Page 38 of The Mist of Stars

“It’s better to be safe,” Alex calls out. “We don’t know what all of this is about.”

“Fine,” I grimace, but the reality is, I’m being overdramatic.

The hideout doesn’t bother me. In fact, every time we go to the little wooden shelter that we built by the river located in the shadows of the mountains, I get nostalgic. The four of us built it when we were kids. I have a lot of good memories there. Alex once gave me a bouquet of lavender flowers when we were hanging out there. It was sweet, and I could feel a crush forming on him. Then, the next day, I overheard him call my eyes freaky and ruined it.

Now Alex is saying that never happened, and with all of these visions and time mayhem, I’m questioning everything that’s happened to me.

“There we go.” Aislin strolls out of the hallway, dusting off her hands. “One clean house for you, bestie.”

“Thanks.” I smile at her, but it’s a bit forced. Then, to Laylen, I say, “Call me when you guys are done.” He agrees, we hang up, and then I call my father. He doesn’t answer, so I try my mother. “Dammit, neither of them are answering their phones.” Again, I feel a stir of uneasiness, but I shove it down and send them a text.

Mom and Dad: Hey, can one of you call me ASAP? I have something super important to talk to you about.

“What do we do while we wait for them to get back to you?” Aislin asks as she wanders around the living room, collecting her candles.

“We can go get your stuff?” I suggest with a shrug. “And then wait for Laylen and Alex to get a hold of us. Or we can go through with that original spell we were supposed to do today.”

She pauses, a frown forming on her lips. “I can’t. I used all of my supplies to get you out of that vision. Or, well, we thought it was a chill of death coma, but still.”

“No worries.” But I start to fidget. “I wish I could get a hold of my parents. I think it’d help me relax a bit.”

“We can sneak some wine when we get to my house,” she suggests as she stuffs the candles into her backpack.

I chuckle at that. “Do you remember the last time we snuck wine from your father’s cellar? Then we found out it was faerie wine.”

Laughter eases from her lips. “How can I forget? You thought you were the goddess of the stars.”

“Well, you thought you were the goddess of the toilet.”

“Only because I was throwing up.”

“That was so gross.” I go to collect my bag from my room, calling out, “I had to hold your hair back, too.”

When I return, she says, “I know. You’re such a good friend.” She dazzles me with a grin, but it fades as she collects the box of stardust. “This stuff unnerves me. I can feel the power flowing off of it, even now when there’s only residue left.”

“It’s stardust—it should be powerful.” I extend my hand toward it, feeling a whisper of a pull toward it.

Touch it.

Feel the power.

She steps back. “What’re you doing?”

“I … I honestly don’t know. I zoned out and …” I shake my head then shrug. “I think I can feel the power coming off it, too.”

“That’s strange,” she murmurs, glancing from the box to me.

The living room light above us flickers on and off like some ominous warning.

Yeah, strange indeed.

11ALEX

“What weapons do you have on you?” I ask Laylen as I pull into the academy’s parking lot.

The rain has let up, but the sky is darkening as the sun descends further behind the mountains. Night classes are beginning, but it’s a break right now, so it’s the perfect time to get in before Professor G. has to teach a class.

“I have a dagger and a knife,” Laylen replies, patting his pockets. “You think we’re going to need weapons? I mean, I’m all for being careful, but dude, it’s a professor. What the heck are we going to do?”