10 ~ New GirlA Chapter by Felicity's Eve So who's the girl that attacked Star? What important information does she bear? But most importantly... How is she linked to Amoro's past? Please check out Author's Note when you are finished reading. “Star! Come back!” I exclaim as she runs out of the Counsel Room.
“Now look what you did! You’re such a jerk! I mean you practically raped the poor girl! Who does that?” I snap at Amoro. He simply shrugs his shoulders.
“One of these days, you will fall in love and you’ll understand,” he says leisurely.
“Yeah, but I wouldn’t force myself on her!” I growl.
Zedvara giggles. That woman is insanely irritating.
“Best of luck, boys. Now go after your precious pet, Amoro. It is pretty dangerous out there,” she purrs.
Zedvara is officially at the top of my hit list.
“Watch your back, Ethan. Star belongs to Amoro. And us Elcoses want her,” Zedvara declares, smirking.
“Don’t listen to her. We are counting on you, Ethan Cardwell. Don’t you dare let that girl cross over to the dark side,” Arcostal demands, his bronze eyes seeming to bore into my very soul.
“Yes sir,” I reply before Amoro and I take off.
This is my chance to prove myself! I will beat Amoro and show Arcostal that I belong with his kind. I’m going to show those Elcoses what Estiuses are made of!
As we reach the bottom of the marble staircase that leads up to the ornamental doors of the Counsel Building, Amoro orders, “Erselva, please find Star.”
The bat-winged cat takes flight, soaring up into the night sky and out of sight.
“Good girl,” Amoro whispers and then turns to me.
“Stay here or come with me, I don’t care. Although, she might just listen to you more than me,” he sighs, rubbing his temples.
“Then why the heck did you kiss her like that?” I reply exhaustedly.
“Because I could tell that Zedvara wanted me to do something, okay? Listen, I did not want to do that to her. But I have trained since the day I could walk to become a worthy enough fighter to work for the Elcos Counsel. It was a dream I had ever since I was a kid. And I am not, after all these years, going to defy them now and get discharged!” Amoro declares fiercely and runs off, entering what looks like the entrance to a maze. This is a pretty twisted Garden; Star showed me a map of it a few times.
“So is that why you tricked her in the first place? Why you broke her heart a year ago? Just to obey them like some dog?” I call out as I dash after him.
“Yeah, but then I fell in love with her. I had to let her go, though. If I had disobeyed the Counsel, she might have been hurt. I never wanted that for her and I still don’t. You know, you’re very prying,” he answers back.
“So why are you doing bodyguard work? Do you actually want to protect her?” he inquires after a moment while I grit my teeth in annoyance due to his last remark.
“Well, I was gonna use that to get rid of you at first. But now that the Estiuses have noticed, I’m stuck with this job. Anyway, kickin’ your a*s everyday isn’t so bad and I could really move up the ranks. Heck, I could even make some money off of this!” I exclaim happily.
Amoro stops short and I skid to a halt.
“Amoro, come on would you?” I say, irritation coloring my tone.
I have to find Star!
Suddenly, I am thrown up against an unlocked wrought iron gate.
“I can’t believe you. You should protect her because you want to! If you so much as even mention that again, I will do some serious damage to that face of yours,” he growls in my face.
“She was living on the streets. I witnessed the horrible life she lived! She needs to be protected. Protected by someone who truly cares, not some idiot who is after fame and fortune. Look, I am actually in love with her. I never wanted to hurt her! I had to leave her for her sake.
“You do not know how lucky you are, Ethan Cardwell! She only sees me as the bad guy! You should be thankful that she trusts you and never use that trust to your advantage. Protect her from people like me because you want her to be safe!” Amoro yells furiously.
“Okay, okay. I wasn’t serious…” I mutter and he lets me go, turning away from me.
“Then get serious,” he says darkly and runs off again.
I shake my head and take off after him once more.
So he’s truly pursuing a close relationship with Star, huh?
Suddenly we hear a scream and a cat-like wail.
“Erselva! She found her,” Amoro confirms and we follow the sound of the demon-cat, which, by the way, I am just itching to wring the little furry neck of.
Stupid cat...
We arrive at a clearing, a fountain in the middle of the circle of concrete.
Star is transformed, pinned to the ground by a pink, twin tail-haired girl.
Star is using Athvor to block an impressive black, pink, and blue spear.
The girl who has her restrained is sobbing relentlessly.
Is she an assassin? She is a real crybaby.
“Star!” I exclaim. They both look up and the girl gasps when her light blue gaze rests on Amoro.
Amoro is standing stock-still. He stares at the strange girl in astonishment and a little bit of sorrow. He takes a small step forward.
“Calina? Is that you?” he breathes.
“A-Amoro?” she squeaks.
Calina, it sounds like that’s her name, scrambles off of a confused Star.
“Is that… really you…? Amoro…” Calina whispers, and begins to tremble before fainting on the spot.
***
Calina is slowly beginning to awaken; her head on Star’s lap as my partner strokes her hair. They are both on Star’s new bed.
Erselva really did give Star an underground home in the forest. It isn’t too far from the Copper Creek stables. It’s a really nice place. Star even has a whole new wardrobe, from the Estiuses surprisingly.
Amoro says that there is another surprise in store for Star, but right now Star cares about nothing but her collapsed assassin.
I don’t understand. Why is Star being so kind to the girl who attempted to spear her through the stomach, even if she was a complete crybaby about it?
“What if we just poke her awake or something?” I ask. I am impatient to hear this new girl’s justification for her little mission.
Star’s bedroom isn’t half bad. Kind of girly, but I guess that’s her. Though she isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty fighting. Or bossing me around…
“Shut up! Amoro, would you do me the favor of stabbing him with a pencil?” Star growls.
“Don’t mind if I do,” Amoro smirks, reaching for the pencil cup on Star’s new desk, which I am sitting at. I unhook Scyrath from my belt, glaring at Amoro hostilely.
Erselva hisses at me, curled up in the crook of Calina’s stomach.
“Stupid cat,” I mutter, and put Scyrath away, conspicuously so the cat can see it.
“Watch it. I spent a lot of money on designing that ‘stupid cat’. Besides, I find her to be an excellent companion,” Amoro says warningly.
“Yeah, yeah,” I mutter tiredly.
I turn my gaze to Calina. She is still transformed, wearing a two-piece outfit: a black leather skirt and top, which are encrusted with pink and blue jewels.
She has black, knee-high boots on and her thigh-sheath holds a small pouch and pistol, like Star’s. If us Estiuses have issued anti-demon pistols to aid us in our demon slaying, what does an Elcos’s pistol do?
I turn my gaze upward to see that her bangs are a light blue; the same color as her eyes, while the rest of her hair is a light pink.
Her pink necklace has a spade-charm hanging from it, the playing-card kind. Her weapon is the same shape, the outline of a spade with spokes forming intricate curlicues and scrolls that all intertwine in the middle. Pink and blue gems adorn it.
Why are all of our de-transformed weapons so strange looking? I mean, Amoro has an “X”, Star has a diamond, I have a circle with a chain wrapped around it and this girl has a spade. How does that work?
I look up when Calina murmurs something unintelligible in her sleep.
I look up to her face. She looks fragile when sleeping.
In fact, she’s actually pretty cute…
Calina begins to stir and opens her large eyes, looking up at Star.
“Oh, it’s… I am so sorry!” she yelps, sitting up as straight as an arrow and looking around frantically. Her gaze rests on Amoro and her eyes fill with hatred and fear.
“It’s okay. I won’t hurt you, I swear, Calina,” Amoro says soothingly.
“You won’t…hurt me? Well, it’s much too late for that,” Calina spits out, rage filling her voice.
“So what did you do this time?” I say expectantly to Amoro, who looks uncomfortable. Star glares at Amoro sharply.
“Well…I suppose I cannot hide this any longer,” he sighs and looks to Star.
“So, when I had to leave you, Ava, I was crazy with grief. I wanted to forget, so badly. Forget how I hurt you, forget what I had done, and forget the fact that I even fell in love with you.
“I had known that Calina had a thing for me for a while so I asked her out, thinking that I might be able to fall in love with her and move on with my life. But no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t return her feelings for me. Every time we kissed, I felt empty. Each time we embraced, I felt guilt-ridden.
“Then, when the Elcos Counsel thought up the proposal to keep you on our side, asking if I would be your fiancée, I jumped at the chance and dumped Calina then and there. I wasn’t even thinking straight…
“And I have always regretted it, Calina. You did not deserve to be treated that way; you did not deserve to be misled. You are a kind, beautiful girl. But I am afraid that I do not love you the way you love me. But there is someone out there who will, someone better than I am. I am so deeply and sincerely sorry for my actions. So please, Calina, forgive me?” Amoro asks.
As he told us that story, I could hear in Amoro’s voice all of the sadness and regret, the pain and apology. He really wants to make amends. I’m not sure if Calina accepts, though.
“Yeah, well, don’t worry about me. I was over you a long time ago, you lowlife wretch. Oh, and I do not have a forgiving nature, just so you know. And with that said, it is now my turn. I feel I owe you all an explanation,” Calina says and takes a deep breath.
“So after Amoro dumped me, I was furious. Jealousy had entirely overtaken me. ‘Who is this girl? What does she have that I don’t?’ I always thought to myself.
“So yesterday, the Counsel gave me a job: to find and capture you. The Counsel said that as long as I brought you back alive, I could torture you however I pleased. They gave me a tracker, not telling me who you were. Just that you were Amoro’s fiancée, the one who stole him away from me,” Calina says, turning to Star.
“I was so excited to get my revenge. But when I finally tracked you down, I saw who you were, and… And I…I couldn’t…” Calina looks distraught. She then takes an astonished Star’s hands in her own.
“I have always admired you!” she bursts out looking into Star’s eyes intently.
“Calina…are you by any chance…of that persuasion now?” Amoro coughs out after a few moments of stunned silence.
“Heck. NO!” Calina screeches.
I roll my eyes at Amoro and tell Calina to continue. Dawn will break soon and I am worried for Star. If Zedvara wanted to capture Star, what’s with all of the privileges she has given her? Why bother having her marry someone to tie her to the Elcoses, if she is going to be locked away by them anyway?
“I don’t care that you are half Estius! I always found you courageous and strong! I felt braver when I thought of you! I always longed to help you, but I didn’t know how. I speak the truth! And to find that Amoro hurt you is sickening. I am so sorry. Will you please forgive me? I feel just awful,” Calina says sorrowfully.
Star smiles gently.
“You are forgiven, Calina. And thank you so much. Not many people accept me you know,” Star says brightly.
Calina’s eyes light up and she smiles from ear to ear.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she squeals, hugging Star.
“My pleasure!” Star giggles.
“Ummm, Calina? You kind of failed your mission. What do we do now? I’m Ethan by the way, Star’s partner,” I say and Calina turns serious again.
“That’s the thing I need to tell you. So here’s the deal. Once Star is Elcos property, Zedvara will give her the privilege of the freedom to learn more about herself. But the more Star learns, the more she will strengthen. Zedvara wants to suck the power out of Star as she obtains it until she is dead! That is why she wants me to bring her back.
“And the marriage proposal and all these other gifts still have the same purpose: to tie Star to the Elcoses in a way that will prevent her from ever turning back. Once she is trapped there, draining Star’s powers will be the simplest of tasks.
“I strongly suggest that you all play like you have no idea of this. Your awareness is your advantage,” Calina says.
I am practically trembling with anger.
“This is so stupid! Why, over and over, does Star have to be deceived?! It’s not fair to her!” I burst out.
“I don’t like this either. Geez, I thought that I knew Zedvara better than this,” Amoro scowls menacingly, rage evident in his ruby-colored gaze. Erselva hisses.
“I don’t know what to do! If I come back without Star, I’m dead! Literally!” Calina says in frustration.
“You must stay here with me. We will make up some likely story to convince them that I killed you. I will keep you safe from them, Calina,” Star declares fiercely, placing her hand on Calina’s shoulder.
“We all will. Well, maybe not Amoro… But you are safe with me as well, Calina,” I add kindly and she smiles at me gratefully.
“Then in return, allow me to help you guys out with the knowledge I have. I can’t go back to the Elcoses, so why bother fighting for them?” Calina says.
We all nod in agreement.
Zedvara will come nowhere near Star, I am sure of it.
***
After climbing the stairs to the trapdoor, disguised by bushes, of Star’s new home, we stand outside, waiting for the fast approaching sunrise.
Calina has de-transformed, now just wearing a simple white lacy shirt and a blue skirt. She also has on black leggings and butterfly-shaped clips in her hair.
She hasn’t left Star’s side since we returned from the other world.
At the moment Calina is standing next to Star, looking entirely content. Her head on Star’s shoulder, their fingers are interlaced. They almost look like a pair of sisters.
“Oh, one more thing. Ethan, I am going to help you protect Star from that jerk,” Calina declares suddenly, jerking her head towards Amoro.
“Nobody likes you…” I sing under my breath, smirking at Amoro, who rolls his eyes.
“But,” Calina adds, “That doesn’t mean I particularly like you yourself,” she proclaims smugly, throwing her arm around Star’s shoulder.
“You know what? No comment,” I respond irritably as dawn breaks.
And I thought you were cute…
Star transforms back into her day-form as a horse. Amoro and Calina go back inside to do some planning, glaring at each other challengingly, and Star and I begin to walk back towards the trail. Erselva is flying with us. I place my hand on Star’s neck so that I can hear her mind messages to me.
We won’t make it in time at this pace. Come on, Star says and stops to allow me to sit astride her back. She takes off at a canter.
I really like Calina! Finally I have a girl friend! You and Amoro can get so annoying that I want to rip out my own hair at times, Star exclaims happily.
“Whatever.” © 2013 Felicity's EveAuthor's Note
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Felicity's EveAboutNote: I know that lately I haven't been posting a lot of writings that I feel comfortable sharing, but I'm trying to let more lighthearted subjects make poems and stories of themselves. It's just a ma.. more..Writing
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