Page 14 of Blood of the Stars

He scanned the surrounding forest, and Aeliana followed his gaze, taking in the trickling brook at their feet and the pine trees blocking the Stargazer. Her guardians were probably camped somewhere out here, waiting, watching for her. She couldn’t imagine coming out here alone to find peace.

“You have a distinct advantage, having been raised to this from childhood.” Aeliana thought of her own childhood—being carted from town to town while her guardians sought the golden arrow. Fending for herself like a street rat most days. Until they tested her blood and her magic showed. For the last four years, she’d been more of a prisoner, a daily source of power they weren’t willing to give up.

Aeliana adjusted the arm guard before nocking the arrow the way he’d shown her earlier that morning. Her shoulders resisted, her agitation at an all-time high. It had been a week since she’d replaced Celeste, and she sensed her body fighting to release its power, making her head ache and her muscles tense.

“It’s not a competition.” Cyrus adjusted her grip on her bow. “There. Now, aim for the tree across the water.” He pointed at a tree a dozen feet away.

She emptied her quiver, with only a single arrow grazing the tree. As she and Cyrus bent to gather the fallen arrows, Aeliana let out a sigh of frustration.

“You’re trying too hard. Relax and enjoy the morning. Don’t worry about hitting the tree.” He handed her several arrows.

She shoved them into her quiver with a short laugh. “How am I supposed to aim for the tree and not think about hitting it?”

“Aim for the tree, then close your eyes and imagine it striking the wood, right at its center. But don’t look to see if you made it. We’re practicing form today. I don’t expect you to hit targets yet.”

She frowned at the bow and arrow in her hands. After seven days, she had nothing to show for her efforts except the added stress of hiding the magic building in her blood. She’d searched the unlocked Stargazer storerooms when it was her turn for private prayer, then the stables and even the refuse piles during the night. Now, instead of hunting for the golden arrow, she was shooting cedar ones.

When Cyrus gestured for her to try again, she sighed, then pulled the string taut and anchored her hand at her cheek. Her fingers and arms burned from the repetitive motions, and she let the arrow fly before she’d had a chance to truly aim. It barely cleared the brook. She nocked another arrow, avoiding Cyrus’ eyes.

“Della said we get shipments of artifacts. Find anything interesting so far?” She held her breath while waiting for his response and found her arms steadier, her aim truer. Sure enough, when she released that arrow, it bounced off the tree.

Cyrus jumped from his rock and clapped for her, like she’d just won a tournament.

“It didn’t even stick,” she mumbled.

“Doesn’t matter.” He grinned. “You just need more energy behind it, and that will come with time. The stronger your arms get, the more force you can put behind it.” He sat back on his rock, crossing a foot over the opposite knee. “And yes, the artifacts are always interesting, especially the books and weapons.”

She dropped an arrow in her relief. She bent to grab it, going through the motions of aiming again, the strain on her muscles worth it to keep him talking. Not that he needed much encouragement. The harder part would be ensuring he didn’t tell Della or Bartholem about all her questions.

He knotted his long red hair at the nape of his neck, then grabbed his own bow and arrow. When he stood beside her, he took aim for the same tree. “It’s sad how many Stargazers are closing, though.”

His shot stuck in the center, mocking all the arrows Aeliana had left littered at the tree’s base. He jumped across the brook to gather them up. “Training under Gams and Gamps has made me see how little regard people have for the Stars. It’s made my faith stronger, which is probably good, since I was always destined to be a priest. I think you and I are meant to bring about a revival in our generation.”

Aeliana’s guilt bloomed, spreading and swirling in her chest. He’d already latched onto her like a leech, not knowing her blood was poison. She tried not to think about the danger she was putting him in. The closer they became, the more likely he’d get hurt.

Even if they didn’t get close, what would happen to the people here if she left Arvid and Vera behind? They had stores of her blood hidden away, and they wouldn’t be afraid to use it.

She squared her shoulders and clenched her jaw. Removing herself—and her blood—from Arvid and Vera would save countless others. And if she could reach Vendaras, surely there would be another half-light who could teach her how to rid her blood of its magic. She had to find the arrow, and she had to leave.

“Why were you destined to be a priest?” she asked as Cyrus hopped back across the brook.

“I have six younger sisters, two older sisters, and two older brothers. My oldest brother inherits my father’s land, but the next one became a sailor, which left me or my sisters to take over the Stargazer.” Cyrus handed the arrows to Aeliana.

She took a deep breath, aiming for the tree once more. This time she closed her eyes like he’d suggested. The loss of vision encouraged her other senses to take over. Crisp mountain air with fresh pine scent flooded every breath. Birds twittered and trees creaked. Warmth surged through Aeliana's veins as she imagined the arrow hitting the tree’s center. She willed her energy to pass through the arrow, giving it the force to stick.

She let the arrow fly, and Cyrus gasped.

“You did it!” He slapped her back the way she’d seen children do in the market, excited over a shared toy.

“Did you not expect me to?”

“Not on the first day. Do it again.”

She hit the tree five more times in quick succession, each time giving herself over to the senses flooding her mind and the will to prove herself. When she turned to see Cyrus’ reaction, his jaw hung open, but his freckled brow bunched in confusion.

Her gut tightened. Her success hadn’t been normal, which meant she’d done magic.

She hadn’t meant to. Hadn’t even realized that was what she’d been doing. She scanned the skies for dark spirits, even though she was almost certain they came for the blood, not the magic. But the power that had swelled within her left her breathless with need, her body and mind warring over how much harm her magic could really do. But also how much better she might feel if she gave in to the desire to use it. She gritted her teeth, digging the bow’s lower limb into the soil where newly grown blades of grass poked through the earth, evidence of her crime. She glanced back toward the Stargazer’s wall, where an unmarked grave lay. She was unwilling to forget the price.

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