isn’t going crazy.