Page 197 of Fallen Stars

She frowned. “What is happeni—?”

“I’ve spent too long here,” he said, looking around the alley warily.

“Too long?!” she exclaimed. “We’ve been together a matter of minutes.”

The stranger shoved his hands into his pockets and began walking off. “The green grape, Amara, is the cure to the madness. The purple grape will make it worse.”

Merissa looked at the canopy above them before jumping up.

“But wait, I don’t even know your name,” she called after him.

His laugh was dark as he threw his head back to look at her one last time.

“You’ll know it soon enough.”

Elara turned to check on Merissa as she and Enzo walked down the alley with the others and halted.

“Merissa!?” she shouted shrilly.

The rest of the group stopped as Elara called out again, pacing back down the path. She had been here only moments before.

“She’s gone,” Elara cried. “Merissa—”

She whirled as Enzo held on to her hand. “Meri—”

Elara blinked as a darkness covered her vision before it cleared, and she found herself in an entirely different place.

She stumbled, hands stretched out in front of her as the darkness permeated her.

“Elaraaaaaa,” a voice sang. She stilled. She knew that voice; it had been haunting her since Eli’s dreams.

“Who are you?” she called out.

A hollow chuckle sounded, as though it was surrounding her, and she bit back the urge to use her moonlight to light the place. Suddenly, she blinked again, and light surged to her—colour and sound assaulting her as the world blared back to life.

She looked around desperately, but Enzo was gone, as were the others.

And then it dawned on her. She was no longer on a street, but instead within a room, a banquet hall, and she was seated with a feast laid before her.

She looked around the deserted hall, sumptuous fabrics draped over every wall, low tables and chairs scattered around the sides of the space with gauzy curtains. And grapes. Grapes everywhere, hanging from the ceilings, trailing down the walls.

Elara tried to sit up but was hit with an overwhelming urge to remain where she was.

A goblet sat in front of her, filled with wine.

“Drink me,” it pleaded. “Drinkmedrinkmedrinkmedrinkme.”

Elara shook her head, gritting her teeth against Sagitton’s charm. It was an exciting kind of energy, one that danced over her skin, looking for a way in.

She curled her fist on the table, palming a knife as she looked back around the room.

Still not a soul in sight.

“You have the world on your shoulders. Why not let it fall. Why not give in to your mortal cravings. Giveingiveingiveingiveingivein.”

Elara’s hands shook.

“Didn’t you want this? Didn’t you want to be human, to spend a life with your soulmate? Don’t you want to love and please and devote yourself to him? Don’t you want to leave the rest behind?”

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