I shiver, wrapping my arms about myself. I don’t want to be bound to anyone’s will but my own. “So, what are you saying? That I don’t have a choice?”
“You always have a choice.”
I stare at him, annoyed by his noncommittal response. “Do I? You make it sound like Iwantedto hurt the people I’ve harmed with my power.”
“You misunderstand me, Suraya,” Aran says. “We all have elements of light and darkness within us. As such, while you’re human, you will remain governed by the arms of both gods, but that final choice will always be yours. Think of it this way: there are two creatures inside of you. The one that will grow is the one you nourish. Until you become a master of what you are, you will be ruled by the pull and push of both the light and darkness that live within you.”
Well, he’s not wrong about the creature inside of me.
“The nature of your magic encompasses both the good and the bad, and everything in between. Those who wish for Fero’s return will do anything to turn you to their side.”
“Their side?” My laugh is bitter. “You make it sound like a competition.”
“No,” Aran says in a solemn voice. “It’s a war, and you are its pivot. If you give in to the lie instead of the truth and become seduced by the lure of darkness instead of the promise of light, then we all lose.”
“That’s enough, Aran,” a stern voice says sharply, making me jump. “You don’t need to scare her.”
We both swivel to see Roshan leaning against the wall, arms folded over his chest. I wonder how long he’s been standing there and howmuch he has overheard, but I’ll bet my cursed palms that he is familiar with most of this already. He is half Elonian, after all, and if his cousin is a starsdamned magi, then none of this would be new to him.
As I look at his grim face, I suddenly wonder what other secrets Roshan might be keeping from me.
He leans forward to squeeze my shoulder. “You can’t trust anyone, Suraya, and not just because of the bounty. By now, news of your magic would have spread throughout Oryndhr, and regardless of what people believe, they will look at you differently and treat you differently. Many will be afraid of what you can do, and some will curse you for it.” He glances at Aran, his face grim. “And just as there are those magi who serve Saru, there are also those who follow Fero. They will stop at nothing to twist and coerce you.” He pauses, brow furrowed. “There are worse people than Javed out there. He just wants power. There are others who covet your soul.”
A horrible thought occurs to me, and I turn to Aran. “Explain exactly what you meant by ‘Fero’s return.’”
Aran flicks his gaze to Roshan for permission, and the prince nods, his forbidding expression making my insides coil and knot. “The divine power of your blood and the transformative energy of the Starkeeper will allow the remnants of his essence to take root, if you will.” He stares at me in silence. “He will eventually possess you. Hence, Fero reborn.”
Gross.
“That’s not possible,” I say, wrapping my arms about myself and shoving out of my chair to put some distance between them and me. “You realize how preposterous this all sounds, right? Tell me you don’t believe any of it... that people are going to use me to summon and embody some dead god.”
Roshan blows out a concerned breath at my wild expression, as though he knew the revelation would be too much to handle. “It doesn’t matter what I believe.”
I scowl. “And what about Saru? Why can’t I embodythatgod? He sounds like a lot more fun.”
“Saru is in god sleep,” Aran responds, ignoring my obvious sarcasm. “It took almost every drop of his empyreal energy to banish his brother the last time. If Fero returns, we’re on our own.”
Roshan nods. “Either way, with your magic, we have to keep you safe. Especially from my brother.” He tries to smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Let’s focus on getting you back to your family. Try to get some sleep if you can. We’ve got a few hours before dawn.”
My mind is spinning. I need space to process everything, so I take Roshan’s advice and quietly head to the adjoining antechamber, where there’s a small cot. Sinking to its edge, I stare at my palms. On my left, I trace the fate line running from the base of my index finger to my wrist. My mother had always spoken of those lines as reflecting what was written in the stars for us—heart, mind, life, marriage.Fate.
Ironically, the shape of one’s palm is also connected to the elements of earth, air, fire, water, and akasha. Earth palms are square and thick, and those defined by earth are practical in nature. Water is associated with long palms and long fingers and with intuition. Air palms are narrow and bony, their natures more analytical. With my long palms and short fingers, I sway toward fire—passionate, risk-taking, and driven by desire.
But the fifth and most elusive element has always been a mystery to me. The fate lines on each hand represent akasha and are different for everyone. Mine are bold and pronounced.
I stare at the interlocked points of the star on my skin and suppress a cold shiver. Is embodying Fero my future? Myfate?
Forcing back the hot prick of tears, I lie down and close my eyes.
Suddenly, everything shifts into a strange sort of time lapse. The flickering lights beyond my eyelids elongate as if time has slowed. I blink, my lashes sweeping like branches in the wind, and focusbeyond the tiers of dirt and rock above me... through the earthy layers and past the thick band of clouds above.
Is this real or in my head?
My breath snags in wonder as brilliant star clusters of all shapes and colors—red, blue, yellow, ice white—grace a shimmery green backdrop. They fade in and out of luminous, milky streams, some brighter than others, forming the distinct shape of recognizable constellations. I can feel them reaching out to me as if they recognize one of their own.
Who am I?
Closing my eyes, I spin in orbit in the beating heart of the open sky. I am the epicenter of the four-pointed astrological cross—the Royal Stars of the world:Venant, Tascheter, Satevis,andHaftorang—their colossal combined power tugging at my skin and making heat rise in an abundant swell.
