Page 25 of The Star's Sword

“Disgusting,” he said, wrinkling his nose and stepping back to me, putting his hand in mine. “So you haven’t met my father, I suppose, because you don’t smell like him. Which makes sense, you lousy little eighth-realmer. You should know our differences and stay. In. Your. Place.”

Vasara gasped and then left in a bigger hurry, but Sam’s words seemed to almost have put fear into her as she nearly stumbled, letting her wings furl out when she was barely at the edge of the road, and taking off into the sky with whitish-gray wings that made her blend into the clouds around the sun almost instantly.

“I hate her,” Samael said. “Not that I ever interacted personally with her, but of all the celestials I saw in my trips working with the celestials, she was the most disgusting.”

“I agree,” Zadis said, folding his arms and putting his wings away as he walked forward. “I always felt the way she conned people for money was tasteless. She healed no one. Helped no one. Solved no problems.”

“And messed with people’s sense of reality, since her miracles are just illusions that wear off, causing disappointment,” Samael said. “Only she never is there to see it.”

“Why is she trying to be the Morningstar, then?” I asked. “It just doesn’t even seem like she would want to.”

“Helping others isn’t her style,” Samael said. “I just don’t know if she’s doing it to get attention or for some much worse reason. But we’ll be here to keep an eye on her.” He looked to Zadis. “Can you stay with Cleo? I need to update Cayne and Simon that everything is fine here. I worried them when I flew off.”

Zadis nodded and I was only a little disappointed that Sam couldn’t be here.

“I’ll be back, Morningstar,” he said. “For lunch, I want you just with me.”

I nodded, hoping he kept his word this time.

10

“In the meantime, let me explain more about unicorns,” Zadis said. “I guess I can’t avoid the subject anymore, now that Vasara brought it up.” He shook his head. “Just promise me you won’t try to tame one when you find out what it takes.”

Sam was already jogging away while I tuned into Zadis.

“Oh, why shouldn’t I try to tame one? Isn’t the Morningstar supposed to have an animal companion?”

“Yes,” Zadis said simply. “But the risk here is death, and a unicorn’s horn is like a night sword in terms of damage.”

“So I could die taming one?” I asked, staring at the enclosure as the unicorn took a lazy lap, looking like it was trying to plan a charge.

“Yes,” Zadis said. “Or worse. Let me explain.”

And as we took a walk around the enclosure, and I let Vasara’s rancor slide from my memory, I couldn’t help enjoying the break from training.

All around the enclosure was a line of green, lush, tall narrow trees swaying in the breeze, letting off fresh, grassy air that made my sweaty skin come back to life.

I barely listened to Zadis’s words, just enjoyed his handsome face as he spoke, the way he always walked just beside me, never too close or too far.

Just the care he took around me.

He stopped and a breeze brushed by us, lifting the hair on my arm and the sleeves of his green training tunic as he turned to face me and put his arms over mine. “Here I am explaining what you wanted, and all you can do is make me think of our kiss last night.”

I flushed, pulling away from him to look back at the enclosure. “You’re right. I’m a little distracted.” I looked up at him. “You know, this having bonds with multiple people is new to me.”

“How were things between you and the incubus?” Zadis asked. “Any fights?”

“No,” I said.

“I didn’t think so,” Zadis said cryptically. He eyed me sidelong. “But don’t you think it’s a bit weird? Him suddenly being so not averse to sharing?”

My chest tensed, but I reminded myself that Sam didn’t see things that way. His ability to let me have what I wanted didn’t alter his level of devotion.

But it was weird all the same. It felt rushed.

“Anyway,” Zadis said. “I’m here for whatever journey we want to take together, Cleo. With Sam’s agreement, yours and my own. But I want us all to think about it clearly. Not when drunk. And not under emotional duress.”

I sighed. “It’s hard not to be under emotional duress lately.” I grinned at him. “Plus, isn’t sex supposed to help with that?”

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