When the Stars Align

I Go to Save my Brother

Ten minutes later, I was standing in front of the police station. I took a deep breath and walked inside. There was a receptionist at the front desk. She had a cap over her hair so I couldn't see if she had a black streak or not.

"I need to report a homicide," I said approaching her.

She looked stunned. "Of course. Just go wait over there."

I went and sat in a chair to where she had been pointing. She picked up the telephone and dialed a number. She spoke in a low whisper while covering her mouth so I couldn't tell what she was saying. Mere seconds later, two policemen showed up and approached me. I could see the edge of a small strand of black poking out of one of the guy's hats.

"NYPD. We'd like to ask you a few question if you don't mind," the other said.

"Of course," I replied.

They led me past several doors until we exited out a back door. The guy with the black streak pulled a gun.

"Put your hands in the air," he shouted.

I did as he said. He nodded the other guy in my direction. He patted me down and found the sword, but luckily not the dagger. They handcuffed my hands behind my back. I spotted a blue Prius a little ways down the street. I locked eyes with Will in the driver's seat right before they blindfolded me. I was hurriedly stuffed into the backseat of a cop car and we pulled off.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked trying to play dumb.

"You'll see," the one driving said vaguely.

"Where's my brother?" I asked.

"You'll see," he said again.

"Wait, I think there's someone following us," said the other.

I sucked in air through my teeth.

"Probably an Étoile," the driver grumbled.

I strained against the handcuffs to no extent. I promised myself that if I could get out of the handcuffs, I would strangle them both to death for taking Jase. I struggled until my fingers and wrists were rubbed raw.

"Well lose them!" the other shouted.

"What do you think I'm doing?" the other shouted back as the car took a sharp turn.

I didn't have a seatbelt on so I was thrashed wildly to the side. "Ow!"

"Oh, shut up," one of them growled.

After a few more twists and turns, we pulled to a stop. One of the men grabbed me roughly by the arm and yanked me out of the car. I was still blindfolded, but I hoped Will was watching. I heard the opening of large doors and I was pushed inside.

"Walk," my captor hissed as he led me down several different hallways and down flights of stairs.

I stumbled down the stairs a few times, but was able to make it on level ground. It smelled damp and moldy. I could hear drips of water. We stopped finally and I could hear the jangling of keys. A metal door creaked open and I was shoved inside so hard I fell on my side. The door slammed shut and the sound of footsteps got farther and farther away.

"Nova?" I heard a small voice as I struggled to sit up.

"Jase?" I asked desperately.

"It's me," he said running over to me.

"Oh my god," I said as he crouched down next to me.

"Can you give me a hand?" I asked motioning as well as I could to the blindfold.

He reached behind me and untied it. It was really was my little brother. I looked around the room until I spotted a small hook on the wall. I stood up and walked over to it. I looped the chain connecting the handcuffs around it and pulled as hard as I could. The metal bit into my wrists but I pulled harder, leveraging my weight against it. It finally snapped and I landed on my butt, the metal still wrapped around my wrists, but at least I could move my hands.

I wrapped Jase in my arms with a hug. I looked at him, he had blood streaking down his knuckles and dirt and grime framing his face.

"What happened?" I asked him turning his hands over to see where the blood was coming from.

"He put up quite a fight," said a small, female voice. I looked up and saw Carrie sitting against the far wall. Her blond hair stuck to her face but she looked okay.

"Thank God," I said to her. "Your sister's worried sick."

"Why are you here?" Jase asked me, his eyes worried.

"It's all part of a plan. Will, Josh, and Avery are all on their way, we're getting you guys out of here," I said.

He shook his head. "You made a mistake, Nova. There's too many of them. There's only six of us, they'll kill us all."

"No, we'll make it, okay? I won't let anything happen to you," I replied.

He shook his head again but didn't say anything.

"How did you guys get in here anyways?" I asked. "Brendan said you guys stepped outside the barrier."

"He said that?" Carrie scoffed. "He's the reason we're in here."

I nodded. "He should have been keeping an eye on you."

She shook her head. "No. He had told everyone class was canceled, except for us. We went out there because we had no idea it had been canceled. He was there alone and told us we were early. He tricked us into stepping outside of the barrier and practically handed us off to the Obscurité."

My eyes burned furiously.

"He was trying to get me back," I mumbled so they couldn't hear me.

"Your arm!" Jase yelled backing away from me.

I looked down at my arm. My sleeve was on fire. I patted it out quickly. "What the-"

I stopped myself from finishing that sentence with a quick glance at Jase.

Carrie widened her eyes. "It can't be possible."

"What?" I asked confused.

"Do that again," she said.

"Are you crazy?" I exclaimed. Could it have even been me that set my sleeve on fire?

"Just concentrate," she advised.

I couldn't believe I was taking advice from an 8 year old but I did what she said. I outstretched my hand and focused all my willpower. I thought about how mad I was at Brendan, how bad I wanted to get Jase out of here, even about my kiss with Will the other night. A spark flew off the palm of my hand. I concentrated harder and soon there was a small orb of fire floating in my hand.

Carrie's mouth was gaping. "No one has ever been able to do that before."

Jase was staring at me in surprise. I twisted my wrist around in a swift motion extinguishing the fire. The metal around my wrist clanked.

"Is there any way out of here?" I asked.

Jase shook his head. "We've tried everything. The only way out is the door and it's locked from the outside."

Nightfell and I soon fell asleep on the cold floor.