Page 113 of Born of Starlight
The Queen cleared her throat, looking up at the ceiling. She dabbed at the tears under her eyes with her fingertips.
“What do you propose we do then to get them back?” I couldn’t believe I was contemplating staying.
“By my scouts’ estimates Firose’s forces will be here by dusk. So we fight herhere—when she comes for the gates of Luz. Then I will provide you with whatever resources you need to find them.”
Find her.
I needed to find Asterie.
If anything happens to her…
“I’m going to need you to grow a pair now and stop panicking—your fear is literally suffocating me. No man makes good choices when afraid.”
“What?” I asked.
She smirked weakly. “I’m an Empath.”
Shit.I immediately tried to clear my thoughts.
“Shit, indeed, Fen. Shit, indeed.”
“My sister—”
“Is safe. On her way back to the Wastelands. I asked Asterie to break her out of the Keep last night.”
That was where she’d gone.That feeling of being pierced in the heart now felt like the blade was being twisted. While she hadn’t trusted me, she’d left my bed only to help my little sister.
“Emmerick must have been heading to check in with the Keep guards when he and Asterie were taken. It must have been just before sunrise…I hadn’t told him my plan.” She let out a defeated sigh.
Emmerick. The boy I’d helped save, Amara’s boy.Firose had Asterie and Emmerick. Prince of the North Corridor.The Queen’s head tilted in curiosity.Had she slipped into my mind again?
Sybilla corrected me, “King.Not prince.” The Queen’s fists clenched. “I’ll kill her. If she lays a hand on him—”
“You will need to get in line for that, my Queen.”
MyQueen.
A new alliance was being built here.
Seeming to pick up on that thought, Queen Sybilla spoke, “Without you, we won’t stand a chance against northern forces.” Gone was her hardened shell. “The people here—they are completely unprotected against magic. We need you here. Asterie needs youhere.Firose will not kill them. They are too useful to her.”
Despite wanting nothing more than to raise fire to anything that stood between me and finding Asterie, she was right. My strange beauty would want me to fight for the innocent lives in Luz. She would turn away my help instantly if it meant securing the Central Corridor from enemy hands.
“It will be an honor to serve the people of Luz, Queen Wymark.” My hand extended to her.
“Please, call me Sybilla.”
“Sybilla, then.”
She took my hand and gave it a firm shake, squeezing my fingers hard enough to hurt.
We will bring them home safely.Sybilla nodded at that thought.
I tried to find comfort in the knowledge that Asterie had Emmerick and that her powers weren’t up for the taking.
So many things called me to Asterie—the blood oath her mother made, my fire within her and whatever strange prophecy kept speaking to us.
She was stardust sweeping through the skies. She was flame cutting through an open field. She was strong—stronger than Firose, stronger than me. No one would claim her, not now and not ever. She would fight, and she would win.
