Page 56 of Above
“Have you read the latest chapter of the history text?” I asked, changing the subject before I lost control of my feelings. “It went over our quickest conquest, which was planet four-one-nine. It’s very interesting.”
Talon’s head titled, eyes squinting slightly. My breaths became labored, the feeling of his expectations suffocating me slowly.
“That’s how it’s meant to be,” he deadpanned, unwilling to let the topic change. “If women were allowed to feel as if they were equal to men, then nothing would get done properly. Believe me, I’ll be the first to say I hate my father, but it’s normal that he leads our family. It’s the old ways.”
If only he could hear himself with a clear mind. Could see the lies and biases he had been force fed for decades. But I feared at that moment that he would never comprehend reality as so many of us saw it.
“You said you didn’t see me as any less than you the other night,” I pointed out, wishing immediately that I hadn’t. Because now Talon looked at me with wide eyes and an open mouth, as if I had somehow suggested I would one day be his wife. So I did what I always resorted to. I changed the subject again. “I’m pretty tired, Talon. Want to head back to the room?”
Momentarily, we held one another’s stare. It was like a standoff of sorts. Our warring beliefs and views of the worldcolliding. But, as he so often did, Talon broke first, smiling brightly at me. “Of course, Supernova.”
That night, though I hated myself for it, was the first time since having my own bed brought in that I accepted Talon’s offer to sleep in his. And when he pulled my face to his and kissed me, I let him.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Nova
“I found a book called Conquering the Stars’ Gift yesterday. Well, I stole it. But what did that man need it for? He didn’t have magic, only wealth he didn’t deserve. Anyways, I was reading the book, and it explained that warding was like building a wall, brick by brick. I think I’m going to try it on our house. Just to keep everyone safe.”
-From the journal of Nova Tershetta, 9272 AS
The next morning, while I was in the tub soaking and reading up on crystallization before our day of exhaustion, I heard a loud pounding on our door. While Talon was seemingly popular with our fellow trainees, he had never once been visited in his room. Startled by the sudden and unusual visitor, I quickly willed the water to stop pulling from the piping that ran from the well and allowed it to cease heating. I needed my focus to be entirely on whoever waited in the hall.
Grabbing a thick towel and wrapping it around my body, I rose to the balls of my feet and made my way through the bathroom, not stopping until I was at the door. Three more loud knocks rattled the wood, lighting my nerves on fire.
Who was that?
As I so often did, I questioned what the best move would be, escaping into my mind. If it were Talon back from his morning run, he would just come in. The only other trainees who had reason to be on this floor were cores. While I figured they knew I was staying with him, I doubted they would knock for me. If they wanted me dead, they’d just attempt to break the wards and come get me.
My answer came when the person spoke, their tone soft and resigned, so different than the harsh and deep way it normally sounded. “Tal, it’s Az. I know you and the—” he cut himself off, as if choking on the word. Akhata. That was what he meant to say. Sighing, he continued. “I know Tershetta is in there with you, but I’m hoping you and I can finally talk alone. You’ve been avoiding me and putting it off, but it’s important.”
Talon had been avoiding Altair? How long had that been going on? I had never seen Altair approach Talon, but by the sound of it, he didn’t want me around for the discussion. Which meant it was probably about me.
Should I tell him Talon wasn’t here? Or would it be better to stay silent? If he knew Talon wasn’t with me, then he might kill me. Then again, he seemed eager to keep me alive until the moment suited him.
“I’m going to wait here until you come out, you know.” Okay, only option was to tell him. But, ever since Altair’s note had slunk into our room, I had asked Talon to allow me to help reinforce the wards, pushing both of our magic to the limit to block any sound from escaping and prevent Altair from coming in. Which meant the only way to speak to Altair was if I opened the damn door.
Taking a deep, fortifying breath, I gripped the brass handle and ripped the door open. Altair had placed his palms on either side of the frame, leaning forward with his face tilted down. He wore loose fitting black pants and a plain black shirt thatclung to his skin, showing his shadow-marked arms. His silvery, platinum hair was surprisingly unkempt, the longer pieces up top falling forward. The first thing he must have seen were my damp bare feet, but I watched as he slowly moved his eyes up, his moonstone silver irises fading to a darker, more menacing shade.
“Talon isn’t here,” I deadpanned, refusing to show him any emotion. Altair only stared at me, his jaw tight and gaze refusing to meet mine. “Like what you see, Snake?”
Finally, he looked up at my face, acknowledging my presence. But what I had said did not serve me as I hoped. Instead, it charged the air, the hairs on my arms standing upright and my saliva becoming too thick to swallow. Fear left my heart pounding violently in my chest, a ringing beginning in my ears. Altair seemed to notice, because he leaned in, forcing my face to tilt up in order to continue looking him in the eye. With a slight cock of his head, he finally spoke, his voice back to its normal deep and raspy tone. “Oh, Little Void, don’t we all?”
Then he pushed off the door frame, leaving toward the stairs. When I let out a hefty breath so loud it seemed to echo down the hall, Altair lifted a hand and snapped. My towel ripped downward, plummeting to the ground as if it were a hundred pounds. A shriek barreled out of my mouth, and I scrambled to cover my exposed body. Altair, for his part, didn’t even bother to turn, continuing forward as if unphased.
“Ass!” I screamed, but he was already through the doorway to the stairwell, only his raspy chuckles left behind.
Leaning down, I swiped up my towel and backed into the room, slamming the door with a growl of fury.
“Stupid, ridiculous, annoying, despicable snake!” I shouted to the empty air as I tore through my bag, grabbing a set of freshly washed leathers and undergarments. I quickly donned them, groaning and complaining the entire time.
As I was tugging my sock on, I hopped straight onto something sharp, my hiss of pain louder than normal. Blood instantly began dribbling out of my heel, which had been pierced by one of Talon’s silver lion pins. Zade heir through and through.
This one wasn’t his usual, the silver detailing dull compared to his preferred red and silver set he wore daily. In fact, I had never seen this one. Had I knocked it out of his bags when I was angrily grabbing my clothes?
When I wiped it off on my pants and moved to toss it into one of Talon’s open bags, I stilled, awful thoughts swarming my mind.
Take it. Sell it. Use it.
