Page 24 (1/2)
"Sure," Seth shrugged and we left the drying dishes to load up their few belongings into the back of the truck
"So will you guys have to buy like beds and stuff or are youover the side rail of the red truck
"No, the house comes fully furnished, which is why I think Jupiter is so excited to get it," Seth explained leaning back against the buets excited," I hed, waggling his eyebrows at ht air was frozen at the end of January, but neither Seth nor I let the cold or snow bother us A healthy glow of light lit up the white, powdered ground around us as we relaxed against the truck and looked up at our fellow fighters defending the Earth fro?" I ventured, leaning further back against the truck and tipping ht sky
"Stella, you can ask ," Seth answered quietly
He knehere this conversation was headed and I was glad I had been avoiding the conversation for e to pry into his life where he hadn’t invited me
"What happened to your parents?" My voice was soft, and fragile as if the memory of his past would wound azing skyward and his inner light flickering like a light bulb about to burn out I had just decided to tell hih and opened his an and the pain that laced each syllable felt like a knife wound in my own heart "My parents were stationed here, just like yours, only ere on the other side of the world… literally I spent most of my childhood on the southern tip of Sri Lanka, in a small coastal town called Galle My parents worked with a hu with the Sri Lankan governovernment rebels We lived near the ocean, the olden as our skin, and the water is perfect, clean and blue and warm Occasionally my parents were called away for missions, but because they had two children, their off-planet duties were less deasped, completely absorbed with every one of his words
"I have an older sister," Seth answered "Or… had an older sister"
"What…" I trailed off, not sure if I wanted to hear the story after all
"Because their tih Council also becaerous, as you know and so my parents trusted very few Stars One of my father’s oldest friends however, used to visit often Aliah His naether before oofy uncle that would spoil Seven and me That’s my sister’s name, Seven He would take us to the beach, and buy us fresh pineapple He was always around it seemed, at least in h We had some of the best times as a family when he was there Anyway, the Darkness came for us, and we had to run My father was tipped off by Sidra as on her way to stop them At the time eren’t sure how they found us, but it didn’t o We got out of Sri Lanka safely and iven strict evacuation orders in case so like that was to happen, and we followed the plan to the last detail But… he aiting for us Aliah aiting, with an army of Fallen My parents… at first didn’t knohat tothere, surrounded by their enemies… It seemed like hours passed before they picked up their swords to fight hiht better than any Star I’ve ever witnessed or heard of In the end though, there were just too iven the opportunity to join the Darkness, to join Aliah He stood over them, while they faced him from their knees, swords to their throats… bloody… beaten… He asked them to join him on the other side And when they didn’t, Aliah killed them both He didn’t even hesitate… It was like he didn’t even remember my father as his friend He just… he just slit their throats and let theround like trash My sister…" his voice broke at the rabbed his hand with every ounce of coainst my chest "My sister, afterface down in their own blood, walked across the distance, careful not to get blood on her shoes and stood by our enemies She joined them… she chose Aliah She didn’t cry, or even look at et any blood on her shoes… Seven is older than asped, tears falling freely fro…" Seth ade of nine, as if he could have done anything "I watched my parents die, and then I watched aswe stand for And I kneas all because of me, all because of what I was supposed to do for Earth But before I could even pick up my father’s sword to at least die honorably, Jupiter was there He can fly; I know you saw hiravity affects hiels can sense hi Anyway, he was there all of a sudden, in front ofcurses at them all for what they had done to my parents and then in another second he had picked me up and taken off with er than it does us, but I think he wanted to make sure we lost them all before he chose a place to land We arrived in Boston, close to sunrise and e landed he told e of me now, that he would raiseleft to trust and because he stood up for my parents Everyone I knew had betrayed them and he cursed them for their actions, he cursed Aliah and he cursed my sister Jupiter was more upset over their deaths than uardian ever since"
"And your sister? Have you seen her since?" I asked, although even asking the question was painful for me, so I could hardly comprehend hoful it would be for Seth
"No, I haven’t seen her," was all he said and then he stood up and tipped his head all the way back to look straight up into the sky His hands linked together and supported his neck and I felt the intensity of his gaze all the way tothe sky to tell a different story