Chapter 64
Zane
The night before they were set to leave, Zane and Talon bathed in a tub for what could possibly be the last time.
Wordlessly, they climbed into their comfortable bed and wrapped each other in their arms. They simply gazed at each other—Talon with his kind blue eyes, and Zane with his emerald-green ones.
Their fingers explored naked skin, but Zane wasn’t interested in starting anything, for once.
He only wanted to memorize the way Talon looked and felt next to him.
He wanted to sear the amount of love coming from his gaze into his mind.
In several days, one or both of them could be dead.
Zane would love to ask Talon to stay here within the wards of Nyr, where he would be safe for at least a little longer.
They had been spending a fair amount of time with Perry and Nina—having dinner with Tal’s parents along with Em and Iyana—and his mother made her thoughts on the matter clear.
She did not want any of them to go to war, but especially not her only child.
Zane knew his soul would never agree to stay.
Still, he had to try. Before he could open his mouth, Tal spoke first.
“I know what you’re thinking, my heart,” he said, threading his fingers through Zane’s hair. “Don’t ask me to stay behind. You know I won’t, and my place is with you, fighting at your side. My place will always be wherever you are, Zane. Never try to tell me otherwise.”
Zane traced the freckles on Tal’s nose and cheek. “I only want you to be safe,” he whispered.
“I could say the same thing about you,” Talon murmured.
“I’ve already watched you die once, Talon. I can’t do it again.” His voice cracked. “I can’t.”
Talon tucked him in closer, cradling Zane’s head against his chest and running his fingers through his hair.
He wouldn’t offer Zane any empty promises, and for that, he was grateful.
Zane didn’t know if he could listen to Tal telling him he’d never leave him alone again, only to have him do exactly that.
Pulling back slightly, Zane pressed his lips against Talon’s, wishing he could pause time and live in this bed forever.
Tal deepened their kiss and swiped his tongue along Zane’s mouth.
He opened for him with a sigh, clutching at his soul’s back as if that would keep him there with him, no matter what tomorrow brought.
When Talon’s hands began to wander, Zane let them. This could very well be their last night alone, and he would take advantage of each second.
Dawn came all too soon. Zane and Talon readied themselves silently in their room before meeting up with their friends.
Everyone they considered as family was waiting for them with the horses.
While okapis were the preferred mode of transport within the jungle, they didn’t do well in colder environments, so they were taking horses instead.
Zane lamented the fact that Ryunn had been left behind in the desert when the stars captured him and Talon.
He hoped the horse had found his way to safety.
Ryunn and Pryn had been the only things he had loved for many years.
When Okab teleported Emmeric and Kaz to help with their rescue, they had brought Pryn with them.
And after everything with Altair, he had been left behind in Athusia.
At least, Zane knew he would be safe there.
The stars would not let a prized war horse go to waste.
Iyana had lost some of her color and was more pale than normal.
Emmeric was glued to the Aztia’s side. Within the past week, the two had stopped trying to hide their relationship, which was refreshing to see.
A smile died on Zane’s lips before it could appear—the thought of losing any of them was unimaginable.
Kaz and her two brothers were with Jato, directing the warriors on the plan.
They would stay within the wards for as long as possible before pushing into Athusa.
Hopefully, Istora’s army would be there to meet with them.
If they weren’t, or if the stars were lying in wait for them…
Zane didn’t want to think about what the death toll would be.
Honestly, most of the scenarios he ran through his mind ended in the deaths of all of them and the fall of humanity.
There was an extremely slim chance that everything would go their way and they would end up triumphant.
He sent a quick prayer to Thelena to watch over them.
One of the wild cards sat within Zane’s pack.
He held onto the Lurra, while Iyana had Khollo’s Downfall.
Part of their strategy would be to have the two of them on opposite ends of the battlefield so that they could use the artifacts if things were looking dire.
They could ensure the maximum amount of destruction if they were split up.
Everybody had hated the idea of not staying in one cohesive group, but it made too much sense to do it this way.
In all of their research on the artifacts, the only thing they had found on the Lurra was that ‘lurra’ in an ancient language translated to ‘souls.’ They could only hope that it would be useful for them, but it was a huge risk.
It was extremely possible that the artifact would end up killing all of them, not only the stars.
Khollo’s Downfall was even more terrifying because they knew slightly more about it.
The God of Beginnings was allegedly trapped within that small, black orb.
A vengeful god released onto a battlefield after multiple millennia in confinement—anything could happen.
Shuddering, Zane mounted his horse with the others, and they walked out of Nyr’s capital.
Conversations were kept to a minimum. The warriors joked and laughed with each other as they walked, but Zane couldn’t find it within himself to join in.
All of his companions appeared to feel the same—sitting atop their horses with stress etched into their brows.
Sekhan was the only one joining in on the banter, but even his seemed half-hearted.
They moved slower than before with such a large group, and it took several days to reach the part of the border where they planned to cross.
Winter was beginning to give way to spring—the snow was melting, and colorful flowers pushed through the blanket of white—and Zane balked at how much his life had changed in such a short amount of time.
In spring of the previous year, he was dreading the annual balls that his father held—trying to get him to choose a wife—and planning ways to escape the city.
Now, his father was dead and he was emperor, and instead of a wife, Talon—the love of his life—stood next to him.
Even though they were likely marching to their deaths, Zane was still grateful that the universe had gifted him this man.
The army stood at the precipice for several minutes; the warriors waiting for the command to cross. None of them seemed to want to give it, though.
“It’s now or never,” Talon murmured. Zane caught Kaz’s eye and nodded.
“Fuck it,” the crown princess said, ever the diplomat. “Let’s go then.” She kicked her horse’s sides, urging them forward, and the rest of them followed.
Zane held his breath when they crossed, waiting to see if any stars were going to ambush them the minute they set foot in Athusa.
When nothing happened, he exhaled shakily, but did not lower his guard.
Although there were only a small amount of stars who could teleport, it was enough to cause serious damage to their ranks if they were attacked before they were prepared.
Just before sunset, they spotted Istora’s army on the horizon. They decided to camp where they were for the night and allow the other kingdom to catch up to them.
A waning gibbous moon sat brightly within an inky black sky by the time the armies merged. Zane drew his cloak tighter as a frigid wind blew through their camp; the vestiges of winter clinging to the earth with icy claws. Talon approached him and ran a hand down his spine.
“Halim is here,” Tal said. Zane threaded his fingers through Tal’s and allowed himself to be led to the Istorian prince consort. A gasp left him when he saw what was standing beside the older man.
“Ryunn,” Zane whispered and ran to his horse to bury his face in his mane.
The horse nickered and bumped Zane’s side with his nose, like he had missed his master just as much.
Tears prickled at his eyes, and Zane took another moment hiding within the horse’s neck to compose himself, inhaling the familiar dusty scent.
“The beast returned to us the same night you boys had left,” Halim said. “We thought something had happened to you, but when we followed you out into the desert, we couldn’t find any trace of where you might have gone. I must say, I’m mighty glad to see both of you alive and hale.”
“It’s a long story,” Tal said. “But suffice it to say the stars captured us as soon as we left Istoria, and Iyana had to come to our rescue.”
Zane finally emerged from behind Ryunn’s mane to see Halim’s eyes wide in disbelief. “Thank you for returning my horse,” Zane croaked. “It means more than you know.”
“It was my pleasure, son.” The two leaders clasped forearms, and then they went to find the others to fill Halim in on their plans.
They all sat within the only tent large enough to accommodate all of them and waited for the elder general’s opinions once they laid everything out in front of him.
“I have to say it’s a decent plan.” Halim scratched at the stubble growing on his cheeks.
“I’m more than a little wary about using the artifacts, and we’re hinging a lot of our success on a goddess maybe coming to our aid, but I understand we’re going up against an army much stronger than us, and the rest of it is sound. ”
“Will it work?” Zane asked.
“That depends entirely on Iyana,” answered Halim. They all glanced at Iyana. The Aztia appeared pale in the dim lantern light. Emmeric wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side, like he could protect her from her own destiny.
“I’ll do all that I can,” she said, her voice stronger than Zane had ever heard it.
“We could provide some aid, as well,” a deep voice said from a shadowy corner of the tent. Everyone spun towards the voice, weapons halfway out of sheaths and scabbards before Scuti, Okab, and a female star walked into the light.
Halim held onto his sword, eyeing the stars warily.
Okab gestured towards the unknown star. “This is my sister, Tarazed. Or Tara.”
“Tarazed,” Iyana said, the strength in her voice now gone. She was staring at the newcomer, tears swimming in her eyes but not falling. “I am so sorry about Altair. I will do everything in my power to make his death and sacrifice meaningful.”
Tarazed looked at her with an unreadable expression. “You’re the Aztia, then?” she asked. Iyana nodded. “I can see why you’re the one Altair fell for. Let’s give Rigil the day he deserves.”
The three stars seamlessly integrated themselves in with the humans. This was how it should have been—the two species coexisting without one thinking they were above the other.
“You’ll need to pay attention to Rigil, little one,” Scuti said, addressing Iyana. “You’ve seen firsthand what his shadows are capable of. It only takes a small wound for him to push his darkness into you, and from there you’re lost.”
Iyana frowned but nodded. Zane filed the information away as well in case he found himself facing the Alpha.
“How in the nine hells do we kill a star?” Talon asked. “Okab said that Altair slit Hadar’s throat, and it still wasn’t a fatal injury. And the stars we fought against in the desert—Zane landed a dagger into one’s heart and he was able to recover.”
“Our head is really our only weak spot,” Okab said. “A direct shot through the head or decapitation—full or partial—will kill a star.”
Iyana’s face scrunched. “Can you regenerate limbs like a lizard does its tail?”
Tarazed barked out a laugh. “No, Aztia, we cannot grow back limbs. If you cannot get a headshot make sure you maim as badly as you can. Taking out a leg or a star’s dominant arm will eliminate them from the fight even if they aren’t dead.”
The now-expanded Team Save Arinem asked the three stars questions long into the night, trying to gather as much pertinent information as they could, and they didn’t crawl into their bedrolls until the sun was cresting the horizon.