Page 55 of Celestial Bodies

Julen looked down at Dacias’s hand, holding his own. No more lies. No more secrets.

So, Julen told Dacias everything: his father’s abuse, his mother’s coldness, Souzie’s love, the coup, and the showcase. Everything. It all spilled out. Although it frightened him to do so, getting it out felt liberating. He hadn’t known how much he needed to expel it all from his system. He thought he had locked those memories away in a box in his mind, never to betouched again. As he let it all out, he realized they weren’t locked anywhere; they had melded together and gathered in the dark crevices of his mind, growing like mold and infecting every decision he made.

He couldn’t look at Dacias as he spoke. When he finally finished, he looked up and saw Dacias overcome with emotion, a mix of sympathy and admiration in his expression. Dacias lunged at Julen and kissed him on his lips, neck, down his arms, and along his sides like he was trying to soothe the body that Haligran had battered for so many years.

Dacias wrapped his arms around Julen and whispered, “You can’t be there. We have to do something.” Dacias pulled back and looked into Julen’s eyes. “Let’s get you out of there.”

23

Chapter 22

Julen

Julen and Souzie approached a booth at the back of a bar called Caligon’s Cacademon, a reference to the imaginary creatures in Caligon’s dark forest. Dacias sat waiting for them.

Julen’s eyes lingered on the monsters painted on the walls. He thought back to his favorite childhood book,Creatures of Caligon. Each chapter featured a different, mangy monster with a story that had some moral for small children.Go to sleep, or the Multimurus will snatch you away in the night!Julen had to laugh to himself.Even the children’s fables in Lapistra were gruesome.

There couldn’t be a better place for a clandestine meeting to discuss Julen’s escape than this dingy, dark bar. The tapster was notoriously crabby and the bar was a bit out of the way from the beaten path.

Julen couldn’t wait to see Dacias. After reconciling, they limited their contact for fear of Dacias’s awful brother finding out about their renewed relationship.

That left Julen to spiral in his thoughts at the castle. In seven nights, Julen would have to marry Glacia. He had to get out of Lapistra as soon as possible.

He knew the timing of all this would be suspicious, and he kicked himself for having that conversation with his mother, but he had to pushthose thoughts from his mind. Haligran would hardly pay heed to Lauta’s suspicions. As long as Haligran believed it, the plan would work.

Julen caught sight of Dacias. He wore a burlap vest, completely unbuttoned. Even in the dark bar, Julen’s mouth watered at the sight of his muscular curves. He couldn’t wait to be with him. He had missed him so much.

Julen unsnapped the top few buttons of his jerkin to expose a little more skin as he approached.

Souzie murmured under her breath, “Why don’t you just take it all off, you little slut?”

“So help me, I will strangle you if he hears any of this, Souzie,” Julen replied through a plastered smile.

“Mmm, who knew you’d be sorough,baby?” Souzie shifted from a whisper to a quiet drawl as she addressed Dacias. “Kitty Cat, darling. It’s been ages.”

Dacias snapped out of his thoughts and rose to his feet. “Lady Souzie. Or should I call you Lady Schemer?”

“Call me what you will; just don’ttreatme like a lady.” She winked and kissed both of his cheeks.

Souzie sat on the inner side of the bench against the wall, and Julen sat next to Dacias. He wrapped his arms around Julen and pulled him tight for a kiss. “I missed you.”

Julen pressed his forehead to his. “I missed you so much.”

Souzie cleared her throat. “Should you two be sitting like that? Is your brother still determined to ruin this relationship?”

Dacias spoke in hushed tones. “Klorin has him distracted tonight. He knows we need to plan, so he promised to keep Ferrean as far away from here as possible.”

Souzie nodded. “Very well. So, has Julen clued you in on any of this?”

Dacias confirmed in a hushed tone that he was aware of the high-level plan but none of the specifics.

Souzie nodded again. “All right, so hear me out. I’ve thought about this a lot, so let me get it all out before you ask questions.” She continued. “The Morab Rebels - the fighters still loyal to the king Haligran deposed. Once upon a time, they were a real nuisance for your father. Most have beencaptured or defected to Rugiria, but he still rails about them in almost every stupid speech he gives.”

After his father’s ascent to the throne, a faction of Morab loyalists refused to recognize his rule. Monuments to Haligran were vandalized, and twice, the rebels attempted to assassinate him. “By the heart of Morab!” was their rallying cry.

“By the heart of Morab.” Julen’s voice was distant as he thought back to the failed assassination attempts.

“Precisely,” Souzie mused.

---