Page 95 of Blood of the Stars

Aeliana tried to follow his gaze as she redid her braid while atop her horse. They were at the back of the pack with Lukai, and Aeliana only saw trees and the setting Sun behind them.

“Sylmar’s always watching me,” she said. “Like I’m going to sprout wings one morning.”

“No, I mean over the last week.”

Aeliana glanced at Cyrus. Worry pinched the skin between his eyes.

“Ever since Lovers’ Falls?” Lukai asked.

“Exactly.”

“No.” Aeliana tied off her braid, flinging it back over her shoulder. “No one’s following us. It’s the dark spirits. Once you’ve seen them, they plague you. They can be hundreds of miles away, and it will feel like they’re around every corner.”

Cyrus hummed his disagreement. “I don’t think they’re interested in me. I don’t have starblood.”

Aeliana squirmed at the twinge of jealousy inside her. She wished she didn’t have any starblood to interest the dark spirits either.

“Interesting.” Lukai tapped his lips. “That actually gives me an idea for Aeliana’s training.”

Aeliana winced as he nudged his gelding ahead to catch up with Sylmar. The last several nights had been filled with theoretical and mental exercises from Sylmar, followed by hands-on physical training with Lukai, both of which came after archery with Cyrus. She reached her arms overhead, stretching out sore muscles.

“We’ll stop here for the night,” Sylmar called out from ahead. “Starting tomorrow, we’ll be more exposed in the grasslands. This part of the country is still feeling the bite of winter.”

Aeliana and half of the others were already sliding off their mounts, eager for the day of riding to be done. This was the hardest part of the day for her, when the buildup of her blood was most painful. Sylmar had made it clear that weaning would take weeks, but it was getting more manageable with each day.

Manageable didn’t erase the panic and fear. She still scanned the skies, still tried to hide her scars. Guilt still plagued her no matter how many times the others reassured her she was doing nothing wrong. She wasn’t sure if it was possible to unlearn those reactions. She wasn’t sure she wanted to get comfortable enough to unlearn them. Not when she could slip back into blood magic.

“Ready to practice?” Cyrus offered her the white bow and quiver in exchange for her horse’s reins.

Even after the day’s ride, her arms itched to hold the bow, but the others pulled packs off horses and began setting up camp. “We should at least help with the bedrolls first.”

“Your job is to train.” Sylmar stepped between them, taking her horse’s reins. “What happened to your arm?”

She glanced down at the bruise and cut on her forearm. “I’m not sure. I’ve always bruised easily. I never seem to remember what I bump into.”

“Or what cuts you?” He reached out a hand as if he might touch the scab, and she jerked away.

“I didn’t cut myself.” Her words came out defensive, far more likely to sound like a lie even though they were true.

Sylmar’s eyebrows rose. “That’s not what I was suggesting.” He paused, holding her gaze.

Aeliana forced herself to do the same even though shame coursed through her.

“After you’re weaned, we can add you into the rotation for chores.” He led the mare to a small clearing where the other mounts were tied.

Aeliana took the bow and quiver from Cyrus, and, despite Sylmar’s probing, she smiled as she slid her hands over the smooth curved wood. As painful as this time of day was, it was also becoming one of her favorites. She wound her way through the eastern side of their temporary camp until the trees thinned and the edge of the grassy plains could be seen. She’d had to make do with shorter distances because of the rainforest’s wild growth, but now she’d be able to practice longer ranges, challenging her skills, or really, her magic.

A breeze lifted her hair, the coolness stealing her breath. Deep in the thick, humid forest, she’d forgotten that it was winter, that back in Gahldric Valley spring would soon be announcing its return. But the higher they rose in elevation and the farther they got from the rainforests, the more the seasons would be apparent.

Choosing a tree as her mark, she pulled an arrow from her quiver and readied her bow. Her first shot hit the exact knot she’d been aiming for, at least twenty paces away. After several days of training, she could pull energy from her starlock without blood, and she could move the energy some, even if it was just to put more force behind her arrows.

Now Sylmar wanted her honing in on her senses, making slight adjustments to heighten her awareness of the sounds, smells, and movements around her. It felt impossible, but a week ago, she had said the same about pushing her energy out without blood. Now she felt like she had a loose hold on her energy levels, an awareness of when it was becoming too much and how to lighten the load.

“I’ll miss the rainforest,” Cyrus said, coming up behind her with his bow.

She let off a second shot, this time hitting the mark from thirty feet. Her starlock warmed its approval.

“I’m guessing you’ll like Islara, too,” Aeliana said. “Sylmar said it has pine and oak trees, fields of crops as far as the eye can see—a valley surrounded by majestic mountains.”

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