Page 67 of Broken Star

He’s up and alert the second the door opens.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, and he’s on his feet in one swift moment, reaching for his sword on the nightstand.

“She’s back,” I tell him. “Circe. She’s on the pier, with a basket.”

He nods and pops some of that herb into his mouth—moly—grimacing at the taste.

Neither of us has mentioned last night’s showdown in front of Circe, and I’m glad of it. The last thing I need is more of him trying to tempt me to death.

Well, trying to tempt me tohisdeath, since he’s the one determined to seduce a vampire into tasting his blood.

“Let’s find out what she wants,” he says, one hand on the hilt of his sword as he leads us out of the cabin and onto the bow of the ship.

Circe’s patiently waiting at the end of the pier, her purple gown rippling in the breeze as she studies our ghost ship with obvious disdain. Three pigs accompany her.

“I thought you might need more supplies for your journey,” she says, placing the basket onto the ground at her feet.

“That’s... unexpectedly generous of you,” I say carefully.

“Consider it a wedding present,” she says, and Riven makes his way onto the pier, frost spreading beneath his feet with each step.

“What do you want in return?” he asks her, ignoring her goading and getting straight to business.

“I want you to succeed in your mission,” she says, and her voice drops lower, taking on an edge of knowing that makes my magic stir. “The Blood Coven grows stronger by the day, and their alliance with the Night Court...” She shakes her head. “Poor Ambrogio thinks gaining more power will win back Selene’s heart.”

My breath catches. “You know about Ambrogio?”

“I know many things.” Flames dance along her fingertips, and she smiles as she continues. “Including what a fool’s errand it is to chase the affections of a woman still devoted to her sleeping lover.”

“What are you talking about?” I ask, joining Riven on the pier.

“My aunt Selene.” She keeps her eyes on me, waiting for my reaction. “The primordial goddess of the moon, who’s spent centuries pining for Endymion while he’s trapped in his eternal slumber—which I must say, is an appealing state for a man. Almost as effective as turning them into livestock. However, Selene and Endymion are clearly enjoying themselves in his dreams, since they have fifty daughters—one of them being your star goddess, Celeste.”

I nod slowly, since Celeste mentioned this when we talked on the Midnight Star. Her mother—Selene—was in love with Ambrogio. But after he was turned into a vampire, she feared him so much that she had him banished to the Underworld.

“Selene’s your aunt?” I ask as I piece the rest together. “Which means Celeste’s your cousin?”

“Indeed. Which makes you my…” she trails off, thinking. “Well, let’s just consider it a sort of adopted family.

Riven looks as skeptical as ever. “Is that why you’re helping us?” he asks her. “Family loyalty?”

“I simply recognize the importance of maintaining certain balances. The star touched were chosen for a reason,” she says, her gaze fixing on me. “Though I must say, you’re proving far more interesting than I anticipated.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Wind stirs around me, responding to my unease.

“It means you need to take these supplies and be on your way,” she says, and from the way she motions to the pigs along with the basket, it’s clear they’re part of the deal.

“We’ll take them,” I say before Riven can object.

He doesn’t argue. He just watches me with those unreadable silver eyes of his, frost crackling at his fingertips.

“A wise choice,” Circe says with a knowing smile. “Far better to feed from my transformed sailors than to be tempted by... alternatives.”

Heat rushes to my cheeks, but I refuse to look at Riven. Instead, I study the distant horizon, where that massive fortress I’ve been glimpsing through the clouds stands dark and forbidding against the sky.

“What is that place?” I ask Circe, partly to change the subject away from Riven’s blood, and partly because its presence has been nagging at me since we arrived. “That fortress in the distance?”

“Ah.” Her expression shifts, becoming more serious. “That’s Blaze Academy.”

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