“Enough!” He wrenches me away from the wall and throws me to the ground, pouncing on top of me. With one hand firmly gripping his staff, his other fiery hand wraps around my neck, burning my flesh. “Youwillstand before the Dark One, Starla Milan. Judged unworthy, sentenced to eternal torment. All who are deemed unworthy shall burn. Your parents will burn. Your friends will burn.Theywill burn.”
At his last words, four shadows emerge from the cave. Not children this time, but men.
Mymen. My brothers.
Thank Goddess!
“Doc!” I shout. “Kirin!” But none of them acknowledge me. “Hey! Ani! Baz!”
Nothing. Not even a flicker of recognition. They stare into the distance, their eyes glazed, their bodies pale and weak, their movements as sluggish as the child’s were.
Judgment raises his staff toward them.
One by one, they lift their hands and bow their heads, as if forced into some terrible prayer that no one will ever answer.
“Unworthy!” Judgment shouts.
And with a single swoop of his staff, they’re incinerated.
They glow bright, and then darken before my eyes. I watch in shocked horror as their bones turn to ash, then blow away like tiny black birds on the current.
There is nothing left to say. Nothing left to fight. Nothing left to live for.
Grief takes hold, and I close my eyes, wishing at once for death. I can’t carry this pain. Not again. Not for them.
Starlight, you need to leave now. Starlight… come on, baby. Open your eyes.
That voice… I know that voice...
Starlight…
“Mom!” I gasp. Despite the pain burning through my chest, I open my eyes. I don’t see her, but I feel her, my mother’s gentle touch on my face, the scent of frankincense and yellow roses tickling my nose…
Leave this place, my love. You’ve lingered too long. Wake up now. Wake up, Starlight…
Wrenching myself from the nightmare’s deadly stranglehold, I bolt upright in bed with a gasp. Sweat beads across my forehead, and my heart feels like a ticking bomb one second away from explosion.
The smell of smoke clings to my hair, the taste of it coating my tongue.
Kicking hard, I free myself from the tangle of sheets and bolt for the bathroom, making it just in time to retch into the sink.
Nightmare, girl. Just a crazy fucking nightmare. You’re free. Breathe. Just breathe.
When the heaving stops, I scan the darkness, searching for a glimpse of my mother.
I don’t find her. I knew I wouldn’t.
What I find instead has me retching all over again.
Dark red footprints lead from the bed to the bathroom, glistening on the white tile floor like rubies in the snow. My feet are practically shredded, throbbing with very real pain that I’m only just now starting to feel. When I hobble back into the bedroom and flick on the lights, I find my white sheets streaked with blood and ash.
My lavender is gone. In its place lies a charred, mangled branch of holly, its once vibrant green leaves curled and darkened, the berries split open like tiny red hearts set aflame.
Two
BAZ
The sound of high-heels clacking on a stone floor turns my blood to fucking ice.
