Starcrossed

Chapter 19: The Sun and the Stars

Starseeker's talons dug painfully into the rock, his heart suddenly beating out of his chest, nervousness clawing at him. He would see him again.

His father.

Morrowseer.

Images flashed through his head; majestic wings, looming neck, dark, glaring eyes that made Starseeker feel ten times smaller. How had he ever agreed to do this?

Lily's grin replaced Morrowseer, and his tense wings relaxed a bit. Oh, right.

But what if something went wrong? What would happen to Moon? To Lily? To his friends, the RainWings, his mother? He had never doubted Lily before, but this time he couldn't help it. The possibilities of something going wrong were endless. What if — ?

"Starseeker?" Moon stepped into the cave, shimmery dark green-and purple scales blending in to the shadows, her teardrop scales silver. Her deep green eyes were glowing with concern. "Are you alright?"

"Oh — yes," he mumbled, looking away, "fine."

His sister blinked with amusement. "I don't have to be a mind reader to tell that you're lying," Moon retorted. She pressed her matching star-speckled wings against his. "But really," she added, "it's in five days and we have plenty of time to prepare."

Starseeker said nothing, only rested his snout on hers, closed his eyes, and let memories flash through him: of the rainforest, of his mother, his sister, his father, his home.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked admiringly at Moon — he didn't have to look down as much anymore, she had grown taller since their time at the volcano.

"When did you get so wise?" he asked, flicking his tail affectionately.

"The skyfire helps," Moon said sheepishly, avoiding his gaze.

"Then I should —" Starseeker was cut off by a voice behind his sister.

"Moon?" Winter's pearly blue-and-white scales stood at the entrance of the cave, standing out next to the dank rocky walls. He looked nervous, fidgeting with his claws and flicking his tail impatiently.

Starseeker frowned. This wasn't like the haughty IceWing prince he knew.

"Winter?" Moon craned her slender neck to one side to look at him. She blinked. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no —" he hesitated, glancing from Starseeker to Moon. He cleared his throat. "I was wondering if I could talk to you. Alone," he added.

Starseeker felt a flash of irritation. Winter couldn't just barge in and demand to talk to Moon when they were in the middle of a conversation.

Moon's mouth twitched into a smile. "Sure," she said, but seemed to rethink it; glancing at Starseeker with an apologetic look. "Sorry...if that's okay with you."

"Sure," he muttered gruffly, but regretted it when he saw the hurt look on her face.

You're supposed to stick together, he scolded himself, but it was too late. Moon had spun around  and was walking past him.

Winter peered down at him with a disapproving look, and said, "Lily wants to see you at the rock ledge, too," before catching up with Moon.

Starseeker's heart did a familiar little flip at the sound of Lily's name, and he instinctively got to his talons. The rock ledge was where we met, he reminded himself before padding out of the cave in the direction of the rock ledge.

When he arrived, the sun was beginning to set, the light slowly ebbing away. The first stars of twilight were starting to peek out through the sky, the gentle breeze pressing against his wings calming.

Lily was sitting on the ledge, wings tucked back, the wind sighing against her. Her scales were the color of the sunset, morpho blue, cotton pink, a vibrant orange, and deep indigo, speckled with tiny bright stars.

She turned her slender neck when he stepped up to stand beside her, blinking her large, pale violet eyes to meet his.

"You wanted to see me?" Starseeker's chest tightened, as if the whole mountain was holding its breath.

Lily smiled excitedly at him, but the happiness in it didn't last; she looked back at the small sliver of sun the was left. Her wings and scales suddenly shifted into dark, cascading blue, green, and purple colors, adding more stars to the inside of her wings; matching his scales so exactly she could have passed as a real NightWing — if not her her ruff.

"I'm troubled," she sighed at last, staring into his cobalt eyes. "What if I lose you? I can't imagine what I would do to myself if something went wrong." Her voice was frantic.

Starseeker twined his tail with Lily's comfortingly, even though she was echoing his worries exactly. "Don't worry," he assured her, trying to remember what Moon had said to him. He grinned suddenly, despite everything. "The plan came from you, so what could go wrong?"

Lily batted him playfully with a wing. "Stop that," she scolded, "I'm serious. I can't live with the level of risk." She sighed again, leaning against him.

Starseeker didn't know what to so, so he just pressed his scales against hers comfortingly. "It will be all right," he murmured in her ear.

"I hope so," she whispered. "Because I love you, Starseeker." She buried her snout in his wing.

His heart thumped in his chest, and suddenly there wasn't enough air. The only thing he could say before closing his eyes and leaning into her was,

"I love you, too, Lily."