Starborn Legacy (A Starborn Series prequel)

Chapter nineteen

The hours crawled by slowly. To Phoebe, it felt like days had passed by the time she was finally told to change into her ceremonial tunic and braid her hair, both of which she did in record time. She was already waiting by the door when her parents finally emerged in their ceremonial finery, and she had to force herself to follow behind them as they walked to the druids' encampment instead of darting ahead of them the way she wanted to. As she walked, Phoebe couldn't help but be swept up in the excited buzz all around her. The entire commune was out tonight, neighbors streaming from their homes to meet one another in the roads and exchange fervent whispers as they made their way en masse to the encampment. Everyone was curious about what message the Stars had for them this time.

Even though she'd seen it plenty of times before, Phoebe was always wonderstruck by how the encampment looked during a connection ceremony. Tonight there would be no bonfire, only the flickering lights of candles and lanterns that marked a path through the otherwise darkened city of tents and encircled the makeshift courtyard at its center. If she let her gaze grow soft, the effect was that of the night sky reflected in a calm pool of water. The druids were already seated in rows of concentric circles, rippling outward from a central point where the departed elder normally stood to receive the word of the Stars. Over their bowed heads and the mesmerizing drone of their murmured prayers, Phoebe saw Castid standing in his father's place. His eyes were closed, his hands outstretched, palms to the sky. Rue and her mother were seated at his side and, as if she sensed Phoebe's presence, Rue's eyes fluttered open just in time for the two of them to spot one another. Phoebe waved her fingers discreetly at her side and Rue answered with a tiny smile and a nod. They would catch up after the ceremony.

Phoebe and the rest of the commune found spots to stand around the perimeter of the circle. They couldn't join the ritual of calling on the Stars, but they were permitted to watch. Once everyone was in their places and the chatter had ceased, Castid lifted his palms and raised his voice, chanting in a language Phoebe didn't understand. Rue had once explained to her that the summoner was reciting an invitation — calling on the Stars to turn their gaze earthward and speak through one of their descendants. It required a strong connection with the Stars and a great deal of mental fortitude. As Phoebe watched, she hoped that Castid's loss, not to mention the night spent tending to his father's pyre, wouldn't make this more challenging than it already seemed to be.

She lifted her face and stared up at the sky. A crisp breeze rattled the trees surrounding the encampment and caressed her cheeks like a gentle, caring hand. The night was deceptively calm considering the current of excitement that flowed through the gathered crowd.

Suddenly, the sky was blotted out by a blinding flash of pristine light. Then, like a wave receding back into the sea, the light pulled into itself and fell downward in a pillar of brilliance. In a matter of seconds the sound of high pitched whistling accompanied by a sparkler-like fizzle rushed in from the depths of outer space, following the pillar as it raced toward the encampment at stunning speed. The light touched down, swallowing Castid's form in another blast of starshine that forced Phoebe to shield her eyes behind her hands.

As the light faded into a manageable level of intensity, Phoebe lowered her hands so she could see Castid. His eyes glowed as if they had been replaced by a pair of tiny stars, and the air around him shimmered, giving him a luminescent glow. This is what it looked like when a druid communed with the Stars, and it was at once mesmerizing and terrifying. Phoebe thought back to how Rue described the experience of a Star's voice in her mind, speaking in an unknown language she could somehow understand. She wondered what this Star sounded like as she vibrated with anticipation.

"Salutations to you all," Castid's voice said. He sounded like himself, but with a quality that made him seem bigger than he was. There was an uncanny echo to his words as a Star spoke through him to address the breathless crowd. "On behalf of the Council, we extend our condolences to you in the passing of your great and venerable elder. Our wish for you is to find peace through your grief." Phoebe squinted. Even from a distance, she could make out a tear escaping from the corner of his blazing eyes. She wondered if the tear was his own, or if the Star was weeping through him. "Your elder brought you all together so that we might share a message of great import with you, the Plan's most faithful proponents. We bring this news to you out of concern, but also in the spirit of trust."