Page 47 of The Stars are Dying

Picking my two chosen matchsticks off the roof, I crossed them vertically and horizontally, placing them inside the body of the four-matchstick house. I grinned, but when my senses returned it wasn’t as rowdy as I remembered. When I looked up, the men were blinking at the table, stunned, though I couldn’t understand why. Cassia’s squeal beside me jerked my body.

Finally, the man parallel to me began to rumble with laugher, leaning back in his seat. “Drinks for the ladies! They’ve earned it,” he called across the room.

I became rigid with alarm. “Let’s go,” I said to Cassia.

“Aw, but this is so fun! There must be another one!”

When two small glasses were placed in front of us, my gaze trailed up to the hand that had left them. The brown-haired man fixed eyes of intrigue on me. Then flashes of gold hit the table.

I shook my head. “I don’t want your money.”

“Something wrong with it?” he challenged.

It seemed to attract the attention of the others, whose eyes roved over me. I realized my error in making them think I was wealthy enough to deny such a prize.

“No. Thank you.” I swiped the coin.

Standing, I pulled Cassia up, but before I could guide her away she held the prize drink out to me.

“Cheers!” She clinked her glass against mine, and I couldn’t help but search for the brown-haired man. He was nowhere to be seen.

Tipping the burning contents down my throat, I took Cassia’s hand, and we left the main room. Once we were out of the commotion, exhaustion hit hard and fast. The steps felt like a mountain, and I knew we’d overdone it tonight. Our suffering tomorrow would be our punishment.

Cassia didn’t go back to Calix. She continued to follow me up the stairs as I cursed the top-floor position. “Did you see their faces?” she laughed into the wall, and watching her roused my own bubble of giggles.

We crawled pathetically upstairs, tumbling into each other and earning various hisses to be quiet from other guests peeking out at the commotion through their doors. I locked mine once we were inside the room. Then we threw ourselves onto the bed, unable to change or even take off our boots. The room tilted nauseatingly.

“You should go back to your overprotectiveboyfriend,” I slurred.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Cassia said, just as drunk and tired as me. I smiled, getting to tease her back about it now. “And he’s certainly not my keeper. I want to stay right here.” She patted the bed, and I smiled as my lids slipped shut.

I should take off my shoes.Stars, it had been so long since I’d consumed this much alcohol. The last and only time that surfaced in my memory was when I’d slipped into Hektor’s study while he was away. One glass had led to two until I’d consumed the whole bottle and he’d come back to find my sorry state sprawled across his desk. My punishment was to be locked in my room for three days. Now I grinned, darkly joyous at his death since he couldn’t ever reprimand me for this again.

“I want to see the world,” Cassia said through our peaceful silence. “All five kingdoms competing in the Libertatem. Then Constants Bay, Volanis, the Central, even Celestia.”

It was a wonderful thought, to see the whole continent in our lifetime. Maybe Cassia could if she won immortality and joined the Golden Guard.

“Do you think we can cross the veil?” I asked, enjoying the fantasy.

“I think we could convince the celestials to let us through.”

“You can be very persuasive.”

“Do you remember that time we snuck out to the winter show? We convinced the set coordinator we were sisters of the pianist.”

“Yes, though I’m still certain you could have gotten us special tickets by asking your father.”

“That would have been no fun!”

While we laughed, notes of sorrow started to weigh on me. I missed those days.

“I like to dance,” I said, unsure why I felt like sharing the unimportant secret. I rolled onto my side to get comfortable. “I don’t think I’ve ever told you. Hektor’s establishment had many who were gifted at it. They were beautiful to watch.”

Cassia faced me, and my lids fluttered open onto her thoughtful expression. “You’re beautiful too, Astraea. I can’t wait to see you dance. On a stage someday.”

13

Icouldn’t remember the sound I drifted off to, nor for how long I’d slept. A creak by the door awoke me. Thinking Cassia had decided to leave for Calix, I rolled onto my side, cursing at the realization I’d fallen asleep fully clothed. I should have at least taken off my boots.

---