When Stars Fall(The Last Star trilogy #3)

Annabelle Virgo

I sobbed the entire way to Crimsyn State. Gramps’ body was in a bag and it haunted me; I wanted to take my eyes off it but they were fixated there, hoping he would rouse. I kept dozing off and nausea washed over me. I vomited Stardust blood; my eyes crying stardust. I guess there was more Virgo in me than I thought. The Sign had only faded on my flesh, it stung and glowed white. The Stars from Virgo had disappeared but if I squinted correctly I could make out the Constellation. Each time I tried to manipulate it’s Stars my knees would buckle and I started sobbing, knowing I would never be able to do that with Virgo again.

The burial was short and silent. Raelynn and Phoenix hovered around Hellen and cried with her over Gramps’ grave. People glanced at me and whispered behind their hands, talking about why I was still here, no doubt. Tristan glued his hand to my shoulder. Anthony and Nathan stood next to us with their arms crossed and heads lowered. Rasal was at my feet, hissing a prayer which translated in my head. The sky above was darkening with a red blush. I wiped away the tears but they only flowed back down. I fell to my knees and let the tears fall. After what seemed like a lifetime, Tristan helped me up and said it was time to leave. Hellen seemed to be more put together than me, her red nose running but at least her cries didn’t echo.

Before today I had no clue that there was a graveyard in Crimsyn State. It was located at the backside of the warehouses. My shoes crunched on the dry soil, dress tattered. I passed more graves which made my stomach churn, the place smelled of smoke and ashes. The letters on the gravestones swirled in front of my swollen eyes. Surrounding the graveyard were flowers; Stargazer Lilies, they had been burned. Judging by the crimson ashes of their deep pink petals, they had withered and burned a long time ago. Now, scarlet and crimson ashes coated the entire cemetery.

I can see why they call it Crimsyn State, I thought.

“Come on, Belle.” Tristan put an arm around my shoulder and followed Hellen to the van we had come in. Leaving so soon. I shielded my eyes from the demolished building and dozens of bodies bleeding into the earth. Anthony and Nathan trailed behind us, sniffing. Phoenix and Raelynn’s tears were frozen on their faces.

Rasal curled around my arm and I passed out in the vehicle.

I ran into Amara’s arms when we got to the camp. We sobbed into each other’s chests.

“I’m sorry, Belle.” Her breath turned to mist.

I nodded but not words came out of my sore throat. Lewis embraced Raelynn, which I found slightly amusing. Phoenix hid in the tent, Anthony patted Nathan on the back as consolation. Hellen rushed away, disappearing for the day. I felt guilty enough to not face her.

We shuddered in the cold for a few awkward minutes. I noticed that we were missing someone. I thought my vision hadn’t fully come back so I rubbed my eyes and looked around once more.

“Where’s...” Amara and Tristan exchanged worried glances before the sentence even flowed out. I instantly knew this day was about to get even worse.

“Belle...” Tristan trailed off.

“We’ll talk later,” Amara started. “You need to rest right now. And heal.”

I approached the tent in which Phoenix had went in. Amara grabbed me too quickly.

“Oww!” I would’ve fallen back if Tristan wasn’t standing behind me.

Touching my arms and bringing pain to the bruises in them. I rubbed my elbows, hoping that the purple injuries wouldn’t show through my tissue dress.

“Don’t go in there,” Amara warned.

“Amara.” I turned to her with a clenched jaw. “I just lost the last real family I had today. There is nothing that could make this worse for me.” I pushed past her and shouldered Tristan, stomping into the tent where another crisis awaited me.

Phoenix stood between Lyra and her twin while they bickered.

I see double, Rasal said. I sent anger down our telepathic connection, he twisted on me.

Not the time to make Gemini jokes, I scolded and blocked his thoughts.

“Belle.” One of the Lyra’s stepped forward. I blinked, trying to distinguish Lyra from Lyla which wasn’t easy since they had been crafted by the same Star and had no differences.

Amara breathed heavily behind me and muttered curses.

“I am getting these two another tent,” Phoenix announced, pointing at the twins. I glanced at their wrists; the Gemini icon split into two lines. I suppose if they were born together each of them would’ve had the normal Sign.

“Separately or together?” I wondered, my voice hoarse from disuse.

“Which ever is better,” Phoenix said.

“I think we should keep them away from each other,” Amara told.

“We’re right here, we can see and hear you.” Both of them spoke simultaneously, voices overlapping each other’s. “Don’t talk about us like we’re absent.”

“Please don’t talk like that,” Phoenix begged. “It’s insanely freakish.”

Both the Geminis exchanged looks. “No it’s not!” they chorused.

“Yeah, not freaky at all,” Raelynn muttered as she stepped in. Her neck and cheeks were tinted red, courtesy of a certain Sagittarius. Normally I would have smiled and been happy for them but I didn’t feel anything but empty. I had missed a lot.

I fell to my knees, the soft mattress pressured under my weight. Rasal curled in my lap now and I tried to make myself presentable. Amara brushed and plaited my hair, offering me fresh clothes. I wasn’t ashamed to change in the tent, which I regretted doing since my bruises and the scar on my abdomen showed. They were decent enough to not question, though Phoenix and Raelynn definitely looked like they wanted to. In the next hour, Lyla and Lyra’s new tent was adjoined with ours; a piece of cloth from both tents separating it. They mumbled an argument always but I didn’t pay attention.

Amara force fed me canned food which I gladly took since I was starving and after nearly licking the can, Amara gave me two others to inhale. Phoenix threw me a tube of ointment, the corner of her mouth twitched. I gave her the ghost of a smile. I was reluctant to walk all the way to the bathroom and rub it all over myself since people would stare and whisper at me. I took off my hoodie, a crop top covering my half of my chest and massaged my arms with the substance. I thanked Phoenix and returned the medicine.

Amara’s eyes glistened with tears as her gaze fell on the scarr at my lower abdomen. She pulled the hoodie over my head.

“Belle,” she said. There was a long pause. I wanted to tell her but I couldn’t find my voice, instead I gave her my tears. She hugged me and let me cry into her shoulder.

“They’re gone,” I whispered repeatedly. “They’re all gone forever.” She stroked my hair gently and patted my head. I pulled away, shivering under the thick clothing. Rasal wrapped in my hair, slithering on my neck and head.

“He killed them, all of them.” I dug my fingers into my scalp and breathed heavily. I ticked off the people and sobbed with every name. I didn’t even see my daughter’s body. Rasal fell into my lap and his eyes closed.

“They’re still with you, Belle,” Amara told, eyes rimmed red.

I put a hand over my stomach. “They’re not here,” I whispered, a furrow between my brows. “I didn’t even get to see her once.”

“You’ll see your mom again one day,” Amara comforted. I could feel Phoenix and Raelynn watching awkwardly from behind me and the twins listening to us from the other side.

I shook my head in denial and cried defiantly. I wish I could tell her but no words came out of me. I cried and passed out under the sheets. I heard Rasal’s voice in my dreams.

They buried her in Hydus, by your mother’s grave, Rasal spoke. Alec went there himself, though his parents were against it. He didn’t have the nerve to tell you that himself.

I thought of my first time meeting Gramps. The dungeon escape, Crimsyn State and his wedding. According to Amara I had cried in my sleep. Phoenix seemed irritable and Raelynn restless but we were all suffering in our own ways. Lyra came to training with one side of her hair chopped off, tears streaming down her face.

“She cut my hair in my sleep,” Lyra complained. “She said that it looked terrible.”

“What else did she do?” I asked nonchalantly.

“She wasn’t wrong though,” Phoenix told. I nudged her with my elbow. Lyra’s hair had become faded light brown with grey streaks, she had been dying and bleaching it too much.

Lyla was confidently punching a bag with sweat glistening on her body.

“And the sibling war begins,” Amara announced. Raelynn and Lewis chatted in the corner while practicing archery. Anthony helped Nathan with an obstacle course. Rasal stayed near but also let me have my space. Lyra sat cross-legged on the ground while Rasal slithered around her, she flinched as he got closer.

Leave her alone, I told. She already has a hair crisis and a new sibling to deal with.

Rasal backed down. I’ll go back to the tent, he said. You can catch up.

Just stay on the side and don’t terrorize anyone, I demanded.

Amara and Phoenix practiced sword fighting without me. I felt like they were trying to push me and Tristan together, which I found annoying judging by what had happened. I threw knives except I was too hard that I ripped through the targets, even Phoenix stared at me. I drove the arrows through each other in rage, Lewis took the bow from me nervously thinking that I might break it. I demolished the obstacle course and broke three three branches and pushed everyone who got in my way. My legs throbbed and my lungs burned but adrenaline pumped through my body.

“Nice job, Virgo.” Phoenix beamed with pride.

“I’ll let the enemy know that I was trained by a Taurus,” I joked and gave her a high-five. Tristan patted me on the back. Just then my Hydra Sign started tingling, burning and glowing green against my skin. I scratched so hard that I peeled off some skin but the Sign remained. Alec, stop it! my mind screamed.

“Belle, are you okay?” Tristan asked, worried.

“I’m fine,” I said. “I will be when that father-son duo is dead.” My main targets were Alec and Jaxon, the rest of their family were bonus shots.

“They took my mom, the entire Ophiuchus family and my grandfather and my...” I hesitated. All eyes were on me now. “My freedom, my...everything.”

“That’s not true, Belle,” Phoenix said, taking me by surprise.

“Yeah, those two didn’t take everything,” Amara reminded.

“You still have us,” Tristan added.

I snorted. “Yeah, for how long?” I marched away. Rasal trailing behind me. I blinked back tears, trying to shake away the image of my grandfather’s corpse out of my mind. A lifeless old man with a pale face and blood with stardust dripping from his chin, an infant girl covered in slime and...

I nearly threw up, hands on my knees and stomach churning.

“Belle.” Tristan helped me come back to this harsh reality, even worse than my harsh thoughts. “I know you’re hurting right now but it doesn’t mean that...” I cut him off with a shake of my head, tears threatening to spill. I pressed myself against his chest and breathed. He stroked my hair and rubbed my back.

We spent the rest of the day together, Rasal left us alone. Phoenix played with him as if he were a pet. Tristan kept his fingers entwined with mine, if I let go his hands would find my waist or shoulder.

“I’ll check on Hellen,” I said as we passed her tent. I stepped in without announcing. Hellen sat at a large table scattered with maps and documents. She looked ill and weak, the Virgo Sign on her right hand was almost invisible.

“Belle, how are you?”

“I’m...trying,” I blurted.

“Me too, me too.” She wiped away a tear. She’s the last thing Gramps left behind, and she’s Alec’s mother so I couldn’t even look into her eyes without feeling furious. I gave her a small hug.

“We’re planning an attack,” she told. I looked around for others. “I’m planning it but we’re bringing reinforcements from Crimsyn State.”

“I’ll lead,” I told with confidence.

That’s the spirit, Rasal cheered in my head. My mouth twitched, I was afraid to blink. “I’ll avenge them all.”

Hellen nodded, her grey hair falling in waves around her face. She searched me from head to toe, her eyes glued on my stomach.

“You don’t have it anymore, do you?” Her voice was shaky.

“You know?” My eyes widened. I put a hand over my abdomen, I could feel the scar there.

“Of course,” she said. She opened her mouth once or twice, trying to speak his name. “Alfred was told by that Star Spirit...” She snapped her fingers as if it would bring back her memory. “Virginia,” she remembered. “He told me.”

“Alec wasn’t really... how do I say this nicely?” I thought hard.

Milady, Rasal coughed in my head. There is no nice way to describe a not-so-nice person.

“Go on, spit it out.” Hellen crossed her arms.

“He was abusive, he tried to be nice at first...at first I even liked him a little but he...wasn’t really cut out to be my friend.” I coughed, clearing my throat. “They were using me to get an heir and when they had a chance to get one...he blamed it on me. Pushed me down the stairs and made it look like it was my fault.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’ll talk to him. I’ll change him.”

“You can’t guarantee that,” I spat.

“I guarantee that I will try my best,” she shot back.

“If you care so much about him, why didn’t you take him with you?” I raised my voice a little.

“Because I wanted to give him a better life, raised in royalty. He is and always will be royalty.”

I wanted to punch her but Rasal reminded me it was rude.

“You might be able to change him but he’s definitely not going to be ruler while I’m still breathing,” I threatened.

“Well, I’ll take care of that, then.” She flashed her pearly teeth.

I growled as soon as I stepped out.

“What now?” Tristan sighed. I told him about Hellen’s delusions.

“You can’t blame her, though.”

I glared at him.

“She’s his mother. Who would give up on their child?” Tristan said. I flinched, it made me think of Dad, he’s gone too. I blinked away the tears. Tristan’s eyes widened. I turned to see if there was someone behind me.

“What is it?” I wondered. His fingers ran over my neck, which hurt at his touch.

“What happened here?” he asked. I bit back a curse. It was probably a bruise from when I was pushed and my neck was injured.

“It’s nothing,” I lied. “Probably just because of the Celestial Travel. Virginia said it’s not meant for people like us so the energy probably radiated into me.”

“Annabelle,” he said my name slowly, cautiously. Grabbing my arms tightly, I yelped as pain shot up both my arms. He instantly rolled up my sleeve.

“He did this to you,” Tristan realized. He didn’t have to take his name. “I knew you were in pain. I couldn’t do anything...”

“It’s not your fault,” I told.

“I’m going to kill him,” he promised.

I smiled. “Not if I kill him first.” We both laughed and I hoped that Hellen hadn’t heard us. He grabbed my hand tightly, as if he was afraid I’d run away. I told him about my days at the palace, he stayed silent for a long time.

I slowly manipulated Ophiuchus while Tristan worked on Capricorn. We stayed up late, despite my tiredness. Laying on our backs, staring at the Constellations, or what was left of them. I told him about Mom’s letter but I wanted to keep my pregnancy a secret. I knew nobody here would take it well.

“So are we supposed to call by your birth name now?” he wondered, a furrow between his brows.

I punched him lightly. “No.” I didn’t sound so convincing. “Belle is fine.”

“Good.”

We were interrupted by Rasal multiple times, Hellen demanded we go inside but it’s not like Tristan would let me sulk in a tent. Stargazing was a good distraction but I could never forget the pain and guilt.

He searched his pocket for something and put it in my hand. A small black box.

“What is this?” I smiled.

“Happy belated birthday,” he said, laughing nervously.

I sat up, my back aching.

“You didn’t have to,” I said.

“I’ve been staring at that for the past few months,” he told. “I had to give it to you on your birthday but...there was a change of plan.”

I opened it, a necklace with a Star shaped pendant dangling from it sat on a cushion.

“Thank you, this means a lot.” My face flushed. I bit back a smile. He put the necklace on me and I ran my fingers over the jewels embedded in it.