When the Stars Align

The Return

I changed out of my red dress and threw on jeans and a t-shirt. I closed the door to my room and headed down the staircase. I opened the door to floor 5 and was just about to step out. I felt someone slam into me knocking me back into the railing of the staircase. I looked up and gasped. It was Brendan. And I was disarmed.

I tried to make a dash back up the stairs but he grabbed the collar of my shirt. I tried to muster a scream but it was frozen to the back of my throat. He pushed me up against the wall.

"You little bitch," he spat. "I was planning to leave you alone, but then you go and kidnap Angie? You're going to pay."

I couldn't move, I felt paralyzed. He was like a boulder.

"Help!" I screamed.

He slapped me hard across the face, his nails raking my cheek. I felt blood running down the side of my face.

"Get off of me!" I yelled as he reached for the button of my jeans.

I managed to push him away but he grabbed me by the arm. I kicked him right where it hurt. He cried out in pain but his grip on me only tightened. He slammed me against the iron railing. He held me by my wrists, his hands freezing. My hands began to turn blue before I remembered that Brendan controlled ice. He was trying to literally turn me into an ice cube.

I knew Max had warned me not to use my element, but what choice did I have? My hands defrosted rapidly until my skin was hot to the touch. Brendan jerked back in pain. I twirled my hand and a ball of fire hovered over my palm. It illuminated the whole room.

"Don't touch me," I warned backing slowly towards the door.

He looked shocked as I turned and ran out the door and down the hall until I reached Will's room. I flung open the door and raced immediately to his closet.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Brendan," I said grabbing a sword.

He sprang into action grabbing a sword too. I turned to leave but Will's hand shot out, grabbing my jaw. He turned my head to see the wound on my cheek.

"I'm going to kill him," he muttered.

I raised my arm to wipe the blood away. "Well then you better hurry up."

We raced back down the hall and towards the staircase. Brendan was gone. We ran around the whole Hotel looking for him, but he was nowhere to be found. We checked the cells, and Angie was still there. I collapsed against the wall, heavy with exhaustion. Will did the same.

I shook my head. "I'm so stupid, I should have just taken him hostage right there. Instead I ran like a coward."

"You weren't a coward. You did the best thing, you got out of there," he said. "Besides, you were unarmed."

"That's exactly how I was able to get away though. I used fire, and now he knows that I can control it," I replied shaking my head. "And now were back to having no clue where he is."

He used his thumb to wipe away the remaining blood on my cheek. "Are you okay?"

I nodded.

"Then that's all that matters," he said.

I leaned my head on his shoulder as he put his arm around me. "You're not mad?"

"The only person I'm mad at is Brendan. How could I ever be mad at you? It would have been better if Brendan hadn't found out about the whole controlling fire thing, but it's not like you had a choice. You had to get out of there," he replied.

He helped me up and wrapped his arms around me tightly. We climbed to floor 5. I followed him into his room and placed the sword back in his closet. I fell asleep in his arms.