Shades of Starlight (Hiatus)

Book Two: Chapter Five

"QUIT CHEATING!" I hollered at Keefe from about fifty feet away.

"CAN'T HEAR YOU!" He shouted back. He, Fitz, and I had been playing bramble, waiting for Sophie to show up and for Biana to get ready for base quest and tonight's Aurenflare.

"It's about time you got here," I heard Keefe saying to someone, probably Sophie. "I was getting tired of stomping these two to a pulp in bramble." I sprinted to where he, Biana, and Sophie were standing, ready to destroy my brother.

"Only because you're a cheater," I yelled, hurling the bramble ball at his head. Somehow, he caught it with one hand and whipped it back at me so fast I was barely able to stop it in time with my telekinesis. I shoved it forward with my mind, knocking him on his back.

"And that," I declared, the ball zooming back to my hand. "Is why I always crush all of you in splotching." Fitz grinned.

"Not me," he reminded me. I scoffed.

"That didn't count. Keefe distracted me." It was true. This year in the splotching matches, Keefe had called my name a second before I was supposed to push the splotcher ball back at Fitz, breaking my concentration. I suppose it was just as well, because Sophie ended up slamming herself and Fitz into the wall in the final round.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Keefe said innocently. "Anyway, only losers play fair. Which is why I call Foster for my team today."

"Hey-why do you get her? I think the Telepaths should be on the same team," Fitz pointed out.

"Yeah, because that's fair," Biana said. "Girls versus boys. Sophie, Cass, and I will totally beat your butts."

"Wait-what are we playing?" Sophie asked.

"Base quest. And you and Cass are with me. Together we will be unstoppable!" Keefe announced.

"Hey, I never said I'd be on your team. How about this? Keefe, Sophie, and Fitz on one team. Biana and me on the other. No abilities," I said. I'd never lost a game since I manifested because I could make them just tell me where the base was. And Sophie could track thoughts. So it really wasn't fair for us both to be on the same team. Biana was the only one without an ability, anyway, and I didn't want her to feel left out.

"Okay," Biana agreed enthusiastically, and the others grudgingly said yes too. I hadn't brought Stormy here for this-too dangerous. And after this, we were going to go to a bonfire. Not the best for tiny, curious, extremely flammable kitsunes.

We decided that our team would quest first because I told Biana I'd found the perfect place to hide during bramble. I really had, it was a small tree with a twisted trunk and cascading purple leaves. Near the base was a spacious nook that was nearly impossible to see from the outside because of the branches and leaves that covered it like a cloak. Biana and I both fit in it comfortably, facing each other with or legs crossed. It was beautiful here, but there was nothing to do except stare at each other. After a few minutes had passed, I took a deep breath and decided to go for it.

"Um... Biana?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah?" She didn't meet my eyes, playing with a strand of dark hair.

"I-I want to tell you something," I said nervously.

"What is it?" I fingered the pocket of my sky-blue tunic and took another deep breath, not looking at my companion.

"Biana... I like you," I confessed. Her eyes widened. "And yeah, I mean, I... I like girls. And I've liked you for years, and I know I haven't shown it or anything, because I thought that I liked Sophie for a while, but I don't, and I know that you might not be... you know, but I made this bet and I was going to do this at midterms, but I just thought, what if you do, and I wanted to make it clear before school started and I'm sorry if you don't like me back but I-" Biana put a hand on my leg, cutting me off mid-rant. She still wasn't meeting my eyes, but her face was flushed.