Page 32 of Blood of the Stars

She stepped away, glaring over her shoulder as he grinned.

“I’ve heard. It’s all the servants can talk about. Some light from the southern provinces. They think it had to have been a high priest or some other extremely powerful progeny who died. Either that or someone who’s about to come into a lot of power. There are rumors it was more than one Star who must have delivered or removed a starlock.”

Gaeren let out a derisive snort. The Stars no longer communed with people, but they still came to deliver and remove the charms blessed by the Sun. When a progeny passed on to the Sun’s brilliance, their body and starlock were left on the rooftop to be burned up by the Stars. Both the delivery and removal left a streak of light in the night sky, but neither matched what Gaeren had seen.

“I saw it with my own eyes from the mangrove trees. It’s not a starlock. It was identical to the light I saw as a child.”

Her skeptical gaze faltered. “Meeting Riveran again?” She almost sounded jealous.

He held back his surprise. “No. I haven’t seen him since Mother and Father’s party.” Might as well come clean if she already suspected.

She bit her lip and turned away. “I’ve heard he’s in trouble.”

“Trouble?” He grabbed the stack of clothes and stalked back to the bedroom.

“That’s all I know. You’ll have to ask him for details.”

“I don’t want details.” He pulled on his shirt, and Enla settled by the door, her back turned again.

“Fine. Tell me more about the light.”

“It came from across the water and traveled east to the southern provinces. Near Bamboo Island.”

“Impossible.”

He laughed as he pulled on pants. “You still don’t believe humans exist across the barrier? I told you I saw them a year ago when?—”

“You’ve always told me you’ve seen things. Ever since we were kids. You’ve made every effort to trick me into believing the most ridiculous lies, so forgive me if I don’t believe everything you say anymore.”

He tapped her shoulder, and she turned, unable to hide the hurt in her eyes.

“Everything I’m telling you now is true. No lies and no jesting. There’s another woman in the mangrove trees. Her name is Orra. Short dark hair, skin a shade lighter than mine. She’s young, I think. But her eyes are…ancient, weighted. Was she in your visions?”

Enla frowned. “No. What is she doing out there?”

“Hopefully recovering. When I found her, I thought she was dead, but then she sucked in a breath, and it was like her skin glowed. It wasn’t purely somatic energy. No one can bring themselves back from the dead like that.”

Enla shook her head slightly. “That’s not—I’ve never heard of magic like that.”

“Exactly.”

“Do you think it could be blood magic?” Enla whispered, her face draining of color.

He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t already thought of it. “There was no blood. I saw no brands on her hands. Unless she had vials of it stashed somewhere, but she was clean. I don’t see how she could have used it that way.”

Enla nodded, the relief on her face mirroring his own. Most blood magic was detested by all Vendarans, even Recreants, but the royal family had outlawed all forms of it two generations past. Recreants still fought for the right to do tracking spells, claiming their use was no different from the innocent amounts of blood mixed for a bonding ceremony. But if they decreed those forms of blood magic lawful today, tomorrow the Recreants would ask to use it for branding, then rim magic—or even to call the dark spirits.

It wasn’t worth the risk.

“She wants me to take her to the starbridge on Bamboo Island,” Gaeren said. “Friend or foe, I need to see this through to understand what she can do. With her advanced magic, maybe she could even help Mother.” It was a low blow to drag their mother’s health into the equation, but it was also the truth. “You won’t even know I’m gone.”

She chewed her lip, eyes on his neck. “You’ll return within a moon’s cycle?”

“Maybe sooner.” He grinned, even though it was unlikely with or without favorable winds.

She smacked his shoulder. “I meant what I said. I need you around.”

“I know.” He tried to wipe the smile off his face so his words might be more reassuring. The anticipation of being on the open seas, finding answers to his oldest questions, and discovering new magic made it impossible to contain his excitement.

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