14. Gabe

14

GABE

As I paced through the forested region of the Rebellion camp a few miles out from our house, I tried to find within myself some level of restraint, forgiveness, and understanding. Yet, the more I reached for it, the angrier I grew at Steele.

To say I'd been furious and shocked at what happened this afternoon with Kieran at combat training would be an understatement. Despite the two of them settling things between themselves, I found I couldn't look past it.

There was no reason for him to push her the way he had today. She had no business being at that level of training yet. She'd only been here for a few weeks!

My fist snapped out on its own accord, smashing into the unfortunate tree nearest me, causing a crack to echo through the quiet forest.

Steele had placed Kieran in an incredible amount of danger and risk. A one-time incident would have been forgivable, easy to pass off as a mistake, but as I recounted their interactions from the start…I began to see the pattern of his treatment of her and his inability to process his own feelings.

Drawing my hand back to examine my split knuckles, I let out a heavy sigh.

Rationally, I understood that there was an undertone to their relationship that caused them to interact in such a combative way with one another. Their interactions were two-sided to an extent, but I found that I didn't care—that it didn't make me feel any better about it or able to excuse his actions.

I wouldn't allow him to treat her like that anymore.

It was time for Steele to make up his damn mind.

To me, it was clear as day where the rest of the house stood with their feelings about Kieran. I also knew that with everything coming her way, she would need all the support she could get. While I still struggled on how exactly to help her—what I could do with my own abilities to be useful for her—I knew there was one thing I could give her endless amounts of: support .

I could assure her time and again that she would be successful at this mission of hers. That I knew she was more than capable of saving everyone. That I would never leave her side through it all, no matter how hard it got.

But Steele? I wasn't sure he could or would do that.

My pacing came to a halt as I considered going back and demanding to have a conversation with Steele—if only to alleviate the anger weighing on me. I knew I had a larger motive for returning, though—one that included seeing Kieran.

I hadn't disagreed with the idea of leaving her alone for the night—I knew she needed the rest. Unfortunately, because of that decision and not being able to see her or be close to her, I'd been restless for hours. Eventually, I decided to go on a walk to clear my head. I'd even stood outside her door for a long moment, listening to see if she was up so I could invite her to join me. I hadn't been able to bring myself to wake her up, though.

I tilted my head up, trying to break away from my busy, worry-filled thoughts as I examined the darkness of the midnight sky. The moon was especially bright tonight, and like a moth drawn to the flame, my wings broke out of my back—urging me skyward. I didn't bother fighting it, having grown tired of pacing, and I found that I wanted to get back to the house sooner rather than later, just in case Kieran woke up early.

Bursting through the top of the trees in a surge of movement, my wings swished through the air as I hovered myself above the Rebellion camp. I began to fly in the direction of the house, only to have something catch my eye.

A bright blast, like a shooting star, entered the atmosphere. It lit up the sky in shades of blue, green, and purple, causing the world to lighten momentarily as if it was midday.

I cursed as I tried to shield my eyes, a secondary blast of blazing white light coming from the descending object—as if it was exploding—caused a shockwave to radiate through the sky. Wind rushed over me and threw me back, my wings barely catching me, before I tumbled down into the forest below. Stunned, I stared in awe at the display of power as the night darkened once more.

What the hell was that?

My eyes locked on to the only evidence left of the experience—a lone figure falling toward the earth. Shit. Immediately, I was speeding toward it, realizing very quickly that it was a humanoid. Panic hit me square in the chest and I hoped like hell I would be able to save the individual.

That panic was absolutely nothing compared to what I felt as I got in close enough range to see who was falling.

Kieran. Little Star.

What the fuck was going on here? As I grew closer, I began to notice a million little details that warned me something was terribly wrong. Her delicate frame was stark naked, covered in a layer of black soot, and seemingly limp. Her golden hair was singed and her face hidden by the wild strands that flew up with the inertia of her fall. Kieran's body was dropping so incredibly fast and her wings were pointed upwards at an awkward, bent angle, doing nothing at all to stop her fall.

Questions plagued my mind as I flew toward her.

Why were her wings suddenly white? Had they changed again? That was impossible since she had already fallen. More importantly, why wasn't she using her wings? Why wasn't she stopping her fall?

Knowing I had very little time until she hit the ground, I pushed harder to reach her, feeling better when I closed in on her as she neared the treetops. I didn't hesitate to pluck her right from the sky, stopping her momentum with a grunt and soaring upwards in the opposite direction.

I cursed with the realization that she was unconscious, her eyes shut and her face void of emotion. I couldn't handle considering the full implications of me not having been out here to see her fall—my brain wasn't allowing me to comprehend the idea of Kieran crashing to Earth at such a fatal speed.

Checking that her breathing and pulse was stable, I decided to risk landing so I could ensure that she was covered and kept warm in the cool night air. The forested path allowed for enough privacy for me to pull off my shirt and put it on her, the material long enough to hit her knees.

In the process of dressing her, I couldn't help but notice the burn marks on her body—ones that appeared to be fading rapidly. Far too quickly for our normal rate of healing. There were tear marks on her cheeks as well, rivulets that broke through the ashes on her face, and her head lulled against my chest as if sleeping.

Securing her against my chest once more, I pushed off the ground and back into the air. I needed to get her to a medical center, or at least home to Bastian if he'd managed to get over his pity party.

After flying for what felt like eternity, but was mostly likely only a minute or so, Kieran suddenly shifted. My gaze snapped down as her eyes opened. I found myself momentarily caught off guard by the stars that seemed to glitter in her golden gaze as she stared up at me in surprise. I had no idea what had happened to Kieran, but upon her waking, I could feel the change in her power. It was moving under her skin, surrounding her with a powerful aura in a way I'd never experienced before.

Kieran's voice was raspy as she struggled to get her words out. "Gabe, please take me home."

"We can go home, but I think we should go to the medical center first," I urged, trying to keep my voice soft. "I can tell you're hurt—badly. We need to have the burns looked at."

"They will heal quickly," she whispered, her hand shakily coming up to my face. "I promise, I'm okay. I just want to go home."

Seeing the determined set of her expression and deciding to trust her, I flew quickly toward the house. It alleviated a bit of my anxiety to know that Bastian was there and could, in a worst case scenario, heal her if necessary. "What happened, Little Star?" I tried to not sound demanding, but I didn't think it worked.

"It sounds crazy," she murmured, her brow dipping as she let out a long sigh. "I…I talked to the previous Star Keepers."

I swear to the fates, I nearly dropped her in my shock. A breath whooshed out of me as I landed on the path to the house, keeping her tucked against me while staring down at her in shock.

"You talked to the previous Star Keepers?"

"I know it sounds crazy," she admitted, resting her head against me and closing her eyes, exhaustion evident in the way her body was limp in my arms. "But it was a good thing—a really good thing. I can explain better tomorrow, but they said they believed in me. They even trusted me with the remnants of their power and their knowledge of our shared affinity."

I had so many questions, but I could tell it wasn't the time to drill her with them. Instead, I shifted focus slightly. "Is that how you ended up like this?"

"Yes." She nodded, before adding, "They gave me their power all at once, and I think that's what blasted me back down here."

Which would explain the shooting star that had been my girl all along.

How fitting my nickname for her turned out to be.

"How many Star Keepers are we talking about? A few of them or?—"

" All of the previous Star Keepers." Her eyes flickered shut as she frowned slightly, her brows dipping. "I'm sorry, I'm not doing a great job at explaining this. I'm so drained…which is a bit ironic considering the amount of power I just received. I think my body is having a bit of trouble processing it all."

"No, don't be sorry, we can figure this out when you're ready," I assured her, keeping a running list of my questions for when the time came. "But we should wake the others, to at least tell them what happened?—"

Kieran placed a hand on my cheek, interrupting my thought as I looked down at her. "In the morning, please? Everyone is sleeping and they need rest. I need a shower and sleep…Plus, I have to gather my thoughts or else I won't be able to explain anything, let alone do so coherently."

"Okay," I agreed, slipping us into the house. I carried her upstairs as quietly as I could. When we reached her room, I set her down and followed her toward the bathroom, turning on the water in the shower for her. Taking her arm, I gently examined her wounds and found they were nearly gone. That was insane.

Kieran didn't even bother looking at them, instead taking her shirt off in a slow movement before going toward the shower. I was worried how out of it she seemed, almost like she was dazed.

Not allowing my eyes to wander down her body, knowing it was far from the time to appreciate her perfection, I quickly told her, "I'll grab you something to drink. I won't be long."

I left the room, closing the door behind me before jogging downstairs to grab her water. Taking a few minutes to clear my own head so that I could remain calm for her, I drained a glass of water for myself. I heard a door open upstairs as I made my way back to her room and was unsurprised to find Steele standing outside of Kieran's door.

Confusion on his face turned to concern as he clocked my own expression, which was no doubt tight with tension, my jaw hurting from how hard I was clenching it.

"What's going on?" he demanded, eyes wide and fists clenched at his sides.

"Something happened with her powers," I explained simply but grabbed the door handle as he went to push it open, clearly wanting to talk to her. I shook my head and continued, "She specifically asked to just go to bed, she's completely out of it—I'm just bringing her water and then she's going to sleep. Any questions can wait until tomorrow."

Steele's gaze turned sharp and cold at the clear barrier I was putting up between him and Kieran.

"I want to see her, Gabriel. Move."

"She's fine. I've got her," I argued, refusing to move out of the way.

Suddenly, the door swung open into the room, and Kieran stood looking at both of us without an ounce of surprise on her face. Her hair was brushed out and she appeared completely cleaned off, her body covered in a soft robe. Her eyes were heavy with sleep as she offered Steele a knowing look.

"In the morning. I promise."

Something about her expression or tone caused him to reconsider his forcefulness for once, and he offered her a singular nod of understanding. I handed her the bottle of water, and she gave both of us a sleepy smile before whispering, "Goodnight." Her door closed with a click, leaving the two of us staring at the wooden surface.

Steele turned sharply and went to his room, the door echoing loudly as it closed, causing me to sigh deeply.

I found it almost impossible to move from the door, wanting to be there in case something happened with her power once again, or on the off chance she needed me.

She asked for space, and I wouldn't be selfish in not giving it to her. I tugged my desk chair into the hallway and sat it against the wall next to her door. Settling into the somewhat uncomfortable seat, I crossed my arms and closed my eyes, tilting my head back. I wouldn't sleep well in this chair, but it wouldn't have been any better in my bed with how crowded my brain was with thoughts.

This way I could ensure everyone respected her boundaries, knowing just how hard it was for even myself to do what she had asked of us.

One thing was clear: our affection for her was all-consuming and blinding at times.