Page 98 of The Stars are Dying

“You’re intrigued. Some part of you believes I have the answers you’ve been searching for.”

“And do you?”

“Perhaps.”

“Only in the form of tricks and games.”

Nyte chuckled, and though the vibrations weren’t physical I felt them all the same.

“Why are you helping me?”

“You fascinate me.”

That wasn’t an answer, but I bit my lip against any argument. “You let me out of Hektor’s manor,” I said suddenly.

“You let yourself out.”

I shook my head at the denial that swirled through it, but he had nothing to gain with the lie. I’d been trying to make sense of the memories I thought he featured in. Every time I remembered he was never really there I thought I’d feel lonely, disappointed… But he had been real to me all those times when I was desperate and reaching.

He’d answered.

“I fell from the wall.”

“Yes, you did. But you’re more agile than you give yourself credit for. And you undid the lock with two hairpins.”

“Why did I think it was you?”

Nyte’s head turned, and I mirrored him. He looked at me with an honesty I couldn’t decipher. “You wanted someone to be there for you. So I made you believe I was.”

My brow pinched at my own pitiful sorrow. How weak and vulnerable I must have seemed to him. I couldn’t bear it, and I twisted my gaze away, but I had nothing to fill the silence.

“I believe I owe you a story,” he said, and I was grateful for the change in direction.

“Why tell me anything at all? I haven’t agreed to help you.”

Nyte took a deep breath. My hand lay palm-up by my head, and my breath hitched when his did the same. So close it wouldn’t take much of a shuffle to touch him.

“Like you, I find the nights alive. Perhaps we can both find a means of drifting off peacefully with a tale.”

I didn’t want to know how he’d discovered that about me. Or what other things might have leaked through the barrier I tried to keep firm in my mind.

“Once upon a time, there was a war between the stars,” he began, his voice taking on a soft cadence that was relaxing to my senses. “What started as a beautiful collision turned out to have the most dire consequence for the world.” He paused as if to gauge my reaction.

“Keep going,” I whispered. Something fluttered in my chest like an echo of pleasure.

“The Daughter of Dusk and Dawn went against their wishes.”

“The star-maiden.”

I kept my eyes on the moving stars above us. They shifted, forming two starry silhouettes, and I couldn’t stop the need to see them closer, propping myself up on one hand.

“Yes. And she met another of similar strength by…hostile means. Two who were never meant to exist in the same realm. Their powers combined were too much, and it shook the balance. Everything is a give-and-take. Our souls give back, retire as stars to keep the solar magick going. They shed, which is what falls and is then crafted into Starlight Matter. It’s found in the form of stunning clear and silver rocks. Then it’s turned into an elixir that can be influenced by human mages to create all kinds of things. Like the theft of your silver hair. I think people started to realize something was wrong when more fell. Too much. What was once this rare and precious material dipped in value, but that was a superficial concern. What really mattered was what was happening to the realm.” He paused only to run a finger through my spilled dark tresses, skimming my shoulder. “In turn, the celestials weakened slowly at first. The ones who harbored the most power in the realm became not even a match to the vampires who took advantage of the king’s careful plan to overthrow them.”

I watched the scene unfold. Desolation in a thousand glittering sparkles. My adrenaline raced and my senses filled with the tale as he made it feel soreal.As if I were right there among them.

“They had an abundance of soul energy to feed from, and the nightcrawlers and blood vampires became reckless and greedy. All together, they started the uprising led by one male who saw it as his chance to gain the throne. They believe he won because he conquered the gods to be here by walking through worlds…as their savior.”

“The king isn’t a vampire?”

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