Page 107 of Heavenly Bodies

Isra was frequenting the palace more and more, trying to help Elara bring substance back to her shadows.

‘There’s still a block within you,’ she said, during their latest practice session on Elara’s balcony. ‘You loosened it on the cliff by pushing through your fear, but there’s no…’ She paused, trying to find the word. ‘It’s like your soul is twilight rather than the deep dark of the night. So your shadows have nothing to feed off.’

‘Isn’t that a good thing?’ Elara asked, lowering her hands as the shadows around her retreated.

Isra passed her a glass of peach juice. ‘No. A shadowmancer’s well of magick should be pitch black. Trust me, I dated one once.’

‘You dated an Asterian?’ Elara asked.

Isra nodded, lip twitching. ‘Cassandra.’ She sighed. ‘Forbidden love and all that. It wasverythrilling.’

Elara laughed in disbelief, right as Enzo walked on to the balcony.

‘Still no luck,’ he said. ‘Prissy Leyon is still throwing a fit. And my father can’t very well tell him the exact reason that we want to invite Ariete. So we’re still nowhere closer.’

Elara twirled a strand of hair around her finger as she pondered. ‘What if we didn’t need Leyon’s permission?’

‘What do you mean?’ Enzo asked. ‘Ariete can’t enter our kingdom without it.’

‘Not without starting a war,’ Elara said. ‘But do you really think thegodof war would care? If the object of his every hatred was being hidden in his own brother’s kingdom? You don’t think he would come, whether there were consequences or not?’

Isra’s head flew to Enzo. ‘She’s right.’

‘Outcome, Iz?’ Enzo asked, and Isra’s eyes flicked white for a few minutes before returning to hazel.

‘Unclear,’ she replied. ‘Many paths have been laid out, and the way forward is too dark for me to see. But the plan is not impossible.’

Enzo nodded. ‘I’ll tell Idris.’

On the morning of the solstice, Elara hadn’t even fully awoken when she became aware of the clamour of rumblingcarts, servants shouting orders and streams of boisterous music. With a small smile, she opened her eyes and leapt out of bed, opening the doors to her balcony. She peered out, the magick of the longest day of the year hot and fizzing in the air. It was celebrated throughout every kingdom, yet Helios, with their worship of the Light, had to be the most spectacular. She lamented the fact she wouldn’t be able to witness the lavish celebrations, for Idris had agreed to her plan. She and Enzo would proceed to Aphrodea and tell the world that she was alive. Then they would return to Helios and wait for Ariete—Leyon be damned.

She gazed down at the grounds, catching sight of a band practising in the shade of a copse of trees. Her eyes wandered to a whirl of servants, who carried cloths in all shades of gold, bronze and red into the palace. She wondered how Aphrodea would be celebrating, and then considered what in the Stars’ names she was going to wear.

As though on cue, Merissa bustled in, her pretty green eyes even more sparkling and bright than usual. ‘Happy solstice!’ she squealed, kissing Elara square on the lips.

Elara’s eyebrows raised. ‘And that’s about the most affection I’ll get this week.’

‘Tradition,’ Merissa replied breezily. ‘It’s bad luck in Helios not to kiss the ones you love on the solstice.’

Elara smiled as Merissa planted her in front of the vanity table.

‘Now, we have to attend worship before we leave for Aphrodea this afternoon. I know, I know,’ she added at Elara’s raised eyebrow in the mirror. ‘But it’s all for show. Enzo and the king must, at least for the sake of appearance, show that they are devoted to the Stars—Leyon particularly. It’s his day more than anyone’s.’

She combed through Elara’s hair with her fingers, usingher magick to help style it, though Elara didn’t see a glamour settle over her this time.

‘SurelyIcan’t step right into Leyon’s temple for worship?’

‘Many Helion women on the solstice wear a veil to the temple. Those devout enough believe that they shouldn’t cast eyes directly at a god.’

‘Stars help me,’ Elara muttered.

‘You, Isra and I willallwear them. You’ll be in Helion attire, of course.’ She finished with Elara’s hair, casting a few sweeps of her hand over Elara’s face before heading to the wardrobe.

‘This dress has to make a statement. Appearance is as powerful a weapon as any sword. Asterian royalty in a Helion dress will cause quite the commotion in Aphrodea.’

She handed two flimsy bits of fabric to Elara.

‘Who knows? The golden lingerie might come in handy later,’ Merissa grinned. She hauled out reams of gold cloth as Elara pulled the skimpy undergarments on. Merissa wolfwhistled as she brought the dress over, and Elara pushed her teasingly as she laughed. The glamourer began to fasten her into the swarms of golden material. When Merissa was done, she whirled Elara to the mirror, leaving her there to admire her appearance as she returned to the wardrobe.

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