Blackstar

The following morning, I got the list of people from my father and retreated to my bedroom. I sat at the writing desk and looked at the list.

It was three pages long.

I sighed but perked up when I saw who was wearing what. I rang the bell and had my servant, Jacob, bring me a goblet of water. I began on the first page, scanning it briefly. No luck. The same held true for the other two pages and I frowned. Did someone sneak in?

I put on my boots and went to the guard’s quarters. It was a single story building made of stone. The door was heavy and I entered without knocking.

“Ah, Prince Alexi,” the guard captain, Gregory, said. He stood up from a small table where he was looking over a stack of papers. They shook hands. “What brings you here?”

I held up the list. “Did you let anyone in who wasn’t invited?”

He frowned. “Of course not. We followed your orders to the letter.” I sighed. “Why do you ask?”

“I’m looking for someone,” I answered. “But I can’t seem to find her.”

“Perhaps she wasn’t wearing what the list said she was?”

“Maybe…. But that’s going to make finding her ten times more difficult,” I added with a groan.

Captain Gregory lifted a finger. “I have an idea,” he said and beckoned me to the table. He pulled over a piece of paper. “Write a letter to the homes of each young woman, asking what they wore.”

“Should I put a description of the young woman?” I asked.

The captain shook his head. “If you do that, you’re bound to get a lot of women pretending.”

I nodded. “Makes sense.” I held my hand out and he shook it again. “Thank you, Captain.”

“My pleasure,” he said and bowed.

-Raven’s POV-

“Come on,” Vera coaxed. “What was he wearing?”

I shook my head stubbornly as I made her bed. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“It does!” she cried. “We can find him!”

“And then what?” I asked, frowning at her. “Tell him I’m an amnesiac orphan?”

Vera shrugged one shoulder. “You don’t have to tell him right away. Please tell me!”

I sighed and closed my eyes, remembering it in detail.

“He was tall,” I said quietly. “I don’t remember the color of his hair because I was so wrapped up in his eyes. He had beautiful eyes, Vera. He was in a dark blue suit; it almost looked black.” I giggled a little. “For some reason, it had glitter on it. Perhaps where he’s from that’s normal.” I opened my eyes to see Vera’s wide and her mouth open in a comical ‘o’ shape. “What is it?”

“Um….” She let out a forced laugh. “I’m going to go talk to my mother about… about….” She looked around and I narrowed my eyes. “About my new dress!”

She stood up.

“You know who he is, don’t you?” I asked, standing as well.

“Bye!” she said and disappeared down the hall.

I glared after her and went back into my room. She knew who it was. I debated following her but, before I could leave, my bedroom door slammed shut. I froze, my heart hammering in my chest.

Probably a draft from my window.

I tried to open it but it was stuck. Nervous, I went to the door connecting the two rooms but it wouldn’t open, either. I backed into the center of the room, feeling like someone was watching me.

“Who’s there?” I called out feebly. “Show yourself!”

The fire went out and all light was extinguished from my room. I shivered in fear, rushing to the windows. Some kind of black smoke was covering them, though. I tried to wave it away, whimpering now, but it wouldn’t move.

“Who are you?” I cried, bumping into the wall.

“Twenty-two years,” a voice echoed and I hugged myself, looking around wildly for the source of the voice. “I have looked for you for 22 years. Finally, I have found you.” I tried to speak but no words came out. “You look just like your mother, Blackstar.” I could sense someone right in front of my face and I shut my eyes when I felt something touch my cheek. “When I am stronger, then I shall return. Our fate is sealed, Blackstar. You cannot escape it, no matter how hard your dear parents tried.”

There was a searing pain on my left shoulder and I screamed. It felt like something was being burned into my flesh. The dress sleeve burned away and I fell to my knees. I was still screaming; I couldn’t seem to stop. Just as the pain lifted, I fainted.

-Alexi’s POV-

“She was screaming,” Vera cried, pulling me down the hall. Her eyes were wild. “I can’t get the door open. Please! Both of them are stuck!”

I frowned and tugged on the doorknob. It wouldn’t budge. Inside, Raven screamed again.

“Get it open!”

“I’m trying!” I said and more people were running over. I threw my shoulder into the door and felt it move a little. “Get back,” I ordered and they all stepped back.

I took a deep breath and lifted my right leg. With all the power I could muster, I kicked the door. It went flying off its hinges and Vera ran into the room, kneeling beside Raven who was now passed out.

“Get my parents,” he told a nearby servant. “And a nurse.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” she said and ran off.

“Raven, wake up,” Vera was saying, shaking her a little. “Please wake up.”

Alexi knelt down next to her. She was on her back and her skin was paler than normal. On her left shoulder, there were burn marks on her gown.

“What is this?” I asked quietly but Vera was too worried about her friend. He bent closer. The skin on her shoulder was red and inflamed but he could make out the shape of a star. “Vera, look at this.”

She bent over it, tears streaking down her face.

“It’s a star,” she whispered. “But what does it mean? Who did this to her?”

Before I could even think of an answer, I heard running footsteps and I turned to see my parents and the doctor run in.

“What happened?” my father demanded.

“I don’t know,” Vera said, a fresh wave of tears spilling down her cheeks. I pulled her into a hug. “I was going to go talk to Mother but all of a sudden, the doors slammed shut. I thought that was weird so I went back. I heard her screaming,” she sobbed and I ran my hand through her hair.

“What was she saying?” our father asked while the doctor took her pulse.

“She kept saying ‘Who are you?’,” she sniffed. “I ran to Alexi’s room and brought him over. That’s when she screamed like she was in pain.”

“What’s this on her shoulder?” their mother asked.

“Some kind of burn mark,” I answered. “I don’t know what it means, though.”

“It’s a star,” the doctor muttered. “Her pulse is strong and steady,” she informed us, lifting Raven’s eyelids. “Her eyes respond to light. I don’t think we should wake her until-”

Suddenly, Raven’s eyes flew open.

“Raven!” Vera cried, throwing her arms around her.

Raven cried out in pain when Vera put pressure on her shoulder.

“What’s going on?” she asked, her voice hoarse.

“You don’t remember?” I asked. She shook her head. “You were screaming.”

She frowned and rubbed her shoulder. She winced and looked at it.

“A star,” she murmured.

-Raven’s POV-

Vera refused to let me sleep on my own that night. My door was lying on the ground, courtesy of Prince Alexi, and the King had to get a new one prepared. Vera brought me into her bedroom, locking the doors and windows before getting in bed.

“Tell me again what happened,” I said and she sighed.

“I’ve told you everything, Raven,” she said. “It was terrifying. You really don’t remember any of it?”

I shook my head, looking at the ceiling. “The last thing I remember is telling you about the man I danced with. Then, I was on the floor and everyone was staring at me.”

I subconsciously rubbed my shoulder. The doctor had insisted on putting some kind of gel to heal the burn and wrapped it tightly in a bandage.

“That was my favorite gown,” I joked, trying to get her to laugh.

She sniffled. “Alexi is furious,” she said.

I looked at her. “Why?”

“Someone broke in,” she said as if it were obvious. “The last time it happened, we were attacked. This time you were. It’s not making any sense to him and he’s obsessed. More obsessed than finding his mystery girl,” she added.

“Mystery girl?” I repeated and she nodded.

“He danced with a girl at the ball,” she told me. “He won’t tell any of us what happened but he’s hell bent on finding her.”

“Well, your parents got your wish then.”

Vera nodded and yawned, cuddling into her blankets. “Assuming we know where she is. And who she is.”

“Did he say what she was wearing?”

“Gold,” Vera answered, her eyes closing. “But no one on the list was wearing gold.”

My heart was pounding in my chest and I sat up.

“Vera, what was Alexi wearing to the ball?” I asked.

Her eyes opened again at the tone of my voice. “I don’t know if I should tell you yet,” she said slowly which only confirmed my suspicions.

I gasped and covered my mouth.