The Marked

Chapter 7

No one would notice Lillian's absence, right? Wrong. Starr questioned about it all day long.

"Where's Lillian?" she asked for about the hundredth time.
Wren sighed and continued tying the string around the handle of the bronze sword he held in his hand.

"I have no clue, Starr. But if you're going to worry yourself sick over it, why don't you call her?" He snapped.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to come out like that, I'm worried about her too, but I can't help but expect the worst."

Starr wanted to know what he meant.
"What do you mean by the worst?" she asked, while sharpening blades alongside Wren.

He turned his head away and wondered if he should tell her. No, it would cause jeopardy between Lillian and about her only friend. And she needed somebody to confide in, other than her brother, who couldn't really trust her.

"She's just been through a lot. I don't like to talk about it," he replied.

Just then, Lillian walked through the door.
Starr threw her arms around her.
"My gosh, Lillan. We were worried about you. Is everything okay?"
Lillian looked uneasy.

"Oh no," she said and hugged her arms to her chest," I'm fine, everything's alright."

Starr let go and proceeded her concern.
"I'm glad you're okay. Why didn't you call? I was about to drive Wren crazy asking him about you."

"Oh, yeah. My phone died. Sorry," she replied, sweating through her lies. Which was odd for her. Maybe it wasn't the lying that was making her sweat. Maybe it was the humid temperature she felt everywhere she went now, a side affect of losing her powers.

"I was about to go get lunch. Wanna come with, Starr?" she asked, having to find someway to fulfill Xander's wishes.
Step 1: Get Starr away from Wren
"Yeah I'd love to. Wren, you wanna come?"

"Actually," said Lillian before he could reply," I need to talk to you about something. Alone."
As much as she tried to fight it, she couldn't. No matter how hard she tried, she was utterly under Xander's control.

"Oh okay. Let me go get my things," Starr rushed off to the opposite room and grabbed her purse.

Step 2: Get Starr to Xander
"You need me to come where with you?" Starr asked after Lillian had made up something to get Starr to Xander.

"This old house on the dirt road opposite from the training facility. I need help with my powers and I get a strong source of energy from that location.
So you'll help?" Said Lillian.

"Sure, Lillian. For you."

They crossed the littered front yard of the house and stepped carefully onto the rotted wood porch and Lillian opened the door.

***

Wren noticed Lillian's phone sitting on the table across from him. Something weird was going on and right now, he didn't care about privacy.
He grabbed her phone, which didn't have a password, and opened her recent messages.
There it was. An address.
The address to the old house, where Starr was.
He clicked the phone shut, scrambling for his stuff, and walked out the door.

***

"Where are we?" Starr asked as she glanced at the shattered windows and dents in the tin roof.
It smelled of dust and mold, quite disgusting. She could have swore she smelt blood too.
Mice and bugs scurried along the door frames and walls, where holes had been eaten into the wood because of termites.
Most of the doors had been replaced with curtains and the toilets were no longer connected and were filled with dirt.