“Before we dive in, let me introduce you to the Rebellion’s council.” Amelia motioned to the end of the table near Steele. “To the far right is Birdie Summers—she oversees the decisions and changes made for our perimeter and security force.”
I briefly examined the woman in question, her hawkish gaze on Kieran filled with curiosity but also speculation. The woman offered a tight nod of greeting that my darling returned. The woman’s black hair was pulled away from her face, matching the dark uniform she wore. With the scrutiny I could see in her gaze, I would have easily believed that she was related to Steele far more than Amelia.
“Next to her is Terence Larsen. He oversees many of the residential activities and decisions that go into housing, as well as community satisfaction to ensure our people are happy.”
The over-friendly man gave Kieran and my gaze narrowed on him. “I’ve heard a lot of great things from Noah, it's wonderful to formally meet you,” Terence offered, his sage green eyes twinkling from the incoming light at our backs.
“You as well,” Kieran agreed politely, her foot bouncing.
Amelia put a hand on her chest. “I handle the administrative elements, like the organization of the council and larger-scale decisions for the future of the Rebellion camp and how we want to progress as an entity.”
So she had the most powerful position. I wasn’t surprised by that, given the way she held herself and how everyone seemed to defer to her.
“And finally, there is Joshua Ayers.” She motioned to the man next to her, easily the oldest of them all. His brown eyes were warm at first glance but also filled with a clinical glint as he surveyed us. “He handles the school curriculum. He also works closely with Noah in deciding who our members will train under based on their natural affinities and strengths at the end of their formal schooling.”
He offered Kieran a nod, which she returned.
“As I said, we know you’ve been patiently waiting for answers, and I don’t want to further delay that. Instead, I want to call Noah forward to make an announcement that I know you’re eager for.” Amelia offered Kieran a small smile of understanding before motioning Noah forward.
The older man walked forward, putting the large text he held on the table’s edge in front of Joshua before looking over each one of us. Noah met Kieran’s gaze for a long moment before he took a deep breath and announced, “After testing Kieran and reading through the archives countless times this week—even consulting the prophecy to ensure I wasn’t wrong—I’ve come to an answer regarding Kieran and her affinity.”
I instantly caught the word ‘prophecy.’
“Kieran has a dead affinity—she is an extremely powerful Star Keeper.”
Star Keeper.
My gaze ran over her as her lips parted and her eyes lit with relief and joy all in one sweep. I had no knowledge of what that affinity meant, but it seemed as unique and special as I found her to be.
I wanted to focus on her excitement but found my attention swept away as I took in the other’s reactions. Ronan stared at Noah in confusion before his grip on Kieran’s hand tightened. Most peculiar to me was how Gabe and Steele were absolutely, lacking the same shock Ronan felt. This further cemented that they’d known something and had kept it from Kieran despite her pleading. While he definitely was expecting the announcement, I noted the sense of dread I felt from Gabe’s energy at my side.
That did nothing to ease my own trepidation at hearing Noah casually mentioning a prophecy.
“Wow,” Kieran breathed out, drawing my focus back to her. “I…I don’t know what to say.”
From the start, my magic had sensed an immense power lying right under her skin, even considering it a threat. Though after less than a day of being around Kieran, it became obvious to me that she was unaware of the well of her power. The statement she made about her being a dud when I met her in the portal room hadn’t been a lie to her—she really believed that.
Finally, she was seeing what I saw from the start. She was exemplary.
“I understand this is a lot to process,” Noah assured her, “especially after only reading through the dead affinities today.”
“What is a Star Keeper exactly?” Ronan demanded, either losing patience or hating being kept in the dark. Surely he also noted how everyone besides himself, Kieran, and me seemed to be in the know.
She seemed to shake herself from the shock of the announcement at Ronan’s question. “Correct me if I’m wrong, Noah, but a Star Keeper tends to the stars themselves, and each Keeper is assigned a star from birth. They’re taught runes by the Rune Makers to help manage the specific power.”
Fascinating.Instantly, my mind brought a beautiful image to the forefront. My darling angel with her shimmering dark wings spread as she basked in the glow of her star. It was a sight I wanted to see nearly as much as I ached to see my blood on her lips.Nearly.
“Correct,” Noah agreed before his expression soured. “However, there haven’t been Star Keepers in a very long time and because of that…well, because of that, we are facing dire consequences.”
Kieran’s excitement slipped from her expression, her eyes narrowing slightly and her mouth parting.
Her instructor wasn’t done, though. His tone was grim as he continued, “The stars are—in the simplest terms—beginning to die. And if that happens, they will fall.”
“What?” Kieran’s voice sounded choked with panic, making me want to immediate hide her away from it all. “If I’m the only known Star Keeper, how are we supposed to prevent this?”
A nervousness settled over Noah that didn’t seem natural to his easygoing poise I’d observed prior, setting everything in me on edge. “There is a prophecy that predicts a singular Star Keeper will appear in the most dire time and possess a power so great that they can provide everything the universe needs to survive. However, the situation will require immense training to survive, and I’m unsure how?—”
To survive?A thrum of my magic pulsed within my core, and I fought the urge to teleport Kieran and I away from this place instantly. I clenched my free hand in my lap.
