Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

T hankful that it was Sunday, Tiara stretched as she kicked the covers off. A slight haze reverberated around her head as she slowly sat up in bed, the taste of alcohol still on her tongue.

“Ouch!” slipped from her mouth as soon as she stepped on the carpeted floor and felt her feet protest angrily. She tiptoed across the small room and grabbed the cheap heels she had worn the night before. “Damn, these are cute.” And then tossed them in the trash.

Showering and brushing her teeth, she grabbed her leggings and favorite sneakers. She pulled an oversized shirt over her head and let her hair hang loose for a change. She applied a fiery magenta lip gloss and black mascara, forgoing her usual hour-long makeup routine. Her thick eyebrows needed nothing to stand out. Besides her long nose, they were the most prominent thing on her face. Though her eyes were what most people often remarked about.

She joined her friends for breakfast in the canteen. Lori was sitting at the table along with a few others. Maya joined last. She wore a cute sundress that showed off her tiny waist and voluptuous bosom. She looked refreshed and energetic. You wouldn’t have known Maya had danced and had fun the entire night before. However, Tiara yawned, still tired.

“Yesssss!!! This double espresso is just what I need.” Slowly sipping the hot liquid, she sank back into the chair. Squirming, she tried to relax. But nothing would stop the incessant itching on her arms.

“I had sooo much fun last night! That was the best damn party we’ve been to all year!” Maya laughed, nearly choking on her food as they began joking about everything that had happened.

“Lori ROCKED it! We need to throw a party here,” said Tiara, as everyone nodded and clapped in agreement. They likely woke everyone up with the laughter and chants they made around the breakfast table.

“We could charge a fortune to listen to Lori on the turntables. And invite some sexy men to dance!” Laughing, she sat back as everyone agreed they would do it again. She took another sip of her espresso before setting the cup back down and pulling up her sleeves. Frowning, she rubbed her arms. Her skin had never been that itchy.

“Tiara, your arms are worse than mine,” remarked Lori, showing them her arms.

“It started the other night when I was taking a shortcut home. In fact, that’s when I met Jaxxon.”

Maya burst into laughter. “Tiara’s allergic to Jaxxon’s big dick!” The girls bowled over laughing, holding their stomachs. They were in an uproar.

“Ha ha! Very funny.” Tiara made a funny face at Maya before bursting into laughter.

“I wonder if Zade’s dick is tattooed?” Maya shouted, sending the women into a fit of hysterical laughter. They cheered when Maya got on top of the table, demonstrating some of Zade’s moves. Tiara couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed so hard.

“Well, I was waiting for him to come out of those boxers!” said Lori, an innocent smile on her cheery face.

“Girl, you wouldn’t have known what to do if he had. You’re still a little virgin,” sneered Maya, sending Lori blushing .

“Leave her alone. There’s nothing wrong with being a twenty-year-old virgin. She’s waiting for the right man,” said Tiara, winking her eye at Lori and giving her a reassuring smile.

But Maya wouldn’t let it go. She claimed Lori thought she was better than everyone else. That Lori was too picky, or Lori was this or that. Maya loved bullying Lori, who always sat back quietly. Her smile was gone as she looked down. She never defended herself from Maya’s mean-girl antics.

“Well, let’s agree on one thing,” said Tiara in a dramatic voice, placing her hands on her hips as everyone looked her way. “The new arrivals are sexy as fuck!” They whistled, clapping their hands. Joking about the strange men with tattoos had everyone laughing and getting along again.

Tiara couldn’t stop thinking about Jaxxon. He had dominated her space the entire night when Zade was dancing on the table, never letting her venture far from him. Every time she moved, she saw Jaxxon’s eyes follow her curves as if he were going to take her off to a dark corner for a private dance. And she would have been tempted to let him do it.

After breakfast, she and her friends walked to the marketplace. They planned to do a little shopping with the money Tiara won. They had an agreement. Money belonged to everyone, not just the person who earned it. That was how it had always been. They shared almost everything.

“I’ll use some money to get new parts for the outpost. We’ll finally be able to get more computer chips and wiring. We’ll divide the rest to do as each pleases,” said Tiara, already thinking about the bedazzled handbag and matching boots she had seen in one of the markets. She loved fashion and jewelry. If it was luxurious, she wanted it. I might not have much, but I’m going to look like a million dollars!

She and Maya had that in common—they wanted the finer things in life. But Tiara was also practical. She needed to use some of the money to get another pair of running shoes. Heck, she probably needed two pairs based on how much she worked out .

Splitting up, they went shopping, agreeing to meet back at the outpost for dinner with Ms. Hazel. They never missed a Sunday dinner with her. She’d devoted her entire life to seeing after them, and they loved her dearly.

Once Tiara got everything she needed, she began searching the marketplace for anything else she could buy. Up ahead, she saw two teens with the same tattoos as Jaxxon and his men. The boys had the same cocky air about them and walked with confidence as if they were already men. They were carrying duffel bags heavy with supplies. Perhaps Jaxx has more money than I thought .

“Hey, who are the men covered in the exotic tattoos? And what do you know about them?” she asked the store owner where the teens had just left. The man looked pretty pissed, counting the little money he’d made.

“Warlord Jaxxon Hammer is a shadow master, one of the most formidable elementals you can meet. He’s the leader of his people and as dangerous as they come. The two teens who just left here are with his group of shadow raiders.” The man shoved his money in his pocket.

“They offered me a piddly deal for the supplies they purchased. But I knew if I didn’t take their deal, the teens would’ve come back here and raided me. Would’ve cleaned me out!” the man spat.

Another man stood at the counter, adding what information he knew. “Crelentians were wealthy traders known throughout the galaxy. They were powerful until they fell in what’s considered the greatest mystery.” The two men nodded as Tiara listened, her eyes wide.

“They were once revered elementals who maintained the power balance in the universe until something happened on their planet Crelentia. No one knows what really happened to them, but some rumor they destroyed themselves through greed.”

The old shopkeeper’s hand shook as he pulled out and lit up a cigar. He took a drag as he continued, “It was a bad time back then. Afterward, species turned against the remaining elementals, and the slaughter continued. Warlord Jaxxon and his men are the only Crelentians left. Every damned female is gone!”

Tiara blinked, taking a step back with her hand clutched to her heart. She choked, “What? That’s...that’s so sad. What happened to them?”

“No one knows. Crelentians are hard to kill. They’re nearly immortal because of their healing abilities. They stay hidden within those deadly shadows and then strike without warning.” The man shook.

“Trust me, you don’t want to get into a battle with the shadow masters. They’ll cast those shadows, and no one will ever see you again.” He blew a ring of smoke in her face. “If you see one, Tiara, you better run!”

She was terrified as she hurried home. She’d had no idea the men were so dangerous or that they wielded such magical powers. Tiara and her friends had been captivated by Jaxxon and his crew at the nightclub. They hovered near, hearts pounding, mesmerized by the men’s raw power—like fireflies drawn to the flames that would surely destroy them. A deadly flame of shadows. Alluring and dark. But why do I crave what most cannot see?

Her head was spinning. Why can I see through their shadows?

H uddled in the mission report room, Tiara looked at the girls sitting around the large conference table as Ms. Hazel closed and locked the door. They only used this room for important briefings.

“Where’s everyone else?” asked Lori, turning and noticing only select girls were called for the meeting.

“We only chose daughters of the women who arrived here as astronauts. And because you are the only ones with magic.” Ms. Hazel walked to the front of the table, sitting beside Tiara, whose head hung low.

She saw the girls looking at her, wondering what she’d done this time. The windows were closed, and the shades pulled down, making the room feel as cold as ice.

Soon, the women shook in fear as Tiara told them what she learned.

“I regret speaking to Warlord Jaxxon Hammer in the alley that night!” Tiara wept. “I had no idea he was so dangerous. He...he just looked like someone who was a little tipsy and had lost their way.”

“But you just admitted he followed you that night. You never told us this until now, Tiara! So, it’s a little too late to cry and apologize!” Maya shouted, pointing her finger and rolling her eyes.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to bring danger to our doorstep,” Tiara yelled.

“Whatever!” Maya threw up her hands, standing. “You always think men want you. And this time, you brought home a goddamn stalker!”

“Fuck you, Maya! You’re just mad he wanted me and not you!”

“You little bitch...” Maya screamed, knocking her chair back and reaching Tiara with surprising speed. Maya was tall, glaring down at her. Tiara jumped up from her chair, anger roiling inside her as she faced off with her.

Ms. Hazel intervened, her arms spread wide. “Enough arguing! This isn’t Tiara’s fault. And it’s not helping.” Before they could return to their seats, Ms. Hazel continued, shouting, “Oh no! You two apologize right now! We will not have this from our two strongest leaders. You must work together...always!”

Tiara swallowed, standing firmly as Maya walked closer. Hugging, the girls quickly apologized and took their seats. Ms. Hazel nodded for Tiara to continue talking.

“What I find most striking is Jaxx’s tattoo pattern and the fact that his world was nearly destroyed. It’s like stories my mother told me as a child.” Tiara looked around the room. “Stories of where her ancestors came from.”

“But our mothers were from Earth. They...they were astronauts,” said Lori with her brows creased and her hands shaking.

“Yes, they were from Earth. But they were only hiding there. You are all descendants of the Goddesses of War. I only know they were fleeing something dangerous.” Ms. Hazel paced.

Tiara and her friends began asking Ms. Hazel question after question, but she only shook her head. “I don’t know any more than that. I don’t know where they were originally from or why they left.” Ms. Hazel sat down. “I only know your mothers wished to return to their ancestral home. They hoped to create a better world. But their world was nearly destroyed.”

“Tiara, you said these men have dragon scale tattoos. Do they look like the tattoos your mothers had?”

“They’re similar, but not the same.” Tiara shook her head in frustration. Her mother had died when she was so young that she’d forgotten all about her tattoos. But as she focused on some of her most treasured memories of her mother, she could remember them clearly.

“Wait, I’ll be right back,” shouted Lori as she dashed from the room. She returned, out of breath, with a picture in her hand. “My father had the same tattoos as Jaxxon and Zade!” she screamed. They gasped, murmuring around the table.

“We must stay away from Jaxxon and his men!” A knot formed in Tiara’s throat as she looked at the alarmed faces around her. They clutched their arms tightly, nodding in agreement.

“You must keep your magic a secret. Not only because of Warlord Jaxxon but also because someone is asking questions about the explosion at the mine. They want to know what magic was used to save the human children.” For the first time in years, Ms. Hazel looked afraid.

“When the explosion happened, my magic reacted instinctively. Light burst from my hands as I raised it over the children’s heads.” Tiara looked at her hands, holding her palms outward. “Then it solidified into a powerful shield, protecting everyone from the falling debris.”

“I’ve never felt my magic so powerfully.” She rubbed her mother’s amulet, not telling anyone how it had glowed when her magic broke free. She suspected the amulet had somehow amplified her magic.

“Your mothers had light magic. They could wield light like a weapon. They kept their elemental powers a secret since people turned against elementals ages ago for reasons that remain unknown.” Ms. Hazel had told the girls over the years everything she witnessed their moms do with their magic. But they had no idea how to wield their powers fully without further guidance. Ms. Hazel was a great warrior who taught them how to fight and protect themselves, but she couldn’t teach them how to fight with magic.

“We’ll figure out how to use our magic one day. I know we will. I can feel it getting stronger even though I can’t access it fully,” said Lori, looking at her hands.

As the women talked, Tiara’s thoughts returned to the amulet around her neck. She remembered her mother telling her always to protect it. It was a beautiful amulet with a diamond surrounded by magical symbols. Her mother told her it was sacred to their ancestral home and to find her way there one day. She also thought about her mother’s journals. She knew where her mother had kept them. It hurt to think about her mom and all that they had lost. But perhaps it was time to read the journals. She turned her attention back to Ms. Hazel’s meeting.

“Magic wielders are going missing, and others are found as little more than shells of their former selves. As if they’d been eaten from the inside out!” Ms. Hazel grabbed various weapons and handed them to the girls. “This place has always been dangerous. But there’s been a record number of deaths over the last few days.”

“ Eaten? ” the girls shouted as everyone shivered.

“And that’s when Jaxxon arrived,” said Maya, placing a weapon into her waistband .

“I don’t think Jaxxon is going around murdering innocent people,” said Tiara firmly. She ignored Maya, who sighed loudly as she rolled her eyes and thrust her hands in the air. Several girls looked at Maya and then back at Tiara.

“Let’s pray these men leave the mining colony with whatever goods they came to trade. Until then, we stay the hell away from them.” Tiara looked around the table as everyone nodded before leaving the room to mull over what they had heard.

Despite all that had happened, and the fighting between them, Sunday dinner was one of the best they’d enjoyed in a while. They had so much to be thankful for. Ms. Hazel had outdone herself with the meal and desserts. Tiara, Maya, and Lori helped clean up after, laughing and talking like always. They had each other’s backs, and no one could come between them.

Tiara rubbed her amulet, feeling her magic stir. Jaxxon complimented my amulet. Does he suspect something? She swallowed.

She had always wanted to get enough money to leave the mining colony and return to her mother’s ancestral home, wherever it had been. Could it have been on Crelentia?