“...a really intriguing story that encompasses action, adventure, romance,
drama and a measure of science fiction that helps make this multi-faceted book
a very engaging read. Ending skillfully with a suspenseful cliffhanger, this
book, with its well-developed characters and many surprising twists will leave
readers anxiously waiting for the next installment in the Star-Crossed Saga.”
-Literary Classsics 5/5 stars
Excerpt:
CHAPTER THREE
Sydney and Noella walked hand in hand along
the small winding path leading to the top the Mount Dothan. The dusking sky
painted a sheet of orange and red light across the woodsy terrain around them,
giving the impression of wading through a sea of fire. Amid the grim moment of
the day and the burning sensation rising in Sydney’s throat, the tone seemed
fitting. Silence accompanied them, and it wasn’t until the pair hit the peak
that Sydney finally broke the ice. “So what do your people call this ceremony?”
she asked.
“The time of the harvest. It’s the moment when
a fallen soldier is said to join the being of the sky. I think humans refer to
it as God,” Noella said, her tone as flat as the expression on her face.
“Sounds cool,” she replied as she surveyed the
surroundings; a patch of flatland that housed a family of hawks who watched
cautiously from above in a lone cedar tree. From here, every inch of
Madisonburg could be observed without the need of telescope or binoculars. A
bed of dandelions and weeping willows greeted them in the center of the field.
“This way. I’ll show you where I buried his
body,” Noella said.
She could see that Noella was visibly shaken,
slowly unravelling before her eyes. Her hands trembled as her eyes began to
redden. She wondered how long it’d take, amazed at how Noella had not said a
word since Arrion’s death a few weeks ago, only morning him in silence, which
she explained was customary on Fabricius. She had done the deed all by herself,
refusing to allow Sydney to assist in his burial. From scouting the plot of
land to digging the hole, Noella insisted that it was protocol on her planet
for a lone fellow soldier to be assigned the arduous task of preparation.
Seeing as though William had departed soon after, there was no better candidate
left for the job.
She took Noella by the hand and drew her
close, giving her the most delicate and firm hug she could muster. Noella stood
motionless, sinking into her friend’s embrace. After a few seconds, she
released her, unable to make eye contact. “I’m here for you,” she
murmured.
“Thanks, Syd,” Noella replied, her voice
ragged.
She finally looked up at her and gave a nod,
following Noella’s lead over to the place where Arrion’s body lay.
Surprisingly, the disturbed clay seemed more settled than she expected, dried
from the sun and already showing signs of life as Bermuda grass had slowly
began to encroach along the edges. A makeshift tombstone had been erected,
fashioned from metallic fuselage scraps of the Daedallus, with only Arrrion’s
name and handle tatted along the surface, minus dates to hide his identity to
hikers in hopes that most consider it a memorial to a lost pet if they stumbled
upon it.
Noella knelt next to the grave, slid her
backpack from her shoulders and began to open it. Searching her bag, she
retrieved a small oval-shaped disk and a satchel filled with purple powder.
“These are crushed lilacs pedals. We must first prepare the path for Arrion’s
ascension by sending tribute to the sky.” She stood and sprinkled a few handfuls
over the grave until a thin layer had materialized before them. “On our planet
we usually use the oil of a Tonosia Tree, which is a lot thicker substance and
is used for sterilization. Sarah thought it’d be a good idea to use lilacs as a
substitute because it was a similar color.”
“It’s beautiful,” she replied.
“I will now begin the ceremony.” Noella placed
the disc in the center of the burial site, depressed a red button on the top
and came to her side. The two joined hands as the disc began to spin and dig
into the hardened clay. Noella pointed a hydrogen phaser at the site and fired
a stream of fire upon it that scorched the sheet of crushed pedals. The disc
disappeared beneath the flames and Noella broke out into song, in an alien
dialect that Sydney could not understand. It was less about the words and more
the moment that choked at her, forcing the tears to flow freely down her face.
She squeezed Noella’s hand as she crooned on. By the time Noella had finished,
a small fissure had opened in the place where the disc had entered and a cloud
of embers swirled into the air; a mix of red, orange and yellow. It lifted high
into the sky and faded into the clouds.
Noella dropped to her knees in a whimper. “It
is finished.”
Sydney came beside her and held her close. “It
was… beautiful.”
The two sat in silence with only sobs to drown
out the sounds of the forest.
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