Page 33 of Hostile Holiday

Hunter asked, “Did you lose your power with age?”

“No, it depleted when my husband passed. He was over a hundred before we met, and I got another one hundred twenty years out of him. He was content to go, and all of our family was around. Some are magical, some are not, but we love them all.”

“We?” Orla cocked her head.

“My husband may be dead, but he isn’t far.” Strella smiled. “When I return to the stars, he will be with me. Daimor would be so happy that I have finally met one of my kind.”

“You haven’t met other stars?”

Strella laughed. “We don’t arrive often, and when we do, the warlock councils immediately throw males at us to get us to stay.”

“Always males?”

“The stars are female, for the most part. There are a few exceptions, but they are descended from the stars, so their mothers were the true stars. The boys are just knockoffs.” Strella chuckled. “Cute, though, but I am glad I stopped at two.”

Orla smiled. “Do you have pictures?”

“Of course. Hunter, have you had enough?”

“I can remain here, Lady, if you two would like to wander off and come back when you have had your chat.”

Orla looked at him. “Are you sure?”

“I am sure. Go and play.”

Orla got to her feet and followed Strella to the private wing of the house, where the walls were covered with her history and the family that received love from a summoned star.

“Strella, do you really think there was a second when I arrived?”

“Yes, Orla. There was. Did you have many friends when you were a child?”

“A few, at school. And one girl that I met on the school grounds after kindergarten when I waited for Mom to pick me up.”

“Did she remain a friend?”

“Yes. She went to a public school, and I went to a private school. She didn’t have parents from what I can recall.”

“Hm. That is unusual. The magic of both parents makes for an easy birth.”

“Well, then. It wasn’t her. Oh, she was also born in the middle of summer, not autumn.”

“Ah. Well then, think and see if you can remember anyone who always showed up when you needed them.”

Orla nodded and listened to Strella’s story while she tried to remember if anyone had ever come running when she needed help, but Emery was always the woman in mind. They were still friends, though Orla had cut back on visits because she felt she was putting Emery out. Taking advantage of a friend became nerve-wracking after a while.

Orla sighed.

Strella nodded. “You keep coming back to one person.”

“Yeah. Always the same person, but she is definitely human.”

“You are sure?”

“Yeah.”

“And you were known to have magic?”

“Well, my brother bound it when I was a teen.”

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