How can I destroy the last part of her that remains? How can I erase the ghost of her pain when it mirrors my own?
Only when the Soul Wraith starts scattering flour all over the floor do I snatch a bundle of sage from a pile on the table, quickly ignite it with a match and wave it desperately through the air. The fragrant plume unfurls, a white mist threading through the kitchen towards its target.
In an instant, the Soul Wraith erupts – a burst of midnight-blue liquid that paints the walls and ceiling in long splatters – and its exposed form takes flight.
I chase the ominous haze through the kitchen, twice around the table, until I manage to guide it into the cupboard beneath the stairs.
I slam the door shut, barricade it with sage and fall against it with my back, panting heavily. It won’t be trapped in there for long, but hopefully, I’ll be long gone by the time it reveals itself again.It’s not her, I remind myself once more.
Just this morning, I was worried about being late for work, and now it all seems so trivial. If I could go back in time, I’d do so in a heartbeat. And I wouldn’t dare look at another jewel. I would never steal again. But I can’t. Instead, all I can do is crawl up the stairs and into my bed, somehow remembering to set an alarm before I cry myself to sleep.
Taron’s words repeat in my mind.
We leave tomorrow at sunrise. Be at the southern edge of Auxin Forest.
In a matter of hours, I will be there, where the water paths between Stellargrove and Moondance Haven converge.
Games Master’s Post
27th Day of Mors Half, Stellar Year, 1200
Citizens of the Triumstellar Accord,
Have you placed your bets, dear friends? The Reckoning draws ever nearer, and our competitors are travelling to the heart of Astraloria, where the capital of Rava will host them, offering a banquet fit for royalty.
There, beneath the watchful eyes of nobles and dignitaries, the Obsidian Eclipse will unfold and, with it, Aurora Isle will rise from the depths.
Do not be fooled by the merriment that fills the palace halls, dear friends, for the warmest smiles may soon be the ones that cut deepest. A storm brews on the horizon, so best not grow too comfortable.
Yours ever-watchful,
The Games Master
Chapter Eight
I stare down the dark hallway at Elara’s bedroom door. It’s slightly ajar, a dim solar lantern flickering within. Someone is whispering, humming a lullaby – one our mother used to sing when we were younger.
“Hush now, child, and close your eyes. May the Ancient Spirits guide your dreams tonight…”
Footsteps creak across the floorboards. I realize they’re my own. I slowly drift forward until I reach Elara’s door.
“Selvanna weaves the dreams you keep, and Aether hums the stars to sleep. Zephyros whispers through the night, his breath the clouds, such silver light. Thalassa’s tides will guard the shore, and keep you safefor evermore…”
My hands are clammy, lips trembling with her name. “E-Elara?”
“Teras holds the mountains high, strong and still beneath thesky. Ignis lights the hearth withflame, to chase away the night’s dark name…”
“You killed her,” says someone behind me. A biting, gritty voice. Taron.
I try to spin, but I can’t. My feet are rooted to the spot, held in place by the invisible force of his talents. His shadow stretches across the wall to my side, growing taller, more jagged as he approaches.
“Your sister is dead because of you,” he adds.
“You don’t know anything. You know nothing about me.” My skin crawls when his cold fingers latch on to my shoulder.
“Look at me,” he commands.
“I don’t want to.”
