Page 8 of Above
Swallowing the sobs that begged for freedom from my chest, I tried to smile wider as I grabbed the gift. Quickly, I unwrapped it and tugged off the lid, revealing something far more expensive than they had the ability to buy. A small, eight-pointed silver star sat on one end of the silver chain, brilliant and glowing beneath the light of the candles around us. On the other end of the chain was a black burst of what had to be shadows, the swirls connecting in a skewed circle.
“The shadows are a clasp,” Mama said, her voice thick with sadness that made my heart ache. She took the necklace out of the case slowly. Without hesitation I lifted my head full of wild curls, trying to contain them enough to get them out of her way. When she wrapped the chain around the back of my neck, I nearly cried. “Once it’s around your neck, open the clasp and slide the chain through, then close it.”
When her fingers released the necklace, the clasp made of shadows slid up, stopping just between my collarbones, while the star slid down and found its new home about three inches below.
“This is too much, Mama,” I muttered, softly touching the star.
“Nothing is too much for my girls,” Dad chided as he offered me the last box. A single tear paved its path of sorrow down his brown cheek, settling in the smile lines that terrified me more than anything, not even his beard able to hide them.
My fingers met the box without much thought. It was heavier than I would have guessed, the lid riddled with holes. What on Dajahim was this?
I was informed before I even had a chance to peek inside, because the little beast shot up and shoved the lid off.
“You got me a kitten?” I asked in surprise. The kitten was small, its fur blacker than night and its eyes a fierce yellow.
“Well, you’ve always wanted one, and she was left behind in a box near the shop.” Dad’s voice was paired with his hand reaching up to my arm and squeezing gently.
“She’s perfect.” My smile was genuine as I grabbed the kitten and let the box fall. The tiny thing immediately bit one of my fingers, causing me to yelp. And then, with a wicked smile on my face, I lifted the cat and said, “I think I’ll name you Death, evil little thing.”
Chapter Four
Azazel
“I wonder if Father ever thinks about a different way to please the stars. Has he ever asked them? Or is killing really our only option?”
-From the journal of Azazel Altair, 9219 AS
Father was throwing a temper tantrum again. Screaming about my failure to cloak our entire property despite the fact that I didn’t have the help of shadow magic. Hitting me across the face when I dared to stand tall. Shattering the fine china that held our tea. Tearing down trees with a swipe of his hand.
We had been out here for hours, the sun rising and making way for a bright, cold day. He had been growing more unstable as we came closer to the shadow ritual. He, like everyone, knew that it would be the Altair’s only chance at redemption. I would be the saving grace—or the inevitable demise.
That’s how it has been since the stars deemed him no longer worthy. I was the fallback. I was the holder of our fate, but not the bearer of our future. If we fell, then it would be my fault. If we succeeded, then it would be at his hands.
“Again!” he screamed. I willed my magic out, demanding it cloak the property. I pictured the castle, the grass, the paths,the trees, the gardens, the observatory, even the snake statues. Every black and silver accent, each detail. I ordered my magic to hide it. To listen.
It didn’t.
“You fucking failure!” father shouted. I braced for impact, my teeth rattling when he hit my jaw with a closed fist. Despite my best efforts, my head flung to the side. “What do you think the others will say when they realize how weak you are, Azazel?”
None of them would care. We were all failures in the eyes of our fathers. It was practically a right of passage. Trying to feign shame, I looked down, noticing a scuff on my black boot. That needed to be dealt with.
Fingers gripped my face, forcing my eyes to meet his, our grey irises twins to one another, just as our nearly silver hair was. An Altair trait. Though, he had once been lucky enough to have eyes as black as night, the stars themselves shining in the depths.
“Never mind them, actually. Do you understand how deeply disappointedIam?” he hissed, like he was one of the snakes that towered over the ledges of our castle. “How very unimpressed I have always been with your little act of nonchalance? You are a shame through and through. You are a blight on our family tree. If you wish to be more, then show me more!”
With a violent shove, he sent me sprawling onto the grass. Great, now I’d have stains on my knees. Standing up, I did my best to dust off the hideous green from my black trousers. Then, with a hopeful yet cynical mind, I tried again.
If only he knew how little I truly cared about his opinion. The stars had practically forsaken him. He was nothing special. Judgment from him was pathetic.
Then again, someone with nothing to lose was infinitely more terrifying than someone with everything to fight for. When I failed once more and he lost all control, snapping the neck ofour newest eadi servant, I was forced to accept one truth I had hoped to bury the last eight years.
Father was far more dangerous than I gave him credit for.
Chapter Five
Nova
“Grunt training is still miserable. Everyone is so much better than me, and I can tell they all hate me. Celeste says it’s because they’re jealous. I think it’s because they think I’m a stain on the shaytan legacy. When one of the girls spit on me during our field training, I began to agree with them.”
