Starborn Legacy (A Starborn Series prequel)

Chapter two

Deep in the woods, far from the small town that Audrey called home, Phoebe Rowan was waking up from a paltry night's sleep.

Her entire body ached from the neck down. She rolled her shoulders and stretched her limbs in an attempt to loosen her stiff, sore muscles. It didn't seem to matter how many times she was made to perform the Renewal ritual, her body simply refused to adapt. Then again, people weren't really made to spend half the night kneeling in damp grass with their heads craned back, staring at the stars.

But Phoebe knew better than to complain. After all, at least according to her father, she'd brought this upon herself. She flexed her fingers and took stock of how she felt. In theory, her night in the fields was supposed to be a spiritual reset button. The hours spent under the sacred light of the Stars was meant to purify her — make her a better person and more obedient daughter. Only time would tell if it worked, though with her track record, Phoebe wouldn't be holding her breath.

After murmuring a quick morning prayer, she wriggled gingerly into her clothes and tip-toed from her room. She could hear the light clatter of dishes coming from the kitchen. The smell of breakfast cooking made her stomach ache, and she briefly considered joining her parents for the meal. But that would mean facing her father, and it was still a bit too early for that. Instead, she wove her blond hair into a neat braid, tucked her feet into her boots and slipped out the door before anyone noticed she was awake in the first place.

The morning air was crisp, and early rays of light were just beginning to break through the leafy boughs that stretched like protective hands overhead. Phoebe slid her hands into the sleeves of her knit sweater and made her way down the path that led from her family's home into the deeper woods. Here, the trees were closer and sunlight was sparse, even on the brightest of days. Picking up her pace, Phoebe jogged along the narrow trail as it cut through thick brush until a small, one-room cottage came into view. In truth, it was more of a shed than a cottage, but she hated to think of it that way. Once she was beside it, she ducked low beneath one of the structure's small windows and peeked up over the sill. The inside of the cottage was dark, but she could still make out the silhouette of someone curled on the small bed in the corner.

A mischievous grin slid across Phoebe's lips.

Without knocking, she burst through the cottage door as loudly as possible.

"Goooooood morning!" she crowed gleefully. "Rise and shine, slacker."

A feeble groan answered from the bed, making Phoebe chuckle. She crouched in front of the tiny wood stove that sat in the corner and got to work building a fire.

"Guess who spent most of the night out in the field again?" She jerked her thumb toward herself in an over exaggerated gesture. "This disappointment of a daughter! I swear, if I spend any more time basking in starlight my Dad might have to start taking orders from me for a change."

Behind her, the bed creaked under her cousin's weight as he shifted. "You say that like it's a bad thing," he said in a hoarse voice still thick with sleep.

"I guess it would depend on whether I used my godlike power for good or evil." Phoebe struck a match and set it against the starter and kindling she'd carefully arranged. She watched the flame leap hungrily to its meal. A twinge of guilt pulled at her insides. To joke about her father's beliefs was to poke fun at the entire commune and their Star-worshiping way of life. But in a way, she was also making a dig at herself. After all,  it wasn't that long ago that she too believed that the Stars were beyond reproach. "Seriously though, he's obviously hoping that soaking up all that starlight will turn me into a kid he can actually be proud of. Unfortunately for both of us, I don't think it's working."