Page 30 of Bound By Stardust
Staying quiet, I crept to her side. Up close, tears streaked her cheeks, and when I slid my arms around her, she did not resist.
“Asira,” I murmured again. “I thought they’d taken you and…” I trailed off, unable to say the terrible words.
A hiss came from her throat, and she pushed me away.
Behind us came the sound of wings, and the chariots lifted up, taking the Masters with them.
I watched, ensuring they did not spy us under the tree coverage, but they quickly disappeared, leaving us alone in that haunted place.
“I left,” Asira said.
Even though she’d pushed me away, she kept one hand on my arm, holding tight to the sleeve of my robe. She didn’t want me to hold her, but she wanted me close. I’d take what I could get.
She bit her lower lip but wouldn’t hold my gaze. “You were right. The Masters are demons. I saw for myself, and I ran.”
“You’ve been out here all night?”
Asira shook her head. “No, a flying beast caught me and dropped me on one of the adjoining islands. I found a home in the hillside and hid there until morning. I came back to steal a chariot and return to Terrin, but then I saw…” she pointed to the cliff. “They are killers. They are evil.”
“I know.” I cupped her cheek with my hand, surprised when she closed her eyes and leaned into me. “I spent all night searching. I’d thought the worse, but you’re here. I’ll take you back to Terrin—”
“No.” Asira jerked away. “I’m not leaving. There’s a reason the Masters choose me, and I will make it their biggest mistake. I’m staying, and this time, I’m going to help you destroy them with stardust.”
My first thought was a hard and furiousno, but wasn’t this what I had wanted all along? Help to defeat this formidable foe?
I’d laid the groundwork, but I couldn’t do everything by myself. I needed help, especially from one with fae blood. Asira was a healer, and I didn’t want her caught in this mess, this trap. I knew what they did to those they caught, and the idea of her being in their hands was more than I could bear. I’d just gotten her back, but the truth lay before me.
I’d done nothing to assist her. She’d escaped the palace by herself and endured a night in the cold, proving she was resourceful and could take care of herself. Hadn’t she, in fact, saved me?
I sighed. “Everything within me wants to say no, but I also know you are stubborn and likely to do what you want, regardless of what I say or think. It’s not safe here; we should go where we can talk. The Masters know I’m not Iscariot, and soon, they’ll discover you are missing. They’ll search for you today.”
“Where should we hide? We also need more stardust.”
“It seems you’ve already found my hiding place.”
Asira raised her eyebrows. “The home in the hillside is yours?”
I nodded.
Her shoulders sagged. “What about that beast?”
“The flying bird? That was likely Egon or one of the other dragon birds. They dwell in the mountain ranges up here.”
Asira made a face. “Your pet?”
“No, he’s more wild than tame.”
“Well, his talons are sharp. He ripped up my side.”
“You’re wounded?” No wonder she pushed me away so quickly.
She nodded. “Nothing a little stardust won’t heal.”
“I’m afraid all the stardust we have left is in your vial.”
“Nonsense. I have more at my cottage. In fact, my plan was to steal a chariot, take the rest of it, and return here to punish the Masters.”
Blood roared in my ears. What had my impatience and fear wrought? I pinched my nose between my fingers. “I took all of it during my search for you last night, and I lined the palace with stardust.”
