Page 112 of A Clash of Stars

He dropped his hands and turned to return to the chair, gesturing for me to sit next to him.

I sat down with my hands twiddling in my lap as I searched for the easiest way to tell him this, and when I looked into his eyes, he was patiently waiting for what I needed to say.

“Spit it out already, Clara. Damn. You’re killing me over here.” We both let out a chuckle, and I finally told him.

“Evander knows where I am, and he is sending Griffin to come get me.” His eyebrows furrowed, and his look was questioning for a fleeting moment. Then recognition hit him, and a smirk rose in the corner of his mouth.

He figured out how Evander could know where I was. Only the people of Thea could communicate using telepathy power, allowing Luke and I to talk that way.

The ultimate conclusion I reached about Evander and I was that we must be mates, inamoratos. When the markings showed up on the two of us in Manzanita, they were real. The magic, the gold swirls encompassing us, couldn’t be fake. Madok must have lied about my mate’s name to distract me.

“So, I was right. Evander is your inamorato, isn’t he?”

His question was curious but in a condescending tone as if he already knew the answer to it. I glanced down at my hands in my lap, thinking of how Evander would handle this situation.

“Yes. I think he is.”

He nodded in understanding and smiled.

“Somehow, I always knew he was it for you. I remember your sixteenth birthday party, you know?”

I laughed, a genuine deep laugh. Everyone else had remembered this damn party except me. My mother, Madok, Evander, and now Luke.

He stood and walked to the small kitchen, grabbed the glass pitcher of water on the counter, and offered me some, but I declined.

After a large gulp, he turned to face me, “You were chugging—and I mean chugging—sparkling wine. It was hilarious watching your mother try to get you to slow down.”

He paused, leaning against the countertop, and pressed the near-empty glass against his lips before continuing.

“I remember noticing Evander watching you throughout the night, not in a creepy way but in a way that he wanted to ensure you were alright. Later that night, you were incapacitated. I watched him scoop you up in his arms and walk you inside from the garden. A few minutes later, he ran through the castle ballroom to the exit, and I watched him as he ran. I could see the faint glow of gold on his neck, and I thought, what a peculiar place for a marking.”

He took another swig of his water. “You do realize. I can’t be here when Griffin comes; he will kill me. No questions asked.”

I stood to walk towards him.

“Why would he want to kill you?”

He sighed, “Griffin doesn’t know that I was instructed to do what I did to you in the Variance, and he isn’t going to find out.”

“But, where will you go? How will I know that you are okay?”

He placed his glass on the kitchen counter, walked over to me, and took my hands in his.

“I will be all right. I am going to make my way back to Thea and try to reconcile what relationship I have left with my father. I want you to be safe. Remember that your power is strong. Even stronger than the King of Aster, Madok, or Evander. The evil one doesn’t want you to know that, but I do. You can destroy him and all the people standing in your way, Clara. You are the only person I know who would be responsible with that much power, and I can guess that you haven’t used any of the other powers, have you?”

He dropped my hands and walked to pick up a small bag by the door.

“Promise me that you will look for someone once you find out how to solidify and use your powers.”

My puzzled expression was obviously enough for him to elaborate.

“This land, the people, the control, there is more at work here than you realize. I’m sure that your parents told you at least that much.”

He took a few steps towards me and lowered his voice, “You need to find Luna. She is one of the last oracles. She will tell you what you must do to save our people.”

Luna. My power advisor from Sefida. She knew all along.

My response was immediate, “People keep telling me I need to protect our people, save our people. From what, Luke? What do I need to save them from other than this curse?”

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