Heavenly Bodies

Chapter Sixteen

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

They arrived back at the palace just as it had begun to wake. There was the sound of clinking china and hushed orders between the chief of staff and servants. Gardeners were trimming the hedges, the quiet snip of cutters in the dew-dropped air.

Elara reached for her shadows, but they’d disappeared deep inside her. She looked to Enzo, her breath hitching.

‘They just need to recharge,’ he said. ‘They’ve been stuck inside you for eighteen years and were forced out all at once.’

Soothed and suddenly exhausted, Elara yawned as she dismounted.

‘I’ll take the horse back to the stables. Then I need to see my father. He’ll be happy to hear that we unlocked your shadows.’

There was something hopeful in his gaze, but Elara’s stomach plummeted.

Because of course. How could she have forgotten? She was a weapon to Idris and his son. A means to an end.

‘You should go and rest,’ he added.

She stretched her arms out, smiling as she nodded. ‘Thank you. For this morning. I—’ She made herself look at him. For one last time. ‘I truly mean it. Thank you for helping me slay my monster.’

Something softened in Enzo’s eyes. Elara looked away, feigning another yawn. ‘I’m going back to bed.’

‘Take the day off.’ He gave a tentative smile, leading the horse away. Elara watched him until he’d disappeared around a corner.

And then she weaved a cloak of illusions over herself, turned right back around and darted through the palace gates.

She tore the illusions off herself once she’d reached the foot of the palace walk—she didn’t want to drain her magick too fast. But in doing so, she encountered another issue. Elara didn’t know exactly how long Merissa’s glamour would last. A day and a night is what the glamourer had said, and though Merissa’s magick still seemed intact around Elara, she knew it would wane, and fast. The thought of the glamourer caused a slight pang of sadness in her chest. But these people weren’t her friends. Enzo had reminded her of that. She was an enemy. An enemy that was only valuable while they thought they could use her. So she prayed that the disguise would hold up, at least until she was out of Helios.

She sped down the warm streets as discreetly as she could. All she needed was a horse—one that didn’t belong to the palace. If she could remember her way to the stables near Isra’s, she could steal one.

She turned into an ornate square that she remembered, the one with a giant iridescent statue of Leyon wearing the lion’s pelt in the centre of it.

She was close to the stables, keeping her head down, and so focused on not being recognized that she crashed right into someone.

‘I’m so sorry,’ she said, looking up and smiling with false cheer. ‘I wasn’t—’ Elara’s smile dropped.

The Star before her grinned a smile full of white teeth as he righted his robes. Every breath inside her became a wheeze. Blonde hair rippled down past the god’s shoulders, his lean muscles tanned and shining. A circlet rested on his head, spikes of gold reaching out like rays of light. Leyon, Patron Star of Helios, god of the Light, arts and prophecy.

‘I have that effect on people,’ he winked. The Star was both elegant and dazzling, looking as if he’d been cut from the very marble that rendered his figure as statuary throughout Helios.

‘Thank you, my revered Lord Light.’ Elara kept her eyes averted, bowing before going to leave. She prayed with all her might that he’d let her, but felt a strong hand grab hers, pulling her closer.

‘Who are you?’ She froze. Leyon smiled, but though it was an easy, relaxed smile, she sensed the danger behind it. ‘You don’t think I can see through the glamour you’re wearing?’

‘Glamour? I’m not sure what you’re talking about, Your Grace.’ She laughed uneasily. Leyon’s hazel eyes narrowed and she could feel the power emanating from him—his charm, that godly force that coated the very air, eye-watering to look at for too long. She glanced around nervously to see whether anyone else had noticed a god casually walking amongst them. Indeed, passers-by were bowing their head, touching their third and fourth finger to their temple as a sign of respect.

‘You’re not from my kingdom,’ Leyon spoke softly.

Adrenaline coursed through Elara’s veins. The Star’s grip on her was firm and unyielding. She ran through options in her head, wondering if her shadows had regained enough strength to be cast, or if her best bet was to run. Fast.

‘Raven hair. Silver eyes. An Asterian. And by your posture, I’d wager royalty.’ He chuckled, the sound warm as his eyes shone with interest. ‘If I were a gambling man, I’d bet that I may have just bumped into the lost princess that Ariete is so fixated on finding.’

She bristled against the title, and gave a hard laugh, trying to tug free of his grasp. ‘You’re certainly mistaken.’

His fingers dug in further.

‘You’re a smart girl. Sheltering within my domain.’ He tilted his head. ‘Ariete knows he cannot enter Helios without my invitation.’

The Stars’ Invite. Elara remembered it from her history lessons. Stars could be invited into one another’s kingdoms. But unless they were, any other visit would be a challenge of outright war. Unless that Star was Eli—the messenger god, who seemed to be welcome everywhere.

‘You won’t deliver me to Ariete?’

Leyon tipped back his head and laughed, the sound a rich melody. ‘And see my brother get what he wants? Come now, Elara Bellereve, surely your history tutors taught you about our feud better than that.’

Elara blinked. She had forgotten in her blind panic that Leyon was the King of Stars’ brother. ‘Ariete is growing too brash. First, he descends—uninvited—into Piscea’s territory. And only her slumber meant that this did not cause an outright celestial war. Then, he acts upon this prophecy. And cannot even kill the object of it, a mere mortal girl.’ He looked at Elara. ‘No offence.’

Elara raised a brow. ‘None taken.’

‘And now? Now he has made us look weak. Now he hunts you, disregarding his every duty. The Stars are not happy.’

He took a step back to observe her, really observe her. His gaze trailed from her feet up to her hips, lingering on her breasts before roaming her face as he sucked a tooth.

‘?“You will fall in love with the King of Stars, and it will kill you both.” Now, I don’t think I’d mind one bit if the prophecy was for me.’

‘You’d be the first,’ she muttered as his magick washed over her. She took an involuntary step closer to him. Save for Ariete, she had never been in the vicinity of a Star before. His charm was warm, full of light and music. Intoxicating. She could almost hear it sounding from him, achingly gorgeous compositions, could see colours she’d never even dared to imagine before, so rich and vibrant.

‘I think you’re too modest,’ he murmured. ‘Many men would be happy to die for you. Perhaps gods, too.’

‘There you are!’ a loud, familiar voice interrupted. Its owner’s face was plastered with an arrogant smile as he swaggered over, the people in the square halting to gawp at the spectacle.

‘Prince Lorenzo.’ Leyon nodded his head. ‘What interesting company you keep.’ His eyes ran over Elara again.

A tiny muscle in Enzo’s jaw ticked, barely noticeable before he bowed deeply to the Star. ‘I see you’ve met my esteemed guest.’

‘No need to skirt around it, prince. I know who she is.’

Flames leapt in Enzo’s eyes, his usual gold burnished to warm orange. ‘Is that so?’

Leyon’s smile tightened. ‘The only thing I can’t quite puzzle out is why a Helion prince would be hosting his mortal enemy in his kingdom.’

Elara blanched.

‘When Ariete killed her parents, my father took pity on Elara. His vendetta lay with them, not their innocent daughter. So, when she crossed the border, she became our problem. Better to know thy enemy, and all that.’

Leyon gave a shallow, tinkering laugh. ‘Then your secret is safe with me. For now. Tell your father he hasn’t visited my temple recently. I highly advise he does.’ Threat was laced in his honeyed words.

Enzo bowed, grabbing Elara’s arm. ‘We’d best be going,’ he said smoothly, and bowed again. ‘My revered Lord Light.’

‘Farewell. And, Elara? If you ever tire of playing with mortals, you know where my temple is.’ Leyon winked before sauntering off, his golden hair glimmering as he strolled through the piazza, a ripple of citizens bowing in his wake.

Enzo yanked Elara along quiet side streets, pulling her along at a pace that left her panting.

‘Will you just stop for a moment?’ she finally got out.

‘You know, you’ve done a lot of stupid things in the short time I’ve known you, Elara, but this trumps them all.’ He was seething; she could almost imagine flames bursting from him at any moment. ‘You ran .’

Elara raised her chin. ‘What did you expect? That I would stay like a good little prisoner?’

‘I thought—’

‘What? That things had changed after last night? You are Helion, Enzo. And I am Asterian. Our very magicks abhor each other. Like night and day. We’ll always be on opposite sides.’

He blinked, and the fire within him had gone. ‘You’re right,’ he said, and he released her arm. She saw that they had reached Isra’s, the eye carved into her door staring at Elara. ‘I don’t know why I expected any more from an Asterian. You’re born to betray. You got what you wanted, and now you run.’

Indignation rose. ‘And you’re so noble, are you? Kidnapping your enemy and forcing her to do your bidding. I am your weapon, and nothing more. Why should I have thought you anything other than the monster you are, Lion ?’

‘Oh, I’m a monster, am I?’ he said, bracing both hands on the door behind her. She was trapped, his tall frame blocking out the pale streams of the afternoon Light.

She could feel the heat that radiated from his skin, see the bronze that glowed from it.

‘Of course you are. I know of the Borderland Fires.’ If she had been calmer, perhaps she’d have felt scared.

‘Go on,’ he hissed, his voice so low it skated over her nerves, his eyes dimmed to the deepest coal.

‘Women, children,’ she near whispered. ‘Innocents burned to ash. You obliterated a whole village in minutes. Started a fire that raged for two weeks, cutting off our trade, our food supplies.’ Her eyes brimmed with tears, and she gritted her teeth against them, her face still inches from his.

‘What else?’ His black gaze bore into her, his expression closed and drawn.

‘So you don’t deny it.’ She shook her head. ‘Your father may think he had a reason to lay siege to Asteria. But the only people he hurt were innocents, those who played no part in the decision my parents made— if what you say about my mother and father is even true.’ Enzo tensed. ‘Your father executed his own damn people if they tried to speak out against the D’Oro’s treatment of my kingdom. He’s a tyrant, and you’re no lion. Just the mutt who does his bidding.’

‘Careful, princess.’ Enzo’s voice was low and deadly as he dipped his head, his eyes fixed on hers. ‘You’re very close to committing treason. People have burned for less.’

She gave a brittle laugh. ‘You sound just like Idris.’

Luminous flames erupted over Enzo’s body. She started, still captured between his arms. But the flames did not sear her skin. They were bitingly icy, and he drew a smile to match. His lips were now centimetres from hers.

‘Then run.’

‘Wh-what?’

Enzo shot her a look of disdain, as he pushed off the door. ‘I won’t stop you. This is what you wanted, isn’t it? You got your shadows. Now you want to go home—to your throne, to your kingdom. So, go. I won’t stop you.’

He turned, knocking sharply on Isra’s door.

Elara looked to the stables. ‘What about your father?’

‘I’ll deal with my father. And you’ll get your wish. When you’re back on your throne, we will be enemies once more.’

‘Once more?’

Enzo’s jaw clenched. ‘Farewell, Elara.’

The door swung open, and Isra stood there, a warm smile on her face. ‘Enzo. Elara.’

‘She was just going, Iz,’ he said tightly, walking through the door. ‘I won’t be the one to keep her here against her will any longer.’

Elara looked at the woman who had blanketed her pain. Who had seen it, and kept it secret. The oracle looked between them both. ‘But what about King Idris’s plans? What about Ariete?’

‘Elara can face him on her own now. Isn’t that right?’

Elara couldn’t understand why tears were beginning to prickle at the backs of her eyes, but she forced the unwelcome emotions down into the box that was beginning to overflow.

Isra’s eyes filled with sorrow. ‘So this is the path you choose. I only wish you luck, Your Majesty.’

Elara’s hands danced at her sides as she nodded. ‘Thank you for…Thank you, Isra.’

And Enzo slammed the door shut.

Elara stood outside the door for a long time, trying to control her breathing. Here it was. Enzo had given her freedom. She tried to force her feet to move towards the stables, to continue on with her plan.

‘ So this is the path you choose .’

Isra’s expression as she’d uttered those words had made her pause, but Enzo’s had made her stop entirely. The fury, followed by emptiness. He had jumped off a cliff after her, had helped her kill the fear that had paralysed her for nearly two decades.

As she wrung her hands, wisps of shadows drifted off them, and she stilled.

And it seemed…whether thanks to Piscea, goddess of fate, or something else, that this was the path she was supposed to be on. Isra had said as much. Monster or not, Elara needed Enzo. She could not face Ariete alone.