Page 34 of Starchaser
I do as he says, my stomach churning as the clamor of the crowd thunders all around us.
I grind my teeth, bracing for someone to throw something at me—to hurl insults in my direction, at the very least. But the people seem to have unanimously agreed to welcome me to their city with fervent praise, and while I know it isn’t something I should enjoy, I find that the sound of their cheers gives me the same rush I experience after a great victory in battle.
I’ve never felt more like a traitor.
After what feels like a lifetime, the cavalcade reaches the long stone bridge that leads to Castle Grim, and I get my first real look at the palace.
Surrounded by water, the castle rises from an island as if it merely floats atop the surface of the sea. Dark spires and stone pinnacles tower above the clouds and give the palace such depth and dimension it’s hard to focus on any distinct feature of the structure. The walls that surround the base of the fortress are ornamentednot only with the black banners of House Anteres and those bearing the scarlet sun of the Eerie but…
“Are those—”
“Yes,” Gabriel answers. “Try not to look surprised.”
I close my mouth, swallowing around the knot that forms in my throat.
Skulls line the castle walls—skulls that, as the legends say, were put there by the prince himself.
“Steel yourself,” Flynn says. “You’ll want to make a good impression.”
He doesn’t have to point at the dozens of Bloodknights patrolling the battlements for me to know what he means. The king’s personal soldiers won’t be eager to accept a pirate into their ranks—especially when they know I’m merely a pawn, meant to manipulate the humans into submission—and if they think, even for a second, that I’m weak…
“And what about the two of you?” I say, still trying—and somewhat succeeding—to throw my voice the way Father used to, my mouth opening only slightly. “Have I made a good impression?”
Gabriel shifts his weight, his hands resting on the bloodred hilts of a massive sword on either hip. “You’re alive, aren’t you?”
I snort. “As if you’ve done such a wonderful job of protecting me.”
Flynn chuckles, the sound so low I barely hear it. “I think you misunderstood him,” he says. “You’re alive because we haven’t put a knife in your back ourselves.”
“And disobey orders from the king? You wouldn’t.”
“If you actually believe that, then you don’t know much about Bloodknights.”
The parade slows as Titus exits his float. I catch the wordReaperwhispered more than once, with awe and reverence but mostly fear as he makes his way up the steps that lead to the grand entrance of the castle.
The king and queen wait for him there, atop the stone landing, along with a handful of Bloodknights. I don’t know what I expected them to look like—monsters, I suppose. Despite knowing what I know of Nightweavers, I’ve clung to the imagery of sharp teeth and sallow skin whenever I picture the king and queen. Because how could they look human when they do such monstrous things?
And yet the king has a strong but fair face, his golden hair cut to the same shoulder length as his son’s, while the queen’s long flaxen hair wraps around her head and flows down her back in various braids. Her smile is almost warm as she surveys her son ascending the palace steps, her eyes crinkling at the edges, but something about her expression feels… false.
To her left stands a girl with ebony braids that spiral to her waist, a modest tiara atop her head. Where the king wears black trimmed with scarlet, and the queen wears a gown made entirely of black fur, the girl wears a pale pink gown, simple and understated, a stark contrast to the queen. As Titus approaches, the girl’s face brightens, and though I can see only his back, I note the way his shoulders tense.
The people erupt with applause, roaring their praises as Titus takes his place at the girl’s side—Princess Leo’s side, I realize. And when Titus takes her hand in his, pressing a kiss to her knuckles, I’m seized by the sudden urge to vomit.
I don’t know if I expected to see signs of Morana’s possession at first glance, but when Leo looks up at Titus with a sweet, subdued smile, I’m struck by the sudden fear that Titus is wrong—that Morana isn’t here, and therefore, we’ll be unable to obtain a cure.But even worse, if he’s right… the princess must die. And I will be the one to sentence her to death.
The next noble house follows Titus, then another, all taking their place at the top of the palace steps, until the float in front of me departs, and I’m exposed, finally, at the front of the procession.
If I thought I would have a moment to reconsider, that moment has come and gone.
The instant the king and queen set their eyes on me, the games begin, but rather than feel like I have a card tucked up my sleeve, I feel, with startling clarity, that I am a mouse caught in a trap.
Flynn and Gabriel follow as I make my way down the narrow, winding steps, onto the cobblestone street. Their presence at my back is infinitely more comforting than I could have expected. When we reach the base of the steps, and they bow to their rulers before departing, joining a faction of Bloodknights to my right, I’ve never felt more alone.
I attempt to take a step, but before I’ve conquered the first tread, my shoe catches the fabric of my gown, and I lurch forward. The world seems to slow as I fall, face-first toward the stone steps.
A hand catches my arm, pulling me upright with fluid grace.
“Really, Aster,” Will whispers as he flashes a dashing grin at the crowd, “you can survive a dagger to the heart, but you’re bested by a flight of stairs?”
