Chasing Starlight 💫

21. Banished. Part 3

Alründ:

Not more than five minutes ago, Alründ had been dumped on the steps of Queen Lyssian's castle, splat bang in a crowd of Lumirions who were floating towards the front doors. Neon bodies were everywhere, and they were all chattering away in vibrating tones that made Alründ's ears hurt. He wondered if he'd gate-crashed a Royal party, but he had nowhere else to go. He sat, scuffing his shoe over the step below, debating whether to put aside his pride and meet with the queen. After he'd insulted her people the last time, he would undoubtedly have to beg her for a place to stay.

Has Lücan informed her of my arrival? Who Knows? Unlikely. He wants to make me suffer, and having me grovel to the Queen of Lumirion would be a good place to start.

Suffer... As if I haven't suffered enough today! Watching Ash cry as she was hypnotized to forget me—us. Worst moment of my life. Lücan's only kindness today was that he'd blurred my memory of our visit to Astaria this morning. Possibly the other worst moment of my life. Strange that I remember returning to Lücan's Melbourne home, dirty, clothes shredded, but nothing else. Then he'd told me that I'd pleaded with him to erase the memory of my old planet, and the memory would return in three months when I had some distance from the event.

What had I seen? Not knowing, is possibly worse. A hole is growing within me larger by the second.

Curse, Lücan! He should have erased that conversation, too. He should have erased Ash from my mind without my knowledge, but he wants me to endure the loss of her, the pain. He probably considers it another one of his lessons. He wants to make me suffer, he thought again, punching the step beside him. He gritted his teeth as pain shot through his hand and up his arm. He held his aching fist, trying to quell the pain.

Alründ might have been considered the best of the up-and-coming Sepheri, but when it came to his life he could do nothing right. The anger inside of him rose as he looked to the stars, picturing Ash reaching for him seconds before they had been parted. Fighting back tears, he yelled into the night.

Lumirions passing up the steps fell silent and raced quickly into the castle, glancing back at Alründ as if he were a dangerous beast about to snare them all. Alründ laughed emptily. He stared down at the steps, clutching his head, fiddling with the severed roots where his ivy had been. At least some part of me is with her, he thought, thinking of the twine necklace.

A girl of seventeen paused beside Alründ. Her dress was a glowing hot pink that ballooned around her like a powder puff, her face ghostly white, with pink lips and green eyes. She spoke in a high hum, but all he could understand were the fuzzy words, "Prince Alründ." He shrugged apologetically. The girl gestured for him to rise, and as she took his arm little electric shocks went through him. He tried not to show his discomfort, but as she led him through the castle doors he had to pull away. His arm was numb from her repeated shocks.

At the entrance to the hallway, Alründ slowed to admire the waterfalls that ran behind the glass walls. They were backlit by pale blue light that became more serene the longer he stared at it. But there was no time for standing around, and soon he was passing with The Fates' stories etched into the stone walls. Again, he never had the chance to read them; the hallway was bustling with glowing people that strained his eyes.

His guide floated beside him, her voice clearer this time, as if she'd changed frequency. "I am Telene, the Queen's niece. My aunt has requested an audience with you, Prince Alründ."

"It would be an honor," he said, bowing his head to the princess.

"This way," she said, darting through the crowd. Alründ kept track of her powder puff dress and chased after her, taking a quick right. When he next saw Telene she was hovering before a large ornate door encrusted with gemstones. "She's expecting you." Alründ went to move past her, but she whooshed in front of the door, her smile as luminous as a light bulb. "Is it true you can hit a target with your eyes closed?"