by Kyra Quinn
Run away, stupid girl. But I couldn’t move. My feet remained frozen to the ground in horror behind Aster. My body went numb as I waited for the beast to attack.
Aster twirled her stave. “I’d think twice about this one.”
The monster growled again, indifferent to Aster’s tricks and magic. He folded his body in half and aimed his horns at Aster’s slender waist. He kicked his hoof back and prepared to charge.
The creature never made it any closer. Aster jammed the tip of the ruby into the wound on her wrist. Her face scrunched as drops of crimson dripped from her arm onto the ivory snow below. She slammed the end of the stave into the ground in front of her with her uninjured hand. Her bloody hand reached for the monster as if to shake his hand before clenching into a fist.
The moment Aster’s palm closed, the monster trembled. Blinding light shot out from the tip of her stave’s ruby. The demon’s body twitched and convulsed. He threw his head back and wailed in agony. Seconds later he exploded into a mess of fur and black goo. I shrieked as his guts flew around Aster to splatter my face.
“Shh!” Aster hissed. “We need to go. Someone will have heard us.”
Aster grabbed my hand and tugged me down the narrow road behind her. We weaved through the maze of cabins and timber shops until we reached a rusted iron gate. Father’s manor flashed through my mind as my chest tightened.
“Stick close.” Aster fiddled with the lock on the gate. “It’s been a few years since I’ve come to visit. I can’t recall where the traps are anymore.”
A manic laugh bubbled from my lips as a stone carving of an angel caught my eye. “Is this a cemetery? I thought the Crown outlawed those ages ago.”
“They leave this one alone. It’s more of a historical relic than graveyard these days. All the bodies buried here predate either of our existences. Doesn’t get much foot traffic these days, either. Part of what makes it the perfect place to hide.”
Not a single oil lamp lit the way, but I found I didn’t miss the pollution of lights. I’d never known the sky held so many stars. I craned my neck and searched for familiar constellations, some sign I’d fallen asleep under the same backdrop in Faomere. I didn’t want to admit I’d ignored the beauty of the natural world around me for the better part of eighteen years.
“I never thought I’d see you back in Starbright.” A feminine figure stepped out from the shadows. A silky emerald robe covered her from head to toe, a stave clutched in her left hand. My eyes darted between her and Aster as I tried to anticipate our next move.
“I’m certain you hoped not to, anyway.” Aster snorted. “I need to speak with her.”
“After what you did? And the way you left? Why would she want to?” The woman slid her hood down to her shoulders. Silver hair framed her narrow face. Though she had to be near sixty, her complexion lacked any of the telltale signs of age. Her amber eyes burned with anger as she stepped closer, the intensity of her scowl enough to make me wiggle with discomfort.
Aster’s frown deepened. “It’s not your call, Sister Brigid. Take me to her.”
The stranger’s eyes fell on me. “And your friend? The Grove doesn’t allow visitors.”
“Also not up to you. We shall see what my mother has to say about it. Now are you going to take me to her, or do I need to go around you?”
Her mother. The words sounded strange from Aster’s mouth. I almost found it more plausible to think they had birthed the saucy mage out of ash and the tears of her enemies.
Sister Brigid shot me one last glare of disapproval. “Follow me. I’ll see if she’s available and let her know you’d like a word. Will you be with us long this time?”
Aster shook her head as we walked. “Only for the night. I haven’t returned to cross or steal your position with the coven. I need information.”
“Still charming, I see. I’m sure your mother will be proud. Be sure to mention how you’ve buddied up with the realm’s most wanted fugitive while you’re at it. Wouldn’t want her to miss any of the highlights.”
For the first time in my life I was grateful to have been an only child. As lonely as I’d complained about being, at least no one in my household hated me. We’d only been in Starbright for half an hour and I already understood Aster’s desire to move away. Beautiful scenery only did so much to hide ugly spirits.
We followed Brigid to a massive stone mausoleum in the graveyard’s center. A glass dome covered the roof, intricate replications of each of the seven gods carved into the side with precision. Brigid marched up to the double doors and laid her hands in the center. A moment later, a neon green glow illuminated the door as it swung open.
“After you,” Brigid said, her cold eyes still on me.
Only the first four or five stairs were visible to the naked eye. Shadows engulfed the lower three-quarters. No sound floated up from the dark pit, nothing to reassure me it wasn’t a trap.
But Aster gave my shoulder a gentle shove, and I knew I didn’t have a choice. I sucked in my breath and tilted my chin high as I marched down the first few steps. I avoided the temptation of searching for Aster over my shoulder, my focus locked on the moment to come. If a fight waited, I planned to be ready for once.
The stairs ended. I exhaled a sigh of relief as my clumsy shoes connected with flat ground. I grappled around in the darkness for a wall or something to guide me, but only space met my hand. Footsteps echoed around me.
“Accendos,” Brigid’s voice whispered from behind.
Torches hung along the stone wall sparked to life. Stained glass portraits of the gods and angels decorated the dome above our head, the walls lined inch to inch with dead people. A spiderweb the size of Remiel’s ego hung in the top corner, the host absent. They coated the walls in a glossy marble finish, somehow free of dust despite all the other disturbances.
“You know the rules, Aster.” Brigid’s voice was cold. “If you want in, you’ll both have to pay the admission fee.”
Panic bubbled through my chest, but Aster didn’t appear worried. She reached for her belt and into the small leather sheath attached to her hips. Her dagger in hand, Aster motioned for me to hand her my arm.
I shook my head. “Not this again. I’d prefer not to see what the veins in my arm look like, thank you.”
“Don’t be a child.” Aster yanked my arm towards her. She made a single shallow cut across the width of my wrist. She shoved my arm into my chest and did the same to her own as I nursed my latest injury.
The moment the first drop of blood hit the ground the floor sizzled. I squeaked and jumped back, fear a noose around my neck. The floor rumbled beneath our feet. I leapt back and pressed myself against the wall, but Aster remained still.
The floor separated as if made of liquid, a hole appearing in the floor’s center. A small smirk tugged at Aster’s lips as she took in my horrified expression. “Don’t fear the fall. Embrace it.”
Before I responded, Aster pinned her arms to her sides and dove into the pit. She didn’t scream like I’d expected, only the sound of wind whooshing by. I listened for the sound of her body hitting the ground. Silence answered.
“Your turn.”
I swallowed. I had to hope whatever magic Aster trusted to guide her to the bottom worked not only on mages. My knees weakened. I shuffled in front of the hole, my stomach in knots. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to summon the courage to jump.
I didn’t have a chance. A hard shove to my shoulder sent me flying face first towards the darkness. I yelped and reached forward to break my fall, but my hands only found emptiness. My midsection went numb as my gut tried to escape through the top of my ribcage. My heart pounded as it begged my lungs for oxygen.
Pain tore through my shoulder and down my back like a knife. I screamed again, this time from pain as my body contorted. Spots of light flooded my vision as I clenched my jaw, the agony almost unbearable. My limbs thrashed against my will. My head snapped back as something soft brushed the side of my cheek.
&
nbsp; Then, everything went dark.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Blood Debt
Aster’s voice was the first thing I heard when my consciousness returned. What happened? And why did everything hurt? The melodic sound of Aster’s voice dragged me back to my body. I could picture her face without opening my eyes, the lines around her eyes crinkled with worry.
“I swear on Daeva’s grave she is not dangerous. Half the time I’m uncertain if she can tell her head from her ass,” Aster snarked. “I wouldn’t have brought her here if she posed any threat to our people.”
I sucked in a sharp breath as her words tore through me. My chest felt heavy as I forced back tears. I had no right to assume Aster cared about me, let alone label me a friend. We hadn’t known each other even a full day. She had played nice to my face to get closer to her goals, but she’d revealed as little of herself as possible in the process.
“I don’t give a damn whether she’s dangerous, Astoria. She’s a forbidden creature, and you brought her here!” A woman’s voice hissed. “You should have killed her the moment you saw her.”
Aster sighed. “I can’t. The situation is complicated.”
“What isn’t with you?”
“I don’t require your approval, Madre. I am no longer bound by the laws of the coven. I’m asking for your help, but if that’s not possible I’ll gather my acquaintance and be on our way.”
A long pause followed. I considered opening my eyes to make sure they hadn’t left the room, but I didn’t want to interrupt the conversation and spoil my chance to learn more. As little as I knew about Aster’s thoughts or emotions, I knew even less about her background and lifestyle.
Madre sighed. “What is it you two have planned?”
Aster’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I can bring her back, Madre. If everything goes to plan, I can return Chay to Starbright and cleanse the shadows from my soul before Daeva claims me as her own.”
A low whistle followed. “Bold claim. Nothing short of a miracle can bring Chay back. And no mortal has control over the sands of fate. You’re old enough to know better than this by now.”
“No mortal does. Which is why we need an immortal: Osius.”
Madre gasped. “Are you out of your mind, child? What do you have to offer a god as barter?”
“Nothing, but we don’t intend to barter. The angel on our team says Osius is not a god you can negotiate with. I need to know how we can kill him.”
My eyes snapped open as I sprang to my feet. “Wait, kill him? We can’t murder a god.”
“Welcome back.” Aster’s voice flattened as she glared at me. “Lovely wings.”
Lovely what? A shriek escaped my lips as I glanced over my shoulder. I jumped back and tripped over my feet, tumbling to the ground. My body trembled. I rubbed my eyes, unable to trust my vision. Tremendous feathered onyx wings protruded from my back, their width longer than my arm span. The bottoms shone silver in the candlelight. I wiggled from side to side, but they moved with me. Feathers tickled my spine. I gaped, my voice gone.
“Don’t freak out. Humans won’t be able to see them unless they have the Sight,” Madre said, her tone a match to Aster’s.
It took a single glance to detect the family resemblance between Aster and the other woman. Aster stood next to what resembled an aged clone of her, everything from her petite size to her trademark scowl a perfect likeness. Thick silvery locks fell around her shoulders. Smile lines framed her thin lips as thin lines rimmed eyes the color of ivy.
“Those are new.” I pointed to the feathery blades, as if it wasn’t obvious. “Sweet goddess, what do I even do with these?”
“Fly. The fall must have triggered your evolution to speed up. They’ll make nifty weapons, too.” Aster turned her attention back to her mother. “As I told you, she is adorable. And harmless.”
Madre’s face darkened. “She’s a problem. They won’t rest until they’ve eliminated her threat from the universe.”
“If they can catch me.” A childlike grin tugged at the corners of my mouth. “Damn, look at these things. How fast do you think I can fly?”
Madre and Aster blinked in response. I jumped up from the ground. I twirled around in a slow circle and craned my neck to admire my new addition from all angles. The sudden mutation to my body should have terrified me, but my chest swelled with confidence. I flexed my arm muscles as the strange energy flowed through me once more. Scared, anxious Lili died the moment the wings broke free from her back. This new body belonged to someone stronger, someone with the courage to do what she wanted and the strength to succeed at it.
“They’re only wings. Even birds have them,” Madre said, unimpressed. “It won’t be enough to save you from Osius.” She turned to Aster and added, “Take her inside and put her up in your old room for now. There’s much we need to discuss.”
My shoulders slumped, but I understood Madre’s reasons behind my exclusion. She didn’t know me any better than she knew a stranger on the street outside. As much as I wanted to protest, I bit my tongue and thanked the fates I’d made it this far with so much resistance. Had Aster realized we’d be so unwelcome in the place she once called home?
“Anything you wish to say you can say in front of her.” Aster jutted a thumb in my direction. “It’s safe to say fate has entwined our paths on this journey.”
Madre’s expression darkened. “We’ll talk about this mess later. We need to talk about Chay.”
Aster’s resistance melted away in an instant. “I can save her, Madre.”
Madre scowled. “Not here. Take your new friend away and meet me in the study. Ask one of the others to guard your door while we chat.”
“I’ll handle it. Give me ten minutes.” Aster reached out for my wrist and dragged me away. Her hair fell into her face, her expression impossible to read. I wanted to ask who this Chay person was, but Aster’s pursed lips suggested it wasn’t the time for questions. I followed her through a set of towering gold doors and into a maze of concrete tunnels and rooms.
“What is this place?” I gawked. “When you said ‘grove’ I assumed you meant your people lived in the trees.”
Aster snorted. “Aspen Grove is the name of the cemetery. Not sure why we let dead white men name things and never update them again, but that’s Starbright for you.”
Aster led me down a concrete hallway lined with plain wooden doors. When we reached the middle of the hall, she stopped in front of a door on the right and knocked three times. She paused and listened to the silence for what felt like an eternity, then turned the knob and threw the door open in one swift motion.
Lilac walls greeted me, the unexpected pastel shade more startling than a darker color. A twin bed sat beneath a covered window, a wooden desk to the side. A bookshelf sat tucked in the corner, most of the shelves covered in dust. The room was undecorated. I blinked in confusion, the soft and feminine vibe nothing like the Aster I knew. My eyebrows furrowed together as I shot her a quizzical look.
Aster groaned. “Don’t ask. Madre didn’t approve of my all-black clothing and interest in raising the dead as a girl. This was one of her attempts at injecting my life with some cheer.”
I couldn’t help but snicker. An image of sulky teenage Aster filled my mind, her body covered head to toe in black as she shouted at her mother about the unique art of necromancy.
“I’ll return as soon as I can,” she vowed, her tone apologetic. “You’re safe here, but the wings might earn you a few peculiar looks. Stay in the room until I return, and we’ll figure out our next steps together, okay?”
I shot a glance around the hallway behind me and fought back the urge to ignore Aster and explore the underground coven. “Got any books to read?”
“I took most of my things with me when I moved to Carramar. You can have a look around if you like, but I’m sure the rest of the coven already filched anything of interest. Vultures. Try to sneak in a little rest. I won’t be long.”
Before I respond
ed, Aster bolted from the room and slammed the door shut behind her. I stared at the door for a moment or two, the room thick with tension. Maybe it was my new wings or the change in scenery, but something about standing alone in Aster’s old bedroom made my skin crawl.
I took ten minutes to search the bedroom from top to bottom. Aside from the furniture, the room had little else to look at. An empty journal sat shoved in the desk’s back drawer, a few garments on hangers in the closet. No matter what I touched, nothing about the powder blue bedspread or eggshell sweaters in the closet resembled the girl who’d saved me in Carramar.
The bedroom door opened behind me.
“Thank gods, I was ready to—you’re not Aster.”
A girl almost my height stood in the doorway, her face pinched as she studied me. Thick, wild curls framed her full face, her complexion a warm bronze. Her copper eyes glared at me with contempt as she curled her lip in a sneer.
“You must be Aster’s new friend,” she said, her voice high and snooty.
“Did the wings give it away?”
She rolled her eyes. “Good to see you share her attitude. Aster asked me to pop in and keep an eye on you while she’s with Madre. I’m Morrigan.”
The name didn’t strike me as familiar, but the expectant look on the girl’s face suggested it should have. When my expression remained blank, her eyes flashed with fire. “She hasn’t mentioned me? That’s fine. I don’t care. It was a long time ago, anyway.”
I shook my head and stepped back. “I’m sorry, I’m a little lost here. What was a long time ago? Aster’s time with the coven?”
“Sort of.” Morrigan’s face flushed with color. “Never mind, don’t worry about it. I’m being stupid.”
Empathy poked holes in my irritation. “I’m sure you aren’t dumb, though I’ve no idea what we’re talking about.”
Morrigan laughed, the sound weak. “I don’t want you to think I’m petty the first time you meet me. Especially if you and Aster are...well, you know...involved.” She whispered the last word like a secret as she leaned in close. Jealousy flashed across her face like lightning, and in the next moment I understood.
