Page 61 of Starchaser
“I don’t believe this!” Lord Bludgrave huffs, looking to his wife as if she could give him an answer that would satisfy him, but she merely shakes her head.
“I didn’t know,” Lady Isabelle says, but her eyes glitter with something akin to admiration as she turns to Mother. “My brother has always been a rather talented actor.”
“Might have had a future in the theater, too,” Killian says dryly, curling his mustache, “if it weren’t for the war.”
The pressure in my head builds, and I push past Will, bracing both hands on the edge of the table, a map crinkling beneath my palms. “Enough! How is anyone supposed to believe anything you say? Even now, you won’t tell them the truth! You won’t tellmethe truth!”
“Aster,” Will whispers, the warmth of his hand on my lower back seeping through the fabric of my gown, melting like butter down my spine. It’s as if I lose my will to be angry with him when he’s this close, even though my frustration with him lingers somewhere at the back of my mind, nagging at me despite the calm that floods my veins. “Now’s not the time.”
“The time for what?” Margaret asks, crossing her arms. She looks at me, then at Mother. “What else haven’t you told us?”
Mother shakes her head. “William is right,” she says, her tone firm. “I didn’t call you here to discuss private family matters.” I feel the admonishment in her words like a slap to the face, but her gaze is soft, almost apologetic when she looks at me. “There are sinister forces at work, and we have little time.”
She turns to my siblings then, her expression patient. At once, I feel as if I’m a child, listening to her spin stories about the Stars of legend on the moon-washed deck of our family’s ship. “You all know the tales of Hildegarde, a powerful Sorceress who possessed the power of the Lightbringer—dominion over all creation, gifted to her from the True King himself.”
Dominion over all creation.During my lessons with Killian, I asked time and again what the power of the Lightbringer entailed, but he was never forthcoming with his answers. Now, it’s as if the moment Mother says the words, something deep within me cranes forward, listening.…
“Morana, driven by jealousy, killed Hildegarde and took the power of the Lightbringer,” Mother continues. “But it has long been believed that before Hildegarde was slain, she passed a portion of the Lightbringer’s power on to her first heir, hindering Morana from having the means to use the full power of the Lightbringer. For years, the Order has bided its time, waiting for Morana to leave her throne in Havok to slay the heir of Hildegarde, taking the full power for herself. I’ve spent the past few months gathering information that has led me to believe that time has come.” She straightens, and I can almost picture her standing behind the helm of theLightbringer, bathed in sunlight. “Morana is here.”
“Here?” Lord Bludgrave sputters. “In the Eerie?”
“Not just the Eerie,” Killian says, pointing at the map—at Jade. “Here, as in Castle Grim.”
I feel Will tense beside me.
“Why now?” I ask, blood pounding in my ears. “And why here?”
I can’t help but wonder if Titus’s suspicions are correct—that Morana has come here for me, for my blood. My eyes narrow on Mother, but her expression gives nothing away.
“We believe Morana is searching for something,” Mother says. “Something she believes will give her the strength she needs to slay the heir.”
My heart beats faster. “Like what?”
Mother grimaces, lifting her chin. “Everyone who needs to know already does.”
I stagger backward a step, feeling as if I’ve been punched in the gut. Heat creeps into my cheeks when I realize no one will look at me, not even Killian. I clench my fists. After everything I’ve done—joining the Bloodknights, risking my life by putting myself in the king’s sights—I’m not important enough to know a crucial piece of the Order’s plans? Mymother’s plans?
Tollith coughs, and Killian retrieves a crate from the corner, placing it beside him at the table. The badger climbs onto the crate, trembling slightly. “It hasn’t been confirmed,” he says, his voice shaking. “But we have reason to suspect Morana has chosen a member of the nobility as a vessel.”
I knew it!It takes everything in me to fight the overwhelming urge to find Titus and tell him there’s still hope—that he might have been wrong about Leo, but there’s still a chance, and the Order is now working toward the same goal of exposing Morana.
Lord Bludgrave looks as if his head might explode. “Where did you receive this information? I demand to know who—”
Flynn clears his throat. “My brother and I have overheard some things,” he says, “through some old…sources.”
“This is outrageous!” Lord Bludgrave points a finger in Flynn’s direction, his eyes wild as he looks at Killian. “The Cooper family are known Underling sympathizers! You know what he did to his family—to his own parents!” He looks at Mother then, his expression almost pleading. “Grace, please. I implore you to see reason. Whatever this man has told you, he’s—”
“Ididwork for the Guild of Shadows,” Flynn says, his teeth gritted. “But only because my parents offered me up in exchange for protection from the Underling regime.”
Lord Bludgrave’s fists clench at his sides. “How do we know you aren’t spying for the Underlings at this very moment?” He takes a step toward Flynn, who stands his ground, looking wholly unbothered by the interrogation. “Do you really expect me to believe you’re working against the Underlings?”
The Bloodknight’s jaw tightens, the only indication of his annoyance. “And what about you?” Flynn says, staring Lord Bludgrave down. “How do we know you’re not a spy?”
“Enough,” Mother interrupts, her tone firm. “Each of you has something to contribute to the Order’s efforts moving forward, and we will all have to cooperate if we’re to have any chance at turning the tides of this war.” She turns to my siblings then. “Your father would have wanted to be here—he would have wanted to ask you himself.” She smiles, her eyes glistening with tears. “I know that I have asked you to fight your entire lives. But this time, the choiceis yours. Will you stand with us? Will you fight for freedom not only for yourselves and for your family, but for all those who cannot fight for themselves?”
Charlie straightens, and Albert follows suit, rolling his shoulders and trying to make himself as tall as he possibly can. Elsie skirts in front of Lewis, standing at attention. Lewis glances at me, his eyes narrowed, as if waiting for me to give him any sort of indication that he should walk away.
But how can I expect any of them to walk away when I’ve done just the opposite?
