Page 93 of Blood of the Stars

The sprite’s head tilted the other way as it blinked again, the cloudy film making Gaeren cringe. Is that not what you seek?

“I just—how will I cross? And what is the price for your assistance?”

Riveran shook his head slightly, a warning in his eyes.

We’re not assisting you. It was already foretold.

Gaeren let the sprite’s words run through his mind again. Gaining access in his lifetime could mean forty years from now. Was this one of their tricks?

“Foretold for when? I want to protect her now.” He glanced at Riveran. Who knew how he’d interpret this request? Sun’s fire, he wished he’d been able to come alone. “I want to cross the barriers to protect her and unite all of Rhystahn.”

Riveran stiffened beside him, but Gaeren kept his eyes on the sprite, watching for any response.

Then you want to start a war. The words sounded cold and emotionless, but Gaeren detected a hint of morbid interest.

“What? No. I just want to make the world bigger.” He winced, not sure if the sprites would see that the same way Orra did.

A strange tinkling sound filled the cavern as the sprite reared its head back. Was it laughing? Assistance will be granted, but the cost will be high.

“Don’t.” Riveran’s hand gripped Gaeren’s arm, but he shook the other man off.

“What’s the price?”

The creature ignored his question. You expected to find the cutlass. It’s not here. A woman took it long ago. Gave it to her husband. It’s a relic that’s been passed on from collector to collector, each oblivious to its true value. Another blink, and the film disappeared. You’re better off finding the fish first.

“Fish?” Gaeren frowned, pulling out the book and flipping to the handwritten notes. He studied the symbols again. There was a sword, an arrow, a circle, and an oval with a triangle. There wasn’t any fish. Unless…

He squinted at the oval and triangle, seeing how together they might make a fish. It even looked like there might have been a dot off-center in the circle, representing an eye. And next to the symbol was the question: “Sayhleen?”

His heart pounded so hard it felt like his starlock bounced against his chest with the reverberation. What if each starbridge was assigned its own land? The arrow took Daisy to and from Lorvandas. The cutlass and… whatever the circle represented would take someone to Ahmranas and Dehvlon. Which meant the fish would take them to Sayhla Island.

“Where is the fish?”

The sprite cocked its head once more, analyzing Gaeren like a calculative predator.

If you take the opportunity to cross barriers, you will lose much. Enla will lose more.

“No,” Riveran whispered.

Gaeren took a step back. “Why Enla?”

The sprite blinked, and the residue returned. A fisherman in Andel has the fish. He doesn’t know what he holds. He mounted it on the wall of his ship’s cabin, along with the hide of?—

“Stop!” Riveran flung himself between Gaeren and the sprite, daggers out, but not to defend against the sprite. His crouched stance and narrowed eyes faced Gaeren, ready for the offensive. “You can’t play with people’s lives. It’s not your right to decide what Enla will lose. What if she loses her life? It’s too high a price.”

Gaeren hesitated. Riveran put a voice to his own concerns and fears, but they hadn’t said she’d lose her life. What if they meant she’d lose her brother? Or her throne? If the Recreants got their way, Gaeren might need the starbridges to take Enla to safety too.

She forfeited her life the moment she aligned with Mayvus. Crossing the barrier won’t change that.

Every nerve in Gaeren’s body tingled with the sprite’s words. “She’s not aligned with Mayvus.” Though as he said the words he recalled Enla’s talk of confirming Mayvus’ spiritual authority. Had the dignitaries already come? Was Enla already in danger?

The sprite lifted a shoulder. Believe what you wish.

Gaeren’s hand twitched, brushing the handle of his sword. The fluttering of the sprite’s wings intensified, drawing attention to movement around the perimeter of the room. A dozen or so other sprites came out of the shadows, all varying shades of green in the algae’s light.

“They can’t be trusted.” Riveran inched toward Gaeren, forcing him to step back. “We need to leave. You don’t want to owe them anything. The price they’re extracting is too high.”

It’s not high enough. It’s practically a gift.

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