Page 26 of Sea of Stars

“The Assassin’s Dagger,” the man said mystified. “How did you come to have it?”

It was alarming how much he knew about my people and how little I knew. “It was given to me." From the look on his face he clearly didn’t believe me. I looked down, remembering waking up and seeing that Breghton had fled. Tears welled in my eyes, but I held them back.

“You like him, don't you? Were you supposed to be his queen?” he asked. I could hear venom in his voice. Breghton had stolen his wife, and now he thought he had a chance to steal Breghton’s.

I shook myself from his grip. “I do not need scum like him in order to rule,” I said, growing angry. The man’s hand went swiftly to his knife. He pulled it free and held it out to my neck.

“I have found a way to get my wife back,” the man smiled. “You’re coming with me.”

“You don't understand,” I said, trying to sound calm. I reached up to untie my cloak, but the man slashed at my hand before I could dodge his attack. Wincing, I held my hands to both sides, palms facing him. “The man who stole your wife is not meant to be king,” I said calmly.

The man lowered his knife. “He is cruel and unjust,” the man nodded. “He is not fit to rule these lands.”

“I agree,” I said. “But that is not the only reason.” I reached up again and this time the man let me remove my cloak. The symbols were spreading and some had even appeared on my left shoulder now. The blue light glistened in the sunshine

.

The man was already on his knees, but he bent lower and placed his hands on the matted grass. “Please forgive me.”

I placed my hand on the father’s shoulder. “Please get up,” I said. The man looked up at me and nodded. He rose and soon I was staring at his stomach. He was taller and stronger looking than the man from the tree. I looked up at him.

“I want to help you get your wife back,” I said.

“Thank you, my queen. I…”

I held up my hand to prevent him from continuing. “I'm certainly not a queen. Please call me Mahlia."

"Mahlia? I've heard about you." The man looked awestruck. "My wife talked about the wished for child. If you are not a queen yet, you are definitely supposed to be one."

"How is it that everyone knows more about me than I know about myself?"

"Unfortunately that's all I know. It was just a story about a child possibly being born with the gift that's been absent for so many years. Sometimes it's a heavier burden to not know than to know, Mahlia." He paused and I could tell he was thinking about his wife and wondering if she was okay.

I knew how hard it was to not know if your loved ones were safe. Chinook was still missing, but I had hope that she was alive.

"But I never would have expected someone with the gift of the Moira to understand such a thing. Can't you see into the future?"

"Not in a way that I can control or comprehend. I have these dreams, but I never know if they're dreams or reality. If I can learn more about the gift maybe I can figure out how to control it. But I haven't found anyone that can help me, or anyone who even understands the symbols on my body." The common hatred we shared for Breghton made me trust this stranger. Maybe we could work together to bring him to justice. "What did you say your name was?"

“My name is Lyntel. Please forgive me for wanting to use you as bait to get my wife back. I am not that kind of man. But I am lost without her, and I do not know how to raise our child alone.” He reached into a nearby spot in the grass and pulled out his sleeping baby. "Who do you think will be able to interpret the symbols?"

"Possibly some older divinares who were around when the gift of the Moira was more prevalent?"

"That man that came here on the mountain dweller. He had older divinares with him. There were definitely a couple who had gray hair." He was rocking the baby in his arms, keeping her calm. I could tell he was a good father.

“I believe that Breghton, the man who claims to be king, is gathering followers and marching into the old divinare kingdom to take the throne. I fear that if I go anywhere near there he'll kill me. In order to talk to the old divinares I'd probably have to take the kingdom from him. I'd need a whole army on my side."

"You should gather an army, just like he's doing. You are meant to be the next ruler, Mahlia. That kingdom is yours. All the divinares would unite under your name. You have the power of the Moira." Lyntel smiled down at me. “I will fight for you Mahlia,” he said bravely. "I want to help."

I tried to stand up straight and sound confident, as I assumed a ruler would act. "I do not doubt that you can fight, but I need numbers on my side. I heard you say to your baby that you would spread the word that an unworthy king has taken the throne. I need you to do just that. I need you to tell your people what has happened, and that I need their help. I will try to find some divinares and rally them to my aide, if Breghton has not reached them all before me. If I march toward the walls with a united army of humans and divinares, I do not doubt that we can claim the throne. And you, Lyntel, shall be my right-hand man.” I put out my hand for him to shake.

He stared at me. “Mahlia, I believe in your cause. And I want nothing more than to storm the castle and get my wife back. But I cannot get others to join us. These are troubled times, you must know that. If I told other humans that you existed they would torture me until I told them where they could find you. We have our own king, a human king. My people do not want a divinare to rule. All they want is your blood. It’s the only magic left in this world. I believe the stories of divinares rightfully ruling these lands because I fell in love with a divinare. She made me see. But now our lands are filled with hatred. It will not work.”

I knew he spoke the truth. Breghton had a head start on me. He’d gather all the divinares and gain their support. He was not worried about the other races. He just wanted to be king of the divinares. My shoulders slumped. If I went to the kingdom by myself I would be murdered instantly. I looked up at Lyntel. “Then what should we do?”

“I can tell my people that a divinare has proclaimed himself the new king. I know I can rally them in their lust for his blood. But it will come with a price. Other divinares in the kingdom would also be slaughtered as the humans tried to find Breghton and remove him from power.” As soon as he came up with the idea, I knew he regretted it. He twisted his mouth to the side, most likely thinking that he'd be putting his wife in danger.

“No, that won't work,” I replied quickly. The divinare race was already almost extinct. Most divinares were trapped in villages being tortured. I was foolish to think I could gain support from Lyntel’s people. All they wanted was to kill us.

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