Page 13 of Starlit Bargains

“Coincidence,” Eliar said, but the word lacked conviction.

“Is it, though?” Kai raised an eyebrow. “Because in my admittedly limited experience, the universe doesn't deal in coincidences that specific.”

Their gazes locked, a silent battle of wills that made the air between them practically crackle with tension. Kai was acutely aware of how close they stood, of the faint scent of something like ozone and distant stars that clung to Eliar, of the way the starlight filtering through the broken dome overhead painted silver patterns across his impossibly perfect features.

“I am trying,” Eliar said finally, each word careful and deliberate, “to protect you from involvement in something that has destroyed lives before. That could destroy yours.”

“I appreciate the concern,” Kai replied, unable to keep a hint of teasing from his voice despite the seriousness of the conversation. “But I think it's a bit late for warnings about getting involved.”

“Is that so?”

“Definitely.” Kai gestured between them. “Mysterious stranger, ancient temple, glowing eyes, magical resonance? I'd say I'm pretty thoroughly involved already.”

Something in Eliar's expression shifted, the stern mask cracking just enough to reveal a glimpse of the being beneath—someone who carried the weight of centuries but could still be caught off guard by a moment of unexpected honesty.

“You're unlike anyone I've encountered in a very long time,” Eliar said, sounding faintly bewildered by the realization.

Kai grinned. “I get that a lot. Usually right before someone tries to kill me or kick me out of their village.”

“I can see why.” But there was no malice in the words. If anything, there was a reluctant warmth that made Kai's heart beat a little faster.

Before either could speak again, a sound from the forest edge caught their attention—a snap of twigs, the rustle of underbrush. Eliar moved with inhuman speed, placing himself between Kai and the potential threat, his entire demeanor shifting from reluctant conversation partner to something far more dangerous.

“We're not alone,” he said quietly, the glow in his eyes intensifying. “And I doubt our company is friendly.”

Kai reached for the knife in his boot, his own magic rising instinctively to the surface, ready for whatever emerged from the darkness of the forest. But despite the obvious danger,he couldn't suppress a small, entirely inappropriate thrill of excitement.

Whatever was happening here—whatever Eliar was, whatever connection existed between them—it was the most interesting thing that had happened to him in years. And interesting, Kai had always felt, was worth almost any risk.

“Too late to run away now,” he murmured, moving to stand shoulder to shoulder with Eliar rather than behind him. “Looks like you're stuck with me.”

Eliar shot him a look that was equal parts exasperation and something softer, more complicated. “So it seems,” he replied, and there was a note in his voice that sounded almost like resignation.

Or acceptance.

The forest around them grew unnaturally still, the ambient sounds of night creatures suddenly silenced. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath. Kai felt his pulse quicken, adrenaline mixing with something else—a restless energy that coursed through his veins like liquid fire.

“What is it?” he whispered, eyes straining to penetrate the darkness beyond the temple clearing.

Eliar didn't answer immediately, his attention focused on the treeline, body coiled with a predatory tension that only emphasized how inhuman he truly was. “I'm not certain,” he finally said. “But it feels... wrong.”

The energy inside Kai spiked suddenly, a surge of magic so unexpected and powerful that he gasped. It felt like being struck by lightning—not painful, exactly, but overwhelming, as if his skin couldn't possibly contain the force building within him. His hands began to glow, wisps of golden light curling around his fingers like living smoke.

“What the hell?” he breathed, staring at his hands in confusion. His magic had always been unpredictable, but thiswas different. This wasn't his magic misbehaving—this was his magic answering a call he couldn't hear, responding to something he didn't understand.

Eliar's gaze snapped to him, those star-filled eyes widening in alarm. “Kai?—”

Before he could finish, the ground beneath them shuddered. The intricate mosaic floor of the temple, which had been merely shimmering before, now blazed with light. What Kai had taken for abstract constellation patterns revealed themselves as symbols of incredible complexity—curves and angles and spirals that seemed to shift as he looked at them, rearranging themselves into new configurations that somehow made perfect sense even though he couldn't possibly understand their meaning.

Celestial markings. Ancient language. The script of stars.

“This is... not ideal,” Eliar muttered, and the understatement was so absurd in the context that Kai would have laughed if the situation weren't so utterly bizarre.

The magic continued to build, no longer contained to his hands but radiating from his entire body now, responding to the awakening symbols beneath his feet. It felt simultaneously terrifying and exhilarating, like standing at the edge of a cliff and feeling the urge to jump just to know what flying would feel like before the impact.

“What's happening?” he managed to ask, his voice strained. “Is this you or me?”

“Both,” Eliar said, and for the first time since they'd met, he sounded genuinely rattled. “It's both of us. Your magic is... it's triggering something in mine.”

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