Light of Stars [2]

Chapter Forty-One

♕ Infernum ♕

There was tunnel of dead tree branches wrapped around each other in a infinite loop, so long she could barely see the soft lightning coming from the other side. Dorian stepped beside her, moving his head around as if to place himself. His eyes stared into the light, a certain hesitation in him appeared as he turned to her and titled his head, Aubrette letting go a breath before beginning to move forward.

"Forgive them, they are just excited" Dorian said, as they got closer to the light.

Aubrette narrowed her eyes before the loudness caught up to her, music, fire and laughter, all of it hitting her at once.

The tunnel ended, and a bright open seemingly abandoned yard appeared in front of them. The sky was clearer from here than it had been back at the Manor, and she wondered if they were lower than wherever it was they were before. There were no clouds, but endless nightsky over them. Grass, and stone benches, half standing statues at random spots, and in the middle of it all the biggest bonfire she had ever seen, surrounded by four of them, who she guessed were none other than the brimstone. Bottles of wine drained on the floor or in their hands, sparks of fire flying up into the air of the night, tears coming out of their eyes as their laughters got louder.

The sight shocked her, Dorian's hand touching her back for an instant, the touch reassuring her to keep moving forward somehow.

"We can leave whenever you want" he said, leaning in so she could hear his voice. Aubrette nodded, and Dorian stepped away from her, his face shifting again to that she'd seen him use back at Starhaven, and with Phoenix, shielding himself.

"Dorian!" Someone yelled, one of the girls lifted up from where they laid, throwng the bottle in her hand to the grass as she rushed to them, her feet barely touching the ground as she did.

Her curly hair fell over her shoulders, their color was the darkest brown she'd ever seen, shining at the glow of the firelight. Her dark brown skin was not visibly inked like Dorian's and Phoenix had been, but Aurbette could almost bet the four of them too wore some kind of mark on their skin.

The girl threw her arms around Dorian, and he took a step back at the impact, barely touching her back as she hugged him quickly before letting go, and then turning to Aubrette and doing the same thing.

"Hi" she said as she stepped back, Aubrette tried not to blush as their eyes met.

"Phoebe, this is Aubrette Black" Dorian said, the three of them walking closer to the bonfire.

""I know who she is" Phoebe said, intertwining her arm with hers. "We've all been expecting you daughter of shadows"

"You can fly?" Aubrette asked her watching her hover up in the air as she took each step forward, and deciding to ignore the nickname.

"Of course not." She said grinning. "I can do things much cooler than that" she said, winking at her.

"Phoebe can... stop things" Dorian said.

Phoebe smirked, her green eyes glimmering with pride. "I can stop myself in the air after I jump" she said and jumped a few centimeters off the ground, holding herself in the air. "I can't push myself upwards though, so no flying"

"She can freeze pretty much anything falling midair, no matter the weight or velocity"

"As far as blessings go its pretty standard" she said shrugging. "I wasn't meant to be a brimstone you know" she sighed, blinking repeatedly. "That a story for later, why don't you come meet the rest"

Phoebe's hand wrapped around hers, her skin less cold than she would've expected. She rushed forward, the heat of the fire barely perceptible on her face.