Light of Stars [2]

Chapter Twenty-Eight

♕ Down at the Cliffside ♕

Someone screamed. An arrow flew in her direction, puncturing through her arm. Aubrette barely reacted as she saw the bright blood pouring out of her, her eyes turned to Morte, his mouth still opened, yelling at the guards who had saved his life. Who had pulled their swords away just in time.

Hooded faces popped out in the crowd, arrows of fire pointing all at her, Aubrette stood, Zander had already pulled his sword out, rushing to Morte, his eyes shifting to Sybilla as the guards managed to hold him down. Aubrette met eyes with Izabella, who was already parting her way through the crowd, moving to catch the attackers, another arrow flew to her, this time Aubrette moved herself out of the way just in time.

She ran, not noticing until then that she was the only one still up in the council chairs. Her heart leaped out of her chest as she tried to make her way to the crowd. She could not use her blessing here, not for anything that would help her, she pulled the one and only dagger she had hidden in her dress and started moving.

She was halfway through the room when a pair of arms pulled her back, Aubrette yelled turning back. Favian pushed her out of the throne room. Much stronger than her. A wave of guilt flooded through her mind as she fought to get out of his grip but she was not as strong as she'd once been, there was not much she could do against him.

"You have to hide" he whispered, trying to get her to stop pushing him away. "Hide. They are only targeting you" Aubrette froze.

"What?"

"They only hit you, and missed, so they are trying to get away. We'll handle this. Now go."Aubrette stared at him "Next to the bridge, theres a stairway that goes all the way up Gloas. Someone will come find you when its safe to enter back."

Aubrette did not move. Could not move as the screaming went through her, as every muscle in her body told her it was time to fight, to defend, to protect others, but if he was telling the truth, her absence would protect them more than her sword. She nodded, and stepped back. A rush of steps coming their way reaching their ears.

"Go!" Favian yelled.

Aubrette ran. She felt the muscles of her tights burning, her shoes left in some corner of the castle, they were useless now. Her bare feet felt heavy against the hard marble, and for a moment she worried she might slip, that her refusal to train for months had let past weakness arise anew. Weaknesses she would have to learn to kill all over again. She did not let the thought dwell on her as she crossed the wooden archway and looked, upwards this time. The stairs had been hidden behind rocks and leafs of hanging trees, and she wondered how she could have so easily missed them before. Instead of stepping onto the crystal bridge she turned right, and climbed each step up the mountain, not caring to look back, not caring to grab for air, or to let her mind catch up to her body.

She climbed, two steps at a time, and let the wind and Gloas hide the chaos away.

☆

There were shadows wrapping around her knees. If they came from her mind or the trees above her this time she was not completely sure. Nor was she sure of how long she'd been in the same position. Kneeling next to the edge of the mountain trying to stare down at the world.

It was a waste of time, she'd realized a long while ago. It was too high up for anything to be visible. It all faded away in layers of fog and mist. Yet she kneeled, and stared and tried to listen.

For a while she pretended she would stay there, frozen, so that she would not dare ask herself the questions that haunted her mind, the thoughts that lingered long after her dreams ended. She did not want to get to know herself. Yet up here, up here her thoughts grew louder by the second, and her heart drowned.