Page 3 of Fallen Stars

“Merissa.” Isra turned. “I didn’t thinkyouknewsuch words.”

“Well, this place will bring it out of you,” Merissa sighed, shuddering as she brushed past a dirty body. There was a room at the back, darker than the others. Dark and pulsing, as though it was purposefully keeping people away.

“Hazard a guess as to who’s in there?”

“Our beloved Moon perchance?” Merissa muttered as they approached, peering into the dark to the black figure, who was sprawled on a shabby cot. It had the hood drawn up, and her hair was spilling out of it like ink.

Elara was dead to the world, a hookah pipe filled with hypnom at the side of the low bed.

Isra gave a sigh before reaching for the glass of water on the low table next to the bed. Then with a bright smile, she dashed the contents over Elara’s face.

The goddess gasped awake, jolting up on the bed as she spluttered water.

“Stars’ fucking sake,” she shouted, coughing. “Isra, what did I tell you about doing that?”

“You look like shit,” Isra said by way of reply, pulling her up. It was true. Black shadows gathered under Elara’s eyes, her face wan and sunken.

“Even I could do little to glamour it,” Merissa added, trying to make light of the situation. Elara gritted her teeth, going to stand but swaying.

“If I wanted your opinion, I’d ask for it,” she slurred, sinking back into the bed.

“Too bad, Your Highness. You appointed me togivemy opinion, remember?” Isra batted her eyes sweetly.

“We need to get you back before someone in this hole realises that the heir of the Asterian throne, or better yet, atitan, is passed out in an opiate den,” Merissa added.

The two women each took an arm as Elara hissed. “Get off me. I’m fine.”

“Clearly. The establishment you chose to recline inscreamsfine.”

Elara rolled her eyes at Isra, slumping as Merissa hauled her up.

“And don’t think we won’t be finishing this conversation when we get back to the inn,” the seer added.

Merissa threw a bundled cloak at Elara, a drab brown, and with a sigh, she shrugged it on as they hustled her out of the place. A twinge of sadness plucked at Merissa’s heart. Where was the princess she had first met, the one with fight and grit in her? This Elara… She was a shadow.

With a blink, Elara pulled those very shadows to them, keeping them inconspicuous as they squeezed through the packed den into the Castorian air. It was now only drizzling lightly.

‘Have I mentioned before how much I fucking hate this kingdom?’ Isra moaned, pulling her cloak tighter. ‘I miss the Light. Sorry,Sun.’She grinned.

“Isra,” Merissa admonished, her heart drumming at the same time as Elara halted.

“That’s not funny,” Elara said quietly.

Isra shrugged. “If we don’t laugh, we’ll cry,” she said, slinging one of Elara’s arms around her shoulder. “And if you want to talk about whatisn’tfunny, perhaps sneaking off to seedy hypnom dens to smoke yourself into oblivion would be a start.”

“I can do as I damn well please.”

It was Merissa who halted, the temper she so rarely demonstrated rising. “You may be an almighty goddess now ortitanor whatever you want to call yourself, but that doesn’t give you leave to ‘do as you please.’You’re meant to be leading two kingdoms as well as helping us, whom you dragged along with you to look for Ariete or the tether he stole from Enzo.”

Elara pinched her nose. “I don’t want to talk about this right now. I want to sleep.”

“Of course you do,” Isra muttered, opening the creaking door to the inn that they were staying in.

Elara only remained silent as the other women flanked her, letting her lean on them as they made their way quietly up to their rooms. When they reached Elara’s, Merissa turned to her, taking her gloved hand in her own. Elara flinched as though she had been struck.

“What do you think Enzo would say if he knew what your new favourite pastime is?” she asked softly. She hoped that the question would get through to Elara.

“I’m sure he wouldn’t complain since it’s the only thing keeping me close to him,” Elara crooned back.

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