Chapter 42 Astrid #2
As she suspected. The relationship dynamic between Zryan and the king is an odd one. She’s pretty sure the king envies him, and that makes her feel sorry for Zryan. She can’t fathom her mother, or her father when he was alive, harboring such resentful emotions toward their own child.
“I’m sorry it’s like that between you and him.”
“Don’t be. It’s easier this way—easier for me to do what I need to do.” He winks at her, and a rush of warmth engulfs her.
“I think it’s true,” she says, eyes fixed on his, “them being mates. I can believe that a witch fell for a dragon once.”
He stares at her, then moves, so quickly he might have Teleported, until he’s in front of her, a hand at her nape and an arm around her back. He presses his forehead to hers.
“I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry. I know sorry will never be enough for what happened to Jessa, but I want you to know how sorry I am.
” She blinks, willing the burning sensation at the back of her eyes to retreat.
His voice is soft as he whispers his apologies, and it ends the paralysis currently gripping her.
She wraps her arms around his middle and leans into him.
His fingers flex at her neck, gripping her tighter.
Possessively. “Astrid, I thought I’d lost you. ”
“Zryan, don’t,” because she can’t bear it. Not with the duel so close, not with what’s going to happen. He hums her name, the reverence undeniable, and her insides liquefy. She draws back to look at his face. At his blazing silver eyes.
He takes hold of her chin, lifting her mouth to his, then murmurs against her lips, “I can believe that a dragon fell for a witch once, too.”
“It won’t damage the ring, will it?”
Skylar’s hand hovers over Astrid’s clay crucible, the gentle pop, pop of the bubbles from the liquid inside permeating the night air.
“No, it’ll be fine. The mixture will only take what it needs from the ring.” Astrid glances at her grimoire, attempting to translate her Gram’s spidery handwriting. She stirs clockwise, twice counterclockwise, then sprinkles in a little juniper and stirs again.
“The essence of Cam,” Skylar whispers.
Astrid stalls, then places a hand over Skylar’s outstretched one. “It will still be the same ring, still the one he gave you. We just need a little of his essence from something connected to him for the locator spell to work.”
Skylar hesitates a moment longer before dropping the ring, which lands with a plop in the crucible. Astrid lowers her stirrer and lightly blows over the elixir.
“We need to let it sit for a few minutes. Did you bring the map I asked for?”
Skylar reaches into the bag wrapped across her body and pulls out a rolled-up piece of parchment, handing it to Astrid.
Astrid unfurls it, laying it on the floor of the balcony.
The corners refuse to flatten, as if the map doesn’t want to reveal itself, so they weigh down the corners with various objects: a dagger, her grimoire, and a pair of shoes.
“Very professional,” Skylar drawls, and Astrid titters.
While only a crescent of Mija is visible tonight, Maja is at her fullest, and Astrid can see Skylar as clearly as if it were noon. The dragon heir is nervous.
“Tell me about him,” Astrid says.
Skylar’s eyebrows pucker. “He has sandy hair—”
“No, no, tell me who he is, not what he looks like.”
“Oh.” Skylar shifts. “Well, he’s my best friend. My only friend.”
An angry squeak and a high-pitched growl interrupt her.
Kaida obviously says something to Skylar, as she rolls her eyes but smiles.
“My only non-dragon friend.” She stares at her baby dragon, lying curled around Bastet in his cat form.
“He will love Kaida. He’s so into the dragons but not in a weird way; he just loves the idea of them.
He used to talk about what kind of dragons we’d bond with.
” She laughs. “He is going to lose his mind when he finds out I’m a fucking princess and the famous egg hatched for me.
” Her smile falls away. “He won’t be scornful, though, won’t mock me.
He’ll say he always knew I was special, but that’s because he saw something special in everyone.
That’s the kind of man he is. Sees the good in everyone, whether they deserve it or not.
His parents, they treated him like he was worthless, but he has never treated anyone else like that. He always puts others first.”
Astrid smiles. “He sounds wonderful.”
“Yeah, he really is. But he doesn’t take any shit, though, either, and is always up for an adventure, he’s just… so much fun. And makes me laugh like no one else ever has or ever will. He is—” She stops abruptly. Like she’s said too much. Her cheeks pink a little.
“Don’t ever be embarrassed to talk about them,” Astrid says. “The people who matter to you. You’re lucky to have Cam, and he’s lucky to have you. Just like I was lucky to have Jess.”
Skylar bites the inside of her cheek and gives a small nod. “And she was lucky to have you, Little Witch.”
Astrid doesn’t agree. Jessa never would have died if it wasn’t for her, but she doesn’t say that, not wanting to bring the mood down. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me, Little Dragon.”
“Yeah, well, I’ll leave it to my brother to say nice things to you, so don’t get used to it.
” It’s Astrid’s turn to blush now. She told Skylar she bumped into Zryan earlier, though she didn’t tell her what they spoke about.
Astrid is still trying to get her head around it all—not just Zryan, and what he…
is to her, but whether her discovery about Nyx and Aeloria matters.
How does the two of them being mates change anything when it comes to the duel?
Skylar smirks, then puts Astrid out of her misery by changing the subject. “How much longer?” She points at the crucible. The small fire it sits upon is beginning to burn out.
“I reckon we’re about ready.” Astrid picks up a tea strainer and Skylar raises a questioning brow. “I couldn’t find my tongs, so I’m using this to get the ring out.”
“As I said, very professional.”
Astrid flips her off. She scoops out the ring and dries it, then loops some cotton thread through it. “A ring was very handy, you know. If you’ll pardon the pun.”
“Fucking Arach.” Skylar rolls her eyes, but Astrid sees the curve of her lips.
She scoops a cup of the elixir and hands it to Skylar. “Pour this around the map—not on the parchment, just on the balcony. Don’t get it on my shoes.”
Skylar takes it and does as Astrid asked.
“Now I’m going to hold the ring over the center of the map and I have to cast, so I’ll need to focus for the next few minutes. It might take a little while for it to react.”
Skylar wipes her palms on her thighs. “Okay,” she says shakily.
Astrid is nervous, too. This is it, this is when she could find out where the Heart is.
Her pulse is throbbing and she takes a deep breath.
Then she begins to cast. She keeps her eyes focused on the ring as the words flow from her and her magic begins to flow with them.
There’s a yank on the cotton thread. She can’t help the skip in her breath, the excitement as the ring begins to sway.
Skylar is leaning in, intent, anxious—Astrid can see it on her face.
This is it. When they’ll both finally find what they’ve been looking for.
The ring shoots up in the air. The cotton pulls taut, and Astrid only just manages to keep hold of it. Horror courses through her veins at the sight of it suspended above her, straining for the sky. For the Stars.
“What—what does it mean?” Skylar asks.
Astrid’s throat is closing up. This can’t be right. It’s not fair.
“Astrid, what does it mean?” Skylar grabs her shoulders, shakes her. Astrid tears her gaze from the ring and looks at Skylar, lips quivering.
“Skylar, I’m so sorry.” The ring drops with a ping to the ground. They both watch it as it spins, then lands flat and still, right by the point of the dagger. “Cam. He’s dead.”