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

smiled with relief. The situation took
on a new light, a ridiculousness that sparked a few giggles she
tried to repress. However, when Pallin caught the laughing bug, she
couldn't hold back. It continued for several minutes.
    When the fit died down, he held his smile as
if the laughter lingered beneath the surface yet. Or was it a dark
satisfaction she saw in his smile? That couldn't be right.
    "I feel...much better," she admitted. And
she had managed some conversation, without Jess's help. Jess never
had trouble talking to people.
    "Yes."
    At a quick glance of the clock on the wall,
she gasped. Two hours had passed already. Although she would have
liked to spend more time visiting with him, she had a commitment to
Elis.
    She had almost forgotten her training. She
had to learn to control the Starfire. No way did she want those
wings sprouting again without her consent. What if it happened in
the middle of school, or in front of Pallin?
    "I should get going." She grabbed her coat
and stood to slip it on.
    When he lifted his coat, she noticed that
the layer down the middle on the outside was more than
decoration—she could see through when he held it loose. A strange
style, but Pallin was from a different culture, or, at the least,
not used to dressing for North Dakota cold.
    "We go now?"
    "No. I'm sorry. I have other plans and have
to meet someone soon." If not for her promise to Elis, she could spend more time with Pallin.
    "Maybe we see together another time."
    "Outside of school? I'd like that."
    Her insides fluttered when he smiled. She
loved this. Even if it couldn't last more than a week or two, she
could at least enjoy the time they had.
    * * *
    Pallin's arrogant smirk left a bad taste in
Elis's mouth. He had hated Pallin from the first moment he saw him.
The accent was too familiar, too much like his own, before he
learned to control it. Suspicion gnawed at him, fueling his
hatred.
    From the bench outside the large windows of
the diner, he watched Raea and Pallin in their booth. Debbie had
asked him to keep an eye on Raea for trouble, so Raea could enjoy
herself but still be safe. He would have watched without Debbie
asking, but this way was better. So far, this Pallin had done
nothing to cause him alarm, but Elis wished he would. Any reason to
keep Pallin away from Raea would suit him.
    Before Elis's thoughts strayed too far, the
two rose from their table. He hurried around the corner to a narrow
space between buildings. He couldn't afford Raea's hostility if she
knew he watched them.
    A familiar sedan pulled up to the curb where
he had sat. Debbie. Raea must have called.
    Raea hurried to reach the car.
    In his black coat and gloves Pallin smiled
and waved as the car drove away. When the street emptied of
traffic, the smile turned into something sinister. Pallin hurried
down the sidewalk.
    Something wasn't right. His appearance gave
Elis chills. Elis followed at a distance, until Pallin turned into
a lonely alley. What was the man up to?
    As the sun reached the horizon, Pallin
stopped and turned.
    Caught. Elis couldn't hide the fact that he
followed this man.
    "You have question for me?"
    "No."
    "But you follow."
    Elis knew that accent. There was one way to
confirm it. ["I was sent to protect the Crystal Keeper."]
    A grin curved up Pallin's lips. "I am
understanding not."
    Maybe he was wrong. But that coat, black and
thigh-length, with the black gloves and that accent combined for
one terrible image. Standing face-to-face with his nightmare gave
Elis shivers. He hoped he was wrong. But the other night, the
Starfire called itself, as it did when a portal opened. Right
before Pallin showed up in school.
    ["You won't have her."]
    Pallin frowned. "You speak English? Or this
is why you speak not in school?"
    "Very well."
    "Ah. Yes. I help you?"
    Either Pallin played dumb, or he really had
no idea. But if he was Shirukan, he could hide and fake any
knowledge. With just enough Starfire in their genetics to change
form but