When Stars Fall(The Last Star trilogy #3)

Anthony Cancer

Alfred and Hellen had called an early morning meeting at the centre of camp.

“We had to interrupt our sleep for this,” Nathan yawned. All eight of us were sitting on logs while Alfred and Hellen were seated across us, holding a clipboard in their hands.

“Speak for yourself,” Phoenix said. “I’ve been awake for two hours.”

“What were you doing up so early?” He yawned again. His greasy blonde-brown hair was a mess, clothes wrinkled just like the rest of us.

My eyes were fixated on Lyra, knees pushed into her chest with her head resting on it. Eyes swollen and red along with the rest of her face. Amara rubbed her back and she almost fell off the log, flinching at anyone’s touch.

“I’m guessing you didn’t fix her,” Nathan whispered to me as he watched Lyra get back in her spot.

“She will get fixed on her own now,” I answered in a low voice.

“Phoenix please study these and start teaching them to the others.” Hellen handed her a thick orange folder. Her eyes lit up as she read through the obstacles and strategies.

“The rest of you start training others since you are eight of nine leaders in this war,” Alfred said. Eight of nine, so they weren’t counting themselves. “Anthony, Phoenix and Raelynn, you three know how to Astral Travel then teach it to the rest. I’ve spoken with my-” he cleared his throat. “-with the Star Spirit of Virgo, she’s mine and Belle’s messenger for the time being.”

Tristan’s head snapped up. Alfred answered the question in his eyes. “Belle was fine but recently she has been...” He couldn’t find the right words.

Tristan and Amara exchanged looks, Lewis snored into my shoulder and Raelynn stared at the ground with stardust dancing in her magenta eyes.

“She has been abused...” he spoke carefully.

“By whom?” Tristan demanded, his fists clenched at his sides. Amara put a hand on his shoulder and whispered something into his ear. His body relaxed but I could tell he was burning with rage on the inside.

“Turns out Alec isn’t treating her well,” Alfred said at last.

“I’m going to kill him,” Tristan huffed. “How dare he...” Tristan almost got to his feet but Amara held him down.

“We’ll get her back,” Hellen said to him. Her eyes were heavy and swollen from no sleep, she spent most of her time Astral Traveling now.

“Now go,” Alfred said. We got to our feet, I half pulled Lewis up. “Except for Anthony, Amara and Lewis.”

Amara was reluctant to leave Lyra alone, like a mother would be to leave her child. I pinched Lewis, waking him up.

“I’m going to have to ask you to stop your...project.” Hellen said in a stern tone.

“Thank the Stars,” Lewis mumbled, leaning onto me.

“You should be training when you’re wasting your time on something that may not have a cure at all,” she continued.

“That’s what I told them,” Lewis said groggily.

I exchanged looks with Amara, she gave me a nod. I told them about our research. What surprised me was that they weren’t taken aback by any of it, almost as if they expected it.

“So, there’s nothing you can do anymore. Now focus on this war.” she scolded and retreated to her tent. Alfred and Hellen’s tent was the largest, it had a dinner table, a sitting area and it was much more space.

“You should listen to her,” Alfred said as he got to his feet and followed his wife inside.

“Let’s go,” I said. “I’ll teach you how to separate your soul from your bodies.”

Phoenix had worked us to death for hours. By the time the three of us got to the training area she had already learned and set up a new obstacle course for us and was already screaming for us to get into position. There were more than a thousand soldiers and we were paired. I got Lewis, which was surprisingly good since he’s the one who got slapped for sleeping in a tree. We had to teach Astral Travel to the descendants of the Twelve Major only since most of the others knew it already.

“Lyra, Amara and Raelynn come with me,” Phoenix demanded and led them to their tent. Lyra flinched at her name.

“Lewis, wake up and follow me,” I said into his ear. I grabbed Nathan and Tristan as well.

“What is Astral Travel?” Lewis wondered. “I think Belle was taking lessons with Hellen on how to do that.”

Her name hung in the air. Lewis, I thought. You have no idea when to say what.

“That’s when you seperate your soul from your body,” I explained. We sat in a circle cross-legged and I gave them a demo and full explanation of traveling astrally while Phoenix did the same in the tent next to us. I was urged to tell her that Lyra shouldn’t do it in her condition since Lyla might come out during the projection and that would mess with her mind, but Amara would know what’s best.

“What’s the point of learning this?” Lewis asked, his hand raised in the air.

“We should know how to use Astral Energy just as much as we know how to use Celestial Energy which is present in Stars,” I quoted from memory.

“Who wants to try it first?” I looked at them.

“I’ll do it,” Tristan said after looking at a scared fish and a sleepy Sagittarius. “Belle told me about it and I think I’ve got it in my head.”

I gave him instructions to lay in the middle of the tent, told Lewis and Nathan to back away as far as they could. “If we back away anymore we’ll fall into the mud outside,” Lewis told.

“Clear your mind and soul and focus on yourself. Don’t pay attention to the two lunatics in the corner.”

“We can hear you,” Nathan said.

“Shhh!” I snapped.

His eyes closed, muscles relaxed and moments later I knew he was in the Astral World.