Read Starfire Angels (Starfire Angels: Dark Angel Chronicles Book 1) for Free Online Page B

moistened her eyes. Emotions flared strong inside. "You—you lied to me? How could you?"
    "Please, Raea. I didn't mean to hurt you.
Your mother wasn't from this world. She came here to protect
you."
    "You should have told
me...before... this. " She threw up her hands, trembling in
anger.
    "Believe me, I wanted to, but Padina made me
promise that if something happened to her—"
    "Shut up!" No excuses. Nothing could make up
for what had happened to her. "Leave me alone! GET OUT!" The wings
lifted behind her and bumped the light globe on the ceiling.
    As soon as Debbie backed out, Raea slammed
the door. How could her aunt have lied to her? Debbie knew all
along that she was supposed to have wings? Was she an angel or
something else? She didn't feel unusual, though she wouldn't know
what to expect. Why didn't Debbie rip out her heart and stomp on it
while she was at it? Someone she loved had purposely lied to her
about who she was, or rather, what she was. She wasn't even
normal. Not human.
    She didn't try to stop the tears but buried
them in her pillow. Debbie's words cut through her heart. Why would
they do this to her? And who, besides her mother, could possibly
help her now?
    Why did she have to be different?
     
    ["I'm sorry, Raea. No more flying. Someday,
maybe we can return home and you can fly all over, but now we must
be human."] Padina gripped the girl's hands in hers, the marks on
both their hands glowing with a faint light.
    The topless child cried as her brown wings
shrank to nothing. Her shrieks rang through the room. Tears
streaked down Padina's cheeks also.
    When the wings disappeared, Padina held the
girl close and wept with her. Soon the child quieted and wiggled to
run free, but Padina held her, until Scott entered the room and
embraced her and the child raced off.
    "It had to be done," he said.
    "I know. I can't hide her forever. What kind
of life would that be?"
    "None at all."
     
    Raea wiped away her tears with the backs of
her hands. The marks. Those strange marks were the key. How did her
mother make them glow? If she could tap into whatever power her
mother had used, maybe she could return to normal.
    She had no idea how.
    "Raea." Debbie poked her head in the door.
"There's someone here to help you."
    "I don't need help." Least of all from
Debbie or anyone Debbie knew. Debbie had known all along and didn't
tell her or prepare her in any way. She, Raea, would figure this
out by herself, somehow. It might take a while, but one way or
another, she'd solve the problem and reclaim her life.
    Debbie slipped out and closed the door.
"Maybe you should come back later. She's upset, and I can't say I
blame her." The door didn't muffle her voice much—she stood just
outside.
    "This is the best time. Now that she knows
of this, she should know everything. I've waited long enough to
teach her." By the pitch of that other voice, it was a man. Who
else could possibly know?
    "It was her mother's wishes."
    "I understand, but now the Starfire forced
it on her. The sooner she learns to control its power, the better
she'll be at protecting herself if the Shirukan come."
Determination hardened his voice.
    "I did what Padina asked."
    "It doesn't matter. I was sent to teach
Padina's child to master the Starfire's power. Now that she knows
the truth, nothing else matters."
    After a moment, Debbie's voice lowered.
"You're right. But she's not going to listen."
    "I've gotten used to being ignored."
    "All right. Good luck."
    Debbie opened the door and stepped
aside.
    No way! No. Effing. Way. Raea didn't believe
it. A moment later, anger seethed inside her. "You! You made this
happen."
    Elis shook his head.
    How dare he deny it! "When you rubbed my
neck yesterday, you must have done something."
    "I only told the Starfire not to bother
you." He said that way too calmly.
    "How do I know you didn't tell it—this
Starfire—to do this to me?"
    "Please, Raea, just listen to what he has to
say."
    Raea ignored her aunt's pleading and