Starfall

Chapter 23 - Elyse

The silence remains unbroken for the longest time. We all stare down at the cat in collective shock. My breath comes in a tremble, even when the little thing crawls into my lap and makes itself comfortable.

With careful touch, I slowly pull the necklace off the cat. There's nothing better I can think to do other than pull it over my own head and let the key rest safely on my chest.

"I don't understand," Leola breathes. "How?"

But I don't necessarily have an answer for her, so I just pull the cat close to me and hold it tight.

"I know that cat," Ben says quietly, though his voice sounds strained. He stands with his side to the helm and his hand draped loosely on the wheel.

Leola glances his way in confusion. "What do you mean?"

He pulls in a breath. When he speaks again, he sounds steadier. "That's the same cat that led me back to you in Parlem City." Then his gaze drifts down and he frowns. "Two times, actually."

I watch as he processes his thoughts, as he lets them fold over one another. In my arms, the cat paws at me affectionately. A deep purr begins vibrating from its chest.

"But it looks like it wasn't me it wanted." He blinks. "Do you know that cat, Elyse?"

I shake my head as I give it a good scratch between the ears. Then I remember. "I don't know," I sigh. "Maybe. When we crashed in the Doxem field, William Chambers picked us up, and that cat was there. On his ship."

"Oh, yeah," Leola says with a frown. "I remember that."

The rest of the moment is left in our stead. There's nothing more to say, but plenty to ponder.

I let my eyes flutter closed, and in the silence, I try to focus on the soft heartbeat of the cat in my arms.

"It's said that our ancient protectors come from Starfall," I say softly. My voice is a hush in the night. "Spirit guides. Metaphysical guardians. Angels." The cat keeps purring as it makes itself comfortable with its head on my shoulder. "Starfall is where we all end up eventually. Family members, childhood pets. Friends." I don't let my eyes open to find that Kamal-shaped hole that pulses around me.

No one speaks a word louder than a breath. The quiet is nice, sure, but soon it starts to hurt. Soon it starts to sound like static blaring in our ears.

So what better is there to do than tell a story?

I swallow hard. My eyes remain closed, but I don't stop stroking the cat's soft fur. "Rose never told me her whole story," I say quietly. I can just about smell the alerted shift in the air when I speak the words. "But in the years I lived with her, I figured things out. And besides, my grandma told me before she died. She said, 'Elyse, I know there's no way for you to fully understand this yet, but Rose? The bad, bad woman I told you about? She's your mother. At least, that's what she thinks. Maybe even what she wants you to think.' Then she hugged me tight and told me not to be scared. She told me that I needed to get to Starfall, and then I'd be safe. Then I could be with my real mother, who was waiting for me there with the rest of my family."

When I finally let my eyes open, both Ben and Leola are looking at me. I just let my gaze fall to the floor.

I pull in a heavy breath. "Rose never treated me as her child. She never once hugged me, never looked at me with love in her eyes. She was barely even a babysitter. She was just . . ." I shake my head. My brow furrows and I cringe at the remembrance of her. "It was like I was a soldier, and she was simply the general. Just the one who had to give me orders." Although I've never spoken anything like this to anyone in my life, it feels oddly relieving. It's as if I've been carrying all this weight around, and only now am I letting off some of the load. Sure, I could have shed some of the weight this entire time, but I never felt strong enough. Because maybe I was afraid. Maybe I was afraid that if I let off some of the burden, it would fall on someone else—someone I care about. And they already have their own weight to carry.