Page 46 of Blood of the Stars

She woke to the pain spreading as she regained awareness of every cut and burn on her body. With the pain came the reminder of her purpose. It felt like she’d been out for ages, living entire lifetimes through the visions she’d seen. Visions that were already beginning to fade in her memory. But the dragon still ran across the clearing as if no time had passed.

Despite the dried-up plants around her, Aeliana lay in a thick bed of daisies.

She bolted up, fighting through the throbbing ache to slide her hands over the singed fabric of the cloak, aware of Velden, Sylmar, and Cyrus all yelling and running in her direction while the others chased the dragon, wasting arrows on its armored hide.

“Where is it?” she mumbled over and over, more desperately as her hands came up empty. Could the vial of blood have been in Vera’s dress pocket? Or a pocket higher up by her shoulders? She’d cut off as much of the cloak as she could, but it hadn’t been enough. She felt like weeping.

The blood wasn’t there.

She turned to find Cyrus’ shocked eyes on her.

“Are you all right? What were you thinking?” He patted her down, making her aware of tinier cuts and scraped skin, like she’d rolled through broken glass. It was worth it to see his body relax in relief as he found her whole. To see him care.

“Vera still has the blood,” Velden said, eyes closed and hands fisted around the remnants of her cloak. In the distance, the dragon’s wings expanded so he could leap into the air.

“He’s too heavy for me to bring down,” Sylmar said. “And too far.” Each flap brought a rush of wind that nearly knocked Aeliana over, and then the backdraft seemed to suck the fire even closer. They spoke as if they still had a chance, but Aeliana knew it was too late. Vera still had her blood, and the dragon was flying away.

“Then just bring her down,” Velden commanded, his former jesting tone a distant memory. He passed the cloak to Sylmar. “Quick!”

Sylmar gripped the fabric, then pulled his arms back as if yanking something over his shoulder. In the distance, Aeliana heard a scream. She sat up, eyes on the dragon shrinking in the sky where a body tumbled from his back. It was both an eternity and a blink in time as she watched Vera’s fall. Her mouth went dry at its abrupt stop on the distant forest floor.

Sylmar’s face relaxed in grim triumph as Durriken and Arvid flew farther into the distance without their prize. He dropped Vera’s cloak as Jasperus and Kendalyhn raced through the smoldering forest in Vera’s direction, maybe to check for the vial. Maybe to check if Vera was dead. Aeliana shuddered.

Velden reached for a large man’s boot caught in a blackened bush. The brown leather was familiar to Aeliana from years of scrubbing it clean for Arvid. She could imagine his anger over its loss. How much more would he hate her for Vera’s death? Would he turn around for revenge? To get her blood?

“The Zealots tricked us.” Velden groaned, slamming the boot against the dirt.

“What?” Sylmar’s scars puckered once more as he leaned heavily on his molten staff.

“Vera gave the vial to Arvid.” Velden turned a pained expression on Aeliana. “Arvid has your blood.”

CHAPTER 19

Everyone’s gaze shifted to the dragon, now a mere dot in the sky where the pale moonlight glanced off scales.

Aeliana reached for the half cloak, patting it down once more, begging it to hold the missing vial. Instead, she found a tiny golden star. It was heavy, more like a ball of lead with spikes—some trinket Vera had probably stolen. She chucked it at the ground, drawing the others’ attention.

Sylmar’s eyes widened, and he limped her way.

“So…” Velden’s eyebrows lifted, and he bent down to pick up the star. “You earned your starlock. I suspected as much with that flash of light.”

Cyrus gasped, leaning in to see it. The others around them smiled; Holm even clapped.

Aeliana shrank away. “That can’t be right.”

“Yes, it can.” Sylmar eyed the starlock. “That act of bravery could have easily initiated your Awakening. Now your blood will answer to your starlock. They’ll work in tandem to make your magic even stronger.”

Aeliana shivered.

Sylmar’s gaze traveled over Aeliana, most likely taking in cuts, bruises, and singed hair. Then he studied the strange bed of daisies surrounding her.

Had she done that while she was unconscious? Had her starlock?

For the first time, Sylmar’s lips lifted. Aeliana thought it might be a smile, but the way his scars shifted with his beard left her anxious.

“Tonight wasn’t a loss; it was a sacrifice,” he said. “And with sacrifice comes gain.”

She glanced back toward the others, silently counting them off. Holm’s arm wrapped around Iris, and Cyrus, Lukai, and Velden all studied the starlock. With Jasperus and Kendalyhn checking on Vera’s body, they were all accounted for. At least her blood had been the only sacrifice that night.

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