Page 29 of Burning Star

“Is there anything else we should know?” I ask her. “Any hints about how to get the Winter King to drink the potion? About how to defeat the Night Court? About how to save Zoey?”

“The universe will reveal all in time,” she says mysteriously.

I let out a huff. “So, that’s a no.”

I knew it wouldn’t be easy. But I was hoping for something—anything—other than cosmic riddles and vague foreshadowing.

Riven steps forward, his gaze intense, focused on Celeste. “How do we get out of here and back to the mystical realm?” he asks.

“The Cosmic Tides exist beyond the laws of time and space,” she explains. “When you ascend in the spectral ship, think of where you wish to go and why. If your purpose is true, the Tides will deliver you.”

“That’s it?” I ask. “No portal, no map, no coordinates? No star to serve as our guide? Just... think about it really hard?”

Celeste’s laugh chimes through the air. “Your intentions shape reality more than you know,” she says. “Especially here.”

Just as she finishes speaking, a rumble courses through the tower. I grab Riven’s arm to steady myself, watching in alarm as the lower steps of the staircase dissolve into stardust.

“What’s happening?” I ask, backing away from the disintegrating steps.

“The tower has served its purpose,” Celeste explains. “It’s returning to the cosmic matter from which it was formed.”

“Well, that’s lovely,” Riven mutters. “Except we’re still standing on it.”

She motions to the Star Disc. “Your weapon is more than just a projectile.”

I narrow my eyes. “Meaning…?”

If she says that the universe will reveal it in time, I’m flinging myself into the abyss and taking my chances.

“It can be used as a glider,” she says, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Hold onto it with both hands. Riven will wrap his arms around you, and then, you’ll jump. The Disc will carry you on the currents.” She pauses, then adds, “Although, the added weight of Riven’s ego may pose a challenge.”

Riven scoffs. “If anything’s weighing me down, it’s the sheer gravity of how devastatingly irresistible I am.”

I shoot him a glare.

“Hey.” He holds his hands up in mock innocence. “I don’t make the rules. I just get the privilege of living in them.”

Celeste smiles knowingly at us.

“Yes, you’re very pretty, Winter Prince. Now, grab your wife and jump before the platform crumbles beneath your devastating charm,” she says, rolling her celestial eyes and turning back to me. “Let the Star Disc catch the cosmic currents. It will guide you safely back to your vessel.”

The tower’s disintegration speeds up, reaching the middle section of the staircase.

We’re running out of time.

“Thank you,” I say to Celeste, feeling the weight of her guidance, her blessing.

She inclines her head, her form translucent as she fades back into starlight. “The light that burns the darkness away is not just the Star Disc—it’s you,” she tells me. “Your courage, your heart, and your love. That’s magic the stars can’t replicate.”

With those final words, she dissolves completely, leaving me and Riven alone on the rapidly shrinking tower platform.

“Well,” he says, glancing down, “nothing like a cosmic death drop to keep things interesting.”

I take a deep breath, holding the Star Disc in front of me with both hands. “Do me a favor and keep your ego in check when we do this?” I ask.

“That’s like asking the sun not to shine,” he says, and then he steps behind me, pulling me close.

Even though we’re about to jump into the cosmic abyss, electricity rushes through me at his touch.

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