Page 94 of Starchaser
I hesitate. Already, my power rises within me. Just treading the water feels like too much of a risk. If I go under, if I lose control…
He tickles my foot, and I kick, my heel colliding with his face.
He surfaces, choking on his childish cackles, and I realize I never want him to stop laughing—proud that I’m the one to bring this side out of him.
“Aster,” he says, cupping my face in his hands, his blond hair dappled silver in the moonlight. “Trust me.”
When he dives below the surface once more, I take a deep breath and follow.
Instantly, the magic in my veins warms my blood, making me feel almost feverish. I know I should continue my descent into the dark—should follow Titus’s moonlit silhouette as he dives deeper, but… I fall still, my hair floating around me, feeling as if nothing else exists here. No wars or curses. No fear. No death.
It should always be this way. I couldmake itthis way. I could drown them all—I could spin the seas to my will and command the waves to sweep Castle Grim into the ocean. I could flood the Eerie with my rage, washing away both Underlings and Nightweavers alike.
I need only think it.
And I almost do.
I almost forget myself. Forget my family. Forget Will.
But Titus takes me by the hand, and I remember his laughter. I remember his eyes, as blue as the ocean. I remember it all.
We swim, side by side, until it feels like my lungs might burst. But just as I tug on his wrist, signaling I need air, I notice a faint outline of blue light radiating from a stone structure below.
He guides me down toward the structure, which reminds me of Hildegarde’s Folly—the same domed roof and stone pillars, hidden deep beneath the waves. The blue light pulses, glowing like luminescent vines encasing the underwater folly, brighter as we draw near it, as if it senses our presence.
The instant our feet touch the stone floor, we enter a bubble of air, the floor now dry. All around us, the sea is calm, and beyond the stone pillars of the structure, fish dart past, illuminated by the blue glow. In the center of the structure is the statue of a woman wearing a winged crown, her sword pointed at the ground, a goblet raised to the sky.
“What is this place?” I ask, panting for breath.
I glance at Titus to find him watching me, his eyes glittering with awe.
“Another one of Hildegarde’s hiding places,” he tells me, a grin tugging at the corner of his lip. “Enchanted so that only those who have entered the cavern we’ve just come from can find it.”
I run my hand along the stone blade, staring up at the woman, an ache forming in my throat.
“It’s her, isn’t it?” I ask quietly. “Hildegarde.”
He nods, strands of wet blond hair stuck to his face. “Aye, it’s her.”
I reach for my medallion where it hangs between my collarbones, clutching it tight. “Have you seen it?” I glance at him sidelong, my brow furrowed. “The Red Island. Have you been there?”
He shakes his head. “No, love. I’m afraid I’m what you might consider a security risk.”
I frown, my stomach twisting into knots. Because of his stepmother, I realize. Because of the torture.
A thread of terror winds through me. Calantha had drained Titus of his blood, weakening him to the point of near-death. “If Morana makes an appearance tomorrow,” I say slowly, “you won’t be powerful enough to perform the ritual, will you?”
Titus’s jaw clenches even as he smirks, shrugs. “I could always rip out a few dozen hearts to get my strength up.”
A few days ago, I might have believed him. But now…
I take a step toward him. “What about my blood?”
He takes a step back, shaking his head. “Not an option.”
“Why not?” I press. “You’ve said it yourself—my blood has power. You could feed—”
“No!” he shouts, his lip curled. He inhales a sharp breath, and I think I can feel his heart pounding in his chest as his gaze dips to my throat, and he swallows as if it were suddenly painful. Quietly, he says, “You don’t know what you’re offering.”
