The Wings of Ashtaroth

Chapter 15: Dreamers: Section III: Iridescia

Iridescia: Star's Chamber: Ipsis: Indas

The door to Star's room was ajar in a way that beckoned and repulsed like the trapdoor of a desert spider. Muffled voices emanated from inside, the only sound in the deserted corridor. The voices did nothing to make it more inviting, but then, it didn't matter whether or not Iridescia felt invited, because Iridescia had been summoned.

Star was finally calling in Iridescia's promise to speak with Star about her dreams.

Iridescia lingered outside the door. The last time she'd been here, she'd been stealing riches she could sell to buy passage for Tobi. So much had changed that night, so many questions raised, and so few answers given. And the way Star had stood aside and watched as Hadrianus beat Liberio bloody spoke to how little she cared about protecting family.

If Iridescia was walking into a trap, she wanted to know who was trapping her.

She approached the door as quietly as she could, leaning forward to spy on the conversation taking place beyond the door, but at the last moment she tripped and hit the door so hard that it swung wide. Inside, Star sat rigid on the bed with Tobi sitting on the floor at her feet. Tobi was holding one of Iridescia's old toys—a cloth doll Iridescia had owned as long as she could remember.

Star stared at Iridescia and smiled. "Why do you linger, child? Is something the matter?" She patted the blankets.

"Why is Tobi here?" Iridescia stole a glance at the metal chest beside the bed. When Iridescia had sneaked inside the room, she'd found that the chest was inscribed with the name of the heq-Ashqen of Molot who'd tried to raise his daughter from the dead.

"He isn't staying, are you Tobi?" Star said, voice filled with something like kindness, only it couldn't be kindness because of who was doing the speaking. "Run along now." She flicked her long fingers toward the door.

Tobi stumbled to his feet. The cloth doll, worn from years hugged to Iridescia's chest, dropped unceremoniously from his still-bandaged hand and fell to the floor.

Iridescia hurried to Tobi's side before he could leave and picked up the doll. She rubbed her thumb over the holey cotton, feeling the years through its stitches. Its painted-on face was long-faded, even after she'd clumsily tried to repair it herself five years ago. Roewyn had helped her fix the awkward and slightly creepy mouth she'd made and had even sewed the doll a little blue scarf. The scarf was tattered now at the ends, but it still shone gold when you tilted it just right. She hadn't played with it in such a long time.

Before she could talk herself out of it, Iridescia folded the fingers of Tobi's uninjured hand over the doll. She gently pressed his arm to his chest, hoping he understood that she wanted him to keep it.

"How kind," said Star. "You can go now, Tobi."

Tobi darted off and the door slammed behind him. With it closed, Star's windowless room was so dark.

Iridescia turned on Star. "Why was he here? Were you punishing me again?"

On any other face, Star's smile might have been reassuring, but it made Iridescia recoil instinctively, as though a corpse had turned and winked at her. "What would I have to punish you for, child? Have you been sneaking off somewhere you shouldn't? Is that why my slaves couldn't find you this morning?"

Don't breathe. Don't blink. Don't stare in silence. Don't give away that you took Liberio to see Roewyn.

"I was playing by the river." She'd walked in that direction. If anyone had seen her, the story would match theirs. "Then the Eghri." She left Liberio out of it. "Why did you want me?"