Page 124 of The Stars are Dying

I wasnotabout to trust that.

Groaning, I massaged the dull ache forming in my head. I scanned the three letters carefully, but their placement was off. The “T” sat highest, then the “e” slightly slower, and then “a” a further fraction below. My final observation was to wonder why the “e” and “a” were in small letters while the “T” was uppercase.

Seconds ticked by.

My mind rearranged the letters. Then my brow relaxed, and a small smile curved my mouth.

“Tea,” I said to no one.

I swallowed hard, conjuring what might have happened if I’d eaten it as the instruction prompted at first glance. Making tea, however, must be a way of canceling out whatever poisonous effects the apple had.

Down the path I spied a quaint hut. With nothing to lose, I plucked the flower and sluggishly headed for it.

My first knock made the door creak open, and I slowly eased myself inside. “Hello?” I called out, but from the rundown interior I figured it to be long abandoned.

The floorboards groaned under my weight as I wandered over to a small kitchen area. No place for running water. I had to pause and stop myself from cursing the gods for their sadistic humor. To add insult, the firepit mocked me as I slumped before it. I tossed some of the piled wood into the dark space.

“You’ll want to add the dried leaves and moss.”

My teeth clenched at the sound of Nyte’s irritating voice. “I can figure it out for myself,” I grumbled.

He was the last person I wanted to see.

“You might have to come back to this tomorrow to make it back before twilight.”

“In case you haven’t noticed…”—I winced at the ache in my muscles—“that’s not really an option this time.”

“You’ll be fine if you take the flower back to the castle. Try again tomorrow.”

“Not going to happen,” I said, barely a wheeze as I tossed the final log onto the pile. “I want these trials to be over, and I’m getting a damned key piece if I have to sleep here.”

“You need to be back tonight—”

“Then command me,” I bit out, finally turning to cast him a glower.

He didn’t ease his hard frown that looked prepared to fight me on the matter. “I won’t do that.”

“Then why add the condition to the bargain at all?”

“To protect you.”

I scoffed, my smile pure bitter resentment. “You don’t do anything unless it is to your benefit.”

Nyte crouched slowly, sparking a hint of challenge in those molten eyes. “My benefit and my desire are that you stay alive.”

I stuffed dried leaves into the firepit, trying to ignore him.

“Good. Now use your dagger to carve out a small wedge in the log and grab that stick.”

My petty side didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of obeying, but time wasn’t my luxury. At Nyte’s instruction I was up on my knees, braced and trying to roll the stick between my hands to create a spark. I whimpered pathetically on my fifth try, finding it far more labor-intensive than it looked.

“Don’t stop—you almost have it,” Nyte encouraged.

When the first glow of amber against the darkness ignited, I could have cried with joy. Then, after a few more tries, a flame sparked to life. I continued to follow Nyte’s guidance, gathering the leaves and gently blowing until it caught on the wood.

I smiled with relief at the fire that licked across the tinder, growing like a precious heartbeat. I was transfixed. Nyte remained silent, and when I turned I found him watching me with a softness I didn’t want to see. The kind that stole all past tension just for a moment.

“There’s a water pump outside,” he said gently.

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