Page 44 of Starlit Bargains

“They won't give up,” Eliar replied. “Not now that they've found us. But the sanctuary has resources that might help us understand what's happening. Books, artifacts... things I've collected over centuries that might contain answers about the prophecy, about the corruption in my power.”

“And about why I can activate celestial markings?” Kai added, his tone light but his eyes serious.

Eliar nodded slowly. “Perhaps. It's... unusual, what happened here. A human shouldn't be able to channel that kind of energy, to connect with symbols meant for beings like me.”

“Maybe I'm just special,” Kai suggested with a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes.

“You are,” Eliar agreed without thinking, then immediately regretted the admission when Kai's expression shifted to surprise. “That is... your magic is. Special. Different.”

A smirk replaced the surprise on Kai's face. “Careful, star-boy. Keep talking like that and I might think you actually like having me around.”

Eliar looked away, unable to maintain the lightness Kai seemed determined to inject into their conversation. “We should go. The longer we stay in one place, the easier it will be for them to find us.”

They gathered their few possessions quickly, the ease of practiced travelers. Kai moved with his usual fluid grace, apparently recovered from the previous day's exertions, while Eliar found himself still moving carefully, mindful of the wound in his side.

As they prepared to leave the relative safety of the ruins, Eliar noticed Kai pausing to study the faded celestial markings one last time.

“Will they be safe here?” he asked. “I mean, now that they've been activated or whatever, will the shadows come back for them?”

The question revealed a thoughtfulness that Kai often concealed beneath his irreverent exterior, a concern for things beyond himself that Eliar had increasingly come to recognize.

“The markings aren't the target,” Eliar explained. “They're just tools, conduits for power. It's the energy itself the Void Feeders seek—my essence, and now...” He hesitated. “Now yours as well, it seems.”

“Great,” Kai sighed. “So not only am I apparently some kind of cosmic anomaly, I'm also on the menu for shadow monsters. This day just keeps getting better.”

He shouldered his pack and gestured toward the doorway. “After you, oh ancient one. I'd hate to get eaten before finding out why I can make star graffiti glow.”

And just like that, Kai was back to his sarcastic self, armor firmly in place. But something had changed between them—a quiet understanding, an acknowledgment of connection that neither seemed ready to name but both felt nonetheless.

Eliar led the way out of the ruins and into the forest beyond, setting a course northwest toward his long-hidden sanctuary. Briar flitted ahead, scouting their path, occasionally darting back to report that all remained clear. The morning was cool and bright, sunlight filtering through the ancient trees in dappled patterns that danced across the forest floor.

Under different circumstances, it might have been a pleasant journey. But Eliar couldn't relax, couldn't sink into the simple pleasure of company after so long alone. Every step they took together felt like a step toward something inevitable and dangerous. The more time he spent with Kai, the more his dormant power stirred, responding to the resonance between them.

He was breaking his own rules—rules he'd established over centuries to keep himself contained, to prevent the corruption within him from spreading, to maintain what fragile balance remained in his diminished existence. Distance. Isolation. Detachment. All crumbling in the face of Kai's stubborn presence and the connection neither of them had anticipated.

“You look like you're contemplating the end of the universe,” Kai observed as they walked. “Which, given our current situation, might not be far off. But still—penny for your thoughts?”

“Just... concerned,” Eliar replied, not untruthfully. “The Void Feeders will return, likely stronger than before. And they may not be the only threat we face.”

“You mean the village Keepers?”

“Among others.” Eliar ducked beneath a low-hanging branch. “The disturbance we've created—the awakening of powers long dormant—will have been noticed by more than just those in Mistwood.”

“Right, the celestial enforcers you mentioned.” Kai nodded, keeping pace easily despite the uneven terrain. “The ones who'd 'unmake' us. Charming bunch, your former colleagues.”

“They are not known for their mercy,” Eliar agreed grimly.

They walked in silence for a time, the forest growing denser around them. Eliar led them along game trails and barely visible paths, occasionally pausing to reorient himself. It had been some time since he'd made this journey—he usually approached his sanctuary from Mistwood, not from the direction of the temple ruins.

When they came across a small stream cutting through the forest floor, Eliar stopped. “We should rest briefly,” he said, though in truth he was more concerned for Kai than himself. The younger man showed no signs of fatigue, but they had been moving at a steady pace for over an hour.

“Celestial beings need water breaks? Good to know you're not completely beyond mortal concerns,” Kai quipped, but he seemed grateful for the stop, kneeling by the stream to splash cool water on his face and refill his water skin.

Eliar remained standing, tension building in his body. The brief respite from movement gave his mind too much freedom to wander, to consider the implications of what was happening between them. He found himself clenching his fists, nails digging into his palms—a physical outlet for the conflict raging within.

Kai noticed, of course. He noticed everything, his perception far keener than his carefree demeanor suggested.

“Okay, celestial boy, what's eating you?” he asked directly, rising from the stream to face Eliar. “And don't say 'nothing' or 'I'm fine' or whatever evasive bullshit you're about to try. You look like you're about to either explode or disappear entirely.”

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