Page 6 of Lightlark
Well, shecould,but everyone lived in fear of a Wildling loving them. Their curse made love a death sentence.
Not exactly the fodder for romance, admittedly.
It hadn’t been an issue so far, in Isla’s relatively short, halfway-contained life. Yet—
How cruel would a king who had been afraid to fall in love for more than five hundred years be?
It seemed she would soon find out.
“Dinner is at eight chimes,” the Starling girl said before beginning to stoke the already monstrous fire burning in the hearth across from her bed.
“It’s hot enough,” Isla said. “Don’t trouble yourself.”
The Starling continued, moving the coals around in a practiced way. “The king has given strict orders for the fires to remain burning constantly.”
What a strange command,Isla thought. Before she could ask why, the Starling was across the room. She bowed once before quickly closing the door behind her.
Isla was just finishing surveying her bathroom—more spacious than the one back home, even, with a tub she could do laps in—when a knock sounded on her door.
She tentatively opened it.
And found Celeste standing there.
Isla immediately threw her arms around the Starling ruler. They jumped in a tiny circle, embracing and laughing so hard, Isla kicked the door closed to keep it from echoing down the hall.
Celeste raised an eyebrow. “Celeste, is it?” she said, doing a shockingly good and unflattering impression of Isla. She threw her silver head back and laughed.
Isla’s smile strained, wondering if she hadn’t been convincing enough. “Do you think they—”
“They don’t suspect a thing,” Celeste cut her off. She clicked her tongue and reached to pull a lock of Isla’s hair. “I thought you were going to cut this.”
Isla sighed. “I tried. One look at the scissors, and Poppy almost stabbed me with them. She confiscated every set in my chambers.”
“Confiscated?” Celeste raised an eyebrow. “Do I need to remind you thatyou’rethe ruler of your realm?” Isla laughed without humor. She turned to walk deeper into her quarters, and Celeste’s hand went straight to her back. “You brought it?”
She caught her reflection in the mirror. Something along her spine was faintly glowing—it must have been Celeste’s presence. She cursed, hoping no one else had noticed, and pulled the starstick out. “I couldn’t leave it behind.”
Celeste frowned. “It’s risky. Hide it well.” She was right. If anyone found out Isla had the enchantment, their secret alliance would be compromised.
Isla had found the starstick in her mother’s things, five years prior. More desperate for freedom than fearful of being portaled somewhere dangerous, she had traveled the realms’ newlands with it for months before finally coming across Celeste. That was the first time they had ever met.
Celeste had instantly recognized the starstick as an ancient Starling relic. Isla had no idea how her mother had gotten her hands on it before her death. And, since Celeste’s own family had died long before, thanks to the curse that killed all in their realm at twenty-five, she didn’t know either.
Though it belonged to the Starlings, Celeste had never asked for it back. That had marked the start of their friendship—two rulers of realms, their lands separated by hundreds of miles, with one thing in common: they both desperately needed to break the cursesthisCentennial.
For Celeste, breaking her curse was the difference between life or death. Not only for her, but for all her people.
For Isla ... things were even more complicated. No one realized how small their realm had gotten. Many more Wildlings had died than been born. Their powers had gotten weaker with every generation. Forests had shrunk. Wildlife had gone extinct. At the rate her lands and people were deteriorating, there wouldn’t be any Wildlingsleftby the next Centennial.
Isla had never agreed with Poppy and Terra’s plan. It was too complex. Too demeaning.
So, she had created a new strategy with Celeste.
“I should go,” her friend said after fully appraising Isla’s room. “For the record, your quarters are nicer than mine. Though my room isn’t in such a drafty old corner of the castle.”
Isla rolled her eyes. “I’ll see you at dinner.”
Celeste turned on her way to the door and formed a wicked smile. “So, it begins.”
