Chapter 61
Sixty-one
Jada
Icrack the spine open gently, waiting for the words to dance across the page. The etching slowly comes into view as my palms hold the worn leather exterior. The words breathe across the page, recognizing ownership of being held by the one destined to be.
To restore the balance, one must dare;
To be clever, kind, and fiercely fair.
A single choice will shape the fates;
Fail, and the worlds shall bear a heavy weight.
From mortal blood and midnight eyes,
Banded with dawnfire, the Starborn will rise.
The moment of truth, you have arrived;
the spirit of dawnfire to be revived.
But how, you may wonder, is this simply lore?
Prepare yourself for legends of never before.
Make the choice and seal your fate;
prove yourself worthy for all to be great.
Trials of character you must not fail,
find me beyond the tilted Scales.
Where twilight meets the morning skies,
only then will the fire rise.
For you are the chosen in the legacy,
Pass our tests and end the supremacy.
I wait, not daring to move or blink, for fear of missing anything that may appear. And then, as if it has been biding its time for this very moment, the words appear.
Through sacrifice and risk to fail,
A life renewed; you have prevailed.
The bloodline strong of the Starborn mother;
Passed to daughter to save each other.
The dawnfire sparks within your veins,
Waiting to obey only that with your name.
To use it for good, call upon your light.
For dawn always follows the darkest night.
The smile on my face stretches ear to ear as I take in the words.
This is real. I did it—I’m doing it. The excitement fades as questions pelt my mind, one after another, in a series of rapid-fire, confusing thoughts.
Who was my mother, though? To hold this power…
she couldn’t have been human, could she?
Did she feel as I do, right now? Is she still on Lunara waiting for me? Did she even know?
“What does it say?”
I tilt the book towards Elio, gesturing for him to come closer.
He scoots next to me, his arm brushing against mine as he dips his head to read the words.
I watch his mouth move as he reads each word, his brow furrowing as he tries to make sense of the riddle before us.
Finally, he straightens, nodding once as if the pieces clicked into place for him.
“It seems your magic works like mine, then. It will respond to you—and only you. You simply need to call for it.”
“How do I do that?”
“It’s simple, really.”
Placing my hands on my hips, I quirk a brow in his direction. “Please remember you’re talking to a human.”
“Not a human anymore, Jada.” I bite my cheek, the revelation sinking into my bones.
“You feel it, don’t you? It hums to you.
” I center myself, taking note of each sensation pulsing through my body.
He’s right—a constant vibration sings beneath my skin.
Using his palms, he raises my arms until they’re extended before me, his touch warm and featherlight.
“All you need to do is ask it to come forward.”
I take a stuttering deep breath and close my eyes. Are you there? I ask, the humming picking up to an incessantly fast pace. Smirking, I speak to it once more. Hello, you lovely thing. If you could come out to play, I’d appreciate it.
With a whoosh, heat engulfs my arms. Surprised by the feeling, I jolt forward, the tips of my fingers hitting Elio’s. He sucks in a hiss, and my eyes pop open, the warmth extinguishing. “Stars, are you okay?”
“Yes—just hot. Unfortunately, I’m not flame-resistant.” He chuckles, shaking his hands off in the air. “Do it again, this time with your eyes open.”
I call upon the magic within me, watching as it springs to life and lights me up.
The flame sways, following the spinning design outlined across my skin.
It wraps around me in a never-ending vine, the palest pink with streaks of blue.
“Wow,” I laugh, moving my arm back and forth, watching the flame follow. “It’s beautiful!”
“It is,” Elio agrees. When I meet his eyes, he’s not watching the dawnfire.
He’s watching me.
Elio star-shoots us back to Seb’s underground hideout, promising to teach me the mechanics of star-shooting at a later time. I’m anxious to return to the group, to see my friends and share the exciting developments with them. However, when we arrive, Seb’s place is deserted with no one to be found.
“Where is everyone?” I ask, checking Zellie’s alcove.
“Looks like they left a note. Come here,” Elio calls from the main room. I make my way back to see him holding a piece of loose parchment, with a note left from Orion in an inky scrawl:
Call to arms. The Kosmos is hosting a ball.
We’re making our move. Prepare yourselves.
It’s time.
Z & O
Elio and I exchanged a look filled with emotion. He presses his hand to his lips, deep in thought. I watch quietly, the silence of the room pounding my ears. “I’ll be right back,” he announces, before star-shooting.
I sigh, moving to the screens and glancing between them, trying to glimpse a look of our group.
The Cosmic Hall is a flurry of action, servers and officials working diligently to prepare the space to perfection.
In the foyer, citizens dressed in their finest gowns and suits mingle, holding glasses of sparkling wine or bejeweled masks to their faces.
I don’t see Zellie, Brinn, Seb—anyone. Where are they?
Just then, Elio reappears in the room with me, breathlessly. He holds up two garment bags, mischief twinkling in his eyes. “Care to dance?”