Chapter Sixty-Six
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
‘I’m so proud of you. I’m so proud of you,’ Elara whispered over and over as she clutched Enzo. He was kneeling, his flames dying as they both looked to the pile of ash on the floor. She dabbed gently at the cuts across his body with her dress.
Enzo said nothing for a moment, before blinking, his eyes returning to their normal gold. ‘We should go. We can still use the element of surprise with Ariete.’
Elara nodded, standing slowly. ‘But you should see a healer first.’
‘There are none in the palace. The place is deserted.’
‘What happened, Enzo? How did Ariete—’
‘He got me as I was scouting the palace. Told me that my father, spineless worm that he is, had already confessed everything under duress. About the duskglass. His plans to make the Stars fall.’ Enzo’s jaw clenched. ‘I was thrown in here with my father shortly after by Leo, the traitorous piece of shit.’
Elara went to reply, but as though on cue, there was a stir by the door.
‘Wh-what happened?’ Leo slurred, holding his head as he stood.
‘I knocked you out, you fucking disloyal bastard,’ Enzo swore, magick already rushing off him.
‘It was Gem!’ Elara shouted, rushing to stand in between Enzo and Leo. Enzo blinked as Leo raised his hands, pressing himself against the door. ‘It was Gem. She used her charm upon the guards.’
Leo’s face changed from confused, to wounded, to amused. ‘Fucking Stars, Enzo. You really think so little of my loyalty? I’ve had your back since we were boys.’
Enzo breathed heavily, studying Leo, his nostrils flared.
‘Enzo,’ Elara said softly.
Enzo’s magick extinguished, and Elara slipped out from between them, as Enzo embraced Leo.
‘Sorry,’ he mumbled. ‘And sorry for knocking you out, as well.’
Leo let out a dry laugh as he slapped his back. ‘You’ve done worse to me.’
‘We need to find Ariete. Now. Is Merissa out of the palace?’ Elara asked.
Leo nodded. ‘She started helping the evacuation of the building when the war horns sounded. As far as I know, she went to Isra’s until it was safe.’
‘Good.’ She looked at both of them. ‘I’ve been thinking about how we can finally catch Ariete off guard. I have a plan. And I’m going to need you both to perform like all our lives depend on it.’
Elara settled back into her cell, her shadows pulling the bars straight again as she waited. With little deliberation, she felt for her tether, closed her eyes and dreamwalked.
The cell was darker when Elara sank back into her body, her trip complete. And just in time, as she saw the deep scarlet streaks across the sky.
Lightdown was here.
The gate to her cell opened with a shriek of metal on stone.
Ariete stood there, Enzo beside him. The warmth in Enzo’s gaze had completely evaporated. Ariete stepped forwards.
‘Ready to spend the rest of your miserable life in the Heavens?’ Ariete asked.
Elara raised her head. ‘I’ll be happy so long as it’s far enough away from you.’
Ariete laughed as he pinned her wrists behind her with a stream of starlight, and marched her out of the cell.
‘We have one more stop first,’ he said, and Elara sidled a glance at Enzo. His eyes were fixed ahead, but she didn’t allow herself to panic. If Ariete changed the battleground, then they’d adapt.
As they ascended to the ground floor of the palace, she heard the distant, muffled noise of a crowd, as if one was gathering outside the palace. She was propelled past the lucirium , where Leo stood guard with a blank expression on his face.
‘Bring out the king,’ Enzo snapped to him, and Leo nodded sharply, eyes still vacant, before disappearing into the room.
They continued onwards, the humming growing louder until they were in the same yard where Elara had watched the execution of the guards. The gates this time had been opened, and though it was a quieter affair than Enzo’s public execution, the yard was still nearly filled with members of the public. There were nervous murmurs, the citizens of Helios seeming unsure what to expect. Ariete thrust her up on the dais.
‘People of Helios,’ Ariete’s voice rang out. ‘I am here today to claim back my possession. One that has been hidden from me, by all of you. ’
The crowd cowered at the magick that crackled off him, while Elara remained predatorily still.
‘I am a forgiving god. And so I will not punish you for your transgressions. Nor my brother .’
The god did not appear, and Elara wondered where he was—was he truly such a preening shirker that he would hide instead of defending his patron kingdom?
‘But I want to settle some rumours, while I am here. It seems that you may think us Stars not so powerful as we would lead you to believe. Because this girl escaped my divinitas , perhaps you think we could not destroy you all, should we so wish. Perhaps—’ he let out a maniacal chuckle ‘—you think that any one of you might be able to escape the same fate.’
He gave a cruel smile as his charm slithered through the crowd, the cries of battle, the shriek of swords echoing from it.
‘Your king thought that he might become a god. So I am here to show you all the fate that befalls you should you try the same. A remembrance of the power of your Stars. Bring out Idris, the Unfaithful.’
There was a pause, and Elara bit back a smile.
‘Idris!’ Ariete shouted again.
Silence, before uneasy murmurs began once more throughout the crowd.
Leo walked slowly up to the foot of the dais alone, and Ariete turned to Enzo.
‘Where’s the king?’ Ariete hissed.
‘Oh,’ Enzo replied nonchalantly. ‘I killed him.’ Flames burst from his hands as Ariete staggered back. ‘And you’re next.’
There were gasps and shouts from the crowd as a wall of fire sprung up around the dais, protecting the crowd from Ariete.
On cue, Leo began to push the crowd out of the courtyard and into the shelter of the palace, with assistance from the guards that appeared from every exit—his loyal guards, no longer under Gem’s spell. No more innocent lives lost , Elara had ordered him.
She turned to where Ariete was already summoning weapons from thin air, and let her shadows loose.
Light was extinguished instantly, a blanket of darkness encapsulating her, Ariete and Enzo, though she could see through her magick clearly. Ariete stumbled forwards as Enzo jumped from the dais. She watched him run back to the palace as she yanked tapestries of illusions to her, jumped off the dais too and finally drew back her shadows.
Standing now, where the crowd had once been, was a sea of silver eyes and raven hair, all smirking in unison.
Ariete lunged forwards with a bloodcurdling scream as Elara hid in the crowd of her clones.
‘I know how you love to play, King of Stars. Come and catch me!’ the voices yelled in unison as the whole crowd began to run through the courtyard, all exiting in different directions.
The Star scanned the running figures, though Elara didn’t stay to find out what he did next. The last she heard was a growl of frustration and pounding footsteps heading away from her, as Ariete gave chase.