Page 64 of Starchaser
“Gentlemen,” Mother says, dipping her head curtly to Killian and Will. “I need to speak with my daughter.”
Killian touches Mother’s elbow, as if to show his support, before meeting my gaze. He frowns slightly, looking as if he wants to say something, but he must decide against it. He lingers at the entrance to the tunnel, however, as Will laces his fingers with mine, refusing to leave my side. My heart swells with gratitude, and while I appreciate that Will has chosen this moment to stand with me, I know I need to do this alone.
“It’s all right,” I tell him, squeezing his hand. “I’ll just be a minute.”
His shoulders tense, but he nods, and a minute later, Mother shuts the door that leads to the passageway, sealing the two of us in the dimly lit room.
There’s so much I want to say to her. I intend to say something about Father, about the Order, but, “You’re a Nightweaver” are the first words out of my mouth.
She nods, her expression carefully neutral. “Yes.”
“And Father was human,” I say, my voice shaking. “But you come from nobility.”
A noble Nightweaver and a human pirate, forbidden to be together, forced to spend their lives at sea.
“When do you plan to tell my brothers and sisters they’re half Nightweaver, too?” I demand.
“It’s not that simple,” she says, her tired eyes crinkling around the edges as she offers me a small smile. “There is a reason I didn’treveal my true heritage tonight. Only Killian is aware of our family’s secret, and until our mission here is complete, it isn’t safe for the others to know. Your siblings will need time to process—to understand the callings they’ve felt their entire lives are tied to their affinities.” She approaches me slowly, her hand outstretched as if to reach for me. “I never meant for you to find out this way.”
I take a step back, shaking my head. I think about everything I’ve learned about life on land, about all the things Mother and Father never told us. I realize, with a sharp pang of grief, that if Killian knew the Red Island was real, if he actually saw it with his own eyes… “You lied to me,” I say. “To all of us! You let Owen—” I swallow around the lump in my throat as hot, angry tears burn my cheeks. “You let him believe the Red Island wasn’t real, but it is!”
She winces, as if I’ve struck her. “Aster, you don’t understand—”
“No, Idon’tunderstand!” Rage burns like fire in my veins. “I don’t understand how you could have let us believe we were safe,” I seethe, holding up my arm and tugging at my leather bracelet, “when you were the one who had our bracelets enchanted! You knew the Guild of Shadows would come for me, and you didn’t think it was important to tell me? You knew,” the words come out on a sob, and it only fuels my anger, “that I was cursed. That I’d been bitten! And you never—you didn’t—”
“I made a mistake,” Mother says, her voice soft, and this time, when she reaches out, I let her place her hand on my cheek. My vision swims with tears, but I make out the blurry shape of her frown. “I’m only trying to protect you.”
I laugh sharply, gesturing at the stone walls. “Protect me?” I hear my own shrill voice as if from somewhere far away. “Look at where we are! Look at what I’m doing! For the Order—foryou—”
“For me?” Her gentle expression hardens, and I remember, a moment too late, that she isn’t just my mother, but the fiercest captain to have ever sailed the Western Sea. “You’re here because the True King has a plan for your life. A purpose.”
“The True King?” My voice cracks as my rage gives way to trepidation, but I don’t back down. “Ihave a plan! Me. Not some—somekingwho turned his back on us when we needed him most.”
“Oh, really?” Mother’s brows lift. “And whatisthat plan exactly? Did you really think you were just going to waltz in here and wait for the perfect moment to cut off the heads of two of the most powerful Nightweavers in the Known World? Then what?” She gestures at the maps. “You said it yourself, it will be a civil war zone. Who will rule?”
I open my mouth, but I can’t seem to find my voice. Mother notices my hesitation, like a shark scenting blood in the water.
“You don’t know what it takes to lead,” Mother says, and I feel every word like a punch to the gut. “You can’t even begin to fathom the sacrifices I’ve made for this family, for this cause—for you,” she adds, throwing my own words back at me.
“And you think your plan is perfect?” I challenge, my heart pounding against my sternum. “What happens if Princess Leo is the noble you suspect is possessed by Morana? Even if Titus manages to bring down the wards on his own, do you really think the king and queen are going to surrender? Just like that?” I snap my fingers. “What if they fight back? What then,Dawnrender?”
I brace myself for Mother’s fury, but her face pales. “Why would you say that?”
My brow furrows. “Why would I say—”
“Why would you think Princess Leo is possessed?” she asks,moving toward me now, her expression a mixture of fear and urgency that sends a shiver down my spine. “Who told you that?”
“I—” I don’t know what compels me to keep my former suspicions about the princess a secret, though I can’t help thinking Titus wouldn’t want me sharing his doubts with my mother, and therefore the entire Order. “It was just a question. It could be anyone. Whynother?”
Mother’s gaze searches mine, her mouth pressed tight. Finally, she nods. “Of course,” she says, her features smoothing out, as composed as she was when I first arrived here tonight. “But Princess Leo is not a suspect.”
I blink, stunned. Apprehension twists my gut. “How can you be sure?”
Mother glances at the maps, her brows drawn. “There have been… signs.” She hesitates. “We’re monitoring a few suspects closely. We believe we’re close to discovering who Morana has chosen for a host.”
Hope swells in my chest. If the Order reveals Morana’s host, we’ll be one step closer to the cure. “Who—”
“I can’t tell you that,” Mother says swiftly, cutting me off with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Now, can you befriend the princess, or are you going to let your emotions get in the way of what I’ve asked you to do?”
