Under Sunless Skies (Starlight Saga Book 2) Read online

  “Stay right there. I’m ditching class. Be there in ten minutes.” Viola hangs up abruptly, as if she caught the sob in my voice.

  Due to Viola’s blatant disregard for all traffic laws, she finds me eight minutes later still sitting under the shade of the tree with my legs crossed and my laptop resting on my thighs. She sits gracefully beside me and crisscrosses her long, thin legs. Viola’s wearing all black as usual: a snug shirt over an ankle-length straight skirt with heels. She has flawless ivory skin and a model-like figure that makes a girl wanna drop fifteen pounds and get a makeover at the nearest MAC counter.

  “You didn’t have to come here,” I say.

  “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “What makes you think I’m not?”

  “Because I saw Hayden today.” Viola pushes her sleek dark hair over one shoulder. “He looked miserable, and when I asked him where you were, he blew me off. Did you guys have a fight?”

  Hanging my head, I pick at the blades of sharp grass. “Yeah, I guess you could call it that. He broke up with me.”

  Viola grabs my hand and squeezes. “Ohmygosh! That sucks. Why? What happened? I thought you two were all in love.”

  “We were…but then everything got all screwed up. So much has happened. I’m not even sure where to start.”

  She gently rubs my arm. “You can tell me anything. No judgment here.”

  “Yeah...okay...” I take a deep breath, and avoid eye contact while I decide what to do. I really, really need someone to confide in and a friend who I can trust because I’m feeling so alone and scared and confused. “You’re not going to believe me.”

  “I’m your best friend, Sloane. I’ll always believe you.”

  I wipe my sweaty hand on my thigh. “I need to tell you something ultra big. So just promise you’ll be open-minded.”

  Viola takes her index finger and crosses her heart. “I swear whatever you’re about to tell me, I’ll take it to my grave. Now are you gonna tell me about Hayden or not?”

  I take a deep breath, and exhale. “After I’d been hanging out with him for a while, I witnessed him doing some really strange things. I watched him get hit by a car and heal in a matter of days, like nothing happened.” Pressing my lips together, I grab a handful of grass and squash the blades in my palm. “I become extra curious, wanting to discover what made him so different. That’s when he revealed his secret—he’s an entirely different species. I know it sounds like I’m spouting all kinds of crazy talk.” I glance at her face and wait for my words to sink in and her reaction. “It’s all true.”

  She slips off her heels and rubs her bare feet. “That Hayden’s some kind of comic book hero with superpowers? Doesn’t sound insane at all.” Lifting a single eyebrow, she nudges my shoulder. “Now will you get serious? Why’d you guys really breakup?”

  I blow out a breath. “Vi, I am serious. Hayden and Zach are not human.”

  “Uh-huh.” Viola rolls her eyes. “Just tell me the truth. And no more science fiction weirdness.”

  In that moment, I realize that I have nothing to lose by telling her the whole truth. So in a rush of words, I tell her all about Sector Thirteen, the Galactic Brotherhood, and the experiments by the alien scientists. “…I was pretty wigged out when Hayden first told me that he was an alien hybrid, but it didn’t stop me from liking him.” I sigh. “I realize this sounds bizarre, but you gotta believe me.”

  “Can you prove any of it?”

  “No. You’ll just have to trust me.” My posture slumps. “I can tell what you’re thinking. It’s written all over your face. You think I’m crazy with a capital C.”

  “Not exactly. Although my mind instantly goes straight to E.T. in all his stubby glory. It’s hard to imagine hot guys like Hayden and Zach are actually part alien.”

  I touch her arm and squeeze. “You can’t tell anyone about this, Viola. Sector Thirteen, this X-Files type branch of the government, apparently has these mind-erasing gadgets that wipe the memories of anyone who knows about the experiments or the aliens.”

  Except that obnoxious blackmailer knows my secrets. The question is…which ones?

  For a long moment, Viola gazes across the cemetery as if she’s gathering her thoughts. When she faces me again, she laughs nervously. “I believe you. You’ve never lied to me before and you’re pretty levelheaded, but this is insane. Aliens? For real?”

  “You believe in doppelgangers and vampires. Why not extraterrestrials?”

  “Yeah, that’s true.” She rubs her chin thoughtfully. “Can we tell Tanisha and Raymond?”

  I shake my head. “We can’t tell anyone.”

  “Fine, okay. I won’t breathe a word. But you do grasp how wacky all this sounds, right?”

  “Yeah, I do,” I say, my voice tight. “And it’s about to get a lot weirder…Hayden’s jealous ex-girlfriend kidnapped me, then tried to kill me. Things got so intense, it became a grunting, hair-tugging fight that ended with me accidently stabbing her in the gut, and now she’s in some alien prison.”

  Viola leans back, her eyes big and round. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “At the time, I was sworn to secrecy.” My next words come out in one big rush. “But after I saw my dad teleport into the house, I don’t care. He’s not human, either.”

  The lashes gracing her cheeks fly up. “Sooo, you’re saying your dad—is what? An alien like Zach and Hayden?”

  “Yup, a Meleah.” My palms go clammy again, and I knot my fingers. “It’s blowing my mind. Mostly, I’m hurt because my parents have always preached about honesty and telling the truth, but all this time they were lying to our faces. And because my mom is a human, there’s this lame rule about no crossbreeding.”

  “How did Jonah handle all this insane info?”

  “Oh, you know Brainiac Boy.” I wave my hands wildly in the air. “He was all excited and totally fine with the whole thing. I could’ve throttled the menace. So, welcome to my sucky life!” I blow out a breath. “I still can’t believe that I’m not even fully human. You don’t think I’m a freak now, do you?”

  “No, of course not,” she says. “I just don’t understand one thing. If your parents told you to keep all this a secret, then why did you tell me?”

  “Because you’re my best friend. I can’t keep a secret this huge from you.”

  Viola stays quiet again for a few minutes, watching butterflies flutter over the roses left on someone’s grave. Several yards away, a gardener appears with hedge clippers. Baby birds chirp from a nearby tree and their mother flies into the nest to feed them.

  “Oh, man, this is a lot. I mean, finding out you’re part alien is huge. Your parents were wrong not to tell you, but I bet the breakup sucks the most.” She hugs me, then leans back. “I’m sorry Hayden turned out to be such a douchebag.”

  “He isn’t…he only ended things so I’d be safe from Sector Thirteen, but it still hurts like hell. Things were good, you know. School was good, Hayden was good. Home life was even good. Now my parents and I are barely speaking. And Hayden and I aren’t together. Ugh, what’s wrong with me?” Placing a hand over my chest, I slump lower. “I have this—this ache in my heart that’s killing me.”

  Viola rubs my back. “You need to get some rest and stop torturing yourself.”

  Tears fill my eyes and I sniffle. “I need to get some Hayden.”

  “Sloane, you guys broke up for a reason.”

  “I know, I know. I just wish I could stop missing him, and wondering why he hasn’t called.” I glance at my best friend with teary eyes. “Why hasn’t he called or texted?”

  She tilts her head. “Maybe because he broke up with you.”

  I sniffle again and wipe my nose on my sleeve. “I’ll bet he’s already over me and doing fine.”

  “I doubt it. He looked awful. But to be honest, I think you need to forget about him.”

  “What I need is a way to get him back.”

  “He dumped you pretty harshly, so what can
we do?”

  “There you go! That’s the attitude we need!” I sit up straighter and shift to face her. “So what can we do first? Any suggestions? Like should I tell him that I’m a hybrid of sorts, too?”

  “Um, I’m thinking that since he doesn’t want to be together anymore that you just be an adult about it and move on.”

  “Yeah, well, we’ll call that Plan B. Anything else? Something more constructive?” I ask, closing my laptop. “I mean basically the main reason Hayden broke up with me was because he thought I was some weak human.”

  “Except you’re not and he doesn’t know yet.”

  “Now you’re talking! So I’ll find him at school and tell him the truth. Plan A is now in action.” I put my stuff away in my backpack. “Do you think it’ll make a difference?”

  Viola looks at me with one thin brow raised. “I guess you have to tell him.”

  I smile, nodding my head. “Being half-alien might work to my advantage, and I have nothing to lose by telling him about my family’s big secret.”

  Well, besides my self-respect and another assault on my already wounded heart.

  “So go for it,” Viola says.

  “Maybe our breakup is only a phase, a hiccup, or just pre-graduation relationship stress,” I say. “And once I tell him that I have alien genes too, then we’ll get back together.”

  My plan might actually work. Still, it seems like I’m living in Unrequited Love Land. But when the going gets dumped, the dumped keep trying to win back their man.

  FRIGHT NIGHT BABBLE

  Hey there, Grinning Gremlins!

  On this frightfully awesome editorial, I enjoy chatting about clichés in the horror genre from scary books to chilling flicks. As a future screenwriter, I like to explore all elements of overused tropes. Like the paranormal romance formula for example…

  Girl meets mysterious hot boy. Despite the weird behavior of the boy, the girl is irresistibly drawn to him. Boy does impossible feats that the girl witnesses. Girl confronts boy, and he rudely denies everything. Everyone else is clueless.

  The boy saves girl in some daring way, and they fall in love. Complications arise when his (take your pick: werewolf, vampire, angel, demon, etc.) true identity is revealed. A confession of the boy’s supernatural aspect or other explanation is given. Girl freaks out, but still likes hot boy. Then outside forces attack and threaten their happiness. Boy and girl overcome obstacles to be together, and they get their happy-ever-after.

  Except I didn’t get any fairy-tale ending with my true love. Not that I’ve, um, ever met a supernatural person in real life. Nope. Not me…

  Peace, love, and horror flicks,

  Sloane

  FOUR

  The next morning, my heart isn’t so tender. I tell myself that I will survive this heartache, and the whole my-relatives-are-aliens thing doesn’t seem quite as horrible now that I’ve confided in Viola.

  Plus, I got a plan. A get back with my man plan.

  As I get ready for school, a tinge of anxiety about talking to Hayden strikes my gut. Yet my courage grows with each swipe of liquid black eyeliner and every tightened corset lace. Nothing is going to stop me from telling him. Not even that creepy threat left in my locker.

  The scent of overcooked food drifts upstairs and prickles my nose. My mom is cooking breakfast. This can’t be good. She’s never been much of a housekeeper or a cook, yet I can guess why she’s up so early.

  I warily tread downstairs and into the kitchen. My mom stands at the butcher-block island, the hanging copper pots partially blocking her from view. Strands of Bach lazily drift into the room from the open doorway of my mom’s art studio, a big sunroom off the kitchen.

  My mom stands at the stainless steel stove, her slim figure dressed in a floral, peasant top and jeans, her skin polka-dotted with specks of paint. She eats all the time and yet I somehow still look much curvier than her. While I don’t belong in the skinny girl camp, my mom likes to call me voluptuous. Yup, I’ve been cursed with a chubby body, full lips, and large expressive eyes.

  She twists around, waving at me with an oven mitt, an omelet sputtering in a pan on the stove. “Morning, sweetheart.”

  Setting my backpack on the floor, I stop near the kitchen counter. “You’re up early.”

  “Couldn’t sleep.” She scoops the charbroiled eggs onto a plate and places it on the center island. Dark circles line her eyes. “Hungry?” My mom turns back to the stove, where several pieces of bacon sizzle in another skillet.

  “Not really.” I get out the silverware, slamming the drawer shut.

  “I’m not sure what to do or say to make things right.” She flips over the thick slices of bacon. “I understand why you’re so angry at your father and me. We shouldn’t have kept the truth from you, but I don’t want it to divide our family. We only did what we thought was right.”

  “Uh-huh, but you still should’ve told me.” I stab a fork into the gooey omelet, the cheese sticking to the prongs. “I feel like I’ve been conned and deceived by my own parents.”

  “I know it’s overwhelming,” she says.

  A pang strikes my heart, but it’s quickly extinguished by a deluge of disconcerting emotions. Part of me wants to give her a big hug. Then my automatic defenses kick-in. I’m still feeling burned worse than the eggs over all the lies they’ve told. My life is like an imitation of something that seemed real, but never, ever was.

  “How come you never said anything?” I ask.

  “Your father and I concealed the truth so you could live a normal life.” My mom’s face rushes with color. “So you’d be safe from Sector Thirteen, and grow up human. Otherwise, you and your brother would be trapped in an underground facility right now, being dissected and studied like a lab rat. Which might happen if ST ever catches us…so I’m hoping you’ll understand why we lied about it.”

  I put down the fork. “You can’t drop a bomb like that and expect everything to be okay. How long were you guys planning to hide the truth?”

  My mom turns off the burner, but leaves the bacon crackling in the pan. “Until we felt you were ready to handle it or, honestly…maybe we never would’ve told you.” A dark cloud flickers over her features. “I realize this is difficult for you and we should’ve told you sooner—”

  “Yeah, you should have.” I shove the burnt omelet away. “You could’ve respected me enough to understand, and been more honest. This sucks, you know?” I cross my arms over my chest—not easy with double-Ds. “It’s like discovering I was adopted or something.”

  Now I don’t know what my actual nationality is, not to mention, I have Zeta relatives—well, at least DNA from one of them—somewhere in the universe. So what kind of freak does that make me?

  “Please don’t be so dramatic.” My mom tugs off the oven mitt and tosses it on the counter. “I’m sorry you had to find out this way. Just give it time and you’ll adjust from the shock.”

  Maybe I shouldn’t be making my huge identity crisis such a big deal or direct my anger at my mom, but lying to me for the past seventeen years isn’t so easy to just forgive.

  “Before I forget, your dad drove into San Francisco this morning.”

  My lips turn downward. “Why?”

  “He’s meeting with the Galactic Brotherhood to discuss an integration program, and get advice from the leaders since he broke another law by not checking in with Sector Thirteen.”

  Oh, god. I ran a jerky hand through my hair. What if he doesn’t come back? It seems like one of those moments when I should be remembering all the great times I’ve had with my dad. The time he built me a tire swing in the backyard, or took me to my first horror movie, or when we made cookies together for my school bake sale…but my mind goes completely blank.

  “What does ST want with him?” I ask, nervously chewing on a strand of hair.

  “It’s been twenty years since he last reported his status to ST. The reason your dad stopped using his powers were so they couldn’t locate him, and
because the laws forbid mixed marriages with humans, we had to go into hiding.” My mom absently twirls the gold band around her finger. “Your dad knows it’s risky going to the GB leaders, but he has a plan.”

  “What if they turn him in? ST is evil. If they’re looking for my dad, then it’s not to sit down and have a cup of coffee. Don’t you guys know how psycho these people are?”

  “Yes, honey. But the GB has offered our family asylum while your dad’s away. And I realize he could be arrested by ST for breaking the law, especially if they discover he’s had children, but they don’t know where he is yet.” She tugs the hair from my mouth. “You know, I hate that habit.”

  “What happens if Sector Thirteen finds out about me and Jonah?”

  “Probably nothing…although, I might be taken to some lab for testing since we’re pretty sure I’m the only human who’s ever survived childbirth.”

  We’re both quiet and lost in our thoughts while we consider all the ramifications. I glance over at her, biting my lower lip. At least there’s no immediate danger for my family with my dad gone. ST soldiers can’t arrest him if he isn’t even here, which gives me a small amount of relief.

  Grabbing my backpack off the floor, I slip the strap over one shoulder. “What’s his plan?”

  My mom grips my untouched plate and goes to the sink. She turns on the faucet and hot water spews out, steaming the glass on the window above the sink. “Your dad’s always dreamed of an integration program and now he’s trying to make it a reality. If he can convince the Galactic Brotherhood, it could lead to the assimilation of all Meleah into human society.”

  My feet shuffle back a few steps, almost to the backdoor now. “I doubt they’ll agree. Most Meleah seem to hate humans.”

  “Our hope is that we don’t just peacefully coexist, but learn from one another.” Washing the plate, she peers over her shoulder and sighs heavily. “You’re going to hold a grudge forever, aren’t you?”