Page 81 of Blood of the Stars

Gaeren dropped down next to Riveran, reaching for Orra, then hesitated, remembering how she didn’t want him touching her. But this time she grasped his wrist, and her eyes flew open, a desperate fear transferring from deep within her to Gaeren, the sensation as forceful as a fist to his gut.

“It’s consuming her,” Orra said.

“What’s consuming her?” Gaeren tried shaking off Orra’s grip, but she held tight, too tight.

“The magic. It’s killing her.”

CHAPTER 33

The trail grew muddy as Aeliana drew closer to the waterfall, and the spray of water soaked her legs, the sensation more refreshing than chilling between her hike and her body’s blood still practically boiling with its energy. She pressed the hem of her skirt into her wound, staunching the flow, but her body refused to completely heal it.

Her mind still warred over all the ways she could use her blood for magic. Maybe she could use it to best the sprites. Maybe she could defeat the dark spirits. They still darted in the sky above her, inching ever closer, spurring her on faster. If she gave in to her desire for blood magic, she wouldn’t be able to hold back its power. She’d give herself over to the dark spirits.

Without warning, a winged creature half her height hovered before Aeliana, red as the blood seeping between her fingers. A trill of notes came from the slits of its nose, and the fast flutter of its wings left Aeliana stunned, her breath hitching even as her lungs struggled to keep up with her efforts. The creature’s small head and bulbous eyes resembled a butterfly’s, but its body had arms and legs like the winex—shrunken and shriveled like a child not fully formed. Still…far too human-like.

The creature flew away faster than her eyes could follow, snapping Aeliana out of her reverie. It disappeared up the trail on the side of the waterfall, revealing a small alcove behind the spray almost halfway up. Mist soaked Aeliana’s face and clothes as she hesitated. She turned away, rubbing the water from her face, wondering if the others might come around the bend at any moment in their pursuit.

She didn’t have time for second thoughts. She continued the climb, practically blinded by the water’s spray. Her entire body was soaked by the time she reached the gap where the wall of the cliff met the raging waterfall.

A wall of liana vines blocked her path, but after seeing the creature disappear here, she knew not to trust her eyes. She pushed against the ropey branches, careful to avoid their thorns. Eventually the vines had some give, and the branches swung like a curtain that she divided and stepped behind. The vines closed after her, the only source of illumination the moonlight peeking between the leaves.

Water dripped deep within, making it difficult to determine the size of the cave. A floral scent reached her nose—maybe an orchid or hyacinth—but was quickly overpowered by something rotting. She swept back the liana vines, wincing as thorns dug into her flesh.

The extra moonlight revealed two skeletons resting in an embrace. The lovers of Lovers’ Falls. Inside their rib cages, something had formed a nest, the bones of recently picked-over animals mingled with shriveled plants. Cockroaches spilled out, escaping across her boots to a darker part of the cavern.

She jumped back with a gasp, her back bumping into the powerful yet tiny hands of the blood-red winged creature. It spun her around to face its big black eyes.

Cold fear swept through Aeliana. She no longer heard sweet music. On the heels of her fear, warmth seeped into her skin, heat from the starlock and blood, a reminder that she could use it to fight back.

Do you know what I am?

The voice held the same melody as the creature’s song. Still, no mouth moved, the tones resonating more in Aeliana’s mind. Its head simply cocked, waiting for her reply.

“Y-yes?” It had to be a sprite, even if it wasn’t how she’d pictured it.

What is it you seek? Its eyes blinked, and a shiny film coated them. It blinked again, and the film disappeared.

Aeliana licked her lips. There were a number of answers she could give. She’d come to get freedom from her magic, but now that she was here, covered in her own powerful blood, with this… sprite, she wasn’t sure if it was what she wanted anymore. There were far greater causes. She had a mother who was in danger, a friend who needed to get home, an entire people group who suffered from oppression.

Ah, do not lie. Everyone who finds the sprites is offered what they seek. Its head tilted the other way, the sharp motion leaving Aeliana uneasy. It’s not always what they want.

The warning slid through Aeliana like a snake, unsettling everything it touched. Did it know what she was thinking? Maybe she didn’t want anything from these sprites. She squeezed her hands into fists, relishing the sensation of blood dripping onto the mossy rock. Then hating herself for gaining any pleasure.

She’d tried weaning herself from the blood magic, but it was too dangerous. She could do more—for Cyrus, for her mother, for her new friends—if she didn’t have to deal with weaning her magic. Holm and Iris contributed plenty without starlocks and magic. She’d never wanted magic to begin with.

“I seek freedom from the magic in my blood.” She pulled the star-shaped starlock and its leather cord over her head, setting it on the ground between her and the sprite like some sort of offering. “I want to be rid of it all.”

The request felt right as it left her lips. If she didn’t have magic, Mayvus would never be able to use her blood.

The sprite tilted its head again. The space beneath its eyes shifted, like cheeks rising on a smiling face. The sprite seemed…pleased, which somehow made it more menacing.

Aeliana took a step back.

Freedom. The sprite bent to examine the starlock, its wings flapping to hold the creature in place at such an odd angle. Such a noble request comes at a high price.

Aeliana took another step back, but her boot crunched against bone. She shuddered, hands bracing for the edge of the liana curtain. Could she run from this creature? Did she dare try?

Ah, yes. The sprite blinked again, the film once more covering the glossy black of its eyes. You can obtain your freedom at the cost of another’s. I keep this trinket, and you never feel the weight of your magic again. A blink, and the black eyes returned. The sprite breathed in deep, the slits between its eyes expanding. A rush of pain, then relief, flowed through the cut on Aeliana’s arm until it was sealed.

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