Page 62 of This Shattered Star

I dug my nails into my palms. Forcefully enough that blood pooled between my fingers. The Starlight Trials weren’t even halfway over, and I had already lost my mind.

Kodhan tried shouldering out of Brannon’s grip, but his friend held firm. “If Brannon would simply take his hands off of me, I’ll give him thefucking rest.”

Theia could have brought us all to our knees with her magic if she wished. But instead, she gave the Son of the Second an impressive smack upside the head.

It seemed to shake Kodhan out of his anger-induced stupor. He stopped struggling, only to pin his ire on her. Theia was having none of it. “I know exactly what he deserves. But now isnot the time.”

“She’s right,” Brannon said, pointing to the open door. To where anyone could pass by and see the mess that was this room.

Grumbling something incomprehensible, she aimed a scalding glare Kodhan’s way before stalking up to the guard and cranked his nose back into position with another unsettlingcrack.Then used his own arm to wipe away the blood dribbling down his chin.

“By the stars,” I whispered with a twinge of fascination. It was as though the guard’s very soul had been sucked out of him. Not a lick of pain registered behind those dull eyes.

“Not to worry, he won’t remember a thing. I’ll lessen his pain until we’re out of range.” She waved what was supposed to be a reassuring hand, though I didn’t feel reassured at all.

“You… can alter his memories?”

It dawned on me once again that I was completely defenseless against her magic.

I firmly wiped my palms against my outer thighs to stop my hands from trembling. Welcomed the sting of the crescent moon shaped cuts rubbing against the material.

Her attention fell to my hands, lips tipping into a small frown before she said, “It takes a lot of effort, but yes. Now step back. Put your blindfold back on. Andyou.” She whirled back towards Kodhan. “Behave.”

There was nothing I could do other than obey. Swallow against the sour taste of guilt and hypocrisy as I tied the blindfold back around my eyes.

That woman was a force to be reckoned with.

Our conversation from beneath the wisteria tree came floating back to me.

I have no thirst for power. Only to stop the suffering of the ones I love.A force to be reckoned with, but a foolish one, indeed.

“What thefuckjust happened?” the guard said on a sharp intake of breath.

That quickly, she released his mind. Had already finished tampering with his memory, like wiping a smudge off a glass window.

“You were about to blindfold us,” Theia insisted, her tone forcefully light.

The guard mumbled something about too much wine and too much smoke as his boots clomped against the floor. Finishing his original task.

I could almost feel Kodhan vibrating from the force of his anger. Though he thankfully remained silent.

He’d attacked the guard for insulting me,I thought.Would’ve pummeled the man to a pulp by the looks of it. But why?

Does it matter?That traitorous, selfish voice whispered back.

No. Not at all. I would’ve been happy to see him do it again. And again.

One of those rough hands wrapped around my arm, forcing my legs to take carry me out of the room.

“Stop!” A voice called out from further down the corridor. “Orders from His Majesty!”

The guard at my side loudly huffed his displeasure. “For fuck’s sake. What is it?” Other guards muttered similar curses nearby.

The second voice grew closer, accompanied by a constant, aggravating squeal that bounced off the close proximity of the walls. “His Eminence has decided that all competitors are to eat before the next trial. All other activities must halt immediately.”

Of course. We were all starving by now. None of us had eaten since the celebration before Strength. But now seemed a strange time as any to force food down our throats.

My blindfold was suddenly yanked off my head. Blinking my eyes open, I expected a guard to be standing before me, hand on the pommel of their sword lest I breathe the wrong way.