“Asteria.” Eryx’s solemn tone grabbed my attention, tearing my eyes from Calix to land on him. He approached me slowly, raising his hand which I noticed was now holding something out to me.
A letter.
Who in Tartarus would sendmea letter?
The thought that Cyrus sent his taunts to me quickened my heart, but Calix’s hand landed on my back, and the feeling of calm that spread through my entire body chased away all traces of anxiety. I sighed at the feeling, hating myself for it. I knew that wasn’t me. Calix must somehow still be able to send me his feelings, even with the bond locked down.
I knew I couldn’t give him what he needed, not now. It wasn’t fair for me to take his comfort and leave him in the cold.
Dragons were beasts of heat and fire, after all.
“It’s from Day Kingdom,” Eryx explained hesitantly, his blue eyes meeting mine. If mine were the blue of a clear sky, his were the blue of a clear sea. Crystalline waters that lapped calmly at the shore, grounding in their reliability. “It arrived just before the meeting. I was going to wait until after to give it to you, but?—”
He cut himself off with a small shrug, a reassuring smile tilting his lips. He looked like he wanted to reach out, but a glance at Calix’s hand on my lower back had him just handing it over.
My hand shook as I reached out for the letter. Since hearing Calix’s theory, I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. A million questions became a swirling tornado that spun through my mind at all hours of the day and night.Whyremained the loudest question at the center.
My trembling fingers latched onto the envelope, only for a large hand to envelop mine.
“What do they want?” Calix demanded, staring down his spymaster, his brother in all but blood, like he was an enemy. Over a letter. It was enough to snap me out of my own anxiety, which was clearly affecting Calix as well. I rolled my eyes before snatching the letter from both of them, ripping the wax seal containing the Day Kingdom’s sigil to reach the letter inside.
“Asteria—” Calix attempted, but I lifted a hand to quiet him. This was beyond kingdoms and battles, and the king had no business being involved in this. Even as I told myself this, I tasted the lie like rancid meat on my tongue. He hadeveryreason, but I was stubborn, and I needed to know what words lay insidenow.
As I unfolded the parchment, Calix’s hovering shadow encompassed me, and I bit my lip to contain my smile. Trying to protect me from a damn letter of all things. I nearly laughed, until I saw my name scrawled at the top in a feminine looping scrawl. Everything came to a halt. My busy mind, the calamitous room, everything came to a complete standstill.
My Dear Asteria,
I have waited twenty-one years to write this letter, and yet now that the time has come, I find my words are failing me. I am sure you have many questions, and now that your true nature has been revealed, there is probably much confusion over what has transpired. And perhaps most importantly, why.
I have answers to all of your questions, but as much as I am distressed at the thought of making you wait for your answers, I find I must tell you this tale face to face. I beg of you, let me look upon the daughter lost to me for all these years. The mere glimpse of you on Placement Day was not enough to soothe the heart that has ached terribly since I was forced to hand your shining little body into my lady-in-waiting’s hands.
Your brother wishes as desperately as I do to meet you. Have you ever felt the phantom ache he complains about? I do wonder. Twins are a special circumstance, with a magic all their own. A bond that connects them across distance and magic and the fate of the gods. He wishes to reunite with his elder sister, though he insists the couple of minutes between you is hardly enough to call you elder at all.
But those minutes were enough to change our world, even if no one else realized it.
Please, allow Arien and me to meet you somewhere. Day is too dangerous for you, another thing we must discuss. And I do not trust Night, despite Soren’s assurances you are happy there. Perhaps we could meet in the middle?
I eagerly await word from you, my darling daughter. I beg of you to not leave me rattling in nerves too long. Day Kingdom has been without its princess, but more importantly, I have been without half of my heart while you’ve been separated from us. I pray to the gods, much as I plead to you, that our time of separation is finally at an end.
Love eternally,
Mother
Aurelia Hemera Earendel
Queen of Day Kingdom
My muscles felt weak, but I leaned into the stalwart pillar of strength behind me. Calix’s arms came around me, holding my waist as I let my eyes close. Starlight roared behind my lids that I couldn’t hope to control. I opened them against my will, and in a flash of light, my power burst from me.
Screams filled the room as everyone ducked, dodging the rogue blast from the incompetent Fae in the room. The mate of their king, the heir to Day Kingdom… and I couldn’t master my damned starlight.
A power I didn’t even understand, let alone control.
I hung my head forward as tears filled my eyes. The loss of control, the letter, I couldn’t be sure. But Calix merely squeezed me to him, running his hands over my back.
“Emotion brings out our powers. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. We all had the same thing happen as young ones.” Calix chuckled wryly, nudging at my temple sweetly. “You should have seen me when I was learning how to control the darkness. They were true shadows in every sense of the word, following me around whenever I was angry or anxious.”
He shifted me in his arms until I faced him and lifted my chin with his knuckle. “Your mother clearly is behind whatever was done to you, and she is wholly responsible for you learning this later in life. But it’s completely normal, I promise, my réalta.”
