Chapter 4
“How do you have starlocks?” Gaeren asked.
“They’ve been collecting dust in our stores for centuries,” Bartholem admitted. “No one realized what kind of treasure they were. But now I suspect you’ll find a purpose for them.”
“You want us to sell them in Vendaras?” Riveran’s eyes widened in horror, his hand slipping to the X on his forehead. “That would seal my death.”
Bartholem’s face fell. “Are they not valuable?”
“Priceless,” Gaeren breathed out, placing a protective hand over the lump under his shirt, where his own tear-shaped starlock rested against his skin.
“Inside each one there’s a lock of hair, freely given by a Star to enhance a progeny’s magic.
But they’re only given to half-lights chosen by the Sun.
Supposedly people used to pass the starlocks down in their families, but corruption made that unpredictable.
Now, when a progeny dies, their starlock and body are retrieved by the Star who blessed them.
Starlocks left behind like these are ancient and rare.
They would only be available in black market trade. ”
“Would they even work for someone not chosen by the Stars?” Cyrus asked.
“It’s the Sun who does the choosing.” Gaeren flicked an apologetic glance at Bartholem.
The old man tolerated Gaeren and Riveran’s worship of the Sun quite well for a Lorvandan priest, but talk of their differences always reminded the priest of the death of his wife.
“And yes, they would work, but not with the same intensity. Selling these on the black market could fund an entire war, but it could also be putting power in the hands of our enemies.”
“Perhaps we should keep them here, then. Out of the half-lights’ reach.” Bartholem covered them with the linen and set them back by the door. “The Stars will provide other resources.”
“Even so, the reward is a good idea,” Gaeren said, and Cyrus and Riveran hummed their assent. “After sending out letters, Riveran and I can return to Vendaras. Then, after updating the other Recreants, we’ll return to collect both Cyrus and Rildan.”
Cyrus frowned, but this time he didn’t argue.
After dinner, he pulled out maps of Lorvandas, and the three men huddled in the chancery, writing letters and marking off all the cities they needed to contact, well into the night.
It would likely take a week just to get all the letters sent out, and even that delay left Gaeren on edge.
A tense quiet sat between them as they worked.
Cyrus seemed to support the plan, but Gaeren sensed he still didn’t care for it.
It made the most sense for Cyrus to stay behind.
He knew the area best. But was this one of those moments where Gaeren was supposed to set aside the authority he took for granted and let other people make decisions?
Were they supposed to vote like he’d seen the Lorvandans doing?
Like the Recreants back home wanted in their democracy?
If Larkos, his first mate, were here, he’d have plenty to say about it.
They continued their strained silence until Riveran yawned and stretched, wishing them a good rest of their night. Cyrus and Gaeren sealed the last of the letters and blew out their candles before dropping them off in the kitchen.
Instead of going to bed, Cyrus stepped into the Stargazer to perform his nightly ritual of worship. Like always, Gaeren followed him, mostly to observe the customs of the Lorvandans. He didn’t understand why they worshiped the Stars, who were created by the Sun just like people.
“Which Star are you praying to tonight?” Gaeren asked the question softly so as not to disturb the other worshipers.
“Andreas,” Cyrus said without turning his eyes from the heavens. The Stargazer was designed exactly like the Vendaran Sungazers—a tall tower with an open roof, allowing worshipers to see the Stars above. Except in Vendaras, worship was done during the day when the Sun was out.
“And he’s a leader among the Stars, correct?” Gaeren asked.
“Yes. If there were ever a hierarchy among the Stars, he would be among the top five.”
“And his role is typically to oversee disputes among the people?”
Cyrus nodded and turned to Gaeren. “You have a good memory.”
“What do you suppose his role is now that the Stars have been so silent?” Gaeren liked needling Cyrus, partly because it was a challenge to fluster the other man’s faith and partly because he truly wanted the answers.
“Perhaps they’ve found other ways to influence us without being physically present.”
Gaeren hummed his skepticism. “And why do you choose to pray to him tonight?”
Cyrus hesitated. “We’ve agreed that some of us should remain behind and some of us should go back to Vendaras. I’m asking him to make it clear who should go and who should stay so it doesn’t turn into another fight.”
Gaeren raised his eyebrows. He thought the decision had already been made.
Besides, their bickering didn’t seem worthy of a deity’s intervention.
It wasn’t as if their actions would have an impact on the world at large.
That was one of the biggest differences he’d noticed between their faiths.
The human Lorvandans worshiped the Stars but saw them as friends.
Vendaran half-lights worshiped the Sun, but their worship held more fear and respect than love.
“Well, then, I hope he answers your prayer.”
This time Cyrus smiled and tipped his face back to the sky.
Gaeren followed suit, running through the names of the Stars Cyrus had mentioned in the past. “Which one would you pray to for direction in your life’s purpose?”
“I already know my life’s purpose.” Cyrus’ frown gave less weight to his confident words. “I’m meant to challenge people to grow in their faith.”
“But if you didn’t—” Gaeren scratched the back of his neck and avoided Cyrus’ eyes. “If you thought you had one purpose for your whole life only to discover you never wanted that in the first place, which one would you ask to help you find your new purpose?”
“I suppose Bryton,” Cyrus said. “His role is to reveal truth. He’s one people are often reluctant to pray to, because sometimes the truth isn’t what we want it to be.”
Gaeren let out a bitter laugh. “Well said.”
Cyrus grinned. “It’s said you should always pray to Sheen when you pray to Bryton. He brings truth and she brings mercy. One without the other is unbalanced.”
Gaeren frowned and tapped his lips. “What else did you say Sheen did?”
Cyrus shook his head. “I don’t think we’ve talked about her before.”
Gaeren felt certain they had, but he couldn’t place when he’d heard her name.
“If I could only have one,” Cyrus said, “I’d pray for truth. I’d rather get the truth even if I didn’t like it.” He kneeled in the dirt and bent forward until his nose touched the ground.
Gaeren kneeled beside him. “Sort of like how you’ll come around to admitting the Stars are subject to the Sun just like we are?”
Cyrus’ voice came out muffled from where he bent forward. “Exactly. If that’s the truth, I want to know it.”
“Well, then, maybe I’ll ask the Sun to have Bryton shed some light on my purpose.
” Gaeren winced at the vulnerability of his confession.
But this sort of admission happened often with Cyrus.
If he didn’t tell the priest-in-training now, he’d tell him eventually.
“I’m no longer a prince and Aeliana no longer needs my protection, so there must be something the Sun wants me to do. I’d like to figure that out.”
Cyrus sat up, his gaze back on the Stars, and Gaeren thought he’d leave the conversation there. It was unusual for Cyrus, who always had an answer or a question for everything.
“Sometimes I think the harder thing is the timing of the truth,” Cyrus finally said.
“What do you mean?” Gaeren asked.
“Sometimes the Stars give us the truth, but not when we’re expecting it. So we either latch on to a lie while we’re waiting, or we miss it completely.” Cyrus smiled. “Maybe the Stars, or the Sun, want you to take some time figuring out your next purpose. Maybe that’s part of your purpose.”
Gaeren frowned. He didn’t like that at all. How would he know when he had the right purpose?
“Sometimes we’re too eager to act when we need to sit still and listen. Like how the people were so determined to go to war. When they didn’t stop to listen, the Stars were forced to intervene, to divide the lands by waters and barriers for our protection.”
“You mean the Sun,” Gaeren murmured. “And it was a punishment.”
But his mind was traveling back, calling up the memory he’d misplaced, and he found himself back in the hammock of his hideout, poring through a book detailing the Great Divide.
“It was Sheen,” Gaeren said. “She was the Star who thought she was supposed to split the people.”
Cyrus’ gaze turned wary. “According to your book, The Sins of the Stars.” He spit out the name like the words were painful.
Gaeren stood, his mind racing. “I know, but if that book is right, the Stars divided the lands in the Great Divide, not the Sun, just like you’ve said.” His words came out too loud, and a few worshipers cast him strange looks.
Cyrus rose, pulling Gaeren to the side of the Stargazer and out from the atrium. Cool air kissed their skin, a warning that Harvest Day and winter were around the corner.
“The Stars did divide the lands,” Cyrus said, “but your book claims the Stars were wrong to do that, and the Stars can’t be wrong.” His words didn’t hold any conviction.
“It also claims Sheen was punished for her actions. She was grounded to the earth. So she wouldn’t be up there for us to pray to.” Gaeren gestured to the sky. “Perhaps praying for her mercy is futile.”
Cyrus frowned. “That’s a lot of claims. If there’s a Star roaming the earth, where has she been all this time?”
“Can’t you think of someone who has unexplainable power and wisdom, someone who exudes mercy and seems ageless? Someone who claims she’s not a Star because she doesn’t take to the skies?”
Understanding made Cyrus’ features go slack. “Orra,” he breathed out.
“She never even lied about it. She just kept redirecting our questions.” Gaeren laughed and ran a hand through his hair. Then his smile faded, and he shook his head. “Even if it happens to be true, it doesn’t change anything. Not really.”
“What do you mean?” Cyrus tugged on his robes in agitation. “It changes everything. She could tell us if the Sun created the Stars or if it’s just a place that holds the Stars’ power. She could tell us what really happened in the Great Divide.”
“But her power has dwindled to that of a half-light’s. She still needs our help finding the starbridges.”
“And we will help her.” Cyrus straightened. “For now, you and Riveran can head back. See if they found the stone starbridge, see if Emeris and Orra are stronger. See what they need.”
Gaeren raised his eyebrows. “I thought you wanted to go.”
Cyrus glanced at the sky. “I think Andreas has given me my answer. I’m more useful here, for now. I’ll find Rildan.”
Gaeren narrowed his eyes, studying the priest-in-training. “You’re afraid of what truth Orra might tell you. After all your talk about wanting it even if it hurts.”
A nervous twitch started in Cyrus’ eye, and he rubbed at it. “Or maybe I’m trusting the timing of it.”
Gaeren snorted. “Fine. But when she tells you I’m right, I’m going to say ‘I told you so,’ both about the Sun and about you being too scared to hear the truth.”
A faint smile crossed Cyrus’ face. “I would expect nothing less from you.”