Children of the Stars

Chapter Twenty

"Why is she gaping like that?" A voice cut through the black fog roiling in my brain, stirring me from the dreamless sleep the medicine gave me.

"The nurse cleaned out a giant gash on her head and then gave her some pretty strong meds. I think she's stoned." That was a male voice, one I wasn't familiar with. The other person grunted.

"Of course she is." This was a female voice. A gruff, aloof voice I was extremely familiar with. Kitch?

My eyes flew open and my mouth flew shut. I scrambled clumsily to my side to find myself staring at—

A very startled looking Maria.

"Oh, it's just you," I sighed, trying to keep the disappointment out of my voice. My brain was still foggy, but I could have sworn it was Kitch's voice. I looked around and realized the light had changed once more. The sky outside the windows was a deep navy, and the room was softly illuminated by the lamps beside each occupied bed. I must've passed out for a few hours.

"Don't get too excited!" Maria snapped, shoving her hands into the pockets of her black leather jacket. "I'm not that special."

"Always the self-deprecating pessimistic bastard aren't you?"

"Well it's better than being a self-absorbed trouble-making, arrogant little Fireling bitch!"

"Ouch!" That was the male voice again, followed by a cackle. I turned and found Sorren the Aries grinning at Maria. "You have enough sass to be an Aries!"

"Firstly, I'm not self-absorbed," I pointed out, frowning at the dark haired Pisces girl and trying to figure out what I did to piss her off. "Secondly, I don't make trouble, it just seems to find me. So, really, I think I'm actually a trouble-finder. Is that a thing? And thirdly—"

Maria's face scrunched up like she smelled something foul. "Do you ever shut up?"

"She doesn't." A new voice joined the conversation, and I glared at where Jasmine sat. The half-frozen Aquarius struggled into a sitting position. "She even talks in her sleep."

"Hey, Jasmine, what would happen if you were to, let's say, break your fingers while they were solid ice?" She chuckled and shrugged. "Do you want to find out? And how do you even think you know what I do in my sleep?"

"Remember the first night here?"

"Oh. Right. That."

My face turned red in embarrassment. Maria huffed and I glanced back up at her. She was pissed. Willing to forgive whatever stupid crime I committed, but pissed either way.

"I'm sorry. I don't actually know what I'm sorry for, but you're angry at me and I'm sorry." The brunette merely grunted, neither affirmative or negative. I took this as permission to tentatively keep talking. "Can I ask what I did wrong?"

Maria shook her head, scoffed and began to move away from me, brown eyes glittering. "You're an idiot."

When she got around Sorren's bed, the boy raised his head and turned to me. "I think what she means to say is that you scared her and she's not ready to forgive you."

Even from where I rested on the bed, I saw every muscle in Maria's body stiffen at Sorren's words. She whipped around and glared daggers at the boy.

"Hey, Goat Boy. Don't ever speak for me. I don't need your help, I have my own brain to think of words, thanks."

Sorren smirked and opened his mouth to say something else when a blue glow entered Maria's eyes. There was a flash and then mist seemed to spread from between Maria's eyes. A second later it solidified into a strange, glowing blue creature. It had the body of a wolf, but the face of a reptile and strange hybrid paws. A look of horror entered the Aries' face as the thing snarled at him, and before any of us could do anything, Maria and her strange thought-creation turned and prowled out of the infirmary.