Under the Burning Stars Read Online Free Page B

shudder.
    She couldn’t stop Xavier from carrying out their plan. She felt responsible for the deaths of the eight students and four adults. The Cimmerians had been after them and created chaos in hopes that the Elementals would surrender.
    One victim was Mrs. Duke. She taught that stupid calculus class and even though Ava hated it and the way Mrs. Duke taught, and those ridiculously large red glasses, she’d give anything to go back.
    Her vision blurred and she quickly blinked the tears away.
    Peter came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
    “ I have to.” She hid her pendant underneath the high neckline of her dress and twisted around in his arms. He looked even sexier in a suit and tie.
    He lifted her chin with his finger so she could meet his brown eyes. “This wasn’t your fault, Ava.”
    “I should’ve caught on sooner to what Xavier was planning. And even when they took you.”
    “Stop, Ava. Don’t blame yourself for things that were out of your control.”
    “They were after us, Peter. They only killed innocent people to get us to surrender.”
    “No, they killed innocent people because that’s what they do. And they aren’t a threat anymore. It’s over.”
    She nodded , but secretly disagreed. “Thank you for coming with me.”
    Peter grabbed her hand . “Of course. Are you ready?”
    Ava took a deep breath. “Yeah.”
    As they made their way downstairs, Ava halted once she saw Melissa, Lance, Thomas, Link, Seth, and Nicole all dressed in funeral attire.
    Lance scratched the back of his neck. His dark hair barely reached his collar. “We’re ready.”
    Ava met Melissa’s green eyes. “I’m—.”
    “Don’t say a word,” Melissa warned.
    She nodded and then followed them out to Lance’s car. Ava was glad they decided to go.
    “I hope we don’t burn once we set foot inside the church,” Thomas joked.
    Ava rolled her eyes. Typical Thomas remark. Why was he even going? Because Lance was?
    She knew it wasn’t going to be easy showing up there, especially with Link, Nicole, and Seth. Xavier had turned them into Halflings and Link produced the bombs. But no one could prove it, and even though Link felt immensely guilty, he had been under a spell. The police were stumped when they couldn’t find any remains of a single bomb. That was because Link could make explosions the same way Ava conjured water.
    They were brave for going.
    When they arrived, several people turned and stared right at them in disbelief. Ava had expected it. They hadn’t exactly been favorites at the school because of their necklaces and with how Xavier started his own group by kidnapping and compelling Ephemerals. The town assumed the two were connected.
    Despite the somber mood, it was a beautiful spring day. Ava would rather be at Melissa’s pool swimming or somewhere that involved water, but she needed to be there to pay her respects.
    Thomas walked up to one of his football teammates, but the guy walked away.
    Melissa tossed her cigarette to the ground and stepped on it. “I told you we shouldn’t have come.”
    Ava frowned. Was Melissa seriously blaming her? She didn’t have to be there.
    “Let’s just get this over with,” Link said.
    Ava felt all their apprehension and guilt as they walked inside the crowded church. It was as if the entire town had come. They probably had. Pictures of each victim were displayed among a garden of flowers at the altar and an organ was playing.
    Ava and the rest took up an entire row in the back and none of them spoke. They kept to themselves but Ava knew the other students were still staring. She caught the angry brown eyes of Valerie Hammond, Peter’s friend. Valerie always gave Ava a dirty look because Peter spent so much time with her. Ava ignored her and held Peter’s hand to keep from fidgeting with her ring.
    People spoke about the victims and some girl from their school went up to the altar in crutches and sang