Starrlings 1: House of Fire

chapter 68

L U M I

Tai nudged at a remaining piece of tofu on his plate with his chopstick, then decided against it. He placed his chopsticks down, and wiped his mouth with his cloth. Lumi remained silent, watching him.

"And now, Lumiko, I believe it is time that you join me. You are my sister, and my twin. And of course, my equal in everything. We were born together," he said. "We were made together. Like the twin fire stars. We burn together, Lumi."

Lumi was silent.

"It's my duty in life to protect you. And my duty in life to defend my country, and the Fire Lands. My duty has always been to serve you. I have never seen you as less than me, Lumi. The opposite. You are the fire of our lands, and I will protect you with my life."

Lumi looked down at her plate, suddenly uncomfortable by Tai's intense stare. His words rang false to her.

"It is time we share together our destiny, in what we are doing here in Lombardia."

"What are we doing, Tai?" Lumi whispered.

Tai placed the cloth back on the table, then looked up at Lumi.

"We will finish what our father started."

Lumi stared up at him. "What do you mean?"

"I have been working..."

Her face must have displayed her horror, because Tai put his hand out across the table to touch hers, in a gesture of comfort. She snatched her hand away.

"What have you been doing?"

"Working to destroy Lombardia from within," Tai said.

"No," Lumi said. "Not... the attacks in New Hamilton? Were you responsible for those?"

"Necessary moves in a larger game, sister. Join me, and you will see the big picture, as I have laid it out."

"No, Tai! People died. Innocent people."

"That, unfortunately, is war."

"It's... I don't want any part in it," Lumi said resolutely. "I can't let you go through with this, Tai. Think about what Empress Kiyo would do!"

"Grandmother has no power here."

Lumi was horrified. "Well think about Auntie V! If you start a war with Lombardia, then she will be at the front of it. Do you want to send your aunt off to fight a needless war?"

"That is her calling, sister," Tai snapped. "That is what she wants, more than anything. She wants war. Why do you think she is the general of the Fire Army?"

Lumi shook her head. "Most of her role is peacekeeping."

Tai laughed. "The army is the army. We inflict our power on our people and the world, so they will bend to our will. The Fire Army is still the strongest in the world. But I cannot see it in the hands of Lombardia. If you marry the Lombardian princeling, that is what will happen. Which is why you must join me."

Lumi shook her head. "I never wanted this."

"It's been your lifelong desire to join the Fire Army," Tai said. "You've been dreaming of this since you were a little girl."

Lumi took a breath. Yes, she had been dreaming of joining the Fire Army. But now, when she looked at her life's aspirations, she couldn't think of the reason why. She hated violence. She hated aggression and war. She hated anything that brought pain to others. She didn't want to be a part of it.

So why had she told herself she was so desperate to join the Fire Army?

She had never truly imagined the violent aspects of the army. The only thing she had imagined was training alongside Tai. Being accepted by him. And it would mean that she would be with her aunt. She missed Auntie V more than anything, whenever her aunt had to go away. She had always thought that being in the army would mean she would be closer to Auntie V.

"Join me, sister, and you will have your desires," Tai said.

Lumi stared at her brother. All her life she had wanted to be close to him. To be with him, to be accepted by him. And now, with his hand reaching across the table, he was offering that.

Lumi stood up. "I'm going back to the school."

"Lumiko," Tai called after her.

Lumi's mind was racing. If Tai was indeed behind the attacks, then that meant he was capable of pure evil. Hadn't she always known that? Her brother was capable of that and much more. And if she didn't do something to stop him, more people would die. She needed to stop him before he hurt more people.

She found Jinni and pulled herself onto his back. The comforting touch of her tiger caused tears to form in her eyes.

"How could I have been so stupid?" she whispered to Jinni, as she clutched onto his neck.

He seemed to understand her. He launched into the dark sky, to take her back to the school.

Jinni flew her back to the school without waiting for Tai, but she could sense her brother right behind her, on their tail. They landed almost at the same time, on the lawn in front of the Old Building. Lumi slipped off Jinni and tried to lead him to the kinnhouses, but Jinni stopped, and instead put himself between Lumi and Tai. The tiger growled at Tai.

"You're making a mistake, sister," Tai said. "If you don't join me now, you will never truly be part of our family again."

"I don't want to be a part of whatever it is you're starting," Lumi said. "I can't let this go on any longer. I'm going to speak to Doctor Hart."

Lumi led Jinni into the kinnhouse, and heard Tai follow her.

"Think this through, sister," Tai said. "If you tell anyone about this, you will start the war. Do you think Lombardia won't want retribution? They will attack the Fire Lands. And it will be your fault."

Lumi turned to him, to see that Tai was staring at her from the doorway of the kinnhouse.

"You don't want that, do you?" he said.

"I don't want anyone else to be hurt," Lumi said. "And I know you will hurt them if I don't stop you."

"You don't want our people to be hurt," Tai said. "What if I told you that I was ensuring that the Fire people would never be harmed in this war?"

"That's impossible, Tai," Lumi said. "If there is another war, our people will die."

Tai smiled. "Not if my plan is successful. But I need you. Stand by my side. It's your place. It's where you have always deserved to be. Not in the shadows of some Lombardian prince, but standing alongside me."

Lumi wavered. "Where I belong is as far away from you as possible."

Tai stepped towards her and slapped her on the face.

Jinni let out a roar, but Lumi held her tiger back. "Don't, please," she murmured into Jinni's neck. She felt tears on her cheek. "Don't hurt him."

She felt the thick rumble of a growl, deep within Jinni's throat.

Tai was staring at her, waiting for her to act, to do anything. But Lumi just pushed past him, rushing out of the kinnhouse and away from her brother. She left Jinni behind.

Tai's words burnt through her mind.

If she told Doctor Hart that Tai was the one behind the attacks, then the Lombardians would want retribution. Maybe they would declare war against the Fire Lands. Lumi didn't want that to happen.

Lumi realised how alone she was. She had no one to turn to. No one to give her advice. Whether or not she defied her brother had the potential of changing the world. And Lumi allowed her indecisiveness to carry her up the stairs of the House of Fire and into the girl's dormitory.

Chiru and a few of the other girls were already in bed, and Lumi slipped in quietly, with a heaviness of responsibility weighing on her, that none of these girls would ever understand. She could never tell them. She could never ask them what they thought. There was nothing to do but sleep, and in the morning, maybe, things would be clearer.

• Author's Note •

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elle xx