Free Starfire Angels (Starfire Angels: Dark Angel Chronicles Book 1) by Melanie Nilles Page B

peeked out the door. "Sleep well."
    Yeah. For once, she just might, now that she
understood what her dreams were about.

 
    Nina Russet
     
    "I still can't believe this hot guy is so
into you." Linds sank into her chair, a dreamy glint in her
eye.
    Raea treasured that look. She couldn't
believe all this was happening either.
    "You're so lucky." Jess brushed her
hair behind her ear and played with the silver earring dangling
there.
    "Yeah. Lucky that Josh isn't here to lecture
me. Where is he?" Raea looked around the pizzeria. After lunch,
they'd head over to The Game Spot for the afternoon. Some indoor
mini-golf, maybe some air hockey—Jess owned that game—and a few
video games. But that had been Josh's suggestion. Where was he to
follow through?
    The answer shot to the forefront. She'd been
so busy with Pallin and now the Starfire that she had forgotten his
big news. "No. He wouldn't."
    "Yup. Stood up for some hot shot from his
favorite TV show." Linds sat back from the table and folded her
arms.
    "Not Josh." Raea couldn't believe it, and
yet she could.
    "He did."
    "But you can't blame him," Jess said. "I
mean, who wouldn't pass up the chance for fame? And it's not like
he isn't known for his Dark Angel obsession."
    "True. But you'd think he'd put his friends
first." Linds looked out at something and scowled. "I can't believe
it."
    "What?" Raea twisted in her seat. Josh and a
middle-aged woman with wavy bleached-blonde hair—by the dark roots
barely showing—and her leather jacket unzipped entered the
restaurant. Was that the person he had expected to meet?
    "Hey, guys. Sorry I'm late." Josh stopped at
their table with the woman, who pushed her red sunglasses up to the
top of her head like a headband to hold back the shoulder-length
hair. "This is Nina Russet. She's here to check out the Dark Angel
stories before the real crew comes." He introduced each of
them.
    The woman smiled pleasantly and offered to
shake each of their hands. When she took Raea's, she stopped and
stared at the marks.
    Not good. That curious gaze gave Raea
chills. Pull her hand away or let it go—Raea battled the urge to
avoid questions with the desire to be polite. Nina let go before
she could choose.
    "I'd like to talk to you later."
    "Uh...Sure, I suppose." What did she want?
Raea glanced at Josh. What had he told this woman?
    He shrugged. Did that mean he didn't
understand her unspoken question or that he wouldn't talk about it
in front his guest?
    "Actually," Nina said. "I'd like to talk to
all of you, if you have some time." Before anyone could object, she
pulled up a chair and started asking questions. They answered them,
to be nice, but Raea had only to meet the eyes of Jess or Linds to
know they shared her feelings—the woman was pushy and out for her
story. With questions about their different religious views and how
they felt, and whether this Dark Angel might have a hidden agenda
that no one was willing to discuss, even Josh looked a bit off.
    In the end, Raea was glad to see her leave.
She didn't want to discuss her marks. A couple days ago, she could
easily have feigned innocence. Now...Now she might slip up and give
away the truth.
    The truth... Was Elis Dark Angel? If so,
why?
    She'd ask him later.
    In the meantime, she'd enjoy being with her
friends. Nothing had changed there. She was still Raea Dahlrich,
human at heart.
    Yet she wasn't. With her friends, she could
forget yesterday ever happened. Or, rather, she could almost
forget.
    Her world had changed. Why did this woman
have to come at that time? Why did the Starfire choose then to
force this on her?
    At least for an afternoon, her life was
normal. Normal for a human. What would her friends think to learn
otherwise? That was something she didn't intend for them to find
out. If the Shirukan could come to Earth, she certainly didn't want
to stand in any spotlight as if waving her arms and yelling,
" I'm here! Come and get me!" Yeah, that would help.
    She arrived home in time