Page 22 of Heavenly Bodies

‘Can your mother work, when she’s better?’ Enzo finally asked.

Leo frowned, before nodding. ‘She’s the best gardener I know.’

‘Bring her to the palace.’

‘She didn’t ask me to do this,’ Leonardo stammered, all bravado gone. ‘This is nothing to do with her. If you’re going to punish anyone, punish me alone.’

Enzo cocked his head. ‘You’re the only boy I’ve met that can come close to matching me in a fight. All these lords’ sons are prissy wimps.’ He held a hand out, and Leonardo took it hesitantly, before Enzo pulled him up. ‘Your mother can take board here. We have the best healers in Helios. And you can make yourself useful by training with me.’

Tears filled Leonardo’s eyes. ‘Are you—thank you. Thank you, Your Highn—’

‘Don’t cry,’ Enzo snapped. ‘Don’t let anyone see you cry, least of all me.’

‘I’m sorry—’

‘Don’t apologize either.’

Leonardo stood up straighter, sniffing as he nodded. ‘Thank you,’ he said.

‘Go back home now and bring her by morning. I’ll speak to my father.’

Leonardo nodded, bowing before hurrying back to the balcony.

‘And it goes without saying,’ Enzo called after him. ‘Don’t mention to anyone you had a knife to my throat. Unless you want to burn for treason.’

Leonardo’s face blanched a little, before he nodded once more. ‘Thank you, prince,’ he said hoarsely as he swung a leg around the balcony.

The prince’s lips quirked. ‘Call me Enzo.’

A streak of magick shot past Elara out of nowhere and she cursed, ducking to avoid it. The dream had changed around her—now instead of the palace gates, she stood in a forest filled with dappled light. When she turned, Leonardo stood, no longer a boy but fully grown, lightning writhing between his hands. It crackled, and she stumbled back. But when he recognized her, the lightning vanished.

‘Elara?’

‘This is your dreamscape,’ she said hoarsely.

He frowned at the word. ‘I’m dreaming?’

‘Yes,’ she said hurriedly. ‘Yes, you are. I’m sorry, I didn’t know this was your dream, I should go.’

‘You saw it?’ he asked. His brow was furrowed, eyes pleading—strangely vulnerable for a general.

She nodded. ‘I didn’t realize you grew up in the palace with Enzo.’

Leonardo sighed. ‘If it wasn’t for him, I’d likely be dead. I owe him my life. And so much more.’

She didn’t know what to say, so she said nothing at all.

Turning, suddenly anxious, she tried to feel for her tether. She shouldn’t be here, especially in the dreams of a man who had helped Enzo and his father with their raids of the Asterian–Helion border, and had carried out attacks like the Borderland Fires. She shouldn’t be anywhere near him.

Leonardo walked closer, but there was something softer about him in the dream. As though the mask he wore as a battle-weary general had slipped a fraction.

‘Please don’t tell anyone what you saw,’ he said quietly.

Elara frowned. ‘I wouldn’t. But why?’

‘It took me blood, sweat and tears to become the general of the Helion army. To captain the King’s Guard here. If they found out I tried to kill the prince of Helios…I’d be put to death. Whether Enzo came to my defence or not.’

‘I won’t breathe a word,’ Elara said. And she meant it. She didn’t like the man, but some kind of honour lay within him. An honour that contradicted all she knew of him, and for that, she would keep his secret.

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