Page 16 of Starlit Bargains

“That's... not comforting,” Eliar replied, but there was a hint of warmth in his voice that hadn't been there before.

Kai withdrew his hand, but stepped closer, studying Eliar's face with uncharacteristic seriousness. “So you've been here, in Mistwood, all this time? Centuries of exile, living among humans who have no idea what you are?”

Something in Eliar's eyes shifted, a vulnerability briefly visible before being shuttered away. “Not always here. I've moved when necessary. But yes, this has been my existence. Watching, but not interfering. Present, but forgotten the moment I'm out of sight.”

“That sounds incredibly lonely,” Kai said softly, the words escaping before he could filter them.

Eliar looked away. “It was my punishment. And perhaps deserved.”

“I doubt that,” Kai said with surprising conviction. “Whatever you did, eternal isolation seems a bit extreme.”

“You don't know what I did,” Eliar said sharply.

“Then tell me,” Kai challenged.

Instead of answering, Eliar took a step back, his expression closing off. “We should return to the village. It's not safe to linger in the forest at night, even here.”

“You're changing the subject,” Kai pointed out.

“Yes,” Eliar agreed unapologetically. “Because this conversation is dangerous—for both of us.”

“More dangerous than shadow monsters?”

“Potentially.” Eliar's gaze swept the clearing one more time. “What happened at the temple tonight... it shouldn't have been possible. My powers are bound. Have been for centuries. That they responded to yours suggests something is changing. And change, in my experience, rarely bodes well.”

Kai wanted to argue, to press for more answers, but there was something in Eliar's expression—a mixture of caution and what might have been fear—that gave him pause. Whatever secrets the fallen star was keeping, they clearly weighed heavily on him.

“Fine,” Kai conceded. “But this conversation isn't over. You know that, right?”

“I'm beginning to understand that very little is 'over' with you until you decide it is,” Eliar replied dryly.

Kai grinned. “Quick study. I like that in a man. Or star. Or whatever you are.”

Eliar shook his head, but Kai caught the faintest upward tilt of his lips before he turned away. “This way. There's a path back to the village that avoids the temple ruins.”

They walked in relative silence, the forest gradually thinning as they approached the outer boundaries of Mistwood. Briar flitted between them, occasionally darting ahead to scout or pausing to examine some interesting night-blooming flower. The restless energy that had surged through Kai earlier had subsided, leaving behind a pleasant warmth and a heightened awareness of his own magic—as if something that had been sleeping was now alert and attentive.

As they reached the edge of the tree line, the village visible as a collection of warm lights in the near distance, Eliar stopped.

“I won't go further,” he said. “My presence would only complicate things.”

“Because of the Keepers?” Kai asked.

Eliar nodded. “They'll be on alert after tonight. The disturbance at the temple would have been felt by anyone sensitive to such things.”

“So you're just going to disappear into the night? Very dramatic. On brand for the brooding celestial exile.”

“I'm being practical,” Eliar countered, though there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. “The Keepers are already suspicious of you. Being seen with me would only confirm their fears.”

“And what about the shadow thing? The Void Feeder? What if it comes back?”

“It won't. Not tonight, at least. It was banished by the protective magic of the ancient grove.”

Kai frowned. “But eventually?”

“Eventually,” Eliar agreed, his expression growing serious again. “Which is why you should return to Thornhaven tomorrow. Distance will make it harder for them to track your magical signature.”

“So your solution is for me to run away? That's not really my style.”

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