Page 237 of Fallen Stars

“Elara, Piscea could appear at any moment. Any shadow could be her, given life.”

“Let him stay,” Enzo said, and Elara looked at him in disbelief. He shrugged. “Better the devil stay in our sight, wouldn’t you say?”

Elara thought for a moment. “Fine. You can sit for the meal.Bound.You don’t talk. You don’t even raise a hand. You so much as look at somebody wrong, and mark my words, I will find a way to kill you even with the blood oath tying us.”

“I’m not going to be bound by anyone,” Ariete hissed.

“Fine, stay here and let the shadow wraiths have you—if Piscea doesn’t show up herself,” Elara said. The fear gleamed bright again in the Star’s eyes, so disconcerting. “And this is only so I can keep you in sight. Piscea is a goddess to worry about another day. She’s gone weeks without showing her face. Anything else you have to tell me, you can do so tomorrow. For tonight, we celebrate.”

Chapter Eighty

Relief washed over Merissa asshe saw Enzo and Elara walk back into the clearing. But that relief was slowly poisoned as she saw a smirking Ariete behind them.

The minute Isra saw Ariete she tensed. “What the fuck is he still doing alive?” she snarled.

“Leo, bind our guest,” Enzo drawled. “He’s staying here as our prisoner.”

Leo shared only a glance with Enzo before lightning spun out of his hands, crackling in its anger as it wrapped around Ariete’s wrists. The god hissed, struggling against Leo’s magick as it formed a bond, restraining his hands in front of him.

“Make a wrong move, and you’ll get a nasty shock,” Leo smirked.

Elara jerked her head. “He can sit at the end of the table,” she said without sparing him another glance.

Merissa watched this all, round-eyed, as the Star simply sauntered to the last chair at their small table, right next to her.

She scraped her chair back and hurried over to Elara and Enzo at the head of the table.

“What is going on?” she hissed. The others had crowded around as Ariete rolled his eyes, crossing his ankles.

“It’s Piscea,” Elara said hurriedly. “Ariete says we sealed an empty coffin, that she’s already amongst us.”

“And you believe him?” Adrian asked incredulously.

Elara shared a glance with Enzo that Merissa didn’t miss.

“He’s given us reason to. And…we’ve agreed to help him.”

“What?”

“He killed your parents!” Isra exclaimed.

“He killed Sofia,” Merissa added gently.

“You don’t think I know that?” Elara hissed. “Look, there are two evils amongst us right now, and Ariete is the lesser of them.”

Merissa felt there was more Elara wasn’t telling her, but she pressed no further.

“Now it’s our bloodywedding. And that idiot Star isn’t going to get in the way of our celebrations. You can pretend he’s not there. I want to eat and dance and open my presents!”

“Our presents,” Enzo corrected.

“Yes, darling husband.” Elara rolled her eyes. “Our presents.”

Elara seemed unruffled, but Merissa knew her best friend like the back of her hand. She didn’t miss the tremor in Elara’s hands as she brought some wine to her lips, nor the worry that Enzo held in his gaze as he glanced around the forest, looking to the shadows.

The group seemed to settle at Elara’s ease, clearly trusting her as they all dispersed to their seats.

“Come!” Elara said, clapping her hands as she cleared her throat. “Let’s eat this delicious food, drink and be merry!”

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