SuperNova: Heroes of Arcania Read online

  “You heard me. You’re being really weird. I think I know what it is. I mean, at least I’ve had my suspicions.”

  He knows. My stomach turned. This was it. The moment Henry admitted he was baiting me with all this talk and confronted me about playing hero. Then I’d have to explain my gift so I didn’t sound like the biggest hypocrite on the planet. I swallowed hard and waited, knowing I couldn’t stop Henry from finally finding out my secret.

  “Did Fortune say something to you before he…you know?” The rest was left unspoken. Before he killed Starling.

  My shoulders sagged with relief, though maybe it looked like fear. Against my better judgment, my eyes flicked down to my lap. Henry’s own jaw dropped.

  “He did! He said something to spook you!”

  “He didn’t ‘spook me,’” I snapped, truly angry for the trite phrase. “He murdered my sister.”

  Henry had the decency to look ashamed. “God, sorry, Nova…”

  I sucked in a deep breath. “Henry.”

  “What?” He glared at the wall, not wanting to meet my eyes.

  “You can’t go after Fortune.”

  “I told you, I’m not going after him. Just looking into some rumors.”

  I hated myself for what I said next. “You should leave the job to the adults.”

  He looked at me like I might as well have slapped him in the face. “You know this is my dream, right? To break a story like this? It’s all I’ve ever wanted and it could help save people from going through what you’ve been through.”

  His words gutted me. “This won’t get you a Pulitzer, Henry, it’ll get you killed by Fortune’s hand.”

  “You’re overreacting.” He got up from the couch and proceeded to shove every last piece of paper back in his backpack. He snatched the notepad from my hand, stuffing it in the bag. A lone news clipping fluttered sadly to the floor. Neither of us bothered to pick it up.

  He fidgeted with the bag’s strap on his shoulder. “If you can’t support me, then I don’t know why I’m even here.”

  Henry turned on his heel, intent on walking out the door. His snap had me on my own feet in half a second. I practically yelled at him. “You don’t understand!”

  He whirled back around to face me. His own voice raised to a shout, finally releasing bottled up questions he’d evidently had for months. “Then tell me! Explain to me what happened that day, about what it is that Fortune does. I know he’s a monster, Nova. That’s why I’m trying to help people. Help me by telling me whatever it is you’ve been hiding since Star’s death.”

  My lips pressed tight together, refusing to let anything escape. Neither of us said anything for another minute, the tension pulling with every second.

  Henry finally shook his head, anguish on his face. He turned and walked out of my house, slamming the door behind him.

  I was a pile of nerves the day of Homecoming. My rollercoaster mood had me restless, with too much energy to burn. I’d tossed and turned all night, going over and over the previous night’s argument with Henry. Even texts from Cole couldn’t cheer me up; he’d picked up on my mood, not bothering to ask if I wanted to go out that night. We’d chatted on and off for a few hours before Penelope coerced him into a late movie.

  I had breakfast with Mom, but didn’t talk much. After my fifth sigh, she shot me a curious look. “What’s wrong?”

  I put my half-eaten toast back down. “Henry and I got into an argument.”

  Surprised crossed her pretty face. “What about?”

  I shook my head, long hair swinging. “I’m not sure you want to know.”

  That only made her more interested. “New girlfriend?”

  “He’s working on a story.” When she didn’t react, I dropped the bomb. “About Fortune.”

  Mom paled, setting her fork down on the plate with a clatter. “He can’t do that. It’ll get him killed.”

  “That’s what I said. Hence the fight.”

  “Nova, you have to stop him.”

  I huffed. “How? You know how he is once he gets onto something. I’m lucky he hasn’t caught wind of my own…er, hobbies.”

  “I don’t know, honey, but he cannot look into Fortune.”

  “I know.” I stared miserably at my scrambled eggs, no longer having an appetite.

  “Should we involve his parents?”

  “God, no!” My head shot up to give her a warning look. “Don’t do that, Mom. I’ll figure something out, but if you involve them, he’ll never forgive me.”

  “Okay, okay,” she said, hands palm up in truce. “Keep me updated, though.”

  I excused myself from the table, promising my mother I would do my best to deter him from any front page news. Once downstairs, I paced for a few minutes. I kept expecting my phone to vibrate with a message, but no one, not even Cole, texted me. When Henry still hadn’t texted by noon (he slept at least that long on weekends), I plucked up the courage to contact him.

  U up?

  Lack of response made me gnaw on my bottom lip. That could mean anything. He might be sleeping…or he could be ignoring me. I kept my phone in my lap, staring up at my ceiling. What if he didn’t forgive me?

  “Screw this,” I muttered.

  Henry’s sleepy, confused voice answered right before voicemail kicked in. “Nova? You’re calling me?”

  “Yeah, hey.”

  “Hey.” He sounded more awake, but guarded. He probably thought I was calling to yell at him again.

  “Um, look, I’m sorry about last night.” The words rushed out, my voice cracking as I held back tears. “I’m just worried about you. I don’t know what I’d do if…you know.”

  Henry sighed. “I know. I’m sorry too. I should’ve at least talked to you first.”

  I breathed in deep, relief coursing through my veins. “I get it. A story like this, you’re sort of chasing your dreams. But—”

  “I’m not going to drop the story, Nova,” he said, cutting me off before I could start in on him. “Not yet.”

  My whole face scrunched in frustration. Of course not. But there was no way around it; I’d laid awake all night considering my options. I decided I’d much rather he tell me what was going on than hide it. If I could help or keep him from getting killed, I would.

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “If I think there’s any danger, I’ll back off,” he said.

  I didn’t believe him, but I didn’t have any other choice. Instead, I focused on the fact that we sounded like we were back to us again. “So we’re okay?”

  “Yeah, of course,” he said, relief in his voice, too. “Listen, I just realized what time it is — I promised my mom I’d do chores before tonight.”

  We parted ways; I hung up the phone, happy to have somewhat settled it. I’d have to deal with that problem when it came, but for today, I wanted to be normal. Homecoming was still hours away and I actually let myself get excited. Dressing up, spending the night with Cole and my friends, feeling like a regular teenager for the first time in months…there was no way I could focus on homework or college applications. Going back up to the first floor, I wandered through the house to find my mom.

  “Henry and I made up.”

  “Good, honey, I’m glad to hear that.”

  To my good fortune, she left it at that, maybe not wanting any answers. She returned to her book, while I paced the kitchen. I opened and closed the fridge at least three times, not wanting anything. Pouring myself a glass of water, my foot tapped the floor. She caught on quick.

  “You excited about tonight?”

  I grinned. “Definitely.”

  “You’re far more excited about the dance than you were about your date the other week,” she said, giving me a knowing look. “Must be the boy.”

  I couldn’t hold back a laugh. “Maybe.”

  She smiled. “The Warner kid?”

  “Cole, yeah.”

  “He must be special. You’re practically glowing.” Her comments did nothing to stave off the
giddiness, my smile threatening to crack my face in two. She chuckled at my reaction, waving me off. “I’ll do your makeup whenever you’re ready.”

  I’d usually ignored schoolwork in favor of my nightly hobby. Instead of focusing on anything to do with Fortune, however, I decided to be normal, do things like all my classmates would be doing to kill time. I worked out in the basement, including a half-marathon run on the treadmill. A nice long bubble bath and painting my nails rounded out the afternoon.

  I still had an hour to go before I needed to get dressed. Without even realizing it, I stared at my bulletin board for a long time, getting sucked into my own thoughts and fears. For Fortune to strike that bank after he’d bombed the last one…to stay underground for so long only to come out of hiding now…the money he hoarded away…he had bigger plans in motion.

  I could feel it. I didn’t know what or why I felt that way, but that nagging feeling wouldn’t leave me. I’d missed a step somewhere and I couldn’t help but worry it would mean the death of me or someone else I loved.

  Glancing at the clock, I realized I’d better hurry. Despite the thought, I took my time putting “the” dress on. I’d been saving it since last spring. I’d pulled it out the night before, happy to be excited each time I saw it hanging in my window. Once on, I stared at myself in the mirror. It was a little fancier than the usual Homecoming gown, but our school liked to dress up, so it wouldn’t stand out too much. The princess A-line gown fit like a glove, flaring at the ankles. With a sweetheart neckline, the delicate beading on thin fabric made up tiny cap sleeves over my shoulders.

  My hands lovingly ran over the pale blue dress, smoothing down any wrinkles. The gown was beautiful and I loved it as much as the day I’d gotten it. Mom and I had found it on sale, agreeing it was perfect. I’d planned to wear it to last year’s prom, but with everything that happened with Starling, I’d shoved it into the back of the closet. I’d forgotten all about it, until Cole asked me to Homecoming. As soon as I said yes, I knew it’d be the one I wore.

  I curled my hair, piecing it up just so and Mom did my makeup so that it accentuated my blue eyes. We were in her room for the best lighting. I sat on her bed while she applied it.

  “I love this dress,” she said dreamily as she swept eyeshadow across my lids. “You look like Cinderella.”

  “I feel like her, too,” I admitted, fluffing the crinoline underneath. “Thanks again for getting it for me.”

  “I’m just glad you get to wear it,” she said. She finished up the mascara and stepped back to examine her work. Her eyes teared up, much to my dismay. “You look so grown-up.”

  “It’s okay, Mom, it’s only Homecoming. You can boo-hoo when it’s prom time.”

  “Deal,” she said with a laugh. She blotted her tears away, fixing a few curls around my face. Her expression softened, her fingers lingering. “Starling would be calling you a princess right about now.”

  A lump grew in my throat, but I managed a watery smile. “She loved this dress, too.”

  Mom nodded, taking in a deep breath. When I bit my lip, she pulled me in for a tight hug. “No crying, it’ll ruin your makeup. It’s okay, baby.”

  I sniffled and pushed back the wave of tears. We pulled away, clearing our throats. Mom used the tissue to dry any lingering tears so it didn’t ruin my mascara. She took out a tube of lip gloss, dabbing at where I’d smeared it. Snapping the cap back on, she smiled again.

  “Have fun tonight. Really, you deserve it.”

  “Thanks.” I gave her an air kiss.

  The doorbell rang and she laughed. “Cole has good timing. Now quick, go to the stairs so you can pretend you’re a princess leaving the castle.”

  I burst out laughing and she practically pushed me out of her bedroom. Doing as she said, I turned the corner and out of sight. Voices sounded as she opened the door and greeted him.

  “Hi Cole, I’m Nova’s mother.”

  “Hi, Mrs. Benson,” he said, sounding a little breathless. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  “Come on in.”

  When they turned the corner, I glided down the last few steps as though I’d been on my way down to meet him. Mom had been right, as usual — seeing the look on Cole’s face when I came into view was worth it. My heart swelled as he gazed at me, like I was the only girl in the world for him.

  “Hi,” I said, perching on the last step.

  “You look incredible,” Cole breathed.

  Mom shot me a thumbs up behind him. He held out a hand for me to step down, not letting go when both feet were on the floor. Mom grinned from ear to ear. Cole patiently smiled when she asked for pictures. She oohed and aahed as he slipped a corsage on my wrist. Dad came out and shook hands with him, but thankfully refrained from using his law degree on a high school boy. Finally we were allowed to leave, my parents waving at us from the door the entire way to Cole’s car.

  I glanced at it in surprise. “You want to drive?”

  He shrugged. “I figured you were wearing heels.”

  I laughed, pulling my dress up above the ankle to show off my shoes. He’d guessed correctly. Cole opened the passenger door for me and I could’ve sworn I heard my mother coo from the front porch.

  “That was fun,” Cole said as we drove the few blocks to the school.

  I grimaced. “I know, I’m sorry. I asked her to be cool.”

  He chuckled, a surprised look on his face. “No, Nova, I’m serious. They’re really nice.”

  “Oh, well thanks,” I said. “Honestly, they’re pretty great.”

  “Your mom is awesome.” There was a tinge of sadness in his voice. I reached over and squeezed his hand.

  “I wish I could’ve met your mom.”

  “She would’ve liked you,” he said, a smile pulling at him.

  “Her gift…was she powerful?”

  He nodded. “It’s really no surprise that Penelope is as good as she is. Mom got her gift young, too.”

  “I wish at least one of my parents was gifted so I could ask them more questions.”

  “Sometimes I forget your parents aren’t gifted,” he admitted.

  “Is it weird to, you know, not have gifted family?”

  “Oh, you definitely have gifted family,” he said, correcting me. “Just not your parents. And no, it’s not weird. Sometimes it skips generations or goes to one sibling and not the other. It’s not that rare that Pen and I got separate gifts. Everyone is different.”

  “Wild.” I mused over that fact.

  “It’s amazing that your parents know about your…what do you call it?”

  “My ‘hobbies.’”

  Cole shot me one of his heart-stopping grins. “Right. Hobbies. That’s pretty cool that they’re okay with it.”

  “I wouldn’t say ‘okay’ but they’re dealing. They’re stronger than they realize.”

  “So are you.”

  My heart thumped extra hard. Before I could think of what to say, we were in the parking lot. He jumped out and walked around the car to open my door. Extending a hand to help me out, he shut the door after me, but didn’t let go. His warm hand enveloped mine and my inner butterflies twirled. We walked hand in hand to front steps; around us, students laughed and chatted, but it was hard for me to get my mind off Cole. I glanced to him, finding he was looking right back at me. We shared a grin.

  We followed the line into the school’s gymnasium. I gasped at the transformation; even Cole looked impressed. White lights hung from the ceiling so that it looked like a canopy of stars. There was the area off to the side for a photo booth complete with fun props. A stage had been built at the front, where a DJ now played music, his focus intent on the equipment in front of him.

  Students were already on the floor, dancing to the beat of some popular song they played way too much on the radio. Cole and I remained on the outside of the crowd. Even with everyone milling around, my hand remained firmly in his.

  Amber waltzed up to us and gave me a grin. “Hey, Nova! You l
ook beautiful.”

  “Thanks, Amber. That’s quite a dress you’ve got.” Understatement of the decade. The black material clung to every curve, dipping low in the back…and the front. My father would’ve had a heart attack had I tried to leave the house in that dress.

  “Isn’t it?” Amber grinned.

  “Oh, hey Cole,” she added as an afterthought. She gave him an approving look before turning back to me. “Can I talk to you really quick? I was hoping to catch you before anyone important showed up.”

  Cole turned a hack of laughter into a cough behind his hand while I allowed myself to be whisked away into the girls’ bathroom. Once inside, Amber checked the empty stalls and nodded once satisfied we were alone.

  “I wanted to let you know it’s cool with me if you date Cole,” Amber said. She leaned against the sink, her silver acrylic nails clicking on the countertop.

  I bit my tongue to keep from laughing. Amber was a good friend, but not reason enough to keep me from dating Cole. “Oh?”

  “Yeah. In fact, I thought maybe I’d ask Andy out…” her voice trailed off in a question as she looked at me.

  Understanding came over me as I realized she was asking permission. “I thought that when we were at Brittany’s party!”

  “Yeah?” She brightened.

  “You should totally ask him out. He’s a nice guy.” At least that part was honest. Andy meant well, even if he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed.

  We both paused as a trio of junior year girls walked in, giggling over their dates. One look from Amber sent them into their stalls without another word.

  She turned her attention back to me with narrowed eyes. “Is there a reason you don’t want to date him?”

  “Oh, that’s not how I meant it. He’s great, really, but we don’t have much in common. Plus, ya know…I kinda dig Cole.”

  “And he lit up when he saw you at the party. I should’ve known then. But if Andy’s single…” Amber’s face brightened at her options. “Awesome. We’re both here alone, so that should be easy enough.”

  She turned to face the mirror, adjusting her dress and—as usual—her cleavage. A silence came between me and Amber, until she broke through it with a blunt surprise.

  “You know, at first I thought Henry broke up with me because he was in love with you or something,” Amber told me as she applied lipstick.