Light of Stars [2]

Chapter Sixty

♕ Crystal Drizzle ♕

The full moon was high in the sky. Taj stood beside her, his bow and arrows tied to his back. A sword on his left hand. Vereena cracked her neck as they waited, letting the cold air erase the redness of her eyes. He had not asked her about it, but he had known, she wasn't one to cry, she had not cried when she saw him arrive that night when they'd most needed him, she had not cried when she saw the golden sky turn to black ashes, she had not cried when he told her about Asher but she was crying now. And he knew why.

Taj grabbed her hand, and held it tight. For a moment it was easier. All of it. She was not alone, and knowing that might just be enough to get her through the night.

"They'll most likely be all over the city" Vereena said. "I haven't seen many inside the palace though so I don't think it'll be hard once we are inside" She explained, remembering the points where she was used to seeing marked making their way around the streets.

"You think its the best way?"

"If there's any stardust left from Layla this is the one time they won't be around to prevent us from taking it" She said. "It belongs to us. She left it for us to find. Not for them to use. We'll get it back"

"What if whatever they are planning to do is inside the palace? Then what?" Taj asked, and she hesitated before replying. It wasn't like she had not thought it a possibility, it was just... why would they need the moon if they were going to be inside? The odds pointed in their favor.

"Then we wait, and pray I guess" She said finally. Taj sighed, his curly long hair falling over his eyes before he pushed them out of his forehead.

"Outside there's always around five of them, I usually go through the roof. Through my room's window" she said, thinking of the pathway repeatedly on her mind. Taj seemed to be doing the same thing.

"What about the gate, will we need to prepare for it?"

Vereena shook her head. "They don't come near here. I think there might be moonstone on the bridge. None of them ever even comes close to touching it"

Taj closed his eyes, kneeling down and placing his hands on the thigh crystal beneath their feet.

"What would happen if they did?"

"Well considering they are basically corpses.." Vereena said sighing.

"No, not them." Taj said standing up. "Mason was like that, but he wasn't blood drained, he didn't have his throat cut. Yet they marked him. So the moonstone.."

"It might help absorbe the curse" Vereena confirmed. "At least that's what Raven implied, but that's a very huge might"

"We could try."

"We should ask Luna before we go experiment" Vereena said, thinking of too many things at once. "Especially tonight. We just need to concentrate on finding out what they are up to, where the stardust is, try and help as much people get here as we can, and leave. Nothing else"

"Okay" Taj agreed. "Its almost time" he said, looking up to the sky. It would be night soon, and the first glimpses of the moon where making their way into the sky. "Nova should be here already" For a second Vereena felt her eyes clouding as she realized how Nova and her were the only ones left. The only Aureums still fighting. Izabella was gone. Hazel marked. Layla... she sighed. And now Raven did not even want to try anymore.

"I am" Nova said standing behind him, Taj jumped as she placed her hands in his eyes.

"Nine hells Nova" he said, as she laughed at him. Vereena felt the thrill start taking over her body, her mind finding clarity in the middle of caos. They were trained for this, to defend and protect and they'd do just that. The three of them would go, and watch and try, and after that... she hoped there was enough of them to bring back.