Written in the Stars of Heaven

The ridiculous rain continued on, making my poor, bare legs feel like they were made of ice and the ground resemble a sopping wet sponge. To say I was miserable would be an understatement. Plus, I was hungry again, because obviously these people didn’t believe in three meals a day, tired, cold, and my neck, jaw, and lower back were five minutes away from killing me.

“Melani Rose Phoenyx!” a sharp voice called, pulling me from my pity party. Only this voice didn’t come from outside.

Wonderful.

“Hey Kend,” I thought, pretending to be nonchalant. I briefly wondered if I could lie to someone who was in my head…

“Don’t you ‘hey Kend’ me! The way you left was not cool! What’s going on?” he demanded.

Ugh, I’d dreaded this moment since I woke up and realized that I wasn’t dead. And sadly, this was after and said goodbye in a very obscure manner to my twin.

“Hey. I’m fine, of course. I always know what I’m doing.”

“And in an ideal world, I’d believe you. What really happened Melani? And no downplaying it.”

With a sigh, I relayed everything that had happened since last recapping him, unable to refrain from skipping over the less safe parts. Like where I was almost raped. And how I’d fallen into a river. And that I was being herded to the psycho Reaper king to be his prophesy play-thing. So I really didn’t tell him a lot…

“Mel, I can’t decided if you disgust or amaze me…” he groaned within my head, bringing a smile to my chapped lips.

“You adore me, and you know it bro. So, any news on the whereabouts of my Earthly body?”

“No,” he groaned. I could tell that he was not please by this fact based solely on the tone of his voice. Er…thoughts? Whatever. “No one has any idea who that sick freak is. Which means we have absolutely no leads to where he could be hiding you.”

“Well, hopefully someone finds something out soon. Last I was there, I was shot. Let’s hope the dude has some medical knowledge,” I thought, way too calmly.

“I remember. Just be careful, sis. I’m worried about you.” Aw, sweet Kendyll. Always so protective.

“I can take care of myself. Just focus on finding me there, and be glad we have this bond thing. I don’t really think it’s common around here.”

“You and common don’t belong in the same sentence, Mel,” he joked, sending a pang of nostalgia through my body. I missed the days we could joke around playfully. Kend was my best friend. My everything after our mom died. I loved him more than anyone in any world combined.

“You know it. But hey, I’m just barely staying on my feet out here. I need to focus on walking, which is hard to do when talking to you. Mind if I ‘call’ again later?” I asked after I tripped and nearly landed flat on my face. The only reason I was still upright was because Nikolai reached out to catch my arm and steady me.

“Ok. Just don’t wait so long next time!”

“Will do. I love you Kendyll.”

“Love you too Mel. Please, be safe. For me.”

“I promise. Now go chase some pretty girl or something.” I smiled despite how stupid I might look to everyone unaware I was having a conversation in my head. Wow, how crazy do I sound!

“And you try not to hit the next thing to piss you off.”

My grin broadened as I felt my twin fade from the forefront of my mind. It was like he was in the very back of my mind, within reach but separate from the rest of me. A very odd sensation to put it lightly.

“Where did you go?” Nikolai asked out of nowhere.

“Um, what?”

“Just now. You obviously weren’t here. Where were you?” he inquired again, more gentle this time.

“Oh, right. I was… You’re not going to, like beat me for this, right?”

“Why would I hurt you?” He seemed genuinely shocked at the assumption.

Glancing back as if I somehow suspected someone to jump out and do just that, I noticed that we had separated ourselves from the rest of the group once again. If Nikolai really had no plans to injure me, then I was pretty safe for the time being.

“Because it wouldn’t be the first time,” I murmured quietly. But my volume didn’t bother him. Super senses, remember?

“Those cuts on your neck, and the bruise on your jaw. Felix?” Oddly enough, his jaw set and his bright eyes hardened, as if he took personal offence to my abuse.

“This time.”

For the first time since he inspected my tattoos, he looked at me. I mean really looked at me. My insides warmed, though I’m sure it had no direct correlation to that intense gaze. None at all.

“Who else hurt you?” It wasn’t spoken in a nosy, prying way either. He seemed sincerely… concerned.

It was my turn to break eye contact and study my dirty, soaking wet tennis shoes as if they’d sprouted wings. “Back when I was a kid, my dad did. When I killed my mother, he kind of snapped. My twin, Kendyll, did what he could to stop it, but the man was a force to reckon with.”

“You killed your mother?”

Oops. I hadn’t meant to let that slip. But it was the truth, wasn’t it? It was my stupid recital she was at, rather than at home opening gifts like she should have been. If it weren’t for me, she’d still be alive.

“Not directly, but I might as well have,” I muttered, bitterly. I didn’t know why I was telling him any of this. It wasn’t like we had suddenly become best friends. I still hated him, everything but stunning hotness, and I was pretty sure he loathed me too.

“How old were you?” His velvet voice was smooth and quiet, like a slightly accented lullaby. Damn, where had that comparison come from?

“Six. I don’t want to talk about this anymore. My dad hit me. But Kendyll and I got away. It’s over now. And so is this conversation.”

With that, I took off, not running because I didn’t want them to think I was trying to escape (death by electric shock wasn‘t all that appealing), but fast enough to leave Nikolai standing alone. Much like he had with me earlier, after his own shocking revelation.

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

Hours of walking later, Nikolai finally announced that it was time to set up camp, a report my aching body rejoiced at. Only, ‘set up camp’ apparently didn’t mean ‘time for Mel to finally relax’. No, this meant more work, until everyone was completely ready for the night’s rest. Stupid of me to hope otherwise, I know. But after all day walking in the crazy rain storm, I was more than ready to just get to the tent and pass out. After eating, of course. But nooo. That was out of the question; Leona explained that to me at least four times.

“How does this go?” I asked, ducking the flying pole thingy that had somehow managed to snap loose from the one it was connected to.

“”Like this,” Leona, miss priss herself, growled, pushing me out of her way so she could get to it.

“Whatever. If you want to do the thing by yourself, who am I to stop you?” Yeah, two could play that game, bitch.

My victory only lasted a few seconds though, before a crippling pain launched its attack on my skull. It felt as if someone was splitting my head apart with a metal wedge and shoving scaling hot irons inside the gaping hole. My vision quickly blurred, and left me completely while my numb (both from the cold and the vision) legs collapsed. From there, the images began.

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

Melani- Age 7

“Kendyll, why did Daddy lock his bedroom when you talked to him?” I inquired, trying to catch a glimpse of my twin’s shadowed face. He’d been silent ever since that talk I couldn’t be a part of.

“Mel, leave it alone,” he finally managed, throwing a small stone into the shimmering lake we always hung out at.

“Fine. No need to be rude about it,” I snapped, using a line I’d heard on tv earlier in the day. It made me seem more sophisticated and mature. At least in my eyes. “Wanna play tag?”

“No, I’m not in the mood.”

What was it with the forlorn tone and short answers? This was nothing like the Kendyll I was used to. He was always so loud and in-your-face, not at all withdrawn. In truth, it was making me a little nervous. Would he be like that forever? What happened?

“Alright. Wanna play I-Spy?”

“Melani, I don’t want to play anything with you right now. Ok?” he said through clenched teeth, as if he was just barely keeping his cool.

“Ok, fine. Jerk.”

Sure I knew something was up with him, but he didn’t need to be so mean to me. What did I do to him? Nothing. I didn’t deserve that kind of treatment. I got enough from Dad, so I didn’t need it from my brother.

“I’m going to go catch a frog, or something,” I told him bitterly, storming away. It totally wasn’t cool of him to talk to me like that.

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

Melani- Age 17

I let a groan escape as the pain ebbed, leaving me numb all over and completely blind. But worst of all was the memories that vision sparked. My poor brother. Kendyll never should have had to go through what he did all alone. I should have been there fro him, instead of getting moody while he was suffering. When I found out what was going on, I’d done what I could for him. But nothing would erase those years of torment he’d had to endure.

“Melani? Are you alright?” a lightly accented voice asked tentatively.

“Fine. Just give me a minute to get feeling back. How do you do this blind thing? I wouldn’t make it a day without being able to see!”

I thought I heard a slight chuckle, but it was probably the wind or a rabid squirrel. Not that it sounded like either, but the prospect of Nikolai laughing at me because I amused him, rather than annoyed him, was just too much for me to handle in this fragile state.

“I have heightened senses to make up for it,” he answered, as it felt like my arm was lifted up. I couldn’t be totally sure though.

“Don’t let it get to your ego too much, pal. You’re no cooler than I am.”

Again, with the rabid squirrel! Didn’t this epidemic concern anyone but me?

“If you say so.”

“Oh, I do Boris. Hey, what’s that on my hand? I can actually kind of feel it.”

“Uh… I’m rubbing it.” He said it like a question, almost as astounded by the fact as I was. “Is it helping?”

“Yeah. I pressure like, chases the numbness away. I can feel my fingertips again, so keep doing that!” I commanded excitedly. “How’d you know to do that?”

“I don’t know…” He was clearly still uncomfortable with this new development. Being nice to me, I mean.

“Whatever. It’s great though! I can feel my entire arm! Oh, oh! And my vision’s coming back now!” By this point, I resembled a kid on her first trip to the zoo. You know, so damn excited about all the different things, her mind tends to skip around a lot.

But it was true. Feeling was returning slowly to my body, and the blackness was fading. When my poor eyes were finally in full function, I rolled to head to look up at Nikolai, staring down at me with an uncertain twist of his features.

“I can see!” I drew the last syllable out in a high pitched tone, doing my best to ease his awkwardness. I could tell it worked by the small smile on his face. The very smile that made my heart skip a beat. That’s how amazing he looked wearing one…

“It’s quite the sensation, huh? Gaining back some form of vision after so long in blindness.”

If I didn’t know better, I’d have to say that the strange note in his voice was… anguish. Unbridled pain gnawing away at him.

Of course, that wasn’t possible for such a cold man. But it did make me think for the first time about how living in darkness might effect him. What would it be like to have sight for so many years, then suddenly lose it? To never see the brilliant sun’s multihued rays as it sank below the horizon, delicately blossoming roses, the twinkling of millions of stars? The love in a mother’s eyes? I’d be a bit cynical too.

“Do you miss it?” I whispered, searching those aquamarine eyes gazing into my own.

“I can handle life without. But some things… Some things I truly need.”

Ah, there it was. I was wrong before, I realized. Nikolai wasn’t cold. He was consumed by sorrow, eternally dying over the loss of him mom.

“It’s not your fault, you know. She’s not… there… because of you,” I said with conviction, slowly sitting up. “You did nothing wrong.”

His face was so open, so innocent in that moment. Like a child, hoping with everything inside for something as precious as a caring embrace. For that minute, he was vulnerable, without any of the defensive walls he’d built over the years.

“How can you say that? You don’t even know the whole story.”

Desperately praying I wouldn’t lose him by doing so, I reached out and laid a hand on his warm, whiskered cheek. “Nikolai, I don’t need the whole story. I can tell, just by looking at you, that it wasn’t your fault. You love her far too much to even risk her. Stop blaming yourself.”

His eyes closed at my firm, but gentle words, pressing his face into my palm. If I wasn’t watching it, I wouldn’t have believed it. Nikolai was taking comfort from me, letting me be his strength for just a second.

“She’s there, rotting away in a dirty cell, because she stood up for my dreams. Why would someone do that?” His eyes opened again and I was almost taken aback by the moisture building up within them.

“She loves you. It’s that simple. She loves you so much, she didn’t care about the possible consequences. You have to believe it was as easy as that.”

“How can I? What good have I ever been? Back when Dad hit her… Even then I couldn’t stop him. And now, I’m out here sending innocents to their morbid destinies. Actually hunting them down.”

“For her. To save your mother.” I didn’t know this for sure, but it seemed as good a reason as any.

“Does that matter, in the long run? She’s probably not even going to make it until I get to her. Those cells aren’t made to sustain life for a long time. Not nearly as long as I’ve had to leave her there.”

Somehow, his taking me away to whatever nasty road lied ahead didn’t seem so horrible. I’d have done the same thing a hundred times over for my mom. I actually understood where he was coming from. Weird, right?

“Don’t think like that! We’ll save her.” What was wrong with me? I’d just promised to speed up my impending doom.

“When did this become a team mission?” he asked, blinking away the last traces of his pain.

“Since now. Look, I’d do this to almost anyone if I could get another year, hell a week, with my mom! But it’s too late for me. Not for you though. As long as your mom is still breathing, I will help you get me to the king.”

I could almost see the gears working in his head as he eyed me suspiciously. “Either you’re totally insane, or a very good actress…”

Rolling my eyes, I stood up, glancing around. “I tried out for Hamlet once and the director told me to get myself checked into some anger management classes. Long story short, I hit the guy who kept reminding me that I was screwing the lines over. Where are we, by the way?”

“We’re only a few yards from the camp. I figured you wouldn’t want your condition to become entertainment for those unconcerned with discretion. Or common sense,” he replied, standing and brushing the mud off his dark jeans the best he could. I didn’t bother with the stuff caked to my dress. It was a lost cause.

“Huh?”

“Blaze thought it would be fun to tie you to the top of a tree and see your face when you woke up a hundred feet in the air.”

“And how did he plan to accomplish this?”

“I don’t even try to understand the workings of that man’s mind,” he said, leading the way back to camp.

“Good idea. Might knock off a few of your vital IQ points.”

I have to say I took great pride in that little laugh he’d let escape. The look of total vulnerability was long gone, but Nikolai was much more relaxed than I’d ever seen him. Super Melani strikes again! Saving the world, one handsome cynic at a time!