Read Online Lexan's Pledge (Starbright Novellas) by Hilary Thompson - Free Book Online

story, when the moon returns to cover the sun in his own house, turning day into blackest night.
     
    from First Leader Lakessa’s private journal
    included in Firene’s secret papers
     
    “Hypocrite,” I say under my breath. Our kiss is over and I’m back to thinking.
    “What?” Tella asks, tossing her hair from her neck so I can see her cleavage better. Like I don’t know it’s there.
    “Nothing. What were you saying about your sister?” I give her the cue and she launches back into some boring story, leaving me free to think about Trea. Which is not really the best idea. She’s already been gone several minutes. I’m starting to change my mind about protecting her from her own decisions: she makes really bad ones.
    I hated seeing her walk away after that asshole. I was born to be her partner, but she won’t even glance at me. Instead, she goes off with the lousiest guy in our class, to the darkest spot in the cave. And she’s been drinking.
    Tella glances at me, a frown on her pouty lips. “Are you okay? I think you’re growling.”
    I shake my head and shift away from her, smiling a little wider to soften the coming blow.
    “Do you mind if I take a few minutes to check on a friend? I saw him leave and he looked a little drunk.” It’s not exactly a lie. Just the friend part.
    Tella smiles. “Of course not! That’s so sweet of you! I love that you love your friends so much!”
    I can barely smile past the strange panic climbing my throat as I leave her. That girl needs to get a clue. And a partner - soon.
    I take a roundabout way towards the area I saw Pallis and Trea last. I don’t want anyone to connect where I’m going, although it would probably be a long shot. Finally I hear voices, and an occasional giggle. Rounding a corner, I can see them, and I immediately duck backwards out of possible sight.
    I wish I couldn’t see either, because the sight of Trea with him makes me literally sick. My throat constricts and I feel the burn of acid at the base of my tongue.
    From my hidden spot in the shadows, I can only see Pallis’s back. He lifts his head and says something to her. His voice is low, but it sounds angry even from here.
    Trea’s voice cuts above his. “I don’t want…”
    And that’s when the bastard leans in to kiss her again.
    And that’s when I lose my mind.
    I lunge across the space separating us and haul Pallis backwards by his shoulders, pulling him in a full circle so that I’m safely between his grabby hands and the girl I can’t bear to look at.
    She’ll never forgive me for this, but there’s no way I could just let it happen.
    “Pallis, I clearly heard her say no. If you can’t respect that, you need to take it up with me,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady and failing completely.
    Instead of answering like a normal person, he swings at me. Instinct says duck. Logic says take the punch, or Trea will.
    So I take the punch. And it hurts, but the pain is eclipsed by the sudden, paralyzing heat that crawls over my skin as soon as my back comes into contact with Trea’s body. It’s like she is liquid fire, and she is smothering me, stealing all the oxygen from my body and locking my muscles.
    She’s suddenly in front of me and I can’t even move to help her - her fingers on my chest feel like five licks of flame. Then I realize that even though the heat registers as pain, it isn’t actually painful. It seems instinctive, like stretching out a cramped muscle.
    Pallis grunts and shakes his head. He seems to feel the same fire in the hand Trea has pushed against his chest, but then he manages to move and knock her hand away.
    All I can do is wonder how he can move. Even my eyeballs seem locked in place, burning for air.
    “Pallis, we’ve had some fun tonight, but we both know where this is going. Please just leave!” Trea says, her voice softening a little at the request.
    Pallis glares at her, then at me. I can’t look away.
    He makes a growling noise, then