Page 124 of Blood of the Stars

Cyrus leaned back, angling behind her to see deeper into the woods. A line of leather stuck out from his collar, and she tapped it.

“What’s that?”

He sat up, placing a hand over his neck. “Nothing, it’s just—the last time we stopped in a town for supplies, I noticed people treating the progenies differently. I thought it would be good for me to have a fake starlock.”

She grinned. “That’s actually brilliant.”

“You think so?” He beamed at her.

“What did you pick for the charm?”

His hand went back to his neck. “Just a thing. Something to weigh it down.”

She let him awkwardly avoid her eyes for a bit longer before letting out a snort. “You’re a terrible liar, but I guess that makes you an excellent priest.”

He frowned, glancing back at the lumps of blankets containing their friends. “Do you think an excellent priest would want to read a copy of The Sins of the Stars?”

Aeliana followed his gaze. “You saw Gaeren reading it when we stopped for lunch, didn’t you?”

He nodded, his face clouded with shame.

“I think an excellent priest would do his best to learn as much as he can, even about teaching that could be blasphemous.” She nudged him with her elbow, and he smiled faintly. “Then he would compare it to all the things he knows to be true about the Stars. Weigh the information out and ask the Stars for guidance.”

He nodded and opened his mouth, but then his focus darted beyond her, his eyes squinting as his muscles tensed. “Are those?—?”

Aeliana turned around, expecting nothing but darkness. Instead, silvery figures crept out from the brush dividing the road from their camp. Aeliana reached for her bow. Tomorrow was the new moon. Surely these dying winex weren’t reckless enough to stage an attack now. Aeliana jumped to her feet, pulling an arrow from her quiver while Cyrus unsheathed his sword. She tried to remember Velden’s instructions. Winex had weak joints, so she should go for the knees. But if it came down to it, neither of their close combat skills had improved enough for a fight.

“Sylmar, Velden, Lukai!” Aeliana shouted. She didn’t need stealth like the winex. She counted ten of them, but even if they’d had twenty, it wouldn’t have been a fair fight in the creatures’ emaciated condition.

The others rose from their bedrolls, barely grabbing their weapons before the winex were upon them. Two of the winex brandished sticks, and Aeliana gawked as they went after Sylmar and Velden, who batted them away like flies. Two more were met by Kendalyhn’s and Jasperus’ swords. Unfortunately, the two who had actual swords and seemed to know how to use them came for Aeliana and Cyrus.

Aeliana struggled to pull out her heavy dagger, barely managing to hold it out and block the winex’s thrust. Her dagger was no match for a sword, and the momentum pushed her to the ground. Before the winex could thrust again, Gaeren was standing between them, blocking the attack and countering it with his sword. With his and Riveran’s help, the two strongest fighters went down fast.

Three others went straight for the packs, digging for food, but Holm and Iris were waiting, the slice of their daggers mercifully quick. Orra stood off to the side, eyes closed and brow pinched as if mentally warding off the intruders. The fight was nearly over before it began, but the final winex raised his arm over Lukai, the glint of metal making Aeliana finally take aim and loose an arrow. The surge of energy in her blood made her aim true, but she pierced the creature’s arm instead of his heart, making him drop the weapon and stumble.

Aeliana ran forward just as Lukai knocked the winex to the ground, his sword lined up to plummet through creature’s chest.

“Wait!” Aeliana’s cry startled Lukai, staying his sword. “His cheek. Look at his left cheek.”

The others gathered around too, while the winex mewed pitifully. He scratched at the arrow in his arm, too weak or scared to pull it free. His big, mournful eyes studied them all as he squirmed, far too aware of his fate. In the center of his left cheek, a black mark stood out against his silver skin, a tear-shaped scar.

“Felk?” Aeliana asked.

The creature froze, then cocked his head at her. “You know me?”

Sylmar growled and lumbered closer. “He’s been following us all this time.” He whipped out his knife, but Aeliana blocked him with her body.

“How do you remember your name?” she asked the winex.

“We always know our names. It’s written in our minds. Like breathing or scavenging for food. We can’t forget the things of survival.” Felk shifted warily, taking a step away. Lukai grabbed the winex’s injured arm before he could bolt, and the creature let out a howl.

Aeliana frowned. She hadn’t anticipated the scar transferring across his rebirth. So their bodies weren’t entirely new even if their minds didn’t hold their memories.

“We need to kill him,” Sylmar said.

Aeliana frowned. “Tomorrow is a new moon.” She studied the winex as he studied her back. “Doesn’t that mean he’ll die tonight anyway?”

“It means he’ll be reborn tomorrow,” Velden corrected. “With the Sun’s morn.”

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