Secrets and Stardust

Chapter 56

Emmeric

Asharp, tearing sensation burned its way through Emmeric’s chest. Clutching a fist over his heart, he curled in upon himself.

What the fuck is happening?

He forced himself upright and searched frantically for Iyana. When he spotted her, he swore his heart stopped. Altair still had her wrapped up in his arms, and they appeared to be kissing, but he saw her struggling against him. He could feel her panic, despair, and betrayal.

And then he couldn’t.

Nothingwas coming through the bond. As quickly as the pain started, it faded, but so did all of Iyana’s emotions. Emmeric had become accustomed to her feelings residing next to his heart, and now their absence took his breath away. He ran.

“Iyana!”

He caught her a fraction of a second before her skull impacted with the ground. Altair had discarded her, letting her collapse. Emmeric cradled Iyana’s head in his lap, smoothing her hair off her face. Checking swiftly for a pulse at her throat, he felt a weak heartbeat. But at least she was alive. He snapped his gaze up to the star. He fucking knew he couldn’t fucking trust him.

“What did you do?” he seethed through clenched teeth. Altair only brushed dirt off his shirtsleeves, looking down his nose at Emmeric. Hatred passed over Altair’s face as he noticed Iyana’s unconscious body in Emmeric’s lap.

“I did what I needed to.”

“And what the fuck does that mean?” Three other sets of feet rushed towards them as Talon, Zane, and Kaz arrived, and they flanked Emmeric, all their attention focused on the star. Tal and Zane drew their swords while Kaz shifted into her leopard, a low growl in her throat.

Altair observed all of them with an air of nonchalance. Why should he be nervous? He had more magic than they could ever hope for without Iyana helping them. He could kill them all in a heartbeat.

Iyana stirred, moaning. Emmeric shushed her, trying to be soothing, while internally he was panicking. His heart rate was faster than it’d ever been, and his mind raced with the possibilities of what had just happened, and how he could get everyone out safely. Iyana’s eyes cracked open, the light brown faded, and the whites shot with red. She immediately looked at Altair, and the two stared each other down for several seconds.

“You really thought,” Altair sneered at Iyana, “I would fall in love with a human? That I would offer you immortality to spend forever with me?” He’d offered her immortality? “I’d rather die than to stoop so low.”

“Fuck you,” Emmeric said.

Altair whipped his gaze over. “I wasn’t talking to you.” Focusing again on Iyana, he continued, “I’ll admit, you were a decent fuck.” If Emmeric didn’t already want to kill the bastard, that one sentence would have sent him over the edge. “But now that I possess all your magic, I’ve no further need of you. And I want you to know I had ample opportunity to steal you back from these fuckwits over here, but you were still reluctant to tap into your full potential. I needed you angry. I needed you to want revenge. Uther provided my opportunity.”

Emmeric knew there was a reason he had never picked Iyana up on the road to Athusia—he just didn’t expect it to be so sinister. Altair had allowed Iyana to be tortured for a week, all so he could what? Make her mad enough she trained harder? Emmeric saw the haunted expression she’d occasionally don when she thought nobody was paying attention. Felt her helplessness and fear in those moments. Watched her writhe in Altair’s arms in the midst of a nightmare, the star doing nothing to comfort her. Altair had never deserved her. While Emmeric was vindicated in his mistrust, his heart broke for Iyana. She deserved so much better from life, and so far it had only served her shit.

“Why? I love…you,” Iyana gritted out, her voice scratchy and hoarse. Altair scoffed, holding his hand aloft, and Emmeric saw both the amulet and Imo’s necklace dangling from his grasp. The star’s usually muted aura grew in intensity.

“I am a god. What need does a god have of a human? I only required the magic of the Aztia. I thought once you came into your full powers, it would be enough, but the amulet was a lucky happenstance.”

“You’re a sick bastard,” Talon said. Zane shushed him from his side, and Emmeric was silently grateful. He’d rather the star’s murderous glare focused on him than on his friends. Kaz growled her agreement with Tal.

Altair’s smile was crooked. Emmeric had never seen him appear so evil. The star looked to Kaz. “Princess, I’ve loathed every minute I was forced to spend in your proximity. If your parents are smart, they’ll kill you and put your brother in charge. Then again, the rulers of Arinem will soon be obsolete, so I guess it doesn’t matter.”

Sounds of wailers shrieked in the distance, and Emmeric thought they sounded closer than before. That was all they needed, to be stuck between a powerful immortal being and an undead hoard of hungry demons. He noted, too, the rest of Uther’s men had taken the opportunity to disperse. There was probably a ship waiting on the shore to take them back. Uther wouldn’t have left his return journey to chance. Not like they did…

But then, none of them might end up making it out of the Dead Lands alive. It all depended upon the whim of the monster standing in front of him.

“What do you want from us?” Emmeric asked Altair.

“From you? Nothing. In fact, I’ve wanted to eliminate you for weeks. I hope you realize how difficult you’ve made my job.”

“I will take that as a compliment, thank you. I hope the trend continues.” Emmeric bared his teeth at the star, who continued to glow brightly.

“I’ve been looking forward to this,” Altair sneered, a large orb of power, swirling gold and silver, hovering in his palm. Golden eyes flicked up to meet Emmeric’s blue ones, and that was his only warning before Altair flung the magic towards him. All he could do was protect Iyana’s body with his own, hoping that even if he died, Iyana would survive and someday kick this star’s pompous ass.

A flash of red passed in front of his eyes before the magic connected with him, and Emmeric was left sitting there unharmed. Altair stood in front of him, panting. The magic must have taken a lot of energy, even with the amulet. Or perhaps the amulet was actively working against him because he wasn’t the Aztia. Emmeric could only hope. But what—

A keening wail pierced the air, and Kaz roared as she lunged for Altair, who winked out of existence. Kaz sailed through the space the star had just occupied and spun in a circle. But he didn’t reappear.

Emmeric turned to where he still heard soft sobs, and his breath caught in his throat.

No. No no no no.

Talon lay in a heap several feet away from them. Zane was kneeling at his side, sobbing, hands roaming over Emmeric’s best friend in a panic. His wavy red hair spread out around him, but even with it curtaining Tal’s head, Emmeric could see his neck was at an unnatural angle. For confirmation of a truth he was unwilling to accept, he glanced at Talon’s chest. It was still.

No.

“Please, Talon, please,” Zane whispered over him, tears splashing onto his body. His body. Before burying his face and hands in Talon’s shirt. “You promised you’d never leave me. You promised.”

Emmeric choked back tears, his heart and breathing becoming erratic. His best friend, the one person he’d known his whole life, was lying there dead. Had he jumped in front of him? That flash of red…Talon had taken the killing blow meant for Emmeric. That stupid, beautiful, dumb idiot. They were always supposed to go out together. He was never meant to come on this crazy journey, but he’d followed Emmeric out of some screwed up sense of loyalty. Then the tears did flow, dripping onto Iyana’s face. She blinked up at him in confusion.

“What…” She lapsed into unconsciousness. Her heart still beat, but it was thready. Emmeric refused to lose her as well, but what could he do about it? He needed to take her into the cavern. Maybe there was something there to help her. But he found himself physically unable to leave his friend’s side. After all, Talon had never left his.

“Come back!” Zane yelled at Talon, shaking his body. “Come back! You promised…” The new emperor’s voice broke. “Come back. Please. Talon, don’t leave me like this.” Zane collapsed over Talon, weeping. “You promised…”

“Zane,” Emmeric croaked. He was going to tell him Talon was gone; he wasn’t coming back. It was impossible. Not with that type of injury.

Before he could, the dusty brown air of the Dead Lands slowly dissipated. Kaz and Emmeric both noticed and looked upward, watching the strange climate that belied the time of day disappear before their eyes.

Slowly, the night sky was revealed to them. The moon hung full within a sea of sparkling stars. Cool wind rushed over their group huddled on the ground, bringing with it the cloying smell of ether. Static clung to the air, as though lightning was about to strike. Emmeric hugged Iyana closer to him, rearranging her in his lap. Whatever was happening was not good. For the climate of the Dead Lands to change, a place the God of Hell himself had cursed… No, this was something that would change the course of history. Zane’s sobs had quieted, and Kaz shifted back. The three of them stared towards the heavens.

A shooting star streaked across the sky.

Then, as they watched, the stars began to fall. One by one, they speared their way through the sky, aiming for the earth.

Until the moon was the only light in the empty, dark sky.