Page 15 of Starlit Bargains

A small flicker of movement near Kai's shoulder caught Eliar's attention, his gaze sharpening. Kai felt more than saw Briar emerging from hiding, her tiny form materializing from the inner pocket of his jacket where she'd been concealed since the temple.

“Is it gone?” she asked, wings fluttering nervously as she perched on Kai's shoulder. “Because that was definitely in my top five 'most horrifying things I've ever seen,' and I once watched you try to dance at the Midsummer Festival.”

Kai rolled his eyes. “Your timing is impeccable as always.” He gestured between them. “Eliar, this is Briar, my uninvited commentary on all life decisions. Briar, this is Eliar, who is...” he trailed off, realizing he didn't actually have a concise way to describe what Eliar was.

“Complicated,” Eliar supplied dryly.

Briar's violet eyes widened as she took in Eliar properly. She flitted closer to him, fearless despite his imposing presence, circling his head once before returning to Kai's shoulder.

“You're old,” she declared bluntly. “Really old. And not human-old. Star-old.”

Eliar's expression flickered with surprise. “You can sense that?”

“Sprites see differently,” she replied with a hint of smugness. “We exist between realms. Makes us good at spotting things that don't belong.”

“Like shadow monsters?” Kai interjected, bringing them back to the more pressing issue. “What was that thing, exactly?And why did it show up right when our magic started...” he wiggled his fingers expressively, “doing whatever that was?”

Eliar's jaw tightened, his gaze drifting beyond them to the darkness of the forest. For a moment, Kai thought he might refuse to answer altogether.

“They're called Void Feeders,” he finally said, his voice low. “They exist in the spaces between realms, between stars. They're drawn to certain types of energy—particularly the kind created when boundaries between worlds grow thin.”

“Like when a witch and a fallen star start accidentally doing magic together?” Kai suggested.

The corner of Eliar's mouth twitched, though whether in annoyance or reluctant amusement was hard to tell. “Something like that.”

Briar flew from Kai's shoulder to hover between them. “That thing wasn't just passing by. It was hunting. I could feel it.”

“Yes,” Eliar agreed grimly. “Void Feeders consume magic. And life. And eventually souls, if they grow powerful enough.”

A chill ran down Kai's spine despite his attempt to maintain his casual demeanor. “That's... disturbing. And they're drawn to you specifically?”

“Not usually,” Eliar said. “Not for centuries. My power has been dormant, locked away as part of my...” he hesitated, “exile.”

“Until I showed up,” Kai finished the thought. “My magic somehow triggered yours.”

“Your magic resonates with what remains of mine,” Eliar said carefully. “It creates a... harmony that shouldn't be possible anymore. That hasn't been possible since I fell.”

There it was again—that reference to falling. Combined with what the baker had said about dreams of falling stars, and Briar's comment about being “star-old,” the pieces were starting to form a clearer picture.

“You were some kind of celestial being,” Kai said, testing the waters. “A guardian, the baker called you. And you... what? Fell from grace? Got kicked out of the cosmic clubhouse?”

Eliar's eyes flashed, literally, a surge of that inner starlight briefly illuminating his face. “It's more complicated than that.”

“It always is,” Kai sighed. “But the cliff notes version would still be helpful, especially if more of those Void Feeder things are going to show up whenever we're near each other.”

For a long moment, Eliar was silent, clearly wrestling with how much to reveal. The moonlight caught in his silver-white hair, creating a halo effect that only emphasized his otherworldly nature. Finally, he seemed to reach a decision.

“I was a Guardian of Boundaries,” he said, each word measured and precise. “One of many who maintained the separation between realms, ensuring that what belonged in one did not cross into another without purpose or permission.”

“Like a cosmic border patrol,” Kai suggested.

A ghost of a smile touched Eliar's lips. “If you like. But I... questioned certain directives. Found myself sympathizing with those I was meant to judge objectively. And for that, I was cast out.” His expression darkened. “My power was bound, my essence diminished, my true form broken. What you see now is merely a shadow of what I once was.”

“You look pretty solid to me,” Kai said, unable to resist reaching out to poke Eliar's arm, confirming its substantial nature.

Eliar looked down at Kai's finger with an expression of such bewildered exasperation that Briar actually giggled.

“He's always like this,” she told Eliar conspiratorially. “You get used to it. Eventually. Maybe.”

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