Sovereign of Stars

4.

MYRIA

Zemra

Maius

Myria knew something was wrong when she looked outside the next morning and saw the sun shining down on Zemra for the first time in days. A clear azure sky smiled above the valley. Birds were chirping, and children were laughing in the distance.

But something felt off; Myria just wasn't sure what. Even as she walked through town, she thought she was dreaming. Suddenly, Zemra's downtown was filled with blooming flowers and color and camaraderie rather than mud and gloom and glowers.

Myria approached the Goat's Crown and stopped in her tracks upon seeing the tavern. Standing outside were two of the Eye's writers, Liljana and Antony, huddled into conversation. Despite the sun and the flowers and the warmth, they were the only things normal about Zemra today.

"Why do you both look like you've seen a ghost?" Myria asked, stepping towards them.

Liljana glanced over her shoulder, her long braid of blonde hair snapping like a whip. "Oh, Myria! Don't sneak up on us like that. It's rude."

Myria quirked a brow in contempt but decided not to fire back. "Seriously, what's going on?"

Antony's dark eyes scanned the premises and locked on something just beyond Myria's frame of vision. His eyes narrowed as he muttered, "Incoming."

Myria's face fell into confusion but she turned around to see what Antony had pointed out. Walking towards them was a boy who walked like he had somewhere to be and he was rather late. His hair and part of his face was covered by a dark hood but Myria's stomach twisted when he shucked the hood off his head.

"Gods in Heaven..." Myria breathed. "This can't be happening."

The red-headed boy from her visions seemed to hear her, and he turned to meet her incredulous gaze. He was close enough that Myria could see he had cerulean irises, clearer than the sea. He smiled sheepishly as he approached, and Myria wondered if she was still breathing.

"Um, hi there," the boy nodded to Myria. "I was wondering if, er, there was a place that I could grab a cup of coffee?"

Myria was still gaping.

The boy shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Miss?"

Myria blinked, shaking herself out of her reverie. "Right, um, well, the Goat's Crown has the best coffee in town."

The boy smiled, as if he knew that already. "Thank you! Would you mind telling me where to find it?"

In unison, Myria, Liljana, and Antony pointed to the Crown, only a few feet away from then. The boy's cheeks turned red at this and he ducked a nod, mumbled a thank you, and hurried inside. Myria watched him go until the door shut behind him, and even then, didn't cease her gaze until her friends forced her out of it.

"We get it, he's cute. Can we focus please?" Antony spoke, venom laced like barbs in his sarcastic tone.

Myria whirled to face him. "I wasn't staring at him because he was cute!"

Liljana, quizzically, arched a brow. "You're saying he wasn't cute? Because he was."

"I'm not saying that!" Myria countered. She shut her eyes in exasperation, huffing a sigh. "What is the problem here?"