Page 129 of A Clash of Stars

“Come on. Out with it, Bethany.”

“Do you think it’s possible our memories could have been taken from us? Of this other world? My father told me that Athiana blessed the first generationof children to know the truth, and if that’s the case, then Evander would be a first-generation child but acted like he didn’t remember everything.”

“Maybe Theo isn’t the only one keeping secrets,” she confessed.

I sighed and continued with the horse and the rest of the group. Maybe Bethany is correct, and Evander knows more than he is letting on, but I was certainly going to find out.

Chapter 41

Icould smell the sweetness in the air as we approached my kingdom. I was drawn to the dozens of soldiers standing guard outside my castle, my home, Elistayre.

I knew my mother, Jeremiah, Amari, and Evander were inside that home. We needed a plan, a way of executing our next step in an effective way as a group. Only my intuition was screaming at me to get inside.

The sun rose on the horizon as we stayed stationary on our horses. When the orange beams of sunlight crossed my skin, gold flecks of light beamed off of me. I looked like a star that had crashed into the ground, with flecks of light rising off my skin like fire.

I couldn’t help but laugh. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy, and maybe I was.

I felt duped by so many people, and I couldn’t help but wonder if it was all worth it. My whole life had been set up for me to win the Variance, find a husband, and become a ruler. I was living for everyone else, but not once had I stopped to consider what I truly wanted until I stepped into Luna’s office.

My feelings. My dreams. What am I to do once this is all over?

“Is there another entrance to the castle?” I heard Griffin’s voice speak up amongst us.

Without looking at him, I nodded and spoke. “There is. Under the castle is a cellar. It’s where my mother likes to store her brand of wine. A tunnel has an additional entrance somewhere near the Dreary Willow.”

I pointed towards the sad-looking tree. “That’s where our entrance is.”

Luke whispered behind me, “I’ll go with you, Clara.”

I turned to look at him; his ocean eyes were especially blue with a hint of despair. I looked around at my other friends. Griff was stoic as always, Lettie didn’t give off her emotion, but Bethany quickly moved around Luke and squeezed her arms around my waist, giving me the biggest hug I’d ever had.

“Don’t forget who you are, Clara. No matter the outcome. You are an exquisite person, a fantastic friend, and you just happen to be a goddess with an astronomical amount of power that you have no fucking clue how to use.” She sighed before continuing, “I know that I said that the story I told could be fake, but there is no doubt that it is authentic. The more I think about it, the more sense it makes. You have to kill Theo. He will never allow us to leave unscathed. We need to know what’s out there. Our people deserve the truth, and so do we.”

I turned my head over my shoulder to look at my friend, pulling away from the hug, partly ashamed that I didn’t tell her the other truth I knew, that I was part witch and warrior by birth.

“Thank you for being honest with me.”

I blew out my breath and looked back towards the castle. “Promise me that if I don’t come back out, you will get my mother and take her far away. Ensure all my friends and family are safe and tell Evander I love him.”

“Of course, but you will be making it out. I believe in you.” I smiled.

“Are you ready to go?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be, Luke.”

He placed his hand on my lower back, “Then, let’s go break a curse, shall we?”

I smiled at him, glanced back at my friends one last time, and started my walk toward the Dreary Willow. So many great memories were made here. I couldn’t help but think about Madok. Where was he? Was he safe or even alive? If I saw him, would my feelings be the same?

Then I thought of Evander. His emerald, green eyes and his smile could make my knees weak.

If my whole life was a lie, after this was over, I needed to find out if there was more out there for myself and no one else. I knew I loved Evander, but at one point, I’d loved Madok too, and I wondered when I saw him, if I would feel the same.

“Well, you’re deep in thought. Where’d you go?” Luke whispered.

I chuckled, “That obvious, huh?” I paused, stopping my walk. “I just realized I have no idea what’s real or the truth anymore, Luke. Athiana and Theo messed me up.”

He pressed his lips into a tight line and turned his body towards mine. Reaching out, he grabbed my arms gently to ensure I was looking directly at him. He bent his head down so that we were looking eye to eye. His blue eyes had never been so clear.

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