Under the Burning Stars (3 page)

“What time’s it starting?” she asked.

“Seven,” Ava said. “I didn’t realize it was almost time.”

“Where’s the man of the hour?” Lance asked. His dark eyes seemed engrossed in the size of the library.
Ava was glad Lance didn’t hate her. He was always like a brother to her, same as Jeremy, who she missed.

“
Home. Where’s everyone else?”

“Oh
, they’re being pansies and avoiding you,” Melissa said. “Except Jeremy, but since Gillian has him shackled to her wrist…” She rolled her eyes. “So how was your first night in the giant mansion?”

“Fine.
I’ve been thinking. Maybe we should all go to the memorial this weekend.”

“What memorial?” Melissa asked.

“The one for the people who died from the bombing,” Ava replied. How could she not know?

“
Why should we go?”

“Because it’s respectful.”

Melissa raised an eyebrow. “They weren’t our friends. They hated us and treated us like crap.”

“Mel, you and Thomas
didn’t treat them any better. What about April Anderson?”

Melissa looked away.
Ava knew April was an old friend of Melissa’s.

“Well, I’m going.”

“You’d only be wasting your time.”

“It’s not a waste of time. You should go.”

“Why? So we can sit around with people we don’t like talking about people we don’t know? They died. It wasn’t our fault and you shouldn’t feel guilty, Ava.”

Ava opened her mouth to say something but then Peter enter
ed the room.

“There you are,
” he said, and sat next to her. “This place is seriously a maze.”

“I’m sure you’ll learn the layout now that Ava’s staying here,” Melissa said. “By the way, was the bed big enough for you two—
?”

“Mel,” Ava warned
.

She
tried not to smile. “What?”

“You’re so bad.” Lance laughed and then kissed Melissa’s temple.

She gave a lopsided smile and leaned closer to Lance. “Yeah, but you like it.” As long as Ava could remember, they were always together. They took care of each other and were at each other’s sides no matter what. In a way, they reminded her of Joss and Eric.

“What
exactly will happen tonight?” Peter asked Gabriel.

“All of the Halflings, and
you, will be initiated into the covens,” he said. “We’ll be doing that soon I’m sure.”

Ava turned to Peter.
“Are you—?”

“Do
n’t even ask.” He raised an eyebrow. His brown eyes melted in hers. “Yes, I’m nervous, but I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life. I promise you that. I meant it when I said I love you.”

“Gag,” Melissa said.

Ava tilted her head and gave her a look.

“
Don’t worry so much,” Peter told her.

She nodded and then Savina came into the room. “We’re ready,” she said.

Peter held Ava’s hand tightly as they stood from the table. “Is this going to hurt?”

“No
.”

She
squeezed his hand as they followed Savina and everyone into the conservatory. Hundreds of candles came to life as they all crossed the threshold. Their glowing orange light reflected in the glass-domed ceiling.

“Wow.” Peter gawked at the ceiling.

“Keep watching,” Ava whispered.

The Elders
Savina, Aaron, Colden, and Maggie, stood in the center while the rest of the coven gathered in a circle around them. Ava looked around at the growing coven, which now included three Halflings.

Nicole
Eckrich had toned down the slutty clothes and dressed like she used to. T-shirt and jeans. Link Harris had dyed his hair back to his normal blond color. And Seth hadn’t changed his brown hair or his preppy look. But Ava could tell he was uncomfortable being there by the way he twitched and his eyes darted from one person to another. They had each gone through such a traumatic experience and were still adjusting, but they wanted to fight whoever started this just as much as Ava did. She was glad she wasn’t the only one who thought it wasn’t really over.

Ava swept her eyes over Thomas and Gillian. Anger emanated
from them through the necklaces. How long were they going to hate her?

They
were mad at her for telling Peter everything and about him joining the coven. Ava hated the tension and the annoying glares. And she missed her friendship with Gillian. She used to be so nice, but lately she’d been so cruel. She had even threatened to mess with Peter’s mind.

“We are here to
bind us all together.” Savina handed Peter, Seth, Link, and Nicole the black boxes that held the pentagram necklaces. “These necklaces will keep us all safe. They make you empathize with each member of your coven. You feel whatever they feel, although some of us are capable of hiding our feelings. The necklaces link and protect us.”

Savina grabbed
the silver bladed knife with a black handle. “This blood will bind us all.” She cut a slit in the palm of her hand. Allowing blood to drip into the pewter chalice, she then passed the knife and chalice to Aaron. Each of them did this while the ceiling displayed their talents as it had before when Ava was seven. The beautiful orange sun exploded light into the room as Lance dropped his blood. Water cast prisms of light for Ava. The flexible limbs of a fire showed for Thomas, then the silver light from the moon representing Gillian. White clouds formed in a funnel as Jeremy placed his blood in the chalice, and finally earth gathered for Melissa.

But when Peter
and the others slid the knife across their palm, and emptied the blood into the cup, nothing displayed on the ceiling.

“Before entering the circle, you must ha
ve absolute love and conviction,” Savina said. “This chalice holds the blood of each of us. As you drink, you will feel a strong sensation.”

Peter took a deep breath. He dran
k the contents from the chalice, and passed it to Seth, until everyone had taken a sip.

“Take each other’s hand, and focus on your
power,” Savina continued. “As we focus, our strength enters Peter.”

Ava
drew a slow deep breath and exhaled. She felt the power within her and everyone else’s consume her. It was stronger now that the other coven was there. Her body hummed and tingled. Then, she sensed a new power, not as strong as the others’, but it was there. The pentagram on the rug glowed, completing their Aureole.             

“You are a Guardian,” Aaron finally spoke.
Even when Aaron was serious, he still sounded like a polite Southern gentleman. He was very regal, but was also someone Ava did not want to upset. “You protect us as well as yourself. Because of this vast protection, your body can regenerate, or heal at an accelerated rate.”

“How do I know I have the power of
an Enchanter?” Peter asked.

Colden
smiled. “Look at your hand.”

Peter
looked down and the cut on his hand had vanished. “Whoa.”

“
Nicole has the ability to manipulate ice,” Savina said. “Link can create explosions and Seth is a Pathfinder. He has the ability to track individuals and objects.”

“We shall train soon, but remember Peter, it takes two days for the full effect,” Maggie stated. Her black hair parted on th
e far left side of her head, covering her right eye, which never seemed to bother her. Her regal stance was daunting. “Tonight, rest so your body can become acclimated. You will feel lethargic during these two days, but I assure you, it’s nothing out of the ordinary. Your body is going through a rather large and distressing change.”

“Two days?
” Peter asked. “I can’t practice or train for two days?”

“For the first few hours, you must rest
,” Aaron said. “When you wake, we can start you out slowly.” He looked from Peter to Seth to Link and finally Nicole. “Welcome to the Aureole.” He gave a warm smile.

Peter and Ava filed out of the room while the others went outside.

“Why didn’t the ceiling portray anything when it was my turn?” he asked.

“
Because it only shows true blooded Enchanters,” Ava replied as they walked up the stairs to her room.

Once inside, she closed the door behind them. She put her hand on his necklace and s
miled a little. “I feel you.”

“I can feel you
, too. It’s almost overwhelming.”

“What are you thinking?”

“How amazing this is. And this energy. I might explode. And I’m a little dizzy.”

“Maybe you should lie down.”

Peter nodded and slipped under the blankets with his arms around her and she rested her head on his chest.

“What are you thinking?”
He intertwined his fingers with hers.

“Oddly at peace. Having you
be like me.”

“You don’t regret this?”

She shook her head. “No.” Ava smiled and continued to feel his immense love for her. “I can now
feel
what you feel for me. I have never been so happy.” She pulled his mouth to hers. It was always electric when they kissed, but now the intensity of their love ran rampant through her veins. Her necklace was hot against her chest, just like the fire of his lips. Nothing else existed but Peter and the comfort of his love. Ava knew that, with Peter by her side, everything would be okay.

Ava dressed in a black sleeveless dress and heels. She hated wearing heels, but at least they weren’t as tall as the ones that Melissa had.

Twelve people
had died in the bombing. Images of fire and smoke flashed in Ava’s mind. And then the dreadful memory of Xavier carrying her, only to bury her and her friends in some underground room, made her shudder.

She couldn’t stop Xavier from carrying out their plan. She felt responsible for the deaths of the
eight students and four adults. The Cimmerians had been after them and created chaos in hopes that the Elementals would surrender.

One
victim was Mrs. Duke. She taught that stupid calculus class and even though Ava hated it and the way Mrs. Duke taught, and those ridiculously large red glasses, she’d give anything to go back.

Her vision blurred and she quickly blinked the tears away.

Peter came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“
I have to.” She hid her pendant underneath the high neckline of her dress and twisted around in his arms. He looked even sexier in a suit and tie.

He
lifted her chin with his finger so she could meet his brown eyes. “This wasn’t your fault, Ava.”

“I should’ve caught on sooner to what Xavier was planning. And even when they took you.”

“Stop, Ava. Don’t blame yourself for things that were out of your control.”

“They were after us, Peter. They only killed innocent people to get us to surrender.”

“No, they killed innocent people because that’s what they do. And they aren’t a threat anymore. It’s over.”

She nodded
, but secretly disagreed. “Thank you for coming with me.”

Peter grabbed her hand
. “Of course. Are you ready?”

Ava took a deep breath. “Yeah.”

As they made their way downstairs, Ava halted once she saw Melissa, Lance, Thomas, Link, Seth, and Nicole all dressed in funeral attire.

Lance scratched the back of his neck. His dark hair barely reached his collar. “We’re ready.”

Ava met Melissa’s green eyes. “I’m—.”

“Don’t say a word,” Melissa
warned.

She nodded and then followed them out to Lance’s car.
Ava was glad they decided to go.

“I hope we don’t burn once we set foot inside the church,” Thomas
joked.

Ava rolled her eyes.
Typical Thomas remark. Why was he even going? Because Lance was?

She knew it wasn’t going to be easy showing up there, especially with Link, Nicole, and Seth. Xavier had turned them into Halflings and Link produced the bombs. But no one could prove it, and even though Link felt immensely guilty, he
had been under a spell. The police were stumped when they couldn’t find any remains of a single bomb. That was because Link could make explosions the same way Ava conjured water.

They were brave for going.

When they arrived, several people turned and stared right at them in disbelief. Ava had expected it. They hadn’t exactly been favorites at the school because of their necklaces and with how Xavier started his own group by kidnapping and compelling Ephemerals. The town assumed the two were connected.

Despite the somber mood, it was a beautiful spring day. Ava would rather be at Melissa’s
pool swimming or somewhere that involved water, but she needed to be there to pay her respects.

Thomas walked up to one of his football teammates, but the guy walked away.

Melissa tossed her cigarette to the ground and stepped on it. “I told you we shouldn’t have come.”

Ava frowned. Was
Melissa seriously blaming her? She didn’t have to be there.

“Let’s just get this over with,”
Link said.

Ava felt all their apprehension and guilt as they walked inside the crowded church. It was
as if the entire town had come. They probably had. Pictures of each victim were displayed among a garden of flowers at the altar and an organ was playing.

Ava and the rest took up an entire row in the back and none of them spoke. They kept to themselves but
Ava knew the other students were still staring. She caught the angry brown eyes of Valerie Hammond, Peter’s friend. Valerie always gave Ava a dirty look because Peter spent so much time with her. Ava ignored her and held Peter’s hand to keep from fidgeting with her ring.

People spoke
about the victims and some girl from their school went up to the altar in crutches and sang “Amazing Grace.” Ava heard the unmistakable sounds of people weeping and then Link shot up out of the pew and stormed out. Nicole followed and then Ava and Peter.

Ava pushed open the door and found Link hunched over
, his hands pressed into his knees. Nicole tried to comfort him and they both cried. Ava felt their guilt and pain.

“I can’t believe I killed them.” Link sank to the concrete, holding his head in his hands. Nicole pulled him to her and held him tightly.

Ava knelt down beside him. She didn’t know what to say to him. “I’m so sorry.”

“You didn’t do this,” Seth said.

Link looked up at him. “Don’t patronize me. I knew what I was doing, even if I was under a spell. I swear I will kill Xavier.”

“Come on.” Nicole helped him to his feet. “We should go.”

Ava’s stomach ached from the guilt of coming to the memorial. Didn’t she think at all about how Link, Nicole, and Seth would feel?

Peter took Ava’s hand and squeezed it.
“Stop,” he whispered.

“Great idea, Ava.
” Thomas walked up to them. “Really.”

“You didn’t have to come.”

“Then, why did you?” someone demanded.

Ava
looked past Thomas and saw Trent Gattis, Jonah Sanders, and Drew Foley standing with their arms crossed in front of their chests. Football players.

Trent had loosened his tie and untucked his button-down shirt. He glared at all of them.

“Same reason you’re here,” Thomas said. “Justin was my friend, too.”

“
I was talking about
them
?” He nodded to Nicole, Link, and Seth. “What right do you have to be here?”

The muscle in Thomas’s jaw twitched
. “It’s a long story. Just let it go.”

“
Are you sticking up for them, Arrington?” Drew asked.

Jona
h shook his head and clenched his fists. “Those freaks bombed the damn school. They killed my sister and Justin. How can you just act like they are innocent?”

“
Because they are,” Ava said.

“Xavier did it,” Peter said. “He betrayed them.”

“It wasn’t just him.”             

Thomas let out a loud sigh. “Trent, no one helped Xavier.
He’d been planning this alone for months.”

“You honestly think I believe that? I heard them talking about it. My girlfriend saw them before one of the bombs went off.” H
is eyes turned to Ava. “She said she even saw you crouching down like you were waiting for something to happen.”

Ava froze. She had been spying on Xavier and Kristen talking
that day. And then a bomb had exploded and had thrown her against the wall. But she hadn’t seen anyone else around.

“We’ve all had a tough day, so just let
it go,” Peter said.

Trent shook his head. “Why are you suddenly hanging out with them, McNabb? Joining their cult.”

Peter rolled his eyes. “No. Ava’s my girlfriend.”

He raised his eyebrows. “
She make you wear that necklace? You know the police found all kinds of that Wiccan stuff all over Xavier’s hideout, don’t you? I’m assuming your necklaces aren’t different from what they found. Police might be too dumb to figure it out, but we know what’s really going on.”

Ava was offended. “You think we helped Xavier?”

“Of course, you blame it on the one guy who ceases to exist suddenly,” Jonah said. “You’re probably keeping him and the others safe somewhere. I mean, the way you are protecting
them
, I have no doubt.”

“We got injured in th
e bombing, too.”

Trent
arched an eyebrow. “Yeah, you look like you’re in such bad shape for someone who was right next to it.”

“Enough of this stupid talking.
” Jonah charged toward Seth. He tackled him to the ground and then Link pounced on Jonah.

Then, Drew and Trent started fighting with Link and Peter. Ava grabbed Trent and he backhanded her right on the lip. She stumbled backward and then tasted blood. The brawl had gotten out of control
and all Ava heard was screaming, punching, scuffling, and cracking.

Ava did the only thing she could to break up the fightin
g. She imagined Trent drowning underwater. He fell to his knees, coughing, and choking on his own air. Then, he stopped and she knew Peter protected him. Why would he do that? How dare he protect the same people who blamed them?

“You okay, man?” Drew asked him.

“I’m fine.” He got to his feet. His lip bled and his clothes were ripped. “This isn’t over. You’d better watch your backs. Because we plan on making every one of your lives a living hell.” The three guys walked away just as Melissa and Lance came out of the church with everyone else.

“What the hell happened?” Melissa ran up to Ava.

“Nothing.” She turned to Peter. “Why did you stop me?”

“
Are you kidding me?”

“Whatever this is about, we can argue about it in the car.” Melissa urged them all to get in the car.

The ride back was filled with silent anger and guilt and pain. Ava couldn’t believe Peter had stopped her. She was just trying to help. Why was he so angry with her?

They returned to the Manor and everyone went their own ways, but Ava was the only one who was staying at the Manor.
It made her slightly jealous. She and Peter went up to her room and she sat on the bed and removed the annoying heels.

Peter stood with his hands on his hips, biting his lip.

“What is it?” Ava asked. She knew he was still angry with her. But what was she supposed to do.

He gave a disappointed look.
“I can’t believe you.”

“What?”

“You aren’t supposed to use your powers against them. They’re Ephemerals.”

“Then why were you fighting with them? I was trying to help you.”

He shook his head. “You were about to kill him, Ava.”

“No I wasn’t.”

“What about protecting them? Isn’t that your job?”

“
Yes, but it’s hard to do that when they blame us for killing all those people.”

“They’re just angry. They don’t blame you.”

She held up her necklace. “They found this symbol in Xavier’s house. They’ve already linked us to the bombing.”

“
But you had nothing to do with it.”

“That
doesn’t stop Trent and everyone else from accusing us. He thinks we’re protecting Xavier.”

“
But you’re not. Who cares if you wear the necklace? Let them think what they want. They have no proof.”

“That won’t matter when they decide to hold a witch hunt and come after us.”

“You’re overthinking this. Nothing is going to happen, okay? You’re supposed to protect the Ephemerals. I thought you of all people would stand by that notion.”

“I do. But we have to protect ourselves, too.”

“Would you have killed him if I hadn’t stopped you? Enough people have died,” he shouted. “Because of what you are.”

H
er jaw dropped. “Are you blaming me? Because I couldn’t stop him in time? Or because this wouldn’t have happened if I had joined Xavier?”

Peter rubbed his face.
“I didn’t mean that.”

“
You’re one of us now, Peter. Or have you forgotten already? He wasn’t just blaming the coven and me. He was blaming you, too.”

The lines in Peter’s face relaxed and
the muscle in his jaw twitched. “I gotta go.”

“What? Where?”

“I just-I just have to get out of here. I’m sorry. I’ll call you later.” He rushed out the door.

Ava grabbed her necklace
, feeling his anger and regret, and stood stunned. Was he now regretting what he had become? Did he resent her? Had she made a mistake?