The Starborn Saga (Books 1, 2, & 3) (35 page)

Connor shakes his head. “This technology will be useful. We’re just here to help.”

Heather looks at Danny and grins. “Got a sense of duty, do you? Something beyond the fight against Jeremiah?”

Connor says nothing. 

“It’s Mora, isn’t it? You went off to get this stupid satellite thing to impress Mora.” She elbows Danny in the ribs. “I told you.”

“It just needs to be done,” Connor says. “And I know a little about Garden’s Peak is all. Aaron needs to talk with Heinrich. That’s all it is.”

“So, it doesn’t bother you that Mora went with Aaron instead of us?”

“Mora can do what she wants,” Connor says, still staring out into the darkness. 

“You look at her differently,” Danny says. “It’s obvious.”

Connor’s eyes narrow. “Like the two of you have any room to talk. You are all over each other. Why don’t you just tell everyone you love each other and get it over with?”

Heather’s eyes brighten. “Oh! So you
love
her!” she says ignoring the question. 

“I care about her,” he says quietly. “She is with Aaron anyway. I saw them kiss in the woods. Even if I did love her it wouldn’t make any difference.”

Heather’s smile fades and Danny looks at her with sharp eyebrows as though to tell her that she had gone too far.

“Have you told her?” Danny asks.

“How did we get stuck on this?” Connor snaps. “We need to figure out what we’ve got to do to get in the base and get out with what we need.”

The air is silent for a few moments. Occasionally, the grunts and moans of a few greyskins can be heard from the base in the distance, but Connor and the other two don’t seem to feel fear. Danny speaks up again. 

“So, have you told her?”

Connor lets out an exasperated sigh. “There’s nothing to tell. Do I have feelings for her? Yes. Does it matter? No. We all have a mission to accomplish now, so that’s what weatrat need to focus on.”

“And that’s what confuses me,” Heather says. “You have this new sense of duty to take down Jeremiah, but before, you weren’t against him. Not until Mora showed up.”

“Yeah, well when Mora showed up, everything went to hell,” Connor says. “I like her, but she sure stirred up a mess.”

Connor’s words warm me on the inside, though I don’t want them to. A big part of me wishes he didn’t feel anything for me. It would make things a lot easier. But an even bigger part of me feels exactly what he feels. In a way, I feel like I
need
Connor in my life. 

“It was coming soon with or without her,” Heather says quietly. 

“Her coming showed Jeremiah’s true colors,” Connor continues. “Sure, everything in me thinks it’s foolish to fight the only one that can help us, because it’s not like he asks all that much of us colonists.”

“No, he just tracks our every move with those stupid wristbands,” Danny says. “He takes most of our food.” 

Connor snickers. “It’s not like you’ve gone hungry, Danny, that’s for sure.”

“Maybe not,” he says in a much harsher tone than before. “But I still have to answer to his guards. I always have to stay within their curfew, their rules and laws without any say of my own.”

“Not to mention there have been rumors of a lot of other colonies going south,” Heather chimes in. 

“What do you mean?” Connor asks. 

“Screven guards raping…thieving. Just stories.”

“Sorry if I have a hard time believing you, because you’ve been isolated in Salem for a long time,” Connor answers. 

“You forget, honey, I’m a Starborn. A really fast one too. Doesn’t take me too long to get to another colony if I want. Believe me, the only reason I ride in cars with you people is so I’m not the awkward one showing up to the party first.”

Connor looks as if he doesn’t really believe her, but he doesn’t respond to this. “All I’m saying is that I now realize what he can do. What he did at Salem is inexcusable. Killing his own guards, setting loose the greyskins. There’s no call for that.”

“That’s unless Aaron and Evelyn were actually the ones that set it up,” Danny says through a devious grin. Heather elbows him in the ribs hard enough to make him cough this time.

Connor sits up straighter. “What are you talking about?”

“Nothing,” Heather says, shaking her head, then eyeing Danny sternly. She lets out a sigh. “Danny and I have come up with a theory that all of this is a conspiracy made by Aaron and Evelyn so they can grab power and take it from Jeremiah.”

“We all heard Jeremiah on the loudspeakers in Salem,” Connor says. “He called for their heads.”

“Our heads actually,” Danny said. 

“Yeah,” Heather says. “Think about it. What if Aaron or Evelyn killed the guards that night? What if one of them called the greyskins to Salem? What if we are just their little pawns in their twisted little game?” She lifts an eyebrow at Connor. “It’s not like you would know any different. You and Aaron have barely talked for years. You didn’t even know he had special powers before the other day, did you?”

“No,” Connor says thoughtfully. “You two really think what you’re saying is true?”

“Of course not!” Danny says. “If we really thought it was true, Aaron and Evelyn would be dead right now.” He lets out a low laugh. 

“Something to think about when we’re bored, I guess,” Heather says. 

p wighConnor says nothing. 

“Oh come on, it isn’t true,” Heather continues. “We’re just planting ideas in your brain. Anyway, it’s not like your dear Mora would be a part of it anyway, so you might as well keep trying to impress her by getting that satellite dish.”

Still, Connor is silent. 

Heather and Danny forget about the conversation and move on to something else, but Connor’s mind is in another place. I think about my own feelings and also start to wonder if it’s true. But I know I can’t forget that I overheard Krindle and Jeremiah talking about starting the code red, which had to be the greyskin attack. What else could it have been? I know Heather and Danny have to be lying, or at least saying these things to mess with Connor’s head. He’s not one of them. He’s not a Starborn, but he’s still ready and willing to do the right thing. The two of them don’t know how delicate his views on Jeremiah are like I do. 

I can see it in his eyes. He’s pondering the truths in their statements while they muse about killing greyskins. I had Connor on my side. I had him with me. Now, I’m not so sure. Now there are seeds of doubt
sprouting in his mind. He probably didn’t trust Aaron that much anyway. I know he never really trusted Evelyn. I wish there was a way to tell him that what he is doing is right. I wish I could talk to him through this ability of mine that lets me secretly be near him.

I watch a little longer, waiting to see if anything else will be said about the matter, but there is nothing. The three of them eventually decide to go into the base ruins at first light after getting some sleep. With this declaration, I open my eyes. Aaron is still shuffling around, getting the cart ready until he finally pulls out a cot and settles down. 

What if it’s true? What if he and Evelyn are playing me somehow? I suppose there is no way to be sure. If that were the case, then I would have enemies on both sides. Jeremiah is no friend. I’ve seen his greed. I know he is evil. It’s the ones that are closest to me that I can’t be one hundred percent sure about which is disheartening. All I know is that I’ve got Jake and Grandma to think about. They are the ones that I can trust. They are what all of this has been about as far as I’m concerned. 

A few breaths later, I can feel my eyes getting heavy. This time I’m not drifting off to secretly watch over anyone else. Now it is time to sleep, and hope that nightmares don’t overtake me. 

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

The university campus was the prettiest she had ever seen. In part, that is why Willow had chosen it in the first place. She had scholarships to study at just about any university of her choice, but she chose this one. The dogwood trees were blossoming and the birds of spring were singing their gratefulness to the warm, April sun.

Willow was in her second year and already showing herself to be quite a promising student. Even after just a few of her basic classes, one of her teachers, Professor Adams, had noticed her talent and already taken her under his wing. His field of study was microbiology, something Willow wouldn’t have thought she would be interested in since she had always been more absorbed in astronomy. But there was something about Professor Adams that drew her toward the field. Naturally, she found the first course to be simple. He always had a way of making the students see how the science workpris p wied. He taught as if each cell in the body was made to be a single individual, living for a particular purpose. He had made her believe that each student possessed the potential to help save the world from all its darkness. He was truly inspiring. There were few that wouldn’t try to follow in his footsteps. 

Today would be the fifth, maybe sixth time she had been called to him for a meeting, but this one was different. Usually he would have her come to his office. It started by talking about her grades. Then she kept asking questions and they started meeting on a regular basis to talk about science and her future at the university. But today he wasn’t asking her to his office. He was asking her to coffee. 

Willow’s best friend, Jessi, was more than anxious for her to go. She thought Professor Adams was charming and that if he had asked Jessi to coffee, she would have already been dolled up and waiting for him. Although, since she was eight months pregnant, she never expected such an invitation.

Willow looked down at Jessi’s protruding belly. “How’s little Eve been?”

Jessi rolled her eyes, placing a hand on her stomach. “Moving way too much. Keeps me up at night.”

Willow looked up at her with a thoughtful smile, wishing the deadbeat father were around to help take care of Jessi. Willow had, in a way, taken that role in helping Jessi as much as she could. She looked up to the young mother — going to school, avoiding talks of a future with a child in her home and no income. 

“But we’re not talking about me,” Jessi said, noticing Willow’s avoidance. “You are going to meet with him.”

“Don’t you think it’s a little weird?” Willow asked as the two of them walked across the campus quad, books in hand. 

“Well, of course it’s not normal, but that’s what makes it exciting!” Jessi answered, almost with a bounce in her step. 

“I respect him a lot,” Willow continued, “I just don’t feel right about going with him to have coffee. Sounds more like a date than a meeting.”

“And what if it is?”

“I don’t want to be known as
that girl
,” Willow said. “It’s a quick way for him to get fired, and for me to get a bad reputation.”

“Not for coffee.”

“Yes, but coffee turns into dinner, dinner turns into ‘why don’t you come over to my place,’ and from there it turns into Professor Adams getting fired and me with a terrible reputation.”

“It’s just coffee,” Jessi said again. “He probably doesn’t even think of it like you do. He’s probably just going to talk to you about your scores or more of all that science stuff.”

Willow sighed and looked off into the distance, stopping their walk for a brief moment, deep in thought. 

“You know you’re going,” Jessi said. 

“I know,” Willow admitted, though she still didn’t think it was a good idea. 

“You never know,” Jessi continued, “he might even be offering you something that could change your life. Maybe set you up for grad school.”

“Or maybe he wants me to come over to his place,” Willow said through the side of her mouth. 

“Well, he’s handsome. And I think he probably has more class than that anyway.” Jessi placed a soft hand on Willow’s shoulder. “You’re over-thinking this. Just go and enjoy yourself. When are you supposed to meet him?”

“Tonight.”

“Then tonight, have a wonderful conversation, enjoy your cup of coffee, and let me know all the details when you get back to the apartment.”

Willow smiled>Width= at this. Jessi had been a good friend since the first day of their freshmen year. Willow had never been much of a social bug, but Jessi brought her out of her shell. Through late night chats about boys, to parties that may have gotten a little too out of hand, Willow had found a good friend. Jessi was someone that Willow would keep in contact with for the rest of her life. 

Willow spent the better part of the evening reading through her homework in the library, though she wasn’t really able to concentrate. Looking up at the clock, Willow realized she had only about ten minutes to get to the other side of the campus to the coffee shop on time. She knew that he had a low tolerance for tardiness in his classes, so she didn’t want to risk being late for this. 

A brisk walk got her to the coffee shop with two minutes to spare. Through the window she could see the professor sitting in a corner waiting patiently. She couldn’t help but admire his good looks. He had a strong jaw and broad shoulders. His blue eyes always made his stare enticing, even in the classroom. His hair was a dark brown but for small amounts of grey at his temples that only added to his charm. At maybe forty years old, Professor Adams would be a catch for any woman. Willow just didn’t think that was the case for a college-aged girl. 

She felt so awkward walking into the coffee shop, but Professor Adams welcomed her with a warm smile. Standing up, he motioned her toward the counter. 

“Get anything you like,” he said, “I’m buying.”

“That’s generous of you,” Willow said. 

“College students don’t have the money to be wasting it on coffee.” His grin was infectious and Willow couldn’t help but smile at him.

She ordered the cheapest drink on the menu. Professor Adams scolded her for trying to save him money and told her to get something she would really enjoy, but Willow refused. In fact, a straight black coffee is what Willow preferred.

Sitting down at the table, warm drinks between them, neither of them spoke for at least twenty seconds. Willow couldn’t help but feel awkward. Part of her wanted to just blurt out that there was no way she could be in a relationship with a professor. Another part of her just wanted to ask where all of this was going. But she held her tongue.