Page 66 of A Clash of Stars

A smile spread across my face. The sweet little Clara was gone. Replaced by the raging bitch that would end his stupid useless life.

The guards, Luke, Evander, and Madok, all were looking at my face, which was so empty of expression. I thought I almost saw a hint of fear from Luke.

Good.

I thought of one final thing I’d like to do, something to clear the air.

If you can hear me, Evander. I hope you choke on that bullshit you filled me with. You have no idea what you have done, but you’ll find out soon enough.

I knew he would be too much of a prick to respond, but I saw the reaction all over his face. It wasn’t what he expected. I can’t wait to— But I was immediately hit with confusion stopping my train of thought.

If the only reason he could hear and communicate with me telepathically was that we were inamoratos, how could we truly talk that way if it was all a lie?

Maybe the rumor of him having multiple bloodline powers was true then. That was the only answer I would accept because no man who truly loved me and was fated to be mine would ever hurt me in this way.

We rode in the carriage together.

The King, Luke, Evander, Madok, and myself. No one said a word.

I just stared at each person to gauge their emotions. Sometimes, I think they forget that I am capable of doing such.

Luke was riddled entirely with anxiousness and I couldn’t blame him for that. He was my best friend turned enemy. I would be nervous too.

Madok was also nervous but ticked off to no end.

The only ones I couldn’t read were the King and Evander, which I assumed was because they shielded all of their thoughts and emotions from me.

After what felt like hours, we stopped. The sky was darkening, and I was guessing it was time for our rest. If my internal map calculations were correct, we would most likely complete the journey in the morning.

Evander grabbed my arm and threw me out of the carriage. I hit the ground with a thump and an ache that shot down the side of my body. In the next second, Madok’s body was flung down beside mine.

Madok’s eyes were full of sympathy and concern for me. He was unsure and worried, and he carried that frustration in his brows, pinching them together while looking at me. We both lay still on the ground, covered with green pine straw, the same forest we came through by the lake. The place where I broke down the barrier of trusting Evander, which should have never happened.

A foot collided with my calf, nudging me.

“You need to stay put for the evening. Get some rest. We are on the way to the Aster Castle tomorrow,” Evander spoke numbly, like everything we had shared was not real, and he was completely unaffected by what was happening.

His eyes lingered on me a few seconds longer before he walked away.

I noticed they were setting up tents around us, and I assumed we wouldn’t get one because we were prisoners. I turned onto my shoulder blade, where I could gaze through the trees that canopy our forest.

“Well, this sucks,” Madok whispered, and I couldn’t help but chuckle a little.

I turned to look at him, his sunshine eyes on me. His hair was extra tousled and wild today, but his smile still was just as impactful as it always was. If I was going to be trapped with anyone, I’m glad it was him.

“Yeah. It does. What are we going to do?” I countered.

He scoffed, “Eh. I’m not sure. I guess we figure out what the King wants to begin with.” He paused, scooting his body closer to mine, pressing our chests against each other. “But I don’t understand that you won the Variance, which by default makes you more powerful than the King of Aster. Right? So, couldn’t you stop him with your new gifts?”

It was a good thought, but how many accords were being broken right now in the first place, especially with us being captured? What would make him honor the accords of our land now?

“I wish I could. When Evander bound me, he tied up my strength, and my powers were trapped in my hands. I can get some of my power out, but it’s not enough,” I whispered with great defeat.

I laid my head against his chest, and his heart rate started to speed up the longer we lay there together. Eventually, his breaths and heart rate started to slow, signaling he was asleep.

When I leaned back, I saw his soft lashes closed and his mouth slightly parted as he breathed in and out. I leaned over him and wanted to whisper something to him. I knew he was sleeping, but it felt necessary.

“I know you’re sleeping, but I must tell you this. I’m— I’m sorry for everything. We haven’t always had good times together, but you’ve always been there for me. Even when I didn’t want you to be, you’ll always be my Madok.”

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