Page 36 of Secrets and Starlight

This feeling wasn’t mine.

It’s Ayla’s.

I spun, turning in time to see the Starlit King approaching her. The crowd parted before him, giving him a clear path, and when Ayla also tried to duck out of his way, he dipped his chin, making eye contact with a smile and a wave.

Her heart pounded as if rising out of my own chest.

Rhett danced with Iona, terribly and awfully distracted as the Starlit King approached.

Slipping between the guests, weaving between the dusky shadows, I reached her side, offering my silent support. Her fingers twitched as if reaching for me, her newfound relief coursing through me as the Starlit King arrived.

“May I have another dance?” he asked, echoing the night before. He extended his hand.

Ayla looked away, demure and shy, her act convincing to anyone but me. Only I knew how conflicted she was, tornbetween the intensity of his gaze, commitment to her role, and…something more.

My fist clenched.

Her magic is like his. It draws her in…

She made a half-hearted attempt to deny his invitation, and her confusion muddled through our bond.

He took her hand, leading her to the dance floor.

If I hated him before, it was nothing compared to now. Before, he had hurt everyone I loved, everyone I was supposed to protect, and now, he targeted Ayla.

Anger pulsed through me, exploding through the tether. In response, light burst from Ayla’s hand, and starlight flashed through the throne room.

I grasped for shadows as her magic threatened to tear them down. My skin flushed from the radiance of her power.

When the moment passed, everyone in the throne room had turned toward her, rubbing their hands to their aching eyes. Ayla glanced at them all, her lips turned in a frown.

I forced my shadows to steady, my heart to calm.

The Starlit King studied her, unfazed from the eruption of raw power. “If you’re not careful, your lack of training could hurt someone.”

Ayla froze.

“That won’t do.” He tugged her toward the guest wing. “If you come with me, I could help you find control—”

Ayla yanked her hand from his grasp. “No, thank you.”

He frowned. “Let me know if you change your mind, and I’ll give you a lesson in starlight. I’d hate for you to hurt someone you care about.”

Ayla gulped and nodded.

The king looked about the room with a humorous smile. “Nothing quite like the power of starlight, is there?”

The others laughed, and the bitter taste of jealousy coated my throat.

Ayla blushed, meeting Rhett’s eyes from across the room. He squeezed Iona’s hand and let her go, meandering across the throne room to join us. Not that far away, Ninti followed suit.

I scowled from my place in the darkness. It had been my fault she’d lost control, my emotions that had erupted, and I had to do something before it happened again. Already, I was so tired of watching from the shadows.

Rhett led us to the edge of the pavilion, and I followed as they settled behind a column, relieved that the shadows were plentiful here. Ninti settled on her rump and looked up, Rimu beside her.

“I have to go,” Ayla whispered, her voice shaking with fear. “The Starlit King is giving me too much attention, and I need to get my magic under control.Now.Ninti and I will find an abandoned beach and—”

“Wehave to go,” I agreed, eager to seize this opportunity.

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