When Stars Fall(The Last Star trilogy #3)

Lyra Gemini

Another piece of clothing hit my face, I groaned in frustration. Lyla always made a mess in our part of the tent. I had begged Phoenix to let me go on their side but she protested. Blood trickled down my forehead from where Lyla had thrown a rock this morning. When I woke up more of my hair was gone.

Now she lay on her back, laughing hysterically at nothing. A dagger in her hand, she mumbled nonsense.

“You’re mad,” I spat. She got to her feet with a frown, breathing heavily. I wished the others would help. They’ve left me with my psychotic twin. Lyla’s braid had come undone, plastered to her face and neck with sweat. Her grey tracksuit stained with my blood and her Sign burning on her wrist, since we had parts of the same Sign mine hurt too. Looking at her was still disorienting for me. A much stronger version of myself but now she was a mad version of myself.

Castor and Pollux had stopped visiting since we split. Belle had done some research at the palace, through Rasal she told Castor and Pollux. The conclusion was that there was no cure for it and I was stuck with a psycho for life. Lyla clutched her chest and rocked back and forth. Our sleeping bags were on either side of the tent. Lyla had scattered all the clothes and weapons she found in the training area, she even used them on me. She twisted and turned, laughing or whining. I wiped away the tears and blood, pulled back my hair and got to my feet.

For some reason everyone was gathered in the training area. They looked awful, like they had been beaten repeatedly. Belle’s eyes kept drooping. I ran to them.

“Lyra,” Belle said, concerned. “Where have you been?”

“I was..in the tent,” I told. I looked at them, overexerted. “What happened to you all?”

Phoenix huffed. “Don’t ask.”

“If you would have helped, you would know.” Amara shook her head in disappointment.

“Help with what?” I asked.

Lewis looked at me like I had grown a second head. Which I did, sort of, except that head was on another body. “Nevermind,” he snapped.

“Look, I’m sorry but I-”

Raelynn cut me off, “Forget it.”

“It’s not fair that she didn’t take part in this.” Nathan pouted. He shivered, looking like he might pass out any minute.

“Where’s Lyla?” Tristan asked.

“Forget her,” I said, annoyed. “She’s going mad. I can’t stay with her. We have to do something. Please.” I blinked back tears, my forehead stinging.

“Lyra.” Belle stepped forward, putting a hand on my shoulder. “We can’t do anything. It’s not like we can get rid of her. She’s your twin now.”

“Besides we have our own problems right now,” Lewis told sternly. They all looked at me like they were ready to scold me.

I covered my face and sobbed.

“Don’t cry now,” Amara begged, rubbing my back. I swatted her away and retreated to the tent. Amara and Belle followed me but I buried myself under the covers and cried. Lyla smacked me on the head with something, laughing maniacally. That would leave a mark.

“Leave her alone,” Belle demanded.

“No, you leave.” Lyla screamed, turning it into giggles. “Leave! Leave, leave, leave!”

“She’s creeping me out,” Amara complained.

Imagine how I feel every night, I wanted to say.

“Lyra,” Belle whispered. “Come to our side, you can stay there.”

I sat up, my face wet. “Really?” Belle nodded. Amara helped me up.

“Where are you going?” Lyla screeched. She gasped at the realization. “You’re leaving! You can’t leave!”

“Let’s go,” I said, ignoring her.

“No, we have to stay together! We’re sisters!” She grabbed my leg, trying to pull me down. I kicked her away.

“Get away from me,” I demanded.

“No,” she repeatedly yelled in my face. I walked past the curtain and into the other side of the tent. Phoenix and Raelyn sat on their mattresses leaning into each other with their eyes closed. Lyla, being the crazy girl she was, jumped on me, pushing me to the ground. She sat on my back, whining like a petulant child.

“Get off her!” Belle and Amara tried to get her off, dragging her by her arms. My back ached, like I had been hit with something.

“Let go!” Lyla giggled. I noticed she had something in her hand, a white figure. I gasped at the implication, she was holding my lyre.

“Give that back!” I demanded. “That’s mine. You’ll break it.”

Lyla talked and repeated everything like a toddler. “Break!” she yelled, as if she was surprised.

“Lyla, give the lyre back, please,” Belle spoke calmly.

“Snake!” Lyla pointed to the corner. Our heads turned. Rasal was curled in the corner of the tent.

“He won’t hurt you,” Belle promised.

“Hurt...break...hurt...snake,” Lyla whispered.

“Can you guys keep it down?” Phoenix mumbled in her sleep. Raelynn stirred.

“Give it back, you little-” I jumped on Lyla. She hit my face and head with the lyre. I feared it might break. My most prized possession.

“Don’t come near me,” Lyla said, her voice booming. Blood dripped from my face, my hair a mess and I could feel new bruises on my body. Belle and Amara stood on either side of Lyla and I blocked her from the front. Lyla ran out the tent with the lyre, she laughed and giggled, yelling from time to time.

“I can’t believe they slept through all that!” Amara pointed at the two girls.

“Where are you going?” Belle asked as I took a step forward.

“To get my lyre back, I need it with me.”

“Maybe you should wait,” Amara told.

“Let her have it, it’s not like she can break it. She’s not that strong,” Belle added.

“You don’t understand,” I spoke through my teeth. “I need to get that back.”

“Lyra, wait!” Amara called but I was already out.

“Lyra,” Lewis said, as if he was amazed to see me here. He pointed over his shoulder. “I just saw you at the campfire.”

He eyed me from head to toe. “How did you change so quickly?” He touched my hair, making a face at the mess on my head. “What did you do to your hair?”

“Where’s Lyla?” I asked, ignoring his interrogation.

“Lyla?” He wondered, scratching his head. His eyes widened at the realization. “Oh,” he stretched the word. “That was Lyla. I forgot that you have a twin now. That wasn’t you at the campfire, then.”

I pushed past him and ran to the centre of camp, my heart racing. Bile rising in my throat, my lungs burned.

Lyla stood on a log, giggling with tears running down her face. “Come catch me!” she teased, sticking her tongue out and making faces at me. People surrounded us, staring and muttering.

“Lyla, get down from there,” I scolded. She was too close to the fire. Not that I cared about her well being but she had my lyre.

Lyla shivered, threatening to throw the lyre into the fire. “I’m going to do it,” she teased.

“No!” I yelled. Lyla giggled and it slipped off her hands. My face was already wet as the fire grew stronger and crackled with my beautiful lyre.

I pushed Lyla off the log, she fell with a thud. Hopefully breaking her back. She cried and made noises while laying against pieces of wood.

“You ruined it!” I slapped her which made her giggle. “You took the only thing I was good at!”

People tried to pull me off of her but I swatted them away as Lyla begged me to get off.

“Move, you’re too heavy!” she complained. It’s not enough that she’s tortured me ever since she got here, now she’s body shaming me.

I pulled her up and grabbed a piece of wood when she wasn’t looking. For some reason blood trickled down both our noses simultaneously, both our eyes ran with stardust tears. She had a thin, long but creepy smile on her face, eyes narrowed and brows raised. My facial muscles automatically copied her. I raised the hard wood in my hand, Lyla mirrored me though her hands were empty. I hit her head as hard as I could, she fell to the ground with her tongue between her teeth. I yelled as my head throbbed. Like I had been hit. I felt her pain.

“Lyra, what happened?” Belle and Amara approached, with Anthony and Tristan. After observing us and getting my lyre out of the fire, almost nothing left of it. Strings had been

Burned off, painted white wood burning hot and charcoal. I sobbed over it.

“They were mimicking each other,” Anthony told. “Gemnis who split do that. One of them goes mad and eventually...the other one gets tired of them and...”

“And what?” Amara demanded. Anthony hesitated.

“She has to go,” I said, sniffing.

“Lyra, you can’t just get rid of her,” Belle told.

“Why not?” I stood. “She’s ruining my life.”

“We undertstand that but you can’t murder her,” Tristan said, shuddering at the word.

“No!” Anthony spoke quickly. “You cannot kill her.”

“What if she dies in battle?” Belle suggested.

Anthony coughed. “That’s different.”

“But we can’t kill her because?” I asked.

“You just can’t. Don’t get impulsive,” Anthony told and sauntered off quickly.

I threw my lyre, stomping on it. Dissolving it to ashes. Lyla lay unconscious where I had knocked her out. I felt her headache, blood dripped from my nose and eyes for some reason. My legs shook, spasms up my arms. Everything spun. My three friends tried to catch me but I fell before they could. My head crashed against the ground and my vision blacked.