Page 63 of Celestial Bodies

The look of terror in her eyes sent Julen hurtling back in time. A hundred different moments of agony at the hand of his father flashed in his mind—a cacophony of castigations, beatings, sobs, slamming doors, insults, and cruel laughter. It wasn’t like the showcase when they came and left before he could latch on. These visions consumed him, piling upon each other. As his sight came back, he found himself in the present day, still staring at his mother’s anguished face. Julen released a guttural wail.

Then, it all went blank.

His mind wasn’t his own anymore. He saw red, his head throbbing. His veins vibrated, and he whipped his trembling arms to the side.

The movement shattered the windows, and a mighty current rushed into the room, tossing its contents like leaves.

The current gathered beneath him, lifting him into the air. It enveloped him up to the waist, forming a shield. Never had anyone in Lapistra done something like this with wind manipulation. Not even Haligran had ever done something like this, but Julen wasn’t conscious of his incredible power. He couldn’t see the dumbfounded faces of his parents as he rose into the air. He wasn’t truly there anymore; he felt no love, no empathy, no remorse—only rage.

Unable to control himself, Julen unleashed the full force of his power. With his right hand, he shot boulders at his father, slamming them into the walls and forming splintered dents as they narrowly missed Haligran, who darted around the room.

His left hand conjured a very thin cyclone, which he wielded like a whip. He lashed every direction: slicing curtains in half, destroying upholstery,and shattering glass upon contact.

Julen threw his magic about the room in wild, uncontrolled bursts. Anything he could wield at his father, he did. He wanted to end this man. Obliterate him. Wipe him clean off the face of the planet. Julen unleashed a lifetime of pent-up rage, and there was no stopping it.

One of the boulders struck Haligran, tossing him across the room. Julen formed the wind into a barrier and pushed it like a moving wall aimed at crushing Haligran, who saved himself by seeking cover behind a toppled wardrobe.

Haligran quickly regained his footing and ran toward the door to the servant’s passage. Julen slammed another wardrobe against the door, blocking his escape.

Julen could hear the screams of many—not just his mother—but consciously; he felt detached, lost in his power.

His mother called to him, begging him to stop. Julen summoned a cyclone that pushed her into a closet; he then slammed a cabinet against the door, trapping her inside.

Haligran wielded his wind, but he couldn’t overpower his son. Julen took the manifested cyclone and lassoed his father, tightening it to drag Haligran closer. He lifted his father off the ground, bringing him face-to-face with Julen.

“You will never hurt us again, you pathetic excuse for a man.” Julen lifted his other hand and summoned more wind. It came rushing in from outside, forming a dark storm above him. Haligran closed his eyes, bracing himself for what was to come. Julen clenched his fist; this would be his final blow. The storm would devour Haligran, tossing his body about like a rag doll, and Julen would be rid of this disgusting man forever.

A piercing pain shot through Julen’s right side, and he looked over his shoulder and saw where an arrow had entered him. He was struck with another, hitting the arm that steadied the tempest above. The storm vanished, and the pain brought Julen back to reality, dissipating the wind that carried him, sending him plummeting.

Julen fell to the floor, landing on his stomach in a heap; painpierced through his limbs, and he thought he would have passed out from the impact alone, but he stayed conscious long enough to see his father inch towards him. Julen averted his gaze as his father kicked his head, sending Julen into blackness.

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Chapter 26

Dacias

Dacias followed Souzie as they approached the wall surrounding the castle’s rear. The night’s eerie darkness sent a prickling sensation down his spine. The silence felt unnatural, and the drumming of his heart was so intense that he thought it might burst from his chest.Then we’d have two hearts at our disposal.Souzie moved with confidence, helping to ease Dacias’s nerves.

Dacias took a deep breath. He couldn’t let his mind spiral. He had to focus on the here and now. Julen needed him to be sharp.

Souzie scaled the wall, stopping at the top to give Dacias a hand. If he grabbed onto her, he’d no doubt pull her right off the wall, even without the isocanther and ten volumes of blood he lugged around in a sack. He climbed up, careful not to make too much noise. He didn’t want the containers to clink together.

He could almost make out Souzie’s nod before she jumped down, landing with a soft thud on the castle grounds. He lowered himself, reaching in the darkness to find her outstretched arms, handed her the equipment, and then jumped down to join her side.

She handed the supplies back to him and spoke in a whisper. “Typically, the idiots who guard the rear of the castle are about as useful as an asshole on an elbow, but every once in a while, there are newer guardians who havesomething to prove. You never know who is going to be on which shift. We’ll creep through the trees and slink along the back of the stables to stay out of view. Latima should be waiting for us.”

Dacias nodded and repositioned the bags. Souzie motioned for him to follow her, and together, they wove through the brush, making their way behind the stables.

They darted from the foliage’s edge to the back of the stable and crouched beneath a window facing the wooded area of the grounds. Souzie spoke in hushed tones, “All right, from here, we need to—”

The doors of the rear entryway slammed open, smashing against the stone wall, nearly sending Souzie and Dacias running back into the woods. Several guardians bolted into the stables, carrying torches.

Souzie and Dacias froze and listened, trying to decipher the commotion. The cacophony of shouts blended words, forming a continuous clamor. They could hear the guardians harnessing the horses and maneuvering a carriage into the courtyard. “Chains for the assailant!” That was the only complete sentence Dacias could understand. He looked at Souzie, and it was evident from her expression that she heard the same.

“Assailant?” Dacias asked.

Souzie whispered through clenched teeth, “Fuck! Did someone break into the castle? This will ruin everything!”

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