To the Stars | Throne of Glass

76

The night of the All Hallows' Eve stretched, and became unbearably long.

Celaena felt numb and empty as she sat on the emerald-tiled roof of her target's mansion.

Archer was leaving.

She wasn't sad because she loved him; she never had. But he was a friend, and she was losing him. She didn't want to think about it anymore.

Arobynn's assassins had been stationed by all light sources before they'd gutted Cultt. Ten minutes after twelve, a small huff, and it was pitch dark. Impossible to see. But easy for Celaena to slit Cultt's throat and rip out his innards. Hanging him on the chandelier was easy - balance on the ceiling joists, and sling him there. Then it was just a matter of slipping out of the open skylight before they lit the lights again.

It wasn't too cold, but Celaena hugged her knees to her chest as tight as she could. Her thoughts were empty and lost.

Ben, still in his dapper tunic, walked into view from her right. 'You're going to ruin your dress.'

'Bah. You'll ruin your suit.'

Ben didn't bother asking her if she was okay. He just shuffled right up, pressing the side of his body to hers. 'Don't think about it.'

'Archer's leaving.'

'Don't let that drag you under. It's not like you'll never see him again.'

She sniffed. 'I don't know, Ben.'

He stroked her hair. 'Don't think about it now.'

She looked at him, into his deep, earnest eyes, and gave a small smile.

Eventually, she tore her gaze from him and looked up.

'I used watch the stars before I went to bed,' she murmured.

Ben surprised her by saying, 'Me, too.'

Celaena looked away and up to the sky, the moonlight bathing the panes of her face with silver streaks. He leaned forwards to stroke her cheekbones with his fingers and she turned her head. 'I suppose- I like the dark,' she murmured into his fingers. 'Without it, we'd never see the stars.'

~

Ben began singing under his breath softly. She let the melody lull her, dull her senses till there was nothing but her and him and the stars.

'Wolf.' With the music still floating round her ears, it was so soft that she didn't notice at first. Celaena looked up.

Ben said again, 'Stag.' He was listing the constellations.

So she lifted a hand and traced a shape amongst the glimmering sparks. 'Look. Hawk.'