When Stars Fall (NaNoWriMo22)

Chapter 40

"Surprised?" Nirvana's toothy grin drips with poison, but her face tells something different. Her eyes are hallowed. Her skin faintly blue. "Yes, so am I. I didn't expect you to make it here."

Her hood is back over her head, casting half a shadow on her face. The violet in her eyes radiating anger. "You look different, Nirvana." I take a small step forward. "Is the sudden loss of your sisters that has brought you to this state?" She exposes her canines and cackles up to the air. "You think understand me, little Star? I'll only be like this for a moment longer. Then, you'll watch me eat your heart after I ripped it out of your chest!"

"You mortals are always wrong," I sadly smile at them, "I understand more than you think. I know grief for a sibling when I see it. You and your sisters taught me what it feels like to lose those I loved. Back then when I couldn't define what love was."

The prince sighs our boredom. "Might we speed this along. I have a crown to claim." His eyes land on my chest. There's a predatory glimmer in his eyes that I can't be sure it's completely reserved for the jewel around my neck. "Right!" Nirvana steps out of the tree line, into the light. "Hand over my friend's possession." My eyes trail up to the grey sky and breath. I find peace in knowing that I made it this far. My life was never truly mine to keep anyway. I square my shoulders and sign my death sentence.

"You'll have to rip it off my dead body." Nirvana's eyes flash. If I have learned anything in the last few days, it is this: this dark sister has an unpredictable anger. If I die, then I die. But there is a chance that this will go a different way if I provoke her enough. "You have quite a character," the prince laughs as he eyes me a bit carefully. "Do Stars have names? I would like to know yours." I stare at him, deadpanned. Is he truly doing this at a time like this? He'd kill me to get what he wants. I open my mouth to tell him off when something in the wind catches my attention. It was a word. A voice. It disappears as quickly as the wind brushes past me.

"Enough, Foustaz!" Nirvana snaps at the prince.

I slowly turn back to my hunters. I watch as she draws out a glass dagger. "It is time to complete our deal and be rib of each other." She licks her top teeth as she slowly strides over. "Alcyone!" There it is again. Someone calling me! My eyes survey the sky. Is it them? Are they watching? I hope they aren't. I wouldn't be able to bear it. "Pray to your precious Stars all you want," she mocks me, "they cannot save you. No one can." I won't let her break me down. Not this time. I know I'm standing alone here, but my heart is full of people that I love. They are with me now.

My bottom lip trembles slightly. When I'm gone, I hope they tell stories of me so I can be remembered as the First Star to live in centuries. I want my siblings to keep their courage and continue down the path my fall had taken them on. Milton. I hope he writes a book about all I've taught him. And Averett. My skin tingles in all the places he has touched me, and it spreads like wildfire. I promised I wouldn't die without a fight. It is a promise I intend on keeping. "Alcyone, no!" I hear him clearly now. I immediately turn around. Averett runs down a hill on the other side. "Don't cross the Wall!"

"Is that him? Your loverboy?" The prince taunts me. "Shall we do something about him, friend?" That's when I felt the greatest fear any type of person could have. "Gladly, dear prince. If you remember what I taught you, that is."

The prince and the witch change the direction of their malice to Averett. Thunderclaps erupt from the grey clouds as violet electricity bolt from her fingertips as the prince throws a hidden dagger from his coat. I scream with all the strength I had within me. Everything seemed to slow down for me. My screams changed to an all-out shriek. That's when the echoes began. I heard other voices screaming along with me. I feel something bubbling up from underneath-hot and angry. It quitly erupts out into the open. A bright light pours out, blasting through the air in flash. The blast forcibly throws me to the ground in a haze. The mixture of exhaustion and emptiness leaves me confused.

Figures bathed in light hover about my line of sight. The world sways back and forth before someone gently embraces me with that peaceful light. I could've stayed this way forever. I could close my eyes forever and be at peace with it.

"You've done good, sister mine." A soft caress on my cheek warms my oddly cool skin. I know her voice. I would know it everywhere. "Maraynia?" Her face becomes clear. She smiles down at me with the softest, blue-green eyes I've ever seen. "Shh, it's alright. You're alright. You have a legion of Stars and mortal alike behind you." My bottom lips tremble at the sight of her. She's so beautiful. My sister is the prettiest Star I have ever seen. "I miss you." My fingers hover over her porcelain skin.

"I know," her eyes sadden, "but you are never alone. I am with you alway. We are all with you." We? She sees the questions I have but shakes her head. "There is no time. Keep the course, Alcyone. Uncover the secrets, protect the heir, defeat the darkness. There is more to this than you know. Stay the course." She lets go of me. No! Please stay. Don't leave me. "You are never alone, Alcyone. Never."

I hear her voice in my head. Never alone, Alcyone. Alcyone. "Alcyone!" Averett grabs my shoulders and shakes me roughly. "What the bloody hell was that? Are you harmed? What are you doing here?" I latch onto him, touching him all over. He's real. "You're okay." I sigh, relieved as ever. He's safe. "I was on my way to you! Why would you leave me?" I hit him across his chest.

"I didn't! Didn't you get my note?" His note? "I left a note with that inn keeper, Eatie."

That cursed man! I had asked him if there were any messages for me. I roll my eyes, turning my head to the side. My eyes widen in shock and gasp. Where the prince and the witch stood are now two piles of rock. "I had come to warn you, Alcyone," he stares at the pebbles of rock the way I am, "the Wall would've killed you if you tried to walk through it. It only lets humans from the other side enter and leave." I lay my head on his shoulder. They were nowhere near the Wall, though. I was the only one close enough to turn to stone. This was my doing. I know it was. How? I know not.

"Averett!" A mortal woman stumbled through the Wall. A mortal woman I know very well! "Lady Beá?" Her eyes snap sharply at mine. "Alcyone, this is my mother." His mother? "Sabine." Sabine? Averett's mother and I stare at each longer than what was necessary, but I couldn't help it.

"We should go before someone else arrives."

Averett grabs my hand and his mother's without noticing the tension between us. We both held a world altering secret that has once again changed the course of my existence. We all run to the cover of the forest, knowing full well that hiding is our only option. In all cases I know I must hide. Not who am I, but what I know and what I've seen. More specifically, the power I hold within mere words. Stay the course, Maraynia said. I shall do what she asked of me. What other choice do I have?

I wonder if my siblings had witnessed what I saw only moment before. I also wonder if they realized the same thing I did. If it all somehow became clear for them as it had for me. While we all climb up the path back to Market Palace, a thought kept invading my mind. A question, really. A question that I thought I knew the answer to. What truly happens when Stars fall?

END OF BOOK 1