Page 127 of A Clash of Stars

The glow from my body was brilliant, and the smile had yet to be wiped from my face. I turned my body around to face Luna, immediately embracing her.

A lightning bolt of electricity struck me with remarkable clearness, and she looked at me with a forgiving look.

I knew instantly who she was just from that one touch. My mother and father had been right. Gods and Goddesses had been walking amongst us.

“Yes, I am a goddess too, Clara.”

“Then, you must be…” She finished the sentence for me. “Adelaide, but how? I’m sure you want to ask?” She laughed before continuing. “I am not in my body. I was able to infiltrate into this land by accessing this body. Luna is my friend; before you ask, she will be just fine when I’m gone. You’ve learned enough for now. It’s time for you to go, Clara.”

I gave her knowing eyes, in agreement with her.

I had to go. I had to go and save my people, our people.

I needed to save my husband. My inamorato.

Within those moments of becoming someone new, thoughts and ideas consumed me. They didn’t flood my brain, but they pierced it. Entangling information, weaving it like a blanket. Encompassing me and making me new.

There was information I just knew. I grasped it. I could feel the truth on the tip of my tongue. Yet, there was still a block around Evander. Darkness, fading out parts of him in the new knowledge I had gained. I would find out why, but first, I needed to end this curse.

As I was walking out of the castle, I stopped at the mirror in the entryway. I noticed that my inamorato marking was pulsing, and I wondered why. I also admired it, so damn happy that it was now real.

Evander, are you okay?

I waited for what felt like an eternity for him to respond.

I’m hurt, but I’m okay. Something has changed. I can feel it.

Yes. I was able to solidify all my powers together. I have so much to talk to you about.

My Goddess.

I wish I could talk to him more, but I knew I needed to go.

As I turned to the exit, I noticed a movement behind me. An older man with dark black hair was quickly walking away.

“Hey! What are you doing? Who are you?”

The man stopped running. Standing still with his back facing me. I saw him taking deep breaths, and finally, he turned around.

What is Instructor Edward doing here?

“Clara. It is lovely to see you. I see you have excelled and surpassed all of the others. It is what I expected.”

I tilted my head curiously because my mind wanted to scream bullshit at him, but instinctively, I knew he was telling the truth.

“I am only here to protect Luna. I heard the commotion and felt the shaking of the ground and needed to make sure she was all right. I can obviously tell that she is just fine, and so are you,” he said with a softened look upon his face.

I looked at him. Really truly looked at him.

Before the Variance, he was a pain in my ass and irritating. Maybe he wasn’t so bad after all.

“Thank you. I am doing better than I was, thanks to Luna,” I replied.

He had a tight-lipped smile and nodded before walking away.

I thought it was a weird encounter to have, but in a way it was confirmation for me that not always is your first impression the right one.

Once I finally opened the doors to the castle, all of my friends’ eyes widened. Immediately Bethany fell to the ground on her knees, and all my friends followed. They were bowing…to me, and I felt extremely weird.

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