Page 68 of Summer of Sacrifice

“What happened that day?” she whispered to a golden telescope pointed toward the glass-domed ceiling. “What did our family do, Thanasim?”

As if her question summoned it, the memory unfolded before her.

“It’s the only way.” The words flew out of Thanasim’s mouth as if he’d said them too many times already. “It is no longer up for discussion.”

Hissa’s arms flailed, fury crackling off of her in sparks of magic. Belfry reached out and clasped her Sister’s hand. Hissa’s magic calmed, but only a fraction.

“I don’t like it,” Monarch said, fists at her sides.

“None of us do,” Talan agreed, her tone sharper than Asteria cared for. “But Father is right. I see no other way.”

They were huddled in Thanasim’s observatory, every last one of them looking to Asteria, their eyes all filled with such sorrow…

“Sit down,” she commanded. All mother and all witch, cloaking the fear that threatened to choke her. “All of you.”

They obeyed, even Thanasim, and the sight of him dropping into his plush desk chair at her behest gave her the warmth and courage to say what she must.

“My darlings. This won’t be easy. But we have to go. We have to leave The Primordial as Athania did, but—” She stumbled on her words, looking to Thanasim. There were tears in his eyes. “We have to forget one another, too. Become entirely different. Become something Athania will never recognise. It’s the only way we can protect you. Protect magic, and those that wield it.”

Belfry’s lip wobbled. In so many ways, she was still a young girl, by witch standards. “But you will not remember us.”

Asteria and Thanasim darted for her in the same instant. “We will never forget you,” Asteria assured her.

“Yes, you will,” Hissa whispered, a tear leaking from her eye. “If you forget one another, you will forget us. We are from you.”

“We all need to go.” They turned in unison toward Monarch. She lifted her mournful eyes to look at each of them. “Hissa is right. If Athania makes it back here, she can get to us. It’s all she will need to begin a war. To take over magic. Everything.”

Thanasim cursed colourfully. “They’re right, Asteria.”

She watched his jaw flex as if he were pressing all of his teeth together. His hands worked in and out of a fist. The torture in his eyes matched the agony in their bond. It was such a tangled knot of anguish she couldn’t separate what was hers and what was his. She supposed it didn’t matter because she knew what he would say, how her heart would be ripped from her body before he said the words aloud.

“We leave tonight. All of us.”

* Entwined, we Three, Lest the twine be broken

Seleste, Then

SELESTE

Finally, she looked like herself. The chiffon dress Seleste wore, the colour of Blue Pansy Butterfly wings, wasn’t exactly Seagovian fashion, nor was it Coronoccan. It flitted somewhere between the two with its soft, delicate lines, but tight waist and just enough decolletage visible.

She’d been careful not to select anything too extravagant, or too homely. Without any idea what Cal had in mind for the evening, she also didn’t want to appear to have made any assumptions after their kiss. Settling for no more cosmetic adornment than a gentle brush of iridescent powder on her cheeks and chest, she was ready. Slowly swaying back and forth, she watched how the lamplight caught the illuminating powder—of her own design—making her brown skin glow.

She felt lovely.

Opting to leave her countless braids down, Seleste tied a yellow band around her wrist, in case she needed to tame them. She was just putting on all of her bracelets, relishing their tinkling together, when the steady tap, tap, tap came of three pebbles hitting her window.

Excitement shot through her like lightning as she dashed to look through the glass, anticipating Cal looking up at her. But a dribble of trepidation snuck its way in as she lifted her hand to move the curtains aside.

Winnie’s voice came first in her mind. What if he’s only trying to qualify his feelings for you by making you more than a maid?

Followed by Sorscha’s scoff. If he’s embarrassed you’re a maid, wait until he discovers you’re a witch, too.

And Aggie’s bitter snap at their Sisters. Let her see for her own damned self.

A small knot formed in Seleste’s stomach next to the butterflies. Instead of pulling the curtains all the way open, she peeked through a small slit, peering down at Cal. As soon as he saw her, his face broke into a grin that made her knees a bit weak. Despite the low light, she could still make out something there in his eyes. Was it uncertainty?

She had a love/hate relationship with her inability to use her cunning on him to its full extent. Her growing feelings for him were constantly in the way.

---