Page 133 of Blood of the Stars

CHAPTER 54

“Willem Wyndren,” Aeliana muttered. She glanced at Sylmar, who conveniently avoided her gaze. Her heart rate picked up speed as her mind caught up with the history. “You said my mother was a Wyndren. You’re saying my family comes from the royal line? A thousand years ago?”

“They’re saying your family is the rightful royal line.” Gaeren’s face scrunched with fury. “I thought the Wyndren line came from some distant cousin.”

“No.” Aeliana stood, facing Sylmar. “You said we were priests and priestesses—servants of the Sun. You said Mayvus only had some sort of spiritual authority.” It had made more sense when they opposed a woman who used blood magic. Now it sounded like a petty family feud.

“I said that’s what the royal family believed.” Sylmar stood as well, leaning on his staff. “They don’t acknowledge the Wyndrens. They say the Wyndrens lost their rights when Valyn left Elanesse.”

“No.” Gaeren ran a hand through his hair. His bewildered frown settled on the fire. “We don’t even say that. I was never even taught about Valyn’s existence.”

“You’re a throne warden, not a king,” Sylmar snapped. “Don’t assume your family tells you everything.”

Gaeren reeled back from Sylmar’s words, stirring up a strange thread of empathy in Aeliana’s chest. Neither one of them had liked this story’s ending.

“You don’t care that Mayvus is taking power away from Gaeren’s family,” Aeliana said, slowly piecing the story together. “You just care that it’s not being given to my mother.”

The silence that followed was all the confirmation Aeliana needed.

“I came here to get rid of my magic,” she said.

Gaeren started, his gaze flipping to her.

“You convinced me to learn it instead. I stayed to find my mother. To free her. But I have no interest in the Vendaran throne. You cannot convince me to pursue that.” Her hands shook as she waved the idea away.

Kendalyhn snorted. “I told you she was too weak.”

“Is that why you asked for the story? To prove some sort of point?” Gaeren folded his arms across his chest as Kendalyhn’s face reddened.

“It doesn’t make her weak,” Sylmar said. “Emeris always denied interest in the throne as well. Sometimes the ones who want it the least are the ones most suited for it. It’s why I thought it best to leave this detail out. When we first found her, it was more likely to scare her away than help convince her to come.”

Heat spread from Aeliana’s chest to her limbs, her starlock burning in tandem. “Sometimes you seem no different from Arvid and Vera. Out to manipulate me for what you want. You might as well call yourselves Zealots instead of Recreants. You still want a priestess on the throne.”

“Zealots?” Gaeren asked.

“I’ll explain later,” Riveran mumbled.

“We didn’t keep it from you because we were trying to manipulate you,” Sylmar said. “You are under no obligation to take on your mother’s role down the line. But we hope you will. We hope more time with us will make it what you want instead of what you fear. But I knew that fear would drive you away at the start.”

His words took the edge off Aeliana’s anger, but she still couldn’t look at him. “Is there anything else I should know?”

“There’s a lot,” Sylmar said. “You were raised as a foreigner on blood magic. You know nothing of our people and culture, nothing even of your family history. We’re not trying to keep secrets from you. Any question you ask will be answered.”

She nodded, knowing that would have to be enough for now.

“Regardless of Kendalyhn’s intentions,” Orra said, “or Sylmar’s reasons for deception, neither of you knew the story in its fullness. Now was the time for it to be told.” Her soft voice permeated the air with a false sense of calm.

Aeliana glanced at Gaeren. He watched her for a long moment, a strange sense of understanding passing between them. Instead of his smirk or glare, there was an openness that hinted at his vulnerability.

“It seems like Myndren would be a known harbor for the Wyndrens if all that were true,” Gaeren said slowly. “A place a throne warden would be taught to keep a close eye on.”

“A lot can get lost in a thousand years,” Orra mused.

“But why would Mayvus risk that association?” he pressed.

“Perhaps she’s unaware. There are places in the world that call to people because of something intrinsic in them and in that place. For you and Velden it’s the sea, for many Wyndrens, it’s those mountains.” She closed her eyes and tipped her head to the sky. “Before the Great Divide they were the closest place to the Sun.”

Aeliana glanced at Gaeren, who shrugged. Others around the fire exchanged similar dumbfounded expressions. If Orra wasn’t a Star, she had some sort of ability to tap into the past and future in ways other people never could. And if she was a Star… well, Aeliana wasn’t sure what that meant.

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