Star struck

Camp

Heli groaned, digging her feet in a dragging at Celeste. "Cel, you're going to fast!" She stopped short, leaving Celeste holding a dead weight, which dragged her back involuntarily. They had been walking for a while and with every step Celeste had begun to notice that they were slipping further and further behind.

"Heli, I can't help it we have to..." Celeste gasped as Irah came from behind Heli and scooped her up, head first, so that a second later she was sitting comfortably on his shoulders. Heli giggled.

He raised an eyebrow Stella, who was yapping frantically at his feet and, with another swift movement, stooped to pick her up as well. Heli laughed as he lifted Stella up so that she could lick her face. He turned to Celeste and grinned. "Do you need a ride too?"

For a second Celeste felt herself become lost in the deep black of Irah's eyes. They seemed, in stark contrast to his brothers, to be bottomless, a mysterious magnetism emminating from their depths.

Irah's grin grew wider, his dimples stretching along the edges of his mouth. "You're not really thinking of saying yes are you? I don't know if I have enough space on my shoulders."Celeste laughed, jolted back to the present by his innocent question. Her cheeks flushed. "I think I'll manage."

"Ah well nothing better than an independent woman." He fell into step with her, matching her stride for stride. "What was your name again?"

"Celeste." Celeste smiled. "Pretty name for a pretty girl." Irah winked. Celeste felt the flush on her cheeks deepen. "I'm Irah."

"I heard your father mention your name, before you fixed the tire. Thank you for that by the way." Celeste frowned slightly. "It was impressive how fast you were able to fix it. How do know so much about cars?"

"I know a lot about a lot of things." Irah's words were confident, the same accent that laced his father's words betraying an underlying worldliness. "What do you know?"

"About anything?" Celeste laughed again, taken aback. "That's quite the question! At the moment I'm more preoccupied with what I don't know."

Irah tiled his head questioningly. She shrugged. "Like, why are you both here and not in school? Why would your family agree to this job at all? Why does anyone take my parent's plan to run a hotel in the middle of nowhere seriously and how long will it be before I can run away?" Irah laughed, his laughter a slightly shallower version of his father's. "Already planning an escape and we haven't even reached the prison!"

"Don't listen to her Irah, she's just dramatic." Heli plopped down onto his head, her long golden hair mixing in with the silver of his. Irah redoubled his laughter and Celeste shot her a look. "Oh, I know someone who is going to be very pleased to meet you!" Irah smiled upward as Heli peeked over his forehead.

"We're here." Celeste started. She turned to find Amardo flanking her, his own silent strides also keeping pace. He motioned forward and she turned to look.

They were now approaching a smaller encampment. The tents were larger and much more haphazardly placed. Even from this distance Celeste could smell roast lamb and spices. Her mouth began to water. She hadn't realised how hungry she was.

"Let's go see your new home!" Irah bounded forward, Heli and Stella squealing in delight as he ran. Celeste smiled after them. She was glad her sister seemed to be settling in at least. "Be careful." Amardo spoke again, coming to stand beside her. His voice, although barely above a whisper, was clear in crisp air. "Of what?"

She turned to look right into his face, into his strangely dead eyes... except from this distance they didn't look so dead. Up close they had their own shimmer, a diamond dusting on a field of pearl. She had never seen eyes look so sad.

"Of what?" She repeated the question. She wasn't sure why she was entertaining his warning but something about him made her feel as if he were in earnest. "You shouldn't be here at all. None of you should." Amardo shook his head sadly. "There are so many things beyond your knowledge and control..."

"Hey!" Irah called from the edge of the encampment, waving. A glorious full moon hung directly behind him. "Hurry up!" Celeste glanced back to Amardo. "Warning me isn't very helpful if I don't know what to be on the lookout for, you know. I don't know you at all, I don't know what you consider dangerous. And if you're going to feed me some line about 'beyond my knowledge or control' then why bother warning me at all? Doesn't sound like there's a lot I can do about it."

She turned and looked right into his eyes. "If there is really something wrong, just say it." Amardo seemed taken aback by her straightforward response and her challenge. He thought for a second and sighed. "You're right. I guess there's nothing you can do."

He half-smiled, half grimaced. "I will try to help if I can."

"Well thank you." Celeste smiled back. "That's a lovely sentiment." Amardo nodded and started to walk toward the encampment.

"Amardo?" She caught up to him, walking alongside him. He looked at her questioningly. "I'm sorry if I was rude the first time we met. I was just surprised by..."

"My eyes? My hair? My skin?" He nodded. "It's ok, I'm not my brother or my father, I know."

"It's not that!" Celeste shook her head, afriad of causing further offence. "You're just...the last person I would ever expect to meet in a desert."

Amardo stood stock still for a second and then he began to laugh, a deep laugh with a strange echo. Irah ran up to his brother, looking shocked. "What did you say to him?"

"What? I, nothing!" Celeste felt herself becoming defensive. "I just made an observation...why do you care anyway?"

Irah looked back at her, his face full of curiosity. "It's just, Amardo hasn't laughed in..."

"A very long time." Amardo finished the though for him, straightening up. "I forgot how hungry it makes you. Let's eat."