Asteria.
My lips parted in shock. Even when I was human, despite being so resentful of the Fae gods, I’d always been so curious about the goddess I was named for. And now, here she was, standing right in front of me.
It was a good thing Calix was so strong; otherwise, I’d have surely broken his fingers by now with how hard I was squeezing them.
“Asteria.” The goddess smiled serenely. “I have waited a great many years for you.” Her voice was almost playful, but I still wasn’t sure how to take that.
“Uh, sorry?” I winced, feeling supremely dumb in the presence of these ethereal beings. “It’s—it’s really great to meet you.” The halting words felt so lacking, but what else was I supposed to say?
She laughed merrily, but when she sobered, she stepped forward until she was standing right in front of me. Was this what my eyes looked like to others when I was emotional, I wondered? If so, I could see why Calix had trouble looking away.
She swatted at Calix’s arm playfully, making him release my hand. He hesitated, his full focus on watching Asteria’s movement toward me. It was sweet—but even he would be unable to stop them if they wanted to hurt me. I was fairly sure they wouldn’t, but the point remained. Our powers had been given to us by them, and I was positive using that power against them was the complete opposite of a good idea. Calix was smart, and he knew this well.
But his worry remained adorable.
Asteria grabbed both of my hands in hers, and I gasped at the feel of them. So Fae, and yet so different. They were smoother than mine, unblemished, and perfect in a way that was unnatural for anyone from our realm, like soft porcelain.
“We knew many years ago that the day would come when you would rise. These two over here,” she nodded toward the two kings, “Foresaw that much. I knew that I would eventually find the soul I would choose to bless with my power. When I did, I was so excited. I couldn’t wait for your parents to have you. Even if it took themforever.”
“It was a thousand years, not forever.” Erebus corrected her with a small smile, as if this was a familiar argument between them. Asteria rolled her eyes, making me snort unexpectedly. She leaned in like Priscilla or Ilta might do to share a secret with me.
“We can find souls when they are crafted by the fates, but we can’t always tell when they’ll be birthed into physical form. You certainly took your time; just ask your mate.” She winked at me, and I was startled into laughter.
“I think he’d definitely agree with that. But if I was born a thousand years ago, then he’d be the one making me wait, and that would just be unacceptable.” I dared to joke back, and was rewarded with a bright peal of laughter that reminded me of shooting stars.
“Oh, I knew we’d get along just fabulously!” She beamed as bright as the starlight surrounding her. “Come, come! Let’s go to the palace so we can explain everything. There’s a lot to cover and not very much time.”
“Why is that?” Calix asked, a tinge of alarm bleeding into his tone and stance. “Is something?—”
“Calm, son,” Erebus said soothingly, putting a hand on his shoulder and making Calix freeze up in astonishment. “Nothing so urgent you need to rush out. These things happen at the time they’re meant to.”
Well, that was ominous.
* * *
Walking into the palace,I couldn’t keep my eyes off my surroundings. I suddenly felt like that small human girl walking into Dusk for the first time once again. All wide-eyed shock and disbelief.
“This palace belongs to Earendel and Erebus. It’s where most of our work gets done, but each of us has our own palace within Tír na nÓg,” Asteria informed me as she led us on.
“Tír na nÓg?” I asked, having never heard the word before. It certainly sounded like it could have come from the ancient Fae language, but there was something that sounded even older in it.
“Oh yes, that’s the name of our land here. You didn’t think it was just called the city of the gods, did you?” She smiled, making it clear she knew perfectly well we had no idea either way. The gods—theykept it all suitably mysterious.
“The Otherworld is more vast than you might think, as is this city. It’s probably more apt to consider each of our domains within comparable to one of your kingdoms,” she explained, silver eyes sparkling at me.
“I wish you could see mine,” she added, sighing wistfully. “You’d love it. While this place is all darkness and light, mine is, of course, starlight. Much preferred, right?”
Looking between the gods, I felt like it was probably better not to agree either way.
“Ah, here we are!” Asteria said happily, as we reached the point where the two sides of the palace met. Darkness and light bled together at the edges, the two interweaving through one another. They reminded me of the same smoky wisps of inky mist from within the portals. This wasn’t paint or stone or anything like that. This was something…alive.
The double doors Asteria led us to had a white and a black door, with a giant circular handle like a full moon that crossed each door. The white door’s handle held the black half, while the black door contained the white side of the handle. Balanced perfectly.
Silver and gold runes glowed around the edges of the door, so similar to the front door of Tairngire’s palace, while star opal surrounded the circular handle in small dots. It was stunning and served as quite the statement piece for the hall we stood in.
As the doors opened, we entered what appeared to be a grand meeting hall. Front and center were two staggering thrones set up on podiums. There was a black throne that looked like it was made of living shadows. They snaked every which way, as if they were reaching out for you, curling around the armrests and draping to the ground. Over the backrest, the shadows reached for the sky, coming to small points at the edge of each. Star opals were set into the top of each shadow, making them sparkle.
Next to it sat a white throne that had a subtle glow to it. It had rays of white light circling over the back of the chair, and it appeared as if light was shining from the armrests and lighting up the floor underneath them. Onyx gems were set into the rays of light, mirroring how the shadow throne had brighter gems. A more subtle nod toward their balanced nature as dual kings of the gods.
