Page 59 of Heavenly Bodies

‘No.’

His eyes flickered to her lips, gazing intently. His lips parted, and she felt it, a palpable tension in the air, something that would consume her if she breathed it in.

‘I think you would be very easy to worship,’ he murmured, his voice so soft she almost melted into it.

‘Well, I doubt a god will be doing much worshipping,’ she said quietly, and pulled away.

Enzo opened his mouth to speak, his hand reaching for her hair, as a low growl pierced the air.

Enzo was up in seconds, as silent as a wraith, his hand on his short sword. He moved in front of Elara as she stood slowly, unsheathing her dagger.

There was another growl, softer but closer this time, and Elara looked around wildly. Enzo cursed, bringing light to his hands to illuminate the penetrating darkness.

She gasped. Not two metres away from her was a wolf. As black as her shadows, its eyes flint grey. She might have mistaken it for a nightwolf, but the animal before her had no tail of smoke, no stars within its eyes. The wolf edged closer, and Enzo moved subtly, still shielding her.

Her eyes brimmed with tears as she squeezed his arm, brushing past him and moving closer to the wolf.

‘Elara, I already think you’re insane, but this may be the worst time to prove me right,’ Enzo whispered.

‘It’s okay, Enzo,’ she breathed, taking another small step, her hand outstretched. The wolf prowled closer, its wicked fangs gleaming. And then, with a whimper, it licked Elara’s hand. She shuddered out a laugh as she tentatively stroked the wolf’s head. It let out a low rumble, sinking down on its hind legs as it pushed its head against Elara’s hand.

‘What the fuck?’ Enzo breathed behind her, taking a step closer.

The wolf whipped around, snarling, and Elara bit back a laugh, dropping the dagger to the ground.

‘Enzo, meet Astra.’

‘Can you please explain what in the Stars’ names is going on?’

‘The dragun was my family’s sigil. Sofia made the wolf hers.’ Tears were beginning to brim in Elara’s eyes as she knelt and wrapped her hands around Astra’s neck, breathing in the scent of her—of home. ‘Wolves are Piscea’s domain. And well, Sof had always been a little fanatical about the Star of Asteria. Sofia isn’t Verdan so it’s not like she could talk to animals, but she seemed to understand the wolves. And they her. She’d tame any stray we came across—and the wolves in the Shadow Woods would stop baying when she was near. We found Astra one day deep in the palace forest. She’d been wounded. Our groundskeeper made to shoot her, but Sofia threw herself in the arrow’s path to stop him. We nursed Astra back to health, and ever since, she stayed close. To Sof especially.’

Astra whined, and Elara scratched her ears. ‘She’s found me for a reason,’ she whispered. ‘What is it, girl? Why are you here?’

The wolf whined again, nudging at the dagger in the grass. Elara picked it up. ‘This?’

Enzo was still standing, completely dumbfounded.

The wolf whined again, nudging her wet nose against the stones. Elara frowned. ‘What, Astra?’

The wolf prodded harder at the glittering obsidian jewels. ‘I don’t understand,’ she said.

Astra growled, her hackles rising as she looked at Enzo. The shadows seemed to darken in the forest, and Elara shivered. And then, with a whine, and a last doleful look to Elara, she ran.

‘Astra!’ Elara shouted, stumbling to her feet. But the wolf had disappeared into the darkness.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Back at the palace, Elara looked over every inch of her dagger as she sat on her bed. She ran her hand along the blade, pushing at the crystals embedded in the hilt.

‘Didn’t you say something about Sofia and those jewels?’ Enzo was pacing her room as he watched Elara furiously try to figure out what Astra had been trying to tell her.

‘Yes. She said that the silverstone reminded her of my eyes, and that the obsidian…’

She trailed off, eyes wide. ‘That the obsidian meant a part of her was always with me,’ she finished.

‘Try your shadows,’ Enzo said.

Elara tentatively raised a hand over the large, glittering stone—one so black it showed her own reflection.

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